No. 21.--THE DELUDED DRAGON from “Gypsy Folk Tales Book One – Illustrated Edition”

There was an old man with a multitude of children. He had an underground cave in the forest. He said, 'Make me a honey-cake, for I will go and earn something.' He went into the forest, and found a well. By the well was a table. He laid the cake on the table. The crows came and ate it. He slept by the well. He arose and saw the flies eating the crumbs. He struck a blow and killed a hundred flies. He wrote that he had killed a hundred souls with one blow. And he lay down and slept.

A dragon came with a buffalo's skin to draw water. He saw what was written on the table, that he had killed a hundred souls. When he saw the old man, he feared. The old man awoke, and he too feared.

The dragon said, 'Let's become brothers.'

And they swore that they would be Brothers of the Cross. The dragon drew water. 'Come with me, brother, to my palace.'

They went along a footpath, the old man first. When the dragon panted, he drove the old man forward; when he drew in his breath, he pulled him back. The dragon said, 'Brother, why do you sometimes run forward and sometimes come back?'

'I am thinking whether to kill you.'

'Stay, brother, I will go first and you behind; maybe you will change your mind.'

They came to a cherry-tree. 'Here, brother, have some cherries.'

The dragon climbed up, and the old man was eating below. The dragon said, 'Come up, they're better here.'

The old man said, 'No, they aren't, for the birds have defiled them.'

'Catch hold of this bough.'

The old man did so. The dragon let go of it, and jerked the old man up, and he fell on a hare and caught it.

The dragon said, 'What's the matter, brother? Was the bough too strong for you?'

'I sprang of my own accord, and caught this hare. I hadn't time to run round, so up I sprang.'

The dragon came down and went home. The old man said, 'Would you like a present, sister-in-law?' [seemingly offering the hare to the dragon's wife].

'Thanks, brother-in-law.'

The dragon said to her aside, 'Don't say a word to him, else he'll kill us, for he has killed a hundred souls with one blow.' He sent him to fetch water: 'Go for water, brother.'

He took the spade and the buffalo's hide, dragged it after him, and went to the well, and was digging all round the well.

The dragon went to him. 'What are you doing, brother?'

'I am digging the whole well to carry it home.'

'Don't destroy the spring; I'll draw the water myself.'

The dragon drew the water, and took the old man by the hand, and led him home. He sent him to the forest to fetch a tree. He stripped off bark, and made himself a rope, and bound the trees.

The dragon came. 'What are you doing, brother?'

'I am going to take the whole forest and carry it home.'

'Don't destroy my forest, brother. I'll carry it myself.' The dragon took a tree on his shoulders, and went home.

He said to his wife, 'What shall we do, wife, for he will kill us if we anger him?'

She said, 'Take uncle's big club, and hit him on the head.'

The old man heard. He slept of a night on a bench. And he took the beetle, put it on the bench, dressed it up in his coat, and put his cap on the top of it. And he lay down under the bench. The dragon took the club, and felt the cap, and struck with the club. The old man arose, removed the beetle, put it under the bench, and lay down on the bench. He scratched his head. 'God will punish you, brother, and your household, for a flea has bitten me on the head.'

'There! do you hear, wife? I hit him on the head with the club, and he says a mere flea has bitten him. What shall we do with him, wife?'

Give him a sackful of money to go away.'

'What will you take to go, brother? I'll give you a sackful of money.'

'Give it me.'

He gave it. 'Take it, brother, and be gone.'

'I brought my present myself; do you carry yours yourself.'

The dragon took it on his shoulders and carried it. They drew near to the underground cavern. The old man said, 'Stay here, brother, whilst I go home and tie up the dogs, else they'll wholly devour you.' The old man went home to his children, and made them wooden knives, and told them to say when they saw the dragon, 'Mother, father's bringing a dragon; we'll eat his flesh.'

The dragon heard them, and flung down the sack, and fled. And he met a fox.

'Where are you flying to, dragon?'

'The old man will kill me.'

'Fear not; come along with me. I'll kill him, he's so weak.'

The children came outside and cried, 'Mother, the fox is bringing us the dragon skin he owes us, to cover the cave with.'

The dragon took to flight, and caught the fox, and dashed him to the earth; and the fox died. The old man went to the town, and got a cart, and put the money in it. Then he went to the town, and built himself houses, and bought himself oxen and cows.

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From: GYPSY FOLK TALES BOOK ONE – Illustrated Edition

ISBN: 978-1-907256-XX-X

http://www.abelapublishing.com/gypsytales1-ill.html

A percentage of the profits will be donated to THE RELIEF FUND for ROMANIA

THE MAIDEN OF THE MILKY WAY from “Wonder Tales from Baltic Wizards”

THE stars shine down!

The Northern Lights flash over the sky,

 and the Milky Way glows white!

Listen to the song of the Wizard

of the Crystal-Lighted Cavern!

AH! BEAUTIFUL was Linda the lovely daughter of Uko. She showed all the skypaths to the little birds, when they came flocking home in the springtime or flew away in autumn. She cared as gently and tenderly for the little birds, as a mother cares for her children. And just as a flower bespangled with a thousand drops of dew shines and smiles in the morning sunshine, so Linda shone while caring for her little winged ones.

Thus it was no wonder that all the world loved Linda. Every youth wished her for his bride, and crowds of suitors came to woo her.

In a handsome coach with six brown horses, the Pole Star drove up, and brought ten gifts. But Linda sent him away, with hurried words:

"You always have to stay in the same place. You cannot move about," said she.

Then came the Moon in a silver coach drawn by ten brown horses. He brought her twenty gifts. But Linda refused the Moon, saying:

"You change your looks too often. You run in your same old way. You do not suit me.

Hardly had the Moon driven sorrowfully off, before the Sun drove up. In a golden coach with twenty red-gold horses, he rattled up to the door. He brought thirty presents with him. But all his pomp, shining splendor, and fine gifts did not help him. Linda said:

"I do not want you. You are like the Moon. Day after day you run in the same street."

So the Sun went away sorrowful.

Then at midnight, in a diamond coach drawn by a thousand white horses, came the Northern Lights. His coming was so magnificent, that Linda ran to the door to meet him. A whole coach-load of gold, silver, pearls and jewelled ornaments, the servants of the Northern Lights carried into the house and his gifts pleased her, and she let him woo her.

"You do not always travel in the same course," said Linda. "You flash where you will, and stop when you please. Each time you appear robed in new beauty and richness, and wear each time a different garment. And each time you ride about in a new coach with new horses. You are the true bridegroom!"

Then they celebrated their betrothal. But the Sun, Moon, and Pole Star looked sadly on. They envied the Northern Lights his happiness.

The Northern Lights could not stay long in the bride's house, for he had to hurry back to the sky. When he said farewell, he promised to return soon for the wedding, and to drive Linda back with him to his home in the North. Meanwhile, they were to prepare Linda's bridal garments.

Linda made her bridal robes, and waited and waited. One day followed the other, but the bridegroom did not come to hold the joyous wedding with his beloved. The winter passed, and the lovely spring adorned the earth with fresh beauty, while Linda waited in vain for her bridegroom. Nothing was seen of him!

Then she began to grieve bitterly and lament, and to sorrow day and night. She put on her bridal robes and white veil, and set the wreath on her head, and sat down in a meadow by a river. From her thousand tears little brooks ran into the valleys. In her deep heart-felt sorrow she thought only of her bridegroom.

The little birds flew tenderly about her head, brushing her with their soft wings, to comfort her. But she did not see them, nor did she take care of them anymore. So the little birds wandered about, flying here, flying there, for they did not know what to do or where to go.

Uko, Linda's father, heard of her sorrow and how the little birds were untended. He ordered his Winds to fetch his daughter to him, to rescue her from such deep grief. And while Linda was sitting alone in the meadow weeping and lamenting, the Winds sank softly down beside her, and gently lifting her, bore her up and away. They laid her down in the blue sky.

And there is Linda now, dwelling in a sky-tent. Her white bridal veil spreads round her. And if you look up at the Milky Way, you will see Linda in her bridal robes. There she is, showing the way to little birds who wander.

Linda is happy! In winter she gazes towards the North. She waves her hand at the Northern Lights flashing nearer and nearer, then he again asks her to be his bride.

But though he flashes very close to Linda, heart to heart, he cannot carry her off. She must stay forever in the sky, robed in white, and must spread out her veil to make the Milky Way.

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From WONDER TALES FROM BALTIC WIZARDS

ISBN: 978-1-907256-58-5

URL: http://www.abelapublishing.com/cg_wtbw.html