[127]
It wearies me of angry wretches,
That complain ever of that accursed Musa."
Marko said to the illustrious Sultan:
"Let bring dry cornel-wood
That has been nine years seasoning,
That I may see what I can bring out of it."
The Sultan let bring dry cornel-wood,
Marko gripped it in his right hand, 110
The wood crunching brake in two pieces and in three,
But no drop of water came forth of it.
"God's truth, Sultan," quoth he, "the time is not yet."
So there passed another month of days,
Until that Marko was somewhat refreshed,
And when him seemed he might now do battle,
He asked for dry cornel-wood,
And they brought Marko wood of the cornel.
And when he grasped it in his right hand,
It brast crunching in two pieces and in three 120
And there sprang forth two drops of water.
Right so, withal, Marko spake to the Sultan, saying:
"Sultan, the time is come."
Straightway he betook him to Novak the smith,
"Forge me a sabre, smith Novak," quoth he,
"Such as thou hast never forged before."
He gave him thirty ducats,
And gat him to the inn.
And there drank wine for three days and for four,
And then betook him once again to Novak:130
"Hast thou forged me the sabre, Novak?" quoth he.
The smith brought out the weapon he had forged.
To him Kraljević Marko:
"Is it a good sword, smith Novak?"
And Novak answered and said:
"Lo, here is the sabre and here the anvil,
See for thyself what manner of sword it is."
Marko swung the sabre in his right hand,
And smote down upon the anvil,
