Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 23, 1912.djvu/120

98 The son goes a-hunting. Then the mother says to the goblin,—"May the days of your life be cut short! (Curse you!). Show my son a road that has no returning, that he may go, and never come nback." The goblin promises to do so. When the son returns, the mother takes dry wafers, and spreads them under her in the bed, and, as they crackle, she cries,—"Oh, my son, I am going to die! You will see me no more." Her son asks her what she would like.

"Son," she replies, "I have heard that if you were to go and bring lion's milk, for me to drink, I should recover." The son arises and goes.

He goes until he reaches the konak once more. The old woman asks,—"Son, where are you going?" "I am going after lion's milk for my mother," he replies. "Ho, my son, you are going to deceive her then!" "No, indeed, I am going to bring her some." "If you are bound to go, come, let me give you some advice," the old woman says. "As you go, you will come to an old lioness with a wounded paw; it is swollen, and painful. As soon as the sun is up, she begins to paw a cedar tree, and to roar toward heaven and toward earth. Now, if you succeed in piercing the swelling with your bow and arrow, well and good; but, if not, she will eat you up. Although you may think you have pierced the swelling, don't show yourself until the pain of the swelling has eased. Then you can show yourself. Spirit of God! She will give you anything you wish then."

The young man goes along. He goes until he sees a lion pawing at a cedar tree, and roaring toward heaven and toward earth. He shoots, and pierces the swelling with his bow and arrow, and it goes down.

The lion cries,—"Who is that? I should like to eat him up! Oh, oh!" Then after a little, when the pain was eased, she cries again,—"Who was that? Spirit of God! I would give him anything he wished of me."

Then the young man sprang forth, and the lion asked,—"Was it you who cured my swelling?" "It is even so; your servant, my lord," he replied. "Then ask," said the lion, "and you shall have whatever you wish."

"My mother is ill," the man replied, "I want some lion's milk."