Page:The Ballads of Marko Kraljević.djvu/145

 "Fear not, my son Marko! And if thy manor be burnt I shall build thee yet fairer dwelling, Hard by mine own, and like even unto mine. If thy gold be taken, I shall make thee collector of poll-tax, Thence shalt thou glean more gold than ever tofore. And if thy wife be in sooth led captive, I shall wed thee to a better one." But Marko Kraljević answered: "Thanks be to thee, my father the Sultan! But, and if thou build me a manor, The poor will curse me, saying: 'See the whoreson Kraljević Marko! His old manor is burnt with fire. May his new one avail him naught!'— And if thou make me collector of poll-tax, I may not gather the taxes, If I bind not the poor and needy. And the poor will curse me— 'See the whoreson Kraljević Marko, The gold he had was ravished away. May this gold also do him naught of profit.'— And wherefore shouldst thou wed me to another wife, Since that mine own is yet on live? But give me three hundred janissaries, Let forge for them the crooked knives of the vineyard, And furnish them with light mattocks, And I shall go to white Kostura If haply I may win back my wife." The Sultan gave him three hundred janissaries, He let forge the knives of the vineyard, And gave them light mattocks withal. Then Marko gave counsel unto the janissaries: "My brothers, ye three hundred janissaries, Ye must get you to white Kostura; And when ye come to the castle of Kostura