Page:The Ballads of Marko Kraljević.djvu/122



Sultan's Majesty came down to Kossovo, With an hundred thousand warriors with him. And camped by Sitnica river. And a public crier went through the host, Offering for sale a damascened sabre. The naked sword—three hundred ducats; The sheath thereof—three hundred ducats; Straps and swordbelt—three hundred ducats; But none might he find That would buy the sabre for gold. But by chance it fortuned, That Marko met with the Turk, the merchant. And Kraljević Marko said: "O Turk, thou crier of merchandise! Give me the damascened blade that I may see it." The Turk gave it without a word, Marko looked well at the damascened sabre, And to the crier he said: "I will give thee nine hundred, Nine hundred ducats, all of yellow gold, But hear me, thou crier! Let us seek a secluded spot, Let us withdraw us from here a little, That so I may count out to thee all the yellow ducats. It liketh me not here to ungird me, And to do off my three belts of gold, For here I owe much money to a Turk, He would not suffer me to buy the sword." The Turk had joy of these words, So they went up by Sitnica river,