The Hero of Esthonia and Other Studies in the Romantic Literature of That Country Part 20

"Thin-sh.e.l.led is the egg of Fortune, And the heart is full of sorrow; Venture not to spoil your fortune."

Partel went home and lay down to sleep before dawn, but his rest was disturbed by wonderfully varied dreams, some beautiful, some hideous. He sprang up with a shriek, for a dream showed him the white snake coiling round his breast and suffocating him. But he thought no more of this horrible picture, and firmly resolved to release the princess from the bonds of enchantment, even if he himself should perish. Nevertheless his heart failed him more and more as the sun sank nearer the horizon. At the appointed time he stood by the stone under the lime-tree, and gazed, sighing, towards heaven, praying for strength and courage, that he might not tremble with weakness when the snake should coil round his body and kiss him. Suddenly he remembered the lucky egg: he took the little box from his pocket, opened it, and took the little egg, which was not larger than that of a sparrow, between his fingers.

At this moment the snow-white snake glided from under the stone, wound round his body, and had just raised her head to kiss him, when--he himself knew not how it happened--he pushed the lucky egg into her mouth. His heart froze within him, but he stood firm, without shrinking, till the snake had kissed him three times. A tremendous flash and crash followed, as if the stone had been struck by lightning, and amid the loud pealing of the thunder, Partel fell on the ground like one dead, and knew nothing more of what happened to him.

But at this terrible moment the bondage of the enchantment was loosened, and the royal maiden was released from her long captivity. When Partel awakened from his heavy swoon, he found himself lying on cus.h.i.+ons of white silk in a magnificent gla.s.s room of a sky-blue colour. The fair maiden knelt by his bedside, patted his cheek, and cried out, when he opened his eyes, "Thanks to the Heavenly Father who has heard my prayer, and a thousand thousand thanks to you, dear youth, who released me from my long enchantment! Take my kingdom as your reward, along with this beautiful palace, and all my treasures, and if you will, accept me also as your bride into the bargain! You shall always live here in happiness, as befits the lord of the lucky egg. Hitherto your lot has been as that of your G.o.dfather, but now you succeed to a better lot, such as fell to your G.o.dmother."

No one could now come between Partel and his happiness and good fortune, and all the unknown longings of his heart, which constantly drew him back under the lime-tree, were finally laid to rest. He lived apart from the world with his dear bride in the enjoyment of the greatest happiness until his death.

But great sorrow was caused by his disappearance, both in the village, and in the farm-house where he had worked, and where he was much loved for his steady quiet ways. All the people went out to look for him, and their first visit was to the lime-tree which Partel was accustomed to visit so often, and towards which they had seen him going on the previous evening. Great was the amazement of the people when they found no trace of either Partel, the lime-tree, or the stone. The little spring near was dried up, and no trace of anything that had thus vanished was ever again beheld by human eyes.

Kreutzwald relates several other stories of young adventurers who go forth into the world to seek their fortunes with the aid of powerful protectors.

In one of these, "The Magician in the Pocket," a young man releases a magician who had been imprisoned by his enemy under a great stone, after which the magician accompanies him in his wanderings in the form of a flea, and helps him to deliver four princesses from enchantment, one of whom he marries. In another, "The G.o.d-Daughter of the Rock-Maidens," a young girl named Maasika (Strawberry) is taken down into an underground region by her G.o.dmothers, the rock-spirits, one of whom her mother had once aided when in distress. When she is grown up, she goes out into the world, kills the king of the serpents, and disenchants a king, queen, and prince, who prove to be the parents and brother of her G.o.dmothers, and she marries the prince. In a third story, "The Foundling," the hero likewise goes out in a similar manner, and meets with various adventures before marrying a princess.

[Footnote 156: Bartholomew.]

THE HERO OF ESTHONIA AND OTHER STUDIES IN THE ROMANTIC LITERATURE OF THAT COUNTRY

_COMPILED FROM ESTHONIAN AND GERMAN SOURCES BY_

W.F. KIRBY, F.L.S., F.E.S., ETC.

CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE FINNISH LITERARY SOCIETY

WITH A MAP OF ESTHONIA

_IN TWO VOLUMES_

VOLUME THE SECOND

LONDON JOHN C. NIMMO 14, KING WILLIAM STREET, STRAND MDCCCXCV

CONTENTS OF VOL. II

_PART II_

ESTHONIAN FOLK-TALES--(_continued_)

SECTION III

COSMOPOLITAN STORIES PAGE BLUEBEARD (THE WIFE-MURDERER) 1

CINDERELLA (TUHKA TRIINU) 4

THE DRAGON-SLAYER (THE LUCKY ROUBLE) 6

THE DWARF'S CHRISTENING 8

THE ENVIOUS SISTERS (THE PRINCE WHO RESCUED HIS BROTHERS) 9

THE GIFTED BROTHERS (SWIFTFOOT, QUICKHAND, AND SHARPEYE) 12

THE SWIFT-FOOTED PRINCESS 23

THE IDIOT'S LUCK (STRANGE TALE OF AN OX) 24

THE MAGICIAN'S HEIRS (THE DWARFS' QUARREL) 24

THE MAN IN THE MOON 29

VIDEVIK, KOIT, AND aMARIK 30

THE MAIDEN AT THE VASKJALA BRIDGE 34

THE WOMAN IN THE MOON 37

POLYPHEMUS 38

RED RIDING-HOOD (THE DEVIL'S VISIT) 38

SNOWWHITE, THE GLa.s.s MOUNTAIN, AND THE DESPISED YOUNGEST SON (THE PRINCESS WHO SLEPT FOR SEVEN YEARS) 40

THE THREE SISTERS 43

THE THREE WISHES (LOPPI AND LAPPI) 45

THE WITCH-BRIDE (RUGUTAJA'S DAUGHTER) 45

THE STEPMOTHER 46

SECTION IV

FAMILIAR STORIES OF NORTHERN EUROPE

MELUSINA 48