Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-06-04
THE DEMON PRINCESS
LEGEND OF TAMARA OF RUSSIA AND
HER SUIToRS.

casus, of Why This Beautiful Roya
Woman Reigned Alone.
Outside the skazkas or folk storie.
of Russia no woman is said to be NOR,
4 beautiful than anything in all the
world In the skazkas this expression
is used only concerning the princesses
and the queens, those marvellous wo
men who have from time immemoria
held first place in the historic litera
ture and the legends Of every country
| on the face of the earth.
| The princesses in the English fairy
| stories were more beautiful than any
thing, and the queens in all the folk
tales of literature have been most won
| drOusly beautiful. In the Russian folk
lore the expression of great beauty is
used only concerning the princesses
and queens, while in other countries II
us used TO describe all the heroines OF
folklore stories.
In all the legends relating to early
history of all the Russias there is no
story which is held in higher regard
than the tale of the Princess Tamara.
who reigned over the Georgian state of
the Transcaucasus in the twelfth CEN
fury. Her story holds high place in
Russian or Georgian literature, and
LemOntoff has made a play about her
that is more thrilling In its suggestion
even than the story OF Ivan the Terri
BILE.
Sir John Maundeville In his travels
abroad found references to her terri
bic beauty, and he has written in his
books as to how she slew her suitors.
The legends are not easy in the
translation, but so far as they may be
told In modern English this is the
story, coated in the mysticism of the
far east:
Ye shall know, then, that the Prin-
cess Tamara dwelt In a high mountain
place-up against the clouds-where
the rains come down and where the
winds sweep from the crags Of the
mountain tops. .---.-- .4
1t is told in the countries hereabout
that she was the most beautiful wo-
man In all the whole world Nowhere
was ever one more beautiful, not eveA
Shebn's queen. In the great castle
she dwelt, and there came to her
suitors from the farthest ends of the
earth TO sue for the hand Of Tamara,
the princess who dwelt in the castle
high in the mountain tops where meet
the east and the west. A great road
has been built which leads to the cas-
tie, and along this road journeyed the
suitors who would have her for wife
kings and princes and knights Of high
degree. But the Princess Tamara was
n proud princess, and she would have
none of their favOr-no, not favor.
even from the king of farthest Ind.
She would have none OF him. and she
caused to make let a great joust and
tourney, and he was slain.
So that was the end of that king.
Now, upon a day the Princess Tama-
ra performed a great magic. She let
make herself into the form OF a drag
on, and nowhere ever in the world
was ever seen a dragon so terrible as
She Then she caused messages to be
sent to all the princes of the earth,
and all the kings, and all the knights,
and all the mobiles OF great degree, and
she said in this message that whose
ever, be he king or prince or noble,
should come and kiss her on the mouth
while she was in the form OF the drag
on, then he should be king over her
dominions and rule with her on the
throne.
Now, upon another day the Princess
Tamara was in a room in her castle
combing her BAREBACK, ike the night
and into the castle came a man who
had ridden from a great ship some
where, and he had heard of the mar
t.
and he would have her to wife. Now,
in the mirror when she was combing
her hair she saw the image of this
man. and she asked OF him If he were
knight. and he said, Nay. 1 am no
knight, but only a sailor come from a
ship"
Then she told him to return to his
fellows and cause them to make a
knight of him, for he was fair of favor
and a man such as might reign as king
in her dOminions.
Then he returned to his ship. and his
companions made a knight OF him.
But before he had gone from the cas-
tie the Princess Tamara had said that
he should find her upon his return in
shape like a dragon, but that he was 10
have no fear. He was TO come to her
and kiss her upon the mouth, however
dreadful might be the appearance
which she should assume.
Now, when the man returned to the
castle, after he had been made knight
by his fellows he rode upon palfrey.
and he was attended by his squires
and his retainers and a great cavaicade
of others who had come from far coun-
tries by ship with him.
And he rode into the castle yard. and
there he saw a dragon Of many yards
OF length and OF aspect most fearsome.
and he knew that the princess had
done what she told and that she had
taken form of dragon TO fright him.
He would have kissed her on the
mouth as she had said, but his palfrey
took fright and reared terribly and
threw the knight TO the ground.
Then the princess, thinking that he
WAS a foo roll of the kiss of the dra r0n |