THE HORSE AS AN EPIC CHARACTER 



a mare, fled to the seashore. Marko goes thither, finds 

 the mare, and with it a three-year-old colt, upon whose 

 back he leaps. He is carried about madly, even into 

 the water, where he is nearly drowned. Once more on 

 land, the colt bows down before Marko and asks him 

 his name. On being told, he joyfully acknowledges the 

 hero as his master. Marko then wishing to know where 

 he can have him shod, the old mare recommends a 

 certain smith who used to shoe her during her years of 

 service. We have now come to the horse which can 

 actually talk. When, for instance, Sharatz, like other 

 epic horses, has to warn his master, he can tell him who 

 is coming, and how many men are in the party. And 

 when Marko is so depressed by the news that he weeps, 

 Sharatz prophesies victory and assures him that he 

 himself will kill a thousand men with his hoofs. Here 

 is another example of his supernatural intelligence: 

 one day, near the Danube, the horse begins to snort 

 and paw the ground. " Come, come! " cried Marko, 

 " why do you paw the ground like that ? because I 

 forgot to water you or gave you your fodder late ? 

 Beware! if I once strike you upon your temple, your 

 eyes will certainly fly out of your head." " What ails 

 you, dear master ? " answers Sharatz. " I am angry 

 because I look beyond the Danube to the Wallachian 

 land, and I see your sister Magdalena, a prisoner of Ali 

 Aga. She is weeping bitterly and calling for her 

 brother." Marko swung himself into the saddle; before 

 he was fairly seated, he was in the middle of the stream; 



^23 



