He had not slept an hour, when the most extraordinary of all night visions awakened him. The oldest patriarch of the herd stood before him, and thus addressed him: "Fear not, for I am thy friend, and come to thee as a well-intentioned counsellor, to warn thee of the danger that awaits thee. As I have selected thee for my protégé, I will assist thee to the best of my power. When thou drivest us home to-morrow, mind to request the king to give thee a loaf of bread and a flask of wine, for the following day. These shall preserve thee from all misfortune. A great dragon who rules this forest, will endeavour to overthrow and swallow thee. But if thou givest him these gifts, thou wilt not only be able to resist him, but after he shall have drunk the wine thou mayest destroy him."
Pista was not a little astonished at this apparition; he rubbed his eyes, pricked up his ears, and collected all his senses, to convince himself that he was really awake and not dreaming. But when he saw the boar standing bodily before him, and distinctly heard every word, he at last returned him grateful thanks for his friendly admonition, and promised punctually to observe his instructions.
The following evening he drove the herd home. The king met him, not without astonishment, caused the year's wages to be paid to him immediately, and gave him permission further to ask some favour. Pista, well pleased, put the money in his pocket, and for the present asked for nothing more than bread and wine for the following evening.
The cock had scarcely crowed to welcome the first hour of the morning, when our herdsman again passed out at the city gate with his herd. He betook himself to the same heath where he had passed the foregoing night, and had had the strange tête-à-tête with the boar.
As soon as he reached the spot, his bristly Mentor again approached him and said:—
"Up and mount me without fear,
Swift on my back I thee will bear;
So that, ere many minutes' space,
Thou shalt reach the appointed place."
FORTUNE'S FAVOURITE.
The youth bestrode the boar, and in a trice found himself in the neighbouring wood, and deposited under an enormous oak. The boar then repeated what he had said to his protégé the preceding day, and hastened back to the herd.
Pista prepared himself for his adventure, and before he could accurately reconnoitre the field of battle, so dreadful a noise proceeding from the interior of the forest pierced his ears, that all the trees round him creaked and rustled as in a storm. It came nearer and nearer, and he soon perceived a monstrous dragon, rapidly making towards him, tearing the bushes and trees as he passed, and even throwing them to the ground. Mindful of his Mentor's words, Pista took courage, offered the bread and wine to the dragon, and besought him to spare his life.