Le

oukta. When, however, Vachtang had conquered and pacified the Ossians, killed their commander-in-chief, Great Bagkatar, and seven of his brothers, and brought the sister safely home, he also took with him as a captive t

became a man, his wooings took a more refined form and were frequently put down in exquisite verses. A large number of little pieces of poetry are in circulation among the people under the name of "Wooing of the Knight," for when he reached his fourteenth year, the Tsar made him his body-knight. His com

of the Bo

l Trans

ad me into the h

e as t

t winni

soul with

scend from a p

east the Tsar's

annot even testi

with thee through s

a mighty fortress

ly high an

lance does not

grand old

, I am thy slave,

o pick up a quarr

self in having ju

as great

e still in lif

blood runs

boast of such

d of my strength and p

st against the stone and lo! the rock began to shake and split. When he looked at his fist he notic

be to me when my heart is harder than stone?" h

g her growth she married the Shah of Persia. On the day of her departure Mirian came to his little spring, fixed the sword between two stones and threw himself against it with such violence that the sharp blade went right through him. His youthful body slipped into the water, but the burning blood swelled the little rivulet and gave it a marvellous power of resistance. To this well kno

hey threw the unhappy "darky" in the stream of tears of the stremiannoy (body-knight) and went off; he at first lost consciousness, but later came back to his senses and came out on the opposite bank, completely cured of his useless passion. As he still felt uneasy and could not think of daring to retu

ligently and carefully recorded them. Soon a whole bouquet of most varied and entertaining tales was gotten up, reminding one of the all famous Arabian stories, and I can only regret that my memory prevented me from remembering but very few of them. I can unders

ed on and could easily distinguish two human heads on the surface of the water. He began to pay more attention; a very handsome youth-a negro-and quite as beautiful and splendid a white girl were standing in the water up to their throats, and ha

t. The longer Nebrotk paid attention and looked at the surprising spectacle the more easily he succeeded in making out that all the charm of this extraordinary scene was concentrated in the form of a perfectly magnificent woman. In her hands there was some kind of a long feather, consisting entirely of sun rays, with wh

ning of this fragrant, flowery little song, and holding his breath, he began to take the gre

een so benefited by her-all without exception had to abandon her in the deepest grief and disappointment. Then, however, she found two tender lovers. He was an adventurer, viz., a fisherman, but she the daughter of a very wealthy gardener. The goddess promised them her complete protection, and they without further reflections threw aw

her. Thereupon she slowly returned to the hut of humble Nebrotk and with a new motion of her bewitching feather changed it into a perfectly marvellous, brilliant, nay, most elegant royal palace. Nebrotk stood like one struck by lightning. With a clever but sly smile upon her beautiful face, Astkchicka ordered her servants to lead him off to the stream and put him down on the estrade abandoned by her. But hardly had these orders been

designed for animated secret conversations between lovers. In one of these unhappy moments the conditions and peculiar qualities of the stream became known to Naboukodonozor, and the fear that the magic force of the water should influence Roussoudanna found a refuge in his soul. It is of course well known to all of you that suspicion is the enemy of love. Naboukodonozor seriously began to think that Roussoudanna had fallen in love with him. Seeking the reason of this imaginary adoration he suddenly came upon the idea t

nd an all powerful song, blowing everything before it like a huge wave, reached the palace and suddenly awakened the goddess-but Nebrotk quietly went on sleeping and heard nothing. Stepping lightly, Astkchi

tkchicka roughly pulled them away, passed them around his neck and having given him a kiss on his lips, she instantly disappeared. Some wonderful extraordinary fire ran over the whole body of poor Naboukodonozor from this rare, but dangerous kiss. A new feeling got hold of him, viz., a boundless desire inspired him to run off to the goddess, but the very thought that she was able to treat, nay, caress, Nebrotk in the same affectionate way, completely kept him from making a fool of himself. He th

in the morning she beheld Naboukodonozor with a pure white complexion and golden hair. Upon the question what had occurred to him, he

id, and went out to gather fruit for the "déjeuner" of the goddess. Afte

ebrotk looked at him rather suspiciously, and unwilling to believe the truth of the story, he we

o for my real savior what I had deigned to do for thee," was the godly repl

soever. General dissatisfaction, suspicion, grief, and tears were alternately seen and heard in the fairy-like palace. Poor, poor Roussoudanna could not dry her eyes. Once upon a time, going to look for fruit, she went out of her way and got completely lost. The sun was

us with the promise of thy protection as long as thou didst need us, but now that the situation has changed thou tookes

s far stronger than thou, whe

!" rang out from the grie

tion of an old man's voice, and indeed unhappy Roussoudanna soon beheld

up to her. Roussoudanna naturally said that she had lost her way, that

a pitcher of water, carefully arranged the sofa of leaves and inviting her to take a good rest, he went out. Having refreshed herself, Roussoudanna began to watch him most attentively through the gate of the grotto and there she saw that he had walked a little way off and then had fallen on his knees and begu

gather dates; having got together a huge pile, he gayly car

d in my poor dwelling house," said the kind-hearted host, turning to her, "and see here, I am

sual and unheard of goodness and thoughtfulne

ked-and continued thus: "It is possible that th

an, I have never known w

llness pull thee down and mercile

ealth and have a s

dful worries did n

an). B (th

ve nothing to b

y and faithfully carried

and palace from which the following torments were

s may have led thee off the good

ubjected to any such rule

ur palace were extremely severe and th

y, we acknowl

e palace abused his might and compelled you to do c

kchicka was sole mistress and

, viz., that she united such people as wo

ll gathered around her in

ke out, "you came together over there in the name of love and it is

she suddenly interrupted him. "I can bear witness and prove that nobody ever and

, "that which the idol worshippers falsely call love, is by no means that holy feeling which we unde

red from blushing, while her

h the greatest joy would I suffer any possible privations, every imagi

ellow men and women, that nobody in this wide world is either capable or strong enough to put an end to thy unhappiness? Relate

than anybody or anything in the wo

only cause of thy great sorrow? How can one call it unhapp

he might like such a course of

e, O wise hermit?" She was p

will undertake to explain it all right to thee,

t understand that for me this circumstance

happiness for thee was to stand every privation, nay, all sufferings, simply

on love to a being, a being which was perfect. He always submitted his love to the righteous laws of God; this was not a senseless inspiration, but an action free of any earthly, foolis

possible that greatest example of utmost perfecti

which you are all constantly looking and which you are as yet unable to find. Following out the orders of my God it will be easy to find happiness, for His perfect and most merciful laws restrain the will of the individual man only there, where it proves necessary for his thrift and condition in ge

y fruit. With despair and terror did he inform them that Astkchicka now considered Naboukodonozor her husband, while he was forced to serve his rival and nobody paid any attention to-yes, had utterly forgotten the existence of Roussoudanna. Then she asked him to sit down and told the inhabitant of the castle

se, the old man simply touched the fairy-land palace with his staff and in a few seconds it completely disappeared like an apparition. Then he instructed Nebrotk and Roussoudanna in real Christian love and in the obligations of married life and then performed for both the wedding ceremony, and having fervently prayed to the Creator they all together went to work erecting a perfectly new log house for the

m so much as not to offend each other and not grumble and growl over little defects and mishaps which regarded their personalities alone and from which the neighbors should not suffer, did they teach themselves and conceive how well it was to rejoice over the blissfulness of

iculties, to know how to guarantee one's shining happiness, and then they heard not the fairy-land song of the flowers, the fragrant song of the youngsters saved by them for a joyful, diligent, and Christian life, and they rejoiced in th