Atondido Stories
Yirik conducted her safely to his master.
When the old king saw the lovely princess that Yirik had
found for him, his eyes blinked with satisfaction, he capered
about like a spring lamb, and he ordered that immediate prepa-
rations be made for the wedding. He was most grateful to Yirik
and thanked him again and again.
"My dear boy," he said, "I had expected to have you hanged
for your disobedience and let the ravens pick your bones. But
now, to show you how grateful I am for the beautiful bride you
have found me, I'm not going to have you hanged at all. Instead,
I shall have you beheaded and then given a decent burial."
The execution took place at once in order to be out of the way
before the wedding.
"It's a great pity he had to die," the king said as the execu-
tioner cut off Yirik's head. "He has certainly been a faithful serv-
ant."
Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, asked if she might have his
severed head and body. The king who was too madly in love to
refuse her anything said: "Yes."
So Zlatovlaska took the body and the head and put them to-
gether. Then she sprinkled them with the Water of Death. In-
stantly the wound closed and soon it healed so completely that
there wasn't even a scar left.
Yirik lay there lifeless but looking merely as if he were
asleep. Zlatovlaska sprinkled him with the Water of Life and im-
mediately his dead limbs stirred. Then he opened his eyes and
sat up. Life poured through his veins and he sprang to his feet
younger, fresher, handsomer than before.
The old king was filled with envy.
"I, too," he cried, "wish to be made young and handsome!"
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