By Command of the Prince Daniel

Once upon a time there was an aged queen who had a son and a daughter, who were fine, sturdy children. But there was also an evil witch who could not bear them, and she began to lay plots how she might contrive their overthrow.

Pada zaman dahulu ada seorang ratu tua yang memiliki seorang putra dan seorang putri, yang merupakan anak-anak yang baik dan kuat. Tetapi ada juga seorang penyihir jahat yang tidak tahan melihat mereka, dan ia mulai merancang tipu daya bagaimana ia bisa mengatur kejatuhan mereka.

So she went to the old Queen and said: “Dear Gossip, I am giving you a ring. Put it on your son’s hand, and he will then be rich and generous: only he must marry the maiden whom this ring fits.”

Maka ia pergi menemui sang ratu tua dan berkata: “Sahabatku tersayang, aku akan memberimu sebuah cincin. Kenakan cincin itu di tangan putramu, dan ia akan menjadi kaya dan murah hati: hanya saja ia harus menikahi gadis yang cocok dengan cincin ini.”

The mother believed her and was extremely glad, and at her death bade her son marry only the woman whom the ring fitted.

Sang ibu memercayainya dan merasa sangat gembira, dan saat wafat ia berpesan kepada putranya untuk hanya menikahi perempuan yang cocok dengan cincin itu.

Time went by and the boy grew up: he became a man and looked at all the maidens. Very many of them he liked, only as soon as he put the ring on their finger it was either too broad or too narrow. So he travelled from village to village and from town to town, and searched out all the fair damsels, but he could not find his chosen one, and returned home in a reflective mood.

Waktu pun berlalu dan anak lelaki itu tumbuh dewasa: ia menjadi seorang pria dan memandang semua gadis. Banyak sekali di antara mereka yang ia sukai, hanya saja begitu ia mengenakan cincin itu di jari mereka, cincin itu selalu terlalu longgar atau terlalu sempit. Maka ia berkelana dari desa ke desa dan dari kota ke kota, dan mencari semua gadis-gadis cantik, tetapi ia tidak bisa menemukan pilihannya, dan pulang ke rumah dalam suasana hati yang merenung.

“What’s the matter, brother?” his sister asked him. So he told her of his trouble, explained his sorrow. “What a wonderful ring you have!” said the sister. “Let me try it on.” She tried it on her finger, and the ring was firmly fixed as if it had been soldered on, as though it had been made for her.

“Ada apa, Kakak?” tanya adiknya kepadanya. Maka ia menceritakan kepadanya tentang kesusahannya, menjelaskan kesedihannya. “Betapa indahnya cincin yang kaupunya!” kata sang adik. “Biar aku coba pakai.” Ia mencobanya di jarinya, dan cincin itu terpasang erat seolah-olah telah dipatri, seakan-akan cincin itu memang dibuat untuknya.

“Oh, sister! you are my chosen bride, and you must be my wife.”

“Oh, Adikku! kau adalah calon pengantinku, dan kau harus menjadi istriku.”

“What a horrible idea, brother! That would be a sin.”

“Betapa mengerikannya gagasan itu, Kakak! Itu akan menjadi dosa.”

But the brother would not listen to a word she said. He danced for joy and told her to make ready for the wedding. She wept bitter tears, went in front of the house, and sat on the threshold and let her tears flow.

Tetapi sang kakak tidak mau mendengarkan sepatah kata pun yang ia katakan. Ia menari kegirangan dan menyuruhnya bersiap-siap untuk pernikahan. Sang adik menangis air mata pahit, pergi ke depan rumah, dan duduk di ambang pintu dan membiarkan air matanya mengalir.

Two old beggars came up, and she gave them to eat and to drink. They asked what her trouble was, and she needs must tell the two. “Now, weep no more, but do what we say. Make up four dolls and put them in the four corners of the room. After your brother calls you in for the betrothal, go; and if he calls you into the bridal chamber, ask for time, trust in God, and follow our advice.” And the beggars departed.

Dua pengemis tua datang menghampiri, dan ia memberi mereka makan dan minum. Mereka bertanya apa masalahnya, dan ia terpaksa menceritakan kepada keduanya. “Nah, jangan menangis lagi, tetapi lakukanlah apa yang kami katakan. Buatlah empat boneka dan letakkan di empat sudut ruangan. Setelah kakakmu memanggilmu masuk untuk pertunangan, masuklah; dan jika ia memanggilmu masuk ke kamar pengantin, mintalah waktu, percayalah kepada Tuhan, dan ikuti nasihat kami.” Lalu kedua pengemis itu pun pergi.

The brother and sister were betrothed, and he went into the room and cried out, “Sister mine, come in!”

Sang kakak dan adik pun bertunangan, dan ia masuk ke dalam ruangan dan berseru, “Adikku, masuklah ke sini!”

“I will come in in a moment, brother; I am only taking off my earrings.”

“Aku akan masuk sebentar lagi, Kakak; aku baru saja melepas anting-antingku.”

And the dolls in the four corners began to sing:

Dan boneka-boneka di keempat sudut mulai bernyanyi:

Coo-Coo—Prince Danílo Coo-Coo—Govorílo Coo-Coo—’Tis a brother Coo-Coo—Weds his sister: Coo-Coo—Earth must split asunder Cooo—And the sister lie hid under.

Kuk-kuk—Pangeran Danílo Kuk-kuk—Govorílo Kuk-kuk—Ini seorang kakak Kuk-kuk—Menikahi adiknya: Kuk-kuk—Bumi harus terbelah Kuuk—Dan sang adik bersembunyi di bawahnya.

Then the earth rose up and slowly swallowed the sister.

Kemudian bumi bangkit dan perlahan menelan sang adik.

And the brother cried out again, “Sister mine, come in to the feather-bed!”

Dan sang kakak berseru lagi, “Adikku, masuklah ke ranjang kapuk!”

“In a minute, brother. I am undoing my girdle.”

“Sebentar lagi, Kakak. Aku sedang melepas ikat pinggangku.”

Then the dolls began to sing:

Kemudian boneka-boneka itu mulai bernyanyi:

Coo-Coo—Prince Danílo Coo-Coo—Govorílo Coo-Coo—’Tis a brother Coo-Coo—Weds his sister: Coo-Coo—Earth must split asunder; Cooo—And the sister lie hid under.

Kuk-kuk—Pangeran Danílo Kuk-kuk—Govorílo Kuk-kuk—Ini seorang kakak Kuk-kuk—Menikahi adiknya: Kuk-kuk—Bumi harus terbelah; Kuuk—Dan sang adik bersembunyi di bawahnya.

Only she had vanished now, all but her head. And the brother cried out again: “Come into the feather-bed.”

Hanya saja kini ia telah lenyap, kecuali kepalanya. Dan sang kakak berseru lagi: “Masuklah ke ranjang kapuk.”

“In a minute, brother; I am taking off my shoes.”

“Sebentar lagi, Kakak; aku sedang melepas sepatuku.”

And the dolls went on cooing, and she vanished under the earth.

Dan boneka-boneka itu terus bernyanyi kuk-kuk, dan ia lenyap ke dalam bumi.

And the brother kept crying, and crying, and crying. And when she never returned, he became angry and ran out to fetch her. He could see nothing but the dolls, which kept singing. So he knocked off their heads and threw them into the stove.

Dan sang kakak terus berseru, dan berseru, dan berseru. Dan ketika ia tak kunjung kembali, ia menjadi marah dan berlari keluar untuk menjemputnya. Ia tak bisa melihat apa pun selain boneka-boneka itu, yang terus bernyanyi. Maka ia memukul kepala mereka hingga terlepas dan melemparkannya ke dalam tungku.

The sister went farther under the earth, and she saw a little hut standing on cocks’ feet and turning round. “Hut!” she cried out, “Stand as you should with your back to the wood.”

Sang adik terus turun lebih dalam ke bawah bumi, dan ia melihat sebuah pondok kecil yang berdiri di atas kaki-kaki ayam jantan dan berputar-putar. “Pondok!” serunya, “Berdirilah sebagaimana mestinya dengan bagian belakangmu menghadap hutan.”

So the hut stopped and the doors opened, and a fair maiden looked out. She was knitting a cloth with gold and silver thread. She greeted the guest friendlily and kindly, but sighed and said, “Oh, my darling, my sister! Oh, I am so glad to see you. I shall be so glad to look after you and to care for you as long as my mother is not here. But as soon as she flies in, woe to you and me, for she is a witch.”

Maka pondok itu berhenti dan pintu-pintunya terbuka, dan seorang gadis cantik menengok keluar. Ia sedang merajut sehelai kain dengan benang emas dan perak. Ia menyambut tamunya dengan ramah dan baik hati, tetapi menghela napas dan berkata, “Oh, sayangku, adikku! Oh, aku sangat senang melihatmu. Aku akan sangat senang menjagamu dan merawatmu selama ibuku tidak ada di sini. Tetapi begitu ia terbang pulang, celakalah kau dan aku, sebab ia adalah seorang penyihir.”

When she heard this the maiden was frightened, but could not fly anywhere. So she sat down and began helping the other maiden at her work. So they chattered along; and soon, at the right time before the mother came, the fair maiden turned her guest into a needle, stuck her into the besom and put it on one side. But scarcely had this been done, when Bába Yagá came in.

Ketika mendengar ini gadis itu ketakutan, tetapi tidak bisa terbang ke mana pun. Maka ia duduk dan mulai membantu gadis yang satu lagi dengan pekerjaannya. Maka mereka pun mengobrol; dan tak lama, tepat pada waktunya sebelum sang ibu datang, gadis cantik itu mengubah tamunya menjadi sebuah jarum, menusukkannya ke dalam sapu lidi dan meletakkannya di satu sisi. Tetapi baru saja itu selesai dilakukan, Bába Yagá pun masuk.

“Now, my fair daughter, my little child, tell me at once, why does the room smell so of Russian bones?”

“Nah, putri cantikku, anak kecilku, katakan padaku sekarang juga, mengapa ruangan ini berbau tulang orang Rusia?”

“Mother, there have been strange men journeying past who wanted a drink of water.”

“Ibu, tadi ada orang-orang asing yang lewat dalam perjalanan yang ingin minta segelas air.”

“Why did you not keep them?”

“Mengapa kau tidak menahan mereka?”

“They were too old, mother; much too tough a snack for your teeth.”

“Mereka terlalu tua, Ibu; kudapan yang terlalu alot untuk gigimu.”

“Henceforth, entice them all into the house and never let them go. I must now get about again and look out for other booty.”

“Mulai sekarang, pikat mereka semua masuk ke dalam rumah dan jangan pernah biarkan mereka pergi. Aku harus pergi lagi sekarang dan mencari mangsa lain.”

As soon as ever she had gone, the maidens set to work again knitting, talking and laughing.

Begitu ia pergi, kedua gadis itu kembali bekerja merajut, mengobrol, dan tertawa.

Then the witch came into the room once more. She sniffed about the house, and said, “Daughter, my sweet daughter, my darling, tell me at once, why does it so smell of Russian bones?”

Kemudian sang penyihir masuk kembali ke dalam ruangan. Ia mengendus-endus seantero rumah, dan berkata, “Putriku, putri manisku, sayangku, katakan padaku sekarang juga, mengapa begitu berbau tulang orang Rusia?”

“Old men who were just passing by who wanted to warm their hands. I did my best to keep them, but they would not stay.”

“Orang-orang tua yang baru saja lewat yang ingin menghangatkan tangan mereka. Aku sudah berusaha sebisaku untuk menahan mereka, tetapi mereka tidak mau tinggal.”

So the witch was angry, scolded her daughter, and flew away. In the meantime her unknown guest was sitting in the besom.

Maka sang penyihir menjadi marah, memarahi putrinya, dan terbang pergi. Sementara itu tamu tak dikenalnya sedang duduk di dalam sapu lidi.

The maidens once more set to work, sewed, laughed, and thought how they might escape the evil witch. This time they forgot how the hours were flying by, and suddenly the witch stood in front of them.

Kedua gadis itu kembali bekerja, menjahit, tertawa, dan berpikir bagaimana mereka bisa melarikan diri dari penyihir jahat itu. Kali ini mereka lupa bagaimana jam-jam berlalu begitu cepat, dan tiba-tiba sang penyihir berdiri di hadapan mereka.

“Darling, tell me, where have the Russian bones crept away?”

“Sayangku, katakan padaku, ke mana tulang-tulang orang Rusia itu merayap pergi?”

“Here, my mother; a fair maiden is waiting for you.”

“Di sini, Ibuku; seorang gadis cantik sedang menunggumu.”

“Daughter mine, darling, heat the oven quickly; make it very hot.”

“Putriku, sayangku, panaskan tungku dengan cepat; buatlah sangat panas.”

So the maiden looked up and was frightened to death. For Bába Yagá with the wooden legs stood in front of her, and to the ceiling rose her nose. So the mother and daughter carried firewood in, logs of oak and maple; made the oven ready till the flames shot up merrily.

Maka gadis itu mendongak dan sangat ketakutan. Sebab Bába Yagá dengan kaki-kaki kayunya berdiri di hadapannya, dan hidungnya menjulang hingga ke langit-langit. Maka ibu dan anak itu membawa kayu bakar masuk, kayu ek dan maple; membuat tungku itu siap hingga apinya menyala berkobar dengan riang.

Then the witch took her broad shovel and said in a friendly voice: “Go and sit on my shovel, fair child.”

Kemudian sang penyihir mengambil sekopnya yang lebar dan berkata dengan suara ramah: “Ayo duduklah di atas sekopku, anak manis.”

So the maiden obeyed, and the Bába Yagá was going to shove her into the oven. But the girl stuck her feet against the wall of the hearth.

Maka gadis itu menurut, dan Bába Yagá hendak mendorongnya masuk ke dalam tungku. Tetapi gadis itu menahan kakinya ke dinding perapian.

“Will you sit still, girl?”

“Maukah kau duduk diam, gadis?”

But it was not any good. Bába Yagá could not put the maiden into the oven. So she became angry, thrust her back and said, “You are simply wasting time! Just look at me and see how it is done.” Down she sat on the shovel with her legs nicely trussed together. So the maidens instantly put her into the oven, shut the oven door, and slammed her in; took their knitting with them, and their comb and brush, and ran away.

Tetapi itu tidak berguna. Bába Yagá tidak bisa memasukkan gadis itu ke dalam tungku. Maka ia menjadi marah, mendorongnya ke belakang dan berkata, “Kau hanya membuang-buang waktu! Lihat saja aku dan lihat bagaimana caranya.” Duduklah ia di atas sekop itu dengan kedua kakinya terikat rapi bersama-sama. Maka kedua gadis itu segera memasukkannya ke dalam tungku, menutup pintu tungku, dan mengurungnya di dalam; membawa serta rajutan mereka, sisir dan sikat mereka, dan melarikan diri.

They ran hard away, but when they turned round there was Bába Yagá running after them. She had set herself free. “Hoo, Hoo, Hoo! there run the two!” So the maidens, in their need, threw the brush away, and a thick, dense coppice arose which she could not break through. So she stretched out her claws, scratched herself a way through, and again ran after them. Whither should the two poor girls flee?

Mereka berlari sekencang-kencangnya, tetapi ketika mereka berbalik ada Bába Yagá mengejar mereka. Ia telah membebaskan dirinya sendiri. “Huu, Huu, Huu! di sana berlari kedua gadis itu!” Maka kedua gadis itu, dalam keterdesakan mereka, melemparkan sikat itu, dan tumbuhlah semak belukar yang tebal dan rapat yang tidak bisa ia tembus. Maka ia merentangkan cakarnya, mencakar-cakar jalan untuk melewatinya, dan kembali berlari mengejar mereka. Ke mana kedua gadis malang itu harus melarikan diri?

They flung their comb behind them, and a dark, murky oak forest grew up, so thick, no fly could ever have flown its way through. Then the witch whetted her teeth and set to work. And she went on tearing up one tree after another by the roots, and she made herself a way, and again set out after them, and almost caught them up.

Mereka melemparkan sisir mereka ke belakang, dan tumbuhlah hutan ek yang gelap dan suram, begitu lebat, tak ada lalat yang bisa terbang menembusnya. Kemudian sang penyihir mengasah giginya dan mulai bekerja. Dan ia terus mencabut pohon demi pohon dari akar-akarnya, dan membuat jalan untuk dirinya sendiri, dan kembali mengejar mereka, dan hampir berhasil menyusul mereka.

Now the girls had no strength left to run, so they threw the cloth behind them, and a broad sea stretched out, deep, wide and fiery. The old woman rose up, wanted to fly over it, but fell into the fire and was burned to death.

Kini kedua gadis itu tak punya tenaga lagi untuk berlari, maka mereka melemparkan kain itu ke belakang, dan terbentanglah sebuah laut luas, dalam, lebar, dan berapi-api. Perempuan tua itu bangkit, hendak terbang melintasinya, tetapi jatuh ke dalam api dan terbakar hingga mati.

The poor maidens, poor homeless doves! did not know whither to go. They sat down in order to rest, and a man came and asked them who they were. He told his master that two little birds had fluttered on to his estate; two fairest damsels similar in form and shape, eye for eye and line for line. One was his sister, but which was it? He could not guess. So the master went to both of them. One was the sister—which? The servant had not lied; he did not know them, and she was angry with him and did not say.

Kedua gadis malang itu, sepasang merpati malang tanpa rumah! tidak tahu ke mana harus pergi. Mereka duduk untuk beristirahat, dan seorang pria datang dan bertanya siapa mereka. Ia memberitahu tuannya bahwa dua burung kecil telah hinggap di tanah miliknya; dua gadis paling cantik yang serupa dalam bentuk dan rupa, mata untuk mata dan garis untuk garis. Salah satunya adalah adiknya, tetapi yang mana? Ia tidak bisa menebaknya. Maka sang tuan mendatangi keduanya. Salah satunya adalah sang adik—yang mana? Sang pelayan tidak berbohong; ia tidak mengenali mereka, dan gadis itu marah kepadanya dan tidak mau memberitahu.

“What shall I do?” asked the master.

“Apa yang harus kulakukan?” tanya sang tuan.

“Master, I will pour blood into an ewe-skin, put that under my armpit and talk to the maiden. In the meantime I will go by and will stab you in the side with my knife; then blood will flow; then your sister will betray herself who she is.”

“Tuan, aku akan menuangkan darah ke dalam kulit domba, meletakkannya di bawah ketiakku dan berbicara dengan gadis itu. Sementara itu aku akan lewat dan akan menikammu di lambung dengan pisauku; kemudian darah akan mengalir; lalu adikmu akan mengkhianati dirinya sendiri, menunjukkan siapa dia sebenarnya.”

“Very well!”

“Baiklah!”

As soon as it was said it was done. The servant stabbed his master in the side, and the blood poured forth, and he fell down.

Begitu diucapkan, begitu pula dilakukan. Sang pelayan menikam tuannya di lambungnya, dan darah pun mengalir keluar, dan ia terjatuh.

Then his sister flung herself over him and cried out, “Oh, my brother! my darling!”

Kemudian sang adik melemparkan dirinya ke arahnya dan berseru, “Oh, Kakakku! sayangku!”

Then the brother jumped up again healthy and well. He embraced his sister, gave her a proper husband, and he married her friend, for the ring fitted her just as well. So they all lived splendidly and happily.

Kemudian sang kakak bangkit lagi dalam keadaan sehat dan bugar. Ia memeluk adiknya, memberinya suami yang tepat, dan ia sendiri menikahi sahabatnya, sebab cincin itu cocok pula untuknya. Maka mereka semua hidup dengan megah dan bahagia.