Armenian Literature: Comprising Poetry, Drama, Folk-lore and Classic Traditions;: Translated into English for the First Time
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Armenian Literature: Comprising Poetry, Drama, Folk-lore and Classic Traditions;: Translated into English for the First Time
Armenian literature; Armenian literature -- Translations into English
David said: "Wait here; I will bring you your dinner."
He set off with his oaken stick over his shoulder. He came to the
village, and found that all the people had brought corn to the priests,
who blessed it. David stuck his oaken stick through the handle of the
four-handled kettle, and, full as it was, lifted it to his shoulder and
walked 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 mad
men 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 weeping
on 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 grits
now, and have salt and butter this evening."
But the youth said. "David, I am ready to die for you, What need have I
of salt and butter; forty thieving Dews have come and driven away our
calves."
David said, "Stay here and watch these calves, and I will bring back all
the others"; and he went after the calves. He followed their tracks to
the entrance of a cave and paused. He cried out with so loud a voice
that the Dews were frightened, and were as full of fear as is the devil
when Christ's voice is heard in hell.
And when the leader of the Dews heard the voice he said: "That is surely
David, Abamelik's son. Go receive him with honor, else he will strike us
dead."
They went out, one by one, and David struck each as he passed with his
oaken cudgel, so that their heads fell off and only dead bodies remained
in the place. He cut off the ears of all the forty and buried them under
a stone at the mouth of the cave.
He laid down his club and entered the cave. There he saw a heap of gold
and a heap of silver--indeed, all the treasures of the world. Since his
father's death they had robbed and concealed their plunder in this
cavern. He opened a door, and saw a steed standing fastened to a ring.
David was sunk in thought, and said to himself: "Uncle dear, this
property belongs to you, but this beast to me. If you give it to
me--good. If not, you travel after those other fellows." Then he
answered for Uncle Toross: "My child, the treasure and the beast should
belong 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 the
handles and raised the kettle, poured off the water, pushed the calves'
feet back into the kettle, lifted it to his shoulder, and went back to
his comrade.
The two drove the rest of the herd into the village, and David called
the owners to him and said: "If you deceive my brother a hair's breadth
in the reckoning it will go badly with you. Sell this kettle. May it
repay you for your calves."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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