“ The two-headed brother came, and saw that his mother was no longer there, but in her place was a strange youth. He clapped him on the shoulder, and cried out: ‘Who art thou, wretch, who darest to venture here? For fear of me, bird cannot fly under heaven, nor can ant crawl on earth. Art thou not afraid that I shall eat thee?’ ‘Thou shalt not eat me,’ said Ghvthisavari, throwing an arrow. ”

“ After the doctor came an astrologer, who said: ‘Most noble Shah! In observing the courses of the stars I have discovered a woful piece of news; an awful fate awaits you. O King, you will soon have horns like a goat, and claws like a panther, you will lose the power of speech, and flee from us into the woods, where you will dwell exactly seven years and three months.’ To him likewise the shah replied: ‘That is possible,’ and he too disappeared, amid the jeers of the mob. ”

“ When the king returned from the chase, and saw the pestle, he burned with fires of rage, and sparks shot from his eyes. He took his wife out, caused her to be wrapped in a bullock’s skin, and bound to a column in front of the palace. Every one who passed by was ordered to spit in her face and strike her. Thus unjustly did he torture an innocent being! The miller loved the two golden-haired children as if they were the apple of his [10] eye. They became very wise, brave, and handsome, and grew as much in a day as other children grow in a year. ”

“ He said to himself: ‘Perhaps this is the house of the fair damsel who gave me the slipper. I shall wait and see what happens.’ He sat under the throne and waited.
Soon after, there flew in a beautiful maiden, then another, yet a third, and at last the Arab. They sat down to eat. In the twinkling of an eye the Arab laid the cloth for the sisters, and whatever heart or soul could wish was spread upon it.
After a short time the eldest sister took wine and said: ‘May God grant long life to the youth who took from me the handkerchief and the golden slipper.’ She drank, and put the bowl down. ”

“ He harnessed the wolf and bear to it, and said to the eagle: ‘Fly up high, and keep a watch; when thou seest a beautiful princess, seize her in thy claws and carry her off.’ He himself sat down and acted as coachman. Thus they travelled from place to place.
In the villages, the fox played the trumpet, and the bear and the wolf leaped and danced along. Crowds of people came out to look. When they came to the capital, a maiden, fair as the sun, looked from her window, the eagle seized her in his claws, and flew off. The bear and the wolf turned round and started for home. ”

“ The prince thought and thought, and said to himself: ‘I will go. I will ask this maiden in marriage: I will know if [45] this is my fate. What is to be will be. What can she ask me that I shall not know?’ So he rose and went.
He came to the sunlike maiden and asked her in marriage. She answered: ‘It is well, but first I have a question to ask thee; if thou canst answer, then I am thine, if not, I shall cut off thy head.’ ‘So let it be,’ said the prince. ‘I ask thee this, Who are Gulambara and Sulambara?’ enquired the beautiful maiden. ”

“ She gazed and gazed until she could bear it no longer: she threw off the mat, seized one of them in her arms, and said: ‘Who art thou, who art so angelic? Art thou human or an angel?’ The maiden replied: ‘We are three sisters, we are human. ”

“ He cried out: ‘O serpent, come here one moment, I need thee.’ He ceased not until the serpent came. It said: ‘What dost thou want? what distresses thee?’ The peasant answered: ‘Thus and thus is the matter, and I should like some aid.’ The serpent replied: ‘Go, tell the king that the naked sword means war—now enemies are intriguing within and without; he must prepare for battle and attack.’
The peasant thanked the serpent and went. He came and told the king even as the serpent had commanded. The king was pleased, he began to prepare for war, and gave the peasant great presents. ”

“ There was once a wise man who loved solitude, and dwelt far away from other men, meditating on the vanities of the world. He spent nearly all his time in the open air, and he could easily do this, for he lived in a lovely southern land where there is no winter and but little rain. As he wandered once among the verdure of his garden, the sage stopped before an aged walnut tree covered with ripening nuts, and said: ‘Why is there such a strange want of symmetry in nature? ”

“ Asphurtzela gazed and gazed at the man, and then said: ‘Man, what art thou doing? how canst thou catch these hares?’ ‘Asphurtzela killed the hundred-headed devi, what is there remarkable in catching two hares?’ said the hare-catcher.6 ‘Why, this is Asphurtzela, and he will be as a brother to thee, if thou wilt,’ said the clod-swallower. ”

“ The demi gave him one deer, one wild goat, one boar, one hare, one kila of millet, one coca of wine, and then sat down near him in the field. The demi ate, but the old man threw the food into the river. The demi thought the old man was eating everything, and was afraid, thinking: ‘It would seem that he can eat more than I can.’ Lower down the stream, wolves caught and ate the meat the old man threw away. The old man asked for another deer. ”

“ A huntsman met him, and asked: ‘Whither art thou leading the deer?’ The youth replied: ‘One king has sent it as a gift to another king, and, lo! I am taking it.’ The youth thus saved the deer from death, and the deer said: ‘A time will come when I shall save thy life.’
The youth went on his way: he went, he went, he went, so far he went, good sir, that the ‘three day colt’ (of fable) could not go so far. He looked, and, lo! a frightened eagle perched on his shoulder, and said: ‘Youth, on thee depends my safety!’ The youth protected it also from its pursuer. ”

“ The dragon soon appeared. The maiden was afraid to wake Asphurtzela, and she wept more than ever. One of her tears fell on Asphurtzela’s cheek, and he woke. When he saw the dragon he rose up, shot an arrow, and cut it in pieces.9 The maiden, overjoyed, immediately hastened home to her father, and said: ‘Thus and thus has it come to pass, the dragon is dead.’ The king at first would not believe this, but when others put faith in the story, he sent to seek the youth. He wished him to marry the princess, and decided to give him half of the kingdom. ”

“ There came from far-off lands a strong man who had nowhere met his match, and challenged any one in the whole kingdom to wrestle with him. The king gathered his folk together, but, to his wonder, could not for a long time find anybody ready to face the strong man, till, at last, there stood forth a weak insignificant-looking dwarf, who offered to wrestle with the giant. ”

“ When he had given the three answers, the apple rolled back into the casket, and the king put it in his pocket. The boy arose, embraced the king, and kissed him: ‘Many men have been here, but I have not been able to speak before: now tell me what thou wishest, and I will do it.’ The king asked that his viziers might be restored to life, and they all went away with rich presents. ”

“ The king was rejoiced that the youth was found. He sent his ministers to bring him to the palace. When Asphurtzela came, the king offered him great presents, but he would not take them, and said: ‘If thou wilt send me back to my own land of light, I shall be happy, this is all I desire.’ The king was very melancholy, he entreated him, but it was of no avail, so he promised. ”

“ He asked a man: ‘Whose tower is this, and why are men’s heads arranged in rows in this way?’ He was told: ‘In this tower dwells a maiden beautiful as the sun. Any king’s son may ask her in marriage. She asks him a question: if he cannot answer it his head is cut off, but if he can he may demand her in marriage. ”

“ She dug and dug until she came to a mouse’s hole. She took thence nuts, little nuts, and gave them to her sisters. She went on digging, and broke down a stable wall. This stable belonged to the king, and almonds and raisins were strewed about in it. The girls used to go to the stable; they stole the almonds and raisins, and ate them. The grooms were astonished, and said: ‘Who can it be that steals the almonds and raisins? The horses are dying of starvation.’
The little maiden, in her digging, next broke the window of an old woman’s hut. Every morning the mistress of this hut went to mass. ”

“ XV The Fox and the King’s Son
There was once a king who had a son. Every one treated him badly, and chased him away. Even passers-by looked upon him with disfavour. The prince thought and thought, and at last he mounted his horse, took his bow and arrow, and departed from his father’s palace.
When he had gone some distance he came into a sheltered wood. He wandered about until he found a suitable nook. He built for himself a mud hut, and dwelt there.
Every day the prince went out to hunt. He would shoot a stag or a roebuck, and bring it home. ”

“ The wolf was sent for grass, the bear commanded to tend the horse, while the fox arranged the house. In a little time the prince came in, and when the bear jumped out to look after his horse he drew his bow to shoot him, but the fox cried out: ‘Do not kill him, he is a friend!’ The youth did not kill the bear, and he tended the horse and led it about; then the wolf came in with the grass, and gave it to the horse. ”

“ So one day, when the king was in a good humour, they went and said: ‘Pardon us, O king! Your first counsellor is alive!’ and they told him all. The king was heartily glad, and ordered the exile to be brought back. He was well received, and restored the goat to the king. The king said: ‘My friend! we thus see that the greatest scourge of all is false witness, and that we must beware, above all things, of our wives.’
1 Francesco Strapparola’s story of Salardo and the Falcon is practically the same as this. ”

“ The demis are indoors; go to the meadow, there thou wilt find a kettle, overturn it. Then betake thyself to the damsel, and get her to plight her troth to thee.’
Geria went, kicked the kettle, turned it over three times, and left it upside down, then he went to the maiden, broke all the locks, and came to the room where she was. She was astonished, but the youth’s bravery pleased her, and, to make a long story short, she promised to marry him. The youth went out merrily to the place where he had left his horse. ”

“ The merchant besought the countryman, saying: ‘You have ruined me. The cat, the pot, the hare, the knife, have all cost money; thanks to you, I am a beggar and a widower. If you remember the place where I threw you into the sea, drown me there, but let me have a stick, so that I may repair my fortune.’ To get rid of the troublesome merchant, the countryman agreed to fulfil his request, and so drowned him with a very long switch in his hand.2 [160] ”

“ On the road I suffered hunger, thirst, and despair, and, for the first time in my life, I knew what it was to be powerless, and realised what a great difference there is between man and beast. When I opened my mouth and tried to speak, I only barked and howled. I tried to stand on my hind legs, and walk like a man, but I fell either backwards or forwards. ”

“ I have come from afar, and must stay here to-night; I fear some one may steal the ass. Let us have a good supper.’ The mention of supper delighted the sentinels. They sat down and began to eat. The Little Thief poured them out wine. The sentinels drank, but the thief did not drink a drop. [92]
When they had eaten well, he said to them: ‘I am going to sleep. As I am sleepy, you may watch the ass and see that no one steals him, lest if he be lost I accuse you to the king.’ ‘Lie down and make thyself easy. This ass of thine is not so attractive that thou needst fear for him,’ said the sentinels. ”

“ Now whatever poison was in her is completely gone, so do not fear her in the slightest degree.1 Go! and God guide thee. As for these possessions, they are thine; I do not want them. May God give thee His peace.’ From his pocket he took out a handkerchief, gave it to the prince, and said: ‘Take this handkerchief with thee; when thou reachest home wipe thy father’s eyes with it and he will see. I am the fish that was in the basin, and thou didst set me free. Know, then, that kindness of heart is never lost.’ So saying, the prince’s adopted brother disappeared. ”

“ The youth thought to himself: ‘It must have been in this way that this old woman swallowed my brother Ghvthisavari.’ He seized the old woman by the throat, cleft her breast open, and took out Ghvthisavari and his dogs. Then he killed the old woman and poured her blood over Ghvthisavari, the dogs, and the bow and arrow. Ghvthisavari and his dogs came back to life, and the bow and arrow were raised from the earth. When Ghvthisavari woke to consciousness he said: ‘Ugh! I have had such a dream.’ Then his brother said: ‘Thou hast not dreamt’ ”

“ The fool was delighted, and played with the money for a time, then he resolved to take the jar and present it to the king. As he passed along the road, every wayfarer looked into the pot, took out the gold in handfuls, and so that he should not notice their thefts, filled it up with stones and blocks of wood. On reaching the palace, the fool asked for an audience of the king, and it was granted. He emptied out the contents of the jar at the feet of the king. When the courtiers saw the wrath of the king, they took the fool away and beat him. ”