How Quest Sought the Truth

Bilo je to u vrlo davno doba. Na jednoj krčevini u staroj bukovoj gori živio starac Vjest sa svoja tri unuka. Desilo se, da je starac ostao sam sa svojom unučadi te ih othranio od malena. Bili pak unuci sad već poodrasli momci, djedu do ramena i poviše ramena. Zvali se oni: Ljutiša, Marun i Potjeh.

Jednog jutra u proljeće ustade stari Vjest rano prije sunca, probudi svoja tri unuka i reče im da idu u šumu, gdje su lani med vadili, i da vide kako li su pčelci prezimili i izlaze li već pčelice od zimskog sna. Marun, Ljutiša i Potjeh ustadoše, opremiše se i odoše.

Bijaše dobar komad puta do onoga mjesta, gdje bijahu pčelci. No sva tri brata poznavahu šumske prolaze, zato uđoše sigurno i radosno u šumu. Nego u šumi bijaše još nekud tamno i nemilo, jer sunce još ne bješe granulo, niti se čule ptice ili zvjerke. Zato postade braći nekako strašno u ovoj tišini, jer se zorom prije sunca rado povlačio šumom, sve od krošnje do krošnje, zlobni Bjesomar, vladar svih šumskih bjesova.

Zato braća stadoše jedan drugoga ispitivati: što li sve ima po svijetu? No kako ne bijaše ni jedan od njih još nikada izašao iz one šume, nijesu jedan drugome znali da pripovijedaju o svijetu, i tako se još više obneveseliše. Ele, kako bi se malo obodrili, stadoše oni pjevati i ovako dozivati Svarožića, da izvede sunce:

Moj božiću Svarožiću,
Zlatno sunce, bijeli svijet!
Moj božiću Svarožiću,
Lunajlije, lunej le!

Tako pjevajući šumom u sav glas iziđoše na jedno mjesto, sa kojega se vidjelo drugo brdo. Kad oni tamo, ali navrh onoga brda sinu sjajnost, kakove još nikada ne bijahu vidjeli, a treptjela je kao zlatan barjak. Protrnuše braća od čuda, a ona svjetlost iščezne s brda i stvori se bliže povrh jednoga velikog kamena, zatim još bliže povrh stare lipe i napokon zasjaji kao čisto zlato upravo pred njima. I ukaza im se prekrasno momče u blistavu odijelu, a oko njega zlatna kabanica trepti kao zlatan barjak. Ne mogu braća ni da pogledaju u lice momčetu, nego pokriše oči rukama od velikog straha.

— »Što me zovete, kad me se bojite, momčići ludovčići!« — nasmije se blistavo momče, a bijaše ono Svarožić. »Svarožića zovete, Svarožića se bojite; bijeli svijet spomi- njete, bijeloga svijeta ne poznate! Nego hajde da vam pokažem svijet: i zemlju i nebo i da vam rečem, što vam je suđeno.«

To re če Svarožić te omahnu zlatnom kabanicom i zahvati zlatnim skutom Ljutišu, Maruna i Potjeha. Omahnuo je Svarožić, vije se kabanica, a braća na skutu kabanice viju se i kruže s njom; viju, viju, kruže, kruže, a pred njima poče prolaziti cijeli svijet. Ponajprije vidješe sve blago i sva polja i sva dobra i sva bogatstva, što ih onda na svijetu bijaše. Pa onda viju, viju, kruže, kruže i vide sve vojske i sva koplja i sve sulice i sve vojskovođe, i sve plijenove, što ih tada na svijetu bijaše. Pa onda još jače viju, viju, kruže, kruže i odjedared vide sve zvijezde i sve zvjezdice i Mjesec i Vlašiće i vjetar i sve oblake. Od tolikog viđenja sve se smutilo braći, a ono kabanica sveudilj trepti i šumi i šušti kao zlatan barjak. Jedva u neke nekavice otpusti se zlatan skut, a Ljutiša, Marun i Potjeh nađoše se opet na tratini. Pred njima zlatno momče Svarožić stoji kao i prije i ovako im kaže:

— »Evo sada ste, momčići ludovčići, vidjeli sve, što na svijetu ima. A sad čujte, što vam je suđeno i što treba da radite za svoju sreću.«

Čim on to reče, a braća se još više uplašiše i dobro napnu pamet i uši, kako bi sve
točno upamtili. — Al uto Svarožić već bijaše progovorio: — »Evo, što vam je raditi: ostanite na krčevini i ne ostavljajte djeda, dok on vas ne ostavi, i ne idite u svijet ni za dobrim ni za lošim poslom, dok ne vratite ljubav djedu.«

Kad ovo izreče Svarožić omahne kabanicom i nestane ga kao da ga nikad bilo nije, a u šumi nasta bijeli dan.

Ovo sve slušao i gledao Bjesomar, vladar šumskih bjesova. Bijaše se on došuljao kao magla, sve od krošnje do krošnje, za braćom te se sakrio među granama stare bukve.

Već odavna bijaše Bjesomar zamrzio starca Vjesta. Zamrzio ga, kako pogana čeljad mrzi pravedna čovjeka, a mrzi ga ponajviše poradi toga, što starac bijaše na krčevini zaveo sveti oganj, da se nikad ne ugasi. A Bjesomaru se ljuto kašljalo od svetoga dima.

Ne svidje se dakle Bjesomaru, da braća poslušaju Svarožića te da ostanu uz djeda i da ga služe, nego on zamisli, da naudi Vjestu i da mu kakogod pobuni unučad.

Zato, kad se Ljutiša, Marun i Potjeh osvijestiše od onolikog čuda i kad se podigoše da pođu kući, Bjesomar brže bolje, kao oblak sa vjetrom, strugne u šumski dol, gdje bijaše velika rakita. U rakiti pak puno sve bjesova. Sitni, nakazni, guravi, mrljavi, razroki i svakojaki, igrali se oni po rakiti. Tako oni zviždali, pištali, ciculjigali i lakrdijali. Bijahu oni luda i bezglava čeljad, koja niti je za koji posao, niti može kome nauditi, dok ih koji čovjek ne primi k sebi. Ovo pak naumi Bjesomar.

Once upon a time very long ago there lived an old man in a glade in the midst of an ancient forest. His name was Witting, and he lived there with his three grandsons. Now this old man was all alone in the world save for these three grandsons, and he had been father and mother to them from the time when they were quite little. But now they were full-grown lads, so tall that they came up to their grandfather’s shoulder, and even taller. Their names were Bluster, Careful and Quest.

One spring morning old Witting got up early, before the sun had risen, called his three grandsons and told them to go into the wood where they had gathered honey last year; to see how the little bees had come through the winter, and whether they had waked up yet from their winter sleep. Careful, Bluster and Quest got up, dressed, and went out.

It was a good way to the place where the bees lived. Now all three brothers knew every pathway in the woods, and so they strode cheerily and boldly along through the great forest. All the same it was somewhat dark and eerie under the trees, for the sun was not yet up and neither bird nor beast stirring. Presently the lads began to feel a little scared in that great silence, because just at dawn, before sunrise, the wicked Rampogusto, King of Forest Goblins, loves to range the forest, gliding softly from tree to tree in the gloom.

So the brothers started to ask one another about all the wonderful things there might be in the world. But as not one of them had ever been outside the forest, none could tell the others anything about the world; and so they only became more and more depressed. At last, to keep up their courage a bit, they began to sing and call upon All-Rosy to bring out the Sun:

Little lord All-Rosy bright.
Bring golden Sun to give us light;
Show thyself, All-Rosy bright,
Loora-la, Loora-la lay!

Singing at the top of their voices, the lads walked through the woods towards a spot from where they could see a second range of mountains. As they neared the spot they saw a light above those mountains brighter than they had ever seen before, and it fluttered like a golden banner.

The lads were dumbfounded with amazement, when all of a sudden the light vanished from off the mountain and reappeared above a great rock nearer at hand, then still nearer, above an old limetree, and at last shone like burnished gold right in front of them. And then they saw that it was a lovely youth in glittering raiment, and that it was his golden cloak which fluttered like a golden banner. They could not bear to look upon the face of the youth, but covered their eyes with their hands for very fear.

“Why do you call me, if you are afraid of me, you silly fellows?” laughed the golden youth—for he was All-Rosy. “You call on All-Rosy, and then you are afraid of All-Rosy. You talk about the wide world, but you do not know the wide world. Come along with me and I will show you the world, both earth and heaven, and tell you what is in store for you.”

Thus spoke All-Rosy, and twirled his golden cloak so that he caught up Bluster, Careful and Quest, all three in its shimmering folds. Round went All-Rosy and round went the cloak, and the brothers, clinging to the hem of the cloak, spun round with it, round and round and round again, and all the world passed before their eyes. First they saw all the treasure and all the lands and all the possessions and the riches that were then in the world. And they went on whirling round and round and round again, and saw all the armies, and all spears and all arrows and all the captains and all plunder which were then in the world. And the cloak twirled yet more quickly, round and round and round again, and all of a sudden they saw all the stars, great and small, and the moon and the Seven Sisters and the winds and all the clouds. The brothers were quite dazed with so many sights, and still the cloak went on twirling and whirling with a rustling, rushing sound like a golden banner. At last the golden hem fluttered down; and Bluster, Careful and Quest stood once more on the turf. Before them stood the golden youth All-Rosy as before, and said to them:

“There, my lads, now you have seen all there is to see in the world. Listen to what is in store for you and what you must do to be lucky.”

At that the brothers became more scared than ever, yet they pricked up their ears and paid good heed, so as to remember everything very carefully. But All-Rosy went on at once:

“There! this is what you must do. Stay in the glade, and don’t leave your grandfather until he leaves you; and do not go into the world, neither for good nor for evil, until you have repaid your grandfather for all his love to you.” And as All-Rosy said this, he twirled his cloak round and vanished, as though he had never been; and lo, it was day in the forest.

But Rampogusto, King of the Forest Goblins, had seen and heard everything. Like a wraith of mist he had slipped from tree to tree and kept himself hidden from the brothers among the branches of an old beech-tree.

Rampogusto had always hated old Witting. He hated him as a mean scoundrel hates an upright man, and above all things he hated him because the old man had brought the sacred fire to the glade so that it might never go out, and the smoke of that fire made Rampogusto cough most horribly.

So Rampogusto wasn’t pleased with the idea that the brothers should obey All-Rosy, and stay beside their grandfather and look after him; but he bethought himself how he could harm old Witting, and somehow turn his grandsons against him.