Page:A history of Hungarian literature.djvu/227

 ALEXANDER PETŐ FI 213 beneath the lashing of the wind." The ship is wrecked but János, after a hair-breadth escape from drowning, reaches the shore and finds a roc's nest. The bussar throws bimself on the back of the powerful hird, plunges his spurs into bim, and is carried homeward, to Iluska . But when he arríves there he hears from one of the young girl's friends that she is dead . " Why did I not fali on the battlefield ? " cries out J án os in the agony of his grief. "Or why did not the waves overwhelm me ? " He goes to the church yard, plucks a rose from the maiden 's grave, a nd leaves the village, never to return. Two companions accompany him, wherever he goes­ his grief and his sword. He seeks death in heroic adventures in order that he may soon rej oin Iluska. Once, on the borders of a large forest, he reaches the frontier of the land of giants. Close beside a stream stands a giant, who cries out with a voice of thunder : " There seems to be something movi ng down below there, in the grass ; it's a man ; let me tread upon bim." But János quickly holds up his sword, the giant treads upon it and tumbles into the brook. János uses his body as a bridge, and when he reaches the opposite bank, proceeds straight to th e eastie of the giant king. The family is at dinner, and swallowing huge pieces of rock. The king mockingly breaks off a piece weigh ing four or fi ve pounds and bands it to the visitor for bim to eat. János grasps the stone, and hurls it at the king, striking bim on the temple and kining him instantly. The frighten ed giants do homage to our hero and ask him to be the ir king, giving bim a littie whistle, one blast of which would bri ng them to his aid. At length, with the help of the giants, János reaches Fairyland, the realm of love and happiness. But he feels