"How now, what is the matter?" said the beautiful bride. "Am I and
my forty handmaids not enough to please you? Why did you sigh?"
"You are sweet, my love," said the lad, "but my mother also is
sweet. You have your place in my heart, but my mother also has her
place. I remembered her, therefore I sighed."
"Well," said the young bride, "take a horseload of gold to your mother,
let her live in abundance and be happy."
"No," said the lad, "let me go and bring her here."
"Very well, go, then," said the young bride.
The lad went to his stepmother and telling her all that he had done,
brought her to the palace of the Black Mountains. There she was the
mother-in-law of the fair bride, and therefore the superior of the
whole palace. Both the bride and the maidens had to submit to her.
The lad used to go out hunting. The stepmother, being well versed in
witchcraft and medicine, went secretly, and administered some remedy
to the corpse of the giant, so that he was soon healed. Falling in
love with the giant, she took him to the palace and hid him in the
cellar, where she secretly paid him daily visits, as she was afraid
of her stepson. Wishing, however, to have none to oppose her, the
witch one day said to the giant:
"Giant, you must advise me of a way by which I may send my son on an
errand, and from which he may never come back."
Upon the advice of the giant, she entered her room and putting under
her bed pieces of very thin and dry Oriental bread, lay down upon
the bed and feigned sickness. In the evening the lad returned from
hunting, and hearing that his stepmother was ill, hastened to her side,
and asked:
"What is the matter, mother?"
"O, son," exclaimed the witch, with a sickly voice, "I am very sick. I
shall die," and as she turned from one side to the other the dry
bread began to crackle.
"Hark!" exclaimed the witch, "how my bones are crackling!"
"What is the remedy, mother, what can I do for you?" asked the lad.
"O, my son," said the witch, "there is only one remedy for my sickness,
and that is the Melon of Life. I shall never be healed, if I do not
eat one of that fruit which you could bring to me."
"All right, mother," said the lad, "I will bring to you the Melon
of Life."
He at once started upon the expedition, and after a long journey
was guest in the house of an old woman who asked him where he was
going. When she heard of the errand, she said to the lad:
"Son, you are deceived; the expedition is a fatal one,--do not go."
But as the lad insisted, the old woman said:
"Well, then, let me advise you. On your way you will soon come to a
mansion, which is the abode of forty giants, who in the day-time go
out hunting. But you will find their dame there kneading dough. If
you are agile enough to run and suck the nipples of the open breast
of that giantess without being seen by her, you are safe; if not,
she will make one mouthful of you and devour you."
The lad went and found as foretold by the old woman. He was clever
enough to suck the nipples of the giantess without being seen by her.
"A plague on her who advised you!" exclaimed the angry giantess,
"else I would make a good morsel of you. But now having sucked of my
breast, you are like one of my own sons. Let me hide you in a box,
lest the forty giants should come in the evening and finding you here,
devour you."
And she shut the lad in a box. In the evening the forty giants came,
and smelling a human being, said:
"O mother, all the year long we hunt beasts and fowls which we bring
home to eat together, and now we smell a human being, whom no doubt
you have devoured to-day. Have you not preserved for us at least a
few bones which we might chew?"
"It is you," answered the dame, "that are coming from mountains and
plains where no doubt you have found human beings, and the smell
comes out of your own mouths. I have eaten no human being."
"Yes, mother, you have," exclaimed the giants.
"How if my nephew, the son of my human sister, has come to pay me a
visit!" answered the giantess.
"O mother," exclaimed the giants, "show us our human cousin; we will
not hurt him, but talk with him."
The giantess took the lad out of the box and brought him to the
giants, who were very much pleased to see a human being so small,
but so beautiful and manly. Holding him up like a toy, the giants
handed him to one another to gratify their curiosity by looking at him.
"Mother, what has our cousin come for?" inquired the giants.
"He has come," answered the giantess, "to pick a Melon of Life, and
carry it to his mother who is sick. You must go and get the Melon of
Life for him."
"Not we," exclaimed the forty giants, "it is above our ability."
The youngest of the forty brothers, however, who was lame, said to
the lad:
"Cousin, I will go with you and get the Melon of Life for you. You
must only take with you a jug, a comb, and a razor."
On the following day the lad took what was necessary and followed
the lame giant, who soon brought him to the garden of the Melon of
Life, which was guarded by fifty giants. The guards being asleep,
the lad and his companion entered the garden without being perceived,
and picking the Melon began to run. But they were just crossing the
hedges, when the lame leg of the giant was caught by the fence, and
in his haste to release it he shook the hedges which crackled like
thunder and, lo, all the fifty giants awoke crying:
"Thieves! human beings! a good prey for us!" and began to pursue the
lad and his lame companion.
"Throw the jug behind you, cousin," exclaimed the lame giant.
The lad did so, and lo, plains and mountains behind them were covered
by an immense sea which the fifty giants had to cross in order to
reach them. By this means they gained quite a distance till the fifty
crossed the sea.
"Now, cousin, throw the comb behind you," exclaimed the lame giant.
The lad did so, and lo, an extensive jungle between them and the
fifty giants. They gained another great distance before the giants
finished crossing the jungle.
"Throw the razor now, cousin," exclaimed the lame giant.
The lad did so, and lo, all the country between them and the fifty
giants was covered with pieces of glass, sharp as razors. Before the
fifty could cross the distance the thirty-nine giants came to the
rescue of the two and took them, safely to their borders.
The lad took leave of his adopted aunt and cousins, find taking the
Melon of Life with him, returned home. On his way, however, he was
again the guest of the old woman, who seeing him come safely, asked
if he had succeeded in bringing the precious fruit.
"Yes, I have brought it, auntie," answered the lad, and told her
his tale.
In the middle of the night, when the lad was sound asleep, the old
woman took the Melon of Life out of the lad's saddle bag and put a
common melon in its place. In the morning the lad brought the melon
to his stepmother, who eating it exclaimed:
"O, happy! I am healed."
The lad again went hunting, and the witch said to the giant:
"Look here, giant; this enterprise did not prove fatal to my
stepson. Advise me of another more dangerous journey on which I may
send him, and from which he shall surely not return."
Upon the advice of the giant she once more placed some thin and dry
loaves of bread under her bed and lay down feigning sickness. In the
evening when the lad came she said in a weak voice:
"O, son, I am dying, you will not see me any more."
"Why, mother," exclaimed the lad, "what is the matter? What can I do
for you?"
"The only remedy for my sickness," answered the witch, "is the milk
of the Fairy Lioness. If you bring it for me I shall live; if not,
I must die."
The lad started, and again was the guest of the old woman, who asked
where he was going.
"I am going this time to bring a skinful of the milk of the Fairy
Lioness for my mother," answered the lad.
The old dame again importuned him not to go, but as he insisted
she said:
"Well, as you are resolved to go, let me advise you. On the other
side of yonder mountain is the den of the Fairy Lioness, which is at
this moment very much troubled by a pustule on her paw, and you will
find her at the entrance of her den, holding her pustulous paw above
her head and roaring. Now, you must approach her cleverly without
being noticed by her, and taking aim with your bow and arrow, shoot
into the pustule, which, being wounded, will at first cause her great
pain and make her roar. But soon the pain being past, she will feel
comfortable and give you whatever you demand of her."
The lad went, and found the Fairy Lioness, as foretold by the old dame,
standing at the entrance of her cave, and roaring on account of her
pain. The lad at once taking aim, shot and wounded the pustule. The
pain of the Lioness increasing she exclaimed:
"Oh! who was it that shot this arrow? I would I could find him and
devour him. Oh! Oh! Oh!"
But soon, the matter of the wound coming out, she felt comfortable,
and said:
"Who was it that shot this arrow? By Heaven, I would give him whatever
he demanded."
The lad at once jumping out from his concealment stood before the
Lioness, who seeing him exclaimed:
"Was it you, young hero, that healed me of my pain which was troubling
me so long?"
"Yes, it was I," answered the lad.
"Demand of me whatever you please," said the Lioness, "I am ready to
give to such a hero as you anything that you may ask."
"Give me," said the lad, "some milk of your own udders, which is the
only remedy to heal my sick mother."
"In yonder cave," said the Lioness, "there are two orphan cubs;
go kill them, and flaying them, bring the skins to me."
The lad did so and brought her the two whole skins. The Lioness milked
her udders into them until they were filled.
"Here," said the Lioness, "take these and go, and be careful not to
harm my little cubs on your way."
The lad took the two cubs' skins full of milk and thanking the Lioness,
departed. On his way, however, he slily stole two beautiful cubs
and began to run. But the mother Lioness smelling her young ones,
pursued the lad, and overtaking him, exclaimed:
"How now, human being! is this the way you reward kindness done to
you? Why did you steal my two cubs?"
"I humbly beg your pardon," answered the lad. "I was so much pleased
with your kindness that I wanted to have a permanent keepsake from you,
and what better thing could I carry with me than a brace of your cubs,
which I will nourish on princely diet and keep as faithful friends."
The Lioness, being much pleased with this answer, gave him leave to
carry the cubs. He soon came to his hostess, who asked if he brought
the Fairy Lioness's milk.
"Yes, auntie, I have brought it," answered the lad, presenting the
two skins full of milk.
During the night, however, when the lad was sound asleep, the old
woman poured out the Lioness's milk from the skins into a cask and
filled them with common goat's milk. On the following day, the lad,
loading the skins on the back of his horse, took the cubs and went
home. The stepmother, drinking the milk, exclaimed:
"O good! I am healed."
The lad again went hunting as usual. The witch said to the giant:
"Giant, did I not tell you to advise me and name a task from which
my stepson would never return? Why are you devising only light tasks
which he can so easily accomplish? Now you must either advise me as to
the most dangerous expedition in which he will surely lose his life,
or I will betray you to him and he will cut you into pieces."
"What can I do?" replied the giant, "your son is the bravest hero
that ever lived; no mortal can vanquish him. He will return from any
expedition, no matter how dangerous it may be. Let him go this time
and bring you a jug full of the Water of Life."
The witch again feigned sickness, and when the lad came to see her
she said:
"O my son, I am dying, my bones are breaking," and the crackling of
the dry bread under the bed was heard when she turned from one side
to the other.
"What shall I do for you, mother?" asked the lad sadly.
"The only remedy for me this time," answered the witch, "is the Water
of Life, and you must go and bring to me a jug full, else I shall die."
The lad at once mounted his horse and taking with him the two cubs,
which by that time had grown up to be a pair of fine young lions,
he went to his hostess and explained the object of his expedition.
"O son," exclaimed the good woman, "I see plainly that you are employed
for some wicked purpose; there must be a detestable plot against your
life. This is the most dangerous expedition that ever human being
has undertaken, and no one has ever returned from the task you have
started upon. Be advised, go back; your mother is surely false."
"Not I," said the lad, "I will certainly go."
The old woman said, "As soon as you place your jug in the fountain to
receive the water, which oozes out only in the thickness of a hair,
a heavy sleep will fall upon you, and you will remain there benumbed
for seven days and nights. First, scorpions will assail you; then
serpents; then beasts of prey, and at last all kinds of genii. You
will surely be devoured by them."
"Let come what may, I will go," said the lad, and taking the two
lions with him, he started for the fountain of the Water of Life.
He came to the fountain and found the water oozing out in a
tiny stream. As soon as he placed his jug under it, a sound sleep
overpowered his senses and he remained there benumbed for seven days
and seven nights. Soon innumerable large scorpions began to attack the
sleeping hero. But the lions destroyed all of them. Then thousands
of terrible serpents made their appearance and assailed the lad,
hissing and striking with their forked tongues. The lions, after a
bloody fight, destroyed them also. Soon a whole army of voracious
beasts surrounded the fountain in search of the lad. The lions,
after a sanguinary strife, succeeded in destroying them also.
At the end of the seven days and nights, the lad awoke, and to his
great horror saw that he was surrounded by a high wall which the
lions had built of the carcasses of the beasts and serpents they had
killed. The two faithful guardians were now sitting on either side of
their master and were watching his every motion. The lad, seeing them
stained with blood from head to foot, understood how much he owed to
them in the preservation of his life. He then washed them clean with
the Water of Life and taking the jug, which by that time was filled,
he returned to his hostess.
"Did you bring the Water of Life?" asked the old dame.
"Yes, auntie, I did," answered the lad, presenting her the jug full
of water.
"It was not you that succeeded," returned the old woman, "but Heaven
and your faithful lions that preserved your life."
During the night, as the lad was sleeping, the old woman poured the
Water of Life into another vase, and filled the jug with common water,
which the lad in the morning took to his stepmother, who drinking
it said:
"O, happy! I am healed."
The following day the lad again went hunting. The witch said to
the giant:
"Can you not devise some means to destroy my stepson? By Heaven,
I will destroy you this time if you do not tell me how to destroy him."
"Your stepson is brave," answered the giant, "he is a unique hero,
and no one can kill him but yourself."
"How! how!" exclaimed the witch with great joy, "tell me and I will
do it."
"Do you not remember the three red hairs among his black hairs on
his head? As soon as they are picked, your son dies."
On the following day the witch said to the lad:
"Come, son, lay your head in my lap and take a nap."
The lad did so and soon slept. The witch immediately took hold of the
three red hairs and picked them out. A spasm or two, and the hero died.
"Now, giant," said the witch, "take that sword and chop this corpse
into small pieces."
"Not I," answered the giant, "my hand will not be lifted to chop such
a hero."
"You coward!" exclaimed the witch, and taking the sword she chopped
the corpse into small pieces, put these into a sack, and threw them
over the garden wall. One of the little fingers, however, fell into
the garden.
The lions learned that their master was killed, and that his chopped
body had been put into the bag. They immediately took hold of the
bag and carried it to the old woman, the hostess of the hero. Opening
the bag, she took out the body, and putting every part in its proper
place made a whole; only the little finger was missing. She explained
to the lions what was missing, and they at once went, and smelling
their master's finger in the garden, found it and brought it to the old
woman, who put it in its proper place. Now she brought the milk of the
Fairy Lioness, which she had secretly preserved, and poured it over
the body. Immediately all the broken bones, muscles and sinews came
together, and all the members being united, the body became as sound
and delicate as that of a newborn babe. Then she brought the Melon of
Life, and put it before his nostrils. As soon as the lad smelt it,
he sneezed seven times. Then she poured the Water of Life down his
throat. At once the lad opened his eyes, and jumped up, saying:
"O, what a sound sleep was this that overpowered my senses!"
"Sleep!" exclaimed the kind woman. "Yes, a sleep out of which you
would never have awaked had not Providence preserved you." And she
told him what had happened.
"Now, my good hostess," said the lad, "you have done me a very great
kindness--a kindness that I can never reward. May Heaven reward you!"
He brought her from his treasures a horseload of gold and a horseload
of silver, saying:
"These are for you; spend as much as you like and pray for me as long
as you live."
The lad came to his palace and found that his beautiful bride was
imprisoned in a dark cellar, where she was left to starve, while the
witch, his stepmother, was in an excess of merriment with the giant
and half a dozen younglings around her. They were all amazed to see
the hero enter, and the giant was about to make his exit through a
secret door in the wall when the lad seized hold of him, saying:
"How now, coward, are you running? Stop and solve this puzzle for me;
whose are these ugly younglings that are infecting the very air of
my palace?"
"They are my children out of yonder woman, your mother," answered
the giant.
"Mother! I have no mother," exclaimed the lad. "You increase so soon,
do you? Now we are going to have great merriment. Go and bring me
from yonder mountain, wood enough to build a large pile."
The giant obeyed, and soon a large pile of wood was built in the
courtyard of the palace. The lad struck a flint and lighted the
wood. Soon the whole pile was on fire, burning like a furnace.
"Now, giant," said the lad, "take hold of these bastards, and throw
them into the fire, one by one."
The giant obeyed, and all the younglings were burned on the pile.
"Bring now yonder witch, and throw her into the fire," ordered the
lad. She also shared the fate of the bastard children.
"Now, shall I throw you also?" asked the lad of the giant.
"Hero," exclaimed the giant, "I honor you, I will obey you."
"Well, then," said the lad, "I will not kill you. Come, pass under
my sword and swear obedience to me."
The giant kissed the sword, and passing under it became the bondman
of the lad.
The lad then released his beautiful wife from the dark prison. They
celebrated anew their nuptials for forty days and forty nights,
and enjoyed a happy life thereafter.
Thus they attained their wishes. May Heaven grant that you may attain
your wishes!
Three apples fell from heaven; one for me, one for the story-teller,
and one for him who entertained the company.