Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 26, 1915.djvu/306

 COLLECTANEA.

Roumanian Folk Tales.

The following collection of folk-tales from Roumania has been translated from the original versions by Miss Aga Berindei, grand-daughter of the late Roumanian Minister for War, General Berindei, and of M. Costinescu, Minister of Finance. They have been arranged for publication by Miss Frances Browne.

" The Tale of the Lad and his Fate."

Once upon no time, when the sky was so near Earth that tall people could reach it with their hand stretched out, there lived an Emperor who had three Lads. When the time had come for them to marry, the Emperor said to them :

" My dear children, now that you are grown up, go, each one of you, into the World in search of a bride, so that you also shall become men amongst men."

" Your words, Father, are for us an Ikon, before which we bow," answered the Three Lads, and, after kissing their father's hand, they made ready to go, each one hurrying to be the quickest.

The Eldest Lad put on his best clothes, and taking some attendants and money with him, went off.

Riding towards the East, he came upon the castle of a certain Emperor who had an only daughter. The Lad asked for her hand in marriage, and the Emperor her father promised her to him for wife.

The same with the next Lad ; after attiring himself as beauti- fully as he knew how, he went towards the West, and he also came upon the castle of an Emperor who had a daughter. The