Meanwhile through the day was Dmitar wandering In the mountain-forest; nought he found there; But chance brought him at the fall of evening To a green lake far within the forest, Where a golden-pinion’d duck was swimming. Dmitar loosen’d then his grey-winged falcon, Bade him seize the golden-pinion’d swimmer. Faster than the hunter’s eye could follow, Lo! the duck had seized the grey-wing’d falcon, And against his sides had crush’d his pinion. Soon as Dmitar Jakshich saw, he stripp’d him— Stripp’d him swiftly of his hunting garments; Speedily into the lake he plunged him, And he bore his falcon from its waters. Then with pitying voice he ask’d his falcon: “Hast thou courage yet, my faithful falcon! Now thy wings are from thy body riven?” Whispering, said the falcon to his master: “I without my pinions nought resemble, But a brother riven from a brother.” Then the thought pierced through the breast of Dmitar, That his wife was charged to kill his brother. Swift he threw him on his mighty courser— Swift he hurried to Bijōgrad’s {62} fortress, Praying that his brother had not perished. He had hardly reach’d the bridge of Chekmel, {63} When he spurr’d his raven steed so fiercely, That the impetuous courser’s feet sank under, And were crushed and broken on the pavement. In his deep perplexity and trouble, Dmitar took the saddle off his courser, Flung it on the courser’s nether haunches, And he fled alone to Belgrad’s fortress. First he sought, impatient, for his lady— “Angelia! thou my bride all faithful! Tell me, tell me, hast thou kill’d my brother?” Sweet indeed was Angelia’s answer: “No! indeed, I have not killed thy brother; To thy brother have I reconciled thee.” THE BUILDING OF SKADRA. {64a} BROTHERS three combined to build a fortress, Brothers three, the brothers Mrljavchēvich, Kral {64b} Vukāshin was the eldest brother; And the second was Uglēsha-Voivode; {64c} And the third, the youngest brother, Goiko. Pull three years they labour’d at the fortress, Skadra’s fortress on Bojana’s river; Full three years three hundred workmen labour’d. Vain th’ attempt to fix the wall’s foundation. Vainer still to elevate the fortress: Whatsoe’er at eve had raised the workmen Did the Vila raze ere dawn of morning. When the fourth year had begun its labours, Lo! the Vila from the forest-mountain Call’d—“Thou King Vukashin! vain thine efforts!— Vain thine efforts—all thy treasures wasting! Never, never wilt thou build the fortress, If thou find not two same-titled beings, If thou find not Stojan and Stojana: {65} And these two—these two young twins so loving, They must be immured in the foundation. Thus alone will the foundations serve thee: Thus alone can ye erect your fortress.”