Segnius Irritant: or Eight Primitive Folk-lore Stories/Reason and Fortune
Reason and Fortune.
Once Reason and Fortune met at a foot-bridge. Reason was in those days still inexperienced; he did not know who is expected to give place to whom, and so he said: “Why should I move out of thy way? Thou art no better than I.” “The better is he,” replied Fortune, who proves himself to be so in practice. Seest thou that peasant’s son yonder, who is ploughing in the field? Enter into him, and if he fares better with thee than with me, I will always submissively move out of thy way when and wheresoever we meet.” Reason agreed to this, and then and there entered into the ploughboy’s head. As soon as the plough-boy felt that he had Reason in his head he began to syllogise. “Why must I walk behind the plough to the day of my death? I am sure I could make my fortune in some other and easier way as well.” He left off ploughing, put by the plough, and went home. “Dear little father,” he says, I don’t like this husbandry business; I had rather apprentice myself to a gardener.” His papa said: “What’s up with thee, Vanek? Art thou out of thy wits?” But then he reflected, and said: “Nu! since thou wishest it, go in Heaven’s name! thy brother will have this cottage after me.” Vanek lost the cottage; but he cared nothing for that; he went and apprenticed himself to the royal gardener. The gardener did not show him much; on the other hand, Vanek, just through this, got to understand more. Soon after he did not even obey the gardener when he told him to do anything, and did everything his own way. At first the gardener was cross; but then, seeing that everything succeeded better so, he was contented. I see that thou hast more reason than I have,” he said, and henceforth left Vanek to garden exactly as he pleased. In no long time Vanek had improved the garden so much that the king had great delight in it, and often took a walk in it with his royal lady and his only daughter. This daughter of the king was a very beautiful maiden, but from her twelfth year she had ceased to speak; no one had ever heard a single word from her. The king was greatly vexed on that account, and had it proclaimed, who causes her to speak again shall be her husband. And so many young kings, princes, and other great lords announced themselves one after the other, but as they came so they went away again; none of them succeeded in causing her to speak. “And why should not I try my fortune, too?” thought Vanek. “Who knows whether I may not succeed in bringing her to answer when I ask a question?” And so he at once mentioned the matter to the king, and the king and his counsellors led him into the room where his daughter lived. This daughter had a pretty little dog and was very fond of it, because it was very intelligent; it understood everything she wanted to have. When Vanek and the king and those counsellors stepped into her room. Vanek pretended not even to see the royal maiden, but turned to that little dog and says: “I have heard, doggy, that thou art very intelligent, and I am come to thee for advice. We were three boon companions: one a carver, the other a tailor, and myself. Once we went through a wood and had to pass the night in it. In order that we might be safe from the wolves we made a fire and agreed to watch in turn. First the carver watched, and to shorten the time he took a block of wood and carved out of it a fine maiden. When it was finished he woke the tailor that he might watch his turn. The tailor, seeing the wooden maiden, asked what it meant. ‘As thou seest,’ said the carver, ‘time hung heavily, and I carved a dummy out of a block of wood; if thou also findest the time hang heavily, thou canst dress her.’ The tailor immediately drew forth his scissors, needle and thread, cut out a suit, and set himself to sew; and when the suit was ready, he dressed dummy in it. After this he summoned me to go and watch. And I also ask what is up with him. ‘As thou seest,’ said, the tailor, ‘time passed slowly with the carver, and he carved a dummy out of a log, and I, finding time pass slowly, clothed her, and if thou shalt find time pass slowly, thou canst teach her to speak.’ And so I really did teach her to speak by morning. But in the morning when my comrade awoke, each one wished to have dame dummy. The carver says: ‘’Twas I made her.’ The tailor: ‘’Twas I clothed her.’ And I also maintained my right to her. Tell me, then, doggy, to which of us does that dummy maiden belong?’ Doggy was silent; but instead of the dog, the king’s daughter replied: “To whom should she belong but to thee? What is there in a carven dummy without life? What in a tailor-made suit of clothes without speech? Thou gavest her the best gift, life and speech, and therefore she belongs of right to thee.” “Thou hast thyself given judgment about thyself,” said Vanek. “Even to thee have I restored speech and new life, and therefore thou too belongest to me of right.” Then said a certain one of the counsellors of the king: “His royal highness will give thee a sufficient reward for having succeeded in unloosing his daughter’s tongue; but thou canst not marry her thyself, thou art of vulgar birth.” But Vanek would not hear of any other reward, and said: “The king promised without reservation: he who causes his daughter to speak again shall be her husband. The king’s word is law, and if the king wishes others to keep his laws, he must himself be the first to respect them. And therefore the king must give me his daughter.” Guards! bind him,” exclaimed that counsellor; “he who says that the king must do anything, outrages his royal majesty, and is worthy of death. Your royal highness, please command that this criminal be executed by the sword.” And the king said: “Let him be executed by the sword.” And so then and there they bound Vanek, and led him to the scaffold. When they came to the place of execution, Fortune was already waiting for them there, and said privily to Reason: “See how this man has fared with thee. Now it has come to this: he has to lose his head! Retire, that I may enter in thy place!” As soon as Fortune entered into Vanek, the executioner’s sword snapped off close at the hilt, as though someone had cut it in two with scissors; and before they had brought him another, forth from the city on horseback rode a trumpeter as if he were winged, trumpeted gaily and waved a white pennon, and after him drove the king’s coachman to fetch Vanek. And this was how it was. That king’s daughter had said afterwards to her father at home, that, after all, Vanek had only spoken the simple truth, and the king’s word ought not to be broken, and that if Vanek was of vulgar birth the king could easily make him a prince. And the king said: “Thou art right; let him be a prince!” And so they sent the royal coachman at once for Vanek, and instead of him was executed that counsellor who had prompted the king against Vanek. And when after this, Vanek and that royal daughter drove away together from the wedding. Reason happened somehow to be on the road, and seeing that he would have to meet Fortune, he bent his head and fled aside, as if he had been well splashed. And ever since then they say Reason, whenever he has to meet with Fortune, gives him a wide berth.
Note.—In the original there is a play upon the word “maiden” which cannot be given in the translation. Panna means a virgin, as for instance the Virgin Mary, and also a wooden doll or dummy. Shijesti, again, means rather more than good luck or fortune, as it also includes the notion of happiness.