The Story of the Pig
Once upon a time there was an old man who had an old wife; the old man was 100 and his
wife 90. Both these old people had snow-white hair, and both were as gloomy as a rainy day
and all because they had no children. They kept on wishing they had even one child, for
all day and night they were as lonely as lonely, and their ears tingled with boredom. And
as well as all that, they were as poor as church mice. Their cottage was an old ramshackle
place, covered with ragged tarpaulin. Their beds were some boards covered with a blanket.
And that was all. For some time past, life had become even more unbearable, for not a
living soul ever came near them, as if they were ill of the plague, poor things!
One day, the old woman gave a loud sigh and said to the old man, "Dear me, old
man, dear me! Just think! In all our life no one has ever said to us, 'father' or
'mother.' There's no sense in going on living in this world, for I believe God will not
bless a house where there are no children."
"Well, old woman, what are we to do if it is God's will?"
"That's all very well, old man, but do you know what I was thinking last
night?"
"I will know, if you'll tell me, old woman."
"Tomorrow morning, as soon as it is daylight, get up and go out; just follow your
nose; and the very first thing which crosses your path - whether it is a person, or a
snake or an animal at all - you must pick it up, put it in your knapsack, and bring it
home. We will bring it up as best we can, and that will be our child."
The old man, sick of loneliness and longing for children, got up early next morning,
took his sack and his stick and did as the old woman told him. He set out and followed
some ravines until he came to a swamp. And what should he see there but a sow and twelve
little pigs wallowing in the mud and basking in the sun. As soon as the sow saw the old
man, she began to grunt and took to her heels, followed by the little pigs - all except
one who stuck in the mud - being scraggy, skinny, and sickly, and unable to follow the
others.
The old man seized it, thrust it in his bag, mud and all, and set off home.
"Thank goodness," he said, "that I have found something to console my
old woman! I am just wondering whether it was God or the Devil who put that thought in her
head last night."
And on arriving home he said, "Look, my old dear, what a treasure I brought you!
Good luck to him! A boy with beautiful eyes and long lashes and as pretty as a picture!
He's the very image of you!... Now, get him bathed and take care of him as only you know
how to take care of little boys, for, as you see, he's rather dirty, poor little
mite!"
"Old man, old man!" said the old woman, "you mustn't joke about him; for
isn't he one of God's creatures, just like ourselves, and perhaps even more innocent, poor
thing!"
Then, sprightly as a child, she got some soap and water and prepared to bath him, and
because she knew all about newborn pigs, she bathed him, rubbed him gently all over with
oil, twigged his nose and cast a spell on him, so as to frighten away the evil eye from
her treasure! Then she combed him and looked after him so well, that, at the end of a few
days, he became quite strong; and with bran and peelings, he began to recover and to grow
so that it was a joy to look at him. And the old woman was beside herself with the joy of
having such a fine boy, so comical, and podgy, and round as a melon. For everyone who said
he was ugly or cheeky, she always had the answer - that her boy was quite different form
all others! Only one thing still troubled the old woman: that he couldn't say
"mother" and "father."
One day the old man wanted to go to town to buy a few odds and ends.
"Old man, don't forget to bring some delicacy for the boy, for he must be longing
for something, the darling!"
"Very well, old woman." But to himself, he thought, "Deuce take him, for
I've had enough of your nagging about him. We haven't enough bread and salt for ourselves,
let along stuff him up with good things. If I did everything my old woman tells me, I
should go mad!"
At last the old man went to the town, bought what he had to buy and when he came home,
the old woman asked him, as she always did, "Well, old man, what did you hear in the
town?"
"What did I hear, old woman? Not very good news: The emperor wants to get his
daughter married."
"And you call that bad news, old man?"
"Now, be patient for a little, my dear, for that isn't all, and when I heard the
rest, my hair stood on end. When I tell you the whole story, I believe your flesh will
creep."
"But why, old man? Dear me!"
"Then this is why, old woman. Now listen: The emperor has sent his heralds through
the whole world to proclaim that the man who can build a golden bridge from his own house
to the royal palace - a bridge paved with precious stones and planted on both sides with
all kinds of trees with different kinds of birds singing in the branches, which are not to
be found anywhere else in the world - may have the hand of his daughter, and even more -
half of his kingdom. Whoever dares to come and ask for the hand of the princess, without
having succeeded in making the bridge as I described it to you, will have his head cut off
on the spot. Till now, a crowd of kings' and emperors' sons - dear know where they all
come from! - have arrived and not one has succeeded. And every single one has been
mercilessly beheaded by the emperor without any exception, till the people are weeping for
pity. Now, old woman, what have you to say? Is that good news? And what is more, the
emperor has fallen ill with worry."
"Woe, woe, old man, the emperor's ill health is our health! What you have told me
about the emperors' sons breaks my heart when I think of the sorrow and sadness of the
bereaved mothers! What a good thing our child can't speak, and that he won't be tempted by
such extravagance."
"A good thing, old woman, but what a good thing it would be to have a boy who
could build a bridge and win the emperor's daughter, for I know it would be the end of all
our wants, and what a blessing that would be!"
While the old couple were talking, the pig sat in his bed in a corner by the fire, his
snout in the air, his eyes fixed on them, listening to everything they said and only
puffing from time to time.
And as the old people chatted together, they suddenly heard a voice from the fireplace:
"Father and mother, I will do it."
The old woman fainted with joy; the old man, however, thinking it was the Devil, took
fright and, in great bewilderment stared into every corner of the hut to see where the
voice could have come from, but seeing no one, came to his senses.
But the young pig cried again, "Father, don't be afraid! It is I! Wake mother up
and go and tell the emperor that I will build the bridge."
Then the old man said hesitatingly, "But, will you be able to do it, my
darling?"
"Don't worry about that father, as long as you are with me. Just go and tell the
emperor the news!"
Then the old woman, recovering, kissed the boy and said to him, "Mother's darling,
don't run your head into danger. And you are going to leave us alone again, sad at heart
and without any support!"
"Don't worry at all, mummy, for you will see who I am."
Then the old man, finding nothing else to say, combed his beard nicely, took his stick,
left the house, and set out for the emperor's palace.
A sentry, seeing him hanging about, asked, "What do you want, old man?"
"I have to see the emperor about something. My son bets he can make the
bridge."
The sentry, knowing the command of the emperor, wasted no time in further talk, but led
the old man into the presence of the emperor.
On seeing the old man, the emperor asked, "What do you want, old man?"
"May you live long, illustrious and all-powerful emperor! My son, on hearing that
you have a daughter to be married, has sent me, on his behalf, to inform your majesty that
he can build the bridge."
"If he can build it, let him do so, old man; then my daughter and half my kingdom
will be his. But if he does not succeed, then ... perhaps he has heard what has happened
to others, more highly bred than he? If you undertake this, then go and bring your son to
me. If not, then begone and get rid of any foolish nonsense in your head."
The old man, on hearing these words right from the emperor's lips, bowed down to the
ground, then left and set off towards his hut to bring his son. When he arrived home, he
told his son what the emperor had said.
Then the pig, bursting with happiness, began to skip about the cottage, dived under the
bed, upset several pieces of crockery with his snout and said, "Come on, daddy, let
us go to the emperor."
Then the old woman began to weep and said, "It seems I am not to have any luck in
this world! Till now I have struggled to bring him up and provide him with all his needs
and now ... it seems as if I am to be deprived of him!" And still weeping, she fell
into a swoon with worry.
But the old man kept his word; put on his fur hat, pushed it down over his ears, and
took his stick in his hand, and went out, saying, "Come on with your father, boy, let
us go and buy your mother a daughter-in-law."
Then the pig, out of sheer joy, took one more dive under the bed, then followed the old
man, and until they arrived, he trotted behind grunting and snuffing on the ground, as a
pig should do. They had hardly arrived at the gates of the imperial palace, when the
guards, catching sight of them, began to look at each other and burst out laughing.
"What does this mean, old man?" said one of them.
"Well, this is my son, who reckons he can build the bridge for the emperor."
"Good gracious, old man, you still have a lot to learn; it's easy to see you are
doting," said an old guardsman.
"Well! Every man's fate is written on his forehead, and everyone must die
once."
"It seems to us that you, old man, are looking for trouble with a candle in broad
daylight," said the sentries.
"That has nothing to do with you. Be careful, mind what you say, and go and tell
the emperor that we have arrived," replied the old man.
The sentries looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.
Then one of them went and told the emperor of the arrival of the new candidates: the
old man and his pig! The emperor commanded them to present themselves. The old man, on
entering, bowed low and remained humbly standing at the door. But the pig, grunting,
trotted ahead up the carpet, and began to sniff through the room.
Then the emperor, seeing such frightful impertinence, wanted on one hand to laugh, but
on the other, he was very angry and said, "Well, old man! When you came last time, it
seemed to me you had all your wits about you, but now what are you thinking of? Wandering
about followed by a pig! And who, may I ask, gave you the idea of making fun of me?"
"Heaven forbid, your majesty, that I, an old man, should ever think of such a
thing! I crave your forgiveness, your imperial majesty, and this is my son who sent me to
you before, if your majesty remembers?"
"And it is he who will build the bridge for me!"
"It is our hope, your majesty, that he will be the one to do it."
"Now! Take your pig and get out. If the bridge is not built by tomorrow morning,
old man, your head will be where your feet are now. Do you understand?"
"God is merciful, your majesty. If, however, the desire of your majesty should be
fulfilled, then with your majesty's permission, we should like the princess sent home to
us."
So saying, he left, and taking the pig, set off home, followed by some soldiers, who
had been ordered by the emperor to keep an eye on him until next day, to see what it all
meant. What a lot of chatter, what roars of laughter, and what speculation this joke
caused in the palace and all over the country!
Towards evening, when the old man and the pig arrived home, the old woman was overcome
by fear and trembling and began to weep, saying, "Oh me! Old man, what are you up to
now? What do I want with soldiers?"
"You dare to ask that! It's your doing! I allowed myself to be carried away by
your foolish head, and to be coaxed to bring you an adopted child, so to speak. And now
you see what a pickle we're in! I didn't bring any soldiers. They brought me! And my head
is only to stay on my shoulders until tomorrow morning!"
The pig, meantime, was wandering about the cottage, sniffing around for food, and was
not at all concerned about the trouble he had caused. The old couple quarreled and
squabbled for a while, but worried and all as they were about the events of the day, they
at last fell asleep.
Then the pig jumped lightly on the bed, broke a window, and the breath from his
nostrils shot out like two tongues of fire and reached from the old man's cottage - which
was now no longer a cottage - to the emperor's palace. And the bridge with everything
commanded by the emperor, was now complete. The old man's cottage was now a palace - much
grander than that of the emperor. And suddenly the old couple were clad in imperial
purple, and their palace was full of all the good things in the world. And the pig romped
about and frisked all over the fine carpets.
Meanwhile, extraordinary rumors were spreading all over the kingdom, and even the
emperor and his counselors were overawed when they beheld this great miracle. And the
emperor, fearing lest some misfortune should befall him, took counsel and was advised to
hand over his daughter to the old man; so he sent for her immediately. Because the
emperor, however powerful, was overcome by fear owing to the great wonder which had just
happened.
The wedding did not take place. Well, how could it, when there was no one to marry!
When the princess arrived at the bridegroom's house, she was very pleased with it and
liked her mother- and father-in-law, but when she caught sight of the bridegroom, she was
very astonished. But, after a few moments, she shrugged her shoulders, saying to herself,
"If this is what God and my parents wished for me, let it be so." And she at
once set about her housekeeping.
The pig snuffed about the house during the daytime as was his custom, but each night
when it was time to go to bed, his pig's skin dropped off, and out stepped a handsome
prince! And before long, his wife grew quite accustomed to him, for he was no longer ugly
as he had been at the beginning.
After a week or two, the young princess, very homesick, set out to visit her parents,
leaving her husband at home, for she was ashamed to be seen with him. When her parents saw
her, they were overjoyed and asked her all about her new home and her husband. She told
them all she knew.
Then the emperor began to advise her saying, "My darling! You mustn't be led into
doing him any harm, in case misfortune should overtake you; for, as far as I can see, the
man, or whatever he is, has great magic powers. There must be something strange about him,
since he has done something which is beyond human strength."
Then the empress and her daughter went out to stroll in the garden, and the mother gave
her daughter quite different advice: "My dear! What kind of life will you lead, if
you can't appear in society with your husband? I give you this advice: See to it that
there is always a good fire in the stove, and when your husband falls asleep, take that
pigskin and put it in the fire and let it burn, and then you will be rid of it."
"What a good idea, mother! Such a thought never entered my head...."
And when the young princess returned home, she ordered a good fire to be lit in the
stove. When her husband was fast asleep, she took the pigskin from the place where he had
put it, and threw it on the fire. Then the hairs on it began to singe and the skin began
to sizzle, turning into burnt rind and ashes. Such a frightful odor spread through the
house that it woke her husband, who jumped up terrified and looked sorrowfully towards the
stove.
And when he saw this great misfortune, he burst into tears saying, "Alas! Stupid
woman! What have you done? If someone told you to do that, you were ill advised; but if
you did it on your own initiative, it was a great mistake."
Then the young wife noticed that she was girt round the waist with a belt of iron,
while her husband said, "You have listened to the advice of others and brought
misfortune to the old couple and to us as well. If ever you need me, remember my name is
Prince Charming, and I will be found at the Incense Monastery."
Just as he finished speaking, a sudden gust of wind blew, and a terrifying whirlwind
whisked the emperor's son-in-law off his feet and carried him out of sight. Then the
wonderful bridge immediately began to crack and crumbled to the ground, so that it was
impossible to say what had become of it; and the palace where the old couple and their
daughter-in-law lived with all its riches and all its magnificence, turned once more into
the miserable little cottage which the old couple had inhabited. When they saw this great
misfortune and their daughter-in-law in such misery, they began to scold her with tears in
their eyes and ordered her sharply to go back home as they had no means of supporting her.
Finding herself so forlorn and deserted, she wondered what was to be done; where to go.
Should she go home? She was afraid of her father's severity and the dangerous gossip of
the people. Should she stay there? But she had none of the things she needed and was tired
of the remorse of her parents-in-law.
At last she decided to go and search throughout the whole world for her husband. And
having taken this decision, she said, "Please help me, God?" and set out, just
wandering where her fancy led her. She went on straight ahead, through the wilderness for
a whole year until she came to a desolate place she had never seen before. And here,
seeing a little hidden house, the roof moss-covered (which showed how old it was), she
knocked on the door.
Then she head the voice of an old woman inside saying, "Who's there?"
"It is I. A lost traveler."
"If you are a good person, come into my little den; but if you are a wicked
person, get away out of this, for I have a fierce dog with teeth of steel, and if I let
him out he will make short work of you."
"I am a good person, good woman."
Then the old woman opened the door, and the traveler entered.
"But what chance brought you here, and how did you ever find your way through this
desolate land where no magic bird ever penetrates, let alone a human being?"
Then the traveler heaved a deep sigh and said, "My sins have brought me here, good
woman. I am looking for the Incense Monastery and don't know in which part of the world to
find it."
"Evidently you still have some luck if you have chanced to find me. I am Saint
Wednesday. Perhaps you may have heard of me?"
"Your name is familiar, good woman, but it never entered my head that I should
find you here."
"You see!"
Then Saint Wednesday gave a loud shout and immediately all the creatures in her domain
assembled. She asked them about the Incense Monastery, and all replied at once that they
had never heard of it. Saint Wednesday, hearing this, was very disappointed, but, being
unable to help, she gave the traveler a piece of holy bread and a small glass of wine to
have something to eat on the way, and she also gave her a golden distaff which could spin
alone and said kindly, "Take care of it, for it will come in useful when you are in
need."
Then she directed her to the house of her eldest sister, Saint Friday.
The princess set out and wandered for another whole year, still through wild,
unfamiliar places, until, with great difficulty, she arrived at the house of Saint Friday.
And here the same thing happened as at the house of Saint Wednesday, except that Saint
Friday gave her a piece of holy bread, a little glass of wine, and a golden reeling
machine, which could wind alone; and she, too, directed her, with great kindness and
gentleness to the house of her eldest sister, Saint Sunday.
The princess set out again from there the very same day and wandered for another whole
year through places which were even more desolate than those through which she had already
traveled. And being weary with three years of wandering, it was with difficulty that she
arrived at the house of Saint Sunday. And Saint Sunday received her with the same ceremony
and just as warmly as her sisters had done. And taking pity on the wretched weary girl,
Saint Sunday shouted out once with all her might, and immediately, all living things in
her domain assembled: from the waters, from the land, from the air. And then she asked
them whether any of them had ever heard of the Incense Monastery. They all replied, with
one voice, that they had never even heard the name mentioned. Then Saint Sunday gave a
deep sigh from the depths of her heart, looked sadly at the unfortunate princess and said,
"It looks as if God is angry with you or something, because you cannot find what you
are looking for, my daughter! For this is the end of a world which even I don't know, and
however much you or anyone else should wish to go further, it is quite impossible."
And at that moment a lame lark was seen limping along as best he could. And warbling,
warbling, warbling, he stopped before Saint Sunday. Then she asked him too, "Lark, do
you by any chance know where the Monastery of Incense is?"
"Of course I know, mistress. My heart's desire took me there, and there I broke my
leg."
"If you do, then go there at once and take this woman with you, as you know the
way, and give her the best advice you can."
Then the lark, sighing, replied humbly, "With all my heart, I obey your command, O
mistress, although it is very difficult to get there."
Then Saint Sunday too, gave the traveler a piece of holy bread and a little wine to
have something to eat on the way to the Monastery of Incense; and she also gave her a
large gold clucking hen and chickens also made of gold in case of need on the way. Then
she entrusted her to the care of the lark, who set off at once, warbling as he went.
Sometimes the lark went on foot; sometimes the princess flew through the air; sometimes
she went on foot; sometimes he flew. And when the poor princess could no longer go either
way, the lark at once took her on his back and flew along with her. Going on like this for
another whole year, with great difficulty and hardship, they flew over innumerable
countries and seas, over terrifying forests and deserts, where dragons crept along,
poisonous asps, basilisks with the evil eye, otters, each with twenty-four heads, and
thousands of other dreadful monsters who lay with open mouths, just ready to gobble them
up; it would be quite impossible for any human tongue to describe the greed, the cunning,
and the wickedness of these animals.
In the end, after so much trouble and so much danger, they succeeded in arriving at the
entrance to a cave. Here the princess mounted once more onto the lark's wings which were
now scarcely able to flutter, and he alighted into another world which was more beautiful
than Paradise.
"Here we are at the Monastery of Incense," said the lark. "Prince
Charming, whom you have sought through so many difficulties, lives here. Is there not
something familiar here?"
Then, although her eyes were dazzled by so much splendor, she looked more closely and
at once recognized the wonderful bridge from the other world and the palace where she and
Prince Charming had lived for such a short time, and her eyes filled with tears of joy.
"Wait a moment! Don't be in such a hurry to rejoice, for you are still a stranger
in these parts, and you are not yet out of danger," said the lark.
He then showed her a well where she must go three days in succession; he told her who
she would meet and what she should say; he advised her what to do in turn with the
distaff, with the reeling machine, and the golden clucking-hen and chickens, given to her
by the three sisters, Saint Wednesday, Saint Friday, and Saint Sunday.
Then, saying good-bye to the princess entrusted to his care, he turned back suddenly,
flying without stopping, afraid lest someone should break his other leg too. And the
unhappy princess watched him as he flew, her eyes full of tears. Then she went towards the
well which he had pointed out.
And when she reached the well, she took out first of all the spindle from the place
where she had carried it, and then sat down to rest.
Shortly afterward, a servant came to draw water, and seeing an unknown woman and the
miraculous distaff, spinning golden thread by itself (thread which was thousands of times
finer than the hair of your head), fled to her mistress to tell her the news.
The mistress of this servant was the old witch who turned the Devil's hair gray, the
housekeeper of Prince Charming's palace, a marvelous sorceress, who could make water
curdle, and knew all the Devil's mischief in the world. But there was only one thing the
old hag didn't know: man's thoughts. The old witch, on hearing about this wonder, sent the
servant at once to ask this strange woman to come to the palace. And when she arrived, the
witch asked, "I have heard that you have a golden distaff which can spin alone. Would
you sell it to me, woman, and how much do you want for it?"
"Will you allow me to spend one night in the room where Prince Charming
sleeps?"
"Of course. Give me the distaff and stay here until the evening when the prince
returns from the hunt."
Then the princess gave up the distaff and remained. The hunchbacked, toothless old
woman, knowing that the prince was accustomed to drink a cup of sweet milk every evening,
now prepared one for him to make him sleep right through till the next morning. And as
soon as he returned from the hunt and lay down on his bed, the old hag sent him the milk;
and as soon as he had drunk it, he fell fast asleep. Then the old woman called the unknown
traveler into the room of the prince, as had been arranged, and left her there, whispering
softly, "Sit here until the morning. I will come and fetch you then."
The old woman whispered and went on tiptoe so that the prince should not hear, and she
took good care that a faithful servant who accompanied him to the hunt every day and who
was sleeping in the same room, should not hear either.
And as soon as the old woman had left the room, the unhappy princess knelt down by her
husband's bed and began to week bitterly, saying, "Prince Charming! Prince Charming!
Put your right arm round my waist so that the spell may be broken."
And poor thing, she persevered like this until the morning, but in vain, for the prince
seemed to have gone to the next world. At daybreak, the witch came along and sulkily told
her to leave the courtyard and go away. The unfortunate princess came out without having
succeeded in making her husband hear, and very unhappy, went once more to the well and
this time took out her reeling machine. Again the servant came to fetch water and seeing
this second wonderful object, rushed off to her mistress and said that the woman had now a
golden reel, which could wind alone and which was even more wonderful than the distaff she
had given her. Then the old witch sent the servant to summon her and took possession of
the reeling machine with the same craftiness, and the next morning took her out of the
prince's room and chased her out of the palace.
That night, however, the prince's faithful servant sensed what was happening and taking
pity on the poor stranger, set out to discover the old woman's trick. And when the prince
rose and was setting off to hunt, his faithful servant told him in detail what had
happened in his room on the two previous nights. And the prince, on hearing this, gave a
sudden start, as if the sky had fallen. Then he cast down his eyes and began to weep. And
while tears were streaming from his eyes, at the well, his spell-bound and tormented wife
now took out her golden hen and chickens - her last hope. And while she stood by the well,
the servant came along once more to fetch water.
And when she saw still another wonder, she didn't even wait to draw water, but rushed
to her mistress, saying, "Good gracious, mistress! Imagine what I have seen! That
woman now has a golden hen with chickens also of gold - so beautiful they are that they
could steal your eyesight."
When the old woman heard that, she sent for her at once, saying to herself, "She
won't get what she's looking for."
And when the princess came in, the old witch took possession of the golden hen and
chickens by the same sly means.
But the prince, when he returned that evening from the hunt and when his milk was
brought in, said to himself, "I won't drink any more of this milk."
So he threw it away and lay down, pretending to fall sound asleep.
When the old woman thought he was asleep, and was confident that he was now under the
spell of the magic milk, she once more brought the princess into the room, just as she had
done on the preceding nights; and leaving her there, she went off. The, the troubled girl,
falling on her knees by her husband's bedside, dissolved in a flood of tears, again saying
these words, "Prince Charming! Prince Charming! Have pity on an innocent soul who has
been tortured for four years with the most cruel suffering, and put you right arm round my
waist so that the spell may break, for I cannot bear this any longer."
And when she had finished speaking, Prince Charming stretched out his hand, as if in
sleep, and when he touched her waist - bang! The belt burst open, and the spell was
broken. Then the princess told her husband how much she had suffered since he had
disappeared.
Then Prince Charming rose, and, although it was the middle of the night, awoke the
whole court and ordered the old witch to be brought to him, together with all the
treasures taken so slyly from the princess. Then he ordered a wild mare be brought to him
and a sack of nuts. And he ordered the old witch and the sack of nuts to be tied to the
mare's tail and to set the mare galloping. And this was done. And when the mare began to
gallop, each time a nut dropped from the bag, a little bit of the witch dropped too; and
when the sack fell, the witch's head dropped off.
The old witch was the sow with the pigs from the swamp - one of which had been brought
home by the old man, Prince Charming's foster father. By her wicked tricks she had turned
her master, Prince Charming, into the miserable, mangy little pig, so that later on she
could make him marry one of her eleven daughters who followed her from the swamp. That is
why Prince Charming punished her so severely. The faithful servant was handsomely rewarded
with gifts by the prince and princess who keep him in their service as long as he lived.
And very soon a son was born to the prince and princes.
Now remember, good people, that Prince Charming had no wedding ceremony when he was
married. But now he celebrated both a wedding and a christening, a thing which never
happened before and which I'm sure will never happen again. Prince Charming took a wish,
and immediately the parents of the princess arrived and his foster parents, the old man
and the old woman - once more dressed in imperial purple. And he seated them at the head
of the table. And millions of people assembled for that large and sumptuous wedding
reception, and the gaiety went on for three days and three nights, and unless it has
ended, it must still be going on.
Ion Creanga (1837-1889): Folk Tales from Roumania. Translated by Mabel Nandris.
London 1952, p. 102 ff. (AT 441, AT 425, Rumänien)
top
