Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/392

 84 Shakespearian Story in Serbian Folklore,

for what crime her brother is to suffer death, and on hearing the King's answer shows that her hand and hair have not been touched. She claims the King as her slave, and the King makes her his wife."

This form of the legend also occurs in our folk-lore, notably in the Serbian folk-songs, the ballad of " Ibrahim and Marko," given by S. Milutinovic in his Pjevanija cerno- gorska i hercegovacka (1837). Ibrahim is a Turk. Marko is the renowned Kraljevic Marko, King of Macedonia, and the Serbian national hero. The two are at Constantinople, and drinking the red wine together. Presently they begin to boast of their possessions. The Turk praised his sabre. Marko lauded the wisdom of his wife. " There are more beautiful women than my wife, but none of readier wit, and there is no man in the world who can deceive her in any matter at all." The two men at once conclude a wager in the presence of the Turkish Sultan. The loser is to forfeit his head. Ibrahim departs for Prilep, Marko's castle in Macedonia. He is wearing Marko's armour, his clothes, and is even mounted upon his horse, for the better success of his enterprise. From the battlements of the Royal Castle, Angjelija, Marko's clever wife, perceiving the approach of the strange knight, at once divined that there was some trickery afoot, and ordered her slave girl Roksanda to receive the new guest, while she herself retired unnoticed. Ibraham spent the night with Roksanda and, believing her to be Marko's wife, severed one of the plaits of her hair in token of his success. Then he returned to Constantinople. He placed the severed plait before Marko and said to him : head." Marko submitted and the Turk began to pinion his arms. But at that moment, Angjelija returned, apparelled as a knight, a long chibouk or tobacco pipe in her hand, and a casque on her head which completely concealed the long plaits of her hair. Matters were ex- plained to her, but she was not recognised. At last, without
 * ' Rise, Marko, thou hero, that I may strike off thy valiant