Ukrainian folktale. The labourer obeyed, and for their master because the Serpent had told him.
Their fellow-servants did all they might in order to make him come with them, and from now on and then enticed him to the tavern, nonetheless they could never get him to remain here long, in which he constantly wandered away by himself through the forests. 1 day he went strolling about into what is waplog the woodland as always, definately not any town in addition to haunts of males, as he discovered a big Serpent, which wriggled right up to him and stated, “I ’m going to eat thee at that moment! ” But the labourer, who was simply familiar with the loneliness associated with woodland, responded, “Very well, consume personally me personally if thou hast a brain to! ”––Then the Serpent stated, “Nay! We will not consume thee; only do the things I tell thee! ” Therefore the Serpent started initially to tell the guy exactly just what he previously to accomplish. “Turn home, ” it said, “and thou wilt find thy master annoyed because thou hast tarried so long, and there clearly was none be effective for him, to make certain that their corn needs to stay standing within the industry. He then will be sending thee to bring his sheaves in, and I’ll help thee. Load the wagon well, but don’t take quite most of the sheaves through the industry. Keep one small sheaf behind; a lot more than that thou needst not keep, but that thou must leave. Then beg master that is thy let thee have this small sheaf by means of wages. Just just Take no cash from him, but any particular one sheaf that is little. Then, whenever thy master has given thee this sheaf, burn it, and a reasonable woman will leap from the jawhorse; just take her to wife! ”
He sought out into the industry to carry house their master’s corn, and marvellously he handled it. He did all of the holding himself, and loaded the wagon therefore greatly so it creaked beneath its burden. Then as he had brought house all their master’s corn, he begged which he could have the rest of the small sheaf for himself. He refused become rewarded for his smart labour, he would just simply take no money; he desired absolutely absolutely nothing for himself, he stated, nevertheless the little sheaf he’d kept on the go. So their master allow him have the sheaf. He then sought out him, and immediately a lovely lady leapt out of it by himself into the field, burnt the sheaf, just as the Serpent had told. The labourer forthwith took and married her; and today he started to consider place to construct him a hut upon. Their master offered him a location where he could build their hut, along with his spouse aided him plenty because of the building from it so it appeared to him just as if he himself never laid a hand to it. Their hut was raised as quick as thought, and it included precisely what they desired. The person could maybe perhaps not comprehend it; he could just walk about and wonder at it. Wherever he looked there is everything quite spick and span and ready for usage: none when you look at the village that is whole a better household than he.
Therefore he might have resided in every peace and prosperity into the end of their times had not their desires outstripped their deserts. He previously three industries of standing corn, so when he arrived house one time their labourers thought to him, “Thy corn isn’t collected in yet, though it really is standing all ripe on its stalks. ” Now the growing season had been getting on, and for the labour and care of their wife, the corn ended up being still standing into the field. “Why, what’s the meaning with this? ” thought he. Then inside the anger he cried, it is“ I see how. When a serpent, constantly a serpent! ” He had been quite beside himself all of the real way house, and ended up being very wrath with his spouse due to the corn.
He went straight to his chamber to lie down on his pillow when he got home. There clearly was no indication of their wife, but a huge serpent was just coiling it self round and round and settling straight down in the middle of the pillow. He then called to mind exactly how, when, their wife had thought to him, “Beware, for Heaven’s benefit, of ever calling me personally a serpent. I shall perhaps perhaps not suffer thee to phone me personally by that title, if thou dost thou shalt lose thy spouse. ” He called this to mind now, nonetheless it had been far too late; exactly exactly what he had stated could never be unsaid. Then he reflected what an excellent wife he’d had, and exactly how she by by herself had wanted him away, and exactly how she had waited him boundless good, and yet he had not been able to refrain his tongue, so that now, maybe, he would be without a wife for the rest of his days upon him continually and done. His heart grew heavy he thought of all this, and he wept bitterly at the harm he had done to himself within him as. Then a Serpent believed to him, “Weep no further. What’s become, should be. Is it thy standing corn thou art grieved about? Go as much as thy barn, and there thou wilt find all thy corn lying, towards the really final small grain. Have actually we not brought all of it true house and threshed it for thee, and set everything in order? And today i have to leave towards the accepted spot where thou didst first find me personally. ” Then she crept down, plus the man accompanied her, weeping and mourning most of the right time in terms of one already dead. She stopped and coiled herself round and round beneath a hazel-nut bush when they reached the forest. Then she thought to the guy, “Now kiss me when, but make sure as if I knew everything that was going on in the world! ”––Then she thought to him once again, “Kiss me an extra time! ”––“And just what dost thou feel now? ” she asked as he had kissed her once again. ––“Now, ” said he, “I comprehend all languages that are spoken among men. ”––Then that I do maybe not bite thee! ”––Then he kissed her when, and she wound by herself round a branch of the tree and asked him, “What dost thou feel within thee? ”––He answered, “At the minute once I kissed thee it appeared to me she thought to him, “And now kiss me personally a 3rd time, but this will be the past time. ” He then kissed the Serpent for the time that is last and she believed to him, “What dost thou feel now? ”––“Now, ” said he, “I understand all that is being conducted under the planet earth. ”––“Go now, ” said she, “to the Tsar, and he shall give thee his daughter for the information thou hast. But pray to God for bad me, for the time being i have to be and remain a serpent for good. ” Along with that the Serpent uncoiled by by herself and disappeared among the bushes, however the guy went away and wedded the Tsar’s child.
Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales. Notes: Contains 27 Ukrainian folktales.
Author: Different Translator: R. Nisbet Bain Published: Unknown Publisher: George G. Harrap & Co.