Page:The Ballads of Marko Kraljević.djvu/88

 Do thou tell thy sister, Leka, That she may choose which of us she will, And we brethren shall not quarrel, But one shall be the bridegroom, The other twain shall be the devers, And we shall all be thine own good friends." Up sprang Leka, no word he said, He went to the high tower, And spake to his sister Rosanda: "Come, sister, come proud Rosa, Come, sister, to the slender čardak! It so fortunes thee in this thy life, That of three Serbian knights thou mayst take thy choice, Whose like there is not in the world this day; Thereby shall thy brother gain good friends And thou, sister, shalt wed with great honour." The sister made answer to her brother: "Go, brother, to the slender čardak. Drink wine together and toast one the other, Behold thy sister cometh to the čardak." Forthwithal goeth Leka to the čardak, And like brethren the knights sit together in the čardak. Then a sound was heard in the high čardak, There was a sound on the slender staircase Of dainty slippered feet, And lo, a bevy of maidens! And in the midst thereof the maid Rosanda. And when Rosanda entered into the čardak, The four corners thereof glittered With the splendour of her apparel, And the beauty of her form and features. The three Serbian knights looked upon her, They looked and were abashed, For in sooth they had great marvel of Rosa. Many a wonder had Marko seen, He had seen the Vilas of the mountains, And he had Vilas that were his sworn sisters,