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Updated: June 10, 2025
"Gracious king!" said the Princess Anna, "she is the daughter of Jurand of Spychow and this unhappy knight made a vow to her. He promised her to tear three peacock tufts from the helmets of the Germans, and having noticed such a tuft on the helmet of this comthur, he thought that God himself had sent the Krzyzak.
"I prefer to go before the courts, than to bow to a Krzyzak!" exclaimed Zbyszko. "It would not be befitting my dignity as a wlodyka." Powala of Taczew looked at him severely and said: "You do not act wisely. Old people know better than you, what is right and what is befitting a knight's dignity.
That even if he wanted to avoid the combat, he could not do it; that when his mission was ended, they must meet, even at Malborg. Meanwhile the castellan went to the adjoining room to dictate the sentence to a secretary. Some of the knights during the interruption came near the Krzyzak, saying: "May they give you a more merciful sentence in the great day of judgment!"
The Krzyzak will not ask whose head was cut off, if there is one cut. There will be no shame on the family. It is difficult for a man to die; but it is better that one man perish than that a family should be destroyed." Speaking thus he clasped the king's legs; the king began to wink his eyes, which was a sign of emotion with him; finally he said: "It can not be!
The Mazurs laughed in their sleeves at such an assurance, because they knew very well how rapacious the Order was, and still better what liars the Knights of the Cross were. It was a popular saying in Mazowsze: "As the skunk smells, so the Krzyzak lies."
Sometimes after a battle, I slept with a dead Krzyzak instead of a pillow under my head." "You do not mean to tell me that you have ever killed a Krzyzak? I am sure you have not." Zbyszko, instead of answering, began to laugh. But Macko exclaimed: "For heaven's sake, girl, you do not know him yet! He has never done anything else, but kill the Germans.
It would be considered a disgrace, not only to him, but to his children also." To this Macko replied: "He would not agree. But if it were done without his knowledge, he would avenge me, even as I also will avenge him." "Ha!" said Tenczynski, "persuade the Krzyzak to withdraw the complaint." "I have asked him." "And what?" asked the king, stretching his neck; "what did he say?"
After these words the knights rushed toward the unhappy Zbyszko; but they were stopped by a threatening nod from the king who began to shout in an angry voice, similar to the rattling of a carriage rolling over the stones: "Cut his head off! Cut his head off! Let the Krzyzak send it to Malborg to the grand master!" Then he cried to the young Lithuanian prince standing near. "Hold him, Jamont!"
The old wlodyka of Dlugolas came and summoned Zbyszko to the princess. "You will serve Danusia and me at the table as my courtier," said the princess. "It may happen that you will please the king by some facetious word or deed, and the Krzyzak if he recognize you, will not complain to the king, seeing that you serve me at the king's table." Zbyszko kissed the princess' hand.
If the Krzyzak does not complain, there will be no case; but if he should complain, perhaps it would be better to tell the king everything beforehand, so that he will not become angry." "If the Krzyzak has an opportunity to ruin somebody, he will do it," answered the princess; "but I will tell that young man to join our court. Perhaps the king will be more lenient to one of our courtiers."
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