The Podolian Nights: Essential Tales

FIRST TALE

Of the Loss of a Princess

On the road I told a tale that

all those who heard it had

thoughts of turning

themselves

around.

Here is the story:

Once there was a king. The king had six sons and one daughter. And this daughter was his pride and joy. He loved and cherished her very much and took great delight in her. One day he was with her someplace and he grew vexed with her. He let slip the words, To the Wicked One with you!

That night she went into her chamber and in the morning she was nowhere to be found.

So her father, the king, was distraught and began to search for her.

Seeing how greatly aggrieved the king was, the royal steward then rose and bade the king give him a servant and a horse and some money for expenses—and out he went to look high and low for her.

And he searched for her everywhere, for a very long time, until he found her.

Now he tells how the royal steward

sought her until he found her.

The royal steward went searching for a very long while. Across wastelands and over fields and through forests, he looked and looked. Once, as he was crossing a barren wasteland, he saw a path that branched off to the side. He thought, Since I have been travelling so long in the wastelands and still have not found her, I shall go this way. Perhaps it will lead to some settlement.

He walked for some time until he saw a castle with many guards stationed in front. The castle was lovely to behold, and the guards stood arrayed in very fine rows. He was afraid the guards would not allow him to enter. But, he decided, I shall try.

He dismounted his horse and went to the castle, and he was let in. No one even stood in his way. He went from one chamber to the next, unimpeded by anyone. As he approached the keep, he saw a king wearing a crown sitting with many guards encircling him. Numerous musicians were playing instruments before him, and it was all very splendid and lovely. Neither the king nor anyone there even so much as asked him a question.

He saw an array of fine delicacies. He walked over and helped himself to them. Then he went and rested in a nook, waiting to see what would happen next. He watched as the king called for his queen to be brought to him and they went to fetch her. There was a mighty din and a great fanfare as the musicians piped up, playing and singing as the queen was escorted in. A throne was carried in and she was seated next to him. It was the princess!

When the queen looked about, she spied someone resting in a nook and, recognizing him, rose from the throne and approached. Laying her hand upon him, she asked, Do you know me?

He answered: Yes, I know you. You are the princess who has gone missing.

He asked her how she came to be here and she replied, Because my papa blurted out those words—To the Wicked One with you—and this place is a wicked one indeed.

He told her that her father was distraught and that he had searched all these many years for her. He asked, But how can I take you out of here?

She answered, You cannot get me out without first finding a place for yourself to settle for one year. And for the entirety of that year, you must steadfastly long for my deliverance. Whenever you have a moment to spare, you must do nothing but yearn and hope for my release. Then, on the very last day of the year, you must fast. You must fast and also refrain from sleeping from that dawn until the next.

And he went and did just that. When the end of the year came, on the very last day, he fasted and did not sleep. He got up and headed off to see the princess in order to take her out of there at last, when he caught sight of a tree upon which grew very lovely apples. He was overcome with craving and went and ate of them. As soon as he tasted the apple, he dropped to the ground and fell into a deep slumber. And he slept an exceedingly long time. His servant went to wake him but found that he could not.

Later, when he woke from his sleep, he asked his servant, Where in the world am I?

So his servant told him the whole tale: You have been asleep for a very long time; it has been years already since you fell asleep. And I have had to support myself selling these fruits.

He was filled with sorrow and headed straight off to find the princess.

She, too, was filled with sorrow and lamented to him, On account of one day, you have lost. Since you were unable to restrain yourself for one single day and ate the apple, you failed. For had you come that day, you could have gotten me out of here. Not eating is, indeed, a difficult thing, especially on the very last day, when temptation is most powerful. So now, once more, you must find yourself a place and settle there for yet another year. And, this time, on the very last day, you will be permitted to eat, but you must not sleep. For surely sleep is the key.

So he went and did just that. On the last day he headed out and, as he was walking, he saw a spring. This spring appeared to be flowing red and had the fragrance of wine. So he asked his servant: Have you ever seen such a thing? Here is a spring that should run with water but it looks red and is redolent of wine. He went and tasted of the spring and thereupon fell into a deep slumber. And he slept for many years, a good seventy of them.

After he dropped into sleep, a large number of guards passed by, with heavy cloaks trailing behind them as they went. The servant hid himself out of the guards’ sight. Following behind them went a carriage, in which the princess was seated. She came to a halt beside him and, recognizing him, alighted and tried hard to rouse him. But she could not awaken him and began to lament, Oh, all the many trials and tribulations and so much trouble and travail, so many years of exhausting struggle, toiling to get me out of here, and at last when the day arrives on which you were to take me away, you forfeited everything. She wept bitterly then said, Such a great pity for you and for me. I have been here for such a long time… And on she went in this manner. Then she unwrapped the shawl from around her head and with her own tears she wrote upon it. When she finished, she laid it down beside him, rose, and, returning to her carriage, rode off.

When he eventually awoke, he asked his servant, Where in the world am I? And he told him the whole tale: how the guards had marched by and about the arrival of the carriage and how she had wept over him and bawled about what a terrible pity it was for the two of them. Then he caught sight of the shawl lying next to him and he asked where it came from. His servant told him that she had left it there and had written upon it with her tears. He took the shawl from him and, holding it to the sun, he began to make out the letters. He read the grief and sorrow that she had set down upon it. There it was written that now she would no longer be found in the same palace as before. He would have to search for a golden mountain with a pearl palace—There, she wrote, you will find me.

He took leave of his servant and headed off to search for her alone. He went searching for many years. He reckoned that it would be highly unlikely to find such a golden mountain with a pearl palace near a town, as he was well versed in geography and cartography. Therefore, he said, I shall go into the wastelands to search.

So he went searching in the wastelands for many, many years. One day, he observed an enormous man, whose size was simply not human, carrying an enormous tree larger than any tree to be found in a town. And this man asked him, Who are you?

He answered, I am a man.

Astonished, the enormous man said, I have been in the wasteland for a long, long time and I have never seen a man.

So he told him his entire tale and of how he was now searching for a golden mountain with a pearl palace.

Certainly there is no such thing, he answered him, rejecting what he had said, and maintained that he had been misled by nonsense, for surely there was no such place.

At that, the royal steward began to cry in earnest, as he countered that such a place most certainly did exist. Indeed, it must be somewhere.

But the extraordinary man reproved him, saying, You have been misled by nonsense, but since you insist, as I am the warden of all animals, I shall assemble all of the animals for you; they roam over the entire world so perhaps one of them might know of such a mountain with such a palace.

So he gathered all the animals, from the smallest to the greatest, and asked them. All of them responded that they had not. And he said, Can you not see? You have been misled by nonsense and you should heed me and turn around since you will surely never find such a place because it does not exist in this world.

But the royal steward continued to insist that such a place must certainly exist.

The extraordinary man then told the royal steward, I have a brother in the wasteland who is the warden of all the birds; perhaps they might know since they fly high in the air. Maybe they have seen this mountain with this palace. Go to him and say that I have sent you.

He continued walking for many, many years, looking for him, when at last he encountered an enormous man as before. This man also carried an enormous tree and also inquired who he was, just as the first had. So he responded by telling him the whole tale and how his brother had sent him to him.

He, too, countered that certainly there was no such place, but the royal steward maintained that there certainly was. He told him, As I am the warden of all the birds, I shall call them all to find out if they know.

So he assembled all of the birds and asked each of them, from the smallest to the greatest. They responded that they did not know of any such mountain or palace.

You see, he told him, there is certainly no such place in the world and you should heed me and turn around, for it surely does not exist.

But the royal steward held firm and said, Such a place does indeed exist in this world.

He responded, Further on in the wasteland lives my brother who is the warden of all the winds. Since the winds run their course over the whole world, perhaps they know.

So he went off searching for many, many years until, again, he encountered an enormous man. This man also carried an enormous tree and he approached and enquired. He responded with the whole story, just as before. And the man also tried to disabuse him. The royal steward again besought him. So he told him he would call together all the winds for him to ask. Thereupon he summoned them, and all of the winds came and he asked each of them. But nary a one knew of the mountain with the palace. The man said to the royal steward, Do you see how you have been told nonsense?

At that the royal steward began to weep, saying, But I know with certainty that it does exist.

Then he saw another wind arrive and the warden scolded it, Why have you come so late? When I give an order, all the winds should obey. Why did you not come with the others?

It replied, I was delayed because I had to deliver a princess to a golden mountain with a pearl palace. And upon hearing this the royal steward rejoiced.

The warden of the winds asked the wind, How precious are things there?

It responded, There, everything is most precious.

The warden of the winds turned then to the royal steward and said, Since you have searched for so long and gone through so many trials and tribulations, you might now be hindered due to a lack of money. Therefore, I will give you a vessel that, whenever you reach your hand into it, you may draw out money.

Then he ordered the wind to take him. And it brought him to the gate, where guards stood and refused to let him into the town. So he reached his hand into the vessel and extracted money to bribe them. Then he entered the town and it was a lovely town.

He found his way to a landlord and arranged for his room and board, for he might need to linger there for some time to assess, with wisdom and reason, how to extricate her.

How he managed to get

her out, he did not tell.

And at long last, he brought her out.

Amen Selah