[ 71 ]
"My sister—thou Turkish damsel,
Go, tell thy brother Mustapha-Aga,
That he may bear me to the white manor.
I have with me three purses of gold,
In each are three hundred ducats,
I shall give one to thee,
The second to thy brother, Mustapha-Aga, 40
The third I shall keep for myself
That I may heal me of my grievous wounds;
And if God will that I heal me of my wounds,
I shall give great recompense to thee;
To thee, and to thy brother Mustapha-Aga."
The damsel went to the white manor
And told her brother Mustapha-Aga:
"O brother, Mustapha-Aga,
I have found a wounded knight,
In Marica, in the cold river: 50
He hath on him three purses of gold,
In each are three hundred ducats;
One will he give to me,
The second will he give to thee, Mustapha-Aga,
The third will he keep for himself
That he may heal him of his grievous wounds:
Be not evilly advised
To slay the wounded knight,
But do thou bear him here to the white manor."
The Turk gat him to the river Marica, 60
And when he saw the wounded knight,
He began to examine the rich-wrought sabre.
On a sudden he smote with it and cut off the knight's head.
He stripped him of his rich apparel,
And returned back to the white manor.
His sister came out to meet him,
And when she saw what he had done,
She said to Mustapha-Aga, her brother:
"Wherefore hast thou done this, brother? May God do so unto thee!
