Translation:Collection of Slavic Folk Tales/XXVII

XXVII

THE WONDERFUL HAIR

(SERBIAN TALE)

Once upon a time, there was a very poor man with many children; he couldn't feed them, and more than once he had thought of killing them rather than watching them die of hunger. But each time, his wife stopped him.

One night, he saw a child in a dream who said to him:

"I know you've thought of losing your soul by killing your children; I also know you're unhappy. Tomorrow morning, you'll find under your pillow a mirror, a red handkerchief, and an embroidered scarf; take these three items secretly and tell no one, then go to the mountain. You'll find a river; follow its course until you reach its source; there you'll find a maiden as radiant as the sun, her hair loose on her shoulders, and naked as a newborn child. Beware of letting this treacherous monster embrace you; don't say a word, for if you speak, she'll turn you into a fish or some other animal and eat you. When she tells you to search her head, do so and examine her hair carefully; you'll find one as red as blood; pluck it and run away with it. As soon as she notices, she'll chase you; throw first the embroidered handkerchief, then the scarf, then the mirror to slow her pursuit. Then, sell the hair to a rich man; but don't be fooled: this hair is worth immense sums. This way, you'll become rich and can feed your children."

When the poor man woke, he found under his pillow everything the child had described, and he set off for the mountain. He found the river and followed it to its source. He looked and saw the maiden by a lake; she was threading sunrays to embroider a cloth made from the hair of young men. As soon as he saw her, he greeted her; she stood and asked:

"Where do you come from, stranger?"

He said nothing.

She asked again:

"Who are you? Why have you come?"

She asked many more questions; he remained silent as a stone, indicating only by gestures that he was mute and seeking help. She told him to sit beside her, and as soon as he did, she offered her head; he began searching and, finding the red hair, plucked it and ran as fast as he could. She noticed and chased after him. When he saw she was about to catch him, he threw the embroidered handkerchief on the path, as instructed: she picked it up, stopped to admire it. Meanwhile, he gained ground. The maiden tied the handkerchief around her waist and resumed the chase. When he saw she was about to catch him again, he threw the red scarf: she stopped again to look at it, and he gained more distance.

The maiden grew angry, threw away the handkerchief and scarf, and chased again. When he saw she was about to catch him once more, he threw the mirror. She had never seen one; she picked it up, and seeing herself in it, thought it was another woman; while she gazed, the man kept running, so she couldn't catch him. She turned back, and the man returned home safe and joyful. At home, he showed his wife the red hair and told her everything that had happened. She scolded and mocked him; but he ignored her and went to the city to sell his hair. All sorts of people and merchants gathered around him: one offered a ducat, another two, the offers rising until they reached hundreds of ducats. The emperor himself heard of this hair, called the man, and offered a thousand ducats for it; he sold it. What was this hair? The emperor cut it lengthwise, from top to bottom, and read many important things that had happened in ancient times, since the world's beginning.

Thus, our man became rich and could support his wife and children.

The child he saw in his dream was an angel sent by the Lord God, who wanted to help this poor man and reveal mysteries yet unknown.