Chapter 47 46. ​​The Stolen Crown

A king had three sons, and he was very fond of them.One day, the king went hunting with a minister, and he was so tired that he lay down under a tree and fell asleep.When I wake up, the first thing I do is look for the crown.It wasn't on the head, it wasn't on the ground, it wasn't in the game bag.Where did he go?The king immediately called to his ministers, "Who has taken my crown?" "Your Majesty, do you think I will take your crown? I have never seen anyone else take it!" The king returned home in a rage and sentenced the minister to death.Pity him for being completely innocent, the real thief is Elsina, Queen of the Banshees.

The King, who did not wear his crown, and was ashamed to appear in public, remained in his room, and ordered that no one should disturb him.The incident confused his three sons, who didn't know what was going on.One day, the elder brother said to his two younger brothers, "Why does our father keep shutting himself in his room and not wanting to see anyone? Something must have happened. I'll go into the house and see if I can let him Be happy." But his father yelled and drove him out; and if the young man had not escaped so quickly, the king would have beaten him. "I'll try it," said the second child.However, he also received the same treatment, and he withdrew out full of grievances.

Now it's up to the third son, Benjamin, who is his father's heart and soul.Like his brothers, he went into the house and begged his father to tell what was wrong. "I should have told you," said the King, "but the matter is too useless to say." "If you don't tell me what it is, I'd rather die than watch you suffer." As he said, he raised his gun and pointed it at his chest. "Stop, boy!" cried the King, "I will tell you all about it!" Then he told the story of the loss of the crown exactly, and bade him not to tell his two brothers.

Benjamin listened intently: "Only Elsina, the goblin, can steal your crown. She likes to torture others. Even if I go to the ends of the earth, I will find her. If I don't get the crown back, I will never see you again." you." He prepared his horse, took his money, and set off.He came to a three-way intersection, and saw a stone tablet erected at each intersection.The first stone tablet reads: Take this road and return safely; the second stone tablet reads: Take this road, fate is unknown; the third stone tablet has the opposite meaning of the first one: Take this road , never return.He was about to take the first way, but suddenly changed his mind; he walked on the second way for a while, then turned around and took the third way.

The first part of the road is easy to walk.But soon the road was full of thorns, rocks, snakes, vermin and all kinds of wild animals.The horse could not go any further, so Benjamin dismounted, tied it to a tree, and said sadly, "We may never see each other again." He kissed the horse, said "goodbye" to it, and then Walk on and on. He walked, walked, and came to a small house.He hastened to knock on the door.At this time, he was very hungry. "Who is it?" someone asked inside. "A poor knight without a horse, begging for something to eat." An old woman opened the door, surprised. "Boy, what are you doing here? Please don't come in! If my daughter comes back and sees you, really, she will kill you and eat you. I am the mother of Bora, the God of the Northeast Wind .You wait here, I'll get you something to eat."

While eating, Benjamin told the old woman that in order to find the banshee Elsina, he was willing to travel all over the world.The old woman didn't know anything about the Banshee, but she was a kind old man and was willing to help him.She led Benjamin into the house and hid him under the bed.Borah, who was so hungry, returned home like a storm. The old woman fed her first, and then told her about Benjamin's difficult situation, and asked her to promise not to hurt him. When Bora had eaten, he got Benjamin out from under the bed and talked to him like a friend.She told Benjamin that when she was wandering in the world, she had seen his father's crown lying on the bed of Elsina the goblin.With the crown was a shawl studded with stars, and a golden apple that played music; these two things Elsina stole from the two queens, who have now won Sorcery, imprisoned in a well.At last she told the young man where was Elsina's palace and the well where the Queen was imprisoned.

"But how can I enter her palace?" asked Benjamin. "Take this narcotic," said Bora. "You put the porter to sleep with it, and you can go in and find a gardener." "What shall I tell the gardener?" "Don't worry," said Barra. "The gardener in Elsina's garden is my father. Mother and I will tell him about you." After Benjamin thanked the mother and daughter Bora repeatedly, he continued on his way.He walked to the banshee's palace in one breath.He put the gatekeeper to sleep and found the gardener.The gardener agreed to help Benjamin.He said: "There were two Moors on the front steps, and they were ordered to kill anyone who tried to break into the bedroom, except me, because I was going to send flowers to the banshee."

So the succubus, dressed as a gardener, and covering her face with a large vase of tuberoses, went down the steps before the two Moors.He went into the banshee's bedroom, and while she was sleeping, took the crown, the star-studded shawl, and the golden apple from the bed.He turned and looked at the Banshee again, and found her so beautiful that he longed to kiss her while she was asleep.He was about to go forward when the golden apples began to play music.Fearing that the banshee would wake up, he fled from the door, and covered his face on the steps with a vase of tuberoses, so that the Moor could not see him.Benjamin was able to escape this time, and it was a narrow escape, because whoever kissed the banshee Elsina would be turned to stone from head to toe.

After Benjamin thanked the gardener, he walked back.After walking for six or seven hours, he came to a dry well, which was so deep that people could not see the bottom of the well.At this time, a goose was circling around the well platform. Its wings were so large that it could cover several people.The goose knew that Benjamin wanted to go down the well, so she came up to him, hid him under her wings, and flew into the well. The two queens imprisoned by sorcery are at the bottom of the well. "Take your star-studded shawls and golden music apples!" said Benjamin, emerging from under the goose's wings. "You are free! Get under the goose's wings if you want to come with me."

The two queens were so happy that they ran under the goose's wings.The goose led them out of the dry well, over the woods, over the mountains, and finally came to the place where Benjamin tied the horse. Benjamin said good-bye to the goose, then put the two queens on his horse, and together they returned to his father. The king was overjoyed when he saw his crown.He made his son kneel down, put the crown on his head, and said: "The crown is yours, and you are worthy to wear this crown." Benjamin married one of the lovely queens and held a grand wedding.From then on, they lived a good life, and my story ends here.

(Dalmatia region)