KNIGHT ROSE

54

MAGYAR

FOLK-TALES.

and we

will live together there."

The

old

man,

^{in orderto} prove the miraculous curing

power

of the spring, dipped ^his

maimed

finger ^intoit,

which was

shot offin thelast war; ^as he took it out, lo^{! it}

was

^all_right once more.

When

^the

war was

_over, Kindness's

husband

returned

home and

_inquired after his wife.

They

^told

him

all that

had

happened,

and he was

_{deeplygrieved,}

and went

insearch ofher with_{a great}

number

ofhis people,and they found her^{at last}with her

two

pretty babes, living with herold father.

On

_inquiry it

was

also found out

where

the messenger with ^{the letters}

had

slept

and how

theletters were changed. Pride

and

Gentleness

were summoned and

sentenced ^to death; but Kindness _forgave

them

all their misdeeds,

and was

so kind to

them

that she obtained their pardon,

and

also persuaded her ^{father to} forgive them.

There

^is

no more

of this speech ^to

which you

^need listen, as Ihave told it to the very

end and

^I

have

notmisseda

word

out ofit.

Those

of

whom

I

have

_spoken

may

they be

your

guests, every one ^ofthem,

to-morrow

!

KNIGHT

ROSE.

55

mountain, ^at the top of a ^tall tree, they

would

fix a longpole,

and on

it a white handkerchief.

They

^{were to} keep ^{well in} sight of this white _flag,

and whenever

the handkerchief

was

seenfullof blood the one

who saw

it

was

^to start insearch of hisbrothers, ^as one of

them was

in danger.

The name

of the youngest

was Eose

;

he

started off to the _left, the other

two went

tothe _right.

When Rose came

to the seventh snow-capped

mount and had

_got far into it he

saw

a beautiful castle

and went

in.

As he was

tiredwith _travelling

and wanted

a _night's rest,

he

settled

down. When

even

came

the

gates of the ^castle opened with great ^noise,

and

seven

immense

_giants rushedinto the courtyard

and

from thence into the tower.

Every

^{one of}

them was

as big^{as atall tower. Rose, in his} fright, creptunder the bed; but the

moment

the

giants entered one of

them

_said,

"Phuh! What

an

Adam-like

smell thereishere !"

Looking

about they caughtRose, cut

him _up

into small pieces ^like the stalkof a cabbage

and

threw

him

outof the

window.

In the

morning

the giants

went

out again

on

their business.

From

a

bush

there

came

forth a snake,

which had

the

head

of a prettygirl; shegathered

up

every morsel^{of Rose's}body, arranged

them

in order,

and

_said,

"

_This

belongs^here,that belongsthere."

She

then anointed

him

with _grass that

had

_{healing power,}

and

brought water ^{of life}

and

death from a spring that

was

notfar off

and

_sprinkled it over him.

Rose

_suddenly

jumped up

^{on his}

feet

and was

seven times

more

beautiful

and

_strong than before.

At

this

moment

the _girl cast off the snake-skin as far as the arm-pits.

As

Rose

was now

so strong he

became

braver,

and

in the evening ^did not _creep under the bed, but waited ^{for the} giants

coming home,

^{at the}gate.

They

^{arrived and sent their}

servants in advancetocut

up

^{that wretched heir of}

Adam

; but they could not

manage

^{him, it took} the giants themselves^to cut

him

_up.

Next morning

^the serpent with the_girl's head

came

again

and

brought Rose ^{to life}as before,

and

sheherself cast off her skin as faras herwaist.

Rose was now

twice asstrong ^asa

56 MAGYAR

FOLK-TALES.

single giant.

The same

_evening the seven _giants killed

him

again,he himself having ^killed the servants

and wounded

several of the _giants.

Next morning

^the giants

were

_obliged to

go

without their servants.

Then

the serpent

came and

restored

Kose

once more,

who was now

_stronger than all the seven _giantsput together,

and was

so beautiful that

though you

^{could look at the} sun

you

^{could not look at him.}

The

_girl

now

cast off the serpent's skin altogether

and became

a

most

beautiful creature.

They

^{toldeach otherthe} story of theirlives.

The

_girlsaid that she

was

^ofroyal blood,

and

that the

giants

had

killed herfather

and

seized his land, that the castlebelonged ^to her _father,

and

that the giants

went

_{out every}

day

^toplunder ^thepeople.

She

herself

had become

a snake

by

^{the aid of a}

good

^old

quack

nurse,

and had made

a

vow

that she

would

remain a serpent untilshe

had

been

avenged on

the _giants,

and

she

knew now

thatalthough^she

had

cast off the snake's skin she

had

_nothing

to fearbecause

Kose was

a

match

for the seven _giants. a

Now,

Kose," ^said she,

u

destroy

them

_everyone,

and

Iwill not be ungrateful."

To which he

replied,

"Dearest _one,

you

^have restored

me

to life these three times

how

could Ihelp being grateful^to

you

^?

My

^life

^and my

^allare yours^!

"

They

^{took an} oath to be true to each other till death,

and

_{spent the}

day

merrily ^till evening ^{set in,}

when

^the _{giants came,}

and Kose

addressed

them

thus:

"

Is it not _true,

you

pack of scoundrels, that

you

^havekilled

me

threetimes?

Now,

^Itell

you

^{that not} one of

you

^shall put ^{his foot} within these gates^!

Don't you

believe

me

^{? Let's}_fight^!"

_They

_charged

_upon him

with_great fury,but victory was,^this time, on _{his side;} he killed

them

one after the other

and

took the keys ^{of the castle} out of their pockets.

He

then searchedover every

nook

in the building,

and came

to the conclusion that they

were

_safe, ^as _they had

now

possessionof thecastle.

The

_{night passed quietly;} next

morning Rose

^{looked from} the courtyard ^{to the} top of the snow-covered mountain, ^{in the}

KNIGHT

ROSE. 57 direction of the white _flag,

and saw

that it

was

_{quite bloody.}

He was

exceedinglysorry,

and

said to his love, "_I

must

_go in search of

my ^two

^{elder brothers, as}

^some

mischief has befallen

them

_; wait till I return, because if I find

them

I shall

certainly be back."

He

then got ready, took his sword,

bow and

_arrow,

some

healing-grass,

and

water oflife

and

death with him,

and went

to the veryplace

where

_they

had

_separated.

On

the

way

^heshot

a hare,

and when

he

came

to the place of separationhe went on the

same

_{road by}

which

his elder brothers

had gone

^{; he found} there a small hut

and

a treebeside it_; he _stoppedin front of the tree,

and saw

thathis brothers*

two

dogs were chained ^to it; he loosedthem, lighted afire,

and began

^{to roast the hare.}

As

he roastedithe heard a voiceas if

some

one were _shouting fromthe tree ina shivering voice;

u

Oh,

how

coldI

am

^!" it said. "

If you'recold,"replied Kose,

"

get

down

and

warm

yourself."

"

Yes,"

saidthe _voice, "

but I'm afraid of the dogs." "Don't be afraid as they won't hurt an honest person." " _I

believe you,'

5said the voicein the _tree,

u

_but

still I

want you

^{tothrowthis hairbetween}

In document IS IS (Pldal 130-133)