SCENE 2: Bearslayer meets Spidala again
Bearslayer captures Spidala
Once through the forest's gloomy bound
They reached a pleasant valley's floor,
A cooling well within it found,
Near which a tree sweet apples bore.
The sailors hastened without thought,
There at the well to slake their thirst,
But stern Bearslayer caution taught,
Forbidding them to drink at first.
Deep in the water with his sword,
Triangular, a mark he slashed.-
Where just before clear water poured,
Not water now but blood there splashed!
At first, loud wailing cries were heard,
But soon again deep silence reigned,
And in the water nothing stirred;
As clear as amber it remained.
At this, he said they might drink free,
No harm would suffer, this he knew.
They drank, then hurried to the tree,
Where near the well the apples grew.
They sought as one the fruit to eat,
But loud Bearslayer gave a yell-
To seek here apples was not meet-
And raised his sword, the tree to fell.
Just at this moment from the tree
A frightened voice begged: "Harm me not!"
Alarmed Bearslayer jumped back free,
And in that moment, on the spot,
The tree became a maiden fair.
He looked at her, was sore amazed,
With feelings he could scarcely bear-
At Spidala his eyes now gazed!
Before his feet, herself she threw,
And for her life began to plead:
She would reveal great secrets true,
And make good every wicked deed,
No evil more do all her days.-
Bearslayer gave to her her life:
Foul fiends and giant foes he slays,
But with weak women seeks no strife.
Then Spidala confessed to him
Her every evil deed and ploy,
Through which, with Kangars plotting grim,
Bearslayer bold they would destroy;
How forth Laimdota they could lure,
And tricked his friend, Koknesis, too,
And that both friend and sweetheart pure
In faithfulness to him were true!
The ancient witch, whom once before
He saw within the Devil's Pit,
Upon the pleasant island's shore
A spell had placed, her plans to fit.
And all the ships this spell there drew
Upon the beach were helpless thrown;
She then bewitched the sailors too,
And every one was turned to stone.
The fiends Bearslayer there had killed
Were her three sons, foul demon beasts.-
The palace at the bridge she filled
With sumptuous meals to give them feasts.
But as time passed they wished to taste
The flesh of human beings sweet;
Stone sailors she revived in haste,
And gave them to her sons to eat.
Her sons' defeat she could not brook;
A fearsome anger now burst free,
Then of the well the form she took,
Made Spidala the apple tree.
If they had drunk deep from the well,
Before Bearslayer thrust his sword,
She would have cast a deadly spell,
That painful death would all afford.
His slashing sword blows deep inside
Had killed the witch-they heard her groan-
As Spidala would too have died,
Had not Bearslayer mercy shown.
In rapturous voice these words she cried:
"Success is yours, and Heaven's Sons,
With Perkons too, stand at your side,
Against all fiends and evil ones."
"But further deeds will be the cost,
Once to our Fatherland returned.-
While on far oceans you were tossed,
Our fathers' halls the Strangers burned!
Make haste, return home to our land,
On these oppressors vengeance wreak!
How happy with you I would stand,
Like chaste Laimdota virtue seek."
"I long salvation sure to win.
But who the Devil's grip can shake,
Escape a pact conceived in sin,
An oath in blood, once signed, can break?"
Spidala is freed from her pact with the Devil
Now Spidala concealed her face,
And bitter tears wept without end.
Bearslayer could not doubt the case:
She wished her evil ways to mend.
From nowhere came a sudden thought:
The little package which, that night,
From out the Devil's Pit he brought,
To keep in mind the evil sight.
He bade some men the package bring;
To Spidala he gave it then.
The moment that she saw the thing,
With heartfelt joy she cried again,
In gratitude fell to her knee.
Before Bearslayer's feet she lay:
"Your grateful servant I will be,
Bearslayer, now and every day!"
"This package is the pact I signed,
When evil deeds to do I swore.
With this I now can freedom find,
And break the Devil's grip once more.
For now I can dissolve the pact,
Can do good deeds, while yet alive,
And seek as much for good to act,
As once I would for evil strive!"
The magic staff forth now she brought,
With which the crone the sailors woke,
When human flesh her sons had sought,
Went to the beach to save the folk.-
She entered every ship and boat,
That lay pinned fast upon the shore,
And with the staff each sleeper smote,
And all rose up, alive once more.
To them it seemed a single night
That they had slept, and nothing more,
And so their sprightly step was light,
That took them round the island's shore.
Bearslayer stood and watched them long,
Then suddenly surprise he knew,
For with Koknesis in the throng
There stood Laimdota clear in view!