Chapter XIX

And so they lived together in the valley, although the little cabin was rather too small for them. But Relya had strong hands, and he built them a little house of stone. Their lives were uneventful, but there was a blessing upon them. Primrose tended the ewes and lambs, Lavender looked after the house and garden, the princess span and sewed, and Relya worked in the fields.

The people of the village got to know the wisdom of the princess and Relya’s strength. Presently they remarked how well the Golden Girdle became the princess, and, although none of them had ever seen the princess before, they said:

“She must be our noble princess.” And so they gave Relya and the princess a great piece of land in the valley, and begged Relya to be their leader in all things and the princess to be their counsellor.

God’s blessing was with Relya’s strength and the princess’s wisdom. Their fields and meadows increased; other villages joined them; gardens and cottages sprang up in the villages.

Meantime the fine lords in the castle went on drinking and feasting as before. Now this had gone on far too long, and although the vaults and cellars of the castle had been the richest in seven kingdoms, yet after so many years of waste there began to be a lack of precious stones.

First of all the gems gave out in the treasure vaults, and then the mother-o’-pearl in the passages. Yet a little while, and there was no more bread for the servants, who had grown lazy. At last there was not even meat for the bloodhounds and guards. The faithless servants rebelled, the hounds ran away, and the guards left their posts.

But all this did not trouble the fine lords, because they had dulled their wits with drinking and feasting. But one fine day the wine gave out. _Then_ they decided to hold a council! They met in the great hall and debated upon where they should get wine, because round about the castle all was desolate: the inhabitants had left, and the vines had run wild in the vineyards.

So the fine lords debated. But their vengeful and rebellious servants had cut through the rafters of the great hall, and when the lords were in the midst of their conference the roof fell in upon them. They were buried under the ruins of the great tower of the castle and all of them killed.

When the servants heard the tower crashing and falling, they too deserted the castle.

And so the castle was left without hounds, servants, or fine lords, ruinous and deserted, and dead.

Soon the news of this spread through the land, but not a soul troubled to go and see what had happened in the dead castle. From all sides they flocked together and went to the foot of Mount Kitesh to beg Relya to be their prince, because they had heard of his strength and courage and of the wisdom of the noble princess. Wherefore the people promised with their own hands to build them a new castle, all fair and stately.

Relya accepted the people’s offer, because he rightly judged that God had given him such great strength and courage, and had delivered him from his hot and cruel temper, so that he might be of use to his country.

So Relya became a prince; and the princess, who was getting old by now, yet lived to see great happiness in her old age. And when the princess and Relya, with Lavender and Primrose, entered their new and stately castle for the first time, the village children scattered evergreens and sweet basil on their path, men and woman pressed round the princess, seized the hem of her robe and kissed it.

But the princess, radiant with joy, remembered that but for the loyalty of Lavender and Primrose none of this would ever have come to pass. She clasped the children to her breast and said:

“Happy the land whose treasure is not guarded by mighty armies or strong cities, but by the mothers and children in shepherds’ cots. Such a land will never perish!”

* * * * *

Later on Prince Relya married Lavender, and never in the world was there a princess sweeter and more lovely than Princess Lavender.

Primrose grew up into a brave and handsome youth. He rode a fiery dapple grey, and he would often ride over Mount Kitesh, upon whose summit men were building a new chapel by the Holy Lake.

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Notes

Interpretation of Names, Etc.

THE original names in these Fairy Tales are either taken from Slav folk-lore or chosen or composed so as to convey a suitable meaning. In the English text the translator has therefore tried to render the significance of the original names in English in preference to reproducing the Slav names in English spelling.

HOW QUEST SOUGHT THE TRUTH.

1. _Bjesomar_ (Rampogusto). The name given by the old Slavs in some regions to the ruler of evil and malignant forces. Analysed, the name might be translated as Cherish-goblin, one who cares for hobgoblindom.

2. _Svarožić_ (All-Rosy). The ancient Slavs pictured the sunshine in the form of a beautiful youth named _Svarožić_, All-rose.

The names of the grandfather and his three grandsons—Witting, Bluster, Careful and Quest—are as near as possible equivalents of the original names _Vjest_, _Ljutiša_, _Marun_ and _Potjeh_.

FISHERMAN PLUNK AND HIS WIFE.

1. _Zora-djevojka_ (the Dawn-Maiden). To this day many old folk-tales of the Slavs tell of the Dawn-Maiden who sails the sea in the early morning in her boat of gold with a silver paddle and dwells in the Island of _Bujan_.

2. _The Sea King._ Slovenes and Slovaks alike tell of a mighty and wealthy Sea King who reigns in the depths of the sea.

3. _The Island of Bujan_ (the Isle Bountiful). This is a wonderful island, so named for its abundance and fruitfulness and luxuriant vegetation. It was the ancient Slav’s conception of Paradise. To this day the Russians mention it in refrains and spells against sickness, for a plentiful harvest, etc.

4. _The Stone Alatir_ (Gold-a-Fire). Is mentioned in ancient Slav tales as “the white burning stone on Bujan,” and may perhaps be taken to stand for the sun.

5. _Sea Maidens_ (Mermaids). In Slovene and Croatian folk-tales, as with us, this term is applied to fabulous sea creatures, which are beautiful women to the waist, and from the waist downward shaped like a forked fish tail.

6. _The dumb speech._ The Jugoslavs popularly believe that animals converse with each other in a special “language,” and that certain human beings can “speak” and understand this “language.”

7. _The Monstrous Snake_, the _Bird with the Iron Beak_, the _Golden Bee_. Three monsters which, according to folk-tales, stir up the waves, raise tempests, and provoke thunderstorms round the Isle of Bujan, whence the storms spread throughout the world.

_Palunko_ (Plunk) has no special significance, but the sound suggests a doleful, feckless sort of person.

_Winpeace_ is a translation of Vlatko.

REYGOCH.

1. _Legen_ (_Ledjan_) (Frosten city). An ancient marvellous city which is mentioned in Croatian folk-songs and tradition. _Leden_ means _frozen_, _icy_.

2. _Regoč_, _Regoc_ (Reygoch). A huge simple giant of fairy kin. He is mentioned by the poet _Gjorgjić_, of Dubrovnik (Ragusa), in his _Marunko_.

The name _Kosjenka_ is derived from _kose_ (hair), and indicates the little fairy’s flowing tresses.

Apart from being a simple fairy-tale, this story contains an allegorical element. _Reygoch_, the benevolent, simple-minded giant, is a character from _Marunko_, by the poet Gjorgjić, of Dubrovnik. The city of _Legen_, or _Ledjan_ (which, to all intents and purposes, means “frozen”), is to be found in Croatian folk-tales and ballads.

BRIDESMAN SUN AND BRIDE BRIDEKINS.

1. _Mokoš_ (Muggish). A mighty force which, according to the beliefs of the ancient Slavs, ruled the earth, and especially in marshlands. She is mentioned in connection with the heavenly thunder god. _Perun_.

2. _Kolede_ (translated by _Yuletide_) A winter festival celebrated at the end of December in honour of the sun, whose power once more begins to increase in those days.

3. _Krijes_ (translated by _Beltane_). A festival in honour of the summer sun at the time of his greatest strength.

4. _Omaja_, _omaha_. Water which is flung from the mill-wheel. To this day peasants bathe children in this water so that evil may be turned away from them.

A _Ban_ is a Warden of the Marches.

_Neva_ means _bride_. _Nevičica_ is the diminutive of _Neva_.

STRIBOR’S FOREST.

1. _Domaći_ (“home sprites,” from _dom_, house, home), Brownies. In all Slav nations this is the name given to the little domestic sprites which haunt the hearth. They are sometimes harmful and sometimes beneficent.

2. _Malik Tintilinić_ (Wee Tintilinkie). Old popular name for one of the most lively of these _domaći_.

LITTLE BROTHER PRIMROSE AND SISTER LAVENDER.

1. _Kitež_ (Mount Kitesh). The Russian author Merežkovski mentions the mysterious Kitež region, an uninhabited forest, and the Lake Svetlojar (which latter name might very well be transliterated by the _Holy Lake_), which used to be inhabited by all sorts of monsters.

2. _Vile Zatočnice_ (Votaress Fairies). The term _Votaress snakes_ (_zmije zatočnice_) is popularly applied to snakes which are supposed to have taken a vow in the autumn not to go to sleep for the winter without having killed somebody.

3 _Relya_ (_Hrelja_). A Croatian ballad makes mention of a certain Hrelja as a better and stronger hero than even Kraljević Mark.

The names _Rutvica_ and _Jaglenac_ have simply been translated into _Lavender_ and _Primrose_.

_Bukač_ is derived from _buka_, noise. Hence _Belleroo_.

_Medunkda_, from _medved_, a bear (Bruineen).

The term _božjak_ (applied to Relya), which suggests a powerful, poverty-stricken churl, the translator has sought to render by _rowfoot_ (a rough fellow).

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● Transcriber’s Notes:
○ Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected.
○ Typographical errors were silently corrected.
○ Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only
when a predominant form was found in this book.
○ Text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).