Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-10-05

and begged her to flee without delay.
The wretched queen wept, and thought
to herself that it was, perhaps, on ac-
count of her lowly birth that the
king wished to be rid of her, SO she
followed the ministers advice. She
took her son with her, and what little
she possessed, and wandered forth
again into the world, not listing
where she went but walking
ing on. Meantime the ministers
kindled a great fire, burned some
thing in it, and wrote to the king that
they had burned the queen. The
king was very deeply afflicted, and
wept bitterly, when he read this let
ter. 1t is, indeed, a marvel that he
did not attempt his own life. He
threw himself into the fiercest fight,
seeking there death, but he did not
find it,
The unfortunate Svetoslava wan
dered about, without knowing with
er, with her dear child Bolemil, for
thus she named him. At last she came
to a thick forest, and there she sat
down to rest; and when she had taken
some repose, she crept about seeking
some fruit for Bolemil. She happen
ed 10 come near a certain spring from
which flowed living water. When a
person washed any sore place on the
body with that water the part was at
once healed lost limbs were restored
and quic kened by that water. Sveto-
slava did not know the virtue of that
water, and wanted to drink of it. She
bent down to do so; but as she was
blind she wet her whole face in the
spring. The living water entered the
sockets of her eyes, and her sight was
at once restored. She rejoiced, and
was SO glad that she wept for joy, es-
pecially when she beheld her beloved
child Bolemil She at once under
stood the wonderful virtue of that liv-
ing water and first dipped her right
shoulder into the we'll Immediately
it had touched the water it began to
grow. Next, she dipped her left Shout
der into the living water, and thus her
two arms grew again. Thereupon she
fell on her knees and thanked God
for having thus marvelously made her
whole. She was again happy and con
tent, and resolved to seek for work in
order to support herself and BOlemil.
She wandered on again, and at last
came to a mill, here she entreated the
miller of this mill to take her into his
service He took pity upon her and
her child, and hired her to serve him.
She accustomed herself to work again,
and no one would have said that she
had been queen.
Meanwhile, the king continued to
carry on the war; but unsuccessfully.
Everything i'll the world seemed to 90
wrong with him since he had heard
that Svetoslava was no longer alive
He lost battle after battle, and was
obliged to retreat into his own king
dom. lie came with his army, upon
this mill, where Svetoslava earned her
livelihood rs a servant, and decided
to halt there. He went into the mill,
to- look at it and take some repose
under its roof. He started Us he beheld
Svetoslava; he seemed to have seen
such a woman somewhere; he thought
she resembled his conSort who had
been burned to death. Then, distract
ed with these thoughts and fatigue, he
went and lay down upon the bed in
the mill, and there fell asleep. Svetos-
lava, indeed, had recognized the king,
her husband, but made as if she knew
nothing. During the kings slumbers
one of his feet slipped down from the
bed
Co. said Svetoslava to Bolcmil,
''go put thy fathers foot upon the
bed"
Bolcmil went kissed his fathers
foot, and put it upon the bed again.
The king, though really asleep, heard
Svctosava speaking. However, he
thought that he might be mistaken,
and that he had not really heard, and
SO he resolved to convince himself Of
the truth. lie made as if he was in
deep sleep, and let his right arm fall
from the bed, so that it hung down.
Svctoslava again Immediately she no
ticed this, said to Bolemil:
"Go, my dear son, go kiss thy
fathers hand.
BoIcmil obeyed, and replaced his
fathers arm upon the bed. The king,
now quite convinced of the truth,
sprang from the bed, and embraced
SVctoSlava"
'Svetoslava." cried the king. "Is
this dream. or is it reality2 Is it
thou, my beloved Svetoslava!'
1T is |, king" answered Svcto-
slava; and there is thy son, Bole-
mil.
To the kissing and the explana-
tons which issued there was no end.
The king waXed very wroth when he
heard all that had happened, and re-
solved to take vengeance upon all
who had caused or abettcd the wick
edness. The whole army immedi-
ately learned the news, and when the
king and queen, with Bolcmil, went
into the camp the enthusiasm of the
soldiers was boundleSS.
With Scvtoslava and Bolemil the
kings luck in war returned. He
forthwith struck blow ut his enemy,
beat him several times running at
tackled his country anu invaded it,
concluded Il glorious peace, and
returned triumphantly into his capt
tai.
lie straightway called together his
ministers, and gave orders that
strict inquiry should be instituted to
discover who had been the author of
the han dships inflicted upon the queen
and the young prince The ministers
therefore made a searching inquiry,
and soon informed the king that the
guilty man was n certain miller, the
father of Svetoslava.
The king was terribly angry. and
that the miller should be
Immediately brought before him. So
he was brought in, and the letters
which he had written in the nal lie of
the king and of the ministers were
shown him. He straightway comics
Scd his guilt, fell upon his knees be-
fore the king, and begged to be for
given. The king, however, was by
no means inclined to show mercy to
the miller, but when Svetoslava fell
upon his neck and said to him the
miller was her father, and vehement
~ implored forgiveness for him, al
though he had indeed caused her
much suffering, the king was soften
cd, was mcrciful to his father law,
and let hirl go away. So he went off
and did not show himself again. At
ter this the king reigned many years
happily with his queen, and after his
death and her death Prince Bolemil,
their son and heir, mounted the throne
of his father, and, being man of ex
,rNnJnnSS olSn fsni ,aA haoOi1N.