Page:The Ballads of Marko Kraljević.djvu/179

 If haply he might know whence came the voice of the Vila. Right so Marko drew forth a knife craftily, And so he carved Musa the Outlaw From the navel even to the white throat. But the dead Musa lay heavy on Marko That scarce might he win out from under him. And when Marko had rolled Musa over, He perceived in Musa three mighty hearts, And three sets of ribs, one over other. The first heart was quite spent, The second throbbed strongly, On the third slept an evil snake; And when the snake awoke, Dead Musa writhed on the greensward, And the snake spake thus unto Marko: "Give thanks to God, Kraljević Marko, That I was not awaked from sleep Whilst Musa was yet alive, Else had three hundred woes come upon thee." When Kraljević Marko saw this, Tears ran down his face. "God of Mercy," quoth he, "woe is me! For I have slain a better than myself." Then he strake off Musa's head, And cast it into the corn-sack of Sharatz, And bore it to white Stamboul. When he cast down the head before the illustrious Sultan, Sore adread the Sultan sprang to his feet, And Kraljević Marko said to him: "Be not adread, my Lord Sultan! How hadst thou received him living, When his dead head maketh thee so to leap?" Three charges of gold the Sultan gave him; Marko went forth to white Prilep, Musa tarried on Kačanik.