THREE young travellers travell’d forth to travel:
On their travels met a lovely maiden:
Each will give the lovely maid a present:
One presents her with a fresh-pluck’d apple:
One presents her with _bosilka_ {185a} flowering:
One a gold ring for the maiden’s finger.
He who gave the maiden the bosilka
Said, “The maid is mine—I claim the maiden.”
He who gave the maid the fresh-pluck’d apple
Said, “The maid is _mine_—I claim the maiden.”
He who gave the gold ring to the maiden
Said, “We’ll go and seek the judge {185b} together:
He shall say to whom belongs the maiden.”
So they went and sought the judge’s presence:
“Judge, thou honourable judge! between us:
We three travellers travell’d forth together,
And we met a maiden in our travels,
And we gave her—gave her each a present:
One of us a green and fresh-pluck’d apple:
One presented her bosilka flowering;
And the third a gold ring for her finger:—
Now decide to whom belongs the maiden.”
Thus the honourable judge decided:
“We present bosilka for its odour:
As a pledge of love we give an apple:
But to give a ring is a betrothing;—
He who gave the ring must have the maiden.”