Translation:Collection of Slavic Folk Tales/VIII
PRINCE UNEXPECTED
(POLISH TALE)
There was once a king and a queen; they had been married for three years; they had no children, which caused them great sorrow. One day, the king was obliged to go visit his kingdom; he said goodbye to the queen and remained absent for more than eight months. Toward the end of the ninth month, he returned to his capital; he was already near when, crossing an arid countryside — it was the height of summer — he was seized with a burning thirst. He sent his servants in all directions to see if they could find water. They scattered in every direction, searched for over an hour, and returned without finding anything.
The king then set out to roam the countryside himself; he hoped to eventually come across a spring; indeed, in a plain where there had never been water before, he spotted a well. The wooden rim looked brand new; the well was filled to the brim with fresh water; on the surface floated a silver cup with a golden handle. The king dismounted from his horse, leaned with his left hand on the rim, and with his right seized the cup; but it was as if it were alive and had eyes; it swiftly jumped aside and began to float on the water; the king, though a bit frightened, started to chase it, now with one hand, now with the other; but despite all his efforts, he could not catch it; he then tried with both hands; but the cup dove like a fish and reappeared on the water a little farther away.
"Devil," thought the king, "there's nothing to be done with this cup. Well then! I'll do without it." And he leaned over the water. It was pure as crystal, cool as ice. While the king drank, his beard, which reached down to his belt, dipped into the water. When he had quenched his thirst, he tried to stand, but something held him by the beard and wouldn't let go. After struggling in vain, the king, enraged, cried out:
"Who's there? Let me go."
"It's me, the underground king Kostieï the immortal.[1] I won't let you go until you give me what you left in your house — without knowing you had it — what you didn't expect to find on your return."
The king looked into the well, he saw a huge head with green eyes, a mouth open up to its ears; Kostieï held the king with massive pincers like those of a crayfish and laughed a wicked laugh. The king thought that the thing he didn't know about before his departure and didn't expect to see on his return couldn't be of great importance.
"I give you what you ask," he said to the monster.
It burst into laughter, shone like fire, and disappeared. With it vanished the water, the well's rim, and the cup. The king found himself crouched on dry sand. He stood, crossed himself, mounted his horse, rejoined his escort, and continued on his way.
After a week or two, he arrived in his capital. The people crowded to meet him; he entered the palace courtyard in triumph. On the steps, the queen awaited him; she held to her breast an embroidered cushion on which a small child slept in its swaddling clothes. The king guessed what had happened, groaned deeply, and said to himself: "Here's the thing I didn't know about before my departure and find without having expected it." And he began to weep bitterly. Everyone was astonished at his tears, but no one dared ask the reason. The king took the child in his arms and gazed lovingly at its innocent face; he wanted to carry it himself into the palace and place it in its cradle. He strove to suppress his grief and devote himself to the cares of government. But he was never seen as cheerful as before. A thought gnawed at him; it was that one day Kostieï would demand his son.
Meanwhile, weeks, months, years passed, and no one came to claim the child. The prince Unexpected — as they had named him — grew and became a fine young man. The king regained his cheerfulness and forgot what had happened, but alas, not everyone had forgotten.
One day, the young prince, hunting in a forest, became separated from his retinue and got lost in a wild thicket. Suddenly, a monstrous old man with green eyes appeared before him:
"How are you, Prince Unexpected?" he said. "You've kept me waiting a long time."
"Who are you?"
"You'll find out later; when you return to your father, greet him from me and tell him I'd like him to settle his accounts with me; if he neglects to pay, he'll bitterly regret it."
At these words, the monstrous old man disappeared, and the prince turned back, returned to the palace, and told his father what had happened.
The king paled and revealed to his son the dreadful mystery.
"Don't cry, my father," replied the prince, "the harm isn't so great! I'll find a way to make Kostieï renounce the rights he extorted from you over me. If I haven't returned within a year, it will be a sign that we'll never see each other again."
The prince made preparations for departure, his father gave him steel armor, a sword, and a horse; the queen hung a pure gold cross around his neck: at the supreme moment, they embraced tenderly, wept much, and the prince set out.
He traveled three days. Toward the end of the fourth, at sunset, he reached the seashore. He saw on the sand twelve maidens' garments, white as snow; yet, as far as his eyes could see, there was no one in the water. Curious to unravel this mystery, he took one of the garments, let his horse roam free in the nearby meadow, and hid in the reeds. A flock of geese playing on the sea approached the shore; eleven took the garments, stamped their feet on the ground, and became beautiful maidens. Once dressed, they flew away at once. The twelfth, who was the youngest, couldn't bring herself to leave the water; she stretched out her white neck and looked in all directions. Suddenly, she saw the king's son and cried out to him with a human voice:
"Prince Unexpected, give me back my clothes, I'll be grateful to you."
The prince promptly placed the clothes on the grass and withdrew modestly. The maiden, after her transformation, dressed quickly and came to meet him; she was of a beauty that no eye had ever seen, that no ear had ever heard of. She extended her hand, blushing and lowering her eyes, and said in a melodious voice:
"Thank you, noble prince, for granting my request. I am the youngest daughter of Kostieï the immortal; he has twelve daughters and rules in the underground empire. My father has been waiting for you for a long time; he's even very angry. Don't be distressed, though, and fear nothing, but do everything I tell you. As soon as you see King Kostieï, fall to your knees at once, and, paying no attention to his shouts, his stomping, his threats, approach him boldly. What must happen next, you'll find out later. Now let's go!"
At these words, she stamped her little foot on the ground, a chasm opened, and they both descended into the underground empire; they arrived right at Kostieï's palace, which shines, brighter than our sun, in that unknown world. The prince boldly entered the great hall.
Kostieï, crowned with a brilliant diadem, is seated on a golden throne; his eyes gleam like two opaque glasses; his hands are like crayfish pincers. As soon as he sees him, the prince falls to his knees. Kostieï lets out terrifying shouts that make the vaults of the underground empire tremble. Nevertheless, the prince advances boldly on his knees toward the throne. When he is a few steps away, the king bursts into laughter and says:
"You've got some luck to have made me laugh; stay in our underground empire, but before you earn the right to stay, you must fulfill three tasks I'll give you; it's already late today, we'll start tomorrow; in the meantime, go rest."
The prince slept soundly in the room prepared for him. The next day, Kostieï called him:
"Let's see, prince, what you can do. Tonight, you'll build me a marble palace; the windows will be crystal, the roof gold; there will be a magnificent park all around, and in that park ponds and fountains. If you build it, you'll be my friend; otherwise, I'll have your head chopped off."
After hearing this strange speech, the prince returned to his room and began to think about the death awaiting him. He was deep in thought when suddenly a bee tapped at the window, saying: "Let me in." He opened it, the bee entered, and the prince saw before him the princess, Kostieï's youngest daughter.
"What are you thinking about, Prince Unexpected?"
"I'm thinking about your father who wants to have me killed."
"Fear nothing, sleep in peace, and tomorrow morning, when you wake, your palace will already be ready."
What was said was done. The next morning, when the prince left his room, he saw a palace like none he had ever seen. Kostieï, for his part, could hardly believe his eyes and seemed deep in thought.
"Well, you've won this time; now here's another task; tomorrow I'll bring my twelve daughters before you; if you don't guess which is the youngest, your head will fall under the axe."
"How! I wouldn't recognize the youngest of the twelve daughters?" said the prince to himself once back in his room. "Some difficulty!"
"So great that if I don't help you, you'll never succeed in recognizing me," said the bee, which had entered the room again. "We look so alike that our father only recognizes us by our clothes."
"What should I do?"
"Here; the youngest will be the one with a ladybug on her right eyebrow. Pay close attention… Goodbye."
The next day, King Kostieï called Prince Unexpected before him again. The maidens were already lined up, all wearing the same clothes and with their eyes lowered. The prince looked and was amazed at their perfect resemblance. He passed by them twice, he didn't see the agreed-upon sign. Finally, the third time, he spotted the ladybug.
"Here's the youngest," he cried.
"How the devil did you guess?" asked Kostieï, furious; "there's some sorcery behind this. I'll put you to a different kind of test. In three hours, you'll come here, and in my presence, you'll show us your skill. I'll light a straw, and before it's burned, you'll make a pair of boots. Otherwise, you'll die."
The prince returned to his room, far from pleased. The bee was already there.
"Why do you look so troubled, my handsome prince?"
"How could I not look troubled when your father wants me to make him a pair of boots? Does he take me for a cobbler?"
"What do you plan to do?"
"Not make boots, that's for sure! I'm not afraid of death: you only die once."
"No, prince, you won't die; I'll try to save you; either we'll flee together, or we'll die together."
At these words, she began to spit on the floor; then she left the room with the prince, closed the door behind her, and threw the key far away; both holding hands, they rose swiftly and emerged from the abyss at the very spot where they had descended before. It was the same sea, the same shore lined with rushes and reeds, the same meadow; in the meadow, the prince's steed was frolicking. As soon as it saw its master, it neighed and ran to him. The prince, wasting no time, leapt into the saddle, took the princess up behind him, and they sped off like an arrow…
Meanwhile, King Kostieï, at the appointed hour, not seeing Prince Unexpected arrive, sent for him to ask why he was delayed. The servants went looking, found the door locked, and knocked with all their might. A voice answered: "One moment!" It was the spit mimicking the prince's voice!
They reported this response to Kostieï; he waited, the prince didn't come; he sent the same messengers again, and the same voice answered: "Right away."
"Is he by chance trying to mock me?" cried Kostieï, furious; "run, break down the door, and bring him to me."
The servants rushed, broke down the door, entered… No one. And the spit burst into laughter! Kostieï flew into a terrible rage and ordered his men to pursue the fugitive; death awaited them if they didn't bring him back. They leapt onto horses and set off.
Meanwhile, Prince Unexpected and the princess were racing across the land on their swift steed. Suddenly, they heard galloping behind them. The prince jumped off his horse, put his ear to the ground, and said: "They're chasing us."
"Good," said the princess, "there's no time to lose." At that moment, she turned herself into a river; she turned the prince into a bridge, the horse into a raven, and the road beyond the bridge split into three diverging paths. The horsemen pursuing them reached the bridge and stood petrified; beyond the bridge, three roads and no trace of anything. What to do? They returned home empty-handed. Kostieï exploded with rage. "The bridge and the river, that was them! How did you not think of it? Go back!" And they resumed their frantic chase.
Meanwhile, the prince and the princess had resumed theirs as well.
"I hear galloping," cried the princess.
The prince jumped off his horse, put his ear to the ground:
"Yes, they're coming, they're getting closer."
At that moment, the princess, the prince, and their horse turned into a dark forest; countless paths and trails intertwined within; on one, it seemed the galloping of two riders could be heard. Kostieï's messengers rushed into the forest and continued their pursuit. They galloped and galloped, always seeing ahead the dense forest, the wide road, and the fleeing couple. They were about to catch them… Suddenly, the couple, the forest, everything vanished. They found themselves back at the very spot where they had started their chase. They returned empty-handed to Kostieï again.
"A horse! A horse!" cried the underground emperor; "I'll chase them myself. They won't escape me."
And he set off, foaming with rage.
"It seems we're being pursued," said the princess to Unexpected.
"Yes."
"And this time it's Kostieï himself. But the first church marks the limit of his empire, and he can't go further. Give me your gold cross." The prince took off the cross, a gift from his mother; she turned into a church, he into a priest, and the horse into a bell tower.
At that moment, Kostieï arrived:
"Haven't you seen, monk, some travelers on horseback?"
"Yes; Prince Unexpected and the daughter of King Kostieï passed here just now. They entered the church, said a prayer, ordered a mass for your health, and asked me to greet you if you passed by."
And Kostieï returned empty-handed in his turn. Prince Unexpected and the princess continued their journey with nothing more to fear.
Suddenly, they saw a pretty town ahead; the prince wanted to go visit it.
"Prince," said the princess, "don't go, my heart senses some misfortune."
"It's just for a moment; after seeing the town, we'll continue on our way."
"It's easy to go, but who knows if you'll return? If you insist, go. I'll wait here; until you return, I'll stay transformed into a white stone. My friend, be very careful; the king and queen of this land and their daughter will come to meet you; they'll be accompanied by a very beautiful young boy. Be sure not to kiss him. You'd forget everything that happened, and you'd never see me again in this world, for I'd die of despair. I'll wait for you here on the road for three days. And if by the third day you haven't returned, remember that I'll die, and I'll die because of you."
The prince said goodbye to her and left. The princess turned into a white stone and stayed on the road.
Three days passed. Unexpected didn't return! Poor princess! He hadn't heeded his friend's advice. The king, the queen, and their daughter had come to meet him. Beside them frolicked a boy with beautiful curly hair, eyes shining like stars; he threw himself into the prince's arms, who, finding him so charming, forgot everything and kissed him. At that moment, his memory clouded, and he completely forgot the poor princess, daughter of Kostieï.
Meanwhile, the princess, transformed into a white stone, waited three full days on the road; and at the end of the third, the prince not having returned, she let out dreadful moans, turned into a cornflower, and went to hide in a field bordering the road. "I'll stay here," she said; "perhaps some passerby will be kind enough to pluck me or trample me." As she spoke these words, she shed tears that glistened like dewdrops on her blue petals. An old man passed by, saw the delicate flower, was charmed by its beauty; he carefully plucked it, took it with him, placed it in a pot, watered it, and cared for it as best he could! But, oh wonder! From the day the cornflower entered the house, it became the scene of continuous miracles. When the old man woke up, he found his household already tidied; not a speck of dust remained in the rooms. When he returned at noon, he found the table set and the meal prepared. He only had to sit and eat. The old man was astonished at first; then he began to grow frightened and went to consult a well-known sorceress in the land:
"Get up at dawn," she told him, "before the cock crows, and watch closely which object moves first; cover it with this handkerchief, and you'll see what happens next."
The old man didn't sleep a wink all night; at the first light of dawn, he began to watch; suddenly, the cornflower jumped out of its vase and began to run through the room; at once, all the furniture arranged itself, the dust cleared away on its own, and the stove lit itself. The old man leapt from his bed, threw the handkerchief over the flower… It transformed into a beautiful young maiden, the daughter of King Kostieï.
"What have you done?" cried the princess. "Why did you give me back my life? My fiancé, Prince Unexpected, has forgotten me, and life has become hateful to me."
"Your fiancé, Prince Unexpected! But he's getting married today; the wedding is prepared, and the guests are starting to arrive."
The princess began to cry; after a while, she wiped her tears, put on a coarse disguise, and, dressed as a peasant, headed toward the town. She entered the king's kitchen. What bustle, what activity! She humbly approached the head chef and said in her sweetest voice:
"Honored sir, grant me a favor, allow me to bake the wedding cake for Prince Unexpected."
The chef, very busy, would have gladly sent her to all the devils. But when he saw her so young and so charming, the words died on his lips:
"Beauty of beauties," he said, "do what you wish; I'll present your cake to the king myself."
The cake was baked; all the guests took their places at the table. The chef brought before the prince a gigantic cake on a silver platter; but as soon as the prince cut into it, oh miracle! a gray pigeon and a white dove flew out of the cake: the pigeon began to walk on the table, the dove followed behind, cooing:
"My dear pigeon, don't flee from me;
I follow your steps wherever you be;
Would you then be unfaithful to me
Like the prince, alas, who betrays his lady?"
As soon as the prince heard this cooing, his lost memory returned at once. He leapt abruptly from the table, ran to the door, and what did he see? The daughter of Kostieï. She took him by the hand, and they both ran to the steps where a saddled horse awaited them.
What more can I tell you? The prince and the princess jumped on the horse, galloped off, and arrived safely at Unexpected's parents' home. They welcomed them with joy; shortly after, their wedding was celebrated, a wedding such as no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard described.
- ↑ This character appears very often in Russian tales. It is, says Mr. Ralston, one of the many incarnations of the dark spirit that takes so many forms in folk tales. Sometimes it is depicted in a form similar to that of a serpent, sometimes as half serpent, half man; in some tales, it appears as a man. Certain mythologists derive its name from Kost (bone), from which comes a verb meaning to ossify, to petrify. (Ralston, Russian Folk-tales, London, 1873). See, in my Études slaves, Voyageurs anglais en Russie English: Slavic Studies, English Travelers in Russia.