Where there was and where there wasn't, across seven countries, across the Peruvian Sea, where the pig with the short tail was a twit, where the furnace was broken down, there was no ode to the broken furnace, where there was good, there was no bad, where it was not bad, it was good, yet so many scones were baked in it that a naked gypsy purdah took them all in her shirt sleeve, I saw it as now, I was where they talked, who doesn't believe, ask him... There was once a king, and his wife was so fair, that even the angels envied her beauty.
But he was so envied that the angel of death was sent down to him and he was taken up to heaven. The king was sad, and his heart was heavy with grief, and he wept for his wife day and night, but a year or two passed, and they murmured in his ear that he could not remain a sad widow till death, that a beggar had a wife, that he could not look on his little daughter in orphanhood, that he had put on a beautiful golden gown and gone to see his daughter.
He set off, but he said beforehand that he would only marry a girl who was as beautiful as his first wife was. Well, he went through the country and the world, he saw many beautiful girls and women, but he could not find one as beautiful as his wife.
Time went by, the little royal lady grew up to be a beautiful grand dowager, and suitors came, kings, princes, and assorted gypsy legends, but the king resolved not to marry his daughter until he himself was married. This he thought to himself, but he told no one, not even his daughter, but made up a riddle, and proclaimed that he would give his daughter to whoever would guess the story, but that he would try his luck, whoever his son-in-law was, so that if he did not guess the story, his head would be on a pike.
The king was confident that he would never meet a man who would make up his story, and that he would never run out of his daughter, and that there would be someone to nurse her when she grew old. For the queen was fair as a shining star, and kings, princes, earls, barons, and lords of all ranks, came in droves, to each of whom the king gave his fable, which was thus, He seeks one, but finds none, and if he finds none, his mother's blood will be his sorrow.
Ten or twenty people tried it one day, but none of them got it right. Verily, if they could not, they never saw God's blessed day again. The news of it went out to seven and seven countries, and the son of the widow queen of the sunrise heard it. When he heard it, he had no rest, and said to his mother:
- Now, my sweet queen mother, I'm off to try my luck. Oh, the queen was terribly frightened, she wept and wailed, the palace shook, and with clasped hands she begged her son:
- My dear son, my flower torn from my heart, do not play with your life, you will find better princesses than me, two for every finger!
- I can find better than others, but not such, because it is said that there is no equal in the world.
The queen cried and cried and begged in vain, but her son had no place to stay. What could she do but bake a cake for the journey, and send her most faithful servant with her, and also bind her to take care of the prince as the apple of her eye, for "the prince and his head..."
There they went into the inn, they ate and drank, and with that the prince went to the king alone, leaving his servant to look after the horses.
He goes up to the king's palace, is announced, stands boldly before the king, and greets him with humanity.
- Welcome, my son! What good are you, whose son are you?
- "I am the son of the king of the sunrise," said the prince. "Have you heard the news, my king?
- I heard you, he was a good friend, may he rest in peace.
- Verily, if my father was a good friend to my father, I came to marry your majesty's daughter.
- Whoa, brother, that's a long list. Can you solve my riddle?
- I'll try if you tell me.
- Better not try, sorry for your young life.
- Don't be sorry, my King, just tell him.
- Well, if so, so be it, listen to me, my son. He seeketh for one, but findeth not, and if he find him not, his mother's blood is sorry.
The prince thinks, scratches his head, and suddenly says:
- Your Majesty is looking for a wife like his wife, but he cannot find one, and if he does not find one, his daughter will be sorry, for she will not marry him until he does!
- "You've hit it, you devilish bastard," the King snarled, "but if you've hit it, you know that the girl is not for sale to you or anyone else!
- 'It is not till then,' retorted the prince.'It is the word of an honest man.
- "Hey, soldiers!" the king shouted, and drew his sword to cut the king's head in.
Well, my lord, the soldiers came running in from all sides, running for the prince, but the prince didn't keep his wits about him, either, to him! Shameful to run, but useful: he ran to the inn, got on his horse, and did not stop till he reached home.
For he had not even reached his home in the land of the Sun-East, and had not yet got his soldiers on their feet, for the king came after him with a terrible great armada, and was terribly angry with the prince, because he had talked back to him. Alas, poor prince! His soldiers were hardly left to be messengers, for the king's armada had beaten him so badly, and they could scarcely hide his mother, and he himself fled from his country, and his poor head went out into the world.
The poor prince went on his way, with great sorrow and grief, against seven and seven countries, until he came to a sea. Just then a ship sailed from there, he climbed aboard, and joined the sailors.
Day and night the ship sailed on, unbroken, the sea as still as the water at the bottom of a dish, but on the seventh night a terrible storm came up, and threw the ship over a high tower, and dashed her against a rock so that she broke into pieces. Fortunately, the prince was unhurt, and he went on over the cliff, wandering this way and that, and then he came to many forests, and from many forests to great waste.
Well, my lord, there were as many soldiers in that wilderness as there were blades of grass in the meadow, as there were stars in the sky. They were in the midst of their excitement. The king sat on a hill, on his golden throne, blowing great puffs of smoke from his long-stemmed pipe, and looking on his soldiers with great heartfelt delight. The prince watches, and watches the exegesis, And suddenly the king sees him, and beckons him to come.
The prince comes to him, saluting like a soldier, and the king tells him:
- I see that you were once a soldier yourself, so get in line, my son, and get in line yourself.
The prince stood in line, addressing the others, and the king looked at him, and was so pleased with the way he walked and held himself that he called out to him:
- Step out of line, my son, and address my soldiers, and see what you can do!
The prince stands out of the line, shouts, and then starts, but he so shocks the king's soldiers that the ground shakes and the long-stemmed pipe falls from the king's mouth, and four jackals hold the pipe's stem. (Yes, four jackals held it, and one poked the fire. I saw it like today.)
- 'O my son,' cried the king, 'whoever's son you are, you are made a leader, from this hour you are my leader!
They go home to the king's court in the evening, the king makes a big dinner party, sits the prince at the head of the table, they eat and drink, they drink wine with a sieve, but the prince just won't cheer up.
- What's wrong with you, son? - 'You are as sad as the three days' rain. Drink, my son, do not grieve.
But the prince continued to grieve.
- Well, hang on, I'll bring your cheer home in a minute.
He told the master of the court to call in the princess, but to bring his citeria. The princess came in (she was a beautiful, beautiful mother!), swung her citera, and played more merry tunes than a cymbal, so that everyone clapped their ankles, but the prince was not amused.
But what did the prince think, and what did not the prince think, he took the piper from the princess, and played on it a tune so sad that they all wept like children. And then she played a tune, such a tune that all at once they danced, even the king, and even the greyhounds in the courtyard huddled together with the hounds, and so they walked the two of the Calypso.
To say or not to say, if I say it, you will not believe it, if I don't say it, you will certainly believe it: the princess was very fond of the prince, and asked her father to let this young man with the piper stay with them, so that he might learn to play the piper.
For the king had the princess there, and the prince had taught her well, but she was not in the mood. In vain did the princess question him, but he would not tell her what he had.
Oh, God, the queen was sad too, she was always playing sad tunes on the citera, but the king was sad too, he thought: this is not right, let's turn things around. Then one day he took the king's daughter out hard.
- Do you hear, my son, you have made my daughter's heart sad; tell me one or two things, and let me know how many weeks the world is.
Said the prince:
- Did your majesty know the king of the sunrise?
- Of course I knew him! We were good pals in our youth, God rest his soul.
- Well, I am his son.
- Why, you devil, you couldn't have said that before? Are you telling the truth, boy?!
The prince pulled aside his cloak, and there shone a bright star.
- I've seen it on your father's chest many times, son! - Well, God has led me to him, for I have heard of your sad case. But do not grieve, we will take back your kingdom!
They went up to the palace. But now the prince was not sad. At once a priest was called, the young men swore an oath, then there was a great dynomdan, a feast, music was played for seven days and seven nights, then they stopped, they fought, the kingdom of the prince was taken back, then the music was played again, and the feast continued for seven days and seven nights.
I was there, danced for seven nights, then ran away and didn't stop until I got home. This is the end, run away from it!
(Elek Benedek: Hungarian tale- and mythology Volume 3)
