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010 - The Biter Bit · Serbian Fairy Tales

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  Speaker 1: Section ten of Servian fairy Tales. This is a LibriVox recording.
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  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Read
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  Speaker 1: by doctor O Martin Serbian fairy Tales, translated by Elodi Midjadovich.
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  Speaker 1: The biter bit. Once upon a time there was an
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  Speaker 1: old man who, whenever he heard anyone complain how many
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  Speaker 1: sons he had to care for, always laughed and said,
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  Speaker 1: I wish that it would please God to give me
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  Speaker 1: a hundred sons. This he said in jest. As time, however,
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  Speaker 1: went on, he had in reality neither more nor less
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  Speaker 1: than a hundred sons. He had trouble enough to find
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  Speaker 1: different trades for his sons, but when they were once
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  Speaker 1: all started in life, they worked diligently and gained plenty
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  Speaker 1: of money. Now, however, came a fresh difficulty. One day,
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  Speaker 1: the eldest son came into his father and said, my,
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  Speaker 1: dear father, I think it is quite time that I
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  Speaker 1: should marry. Hardly had he said these words before the
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  Speaker 1: second son came insaning, dear father, I think it is
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  Speaker 1: already time that you were looking out for a wife
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  Speaker 1: for me. A moment later came in the third son, asking,
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  Speaker 1: dear father, don't you think it is high time that
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  Speaker 1: you should find me a wife? In like manner came
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  Speaker 1: the fourth and fifth, Until the whole hundred had made
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  Speaker 1: a similar request. All of them wished to marry and
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  Speaker 1: desired their father to find wives for them as soon
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  Speaker 1: as he could. The old man was not a little
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  Speaker 1: troubled at these requests. He said, however, to his sons,
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  Speaker 1: very well, my sons, I have nothing to say against
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  Speaker 1: your marry There is, however, I foresee, one great difficulty
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  Speaker 1: in the way. There are one hundred of you asking
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  Speaker 1: for wives, and I hardly think we can find one
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  Speaker 1: hundred marriageable girls in all the fifteen villages which are
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  Speaker 1: in our neighborhood. To this, the sons, however, answered, don't
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  Speaker 1: be anxious about that, but mount your horse and take
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  Speaker 1: in your sack sufficient engagement cakes. You must take also
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  Speaker 1: a stick in your hand, so that you can cut
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  Speaker 1: a notch in it for every girl you see. It
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  Speaker 1: does not signify whether she be handsome or ugly, or
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  Speaker 1: lame or blind. Just cut a notch in your stick
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  Speaker 1: for everyone you meet with. The old man said, very
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  Speaker 1: wisely spoken, my sons, I will do exactly as you
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  Speaker 1: tell me. Accordingly, he mounted his horse, took a sack
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  Speaker 1: full of cakes on his shoulder and a long stick
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  Speaker 1: in his hand, and started off at once to beat
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  Speaker 1: up the neighborhood for girls to marry his sons. The
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  Speaker 1: old man had traveled from village to village during a
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  Speaker 1: whole month, and whenever he had seen a girl he
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  Speaker 1: cut a notch in his stick. But he was getting
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  Speaker 1: pretty well tired, and he began to count how many
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  Speaker 1: notches he had already made. When he had counted them
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  Speaker 1: carefully over and over again to be certain that he
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  Speaker 1: had counted all, he could only make out seventy four,
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  Speaker 1: so that still twenty six were wanting to complete the
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  Speaker 1: number required. He was, however, so weary with his month's
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  Speaker 1: ride that he determined to return home. As he rode along,
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  Speaker 1: he saw a priest driving oxen yoke to a plow
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  Speaker 1: and seemingly very deep and anxious thought about something. Now,
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  Speaker 1: the old man wondered a little to see the priest
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  Speaker 1: plowing his own cornfields without even a boy to help him.
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  Speaker 1: He therefore shadowed to ask him why he drove his
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  Speaker 1: oxen himself. The priest however, did not even turn his
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  Speaker 1: head to see who called to him, so intent was
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  Speaker 1: he in urging on his oxen and in guiding his plow.
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  Speaker 1: The old man thought he had not spoken loud enough.
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  Speaker 1: Shout it out again as loud as he could. Stop
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  Speaker 1: your oxen a little and tell me why you are
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  Speaker 1: plowing yourself without even a lad to help you, and
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  Speaker 1: this too on a holy day. Now. The priest, who
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  Speaker 1: was in a perspiration with his hard work, answered testily,
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  Speaker 1: I conjure you, by your old age, leave me in peace.
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  Speaker 1: I cannot tell you my ill luck. At this answer, however,
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  Speaker 1: the old man was only the more curious, and persisted
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  Speaker 1: all the more earnestly in asking questions to find out
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  Speaker 1: why the priest plowed on a Saint's day. At last,
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  Speaker 1: the priest, tired with his importunity, sighed deeply and said, well,
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  Speaker 1: if you will know, I am the only man in
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  Speaker 1: my household, and God has blessed me with a hundred daughters.
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  Speaker 1: The old man was overjoyed at hearing this, and exclaimed cheerfully,
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  Speaker 1: that's very good. It is just what I want, for
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  Speaker 1: I have a hundred sons, and so as you have
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  Speaker 1: a hundred daughters, we can be friends. The moment the
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  Speaker 1: priest heard this, he became pleasant and talkative, and invited
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  Speaker 1: the old man to pass the night in his house. Then,
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  Speaker 1: leaving his plow in the fields, he drove the oxen
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  Speaker 1: back to the village. Just before reaching his house, however,
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  Speaker 1: he said to the old man, go yourself into the
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  Speaker 1: house whilst I tie up my oxen. No sooner, however,
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  Speaker 1: had the old man entered the yard than the wife
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  Speaker 1: of the priest rushed at him with a big stick,
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  Speaker 1: crying out, we have not bad enough for our hundred daughters,
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  Speaker 1: and we want neither beggars nor visitors. And with these
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  Speaker 1: words she drove him away. Shortly afterwards, the priest came
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  Speaker 1: out of the barn, and, finding the old man sitting
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  Speaker 1: on the road before the gate, asked him why he
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  Speaker 1: had not gone into the house as he had told
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  Speaker 1: him to do. Whereupon the old man replied, I went in,
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  Speaker 1: but your wife drove me away. Then the priest said,
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  Speaker 1: only wait here a moment till I come back to
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  Speaker 1: fetch you. He then went quickly into his house and
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  Speaker 1: scolded his wife right well, saying what have you done?
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  Speaker 1: What a fine chance you have spoiled? The man who
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  Speaker 1: came in was going to be our friend, for he
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  Speaker 1: has a hundred sons who would gladly have married our
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  Speaker 1: hundred daughters. When the wife heard this, she changed her
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  Speaker 1: dress hastily and arranged her hair and head dress in
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  Speaker 1: a different fashion. Then she smiled very sweetly and welcomed
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  Speaker 1: with the greatest possible politeness the old man when her
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  Speaker 1: husband led him into the house. In fact, she pretended
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  Speaker 1: that she knew nothing at all of any one having
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  Speaker 1: been driven away from their door, And as the old
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  Speaker 1: man wanted much to find wives for his sons, he
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  Speaker 1: also pretended that he did not know that the smiling
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  Speaker 1: housemistress and the woman who drove him away with a
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  Speaker 1: stick were one and the self same person. So the
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  Speaker 1: old man passed the night in the house, and next
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  Speaker 1: morning asked the priest formally to give him his hundred
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  Speaker 1: daughters for wives for his hundred sons. Thereupon the priest
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  Speaker 1: answered that he was quite willing, and had already spoken
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  Speaker 1: to his daughters about the matter, and that they too
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  Speaker 1: were all quite willing. Then the old man took out
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  Speaker 1: his engagement cakes and put them on the table beside him,
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  Speaker 1: and gave each of the girls a piece of money
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  Speaker 1: to mark them. Then each of the engaged girls sent
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  Speaker 1: a small present by him to that one of his sons,
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  Speaker 1: to whom she was betrothed. These gifts the old man
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  Speaker 1: put in the bag wherein he carried the engagement cakes.
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  Speaker 1: He then mounted his horse and rode off merrily homewards.
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  Speaker 1: There were great rejoicings in his household when he told
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  Speaker 1: how successful he had been in his search, and that
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  Speaker 1: he really had found a hundred girls ready and willing
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  Speaker 1: to be married, and these huns two a priest's daughters.
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  Speaker 1: The sons insisted that they should begin to make the
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  Speaker 1: wedding preparations without delay, and commenced at once to invite
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  Speaker 1: the guests who were to form part of the wedding procession,
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  Speaker 1: to go to the priest's house and bring home the brides. Here, however,
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  Speaker 1: another difficulty occurred. The old father must find two hundred
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  Speaker 1: bride leaders, two for each bride, one hundred combs first witnesses,
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  Speaker 1: one hundred stay sveetes second witnesses, one hundred chaias running
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  Speaker 1: footmen who go before the processions, and three hundred foge
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  Speaker 1: fetis standard bearers. And besides these a respectable number of
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  Speaker 1: other guests. To find all these persons, the father had
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  Speaker 1: to hunt throughout the neighborhood for three years. At last, however,
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  Speaker 1: they were all found, and a day was appointed when
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  Speaker 1: they were to meet at his house and go thence
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  Speaker 1: in procession to the house of the Priest. On the
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  Speaker 1: appointed day, all the invited guests gathered at the old
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  Speaker 1: man's house with great noise and confusion. After a fair
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  Speaker 1: amount of feasting, the wedding procession was formed properly and
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  Speaker 1: set out for the house of the Priest, where the
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  Speaker 1: hundred brides were already prepared for their departure for their
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  Speaker 1: new home. So great was the confusion, indeed, that the
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  Speaker 1: old man quite forgot to take with him one of
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  Speaker 1: the hundred sons, and never missed him in the greeting
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  Speaker 1: and talking and drinking he was obliged, as father of
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  Speaker 1: the bridegrooms to go through. Now, the young man had
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  Speaker 1: worked so long and so hard in preparing for the
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  Speaker 1: wedding day that he never woke up till long after
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  Speaker 1: the procession had started, and everyone had had, like his father,
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  Speaker 1: too much to do and too many things to think
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  Speaker 1: of to miss him. The wedding procession arrived in good
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  Speaker 1: order at the priest's house, where a feast was already
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  Speaker 1: spread out for them. Having done honor to the various
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  Speaker 1: good things, and having gone through all the ceremonies usual
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  Speaker 1: on such occasions, the hundred brides were given over to
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  Speaker 1: their leaders, and the procession started on its return to
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  Speaker 1: the old man's house. But as they did not set
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  Speaker 1: off until pretty late in the afternoon, it was decided
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  Speaker 1: that the night should be spent somewhere on the road.
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  Speaker 1: When they came therefore to a certain river named Luckless,
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  Speaker 1: as it was already dark, some of the men proposed
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  Speaker 1: that the parties should pass the night by the side
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  Speaker 1: of the water without crossing over. However, some others of
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  Speaker 1: the chief of the party so warmly advised the crossing
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  Speaker 1: the river and encamping on the other bank, that this
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  Speaker 1: course was at length. After a very lively discussion determined
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  Speaker 1: on accordingly, the procession began to move over the bridge.
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  Speaker 1: Just however, as the wedding party were half way across
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  Speaker 1: the bridge, its two sides began to draw nearer each
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  Speaker 1: other and press the people so close together that they
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  Speaker 1: had hardly room to breathe, much less could they move
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  Speaker 1: forwards or backwards. They were kept for some time in
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  Speaker 1: this position, some shouting and scolding, others quiet because frightened,
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  Speaker 1: until at length a black giant appeared and shouted to
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  Speaker 1: them in a terribly loud voice, who are you all?
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  Speaker 1: Where do you come from? Where are you going? Some
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  Speaker 1: of the boulder among them answered, we are going to
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  Speaker 1: our old friend's house, taking home the hundred brides for
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  Speaker 1: his hundred sons. But unluckily we ventured on this bridge
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  Speaker 1: after nightfall, and it has pressed us so tightly together
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  Speaker 1: that we cannot move one way or the other. And
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  Speaker 1: where is your old friend? Inquired the black giant. Now
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  Speaker 1: all the wedding guests turned their eyes towards the old man.
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  Speaker 1: Thereupon he turned towards the giant, who instantly said to him, listen,
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  Speaker 1: old man, will you give me what you have forgotten
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  Speaker 1: at home? If I let your friends pass over the bridge.
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  Speaker 1: The old man considered some time what it might be
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  Speaker 1: that he had forgotten at home, but at last, not
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  Speaker 1: being able to recollect anything in particular that he had left,
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  Speaker 1: and hearing on all sides the grounds and moans of
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  Speaker 1: his guests, he replied, well, I will give it you
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  Speaker 1: if you will only let the procession pass over. Then
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  Speaker 1: the black Giant said to the party, you all hear
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  Speaker 1: what he has promised, and are all my witnesses to
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  Speaker 1: the bargain. In three days I shall come to fetch
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  Speaker 1: what I have bargained for. Having said this, the black
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  Speaker 1: Giant widened the bridge, and the whole procession passed on
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  Speaker 1: to the other bank in safety. The people, however, no
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  Speaker 1: longer wished to spend the night on the way, so
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  Speaker 1: they moved on as fast as they could, and early
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  Speaker 1: in the morning reached the old man's house. As everybody
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  Speaker 1: talked of the strange adventure they had met with, the
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  Speaker 1: eldest son, who had been left at home, soon began
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  Speaker 1: to understand how the matter stood and went to his
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  Speaker 1: father's saying, oh, my father, you have sold me to
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  Speaker 1: the black Giant. Then the old man was very sorry
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  Speaker 1: and troubled, but his friends comforted him, saying, don't be frightened.
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  Speaker 1: Nothing will come of it. The marriage ceremonies were celebrated
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  Speaker 1: with great rejoicings. Just however, as the festivities were at
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  Speaker 1: their height on the third day, the black Giant appeared
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  Speaker 1: at the gate and shouted, now give me at once
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  Speaker 1: what you have promised. The old man, trembling all over,
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  Speaker 1: went forward and asked him, what do you want. Nothing
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  Speaker 1: but what you have promised me, returned the black Giant.
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  Speaker 1: As he could not break his promise. The old man,
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  Speaker 1: very much distressed, was then obliged to deliver up his
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  Speaker 1: eldest son to the giant, who thereupon said, now I
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  Speaker 1: shall take your son with me, but after three years
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  Speaker 1: have passed, you can come to the Luckless River and
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  Speaker 1: take him away. Having said this, the black Giant disappeared,
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  Speaker 1: taking with him the young man, whom he carried off
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  Speaker 1: to his workshop as an apprentice to the trade of witchcraft.
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  Speaker 1: From that time, the poor old man had not a
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  Speaker 1: single moment of happiness. He was always sad and anxious,
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  Speaker 1: and counted every year and month, and we and even
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  Speaker 1: every day until the dawn of the last day of
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  Speaker 1: the three years. Then he took a staff in his
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  Speaker 1: hand and hurried off to the bank of the river Luckless.
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  Speaker 1: As soon as he reached the river, he was met
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  Speaker 1: by the black Giant, who asked him, why are you come.
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  Speaker 1: The old man answered that he had come to take
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  Speaker 1: home his son according to his agreement. Thereupon the giant
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  Speaker 1: brought out a tray, on which stood a sparrow, a turtle,
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  Speaker 1: dove in a quail, and said to the old man,
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  Speaker 1: now if you can tell which of these is your son,
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  Speaker 1: you may take him away. The poor old father looked
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  Speaker 1: intently at the three birds, one after the other, and
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  Speaker 1: over and over again, but at last he was forced
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  Speaker 1: to own that he could not tell which of them
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  Speaker 1: was his son. So he was obliged to go away
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  Speaker 1: by himself, and was far more miserable than before. He
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  Speaker 1: had hardly, however, got half way home when he thought
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  Speaker 1: he would go back to the river and take one
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  Speaker 1: of the birds, which he remembered had looked at him intently.
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  Speaker 1: When he reached the river Luckless, he was again met
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  Speaker 1: by the black giant, who brought out the tray again
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  Speaker 1: and placed on it, this time a partridge, a titmouse,
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  Speaker 1: and a thrush, saying, now, my old man, find out
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  Speaker 1: which is your son. The anxious father again looked at
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  Speaker 1: one bird after the other, but he felt more uncertain
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  Speaker 1: than before, and so, crying bitterly, again went away. Just
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  Speaker 1: as the old man was going through a forest which
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  Speaker 1: was between the river Luckless and his house, an old
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  Speaker 1: woman met him and said, stop a moment, where are
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  Speaker 1: you hurrying to and why are you in such trouble? Now?
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  Speaker 1: The old man was so deeply musing over his great
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  Speaker 1: unhappiness that he did not at first attend to the
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  Speaker 1: old woman. But she followed him, calling after him and
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  Speaker 1: repeating her questions with more earnestness. So he stopped at
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  Speaker 1: last and told her what a terrible misfortune had fallen
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  Speaker 1: upon him. When the old woman had listened to the
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  Speaker 1: whole story, she said, cheerfully, don't be cast down, don't
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  Speaker 1: be afraid. Go back again to the river. And when
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  Speaker 1: the giant brings out the three birds, look into their
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  Speaker 1: eyes sharply. When you see that one of the birds
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  Speaker 1: has a tear in one of its eyes, seize that
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  Speaker 1: bird and hold it fast, for it has a human soul.
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  Speaker 1: The old man thanked her heartily for her advice, and
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  Speaker 1: turned back for the third time towards se Leckless river. Again.
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  Speaker 1: The black giant appeared and looked very merry whilst he
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  Speaker 1: brought out his tray and put upon it a sparrow,
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  Speaker 1: a dove, and a woodpecker, saying, my old man, find
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  Speaker 1: out which is your son. Then the father looked sharply
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  Speaker 1: into the eyes of the birds, and saw that from
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  Speaker 1: the right eye of the dove a tear dropped slowly down.
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  Speaker 1: In a moment, he grasped the bird tightly, and saying,
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  Speaker 1: this is my son. The next moment he found himself
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  Speaker 1: holding fast his eldest son by the shoulder, and so
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  Speaker 1: singing and shouting in his great joy. Took him quickly
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  Speaker 1: home and gave him over to his eldest daughter in law,
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  Speaker 1: the wife of his son. Now, for some time they
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  Speaker 1: all lived together very happily. One day, however, the young
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  Speaker 1: man said to his father, whilst I was a princess
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  Speaker 1: in the workshop of the Black Giant, I learned a
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  Speaker 1: great many tricks of witchcraft. Now I intend to change
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  Speaker 1: myself into a fine horse, and you shall take me
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  Speaker 1: to market and sell me for a good sum of money,
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  Speaker 1: but be sure not to give up the halter. The
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  Speaker 1: father did as the son had said. Next market day
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  Speaker 1: he went to the city with a fine horse, which
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  Speaker 1: he offered for sale. Many buyers came round him, admiring
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  Speaker 1: the horse and bidding large sums for it, so that
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  Speaker 1: at last the old man was able to sell it
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  Speaker 1: for two thousand ducats. When he received the money, he
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  Speaker 1: took good care not to let go the halter, and
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  Speaker 1: he returned home far richer than he ever dreamt of being.
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  Speaker 1: A few days later, the man who had bought the
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  Speaker 1: horse sent his servant with it to the river to bathe,
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  Speaker 1: and whilst in the water, the horse got loose from
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  Speaker 1: the servant and galloped off into the neighboring forest. There
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  Speaker 1: he changed himself back into his real shape and returned
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  Speaker 1: to his father's house. After some time had passed, the
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  Speaker 1: young man said one day to his father, now I
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  Speaker 1: will change myself into an ox, and you can take
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  Speaker 1: me to market to sell me, but take care not
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  Speaker 1: to give up the rope with which you leave me.
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  Speaker 1: So next market day the old man went to the
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  Speaker 1: city leading a very fine ox, and soon found a
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  Speaker 1: buyer who offered him ten times the usual price paid
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  Speaker 1: for an ox. The buyer asked also for the rope
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  Speaker 1: to lead the animal home, but the old man said,
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  Speaker 1: what do you want with such an old thing? You
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  Speaker 1: had better buy a new one, and he went off
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  Speaker 1: taking with him the rope. That evening, whilst the servants
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  Speaker 1: of the buyer were driving the ox to the field,
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  Speaker 1: he ran away into a wood near and, having taken
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  Speaker 1: there his human shape returned home to his father's house.
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  Speaker 1: On the eve of the next market day, the young
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: man said to his father, now I will changed myself
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: into a cow with golden horns, and you can sell
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: me as before, only take care not to give up
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: the string. Accordingly, he changed himself next morning into a cow,
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: and the old man took it to the marketplace and
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: asked for it three hundred crowns. But the black Giant
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: had learned that his former apprentice was making a great
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: deal of money by practicing the trade he had taught him,
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: and being jealous at this, he determined to put an
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: end to the young man's gains. Therefore, on the third
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: day he came to the market himself as a buyer,
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: and the moment he saw the beautiful cow with golden horns,
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: he knew that it could be no other than his
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: former apprentice. So he came up to the old man, and,
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: having outbid all the other would be purchasers, paid at
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: once the price he had agreed on. Having done this,
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: he caught the string in his hand and tried to
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: wrench it from the terrified old man, who called, I
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: have not sold you the string but the cow, and
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: held this string as fast as he could with both hands.
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: Oh no, said the buyer. I have the law and
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: custom on my side. Whoever buys a cow buys also
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: the string with which it is led. Some of the
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: amused and astonished lookers on said that this was quite true.
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: Therefore the old man was obliged to give up the string.
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: The black Giant, well satisfied with his purchase, took the
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: cow with him to his castle, and, after having put
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: iron chains on her legs, fastened her in a cellar.
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: Every morning, the giant gave the cow some water and hay,
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: but he never unchained her. One evening, however, the cow,
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: with incessant struggles, managed to get free from the chains
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: and immediately opened the cellar door with her horns and
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: ran away. Next morning, the black Giant went as usual
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: into the cellar, carrying the hay and water for the cow,
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: but seeing she had got free and run away, he
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: threw the hay down and started off at once to
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: pursue her. When he came within sight of her, he
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: turned himself into a wolf and ran at her with
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: great fury. But his clever apprentice changed himself instantly from
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: a cow into a bear. Where upon the giant turned
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: himself from a wolf into a lion. The bear then
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: turned into a tiger, and the lion changed into a crocodile,
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: whereupon the tiger turned into a sparrow. Upon this, the
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: giant changed from the form of a crocodile into a hawk,
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: and the apprentice immediately changed into a hare, on seeing
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: which the hawk became a greyhound. Then the apprentice changed
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: from a hare into a falcon, and the greyhound into
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: an eagle, whereupon the apprentice changed into a fish. The
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: giant then turned from an eagle into a mouse, and
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: immediately the apprentice, as a cat, ran after him. Then
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: the giant turned himself into a heap of millet, and
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: the apprentice transformed himself into a hen and chickens, which
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: very greedily picked up all the millet except one single seed,
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: in which the master was, who changed himself into a squirrel. Instantly, however,
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: the apprentice became a hawk, and, pouncing on the squirrel,
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: killed it. In this way, the apprentice beat his master,
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: the Black Giant, and revenged himself for all the sufferings
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: he had endured whilst learning the trade of witchcraft. Having
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: killed the squirrel. The hawk took his proper shape again,
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: and the young man returned joyfully to his father, whom
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: he made immensely rich. End of section ten.