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Read Ebook: Legends from River & Mountain by Strettell Alma Sylva Carmen Robinson T H Thomas Heath Illustrator
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Ebook has 927 lines and 78645 words, and 19 pages
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THE JIPI 3
THE SERPENT ISLE 21
V?RFUL CU DOR 39
FURNICA 57
THE CARAIMAN 71
THE STAGS' VALLEY 83
THE WITCH'S STRONGHOLD 103
PIATRA ARSA 123
R?UL DOAMNEI 133
THE CAVE OF JALOMITZA 141
THE FLYING CASTLE 165
THE SILVER NAIL 179
A DOUBTING LOVER 197
A LEGEND OF WALPURGIS-NIGHT 205
SEEKERS AFTER GOLD 217
THE MAIDEN'S ROCK 241
THE WATER-SNAKE 253
THE LITTLE GLASS-MAN. PART I 271
THE LITTLE GLASS-MAN. PART II 302
THE JIPI
There is in Roumania a group of mountains named the Bucegi-group. Among these the two peaks of Jipi tower aloft, close together, as though gazing defiantly at one another, and between them the Urlatoare, or "roaring stream," dashes down, a cloud-like waterfall, into the valley below, and storms onward over every barrier towards the town of Prahova.
They say that long, long ago the Jipi were twin-brothers, who loved each other so well that one could not live without the other, or eat a mouthful of bread the other did not share; nay, more--that when one was asked a question, the other answered it, and that when one did himself some hurt, the other wept and would not be comforted. They were as fair as morning and evening, as slender and straight as lances, as swift as arrows, as strong as young bears. The mother who had borne them looked upon them with pride and joy, and would say, as she stroked their curly heads, "Andrei and Mirea, my beautiful sons, may your fame become so great that even the stones shall discourse of it."
They were of noble blood, and dwelt in a castle upon a lofty crag, where they lorded it as though the whole world belonged to them. They often jestingly declared that they should have to wed one wife only between them, since they were sure never to find two quite alike, and that the best plan would be for them never to wed at all. But of this their mother would not hear, for she longed to cradle her sons' sons upon her knee and sing them lullabies.
She would often sing the ancient lays of their country to her boys, of an evening, while she sat spinning and the noble lads hung fondly about her. Andrei would kneel at her feet, while Mirea leant upon the arm of her chair, and drew in the sweet scent of the heavy, dark braids that shone lustrous through her delicate white veil.
"Our mother is still quite a young woman," said Andrei.
"Yes, indeed," cried Mirea; "she has not yet a single grey hair."
"Nor a wrinkle," rejoined Andrei.
"We shall find no wife worth our mother," continued Mirea, kissing the veil upon her head.
"Thou dost cast them all into the shade," laughed Andrei, and kissed the fingers that were spinning such wondrous fine threads.
"Our father was a happy man," cried the one. "And we are lucky children," rejoined the other. Then the mother would smile at the tender dialogue, and tell them tales of their grandmother, and of the rough times she lived in--of her stern father and yet sterner husband.
The meals that the three partook of together were as merry as though the house had been full of company; and, indeed, when guests were really present they grew graver, as beseemed the dignity of their house. They were the most kindly of hosts, and spent many a night upon the bare ground, that their soft couch might be given up to some stranger guest. All who entered there felt at ease in that happy home, wherein love made its dwelling.
One day the two brothers were out hunting a bear that had been making sore havoc in the district. They climbed up the steepest of their cliffs to find him, and got at last upon his track, as a loud growling and a shower of dislodged stones betokened. At the very moment, however, that Mirea was about to cast his spear, another flew out of the underbrush hard by and smote the beast in the vitals. A peal of silvery laughter followed the stroke. Then the bear, growling with rage, rose upon his hinder feet and made for the patch of undergrowth. Andrei perceived the danger in which the bold huntsman stood, and while Mirea called out indignantly, "Let him end the chase he has begun!" his brother exclaimed, "Canst thou not hear?--it is a boy's voice!" and casting himself before the bear, which towered high above him, he plunged his knife up to the hilt in its shoulder. The brute clawed the air for a moment and then fell dead. "Oh, what a pity!" cried a clear voice, and from the bushes there stepped forth a wondrously fair maiden, clad in short garments and sandals, and having a white fur cap set upon her wild and abundant brown locks. Her eyes shone beneath dark, highly arched brows; they were green eyes, yet with a glint of gold in them. From her shoulders hung a mantle of snow-white, silky goatskin; like Andrei, she held in her hand a broad hunting-knife, with which she had unflinchingly awaited the onslaught of the bear. "What a pity," she cried again, "now it is not I that have slain him!" and her eyes filled with tears. Andrei stood quite shame-faced, gazing at the bear, as though he would gladly, to please the lovely maiden, have restored him to life again. To conceal her ill-humour, she thoughtlessly thrust at the brute with her foot--when, behold! he turned in the death-throe and clawed at her once again. But on the instant she was caught back by Mirea, who set her on her feet with the reproving words, "Foolish child!" She gazed upwards in astonishment, for the voice was that of the young man before her--and the face, too, was bewildering in its likeness to his. Open-mouthed, like a child indeed, she looked from one to the other till all three broke out into a storm of laughter.
"You are double!" cried the girl, "like two hazel-nuts in one shell."
"And two nuts out of one shell we are," replied Andrei. "But who art thou, little wood-fairy? Perchance some witch in disguise, who will work our undoing."
"Who can say?" answered the maiden. "Perhaps I am a witch--grandfather often says so; and, indeed, I have only been with him a week yet, and he has had no more of his old pain since I came."
"We would straightway treat thee as an evil witch, then," said Mirea, "and carry thee a prisoner to our castle, for having hunted upon our hills without leave."
"We have a cruel mother, too, at our castle," added Andrei.
"Good," cried the maiden. "Her I must see. I am your prisoner!"
She called her attendant huntsman, gave him messages to her grandfather, and bade him bring horses to fetch her home; then she followed the brothers with a light step by the giddiest and steepest paths to the castle.
The lads' mother, Dame Roxana, stood looking from the castle windows, and wondering what strange shepherd-boy her sons were bringing home with them. The dead bear was carried behind them, slung upon green boughs. As they drew near the castle Dame Roxana exclaimed in alarm, "It is a girl they have with them. Where can they have found her?"
The next moment the sound of youthful voices and footsteps re-echoed through courtyard and hall. "Mother," cried Mirea, "here we bring thee a prisoner, a hunter who has spoilt our chase! What shall be his punishment?"
Dame Roxana gazed at the young girl in great anxiety. She would fain have sent her away again as quickly as possible; but the vision was so entrancing a one that she could not restrain a kindly smile, and stretched out her hand, which the maiden respectfully kissed. "I think," said Dame Roxana, "that the worst punishment would be to make this merry child spend a few hours in spinning with an old woman like me!"
"Nay, nay," the girl replied; "I can spin as lightly as any fairy. The spear has not made my hand heavy. And as for old folks--why, I spend all my time alone with grandfather, who sits in his chair all day, and falls asleep whenever I would tell him aught."
She was about to lay aside her mantle as she spoke, but Andrei stepped forward and took it from her, while his mother herself lifted the fur cap from her brow and stroked back the damp curly hair. With abundant locks falling about her like a lion's mane, she seemed fairer than ever, and mother and sons gazed at her in delight.
"What is thy name, dear child?" asked Dame Roxana.
"Urlanda. Is it not an ugly name? They would have called me Rolanda, but it turned into Urlanda, because I was always so wild and untutored. My grandfather dwells on the other side of the mountain. Oh! I have come far to-day."
"Then thou wilt be all the gladder of the meal that awaits us."
They led her into the dining-hall, sumptuously decked with Eastern carpets and hangings and massive silver-ware. Here the talk flowed merrily on. Wondrous tales were told of the chase and of adventures with savage bears; but Rolanda would never suffer herself to be outdone, and would cap each tale with one more amazing yet, told in tones as earnest as though she were swearing an oath upon it.
The merriment was heightened by her constant mistaking of one brother for the other, and when Andrei gave himself out as having saved her life, Mirea would eagerly affirm that it was he who had warded off the bear's last embrace.
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