Dafin and Vestra
Far, far away, where the sun lays down to rest after tiring of the bustle of human affairs, stretched a vast kingdom. In that kingdom lived a king and a queen. Their youth had long since faded, but in their old age, they had neither support nor joy—no son, no daughter. And so, their sorrow weighed heavier on them than old age itself, bending them toward the earth. But then, an ancient hermit, skilled in brewing potions from herbs, appeared. He came to the royal palace to comfort the king and queen in their grief.The old man was led to the royal throne, where he knelt and offered the queen a cluster of grapes that had grown on the hills under the hot sun. The queen tasted the grapes and conceived.
It was as if the sun had warmed the king's soul, and life and worldly affairs became dear to him once more. The king called his men—huntsmen and falconers—and set out on a hunt. He shot many kinds of game: wolves, foxes, and hares. In the heat of the chase, he wandered far beyond the borders of his kingdom, though no one noticed. Descending from a steep cliff, the hunters saw a tall, desolate fortress. They circled it—nothing but stone and more stone, with no living soul in sight.
The hunters scattered like birds caught in a snare, finding no way out. A day passed, then another; they had eaten all their game and had nothing left. Hunger gnawed at them more fiercely. Another day and night went by, and at dawn, they saw a devil walking along the fortress wall, strolling and puffing on a pipe. The warriors approached the king and urged him to ask the cunning devil:
"Your darkest vileness, how have we offended you that you have imprisoned us in this fortress?"
"It was not I who imprisoned you; you came here yourselves," the devil replied from above.
"What can I give you to open the gates of the fortress?" asked the king.
"Give me what you have in your palace, something you neither know nor suspect exists, and I will release you at once."
The king pondered, sensing something unclean in the devil's scheme, but he was desperate to escape the grip of the walls. So he replied:
"Agreed, let it be so."
"Write a deed for the gift," demanded the devil.
As soon as the devil received the king's deed, the fortress walls sank into the ground. Everyone rejoiced and hurried home. When the king returned to his lands, boundless joy overtook him. The queen had given birth to a round-faced son, whom they named Dafin. He grew not by days but by hours, to everyone's amazement.
Unexpectedly, the devil appeared at the royal palace and demanded none other than Dafin himself. Before the king and queen could recover from their horror, the devil grabbed the boy by the scruff of his neck and flew off—gone in an instant! Dafin didn't even notice the paths they took or where he was taken. The devil put the boy to hard labor, and poor Dafin endured much: hunger, cold, and sleepless nights. But he had to endure it, for woe betide him if he disobeyed the devil. Dafin longed to learn many things, but most of all, he was drawn to various crafts. Languages came easily to him, and soon he could understand birds, animals, and even tiny insects.
One day, the devil went to distant lands, and Dafin, left alone, went to a spring. He sat by the stream under the shade of a tall poplar, drank, ate a little, and lay down to rest. Three birds alighted on the poplar's crown and, seeing the young man, spoke among themselves:
"Look, sisters," said the first, "here rests a fine young man, brought from distant lands by the devil. If only he knew of the sorrow and misfortune of Arap, he would go, have his sins forgiven, and free the poor old man from the devil's curse. For one hundred and eighty years, he has been drawing water from a bottomless well and pouring it into a valley where the beautiful Vestra bathes—a girl the devil kidnapped and enchanted to turn her into a demoness and lead her down a wicked path."
Dafin set off on his journey, walking tirelessly without rest. On the dawn of the fourth day, he reached a vast, endless pond. In the distance, on a mountainside, a well stood dark. Dafin approached and saw an old man:
"God help you, grandfather!"
"Thank you, my boy. And who might you be?"
"I'm not from here, grandfather. The devil took me, and now I can't figure out how to escape his realm and gain my freedom."
The old man sat on the edge of the well, deep in thought, considering ways to help.
"Here's what you must do," he said at last. "You can only escape with the help of Vestra, a young maiden brought here by the devil from beyond thrice-nine lands and thrice-nine seas, to make her an instrument of evil. She has already learned the devil's power and craft, but her heart is still pure as a child's. Go to the other side of the lake, wait for her when she comes to bathe, seize her clothes, and run. But beware—do not look back, or you will lose all power over her. I will bless you, and if you succeed in escaping the devil, you will live happily ever after."
Dafin rejoiced at Arap's words and walked along the shore of the wide lake with a light, youthful step. He reached the sacred spot, hid in the bushes, and waited in silence.
The evening dawn was beautiful in the blue sky, but it paled in comparison to the beauty of Vestra, who descended from the hill to the lake. She reached the lake, shed her dress, and plunged into the water, transforming into a snow-white swan. She began to bathe, flapping her wings and sending diamond-like sprays into the air, performing wonders—it was impossible to look away. But Dafin didn't linger to watch; he grabbed her clothes... and was off. Vestra emerged from the water, only to find her clothes missing. Her heart skipped a beat in fright. She looked around and spotted Dafin. She followed him, singing songs. Dafin ran without looking back, though he felt the heat on his heels. Vestra tried even harder, enchanting him with her heartfelt song:
"Dafin, my dear,
Field flower, sweet as honey,
Do not rush forward,
Do not abandon goodness,
Look back,
And you will rejoice in our meeting."
Dafin struggled, groaning with the desire to look back, but he mastered his heart and did not turn. He reached the well and stood before Arap, who placed a hand on his shoulder—just as Vestra arrived.
The old man blessed them, wishing them a life free from sorrow. Then he took two wedding rings from his belt and placed them on their fingers.
The young couple stood, thanked him, and prepared to leave when Dafin remembered the birds' tale and said:
"Grandfather, may you be forgiven and freed from the devil's curse."
As soon as these words were spoken, old Arap vanished as if swallowed by the earth. In an instant, the well and its crane were gone, leaving only a trace in the trampled grass. It seemed their time had long since passed.
Dafin walked as a groom, but Vestra grew sadder and sadder, until at last she said...
- We will never cross the boundaries of this kingdom without the devil's consent. Go to him and ask for my hand.
Dafin went to the devil's palace, making his way through ravines and wild gullies for a long time, until a fortress as black as soot rose before him. He entered and found himself face to face with the unclean force.
- Hello, demon.
- Hello, - replied the devil and asked: What foul wind has brought you here?
- I have come to ask for Vesta's hand.
- I will give you Vesta if you fulfill three of my commands.
- I undertake, Your Darkness, to fulfill your commands.
- Good, come back in the evening.
By evening, Dafin came to the devil. The devil stepped out into the yard, looked to the west, and asked:
- What do you see there?
- The edge of the earth, - answered Dafin.
- If you want Vesta's hand, then by morning plow this entire field, sow wheat, grow it, harvest it, gather it into stacks, thresh the wheat, take it to the mill, and by sunrise bring me fresh bread to taste.
Hearing such an order, Dafin was frightened and saddened, and returned to Vesta darker than the blackest night. A thought crept into his mind—had she sent him to certain doom? Could anyone fulfill such a task?
- Do not worry, do not be sad, - Vesta said to him. - Such an order is easier than easy to fulfill.
Vesta looked at the distant mountains, whistled with all her might, and out of nowhere, countless devils flew in, swarming the entire field.
- By morning, fulfill my order, - the girl told them. - From the palace of His Darkness to the west and south to the edge of the earth, you must plow the entire field, sow it with wheat, grow the harvest, gather it, thresh it, grind the grain, and by the first light of day, present me with hot bread. Understood?
- Yes! Yes! - the little devils shouted in unison. They set to work, everything boiling in their hands. Some plowed, turning the soil, others followed with harrows, others sowed, and still others crawled on all fours, warming the roots with their breath. The field was miraculously transformed. By morning, the wheat had already ripened, and the devils began—some to mow, some to thresh, some to take it to the mill, and by the first light of dawn, the bread was already in the oven. As soon as the red sun began to rise—the warm bread, fresh from the oven, was already lying before the good young man. Dafin took the white loaf, placed it on a towel, and carried it to the devil.
- Here, Your Darkness, I have fulfilled your command, take the loaf. The devil frowned as he looked at his fields, but took the bread. Then he led Dafin to the armory and ordered:
- Choose a weapon to your liking; you will fulfill my second command on a hunt. Come tomorrow and shoot a hare in my garden. But remember, you will hunt only in my garden. Understood?
- Understood, Your Darkness, - Dafin replied and, with joy in his heart, went to Vesta.
- Why are you so cheerful? - she asked.
- How can I not be cheerful when the devil has made such a fool of himself. What a command: shoot a hare in his garden.
- Do not laugh, do not rejoice, Dafin, lest you have to cry later. For this hare will not be an ordinary one, but the devil himself will turn into a hare. Tomorrow, do not chase him with a gun, you will achieve nothing, but sit at the entrance to the palace and wait. I will turn into a greyhound and chase him, I will not let him hide in any hole. When he is exhausted, he will try to enter the palace; that is when you grab him and slam his head against the stairs with all your might.
The next day, Dafin hid behind the palace door, and the greyhound began chasing the gray hare, almost catching and tearing it apart. The hare, feeling that things were going badly for him, that there was no escape, rushed to the palace entrance. Dafin caught him by the ears, grabbed his hind legs, and wham!—slammed his head against the stone. The hare howled in pain.
Such noise and howling arose that the devil's wife came out of her chambers, and when she saw what was happening, she almost grabbed her hair and wailed, but caught herself in time and shouted at Dafin:
- What are you doing, Dafin, making such a racket?
- His Darkness ordered me to catch him a hare for roasting.
- Wait, do not kill him, give him to me alive, I will skin him and roast him.
- No, I must give him to His Darkness myself.
- How will you give him the hare when he will only return in the evening? Give him to me, I will roast him for dinner, and you will dine with us.
Dafin gave her the hare and went with a clear conscience to rest after his righteous labors. And by evening, he came to the devil's palace to taste the roasted hare. The devil received him as if nothing had happened, treating him, pretending to be immensely pleased, though his head was bandaged and he had bruises under his eyes. With difficulty opening his mouth, the devil told Dafin that he agreed to give him Vesta, but he must come in the morning and choose her among the devil's daughters.
- "Alright," said Daphin and left, pleased to finally be rid of the devil's tasks.
- "Why are you so happy?" asked Vestra, walking towards him.
- "How can I not be happy when the devil ordered me to take you and go my own way."
- "My dear Daphin, you don’t know how hard it will be to carry out this order. This calls for tears, not joy. Tomorrow he will make you search for me among hundreds of girls who look exactly like me—face, hair, and dress. How will you recognize me?"
- "Even if there were as many of you as stars in the sky, I would still recognize you."
- "Don’t say that. Listen to what I tell you. Tomorrow, look carefully into each girl’s eyes and choose the one whose tears flow. That’s what they decided."
The next day, Daphin came for his Vestra, and the devil led him into a room filled with countless girls—all identical to Vestra. Daphin looked at them for a long time but couldn’t find his betrothed. How could he distinguish her when they all stood like golden ears of wheat in a field, all looking exactly the same? Time passed, and his heart grew heavier with fear and sorrow, until suddenly he noticed: two pearls of tears glistened on one girl’s lashes.
- "Here she is, your darkness!" exclaimed the well joyfully.
The devil turned blue with rage, realizing they had conspired. He lunged at them with his fists and locked them in a deep dungeon, behind twelve iron doors with heavy bolts. In that dungeon, there was only a tiny window through which a thin thread of light reached the prisoners. A bitter sorrow fell upon Daphin, but Vestra struck her ring on the ground, and they turned into tiny gnats, escaping through the crack to freedom. They flew as fast as they could over mountains and valleys, far away from the cursed demon. But the demon sensed they were no longer in the dungeon, looked around, and spotted them far, far away, beyond a steep mountain and a dense forest. He sent his best riders after them to bring them back to the palace. The riders galloped faster than the wind, faster than radiant lightning, and soon were close enough to Daphin and Vestra, breathing fire from their nostrils. Vestra turned and recognized the riders.
- "The devil’s messengers are catching up to us."
- "What should we do?"
- "Don’t be afraid. I’ll turn into a blooming garden, and you’ll become an old gardener. When they approach and ask, tell them that some couple passed by long ago, back when you were just starting to plant the garden."
Vestra said this and immediately transformed into a blooming garden with many fruit trees, while Daphin became an old, old gardener. The devil’s messengers rushed in like a whirlwind and asked the gardener:
- "Did a maiden and a young man run past here?"
- "Long, long ago, some people ran by. I was just planting these trees. Since then, no one has appeared in these parts."
The riders were surprised by this answer and returned empty-handed.
- "Your Worthlessness," they said to the devil, bowing at his feet, "we went where you sent us but found no one except a gardener."
- "Fools, that was them! Go back and catch them!" The riders set off in pursuit again.
- "Oh, something’s burning my back again," complained Daphin. Vestra looked back and recognized the devil’s messengers.
- "They’re catching up. Answer them as before, but this time we’ll turn into a wheat field and an old man ready for harvest."
- "Alright," said Daphin and suddenly turned into an old man with a sickle in his hand. He had just plucked a few ears of wheat and tested the strength of the grains when the riders arrived.
- "Tell us, old man, have you seen a young man and a maiden here?"
- "I saw them, yes, but it was a long time ago, back when I was sowing this wheat. Since then, I haven’t seen anyone."
The riders hung on his words, believed the old man, and turned back.
- "Your Worthlessness," they said, bowing to the devil, "we can’t catch them. We met an old man on the way, preparing for the harvest, and he told us he saw the fugitives, but it was long ago, back when he was sowing the wheat. So we returned. Who knows where they’ve gone!"
The devil’s heart clenched with rage:
- "That was them!"
He surged like a terrible whirlwind and rushed after the fugitives himself. Daphin looked back and saw a dark, shaggy cloud approaching, but Vestra recognized the cunning devil, struck her ring on the ground, and turned Daphin into a deep, full-flowing river, while she became a duck, swimming on the waves.
When the devil reached the river and saw the duck, he immediately recognized Vestra. He began sucking in air, raising a terrible storm, trying to pull the duck to his mouth. But the river’s waves shielded the duck, turning her toward the other shore.
Seeing that he couldn’t succeed, he started swallowing the river’s water, gulping and gulping until he burst.
As if a hidden path suddenly appeared before those lost in a dense forest, so a clear, wide road opened before Daphin and Vestra. Joyful, they set off on their journey, traveling across nine lands and nine seas to Daphin’s homeland. There, the old king and queen had been grieving and mourning the fate of their unfortunate son. Ever since the devil had taken their son, tears had not dried in their eyes, smiles had not lit their faces, and their hearts could not contain their sighs. But now they lived to see what they had never hoped to see. Daphin returned to the palace and appeared before their eyes.
As the sun’s rays dispel the darkness of night, so joy illuminated the parents’ faces—and they threw a feast for the whole world and celebrated their son’s wedding to the beautiful Vestra. There were countless people there, and I was there too, drinking mead and beer. But when I heard what had happened to them, I couldn’t stay till the end. I mounted a wheel, rolled head over heels, to spread the news about Daphin and Vestra.
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