Сказки / Fairy Tales

In the morning, he came in to the Star-Child and frowned at him, and said,

‘In a wood that is nigh to the gate of this city of Giaours there are three pieces of gold. One is of white gold, and another is of yellow gold, and the gold of the third one is red. Today you must bring me the piece of white gold. If you don’t bring it, I will beat you with a hundred stripes[16 - I will beat you with a hundred stripes  –  я дам тебе сотню ударов плетью]. Get away quickly! At sunset I will wait for you at the door of the garden.

Remember to bring me the white gold, or I will punish you. You are my slave, I bought you for the price of a bottle of sweet wine.’

And he bound the eyes of the Star-Child with the scarf of figured silk, and led him through the house, and through the garden of poppies, and up the five steps of brass. Then he opened the little door with his ring and pushed him in the street.

The Star-Child went out of the gate of the city, and came to the wood.

This wood looked very nice, it seemed full of birds and of flowers.

The Star-Child entered it gladly. But soon its beauty disappeared, and wherever he went harsh briars and thorns shot up from the ground and encompassed him. Evil nettles stung him, and the thistle pierced him with daggers. And he could not find the piece of white gold anywhere, though he sought for it from morn to noon, and from noon to sunset. At sunset he wept bitterly and decided to go home, for it was time to return.

But when he reached the outskirts of the wood, he heard from a thicket a cry.

The Star-Child forgot his own sorrow and ran back to the place, where he saw there a little Hare in a hunter’s trap.

The Star-Child had pity on it, and released the Hare, and said,

‘I am a slave, but I can free you.’

The Hare answered him:

‘Surely you gave me freedom. What can I give you in return?’

The Star-Child said to it,

‘I look for a piece of white gold, but I can’t find it anywhere. If I don’t bring it to my master he will beat me.

’

‘Come with me,’ said the Hare, ‘and I will lead you to it. I know where it is, and for what purpose.’

So the Star-Child went with the Hare, and lo! In the cleft of a great oak-tree he saw the piece of white gold. He was filled with joy, and seized it, and said to the Hare,

‘You rendered back my service and repaid the kindness many times over!’

‘As you deal with me,’ answered the Hare, ‘so I deal with you.