Page:Poet Lore, volume 34, 1923.djvu/20

 my own blind passion! When at last I grasped it by the antlers, Radovid, I plunged my sword into its side! Its hot blood spurted on my face and hands and tears fell from its eyes. It fell and sighed like a human being! My heart sank; I fancied that I had committed murder! I could not endure the accusing look of the dying animal. I cast aside the weapon and fled as if pursued by sin!

Radovid.—Thou art too compassionate and always hast been so; thou hast ever loved animals even to excess.

Radúz.—They are our brothers; the earth is their mother as well as ours. But listen to what happened further. I fled on blindly; I know not how long this lasted. Suddenly the forest became less dense and from its border I saw on a meadow covered with flowers a large, white building. It was silvered by the moon and seemed like a cloud. Three maidens garbed in white were standing among the flowers in the meadow; two of them were singing and each petted a white stag, just such a stag as I had killed but a short time before! The third stood apart and was silent. She was sad and gazed at the moon. Then I saw what an evil deed I had done! It was surely her stag that lay in blood there in the dense forest—and she was sad through my transgression!

Radovid.—Didst thou approach nearer?

Radúz.—How could I have summoned the heart to look into her face? No, I again fled into the forest and sought for water, that I might wash this blood from my hands It burned like fire! Here at last I found a spring. Then I threw myself on the grass; I longed to sleep. But through this willow, which by night seemed like a cloud of greenish-gray mist, the moon looked down upon me, and I imagined that I saw her—that maiden’s pale, sad face gazing upon me through the dark enchantment of the branches that spread broad above me. At last I fell asleep, but into a restless sleep.

Radovid.—Thou art a child! And I, too, am foolish as a child, that I harken and harken to thee and completely forget to urge thee to haste! I have great fear that we are standing on the soil of King Stojmír.

Radúz.—It is likely that we are within the bounds of the Tatra land. Those gigantic mountain peaks are so near! How proudly they raise their heads aloft! And eagles circle all about them!