girl’s hair.
Ludmilja cuddled into her. Soraya, horrified at Ludmilja’s presumption, opened her mouth, but Marjana shook her head cheerfully.
“I want to tell you some stories, and I want Nadja to tell me some back. Do you think Nadja would like that?”
Ludmilja nodded.
“I’ll go first. Do you like Marko stories?”
Marko was a legendary hero here in Achrida, and Ludmilja nodded happily.
“Have you or Nadja heard the one where Marko learned the language of animals?”
Ludmilja shook her head.
Marjana laughed and launched into the story of Marko, who once walked on a path during a thunderstorm. Lightning struck all around him, but Marko continued, for he knew no fear. Then, suddenly, a bolt struck a great oak tree near him. The tree was old and knew that its time had come, but in its wisdom and generosity it fell so as to save all the creatures that lived amongst its branches and roots.
But it had slept much in its old age, and so had not seen the serpent who nested in a small hollow under one great root. As it fell, its roots trapped the serpent. Marko heard the wailing of the serpent’s agony and could not bear to leave it in such distress. So Marko lifted the great trunk, and the snake slithered out into the rain. Marko took some branches and arranged his cloak along the tree to provide shelter for the wounded serpent. Soon, other creatures that had lived with the oak shyly came into the rude shelter. As the rain fell, they all fell asleep to await the storm’s passing.
The next morning, the animals left to find another home, all except the serpent, who was troubled. At this point, Marjana switched to the dialect she had used earlier in the Faerie to speak as the serpent.
“It is that you should not have saved me, Prince Marko, for it is my nature to bite all of your kind. It is that my bite is always fatal.”
Prince Marko was astounded, as no animal had ever talked to him before.
“How is it that you can talk to me?”
“It is that I am a prince as well. It is that I but reside here to learn the realm that my father rules. But still, it is that you should not have saved me. The one that is my father will think less of me should I not bite you.”
“Then by all means, do that.”
“It is that you would die, though, as I would have had you not lifted this tree.”
“You must stand before your father in honor. So must I.”
Marjana continued in the story, and all in the kitchen were mesmerized. Kapric had a dreamy look on his face.
The serpent immediately slithered up Marko’s leg and around his neck so he could look Marko in the eye. His tongue flicked before Marko’s nose. Seeing no fear, the serpent then asked Marko if he would come before the Serpent King. Marko, ever curious, immediately agreed, and off the strange couple went traveling. Many leagues they marched together, each hunting and foraging in his own way.
Then the serpent informed Marko that they had reached his father’s castle and led him inside. The Serpent King rejoiced to see his son after such a harrowing tale, but looked at Marko wonderingly.
“And yet, it is that this one still lives.”
“I could not grant him his reward.”
“Then it is I that shall give this one his reward.”
Thrice did the king offer Marko a reward. Thrice did he promise Marko great treasure. Thrice did he offer gold and jewels. Yet, each time did Marko decline, for such was his nature. Finally, the Serpent King sighed and insisted that Marko receive his kiss as a reward. This Marko accepted, though he knew this was death.
The Serpent King reached out his mouth, with fangs dripping of poison, but he stopped before biting Marko.
“This is not how a king rules,” hissed the Serpent King. Swiftly, before even Marko could move, the King slithered up Marko as his prince had done. The King wrapped himself around Marko’s entire head, covering eyes, ears, and mouth, though allowing Marko to breathe. Marko wondered at this method of
Ludmilja cuddled into her. Soraya, horrified at Ludmilja’s presumption, opened her mouth, but Marjana shook her head cheerfully.
“I want to tell you some stories, and I want Nadja to tell me some back. Do you think Nadja would like that?”
Ludmilja nodded.
“I’ll go first. Do you like Marko stories?”
Marko was a legendary hero here in Achrida, and Ludmilja nodded happily.
“Have you or Nadja heard the one where Marko learned the language of animals?”
Ludmilja shook her head.
Marjana laughed and launched into the story of Marko, who once walked on a path during a thunderstorm. Lightning struck all around him, but Marko continued, for he knew no fear. Then, suddenly, a bolt struck a great oak tree near him. The tree was old and knew that its time had come, but in its wisdom and generosity it fell so as to save all the creatures that lived amongst its branches and roots.
But it had slept much in its old age, and so had not seen the serpent who nested in a small hollow under one great root. As it fell, its roots trapped the serpent. Marko heard the wailing of the serpent’s agony and could not bear to leave it in such distress. So Marko lifted the great trunk, and the snake slithered out into the rain. Marko took some branches and arranged his cloak along the tree to provide shelter for the wounded serpent. Soon, other creatures that had lived with the oak shyly came into the rude shelter. As the rain fell, they all fell asleep to await the storm’s passing.
The next morning, the animals left to find another home, all except the serpent, who was troubled. At this point, Marjana switched to the dialect she had used earlier in the Faerie to speak as the serpent.
“It is that you should not have saved me, Prince Marko, for it is my nature to bite all of your kind. It is that my bite is always fatal.”
Prince Marko was astounded, as no animal had ever talked to him before.
“How is it that you can talk to me?”
“It is that I am a prince as well. It is that I but reside here to learn the realm that my father rules. But still, it is that you should not have saved me. The one that is my father will think less of me should I not bite you.”
“Then by all means, do that.”
“It is that you would die, though, as I would have had you not lifted this tree.”
“You must stand before your father in honor. So must I.”
Marjana continued in the story, and all in the kitchen were mesmerized. Kapric had a dreamy look on his face.
The serpent immediately slithered up Marko’s leg and around his neck so he could look Marko in the eye. His tongue flicked before Marko’s nose. Seeing no fear, the serpent then asked Marko if he would come before the Serpent King. Marko, ever curious, immediately agreed, and off the strange couple went traveling. Many leagues they marched together, each hunting and foraging in his own way.
Then the serpent informed Marko that they had reached his father’s castle and led him inside. The Serpent King rejoiced to see his son after such a harrowing tale, but looked at Marko wonderingly.
“And yet, it is that this one still lives.”
“I could not grant him his reward.”
“Then it is I that shall give this one his reward.”
Thrice did the king offer Marko a reward. Thrice did he promise Marko great treasure. Thrice did he offer gold and jewels. Yet, each time did Marko decline, for such was his nature. Finally, the Serpent King sighed and insisted that Marko receive his kiss as a reward. This Marko accepted, though he knew this was death.
The Serpent King reached out his mouth, with fangs dripping of poison, but he stopped before biting Marko.
“This is not how a king rules,” hissed the Serpent King. Swiftly, before even Marko could move, the King slithered up Marko as his prince had done. The King wrapped himself around Marko’s entire head, covering eyes, ears, and mouth, though allowing Marko to breathe. Marko wondered at this method of
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