Bearslayer Part 5

To follow her Bearslayer then was led, And full of purpose from the table rose.

But afterwards he crept back down below, Outside within the courtyard dark to wait, From whence his watching eyes could clearly show Who through the doorway pa.s.sed in darkness late.- At midnight hour the portal opened slow, And Spidala came out with silent gait.

Her body clad in clothing deepest black; Her feet with golden shoes were firmly bound; Her hair hung loosened free around her back; Her eyebrows arched, her gaze was to the ground.

Her eyes he saw, where burning did not lack, Her hand gripped tight a magic staff around.

A twisted log lay at the courtyard's rim, And Spidala climbed up upon it high.

She spoke a spell and three times struck the limb, Firm with her staff she smote its surface dry.

And, answering the hissing witch's whim, At once the log rose up into the sky.

Long stood Bearslayer at the courtyard's verge, For Spidala's return he looked in vain; To seek her out he felt a mighty urge, To see the Devil with the witch in train.

But such a task beyond his strength would surge, And so he went back to his room again.

By morning's light within the courtyard still, He saw the log back in its former place; And looking close he saw with firming will, Within the log an empty hollow s.p.a.ce, A s.p.a.ce a man could crawl in and not fill.- At once a purpose formed for him apace.

Next evening Spidala set off to bed.

Bearslayer swiftly hastened to his room; He put his cap of marten on his head, With sword in hand sought out the courtyard's gloom, And, watching out for Spidala's light tread, Concealed himself within the log's dark womb.

Again at midnight hour she left her cell, And in her garments black her body dressed.

Astride the log she spoke a magic spell, Struck with her staff, and then at her behest, The branch bore both to where he could not tell, Above Aizkraukle's forests on her quest.

Scene 4: In the Devil's Pit

The Devil digs the pit

At time's beginning, so is often told, To birds and beasts gave Perkons stern commands, To dig the Daugava, come from nature's fold, To gnaw, to scratch, to peck in toiling bands.

Alone the peac.o.c.k sat and did not work.- The Devil, pa.s.sing by, then asked the bird: "Where is the place the other creatures lurk?"

"They dig for Perkons," answer then he heard.

"But why," he asked, "do you not labour too?"

"To save my yellow feet," the peac.o.c.k said!

Then to the river bird and Devil flew, And dug a chasm in the torrent's bed, Which down into this pit poured straight away.- From fear all creatures lost the power of speech; They all commenced to run and jump and bray, And each one found a voice with which to screech.

The bears roared fierce, the wolves and dogs all howled, The pigs made grunts, the oxen lowed unmuted, The horses neighed, the strident cats all yowled, The blackbirds shrieked, the owls all harshly hooted.

The cuckoos called, the hornets made a hum, The little birds sang loudly all around!- The noise rose up, a riot of such sum, That, high in Heaven, Perkons heard the sound.

He soon grew angry with the Devil's wit, Cast lightning down and blocked the water's track; A hill with high steep slopes enclosed the pit- Since then the peac.o.c.k's golden feet are black!

Today the people all avoid this place.

Should travellers in the night risk pa.s.sing still, Their eyes behold foul spirits in the s.p.a.ce, That now is called the "Devil's Dark Pit Hill."

They enter the pit

Straight Spidala swooped down to this dread place, Across the starlit sky flown swiftly thence.

Bearslayer crouched within the log's dark s.p.a.ce, And struggled for his breath with swooning sense.

Fierce fork-tailed dragons coiled around them there, With gold and treasure flying through the night, And breathed their fiery sparks into the air, While other witches joined them in the height.

If but a movement caught the witches' view, To save his life no mercy would be found.- Down to the Devil's Pit the witches flew, And planted each her staff into the ground.

A dozen staffs stood upright by the hill, Twelve witches entered in the Devil's Pit.

Soon bold Bearslayer had regained his will, And entered too the cavern through a slit.

Within the pit a thick deep darkness reigned, And round his head bats fluttered in the gloom; Until at length a glimpse of light he gained, And, going further, saw a lofty room.

All kinds of things inside were found in store, Too many far the name for each to learn: With skulls and bones, and teeth and pelt and claw, With mounted heads and antlers all in turn.

Round ladles, cauldrons, wooden bowls and pots, And dippers, wicker baskets, mortars, urns, Great hammers, pitchforks, rakes, in heaping lots, Cartwheels, old whetstones, broomsticks scorched with burns, Black books and parchments that all good defiled.

A corner dim held plants and dried-up gra.s.s; On shelves stood boxes next to baskets piled, With herbs and potions stored in jars of gla.s.s.

Upon the hearth a sullen fire dull burned, And in its light the walls unpleasant glowed; Hung from a crooked hook a cauldron churned.

The fire's pale gleams foul toads and black cats showed, While in the corners snakes writhed round the room, And through the smoke flew bats and jet-black owls.- Bearslayer started, hidden in the gloom, When all at once the creatures all made howls!

They hissed, and croaked, they whistled, such a roar!

And soon a crone, a witch all old and bowed, Into the chamber entered through a door, Who, since the room seemed empty, called aloud: "What foul ill wind has brought base spirits here?

When clear is known that all who tread this place A broken neck and dreadful fate must fear!"

These words the creatures silenced in a trace.

The witch then took a ladle in her hand, And going to the cauldron thrust it in: "The time has come to supper to command.

The meat is cooked. The meal can now begin."

And thrice upon the cauldron's side she beat.

The twelve came in, a place for each reserved, Their portion was a sausage and some meat.- Bearslayer thought that suckling pig was served.

A door into a second chamber led; This room held but a chopping block alone.

The walls and ceilings like the floor were red, And on the block a blood-red axe was thrown.

The room was starkly empty but for this.

And further yet there led another door.- Into this open chamber, without miss, The witches went with bowls of meat, he saw.

Horrors are revealed

Bearslayer followed silently behind, And through the door he saw a chamber bright, With pallid chairs and tables it was lined, And all the walls were of a colour light.

Two stoves of like pale colour at one side, One glowed with coals, and one held beans of white.

The witches at their meal he here espied; Who ate in deathly silence every bite.

Again, a door a lofty room clear showed, Where vaulted ceilings stood on pillars tall, And all the room with golden colour glowed; Inside the room he saw twelve beds in all.- The sated witches each removed her dish, Cleared up the table, swept the bones from view.

"Into the kitchen," was the old one's wish, "And sharpened sight my spells will give to you."

"Your suitors soon will come hence to this place, And all the brides should thus themselves prepare."

On hearing this, the youth went back apace, Hid in the kitchen, in the corner there.- The old one took a pot of powder then, And brushed it in their eyes with touches light.

Then afterwards they all went out again; Their eyes, enchanted, now were glowing bright.

Bearslayer sought for Spidala at last, But still her form he could not recognize.

The pot of powder he had noted fast, And with its contents smeared himself his eyes.- It was as though a veil fell from his sight, And now he saw unblinded, without whims: Still in the cauldron, from the meal that night, There lay the sc.r.a.ps of little children's limbs!

And where he thought a sausage to have seen, Were foul black snakes, boiled squirming in their gore.

In that red chamber, where he first had been, Of copper pure were ceiling, walls and floor.

And on the block the axe was copper too, Although its use he did not understand.- Of silver pure the second room on view, Both chairs and tables, lanterns, all at hand.

What seemed like stoves were silver chests, he saw, In one gold jewels, the other precious pearls.