Page:The Ballads of Marko Kraljević.djvu/219

 And there thou shalt give over to him the fair damsel." With that the wedding-guests arose, And bravely did the King conduct them forth, To all the wedding-guests he gave gifts in turn, To one a kerchief, to another a shirt all rare embroidered. So they departed thence in merry wise, And gat them up into the mountain. And when they were come up into the mountain, There sat a knight by the highway, That was clad right marvellously, All in silver and in fine gold. His mighty plumes came down over him, Yea, brothers, down to the green grass! Black indeed was his moustache about his teeth, And in size it was as large as a lamb of half a year. Through his moustache a breastplate shone, Like the bright sun through woodland trees. His legs were yellow to the knee, Yea, my brothers, with purest gold! His mace was hard by him, In his lap lay his battle-spear, On his thigh was a rich-wrought sabre. And ever as the knight drank the red wine, The Vila of the mountain served him; With her right hand she gave him to drink from a golden cup, And with her left she gave him to eat. Now when the wedding-guests should have passed by, The knight leapt lightly to his feet, And spake to the King of Buda: "Ha, Sir King!" quoth he, "Ha, Sir Kum! Throw down the golden shirt That they gave thee yonder." The King yielded it without a word. The King passed on and Vuk drew nigh, And of him the knight required the golden tray, And Vuk gave it without a word.