Now Sanassar dwelt at Sassun, but the gods of his fathers gave him norepose, so he travelled to Bagdad to the home of his father and mother.His father, sitting at his window, saw his son Sanassar come riding up,and recognized him, and the caliph said: "My life to thee, great god!Thou hast brought back thy victim. Certainly in thy might thou wiltrestore the second soon."
The mother--she was a Christian--began to weep and shed tears over herchildren. The father took a sharp sword and went out to meet his son,saying: "Come, my son, let us worship the great god in his temple. Imust sacrifice to him."
The son said, "Dear father, your god is great and very wonderful. Trulyin the night he permits us no rest. Certainly he will bring the secondvictim to you by force."
And they went into the temple of the god, and the son said: "Fatherdear, you know that we left your house when we were yet children, and weknew not the might of your god."
"Yes, yes, my son, but kneel before him and pray."
The son said: "What a wonderful god your god is! When you bowed beforeyour god, there was a darkness before my eyes and I did not see how youdid it. Bow once more before him, that I may learn to worship him."
When the father did the second time the son cried: "Bread and wine, theLord liveth!" and seized his club and hurled the caliph full seven yardsdistant to the ground. And with his club he shattered all the imageswhere they stood, put the silver in the skirts of his robe and carriedit to his mother, saying: "Take this, mother, and wear it for ornament!"
His mother fell full length and bowed herself and said: "I thank thee,Creator of heaven and earth. It is well that thou hast rescued me fromthe hands of this cruel man."
They found Sanassar a wife and placed him on the throne in his father'splace, and he remained at Bagdad.[12]
[12] Here the story of Sanassar breaks off and he is not mentioned againin the tale.
Now Abamelik, who reigned in M鰏r, left his son M鰏ramelik to rule inhis stead and went to Sassun. Many years passed and children were bornto him. To one he gave the name Tschentschchapokrik. The eldest son henamed Z鰎a-wegi, the second Zenow-Owan; while the third son was calledChor-Hussan,[13] and the youngest David.
[13] All these names are poetic and refer to certain characteristics oftheir bearers. "Zenow-Owan" means "melodiously-speaking John";"Chor-Hussan" means "good singer"; "Tschentschchapokrik" means "sparrow";and "Z鰎anwegi," "cowardly Wegi."
Of these, Tschentschchapokrik and Z鰎anwegi proved to be ne'er-do-weels.Zenow-Owan had such a voice that he dried seven buffalo hides in the sunand wound them round his body so that it should not rend him. But thecleverest of all was David, and to his strength words cannot do justice.
Abamelik's life was long, but old age came upon him. Once he sat sunk inthought and said to himself: "Enemies are all about me. Who will carefor my children after my death? M鰏ramelik alone can do this, for nonebeside him can cope with my enemies."
He set out to visit M鰏ramelik,[14] but he was very aged. "M鰏ramelik, myson," he said, "you are truly of my blood. If I die before you, Iintrust my children to you. Take care of them. If you die first, confideyours to me and I will watch over them."
[14] To Mossul.
He returned and lived in his castle. His time came and he died. ThenM鰏ramelik came and took the children to his house, for he had notforgotten his father's command. Sassun mourned the death of Abamelik forseven years. Then the peasants feasted and drank again with UncleToross, for they said: "Uncle Toross, our lads have grown old and ourpretty girls are old women. If thou thinkest that by our seven years ofweeping Abamelik will live again we would weep seven years longer."Uncle Toross gave the peasants their way, and said: "Marry your lads andmaidens. Weeping leads nowhere."
And they sat down and feasted and drank wine. Uncle Toross took a cupin his hand and paused: he was thinking about something, and he neitherdrank nor set the cup down. His son cries from the street: "Father,dear, there are the mad men of Sassun. Take care, they will be jeeringat you. Let us go away."
Uncle Toross turned to his son and said: "Oh, you dog of a son! Shall Isit here and feast? Did not M鰏ramelik come and take our children away?Abamelik's children in trouble, and I sitting at a banquet? Oh, what ashame it is! Bread and wine, God be praised! Truly, I will drink no winetill I have fetched the little ones." And Uncle Toross went out ofSassun and came to M鰏r. He greeted M鰏ramelik, and they sat downtogether. Said Uncle Toross: "Now, we are come for God's judgment. It istrue that you made an agreement with Abamelik, but if a man sells acaptive he should first wait on the lord."[15]
[15] This means that if a captive is to be sold his kinsmen have a rightbefore all others to redeem him.
They arose and went to the court,[16] and Uncle Toross was given thechildren.
[16] Schariat, the name of the Turkish court of justice, stands in theoriginal.
But M鰏ramelik stood in fear of these children, and he said to UncleToross, "Let these children first pass under my sword, and then takethem with you."
Uncle Toross told the lads of this, and Z鰎anwegi said, "Let us passunder his sword and escape hence"; and the other two said the same. ButDavid said otherwise: "If he wishes us dead he will not kill us to-day,for the people will say he has murdered the children. Under his sword Iwill not go. He does this so that I shall not lift my sword against himwhen I am a man." Uncle Toross got the boys together, that they mightpass under the sword of M鰏ramelik, for he was very anxious. David wasrebellious; he stood still and went not under it. Uncle Toross seizedhis collar and pushed him, but David would not go. He ran past it at oneside and kicked with his great toe upon a flint until the sparks flew.And M鰏ramelik was frightened and said: "This child is still so youngand yet is terrible. What will happen when he is a man! If any evilcomes to me it will be through him."
Uncle Toross took the children and came to Sassun. Z鰎anwegi heestablished in the castle in his father's place, but David, who was theyoungest, was sent out to herd the calves.
What a boy David was! If he struck out at the calves with his oakenstick, he would throw them all down, and forty others beside. Once hedrove the calves to the top of the mountain. He found a herdsman therewho was abusing his calves, and said: "You fellow! What are you up to?Wait now, if I catch you, you will get something from my oaken stickthat will make you cry Ow! ow!"
The fellow answered David: "I am ready to give my life for your head ifI am not a shepherd from your father's village. These calves, here,belong to the peasants."
David said, "If that is so, watch my calves also. I know not what time Ishould drive them home. When the time comes tell me, that I may drivethem in."
Then David drove in the calves on time that day, and Uncle Toross waspleased and said: "Always be punctual, my son; go out and come backevery day at the right time."
"Uncle Toross, it was not my wisdom that did this. I have hired acomrade who will watch over my calves and see that I am ready withthem."
Once his comrade tarried, and David was greatly vexed. It appeared thata religious festival was held in the village, and on this account theyoung man was detained. Finally he arrived, and David said to him,"To-day you get nothing from me."
The young man said: "David, I am willing to die for you. From fear ofyour anger, I waited not for the end of the service of God in thechurch, and not one spoonful of the holy soup[17] has passed my lips. Idrove out the calves and am here. Now you know why I tarried."
[17] Although me Armenians became Christians in the fourth century, theystill retain many heathen customs which have lost all their originalsignificance. They still sacrifice sheep and cows which have on theprevious evening been given some salt consecrated by the priests. Themeat is cooked in immense kettles and carried around to the houses. Theshepherd speaks of soup of this kind.
David said: "Wait here; I will bring you your dinner."
He set off with his oaken stick over his shoulder. He came to thevillage, and found that all the people had brought corn to the priests,who blessed it. David stuck his oaken stick through the handle of thefour-handled kettle, and, full as it was, lifted it to his shoulder andwalked away. The priests and the peasants wondered at it, and one cried,"Truly, he has carried off a kettle!"
A priest cried out, "For God's sake, be silent! It is one of those madmen of Sassun. Take care or he will come back and break our ribs for us.May he take the thing and fall down with it!"
And David took the kettle of grits to his comrade, whom he found weepingon the mountain.
"Ha, ha," said David, "I know why you weep. I have brought the grits,but have forgotten butter and salt. That is why you weep. Eat the gritsnow, and have salt and butter this evening."
But the youth said. "David, I am ready to die for you, What need have Iof salt and butter; forty thieving Dews have come and driven away ourcalves."
David said, "Stay here and watch these calves, and I will bring back allthe others"; and he went after the calves. He followed their tracks tothe entrance of a cave and paused. He cried out with so loud a voicethat the Dews were frightened, and were as full of fear as is the devilwhen Christ's voice is heard in hell.
And when the leader of the Dews heard the voice he said: "That is surelyDavid, Abamelik's son. Go receive him with honor, else he will strike usdead."
They went out, one by one, and David struck each as he passed with hisoaken cudgel, so that their heads fell off and only dead bodies remainedin the place. He cut off the ears of all the forty and buried them undera stone at the mouth of the cave.
He laid down his club and entered the cave. There he saw a heap of goldand a heap of silver--indeed, all the treasures of the world. Since hisfather's death they had robbed and concealed their plunder in thiscavern. He opened a door, and saw a steed standing fastened to a ring.David was sunk in thought, and said to himself: "Uncle dear, thisproperty belongs to you, but this beast to me. If you give it tome--good. If not, you travel after those other fellows." Then heanswered for Uncle Toross: "My child, the treasure and the beast shouldbelong to you. What shall I do with them?"
He looked around and saw upon a pyre a copper kettle with four handles,and in it were his forty calves. He stuck his oaken stick through thehandles and raised the kettle, poured off the water, pushed the calves'feet back into the kettle, lifted it to his shoulder, and went back tohis comrade.
The two drove the rest of the herd into the village, and David calledthe owners to him and said: "If you deceive my brother a hair's breadthin the reckoning it will go badly with you. Sell this kettle. May itrepay you for your calves."
He separated his own calves from the peasants', and went home. It wasthen midday. He said to Uncle Toross: "Take quickly twenty asses and wewill go out and bring back treasure that shall suffice you and yourchildren till the seventh generation."
And they took the asses and set forth. When they reached the cavern,Uncle Toross saw the bodies of the Dews stretched near the entrance, andthey were swelled up like hills. In great fright Uncle Toross loosed hisass from the others and fell back.
David said: "You destroyer! I fled not before them living, but you fearthem dead! If you believe me not, turn back and raise this stone. Iconcealed all their ears there."
Uncle Toross came back and took the asses, and they went into the cave.They made a pack of all the treasure and carried it away with them.David said: "All this treasure belongs to you, but the steed is mine. Ifyou will not give it to me, you shall follow after them."
He answered: "My child, the horse and the treasure too are yours. Whatshould I do with it?"
Uncle Toross let David mount the steed. He gave him the spurs and hebucked to right and left. This was no ordinary steed--the difficultiesof managing him cannot be described.
They returned to Sassun with the treasure. David procured a beautifulfalcon and rode off to hunt. The calves he had long ago given over.
Once, as he hunted, he rode across the soil of a poor man, whose familynumbered seven heads, and the man had seven beds of millet. Four beds helaid waste, and three remained. Someone ran with the news to the oldgraybeard and said: "You are ruined. Go at once to your field, forbefore night he will destroy the other three beds."
The graybeard rose early and went out and saw his field was laid waste.He glanced about and saw David coming with a falcon on his hand. Thegraybeard cursed David and said: "Dost thou not fear God? Dost thou testthy strength on my grain-field? I have seven mouths to fill, and sevenmillet beds. Four thou hast destroyed, and three remain! If you arebrave, go and get back your inheritance that extends from the summit ofMount Z鰖mak as far as Sechanssar. M鰏ramelik has taken it from you anddraws wealth from it Go and get it back. Why try your strength on me?"
But David answered: "Old man, curse me not. Here is a handful ofgold--use it." And as he said it he killed his falcon.
David returned home and said: "Uncle Toross, go and bring me my father'sstaff and bow. I am going to make war, for others consume my inheritanceand none of you have said anything about it to me."
Uncle Toross arose and demanded of Z鰎anwegi in David's name the staffand bow of Abamelik, but Z鰎anwegi refused it. David sent a second time,saying: "If you give it to me, good. If not, I will see to it that yourhead flies off and only your body remains."
Z鰎anwegi was frightened, and surrendered the bow and baton, and UncleToross brought them to David. And David fell asleep and dreamed. Thenext day he took forty calves and went to holy Maratuk,[18] where heslaughtered the forty calves and bathed in their blood. Then he fell onhis face and prayed and wept until God sent from heaven a sacred signand a token. Even now the holy sign is to be found in Hawar at the houseof Sork. David kissed the holy sign and put it under the right shoulder,and the token under the left.
[18] Maratuk is a monastery built on a mountain of the same name.
M鰏ramelik knew that David, Abamelik's son, was come into manhood, andhe gathered together a host to march against him. And he appointed aholbaschi,[19] who prepared his army and attacked David at Maratuk. Hemet on the march seven women, and said to them, "Sing and dance until Ireturn," and they answered: "Why shall we dance and sing? We know notwhat we should say."
[19] This Turkish title shows that the legend has been altered at a latedate.
And Holbaschi sang for them:
"May the little women busy themselves grinding corn; May the stout women help with the camel-loading; For Holbaschi carries grim war to Sassun. Strong yoke-oxen and red milch-cows he'll bring back In the springtime; butter and Tochorton Will be plentiful in the Land of M鰏r."
Holbaschi saw the women begin dancing and singing, and started his hostagain and went to Maratuk and entered its gates. The daughter of thepriest of Maratuk had often glanced slyly at David, and he was notindifferent to her. The priest's daughter went to David and said:"David, I am ready to die for you! Arise and see how many warriors arecongregated in the courtyard."
When she had spoken she went out and closed all the gates from without.David stretched himself and cried: "Bread and wine, the Lord liveth!"and began to knock off the heads of the men of war. He beheaded them sothat the bodies flew over the walls and the heads remained lying in thecourt. And he laid hold of Holbaschi, and tore out his teeth and drovethem into his brow like nails. And he bent his lance till it curved likea dog's collar and put it around his neck. "Now," he said, "takeyourself off and tell all to M鰏ramelik. If people still remain in hiscountry let him herd them together before I come."
Holbaschi met the women a second time, and they were singing anddancing. And one of them sang:
"Holbaschi, dear Holbaschi, went hence like a cruel wolf, Why come you back to us like a hunting dog? Your lance lies on your neck like a dog's collar, Thy mouth gapes like an open window, And slime flows out like curdled milk from a skin;[20] And whole caravans of flies buzz round it."
[20] In Armenia, as is usual in the East, they make butter out ofcurdled milk; and for this reason the vessel is always covered withscum.
And Holbaschi sang:
"Oh, you shameless, worthless hussies, I thought that Sassun was a free field. Think not that only rocks and clefts opposed me. There new-born children are fierce devils, Their arrows like beams of the oil-mill; And like windows they tear out the mouths of their enemies. All the brave lads who went with me Are fallen in Charaman.[21] In the spring its waters will bring you booty, Then your butter and cheese can be made."
[21] A valley near Musch.
Now David armed himself and marched against M鰏ramelik. He found a greathost assembled and encamped near Sechanssar.[22]
[22] Literally, a table-like mountain.
David said: "I promise thee not to give battle till I have eaten ricepillau in the green and red tent," and he urged his horse forward andappeared suddenly from the west in front of the tent. Great frightpossessed the army when they perceived this rider, and Melik said, "Whatmanner of man art thou?"
"I am the son of a western king, and I have come to help you."
Melik pitched a tent for him, and they ate together seven days. On theeighth day David mounted his horse, rode twice before M鰏ramelik's tent,and said: "Now, come out, I want to fight you. How long, M鰏ramelik, areyou going to encroach upon my inheritance?" And David cried: "Bread andwine, God lives!" and fighting began on all sides.
Uncle Toross heard of the combat. He tore up a poplar by its roots,threw it across his shoulder, and set out. He halted at the upper end ofthe valley in which the fight was going on. If anyone crept away Davidshouted: "Dear Uncle Toross, chase him back into the valley and I willbe ready for him!"
At last the army began to murmur: "Let them struggle hand to hand. Hewho overpowers the other has conquered."
Then said one of them. "Sit down, that I may slay you with my club," andthe other said: "No, you sit down." At last they agreed that David,being the youngest, should sit, So he put his shield over his head, laidunder it the holy cross, and sat down. M鰏ramelik made an onset fromthree leagues, burst upon him, and assailed him with a club, saying,"Earth thou art, be earth again!"
David said: "I believe in the high and holy cross of Maratuk. It is tome as if I were still eating rice pillau under the red and green tent."
M鰏ramelik sprung upon him three times, struck him with his club, andsaid: "Earth thou art, be earth again!" and David replied only, "Ibelieve in the high and holy cross of Maratuk."
Then came M鰏ramelik's turn to sit down, and he was stubborn and wouldnot. But the army reproached him and put his shield over his head, andhe sat down. Then came M鰏ramelik's mother, and began to ask mercy,saying: "David, I am ready to die for you! Is he not thy brother? Slayhim not; have pity on him!"
"O shameless woman! When he struck me, thou saidst not, 'Is he not thybrother!' But, may your wish be granted! One blow I will give up forGod's sake, the second for your sake, but the third belongs to me, andwhen I strike either he dies or lives!"
David rode back and forward again, and seizing his club hurledM鰏ramelik seven yards deep into the earth. Then he ravaged M鰏r andascended the throne.