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So at last he called his sons together and said, 'Whoever will destroy the Norka, to him will I give the half of my kingdom. Well, the eldest son undertook the task. As soon as it was night, he took his weapons and set out. When he came to his senses it was too late; the day had already dawned. He felt himself disgraced in the eyes of his father, but there was no help for it.
And when the Prince came to the blue sea, he looked there slept the Norka on a stone in the middle of the sea; and when it snored, the water was agitated for seven miles around. The Prince crossed himself, went up to it, and smote it on the head with his sword. The head jumped off, saying the while, 'Well, I'm done for now! and rolled far away into the sea.
But he took his arms, and went straight into the park, and sat down on the grass in such a position that the moment he went asleep his weapons would prick him, and he would awake. Presently the midnight hour sounded. The earth began to shake, and the Norka came rushing up, and burst right through the fence into the park, so huge was it.
And when he had flung the stone aside, he spoke a second time to his brothers, saying: 'Who is going into the other world, to overcome the Norka? Neither of them offered to do so. Then he laughed at them for being such cowards, and said: 'Well, brothers, farewell! Lower me into the other world, and don't go away from here, but as soon as the cord is jerked, pull it up.
Now the King had a deer park in which were quantities of wild animals of different kinds. Into that park there used to come a huge beast Norka was its name and do fearful mischief, devouring some of the animals every night. The King did all he could, but he was unable to destroy it.
I bound up three of the wounds which thou didst give him. Well, after this they drank, and enjoyed themselves, and held sweet converse together, and then the Prince took leave of her, and went on to the second sister, the one who lived in the silver palace, and with her also he stayed awhile. She told him that her brother Norka was then at her youngest sister's.
"Oh, a great ill!" replies Manuel, with his charmed sword already half out of the scabbard. But Niafer cried: "An endless ill is foresaid by these doings. For I have been to the Island of the Oaks: and under the twelfth oak was a copper casket, and in the casket was a purple duck, and in the duck was an egg: and in the egg, O Norka, was and is your death."
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