On a steep, steep mountain path, leading directly to the monastery
of John of Zadenne, a young girl was slowly walking. Her lovely sweet
hands were all covered with blood as she was holding on with all her
might and main to the prickly bushes; it being absolutely necessary
to stick to them, so as not to fall into a deep abyss. Having safely
reached a little square she stopped in order to quiet down and catch
her breath; for in front of her another just as difficult ascent was
awaiting her and she felt that it was her duty to rest and save her
remaining strength. Having stood a while, she cautiously sat down and
began to look at the path by which she had dared to come. Far in the
distance one could see a horseman. The well trained horse like a cat
hung on to the mountain, taking advantage of the most insignificant
little trail or plateau and of every imaginable hardly noticeable
highland road. Small stones rolled away from under its feet, the dry
old branches of many a bush trembled and broke with a sharp cracking
sound while the horse galloped--approaching always nearer and nearer
the terribly exhausted woman-traveller.
Coming up with her, the rider reverently bowed. He also intended to
let his faithful horse have a good rest on the little plateau and
naturally he began a conversation with the sitting maid. From what
she told him, he found out that she was called Salougvari and that
she undertook this pilgrimage, wishing to pray at the sacred tomb of
a most holy, saintly hermit for the restoration of her dying mother's
health. The young people went on talking for some time and the gallant
rider offered her to continue her journey, holding on to the tail
of his horse. This means of mountaineering is considered by us in
Georgia the very safest and far less exhausting than all others. When
they reached the summit he rode into a deep thicket, growing on the
edge of the mountain, on which stood a monastery; the horseman's way
of treating her changed completely and his extraordinary speeches
terrified Salougvari. She, having abandoned the tail of the horse,
in an instant ran off to the monastery and like a frightened little
bird made her way into the church.
The glances of all those praying turned with astonishment to the
runaway wanderer and this unusual surprise grew still greater, when
after her a horseman bounced in on a foaming steed and with his hat on
his head and not paying the slightest attention to the solemn church
service simply began to search with his piercing looks for poor,
poor Salougvari, who had taken refuge at the very tomb of the famous
saint. Having beheld his fellow-sojourner, he rashly knocked against
his horse and with one bold bound, he arrived close by her side.
In that memorable moment, the ground suddenly shook and actually
opened itself, swallowed up the fiery and insulting horseman and again
majestically closed itself up with such marvellous rapidity that those
present were struck as though by lightning and could not utter a word.
It is of course well known that somewhat below the monastery in the
very mountain the temple of Zadenne was cut out, which soon became
the permanent residence of demons, and indeed these latter rogues,
daily coming out of their horrid dwelling places, very much disturbed
Saint John and his numerous scholars until he gave orders that the
entrance into the vast abandoned cave-region should be firmly barred
and closely blocked up. Our bold horseman had the most peculiar--yes
wonderful feeling in the neighborhood of this whole temple or house
of worship. Upon a height there stood the gigantic reproduction of
a handsome old man sitting on a massive throne, between his feet lay
a ring-formed snake--the true symbol of eternity--while in his hand
he held lightning. This was all artistically cut out in marble. The
elegant crown, which decorated the wise brow of the old man, had
still preserved some signs of pure gold; here and there precious
stones were shining. This was decidedly the kingdom of coldness and
of some secret magic-like half-darkness. The light was able to shine
in only through the opening holes of the mountain and through the
holes yet left between the perfectly immense stones with which the
entrance was surely and safely barred.
Having thoroughly recovered after his strange incident and quite
unexpected fall, Aderke (it was thus they called the horseman)
began to carefully inspect and search the cave. His attention was
especially drawn by one spot, shining like a diamond. It appeared
that this was a tremendous piece of mountain salt, on which a ray
of light which had managed to get through one of the mountain holes
was gayly playing. Other such pieces were falling down in long, long
divisions from the cupola-like, vaulted ceiling. Thirst was torturing
Aderke. Thinking that this was simply ice, he began to direct all
his efforts towards successfully breaking off a respectable piece,
but notwithstanding his most desperate jumps, he could not accomplish
anything. Then he naturally imagined that from the sides of the cave
much lower down he might be able to get something and began to go
around it in a circle, trying to find here or there some possible
opening, on which he might firmly stand and make his way. Passing
close by a great piece of salt, he overheard some very distant voice
which was singing a soft, marvellous song. Aderke began to listen
most attentively.
"Powerful sire," called out the extraordinary secret voice, "I have
been awaiting thee for many years, dispel thou as quickly as possible
this darkness and lead me forth into the region of freedom. Oh! have
pity upon me!--I implore to be given freedom only with the exalted
aim of submitting to thee, to serve and wait upon thee, to love thee
tenderly, yes, to be thine ever obedient slave. Thou didst happen to
come hither, pursuing a most handsome mortal being; look now at my
features; you can plainly distinguish them through my dark prison. The
more the extreme brilliancy of my subterranean dwelling darkens her
dreadfully poor saklia (hut) the more the glitter of my beauty darkens
her exceptional charms. She did not even venture to look at thee,
for she feared thy caresses. I, however, did not take my eyes off
from thee from the time that thou didst fall to the feet of mighty
Zadenne, I constantly admire thee with a perfectly passionate glance,
I love thee, I call thee to my side: come, oh come thou quicker!"
Wild with excitement and deeply impressed by that most passionate song,
Aderke entirely forgot his unhappiness, forgot also the thirst which
was torturing him, he began to stare more closely at the salt masses
and through their transparent grim old walls he began to be able
to distinguish the tender outlines of a young and pretty woman. He
knocked with his vigorous fist against the cold, cold mineral wall,
but the powerful blow did not leave the slightest trace; then he pulled
out his kindjall and thrust out his arm still stronger against the
salt shapes, which were almost turning to stone. It slightly trembled;
Aderke now turned to the pedestal of the idol, detached from it a large
piece of fine marble and using it instead of a vigorous hammer, began
to diligently knock it as hard as possible against the long handle
of the kindjall. The opening evidently made considerable progress.
In the meantime, through the little opening which had been made in
the pedestal, there slipped out a lizard, after it a snake, then a
flying mouse and finally a little devil. Coming out of their wonderful
ambuscade, they were all of exceedingly small proportions, but these
proportions grew larger and larger every minute. The lizard seemed to
possess a perfectly formless human face, the snake had wings grown
on to its body, the mouse seemed to have the head of an owl with
a tremendous beak and fiery sparkling eyes. The little devil, far
smaller in size than the rest, cleverly jumped at the mass of marble
which was nearest to Aderke and by a well known signal ordered them
to begin the furious attack. First the lizard moved and trumpeted
with some kind of an awful, not human voice.
"Let thou go my prisoner, insolent adventurer, or else we shall
jointly cut thee up in pieces!"
Aderke, astonished by such reasoning, turned around. The unusually
enormous lizard stood on its hind legs and seemed to be all prepared to
attack and swallow him up. The flying mouse made a noise and waved with
her big wings, howling out some terrific metallic sound; the snake
stretched out and slipped up to him with perfectly awful hissing,
while the beastly little devil joked and insulted him above his head
and filled the air with unbearable, bad odors. Aderke, seeing what was
coming, bravely pulled out the sword and daringly struck at the snake,
who was just making ready to spring at and wind itself around his feet.
The excellent sword cut it right through, but unfortunately without
doing it the very least harm. It quickly set to gathering together its
fearful rings and went back to the idol. Aderke energetically rushed
after it and fainted from terror. From the pedestal sprang out one
after another innumerable and varied poisonous monsters, one more
terrific--yes, fearful, than the next. Then there were also people
with snakes' heads and snakes with birds' wings and birds with fishes'
tails and fishes with heads of living people. All these awful monsters
hastened to abandon their ambuscade, crowded and pushed each other,
slipped over each other, quarrelled in a most undignified manner,
bit each other, struck and scolded each other; here one monster was
hissing, there a second one was making a violent speech, a third one
let out from his mouth such a horribly disturbing whistle that the
cold ran over one's whole body. In the midst of this tremendous row a
human cry of distress reached Aderke; he turned around. The lizard was
doing his best to widen out the opening which he had forced through,
while the snake with an evil meaning and aggressive hissing hastened
to occupy each newly opened little crack. Aderke wanted to run and
help the poor, poor woman-prisoner, but the flying mouse threw itself
towards the entrance and having spread out its wings guarded with
its own body its outrageous comrades. In the meantime the remaining
monsters seized Aderke by the legs and would not allow him to budge
a step from the place where he stood. Thereupon he bravely drew out
his pistol and with a sharp and rare shot smashed to pieces the salt
block. At this moment the monsters unanimously took hold of him and
he of course lost consciousness, so that he did not see how out of
the blazing brilliant niche formed by his pistol shot, a splendid
young woman rushed forth to meet him.
Before her the monsters reverently stepped aside. "Away with you!" she
cried out in a most commanding voice. "Take him up cautiously and carry
him after me," pointing to Aderke, she ordered some strange bear with
birds' legs and with a crane's beak to carry out her commands. The
monster instantly submitted to the explicit instructions and,
continuing to respectfully follow her imperious commands, he went in
with his burden, up the steps of the pedestal to the very idol and
placed Aderke at its feet. "Now," said the young woman, "your power
over me has ended, having got back all my former freedom, I have
also regained all my past influence and power. Tram, tram----tara,
all to your respective places!" she continued in a most decisive
tone, and the horrible monsters one after another rushed back to
the high pedestal. When they had taken up their proper positions,
she bent down and raised the piece of marble thrown away by Aderke
and cleverly----yes, powerfully, barred the entrance. After that she
again went up to the idol, fell down on her knees and said: "Great
Zaden! Here you have a gift fully worthy of you as a grateful reward
for my happy deliverance. If it pleases your serene majesty that I
should not go away from this, thine abandoned temple, trying with
all my energy to be equal to the task of replacing your former most
numerous servants, so for my sake give me back this dead man, call
him back to life, start up in his heart a sincere attachment to me and
we shall both be your constant, loyal and ever watchful servants. The
heavy stone eyelids of the idol opened themselves, its eyes sparkled,
and from this momentary sparkling Aderke instantly came back to life
and was able to stand on his feet. At the same time the idol with a
terrific crash and shaking fell to pieces and disappeared in the dust.
"Who art thou--magnificent creature?" was his first question.
"Let us go into my transparent dwelling place," she replied, "I shall
place thee on my exquisite crystal sofa and quietly entertain thee
with my interesting stories and dear caresses."
They jointly went into the niche. Through the sweet little opening
a small, small ray of light streamed in and perfectly marvellously
played upon a smooth, salty ceiling, showering down millions of
beautiful sparks and blazing with all the colors of the rainbow. The
beauty sat down, put Aderke's head on her lovely knees and while he
was endeavoring to fall asleep, she told him her whole history.
"I am the daughter of the Moon and of Zaden, they call me Aipina. My
father actually decided that I should appear to the glance of people
only to prophesy some peaceful event, the rest of the time I am
ordered to remain secretly hidden in the grim walls of his temple,
which at that time was a place of general worship and sacrifice. The
people used to crowd about here from morning till night with very
rich offerings. Numerous sacrificers burnt their offerings, while
their female companions in long white garments sitting on golden
seats prophesied the future. But notwithstanding all this excitement
it was stupid for me, and one fine night, when my mother had covered
everything with her soft, magic, fairy-like light, I wilfully managed
to get out of the temple and flew into the sky, blazing with my highly
brilliant tail. Mother became frightened by my daring to commit such
an act and hastened to hide herself. Then I alone began to gayly run
up and down on the horizon, busily chasing the many stars and pushing
them on with my tail. Among the heavenly lighters a most astounding
and terrific plot came up and they hurried to get me out of the way
as quickly as possible, and my father angrily informed me that my
perfectly crazy undertaking had made him fail.
"It came to pass just so, for on that day a poor, poor monk arrived
and settled on the mountain. Zaden of course ordered the monsters to
instantly chase him out of the dwelling which he had chosen, but the
hermit by some marvellous sign of his hand deprived them entirely of
any strength. Many pilgrims, who had arrived from afar with offerings
to pay their sincere respects to Zaden, upon seeing the newcomer on
a height, peacefully sitting between wild snakes, naturally went up
to him in a wide circle and spared no time or strength in order to
satisfy his intense curiosity. He, however, took full advantage of
this to make them give up the faith of their forefathers and instruct
them in some religion, the chief peculiarity of which was hatred of
our old, old gods.
"In the end the unceasing attacks of the monsters began to bore the
monk: he therefore gathered all his hearers and together with them
strongly barred the grand entrance of the temple and quietly left the
place. Through inexperience I had at first wickedly laughed at his
great efforts: what use was it when Zaden, at his own will guiding
and directing thunder and lightning, used to smash their edifices to
pieces in no time at all, while the old man in going away touched the
hard stones with the same marvellous movement of the hand which had
destroyed the power and strength of the monsters, and Zaden immediately
felt that his godly qualities and peculiarities began to abandon him
forever. As a punishment for my most stupid volunteering, he deprived
me of the shining form of a comet and transformed me into a woman, whom
he commanded to guard the poisonous monsters. They hastened to fix me
in this salt wall, but Zaden, who grew weaker every minute, in a last,
but tremendous, outbreak of wrath worked out the following decision:
"'Thou wilt be entirely in the power of these awful monsters until
thou art able to find a mortal man who delivereth thee, and then they
will again fully obey thee!' This was the last sign, not only of his
power, but also of the life of my father; ever since then he turned
himself into a breathless idol and sat immovably on his marble throne
for several centuries. Through the holes of the fallen house of public
worship the water flowed unto his most royal crown and meanly washed
away from it the highly precious ornaments. Lizards climbed over
his face, the flying mice quite fearlessly sat down on his powerful
shoulders and hands, the snakes wound around his legs! He remained
insensible to everything and not strong enough to protect and defend
himself. I must say I had an awfully stupid, dull time. Days, months,
years, even centuries went by and actually nobody appeared. I had
already quite given up all hope when kind fate led thee hither. Now
we must absolutely find means to get out of this place. I for my part
know that from this temple there leads a subterranean passage to the
numerous catacombs with which this mountain is overfilled and from
them we can go wherever it pleases us."
"But who will show us this passage?" asked Aderke.
"I have a good friend among the monsters; it is the bear with the
crane's nose. During all the long and dreary years of my unjust
confinement he daily nourished me. With his long, long beak he managed
to make a little opening in my dark dwelling, looked for and gathered
the hives of wild bees, who had taken refuge in the holes around here,
and fed me with their honey. He was at first a man of the same faith
as our enemy the hermit and chanced to be banished hither for having
ridiculed some servant of his God."
At these words Aipina struck the palm of her hand; the bear took away
a stone and climbed out; then she informed him of the object of the
whole undertaking and he, having warned them that the way would be long
and exceedingly tiresome, hastily entered their cave and attentively
and vigorously began to try with his beak where the mass of salt was
thinnest. When, however, such a place had been successfully found,
he and Aderke pushed against it with their whole weight and after
long and repeated attempts they pierced a rather small hole, through
which it was very evident that they should have to go.
First the bear slipped through, after him Aipina and Aderke. The
passage was cut out in the rocky part of the mountain and was so close
and small that it was necessary to go one behind the other and to
stoop over. Having advanced a little farther they joyfully came out
on a small square with a much higher cupola-like ceiling. Through a
little crack a dim ray of light was seen. They sat down to rest and
having looked about somewhat they came to notice something gleaming,
yes, burning like gold. This turned out to be a fine glass vessel with
four pretty handles. It was of gold color with thin white patterns
and filled to overflowing with ancient Greek silver coins.
"The first thing found is naturally due to thee," said Aipina in a
very gracious tone. And the bear having taken up the vessel on his
long thin beak again set forth on his journey. It was necessary to
follow on by just so narrow and low a passage--only fully twice as
long--as the first. It led them into a large round cave, which was
exceedingly high. At the very top there was a rather large opening,
through which the light could easily penetrate. At the side of one
wall stood a wooden grave without a roof, and in front of it an
old, old candlestick of red clay. To the tremendous surprise of our
travellers, the whole room was illuminated by the fine blue flame of
a very rare wick. They went nearer and saw that in the tomb there
lay a hermit, very likely a saint, because his body was splendidly
preserved. "Let us take a rest," said the exhausted Aipina, sitting
down on the floor. The bear slowly lowered his vessel to her feet,
but Aderke did not let his eyes lose sight of the deceased, as though
he was trying hard to remember some familiar features, and suddenly
he succeeded in his mental researches and with awful screeching and
jumping threw himself on the bare floor in front of the grave.
"Forgive me, oh, Holy God," he cried out, "forgive me that severe
insult which I inflicted upon thee in my state of craziness and
for which I have been so cruelly punished." And with most sincere
and hearty repenting he prayed to God and the Saint to pardon his
terrible sin. Aipina heard him with eyes and mouth wide open, but
on her the words of Aderke produced quite a different impression. He
understood how fearfully he had offended God and his proud heart was
filled with perfect remorse.
He fell down on his knees by the side of the monster and wept
bitterly and long over his wicked actions and earnestly implored to
be pardoned. The all-merciful God accepted the tears of both great
sinners and sent them a deliverance which was quite as marvellous as
the punishment. An unusual light was shining into the cave and in a
second blinded the praying men; when, however, they again began to
be able to distinguish the different things, Aipina was no longer
to be seen, but on the spot where she stood there shone a blindingly
magnificent comet.
Aderke glanced at the bear--he had been transformed into a very
handsome youth, in his hands, under the rays of the comet, burned
and played with various colored fires the remarkable, ancient glass
vessel. In an instant the comet began gradually to draw nearer to the
opening in the vaulted ceiling. The gleaming windings of her long,
long tail safely guided both the astonished persons and attracted them
after her. Soon they had successfully completed the march through the
long and narrow entrance road of the cave and began to rise higher
and higher until they had triumphantly reached the summit of the
mountain. Then the comet let herself down to the doors of that same
temple, in which Aderke had so terribly misbehaved on his arrival in
the said region. Aipina was again transformed into a simple woman and
began to request Aderke that he should make her a slave and servant of
the omnipotent God who had accomplished such great deeds of creation.
In the meantime the sunrise service was just beginning and the
monks began to come out of their cells to celebrate their morning
devotions. The first stroke of the bell was then heard. Aderke and his
faithful companion took off their caps and reverently made the sign of
the cross. In this minute to them came up the monk who usually stood
at the tomb of the Saint, when poor Salougvari had taken speedy refuge
near it. He found out Aderke and furiously looked at him. But the
most humble and submissive speech of the really repenting man quickly
quieted his anxious feelings. Aipina was converted and really and truly
became the wife of Aderke, while his comrade in the hour of trial,
who had made use of his fortune in order to buy up a very extensive
vineyard near the poor saklia (hut) of Salougvari, happily married
her and took over into his house her widowed mother. All three lived
long and happily and very frequently visited Aderke and Aipina, who
were by no means behind them in sincerity of love and perfect harmony.