Armenian Literature by Anonymous
page 24 of 213 (11%)
page 24 of 213 (11%)
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know her.
The young wife sat in the fish and heard the voice of the bell-ringer. She called to him and pleaded: "Bell-ringer, O bell-ringer, thou hast called the people to church; cross thyself seven times, and I entreat thee, in the name of heaven, go to the prince and say that they must not slaughter my sheep-brother." Once, twice the bell-ringer heard this voice and told the King's son about it. The King's son took the bell-ringer with him and went at night to the seashore. The same voice spoke the same words. He knew that it was his dear wife that spoke, and drew his sword and ripped open the fish and helped his loved one out. They went home, and the prince had the stepmother brought to him, and said to her: "Mother-in-law, tell me what kind of a present you would like: a horse fed with barley or a knife with a black handle?" The stepmother answered: "Let the knife with a black handle pierce the breast of thine enemy; but give me the horse fed with barley." The King's son commanded them to tie the stepmother and her daughter to the tail of a horse, and to hunt them over mountain and rock till nothing was left of them but their ears and a tuft of hair. After that the King's son lived happily with his wife and her sheep-brother. The others were punished and she rejoiced. |
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