Atondido Stories
with a mighty effort he gripped the dragon as if he were a stake
of wood and drove him into the ground up to his very shoul-
ders. Then quickly drawing Nedyelka's sword, he cut off the
dragon's head.
At once the lovely princess came running and herself
plucked two of the Golden Apples and gave them to Vitazko.
She thanked him prettily for rescuing her and she said to him:
"You have saved me, Vitazko, from this fierce monster and
now I am yours if you want me."
"I do want you, dear princess," Vitazko said, "and, if I could,
I'd go with you at once to your father to ask you in marriage. But
I cannot. I must hurry home to my sick mother. If you love me,
wait for me a year and a day and I'll surely return."
The princess made him this promise and they parted.
Remembering the raven, Vitazko rode over to the meadow
and slaughtered the dragon's horses. Then rising on Tatosh he
flew home on the wind to St. Nedyelka.
"Well, son, how did things go?" the old woman asked.
"Gloriously!" Vitazko answered, showing her the Golden Ap-
ples. "But if the princess hadn't given me a second ring I might
have been vanquished."
"Take home the Golden Apples to your mother," Nedyelka
said, "and this time ride Tatosh to the castle."
So Vitazko mounted Tatosh again and flew to the castle.
Sharkan and his mother were making merry together when they
saw him coming.
"Here he comes again!" the mother cried. "What shall I do?
What shall I do?"
But Sharkan could think of nothing further to suggest. So
without a word he hurried to the tenth chamber where he hid
himself and the woman had to meet Vitazko as best she could.
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