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15 - Folk Tales Every Child Should Know by Hamilton Wright Mabie · Folk Tales Every Child Should Know

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  Speaker 1: Chapter fourteen of folk Tales Every Child Should Know. This
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  Speaker 1: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
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  Speaker 1: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox dot org. Folk Tales Every Child Should Know Edited
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  Speaker 1: by Hamilton Wright maybe chapter fourteen The Dragon and the
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  Speaker 1: Prince translated from the Serbian by A. H. Rattislaw m
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  Speaker 1: A in sixty folk tales from exclusively Slavonic sources. There
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  Speaker 1: was an emperor who had three sons. One day, the
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  Speaker 1: eldest son went out hunting, and when he got outside
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  Speaker 1: the town, up sprang a hare out of a bush,
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  Speaker 1: and he after it, and hither and thither till the
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  Speaker 1: hare fled into a water mill, and the prince after it.
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  Speaker 1: But it was not a hare, but a dragon, and
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  Speaker 1: it waited for the prince and devoured him. When several
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  Speaker 1: days had elapsed and the prince did not return home,
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  Speaker 1: people began to wonder why it was that he was
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  Speaker 1: not to be found. Then the middle son went hunting,
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  Speaker 1: and as he issued from the town, a hare sprang
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  Speaker 1: out of a bush, and the prince after it, and
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  Speaker 1: hither and thither till the hare fled into the water mill,
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  Speaker 1: and the prince after it. But it was not a hare,
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  Speaker 1: but a dragon, which waited for and devoured him. When
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  Speaker 1: some days had elapsed and the princess did not return
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  Speaker 1: either of them, the whole court was in sorrow. Then
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  Speaker 1: the third son went hunting to see whether he could
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  Speaker 1: not find his brothers. When he issued from the town again,
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  Speaker 1: up sprang a hare out of a bush, and the
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  Speaker 1: prince after it, and hither and thither till the hare
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  Speaker 1: fled into the water mill. But the prince did not
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  Speaker 1: choose to follow it, but went to find other game,
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  Speaker 1: saying to himself, when I return, I shall find you.
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  Speaker 1: After Thus he went for a long time up and
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  Speaker 1: down the hill, but found nothing, and then returned to
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  Speaker 1: the water mill. But when he got there there was
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  Speaker 1: only an old woman in the mill. The prince invoked
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  Speaker 1: God in addressing her, God help you, old woman. The
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  Speaker 1: old woman replied, God help you my son. Then the
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  Speaker 1: prince asked her, where, old woman, is my hair? She replied,
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  Speaker 1: my son, that was not a hare, but a dragon.
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  Speaker 1: It kills and throttles many people. Hearing this, the prince
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  Speaker 1: was somewhat disturbed and said to the old woman, what
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  Speaker 1: shall we do? Now, doubtless my two brothers also have
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  Speaker 1: perished here. The old woman answered, they have indeed, but
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  Speaker 1: there is no help for it. Go home, my son,
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  Speaker 1: lest you follow them. Then he said to her, dear
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  Speaker 1: old woman, do you know what I know? That you
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  Speaker 1: will be glad to liberate yourself from that pest? The
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  Speaker 1: old woman interrupted him, how should I not? It captured
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  Speaker 1: me too in this way, but now I have no
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  Speaker 1: means of escape. Then he proceeded, listen well to what
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  Speaker 1: I am going to say to you. Ask it whither
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  Speaker 1: it goes and where its strength is? Then kiss all
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  Speaker 1: that place where it tells you its strength is, as
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  Speaker 1: if from love, till you ascertain it, and afterward tell
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  Speaker 1: me when I come. Then the prince went off to
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  Speaker 1: the palace, and the old woman remained in the water mill.
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  Speaker 1: When the dragon came in, the old woman began to
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  Speaker 1: question it, Where in God's name have you been? Whither
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  Speaker 1: do you go so far? You will never tell me
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  Speaker 1: whither you go. The dragon replied, well, my dear old woman,
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  Speaker 1: I do go far. Then the old woman began to
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  Speaker 1: coax it, and why do you go so far? Tell
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  Speaker 1: me where your strength is? If I knew where your
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  Speaker 1: strength is. I don't know what I should do. For love,
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  Speaker 1: I would kiss all that place. Thereupon the dragon smiled
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  Speaker 1: and said to her, yon, there is my strength in
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  Speaker 1: that fireplace. Then the old woman began to fondle and
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  Speaker 1: kiss the fireplace, and the dragon, on seeing it, burst
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  Speaker 1: into a laugh and said to her, silly, old woman,
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  Speaker 1: my strength isn't there. My strength is in that tree
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  Speaker 1: fungus in front of the house. Then the old woman
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  Speaker 1: began again to fondle and kiss the tree, and the
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  Speaker 1: dragon again laughed and said to her, ohway, old woman,
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  Speaker 1: my strength isn't there. Then the old woman inquired where
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  Speaker 1: is it. The dragon began to give an account in detail.
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  Speaker 1: My strength is a long way off, and you cannot
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  Speaker 1: go thither. Far In another empire. Under the emperor's city
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  Speaker 1: is a lake, and in that lake is a dragon,
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  Speaker 1: and in that dragon a boar, and in the boar
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  Speaker 1: a pigeon, and in that is my strength. The next morning,
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  Speaker 1: when the dragon went away from the mill, the prince
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  Speaker 1: came to the old woman, and the old woman told
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  Speaker 1: him all that she had heard from the dragon. Then
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  Speaker 1: he left his home and disguised himself. He put shepherd's
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  Speaker 1: boots to his feet, took a shepherd's staff in his hand,
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  Speaker 1: and went into the world. As he went on thus
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  Speaker 1: from village to village, and from town to town. At
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  Speaker 1: last he came into another empire and into the imperial city,
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  Speaker 1: in a lake under which the dragon was on. Going
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  Speaker 1: into the town, he began to inquire who wanted a shepherd.
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  Speaker 1: The citizens told him that the Emperor did. Then he
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  Speaker 1: went straight to the Emperor. After he announced himself, the
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  Speaker 1: Emperor admitted him into his presence and asked him, do
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  Speaker 1: you wish to keep sheep? He replied, I do, illustrious crown.
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  Speaker 1: Then the Emperor engaged him and began to inform and
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  Speaker 1: instruct him. There is here a lake, and alongside of
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  Speaker 1: the lake very beautiful pasture. And when you call the
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  Speaker 1: sheep out, they go thither at once and spread themselves
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  Speaker 1: round the lake. But whatever shepherd goes off there, that
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  Speaker 1: shepherd returns back no more. Therefore, my son, I tell you,
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  Speaker 1: don't let the sheep have their own way and go
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  Speaker 1: where they will, but keep them where you will. The
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  Speaker 1: prince thanked. The Emperor got himself ready and called out
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  Speaker 1: the sheep, taking with him moreover two hounds that could
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  Speaker 1: boar in the open country, and a falcon that could
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  Speaker 1: capture any bird, and carrying also a pair of bagpipes.
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  Speaker 1: When he called out the sheep, he let them go
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  Speaker 1: at once to the lake, and when the sheep arrived
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  Speaker 1: at the lake, they immediately spread round it, and the
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  Speaker 1: prince placed the falcon on a stump and the hounds
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  Speaker 1: and bagpipes under the stump. Then tucked up his hose
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  Speaker 1: and sleeves, waded into the lake and began to shout, dragon, dragon,
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  Speaker 1: come out to single combat with me to day, that
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  Speaker 1: we may measure ourselves together. Unless you are a woman.
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  Speaker 1: The dragon called out in reply, I will do so now, Prince.
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  Speaker 1: Now ere long behold the dragon. It is large, it
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  Speaker 1: is terrible. It is disgusting. When the dragon came out,
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  Speaker 1: it seized him by the waist, and they wrestled a
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  Speaker 1: summer day till afternoon. But when the heat of the
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  Speaker 1: afternoon came on, the dragon said, let me go, Prince,
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  Speaker 1: that I may moisten my parched head in the lake
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  Speaker 1: and toss you to the sky. But the prince replied, come, dragon,
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  Speaker 1: don't talk nonsense. If I had the Emperor's daughter to
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  Speaker 1: kiss me on the forehead, I would toss you still higher. Thereupon,
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  Speaker 1: the dragon suddenly let him go and went off into
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  Speaker 1: the lake. On the approach of evening, he washed and
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  Speaker 1: got himself up nicely, placed the falcon on his arm,
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  Speaker 1: the hounds behind him, and the bagpipes under his arm.
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  Speaker 1: Then drove the sheep and went into the town, playing
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  Speaker 1: on the bagpipes. When he arrived at the town, the
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  Speaker 1: whole town assembled as to see a wondrous sight, because
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  Speaker 1: he had come, whereas previously no shepherd had been able
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  Speaker 1: to come from the lake. The next day, the prince
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  Speaker 1: got ready again and went with his sheep straight to
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  Speaker 1: the lake. But the Emperor sent two grooms after him
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  Speaker 1: to go stealthily and see what he did, and they
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  Speaker 1: placed themselves on a high hill, whence they could have
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  Speaker 1: a good view. When the shepherd arrived, he put the
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  Speaker 1: hounds and bagpipes under the stump and the falcon upon it.
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  Speaker 1: Then tucked up his hose and leaves, waded into the
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  Speaker 1: lake and shouted, dragon, dragon, come out to single combat
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  Speaker 1: with me, that we may measure ourselves once more together.
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  Speaker 1: Unless you are a woman, the dragon replied, I will
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  Speaker 1: do so, Prince. Now now ere long behold the dragon.
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  Speaker 1: It was large, it was terrible, it was disgusting, and
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  Speaker 1: it seized him by the waist and wrestled with him
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  Speaker 1: a summer's day till afternoon. But when the afternoon heat
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  Speaker 1: came on, the dragon said, let me go, Prince, that
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  Speaker 1: I may moisten my parched head in the lake and
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  Speaker 1: may toss you to the sky. The Prince replied, come, dragon,
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  Speaker 1: don't talk nonsense. If I had the Emperor's daughter to
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  Speaker 1: kiss me on the forehead, I would toss you still higher.
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  Speaker 1: Thereupon the dragon suddenly left hold of him and went
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  Speaker 1: off into the lake. When the knight approached, the Prince
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  Speaker 1: drove the sheep as before and went home, playing the bagpipes.
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  Speaker 1: When he arrived at the town, the whole town was
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  Speaker 1: astir and began to wonder because the shepherd came home
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  Speaker 1: every evening, which no one had been able to do before.
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  Speaker 1: Those two grooms had already arrived at the palace before
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  Speaker 1: the prince and related to the Emperor in order everything
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  Speaker 1: that they had heard and seen. Now, when the Emperor
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  Speaker 1: saw that the shepherd returned home, he immediately summoned his
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  Speaker 1: daughter into his presence and told her all what it
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  Speaker 1: was and how it was but said he tomorrow you
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  Speaker 1: must go with the shepherd to the lake and kiss
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  Speaker 1: him on the forehead. When she heard this, she burst
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  Speaker 1: into tears and began to entreat her father, you have
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  Speaker 1: no one but me, and I am your only daughter,
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  Speaker 1: and you don't care about me if I perish. Then
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  Speaker 1: the Emperor began to persuade and encourage her. Don't fear,
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  Speaker 1: my daughter. You see, we have had so many changes
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  Speaker 1: of shepherds, and of all that went out to the lake,
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  Speaker 1: not one has returned. But he had been contending with
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  Speaker 1: the dragon for two whole days, and it has done
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  Speaker 1: him no hurt. I assure you in God's name that
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  Speaker 1: he is able to overcome the dragon. Only go tomorrow
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  Speaker 1: with him to see whether he will free us from
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  Speaker 1: this mischief which has destroyed so many people. When on
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  Speaker 1: the morrow the day dawned and the sun came forth,
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  Speaker 1: up rose the shepherd, up rose the maiden too, to
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  Speaker 1: begin to prepare for going to the lake. The shepherd
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  Speaker 1: was cheerful, more cheerful than ever, but the Emperor's daughter
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  Speaker 1: was sad and shed tears. The shepherd comforted her, lady, sister,
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  Speaker 1: I pray you do not weep, but do what I
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  Speaker 1: tell you when it is time, run up and kiss
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  Speaker 1: me and fear not. As he went and drove the sheep.
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  Speaker 1: The shepherd was thoroughly cheery and played a merry tune
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  Speaker 1: on his bagpipes, but the damsel did nothing but weep
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  Speaker 1: as she went beside him, and he several times left
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  Speaker 1: off playing and turned toward her. Weep not gold in
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  Speaker 1: one fear not. When they arrived at the lake, the
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  Speaker 1: sheep immediately spread round it, and the prince placed the
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  Speaker 1: falcon on the step and the hounds and bagpipes under it.
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  Speaker 1: Then tucked up his hose and sleeves, waded into the
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  Speaker 1: water and shouted, dragon, Dragon, come out to single combat
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  Speaker 1: with me. Let us measure ourselves once more. Unless you
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  Speaker 1: are a woman, the dragon replied, I will prince now.
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  Speaker 1: Now ere long there was the dragon. It was huge,
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  Speaker 1: It was terrible. It was disgusting. When it came out,
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  Speaker 1: they seized each other by the middle and wrestled the
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  Speaker 1: summer's day till afternoon. But when the afternoon heat came on,
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  Speaker 1: the dragon said, let me go, Prince, that I may
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  Speaker 1: moisten my parched head in the lake and toss you
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  Speaker 1: to the skies. The prince replied, come, dragon, don't talk nonsense.
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  Speaker 1: If I had the Emperor's daughter to kiss me on
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  Speaker 1: the forehead, I would toss you much higher. When he
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  Speaker 1: said this, the Emperor's daughter ran up and kissed him
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  Speaker 1: on the face, on the eye, and on the forehead.
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  Speaker 1: Then he swung the dragon and tossed it high into
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  Speaker 1: the and when it fell to the ground, it burst
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  Speaker 1: into pieces. But as it burst into pieces, out of
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  Speaker 1: it sprang a wild boar and started to run away.
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  Speaker 1: But the prince shouted to his shepherd dogs, hold it,
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  Speaker 1: don't let it go. And the dogs sprang up and
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  Speaker 1: after it caught it and soon tore it to pieces.
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  Speaker 1: But out of the boar flew a pigeon, and the
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  Speaker 1: prince loosed the falcon, and the falcon caught the pigeon
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  Speaker 1: and brought it into the prince's hands. The prince said
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  Speaker 1: to it, tell me now, where are my brothers. The
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  Speaker 1: pigeon replied, I will only do me no harm. Immediately
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  Speaker 1: behind your father's town is a water mill, and in
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  Speaker 1: the water mill there are three ones that have sprouted up.
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  Speaker 1: Cut these three wands up from below, and strike with
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  Speaker 1: them upon their root. An iron door will immediately open
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  Speaker 1: into a large vault. In that vault are many people,
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  Speaker 1: old and young, rich and poor, small and great wives
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  Speaker 1: and maidens, so that you could settill a populous empire.
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  Speaker 1: There too were your brothers. When the pigeon had told
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  Speaker 1: him all this, the prince immediately wrung its neck. The
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  Speaker 1: Emperor had gone out in person and posted himself on
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  Speaker 1: the hill from which the grooms had viewed the shepherd,
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  Speaker 1: and he too was a spectator of all that had
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  Speaker 1: taken place. After the shepherd had thus obtained the dragon's head,
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  Speaker 1: twilight began to approach. He washed himself nicely, took the
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  Speaker 1: falcon on his shoulder, the hounds behind him, and the
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  Speaker 1: bagpipes under his arm played as he went, drove the sheep,
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  Speaker 1: and proceeded to the Emperor's palace, with the damosel at
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  Speaker 1: his side, still in terror. When they came to the town,
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  Speaker 1: all the town assembled as to see a wonder. The Emperor,
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  Speaker 1: who had seen all his heroism from the hill, called
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  Speaker 1: him into his presence and gave him his daughter, went
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  Speaker 1: immediately to church, had them married, and held a wedding
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  Speaker 1: festival for a week. After this, the prince told him
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  Speaker 1: who and whence he was, and the Emperor and the
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  Speaker 1: Otan rejoiced still more. Then, as the prince was urgent
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  Speaker 1: to go to his own home, the Emperor gave him
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  Speaker 1: a large escort and equipped him for the journey. When
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  Speaker 1: they were in the neighborhood of the water mill, the
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  Speaker 1: prince halted his attendants, went inside, cut up the three wands,
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  Speaker 1: and struck the root with them, and the iron door
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  Speaker 1: opened at once. In the vault was a vast multitude
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  Speaker 1: of people. The prince ordered them to come out, one
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  Speaker 1: by one and go whither each wood, and stood himself
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  Speaker 1: at the door. They came out thus, one after another,
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  Speaker 1: and lo there were his brothers, also, whom he embraced
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  Speaker 1: and kissed. When the whole multitude had come out, they
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  Speaker 1: thanked him for releasing and delivering them, and went each
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  Speaker 1: to his own home. But he went to his father's
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  Speaker 1: house with his brothers in bride, and there lived and
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  Speaker 1: reigned to the end of his days. End of chapter fourteen,
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  Speaker 1: The Dragon and the Prince. Recording by mariseil Qui