24.12.2012
The following folk tale is presented here in its original language, followed by a translation in German, and a translation in English.
U CARA TROJANA KOZJE UŠI
Bio jedan car koji se zvao Trojan. Imao je kozje uši. Svakog dana je dolazio po jedan berberin da ga brije. Posle brijanja, car bi svakog od njih upitao šta je vidio. Svaki je odgovorio: «Kozje uši». Potom bi car naredio da ga posjeku. Došao je red na jednog berberina koji se napravi bolestan i posla svoga učeníka kod cara.
Nakon što je momak obrijao cara, car i njega upita šta je vidio, na šta on
odgovori da nije vidio ništa.
Car mu dade 12 dukata i reče mu da on od sada uvijek dolazi da ga brije. Momak je redovno odlazio da ga brije i od svih tajio da car ima kozje uši. Čuvanje tajne ga je s vremenom sve više mučilo, da se zbog toga skoro razbolio.
To je njegov majstor primijetio i stalno ga je pitao šta mu je.
Nato mu momak jednom odgovori: «Da mi je da nekom kažem odmah bi mi bilo lakše». Majstor mu onda predloží. «Kaži meni, ja neću nikom kazati, a ako nećeš meni, a ti izađi u polje pa iskopaj jamu te zavuci glavu u nju pa tri puta kaží šta te muči, te opet jamu zatrpaj».
Momak tako i učini.
Iskopa jamu, zavuče glavu u nju i tri puta reče. «U cara Trojana kozje uši», zagrnu zemlju i ode kući.
Posle izvjesnog vremena iz jame nikne zova. Čobani od nje napraviše svirale. Kad su počeli svirati iz svirale izađe glas:
«U cara Trojana kozje uši».
To se odmah razglasi po cijelom carstvu i na kraju sazna to i car.
Car tada pozove momka i upita ga zašto je cijelom narodu oglasio da su u njega kozje uši.
Momak se poče pravdati i ispriča caru kako je sve bilo.
Car odluči da provjeri njegovu priču, pa zajedno sa njim ode na mjesto gdje je jamu iskopao. Kad tamo, još samo jedan prut. Car naredi da se od njega napravi svirala. Odmah tako uradiše. Kad su počeli da sviraju, a ono iz svirale izlazi glas: «U cara Trojana kozje uši».
Onda se car Trojan uvjeri da se na zemlji ništa ne može sakriti, pa onome berberinu oprosti život, i pošle dopusti da svako može dolaziti da ga brije.
Narodna priča
Car mu dade 12 dukata i reče mu da on od sada uvijek dolazi da ga brije. Momak je redovno odlazio da ga brije i od svih tajio da car ima kozje uši. Čuvanje tajne ga je s vremenom sve više mučilo, da se zbog toga skoro razbolio.
To je njegov majstor primijetio i stalno ga je pitao šta mu je.
Nato mu momak jednom odgovori: «Da mi je da nekom kažem odmah bi mi bilo lakše». Majstor mu onda predloží. «Kaži meni, ja neću nikom kazati, a ako nećeš meni, a ti izađi u polje pa iskopaj jamu te zavuci glavu u nju pa tri puta kaží šta te muči, te opet jamu zatrpaj».
Momak tako i učini.
Iskopa jamu, zavuče glavu u nju i tri puta reče. «U cara Trojana kozje uši», zagrnu zemlju i ode kući.
Posle izvjesnog vremena iz jame nikne zova. Čobani od nje napraviše svirale. Kad su počeli svirati iz svirale izađe glas:
«U cara Trojana kozje uši».
To se odmah razglasi po cijelom carstvu i na kraju sazna to i car.
Car tada pozove momka i upita ga zašto je cijelom narodu oglasio da su u njega kozje uši.
Momak se poče pravdati i ispriča caru kako je sve bilo.
Car odluči da provjeri njegovu priču, pa zajedno sa njim ode na mjesto gdje je jamu iskopao. Kad tamo, još samo jedan prut. Car naredi da se od njega napravi svirala. Odmah tako uradiše. Kad su počeli da sviraju, a ono iz svirale izlazi glas: «U cara Trojana kozje uši».
Onda se car Trojan uvjeri da se na zemlji ništa ne može sakriti, pa onome berberinu oprosti život, i pošle dopusti da svako može dolaziti da ga brije.
Narodna priča
KAISER TROJAN HAT ZIEGENOHREN
Es war einmal ein Kaiser namens Trojan, der hatte Ziegenohren. Jeden Tag kam ein anderer Barbier, um ihn zu rasieren. Nach dem Rasieren fragte der Kaiser jeweils, was er gesehen habe. Jeder antwortete: "Ziegenohren!" Daraufhin liess ihn der Kaiser köpfen.
Eines Tages kam ein Barbier an die Reihe, der sich krank stellte und seinen
Lehrling zum Kaiser sandte. Nachdem der Junge den Kaiser rasiert hatte,
fragte der Kaiser auch ihn, was er gesehen habe. Der Junge antwortete, er
habe nichts gesehen. Der Kaiser gab ihm zwölf Taler und sagte, dass er von
nun an immer kommen solle, um ihn zu rasieren. Er solle aber das
Geheimnis bewahren, dass der Kaiser Ziegenohren habe.
Doch dieses Geheimnis zu hüten, quälte den Jungen mit der Zeit immer mehr, so dass er fast krank wurde. Das merkte sein Meister, und er fragte den Jungen immer wieder, was ihm denn fehle.
Der Junge antwortete: "Wenn ich es jemandem erzählen könnte, würde es mir gleich besser gehen!"
Der Meister erwiderte: "Sag es mir, ich werde es niemandem weitererzählen. Wenn du es mir aber nicht erzählen kannst, so gehe aufs Feld hinter der Stadt und grabe ein Loch, steck deinen Kopf hinein und sage dreimal, was dich quält, und dann schüttest du das Loch wieder zu."
Der Junge tat, wie der Meister ihm geraten. Er grub ein Loch, steckte den Kopf hinein und sagte dreimal: "Kaiser Trojan hat Ziegenohren." Dann füllte er das Loch wieder mit Erde und ging nach Hause.
Nach einiger Zeit spross an dieser Stelle ein Holunderstrauch. Als die Äste dick genug waren, machten Schafhirten daraus Flöten. Aber als sie darauf spielten, ertönte aus den Flöten eine Stimme: "Kaiser Trojan hat Ziegenohren!"
Dies verbreitete sich schnell im ganzen Kaiserreich, so dass es am Ende auch der Kaiser erfuhr. Dieser rief den Lehrling des Barbiers zu sich und fragte ihn: "Weshalb hast du überall verbreitet, dass ich Ziegenohren habe?"
Der arme Junge sagte, er habe niemandem etwas erzählt, und vertraute ihm den wahren Vorgang an.
Um zu prüfen, ob der Junge die Wahrheit gesagt hatte, fuhr der Kaiser mit ihm an jenen Ort, liess aus einem Ast des Holunderstrauchs eine Flöte anfertigen und darauf spielen. Aus der Flöte tönte es: "Kaiser Trojan hat Ziegenohren!"
So musste der Kaiser feststellen, dass man nichts auf der Welt verbergen kann und dass die Wahrheit eines Tages zum Vorschein kommt. Den Jungen liess er am Leben, und von nun an durften ihn alle ungestraft rasieren.
Volksmärchen
THE GOAT'S EARS OF THE EMPEROR TROJAN
Doch dieses Geheimnis zu hüten, quälte den Jungen mit der Zeit immer mehr, so dass er fast krank wurde. Das merkte sein Meister, und er fragte den Jungen immer wieder, was ihm denn fehle.
Der Junge antwortete: "Wenn ich es jemandem erzählen könnte, würde es mir gleich besser gehen!"
Der Meister erwiderte: "Sag es mir, ich werde es niemandem weitererzählen. Wenn du es mir aber nicht erzählen kannst, so gehe aufs Feld hinter der Stadt und grabe ein Loch, steck deinen Kopf hinein und sage dreimal, was dich quält, und dann schüttest du das Loch wieder zu."
Der Junge tat, wie der Meister ihm geraten. Er grub ein Loch, steckte den Kopf hinein und sagte dreimal: "Kaiser Trojan hat Ziegenohren." Dann füllte er das Loch wieder mit Erde und ging nach Hause.
Nach einiger Zeit spross an dieser Stelle ein Holunderstrauch. Als die Äste dick genug waren, machten Schafhirten daraus Flöten. Aber als sie darauf spielten, ertönte aus den Flöten eine Stimme: "Kaiser Trojan hat Ziegenohren!"
Dies verbreitete sich schnell im ganzen Kaiserreich, so dass es am Ende auch der Kaiser erfuhr. Dieser rief den Lehrling des Barbiers zu sich und fragte ihn: "Weshalb hast du überall verbreitet, dass ich Ziegenohren habe?"
Der arme Junge sagte, er habe niemandem etwas erzählt, und vertraute ihm den wahren Vorgang an.
Um zu prüfen, ob der Junge die Wahrheit gesagt hatte, fuhr der Kaiser mit ihm an jenen Ort, liess aus einem Ast des Holunderstrauchs eine Flöte anfertigen und darauf spielen. Aus der Flöte tönte es: "Kaiser Trojan hat Ziegenohren!"
So musste der Kaiser feststellen, dass man nichts auf der Welt verbergen kann und dass die Wahrheit eines Tages zum Vorschein kommt. Den Jungen liess er am Leben, und von nun an durften ihn alle ungestraft rasieren.
Volksmärchen
THE GOAT'S EARS OF THE EMPEROR TROJAN
Once upon a time there lived an emperor whose name was Trojan, and he had ears like a goat. Every morning, when he was shaved, he asked if the man saw anything odd about him, and as each fresh barber always replied that the emperor had goat's ears, he was at once ordered to be put to death.
Now after this state of things had lasted a good while, there was hardly a barber left in the town that could shave the emperor, and it came to be the turn of the Master of the Company of Barbers to go up to the palace. But, unluckily, at the very moment that he should have set out, the master fell suddenly ill, and told one of his apprentices that he must go in his stead.
When the youth was taken to the emperor's bedroom, he was asked why he had come and not his master. The young man replied that the master was ill, and there was no one but himself who could be trusted with the honour. The emperor was satisfied with the answer, and sat down, and let a sheet of fine linen be put round him. Directly the young barber began his work, he, like the rest, remarked the goat's ears of the emperor, but when he had finished and the emperor asked his usual question as to whether the youth had noticed anything odd about him, the young man replied calmly, 'No, nothing at all.' This pleased the emperor so much that he gave him twelve ducats, and said, 'Henceforth you shall come every day to shave me.'
So when the apprentice returned home, and the master inquired how he had got on with the emperor, the young man answered, 'Oh, very well, and he says I am to shave him every day, and he has given me these twelve ducats'; but he said nothing about the goat's ears of the emperor.
From this time the apprentice went regularly up to the palace, receiving each morning twelve ducats in payment. But after a while, his secret, which he had carefully kept, burnt within him, and he longed to tell it to somebody. His master saw there was something on his mind, and asked what it was. The youth replied that he had been tormenting himself for some months, and should never feel easy until some one shared his secret.
'Well, trust me,' said the master, 'I will keep it to myself; or, if you do not like to do that, confess it to your pastor, or go into some field outside the town and dig a hole, and, after you have dug it, kneel down and whisper your secret three times into the hole. Then put back the earth and come away.'
The apprentice thought that this seemed the best plan, and that very afternoon went to a meadow outside the town, dug a deep hole, then knelt and whispered to it three times over, 'The Emperor Trojan has goat's ears.' And as he said so a great burden seemed to roll off him, and he shovelled the earth carefully back and ran lightly home.
Weeks passed away, and there sprang up in the hole an elder tree which had three stems, all as straight as poplars. Some shepherds, tending their flocks near by, noticed the tree growing there, and one of them cut down a stem to make flutes of; but, directly he began to play, the flute would do nothing but sing: 'The Emperor Trojan has goat's ears.' Of course, it was not long before the whole town knew of this wonderful flute and what it said; and, at last, the news reached the emperor in his palace. He instantly sent for the apprentice and said to him:
'What have you been saying about me to all my people?'
The culprit tried to defend himself by saying that he had never told anyone what he had noticed; but the emperor, instead of listening, only drew his sword from its sheath, which so frightened the poor fellow that he confessed exactly what he had done, and how he had whispered the truth three times to the earth, and how in that very place an elder tree had sprung up, and flutes had been cut from it, which would only repeat the words he had said. Then the emperor commanded his coach to be made ready, and he took the youth with him, and they drove to the spot, for he wished to see for himself whether the young man's confession was true; but when they reached the place only one stem was left. So the emperor desired his attendants to cut him a flute from the remaining stem, and, when it was ready, he ordered his chamberlain to play on it. But no tune could the chamberlain play, though he was the best flute player about the court—nothing came but the words, 'The Emperor Trojan has goat's ears.' Then the emperor knew that even the earth gave up its secrets, and he granted the young man his life, but he never allowed him to be his barber any more.
(Volksmarchen der Serben.)
My own translation.
Note 2. Comparing languages, it becomes clear that the revealing plant, "zoja", or "elder" in English, is the "holunder" in German, associated with Frau Holle. See previous posts 02.12.2012 and 03.12.2012
Sources:
for the Serbian/Croatian original language and German translation:
http://www.iik.ch/wordpress/downloads/maerli/serbo/kaiser_trojan_hat_ziegenohren.pdf
for the English:
Andrew Lang's Fairy Books, The Violet Fairy Book (1901)
Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/641/641-h/641-h.htm#link2H_4_0007
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