🧚 Opening, part 28 · page 2

The stepmother saw that she was doing no good, so she again went to the old soothsayer and asked and besought her how she should destroy her stepson.65 The old woman answered, “As long as the horse is alive nothing can be brought about.66 But you pretend to be ill, and when your husband comes back tell him, ‘I saw in my sleep that the throat of our foal must be cut and the liver extracted, and I must be rubbed with the liver; then my disease will pass away.’”67

Some time after the merchant came back, and the son went out to meet him.68

“Hail, my son!” said the father.69 “Is all well with you at home?”70

“All is well, only mother is ill,” he answered.71

So the merchant unloaded his wares and went home, and he found his wife lying in the bedclothes groaning, saying, “I can only recover if you will fulfil my dream.”72

So the merchant agreed at once, summoned his son and said, “Now, my son, I want to cut the throat of your horse: your mother is ill, and I must cure her.”73

So Iván the merchant’s son wept bitterly and said, “Oh, father, you wish to take away from me my last luck!”74 Then he went into the stable.75

The foal saw him and said, “My beloved master, I have saved you from three deaths—do you now save me from one.76 Ask your father that you may go out on my back for the last time to fare in the open fields with your companions.”77

So the son asked his father for leave to go into the open field for the last time on the horse, and the father agreed.78 Iván the merchant’s son mounted his horse, leapt into the open field, and went and diverted himself with his friends and companions.79 Then he sent his father a letter in this wise: “Do you cure my stepmother with a twelve-tongued whip—this is the best means of curing her illness.”80 He sent this letter with one of his good companions, and himself went into foreign lands.81

The merchant read the letter, and began curing his wife with a twelve-tongued whip: and she very soon recovered.82

The merchant’s son went out into the open field, into the wide plains, and he saw horned cattle grazing in front of him.83

So the good horse said, “Iván the merchant’s son, let me go free at will, and do you pull three little hairs out of my tail: whenever I can be of service to you burn a single hair, and I shall appear at once in front of you, like a leaf in front of the grass.84 But you, good youth, go to the herd, buy a bull and cut its throat; dress yourself in the bull’s hide, put a bladder on your head, and wherever you go, whatever you are asked about, answer only this one word, ‘Idonotknow.’”85

Iván the merchant’s son let his horse go free, dressed himself in the bull’s hide, put a bladder on his head, and went beyond the seas.86 On the blue sea there was a ship a-sailing.87 The ship’s crew saw this marvel—an animal which was not an animal, a man that was not a man, with a bladder on his head and with fur all round him.88 So they sailed up to the shore in a light boat and began to ask him and to inquire of him.89 Iván the merchant’s son only returned one answer, “Idonotknow.”90

“If it be so, then your name must be ‘Donotknow.’”91 Then the ship’s crew took him, carried him on board the boat, and they sailed to their King.92

May-be long, may-be short, they at last reached a capital city, went to the King with gifts, and informed him of Donotknow.93 So the King bade the portent be presented before his eyes.94 So they brought Donotknow into the palace, and the people came up from all parts, seen and unseen, to gaze on him.95

Then the King began to ask him, “What sort of a man are you?”96

“Idonotknow.”97

“From what lands have you come?”98

“Idonotknow.”99

“From what race and from what place?”100

“Idonotknow.”101

Then the King put Donotknow into the garden as a scarecrow, to frighten the birds from the apple trees, and he bade him be fed from his royal kitchen.102

Now this king had three daughters: the elder ones were beautiful, but the younger fairer still.103 Very soon the son of the King of the Arabs began asking for the hand of the youngest daughter, and he wrote to the King with threats such as this, “If you do not give her to me of your good will, I will take her by force.”104

This did not suit the King at all, so he answered the Arab prince in this wise, “Do you begin the war, and it shall go as God shall will.”105

So the Prince assembled a countless multitude and laid siege.106

Donotknow shook off his oxhide, took off his bladder, went into the open fields, burnt one of the hairs, and cried out in a grim voice with a knightly whistle.107 From some source or other a wondrous horse appeared in front of him, and the steed galloped up, and the earth trembled.108 “Hail, doughty youth, why do you want me so speedily?”109

“Go and prepare for war!”110

So Donotknow sat on his good horse, and the horse asked him, “Where shall I carry you—aloft, under the trees, or over the standing woods?”111

“Carry me over the standing woods.”112

So the horse raised himself from the earth and flew over the hostile host.113 Then Donotknow leapt upon the enemies, seized a warlike sword from one of them, tore a golden helmet from another of them, and put them on himself; covered his face with the visor, and set to slaying the Arab host.114 Wherever he turned, heads flew: it was like mowing hay.115 The King and the Princess looked on in amazement from the city wall: “What a mighty hero it must be!116 Whence has he come?117 Is it Egóri the Brave who has come to help us?”118

But they never imagined that it was Donotknow whom the King had set in the garden as a scarecrow.119 Donotknow slew many of that host, and even more than he slew his horse trampled down, and he left only the Arab Prince alive and ten men as a suite to see him home.120 After this great combat he rode back to the town wall and said, “Your kingly Majesty, has my service pleased you?”121 Then the King thanked him and asked him in as a guest.122 But Donotknow would not come.123 He leapt into the open field, sent away his good horse, turned back home, put on the bladder and the bull’s hide, and began to walk about in the garden, as before, just like a scarecrow.124

Some time went by, not too much, not too little, and the Arab Prince again wrote to the King, “If you do not give me your youngest daughter’s hand I will burn up all your kingdom and will take her prisoner.”125

This also did not please the King, and so he wrote in answer that he would await him with his host.126 Once again the Arab Prince collected a countless host, larger than before, and he besieged the King from all sides, having three mighty knights standing in front.127