"As for me," said one of the younger men, "it's certainly not worth that of a cow!"
"No, nor that of a goat!" added another.
"Well, let's be generous towards the tailor," said Bellacic, laughing, "and settle his brother's life at the price of a huge silver Maria Theresa dollar, eh?"
Some of the arbitrators were about to demur, but as the proposal had come from them, they could not well gainsay it.
"Then it's settled," said Bellacic, hastening to fill the glasses; "and now, Teodoroff, quick! give us one of your best songs; something brisk and lively."
The guzlar took up his instrument, played a few bars as a kind of prelude, emitted a prolonged "Oh!" which ended away in a trill, and then began the tale of
MARKO KRAGLIEVIC AND JANKO OF SEBINJE.
Two brave and bonny knights, both bosom friends,
Were Marko Kraglievic of deathless fame,
And Janko of Sebinje, fair and wise.
Both seemed to have been cast within one mould,
For no two brothers could be more alike.
One day, as they were chatting o'er their wine,
Fair Janko said unto his faithful friend:
"My wife has keener eyes than any man's,
And sharper wits besides; our sex is dull;
No man has ever played a trick on her."
Then Marko, smiling, said: "Do let me try
To match, in merry sport, my wits 'gainst hers."
"'Tis well," quoth Janko, with a winsome smile,
"But, still, beware of woman's subtle guile."
Then 'twixt the friends a wager soon was laid;
Fair Janko pledged his horse, a stallion rare,
A fleet and milk-white steed, Kula by name,
And with his horse he pledged his winsome wife;
Whilst, for his wager, Marko pawned his head.
"Now, one thing more; lend me thy clothes," said Mark,
"Thy jewelled weapons, and thy milk-white steed."
And Janko doffed, and Marko donned the clothes,
Then buckled on his friend's bright scimitar.
As soon as Janko's wife spied him from far,
She thought it was her husband, and ran out;
But then she stopped, for something in his mien,
Which her quick eye perceived, proclaimed at once
That warlike knight upon her husband's horse
To be the outward show, the glittering garb
And a fair mirage of the man she loved.
Thereon within her rooms she hied in haste,
And to her help she called her trusty maid.
"O Kumbra, sister mine," she said to her,
"I know not why, but Janko seems so wroth.
Put on my finest clothes, and hie to him."
When Marko saw the maid, he turned aside,
And wrapped himself within his wide kalpak,
Then said that he would fain be left alone.
He thought, in sooth, that she was Janko's wife.
A dainty meal was soon spread for the knight.
The lady called again her trusted maid,
And thus she spake: "My Kumbra, for this night
Sleep in my room, nay, in my very bed.
And, for the deed that I demand of thee,
This purse of gold is thine. Besides this gift,
Thou henceforth wilt be free." The maiden bowed,
And said: "My lady's wish is law for me."
Now Marko at his meal sat all alone,
When he had supped he went into the room
Where Kumbra was asleep; there he sat down,
And passed the whole long night upon a chair,
Close by the young girl's bed. He seemed to be
A father watching o'er his sickly child.
But when the gloaming shed its glimmering light,
The knight arose; he went, with stealthy steps,
And cut a lock from off the young girl's head,
Which he at once hid in his breast, with care.
Before the maiden woke he left the house,
And rode full-speed back to his bosom friend.
Still, ere he had alighted from his horse:
"You've lost!" said Janko, with his winsome smile.
"I've won!" quoth Marko, with a modest grace;
"Here is the token that I've won my bet."
And Janko took the golden curl, amazed.
Just then a page, who rode his horse full-speed,
Came panting up, and, on his bended knee,
He handed to his lord a parchment scroll.
The letter thus began: "O husband mine,
Why sendest thou such pert and graceless knights,
That take thy manor for a roadside inn,
And in the dead of night clip Kumbra's locks?"
Thereon, in sprightly style, the wife then wrote
All that had taken place the day before.
And Janko, as he read, began to laugh.
Then, turning to his friend: "Sir Knight," quoth he,
"Have henceforth greater care of thine own head,
Which now, by right and law, belongs to me.
Beware of woman, for the wisest man
Has not the keenness of a maiden's eye.
Come, now, I pledge thy health in foaming wine,
For this, indeed, hath been a merry joke."
The greater part of the night was passed in drinking and in listening to the bard's songs. Little by little sleepiness and the fumes of the wine overpowered each single man, so that in the small hours almost all the guests were stretched on the mats that strewed the floor, fast asleep.
On the morrow the twenty-four men of the jury went, all in a body, to Vranic's house. They sat down in state and listened to the tale of the brothers' grievances, whilst they sipped very inferior slivovitz and gravely smoked their long pipes. When the tailor ended the oft-repeated story of his grief and grievances, then they went back to Bellacic's house, where they gave ear to all the extenuating circumstances which Radonic brought forward to exculpate himself. After the culprit had finished, the twenty-four men sat down in council, and discussed again the matter which had been settled the evening before.