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diff --git a/35577.txt b/35577.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e2e6196 --- /dev/null +++ b/35577.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5750 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Caucasian Legends, by A. Goulbat + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Caucasian Legends + +Author: A. Goulbat + +Translator: Sergei de Wesselitsky-Bojidarovitch + +Release Date: March 14, 2011 [EBook #35577] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CAUCASIAN LEGENDS *** + + + + +Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net for Project +Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously +made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + + CAUCASIAN LEGENDS + + + Translated from the Russian of + A. GOULBAT + + By + Sergei de Wesselitsky-Bojidarovitch + + + + Hinds, Noble & Eldredge + 31, 33, 35 West Fifteenth St. New York City + + + + + + + +CONTENTS + + + Page + I. The Rain 9 + II. Bakarr I., Tsar of Georgia 15 + III. The Incombustible Tulip 18 + IV. Saint Nina 37 + V. The Diamond 82 + VI. Happiness Is Within Us 95 + VII. The Tribute of Roses 109 + VIII. The Lot of the Holy Virgin 118 + IX. The Comet 128 + X. The Jewel Necklace 139 + XI. St. Mourvanoss 146 + XII. Zesva 153 + XIII. The Tale of Mikhian 156 + + + + + + + +PREFACE OF THE TRANSLATOR + + +Last year the Georgian people celebrated the one hundredth anniversary +of the annexation of its country to the dominion of the Great White +Tsar. These past one hundred years have been an era of uninterrupted +and prosperous development of this nation of chivalry and heroism as +well as loyalty and devotion to a great and good cause. In the third +century A. D., the Georgians were converted to Christianity by Saint +Nina. Ever since they have been a mighty fortress of christendom +amidst wild and fanatic Mahometan tribes. Many a time their loyalty +to their faith was sorely tried by the unparalleled cruelty of the +Turks and Persians. Their capital was destroyed again and again, +their churches ransacked and they commanded to tread upon the holy +images which they venerated from childhood upwards. But even in such +a terrible moment the Georgians showed themselves worthy of their all +glorious traditions and thousands found their death in the River Koura +at Tiflis, their chosen capital. For centuries this little nation +of heroes battled with the Infidels and great was their distress, +almost overcome by the gigantic forces of savage enemies, when a +protector appeared in the north and re-established law and order, +confidence and happiness. Seeing that it was essential to assure a +permanent security, the ruler of Georgia asked in the name of his +people to be annexed to the Motherhood of Orthodox Nations. + +I here reproduce a translation from the Russian of the reply of +Alexander I. Parlovitch, Emperor of all the Russias (1801): + +"Not to increase our forces, not for the gain and extension of ours, +the mightiest empire in the world, do we take upon ourselves the +burden of the administration of the Georgian kingdom. Worthiness, +honor, and humanity alone place on us the holy duty to establish in +Georgia a government which may found righteousness, safety, and give +every one protection of the law." + +Those are the noble terms of one of Russia's noblest rulers, and +upon them is based the policy of the administration in regard to the +Georgians. The Georgians, being of the same faith as the Russians, +sympathize with the latter and are nowadays both a bulwark of the +orthodox church and of the true Russian conservative governmental +spirit. In the wars of 1853-56 and 1877-78 they fully proved their +perfect fidelity and chivalrous readiness to assist their great +deliverers against the Turks. The men of Georgia are renowned for their +heroism, while the women of that country are the most beautiful in the +world. The chief occupations of the Georgians are: pasturing, farming, +jewelry work, silk-manufacturing, and wine-growing. The Georgians, +taken as a whole, receive a considerable amount of education, and +their newspapers, several of which are published at Tiflis, are very +good. The leading paper is the "Iveria" (i. e., Georgia). Tiflis, +the traditional capital of Georgia, is a city of 180,000 inhabitants, +among whom are 33,000 Georgians proper. A number of other tribes or +nationalities such as the Imeretians, Gourians, Mingrelians, Wanetes, +Khevsoures, etc., also belong to what is called the Georgian family +of nations. The greatest poet of Georgia is Prince Kazbek. Among the +grand old families we find the Orbelians, who trace their ancestry +back to an emperor of China, the Chavchavadzes, the Growzinskys, +Bgaration-Moukranskys, Amilakvaris, Tsitsianovs, and many others, +all of whom have rendered their native land incomparable services and +deserve the highest praise. The author of the legends which I have +attempted to translate, is a native Georgian, Mr. A. Goulbat, now +living in Central Russia and leading a literary life. He is filled +with enthusiasm for his native land and its valiant inhabitants. I +have tried as well as I knew how to translate the legends in the same +spirit as the author wrote them in the original, which was Russian. + + + Sergei de Wesselitsky-Bojidarovitch. + + + + + + + +CAUCASIAN LEGENDS + + +I. THE RAIN + +A LEGEND OF THE 11TH CENTURY + + +At the time of Tsar George I (the rulers of Georgia were called +Tsars = kings), in the 11th century, there lived the famous general, +Kaiours, belonging to the glorious Orbeliani family. It is known +that these princes trace their ancestry from an emperor of China and +more than once intermarried with our rulers, in consequence of which +their position at the court of Georgia was an exceptionally pleasant +one. It is necessary to add to this that the submission and zeal of the +princes Orbeliani fully repaid this distinction. They occupied from +generation to generation the post of Sparapet, that is, of general +in chief of all the Georgian forces, and astonished the world with +their bravery. When George went to war with the Greeks, Kaiours was +taken prisoner, and as this took place during the battle of Shirimna, +where a great many Georgian leaders, among them the generals Ratt +and Zovatt, brothers of Kaiours, were lost, the Tsar for a long time +thought that Kaiours had died together with them. It was only when +the negotiations for peace began, that Emperor Vassilii the Second +proposed to the Tsar to exchange Kaiours for fourteen fortresses, +viz., for one in Tao, one in Baisiana, one in Artana, one in Kola, +one in Djavaheta, in Shavhetta, and so on; and besides he demanded as +hostage George's three-year-old son, the Tsarevitch-successor Bagrat. + +"I am so much indebted to the princely family of the Orbelianis that +I would consent to give half my kingdom for them," answered the Tsar. + +At the end of the negotiations it was decided that the +Tsarevitch-successor should remain as hostage at Constantinople +until the Greeks had succeeded in introducing their administration +in the above mentioned fortresses and in no case longer than three +years. There were those who criticised the Tsar for giving away +fourteen of the best fortresses in exchange for one man, but the people +almost killed them. The general confidence in the warlike capacities +of the princes Orbeliani was so boundless that many openly said: +"Let only Kaiours come back and by him we shall not only regain +possession of all our fortresses, but with the help of God we shall +obtain the foreign ones!" There was no end to joy when he returned +home. More than all rejoiced his twelve-year-old daughter Tamara. The +captivity of the father was a great grief to her, as in his absence +her mother and brother died. Seeing Tamara riding forth by herself to +meet him, accompanied by an old gamdela (nurse) and several bitchos +(young boys, servants), the hero Kaiours, the very glance of whom +turned whole regiments to flight, cried like a child. Father and +daughter tenderly embraced and for a long time could not speak. + +The cries of joy among the people ceased, all remembered the good +princess and the pretty boy, who had accompanied her everywhere, and +sadness darkened the general joyousness. Kaiours was the first one +to recover. He addressed those who had come to meet him and invited +them to his house, to feast with him. "Tamara tries by her courtesy +to take the place of my princess," he said, "the Lord is not without +mercy; during my captivity he gave me a son in exchange for the one +whom he took away. Plinii," Kaiours says, turning to a handsome +youth, standing behind him, "help thy sister and me to serve the +guests." All looks were now fixed on Plinii; tall, well-built, with +fine, regular features, he bore an unmistakable stamp of aristocratic +descent. Feeling himself the object of general interest, he blushed +and drooped his eyes, like our bashful young ladies, and this modesty +at once disposed everybody in his favor. + +The old nobleman Alexander, whom for his bravery and warlike successes +they all called "the Macedonian," sat down by Kaiours and began to +speak thus: "Friend, thou hast rightly said that the Lord compensated +thee for the loss of thy son by a fine youth, whose attachment and +filial respect to you we all see and which dispose us in his favor, +but we should also like to know who he is and why thou didst adopt +him?" "During my captivity," answered Kaiours, "the Lord sent me a +friend. He was a well-known dignitary, a favorite of the Emperor and +did not need the friendship of the prisoner, nevertheless not a day +went by that he did not visit me. We related to each other our war +reminiscences and soon began to love each other like brothers. When I +received news of the death of my wife and son, his friendly sympathy +was my sole consolation. He told me about his life and thus I found +out that he had lost his loving companion on the day of Plinii's +birth. The boy is now eighteen years old and healthy, but not strong, +and must be carefully looked after. Before my departure my friend +fell ill and called me to him. 'I am dying,' he said, 'and thank God +that this happens before thy departure, because I am going to hand +over to your care my greatest treasure. Adopt Plinii instead of that +son whom God took away from thee. The doctors think that his health +needs a much warmer climate than ours.' I swore to love and treat +him like my son and hope that the Lord will help me to fulfill my +vow!" continued Kaiours. + +"Thou didst satisfy my curiosity on one point," said Alexander--"now I +want to find out something else, but for this we must repair to some +other place. My heart also grieves about the son, who by the will of +the monarch is among the young men accompanying the Tsarevitch-heir +to Greece. Although our separation will not exceed three years, +yet it does seem an eternity to me." At these words the old men +retired, and when they returned they were carrying bowls of horn, +filled with wine. With a gay countenance they addressed the feasting +crowd. "Friends," said Alexander, "congratulate me and help me to +thank Kaiours, who gives me the very best he possesses: I asked +the gift of the hand of his daughter for my boy." Numberless people +offered their congratulations and the feasting continued far into the +night. Kaiours and Alexander saw each other often, the latter always +hastened to communicate any news about the son. In the meantime it +was discovered that the young men who accompanied Bagrat were learning +all European languages and sciences. + +Kaiours thought thus: "I gave my daughter an entirely Georgian +education, she knows neither European languages nor those arts by +which the women over there so attract young men; would she not appear +strange to your son?" + +Quite unexpectedly was heard Plinii's sweet voice. "Allow me to say +a word." The old men stared at him; he stood before them all red with +emotion. "Speak!" was their unanimous answer. + +"My late father did not mind spending any sum for my instruction, they +taught me everything that is to be learned in our country. I easily +learned the sciences, and if you permit me I shall be only too glad +to educate my sister, who herself has a great passion for learning." + +Permission was given, and from then on the young people were +inseparable. Under Plinii's direction Tamara soon acquired great +perfection in Greek. They studied together the poets, committing +the finest parts to memory. Tamara's wonderful voice grew still +grander when she learned from Plinii how to accustom it to the rules +of music. A harp was obtained, and for whole hours at a time they +rejoiced in song. To the young people days, weeks, and months went by +with extraordinary rapidity, they were perfectly happy and for a long +time could not imagine how they had become so dear to each other. Being +confident in Kaiours's affection, they fearlessly announced to him +their discovery. But as Kaiours had once given his word to Alexander, +he did not consider it right to break it. The lessons were stopped and +Plinii forbidden to visit Tamara except in the presence of her father. + +The young people's happiness suddenly turned to deep grief, which +Kaiours, who loved them sincerely, secretly shared. After a few days +of such torture, Plinii could not restrain his feelings and found +occasion to have a secret interview with Tamara. With tears in his +eyes he implored her to run away with him to Greece and there be +married, but neither prayers nor tears could persuade her to become +disobedient to her father. + +"As thy wife should be so superior to all others as thou art the most +beautiful man in the world," said Tamara, "how canst thou wish to marry +a runaway girl? No, Plinii, let us wait! God is omnipotent! He knows, +sees and esteems everything in due measure. He knows very well whether +we find it easy not to be able to see each other, and I am sure that +if we do nothing to provoke him, he himself will find means to stop +our separation; only this I pray thee, do not forget me and don't +try to find an occasion to see me secretly." + +Morning and evening, day and night, Tamara prayed to God to make an +end to their separation, and the Lord answered her prayer. Once upon +a time, accompanied by an old nurse and a bitcho (young boy servant), +she started on a pilgrimage to some distant monastery where there lived +an old man of ascetic life. To him Tamara revealed her grief and the +old man led her into his garden. There in the presence of all he began +to pray for her, and suddenly a terrible cloud appeared, lightning +was seen and fearful strokes of thunder were heard. Those who were +present fell to the ground from fright. At last the storm was over. + +"Arise!" said the prior, "the Lord has heard us sinners and comforted +Tamara!" + +"But where is she?" they asked. + +"There," answered the old man, pointing to a magnificent fragrant +lily, which had suddenly appeared in the midst of his garden. "The +Lord turned her into a flower," he continued. + +The people would not believe it. The nurse spread a rumor that the +crafty abbot had hidden Tamara. Forgetting godly fear and fearing +Kaiours's wrath, she insulted and cursed him. The boy servants, among +whom there were many Mahometans, searched the whole monastery, all +the surrounding woods and bushes, and not finding Tamara anywhere, +they killed the holy old man and burned down the monastery. The +ancient building stood in flames, also the stone enclosure, many a +hundred year old tree, the huge library, in fact all the scanty good +of the images. Alone the church and the lily into which Tamara had +been transformed were spared. + +Upon hearing of what had occurred, Kaiours and Plinii hastened to the +spot. In the church there was nobody, everything else represented +a field of coal and ashes. Tamara was nowhere to be found. Only in +the midst of all these ashes there grew a splendid, fresh, fragrant +white lily. + +Plinii was the first to approach her and began to cry. Kaiours followed +him and was very much startled. He noticed that when Plinii's tears +fell on the coal surrounding the lily, her tender leaves grew quite +yellow from jealousy; on the other hand when they dripped into the +lily she grew red from joy. + +"Tamara, is it thou we see?" asked the father. + +Just at that moment there came up a little breeze and Kaiours and +Plinii heard distinctly as though the leaves spoke: + +"It is I, father!" + +The inconsolable father could not stand the loss of his daughter and +immediately died from grief, but poor Plinii cried so much and so long +and so fervently prayed to God that he might be united with Tamara, +that in the end the Lord transformed him to rain. I have heard that +in bygone times whenever a dryness set in the inhabitants of the +surrounding villages hastened to the abandoned church, around which +lilies always grew in abundance, and picked whole baskets of them. They +scattered the fragrant harvest in the fields and gardens and the young +maidens sang Tamara's song. The lovely melodious composition was as +fragrant and clean as the dear flower which they glorified. This song, +indeed, is Tamara's very prayer, showing all her childish faith in +God's almightiness. It ends with an invocation of Plinii, who, they +say, always appears in the form of a warm, beneficial rain. I heard +even that these lilies preserved a rare capacity, viz., sometimes +to grow red, sometimes yellow, and our maidens thus concluded that +these flowers could tell one's fortune. Each maiden notices one +flower and after the rain goes to look for it. Is the lily yellow, +the young girl entertains great fears as to the fidelity of her +lover; is it red, she never doubts his attachment to her. Whether +this quaint custom still prevails I don't know. I am always sorry +when some such tradition becomes forgotten! In our ancient legends +there was so much of the truthful, honorable and elevated that these +circumstances alone rendered them most instructive. + + + + + + + +II. BAKARR THE FIRST, TSAR OF GEORGIA + +A STORY + + +Bakarr the First ascended the throne after the death +of his well-beloved and much-esteemed father, Mirian the +Converter. Remembering the counsels of his dear, dear father, he +turned all his glorious efforts towards converting and instructing +those mountain inhabitants who had not submitted themselves to the +peremptory orders of Mirian and had thus not appeared to be baptized +with the rest of the grand old nation. Highly honorable in every way, +simple in his manners, the ever-patient Bakarr finally succeeded in +obtaining the long desired baptism of the wild unbelievers, without +applying any forcible and dangerous measures. Having heard of his +peacefulness of character, the Armenian Tsar thought it opportune to +take the throne away from him and hand it over to Irdat, the son of +the deceased Tsarevitch Revv and the Armenian Tsarevna Salomee. But +Bakarr united all the qualities of a brave and excellent general +with the greatest virtues of an earnest, peaceful Tsar. He therefore +arranged an alliance with his dear nephew, the Persian King Kossrovve +the Second, and jointly with him, in a fearful and hard-fought battle +in the province of Djavakheta, completely defeated and destroyed +the wretched Armenian army and turned it to disgraceful flight. The +amply terrified Tsarevna Salomee begged the Emperor of Greece to be +kind enough to explain to Bakarr that the Armenian Tsar had not acted +upon her advice or desire. + +Willing to let each one of his loving subjects approach and debate +with him, Bakarr on the other hand did not consider it in accordance +with his sublime merit to have the neighboring sovereigns mix in and +begin to reason about his own family affairs, and therefore he briefly +replied to the great Greek Emperor thus: "Until in the family of the +Georgian Tsar Bakarr the First there proveth to be one who is unable +and too weak to properly reign, the throne will belong to it, and the +children of Revv ought not to bring forth the slightest pretensions." +To his ally, however, to Kossrovve the Second, he announced that the +attack of the Armenian Tsar forced him to seriously look after the +safety and education of the children of his brother and sister, +whom Mirian willingly permitted to be married to Pkerose. Actually +at the end of the war, the first active deed of Bakarr was the exact +arrangement about the domains of Pkerose. + +Instead of Rana from Bardave on, given to Pkerose by Mirian, he begged +Bakarr to give him Sammshvillde, to which the Tsar fully consented, +constructing a direct line as far as the entrance of the Christavstvo +(province) of Abbots. Deeply moved by the great-heartedness of the +Tsar, Pkerose accepted Christianity and was baptized with his whole +nation, but Bakarr occupied himself with thoroughly settling the +widow and children of his brother Revv. + +He led them to Kouketka, and having made his way into Roustava, he +handed over this country to the administration of his nephews Irdat and +Bakourious with the title of kristaves, and under them their mother +Salomee quietly lived in their company. This sovereign sacrificed +his whole life to the betterment and thorough reforming of his great +monarchy and distinguished himself by passionate uprightness. He +considerably increased the churches and the church servants. By him +was also founded the perfectly magnificent cathedral of Tsillkanny. + +He died in the year three hundred and sixty-four and was buried by the +side of his father Mirian. Before dying he also, just like Mirian, +hung his royal crown on the marvellous cross of Saint Nina, touched +his son and successor Mirdat the Second with it, and afterwards +placed the crown on the head of his son and openly proclaimed him +his rightful heir. This solemn custom was strictly observed by all +Georgian Tsars. Although Bakarr made absolutely no new acquisitions, +yet his short but most wise administration had firmly united together +all decaying, poorer, and mutually inimical parts of his government, +and finally confirmed the actual preponderance of Christianity over +all other religions, and therefore his reign was considered one of +the very best and most blissful. + + + + + + + +III. THE INCOMBUSTIBLE TULIP + + +In the second century B. C., Armenia was governed by Valarsass, +the brother of the Persian Shah Arsass the Great. At that period +the countries to the north of the Arabs were called Chaldea and +Pontus. In the latter lived a young hero, Morphiliziy, who at the +head of his followers could not only repel all attacks of Valarsass, +but even in a decisive battle completely defeated him; thereupon he +annexed also the Georgian frontier counties, among others Kaeounan, +and was proclaimed Tsar (King) by his grateful subjects. + +It happened that just then Kaeounan was governed by John, a native +of the city of Damascus, whom they therefore called Damassk, i.e., +the Damascian. He was a widower and possessed but one daughter, +a perfect beauty, by the name of Nina. During the battle, Damassk, +through his personal bravery, attracted Morphiliziy's attention, +who challenged him to a duel. For a long time the old warrior's +experience counterbalanced the hero's strength of the Pontitian, but +in the end his old strength began to give way, his movements slackened +their usual rapidity and he could not escape from Morphiliziy's horse, +which transpierced him. Dripping with blood, he fell from the faithful +steed. At that moment Morphiliziy jumped off his horse and tried to +revive him with all his strength. The dying man opened his eyes. + +"Ask whatever favor thou wishest, old hero!" the conqueror +exclaimed. "In thee I found the first man whose military adroitness +excelled mine!" + +"Don't abandon my daughter," murmured John, and thereupon died. + +Entering Kaeounan, Morphiliziy first of all rushed to John's house +and was astounded by Nina's beauty. "She shall be my wife!" he loudly +broke out, and immediately appointed a day for the wedding. + +With fright the unhappy orphan heard of this decision. How could she, +who so dearly loved her father, become the wife of his murderer. + +"Not for anything in the world," she repeated a thousand times in +one hour, and upon pronouncing that sentence, her magnificent eyes, +which were usually a very ocean of goodness and mildness, were filled +with some terrible fire. + +We must notice that in those times it was customary among our noblemen +to choose gamdelis among the Jewesses, for their daughters. John +had of course followed the general custom, and little Nina, who in +early childhood had lost her mother, loved her gamdela (nurse) with +all the enthusiasm of her daring soul. All of the gamdela's tastes +were Nina's. Her faith, her God were the same faith and the same God +as her pupil's. Thus the nurse was the first person to come to hear +of Nina's decision and was asked for advice. The old woman silently +listened to her and long did not say a word, only the features of +her face took a painful expression. + +"Why art thou so silent?" impatiently remarked Nina. + +"I am reflecting whether I shall tell thee still another cause for +thy refusing Morphiliziy or whether it is better to say no more +about it." At last with a sad smile she broke out and at the same +time her piercing glance was fixed on Nina, who flew into a passion +and turned away. + +"And so my supposition is true, thou dost love the aznaoure of Cicero!" + +Nina threw herself on the floor and hid her grieved face between the +knees of the gamdela. The old woman caressingly touched her long hair +with her wrinkled hands and began to think; at last she decided to +reveal the result of her reflections. + +"Thou art so young that I am afraid to advise thee seriously. Could +not a time well come when thou mayest be sorry to have made him thy +master, who might be thy slave? Remember that Morphiliziy is a king, +but Cicero does not even belong to the aristocracy. He is a simple, +poor nobleman of such as thy father had many; were he alive such +a marriage would hardly suit him. Besides thou art accustomed to +luxury, while Cicero has absolutely nothing, also whatever thou hast +thou canst never give away. The only means to unite you is for you +to run immediately into the country of his forefathers and there be +married. I tell thee openly: What disposes me in favor of Cicero is +his constant, endless and boundless submission to thee. I noticed it +long ago and have been watching him, but notwithstanding my experience +and closest attention, I did not find a single instance in which he +might be blamed." + +The hidden face of the young lady lit up with some roguish +smile. Perhaps she thought that the nurse esteemed her sagacity +too highly. Whatever may have been her feelings, the moment she +raised her head from the knees of the old woman, all traces of her +smiles vanished. She sat upon the floor at the nurse's feet and for +a long time they silently glanced at each other; each one had her +idea. Suddenly Nina quite unexpectedly threw her white hands around the +neck of the old woman, hid her face on her shoulder and loudly cried. + +"Gamdela," she passionately said, "arrange it as thou didst just now +propose, arrange it all if thou lovest me and dost not wish that +I should die! I don't want, I cannot--no, I will not live without +Cicero! For him I will give up with joy and distinction my riches +or even the royal crown! What is all that to me if I am not to have +him? Dost thou understand, dear nurse, that I love him more than I +ever loved thee, or my father; that I love him more than whosoever in +the world; that I love him as fishes do water. And thou sayest that +he could be my slave--well, do I want such a thing? I myself desire +to be his slave and do all he commands! I love him just because he +is poor, unknown and a stranger to every one here!" and Nina again +became hysterical. + +The poor gamdela did her best to quiet the young girl with caressing +movements of her aged hands, she herself trembled from emotion, quietly +cried and innerly prayed. In the end she succeeded in putting Nina +to bed and herself called for Cicero, and with her first glance at +the young man persuaded herself that she was not mistaken as to his +boundless devotion to Nina. Yesterday still all fell in love with +the handsome youth, in the best of health, but now he stood before +her with a rawboned pale face and castdown eyes, even the lips grew +white and their edges nervously jerked. + +The old woman with precaution informed him how matters stood, and +immediately tried with all her might to restrain his boundless joy. + +When he had reflected a little, she ordered to prepare two riding +horses for the hour of midnight and advised Cicero to wait at the +Western Gates, whither she promised to bring Nina, dressed in men's +clothes. + +Upon this occasion he was also given a belt, richly sewn with +gold. Having done there everything that was necessary, the gamdela +went to Nina and prepared her for the hasty departure. Midnight +came. With silent steps two shades moved through the whole house and +across the court. At the Western Gates the impatient cavalier was +already waiting with an extra horse. + +Nina quickly mounted it, with a happy smile motioned to the dear old +woman, and soon they disappeared in the darkness. + +However much the gamdela wished to remain at the gates, as long as +the trampling of the galloping hoofs could be heard of those horses +which took away with them, perhaps forever, all that was dearest +to her in the whole world, common sense did not permit this and the +nurse returned home and passed the remainder of the night in tears +and prayer. At sunrise the house was filled with her lamentations. + +The frightened servants instantly answered her call and found her in +the garden on the bank of the river. By her side lay Nina's dress and +linen. Seeing people run, she motioned to them, and wringing her hands +she explained to them that Nina was drowned. Old and young rushed to +the river, not only the people of the household, but the whole town +joined those seeking; nevertheless all efforts proved to be in vain. + +Morphiliziy's warriors upon hearing of what had taken place immediately +informed their lord, and were all without exception ordered to go to +search for Nina. Morphiliziy himself rushed to the garden and began +to question the grief-stricken old woman. + +From her explanations, constantly interrupted by moaning, he understood +that Nina long ago asked to go bathing, that the gamdela, fearing the +swiftness of the river, had not given her permission, and that this +day at sunrise the impatient girl had quietly slipped out into the +garden while the nurse was sleeping and got what she desired. Awaking +and beholding the empty bed, the gamdela immediately ran to the banks +of the river, but found nothing but Nina's dress. + +Morphiliziy himself went into the water, turned over every bush and +stone, swam beyond the town, but found nothing at all. Everywhere he +met people who were on the same errand; the warriors searched, the men +of Damask, the citizens, yes, all who could swim, were out working, +but in vain. The grieved sovereign came up on the bank and declared +that he would grant any reward to him who found Nina living or dead +and brought her to him. A day went by--no news. And a second day went +by; many of those on the lookout returned home with the discouraging +news that they had not found the girl. The town again took its usual +look. Morphiliziy alone did not sleep and thoughtfully sat on the roof +of his house. The night was warm, with bright moonlight, and acted +quietingly upon the unhappy Tsar. About midnight he beheld a shade +approaching his house and began to look at it with anxiety. Soon he +discovered that it was his favorite negro. + +"Noy!" he cried out. + +"It is I, sire," replied the negro. "Let me immediately report." + +"Come up quickly!" and Morphiliziy's heart was suddenly bent and +frosted and beat so hard that it caused pain. The hero put his hand +on his breast in the hope of quieting its movements, but it went on +most painfully and his momentary joy turned to fearful worry. + +In a moment Noy appeared before him. "Hast thou found her alive or +dead?" he quickly asked. + +"Living," began Noy, "but...." + +"Well, where is she then?... a horse, let me have a horse this very +moment!" shouted Morphiliziy, but the disappointed, almost terrified +looks of Noy caused him to think the matter over. + +"Why art thou thus silent?" he impatiently asked the slave. + +"Sire ... she is not ... alone! She lives with ... a young man!" + +Morphiliziy turned his back upon the negro in order to hide the +impression which these words had produced on him. He sat down on a +stool and pointing to the carpet lying at his feet ordered Noy to +relate everything in detail and without hurrying. + +"Sire," said the negro--"I wished to deceive thee! I wanted to escape +bondage and return to the land of my forefathers. I thought of taking +advantage of the general disorder, went into the stable, saddled thy +horse, explaining that I was starting for the search, and while all the +people were looking for Nina along the banks of the river, I started +in the opposite direction--straight to the sea, where I dreamt of +finding a ship and sailing away. At first I was unusually delighted, +but little by little I began to be overpowered by the fear of being +pursued. My horse flew like the wind and I induced it to go faster +and faster. In the meantime my fear grew stronger at every step. It +changed to terror--into some kind of despair; I no longer let the horse +catch breath, but chased him like a crazy man. In the end his speed +grew smaller. I became furious, tore the cloth and beat him without +mercy. He still went on a little farther and beyond his strength, +and then rolled into the dust. This was in a forest. I unsaddled and +unbridled him, but he did not raise himself and so I continued my +way on foot. Suddenly I overheard human voices; I stopped and began +to listen. Evidently these were two persons in love with each other, +and I had nothing to fear. I cautiously approached, continuing to +hide myself in thick bushes and trying to look at those conversing. + +"To my surprise I beheld two young boys; they sat together and were +eating. 'Must we ride still farther?' asked the younger one. + +"'I am very tired!' + +"'It is no wonder you are tired, my little soul,' replied the older +boy, 'why, see! we did not leave our horses for about twenty-four +hours; I do think it would be more sensible if we remained the night +here; I shall light a fire as a guard against wild beasts, put under +thee my bourka [a long black cape without sleeves commonly used all +over the Caucasus], and watch while thou art asleep!' + +"'Ah! but if we made for the village thou too couldst rest?' + +"'No, my joy, I am more afraid for thee of Morphiliziy and his +followers than of all the wild animals of this slumbering thicket. From +the latter I can always save my bride, but from Morphiliziy it is +only a wonder if we escape alive!' + +"I understood all, and impulsively retired. Why should I then run away, +knowing that thou wouldst give me my freedom in any case. Returning +to that spot whence I had descended to overhear their conversation, +I suddenly came upon a little stream and sat down on its bank. My +crazy race had quite exhausted my strength. I drew some bread from my +pocket, picked off some wild figs and began to eat, reflecting how I +should come home the quickest. Seeing where I was, there was no use +of trying to return home on foot, but where should I find a horse. + +"Having finished my meal, I arose and went to that place where a few +hours before I had abandoned your horse; to my greatest pleasure he +was munching grass. I led him to the stream, let him drink, saddled +him and put on the bridle. To ride him would have had no sense. After +walking an hour he grew more lively, and I began to hope that he was +recovering, especially as he suddenly joyfully raised his head and +neighed. I imagined that in the distance some other horse answered +likewise. I hurried in that direction; after a little while the horses +again exchanged compliments, and guiding myself by their voices, +I soon met a young cavalier on a fine Persian horse. + +"By his fashionable costume it was easy to distinguish him as one +of the local aristocrats. I reverently bowed; he answered my salute +and his eyes were fixed upon thy horse, which he fell in love with, +like a connoisseur. + +"'Whither art thou, traveller?' he asked. + +"'I am from afar, sir, sent by my ruler upon a hasty and important +affair and must walk the rest of the way for I am incapable of managing +this horse.' + +"'It is the very best thoroughbred Arabian steed that I have ever seen; +thou didst excessively tire it and thou wilt certainly ruin this jewel +for good if you do not give him rest. I don't know thy master and don't +wish to know his name, but even on his own land I cannot allow such a +treasure to be ruined. Mount then my horse, gallop away to thy lord +and tell him that thou didst leave his half-dead horse at the tavad +of Bidandara's. If he wishes to sell him I shall pay any price he may +demand; if he does not want to part with him, why then let him send +back my horse and take back his own; at Bidandara's everybody finds +hospitality--even animals,' and he got off his horse, took hold of +and led away mine without listening to my exclamations of gratitude. + +"I gave him time to go a long way and then chased his horse still more +mercilessly than thine. I knew that thou wilt give him the centuple, +and therefore thought only how I could reach thee the soonest. Upon +entering the town he fell and I ran the rest of the way on foot. What +doest thou command me to do now?" + +"This moment thou wilt choose two of the best horses and lead them +hither. We shall immediately start in pursuit; tell my lifeguards +secretly to catch up with us. Let them have pity upon the horses +and take plenty of wine and provisions with them, for thou must be +quite hungry!" + +In a few minutes the two cavaliers rode out of town and later on they +were followed by a whole detachment of warriors, trying to catch up +with them. Morphiliziy was not riding very fast, but thinking. He +remembered that still a short time before, when but a simple army +commander, he had no other wishes besides military glory; all his plans +seemed to have been successfully carried out when he was proclaimed +King and his name passed from mouth to mouth, surrounded with all +the glitter of the recent victory. + +The triumph over Damask, the most glorious warrior of his century, +appeared to him as the height of blissfulness. He remembered also that +unusual, up to this time new to him, feeling which suddenly arose in +him upon beholding Nina. + +The very glance at this young girl, hardly out of her teens, drove out +of his heart and imagination everything in which he up to this moment +had prided himself--military glory and victories over Valarsass and +the accession to the throne--all vanished somewhere in the distance, +occupied some remote spot and was no longer of any interest to him. And +to think that this child had made fun of him! This child had managed +her nurse and servants and warriors and even him, Morphiliziy, the +terrible, powerful and invincible conqueror! This little girl feared +not his anger, was not frightened by his forces, did not tremble before +his might. His warrior's renown, his monarchy, his personal charms +had not won her. She was not at all excited or especially delighted +over the impression she had produced upon the hero, and in just the +same way she treated a little boy, whom he could knock down with one +blow like some piece of paper! + +He resolved that Nina should be his wife however difficult it might +be to obtain her hand. She did not wish his love--she did not see the +need of his caresses--"then," thought he, "let her feel my strength, +my might, my power--yes, my wrath!" + +These reflections were interrupted by the approaching +warriors. Morphiliziy turned around; the moon lit up his pale face +and sparkling eyes. The soldiers were frightened, never yet had they +seen him look thus. + +"Give Noy wine and bread--he will eat on the way, but to you, my +comrades in battle, I shall now unfold the secret of my soul. You know +my whole life, you know very well that there is not a man who could +boast of having conquered me; you know too that my very glance can +put regiments to flight, that my name was sufficient to make kings +and nations tremble, and now, when I reached the height of glory and +power, I wanted to divide them with an orphan, I wanted to place her +upon that throne for which I am indebted to your love and submission +to me, I wished to proclaim her Tsaritsa and share with her my glory, +my happiness, and my power! But she refused all these things, and me +too, and ran off with a boy. Now...." + +Morphiliziy's speech was interrupted, he sighed deeply and continued: + +"We are out to pursue them. Think up some punishment worthy of their +crime. What shall be done with her?" + +"Kill them both!" was the unanimous reply. + +"That is insufficient!" answered the Tsar. + +"Drown them in the river, where they betrayed their deception!" + +"Not enough!" + +"Have them burned alive!" + +"Still too good for them!" + +"Let them be torn to pieces by wild beasts!" + +"All this is very little!" replied Morphiliziy. "All this is quickly +over and does not appease my desire for revenge. They must be captured +alive and locked up one opposite the other, so that through the open +windows of their dungeons they may see each other, and then I shall +prepare my rival a spectacle that will wound him worse than fire, +but afterwards I shall hand over to you Nina, and then there will be +time to cut off their proud heads and throw them away to be eaten by +the dogs!" + +The Tsar grew silent, his face became still paler, his eyes stared +out worse than before; he was so terrible to look at, that even the +fearless warriors could not glance at him and hardly approached his +horse and Noy's, which they were hurrying on at full speed. The sun +rose--they continued their ride, a whole day went by, the journey +went on as before, and night overtook them again when they entered +a forest. Noy announced that it was the same forest in which he had +left the fugitives. The moon shone poorly from behind the eternal +trees, it became necessary to get off the horses, which were left to +the care of several warriors, but the others went on and soon found +that little field of wild copse on which Cicero and Nina had rested, +they even found the place where they had been sitting. + +The grass was trodden down, it bore the traces of spilt wine and crumbs +of bread--one large shrub was cut down--but there were no branches. + +"They probably burned them in a wood-pile," remarked Noy. + +"Well, where then are the traces of the wood-pile?" replied +Morphiliziy. Upon noticing that from the place where they stood onward +the grass was trodden down and seemed to form a kind of road, all +followed upon this track. By sunrise they left the forest and spread +themselves out over a splendid meadow, which ended in a field. The +track went on across the meadow to the very field, which was beginning +to be worked by laborers. + +Morphiliziy dispatched one of his warriors to ask to whom this +field belonged and whether they had not seen two boys on horseback +yesterday. The soldier returned with a peasant. + +"This is the field of the tavad Bidandari, we are his men and did +not work here yesterday, but we heard that our master had brought +home some two youths, one of whom is ill, and to-day by the orders +of the proprietor, my brother went for the znabar (a kind of doctor) +on the seacoast." + +"Why, is it far to the sea?" asked Morphiliziy. + +"Six or seven agatches" (an agatche is a little more than six and +less than seven versts). + +"What! is there no doctor nearer than that?" again asked Morphiliziy. + +"Why should there not be one? We have a doctor in the village who is +immediately at the side of the patient when required, but the other +one is cleverer because he takes advantage of the sea tide in order +to collect plants, shells, insects, and little fishes, which our own +doctors do not get a chance to use for their medicine." + +"Tell thy master that the owner of the Arab horse came to thank him +for his favor, to pay his debt, and asks permission to come in." + +The peasant went off, but Morphiliziy ordered his warriors to return +to the forest, and taking Noy with him, followed from afar the running +laborer. He was very particular in explaining to Noy why he did not +wish his name to be disclosed before the right time. + +Bidandari came out to meet his guest and led him to some gorgeous +apartments where a number of fashionably attired servants surrounded +the newcomer, offering elegant clothes, aromatic soaps, and every +kind of luxury customary in those times. Having washed and dressed, +Morphiliziy came into an adjoining room where a dinner was set. The +host met him at the door with two large horns filled with old wine, +which, joining hands, they drank at the same time, as a sign of +friendship. Notwithstanding that Morphiliziy had eaten almost +nothing for more than two days, the rare and numerous dishes did +not dazzle him. He had to make an effort in order to pretend that +he was eating. At the end of the dinner the host offered him to take +a rest, but Morphiliziy said that before that he would like to talk +with him alone: then Bidandari, who had not even looked as though he +had recognized his sovereign, respectfully fell down on one knee and +kissed the edge of the royal coat. + +"You recognized me, tavad?" said the surprised King. + +"Yes, your Majesty, but I did not dare to say this before the rest, +because I did not know the reason you had for not speaking openly." + +"I came hither to carry out my revenge and I cannot do it without +your help." + +"Pray tell, what is it you order?" + +"But this is against the laws of hospitality, in which your house +has always glorified itself." + +"If it be impossible to receive satisfaction for being insulted +otherwise--then give orders to kill me--in such a way at least I +fulfil my duty as to you, like a faithful subject, obliged to defend +the honor of his sovereign even to death and shall not be responsible +for what occurs in my house after my death." + +"But, tavad, you forget that in such a case I fulfil my duty neither +like a Tsar, nor like a guest, but of this let us speak later. The +point of the affair is that in your own house my bride is hiding, +disguised as a boy, and I want to take her immediately with me. It +seems to me that by handing her over to me you do nothing offensive to +the rules of hospitality; as to her companion, he has insulted my royal +honor, and it is only natural that every true subject should himself +chase him out of his house as soon as he learns about his crime." + +Bidandari sighed and his face took a sad expression. + +"I ask a favor of you, sire; sooner order that I be killed than that +my guest receiveth the merited punishment and let me now tell you all +that weighs on me. Before death one is permitted to put aside every +etiquette and to speak with one's sovereign without the customary +court formalities, thereupon I take the liberty of treating you like +a brilliant warrior." + +"You forget, tavad, that I am very much obliged to you, and that you +therefore have the right to demand anything you like of me except to +pardon my rival. You yourself are a young and unmarried man, is it +possible you do not understand my thoughts?" + +"Forgive me, sire, but I must again speak none but the bare truth! My +meeting with your negro you already know about. Wishing to come home by +the very most direct way, I went on a trail which by chance brought me +up to two boys. The younger of them was shaking from malaria, he was +pale and lay upon a bourka, but the older one sat by him in despair +and wrung his hands. On this same little meadow two saddled and tired +horses were feeding; by their exhausted look it was perfectly clear +that the travellers came a long way. I came up from behind, and when I +greeted them, the elder brother quickly jumped up and seized a kinjall +(Caucasian knife or rather dagger), while the younger boy simply sighed +and looked at me in a terrified way; he was evidently either too ill or +too exhausted to make any kind of a movement. 'Fear nothing,' I said, +'I came to offer you my hospitality, which you hardly have a right +to refuse as you are on my lands.' + +"'Excuse me,' suspiciously answered the older one--'before I accept +your kind offer, I should like to ask you where you took this horse +from, which yesterday was still the property of the monarch?' + +"I explained it. The boy reflected. 'What dost thou think of, young +man, accept quickly my offer, and together we shall carry the sick +brother into a warm room, in which his illness will be over by morning, +while here he may die from taking cold.' + +"The boy got frightened. + +"'Promise me not to hand us out to Morphiliziy alive or dead, and +I will readily accept your invitation with gratitude; otherwise we +should both prefer to die.' + +"I glanced at the sick boy, he evidently made an effort to smile and +thus confirm his brother's words, but this smile lit up his face +with such an inexpressible magnificence that I began to be very +much puzzled--after all was it not a woman? I accorded the desired +promise. We made litters of the branches of a soft coppice. I told +them that I would send horses for their conveyance, but thy horse +tied itself to the girdle and we safely brought our litter to the +house. During the night the patient began to groan and constantly +repeated: + +"'Darling Cicero, if they discover us--kill me, I wish to be neither +a Tsaritsa nor anything else except thy wife!' + +"There was not the least doubt left by this time; this was a woman who +had run away from some detested man together with her lover. Seeing +that it was no longer possible to hide anything, Cicero related +the whole story to me. They already loved each other, sire, when +thou didst first see her. Perhaps thou wilt say that Cicero might +perfectly well have conquered his attachment; taking into account +that Nina was the object of this attachment--such a change was very +improbable indeed. I say further that I myself was overtaken by such +an extraordinary feeling of delight before this utmost perfection +of beauty that I felt as though it was not worth living on earth if +one could not possess Nina; and in consequence of all this, sire, +thou dost partly fulfil my proper wish if thou dost order me to be +executed as one bending down before thy will. To hand them out to +you after my promise is beyond my powers." + +Morphiliziy walked up and down the room with huge steps and nervously +twitching with his mouth. + +"I wish to see her!" he said. + +"Oh, monarch, be gracious! Before thy arrival here, a doctor had +just attended upon her. She has a fever from terror, she frequently +cries, saying: + +"'I am so tired that I cannot ride any farther! They pursue us--yes, +they pursue us!' If she should see thee now, death would surely +set in. As a satisfaction to thy offended pride, take away my life, +which has become so painful to me. I am more guilty before thee than +Cicero, because I dared to fall in love with thy bride, while he just +worshipped a free girl and was fervently loved by her before thou +didst enter the town and becamest our ruler. Thou didst permit me to +request rewards for ordinary services; don't let Nina perish! Don't +deprive her of that happiness of which she deprived thee, and even +me!" Bidandari wished to bend a knee, but the Tsar did not allow him +to take such a step. + +"We shall converse like young men of equal rank," said he. "Leave me +alone; in a few minutes I shall call thee." + +Bidandari went out, but Morphiliziy again paced the floor. Within +him a terrible combat was going on. On one side his deceived love and +wounded pride demanded cruel revenge, on the other hand the elevated +thoughts of his soul, his well-known love of mercy and chivalrous +nobility of soul inclined him to follow Bidandari's advice. After +walking a whole hour his bad intentions went away, and completely +worn out from physical exhaustion as well as spiritual disturbance, +he threw himself down upon the sofa and went to sleep with the firm +resolution to pardon Nina. + +But alas! Ibliss (the devil) is always angered by any noble intention, +be it of a Christian, be it of a heathen, and always exerts himself +in finding ways of preventing their being carried out. And thus +it happened also this time. He appeared to Morphiliziy in a dream +under the form of Nina; she was sitting at the feet of Bidandari +and gaily joked and laughed. Morphiliziy did his best to overhear +their conversation and understood that they were laughing at his +confidence. Bidandari boasted about his cleverness, but Nina laughed +aloud. + +"I assured him that thou lovest Cicero--that once I came upon you by +chance; and he believed it all like a stupid child. He allows Cicero +to marry and lets you go to Rome, whither I shall soon follow you, and +then only will he find out the true state of affairs. Thou must admit, +my Nina, that I cleverly thought up all and am worthy of a reward!" + +Instead of answering, Nina threw herself on his neck and Morphiliziy +saw and heard how the mouths joined together in kissing. He awoke +trembling from furor. "Noy," he cried. The negro appeared. + +"Tell the warriors to bring me immediately, all chained, Bidandari, +Cicero, and her! I shall instantly ride home alone! If I stay here but +a minute longer I shall choke them all, and this is little! A horse, +I say, a horse!" + +In a moment he was already riding off home, but at sunrise on the +following day they brought to his house the three guilty ones. He came +out on the roof, all wicked, dark, terrible! All his former noble +feelings had disappeared for good, he gave himself up to the work +of pitiless revenge. Silently he pointed to Nina and his house. The +warriors understood and led her there. Cicero made a desperate +effort to run after her, but the heavy chains and powerful arms of +the soldiers held him fast. Then the Tsar pointed to Cicero and to +the house situated opposite him. Cicero was led off there. Before +him there remained but Bidandari. + +"Cut off his sly head!" shouted Morphiliziy, with such anger that a +flame came out of his mouth at these words. The warriors fell upon +Bidandari, but hardly had his head been divided from his body, when a +wonder occurred. The day was bright and clear, without a single cloud +in the sky, but at this moment an immense black cloud descended unto +the corpse and hid him from the eyes of those standing about. All +stared with the greatest attention. Little by little the cloud went +off, but on the spot where Bidandari stood a magnificent white tulip +grew up. + +"He is a witch!" cried Morphiliziy, and again the flame was seen +coming out of his mouth and nostrils. + +"Bring the messenger of charms, the old gamdela, and knock her down +before this cursed tulip!" + +When they cut off her head and the blood was spattered unto the tulip, +its centre grew strikingly red with pale rosy stripes on the leaves, +which rendered it still more beautiful. + +"Now," said Morphiliziy angrily, "drag Cicero to the window, stand +by his side and don't let him turn his head. I should like him to +see everything that is going to occur opposite!" + +And he roared like a madman, and the flame again came out of his +mouth, nostrils and ears. "Away with the remaining people from here," +he shouted in conclusion. The square was instantly cleared. + +"Hand me Nina over here!" was Morphiliziy's last command as he +entered the house and took a place at a window opposite the one to +which Cicero was lashed. They brought up Nina, half dead from fear. + +"God of Israel! save me!" she cried out. + +"Nobody will save thee from me!" wickedly answered Morphiliziy, +and seizing Nina and embracing her he brought her to the open +window. Opposite, Cicero was making astounding but futile efforts to +free himself from his chains. + +"Call to my God--Cicero! He is stronger than that man!" cried +Nina. In this moment she glanced at her feet and fainted from +terror. Morphiliziy was also astounded. He saw that her feet grew +together and formed one black mass. He rashly tore her clothes off her +body, but the transformation took place still faster; her whole body +burned and grew black, and in a few minutes from her hands there jumped +out a splendid butterfly and joyfully flew across the square to meet +another one who had come out of Cicero's dungeon. Both of them hurried +to the gamdela's body and to the white tulip and circled around them. + +How could one describe Morphiliziy's wrath? To express his anger he +could no longer find any human words. Some horrible, fearful sounds +came out of his mouth together with flames. With terror his warriors +looked on as he threw himself about on the square and as his eyes +flashed. Little by little he turned completely into a flame. Fiery +tongues began to climb out of the window, slipped down to the +square and everywhere rose into the air, hoping to burn the poor +butterflies. In vain did they fly all over the place, everywhere the +flame chased them, at last they hid themselves in the tulip, which +hastened to shelter them with its leaves. The whole fury of the fire +was now fixed upon the unhappy little flower. Just then the body of +the gamdela was transformed into a shower. As much as Morphiliziy +harassed his enemy, the faithful gamdela fought against him; thus, +notwithstanding all the badness of Morphiliziy, he did not succeed in +burning the tulip, but the white leaves only ornamented themselves with +all the colors of the flame. In the end the nurse finally conquered +her enemy. He went down into the ground and shows himself only when +the Lord wishes to punish sinners. + +Oh, how dreadful he can then be! He shakes the whole earth, +he tears to pieces its interior and forms deep precipices where +formerly flourishing cities stood, lets whole villages fall to ruins, +destroys hundred-year-old edifices, rips up gardens, fields, meadows, +forests. In a word, Morphiliziy became a perfect subterranean fire +and hourly curses new generations, while the good, faithful gamdela +daily renders thanks to Him who turned her into a beneficent shower, +without which men and beasts and plants and everything that is good +on earth would perish. + +When danger had vanished the leaves of the tulip opened themselves, +the butterflies hopped out and hastened to Damassek's house. There +they took again their former aspect. They were married, sold off +all of John's wares, and with incalculable riches went away to +Rome. Before their departure they dug out the tulip and took it +along with them. Cicero's country is also favored by heaven just like +ours. There they purchased an elegant house, a magnificent garden, +and the very best spot of this garden was reserved for the tulip. With +their own hands they planted and took care of it, and soon the whole +town delighted in the splendid flower, which, refreshed by frequent +showers, grew in size. In a few years the whole garden became one +field of tulips. + +Cicero's and Nina's numerous children played around them, while a +shower refreshed them morning and evening. Nina and Cicero always +went into the garden at that time, and with gratefulness kissed the +bright leaves, remembering their dear gamdela whom people now bless +the world over, as a reward for her faithfulness and love. + + + + + + + +IV. SAINT NINA + +A TALE + + +The fourteenth of January is a day of great solemnity throughout +Georgia. This is the fete of Saint Nina, who converted us to +Christianity. Nina's father, Zavonlon, was, according to tradition, +a relation of the great and holy martyr, George, who married Sossanna, +the sister of Yovenalii, patriarch of Jerusalem, whose family came from +Koloss. He and his sister became orphans in early childhood and went +to Jerusalem, where Yovenalii accepted an appointment as secretary, +while Sossanna entered the service of Sarah, a woman of Vifleem. In +the meantime Zavonlon travelled from Kappadokia to Rome to be presented +to the Emperor, and reached there just at the time when the Brandjis, +who had revolted, appeared in the valley of Patalania. Zavonlon did +not let them reach Rome, but turned them to flight, captured the Tsar +and leaders, and handed them over to the Emperor. When, however, +the monarch condemned them to death, they began to cry and implore +Zavonlon to convert them to Christianity. + +"Lead us to the temple of thy God," they said, "before having us +killed. Thou didst capture us and having sacrificed us to God thou +wilt not be responsible for our death, magnanimous hero!" + +Then Zavonlon went to the patriarch and informed him of all that had +taken place. Without saying a word to the Emperor, the patriarch, +with the help of Zavonlon, baptized them, let them partake of the +Holy Communion, and taught them the Christian faith. At sunrise on the +following day the Brandjis rose, attired themselves in funeral robes +and started for the place of execution. They prayed, thanked God, +who had saved them by baptism, and said: + +"We are immortal even after death, because the Lord hath glorified +us by giving us permission to partake of the Holy Communion. Yes, +let His name now be glorified! now, henceforth, and evermore! Woe to +our fathers, who died in ignorance and remained in the dark, we shall +not taste the sorrowful, but the joyful fruit. Approach, executioner, +and cut off our heads!" + +At these words they willingly stretched their necks under the +sword. But Zavonlon, who could no longer stand this spectacle, rushed +to the Emperor in order to implore his pardon for them. + +"I give them to thee; do with them whatever thou wilt!" said the +sovereign. Zavonlon lost no time in returning to the spot of execution +and succeeded in saving those sentenced. + +Thereupon they began to beg him to lead them home to their native land +in order to preach there about the Faith of Our Lord Jesus Christ, +and convert those desirous of leaving paganism. Zavonlon went to +the patriarch, got some priests, and with the Emperor's permission +departed, accompanied by the Brandjis. When they had but one more day +of travelling before them, a rumor spread in their country that the +Tsar was alive and meant to return with his courtiers. The sections +of Kkhozamo, Kkhosa, Goakchladja or Gardadja, Kkhonebag, Kkhjirag or +Kindtjag, Zadja, Zaza, Zarda, Zamra and Tkmoka hurried to meet them, +and were reached on the banks of a great and deep river; the water +was blessed and they entered it and came out at one special spot +where a priest laid his hand on them. + +Zavonlon stayed with them till they were baptized and converted, +put everything in perfect order, left the priests and went away, +overwhelmed with gorgeous presents. + +"I shall take these treasures for the decoration of the tomb of the +Lord," thought Zavonlon, and started for Jerusalem, where he gave +everything to the poor. At that time Yovenalii (in monkhood he had +taken the name of Zadass) was patriarch of Jerusalem, and made friends +with Zavonlon, while Sarah of Vavilon recognized him and learned to +cherish his capacities. Besides, she said to the patriarch: "Zavonlon +is the father of the Brandjis (original inhabitants of Barcelona) +whom he converted, and to whom he gave the Holy Baptism; he carried +out the commands of God, and thinking the matter over, I counsel thee +to let him marry thy sister Sossanna" (probably Susanna). Sarah's +counsel was carried out and the young couple left for Colossus, +Zavonlon's fatherland. + +Soon the bride gave birth to a daughter, Nina. When she was twelve +years old her parents sold their whole property and settled in +Jerusalem. Here Zavonlon was made a monk by the Patriarch German +(because Sossanna's brother had already died), and became divorced +from his wife. Pressing his daughter to his breast and covering her +face with tears, he said: + +"My dear and only child, I leave thee an orphan, and recommend thee +to our Heavenly Father, God, who nourishes all live beings, because +He is the father of orphans and the Judge of widows. Fear nothing, +my daughter, but try to imitate Mary Magdalen and the sisters of +Lazarus in their love to God. If thou lovest Him as much as they did, +He will also refuse nothing to thee." Having embraced her once more, +he crossed the Jordan and started to preach the teachings of God among +wild nations, where the only God, creator of all beings, knew that the +time was ripe. Sossanna, on the other hand, by order of the patriarch, +looked after the poor women, but was put in the service of Niapkhora, +an Armenian woman from Doroim. + +She stayed two years at her house, learning the laws of God, because +at that time there was nobody in all Jerusalem so well acquainted with +the Old and New Confession and who had such a broad and enlightened +mind. Niapkhora was honorable and truthful and imitated Abraham in +hospitality. Her house was always open to all pilgrims coming to +pray at the Tomb of the Lord. More than once she happened to receive +Christians who had been Jews and had inhabited Georgia. From them +Nina heard a story how, at the time of the Babylonian captivity, +some Jews had settled down at Mtzkhet and how they yearly sent some +of their people to the Easter celebrations at Jerusalem. They also +told her that in the second year of Aderka's reign in Georgia, they +found out about the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ through these very +messengers. Within thirty years at Mtzkhet delegates arrived from +the preosviashtchennik (clerical title) Anna with the following news: + +"He to whom the wise men brought presents is now grown up and teaches +us a new faith; thereupon we are sending word to the Jews in order to +find among them teachers of the law and to tell them: 'Come ye all, +who uphold the law of Moses and clear up our perplexity! Let all those +acquainted with law immediately leave the foreign lands and hasten +with all possible speed to the fatherland, in order to confirm and +guard the faith of our forefathers, carry out the laws of Moses, +save the common folk from being dazzled by the new teaching, and +furthermore, put the guilty one to death.' Elios, a man who was no +longer young, of the tribe of the Levites, decided to go to Jerusalem, +leaving his mother, a descendant of the high priest Ilia, to the care +of his sister Sidonia, because the old woman herself said: + +"'Go, my beloved son, whither the Lord and his holy law call thee, +but mind my remarks: thou as a man well instructed in law shouldst +not allow them to have a godless intention. I beg thee--do not have +a hand in spilling the blood of this man. Thou knowest that this is +the carrying out of the ancient prophecies, believe this one with +all thy heart as I believe in him!'" + +Together with Elios went a young Hebrew, Longinos, a warrior from +Karssan, and they reached Jerusalem just at the time of the crucifixion +of our Lord, as they arrived on a Friday. + +When they drew lots, a Greek tunic fell to the share of Elios, but +Longinos received the garment of the Lord, which he carried back to +Kontais (this garment used to hang in the centre of the church in +a crystal vessel up to the time of Shah Abass, who sent it away to +Russia). When they began to crucify our Lord, by chance the sound of +the hammer and nails came to the mother of Elios, and she exclaimed: + +"Good-bye, kingdom of Israel! Unhappy ones--you are lost +forevermore! By your craziness you kill your Vladyka and the +Saviour of the world, and thus you become the wilful murderers of +your Creator! Woe ye unhappy ones! There is no lamentation equal to +your distress! Woe to me, because my ears have heard these mournful +sounds!" and with these words she gave up her soul to God. When, +however, Elios returned to Mtzkhet bringing the robe, Sidonia came +out to meet him, and crying and weeping threw herself in his arms +to tell him of her mother's death; and lo! she came to glance at the +robe. She recognized it as having belonged to the Lord Jesus Christ, +and the thought that her brother had helped along his death filled +her heart with indescribable sorrow. Having placed on her breast the +invaluable holy relic, she died. + +The news of her death spread all over Mtzkhet and reached the Tsar, +who wished to see the dead woman. Coming to her body he was struck by +the beauty of the robe, giving out a heavenly glow, and he wanted to +put it on, but no power under the sun could tear the relic out of the +arms of the deceased. Elios buried his sister together with the robe, +and thus saved it from further attempts of the unbelieving. + +These tales made a strong impression on Nina's soul, she often and +long reflected how she might seek out the place where the robe was, +and tried to obtain information from her governess. "My child," said +Niapkhora, "I see that by thy strength thou are equal to a lioness, +whose roar hushes up the growling of all quadrupeds. Thy capacity +for penetration puts thee on a footing with the female eagle, who by +her flying exceeds the male eagles and with her little eyes sees all +creation; having beheld the booty she inspects it with her piercing +glances, just as the fire experiments with the gold, and makes for it +with spread-out wings. Such will be thy life. Thy voice will be heard +all over the world and thy booty is to enrich God. Now I will explain +it all to thee. Thou knowest that the immortal God had compassion for +the mortal inhabitants of this world and came to earth in order to +assemble around him the nations and save the whole world. His first +good deeds were applied to the Hebrews, among whom he made the dead +arise, made the blind see, and healed the sick. Astounded, they sent +out messengers all over the world in order that the Hebrews might +most rapidly assemble at a great council. + +"'We are perishing,' exclaimed the messengers, 'hurry, gather ye all!' + +"Then from all countries there came together people, educated in +the laws of Moses--they came together to openly oppose themselves to +the Holy Ghost and, namely, do what was necessary to the world. They +crucified the Lord Jesus and drew lots to get his robe. The robe was +handed over without quarreling to the Man of Mtzkhet. Thou knowest +also that upon the burial of our Lord they placed guards at his +tomb, but that he arose according to prediction, and in the tomb +there remained nothing but the shroud, which the Apostle Luke took, +but no one knows to whom he gave it. As to the vesture of the Lord, +which was not found in the tomb, many conclude that the Apostle +Peter took it without telling anything about its further fate. I in +my turn am more inclined to believe what we heard from the Hebrews +of Mtzkhet. The crosses are hidden here at Jerusalem, but this place +is unknown to everybody until the Lord doth open it in times to come +by his chosen messenger!" + +Hearing these words, Nina raised herself and thanked God and asked: +"Well, where then is that land where the robe was discovered?" + +"The town of Mtzkhet is in Georgia. This is a mountainous land, the +borderland of Armenia, and its inhabitants still continue to practise +idolatry. The Chaldean magis have a strong influence over the people," +replied Niapkhora. + +At that time there arrived from Ethesus a woman who had come to visit +and pay homage to the Holy Sepulchre and who stopped at Niapkhora's. + +"Is the Empress Helen still in the shade of unbelief?" asked Niapkhora +of her. + +"I am her servant," answered the newcomer, "and know all her wishes, +both open and hidden. She would like to become a Christian and be +baptized." + +"Let me go to the sovereign," Nina began to ask of her mistress, +"perhaps our Lord Jesus Christ!" + +"Let us first ask the blessing of our most holy Patriarch German," +answered Niapkhora, and went to him. + +Soon they called in Nina and placed her on the steps of the ambo; +thereupon German put his hands upon her shoulders and having +sighed from the depth of his soul, he said: "Vladyka, Immortal +God! To Thee I commit this orphan, the daughter of a sister of +one of Thy servants, and send her to preach Thy faith and announce +Thy resurrection everywhere where Thou desirest it to be carried +out! Heavenly Jesus! be Thou her companion during the journey, her +protector in danger, a refuge, a leader and a teacher as Thou hast +been from century to century to all those who feared Thy holy name!" + +That very night the Virgin appeared to St. Nina in a dream, to whose +happy lot Iveria fell when she together with the apostles drew lots +to see who should go to preach the faith of Christ in Georgia. In +the hands of the Heavenly Queen there was a vineyard cross, which by +her command was tied with some of Nina's hair. The Most Holy Virgin +handed the cross to the sleeping girl and ordered her to go in her +stead to convert the Iverian people. The Saint awoke with the cross +in her hands and hastened to announce to her mother all that had +occurred. With happy emotion Sossanna listened to her, kissed her, +crossed herself, and blessing her, let her start out, commending Nina +to the care of God. + +From her mother Nina went straight to the Ethesian woman, whom +she began to hurry up to start out, as her heart was burning with +impatience; and notwithstanding the uncertainty and length of the +journey, her readiness to do everything to serve God was so great that +she did not have the least fear; this ardor was not left unrewarded +by the Leader of Hearts. He Himself appeared to St. Nina, quieted +and strengthened her for the coming expedition. + +Having reached Ethesus, the Saint, in the house of her companion, +found the Tsarevna Ripsime fleeing from the Diocletian torments +together with fifty friends. Soon they were joined by three hundred +maidens and Saint Gaiane, her nurse. Ripsime grew attached to Nina, +because the Ethesian woman told her the latter's story, and the +Saint took advantage of the kind feelings of the Tsarevna in order +to instruct her still more in the faith; and in the course of this +year she baptized the Queen, Gaiane, and seventy men of her suite. + +They passed two years together at the monastery of Poss-Rhoss. Just at +that time Emperor Maximian sent his eunuchs everywhere to seek out the +beautiful and good girls and bring them to him--without distinction +of rank, extraction, or even religious belief. + +The messengers arrived at the monastery of Poss-Rhoss, beheld Ripsime, +and struck by her unusual beauty, they did not yet decide to take her, +but began to enquire about her family. Having found out that she was +of royal rank, they considered her worthy of becoming Maximian's wife, +painted her portrait and went away. Hardly had Maximian glanced at +her portrait, when his heart flamed up with some strong passion. He +announced that in the whole world there was no equal perfection of +beauty, that Ripsime was worthy of becoming his wife, that their +marriage should be celebrated with unheard of till then solemnity, +and he immediately sent messengers to all parts of his immense +monarchy so that each subject might come to take part in the nuptial +festivities. In the meantime the saints trembled from fear because +they knew that this Tsar was like a vessel of anger, sly like a +snake in heaven, also not clean, and idolatrous. They imagined that +the Tsarevna's portrait would cause them to be very much grieved, +and having fasted a long time, they prayed to God and decided to +rely on His holy mercy and secretly run away from this place. And +thus the seventy sisters set out for Armenia, in the neighborhood +of Vagkarshapat, and reached a splendid town called New Dovin, where +the Tsar himself resided. + +Here they took up their quarters in poor huts, which surrounded +the town from the north and west and were used for pressing out the +grapes. Here with laborious work they earned their own living. Having, +however, discovered that the Tsarevna Ripsime with her nurse and +companions had disappeared in some unknown place, Maximian became +perfectly furious and sent messengers to look everywhere for her. + +His ambassadors arrived at the court of Trdat, Tsar of Armenia, +with the following letter: "The autocratic Emperor to his nearest +brother, friend and comrade Trdat--I salute thee. Thy friendship +is our most faithful ally; I inform thee above all that the sinful +Christian nature is very harmful to us, because it forces the nations +to disregard our mightiness and not respect our Majesty. Their religion +consists of the following points: they serve a dead and crucified man, +adore wood and consider it glorious to die for their Lord. Although +they fear not the Jews, they nevertheless fear Him, whom the Jews +killed and crucified. In their blindness they defame monarchs, scorn +the gods, attribute absolutely nothing to the powerful brightness of +the sun, moon, and stars--saying that these are the creations of the +crucified. They anger the whole world to such a degree that fathers and +mothers separate themselves one from another, not awaiting death. In +vain do our commands and terrible tortures exterminate them, for +they appear in still greater numbers! Having by chance seen a young +Christian maid, I wished to marry her, but she, instead of desiring +to be united with a Tsar, rebuked me like a dirty being and secretly +ran off into thy lands. Investigate this affair, my dear brother, +order a search to be made, and as soon as thou findest her with her +companions, put to death the latter, but send splendid Ripsime hither, +or if she pleases thee, take her, for thou wilt not find such a perfect +beauty in all Greece. I hope that thou art in good health--adieu, +serve the gods!" + +Having read the letter, Trdat began the search, and soon found the +saints. Ripsime produced on him exactly the same impression as on +Maximian and he also made up his mind to have her become his wife. But +the Saint flatly refused him, and so he tortured her together with +thirteen companions on the fifth of October; and Saint Gaiane and +two others on the following day. The remaining succeeding in hiding +themselves; among them was also St. Nina, who by God's instructions hid +herself in the branches of a prickly rosebush, without flowers. Here +she beheld a bright star coming down from the clouds; it served +as a footstool to a deacon, in whose hands there was a censer; +out of the latter there came such an abundant perfume that the sky +really darkened. The deacon was accompanied by innumerable heavenly +beings. This was the instant when the martyrs breathed their last +breath, united themselves with the heavenly forces sent out after +their souls, and together with them rose to heaven. + +"Lord Jesus!" exclaimed the Saint, "why dost thou abandon me with +aspics and snakes?" + +In answer to this lamentation, a voice was heard from Heaven, saying: +"Arise and start for the North, where there is a great harvest, +but few workers!" + +And thus the fourteen-year-old child went out to convert a whole +country. She guided herself by the voice of God and overcame all +difficulties: the length of the journey and physical exhaustion, +and the fear of wild animals and wicked people and the cold and +hunger and want! She went as the apostles went; without a staff, and +just like them, she conquered kings, converted whole nations, healed +the sick and glorified the name of that God who had called to her: +"Arise and go!" Without losing a moment's time she left for the North. + +The dear one constantly reminded her of the following words: "There +is a great harvest but few workers!" and in this she seemed to think +there was an explanation of the fact that on her fell the godly +choice. Near Khertviss her strength began to fail. From continuous +walking she had become quite lame and was forced to stop and go into +winter quarters--enduring innumerable privations. In time her health +was so much restored that she started again on her expedition. + +Having reached the frontier of Djavakhetta she stopped on the bank of +Lake Pkaravno, known also under the designations: Pkdrnav, Paraban, +Pkanavar, and Tanaravan; from this lake flows out a river called +the Mtkouar of Djavakhetta, from which are to be seen high mountains +covered with snow even during the summer months. They are the cause +of much cold weather in all the neighboring towns and villages. Fear +seized Saint Nina. + +"O Lord!" she cried out, trembling, "accept my soul!" and she fell +to the ground. For two whole days she could not master her fright +nor continue her journey. At last hunger forced her to ask for food +of some poor fishermen trading on the lake and of the shepherds who +guarded their herds on the banks of the lake. + +The latter often used to invoke their gods at night. These were called +Armaz and Zaden, and the heathen inhabitants of the lake districts +promised them rich sacrifices if they only guarded the herds from any +possible evil. Hearing that their prayers were spoken in Armenian, +to which Saint Nina was somewhat accustomed as she had served at +Niapkhora's, she dared to ask them whither they had come. + +"I am an Akovanian from Elrbienik on the banks of the Lopatsh-Tskan" +(this is the left arm of the Alasana, Plinii calls the inhabitants of +this region Loubienis), said one of them. + +"We are Kakhetines from Sapourtzle and Kindsar near Mouknar," murmured +two others. + +"But I am a Touissian from Rabatt," added a third one. + +"Here is one from the great city of Mtzkhet, where there lives a Tsar +and where we have temples of our gods; in summer we all drive our +herds to the banks of the Pkarnav, thus saving ourselves from the +unbearable heat of our countries. The reason that the lake has so +many names is that each of us pronounces its name according to his +own language. In the autumn we disperse to our many homes to escape +the cold of this district." + +"Where is Mtzkhet?" asked Nina with a fainting heart. + +"This river unites itself with another one which comes from Kola, +changes its name to Mtkonar and flows to Mtzkhet." + +She looked at the sides of the river: it was an endless plain. She +became frightened upon beholding its boundless limits. Having sighed +over the great length of the coming journey, she put her head on a +stone near the source of the river and fell asleep. + +In a dream there appeared to her a man of middle height with flying +hair, and handed her a written roll, which ran as follows: "Carry this +in all haste to the idolatrous Tsar of Mtzkhet!" Saint Nina cried +bitterly and began to implore and pray: "O Lord! I am a woman, an +adventurer, uneducated, I am unable to say much; now how in the world +am I to go into a strange land to heathen nations--to a mighty Tsar?" + +Then the shining man unfolded the roll in which were written ten +commandments as on the tablets of Moses, and gave them to St. Nina +to read. She awoke with the roll in her hands. The following were +the contents of the roll: + +I: Amen--I say unto ye, go on then, for this testament will be +proclaimed all over the world, will go from mouth to mouth, and hardly +will it be known when documents will appear to commemorate the event. + +II: Make no difference between men or women. III: As thou goest, +instruct all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the +Son and the Holy Ghost. IV: The world is the language of enlightenment +and thy glory, O Israel! V: This good deed of heaven will be practised +the world over. VI: He who accepts you, accepts Me and he who accepts +Me accepts Him who glorified Me. VII: Mary loved the Lord exceedingly, +for she always obeyed his commandments. VIII: Not cutting off the +bodies of the murderers, the souls of those who are powerful shall +not linger. IX: The speech of Jesus to Mary Magdalen: "Go, O woman, +and announce my fraternity!" X: "Teach them to promptly and rigidly +observe all these commandments and then I shall be with you, in all +times and to the end of the world--Amen!" + +Having read the roll, Saint Nina became convinced that this apparition +came directly from the Lord. She ardently prayed that the Lord might +soothe her, and committing herself to his will, she immediately +followed the course of the river. At first it flowed towards the West +through wild and sterile countries. The journey became still more +terrible through the number of wild animals filling these deserts +with their fearful roaring, but not one of them attempted to approach +and touch the protege of God. Only when the river turned to the East +did they begin little by little to disappear. Driven on by fear she +forgot exhaustion and went rapidly ahead, hardly stopping a minute to +catch breath. Soon after the turn of the river Saint Nina overtook +some travellers going to Ourbishi or Ouriat-Oubani (which means +"Street of the Hebrews"), and joyfully followed them, but at Ourbishi +a disappointment awaited her; instead of believers of the real God she +found people who bowed down and adored fire, wood, and stone; her heart +burned with indignation, but the Lord comforted her by instructing +some Jews to give her a hospitable reception, which she made use of +for about one month, when the following spectacle aroused her feelings: + +She beheld a great crowd of people going towards Mtzkhet, and as +she heard from her host that there were Hebrews there, she followed +the people in the distance and thus happened to reach her point +of destination upon the fete of Armaz. Before reaching the bridge +near Mogontka this large crowd stopped like one man to bow down to +the fire, and Saint Nina cried bitterly at the loss of such a large, +large number of human souls, ransomed by the most precious blood of our +Lord Jesus Christ. On the sixth of August, 324 A. D., on the day of +the Transfiguration of the Lord, Saint Nina, according to tradition, +accomplished her first wonder. Upon that day appointed for the feting +of the idol Armaz, it was the duty of the Tsar and Tsaritsa to take +part in the ceremonies. From early in the morning numberless crowds of +people, like flowers in the field, filled the streets, shouting and +hurrying, each one trying to excel his neighbor in ornamenting their +respective houses with carpets, fine shawls and other such articles, +all along the road by which the royal cortege was to pass. First there +arrived the Tsaritsa Nana, surrounded by the wives and daughters of the +aristocracy. She was followed by the Tsar with a numerous suite. Songs +of praises and blessings were heard among the crowd of the nation. With +great pomp the procession ascended the mountain to adore their god, +who was cast of clean gold, while at his side there stood two inferior +gods of silver, who wore gold cuirasses and in their aquamarine eyes +had artificially made rolling emerald pupils. These last idols were of +human proportions and inside of them a mechanism was hidden, through +which their hands (in which there were sharp swords) cut down all +those who dared to approach the chief god without making a sacrifice, +or all those who adored other and foreign gods instead. On the Roman +bridge, Saint Nina joined the procession. + +"What in the world does all this mean?" she asked of a Jewess. + +"This is the god of gods--Armaz, who calls the people to do him +homage. No other idol can compare with him, because each of us puts +on his best garment to-day and holds a flag in his hand as a sign +of joyousness." + +In the meantime the procession had reached its destination. The Tsar +bowed down to the ground, surrounded by whole clouds of incense. The +sacrificers offered their victims. The Tsaritsa, the nobility, +innumerable hordes of people followed the example of their ruler to +the greatest displeasure of the Saint, who with all her heart prayed +to Him, who had made her glorious and lo! a short-breathed West +wind came up, at first softly, then always stronger and stronger, +and finally turned into an oragan. + +Losing their breath and feeling choked, the Tsar ran away and the +sacrificers and the nation too, but the orcano turned into a perfect +rain of stones--not allowing even half of those fleeing to seek +shelter. Stones of such a size poured down that not every grown up +man could raise them with both arms, and they continued to ransack +the temple and idols, until all had been turned to ashes and dust. + +The heathens fled in terror; this mountain, such a short time before +so crowded with people, had now been totally cleared of men and +upon it sat only Nina, who was not at all terrified by the fearful +spectacle. She saw in this a new proof of the all mightiness of her +own God, and under his powerful protection she quietly lay down and +peacefully fell asleep on a huge block of stone. + +The next day, by the order of the Tsar, one of the noblemen went to +inspect the scene of the disaster of the preceding day. He beheld +Saint Nina, concluded by her dress that she was a traveller from +some distant land, and with customary Georgian hospitality, invited +her to stop at his home. But his offer was by no means accepted by +the Saint. She continued her journey along the banks of the river +and finding on the road an eye of one of the gods, she took it along +with her. Upon reaching the junction of the Koura and Aragva, where +formerly there stood a town and a fortress, she resolved to take a +rest and pass the night at that point of the cape, where till then +there still remained the ruins of the church of Favora. + +At that time beautiful, well-shaped, high birches grew there, with +magnificent shady branches. They were planted by Tsar Bartom, who +often rested in their shade; this custom was long observed by the +nobility and well-known men and almost every sunny day some one from +the aristocracy passed the day under the branches of the birches. On +one of these trees Saint Nina painted a cross and lived under it +in constant prayer till the twelfth of August. On that day came to +refresh herself with the coolness of the famous trees, the lady of +the royal court Krokhana with her servant, a Greek woman. The latter +by the order of her mistress asked the Saint who she was, what she +was undertaking, and whether she did not need something. The Saint +said that she was "Tevee," i. e., a prisoner of war (which does not +mean that she was a servant, as some writers out of pure ignorance +expressed themselves in describing her life) and did not tell of her +real extraction. Krokhana immediately invited her to follow her to +the palace, but the Saint refused even this invitation. + +Within three days, i. e., on the day of the Assumption of the +Holy Virgin, she crossed the Mtkovar and entered the royal fruit +gardens. Near the place where now stands the church of the Katholikoss +(Patriarch) and a pillar erected by God, there lived in those times +a guardian, whose wife Anastasia hastened to come out to meet the +stranger. She embraced her like an old and dear friend, kissed her, +washed off her dusty feet, rubbed her exhausted body with strengthening +fragrant butter and having offered her bread and wine, asked her to +take a rest and to recover after the long, long journey. Here the +Saint remained nine months, frequently visiting Ourbishi, where some +Hebrews lived, in the hope of finding out something more about the +Lord's robe; and indeed the Lord blessed her attempts. She made the +acquaintance of Abiatkar, the descendant of Elios, whom she quickly +converted to Christianity together with all his family. "When she +arrived," said Abiatkar in his tale, remembered in Georgian History, +"I received a letter from Jewish priests in Antiochia, in which they +expressed themselves thus": + +"The Lord divided the kingdom of Israel into three parts, which were +owned by the Romans, Armenians, and Barbarians. There will be no more +prophets; all that he told us through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost +was fulfilled, we are scattered all over the world and our fatherland +is occupied by the Romans. O Jews! let us now weep with our nation, +for we offended God, the Creator of all beings." + +Looking over now the books in which Moses teaches us: "each one who on +earth calls himself God shall be put to death!" Why is it possible then +that we sinned in killing Jesus of Nazareth? We actually see that in +ancient times, when our forefathers sinned before God and forgot Him, +He lowered them to servitude and made them experience all the horrors +of captivity; but when they turned again to Him and invoked Him, He +saved them from need. From the scriptures we know that this happened +seven times in ancient history. Now, then, when our fathers put their +hands on the son of a poor woman, God deprived us of his mercifulness +and support and lo! our government fell to pieces, we were separated +from our temples and our nationality was forgotten. That was about +three hundred years ago. The Lord does not hear our prayers and does +not send us help, from which we conclude that perhaps this man was +sent by God. Thus did they write me several times and aroused doubts +in my soul, to explain which, I applied to Saint Nina. I asked her +who was Jesus and why the Son of God became a simple man. + +Then Saint Nina opened her mouth and from it flowed out words of life +as abundantly as the waves in the depth of the sea. From her very +mouth I found out everything contained by the Christian books, and +she explained to me their profound meaning. I felt like a man aroused +from sleep, like a madman coming back to his senses. She filled my +heart with pity for our forefathers, made me convince myself in the +truths of the New Testament, and from her words I indeed recognized +in him Jesus Christ, the Son of God, crucified, resurrected, and +having come with glory; nay, I understood that He was the one who +had been promised to those believing. I saw many other wonders yet, +accomplished by Saint Nina at Mtzkhet in my time, and together with +my daughter Sidonia was converted and received the Holy Baptism, +being cleansed of all wickedness. I received that which the prophet +David had vainly wished: I heard a choir of voices glorifying the New +Testament, the object of his sighing; and we were favored with the +permission to partake of the Holy Communion, of the body and blood +of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb that perished for the sins of the +world, the best and most compound of victuals. O Lord, strengthen +this faith in my heart to my last breath! All that I shall after this +relate, I myself heard, with my own ears from my mother, my father, +or read in books, recording the words spoken by our ancestors." + +After this follows the story already known to us about the robe. On the +tomb of Sidonia under a huge cedar grew up a fragrant bush loaded down +by a numberless quantity of flowers and leaves, and from its branches +a whole bush was formed, under which Saint Nina let herself down, +not knowing how near she was to the aim of her desires. All nights +she passed here in prayer, and lo! in one of these sleepless nights +of prayer a shining man appeared to her and, pointing to the fragrant +bush, ordered her to take up some earth under it to use for healing +the sick. The next morning as usual Anastasia came to her, offering +her wine, bread, fruits, and cheese. Having noticed that her eyes were +filled with tears, Nina asked her the cause, and so found out that both +she and her husband were deeply grieved by the fact that they had no +children and attributed this misfortune to Anastasia's illness. The +Saint immediately applied holy earth and Anastasia was cured. + +Let us now return to Abiatkar's tale. During that period Saint Nina +saw one and the same dream three or four times in those few minutes +in which she used to rest. A horde of blackbirds bathed itself in the +river, came out of the water whiter than snow, and rushed towards +a peach tree actually growing near her bush. In the apparition it +appeared covered with wonderful buds and flowers. With great haste +the birds gathered and all rivalled one another in bringing them to +the Saint as to the owner of the garden; afterwards united around +her in a circle and sang most marvellously. + +The Saint related all these events to my daughter Sidonia, who +exclaiming very loud, expressed herself thus: "O Prisoner; thou +that didst take off our chains! I know that thou art the reason of +all that hath now taken place, that by thee we are made to discover +and acknowledge the past spilling of the blood of the Heavenly Man, +for that deed the Hebrews and their kingdom perished, they were +deprived of their temples and a strange people took the place of +their greatness. Jerusalem, O Jerusalem! how thou dost spread thy +wings in order to protect under them nations from every part of the +world, thy children only remained without shelter and are scattered +one by one all over the earth! Now there comes to us here a woman, +born in a foreign land, who makes over our whole kingdom!" + +Then addressing the Saint, she said: "That, which thou sawest, +clearly predicts to us that this place has been changed by thee into +religious gardens, in which thy pupils and followers whitened by thee +like birds will eternally gather heavenly fruits, singing praises +and glorifying God!" + +The Saint openly preached the message of Christ, telling the people +that up till then they had been entirely misled. She pointed to the +grape cross which had already accomplished many wonderful cures +without applying any medicine, simply by holding it to the sick +people. She was joined in her converting expedition by seven Jewish +women whom she had baptized. Among them also my daughter Sidonia, +and I myself helped them with all my strength, trying to deserve the +glorious name of Paul, which the Saint had bestowed upon me upon my +baptism. Knowing well the Jewish law, and being instructed by the +Saint, it was easier for me to convert the unbelieving and some of +them becoming rebellious, wished to assault me with stones; but Tsar +Mirian sent out several of his attendants to deliver me from their +arms, because the news of the glory of the wonders accomplished in +Greece and Armenia came to him and so he did not prevent Saint Nina +and her pupils from preaching the truth, which he sympathized with. + +But the devil, who had for a long time raged against the true +believers, won the heart of the Tsaritsa Nana, who kept her husband +from becoming a Christian. The fasts, vigilance, and prayers of the +Saint astounded the heathens and they frequently asked her the cause +of such actions. + +Filled with joy, she naturally took advantage of such moments to +unceasingly preach to them the religion of Christ, and Anastasia +and her husband zealously assisted her in such a time. Once they +brought to the Saint a dying infant, whom all physicians considered +absolutely incurable. The mother of the baby was a fierce adorer +of idols and did not cease to injure the faith of Christ, and even +prevented others from accepting the teachings of Saint Nina. Only +the complete hopelessness forced her to apply to the wonderful girl. + +"I am not educated in human science," said the Saint, "but the Lord +Jesus Christ, whom I serve is strong enough to heal him." + +And with these words she placed him on her foliage couch, on which, +having knelt, she usually pronounced her long prayers and kept +her almighty vigilance, and having crossed him with the vineyard +crucifix, she sent him away, healthy and happy. But his mother, who +now fervently believed in the Christian faith, loudly glorified the +Lord Jesus Christ. A little later the Tsaritsa fell ill and they sent +for the marvellous doctor to the palace. + +"I cannot go into a heathen house and therefore request the Queen +to come to me," was the answer of the Saint. Nana submitted. Her +son Revv and some ladies of the court were obliged to carry her in +their arms. Numerous crowds of people accompanied the procession +with visible curiosity and concealed their dissatisfaction; but this +dissatisfaction turned to excessive joy when she was cured and with +tremendous attention did the crowds of heathens listen to Sidonia, +who had educated the Tsaritsa in the true faith; after that she was +baptized by Abiatkar and returned to her husband, a fervent Christian. + +Here it will be opportune to tell why Tsar Mirian once upon a time +was so much in favor of Christianity. Hardly any other monarch in the +world could boast of such great success in war as Mirian; he conquered +much and always had good luck, nowhere and never did he lose a single +battle, and he justly deserved the term "the invincible." But that +which seemed to all mere luck, was nothing less than the intention +of God, leading him this road to learn the truth. + +In the year 312 the Persian Tsar Sapor sent a messenger to Mirian with +a proposal to unite their forces and jointly attack Greece. Mirian +consented, and soon their army, the number of which the contemporaries +compare with grass in the fields or the leaves of the trees, fell +upon the Emperor Constantine, who did not dare to oppose himself, +and with sorrow saw how they ravaged one Greek province after another. + +The clergy encouraged its sovereign, assuring that the Lord would not +let the unbelievers possess a Christian kingdom. A dream convinced +Constantine still more in this idea. He hastened to become baptized +and led his army by a flag on which was represented a cross of stars, +surrounded, according to the apparition, with the words: "By this +I conquer!" + +Soon the handful of Christians conquered the hordes of heathens at +Andriansora. Both tsars with the remainder of their troops were +turned to flight and pursued by Constantine who, following them +on their heels, invaded their dominions. The Persian Tsar, having +abandoned his ally, ingloriously fled, but Mirian defended the towns +and fortresses in Georgia until all his generals had perished; then +he sent an embassy to Constantine with peace proposals. + +Constantine, who feared a second invasion of the Persians, consented +to peace only with the imperative condition that in case of a war +with the Persians, Mirian should assist him with an army, but to +make sure of the observance of this condition, he took Mirian's son +Bakour as a hostage. Mirian's failure in the war with Constantine, +the incomprehensible fear which had forced him to turn to flight, +him, Mirian, whom all considered fearless and invincible and who up +to this time had known no fear, gave him an exalted opinion of that +God whom Constantine worshipped, and he frequently thought about His +incomparable mightiness. The wars in which he was allied with Trdat, +had led him astray, although, after the war with Constantine and the +disaster at the fete of Armaz his faith in the religion of the false +gods was very much shaken, but the furious opposition of the Tsaritsa +Nana made also this second deep impression vanish. + +Now, however, when the newly converted woman wished to bring him to +the light of truth, she was met with indifferent curiosity and cold +inquisitiveness, instead of the former hearty interest. Mirian had +already succeeded in forgetting that impression, which the victory +of Constantine and complete fall of Armaz had produced upon him, he +interrupted her fiery, persuasive speeches with the question how he +came to see her healthy once more. The Tsaritsa spoke the truth. Her +husband knew very well what a tremendous contrast there was between her +experience and all then known means of curing, and he would not believe +at all that the simple appliance of a cross could have as consequence +a complete restoration to health. The court ladies, witnesses of the +wonder, were then summoned to appear, and very naturally confirmed +the words of the Tsaritsa. But the Tsar was not yet convinced. + +It was then ordered that any one of the eye-witnesses should be +called up, and lo! a whole crowd of people came to testify the truth +of what had taken place. Among others there was also Abiatkar, to +whose tale we shall now return: "The sovereign noticed me and began +to inquire about the Christian teachings. He knew much in the Old and +New Testament, and thus I had to explain rather than merely relate, +and so it was easier to converse with him than with the uneducated +heathens. After that time he often sent for me. + +Once he told me that in the Book of Nebrotk the following version +was written: "During the construction of the tower of Kaskinie in the +city of Khagkan (Babylon), Nebrotk heard a heavenly voice, which said +to him: 'I am Michael, to whom the Lord confided the administration +of the East, go thou out of this town, for the Lord does not wish +that thou shouldst see that which He hid from human eyes. Leave +the building, for otherwise God will certainly destroy it. In the +future there will come a Heavenly King, whom thou dost want to see, +and although He will be hated by the cursed nation, the fear of His +name will cleanse the earth of all sins, kings will renounce their +thrones in order to live in poverty. He will look upon thee with +mercy in disastrous times and will save thee!'" + +I did my best to convince the sovereign that this is the confirmation +of that which we have already read many a time in the Old and New +Testaments. He agreed with me, but continued to adore the idols and +the fire, notwithstanding the prayers of the Tsaritsa, who constantly +persuaded him to be baptized. The devil held him still another year +in his claws after Nana had been converted. On that account I could +not convert even a single heathen, while Saint Nina daily converted +dozens of people, untiringly preaching to the people the truth. She +continued to pretend that she was a prisoner of war, not telling anyone +whence she came and whither she intended to go. Much time went by, +the Tsar interfered with the Saint and remained deaf and dumb to the +prayers of the Queen; and the visits of Abiatkar did not lead to the +desired result. He conversed whole hours with him and every time let +him depart unpersuaded in the truth. + +Once there arrived from Khorossan a courier of the Sossanid family, +with messages from the Shah of Persia who suddenly fell ill. The +Tsaritsa Nana sent for Saint Nina, who again refused to come to the +house of the idolatrous Tsar and requested the sick man to repair +to her house. King Mirian, who was not yet fully convinced of the +mightiness of the Christian God and had not entirely renounced his +former religion, wished himself to accompany his dying guest, whom +they bore in their arms. + +"Through what power dost thou effect thy cures?" said the Tsar, +turning to the Saint. "Art thou not a daughter of Armaz, dost thou +not belong to the number of the descendants of Zaden, notwithstanding +that thou callest thyself a stranger? Dost thou not secretly bow down +before them and seek their moral support? And do they not give thee the +power of healing, which nourishes thee wherever thou art? I know that +thou didst convert people to the faith of a foreign God for the sole +sake of trying their fidelity afterwards. Glory to our gods, who have +disclosed the truth to me! I shall respect thee as I do the governess +of my children and cover thee with honors in this mighty city, where +thou didst hide thyself under the pretense of being a prisoner, but +display no more before me and do not speak about the Christian faith. + +"Our great gods only are the actual healers of the world! The sun +shines because they illuminate it, they send down rain, give fertility +to the earth and nourish blessed Georgia. Armaz and Zaden know all +secrets. Gatz and Gaim, the ancient gods of our forefathers are worthy +of the confidence of all mortals! If thou wilt cure this mtvar I will +shower riches upon thee, make thee a citizen of Mtzkhet and a servant +(mere priest) of Armaz. Although they (the idols) were destroyed by +an unusual storm and hail of stones, yet the spot where we adored +them did not perish. Ytkrondjan--the Chaldean God and our Armaz +are constantly fighting. It is known that our god once directed the +sea against his enemies and that is the reason why they now revenge +themselves by letting this disaster occur just as the rulers of the +earth constantly do. Carry thou out then, my order!" + +"O King!" answered Saint Nina, "as the representative of our Lord +Jesus Christ and the prayers of His All-holy Mother and all saints +existing, I am sent by God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Father +of all great and small beings, from man down to the last degrees of +insects, through His indescribable mercy, like a piece of coal out +of the stove of His goodness in order that thou shouldst learn to +believe in and reach heavenly heights, the sunny world, the depths +of the sea, earthly magnitude! Find out and acknowledge now thou, +O Tsar, Him who covers the sky with clouds, who fills the air with +the sound of thunder and shakes all creation, who lights up the sky +with lightning, makes the tops of mountains slip off or turns them +into volcanoes! Before His voice the foundations of earth tremble and +mountains disappear like sea-waves! Know thou all this and admit thou +the invisible God, living in heaven, who has sent His Son begotten of +Him, to earth in the form of a mortal man, who having accomplished +everything His Father wished Him to do, rose to Heaven in sublime +glory. Dost thou not see that this, the eternal, only and true God +looks after the needs of the humble and turns His face away from the +proud? O Tsar! the time is already approaching when even thou shalt +know and recognize God and verily shalt behold the wonder of light, +which there is in this town. I am speaking of the Lord's robe; and +the sheepskin of Illina, and many other treasures indeed, are hidden +here, which God will point out to thee. I shall cure thy archimage +just as I healed thy wife in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ and +by the strength of His honest cross. The Tsaritsa already informed +thee that she recovered from her illness only after she had sincerely +renounced the idol-worship. Now her mind has broadened out and with +ardor she does everything that is ordered in the Christian law--nay, +that other people may learn from her righteous way of living!" + +Then, upon the command of the Saint, they placed the image facing the +East. The Tsaritsa fell down on her knees and began a prayer under +the cedar while the Saint raised the hands of the sick man towards +Heaven and ordered him to loudly repeat thrice: + +"Renounce thou Satan! Bow thou down before my Lord Jesus Christ, +the Son of God!" + +But from great weakness the sick man could not speak. Then the Saint +began to implore God to restore him to health, with tears and great +lamentations, and her pupils stood by her side. + +One day and two nights she continued her prayers, and when at last +the invalid had repeated the holy words for the third time, the +badness of his soul suddenly abandoned him, he became a healthy man +and a Christian, together with his family and servants and glorified +the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost! Mirian began to fear the +wrath and revenge of the Persian Tsar and wanted to have the Saint +immediately executed--alone the desperate lamentations and tearful +supplications of his beloved wife could cut short his anger, and +dissatisfied, he decided to seek distraction in hunting. This is how +Sidonia, daughter to Abiatkar, and pupil to Nina, relates the event: + +"On Saturday, July the twentieth, a royal hunt was appointed in the +direction of Mouknar. The devil disturbed the royal heart, awakening +in him the old love for idols and fire, and so he firmly resolved +to exterminate all Christians with the sword. Four of his nearest +councillors accompanied him upon the hunt, and to them he turned and +made the following speech: + +"'We are worthy to be punished by our gods for forgetting their glory +and permitting Christian witches to preach their law and teachings +in our country. Through their witchcraft they accomplish wonders, +but not at all by the might of their God. I have now made up my mind +that all those who pay homage to and adore the Crucified shall perish +by the sword, and furthermore, I insist that an effort shall be made +to increase the love of serving the gods, the real rulers of Kartla +(the native word for Georgia). I shall propose to my wife to abandon +the faith of the Crucified, and if she doth not fulfil my order, +I shall forget her love for me and have her put to death with the +rest!'" With joyfulness the heathens listened--it seemed to them as +though the monarch's speech had come out of their own hearts. They had +long reflected about such an event, but did not dare to express their +thoughts, knowing the attachment of the sovereign for his wife. Now +they strongly supported his views and encouraged him in his actions. + +In the meantime they had already passed Moukkvar and Mirian ascended +the high mountain Tekkhotk (in Armenian Tkakoutk) in order to look +at Kaspii and Ouplis Tzikke. When, however, he reached the tiptop, +although this was just at noon, the sun suddenly disappeared before +his eyes and day turned to night. An impenetrable fog covered all the +surroundings and the Tsar himself not noticing this, rode a long way +off from his followers. An unusual thought weighed upon him. + +Surprised, he wished to ask whether all the rest were also in +the fog or whether he alone was dazzled, but nobody answered his +questions. In vain he rode over the mountains covered with bushes, +his horse constantly stumbled and fell, the trees scratched his +face and tore his clothes, the Tsar was involuntarily trembling, +while his exhausted and tortured horse at last succumbed to fatigue +and rose no more, thus depriving its reckless rider of any hope of +saving his life. Then he remembered his former doubts and understood +Whose hands were pushing him down. + +"I called to the gods, but they did not help me!" he exclaimed. "Now I +shall turn to Him who was crucified on the cross, whom Nina preached +about and with whose help she succeeds in healing men. Is He not +strong enough to deliver me from this disaster? I am already fully +in the darkness of terrible sin and do not know whether this darkness +has come for all, or whether I alone am punished with blindness. + +"If Thou wilt save me, God of Nina, then I pray to Thee, lighten +up darkness and show me where my palace stands! I will accept the +religion of Thy name, I will erect and glorify the wooden cross, I +will build a temple of prayer, following the teachings of Saint Nina, +and become a true Christian." + +With hearty and sincere repentance in his heart, he swore to become +a Christian, and hardly had he succeeded in closing his lips when +his eyes opened. The sun shone for him with all its gloriousness, +he climbed off the fallen horse and stopping at the place where he +had had the vision, he raised his hands towards the East and exclaimed: + +"Thou art the King of kings and the God of gods announced and +proclaimed by Saint Nina! Let Thy name be glorified by all people in +Heaven and on earth. Thou didst deliver me from peril and didst open +my eyes; now I found out that Thou wishest to save, comfort and draw +me towards Thee, according to the words of Thine arch-angel. Blessed +be the Lord! On this spot I shall erect a cross, yes, I will glorify +Thy holy name and let the remembrance of this marvellous event be kept +upright for centuries and centuries to come." Having taken precise +notice of the spot he went away, but in the meantime his attendants, +who had been everywhere vainly looking for him, came together to +discuss what was to be undertaken next. + +"Yes, let all my nation glorify the God of Nina!" suddenly rang out +the Tsar's voice, "for He is the Eternal God and to Him alone is due +glory from century to century!" + +They gave a fresh horse to the King and he rode home very happy, +and best of all--both mentally and physically cured! + +In the meantime the Tsaritsa had already heard the report that +Mirian had disappeared and a little later she received news that he +was already returning. With great haste she rushed out to meet her +beloved husband and an innumerable crowd of people followed after +her. They arrived together at Kindsa, which lies in Gkartk. + +As to Saint Nina, she was pronouncing her usual prayer in the rose +bush, and several of us were there with her. Gradually as the Tsar +approached the whole nation began to be greatly moved and excited, +because he shouted in a loud voice: + +"Where is the stranger, who, from now on, will be my mother, because +her God saved me from death?" + +Having found out already that she was praying, the Tsar branched off +on a side road and his suite followed him. Before reaching the rose +bush Mirian left his horse and coming up to the Saint, he humbly +bowed to her, saying: + +"Now make me worthy of invoking thy God, who has indeed been my +saviour!" + +Having taught him a little, Nina on the very spot ordered him to bow +down towards the East and adore the Lord Jesus Christ. + +But the people, who did not understand the point of the whole affair, +began to be rebellious, seeing the Tsar and Tsaritsa humbly kneeling. + +On the next day Mirian dispatched ambassadors to Rome to the Emperor +Constantine, with a request to speedily send some priests to baptize +the nation, and with a letter from Saint Nina to the Empress Helena, +informing her of the wonders which had been performed on Tsar Mirian +near Mtzkhet, through the strength of our Lord Jesus Christ. The +day the Tsar was converted the Saint sent to Saint Gregory Nansien +asking for instructions as to what she should do next. By his advice +she personally destroyed the new idol Armaz, which they had already +succeeded in placing on a mountain beyond the Koura, and to which +the people daily bowed at sunrise, climbing up to the roofs of their +houses and turning their faces towards the sun. In its place she +erected a cross on a hill near Mtzkhet, beyond the river Aragva. But +as this cross was roughly made, the people kept away from it until +the Lord had glorified it. While expecting the arrival of priests, +the Saint and her followers preached the word of God day and night, +untiringly preparing the nation before being baptized, and they went +from Klardjet to the land of the Alanes and from the Caspian gates +to the land of the Massajettians, while the remaining pupils of the +Saint spread all over Georgia. + +The Tsar had already become an active and energetic Christian before +the return of the ambassadors. He said to the Saint: "I am burning +to construct a house of God, let us now choose the site!" + +"Let thy mtavares (provincial governors) solve that question and have +it arranged so that thou and the nation will draw the utmost profit +out of it," replied Saint Nina. + +"No!" said the King, "I love thy rose bush and wish to sacrifice +everything in order to erect a temple on that spot. I shall have +my vineyards, great cedars, fruit trees, and fragrant flowers cut +down. Dost thou not remember how in thy vision the black birds became +so white that it was blinding, and having perched themselves on the +vineyard trees, filled the air with heavenly songs? Now we will turn +this visible vineyard into an invisible one, giving us eternal life, +and let us build in it a house of worship and prayer before the +arrival of the Greek priests!" + +Immediately they began to get the materials together. For the church +seven pillars were necessary. Thereupon a great cedar was cut down +which furnished six pillars, while the seventh was made out of a +large pine. When the wooden walls had been erected they fixed the +six pillars, each one in a place specially prepared for it, while +the seventh, which was unusually large and was meant for the cupola, +they could by no means lift from the ground. They hastened to report +this to the Tsar, who ordered all the people to make for the building, +and he himself went there too. In this affair all then known means of +raising weights were used, but neither the numberless arms, nor any +possible art could succeed in obtaining the desired result. And Tsar +and people asked each other with the greatest surprise: "What can this +mean?" And having labored till night they went back to their houses +in great sorrow. Saint Nina, however, with twelve of her followers, +remained by the pillar, washing it with her tears and praying and +groaning. About midnight a terrifying vision began; we saw how the +mountains of Armaz and Zaden were trembling as though somebody were +shaking them in order to block up the course of both rivers. Mtkouar +returned and inundated the town, by reason of which the air was filled +with cries, lamentations and groaning, while the Aragva flowed towards +the fortress and its waves dashing against the fortress walls, made +such a fearful noise that we ran away in terror, but the Saint shouted: + +"Do not be afraid, sisters, the mountains still stand in their places +and the rivers have not altered their course, and the nation quietly +sleeps. Although that which you beheld did not happen in reality, +yet this was not a mere dream, for the mountains of unbelief were +thoroughly shaken up in Georgia, for the rivers of innocent children's +blood, which flowed in honor of the idols, dried up, for legions of +demons, chased out of this region by the mightiness of the Cross are +pitifully combatting, seeing how their waves of wrath cannot carry +out anything nor harm the fortress of Christ's faith. Come back and +let us pray!" + +Then all these sounds quieted down and everywhere one could distinguish +silence once more. The Saint stood up with raised hands and prayed that +what had been begun by the Tsar should not be destroyed. But before +dawn the vision repeated itself, and this time more terrifying than +ever: it seemed as though an immense and terrible army had attacked +the city from three different sides. + +Having forced the gates open it completely filled the +streets. Everywhere a fearful emotion had spread, shrieking and +murdering took place. Pools of blood flowed at every corner. In some +places the people threw themselves upon the enemy with arms in their +hands; some of them from terror and confusion turned against their +own countrymen. Here one was killing the other--there a second one was +expiring, a third one's heart was perfectly broken by the lamentations +of his family. Suddenly a loud, loud voice was heard: + +"The Persian Tsar Kkhouara! The king of kings Kkhouaran Kkhouara has +ordered that the sharpness of the sword should spare the Jews!" Only +upon hearing this cry did I begin to come back to my senses, but +just like ten of my companions, I could not exactly remember how +affairs stood. We were still imagining warriors turning around us +with swords in their hands, who knocked down and killed everybody +and everything. And once more a cry was heard: "Tsar Mirian is taken!" + +Then the brave worker of Christ's vineyard said: "I know that he +who is shouting is in great distress. Give thanks unto God, for the +enemy is overcome and Georgia saved, and this very place too!" She +cheered us up like an experienced doctor, like a sincere teacher, +like a great apostle! Afterwards fearlessly throwing herself upon +this regiment of robbers and destroyers, she angrily asked them: + +"Where then is the Persian King Kkhoua and Kkhouaran-Kkhonafa? Only +yesterday you left the land of Sab and hurried hither with a terrible +and most numerous army in order to destroy the city and exterminate +the inhabitants. Ye Northern and Western winds, chase them away into +the dark mountains and bottomless precipices, for He arrived before +whom you turn to flight!" + +With these words she raised her hand and made the sign of the cross. + +Instantly all fell to pieces and were swept off, great silence set in +and we all began to congratulate her upon the glorious victory and +thank God for the happy and favorable end of such a terrible vision +and for His revealing to the Saint through this event the future +flourishing state of the country. When, however, it began to grow +light, the other women fell asleep, while I, Sidonia, could see how +the Saint continued praying, raising her hands to Heaven. Suddenly +there stood before her a youth, shining with indescribable brightness, +dressed in a fiery-blazing garment and said three words to her, from +which the Saint fell down with her face on the ground. The youth +stretched out his hands towards the pillar, raised it and put it in +the right place. In my astonishment I approached and asked: "Why, +mistress, what is this?" + +"Bow down thy head!" she replied, and wept from fear. A little later +she rose, ordered me to get up too, and we left this place together. + +In the meantime our sisters had waked up and actually saw that the +pillar, which had seemed to them enveloped in flames, was coming down +from Heaven and was approaching its destination. When it was within +twenty loktays of the ground it stopped. Hardly had daylight appeared +when the Tsar, tortured with impatience and anxiety, hastened to the +building which he was burning to see finished. From a distance it +seemed to him that the strokes of lightning were rising to Heaven. He +hurried on. In the end, unable to conquer his curiosity, he actually +ran. His whole suite and innumerable hordes of people rushed after +him, doing their best to speedily reach and help to put out the fire +in the burning edifice, and lo! a wonderful spectacle now presented +itself to the eyes of all present. + +The extraordinary illumination was not caused by a fire as supposed: +it came from the pillar, blazing with light. Softly did it come down +from Heaven, supported by the arms of two angels, placed itself in the +right spot, and was firmly fixed without the help of human hands. O, +how great was the general delight! Happiness and emotion spread all +over Mtzkhet. + +The Tsar, Tsaritsa, dignitaries, and people without distinction of +rank or class, shed tears of emotion, all glorified God and praised +Saint Nina, for great wonders were accomplished on that day. In the +first place a blind-born Hebrew, who approached the pillar, which +had been placed by God, began to see. Secondly, the sepetsouli (i.e., +page) Kha Mazaepouki had been entirely paralyzed for eight years. His +mother took him in his bed and had it carried to the shining pillar, +afterwards turning to Saint Nina, she said in an imploring voice: +"Look, O mistress, at my dying baby, I know that He about whom thou +dost preach is the God of gods!" + +Then the Saint moved up to the pillar and having put her hand on the +boy, said to him: "Thou dost believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God, +who hath come to save the world? Be healthy and from this very day +on glorify God, who hath cured thee!" And the boy got up in perfect +health, and Tsar and nation were seized with fear. All the sick +hastened to the spot and were healed, but as many could not stand +the wonderful light coming out of the pillar, the Tsar ordered to +have it covered with wood, which, nevertheless, of course did not +prevent the people from approaching the pillar and getting cured. + +The work of completing the church was immediately taken in hand, +and it was arranged so that the pillar should be left in its above +mentioned place. In the meantime the ambassadors of Tsar Mirian had +already related to the Emperor Constantine and the Empress Helen, his +mother, about the conversion of their sovereign to the faith of the +true God, and this filled their hearts with joy, for Mirian offered +them his friendship and help in conquering and destroying the Persians. + +They hastened to send Bishop John (upon the advice given by +the Antiochian patriarch Evstafii) and with him two priests and +three deacons. Upon this occasion Constantine wrote a letter of +congratulation to Mirian, filled with blessings and expressions of +thankfulness to God, and sent him some gorgeous presents, but above +all an invaluable gift--namely: the image of Rouiz with five hundred +pieces of holy relics. The Empress Helen also wrote a letter in which +she highly praised the resolution of Mirian and encouraged him. The +arrival of the bishop, priests, and deacons at Mtzkhet was a day of +general feasting, for Tsar as well as people were equally thirsting +to be baptized. + +Immediately a proclamation was sent to all the kristavs, military +commanders, and dignitaries of the monarchy to gather around the Tsar, +and all started for Mtzkhet. Thereupon began the general baptizing: +Saint Nina baptized the Tsar and the priests the Tsaritsa and princes. + +Bishop John on the other hand blessed the Mtkouar, and together +with the deacons having found a place near the bridge Mogoutka, +opposite the house of the priest Elios, he baptized in these waters +all dignitaries and courtiers; that is the reason why this spot is +called Mtkavartka-Sanatklavi, i.e., "the place where the Mtkavares +were baptized." + +Farther down the river, both priests, the deacon and the bishop, +after having baptized the nobility and dignitaries, baptized the +people, who hurried towards them as much as possible--begging to +quickly receive the great favor. Just so the prophecies of St. Nina, +who was constantly and uninterruptedly repeating to them that he who +does not let himself be baptized, would never behold the real light, +awakening in them the greatest enthusiasm. Thus nearly all Georgians +and fifty Hebrew families from the house of Varrava were christened. + +To the Hebrew-Christians the Tsar granted the suburb of Tsikhe +Dide. This was in the year 327. + +Alone the mountain inhabitants and Mirian's brother-in-law, Pkeros, +who had received the province of Ran as a dowry from his bride, +beginning from Bard, did not pay attention to the Tsar's summons and +remained heathens, having respectfully remarked to the Tsar that his +power over them could not be extended to their form of religion. When, +through His great mercifulness, the Lord deigned to show to the holy +Tsaritsa His living cross, Tsar Mirian hastened to send to the Emperor +Constantine the Bishop John, asking him for a piece of the wood of +the holy living cross. To this request he joined the wish to have +many priests, in order to send them out not only into all provinces, +but also to each single city of his government to educate, enlighten, +and baptize the people all over Georgia. + +At that time an invitation was also sent to architects, for it took a +great many to erect and establish churches throughout the kingdom. The +Emperor received the ambassador with great rejoicing and handed him +the pieces of the holy living wood on which had lain the holiest legs +of the Saviour of the world, and two nails from the Lord's hands. The +pieces of the holy living wood are called Nerkveli in Georgian. Emperor +Constantine handed great riches to Bishop John, ordering him to erect +a church with this money in the newly converted country, but to divide +up the remaining treasures among the other Georgian churches. He also +sent with him many priests and architects and having flattered and +complimented the envoy and bishop, allowed them to start for home. + +Having reached the province of Eroushatk, they left there one architect +and a priest, ordering them to establish and erect a church, and giving +them the necessary sum for that undertaking. The priest besides was +given charge of the most holy nails, which were to be kept in this +temple. When they again arrived at Mangliss, they did the same thing, +leaving the holy Nerkvelis, and then soon reached Mtzkhet. But Mirian, +who had been awaiting their arrival with such impatience, was deeply +grieved by the fact that they had been staying out longer on the +way than he had expected them to do, and besides--had left in the +provinces both invaluable holy relics; but Saint Nina comforted him +by the following words: "Quiet down, O Tsar! It was necessary that +everywhere on their route they should proclaim and firmly establish +the name of the Lord--while thou in the grand capital art in possession +of quite as great a treasure, viz., the robe of the Lord!" + +Then the Tsar sent for Abiatkar, and with him came quite a large number +of Jews. When, however, he asked them questions about the robe they +related how it was under the wonder-working pillar and added to this +the whole report of Sidonia, which we have already told. + +"Blessed be Thou, O Lord Jesus Christ, son of the living +God!" exclaimed the Tsar, raising his hands toward Heaven, "merciful +and charitable in saving us from the devil and the land of darkness +and having built this church, nay, having brought Thy robe hither +from the most holy city of Jerusalem to spare it from the hands of the +Jews, who hath not acknowledged Thee and to hand it over to our care, +to a foreign and strange nation, honoring and fearing Thee with all +their heart!" + +Immediately the church was begun, first commencing with the +court. "Let the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed," said +then Saint Nina, "and of God the Father, who hath sent His son, who +leaving the all-shining heavenly regions, came down to earth, was +without doubt born of the seed of David, of the branch of Joachim, +of the most holy and most pure Virgin and her thou didst make the +cause of our salvation, earthly enlightenment and glory of Thy people +O Israel! Of her was born the God man, the light of all believing, +the image of God, baptized with water and with the Holy Ghost, was +crucified and interred, rose on the third day--going up to His Father, +whither he comes with glory, for He is worthy of all glory, honor, +and adoration, together with the Father and the Holy Ghost now, +henceforth and evermore! Amen." + +When all were really and successfully baptized, the royal son Revv +reminded them about the famous tree, which grew in the court and had a +marvellous power to heal even the most desperate mortal wounds. It was +noticed more than once that even the snakes, when wounded by mortal +shots, if they ate the leaves of this tree or the buds falling from +it, immediately were healed. + +Having found out about this, Bishop John said: "This land was really +and truly destined by God to have the holy faith introduced in it, and +by His godly attention this marvellous tree grew up and was preserved +to our days. Now, however, when the might of Christ had been spread +all over Georgia, it does seem advisable to make a cross out of it, +which will be an object of veneration for the whole country!" + +And so, on Friday the twenty-fifth of March, three hundred and +thirty A. D., the Tsarevitch Revv, together with the bishop and +masses of people, set forth to cut down the tree, the branches of +which, notwithstanding that it was in the winter season, were quite +green. This tree was so beautiful that having cut it only slightly, +one hundred men took it up in their arms together with its branches +and leaves and carried it into the town, where they placed it near +the church. + +To the general astonishment it really kept its freshness and beauty +during thirty-seven days, as though it had been replanted with a root +or been constantly refreshed by living water. When, however, all the +bushes were covered with leaves and the fruit trees with flowers, on +the first of May, a Saturday, Tsar and people entered the church and +with ardor and joyfulness made crosses out of it. The following day at +sunrise a cross of stars descended from Heaven, and having let itself +down to the church, seemed to have turned itself into a crown of stars +which remained visible to the whole nation until sunset. Then two stars +started forth from it: one flew towards the East and the other towards +the West, while the cross, keeping its heavenly glitter and beauty, +quietly directed itself to the spring which had been created by the +tears of Saint Nina, and having gone up by the river Aragva to a stony +plateau, rose to Heaven. As this vision repeated itself daily and was +seen by all the people, the Tsar asked the Saint to explain its reason. + +"Send thou," she said, "into the highest mountains in the East and +West, to follow up and watch the direction which the stars take and, +there where they stop we shall each time erect a cross to glorify +our Lord Jesus Christ!" + +The Tsar lost no time in ordering guards placed on the summits of the +mountains. This was on Friday, and Saturday, according to custom, at +sunrise the wonder again repeated itself. The next day arrived the men +who had been keeping guard on the Kvobtka-Tkavv, and said to the Tsar: + +"The star stopped just above the mountain Tkkot and then went down +into the Caspian Sea and disappeared." But others who had also kept +guard on the Keretk, said: + +"We beheld a star which came straight to us and stopped in the village +of Bode." Thereupon Saint Nina said: + +"Take both these crosses and establish one on the mountain Tkkot as God +hath instructed ye, while the other ye shall give to the servant of +God--Salome, who will plant it in the town of Oudjarmo, because Bode +or Bondi is a simple hamlet with few inhabitants and thus should not +be put on a footing with a capital, which has a large population, and +so Bondi, too, will soon see that it is a place pleasing to God." The +words of the Saint were most punctually and correctly carried out on +the seventh of May. + +In consequence of the marvellous heavenly apparition, a third cross, +taken up by men and preceded by Saint Nina, was solemnly carried to +the foot of the stony plateau. + +There the Saint, the King, and the people passed a whole night praying +at the spring which had been created by the tears of Saint Nina. At +that spot many wonders and cases of healing took place too. The day +following they ascended the mountain to the top of the rocky plateau +(now known by the designation Djouar), the Saint gave the example and +after her Tsar and people, rich and poor, the prominent and religious +fell down with their face resting on the ground and prayed to God +with many tears and great lamentations, so that the mountains were +filled with the sounds of crowds praying. Then the Saint, having put +her hand upon the stone, said to the bishop: + +"Come thou and make the sign of the cross on this stone." + +As soon as the Saint's command had been executed, the holy cross +was well fastened to a rock by the hands of the Tsar and his +family. Innumerable crowds of people bowed down before the cross, +praising and blessing the Son of God and believing with all their +hearts and souls in Him and in the Holy Trinity. Even the most +distinguished Mtavares did not leave the holy church, the fiery +pillar and the holy cross, and were witnesses of the perfectly unusual +wonders and most marvellous cures. + +The Sunday of the Easter Full-moon was chosen by Mirian for celebrating +the holy cross, and this custom was observed all over Georgia up to +the governor-generalship of Yermolow. + +On the first Wednesday after the fete of the Holy Trinity, a new +wonder occurred. A fiery cross showed itself above the cross on Mount +Djuarr, while above it there seemed to be a crown, consisting of twelve +stars. Besides, the mountain gave out an indescribable fragrance. This +vision was seen by everybody, and many of the unbelieving were +baptized on that memorable day, while the faith of the Christians +was very much strengthened, and they loudly glorified God. At the +cross still another wonder took place. A light seven times brighter +than the sun was lowered from Heaven unto the cross and angels went +up and down this apparently fiery road--as the sparks fly from the +bursting crater. Even the very mountain was shaken as though a strong +earthquake were taking place during the wonderful apparition. + +This wonder called forth general surprise, and all those present +praised God more and more, and as such wonders repeated themselves +daily before the eyes of the whole nation, people from every town and +village of the kingdom streamed in to bow to the cross. At that time +the Tsarevitch, a grandson of Mirian and the only son of the crown +prince Revv, was taken with a hopeless illness, but his father placed +him in front of the cross and with tears in his eyes, said: + +"If thou, O holy cross, wilt heal my son, I will erect a shrine +for thee!" + +And the child came back to life and was taken home by his +father--restored to perfect health. The Tsarevitch immediately returned +with the greatest joy in order to thank God and begin to carry out +his solemn promise. Soon a marble chapel was built, into which Revv +daily came to give thanks unto God, and used to bring rich gifts. Ever +since that moment a still greater number of the weak and sick were +attracted by the holy cross, and having been cured, they joyfully +glorified our Lord Jesus Christ and the strength of His honorable +cross. A blind youth who had fasted for fully seven days and had been +praying as long before the cross, got back his sight and glorified God. + +A woman who had the misfortune of having the devil in her for eight +whole years, was deprived of the power of reasoning and here tore +her clothes to pieces and became idiotic--there became greatly +weakened. For twelve days they held her in front of the cross; in +the end the Lord healed her and she returned home, healthy in body +and soul, lauding God and honoring His holy cross. It happened that a +little baby fell from a certain height and was instantly killed. His +mother put the breathless corpse near the foot of the cross and from +morning till evening unceasingly prayed with tears constantly in +her eyes. + +"Woman!" they said to her, "take him away and bury him, for he is dead, +and thy prayers will be of no use!" + +But she continued praying and loudly lamenting without giving up hope +throughout the night, the next day and a third day, and lo! to the +seventh day. + +On this seventh day, however, in the evening, the baby came back to +life and was carried off living and healthy by his mother, who did +not cease to praise and thank God. Such great wonders persuaded many +fruitless husbands to resort to the strength of the holy cross, and +having begged with real faith, they became the fathers of numerous +families and daily came to adore the cross and bring gorgeous +presents. Not only the sick who personally came to pray at the foot +of the cross were successfully cured, but also the warriors combatting +far, far away from Djouar, if they only implored the help of the cross, +became able to defeat their enemies and unharmed returned to Mtzkhet +to justly glorify God. Many infidels, when in great need, addressed +the cross with prayers and receiving salvation from destruction, +hastened to Djouar to give thanks unto God and be baptized. Besides +these already mentioned, masses of other suffering people were healed +and the unhappy comforted by invoking the holy cross, created by +the almightiness of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, and +to them is due all glory, honor, and veneration, now, henceforth, +and evermore. Amen. + +At that time Saint Nina, the Tsar, and the nation received a message +from the patriarch from Rome. Just then, too, arrived a deacon from +the land of the Brandjees in order to congratulate Saint Nina and +ask her to pray for them. He also brought a letter from his Tsar to +Saint Nina, whose father had baptized all Brandjees. At Jerusalem +and Constantinople a report was spread that the sun of truth was now +shining in Georgia and Jee--from all possible regions they sent letters +asking to give precise details of the wonders which had happened +at the pillar and the rose bush and of the extraordinary cases of +cures. Having carefully inquired about all this, the brandja-deacon +glorified God and went home with numerous letters containing the longed +for statements. Then the Tsar spoke thus to the Saint and the bishop: + +"It is my wish with the power of the sword to force the mountain +inhabitants as well as my brother-in-law Pkheros to serve the Son of +God and to oblige them to venerate and respect the honest cross!" + +"God doth not order thee to convert them with the sword!" was their +unanimous answer. It is thy duty to convert them after having pointed +out to them with the help of the New Testament and the cross--the road +of truth leading to life eternal and how to be thankful to the Lord, +who lightens up the terrible darkness of their souls. + +Saint Nina, together with the bishop, left for the mountain regions, +and the Tsar ordered the kristav (most likely district governor) +to accompany them. Upon arriving at Tsorbanne, they called together +the mountaineers, inspected Dsrbin, Tchartal, Tkkhela, Tsilkammy, and +Gorangor. They assembled the Tchartalians, who were almost like wild +beasts, the Fkholians, the Gondamakavians, and to all these tribes +they preached about the holy cross of Christ. But they did not want +to listen, and so the royal kristav drew his sword and destroyed +their idols and subjected them. + +From there they went into Yaletia (the present Mtaletka) and taught +the nations of Tionet and Ertso (in Armenian Erdzoitk), who received +them well and were baptized, but the Fkholis (nowadays the Pchaves), +settled over to Doushet. The remaining mountain inhabitants also +refused to become Christians, for which the Tsar doubled their taxes +and thus forced them to emigrate. It is true later on, Saint Avive, +bishop of Nekretsa, converted several of them to Christianity, while +the rest are even to this day infidels. Saint Nina started for Ranne +in order to enlighten Pkeros, but as she approached Kouket and reached +Bondi, she was obliged to make a longer stop. Kakhetians streamed +there in great number, questioned her and many became persuaded in the +correctness and truthfulness of her teachings. At Bondi, however, she +fell ill. Hardly had the news of this deplorable event reached Revv and +Salome, who lived at Oudjarmo, when they hastened to the Saint and also +informed the Tsar and Tsaritsa. The sovereign gave orders that Bishop +John should bring over the Saint, but she really preferred to remain +where she was, and so the Tsar set out for Bondi with a numerous suite. + +The whole nation rushed to the invalid, whose glance was illuminated +with true heavenly brilliancy. With love and veneration did the true +believers cut off little bits of pieces from her garment and covered +their souvenir with kisses. The Tsaritsa and the princesses crowded +around her, showering blessings upon her, and with tears and sorrow +they looked forward to their separation from their teacher, protector, +and healer. The Princess Salome, Kherosh Avrizounelle (in Armenian +Perojavr Sounetsi), the kristaves and mtavares began to implore the +Saint to relate her life to them, saying: + +"Who art thou? How didst thou come into our kingdom to save us? Who +was thy instructor? O mistress, do let us know the history of thy +life! Why shouldst thou speak of captivity--O thou happy, happy +Tsaritsa, who hast delivered us from the burdens of captivity? For +through thee we found out that the Son of God had been predicted +by prophets, that after Him the work of spreading the new faith was +carried out by twelve apostles, and as many as seventy-two pupils. But +of all this immense number, thou alone wert given and sent unto us +by God. Why in the world dost thou then call thyself a prisoner and +foreigner?" Then the Saint continued: + +"Children of the Faith, Tsaritsa and princesses--all ye who are +surrounding me, I now see that you may be compared with the ancient +women in their faith and love to Christ. You desire to know the +biography of His insignificant servant. I consent, for I feel that my +end is approaching and I shall sleep the eternal sleep in which she +who gave birth to me is already resting. Take ye then the inkstand and +write up the history of my life, so that your children shall discover +how great your faith in God was, how constant and unchangeable your +love to me and what wonders you were allowed to be witnesses of." + +Then the Princess Salomee and Kherosh Avrizounelle began to record +the events, while the Saint related to them all that we have here +undertaken to describe. She advised the Tsar to replace Bishop John by +the priest Jacob when the time should come. John held a final mass, +and Nina received from his hands the Holy Communion, after which she +gave up her most righteous soul to the Lord of Heaven and earth, +in the fifteenth year after her arrival in Georgia, in the year +of our Lord three hundred and thirty-nine. Her death caused great +sorrow and mourning in Mtzkhet and Oudjarmo. They buried her at Bondi +(the present Sidjack) in accordance with the sworn oath which she had +received from the Tsar. As this was at that period a little known and +unimportant village, the Saint had evidently chosen it from extreme +humility. The Tsar and his noblemen were deeply grieved by this choice, +but of course did not venture to oppose her last will. + + + + + + + +V. THE DIAMOND + +A LEGEND + + +At the time of Tsar Artchill the First, who was married to Marion, +the daughter of the Greek Emperor Julian (363 A. D.), many Greeks +settled over into Georgia, among them the painter Martin. To his +care the inner ornamentation of the church of Stephan Tsminda (i.e., +of Saint Stephen) was left. This great house of worship had been +planned and constructed at Mtzkhet by the all honorable Artchill, +near the gates of the Aragva, near the towers and bastions erected +in its neighborhood for national defence. Martin was a perfectly +honorable and reliable man and very clever and gifted in the execution +of his orders. The paints which were at his disposal assumed such a +marvellous, nay overwhelming resemblance with reality, that several +of the saints represented by them appeared as though they were alive, +and astounded faithful and esteemed believers many hundred years after +his death. On one of the walls he had undertaken to reproduce the +apparition of the most Holy Virgin to Saint Nina. The latter was seen +down on her knees stretching out her arms and receiving a holy cross +made of fine vineyard branches. The fear, happiness, love to God and +perfectly boundless submission to His holy will were expressed not +only in the character features of the Saint, but in every movement, +nay, in every fold of her garment. The union of all these various +thoughts was above picturesque sciences and naturally called forth +the amply justified astonishment of the contemporaries of Martin and +of the very latest visitors to the temple. Yes, indeed, the Greek +Martin was a great, great artist. And therefore he loved his art so +much that it seemed dearer to him than all the world put together, +with the exception of his daughter Poullkheria. + +At the period when our tale begins, the portrait of Saint Nina was +already carefully finished off, and the artist was applying himself +over the figure of the most Holy Virgin. As humble as he was clever +and ingenious, he alone, it appeared, did not notice the beauty of +his productions, and while just then all those standing about were +filled with amazement and extreme delight, he sighed while comparing +his master works with those shining, marvellous, indescribable, and +exceptionally extraordinary pictures which his poetic imagination +seemed to behold moving as it were in the air, and which were so +dear to his elevated soul. How in the world should he represent the +features of the most Holy Virgin? + +That was a question which tortured him day and night. Every time +he reflected about them he thought he could see the sweet, short, +dear face of his daughter, and with terror in his heart he attempted +to drive away this imaginary apparition. It seemed to him like some +wicked, harsh, impossible insult. Again he did his best to find a +proper type which would have nothing earthly about it, and once more +that same loving and beloved little face of Poullkheria presented +itself to him. At last in perfect despair he went to the Katholikoss +(this fully corresponds to the rank of a patriarch), John the Second, +imploring counsel and prayer. One day and two nights they fervently +prayed together near the holy djouar (thus was named the place near the +fountain of tears of Saint Nina, not far from the cross erected in that +very vicinity; djouar in reality means cross). On the second morning +the Katholikoss ordered the painter to immediately return to his home. + +"Lay thyself down at the feet of our great converter," said he, +"and go to sleep, for I do heartily believe that in a dream thou art +destined to see namely those features in which the most Holy Virgin +must be represented!" + +Martin went to the place appointed, fulfilled the command of John, +and a third time saw the features of Poullkheria; she appeared to +him with some especially magnificent heavenly radiance. + +"But how shall I reproduce this astonishing light?" murmured the +painter, and began to strictly observe the fasts and pray like the +ancient prophets and other true servants of the Lord. For a whole week +he constantly went through all the different religious services and +ate nothing, nor did he drink anything. On Saturday, after partaking +Communion, he took a meal and lay down with the intention of sleeping +under the portrait. + +In the dream he beheld already the heavenly Tsaritsa, viz., just as +it was customary and necessary to reproduce her. Hastily he jumped +up and drew out on the wall with charcoal the all glorious and all +impressive picture. This was the very first representation of the kind, +and it completely satisfied and pleased the artist himself! The worry +which had long been weighing down on him was changed into inexpressible +happiness and good fortune, and he hurried to the holy djouar (cross) +where with tears he thanked and sang praises unto God. The following +day just at sunrise Martin rose, awoke Poullkheria and led her off +with him. Hardly had he arranged her as was his desire, when an +unknown youth came up to them. + +"Old man!" he said, respectfully bowing, "I also want to work on +the image of the Heavenly Queen, instruct me how it is necessary +to dispose of thy colors." With great incredulity Martin stared at +him. The gorgeous garment, the graceful movements showed plainly +that he was a man not accustomed to hard labors. "It is not at all +easy to teach how to apply the colors," he answered. "Take off thy +expensive and most elegant robe and thy delicate hands will not +stand difficult, exhausting work." The youth nevertheless insisted, +and Martin having rapidly explained to him what to do, began the work +and soon forgot him and Poullkheria and all creation, and was utterly +absorbed in his magnificent inner world. In the meantime Poullkheria +followed the newcomer. He was a tall, well-built, handsome youth, +broad-shouldered with a slender waist, which was pinched in by a +fine gold belt with decorations of highly precious stones, and how +these various-colored stones played and shone and reflected! when +he had placed it on a huge marble piece and he easily and quickly +arranged on it a heavy stone, which her father moved from place to +place--very slowly and only gradually. The youth did not pay the +very least attention to her--he was evidently worried and pulled +down by some outside event. Deep sighs from time to time came out +of his breast, and in the end Poullkheria remarked that a tear fell +unto the edge of the marble slab. It now really seemed as though he +as well as Martin had wandered off into some unknown world and had +forgotten everything earthly. Martin painted without interruption for +seven hours; and in a like manner, without taking any rest, worked +the sweet newcomer. Glancing at their indefatigable application, +Poullkheria became frightened and feared that her posing might never +come to an end, and so began to weep most bitterly. The features of +her face suddenly assumed another look and thus her father began to +be thoughtful and remember all that had taken place. + +"Enough, my poor darling child!" he said with delicacy, and addressed +the youth. Immense spots of paint and butter were now to be seen +on various parts of his costly attire, his hair was indeed in the +greatest disorder and his face red from exhaustion. Martin really +did not know how he should thank and reward him. + +"Tell me at least thy name, thou good youth!" he said, turning to +the boy. + +"Mirdat." + +"Why--is it possible?" + +"Be silent!" interrupted the youth and went out, but Martin looked +after him with inexpressible astonishment. Only in this moment did +he recognize in him the Tsarevitch-successor, the great and famous +victories of whom the whole East was talking. Yesterday only he had +returned from a victorious expedition to Rome, and they were convinced +that he would soon start out again. How was it possible that during +these very few days of rest he wished to take upon himself such a +tiresome and dry work? Afterwards he thoroughly inspected what he +had achieved and was perfectly overcome by the number and variety of +colors and shades arranged and used by him. + +"If he accomplishes his new war as rapidly as the first, I shall have +enough colors left up to the time of his return," reflected Martin, +and gayly and joyfully went home with his dear little daughter, +who all along the route questioned him about Mirdat. Having dined in +haste and slept a little, Martin once more continued his labors and +was steadily busy until sunset. + +Thus the undertaking went on day after day with the difference only +that Mirdat no more appeared. It seems that he had left for Movakanne +and soon after had pacified it for his father. It is not useless to +relate what happened to Mirdat upon his first expedition. + +The provinces of Ranna, Movakanne and Aderbadaganne since the most +remote times belonged to Georgia, and only during the reign of Tsar +Mirdat the Fourth, grandfather of our hero, they came under the control +of the Persians. Satrappe Barzabode administrated them. Having taken +Ranna, the Tsarevitch-successor Mirdat wished to call out Barzabode in +a duel. Barzabode took up his quarters in an abandoned tower beyond +the city, but Mirdat surrounded it from evening on--supposing that +during the night it would be impossible for him to slip out and escape, +and so he resolved to give rest to his exhausted and wornout warriors +till morning. In the night he made an inspection tour of his brave +camp, and passing quite close to the tower on the grassy slopes, +he overheard a sweet conversation. He stood still and paid close +attention. The sweet voice, hardly hearable, pronounced the word: +"Batono!" ("Sir.") + +He raised his head and almost fainted from extreme astonishment and +delight: on the roof there stood a girl of indescribable beauty. The +moon was shining on her and gave her long, regular features some secret +mysteriousness and unusual charm. And suddenly her coral mouth opened, +and from it poured out a low, inspiring and enchanting speech. She +implored the young military commander to save her from the clutches +of her very old father. + +"Who and what can dare to oppose itself to thee? Thou dost conquer +towns and provinces. Thy powerful army defeats and submits even hero +princes. Whomsoever or whatsoever thou mayest look at in this world, +thou canst always consider it thine own, for it doth not come within +thy reach only when thou dost not wish it so. Thou hast wonderful +beauty, common sense, mind, strength, and bravery, while I never +had anything except a dear father. He prided himself in his warlike +glory--thou didst darken it! He had won for himself the entire +confidence of the Shah, thou didst destroy it. He boasted about the +invincibility of his warriors, while thou didst conquer and baffle +them. Thou above all didst have my way of looking at things and my +imagination. Thy all powerful type did victoriously enter my soul +and doth drive out from it the poor, terribly degraded character of +my old father!" + +And at these solemn words the beauty fell down on her knees. "O do +not tear him away from me!" she murmured, reproachingly, stretching +out her arms towards him. + +"There will be no duel!" unexpectedly said Mirdat; he turned around +and quickly went to his tent. This young lady was the daughter of +Barzabode, Sagdoukta. From that moment onwards Mirdat loved her with +all the mightiness and emotion of his hero-prince's heart, and there +was deep, deep grief and depression in his soul. Was it possible to +suppose that the Tsar would permit him to marry the daughter of that +satrame, to whose care certain provinces had been intrusted and who +of late had been deprived of the right of administrating them? + +Having reflected a little he made up his mind to leave a comparatively +small number of warriors in the places which he had but just +successfully conquered, while with the remaining soldiers he returned +to his father in order to ask for fresh instructions. Everywhere they +met and received the young conqueror with great ceremony and delight; +radiant faces were surrounding him, the joyful cries of the people +filled his ears, while in his heart it was all dark and heavy. With +unbelievable effort he finally forced himself to answer the general +and most hearty greetings constantly showered on him with a caressing +smile, and on the following day, when he safely reached his beloved +home, he immediately went to continue and work for the glorification +of the most Holy Virgin, invoking her assistance and protection. The +same was his object when he reached his native town after his second +great victorious campaign in Movakanne. But this time Martin, who +had already succeeded in finishing the expression of the face of the +Heavenly Queen and having spent some time in reproducing her garment, +now took the matter more easily, and indeed, frequently watched and +glanced at his busy assistant. Having noticed the running tears of +his daughter, he let Poullkheria go home, and turning to him, asked +him what might be the cause of his great sorrow. + +"Thou hast helped me so much," said Martin, "that I should really +like to render thee some good service, good youth; perhaps my old age +makes me fit and enables me to give thee some highly useful counsel." + +"Thy grey hair testifies that already long, long ago the time went by +when thou wert excited and moved by those thoughts and plans which +called forth my tears. Nobody except the most Holy Virgin is strong +enough to make my terrible grief go by, viz., because I love with +all my heart a splendid girl to whom the sovereign will never give +me his consent to be married." + +Saying these words Mirdat went, with a painful expression on his +face, but Martin understood this most simple clear explanation quite +differently, and through this mistake he let his most honest and +loyal soul almost perish. This soul was perfectly clean, enlightened, +free of sin, and shining like the most costly diamond. + +And so once upon a time, during a dream, some heavenly angels cut +out the soul and brought it to the Lord. "O, Vladyka!" they said, +"look thou at this brilliant diamond--this is the soul of the Greek +man Martin, who hath given up his whole life to the glorification of +Thy name. There is not one vice which can possibly obtain admission +to or seek refuge in it, for it doth entirely belong to Thee! Looking +at it and admiring it, we are frequently thinking that upon the death +of Martin this diamond will be fully worthy of ornamenting Thy holy +throne." + +The sweet, sweet angel voices quieted down, while from the depths of +the earth the devilish laughing and ridiculing were heard. "Why dost +thou so rejoice--miserable Satan?" asked the guarding angel by order +of the Eternal God. + +"Very soon this diamond will be spoiled, darkened, and I shall become +the happy possessor of it!" replied the devil. Thereupon,the good +angels began to bitterly cry, but the Lord comforted them. He gave +commands that the soul should again be placed and fixed in the body +of the sleeping painter, and also informed the angels that in case +Martin should ever happen to listen to and obey the sly devilish +instructions and thus have his soul darkened, that they should +find means to bring it back to God, although it be by the heavy, +nay distressing, road of worldly grief and tears. + +And quickly the angels descended into the church of Stephen Tsminda +(that is of Saint Stephen) and put the blinding diamond back into +the slumbering Martin, but after them Satan came up and began +to persuade the Greek that his daughter had completely won the +heart of the Tsarevitch and that he himself would become a royal +father-in-law. And thus at last vanity stained the diamond with dark +and dirty spots, its shining lightness began to go out more and more, +while the perfectly extraordinary and marvellous beauty seemed to +be covering itself with a dark skin, and Martin daily continued to +give himself up to worthless vain thoughts. And see, the diamond was +decaying and would soon lose all of its unusual qualities. In the +meantime Mirdat conquered and pacified Aderbadaganne. + +"What dost thou wish me to give you as a reward for thy highly +valuable services?" asked the delighted, enthusiastic Artchill. Mirdat +reverently fell down on one knee and kissing the lower end of the royal +garment, asked for permission to be married to the daughter of the +conquered satrappe. The loving father replied with an amused smile: "As +long as thou didst administrate Ranna, Movakanne, and Aderbadaganne, +Sagdoukta seemed to have hold of thy heart, and it seems to me that +the very best way for thee to get out of this dangerous position is +to claim the honor of obtaining her hand!" + +Immediately an embassy was dispatched to Barzabodus, who received +it with indescribable joy and delight. Sagdoukta, supplied with a +most gorgeous trousseau and dowry, was conducted to Mtzkhet where +the marriage ceremony was performed and the innumerable fetes +connected with it continued for many days. The Tsar gave his son +the city of Samshrilde with the province surrounding it. Besides +through her beauty, Sagdoukta distinguished herself still more +by her very remarkable mind and, which was in those times rare, +a general education. + +Mirdat sent for the very wisest and most learned men of his age, living +in Samshvillede and intrusted them with translating into Georgian +the holy New Testament, and thoroughly explaining it to the Tsarevna +Sagdoukta, who already fully believed in our Lord Jesus Christ, and +having gone through and accepted the holy baptism, intended to have +a cathedral of Zion erected at Samshvillede. For the planning of the +inner walls a most precise and talented artist was necessary. + +Mirdat just then remembered his old friend Martin, and sent some +attendants to look for him. But when their point of destination +was reached, he was no longer among the living. He had succeeded +in finishing his work in the church of Stephen-Tsminda at the time +of the last campaign of the Tsarevitch in Aderbadaganne, received a +right royal reward from Artchill, but instead of returning to Greece +as would have seemed natural, he remained at Mtzkhet, hoping to bring +them to a favorable issue. + +He daily went to the merchants of gorgeous weavings, chose the most +precious objects, and composed of them a most valuable and rich +costume for his Poullkheria. + +The very most talented and experienced tailors under his personal +direction were employed in ornamenting with and sewing on these +garments precious stones of one exquisite color, and besides +that jewels. Trying first one thing, then another on his beloved +Poullkheria, for whole hours at a time he watched and interested +himself in her superhuman beauty, and with full confidence displayed +before her the pictures of her future greatness. On hearing all these +compliments and glorious prophecies the shining eyes of Poullkheria lit +up with still greater joyfulness. Her clean heart could not understand +or appreciate the many foolishly vain thoughts and intentions of +her father. She loved Mirdat, indeed, not because he just happened +to be the son of a King, but on account of his bravery, goodness and +perfect honesty. That was why, notwithstanding exceedingly powerful +temptations, the soul of Poullkheria remained as neat, without a sin +and immaculate as when she had not had such notions; but Martin's +soul daily lost its splendor and became covered all over with dark, +dark spots. + +In the end Mtzkhet was bursting with joy, for a report spread from +one quarter to another that Aderbadaganne had been successfully taken +by storm. Triumphant receptions were now universally prepared for the +great victor, and young and old rushed into the street with colored +flags or flower branches in their hands. Poullkheria in her newest +attire, and by her very side Martin, stood on the steps of the church +of Stephen-Tsminda (i.e., of Saint Stephen). + +When the powerful procession came up to them, the Tsarevitch got +off his horse and went into the empty temple. Martin, unnoticed, +followed on after him and clearly beheld how he went straight to +the finished image of the most Holy Virgin and having fallen on his +knees was fervently praying. When, however, the prayer being over, the +Tsarevitch rose, Martin ran up to him and quickly whispered in his ear: + +"This great day the Tsar, my master, will not refuse thee anything." + +But the Tsarevitch, persuaded that he alone was in the church, was +evidently and most visibly struck and moved by this unexpected witness +of his all hearty and sincere prayer. He did not recognize Martin, did +not remember even his words, but hastened with all his might to go out +of the church, while Martin thought that his own affairs were taking +an unusually pleasant turn and greatly rejoiced. A few days went by, +on the large square of the city a glashatai (kind of herald) made his +appearance with a number of trumpeters, and having called together +the people, they formally announced to them the coming marriage of +the Tsarevitch-successor Mirdat to Sagdoukta, the daughter of the +Persian satrappe (probably district governor) Barzabode. + +A slight noise was heard, and a moment thereafter a cry which was +sharp enough to tear one's soul to pieces and which attracted general +attention. On the ground lay Poullkheria, not showing any signs of +life. A thin, pale colored rivulet of young boiling blood was slowly +coming out of her mouth. Kneeling before her was Martin, who, indeed, +was giving himself every possible trouble to stop the abundant flow +of blood. Somebody out of the crowd was desirous of running to help +her, but he looked back with a really terrified glance, and like +a regular madman, having seized her in his vigorous arms, rushed +off with her to Stephen Tsminda. Here he placed her at the foot of +that wonderful picture for the execution of which she had served as +a model and completely lost his senses. And, nay!--he actually saw +how the cupola moved and opened itself, and how two angels gradually +approached Poullkheria. In their hands there was just as grand a kind +of a white transparent, indescribably magnificent garment as the one +which dazzled their eyes. + +Instantly they took off the costly robe and clothed her in the attire +which they had brought along. Poullkheria came back to life and looked +around with the greatest astonishment as the rays of the sun, one after +another, reflected upon the opening of the cupola, and approaching +slowly, the angels came down, who quickly and intelligently drew +out two wings from them, quite as beaming with light as their own, +and made them grow on to Poullkheria, and having manoeuvred with +them several times, the new angel without the least trouble raised +herself from the earth and joyfully did the angels of the Almighty +God sing a marvellously, nay extraordinarily, sweet greeting song to +their dear new companion in arms, inviting her to fly off with them +to the Throne of God. + +The new angel departed from the house of worship with a last, tender +parting glance and having beheld her father, she began to implore the +angels to also take him with them into the World of Life Eternal. The +angelic song now stopped, their faces were darkened with sorrow, +and painfully they announced that willingly they would have prepared +for him at first a more desirable spot in the all glorious and all +wonderful domains of Heaven, but that he threw away his splendid chance +by wicked and useless vanity. The tears ran down in floods from the +eyes of the former Poullkheria, and these tears of hers, as clean +and fresh as the morning dew, dropped down unto the face of him who +had died and brought him again to life and this time to a happier one. + +Martin jumped up, being fully aware of and perfectly ready to +acknowledge his sinfulness. Abundant tears of remorse came out of +his eyes and two more angels appeared on earth. + +They gathered these tears and washed out with them the wicked, sinful +soul of Martin and the dark, dark spots of vanity on this most precious +of diamonds grew quite white. When, however, the diamond again acquired +its former harmless and utterly immaculate look, they radiantly bore +him up to the throne of God, where he is shining and enlightens with +a marvellous talent and adroitness those artists who are working for +the glory of God, but Poullkheria guards their shining, clean souls +from any sinful or irreligious infection. + + + + + + + +VI. HAPPINESS IS WITHIN US + +A LEGEND + + +In the fifth century (458 A. D.) the Ossians stole and led off the +sister of the Georgian Tsar Vachtang the First, known under the name +of Gourgasslan (the lion wolf). The then three-year-old princess +was called Mikrandoukta. When, however, Vachtang had conquered and +pacified the Ossians, killed their commander-in-chief, Great Bagkatar, +and seven of his brothers, and brought the sister safely home, he +also took with him as a captive the very youngest of the Bagkatorian +brothers, Mirian, whom he had left alive upon the repeated prayers +of Mikrandoukta. The boy, who had been a playmate of the Tsarevna, +was appointed page and grew up at the royal court. + +As he grew older his attachment for Mikrandoukta constantly increased, +but he never so much as ventured to reveal to her his thoughts and +feelings, neither by his speech, nor his looks, but used to go to an +out of the way spot of the royal garden and there began to bitterly +cry. Gradually, however, as he became a man, his wooings took a more +refined form and were frequently put down in exquisite verses. A +large number of little pieces of poetry are in circulation among the +people under the name of "Wooing of the Knight," for when he reached +his fourteenth year, the Tsar made him his body-knight. His comrades +were of course jealous of this exceptional distinction and heartily +congratulated him, but he, deeply grieved by the final departure of +the princess, went into his favorite resting place; there a song came +out of his lips, which for whole ages was known and went down from +generation unto generation. + + + THE SONG OF THE BODY-KNIGHT + + (Literal Translation) + + + "Why did they lead me into the high royal palace, + To thee as thy page, + Thy most winning eyes + Did fill my soul with burning fire. + + "Although I descend from a powerful Vladyka + And am now at least the Tsar's favorite knight, + Nevertheless I cannot even testify my love to thee + Nor exchange words with thee through sweet, sweet glances. + + "It is as though a mighty fortress was separating us + So fearfully high and immobile, + And my humble glance does not dare to penetrate + E'en to the grand old royal window. + + "In love, however, I am thy slave, O dear princess, + I am quite able to pick up a quarrel with the king, + For I do pride myself in having just as fiery a soul, + Nay, just as great a heart. + + "Both of us are still in life's early stages + And the same blood runs in our veins, + And if I cannot boast of such great royal fame + I may at least be proud of my strength and powerful determination." + + +And, as though wishing to give his powerful strength a fair trial, +the youth struck out with his fist against the stone and lo! the rock +began to shake and split. When he looked at his fist he noticed that +there was blood on it, and thereupon Mirian was more downcast and +depressed than ever before. + +"What possible use can my hero prince's strength be to me when my +heart is harder than stone?" he exclaimed, and again tears flowed +down his face. + +And so from the mixture of tears with dripping hero-blood, a little +spring formed itself, which flows at the edge of a precipice--then +again it makes its way through high, high stone blocks, like a wild +animal and, having successfully overcome them, it cries and hops +about like a child. Mikrandoukta did not at all share the intense +attachment of Mirian and took no notice of it. Attaining her growth she +married the Shah of Persia. On the day of her departure Mirian came +to his little spring, fixed the sword between two stones and threw +himself against it with such violence that the sharp blade went right +through him. His youthful body slipped into the water, but the burning +blood swelled the little rivulet and gave it a marvellous power of +resistance. To this well known spot from that time onward, all true +lovers streamed in, and if anybody has a really good chance over +the turbulent, fairy-like stream, he will take to writing excellent +verses and his love will be crowned with the most complete success; +if, however, he expects and awaits inspiration, he must certainly +give up all hope forever and his passion will, alas! slow down and +come to nothing. + +The first man who experienced these strange feelings and went through +the whole thing was the negro Nebrotk. He fell deeply in love with +his mistress, and even went so far as to venture to open his secret +to her. The incensed and very frightened mistress immediately ordered +that he should be drowned. They threw the unhappy "darky" in the +stream of tears of the stremiannoy (body-knight) and went off; he at +first lost consciousness, but later came back to his senses and came +out on the opposite bank, completely cured of his useless passion. As +he still felt uneasy and could not think of daring to return to his +mistress, he built a little log house for himself on the bank of +that ghastly precipice near which flowed the rivulet, and not knowing +what to do with himself he wrote down the whole history of his life, +then investigated the source and course of the remarkable stream and +registered that too. + +Having thoroughly established himself in this most interesting region, +he began to look after all those who happened to approach these +important domains of fate, invited the travellers and pilgrims to +his house, asked each one the story of his or her life and diligently +and carefully recorded them. Soon a whole bouquet of most varied and +entertaining tales was gotten up, reminding one of the all famous +Arabian stories, and I can only regret that my memory prevented me +from remembering but very few of them. I can understand very well all +that Nebrotk relates about himself. Once upon a time, in the night +he was awakened by some sweet, sweet singing, and having hastened +to rise and go out, he smelt a strong and remarkable fragrance. He +turned and peeped right into the precipice. + +The moon was lighting up its bottom; the enormous rocks glistened +like pure silver and gold, while the water shone like the finest +diamonds. With great satisfaction--nay, delight--he glanced at this +heavenly picture, and suddenly his eyes were fixed on and could easily +distinguish two human heads on the surface of the water. He began +to pay more attention; a very handsome youth--a negro--and quite as +beautiful and splendid a white girl were standing in the water up to +their throats, and having lifted their arms high out of the water, they +were playing with some wonderful, bright, gleaming threads. Correctly +these nets were fastened and refreshed with clean, clear water, +and they seemed to stay in the air without any sign of motion. + +Later he distinguished the following details: These nets of threads +were fastened to an immense leaf of some sea plant and in this massive, +fairy-like floor, which was all aglow with emeralds and gold, there +stood a figure exceeding all human beauty. The whole scene was wrapped +in a slight watery fog and a soft moonlight. The longer Nebrotk paid +attention and looked at the surprising spectacle the more easily he +succeeded in making out that all the charm of this extraordinary scene +was concentrated in the form of a perfectly magnificent woman. In +her hands there was some kind of a long feather, consisting entirely +of sun rays, with which in the course of her sweet swim she reached +and touched the different plants and flowers, and indeed, as though +subjected to her peremptory commands, they gave out an indescribable +fragrance and each little flower united with the marvellous choir which +had gently awakened Nebrotk and sang softly, sweetly, beautifully. + +Nebrotk got perfectly passionate, so anxious was he to understand the +contents and exact meaning of this fragrant, flowery little song, and +holding his breath, he began to take the greatest pains and was enabled +to hear: "Astkchicka! O Astkchicka! O Astkchicka! O Astkchicka!" + +That struck him as most peculiar, and having once more fixed his +eyes on the head of the woman, he beheld a glistening, darling little +star. This was exactly Astkchicka, i.e., Venera, whom the Tsar Vachtang +the First had chased out of all his temples and houses of worship, +and her adorers as well as her sacrificers and those who had been +so benefited by her--all without exception had to abandon her in the +deepest grief and disappointment. Then, however, she found two tender +lovers. He was an adventurer, viz., a fisherman, but she the daughter +of a very wealthy gardener. The goddess promised them her complete +protection, and they without further reflections threw away their +only property, i.e., their garments, and naked they went into the +water in order to construct something for their kind benefactor. And +see! the expelled goddess decided to rise and establish herself +near the interesting "rivulet of the tears of the body-knight" +(stremiannoy), and to that spot she directed her numerous admirers. + +Having seen Nebrotk, Astkchicka waved with her all shining feather, and +from the motions she made, a bridge really and truly formed itself. She +came down to earth, and having turned around to look, she again waved +with her feather. On one side there was a bush of yellow roses, on the +other side one of white roses. Their buds were instantly transformed +and actually turned out as garments for her loving servants who were +hastening after her. Thereupon she slowly returned to the hut of +humble Nebrotk and with a new motion of her bewitching feather changed +it into a perfectly marvellous, brilliant, nay, most elegant royal +palace. Nebrotk stood like one struck by lightning. With a clever but +sly smile upon her beautiful face, Astkchicka ordered her servants to +lead him off to the stream and put him down on the estrade abandoned +by her. But hardly had these orders been complied with and fulfilled +when the pillars of the estrade gave way and broke down together +with the negro. The terrible, yes frightful, cry of the drowning man +perfectly silenced the sweet chorus of the flowers. The servants were +frightened and anxiously looked at the water, and after a short time +a half god came out of it; he was white with a golden crown imperial, +in which only the fiery black eyes reminded one of the drowned negro. + +All four settled down in the fairy-like palace and were blessed +with indescribable happiness. This was indeed a kingdom of love, +unhindered and unrestrained by any laws. Nebrotk perfectly adored +Astkchicka, and the fisherman Naboukodonozor the gardener woman +Roussoudanna. The host was quite in love with the goddess and the +servant with the gardenkeeper, although both were merely common +negro slaves. But even in the fairy-like palace under the protection +of the very goddess of love, there happened to be a spot especially +designed for animated secret conversations between lovers. In one of +these unhappy moments the conditions and peculiar qualities of the +stream became known to Naboukodonozor, and the fear that the magic +force of the water should influence Roussoudanna found a refuge in +his soul. It is of course well known to all of you that suspicion +is the enemy of love. Naboukodonozor seriously began to think that +Roussoudanna had fallen in love with him. Seeking the reason of +this imaginary adoration he suddenly came upon the idea that she +was occupied in involuntarily comparing his black skin with the most +godly white complexion of Nebrotk, and in consequence of this horrid +supposition his heart began to be filled with emotion and passion, +while after passion came ungratefulness to Astkchicka and a very +revolutionary spirit; afterwards she transformed Nebrotk, who had +really done absolutely nothing for her, into a half god, while the +latter, who had successfully brought her to this enchanting resort, +she simply abandoned and left a negro and slave. + +And during the night he walked along the bank of the stream and sang a +song of his great grief, and suddenly the old cedars, the high, high +peach trees, the grand old nut trees composed a beautiful chorus and +an all powerful song, blowing everything before it like a huge wave, +reached the palace and suddenly awakened the goddess--but Nebrotk +quietly went on sleeping and heard nothing. Stepping lightly, +Astkchicka softly and cautiously went out to the rivulet, where +Naboukodonozor, with his back turned towards her, was bitterly crying, +and blushing terribly, she knocked him over and sent him flying into +the water. + +Without a word or motion did Naboukodonozor enter the water, and just +so he came out--more magnificent even than Nebrotk, and throwing +himself at the lovely feet of the goddess he covered them with +kisses. Astkchicka did not at all object to such proceedings, but +did not let him get out of sight, and it seemed very evident that she +also was in love with him. The slave, encouraged by the concessions +of his mistress, seized the godly hands and began to kiss them just +so madly. Suddenly, however, Astkchicka roughly pulled them away, +passed them around his neck and having given him a kiss on his lips, +she instantly disappeared. Some wonderful extraordinary fire ran over +the whole body of poor Naboukodonozor from this rare, but dangerous +kiss. A new feeling got hold of him, viz., a boundless desire inspired +him to run off to the goddess, but the very thought that she was able +to treat, nay, caress, Nebrotk in the same affectionate way, completely +kept him from making a fool of himself. He threw himself on the ground +and tried with all his might and main to extinguish the burning fire +which was raging inside of him, rolling in the soft sweet grass and +mercilessly treading down the highly fragrant flowers, while the moon +seemed to be offended with its greatest favorite and bashfully hid +itself behind a massive cloud. The perfect and impenetrable darkness +at last forced the crank to come back to his senses; he then went +home exasperated, most dissatisfied, and wicked in his intentions. + +Roussoudanna was quietly sleeping and knew of nothing that had taken +place in the night, and what must have been her astonishment, when in +the morning she beheld Naboukodonozor with a pure white complexion +and golden hair. Upon the question what had occurred to him, he +passionately replied that he had just gone to a stream, let himself +down into the water and had come out in the very state she saw him. + +"Pay attention and be careful to remain faithful to me," she +jokingly said, and went out to gather fruit for the "dejeuner" of the +goddess. After a while Nebrotk also woke up and asked Naboukodonozor +the same question. + +"I followed in thy steps and see! the result has proved to be the +same," was his short answer. Nebrotk looked at him rather suspiciously, +and unwilling to believe the truth of the story, he went to the goddess +to inquire about the affair and to see how matters were getting on +in general. + +"I came to a decided conclusion that it was most unkind and unjust +not to do for my real savior what I had deigned to do for thee," +was the godly reply, which made Nebrotk very uneasy and filled his +heart with renewed passion. + +Roussoudanna wept and wept, Naboukodonozor got terribly provoked, +Nebrotk was deeply impressed and full of emotion, while Astkchicka +vainly exhausted all her eloquence in trying to explain that her +palace was a refuge for independent love, not subjected to any laws +whatsoever. General dissatisfaction, suspicion, grief, and tears +were alternately seen and heard in the fairy-like palace. Poor, poor +Roussoudanna could not dry her eyes. Once upon a time, going to look +for fruit, she went out of her way and got completely lost. The sun was +already quite red when she sat down to take a rest after such a hard, +steep walk. Her dark, undecided intentions and thoughts concerned +again Naboukodonozor and the magic conditions and qualities of the +rushing stream, and her grieved feelings turned against the goddess. + +"Why under the sun do they call thee the benefactor of men?" she +passionately exclaimed. "Thou didst win and encourage us with the +promise of thy protection as long as thou didst need us, but now that +the situation has changed thou tookest my lover Naboukodonozor away +from me and thus why should we help thee to escape and lighten the +king's terrible wrath? + +"In all probability his God is far stronger than thou, when thou +runnest away from him. + +"O Christian God, save me!" rang out from the grieved soul of +Roussoudanna. + +"O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy upon us!" Such was the +exclamation of an old man's voice, and indeed unhappy Roussoudanna +soon beheld an old man approaching her and making his way among the +trees and bushes. + +"What is the matter with thee, my dear child?" he kindly asked, coming +up to her. Roussoudanna naturally said that she had lost her way, that +she was very much exhausted and did not know how to continue her route. + +Thereupon the old man led her to his home. He lived somewhere in the +immediate neighborhood, not at all far off, in the grotto of a high, +high rock where he nourished himself with the milk of wild goats +and with dates. With the greatest pleasure he placed before her his +whole stock of provisions, brought her a pitcher of water, carefully +arranged the sofa of leaves and inviting her to take a good rest, +he went out. Having refreshed herself, Roussoudanna began to watch +him most attentively through the gate of the grotto and there she saw +that he had walked a little way off and then had fallen on his knees +and begun to pray. She witnessed how his good, kindly face suddenly +lit up with some marvellous, perfectly heavenly, happy, and joyful +expression, and she ardently desired to find out from the poor, but +grand old man, what this sudden, really indescribable joy meant in +the course of his long, laborious, honorable life. + +At last the old man finished his fervent prayer and began to gather +dates; having got together a huge pile, he gayly carried them into +the grotto. The guest met him at the entrance. + +"I thought that perhaps you would not have enough to eat with just +those dates which you found in my poor dwelling house," said the +kind-hearted host, turning to her, "and see here, I am bringing thee +some more still," and he put down the deliciously sweet fruits right +before her. + +Roussoudanna, perfectly astounded by such unusual and unheard of +goodness and thoughtfulness, thanked the old man with tears in +her eyes. + +"What does thy painful grief consist in?" he asked--and continued +thus: "It is possible that the needs of life have been weighing down +on thee?" + +"Oh no, wise, dear old man, I have never known what it is to be +in need." + +"Well then, did not some severe illness pull thee down and mercilessly +deprive thee of thy strength?" + +"I am in perfect health and have a strong constitution." + +"Perhaps some dreadful worries did not give thee rest." + +A (the woman). B (the hermit). + +A: "I really have nothing to be worried about." + +B: "Then did not regularly and faithfully carried out duties exhaust +thee?" + +A: "No, dear hermit, for I was living in a fairy-land palace from +which the following torments were entirely excluded: need, worry, +work, and illness." + +B: "Worldly attractions and habits may have led thee off the good +track and restrained thy liberty?" + +A: "We were by no means subjected to any such rules, nor even to +etiquette." + +B: "It is possible that the laws of your palace were extremely severe +and therefore made you feel very depressed?" + +A: "But really, we acknowledged no laws." + +B: "Well then, perhaps the wealthy proprietor of the palace abused +his might and compelled you to do certain disagreeable things which +were unjustifiable?" + +A: "Not in the least, for Astkchicka was sole mistress and +administrator of the palace." + +B: "There now remains but one supposition, viz., that she united such +people as would naturally perfectly hate one another?" + +A: "Why, not at all, we all gathered around her in the mighty name +of love." + +B: "Ah, aha, I understand the matter," the old man unexpectedly broke +out, "you came together over there in the name of love and it is most +strikingly evident that there is some defect about your love." + +A: "Thou art wrong, old man," energetically rang out of Roussoudanna's +mouth as she suddenly interrupted him. "I can bear witness and prove +that nobody ever and so strongly loved his dear ones as I loved my +excellent darling Naboukodonozor!" + +The grave hermit glanced at her quite differently--yes, +suspiciously. "My child," was his brief reply, "that which the idol +worshippers falsely call love, is by no means that holy feeling which +we understand under that term. Their love is one of those innumerable +examples of self-worship and vanity." + +Roussoudanna's face was all red from blushing, while her eyes were +filled with tears. + +"Oh no, that cannot be so," she exclaimed with a trembling voice, +"with the greatest joy would I suffer any possible privations, +every imaginable torture, in order to give him pleasure and satisfy +his desires." + +The hermit sighed deeply. "Is it possible then," he said with a +doubtful, inquiring tone, "if thou dost indeed truly love thy fellow +men and women, that nobody in this wide world is either capable or +strong enough to put an end to thy unhappiness? Relate to me now +what the real source of thy misfortune came from and in what manner +it was able to assume such tremendous dimensions." + +"Naboukodonozor, whom I love more than anybody or anything in the +world, got to loving another woman!" + +"Well, what of it?" quietly asked the old man, "is this the only +cause of thy great sorrow? How can one call it unhappiness if this +made his fortune and rendered him contented?" + +"Some would have thought that she might like such a course of events +instead of regretting it." + +"What is the matter with thee, O wise hermit?" She was perfectly +overwhelmed with joy! + +"Now, my dear woman, rely ye simply on me, for I will undertake to +explain it all right to thee, as for me, it was a source of sorrow +and doubt." + +"O thou remarkable man, dost thou really not understand that for me +this circumstance was worse than all the tortures of poison?" + +"But thou only just a short time ago didst assure me that the very +height of happiness for thee was to stand every privation, nay, all +sufferings, simply in order to give him pleasure and act in accordance +with his wishes and aims." + +Thereupon the hermit again opened his mouth and sang songs of praise +and thankfulness unto God, the Almighty Master of Heaven and earth; and +see! his happiness was founded on love, but on love to a being, a being +which was perfect. He always submitted his love to the righteous laws +of God; this was not a senseless inspiration, but an action free of +any earthly, foolish bonds, of elevated and religious aims and seeking +nothing but rest and comfort for the moment--going always by the road +of honesty, truth and veneration of all that is upright and good! + +His love was trying to perfect itself, approach if possible that +greatest example of utmost perfection which was shown to us by our +Lord Jesus Christ. + +"Happiness is a sweet, sweet little flower," said he, "which is quite +unable to grow among unrighteousness, unfairness and wilfulness--only +by the lawful way of Christian love to God, veneration and love to his +neighbors, can he strive to live properly and give those magnificent +fragrant flowers, for which you are all constantly looking and which +you are as yet unable to find. Following out the orders of my God it +will be easy to find happiness, for His perfect and most merciful +laws restrain the will of the individual man only there, where it +proves necessary for his thrift and condition in general. Thou, it is +true, didst live in a fairy-land palace, from which all illnesses, +needs, worries, and labors had been excluded. You did not fear nor +obey any legal authorities, nor laws, nor customs. It was love that +firmly united you all. Well, tell me then, were you indeed happy +and successful?" + +"Oh! no, not at all!" answered Roussoudanna. And once more the old +man tenderly addressed her and convinced Roussoudanna, baptized her, +and taking a staff, at the top of which a cross was reproduced, he went +off with her to the fairy-land palace. Reaching the rivulet they beheld +Nebrotk gathering the necessary fruit. With despair and terror did he +inform them that Astkchicka now considered Naboukodonozor her husband, +while he was forced to serve his rival and nobody paid any attention +to--yes, had utterly forgotten the existence of Roussoudanna. Then she +asked him to sit down and told the inhabitant of the castle all that +had happened to her, and in her young voice the speech about perfect +endless and eternal love sounded still more convincing. Love is eternal +when it is well planned and arranged, it is endless if free of sin +and perfect if subjected to the almighty laws of the eternal God, +Father of Heaven and earth. + +All were deeply impressed, and now the hermit continued the speech and +told them about the all-powerful strength of God, before whose serene +appearance all false, worthless gods take to flight, and about His +extreme wisdom and knowledge, rapidity of decision, mercifulness and +righteousness, and see! Nebrotk immediately wished to be converted +and baptized. At the end of his powerful and persuasive discourse, +the old man simply touched the fairy-land palace with his staff and +in a few seconds it completely disappeared like an apparition. Then +he instructed Nebrotk and Roussoudanna in real Christian love and +in the obligations of married life and then performed for both the +wedding ceremony, and having fervently prayed to the Creator they all +together went to work erecting a perfectly new log house for the young +married couple, in which the happy mortals passed many blissful years, +writing down the stories and tales of the various travellers. Some +of them I shall perhaps tell you of another time. To my sorrow my +memory did not preserve that artistic, yes, clever way of relating, +which this little collection of legends more and more clearly explains +to one--bringing us over and over again to the great truth. + +"Happiness is within us." The imperfection of Nebrotk and Roussoudanna +came at first from the imperfection of their mutual love, which loves +itself as much as the beloved. Then, however, gradually as they were +taught to love their neighbor more than themselves, yes to love him so +much as not to offend each other and not grumble and growl over little +defects and mishaps which regarded their personalities alone and from +which the neighbors should not suffer, did they teach themselves and +conceive how well it was to rejoice over the blissfulness of others, +to think only about others, to wish to seek pleasure and happiness only +for others and to put all their energy and delight in the contentment +and comfort of others; this great happiness finally made its beneficent +way into their souls and admitting everything they said. + +"Happiness is within us--" and then they needed no more fairy-land +castle, from which all cares, illnesses, needs, and labors were +banished. They found time and also strength to live an actual and true +life among all its turmoils and difficulties, to know how to guarantee +one's shining happiness, and then they heard not the fairy-land +song of the flowers, the fragrant song of the youngsters saved by +them for a joyful, diligent, and Christian life, and they rejoiced +in the song of thankful young people, who by their example of love, +had been saved from many a sorrow and suffering. These young people +had thoroughly learned how to live a happy life and this chorus did +not stop as long as they lived on earth. + + + + + + + +VII. THE TRIBUTE OF ROSES + +A LEGEND + + +In our most blessed and favored country, where the sun shines so +brightly, where the flowers have such a sweet, sweet fragrance, where +the birds sing so melodiously, long ago in bygone times, when neither I +nor my father nor my forefathers had been born, there lived a young and +splendid couple in the Aule of Mokde [Note of the Translator: Aule is +the common term for a very small village or rather mountain hamlet in +the Caucasus.] They were always most hospitable and everybody praised +them, but the Lord, who always delights in seeing the religious and +the poor well treated, fully rewarded them and abundantly furnished +them with rich presents, thus clearly showing them his appreciation +for their good deeds. They had everything that could be desired: +youth, beauty, good health, riches, and reputation, they sincerely +loved one another and their inner happiness was as great as their +outer appearance and great success. Their children were healthy, +clever, good and lovely to look at. Their elder son, little Timitch, +distinguished himself especially through his strength and ability; +he was endowed with most fiery eyes, once sparkling like flashes of +lightning, then again as soft and innocent as the eyes of a young +mountain goat. + +For nine years the happy husband and wife lived thus, when suddenly +between the aules of Mokde and Khamki a very bloody strife ensued and +led to much destruction of life and property. During this strife, +when the father of Timitch was mercilessly killed as well as his +brothers and sisters, while the mother was taken prisoner and led off +as a captive, Timitch himself was saved by some inexplicable wonder +and soon became the favorite and greatest pride of the whole aule. In +the meantime his mother, who was still a beautiful and youthful woman +[in our country the women can be married at the early age of twelve] +was sold and taken away to Turkey, where her wonderful appearance was +the chief ornament of the Sultan's harem. In this select collection +of beautiful and highly attractive women, her good looks and sweet +disposition cast a dark shadow over all the rest--just as our bright +sun dims all other planets. + +The Sultan got perfectly wild with delight over her, and he incessantly +showered most precious weavings, gorgeous carpets and splendid stones +of one color and priceless shawls--in a word everything that the rich, +rich East could produce lay at her graceful feet. Nevertheless in +the midst of all these flatteries and endless temptations she always +remained faithful to her husband. It needed a marvellous mind and +character like hers, while utterly refusing to fulfil the wishes of the +Sultan, to still remain the governess of his heart and the immediate +object of his kind and thoughtful attention. In these proceedings a +lucky circumstance firmly assisted her--viz., the fact that she had +been preparing herself to become a mother already four months before, +when she happened to be taken prisoner. The loving and enchanted +Sultan decided to patiently await the birth of the baby, which was +foreign to him, and then marry his unusual captive, who was of royal +blood and thus fully had the right to be an empress. The nearer she +approached the time when a child should be born, the gayer the future +Sultana became, so that those surrounding her really imagined that +she had forgotten her husband. But oh, how terribly mistaken they +were! Indeed, the eventful day came and a daughter Tousholi was born. + +When they brought her the baby she long looked at it and tears came +in floods out of her magnificent eyes, afterwards she made the sign +of the cross on it and gave orders that it should be carried off. + +"Call Samson to me," she said. Samson was the eunuch, given +and attached to her personal service by the Sultan and who had +faithfully done his duty by her side. She knew how to win his esteem +and confidence, especially as he was himself a Christian (of course +quite secretly). When he arrived she ordered him to take up the opakalo +(probably a kind of Eastern fan) and protect her, while sleeping, from +uncomfortable and noisy flies; but she did not want to sleep--this +was simply a sly device to make everybody leave her apartment and get +out. She profited by this occasion to tell Samson the following facts: + +"Samson, to thee I trust the new-born daughter Tousholi, promise me if +possible secretly to make a Christian of her, as sincere and earnest +in her belief as thou thyself. Among all these unbelievers thou wert +not a slave to me, but a true and faithful friend and a tender and +thoughtful brother. By the almighty mercifulness of God I am destined +to live not much longer, for I hope to-day already to be able to unite +myself with my dear husband, while thee I ask to take the place of this +dear orphan's parents. Thou knowest my whole history, my strength does +not enable me to speak to thee as freely as I should like. For the sake +of the outward appearance I shall leave Tousholi nominally to the care +of the Sultan, and I am convinced that at first everything will go +right with you. When, however, your situation changes, I hope indeed +that you may find means to return to Mokde and look up my first-born +child, whose natural obligation it is to be the powerful protector +of his defenceless sister and her very aged educator, but now give +me my little kindjall (Caucasian dagger)--fear nothing, I shall not +cut myself open, for I have not even the strength to do that." + +Samson placed in her now feeble hands the handsomely ornamented little +kindjall, artistically decorated with precious stones and fastened to a +most gorgeous girdle. This was the wedding present of her husband and +she never left it out of her sight. The submissive old man, through +his tears beheld how the face of the sick woman suddenly lit up and +how, her eyes flashing with some extraordinary fire, she bravely +pulled the little kindjall out of the sheath and put its thin blade, +which was as sharp as the tongue of a snake, up to her lovely mouth. + +"She sincerely kisses it," thought Samson, and quieted himself; but +the precious little kindjall had yet another resemblance with the +tongue of a snake, of which the faithful servant knew nothing. It +was indeed poisoned! + +Having heroically swallowed the deadly poison, the sick woman +commanded Samson to instantly inform the Sultan that she desired to +see him. The all-powerful adorer of this Christian heroine immediately +made his appearance and was utterly distressed when he saw the signs +of approaching death already marked on her magnificent features. In +his anger against those standing about, he threatened them with +perfectly atrocious punishment if they did not that moment find +doctors able to bring his favorite back to life. In the meantime +with a weak but expressive and comprehensible movement of her hand, +the patient showed that she desired to be left alone with him. All +the rest disappeared in a second and she broke out thus: + +"My minutes are counted, I am dying, not paying you back in any way for +your innumerable marks of kindness to me, and nevertheless I wish to +ask yet another favor of you: be a father to my new-born daughter! It +is my firm and irrevocable wish that my true and ever-faithful +Samson shall stay by her and bring her up in none but my own dear +religion; when, however, you are tired of her, simply send them to +Mokde to my son Timitch, and even if he be no longer living, I am +fully convinced that the excellent daughter of my loving husband +will always find protectors and friends among the good and kindly +inhabitants of Mokde." With these serene words she breathed her last +breath. The tremendous fury and utter despair of the Sultan went +beyond any description. The court body-doctor and the arifa (i.e., +the lady who administrates the harem) were hung without delay, but +Samson and his sweet little pupil were given very fine and expensive +apartments with magnificent board. + +Every ten days the old man was obliged to bring little Tousholi to +the Sultan, who having tenderly caressed her and given riches to the +faithful servant, let them retire, giving the strictest orders that +those who surrounded them should never hinder, trouble, or disturb +them in any way. Thus three long years easily went by. The childish +features of the face of Tousholi now acquired a most striking +resemblance with the marvellously beautiful features of her late +mother. The courtiers began to notice repeatedly that the Sultan +after a time had fallen in love with her, was earnestly reflecting +about something and frequently sighing. Thus the visits, which used +to last but a few minutes, now became very long indeed, while little +Tousholi, with her childish caresses, gained the affection of the +Sultan more and more. Immediately two parties sprang up: the first, +wishing to make Tousholi their excellent instrument in order to get +the upper hand and overrule the Sultan, and thus naturally, constantly +and unceasingly chanting her praises and flattering her to the skies; +the second, which had resolved to make her perish and from this reason +never letting one occasion go by without trying to snap at her and +pull her down from her exalted position. + +During the fearful struggle of these two desperate parties, Tousholi's +childhood went by and she was already a grown-up maiden, when the +kind-hearted Sultan died. His successor by chance belonged to the +dangerous and inimical party, and so the sharp and careful Samson +began to energetically demand to be allowed to go away to Mokde. The +permission to start for the home journey was given with great joy and +satisfaction, and very soon they had already arrived at Mokde. Here +there was no difficulty in finding out Timitch. He was known by young +and old alike. The old servant silently took from Tousholi's baggage +that precious girdle with the kindjall, which he had handed to her +mother just a few hours before her untimely death and passed it to +Timitch, drawing his attention to a splendid all-sparkling round +tablet. On it were inscribed the dear names of his glorious parents. + +"This is the remarkable girdle which was always around the waist of +my all-beloved mother!" cried out the youth. + +"Well, say now I prythee where is she staying? How can I possibly +reward thee--oh, thou grand old man? Art thou sent by her?" + +"I verily came to this memorable village by her sacred will," +reverently answered Samson. "While dying she ordered me to lead thy +sister to thee and hand her over to thy mighty care and protection." + +"What, my sister? Well, well, is it possible that not all sisters +and brothers perished together with their splendid father?" + +Saying this he closely looked at the young girl and was evidently +struck and impressed by her perfectly unusual beauty. + +"The resemblance with your mother ought to be sufficient to convince +you of the truth of my words." + +Afterwards innumerable questions and answers were mutually +exchanged. The old man and Tousholi settled down in the house of +Timitch and Samson heartily rejoiced, seeing soon how the youngsters +became friends. But nevertheless there was nothing to rejoice +about! The twenty-year-old Timitch, fiery, not given to reflections, +unaccustomed to restrain himself in any way, was entertaining such +intentions as would make Samson's hair stand on end if he thoroughly +understood their meaning. What is there strange in the fact that the +twelve-year-old Tousholi was unable to guess at the thoughts of her +brother and firmly trusted him in everything with all her simple +childish sincerity of soul. The passionate attraction of Timitch +grew not with days, but with hours, and once during a promenade, +without being at all disturbed by the presence of grave old Samson, +he actually went as far as to tell her of his peculiar intentions. + +Samson, astonished and disapproving the plan, threw himself in between +the young people and was stupefied when seeing a dagger pointed +towards him, but the terrified Tousholi speedily hid herself near +a precipice. Seeing the immediate danger, the dying faithful Samson +cursed the wicked and lawless boy, and lo! suddenly a great wonder +took place. + +Timitch was transformed into a wind and began to crazily blow +and whistle over the precipice, but the submissive and ever loyal +servant was turned into a gigantic rose bush, in the midst of which +a rose of unusual size was growing and constantly blooming. By the +will of God, angels with marvellous, all-glorious singing slowly let +themselves down into the precipice, majestically lifted out from it +the magnificent body of Tousholi and carefully placed it in the very +centre of the superb rose, the all-fragrant leaves of which gradually +closed up and thus buried inside of them the deceased. Attracted by +the all-glorious angelic singing, the faithful inhabitants of Mokde +ran together in crowds to the rose and many of them clearly saw how the +angels gracefully interred Tousholi in the rose. But Timitch could by +no means quiet down; with anger and greatest passion he threw himself +upon the rose bush and wished to break it down, but the more he shook +the lovely branches, the closer and firmer did they stick to the rose +and the better did they defend her from his unjustified attacks and +depredations. When, however, he finally succeeded in carrying off the +tender, tender leaves of the rose, Tousholi was no more to be seen, +for her body had completely evaporated in the marvellous fragrance. + +The religious inhabitants of Mokde enclosed the beloved holy rose with +a very massive stone wall, called this spot Tousholi, and yearly when +the first beautiful rose came out they celebrated a fete, which has +quite a character of its own and is popularly known as "the tribute +of roses." + +The ceremony consists of the following points: Every young girl +gathers a tremendous full bunch of rose leaves and standing one +behind the other, they await the exit of the very oldest man in the +village. He comes out, dressed in a white suit and bearing in his hand +a white flag, the point of which is richly decorated with roses and +covered with sweet little bells, while at the end a large wax candle +burns. Putting himself at the head of the procession, the old man +gives a solemn signal and the procession duly and martially directs +itself towards Tousholi; behind it at a considerable distance followed +young people, leading sheep and bringing along with them the customary +offerings, i.e., horns, balls, hatchets, silks, etc. The procession +winds around Tousholi three times with beautiful singing in which is +described in detail all that we have mentioned above--then the girls +in their turn enter through the great fence and put down in a certain +place their splendid fragrant offerings, softly adding: + +"Saint Tousholi, help and assist me! Holy Samson, shield and protect +me from the cursed Timitch and all of that kind!" + +On the top of a pretty mound, formed by the magnificent rose leaves, +the old man solemnly fixes his standard, saying: "Saint Tousholi, +make me wise, Holy Samson, help me to guard and defend all these +tender maids from the cursed and all-hated Timitch and all those who +follow his wicked example!" + +After this earnest speech the old man sits down at the foot of +the graceful flag, while at his own feet the young girls settle +down. Then the young people enter the enclosure and kneeling on one +knee pronounce a most reverential greeting discourse to the hermit +and the maidens and then they turn about and face an opposite corner, +where they curse Timitch who hath wickedly cast a dark shadow over +their beloved aule; afterwards they cut up the sheep and gayly feast +with all those present. When I was but a very small boy I happened to +be in this place and was favored with seeing with my own eyes one or +two roses inside the enclosure, which it appears is existing even in +our advanced and enlightened days. These roses are really unusually +large in size, but nevertheless neither a grown-up girl nor even +a new-born youngster can possibly find place inside the flower. I +understand that at that time they used to say with regret, that the +fete of "the tribute of roses" did not repeat itself yearly! Thus +little by little ancient customs disappear and antique amusements +are superseded by new ones, which are not always successfully chosen; +only grim Timitch never changes, for he is quite as restless now as +ever before, here moves and weeps like a child, there makes a row, +yes rebels like a robber and lawlessly destroys whole buildings. His +dislike for roses never ceases, and as soon as he sees a sweet little +flower he immediately begins to blow around it with impatience and +anger until he hath scattered the beautifully fragrant leaves far and +wide over the country. Now the story of Tousholi is already forgotten, +but her name, among the Chechenzes, is given to all such interesting +places, where they go to make sacrifices and fervently pray. + + + + + + + +VIII. THE LOT OF THE HOLY VIRGIN + +A TRADITION + + +When, by the special wish of the Lord, the apostles drew lots to +decide who was to go out into foreign lands and preach the gospel of +Christ, the enlightenment of Georgia fell to the share of the Holy +Virgin. The Lord appearing to her exclaimed: "My mother, taking +into account thy desires, I have come to the conclusion that this +nation is more worthy than all others to have a place in the list of +heavenly joys and blessings. Send thou then into this fine country, +which hath fallen to thy lot, Andrew the First and hand him thy +picture, which, from being placed against thee, represents thine holy +face!" Then the Most Holy Mother of God announced to the apostle: +"My dear pupil Andrew, I am very much grieved by the fact that the +faith of the name of my son is not being preached nor advanced in the +country, whose enlightenment hath fallen to my lot. When, however, +I desired to start out for the journey my son and my God appeared +to me and ordered that I should send to my separate province with +thee my image and His, so that I should be the real cause of the +conversion of these people and be their everlasting and ever tender +helper and protector." "Most holy one, yes, let at all times the +will of thy Godly son and thine be carried out and fulfilled to the +satisfaction of all the world." Then the most Holy Virgin washed her +face and having pressed it well against a platter, she left on it her +reproduction with her predicted son in her arms. Having handed the +image to Saint Andrew, she said: "Yes, may the mercifulness and the +overwhelming help of Him who was born of me be with thee everywhere +where thou choosest to go. I myself will invisibly help to increase +the complete success of thy preaching tour and my province of future +enlightenment will always remain under my constant, nay, never ceasing +care and protection." The holy apostle, having thereupon fallen at +the feet of the most Holy Virgin, thanked her with tears in his eyes +and joy in his heart, went to preach the faith at Trebizond, taking +along with him Simon the Canonite. But here they did not remain long +and continued their journey to Edjis. Seeing the perfect craziness +of those stupid inhabitants, who were more like entirely senseless +animals, the apostle directed himself towards Georgia, and arriving +in Great Adtchara, began his holy work; for even here the inhabitants +did not profess the faith of the only true and real God and committed +deeds which were so shameful that it is unsuitable even to refer to +them in any imaginable way. They showered many indignant insults upon +the apostle, who simply and most patiently bore them all with the help +of God and by being occupied in constant prayer before the image of the +most Holy Virgin--and lo! the Lord fulfilled the ardent desire of his +heart and brought the inhabitants upon the righteous way, but on the +spot where the reproduction of the mother of our God was standing, +there appeared an abundant and truly splendid fountain flowing to +this day, and in which the saintly apostle baptized the inhabitants, +who had gathered there from all the surrounding towns and villages. + +He blessed and ordained the deacons and priests, explained to them in +detail the holy principles of the faith as well as the church laws and +successfully constructed there a church in honor of the Holy Virgin +Mary. When, however, he wished to leave, the adoring people stopped +him with the following remarkable words: "If thou art actually going +away, leave us at least the image of the Mother of our God as a place +of refuge and protection in case of trouble and need." Then the Saint +ordered made a platter of just the same size as the image and put +them together. + +Immediately the reproduction was transferred to the new slab without +any injury to the former image. Immediately afterwards, the apostle +handed the newly made image to the inhabitants, who, having received +it with joy, placed it with great honors in their fine church, where +it hath remained to the present day. Then they said good-bye to +the splendid apostle, thanking him for his many good deeds, kissing +him with true love and affection, and with him they sent one of the +newly converted by the name of Matata. Going through the valley of +Kkeniss-Tskall he led Saint Andrew up to the summit of a mountain, on +which the Saint formally erected a cross in honor of our blessed Lord +Jesus Christ and that was the reason why this exceptionally favored +mountain began to be universally called "Rouiss-Djouar," which means, +"the iron cross." + +After that they went down into the valley of Odzrche and soon reached +the frontiers of Samtske, where they took up their headquarters in +the village of Mount Zaden. Seeing that the inhabitants over there +bowed down to and wickedly worshipped idols, they sincerely prayed +to the image, which had triumphantly accompanied them everywhere and +instantly all idols fell and were broken to pieces. Then they continued +their route to Astbour, which was formerly called Tchoukall-tchett +(the river of lilies) in Armenian and really lies just opposite +Sakrisse, and arranging themselves, they settled down to rest near an +idolatrous temple, nowadays Dzvel-Eklesia. At that time this country +was administrated by a widow by the name of Samsgvari, which means +"frontier," who had but one son and he too had just died among +the depressed and mourning subjects of his mother. That same night +from the guarding fortress a powerful light was seen over that spot +where the image of the Mother of our God was placed, and at sunrise +people were immediately sent to find out who was there and what their +business was. Returning to the city, the envoys announced to Samsgvari, +that it was the light from the reproduction of some wonderful Virgin, +whom two foreigners had evidently brought with them; that they knelt +and prayed before this strange image and that they preached the faith +of a new God, who could make the dead rise. + +The widow immediately sent for the saints and questioned Andrew: +"Who are thou, whence didst thou come and what in the world is the new +faith about which thou speakest so much, for verily I say unto you, +up to this time nothing approaching it in the very least has ever +been heard of?" + +"I arrived from Jerusalem," energetically answered the apostle, +"and am the servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, who doth make the dead +rise again. I preach about Him as about God and the King of all +kings. Know ye then that He who believeth in Him and lets himself +be baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost +will receive all he asketh for with true faith and will be healed of +every illness." Upon hearing these sounding words, Samsgvari fell at +his feet with tears in her eyes and cried out: + +"Oh, have thou pity for my widowhood and terrible unhappiness and with +the strength of thy God bring back my only son to life. I will duly +carry out and fulfill to general satisfaction everything that thou +commandest me to do, without uttering the slightest objection, only +in order that I may behold again my dear son alive, for he is the only +descendant of our great family, for I have really no other children." + +"Well, if thou believest in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only +true God, He will certainly give thee all that thou dost ask of Him +with faith." Then the widow with tears of joy said to the Saint: "O +servant of the only real and true God, I do sincerely believe in Jesus +Christ, of whom thou preachest and whose holy name thou announcest to +the world at large. I, however, beg thee to increase my strength of +belief in Him, the Saviour of the world." Having heard these sincere +words with pleasure, the apostle chased away the musicians and the +curious, leaving only Samsgvari and her relations, and taking the +image of the most Holy Virgin, he placed it on the corpse of the +little child and falling on the ground he began to pray, the tears +abundantly streaming down the fine features of his fervent face, and +with many sighs he stretched out his arms towards the image and then +rose, took the little boy by the hand, and truly! the boy seemed to +awake as though from sweet slumber, and Saint Andrew handed him over +to his mother. + +All those present were silent--so struck were they with surprise, +while the widow, seeing her beloved son restored to life, was filled +with utmost joy, jumped up and threw herself at the feet of the Saint, +gratefully thanking him and covering his knees with tears. She, with +all her heart, believed in the Lord Jesus and was baptized with her +son and all his household. Afterwards she sent out her servants to +all the Samtsetskian mtavares with official letters, containing the +following passages: + +"I, Samsgvari, the widow of your kristav, do joyfully announce to you, +my brethren, a most happy event for all nations, for there arrived +from a strange land, a man who preacheth the faith of a new God, +the reproduction of whom made my blessed son arise from the dead; +hasten ye therefore, so that we may choose the only true and sincere +faith and decide whom it becomes us to obey and adore." Having heard of +this wonder, the Meskhians rushed in from every spot of the monarchy +in such numberless crowds that they actually filled the whole valley +of Sakriss, and they all stared with perfect astonishment at the +risen son of Samsgvari. But the sacrificers of Artemis and Apollo, +the temple of which was situated in that part of the country, firmly +resolved to oppose themselves to the Saint and cried out: + +"Artemis and Apollo are great gods," and after them many of the people +shouted the same, while others nevertheless exclaimed: "We must all +necessarily submit before such an unusual wonder!" Rebelling and +quarrelling in every way began to make itself felt. In the end it was +decided to open the gates of the temple, to solemnly place the holy +image between the idols, to set up proclamations on both sides of the +gates, place guardians and pass the night in religious prayers. "Pray +all you want to your false gods," said the faithful followers of +Him whose religion conquereth all others, "we, however, will pray +to our only real and true God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and at sunrise +we shall see: if your gods get the upper hand and are victorious, we +will follow your example. If, however, they are defeated by our God, +then let all present give praises unto Him the Only one." + +Having carried out everything according to the agreement, at very +sunrise they opened the doors of the temple and beheld the idols, +fallen and broken to pieces in the dust, while the image of the +Mother of our God was surrounded with glitter and light like the +sun. Then they understood the importance of the new religion and the +whole nation unanimously exclaimed: "Great is the God of Christians, +preached about by the holy apostle Andrew," but the sacrificers begged +the Saint to forgive them their sin of unbelief, and all having assured +him of their repentance, were baptized in the name of the Father and +of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and loudly sang praises unto God, +who had safely saved them from the deadly grasp of the merciless devil. + +Then Saint Andrew made up his mind to go into other wild countries +and preach the principles of the New Testament, but the widow +and the nation implored him not to go away from them until he had +successfully taught them all the laws of the faith. Every single day +the nation gathered in tremendous crowds and the apostle carefully +explained to them the rules and details of the religion and all the +necessary church rules, consecrated for their service a bishop, many +priests and deacons and again started for his great and dangerous +mission. Samsgvari and the nation renewed their ardent entreaties, +but the Saint tenderly replied to them: + +"My dear children, do not lead me into temptation, for my duty calls +me and prescribes to me to render also other cities and villages +happy." "Well, if thou must absolutely abandon us," they mournfully +answered, "so leave us at least the image of the most Holy Virgin +to strengthen our never-ceasing confidence in the new faith and +as a means of mutual protection." "This image," said Saint Andrew, +"formed itself from simply being touched by the body of the Mother +of our God," and he went on explaining to them how by the extreme +condescension of the Lord the apostles drew lots to find out where +each one should go to preach and that Samtsketia fell to the share +of the Virgin Mary. He joyfully related how instead of herself she +had sent her portrait into the provinces belonging to her sphere of +enlightenment as a means of confirmation and protection to the true +believers and promised that she would always be with them in spirit +and soul now, henceforth and evermore. Messkhi and Samsgvari, having +found out that they were under the spiritual regency of the Heavenly +Tsaritsa, were filled with indescribable joy, but the desire to be +able to possess her image made them still more radiant. + +With tears of emotion in their eyes they solemnly placed it in a small +church, which had been speedily constructed and consecrated in the name +of the Holy Atskourian Virgin. Nowadays they usually call this church +"Dzvelle-Ekletsia," that is "ancient church," as the present edifice +is built of stones which had served to construct the first church and +stands on exactly the same spot. Then Saint Andrew went to preach +the Holy Gospel in Nigalia, Djavakhetia, Artakanna and Kola, where +he remained very long, enlightening the depraved unbelievers. From +there he directed himself to Klardjetta, then to the land of Parthia, +Armenia, and for the fete of Easter safely arrived at Jerusalem. + +When, however, Tsar Aderke discovered that the Kartlians and +Messkhians had finally abandoned the faith of their forefathers, +he sent several kristaves to them, who by force officially obliged +many to return to a regime of darkness and falseness. Nevertheless +some true and faithful followers succeeded in concealing images and +crosses and loudly praised God that the apostle was no longer in their +presence. The Tsar, however, grew very angry against the kristave of +Klardjette for his not having held up the Saint, who, passing Easter +Day together with the remaining apostles, again bravely started on a +large preaching tour in Georgia. Crossing the lands lying near Fao as +the Choroke, he thoroughly inspected the villages, preaching everywhere +and to everyone the Holy Gospel of Christ, and soon reached Svanetia. + +Here at that time a woman reigned, who accepted the apostle's saintly +blessing with false and pretended good feelings. Matata with the +remaining pupils stayed in these domains, but Saint Andrew and +Saint Simon went farther to Ossetia, where they got to the town +of Posstaphore and from there they soon successfully arrived at +the Bosphorus, where with the almighty and conquering help of God +they were favored with the gift of being able to accomplish many +wonders, and converted to the only real and true faith and baptized +tremendous numbers of people. Afterwards they went back to Abkhazetia +and farther to the city of Sebasst, the present Tikkoum, where many +more unbelievers were also converted to the religion of Christ. Here +Saint Andrew left Simon the Canaanite with several good pupils and +continued his route to Djivetta, peopled by a wild vile nation, filled +to overflowing with disgraceful sinfulness, love of cruelty and without +any religious feeling whatever. They actually did not want to listen +to him and unanimously made up their minds to kill him, but lo! the +Lord protected his faithful servant, ordering him to instantly depart +from the wretched creatures. But this nation remained in unbelief +to this day. The tomb of Simon the Canaanite is in Nikopsia, between +Abkhezethe and Djikerk, on the frontier of Greece. Having confirmed the +Abkhazians and Megroes in the new faith, Saint Andrew left entirely +for Skythia. Soon afterwards Tsar Aderke died and the kingdom of +Georgia was divided among his two sons Bartomme and Kartamme. + +During their rigid administration in the year 70 A. D., a rumor began +to gain ground that the inhabitants, who were under the supreme +authority of Rome, absolutely refused to submit themselves to the +Emperor Vespasian and energetically rebelled. The Emperor ordered +his son Fitt to persuade the Jews to quiet down, but they did not +cease to make a fearful row and locked themselves up with their +army in Jerusalem. Then the Romans surrounded this town and began +to mercilessly besiege it. The besieged were suffering from terrible +hunger and diseases and the nation from despair began a terrific civil +war. In a short time there perished such a quantity of Hebrews, that +they threw one hundred thousand corpses out of the town; besides that +the streets and houses were filled to overflowing with dead people. In +the end the Romans made their way to Jerusalem, ruined it completely +and destroyed the temple, so that according to the holy words of the +Saviour, not one stone remained on top of another. + +Ever since then the Jews have overrun every part of the world and +no longer have any own fatherland. Many of them arrived at Mtzkhet +and settled down with their compatriots, among whom were also the +sons of Varrava, delivered by the Hebrews instead of Jesus Christ, +when they were invited to let one of their prisoners free. During the +reign of the grandsons of Bartome and Kartaume the kings Azork and +Armazeli, the latter found out about the existence in his monarchy of +the miloti of the prophet Ilia and instantly gave orders to look for +it among the Jews, but the Lord did not allow this extreme treasure +to fall into the hands of the ruthless pagans, his searchings finally +turned out to be vain attempts and to all questions the Hebrews simply +answered that it was concealed in the earth near a magnificent cedar, +which had grown over the tomb of Sidonia. Consequently Saint Nina more +than once commanded Abiatkar to question his father where it indeed +was situated, but the old man every time gave one and the same answer: + +"The spot, where is hidden this holy garment, about which in its time +the true believers will sing praises unto God, is like the place on +which Jacob beheld the staircase leading up to Heaven." + +This was the only occasion when they seriously disturbed the +Hebrews, all the remaining time, however, before and afterwards, +they constantly received and treated them exactly according to the +rules of true Eastern hospitality and made them feel quite at home +in their new fatherland. In the year one hundred and eighty-six +A.D., Revv ascended the Georgian throne. The word "reva" signifies +"conqueror," but the nation gave this serene sovereign a designation +still more suited to him and still more honorable, for they rightly +named him "the just sovereign," for his very first great public act +was the repression of privateering and robbing in the army and the +prohibition to bring children to be offered to the gods. + +Although Revv the Just was himself an idolator, yet he did have some +kind of a vague idea of the New Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ, +highly esteemed His true followers and even strictly forbade to chase +the Christians, who had held their own in small numbers among the +worthy descendants of the most enlightened apostles. These little +marks of attention were sufficient to support Christianity, which +stood high in the eyes of many men in the country. From this bright +moment onwards the number of Christians began undoubtedly to increase, +although of course slowly, but every year so that by the arrival of +Saint Nina they were already forming a considerable and by no means +to be despised class. + + + + + + + +IX. THE COMET + +A LEGEND + + +On a steep, steep mountain path, leading directly to the monastery +of John of Zadenne, a young girl was slowly walking. Her lovely sweet +hands were all covered with blood as she was holding on with all her +might and main to the prickly bushes; it being absolutely necessary +to stick to them, so as not to fall into a deep abyss. Having safely +reached a little square she stopped in order to quiet down and catch +her breath; for in front of her another just as difficult ascent was +awaiting her and she felt that it was her duty to rest and save her +remaining strength. Having stood a while, she cautiously sat down and +began to look at the path by which she had dared to come. Far in the +distance one could see a horseman. The well trained horse like a cat +hung on to the mountain, taking advantage of the most insignificant +little trail or plateau and of every imaginable hardly noticeable +highland road. Small stones rolled away from under its feet, the dry +old branches of many a bush trembled and broke with a sharp cracking +sound while the horse galloped--approaching always nearer and nearer +the terribly exhausted woman-traveller. + +Coming up with her, the rider reverently bowed. He also intended to +let his faithful horse have a good rest on the little plateau and +naturally he began a conversation with the sitting maid. From what +she told him, he found out that she was called Salougvari and that +she undertook this pilgrimage, wishing to pray at the sacred tomb of +a most holy, saintly hermit for the restoration of her dying mother's +health. The young people went on talking for some time and the gallant +rider offered her to continue her journey, holding on to the tail +of his horse. This means of mountaineering is considered by us in +Georgia the very safest and far less exhausting than all others. When +they reached the summit he rode into a deep thicket, growing on the +edge of the mountain, on which stood a monastery; the horseman's way +of treating her changed completely and his extraordinary speeches +terrified Salougvari. She, having abandoned the tail of the horse, +in an instant ran off to the monastery and like a frightened little +bird made her way into the church. + +The glances of all those praying turned with astonishment to the +runaway wanderer and this unusual surprise grew still greater, when +after her a horseman bounced in on a foaming steed and with his hat on +his head and not paying the slightest attention to the solemn church +service simply began to search with his piercing looks for poor, +poor Salougvari, who had taken refuge at the very tomb of the famous +saint. Having beheld his fellow-sojourner, he rashly knocked against +his horse and with one bold bound, he arrived close by her side. + +In that memorable moment, the ground suddenly shook and actually +opened itself, swallowed up the fiery and insulting horseman and again +majestically closed itself up with such marvellous rapidity that those +present were struck as though by lightning and could not utter a word. + +It is of course well known that somewhat below the monastery in the +very mountain the temple of Zadenne was cut out, which soon became +the permanent residence of demons, and indeed these latter rogues, +daily coming out of their horrid dwelling places, very much disturbed +Saint John and his numerous scholars until he gave orders that the +entrance into the vast abandoned cave-region should be firmly barred +and closely blocked up. Our bold horseman had the most peculiar--yes +wonderful feeling in the neighborhood of this whole temple or house +of worship. Upon a height there stood the gigantic reproduction of +a handsome old man sitting on a massive throne, between his feet lay +a ring-formed snake--the true symbol of eternity--while in his hand +he held lightning. This was all artistically cut out in marble. The +elegant crown, which decorated the wise brow of the old man, had +still preserved some signs of pure gold; here and there precious +stones were shining. This was decidedly the kingdom of coldness and +of some secret magic-like half-darkness. The light was able to shine +in only through the opening holes of the mountain and through the +holes yet left between the perfectly immense stones with which the +entrance was surely and safely barred. + +Having thoroughly recovered after his strange incident and quite +unexpected fall, Aderke (it was thus they called the horseman) +began to carefully inspect and search the cave. His attention was +especially drawn by one spot, shining like a diamond. It appeared +that this was a tremendous piece of mountain salt, on which a ray +of light which had managed to get through one of the mountain holes +was gayly playing. Other such pieces were falling down in long, long +divisions from the cupola-like, vaulted ceiling. Thirst was torturing +Aderke. Thinking that this was simply ice, he began to direct all +his efforts towards successfully breaking off a respectable piece, +but notwithstanding his most desperate jumps, he could not accomplish +anything. Then he naturally imagined that from the sides of the cave +much lower down he might be able to get something and began to go +around it in a circle, trying to find here or there some possible +opening, on which he might firmly stand and make his way. Passing +close by a great piece of salt, he overheard some very distant voice +which was singing a soft, marvellous song. Aderke began to listen +most attentively. + +"Powerful sire," called out the extraordinary secret voice, "I have +been awaiting thee for many years, dispel thou as quickly as possible +this darkness and lead me forth into the region of freedom. Oh! have +pity upon me!--I implore to be given freedom only with the exalted +aim of submitting to thee, to serve and wait upon thee, to love thee +tenderly, yes, to be thine ever obedient slave. Thou didst happen to +come hither, pursuing a most handsome mortal being; look now at my +features; you can plainly distinguish them through my dark prison. The +more the extreme brilliancy of my subterranean dwelling darkens her +dreadfully poor saklia (hut) the more the glitter of my beauty darkens +her exceptional charms. She did not even venture to look at thee, +for she feared thy caresses. I, however, did not take my eyes off +from thee from the time that thou didst fall to the feet of mighty +Zadenne, I constantly admire thee with a perfectly passionate glance, +I love thee, I call thee to my side: come, oh come thou quicker!" + +Wild with excitement and deeply impressed by that most passionate song, +Aderke entirely forgot his unhappiness, forgot also the thirst which +was torturing him, he began to stare more closely at the salt masses +and through their transparent grim old walls he began to be able +to distinguish the tender outlines of a young and pretty woman. He +knocked with his vigorous fist against the cold, cold mineral wall, +but the powerful blow did not leave the slightest trace; then he pulled +out his kindjall and thrust out his arm still stronger against the +salt shapes, which were almost turning to stone. It slightly trembled; +Aderke now turned to the pedestal of the idol, detached from it a large +piece of fine marble and using it instead of a vigorous hammer, began +to diligently knock it as hard as possible against the long handle +of the kindjall. The opening evidently made considerable progress. + +In the meantime, through the little opening which had been made in +the pedestal, there slipped out a lizard, after it a snake, then a +flying mouse and finally a little devil. Coming out of their wonderful +ambuscade, they were all of exceedingly small proportions, but these +proportions grew larger and larger every minute. The lizard seemed to +possess a perfectly formless human face, the snake had wings grown +on to its body, the mouse seemed to have the head of an owl with +a tremendous beak and fiery sparkling eyes. The little devil, far +smaller in size than the rest, cleverly jumped at the mass of marble +which was nearest to Aderke and by a well known signal ordered them +to begin the furious attack. First the lizard moved and trumpeted +with some kind of an awful, not human voice. + +"Let thou go my prisoner, insolent adventurer, or else we shall +jointly cut thee up in pieces!" + +Aderke, astonished by such reasoning, turned around. The unusually +enormous lizard stood on its hind legs and seemed to be all prepared to +attack and swallow him up. The flying mouse made a noise and waved with +her big wings, howling out some terrific metallic sound; the snake +stretched out and slipped up to him with perfectly awful hissing, +while the beastly little devil joked and insulted him above his head +and filled the air with unbearable, bad odors. Aderke, seeing what was +coming, bravely pulled out the sword and daringly struck at the snake, +who was just making ready to spring at and wind itself around his feet. + +The excellent sword cut it right through, but unfortunately without +doing it the very least harm. It quickly set to gathering together its +fearful rings and went back to the idol. Aderke energetically rushed +after it and fainted from terror. From the pedestal sprang out one +after another innumerable and varied poisonous monsters, one more +terrific--yes, fearful, than the next. Then there were also people +with snakes' heads and snakes with birds' wings and birds with fishes' +tails and fishes with heads of living people. All these awful monsters +hastened to abandon their ambuscade, crowded and pushed each other, +slipped over each other, quarrelled in a most undignified manner, +bit each other, struck and scolded each other; here one monster was +hissing, there a second one was making a violent speech, a third one +let out from his mouth such a horribly disturbing whistle that the +cold ran over one's whole body. In the midst of this tremendous row a +human cry of distress reached Aderke; he turned around. The lizard was +doing his best to widen out the opening which he had forced through, +while the snake with an evil meaning and aggressive hissing hastened +to occupy each newly opened little crack. Aderke wanted to run and +help the poor, poor woman-prisoner, but the flying mouse threw itself +towards the entrance and having spread out its wings guarded with +its own body its outrageous comrades. In the meantime the remaining +monsters seized Aderke by the legs and would not allow him to budge +a step from the place where he stood. Thereupon he bravely drew out +his pistol and with a sharp and rare shot smashed to pieces the salt +block. At this moment the monsters unanimously took hold of him and +he of course lost consciousness, so that he did not see how out of +the blazing brilliant niche formed by his pistol shot, a splendid +young woman rushed forth to meet him. + +Before her the monsters reverently stepped aside. "Away with you!" she +cried out in a most commanding voice. "Take him up cautiously and carry +him after me," pointing to Aderke, she ordered some strange bear with +birds' legs and with a crane's beak to carry out her commands. The +monster instantly submitted to the explicit instructions and, +continuing to respectfully follow her imperious commands, he went in +with his burden, up the steps of the pedestal to the very idol and +placed Aderke at its feet. "Now," said the young woman, "your power +over me has ended, having got back all my former freedom, I have +also regained all my past influence and power. Tram, tram----tara, +all to your respective places!" she continued in a most decisive +tone, and the horrible monsters one after another rushed back to +the high pedestal. When they had taken up their proper positions, +she bent down and raised the piece of marble thrown away by Aderke +and cleverly----yes, powerfully, barred the entrance. After that she +again went up to the idol, fell down on her knees and said: "Great +Zaden! Here you have a gift fully worthy of you as a grateful reward +for my happy deliverance. If it pleases your serene majesty that I +should not go away from this, thine abandoned temple, trying with +all my energy to be equal to the task of replacing your former most +numerous servants, so for my sake give me back this dead man, call +him back to life, start up in his heart a sincere attachment to me and +we shall both be your constant, loyal and ever watchful servants. The +heavy stone eyelids of the idol opened themselves, its eyes sparkled, +and from this momentary sparkling Aderke instantly came back to life +and was able to stand on his feet. At the same time the idol with a +terrific crash and shaking fell to pieces and disappeared in the dust. + +"Who art thou--magnificent creature?" was his first question. + +"Let us go into my transparent dwelling place," she replied, "I shall +place thee on my exquisite crystal sofa and quietly entertain thee +with my interesting stories and dear caresses." + +They jointly went into the niche. Through the sweet little opening +a small, small ray of light streamed in and perfectly marvellously +played upon a smooth, salty ceiling, showering down millions of +beautiful sparks and blazing with all the colors of the rainbow. The +beauty sat down, put Aderke's head on her lovely knees and while he +was endeavoring to fall asleep, she told him her whole history. + +"I am the daughter of the Moon and of Zaden, they call me Aipina. My +father actually decided that I should appear to the glance of people +only to prophesy some peaceful event, the rest of the time I am +ordered to remain secretly hidden in the grim walls of his temple, +which at that time was a place of general worship and sacrifice. The +people used to crowd about here from morning till night with very +rich offerings. Numerous sacrificers burnt their offerings, while +their female companions in long white garments sitting on golden +seats prophesied the future. But notwithstanding all this excitement +it was stupid for me, and one fine night, when my mother had covered +everything with her soft, magic, fairy-like light, I wilfully managed +to get out of the temple and flew into the sky, blazing with my highly +brilliant tail. Mother became frightened by my daring to commit such +an act and hastened to hide herself. Then I alone began to gayly run +up and down on the horizon, busily chasing the many stars and pushing +them on with my tail. Among the heavenly lighters a most astounding +and terrific plot came up and they hurried to get me out of the way +as quickly as possible, and my father angrily informed me that my +perfectly crazy undertaking had made him fail. + +"It came to pass just so, for on that day a poor, poor monk arrived +and settled on the mountain. Zaden of course ordered the monsters to +instantly chase him out of the dwelling which he had chosen, but the +hermit by some marvellous sign of his hand deprived them entirely of +any strength. Many pilgrims, who had arrived from afar with offerings +to pay their sincere respects to Zaden, upon seeing the newcomer on +a height, peacefully sitting between wild snakes, naturally went up +to him in a wide circle and spared no time or strength in order to +satisfy his intense curiosity. He, however, took full advantage of +this to make them give up the faith of their forefathers and instruct +them in some religion, the chief peculiarity of which was hatred of +our old, old gods. + +"In the end the unceasing attacks of the monsters began to bore the +monk: he therefore gathered all his hearers and together with them +strongly barred the grand entrance of the temple and quietly left the +place. Through inexperience I had at first wickedly laughed at his +great efforts: what use was it when Zaden, at his own will guiding +and directing thunder and lightning, used to smash their edifices to +pieces in no time at all, while the old man in going away touched the +hard stones with the same marvellous movement of the hand which had +destroyed the power and strength of the monsters, and Zaden immediately +felt that his godly qualities and peculiarities began to abandon him +forever. As a punishment for my most stupid volunteering, he deprived +me of the shining form of a comet and transformed me into a woman, whom +he commanded to guard the poisonous monsters. They hastened to fix me +in this salt wall, but Zaden, who grew weaker every minute, in a last, +but tremendous, outbreak of wrath worked out the following decision: + +"'Thou wilt be entirely in the power of these awful monsters until +thou art able to find a mortal man who delivereth thee, and then they +will again fully obey thee!' This was the last sign, not only of his +power, but also of the life of my father; ever since then he turned +himself into a breathless idol and sat immovably on his marble throne +for several centuries. Through the holes of the fallen house of public +worship the water flowed unto his most royal crown and meanly washed +away from it the highly precious ornaments. Lizards climbed over +his face, the flying mice quite fearlessly sat down on his powerful +shoulders and hands, the snakes wound around his legs! He remained +insensible to everything and not strong enough to protect and defend +himself. I must say I had an awfully stupid, dull time. Days, months, +years, even centuries went by and actually nobody appeared. I had +already quite given up all hope when kind fate led thee hither. Now +we must absolutely find means to get out of this place. I for my part +know that from this temple there leads a subterranean passage to the +numerous catacombs with which this mountain is overfilled and from +them we can go wherever it pleases us." + +"But who will show us this passage?" asked Aderke. + +"I have a good friend among the monsters; it is the bear with the +crane's nose. During all the long and dreary years of my unjust +confinement he daily nourished me. With his long, long beak he managed +to make a little opening in my dark dwelling, looked for and gathered +the hives of wild bees, who had taken refuge in the holes around here, +and fed me with their honey. He was at first a man of the same faith +as our enemy the hermit and chanced to be banished hither for having +ridiculed some servant of his God." + +At these words Aipina struck the palm of her hand; the bear took away +a stone and climbed out; then she informed him of the object of the +whole undertaking and he, having warned them that the way would be long +and exceedingly tiresome, hastily entered their cave and attentively +and vigorously began to try with his beak where the mass of salt was +thinnest. When, however, such a place had been successfully found, +he and Aderke pushed against it with their whole weight and after +long and repeated attempts they pierced a rather small hole, through +which it was very evident that they should have to go. + +First the bear slipped through, after him Aipina and Aderke. The +passage was cut out in the rocky part of the mountain and was so close +and small that it was necessary to go one behind the other and to +stoop over. Having advanced a little farther they joyfully came out +on a small square with a much higher cupola-like ceiling. Through a +little crack a dim ray of light was seen. They sat down to rest and +having looked about somewhat they came to notice something gleaming, +yes, burning like gold. This turned out to be a fine glass vessel with +four pretty handles. It was of gold color with thin white patterns +and filled to overflowing with ancient Greek silver coins. + +"The first thing found is naturally due to thee," said Aipina in a +very gracious tone. And the bear having taken up the vessel on his +long thin beak again set forth on his journey. It was necessary to +follow on by just so narrow and low a passage--only fully twice as +long--as the first. It led them into a large round cave, which was +exceedingly high. At the very top there was a rather large opening, +through which the light could easily penetrate. At the side of one +wall stood a wooden grave without a roof, and in front of it an +old, old candlestick of red clay. To the tremendous surprise of our +travellers, the whole room was illuminated by the fine blue flame of +a very rare wick. They went nearer and saw that in the tomb there +lay a hermit, very likely a saint, because his body was splendidly +preserved. "Let us take a rest," said the exhausted Aipina, sitting +down on the floor. The bear slowly lowered his vessel to her feet, +but Aderke did not let his eyes lose sight of the deceased, as though +he was trying hard to remember some familiar features, and suddenly +he succeeded in his mental researches and with awful screeching and +jumping threw himself on the bare floor in front of the grave. + +"Forgive me, oh, Holy God," he cried out, "forgive me that severe +insult which I inflicted upon thee in my state of craziness and +for which I have been so cruelly punished." And with most sincere +and hearty repenting he prayed to God and the Saint to pardon his +terrible sin. Aipina heard him with eyes and mouth wide open, but +on her the words of Aderke produced quite a different impression. He +understood how fearfully he had offended God and his proud heart was +filled with perfect remorse. + +He fell down on his knees by the side of the monster and wept +bitterly and long over his wicked actions and earnestly implored to +be pardoned. The all-merciful God accepted the tears of both great +sinners and sent them a deliverance which was quite as marvellous as +the punishment. An unusual light was shining into the cave and in a +second blinded the praying men; when, however, they again began to +be able to distinguish the different things, Aipina was no longer +to be seen, but on the spot where she stood there shone a blindingly +magnificent comet. + +Aderke glanced at the bear--he had been transformed into a very +handsome youth, in his hands, under the rays of the comet, burned +and played with various colored fires the remarkable, ancient glass +vessel. In an instant the comet began gradually to draw nearer to the +opening in the vaulted ceiling. The gleaming windings of her long, +long tail safely guided both the astonished persons and attracted them +after her. Soon they had successfully completed the march through the +long and narrow entrance road of the cave and began to rise higher +and higher until they had triumphantly reached the summit of the +mountain. Then the comet let herself down to the doors of that same +temple, in which Aderke had so terribly misbehaved on his arrival in +the said region. Aipina was again transformed into a simple woman and +began to request Aderke that he should make her a slave and servant of +the omnipotent God who had accomplished such great deeds of creation. + +In the meantime the sunrise service was just beginning and the +monks began to come out of their cells to celebrate their morning +devotions. The first stroke of the bell was then heard. Aderke and his +faithful companion took off their caps and reverently made the sign of +the cross. In this minute to them came up the monk who usually stood +at the tomb of the Saint, when poor Salougvari had taken speedy refuge +near it. He found out Aderke and furiously looked at him. But the +most humble and submissive speech of the really repenting man quickly +quieted his anxious feelings. Aipina was converted and really and truly +became the wife of Aderke, while his comrade in the hour of trial, +who had made use of his fortune in order to buy up a very extensive +vineyard near the poor saklia (hut) of Salougvari, happily married +her and took over into his house her widowed mother. All three lived +long and happily and very frequently visited Aderke and Aipina, who +were by no means behind them in sincerity of love and perfect harmony. + + + + + + + +X. THE JEWEL NECKLACE + + +It was the twenty-second of December, the day of our holy +"Fate-decider" Anne. In a poor saklia (native hut) not far from +the road leading into town there sat a very young, beautiful girl, +surrounded by a number of children. She was bitterly crying. On +this day the father of this unhappy family died in jail; and that +same terrible day, when he was taken away from his home and locked +up against his will, the poor mother breathed her last breath. For +what reason they had imprisoned him, the children did not know. They +tenderly loved their father and in their true childish imagination +it seemed to them as though he could not be wrong in any department +of life whatever. The last time that they had seen him, he informed +them that people would come and punish him even before the fete, and +so they diligently prayed for his deliverance and salvation to the +holy martyr Anastasia--and, behold! on the day of her celebration, +she cut the cords and bands which prevented him from enjoying the +blessings of home life and delivered him forever from prison as well +as from the terrible punishment. + +"Zenobi!" remarked one of the children, "I want to eat." "Sit ye +all down," replied the young girl, rising and drying her mournful +tears. She covered the table with a simple blue cloth with white +flowers and placed on it a star-formed vessel, on which a whole +mountain of rice was seen. + +"Pray ye first and then eat to your hearts' content," she said. + +"But thou, darling, wilt thou not join our company?" asked the +older boy. + +"I will eat afterwards; just now I have no time, but I will readily +eat up all you leave!" + +Zenobi forced herself to smile although tears were really choking +her; this was all the food which remained in their house, they had +no money whatever--how and with what were the children to be fed +the next day? That was the question which constantly came into her +mind and kept her from being quiet. Wishing to conceal her worry, +she went out--but her brother took advantage of her absence in order +to somewhat restrain the appetite of the children. + +"Leave something for Zenobi," said he, "for I believe she has eaten +nothing since morning; all the bread which was left she divided among +us without keeping a single piece for herself." + +Noticing also that the quantity of rice was constantly diminishing, +he assumed a more decided tone: + +"Enough!" he suddenly broke out, rising from his chair. "Pray ye to +God and go out to play in the street, the sun is shining in all its +wonderful glory--lose no time while it is warm and comfortable!" and +taking the smallest of the children by the hand, he read aloud the +after-dinner prayer and went out. + +"Zenobi!" he cried, coming out, "we have all finished." The young girl +entered the room, hastily crossed herself and with anxiety sat down +and began to eat the rice, but she had not succeeded in swallowing the +first morsel, when the door of the saklia opened itself and a poor, +poor hermit came in. + +"In the name of the Infant Jesus let me get rested, refresh myself +and have something to eat!" said he. Zenobi immediately rose; hunger +was torturing her, but she did not hesitate for a moment to offer +him her forlorn repast. + +"Yes, may God be blessed, who hath sent a guest even to our poor +saklia for such a great celebration!" she answered; "eat--while I +prepare thee a comfortable bed," and having done everything to make +the foreign traveller feel as much at home as possible, she went out +into the street, in order to keep the children quiet during the sleep +of the wise old man. + +After two hours he came out, sat down along by the saklia on a huge +stone which took the place of a bench, and pleasantly called the +children. His touching, caressing voice and his great good eyes +instantly won him forever the sincere love of the dear children, +they gayly ran up to him, while he pulled a small apple from his +pocket and a Sitzevian handkerchief. + +"If you bring me four quills from this fine thorn-bush," said he, +pointing to a very large bush growing within a few steps from the +saklia, "I will arrange a very nice and amusing toy for you." + +Within a minute the children stood again before him--this time their +hands full of quills. The hermit thereupon took up four of them and +fastened with their help the corners of the large handkerchief to +the apple--afterwards wound a handkerchief around the whole concern +and threw it so high into the air that it really looked like an +insignificant little dark point. The children in amazement did not +lose sight of this point and soon beheld a small balloon lowering +itself in their direction; the air filled out the handkerchief, +giving it thus the look of a small air balloon, which, gracefully +flying between earth and sky, gradually descended to their poor +home. There was no end to the children's delight, each one of them +wished to toss the dear toy higher than the first. + +While they were going through various exercises, running and making +a lot of noise, Zenobi sat down at the side of her delightful guest +and began to ask him from what place he came. + +"I, my child, come from the capital," he said; "to-day there is an +unusual commotion over there. The heralds proclaimed on all the city +squares that the sovereign would spare no reward to him who would +bring the best imaginable necklace into the palace and that by the +Fete of Circumcision of the Lord. + +"In the nation a report is being spread that the only daughter of the +widower-Tsar took some kind of a most terrible disease which not even +the most experienced or energetic doctor is able to define or heal +in any way. Something extraordinary, unseen, unheard of! Heavy bands +were tying down the young Tsarevna by the hands and legs and deprived +her of free movements, so that she actually resembled a corpse much +more than a live being. + +"In this night she had had a very remarkable dream--as though some +powerful voice had promised her to cut the bands which kept her down, +upon the Day of the Circumcision of the Lord, if by that day she had +succeeded in finding a necklace for her magnificent neck which by +its splendor exceeded all ornaments of the kind until then known." + +Saying this, the old man rose. "I should like to reach that house +to-day," he said, "it is high time to set forth for the journey; +but how can I express my gratitude to thee, my dear child, for thy +wonderful hospitality? + +"Well, do not despise these lavashees (little breads), and may the +Lord increase every kind of food in your most hospitable house." + +"Amen," said Zenobi with all her heart, taking up the lavashees and +looking back at the departing hermit. A little later she began to +assemble the children around the house. + +"Thanks to our guest you will have very dainty lavashees for supper +this evening," she said to them, entering the saklia. + +But what must have been her complete surprise when she saw her +star-formed vessel standing on the table and filled to overflowing +with rice. There was so little of it left when she had offered her +dinner to the stranger; where then had this veritable mountain of +rice come from? She stared at her older brother and their astonished +eyes soon met each other. + +"Isn't all this wonderful! How quickly the saintly blessing of the +wise hermit was fulfilled," said he, and, falling down on their knees, +the whole family began to pray most ardently and afterwards joyfully +sat down to their well deserved and this time plentiful supper. In +front of each child lay a fresh lavash (roll), on which Zenobi had +thoughtfully piled up a large amount of rice. Having eaten the rice, +each one ate a lavash too and all were perfectly satisfied, but there +yet remained some rice and lavashees. Zenobi gathered the remains and +the next morning the dish was again as full as ever and there were +enough lavashees for all. Thus the wonder repeated itself for eight +days in succession, but on the Eve of the Circumcision of the Lord, +the dish looked just the way it did when they took it off the table, +neither rice nor lavashees had increased. Zenobi decided to lay up +what was left for dinner and let the children go to walk without a +breakfast. In order to induce them not to think of melancholy events, +she wisely reminded them of the excellent toy which the dear old +traveller had left with them. They immediately ran off to find the +handkerchief and indeed had a very hard time; in the end Zenobi +herself started out for the search and managed to find it in some +remote, dark corner. + +It was filled with something heavy and she naturally imagined that +it must be rice. Delighted by this thought, she quickly placed the +handkerchief on the table and untied it; inside of it there was a +magnificent, blindingly beautiful jewel necklace! The children stood +around in a circle, their little mouths opened as wide as possible. + +"Let us run this minute to the town," exclaimed the older boy, "I say, +let us run, Zenobi, dear, we will still succeed to get the necklace +to the palace before midnight!" And taking each other's hand, brother +and sister ran on the road with what they had found by accident. The +town was not very far; by noon they were already on the palace square, +in the very centre of which a long, long table was erected. + +On it they opened and inspected the necklaces which various people +brought and the Royal officials carefully put down in a large book +the names of the strangers interested. These were extremely numerous +and our poor little acquaintances hardly had the patience to wait for +their turn to come. The official unbelievingly looked at their humble +attire and the poor, insignificant handkerchief. Having placed the +object on the table, he nevertheless untied the handkerchief. + +A cry of complete astonishment rang out from the mouths of all those +present, and before the poor orphans had time to think the matter over, +they were already standing in the bedroom of the suffering Tsarevna +and saw how the Tsar, her father, with a trembling hand placed the +necklace on his invalid daughter's neck. Then turning to them, he +naturally asked who they were and where under the sky they had found +such an unheard of and extraordinary treasure. + +Zenobi with true childlike straightforwardness related all that +had taken place to the Tsar, who patiently listened to her simple, +yet most pathetic speech, in which one could clearly make out her +warmest faith in God and her thankfulness and gratitude to the holy +martyr Anastasia; he actually felt very much moved and sweet tears +were to be seen in his great eyes. + +"Take my guests," he said to those near him, pointing to Zenobi and +her brother, "feed them, let them drink and appease their aroused +feeling and great anxiety, but when they are rested, clothe them in +the finest costumes and bring them hither." + +Then he ordered his aides-de-camp to bring the image of the all-holy +Fate-decider and having placed it on the pillow of the little +princess, he gave orders that the prayers for her speedy recovery +and convalescence should begin. + +By order of the King, the doors of the palace were solemnly thrown +open and all who desired to pray were allowed to enter the enormous +precincts of the bedroom. The number of those praying increased hourly; +not long before midnight the chamberlains and ladies of honor of His +Majesty the King conducted our dear little acquaintances, attired +in gorgeous costumes, which gave still greater charm and beauty to +their natural handsomeness and grace. The grieved Tsar made a sign, +indicating his wish that they should stand in a line with him; +all eyes were fixed on Zenobi, who, not noticing anything special, +quietly fell down on her knees and instantly began to pray with all +her heart and soul. + +Exactly at midnight the Tsarevna raised her head and happily looked at +the loyal people who had been praying for her; then made the holy sign +of the cross--then actually sat up in bed! The King rushed towards +her and took her up in his arms. The child put her arms around her +father's neck and sweet, sweet tears flowed out of the eyes of both, +and how open-heartedly and sincerely they sang, together with the +people present, a true song of praise to the holy martyr Anastasia! At +the end of the prayer, the Tsar led the Tsarevna to Zenobi and said: + +"After God and His holy servant thou must certainly thank her, +whom He chose to be the instrument of thy precious recovery, yes, +may she take the place of thine all-beloved late mother!" + +All present naturally hastened to bring their loyal and dutiful +congratulations to the Tsar and his bride, but the little Tsarevna +quite overwhelmed Zenobi with caresses and kisses. + +Immediately some noblemen were sent after her brothers and sisters, +who from that time onwards lived at the palace and were educated +together with the dear little princess. + +Zenobi, however, having become Queen never forgot the poor, the +religious and the queer, and the Lord blessed her with the birth of +a son, who immediately became heir-presumptive to the throne. The +reign of her husband was most peaceful and happy, and having lived +to an advanced age in model mutual accord, the reigning sovereigns +died both on the same day, reminding their son never to forget the +Only Real and True Faith, the Faith of Our Lord Jesus Christ. + + + + + + + +XI. SAINT MOURVANOSS + +A STORY + + +Mourvanoss was the first saint in our highly honorable royal family, +later on so abundant in holy martyrs, preachers and leaders. In the +year three hundred and ninety-three A.D. the Georgian King Varaz +(ovenne)-Bakarr was favored with the birth of a son Mourvanoss, +the birth of whom had been predicted to his mother by angels. This +mother was namely the grand-daughter of Revv, the son of Mirian +and daughter of Trdat, that is to say third cousin of her husband +the Tsar Varaze-Bakarr, the grandson of Bakarr the First and son to +Mirdat the Third. Bakarr the First loved very much his dear nephews, +especially the younger of them, Bakourious. The son of Bakarr the +First, Mirdat was almost the same age as Trdat and the cousins +frequently passed the time together, their children grew up under +the shelter of this friendship and did not notice how their childish +friendship went over into love. Although the parents had absolutely +nothing against the marriage, yet the youthful Tsarevna was always +tormented by the thought that they were not acting in accordance +with the holy laws of the church, which strictly forbade marriage +between two third cousins. Most honorable, good, simple, merciful, +helping everybody in case of need or unhappiness, she as Tsaritsa +still went on tormenting herself with the acknowledgment of her sin +and, see! the Lord really wished to quiet and comfort her and as a +sign of forgiveness sent angels, who announced to her that He blessed +her marriage by the birth of a saintly baby. + +While still at his mother's breast, Mourvanoss regularly observed the +fasts, refusing to suck the breast on Wednesdays and Fridays. Hardly +had he learned to talk when he earnestly began to commit to memory what +he had heard in the church and gradually as he grew older instructed +himself always more and more in the holy scriptures. + +When Varaze-Bakarr died, Mourvanoss and his brothers and sisters +were children, and as guardian over them they chose the uncle Trdat, +having also handed over to his administration the kingdom until the +coming of age of the children of Varaze-Bakarr and his daughter, who +had already died, while, however, the younger son of Varaze-Bakarr, +Faremanne, from his second wife, was being educated at the home of +the kristav of Sammeshvillde. Notwithstanding his very advanced age +Trdat reigned most wisely; he was a thoroughly God-fearing, sensible +and cautious man. Thanks to his extreme wisdom the Persians were +completely conquered, the righteous state of affairs again introduced +into the country and many churches restored and newly erected. + +Under him died the well-known Bishop Yovv and was superseded by +Tlia. Although he of course paid tribute to the Persians, yet +he understood how to get back from them Rousstave where he then +triumphantly built a church. He also finely restored Nekreziy. + +Mourvanoss was already fifteen years old, when the Greek Emperor, +Theodosius the Younger, came upon the throne and the relations between +Greece and Persia became worse and worse. + +The new Emperor fearing that other nations might unite and make common +cause with his enemies, offered Trdat an alliance, to assure which he +demanded some one of the children of Varaze-Bakarr as hostage. Good +Trdat, who equally loved all his grandsons, was in the greatest +confusion, while reflecting whom he should select, when to him appeared +Mourvanoss and energetically announced that he was going to Greece, +where he had long desired to be, as it was the centre and capital of +the whole Christian world, and with general consent and approbation he +started off for Constantinople. There he devoted himself to fasting, +praying and preaching, rebuking the tremendous worldly splendor with +which the Emperor constantly surrounded him. + +To drown unnecessary gossip he clothed himself in a vlassianitsa of +most ordinary goat wool. To the general astonishment of the people he +soon acquired a complete and perfect knowledge of the Greek and Syrian +languages and ardently studied philosophy. The Lord now rewarded him +with the exceptional gift of being capable of healing the sick. Thanks +to his petition the remains of the martyrs, who had suffered torment +and death in Persia, were safely transported into old Georgia. Once +upon a time, on the eve of the Most Holy Baptism of the Lord, intending +to pass the whole night in devotion and prayer, Mourvanoss ordered +his servant to bring him some butter for the little lamp. + +But he brusquely answered him: "Thou art a royal son and, instead of +reigning as it becomes one of thy rank, thou livest as a monk without +eating a morsel from one Sunday to another," and he did not go for +the desired butter. But the Tsarevitch filled the little lamp with +water instead of butter, and, lighting it, accomplished with this +marvellous light his holy, holy prayers. Seven whole days and nights +the wonderful light did not once go out, and during that period our +Lord Jesus Christ appeared to the Saint to invisibly accompany and +protect him everywhere. With the help and favor of God the Tsarevitch +carried out many wonders, healing the sick with the water of his +little lamp. The Emperor namely had a eunuch who used to like to come +and pray together with the Saint. + +The Tsarevitch thought of leaving the Imperial Court accompanied by +the eunuch, but Theodosius, having heard of the plan, sent a guard +to watch them. Nevertheless through the almighty mercy of God they +succeeded in avoiding being closely observed by them and during the +night ran away. An all-shining holy pillar went in front of them, +guiding them and illuminating their road. + +Upon the appearance of the pillar the following words were heard +coming out of it: "He who doth follow me will never fall into the +region of darkness and unbelief!" + +Finding a respectable vessel, they after a few days arrived in a port +then unknown to them, where they were immediately locked up in the +local prison. But that same night a terrific earthquake with perfectly +awful noise took place there and many, many people perished through +it. To the commandant of the city appeared a perfectly unknown man, +the very voice of whom reminded one of tremendous rolls of thunder. + +"Deliver thou this minute the true servants of God!" he called out, +"otherwise this wicked town will be turned to ashes." + +The frightened official immediately had the prisoners led out and +freed and they started off for Jerusalem, where at that time there +lived the runaway from Rome captive, Tsar Pipinoss, with his wife +Malienoss. They were very religiously inclined, had entirely given +up all worldly habits and pretensions, became monks and lived at +Jerusalem in two different monasteries, which they themselves had +erected. They caressingly received the newcomers. Having rested a +little, the saints went to the tomb of the Lord, where they also +became monks. Mourvanoss was named Peter and the eunuch John. + +Who can possibly describe their charitable deeds! They shone like +illuminators, instructing and converting all and everything simply +by the splendid example of their own lives! They constructed two +monasteries and connected with these a house of refuge of strangers +for Georgians and Greeks, where the Tsarevitch humbly waited upon +travellers, and while occupied with such actions he reached his +twenty-fifth year. This monastery was named after the most Holy +Virgin. At this time the devil suddenly pounced down upon him in the +disguise of a stranger and began to argue with and insult the Saint +for having renounced all his rights to the crown and for having humbly +served his own servants, but the righteous hermit Peter soon found +out with whom he had to do and angrily chased him out of the hospice +of strangers. Then our Lord Jesus Christ for a second time appeared +to him and drew his attention towards the sky, where the Saint now +beheld a temple, in which fully fifty tsars of indescribable beauty +were singing hymns unto God and glorifying His Holy Name. In the +number of these select Christian worshippers the Lord also promised +to add the Tsarevitch Mourvanoss. + +He was sixty-five years old when the patriarch of Jerusalem, +Anastasius, made him a full priest. He went off into a desert, where +on the banks of the Jordan he founded yet another monastery. + +John accompanied him everywhere. Here he successfully healed a man +possessed with the devil, and delivered John from a tumor which +had formed itself on his face and threatened to deprive him of his +sight. When, however, John once more fell ill and suffered from some +deadly disease, the Saint implored that his life might be prolonged +for still twelve years. + +He then visited and inspected all the Egyptian and Skithian +monasteries and returned to his own monastery with a hospice for +travelling strangers. At the time of hunger, he by the strength of +his righteous prayers filled the monastery dwellings with bread and +berries and the cellars with butter and wine. + +In that year good John peacefully died and he was solemnly interred in +the monastery of the most Holy Virgin, which is to this day known under +the designation of "the monastery of the Georgians." Soon afterwards +the Bishop of Mayum died and the inhabitants having called together +a meeting, unanimously chose Peter the Georgian to be bishop in the +place of the deceased, and the patriarch fully approved their choice, +but the most humble Peter, not knowing how to avoid such a high honor, +thought of throwing himself down from an elevated spot in order +to break either a hand or a leg and so appear disqualified for the +election unless he should possibly succeed in hiding himself by flight. + +Then the Lord appeared to him a third time with a quantity of angels +and ordered him to accept the bishopric. Many a time the good and +God-fearing people in Mayrounne heard the voice, which before had +announced various news to the Saint. At the time of a great dryness the +holy prayers of the Bishop brought down innumerable wonders. Fruitless +parents were comforted by the birth of children; the sick were healed +and recuperated, fruitless trees were instantly covered with fruit; +fishermen who until then had always been unsuccessful in their +attempts, now pulled out of the water laden nets. The Lord besides +all this favored him with the exalted gift of becoming a prophet and +enabled him thus to see the saintly souls in Heaven. Bishop Peter was +already eighty-one years old, when the all-holy fathers Tsaya and +Zenomme died and the ever-fortunate Bishop saw their sacred souls +rising to Heaven. The all-reverent Peter had been obliged to stand +much in the course of his life from the monophysites, through whose sly +proceedings he was for a short time deprived of his righteous pulpit, +to the great grief of the true believers. Emperor Leo Frakiisky had +hardly ascended the throne, when he hastened to restore the Mayioun +bishop in his rightful position. But he did not long keep his throne, +for he soon felt the approach of his death and announced these solemn +news to all those who belonged to his parish. + +At that time Father Athanasius was favored with a superb vision: the +saints were praying to the Lord that he should order them to bring +up to their heavenly abode the all-holy bishop Peter, who had done so +exceedingly much in converting thousands and thousands of unbelievers +to the one True and Holy Faith! + +Within ten days the wish of the saints was carried out. The Saint +passed these ten days in constant prayer, on the tenth day he conducted +a communion service, communed himself and also many true followers, +blessed the enthusiastic crowd and having tenderly parted with all +his dear folks he returned to his cell, where he serenely died and +was borne to Heaven by the mercy of the Almighty God on the second +day of December. + +Many righteous and holy followers saw his soul carried by saints +preceded by the holy martyr Peter of Alexandria, and heard their +praises and songs of "Glory to God." Many till then incurable were +healed simply by being brought up to and placed against his holy +body. The holy Roman Pope Gregory Diologue dedicated a magnificent +funeral oration to his precious memory in his all-famous book. + + + + + + + +XII. ZESVA + + +Two horsemen were giving chase to some wild goats. Quickly did their +most daring horses run, but still faster did the light little goats +save themselves by flight, jumping across narrow gorges with one bound, +springing on small plateaus, and in a word as though favored with +having wings they seemed to fly through bushes and low shrubs. Now, +however, they made for a very high mountain covered with bushes and +forests and rapidly found their way among green branches and blooming +trees, ascending higher and higher. The pace of the pursuit of the +horsemen considerably slowed down as the various plants were every +now and then the cause of unexpected delays, while their victims, +the goats, were able to catch breath between each long jump and thus +got on rather well and without much difficulty. + +The comparatively large horses were of course forced to go out of +their way in order to avoid knocking up against trees, which barred +the trail, and even where the grass had been smoothed out the animals +went rather quietly and the energetic horsemen saw themselves more +than once obliged to cut and bend down massive branches which formed +the chief impediment in the whole undertaking. When after long and +renewed attempts they safely reached the summit of the mountain, the +goats had completely disappeared, and looking in various directions +in order to discover the hiding place of the fugitives, the plucky +horsemen cast their glances at that part of the mountain at the foot +of which spread itself out like a fairyland the perfectly magnificent +valley of Alazana. And how beautiful she looked on this rare sunny day, +all shining with soft sweet rays, separated from each other by a large +number of various colored shades, one more perfect and exquisite than +the other. + +Now she would seem to take a bath in some pale, rosy waves, produced +by an unknown marvellous battery of light, then again she so dazzled +in precious gold and finally blazed with emeralds and the branches of +its quite innumerable vineyards. There was also the sea of clusters, +which could be distinguished through its little fruit garden, and +like gigantic flower bushes they concentrated in themselves an amazing +variety of flowers from the very most conspicuous to the darkest and +palest. In astonishment did the hunters stop. Till then none of the +Toushines had known about the existence of the highly blessed and +favored Kakhitia. Being illuminated and showing all of her blinding +beauty, she indeed seemed to them a perfect paradise and attracted +forever their exultant glances. And the hunt and goats and everything +else was forgotten. They stood there in perfect adoration of this +unusual perfection of beauty and being unable to resist any longer +the force which drew them nearer and nearer to the happy land, they +descended into the gorge of Pankisse. On the River Bazzarisse-Tskali +they chanced to come upon a detachment of Tartar frontier guards, +who immediately surrounded the newcomers, and having dealt with them +in the most insulting and truly shameful manner, again chased them +into the mountains from which they had come. Arriving at home, the +indignant Toushines made a halt near that river, where the nation +usually assembled when it was necessary to decide some important +affairs. Here did they also announce the facts of their perilous +adventure and demand a revenge. Soon by the summons of the Elder +there came together not only the Toushines, but also the Pchaves and +Khevsourians, called in to give their advice. + +They all unanimously decided to take terrible revenge for the insult +inflicted on their countrymen. The Pchaves and Khevsourians promised +their assistance and with general consent the whole army was divided +into two parts. One division was to conceal itself in the gorge of +Pankisse, while the other should direct itself towards the Baktrionan +fortress, which was situated to the east of Alazana and was in those +remote times considered a very powerful fortification. Nowadays we can +judge of it only by its ruins, which, however, all testify its past +grandeur and mightiness. It was impossible to cross the river otherwise +than over the bridge, which the sly Tartars covered with ashes in order +to always find out the exact number and direction of new arrivals. But +this ingenious slyness was not long hidden from the searching eye +of Zesva, the valiant leader of the detachment. He ordered to stop +the horses near the outer gates and, riding at full speed across the +bridge, he succeeded in hiding himself in a valley before the Tartars +found time to appear. The latter, guiding themselves by the direction +of the traces, started in pursuit of their antagonists, but with every +step getting farther and farther away from those to capture which was +their intense desire. In the meantime the night came on and, profiting +by the darkness, the Toushines reached the foot of the very fortress +without being noticed by anyone. Having ordered his warriors to rest, +Zesva, without breaking the silence, took up a hammer, covered it +with cow-hair felt, unloaded from his horse a very large maprasha +(i.e., a pair of sacks tied unto the steed) filled with strong iron +tusks and knocked the first great nail into the battlements of the +fortress, and standing upon it and reaching as high as possible he made +a second one stick, and thus he continued until he had made himself a +kind of ladder of iron hooks to the tip-top of the high rampart wall, +whence he jumped down and in a flash threw open the heavy gates. + +Like a rushing stream did the Toushines make their way into the +fortress, while the first rays of the rising sun were falling upon +the grim old fortifications. The Tartars, half asleep, ran out +into a field, but in vain for now they were met by the Pchaves and +Khevsoures, who had ventured out from the gorge of Pankisse. The +Tartars, surrounded on all sides, were exterminated to the last one +and the field of honor of Allavanne, on which the glorious fight had +taken place, was from now on known under the name of "Gatzvetila" +(from the word "gatsveta"--"they are killing"). + +The magnanimous and lion-hearted Zesva handed out all the rich booty +of this ever-memorable day to his faithful allies, i.e., the Pchaves +and Khevsoures, while Gatzvetila became the common property of all +Toushines. Nowadays this historic spot is known under the designation, +"Field of Allavanna." Some people pretend that this name comes from the +Georgian word "ali," i.e., "flame," as on this field, after the fire of +the battle, the Tartar blood went on smoking for a long time; others +say this name originates from the Kshtinskian words "al" = vladyka and +"va" = here. This latter supposition, it seems to me, must be nearer in +approaching the truth, as Allvani was one of the country palaces of +Tamara, the ruins of which were not kept, although traditions confirm +the existence of a palace on the above-mentioned field. + + + + + + + +XIII. THE TALE OF MIKHIAN + +A LEGEND + + +A wonderfully gorgeous reception was being prepared at the Turkish +Court. The Sultan had taken it into his head to brilliantly celebrate +and entertain the all-famous hero-prince Solagge, a Mikhian by descent, +who had just arrived in his domains. At the door the Vizir met the +guest with open arms and explained to him what a fortunate concurrence +of circumstances it had been that had granted Turkey the chance of +beholding him within their borders. Solagge wanted to reply, but the +Vizir, without listening to him, continued his pompous speech and +thus obliged his guest to hold his tongue. The Vizir had received +instructions from the Sultan to seek out means under pretense of +friendship and veneration in order to have the famous hero perish, +and so the sly Ottoman official proposed that he should fight a duel +with an Arab giant and boxer, promising in reward for victory the +position of a Pasha of Achaltsisk. Solagge refused the reward, not +wishing to abandon little Mikhia, to serve which he had devoted his +whole life, but the duel he accepted, and so the Vizir personally +brought him a rare and expensive horse with a golden saddle, gold +stirrups, etc., saying: "Here you have a steed worthy of a future +Pasha of Achaltsisk." On a Friday the whole town came together on a +well-known square. Proudly did the Arab rival parade on his foaming +horse. Solagge reverently bowed to him, but the former, instead of +replying, simply rushed at his antagonist with a hatchet in his hand. + +Notwithstanding the perfectly unexpected attack, Solagge all the same +succeeded in repelling him, but a second and even a third hatchet +came flying after the first. The clever Mikhian missed their aim and +without trouble succeeded in protecting himself against all of them and +was soon on the point of attacking his enemy. Like a regular tornado +he pounced down upon his rival and at full gallop let his own hatchet +fall on him. He cut the Arab through and through and threw him off his +horse to the ground. Wishing to speedily arouse the dissatisfaction +of the people, the moullahs (i.e., priests) surrounded the corpse, +read aloud the Khoran and filled the air with their hideous mournful +lamentations and cries. But the nation, greatly delighted over the +daring exploit of Solagge, remained perfectly insensible to their +never-ceasing weeping and howling. + +With great signs of distinction was Solagge conducted into the palace, +where the Sultan, after a most friendly and hearty reception and +pleasant congratulations, rewarded his excessive chivalry with gold +and precious stones and again offered him the position of a Pasha of +Achaltsisk, but Solagge refused even a second time. + +"Remember thy wonderful strength and the extraordinary mightiness +which thou wilt be able to dispose of!" said the Sultan. + +"O Sovereign!" replied the famous hero, "I sincerely thank thee for +the honor thou bestowest upon me and the extreme confidence which thou +hast in me, but know thou then that being inspired by the mercy of +God with that serene strength which hath drawn unto me thine elevated +attention, I nevertheless do not feel the least need in obtaining +any other power, whatever it may be, besides the one which gives me +the love of my fellow-citizens." + +And Solagge remained true to his word and passed his whole life +in poor Mikhia, protecting the slighted, punishing the lawless, and +never died, for even down to our days he lives with boundless glory in +national songs and legends, blessed and adored by every generation, +as a shining example of courage and uncorrupted and sincere love for +his native land. + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Caucasian Legends, by A. 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