King Kojata ruled over a mighty kingdom, and was beloved by his
subjects; but because he had no heir to his crown, both he and the
Queen lamented. Once, while traveling through his territories, he came
to a well that was filled to the brim with clear cold water; and being
very thirsty, he stopped to drink. On the top of the water floated a
golden vessel, which the King attempted to seize; but just as his hand
touched it, away it floated to the other side of the well. He went
around to where the vessel rested and tried again, with the same
result. Every time the King touched the basin it glided from his
grasp. At last, losing patience, he gave up trying to seize the
vessel, and bending over the well, he began to drink. His long beard
had fallen into the water, and when he had slaked his thirst and
attempted to rise, he found himself held fast by it. After vainly
pulling and jerking for some time, he looked down into the water and
saw a hideous face grinning at him. Its eyes were green and shining,
its teeth showed from ear to ear, and it held him by the beard with
two bony claws. In horror, the king tried to extricate himself, but a
terrible voice came from the depths of the well:
"You cannot get away, King Kojata, so do not make me pull your beard
too hard. There is something at the palace of which you do not know;
promise to give it to me, and I will release you."
The King did not know of anything that could have arrived at the
palace during his absence worth the discomfort he was experiencing;
so he very readily gave his promise, and was freed. When he had shaken
the water from his beard, he looked in the well for the ugly monster
which had held him captive, but he was nowhere to be seen. Summoning
his attendants, he at once set out for home, where he arrived in a few
days. The people along the way hailed him with delight; and when he
reached the palace, the Queen led him to the royal chamber and showed
him a beautiful son that had been born during his absence. His joy was
so great that he forgot all else; but after a time he recalled with
horror his compact with the monster of the well, and the meaning was
all plain to him. The thought of what he had promised haunted him day
and night, and the fear that something would happen to his little son
tortured him. But as days and months passed, and the little Prince
grew more beautiful all the time, the King at last forgot his fears
and became happy once more.
Years went by without anything happening to disturb his peace of mind,
and the Prince grew to be a beautiful youth, who was the joy and pride
of the King and Queen. One day he went with the hunters to the forest,
and while pursuing a wild boar, became separated from them. He got
farther and farther away from his companions, and at last found
himself alone in a dark part of the wood where he never before had
been. Not knowing in which direction his path lay, he called again and
again to the hunters. At last a hoarse voice answered him, and from
the hollow trunk of a lime-tree appeared a hideous man with green eyes
and terrible teeth.
"I've waited for you a long time, Prince Milan," said he.
"Who on earth may you be?" asked the Prince.
"Your father will tell you who I am. Just give my greetings to his
Majesty, and tell him that I am ready to claim the debt he owes me."
The green-eyed man then disappeared into the hollow tree from which he
came; and when the Prince reached home, he related his experience to
his father. The King turned white, and cried:
"At last, it has come!" Then he explained to the Prince what had
occurred at the well, and added, "Now my happiness is at an end, for
you, my son, will be taken from me."
The Prince told the King not to despair, for though he might go
away, he was certain to return to him. His father provided him with a
handsome horse with golden stirrups, and the Queen gave him a cross to
wear about his neck. When he had said farewell to his unhappy parents,
he mounted his horse and rode for two days without stopping.
On the third day he came to a lake on whose smooth surface thirty
ducks were swimming, while spread about upon the grass were thirty
white garments. The Prince dismounted, and taking up one of the
garments, seated himself behind a bush and waited to see what would
happen. The ducks dived under the water and disported themselves for a
time, then came ashore and putting on the little white garments, they
became beautiful maidens, and disappeared. But there was one little
duck, that remained on the lake and swam about in the most distracted
manner, uttering piteous cries. The Prince came from behind the bush
and the little duck begged him to give back her garment. He had no
sooner done so than before him stood the loveliest maiden he had ever
seen.
"Thank you, Prince Milan, for restoring my garment," said she. "My
name is Hyacinthia, and I am one of the thirty daughters of a King
of the Underworld, to whose castle I will lead you, for he has waited
long for you. Approach him on your knees and do not fear him, for I
will be there to help you, whatever happens."
She tapped her little foot on the ground, which opened; and they were
immediately transported to the palace of her father in the Underworld,
which was carved from a single carbuncle. When his eyes became
accustomed to the radiant light, the Prince saw the magician of the
lime-tree sitting on a dazzling throne. His green eyes looked out from
under a golden crown, and his hideous claws clutched the air with
rage when he saw the Prince. Remembering what the maiden had told him,
Prince Milan walked boldly up to the throne and knelt at the feet of
the magician, who cursed in a voice that shook the Underworld. As
the youth was not at all frightened, the magician at last stopped
swearing. Laughing at his courage, he welcomed him to his palace,
and showed him to a beautiful chamber which he was to occupy. On the
following day he sent for him and said;
"You are very brave, Prince Milan, but you must pay the penalty for
keeping me waiting so long for you. To-night build me a palace of gold
and marble, with windows of crystal, and about it the most beautiful
gardens in the world, or tomorrow I shall cut off your head."
The Prince went back to his chamber and sadly awaited his doom. That
evening a small bee flew in through his window, and as soon as it
entered the room it became Hyacinthia. "Why are you sad, Prince
Milan?" she asked. He told her of her father's impossible command and
added, "Naturally, I am not happy at the thought of losing my head."
"Do not be distressed about that," said she, "but trust to me." In the
morning he looked out of the window and saw a wonderful marble palace,
with a roof of gold.
When the magician beheld it, he exclaimed, "You have accomplished a
great wonder, but I cannot let you off so easily. To-morrow I will
place my thirty daughters in a row, and if you cannot tell me which
one is the youngest, you will lose your head."
The Prince, however, was not cast down at this, for he thought he
would have no trouble in recognizing Hyacinthia. That evening the
little bee entered the room and told him that this task was quite as
difficult as the first, because the sisters were all exactly alike.
"But you will know me," said she, "by a little fly which you will
discover on my cheek."
The next day the magician summoned him to his presence, and showed him
the thirty daughters standing in a row. The Prince passed before them
twice, without daring to choose; but he saw the little fly on the pink
cheek of one of the maidens.
"This is Hyacinthia!" exclaimed he. The magician was greatly
astonished; but not yet satisfied, he required of the Prince still
another task.
"If, before this candle burns to the bottom," said he, "you make me
a pair of boots reaching to my knees, I will let you go; but if you
fail, you will lose your head."
"Then we must fly, for I love you dearly," said Hyacinthia, when the
Prince had told her of this new task. She breathed on the window-pane,
and straightway it was covered with frost; then, leading Prince Milan
from the chamber, she locked the door, and they fled through the
passage by which they had entered the Underworld. Beside the smooth
lake his horse was still grazing, and mounting it, they were borne
swiftly away.
When the magician sent for the Prince to come to him, the frozen
breath replied to the messengers, and so delayed the discovery of his
escape. At last the magician lost patience and ordered the door burst
open. The frozen breath mocked at him, and he hastened in pursuit of
the fugitives.
"I hear the sound of horses' feet behind us," said Hyacinthia. The
Prince dismounted, and putting his ear to the ground, answered, "Yes,
they are near." Hyacinthia thereupon changed herself into a river, and
the Prince became a bridge, and his horse a blackbird. Their pursuers,
no longer finding their footprints, were obliged to return to the
magician, who cursed them, and again sent them forth.
"I hear the sound of horses' feet behind us," again said Hyacinthia.
The Prince put his ear to the earth and said, "Yes, they are nearly
upon us." Thereupon Hyacinthia changed herself, the Prince and the
horse, all into a dense forest in which many paths crossed, so
that the followers were bewildered; and they again returned to the
magician.
"I hear horses' feet behind us," said Hyacinthia a third time; and
this time it was the magician himself. Hyacinthia took the little
cross from the neck of the Prince, and changed herself into a church,
the Prince into a monk, and the horse into the belfry; so that when
the magician came up he lost all trace of them, and was obliged to
return to the Underworld in great chagrin.
When he had departed, the Prince and Hyacinthia mounted the horse and
rode till they came to a beautiful town.
"We must not enter," said she, "for we may not come out again."
But the Prince would not take her advice, and insisted upon passing
through the gates.
"Then," sadly replied the maiden, "when the King and Queen of the town
come out to meet you, do not kiss the little child which they will
lead by the hand, or you will forget me and never come back. As for
me, I will become a milestone and wait for you here."
It was all as Hyacinthia had said. The King and Queen came out to
greet him, and when the lovely little child ran up to him for a
caress, he kissed its pretty face and forgot Hyacinthia.
The first and second day went by; and when the third day came,
Hyacinthia wept, and became a little blue flower growing by the
roadside. An old man came along, and digging up the flower carried it
home with him and planted it in his garden. He watered and tended it
carefully, and one day the little flower became a beautiful maiden.
"Why did you not leave me to die by the roadside?" she asked, and told
the old man her story.
"To-morrow is Prince Milan's wedding day," said the old man.
Hyacinthia at once dried her tears, and presented herself at the
palace, dressed like a peasant. She went to the cook and asked to
be allowed to make the wedding cake. The cook was so struck with her
beauty that he could not refuse the request. When the guests were all
seated about the table, Prince Milan was called upon to cut the cake.
As soon as he had done so, out flew two beautiful doves, which circled
about his head.
"Dear mate," cried one of the doves, "do not leave me as Prince Milan
left Hyacinthia."
The Prince, who suddenly recollected all he had forgotten, ran from
the room and at the door found Hyacinthia and his horse awaiting him.
They mounted and rode swiftly away to the kingdom of King Kojata,
where the King and Queen received them with tears of joy, and they all
lived in happiness to the end of their days.
* * * * *