HANDSOME PAUL

|HERE

^{was once, over seven times seven} countries, a poor

woman who had

a

son,

and

he decided to

go

^{into service.}

So

he said to his mother,

"Mother,

^fill

my bag and

^let

me _go

out to work, for thatwill

do me _{more good}

than staying here

and

_wasting

my

^time."

^The

^lad's

^{name was}

^{Paul. His}

^mother

^filled

his

bag

^{for him,}

and he

started off.

As

it

became

_{dark he} reached a

wood, and

ⁱⁿ the distance he _saw, as it

were, a spark

glimmering amongst

^{the trees, so he}

made

his

way

^{in that}

direction thinking ^that he

might

^find

some

one _there,

and

that he

would

beable to get a _night's lodging.

So

he walked

and walked

^for a long time, and- the nearer

he came

the _largerthe lightbecame.

By midnight

^{he reached the} place

where

thefire was,

and

^lo! there

was

a great ugly giant sleeping

by

^thefire.

" Good

_evening,

my

father," ^said Paul. "

God

hasbroughtyou,

my

son," replied the giant;

"

you may

^thinkyourselflucky^that

you

^called

me

father, for ^if

you had

^not

done

so I

would

have swallowed

you

^whole.

And now what

^is _yourerrand^?"

" _I

started from

home,"

^said Paul, "

to find work,

and good

fortune brought

me

this way.

My

father, permit

me

to

sleep to-night

by

yourfire, for I

am

alone

and

don't

know my way."

u

With

_pleasure,

my

^{son," said the giant.}

^So

^{Paul sat}

^down

and had

his supper,

and

then they both fell asleep.

Next

morning

the giant asked

him where

he intended to go ^{in search} ofwork.

"If

^I could," replied Paul,

"I

should like toenter the king's^{service, for I} have heard he pays ^{his servants}justly."

26 MAGYAR

FOLK-TALES.

"

_Alas

!

my

^{son," said the} giant,

"

_the

king ^{lives far}

away

^from

here.

Your

_provisions

would

failtwice before

you

^{reached there,} but

we

can

manage

^{the matter if}

you

^{will sit}

on my

^shoulder

and

catch hold of the hair

on

the back of

my

^{head." Paul}

took his seat

on

the

giant's shoulders.

" Shut

_your

eyes," ^said the giant,

"

because ^if

you

^don't

you

^{will turn} giddy." Paul shuthis eyes,

and

_{the giant} started _off, steppingfrom

mountain

tomountain,^tillnoon,

when he

_stopped

and

said to Paul,

"Open

youreyes

now and

tell

me _{what you}

can see.'⁵

Paul looked around ^{as far as}

he

could_see,

and

_said, ^"I see at

an

infinite distance something ^white,as big^{as a star.}

What

is it,

my

father?"

"That

is the king'scitadel," said the _giant,

and

then they^sat

down and had

dinner.

The

_giant's

_{bag was} made

ofninebuffalo's skins,

and

in it

were

ten loaves (each^loaf being

made

of four bushels ofwheat),

and

tenlarge ^{bottles full} of

good Hungarian

^wine.

The

_giant

consumed two

bottles of

wine and two

loavesfor his dinner,

and

_gave

Paul what

he needed. Aftera short

nap

the gianttook Paul

upon

^his shoulders, bade

him

shut his eyes,

and

started offagain, stepping from

mountain

to

moun-tain.

At

three o'clock

he

said to Paul, "

Open

youreyes,

and

tell

me _{what you}

cansee." "

Ican see the white _shining thing

still," said Paul, "but

now

it looks like a building."

"

Well, then, shut your eyes again/'^said the

giant,

and

he

walked

for anotherhour,

and

then_again asked Paul tolook. Paul

now saw

a splendid glittering ^fortress, sucha one as

he had

never seen before, not even in his dreams. "

In another quarter-of-an-hour

we

shallbe_there/' said the

giant. Paul shuthis eyes again,

and

infifteenminutes they

were

^there;

and

_{the giant put}

him down

in frontof the gate of the king's palace, saying, "

W^ell,

now,

^I

will leave

you

^{here, for I}

have

a

pressing engagement,

and must

get back,but whatsoeverservicethey^{offer to}you,^{take it,}behave well,

and

the

Lord keep

you." Paul thanked

him

for his kind-ness

and

his good-will,

and

the giant ^left.

As Paul was

a fine

handsome

fellow

he was engaged

^{at once, forthe firstthree}

HANDSOME

PAUL. 27

months

to tend the turkeys, ^as there

was no

other vacancy, but even during ^this time he

was employed

^{on other}

work

^: and he

behaved

_{so well,} that at the

end

of the time he

was

_promotedto wait at the king's ^table.

When

he was dressed in his

new

suit

he lookedlike a splendid ^flower.

The

_king

had

threedaughters^; the youngest

was more

beautiful than the _rose or the _lily,and this

young

lady ^{fell in love} with _Paul,

which

_{Paul very} soon noticed;

and

_day

by day

^his courage grew,

and

he approached her

more and

_more, till they got very fond^ofeach other.

The _queen

with her _serpent'seye soon discovered the state of

affairs,

and

toldthe king ^ofit.

"

It's allright," ^saidthe king, "

Pll soon settle the wretched fellow; only leave ^itto me,

my

^wife."

Poor

_Paul,

what

awaits thee ?

The

_{king then}sentfor Paul

and

_said, ^"

Look

_here,

you

good-for-nothing, I cansee

you

^{are a smart fellow!}

Now

listen to

me

^{: I order}

_you

tocut

down

_during the night the

whole wood

thatis in front of

my window,

^{to cart it}

home,

chop ^itup,

and

stack it in proper ^orderin

my

courtyard^{; if}

you

^{don't I shall} have your head

chopped

^{off in the} morning." Paul was so frightened

when

he heard this that

he

turned white

and

_said,

"

Oh, my

king!

no man

could do this."

u What!"

said the king,

"you

good-for-nothing,

you

^{dare to contradict}

me? _go

to prison ^at once^!"

Paul

was

at once taken away, and ^the king repeated ^his

commands,

saying that unless they were obeyed Paul should lose his head.

Poor

Paul

was

_{very sad,}

and wept

^{like a} baby; but ^the youngest princess stepped ^into hisprison through ^{a secret}trap-door,

and

consoled him, _giving

him

a copper whip,

and

_telling

him

to

go and

^{stand outside the} gate on the top of the ^hill,

and

crack it three times,

when

all the devils

would

_appear.

He was

then togive his orders,

which

the devils

would

_carry out.

Paul

went

off through ^the trap, and the princess remained in prison^till Paul returned; he

went

_out, stood on the_hill, and

28

MAGYAR

FOLK-TALES.

cracked his

whip

^{well thrice,}

and

^{lo! the devils}

came

_running

to

him from

^all _{sides, crying,} ^"

What

^are _your

commands handsome Paul?" "I

order you," replied Paul,

"by

to-morrow _morning

to

have

all that large^forestcut

down,

chopped,

and

stacked inthe king's courtyard; "

with this

he went back

to prison

and

_spent a little time with the princess before she

went

_away.

The

devils enteredthe

wood, and began

^to

hew

the trees

down;

^there

was

_{a roaring,} clattering,

and

_cracking noise as the big^trees were dragged

by

^root

and crown

into the king'syard^; they

were chopped up and

^stacked;

and

the _devils, having ^{finished the task,} ran back to hell.

By

^{one o'clock all}

was done.

In the

morning

^{the first} thing ^the king ^did

was

^to look through ^the

window

in the direction of the

wood; he

^{could not}

seeanything but^{bare land,} and

when he

looked into the court-yard

he saw

there all the

wood chopped and

^stacked.

He

then called Paul from _prison

and

_said, ^"_Well, ^Ican see that

you know

_something,

my

^lad,

^and

^I

^now

^order

you

^to plough

up

to-night the place

where

the

wood

used _{to be,}

and sow

it with millet.

The

millet

must

_{grow, ripen,} be _reaped, threshed,

and ground

^{into flour}

by

^the morning,

and

of it

you must make me

a large millet cake, ^else

you

^lose

your

^head."

Paul

was

then sent

back

to prison,

more

miserable than _ever, for

how

could he do such an unheard-of thing ^{as that?} His sweetheart

came

_{in again through} the trap-door

and

found

him weeping

^bitterly.

When

she heard the cause of his griefshe said, u

Oh, ^don't

worry

yourself, dear; here is agolden whip,

go and

^{crack itthreetimes}

on

the

hill-top,

and

^allthe devils will

come

that

came

lastnight; crack itagain three times

and

allthe femaledevils will arrive; crack itanotherthree times

and

even the

lame

ones will appear,

and

those enceinte

come

_creeping

forth. Tell

them what you want and

they^will do it."

Paul went

out

and

stood

on

the_hill-top, and cracked his

whip

three

good

^cracks,

and

then three more, and ^three more, such

HANDSOME

PAUL.

29

In document IS IS (Pldal 101-105)