The Story Of Kurbad

I

Once upon a time there was a host who had everything that makes life pleasant, but no children. He himself didn't mind it that much, but more sorrowful was his wife. And now, in addition, a man as one day fell ill and died, no complaints and tears came end, because now the wife no longer had a single lover in the world. Then one day he heard about a poor man in the city of a laborer who had been blessed with nine children and would give one out of these. He hastily harnessed up and rode into town, but unfortunately came too late, because someone had already had a child applicant. In his sad thoughts, the wife returned home. Little at some distance from his house the buggy had to cross a stream; a large fish was lying on the beach sand and struggling miserably. Driver, young boy, quickly jumped from the seat and tried to catch the fish, but this one spoke in human language: "the mistress herself must catch me!" -- and jumped back into the water. Said and done. The hostess got out of the stroller and the fish swam to the shore again.

"Hear what I say, Mistress!" -- said the wonder. --. "Catch me, kill and make me food. But notice that only you you can eat it alone! Then Laima will give you a son."

Who was happier than the hostess! He did as the fish had told him and forbade the stone-hard maid to touch the food, too all rafts had to be carefully disposed of. But that's what they are girls in general are when their work is not checked--he left without fulfilling both the one and the other commandment. "Why shouldn't I this time, as always before, to taste the food first, that's it there might be too little salt", thought the girl and tasted greedily fearing nothing.

But he carelessly threw the entrails and rinds into the weeds. When the horses had been brought home from work in the evening, the mare crossed the weeds and greedily devoured the fish fillets without anyone seeing. And now it happened three miracles at the same time: Mistress, servant girl and mare gave birth the same night each of the boy. The mare's son was named Kurbad. They grew up together and were healthy, strong boys. But Kurbad was one of them the strongest and most skilled. Her favorite food was walnut hearts, his favorite mare's milk and his favorite wide and low bed oven. At the age of five, he no longer, wandering around in the forest, dodged small trees, at the age of six there wasn't a single tree for him too tall and at the age of seven he was not afraid of wolves or bears. Thus, he gradually grew into a hero, for whom no housework was too heavy was too difficult. He never sweated anyway, that's why his his biggest desire was to be able to do a job where he had to sweat.


II

One day, Kurbad demanded both of his half-brothers to take him to a new house to clean. The side of this matter was the following. Shortly before his death the host had built a new residential mansion, which was still full to leave unused because the evil possessors had their dwelling in it have taken All attempts to drive them out were futile, and no one dared to go in there again. That's why the brothers also refused from helping the hero. But he said, “Well, those who have been eaten boiled and fried, cannot be so wise as that, who devours the raw pool.” The half-brothers then encouraged their minds and followed Kurbad to the haunted house. Here he heard woodworms and of beetles talking on the wall: “Hey, how does that hero break like a corsi in the wind as soon as our three-day Lord has ridden over the bridge." But the half-brothers didn't understand a word of it. Before at midnight Kurbad spoke to the maid's son: "You are the weakest of us, take the sword, go to the bridge over which the three-headed giant must come and kill him." But the brother replied, "What is that to me okay? Let whoever wants come over the bridge!" -- "So you're afraid; then I guess I'll have to go myself," -- said Kurbad. "No goblin must be allowed to cross the bridge, otherwise he will become invincibly strong. Look, I'll put a vessel of water here, if the water turns into milk, yes means I win, but if it turns to blood, so be it my bad; then immediately call my mother for help! Be vigilant live and sleep!" Having said these words, Kurbad went to the bridge. All it was still so quiet, only frogs in the water, wild geese in the air and the Swallows under the bridge spoke their own language, which Kurbad yes well understood. "Kurbad, Kurbad!" echoed off the water. "Kill him, kill him!" came from the air. "The mighty giant's three heads are all past stuff!" was heard from under the bridge. Immediately after that they appeared the giant's messengers, the dog that ran barking over the vagrants and a hawk that cleft the air with a screech. Then Kurbad took his sword and blocked the bridge with it. The earth trembled as the three-headed one leapt forward with a shriek under the giant; "Kurbad, son of eluka, get over!" -- "No", answered Kurbad calmly. Then the giant came closer and shouted, “Well, let's see which of us can blow money on the bridge from my money-purse below!” Kurbad blew and the size of the aar the land was covered with silver coins, but when the giant blew, only half aria with copper coins. After that Kurbad demanded to read the last mentioned money together. But this did not agree. That's when Kurbad took over his sword and fearlessly attacked the giant. The ground shook, the bridge fist, swords clattered -- and presently the giant lay down, all three of them head crushed, dead on the ground.

Kurbad happily returned home with heaps of gold and amused his brothers with until late at night. Then all three of them left for the bewitched to the house -- and again the beetles and maggots were talking on the wall! "Wait, wait! You've won the three-headed one, but how about you? with a six-head?"

At midnight Kurbad said to the mistress's son: "You go today to guard the bridge!" But he refused. Then mocked Kurbad him, put, like the night before, a water container, urged brothers on the alert, took his sword and went to the bridge. Frogs in water gurgled: "Kurbad, Kurbad!" -- The wild geese screamed in the air: “Kill him, kill him!" and the Swallows under the bridge chirped, "great all six heads of the goblin are a thing of the past!" Around midnight came the sounds of a monster, a dog that barked and ran over the vagrants and a hawk that cleft the air with a screech. The earth trembled and the goblin screeched echoed in the hero's ears: "Kurbad, son of eluka, get over!" -- "No," answered Kurbad calmly. "Then let's see which one we can blow more money under the bridge!" -- Kurbad blew and less than a hectare of land was covered with gold coins, but only for the troll came half an acre of copper coins; again he refused, when Kurbad insisted on counting the money together. Then the sword had to be resolved again -- and presently the goblin, six heads crushed, lay dead on the ground. Kurbad happily returned home with heaps of gold and amused his brothers with late night. Then all three of them left for the bewitched to the house, where beetles and worms with great restlessness were talking on the wall: "That's what you're going to do! You're from both masters you accomplished -- but you're not going to beat the nines!" Now did Kurbad as before and went to the bridge at midnight. Here croaked the frogs to him again: "Kurbad! Kurbad!" Wild Geese cried, "Kill him, kill him!" and the Swallows chirped, “Troll nine heads are lost!" -- Airueina ran nine this time a barking dog across the sky and nine hawks screeching in the air. Then came the goblin himself -- and now began a hard, desperate struggle. One head after another fell, but instead of each one that fell, it grew three new heads. At last said Kurbad, “All the fighters are resting sometimes, let us rest too!" The goblin agreed, but Kurbad only thought about how he could call his mother for help. Half brothers had of course slept, without checking the water container. He drew another his shoe and threw it with such force that it flew headlong to the brothers' window; these woke up and saw with horror that there was water turned into blood in the dish and they sent the mother to help her son. Now the battle went well. As soon as Kurbad had chopped off the head, edited the mare with her well-ironed hooves the wounded place so, that the pains rushed; thus the wound was burned and not in it couldn't grow any more heads. That's how Kurbad performed in the third as well from the troll. When he then went to sleep in the haunted house, he heard beetles and caterpillars talking again on the wall: "Damn boy! He has killed all our Lords. But wait, wives take revenge on you! When the brothers go on a trip, a three-headed one settles down the wife in the form of a beautiful, white bed for the road; that every year sees, it must, like it or not, descend into it, and he belongs us. But the six-headed wife crosses a small stream on their way form and creates a burning thirst in them, but he who from it drink from the water -- he belongs to us. The nine-headed wife changes again into a snake -- and woe to him who has to deal with it!"


III

After a while Kurbad got a strong desire to travel, hot desire for adventure. He left the money he received with his mother and left on a trip with his stepbrothers. After some distance, they noticed on the way to a beautiful bed -- and the almost invincible sleeping sickness caught on to the maid's son; he slumped towards the beautiful bed. But Kurbad held him so tightly with his left hand that he could not he could not move, took his sword in his right hand and struck half a year. Then the bed turned into a stream of blood -- and the sleeping sickness disappeared. When they had traveled some distance again, they came they to the stream and a burning thirst overcame the hostess's son. But Kurbad pulled him back with his left hand, drew his sword with his right and struck in the middle of the stream. This then turned into a flow of blood and the half-brother's thirst disappeared.

After a three-day journey, the brothers came to the big, stranger to a city whose king had three beautiful daughters. When these one day were in the bathroom washing, robbed them the devil, about whom Hovi and the whole country were greatly grieved. But the king had promised whoever would bring his daughter back, as the wife of the youngest and his whole kingdom as dowry. It was Of Kurbad and his brothers attractive; but when the brothers wanted to go blindly searching, guessed the hero: "We have to start the search for the king's daughters at the same time that they have disappeared."

In the evening, the hero took a mace, sword, rags and a cauldron and left with his brothers to the bathroom, where he immediately turned on the white and began cooks his groats. Brothers who are nothing special noticed, soon fell asleep. At midnight, the bathroom door creaked and opened up a little; but the fiend peeked through the crack and pulled greedily the smell of crumbs in his nose. Then Kurbad jumped up, flattened the creature between the door and let his club whiz into his back. Whining in pain and seeing no salvation, the devil began to pray and promised to his swindler he presents a flute, the playing of which would call ten o'clock a dwarf capable of all tasks. Kurbad took the flute, without stopping from beating either of them, until the soft-beaten piruparka said to him: "Go to that field, at the end of it you will find a swamp, in the middle of which there is a directionless stone on a hill. When you move this stone aside, you will find an opening through which you can enter underground; there are the king's daughters."

Kurbad remembered this speech -- he let the devil loose, woke up his brothers and went with them in search of mud and stone. Soon they came to the said place. Kurbad easily pushed the stone from the opening and stared into the ghastly abyss. How do we get off this? Then he remembered the flute. He blew and ten dwarves was there immediately. "Get me a rope," - - said the hero, -- "so long that it can reach to that depth." In the blink of an eye, the order was fulfilled. The maid's son was counted first down; but he had scarcely reached the darkness before he already miserably begged to withdraw, so terribly was he afraid.

The same thing happened to the landlady's son. Now Kurbadi himself had to go there. But before that, he let the dwarves build a beautiful one for his brothers house and bring out food and drink, so they could in everything in comfort awaiting his return.

After reaching the ground, Kurbad went slowly forward until he saw rising smoke and a house. It was a damn restaurant with three cooks prepared food for their master. When these saw the stranger, they shouted:

"How come you here, wretch? Our Lord will tear you apart to pieces."

"Let us wait," said Kurbad, calmly sitting down by the stove to the side of. Then the cooks prayed and spoke to him devoutly, that he would even hide, otherwise the elves would hate them too to face Kurbad agreed and hid behind the oven. Maybe and speaking, a witch arrived, sniffed the air, and said, “What a strange smell here is it?" "The crow just flew by," answered the cooks. Ilkimys calmed down and went to the pot to taste if, for example, there was enough salt. Just as he leaned over the edge of the cauldron, Kurbad attacked from his hiding place and dropped nothing into the boiling broth of an unsuspecting devil. Its boiling there, the hero ordered the cooks to tell where the king's daughters came from could find. The eldest -- they said -- lived in the silver castle and belonged to the devil that Kurbad just killed, the mean one in the golden castle, a prisoner of the three-headed monster, but the youngest in the diamond castle that was that of the six-headed creature. Kurbad took the mace and the sword and left to look for. When he arrived near the silver castle, he was met by a beautiful woman the girl and asked in wonder, “Oh, youth, how come you here? When my dreadlord returns, you'll be dead."

"Well, well," said Kurbad, "of course it won't be that bad, especially when your dreadlock is already dead.”

Then he told the queen's daughter how everything happened, went with one crying for joy to the castle, ate, drank and asked about both of them of his younger sisters. He told her everything he knew and brought a bottle that the devil had forgotten on the windowsill. This bottle contained rare magic water. If you drank it from the designated side, got giant powers, but if drank from the opposite side, disappeared all the power for the whole year. Kurbad drank and felt so so strong that he could have carried the whole earth.

The next morning, the hero went to the golden castle and beat himself to death the three-headed devil. Both sisters were now free and had come the turn of the youngest. When Kurbad entered the diamond castle lay the six-headed one devil in bed and snored so that the walls shook. Somewhere on the windowsill there was an identical bottle of strength and impotence water, the kind he had seen in the silver castle. Kurbad quickly turned the bottle so that the six-headed, who had noticed nothing, would have to drink definitely in the wrong direction. Then he sought the youngest king's daughter, wonder of a lovely girl who begged him to run away rather than to be left in the clutches of the terrible six-headed one.

Kurbad laughed and guessed, "That will take a long time."

Both of them went to the bedroom now. Kurbad drew his sword and beat off three heads of the sleeper with one blow; this one woke up in pain howling, grabbed the magic bottle and indeed drank from the wrong side. All power was gone from him and his opponent had won the game. After such a happy ending, the king's daughter threw herself weeping and rejoicing into the arms of his savior. But Kurbad would not to delay, but to get back to the country as soon as possible on top: "Could I take the castle with me," -- said he, admiringly diamond splendor building. "It is easily done," -- said the king's daughter. - - "Here is my wreath [Latvian girls decorated and even today they like to decorate their heads with garlands]; walk with it three times round the castle.” Kurbad did so and the whole the great grand building turned into a diamond egg in the blink of an eye, which you can easily put in your pocket. Now both gold and silver went then back to the silver castle, where the sisters were with fear and hope have been waiting for the hero's return. Both these castles were also taken by Kurbad with him in the form of a golden and silver egg. Soon everyone arrived at the opening and after they had uttered the watchword, the brothers who guarded them drew them up. Kurbad was the last. When he grabbed the rope, and the brothers started just pulling, a huge snake attacked the rope from the darkness and bit it across the middle. It was the witch, the wife of the nine-headed one whose Kurbad had struck. The snake disappeared as quickly as it had come -- but he remained under the ground.


IV

What to do? He didn't remember that he had a magic flute. He had no choice but to turn back. For a while after that he saw a house and in front of it a blind man feeding the cattle there was hardly any grass growing in the yard, although there was a beautiful one nearby, lush pasture.

"Why do you torture yourselves and your cattle?" -- asked Kurbad. "There after all, there is a suitable meadow further away."

"I know," replied the old man, "but the meadow is one a dog-muzzle--he won't allow it."

"Then where does the dog-nosed one live? Is he in the house?"

"This one doesn't hurt, but it's all the same; the big bird keeps watch in his absence."

"Is it that harsh?"

"Not exactly, but his master is darker than that. Once promised." the bird for me a little time to feed in that place, but it was the same the dog-nosed one there, gouged out my eyes and hit me with a spring year after year the young of the 'big bird' are killed by large hail. However, Ilkimmy has a magic potion that would help me regain my sight again -- but how do you get hold of it?"

"Don't worry," said Kurbad, "I will free you from the monster, but then you must show me the way to earth. Drive now your cattle to that very meadow."

"If you free us, the 'big bird' itself will carry you out of gratitude to the end of the earth," said the old man and drove his cattle to the pasture. That was it dog muzzle on the spot. Kurbad caught it by the muzzle, bent it kneeling it on the ground and swishing his mace at the monster's back, that is, until the softie told him where the magic potion was. Then Kurbad, with his dog-snout sword, struck the ground hard, so that he threw away his life. But the hero picked up the magic potion every gave the blind old man his sight again, and then they went to the "big bird's" nest. It was just the day it usually came severe hail. But most of the chicks were still lying in the nest without feathers. Kurbad covered them with his own body -- so it wouldn't the hissing and roaring incoming hail could not bring them anything pain. Then a great bird descended to the ground and said to Kurbad: "Through your act, my boys will finally grow up for once; what do you want as a reward for it?"

"Nothing," replied Kurbad, "just show me the way to the top of the earth!"

"I want to carry you there myself -- but the road is long and winding across the desolate sea. So go and slaughter the three underground animals, cut them up and take the meat with you on the trip. When you notice that I'm getting tired, throw a piece of meat in my beak."

Kurbad did as the bird had advised, struck three animals to death and took the meat with him. Then a bird carried him away. Nine days and it took nine nights to cross the desolate sea; then noticed the hero to the horror that there was no meat left; but the bird got tired visibly. What to do? Kurbad slashed the piece with his sword calf from his left leg and threw it into the bird's beak. So they finally arrived ashore. The hero was walking now, albeit bleeding and limping happily towards the long-desired goal. Arrived in the evening he to the king's city, where he found his bride, his sisters and his half-brother. The joy was great both in the court and in the whole country. The next day, Kurbad remembered the three magic eggs, took his bride the wreath, carried it three times around in the appointed place, threw the diamond egg on the ground -- and lo! A wonderful diamond castle rose before the eyes of the astonished king and his people. The same happened also with other sisters' garlands and gold and silver eggs. Immediately immediately stood two mighty castles, one of gold and the other of silver. Now the wedding took place and everyone threw themselves into the power of joy and happiness.


V

Now Kurbad would have lived peacefully at court, but the witch snake wanted otherwise. It didn't give the country or the people any peace, she said livestock, damaged fields and robbed children. That's when the young man decided the king frees the kingdom from burdens. He took three centners of salt and three centners of saltpeter on his back and went to search snake.

After three days, a snake came flying hissing and hissing through the air. At once Kurbad threw three hundredweights of salt into it; to quench his terrible thirst, the monster turned around and went into the sea. The hero hurried after it, but the sea was not yet his in sight, when already the snake came back. Now he threw it away three centners of salpietar: again the monster turned to the sea, Kurbadin following at breakneck speed. But he soon got lost and only found the sea after a long search.

On the beach, he noticed the workshop where the skysmith was working. To this the hero complained of his troubles. The skysmith promised to make for him a copper horse with which he could easily reach the witch snake but while riding, he should never look behind him. Their while still speaking the monster came back and flew right over the forge; the skysmith grabbed a large, glowing piece of iron and threw it to that -- but only the tip of the tongue sharpened. Now put the skysmith to the condition of the copper horse. Kurbad got on his back and -- at the wheel and with a thud it flew through the air. Soon he reached the snake and held it just gives a fatal blow with his sword -- when a terrible roar and a lightning strike behind his back made him forget everything; he looked behind him and in the blink of an eye the horse disappeared into his pool. The hero fell to the ground, unhurt, but the witch escaped. Now was forced by him again, by his own imprudence, looking for a way home. First came Kurbad to the big forest. There he saw of an old man sitting on the road and weaving a whip. “Greyhead, for who making a whip?” he asked.

"For the witches that live in the forest. They are terrible monsters form have taken it over completely. Only with this one with a whip you can somewhat keep them under control. Although yes, if if someone could be found to defeat them with a strong hand, it would be a forest forever free from the nasty thugs."

"I want to try," thought Kurbad. He waited until evening -- and when the witches had retreated to the great mountain cave for the night, scrolled he to the mouth of the large boulder passage. Then he took his sword and moved the boulder aside a little. One of the mischief stung right away head out of the gap. Kurbad struck and killed it. During the night he lost thus the entire witch troupe. The next morning he immediately set off on his journey. On the other side of the forest he met a man by a mighty fire warmed up, hollering incessantly: "It's freezing! It's freezing!"

"Then why don't you warm up?" asked Kurbad.

"Of course I would; but as soon as I begin to warm, my tormentor comes, werewolf, and threatens to devour me."

"Bring it on!" Kurbad surmised. Immediately the wolf was there. But the hero took it from both ears and threw it into the fire. "Fry there now, for the other mischiefs to breakfast!” The fire went out—and the shriveled rauka no longer froze.

After some time Kurbad came to the stream. A person stood on its shore and cried incessantly, "Thirsty! Thirsty!"

"Then why don't you drink?" asked the hero.

"If I could, but as soon as I stoop to the water, there comes my tormentor, the eagle, and threatens to swallow me."

Suddenly an eagle roared through the air; but the hero caught it by the neck and threw into the stream. Immediately on the spot, the water disappeared and the bullied rauka did not felt no more thirst.

Finally, Kurbad arrived at his home again. There was a witch snake caught at a very bad time. The hero's young wife had suddenly fallen ill to an unknown disease and was already close to death, so that he no longer could know his spouse. Kurbad remembered the magic potion he was taken from a dog-snout. He gave a few drops of it to the sick man -- and he was immediately healthy and happy. Now the witch gave the young king and his country to be many years in peace, for it knew no more no decent way to reach him. But finally made it inciting nine neighboring kings against him. They attacked with a large army to the kingdom of Kurbad. This gathered his faithful and went against the enemies. But the leader of these was almost invincible giant.

Enduring the fierce battle that now broke out, Kurbadin succeeded beat a giant to the ground with his mace; but while he took his sword, to cleave the giant's head, he struck him deep a wound in the left shoulder. At the same time, the witch snake was also there and injected its poisonous spit into the wound.

Still up rose the dying hero's left hand And strangled the serpent, still he crushed the giant's head on the right, still drove his troops all the enemies fled -- but he himself was lost. Silent he fell on his club and died. But his name and his the fame of his deeds lives on in countless songs and fairy tales.