Free while we build it: every course and deck, with a confirmed account. Join free Still being built · Report a problem

Tales of Long Ago: Kako je Potjeh tražio istinu

  1. Kako je Potjeh tražio istinu

    How Quest Sought the Truth

  2. Bilo je to u vrlo davno doba.

    It was in times long, long ago.

  3. Na jednoj krčevini u staroj bukovoj gori živio starac Vjest sa svoja tri unuka.

    In a clearing in an ancient beech forest lived the old man Vjest with his three grandsons.

  4. Desilo se, da je starac ostao sam sa svojom unučadi te ih othranio od malena.

    It so happened that the old man had been left alone with his grandchildren and had raised them from their earliest infancy.

  5. Bili pak unuci sad već poodrasli momci, djedu do ramena i poviše ramena.

    The grandsons were now well-grown lads, reaching to their grandfather's shoulders and even taller.

  6. Zvali se oni: Ljutiša, Marun i Potjeh.

    Their names were Ljutisha, Marun, and Quest.

  7. 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 zimskoga sna.

    One spring morning, old Vjest arose early before dawn, woke his three grandsons, and told them to go into the forest where they had gathered honey the year before, to see how the bee-hives had weathered the winter and whether the little bees were already waking from their winter sleep.

  8. Marun, Ljutiša i Potjeh ustadoše, opremiše se i odoše.

    Marun, Ljutisha, and Quest got up, made ready, and set off.

  9. Bijaše dobar komad puta do onog mjesta, gdje bijahu pčelci.

    It was quite a long walk to the place where the bee-hives were.

  10. No sva tri brata poznavahu šumske prolaze, zato uđoše sigurno i radosno u šumu.

    Yet all three brothers knew the forest paths well, and so they entered the woods confidently and gladly.

  11. Nego u šumi bijaše još nekud tamno i nemilo, jer sunce još ne bijaše granulo, niti se čule ptice ili zvjerke.

    Yet in the woods it was still somewhat dark and bleak, for the sun had not yet risen, nor could any birds or beasts be heard.

  12. 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.

    Therefore the brothers grew somewhat uneasy in this stillness, for at dawn before sunrise, malicious Rampor, the ruler of all the forest goblins, loved to prowl through the woods from treetop to treetop.

  13. Zato braća stadoše jedan drugoga ispitivati: što li sve ima po svijetu?

    So the brothers began to ask one another: what might there be out in the wide world?

  14. 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.

    Yet since none of them had ever stepped foot outside that forest, they could not tell one another anything about the world, and thus grew even more disheartened.

  15. Ele, kako bi se malo obodrili, stadoše oni pjevati i ovako dozivati Svarožića, da izvede sunce:

    Well then, to cheer themselves up a little, they began to sing and call upon Svarozhich to bring forth the sun:

  16. Moj božiću Svarožiću,

    My dear godling Svarozhich,

  17. Zlatno sunce, bijeli svijet!

    Golden sun and world so bright!

  18. Moj božiću Svarožiću.

    My dear godling Svarozhich.

  19. Lunajlije, lunej le!

    Lunayliye, luney le!

  20. Tako pjevajući šumom u sav glas, iziđoše na jedno mjesto, sa kojega se vidjelo drugo brdo.

    Singing thus at the top of their voices through the forest, they came to a place from which another hill could be seen.

  21. Kad oni tamo, ali navrh onoga brda sinu sjajnost, kakve još nikada ne bijahu vidjeli, a treptjela je kao zlatan barjak.

    When they arrived, a radiance such as they had never seen flashed atop that hill, shimmering like a golden banner.

  22. 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.

    The brothers shuddered in wonder, and that light vanished from the hill and reappeared closer, atop a great boulder, then still closer, atop an old linden tree, until at last it shone like pure gold right before them.

  23. I ukaza im se prekrasno momče u blistavu odijelu, a oko njega zlatna kabanica trepti kao zlatan barjak.

    And there appeared before them a wondrous youth clad in radiant garments, a golden mantle fluttering about him like a golden banner.

  24. Ne mogu braća ni da pogledaju u lice momčetu, nego pokriše oči rukama od velikog straha.

    The brothers could not even look the youth in the face, but covered their eyes with their hands out of great fear.

  25. -

  26. "Što me zovete, kad me se bojite, momčići ludovčići!"

    "Why do you call upon me when you are afraid of me, you foolish lads!"

  27. - nasmije se blistavo momče, a bijaše ono Svarožić.

    laughed the radiant youth, and that was Svarozhich.

  28. "Svarožića zovete, Svarožića se bojite; bijeli svijet spominjete, bijeloga svijeta ne poznate! Nego hajde da vam pokažem svijet: i zemlju i nebo i da vam rečem, što vam je suđeno."

    "You call upon Svarozhich, yet of Svarozhich you are afraid; you speak of the wide world, yet the wide world you do not know! Come, let me show you the world—both earth and sky—and tell you what is destined for you."

  29. To reče Svarožić te omahnu zlatnom kabanicom i zahvati zlatnim skutom Ljutišu, Maruna i Potjeha.

    So said Svarozhich, and he swung his golden mantle and swept up Ljutisha, Marun, and Quest in its golden fold.

  30. Omahnuo je Svarožić, vije se kabanica, a braća na skutu kabanice viju se i kruže s njom; viju, kruže, kruže, a pred njima poče prolaziti cijeli svijet.

    Svarozhich swung it, the mantle swirled, and the brothers whirled and circled with it on the hem of the mantle; they whirled, circled, and spun, and before them the whole world began to pass.

  31. Ponajprije vidješe sve blago i sva polja i sva dobra i sva bogatstva, što ih onda na svijetu bijaše.

    First of all they saw all the herds, all the fields, all the estates, and all the riches that were then in the world.

  32. Pa onda viju, viju, kruže, kruže i vide sve vojske i sva koplja i sve sulice i sve vojskovođe, i sve pljenove, što ih tada na svijetu bijaše.

    And then they whirled, whirled, circled, circled, and saw all the armies, all the spears, all the javelins, all the commanders, and all the spoils that were then in the world.

  33. Pa onda još jače viju, viju, kruže, kruže i odjedanput vide se zvijezde i sve zvjezdice i mjesec i vlašiće i vjetar i sve oblake.

    And then even faster they whirled, whirled, circled, circled, and all at once saw the stars and all the little stars, the moon, the Pleiades, the wind, and all the clouds.

  34. Od tolikog viđenja sve se smutilo braći, a ono kabanica sveudilj trepti i šumi i šušti kao zlatan skut, a Ljutiša, Marun i Potjeh nađoše se opet na tratini.

    From so much seeing, the brothers' heads spun, while the mantle still shimmered, hummed, and rustled like a golden fold, and Ljutisha, Marun, and Quest found themselves back upon the meadow.

  35. Pred njima zlatno momče Svarožić stoji kao i prije i ovako im kaže:

    Before them stood the golden youth Svarozhich as before, and spoke to them thus:

  36. -

  37. "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."

    "Behold, now you foolish lads have seen all that there is in the world. And now hear what is destined for you and what you must do for your happiness."

  38. Čim on to reče, a braća se još više uplašiše i dobro napnu pamet i uši, kako bi sve točno upamtili.

    No sooner had he said this than the brothers grew even more fearful, straining their minds and ears so that they might remember it all precisely.

  39. Al uto Svarožić već bijaše progovorio: -

    Yet by then Svarozhich had already begun to speak:—

  40. "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."

    "Here is what you must do: remain on the clearing and do not leave your grandfather until he leaves you, and do not go out into the world on either good or ill errands until you have repaid your grandfather's love."

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

    When Svarozhich said this, he waved his mantle and vanished as if he had never been, and broad daylight broke over the forest.

  42. Ovo sve slušao i gledao Bjesomar, vladar šumskih bjesova.

    All this was heard and watched by Rampor, ruler of the forest goblins.

  43. Bijaše se on došuljao kao magla, sve od krošnje do krošnje, za braćom, te se sakrio među granama stare bukve.

    He had crept up like mist, drifting from treetop to treetop after the brothers, and had hidden among the branches of an old beech.

  44. Već odavna bijaše Bjesomar zamrzio starca Vjesta.

    Long since had Rampor come to hate old Vjest.

  45. 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.

    He hated him as wicked folk hate a righteous man, and hated him most of all because the old man had established a sacred fire on the clearing, never to be extinguished.

  46. A Bjesomaru se ljuto kašljalo od svetog dima.

    And the holy smoke made Rampor cough terribly.

  47. 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.

    So it did not please Rampor at all that the brothers should obey Svarozhich, remain by their grandfather, and serve him; instead, he resolved to do Vjest harm and somehow turn his grandsons against him.

  48. Zato, kad se Ljutiša, Marun i Potjeh osvijestiše od onolikog čuda i kad se podigoše da pođu kući, Bjesomar brže-bolje, kao oblak s vjetrom, strugne u šumski dol, gdje bijaše velika rakita.

    Therefore, when Ljutisha, Marun, and Quest recovered from such wonder and rose to go home, Rampor swiftly, like a cloud before the wind, darted into a forest dell where grew a great thicket of osiers.

  49. U rakiti pak puno sve bjesova.

    And the osier thicket was swarming with goblins.

  50. Sitni, nakazni, guravi, mrljavi, razroki i svakojaki, igrali se oni po rakiti.

    Tiny, deformed, hunchbacked, grimy, cross-eyed, and of every sort, they were playing among the osiers.

  51. Tako oni zviždali, ciculjigali i lakrdijali.

    Thus they whistled, squealed, and played their antics.

  52. Bijahu oni luda i bezglava čeljad, koja niti je za koji posao, niti može kome nauditi, dok ih koji čovjek ne primi k sebi.

    They were foolish and heedless folk, good for no honest work, nor able to do anyone harm until some person took them in.

  53. Ovo pak naumi Bjesomar.

    This, however, was Rampor's design.

  54. Zato on izabere trojicu od njih i zapovjedi im, da pođu tamo i da zaskoče svaki po jednog od one braće i da gledaju, kako li će po njima nauditi starome Vjestu.

    Therefore he chose three of them and commanded them to go forth, each to set upon one of the brothers, and see how they might through them work harm against old Vjest.

  55. Dok Bjesomar tako biraše bjesove, dotle Marun, Ljutiša i Potjeh iđahu putem, a bijahu tako uplašeni te nijesu upamtili ni ono, što su gledali leteći, ni ono, što im bješe rekao Svarožić.

    While Rampor was thus choosing the goblins, Marun, Ljutisha, and Quest went on their way, yet they were so frightened that they remembered neither what they had beheld in flight nor what Svarozhich had spoken to them.

  56. Došavši pred kolibu, sjedoše na kamen i kazivahu djedu, što im se desilo.

    Coming before the hut, they sat upon a stone and told their grandfather what had befallen them.

  57. -

  58. "A što si vidio leteći i što ti je kazao Svarožić?"

    "And what did you see while flying, and what did Svarozhich say to you?"

  59. - upita Vjest najstarijega unuka Maruna.

    asked Vjest of his eldest grandson, Marun.

  60. Našao se Marun u neprilici, jer ne bijaše ništa upamtio, niti se mogaše dosjetiti, što li mu je rekao Svarožić.

    Marun found himself in a quandary, for he had remembered nothing, nor could he recall what Svarozhich had said to him.

  61. No ispod kamena, na kojem sjeđahu, iziđe mali bijes, sasvim malen, nakazan i rogat, a siv kao miš.

    Yet from beneath the stone on which they sat crept a little goblin, tiny, misshapen, and horned, and gray as a mouse.

  62. Potegnu bijes Maruna odostrag za košulju i šapnu mu:

    The goblin tugged Marun from behind by his shirt and whispered to him:

  63. "Reci: vidio sam silna bogatstva, stotinu pčelaca, kolibu od drva tesanoga i mnogo krzna najskupljega. I rekao mi Svarožić: bit ću najbogatiji među braćom."

    "Say: I saw immense riches, a hundred bee-hives, a hut of hewn timber, and many a most precious pelt. And Svarozhich told me: I shall be the wealthiest among my brothers."

  64. Marun i ne promisli, je li istina, kako mu bijes govori, nego se obradova i onda reče djedu, kako mu bijes šaptaše.

    Marun did not even pause to consider whether what the goblin spoke was true, but rejoiced and then told his grandfather just as the goblin whispered to him.

  65. Čim on reče, a bijes mu skoči u torbu, sakrije se u jedan kut torbe i ostane tamo.

    No sooner had he spoken than the goblin leapt into his pouch, hid in a corner of the pouch, and stayed there.

  66. Upita Vjest drugog unuka Ljutišu, što li je vidio leteći i što li kaza Svarožić? - I Ljutiša nije ništa vidio i ništa upamtio.

    Vjest asked the second grandson, Ljutisha, what he had seen while flying and what Svarozhich had said; yet Ljutisha too had seen nothing and remembered nothing.

  67. No ispod kamena iziđe drugi bijes, sasvim malen, ružan, nakazan i rogat, a sur kao tvorić.

    Yet from beneath the stone crept a second goblin, tiny, hideous, misshapen, and horned, and tawny-gray as a polecat.

  68. Povuče bijes Ljutišu odostraga za košulju i šapne mu:

    The goblin tugged Ljutisha from behind by his shirt and whispered to him:

  69. "Reci: vidio sam mnogo ljudi oboružanih, mnogo lukova i strelica i mnogo robova okovanih. I rekao mi Svarožić: bit ćeš najsilniji među braćom svojom."

    "Say: I saw many armed men, many bows and arrows, and many chained thralls. And Svarozhich told me: you shall be the mightiest among your brothers."

  70. Ljutiša kao i Marun ništa ne promisli, nego bijaše veoma radostan i slaže djedu, kako mu bijes šaptaše.

    Ljutisha, like Marun, gave it no thought at all, but was exceedingly glad and lied to his grandfather just as the goblin whispered to him.

  71. A bijes mu odmah zaskoči za vrat, puzne mu u košulju, sakrije se u njedrima i ostane tamo.

    And the goblin at once sprang onto his neck, slithered into his shirt, hid in his bosom, and stayed there.

  72. Sad upita djed najmlađega unuka Potjeha; no i on nije ništa upamtio.

    Now the grandfather asked the youngest grandson, Quest; but he too had remembered nothing.

  73. Al iziđe ispod kamena treći bijes, najmlađi, najružniji, rogat u velike rogove, a crn kao krtica.

    Yet from beneath the stone crept a third goblin, the youngest, the ugliest, with great horns upon his head, and black as a mole.

  74. Povuče bijes Potjeha za košulju i šapnu:

    The goblin tugged Quest by his shirt and whispered:

  75. "Reci: sve nebo i sve zvijezde i sve oblake sam upoznao. I reče mi Svarožić: bit ćeš mudrac najveći i razumjet ćeš, što govore vjetrovi i kazuju zvijezde."

    "Say: I came to know the whole sky, all the stars, and all the clouds. And Svarozhich told me: you shall be the greatest sage, and you will understand what the winds speak and what the stars proclaim."

  76. Ali Potjeh vrlo ljubljaše istinu, zato ne htjede da posluša bijesa, niti da laže djedu, nego otepe bijesa nogom i reče djedu: -

    Yet Quest loved the truth dearly, and so he would neither heed the goblin nor lie to his grandfather, but kicked the goblin away with his foot and said to the old man:—

  77. "Ne znam, djede, ni što sam vidio, ni što sam čuo."

    "I know not, grandfather, either what I saw or what I heard."

  78. Zacviči bijes, ugrize Potjeha za nogu i puznu kao gušter pod kamen.

    The imp snarled, bit Potjeh on the leg, and slithered beneath a stone like a lizard.

  79. Potjeh pak odmah uze travu najljuću i poveže nogu, kako bi brže zacijelila.

    Potjeh immediately took the strongest healing herb and bound his leg with it so that it would heal more quickly.

  80. Kada Potjeh onako nogom otepe bijesa, uteče bijes najprije pod kamen, a onda se odšulja u travu te kroz travu odskače u šumu, a iz šume u rakitu.

    When Potjeh had driven the imp away with his foot, the imp first fled beneath a stone, then slunk into the grass, bounded through it into the forest, and from the forest into the willow thicket.

  81. Dođe bijes pred Bjesomara, pa dršćući od straha reče:

    The imp came before Bjesomar and, trembling with fear, said:

  82. "Bjesomare, ljuti care, evo nisam mogao da zaskočim momka, kojega si mi odredio."

    "Bjesomar, fierce emperor, I was unable to pounce upon the young man you assigned to me."

  83. Razljuti se strahovito Bjesomar, jer on poznavaše ono troje braće, pak se ponajviše i bojao Potjeha, da će se istini dosjetiti.

    Bjesomar flew into a terrible rage, for he knew the three brothers and feared above all that Potjeh would discover the truth.

  84. A dosjeti li se on istini, onda se Bjesomar lje neće riješiti ni starca Vjesta, ni svetoga ognja.

    And if Potjeh discovered the truth, Bjesomar would never be rid of old Vjest or the sacred fire.

  85. Uhvati dakle ljuti Bjesomar bijesa za rog, podigne ga u zrak i ispraši ga dobro brezovačom.

    So the furious Bjesomar seized the imp by the horn, lifted him into the air, and gave him a thorough thrashing with a birch switch.

  86. - "Idi tamo", viknu on tada,

    - "Go there," he shouted then,

  87. "idi tamo do onoga momka i jao si ga tebi, dosjeti li se istini."

    "go to that young man, and woe betide you if he discovers the truth."

  88. Pusti iza ovih riječi Bjesomar bijesa, a ovaj, uplašen kao sinja kukavica, čučao tri dana u rakiti te smišljao i razmišljao: kako li će obaviti tešku zapovijed.

    After these words, Bjesomar released the imp, who, frightened out of his wits, crouched in the willow thicket for three days, pondering and wondering how he would carry out the difficult command.

  89. "Bit će meni taman ista muka sa Potjehom, kao Potjehu sa mnom", mišljaše bijes.

    "Dealing with Potjeh will be just as hard for me as dealing with me is for Potjeh," the imp thought.

  90. On ipak bijaše pusti lakrdijaš, pak mu se nikako nije račilo na teški posao.

    But he was nothing more than a mischievous prankster, and he had no desire at all to undertake such difficult work.

  91. Dok je on tako čučao u rakiti, dotle ona druga dvojica bjesova, jedan u torbi Marunovoj, a drugi u njedrima Ljutišinim, bijahu već na poslu.

    While he crouched there in the willow thicket, the other two imps were already at work, one in Marun's bag and the other inside Ljutiša's shirt.

  92. Marun i Ljutiša počeše od onog dana lutati po gori i dolinama i malo kada noćivahu u kolibi - i to sve radi bjesova.

    From that day onward, Marun and Ljutiša began wandering through the mountains and valleys, and they rarely spent the night in their hut—all because of the imps.

  93. Šćućurio se bijes na dnu torbe Marunove, a taj je bijes volio bogatstvo negoli svoj desni rog.

    The imp huddled at the bottom of Marun's bag, and he loved wealth more than his own right horn.

  94. Bode on dakle Maruna po vas dan rogom u bokove i sve ga nagoni i sve mu cvili:

    So he prodded Marun in the ribs with his horn all day long, constantly driving him on and whining:

  95. "Hajde žurno, hajde! Treba da se traži treba da se nađe! Da tražimo pčelce, da sakupljamo meda, da djeljamo rovaš od stotinu reda!"

    "Come on, hurry, hurry! We must search, we must find! Let us seek out beehives, gather honey, and carve a tally stick with a hundred notches!"

  96. Ovo govorio bijes, jer se u ono doba urezivalo na rovaš, koliko bi tko obogatio.

    The imp said this because, in those days, people carved notches on tally sticks to record how much wealth a person had amassed.

  97. Ljutišu pak bocka rogom bijes u njedrima, a taj je bijes htio da bude najjači među svima i gospodar svemu svijetu.

    Meanwhile, the imp nestled inside Ljutiša's shirt prodded him with his horn. This imp wanted to be the strongest of them all and master of the entire world.

  98. Goni i nagoni dakle on Ljutišu, da ide šumom tražiti mlade grabiće i tamne javore, da od njih izradi junački pribor i oružje.

    So he drove and urged Ljutiša to go through the forest in search of young hornbeams and dark maples, from which he could fashion a hero's equipment and weapons.

  99. "Hajde žurno, hajde! Treba da se traži, treba da se nađe: koplje, luk i strijela po junačkoj ćudi, da strepe pred nama i zvijeri i ljudi!"

    "Come on, hurry, hurry! We must search, we must find a spear, a bow, and arrows worthy of a hero, so that both beasts and men will tremble before us!"

  100. - cvilio bijes.

    - the imp whined.

  101. Slušali Ljutiša i Marun svoje bjesove i eto tako lutahu za svojim poslom, kako ih bjesovi putili.

    Ljutiša and Marun obeyed their imps, and so they wandered about on their respective errands, following wherever the imps directed them.

  102. Potjeh pak onoga dana i još tri dana ostane uz djeda i podjednako misli i razmišlja: što li mu bješe Svarožić rekao.

    Potjeh, meanwhile, stayed with his grandfather that day and for three more days, continually thinking and pondering what Svarožić had told him.

  103. Jer Potjeh hoćaše da djedu istinu kaže, ali eto, nikako da joj se dosjeti.

    For Potjeh wanted to tell his grandfather the truth, but somehow he simply could not recall it.

  104. Tako dan, tako dva, tako tri.

    So one day passed, then two, then three.

  105. Kad al treći dan reći će Potjeh djedu:

    Then, on the third day, Potjeh said to his grandfather:

  106. "Zbogom, djede, odoh ja u goru i ne vraćam se, dok se ne dosjetim istini, pa makar trajalo deset godina."

    "Farewell, Grandfather. I am going into the mountains, and I shall not return until I discover the truth, even if it takes ten years."

  107. Vjest bijaše sijed starac, te mu na svijetu ne bijaše stalo ni do čega, jedino do njegova unuka Potjeha, kojega je ljubio i milovao kao uveli list rosicu.

    Vjest was a white-haired old man who cared for nothing in the world except his grandson Potjeh, whom he loved and cherished as a withered leaf cherishes the dew.

  108. Zato on protrne i reče:

    At this, he shuddered and said:

  109. "Što li će meni, sinko, ta istina, kad ja, sijedi starac, mogu tri puta umrijeti, dok joj se ti dosjetiš?"

    "What good will that truth do me, my son, when I, a white-haired old man, might die three times over before you discover it?"

  110. Tako reče i još se ražali više u srcu negoli u govoru i pomisli:

    He spoke these words, but his heart was even more sorrowful than his voice betrayed, and he thought:

  111. "Kako li me dijete ostavlja!"

    "How can my child leave me like this!"

  112. Al Potjeh odgovori:

    But Potjeh replied:

  113. "Idem, djede, jer sam tako smislio da je pravedno."

    "I must go, Grandfather, because I have decided that this is the right thing to do."

  114. Vjest bijaše mudar starac i pomisli:

    Vjest was a wise old man, and he thought:

  115. "Možda u ovome djetetu ima više mudrosti negoli u staračkoj glavi. Ako li pak jadan sagriješi na meni, morat će okajati na sebi, jer je pravedan i blagosloven."

    "Perhaps this child has more wisdom in him than there is in an old man's head. But if the poor boy wrongs me, he will have to atone for it himself, for he is righteous and blessed."

  116. Kad to pomisli Vjest, još se više rastuži, no ništa više ne reče, nego se izljubi s unukom i pusti ga da ide, kuda bijaše nakanio.

    When Vjest thought this, his heart grew even heavier, but he said nothing more. Instead, he kissed his grandson farewell and let him go wherever he had resolved to go.

  117. Potjeha pak jako zaboli srce za djedom, i malo, malo, te bi se na pragu predomislio i ostao uz djeda.

    Potjeh's heart ached terribly at leaving his grandfather, and more than once he nearly changed his mind on the threshold and stayed with him.

  118. No onda se silom otkine, kako bijaše odlučio, i pođe u goru.

    But then, forcing himself to tear away, he did as he had decided and set off into the mountains.

  119. Dok se Potjeh tako rastajao od djeda, dotle se i onaj bijes iz rakite nakanio da se prihvati svoga teškog posla i pošao do krčevine, da kakogod zaskoči Potjeha.

    While Potjeh was taking leave of his grandfather, the imp in the willow thicket had also resolved to get on with his difficult task. He went to a clearing, hoping somehow to ambush Potjeh.

  120. Ide dakle Potjeh u goru, a oborio glavu; kad on do prvog kamena, a pred njega bane onaj bijes.

    So Potjeh walked into the mountains with his head bowed. When he reached the first stone, the imp suddenly sprang out before him.

  121. "E, to je onaj isti", pomisli Potjeh,

    "Ah, it's that same one," Potjeh thought,

  122. "sasvim malen, nakazan, crn kao krtica, a rogat u velike rogove."

    "quite tiny and misshapen, black as a mole, and crowned with enormous horns."

  123. Stane dakle bijes Potjehu na put i ne dade mu proći.

    The imp planted himself in Potjeh's path and would not let him pass.

  124. Razljuti se Potjeh na ovo malo nakaze, što mu smeta, pa podigne kamen, baci se na bijesa te ga zgodi upravo među rogove. -

    Potjeh grew angry with the little monster for blocking his way. He picked up a stone, hurled it at the imp, and struck him squarely between the horns. -

  125. "Ubio sam ga!"

    "I've killed him!"

  126. - pomisli Potjeh.

    - Potjeh thought.

  127. Al kad pogleda tamo, a bijes živ i zdrav i još mu narasla dva roga na onome mjestu gdje ga je kamen udario.

    But when he looked again, the imp was alive and well, and two more horns had even sprouted where the stone had struck him.

  128. "E, taj se ne tjera kamenom", reče Potjeh sam sebi pa obađe bijesa i pođe dalje svojim putem.

    "Ah, that one cannot be driven away with stones," Potjeh said to himself, then walked around the imp and continued on his way.

  129. A bijes i opet skoči pred njega te sad slijeva sad zdesna trči i skače stazom pred Potjehom kao zec.

    But the imp sprang in front of him again and ran and leaped along the path ahead of Potjeh, now to the left, now to the right, like a hare.

  130. Tako oni stigoše do jednog mjesta, koje bijaše kao mala ravan među stijenama, a vrlo kamenita. - Na jednoj strani bijaše zdenac. - "Ovdje ću ostati", pomisli Potjeh i odmah prostre kožuh pod divljaku jabuku i sjede, da razmišlja i da se u ovome miru dosjeti: što li mu bijaše uistinu kazao Svarožić.

    In this way they came to a place that was like a small, very stony level patch among the rocks. - On one side stood a well. - "I shall stay here," Potjeh thought. He immediately spread his sheepskin beneath a wild apple tree and sat down to think, hoping that in this quiet place he might recall what Svarožić had truly told him.

  131. Al kad to vidje bijes, sjede upravo pred Potjeha pod grm i stade praviti svoje blezgarije i dosađivati mu.

    But when the imp saw this, he sat down right in front of Potjeh, beneath a bush, and began performing his silly antics and pestering him.

  132. Pušta bijes Potjehu guštere pod noge, baca mu čičke na košulju i nagoni mu skakavce u rukav.

    The imp sent lizards scurrying beneath Potjeh's feet, threw burrs onto his shirt, and drove grasshoppers up his sleeves.

  133. -

  134. "Ovo je naopako, jadan!"

    "This is all wrong!"

  135. - pomisli Potjeh, kad je to trajalo već neko doba.

    - Potjeh thought, when this had been going on for some time.

  136. "Ostavio sam mudra djeda, rođenu braću i rodnu kolibu, kako bi se na miru dosjetio istini, a sad evo dangubim vrijeme sa ovom rogatom besposlicom."

    "I left my wise grandfather, my own brothers, and my home to discover the truth in peace, and now here I am wasting my time with this horned idler."

  137. No kako bijaše došao po čestitom poslu, pomisli, da je najpravije, da ipak ovdje ostane.

    But since he had come for an honest purpose, he thought it was only right that he should stay here after all.

  138. Tako proživješe Potjeh i bijes zajedno na kamenitom zaravanku, i tako prvog dana, tako i svaki dan: bijes kvari i ometa posao Potjehu.

    So Potjeh and the imp lived together on the rocky plateau, and every day was like the first: the imp spoiled and disrupted Potjeh's work.

  139. Istom svane lijepo jutro, a Potjeh ustane od sna i raduje se:

    As soon as a fine morning dawned, Potjeh would wake up and rejoice:

  140. "Tiha li dana, radosti moja! Danas ću se dosjetiti istini!"

    "What a peaceful day, my joy! Today I shall discover the truth!"

  141. Al eto, već se sa divljake prosipa puna šaka jabuka po Potjehu, te mu sva glava zveči i sve mu se misli pometu.

    But then a whole handful of apples came tumbling down from the wild apple tree onto Potjeh, making his head ring and scattering all his thoughts.

  142. A ona se nagrda sa divljake smije i prenemaže od smijeha. - Il se opet Potjeh u hladu ponajbolje zamisli, i sve mu se čini:

    And the wretched imp laughed and wriggled about beneath the wild apple tree, nearly beside himself with mirth. - Or else Potjeh would be deep in thought in the shade, and it would seem to him:

  143. "Eto, eto, sad će mi sinuti u pamet, sad ću se domisliti istini!"

    "There, there! The answer is about to come to me; now I shall figure out the truth!"

  144. A ono bijes u onaj čas izdaleka namjeri sa bazgovom cijevi i polije Potjeha mlazom one hladne vodice, te mu se odmah izgubi u glavi, što god bijaše smislio.

    But at that very moment, the imp would take aim from a distance with an elderberry tube and squirt Potjeh with a stream of cold water, and whatever he had worked out would immediately vanish from his mind.

  145. I štogod ima ludorije, štogod ima blezgarije, to bijes po zaravanku stvara.

    Every kind of foolishness and every sort of nonsense the imp could devise, he performed there on the plateau.

  146. A još bi nekako i bilo, da se nije Potjehu nekuda i mililo gledati ove ludorije.

    Things might still have been bearable if Potjeh had not found himself strangely drawn to watching these antics.

  147. Koliko promišlja o svom poslu, toliko mu se oči otimaju, da gleda što li sve stvara ono ludo čeljade.

    However hard he tried to think about his task, his eyes kept wandering to see what that crazy little creature was up to.

  148. Dogrdjelo to već i samom Potjehu, jer ga sve više želja mori, da se k djedu vrati, a vidi da se uz ovog bijesa nikada neće dosjetiti istini.

    At last even Potjeh grew weary of it all, for his longing to return to his grandfather grew stronger, and he could see that with this imp around he would never discover the truth.

  149. - "Moram se ja njega riješiti", odluči Potjeh.

    - "I must get rid of him," Potjeh decided.

  150. Ele, jednoga jutra zamislio bijes novu dangubu.

    Now, one morning, the imp came up with a new way to waste time.

  151. Popeo se on navrh stijene, na kojoj bijaše strma vododerina u kamenu, zajašio glatki klipić i spustio se po vododerini kao munja.

    He climbed to the top of a rock where a steep groove had been worn into the stone, straddled a smooth little rock, and shot down the groove like lightning.

  152. Omili bijesu odmah ta igra kao nijedna druga, te mu se prohtije društva za nju.

    The imp took to this game more than any other and immediately wanted company to join him.

  153. Uze on dakle travu i zazviždi u travu preko stijene i šume, a ono iz grmlja, kamenja, iz rakite i šaša dotrkaše, dođipaše sve mali bjesovi kao onaj prvi.

    So he picked a blade of grass and whistled through it, sending his call across the rocks and through the forest. Out of the bushes, from among the stones, from the willow thickets and the reeds, came running and hopping all the little imps, just like the first one.

  154. On njima zapovijeda, a oni svaki uhvatiše po klipić, pa na stijenu.

    He gave them their orders, and each of them seized a little rock and climbed onto the cliff.

  155. Pa da vidiš, kada sjedoše na klipiće, te kad poletješe niz vododerinu!

    And what a sight it was when they sat on their little rocks and shot down the groove!

  156. A bilo ih je svake ruke i svakog plemena bjesovskoga.

    There were imps of every shape and every kind.

  157. Crveni kao crvendaći, zeleni kao zelembaći, rutavi kao janje, golišavi kao žabe, rogati kao puž, šušati kao miš.

    Red as robins, green as green lizards, shaggy as lambs, bare as frogs, horned like snails, and whiskered like mice.

  158. Takvi oni lete niz vododerinu na svojim klipićima, kao luda vojska na ludim konjima.

    Down the rocky groove they flew on their little stones, like a mad army riding mad horses.

  159. Lete niza stijenu, jedan drugome za petama i ne zaustavljaše se do pol zaravanka, gdje ležaše velik kamen, sav obrastao mahovinom.

    They hurtled down the cliff, one right behind the other, and did not stop until they reached the middle of the plateau, where a great stone lay, covered all over with moss.

  160. Tu se zaustavljahu na mahovini te se od velikog zamaha i od puste ludorije koprcaju jedan preko drugoga.

    There they came to a halt on the moss and, carried by their tremendous momentum and sheer foolishness, tumbled and wriggled all over one another.

  161. Tako se spušta i hohoće luda družba dva-tri puta, a u Potjehu sve jedna misao drugu goni: i gledao bi ih i smijao bi im se, a opet ga jad hvata, što mu toliku halabuku dižu, pa tko bi se u njoj domislio istini.

    The mad company slid down and roared with laughter two or three times, while thoughts chased one another through Potjeh's mind. He wanted to watch them and laugh along, yet at the same time he grew miserable because they made such a racket that no one could ever discover the truth amid all that noise.

  162. Amo-tamo, amo-tamo, al onda odluči Potjeh:

    Back and forth, back and forth he wavered, until at last Potjeh decided:

  163. "E, nema smijeha ni šaranja, ja se tih danguba riješiti moram, jer uz njih badava sam došao ovamo."

    "Enough laughing and fooling about! I must get rid of these idlers, for there is no point in my having come here if I have to put up with them."

  164. A Potjeh je opazio, da sa vododerine silaze klipići baš pravcem prema zdencu, pa da nema onoga kamena sa mahovinom, odoše bjesovi strmoglavce u zdenac.

    Potjeh had noticed that the little stones came down the groove in a straight line toward the well, and that without the moss-covered stone, the imps would plunge headfirst into it.

  165. Prikuči se dakle Potjeh onomu kamenu, pa kad se bjesovi uz hohot i grohot spustiše na svojim klipićima niza stijenu, a moj ti Potjeh brže odvali onaj kamen, i poleti luda vojska pravcem do zdenca. - Do zdenca, pa u zdenac, naglavce sve jedan za drugim, sve jedan preko drugoga: i crveni kao crvendaći, i zeleni kao zelembaći, i rutavi kao janje, a golišavi kao žabe, i rogati kao puž i šušati kao miš, a prvi među njima onaj, koji se bješe Potjeha nadovezao.

    Potjeh therefore crept up to the stone. And when the imps came roaring and laughing down the cliff on their little stones, Potjeh swiftly rolled the great stone out of the way, and the mad army shot straight toward the well. - Straight to the well and then into it, headfirst, one after another, tumbling over one another: the red ones like robins, the green ones like green lizards, the shaggy ones like lambs, the bare ones like frogs, the horned ones like snails, and the whiskered ones like mice. And the first to fall in was the very imp who had attached himself to Potjeh.

  166. A Potjeh odmah navali onaj kamen na bunar, i eto, tako se uhvatiše bjesovi kao muhe u loncu.

    Potjeh immediately rolled the great stone back over the well, and there the imps were trapped like flies in a pot.

  167. Obveseli se Potjeh, kako li se riješio bjesova, pa ode da sjedne i da se sada na miru dosjeti istini.

    Potjeh rejoiced at having rid himself of the imps, then went to sit down and finally discover the truth in peace.

  168. Al jao si ga njemu, jer se u zdencu počeše vrtjeti i bjesnjeti bjesovi kao još nikada.

    But alas for him, for inside the well the imps began to whirl and rage more furiously than ever before.

  169. Iz zdenca počeše na sve pukotine iskakivati sitni plamečci, što su ih od ljute muke bacali bjesovi. - Stadoše žišci skakutati i titrati oko zdenca, te Potjehu odmah zakruži glava.

    Tiny flames began to leap from every crack in the well, flung out by the imps in their terrible agony. - Little fiery sparks began hopping and flickering around the well, and Potjeh's head immediately began to spin.

  170. Zatvori Potjeh zato oči, da mu ne smetaju žišci.

    So Potjeh closed his eyes to keep the sparks from distracting him.

  171. Al ono u zdencu tolika galama, buka, piska i lupa, cvil i lavež, kucanje i zapomaganje, da Potjehu sve uši pucaju, pa gdje bi mogao o čem da misli! - Zato on začepi uši, da ne čuje.

    But inside the well there was such a din of shouting, roaring, squealing and banging, whining and barking, knocking and wailing that Potjeh's ears felt ready to burst. How could he possibly think about anything? - So he plugged his ears to shut out the noise.

  172. Al onda poče do njega pridolaziti para i sumpor i čađa, što su ih u smrtnoj stisci puštali na pukotine zdenca bjesovi. - Okruži čađa i sumpor Potjeha i stade ga gušiti i gušiti.

    But then steam, sulphur, and soot began to drift toward him, escaping through the cracks in the well as the imps struggled desperately for their lives. - Soot and sulphur enveloped Potjeh and began to choke him, tighter and tighter.

  173. Spozna dakle Potjeh, da tu nema hasne.

    Potjeh realized that this was doing no good.

  174. "E, sada vidim bolan: poklopljeni bjesovi sto puta gori, od puštenih", reče Potjeh.

    "Ah, now I see, to my sorrow: imps trapped under a lid are a hundred times worse than imps running loose," said Potjeh.

  175. "Pa hajd da ih pustim, kad ih se ne mogu riješiti. Opet mi je lakše uz njihovu lakrdiju, negoli uz toliko zapomaganje!"

    "Well then, I might as well let them out, since I cannot get rid of them. Their foolish antics are easier to bear than all this wailing!"

  176. Ode on dakle tamo i otklopi kamen, a uplašeni bjesovi ko divlje mačke poskakaše na sve strane i utekoše kud koji u goru i nikada ih više na zaravanak.

    So he went over and lifted the stone. The terrified imps sprang in every direction like wildcats and fled into the mountains, each going its own way. They never returned to the plateau.

  177. Ostade samo onaj jedan, crn kao krtica, a rogat u velike rogove, jer on od straha pred Bjesomarom nikako nije smio da ostavi Potjeha.

    Only the one black as a mole, with his enormous horns, remained, for fear of Bjesomar kept him from daring to leave Potjeh.

  178. Nego i on se od onoga dana nekuda malo smirio i više poštovaše Potjeha nego dosele.

    Even he became somewhat quieter from that day onward and showed Potjeh more respect than he had before.

  179. I tako se njih dva nekako pogode: obiknu jedan na drugoga i stanu živjeti jedan uz drugoga.

    And so the two of them somehow reached an understanding: they grew accustomed to each other and began living side by side.

  180. Al eto već minulo gotovo godinu dana, a Potjeh još ni izdaleka da se domisli istini: što li mu zapravo bijaše rekao Svarožić?

    But now almost a year had passed, and Potjeh was still nowhere near discovering the truth: what, exactly, had Svarožić told him?

  181. Kad već godina blizu, al bijesu počelo dozlogrđivati.

    As the year drew near its end, the imp began to grow weary of it all.

  182. -

  183. "Dokle ću ja ovako ovdje bivati?"

    "How long am I supposed to stay here like this?"

  184. - pomisli on.

    - he thought.

  185. Stoga jedne večeri, kad je Potjeh baš bio nakanio da zaspi, dođe bijes do njega i reče:

    So one evening, just as Potjeh was preparing to fall asleep, the imp came over to him and said:

  186. -

  187. "A kako ti to, golube, sjediš ovdje već malone godinu dana i što će to tebi? Eno ti možda djed na krčevini već i umro za to vrijeme!"

    "Well now, my dear fellow, why have you been sitting here for almost a whole year, and what good is it doing you? Your grandfather may well have died back at the clearing in all that time!"

  188. Zaboli Potjeha srce, kao da ga iglom ubolo - al on reče: -

    Potjeh's heart ached as though a needle had pierced it, but he replied: -

  189. "Eto, tako sam odlučio, da ne idem odavle, dok ne doznam istine, jer je istina preča od svega."

    "That is what I have decided: I shall not leave this place until I learn the truth, for truth is more important than anything else."

  190. Tako reče Potjeh, jer on bijaše pravedan i blagosloven.

    So Potjeh spoke, for he was righteous and blessed.

  191. No Potjeha se duboko kosnulo, što je bijes spomenuo o djedu, i cijele noći ne mogaše Potjeh da zaspi, nego se kida i lomi i sve misli: kako li je sa djedom, sa milim starcem njegovim?

    Yet the imp's mention of his grandfather had deeply troubled Potjeh, and all night long he could not sleep. He tossed and turned, thinking over and over: how was his beloved old grandfather faring?

  192. Djed pak življaše za to vrijeme na krčevini sa Marunom i Ljutišom, ali bijaše život okrenuo žalosno po djeda: - Nijesu marili unuci za djeda, niti nastojali oko njega.

    Meanwhile, his grandfather lived at the clearing with Marun and Ljutiša, but life had taken a sad turn for the old man: - His grandsons no longer cared for him or bothered to look after him.

  193. Niti mu dozivali dobra jutra ni lake noći, nego jednako hodali za svojim poslovima i slušali svoje bjesove u torbi i njedrima.

    They no longer wished him good morning or good night. Instead, they went about their own business as usual, listening to the imps in their bag and inside their shirts.

  194. Donosio Marun svaki dan nove pčelce iz šume, tesao grede, gradio i sagradio novu kolibu.

    Every day Marun brought new beehives in from the forest, hewed beams, and built himself a new hut, which he soon completed.

  195. A ponajpače izdjeljao deset rovaša i svaki dan broji i prebraja: kad će se rovaši ispuniti?

    Most of all, he carved ten tally sticks and counted and recounted them every day, wondering when they would be filled with notches.

  196. Ljutiša pak hodao po lovu i razboju, donosio krzna i divljači, dovlačio plijena i blaga, a jednoga dana doveo i dva roba zarobljena, da služe i poslužuju braću po vas dan.

    Ljutiša, meanwhile, went hunting and raiding, bringing back furs and game, hauling home plunder and treasure. One day he even brought back two captured slaves to serve and wait on the brothers all day long.

  197. Teško i nemilo bivalo djedu Vjestu uza sve ovo, a teško i sve nemilije gledali unuci na starca.

    All this made life hard and miserable for Grandfather Vjest, and the grandsons found the old man increasingly burdensome and disagreeable.

  198. Šta će im starac, kad neće da ga služe robovi nego sramoti unučad te sam drva cijepa i sam donosi vodu sa kladenca?

    What use was the old man to them when he refused to let the slaves serve him, disgracing his grandsons by splitting his own firewood and fetching water from the spring himself?

  199. Tako došlo, te što god bilo na starcu, sve smetalo unucima, pa i to, što je starac jednako prilagao svaki dan po cjepanicu svetom ognju.

    Things had come to such a pass that everything about the old man annoyed his grandsons, even the fact that he continued to place a log on the sacred fire every day.

  200. Opazio dobro starac Vjest, kuda sve to ide i da će se njemu doskora raditi o glavi.

    Old Vjest clearly saw where all this was heading and realized that before long his grandsons would be plotting his death.

  201. Ništa ne požali za životom, jer što će mu život, nego požali, što će umrijeti, a da ne vidi Potjeha, blagosloveno dijete svoje, radost starosti svoje.

    He felt no regret at the thought of losing his life, for what did life mean to him now? What grieved him was that he would die without seeing Potjeh, his blessed child, the joy of his old age.

  202. Jedne večeri dakle (a bijaše to baš one večeri, kad se Potjeh onako lomio radi djeda) reče Marun Ljutiši: -

    One evening, then (the very evening when Potjeh was so tormented by thoughts of his grandfather), Marun said to Ljutiša: -

  203. "Hajde, brate, da se riješimo djeda. U tebe je oružje, dočekaj ga na kladencu pa ga smakni."

    "Come, brother, let us get rid of Grandfather. You have the weapons, so wait for him at the spring and kill him."

  204. Ovo ponajpače govoraše Marun, jer mu se htjelo pod svaku cijenu stare kolibe, da na onome mjestu podigne pčelinjak. - "Ne mogu, brate", odvrati Ljutiša, kojemu na krvi i na razboju ne bijaše toliko otvrdnulo srce, koliko Marunu na bogatstvu i rovašima.

    Marun urged this above all because he wanted the old hut at any cost, so that he could build an apiary on its site. - "I cannot do that, brother," Ljutiša replied. His heart had not been hardened by bloodshed and raiding as much as Marun's had been hardened by wealth and tally sticks.

  205. Al Marun nikako ne popušta, jer mu bijes u torbi jednako šapće i došapćuje.

    But Marun would not give in, for the imp in his bag kept whispering and murmuring in his ear.

  206. Vidio bijes u Marunovoj torbi, da će on prvi maknuti Vjesta sa ovoga svijeta i tako steći veliku hvalu pred Bjesomarom.

    The imp in Marun's bag realized that he would be the first to remove Vjest from this world and thereby earn great praise from Bjesomar.

  207. Nagovara dakle Marun Ljutišu, al Ljutiša nikako ne htjede da svojom rukom ubije djeda.

    So Marun urged Ljutiša to do it, but Ljutiša would not agree to kill their grandfather with his own hands.

  208. Složiše se dakle i dogovoriše napokon, da će još iste večeri potpaliti staru kolibu.

    At last, they reached an agreement and decided to set fire to the old hut that very evening.

  209. Neka izgori ona i u njoj starac.

    Let the hut burn, and the old man with it.

  210. Kad se sve na krčevini smirilo, odaslaše oni dakle robove, neka čuvaju te noći u šumi stupice.

    When everything at the clearing had settled down, they sent the slaves into the forest to tend the traps that night.

  211. Braća pak odšuljaju se do kolibe Vjestove, zatvore izvana vrata teškim klinom, kako ne bi djed utekao iz plamena, i podmetnu vatru pod sva četiri ušaka.

    The brothers, meanwhile, crept over to Vjest's hut, barred the door from the outside with a heavy wooden bolt so that their grandfather could not escape the flames, and set fire to all four corners of the hut.

  212. Kad bijaše sve gotovo, odoše oni daleko u goru, da ne čuju djedovo zapomaganje.

    When everything was done, they went far into the mountains so that they would not hear their grandfather's cries for help.

  213. Dogovoriše se, da će obaći čitavu planinu kolika je, kako se ne bi vratili do jutra, dok ne bude sve gotovo: i djed i koliba spaljeni.

    They agreed to walk all the way around the mountain, however large it might be, so that they would not return until morning, when everything would be over: both their grandfather and the hut burned to ashes.

  214. Odoše oni, a vatra polako stade lizati oko uglova.

    They left, and the fire slowly began licking at the corners of the hut.

  215. No ono je bila stara orahovina, tvrda kao kamen, te plamen sve oko nje liže i oblizuje, ali ne može da je zahvati.

    But the hut was built of old walnut wood, hard as stone, and the flames licked and lapped at it from every side without being able to catch hold.

  216. Istom kasno u noć uhvati se vatra krova.

    It was not until late that night that the fire caught the roof.

  217. Probudi se starac Vjest, otvori oči i vidi, da mu krov nad glavom gori.

    Old Vjest awoke, opened his eyes, and saw that the roof above his head was burning.

  218. Ustade i pođe do vrata, pa kad nađe, da su teškim klinom zamandaljena, odmah znadijaše, čiji je posao.

    He rose and went to the door. When he found it barred with a heavy wooden bolt, he knew at once who had done it.

  219. -

  220. "Oj, djeco moja, jadnici moji!"

    "Oh, my children, my poor, wretched children!"

  221. - reče starac.

    - said the old man.

  222. "Iz srdaca vaših vadite, a na rovaše mećete. Ali gledajte: još vam rovaši nisu puni i mnogo čislo na njima nedostaje a srca ste već do dna ispraznili, kad eto palite djeda i rodnu kolibu."

    "You take from your hearts and put it onto your tally sticks. But look: your tally sticks are not yet full, and many notches are still missing, while your hearts are already emptied to the very bottom, now that you are setting fire to your grandfather and the hut where you were born."

  223. To pomisli djed Vjest o Marunu i Ljutiši i više o njima ni jedne ne pomisli, niti se radi njih ražali, nego pođe da sjedne i da spokojno čeka smrt.

    That was what Grandfather Vjest thought of Marun and Ljutiša. He gave them no further thought and felt no more sorrow on their account. Instead, he went to sit down and calmly await death.

  224. Sjedne on dakle na škrinju i zamisli se o svom dugom životu.

    So he sat down on a chest and began to reflect on his long life.

  225. I što god je bilo u životu, ništa mu se ne učini teško, jedino to, što u svom smrtnom času nema uza se Potjeha, ljubljeno dijete svoje, koje ga je toliko ražalilo.

    As he looked back on all that had happened in his life, nothing seemed hard to bear except that, at the hour of his death, his beloved Potjeh was not beside him—the very child who had caused him such sorrow.

  226. Dok on tako razmišljaše, dotle je stajao već sav krov u plamenu kao baklja.

    While he sat there thinking, the entire roof had become a blazing torch.

  227. Gorjele i pregorjele grede, stale pucati tavanice.

    The beams burned through, and the ceilings began to crack.

  228. Progorjele, popucale, pa se sa obje strane kraj starca urušile i grede i tavanice sa plamenom u izbu.

    Burned through and split apart, the beams and ceilings then collapsed on both sides of the old man, bringing the flames crashing into the room.

  229. Okružio plamen Vjesta, raskrio se krov nad njime, vidjelo se gdje se zora po nebu razilazi pred suncem.

    Flames surrounded Vjest, and the roof opened up above him. Through the opening, he could see the dawn spreading across the sky before the rising sun.

  230. Ustade stari Vjest, podiže ruke i oči k nebu i tako čekaše, da plamen odnese sa ovoga svijeta i njega starca i staru kolibu njegovu.

    Old Vjest rose to his feet, lifted his hands and eyes toward the heavens, and waited for the flames to carry him and his old hut out of this world.

  231. Teško se izmučio one noći Potjeh, a kad zora stade svitati, pođe on do zdenca, da ohladi vruće obraze.

    Potjeh had suffered greatly that night, and when dawn began to break, he went to the well to cool his burning cheeks.

  232. Upravo sunce nad nebo, a Potjeh prišao zdencu.

    Just as the sun rose into the sky, Potjeh approached the well.

  233. Kako k zdencu, ali iz vode zasjaji svjetlost.

    As he came to the well, a light suddenly shone up from the water.

  234. Zasjaji, podiže se, te kraj zdenca stade pred Potjeha prekrasno momče u zelenom odijelu.

    The light shone brighter and rose, and beside the well there stood before Potjeh a beautiful young man dressed in green.

  235. A bijaše ono Svarožić.

    And it was Svarožić himself.

  236. Protrne od radosti Potjeh i reče:

    Potjeh trembled with joy and said:

  237. -

  238. "Moj božiću Svarožiću, koliko te čekam! Reci mi jadnome, što li mi ono reče da imam učiniti? Evo se ovdje kinim i mučim i dozivam svu mudrost godinu dana - i nikako da se dosjetim istini!"

    "My little god Svarožić, how long I have waited for you! Tell me, poor wretch that I am, what was it you told me I must do? Here I have been straining and struggling and summoning all my wisdom for a whole year—and still I cannot discover the truth!"

  239. Kad on to reče, Svarožić nekud zlovoljno strese glavom i zlatnim pramom.

    When he said this, Svarožić shook his head and golden locks somewhat crossly.

  240. - "Ej momčiću, momčiću! Rekao sam ti, da ostaneš uz djeda svoga, dok mu ljubav ne vratiš, i da ga ne ostavljaš, dok on tebe ne ostavi", - reče Svarožić.

    "Ah, young man, young man! I told you to stay with your grandfather until you had repaid his love, and not to leave him until he left you," said Svarožić.

  241. A onda još reče:

    Then he added:

  242. -

  243. "Mislio sam, da si ti najmudriji od braće, a eto, ti baš i jesi najluđi. Kiniš se i mučiš i dozivaš mudrost godinu dana, da doznaš istinu. A da si poslušao srce svoje, kad ti je na pragu kolibe govorilo, da se povratiš i da ne ostavljaš djeda, eto ti, jadan, istine bez mudrosti!"

    "I thought you were the wisest of the brothers, but it turns out that you are the most foolish of all. You have strained and struggled and summoned wisdom for a whole year to discover the truth. Yet if you had listened to your own heart, when it spoke to you on the threshold of the hut and told you to turn back and not leave your grandfather, there you would have had the truth, poor fellow, without any wisdom at all!"

  244. Tako reče Svarožić i još jedared zlovoljno strese glavom i zlatnim pramom, pa se ogrnu zlatnom kabanicom i nestade ga.

    So spoke Svarožić, and once again he shook his head and golden locks crossly. Then he wrapped himself in his golden cloak and vanished.

  245. Zastiđen i zatečen ostade Potjeh sam uza zdenac, a iza kamena smijao se onaj lakrdijaš, onaj bijes: sasvim malen, nakazan i rogat u velike rogove.

    Ashamed and bewildered, Potjeh remained alone beside the well, while from behind the stone that little jester, that imp, laughed: tiny and misshapen, with enormous horns.

  246. Dopalo se bijesu, gdje Svarožić onako postidi Potjeha, koji bijaše toliko pravedan.

    The imp was delighted that Svarožić had humiliated Potjeh so, for Potjeh was such a righteous young man.

  247. Kad se Potjeh povratio od prve zabune, kliknu radosno:

    When Potjeh recovered from his initial confusion, he cried out joyfully:

  248. "Brže da se umijem i da poletim do miloga starca svoga."

    "Quick, let me wash my face and hurry to my dear old grandfather."

  249. To reče i prikuči se zdencu, da se umije.

    With these words, he moved closer to the well to wash.

  250. Nagnu se Potjeh da zahvati vode, nagnu se odviše, otkliznu se i padne u zdenac.

    Potjeh leaned over to scoop up some water. He leaned too far, slipped, and fell into the well.

  251. Padne u zdenac i utopi se.

    He fell into the well and drowned.

  252. Iskoči bijes iz kamena, skoči na rub zdenca i pogleda, da na svoje oči vidi, je li istina, što mu se učinilo.

    The imp sprang out from behind the stone, leaped onto the rim of the well, and peered in to see with his own eyes whether what he thought had happened was true.

  253. Jest, utopio se Potjeh, eno ga, leži na dnu vode, bijel kao vosak.

    Indeed, Potjeh had drowned. There he lay at the bottom of the water, white as wax.

  254. - "Oje oj!"

    "Oh, oh!"

  255. zacviči bijes, koji bijaše posve ludo čeljade. -

    squealed the imp, who was a thoroughly crazy creature.

  256. "Oje oj! danas selim, brate moj!"

    "Oh, oh! Today I'm moving house, my brother!"

  257. Cičao bijes, da je sve zvonilo sa onih stijena oko zaravanka.

    The imp shrieked so loudly that the rocks around the clearing rang with the sound.

  258. A onda se upre o onaj kamen, koji bijaše oslonjen na rub zdenca, a kamen se prevali i dobro poklopi zdenac.

    Then he braced himself against the stone that rested on the rim of the well. The stone toppled over and covered the well completely.

  259. Pa onda još povrh kamena baci bijes kožuh Potjehov pa još na kožuh sjedne on sam, pa onda stade igrati i skakati po kožuhu:

    Then the imp threw Potjeh’s sheepskin coat over the stone, sat down on it himself, and began to dance and leap about on the coat:

  260. "Oje oj! Oje oj! dovršen je posao moj!"

    "Oh, oh! Oh, oh! My work is done!"

  261. - ciči bijes.

    the imp squealed.

  262. Malo, malo igrao po kožuhu, malo, malo cičao.

    For a while he danced on the coat, and for a while he squealed.

  263. Al kad se već bijaše umorio, ogleda se po zaravanku - i nekuda mu čudno bude.

    But when he had grown tired, he looked around the clearing, and suddenly everything seemed strange to him.

  264. Naučio se bijes na Potjeha i nikada još nije imao tako lagodnog živovanja kao uz ovog pravednika.

    The imp had grown accustomed to Potjeh, and he had never enjoyed such an easy life as he had beside this righteous young man.

  265. Uz njega je po miloj volji lakrdijao, niti mu je tko zanovijetao, niti mu je tko zapovijedao.

    At Potjeh’s side, he could play the fool to his heart’s content; no one nagged him, and no one gave him orders.

  266. A sad pomisli li pravo, treba da se vrati u rakitu, u ono blato, do ljutog cara Bjesomara, a među pet stotina bjesova, sve samih bijesnih prica, kao što i on sam bijaše.

    But now, when he thought about it, he would have to return to the willow thicket and its mud, to the fierce Emperor Bjesomar, among five hundred imps, all of them quarrelsome little fiends just like himself.

  267. Bijaše on tomu odvikao.

    He had grown unaccustomed to such a life.

  268. Promisli on, promisli malo, snuždi se, snuždi malo - pa sve jače.

    He thought and thought; he grew a little sad, then a little sadder still—and sadder by the moment.

  269. I što bi dlanom o dlan udario, eno ga ludo i bezglavo čeljade, što čas prije likovaše, stade sada plakati i revati i valjati se po onom kožuhu od ljutoga jada.

    And in the blink of an eye, that crazy, reckless creature who had been rejoicing just moments before began to weep and bellow, rolling about on the sheepskin in bitter misery.

  270. Reve on i zavija, te ono ništa ne bijaše, što je prije cičao.

    He bellowed and howled, so that his earlier squealing had been nothing by comparison.

  271. Bijes kao i bijes: kad reve, onda baš reve - i sve čupa dlake sa onoga kožuha i valja se po njemu, kao da je s uma sišao.

    An imp is an imp: when he bellows, he really bellows—and he tore out the hairs of the sheepskin and rolled about on it as though he had lost his mind.

  272. U taj čas stigoše na zaravanak Ljutiša i Marun.

    Just then, Ljutiša and Marun arrived at the clearing.

  273. Bijahu oni obišli svu goru te se sada vraćahu kući na krčevinu, da vide, je li djed sretno izgorio sa kolibom.

    They had circled the whole mountain and were now returning home to the clearing, to see whether their grandfather had burned to death along with the hut.

  274. Tako na povratku stigoše na zaravanak, gdje ih još nikada nije bilo.

    On their way back, they came upon the clearing, where they had never been before.

  275. Čuju Ljutiša i Marun cvilež i vide kožuh Potjehov i odmah pomisle, nije li Potjeh kakogod zaglavio.

    Ljutiša and Marun heard the wailing and saw Potjeh’s sheepskin coat, and at once wondered whether Potjeh had somehow met his end.

  276. No baš se i ne ražališe za bratom, jer oni ne mogahu ni za kim da žale, dok nose bjesove uza se.

    Yet they did not feel particularly sorry for their brother, for while they carried imps with them, they were incapable of feeling pity for anyone.

  277. Ali uto se počeše vrpoljiti njihovi bjesovi, jer su začuli, gdje im onaj drug onoliko zavija.

    But then their own imps began to fidget, for they had heard their companion howling so loudly.

  278. A ne bijaše nigdje složnijeg naroda ni vjernijih drugova u nevolji negoli bijahu bjesovi.

    Nowhere was there a more united folk or more faithful companions in trouble than the imps.

  279. Po rakiti se pru i kezmaju, al u nevolji jedan za drugog glavu daje.

    Among the willows they would stretch out and grin at one another, but in times of trouble each would gladly give his head for the other.

  280. Uzvrpoljili se dakle oni, uznemirili, naćulili uši, pa onda izvirili jedan iz torbe, a drugi iz njedara.

    So they began to fidget and fret, pricked up their ears, and then one poked his head out of a sack while the other peered out from a breast.

  281. I kako izviriše, odmah opaze: valja se brajan njihov s nekim, zavija i reve, i samo se vidi kako dlake frcaju.

    As soon as they looked out, they spotted their poor brother rolling about with someone, howling and bellowing, while tufts of hair flew everywhere.

  282. -

  283. "Razdere ga strašno zvjere!"

    "Some dreadful beast is tearing him to pieces!"

  284. viknuše uprepašteni bjesovi, iskočiše iz torbe i njedara te pohitaše do druga svoga.

    cried the horrified imps. They leaped out of the sack and the breast and hurried to their companion.

  285. Kad oni tamo, al onaj se na kožuhu prenemaže i sve viče:

    When they got there, they found the imp carrying on upon the sheepskin, shouting all the while:

  286. -

  287. "Pogibe onaj momak! Pogibe onaj momak!"

    "That young fellow is lost! That young fellow is lost!"

  288. Tišaju bjesovi druga, misle: trn mu je u peti, ili mu komarica u uhu - jer oni ne bijahu živjeli uz onog pravednika te za dugo ne znađahu da se cvili.

    The imps tried to soothe their companion, thinking he had a thorn in his heel or a gnat in his ear—for they had not lived alongside that righteous young man, and for a long time they had not known what it meant to grieve.

  289. Al onaj jednako reve, i ne možeš svoga glasa čuti niti ga možeš smiriti.

    But he kept bellowing all the same, so loudly that they could not hear their own voices, nor could they quiet him.

  290. A bjesovi u sto muka, što će s njime?

    The imps were at their wits' end: what were they to do with him?

  291. A ne mogu da ga ostave u ovoj nevolji.

    Yet they could not leave him in such distress.

  292. Smisle napokon: uhvate svaki po rukav od kožuha i odvuku kožuh i na njemu druga, te tako otkasaju u šumu, a iz šume u rakitu do Bjesomara.

    At last they came up with a plan: each seized a sleeve of the sheepskin coat, and together they dragged the coat, with their companion upon it, off into the forest, then out of the forest to the willow thicket and Bjesomar.

  293. Ljutiša i Marun pak po prvi put nakon godinu dana nađoše se bez svojih bjesova.

    Meanwhile, for the first time in a year, Ljutiša and Marun found themselves without their imps.

  294. Kad bjesovi od njih odskočili, braći se u isti mah učinilo, kao da su godinu dana slijepi svijetom hodali i kao da su ovog časa na zaravanku opet progledali.

    The moment the imps sprang away from them, the brothers felt as though they had been wandering blind through the world for a whole year and had only now, here in the clearing, regained their sight.

  295. Pogledaše se kao u bezumlju, pogledaše se, jer odmah upoznaše, kakvu su grehotu na djedu počinili.

    They stared at each other as if dazed, for at once they understood what a terrible wrong they had done their grandfather.

  296. -

  297. "Brate! rode!"

    "Brother! My own kin!"

  298. - kliknuše jedan drugome -

    they cried to each other,

  299. "da poletimo, da spasemo djeda."

    "Let us fly, let us save Grandfather!"

  300. - I poletješe, kao da su im krila sokolova, do krčevine.

    And off they flew to the clearing, as though they had the wings of falcons.

  301. Stignu oni do krčevine, a ono koliba bez krova, a iz izbe plamen kao stup.

    They reached the clearing and saw that the hut had no roof, while flames rose from the inner room like a pillar.

  302. Samo joj stoje zidovi i vrata, teškim klinom zaklenjena.

    Only the walls remained standing, and the door was barred with a heavy wooden peg.

  303. Dohrle braća, odbiju klin, nasrnu u izbu i iznesu na svojim rukama iz plamena starca, kojemu taman bijaše plamen obuhvatio noge.

    The brothers rushed up, knocked away the peg, charged into the inner room, and carried the old man out of the flames in their arms, just as the fire was beginning to engulf his legs.

  304. Iznesu Ljutiša i Marun djeda, polože ga na međinu i stajahu kraj njega, a ne smiju ni riječi da progovore.

    Ljutiša and Marun carried their grandfather out, laid him on the strip of grass between the fields, and stood beside him, not daring to utter a word.

  305. Malo potrajalo, otvori starac oči i kad ih ugleda, ništa ne reče njima, nego upita:

    After a little while, the old man opened his eyes. When he saw them, he said nothing to them, but asked:

  306. -

  307. "Jeste li gdjegod u gori našli Potjeha?"

    "Did you find Potjeh anywhere on the mountain?"

  308. - "Nismo, djede", - odvrate braća i ne smiju da u oči djedu glede.

    "No, Grandfather," the brothers replied, unable to meet his eyes.

  309. "Eno poginu Potjeh, utopi se jutros u zdencu. Nego nama, djede, oprosti, a mi ćemo te služiti i nastojati kao robovi."

    "Potjeh is dead. He drowned in the well this morning. But forgive us, Grandfather, and we shall serve you and care for you like slaves."

  310. Kad oni ovo rekoše, uspravi se djed Vjest i ustane na noge.

    When they had said this, their grandfather Vjest straightened up and rose to his feet.

  311. -

  312. "Vama je, djeco moja, vidim, oprošteno, jer eto živi ostadoste. Al onaj, koji najpravedniji bijaše, onaj morade životom okajati svoju krivicu: Hajde, djeco, vodite me, da vidim, gdje je poginuo."

    "I see, my children, that you have been forgiven, for you have both survived. But the one who was the most righteous had to atone for his fault with his life. Come, children, lead me to where he died, so that I may see."

  313. Skrušeno poslušaše Marun i Ljutiša, uzeše djeda pod ruku i povedoše ga spram zaravanka.

    Marun and Ljutiša obeyed in sorrow. They took their grandfather by the arm and led him toward the clearing.

  314. Tek što su malo išli, opaze, da su zašli i da na tom putu još nikada ne bijahu.

    They had gone only a short way when they realized that they had lost their way and were on a path they had never taken before.

  315. Rekoše djedu, no on kaže, da pođu dalje tim putem.

    They told their grandfather, but he said they should continue along that path.

  316. Tako stigoše do jedne strmine, a na strmini vodio put sve do grebena.

    In this way they came to a steep slope, and a path climbed up the slope all the way to the ridge.

  317. - "Umrijet će nam djed ovaki slab na ovoj strmini", - šaptahu braća.

    "Our grandfather will die on this steep slope, so weak as he is," the brothers whispered.

  318. Al starac Vjest samo reče:

    But the old man Vjest merely said:

  319. "Hajdemo, djeco, kud put ide."

    "Come, children, let us follow wherever the path leads."

  320. I oni se stadoše verati putem, a starac sve sinjiji i bljeđi u licu.

    So they began climbing the path, while the old man's face grew ever more ashen and pale.

  321. A gore na grebenu sve nešto milo zuji i bruji i blista i sjaji.

    And up on the ridge, something lovely hummed and murmured, glittered and shone.

  322. Kad oni na greben, ali onijemješe i skameniše se od čuda i strave.

    When they reached the ridge, they fell silent and stood frozen with wonder and awe.

  323. Pred njima ni gore ni doline, ni brda ni ravnine ni ničega, nego se pružio bijeli oblak kao bijelo more.

    Before them there were no mountains or valleys, no hills or plains, nothing at all—only a white cloud stretching out like a white sea.

  324. Bijeli oblak, a po njemu rumen oblačak.

    A white cloud, and upon it a rosy little cloud.

  325. Na rumenom oblačku stakleno brdo, na staklenom brdu zlatan dvor, a do dvora široke stube vode.

    Upon the rosy cloud stood a glass mountain; upon the glass mountain stood a golden palace, and broad steps led up to it.

  326. Bijaše ono zlatan dvor Svarožića.

    It was Svarožić's golden palace.

  327. Iz dvora mila sjajnost blista: što od rumenog oblačka, što od staklenog brda, a što od onog suhog zlata, al ponajviše sa prozora od dvorane sjaji.

    A gentle radiance shone from the palace, reflected partly from the rosy cloud, partly from the glass mountain, and partly from the pure gold—but brightest of all was the light streaming from the hall windows.

  328. Jer tamo sjede uzvanici Svarožićevi na okupu te iz zlatnih kupa zdravlje nazdravljaju onome, koji im novi pridolazi.

    For there Svarožić's honored guests sat gathered together, raising golden cups in a toast to welcome whoever newly arrived among them.

  329. Al Svarožić nit uživa niti u dvor pušta ikoga, koji krivicu kakovu na duši nosi.

    But Svarožić neither welcomes nor admits into his palace anyone who bears any guilt upon their soul.

  330. Zato se u dvorani sakupila družba plemenita i uzorita, pa od nje na prozore ona svjetlost sjaji.

    That was why the hall was filled with a company of noble and virtuous souls, whose presence made the windows shine with such light.

  331. Na grebenu stoji djed Vjest sa unucima - zanijemili pa u ono čudo gledaju.

    On the ridge stood Grandfather Vjest with his grandsons, speechless as they gazed at the wondrous sight.

  332. Gledaju - kad al odjednom opaze, gdje na onim stubama do dvora neko sjedi.

    They were gazing when suddenly they noticed someone sitting on the steps leading up to the palace.

  333. Pokrio lice rukama te plače.

    He covered his face with his hands and wept.

  334. Pogleda starac, pogleda bolje i upozna: ono je Potjeh.

    The old man looked, looked more closely, and recognized him: it was Potjeh.

  335. Zatrepti duša u starca, osovi se on i zovnu preko oblaka:

    The old man's heart fluttered. He straightened up and called across the clouds:

  336. "Što je tebi, dijete moje?"

    "What is wrong, my child?"

  337. "Evo me, djede, izdignula iz zdenca neka velika svjetlost i prenijela me ovamo. Do ovuda dospjeh, a u dvor ne puštaju, jer sam se o tebe ogriješio" - odvraća Potjeh.

    "Here I am, Grandfather. A great light lifted me out of the well and carried me here. I made it this far, but they will not let me into the palace because I have wronged you," Potjeh replied.

  338. Prosuše se suze djedu niz lice.

    Tears streamed down the grandfather's face.

  339. Otimaju mu se i ruke i srce, da ogrli ljubljeno dijete svoje, da ga utješi, da mu pomogne, da izbavi čedo svoje milovano.

    His arms and heart yearned to embrace his beloved child, to comfort him, to help him, to rescue his cherished little one.

  340. Pogledaše Marun i Ljutiša u djeda, al djed se sav izmijenio u licu, posinjio, propao i nije nalik na živog čovjeka. - "Umrijet će nam starac pred ovom strahotom", šaptahu oni jedan drugome.

    Marun and Ljutiša looked at their grandfather, but his face had changed completely; he had turned ashen and wasted away, no longer looking like a living man. "The old man will die before this terrible sight," they whispered to each other.

  341. Al se starac uto posve ispravio i već se od njih otputio, te se okrenu k njima i reče:

    But just then the old man straightened himself fully and began to move away from them. He turned toward them and said:

  342. "Idite vi, djeco, vratite se na krčevinu, pa kad vam je oprošteno, vi živite i uživajte u pravednosti ono, što vam je suđeno. A ja idem da pomognem onome, kojemu se najbolje daje uz najtežu cijenu."

    "Go, children. Return to the clearing, and since you have been forgiven, live your lives and enjoy whatever share of righteousness fate has allotted you. As for me, I am going to help the one who gives the best of himself at the greatest cost."

  343. Bijaše glas u djeda posve oslabio, al pred njima stajaše ravan kao stup.

    The grandfather's voice had grown very weak, but he stood before them straight as a pillar.

  344. Zagledaše se Ljutiša i Marun: što li ovo djeda bunca, da će prijeći preko oblaka, a eto ni sape za govor nema?

    Ljutiša and Marun stared at each other. What was their grandfather babbling about, saying he would cross over the clouds, when he scarcely had enough breath left to speak?

  345. Al se već starac odvojio od njih.

    But the old man had already left them.

  346. Odvojio, pošao, zakoračio po oblaku, kao da je ledina.

    He had set off, walking onto the cloud as though it were solid ground.

  347. Pa kako zakoračio, tako i pošao.

    And once he had taken that first step, he simply kept walking.

  348. Ide starac, ide, a noge ga nose, kao da je perce, a halja mu se na vjetru vije, kao da je oblak po onom oblaku.

    On walked and walked, his feet carrying him as lightly as a feather, while his robe streamed in the wind, like a cloud drifting across another cloud.

  349. Tako do rumenog oblačka, tako do staklena brda, tako do širokih stuba.

    And so he reached the rosy little cloud, then the glass mountain, and then the broad steps.

  350. Pohrli starac na stube do unuka.

    The old man hurried up the steps toward his grandson.

  351. Oj, radosti moja, gdje obuhvati djed unuka.

    Oh, what joy it was when the grandfather embraced his grandson!

  352. Ogrli ga, obuhvati ga, kao da ga nikad otpustiti neće.

    He embraced him and held him close, as though he would never let him go.

  353. I sve slušaju Marun i Ljutiša: preko oblaka se čuje, kako starcu i djetetu grudi jecaju od velike sreće.

    And Marun and Ljutiša could hear it all: across the clouds came the sound of the old man and the child sobbing with overwhelming joy.

  354. Uhvati onda starac za ruku unuka i povede ga uza stube do vrata dvora.

    Then the old man took his grandson by the hand and led him up the steps to the palace doors.

  355. Lijevom rukom unuka vodi, a desnom rukom pokuca na dveri.

    He led his grandson with his left hand and knocked on the great doors with his right.

  356. I vidi čuda!

    And behold, a miracle!

  357. Odmah se vrata širom raskriliše, otvori se sva sjajnost dvora, a uzvanici i gosti plemeniti dočekaju na dvorima djeda Vjesta i unuka Potjeha.

    At once the doors swung wide, revealing all the palace's radiance, and the honored guests and noble company welcomed Grandfather Vjest and his grandson Potjeh into the palace.

  358. Dočekaju, ruke im pružaju i u dvor ih vode.

    They greeted them, reached out their hands, and led them inside.

  359. Još vidješe Marun i Ljutiša, gdje uz prozore prolaze i gdje ih za stol meću: prvog među prvima djeda Vjesta, a do njega Potjeha, te tamo zlatno momče Svarožić zlatnom kupom goste zdravi.

    Marun and Ljutiša could still see them passing by the windows and being seated at the table: Grandfather Vjest in the place of honor, foremost among the guests, and Potjeh beside him, while the golden-haired youth Svarožić welcomed the company with a golden cup.

  360. Velika strava uhvati Ljutišu i Maruna, kad se nađoše sami pred ovom strahotom.

    Great terror seized Ljutiša and Marun when they found themselves alone before this wondrous and fearsome sight.

  361. - "Da siđemo, brate, na našu krčevinu", - šapnu Marun.

    "Let us go down, brother, back to our clearing," Marun whispered.

  362. I okrenuše i sađoše.

    They turned and went down.

  363. Smućeni od tolikoga čuda, stigoše na krčevinu i nikad više onoga puta ni grebena ne mogahu u gori naći.

    Bewildered by so great a wonder, they reached the clearing, and never again could they find that path or ridge in the mountain.

  364. Tako bilo i svršilo se.

    And so it happened, and so it ended.

  365. Marun i Ljutiša poživješe na krčevini.

    Marun and Ljutiša lived out their lives in the clearing.

  366. Poživješe dug život kao valjani momci i ljudi, odgojiše čestito koljeno, sinove i unuke.

    They lived long lives as worthy young men and honorable men, and raised a fine generation of sons and grandsons.

  367. Svako se dobro predavalo od oca na sina, pa i sveti oganj, da se k njemu prilaže po cjepanica svakim danom, kako se nikad ne bi izgasio.

    Every good thing was passed down from father to son, including the sacred fire, to which a log was added each day so that it would never die out.

  368. Ele, pravo se bijaše Bjesomar pobojao Potjeha.

    Indeed, Bjesomar had been right to fear Potjeh.

  369. Jer da nije poginuo Potjeh tražeći istinu, niti bi bjesovi ostavili Maruna i Ljutišu, niti bi na krčevini bilo svetog ognja ni čestitog naroda.

    For had Potjeh not died while seeking the truth, the imps would never have left Marun and Ljutiša, and there would have been neither sacred fire nor an honorable people in the clearing.

  370. Ovako pak sve izišlo na bruku i sramotu Bjesomara i njegove vojske.

    As it was, everything had turned out to the disgrace and shame of Bjesomar and his army.

  371. Kad Bjesomaru ona dva bijesa dovukli kožuh Potjehov i na njemu trećeg druga, koji još sveudilj revaše kao sulud, razljuti se strahovito Bjesomar, jer spozna, da im izmakoše sva tri momka. - Od velikoga jada dade on svoj trojici bjesova potkresati rogove, neka hodaju vas život okresani na ruglo svakomu.

    When the two imps dragged Potjeh's sheepskin coat before Bjesomar, carrying their third companion upon it, still bellowing like a madman, Bjesomar flew into a terrible rage, for he realized that all three young men had slipped from his grasp. In his great fury, he ordered the horns of all three imps to be trimmed, so that they would go through life with shortened horns, a laughingstock to everyone.

  372. Ali isto na Bjesomaru osta najveća sramota.

    Yet the greatest disgrace remained Bjesomar's own.

  373. Eno, svaki mu se dan kašlje od svetoga dima, a u šumu nikad ne smije izaći, da ne susretne koje valjano čeljade.

    There he sits, coughing every day from the sacred smoke, and he never dares venture into the forest lest he meet some worthy soul.

  374. Ništa dakle ne osta Bjesomaru od svega ovoga negoli prazan kožuh Potjehov.

    Thus, all that Bjesomar gained from the whole affair was Potjeh's empty sheepskin coat.

  375. I neka mu je, jer Potjeh i onako ne treba kožuh u zlatnome dvoru Svarožićevu.

    And let him have it, for Potjeh has no need of a sheepskin coat in Svarožić's golden palace.