[ 144 ]
Tell me, how much is the marriage-tax?"
Then the Moor answered Marko fairly: 180
"Thou knowest it this long time already,
Whosoever taketh a husband payeth thirty ducats,
And whoso taketh a wife payeth four and thirty.
But meseemeth thou art a noble knight of prowess,
And it will do thee no hurt to give an hundred."
Marko felt with his hand in his pockets,
And threw down before the Moor three ducats:
"Trust me," quoth he, "no more gold have I,
But and if thou mayst endure
Till I am returned home with the fair damsel,190
Then will rich presents be given to me,
And unto thee shall I give them all.
To thee the presents, to me the maiden."
The Moor gnashed like an angry snake:
"From me, thou whore, thou gettest no credit,
Thou givest not the gold and wouldst mock me withal."
Right on that he seized his heavy mace
And smote Kraljević Marko,
Three times he smote him, yea, and four times!
Kraljević Marko laughed: 200
"O worshipful black Moor," quoth he,
"Art jesting or smitest thou in good earnest?"
The Moor gnashed like an angry snake:
"I jest not," he said, "but smite in earnest."
Quoth Marko:
"I weened that thou didst but jest, thou felon knight,
But since thou dost smite in good earnest,
Wit ye well that I also have a mace
Wherewith to smite thee three, yea, and four times.
For as oft as ye have smitten me, 210
So often shall I smite thee again.
Then shall we go forth of the tent,
For to fight together to the utterance."
Marko drew his battle-mace,
And smote the black Moor,
