"That isn't very much. It scarce weighs more than four hundredweight.
The bear not long ago weighed five, and I had to beat it to death before
I could take it home. Surely your ladyship knows that I am the strong
Juon--Juon Tare?" And the goatherd said this with as much self-evident
pride, as if everyone in the wide world had heard that strong Juon dwelt
among these forests. Henrietta's look of surprise apprised him, however,
that she, at least, had never heard of him.
"You do not know then, Domna, who I am? Yet I know who you are. I have
often met the _Dumnye Barbatu_[21] and he knows me well. He is the only
man in the world who is as strong as I am. We have often wrestled
together on this grass-plot for a wager. Neither of us has ever been
able to throw the other. His lordship can throw an axe deeper into a
tree than I can, but I can put a greater weight. His lordship can kill
an ox with a blow from his fist, but I can throttle a bear to death. But
we cannot overcome each other, though we have often stood up
together--only in joke, only in sport, of course, your ladyship. It
would not be well if we encountered each other in our wrath--that would
be terrible."
[Footnote 21: My lord, your husband.]
All the time he spoke Juon was skilfully mending the torn saddle-girths
and the bridle; then he re-saddled the horse, which was still trembling
in every limb, wiped the bloody foam from its mouth, washed its sores
and encouraged the lady to remount.
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