These days, on a warm afternoon, a peculiar figure was thrown into the courtyard of the theater. The autumn beard of Torzonborz and the strange attire, which was complemented by this beard, came to mind for all future-goers. On his head is a soldier with holczmüczli, a canvas military jacket, Hungarian trousers and stockings reaching to his knees, with dusty soldier boots.
However, the newcomer did not speak to anyone, just allowed himself to stare at the walkers, leaning his shoulder against the wall.
One day one of the actors looks more into his eyes and shouts, “Believe it is you!”
“Of course I am,” replied the tangled figure. But you have a hard time knowing me.
“I believe it, but you could have known me more easily, why didn’t you address me?”
“Because I was afraid you’d think I might ask you for something.”
“Because I have little, I would give it without asking, but where do you come from?”
– From Paris.
– How?
– Well, just on foot.
“Those who came from there said you had suddenly disappeared, they thought you had killed yourself.”
“I came because my last garage ran out, and I came home on foot.” I’ve been coming for two months.-48-
There, the acquaintance is immediately surrounded by several acquaintances, old Transylvanian comrades-in-arms, now also calm citizens; who doesn’t know him, they show each other: Lieutenant, he was a good knight in his time, then in the wrong time he wanted to look for a place where they said that valiant people were needed, he went out to Italy, and from there in time to a dog. fifty-two of you were sent with you as a restless, impatient man, he wandered to Paris through many adversities, there he did such a good thing that he died of starvation, he could not turn to strangers, and not to acquaintances unharmed. Then one day he changed his mind and decided he would come home.
Coming home! through so many foreign countries, it is easy for one who has a purse or a humble figure who can either pay or beg, but to travel from Paris to Pest, who does not understand?
At first he sold the clothes, the proud Hungarian costume from his body, and bought worn rag clothes, so he came from village to village. He didn’t ask for anything anywhere.
When he had nothing left to sell about himself, one evening he arrived tired in a large French town and sat under the porch of a coffee shop. Under the porch, southern military officers hurried, offended by the appearance of the ragged figure. Did one of you address what you’re looking for here?
“Don’t be so brave, gentlemen.” I was once a swordsman like you, and now I am neither a thief nor a beggar.
At this word, they settled around the French officers, recounting the vicissitudes he had lived with him, and then gathered thirty francs among themselves, and this was given as a travel expense to the orphan of the far land.
It was able to get all the way to the border with a donation. He was stopped on German soil. Of course, he had no news of his passport. He told me honestly who he was and that he had a home in Szeklerland.-49-
The conscientious gentlemen immediately telegraphed to Vienna, Buda, and it took a good while until the answer came back that his claim was a descent free. During this time he lived at least at the expense of European diplomacy.
There they were given a passport and fifty pennies.
Fifty krajcars is not a large capital, but it is untig enough for a frugal man to travel with him through a German principality; in the principality he was again given another passport and fifty pennies.
He thought to himself, it goes so gorgeously, to travel at the expense of the alliance; but on the verge of third status he was denied fifty krajcars, there must certainly be discussed in the budget first.
So here you had to break or tear it. Is it just starting to beg in Germany? it can not be. To starve to death? it could be more.
The last six pennies arrived in his pocket in a German city, which is a famous spa, very popular with the English. In the very first restaurant, where he came to rest, he was refused with the fact that there is no public broth here, only guests who come by horse can enter here. He went to the other, he was rejected there too, he went to the third, there he repeated it. Good order here!
Then he went back to the first one again.
“Is this the restaurant where you can go by horse?” ask the housekeeper upstairs.
– This is it.
– Show me what the accommodation for horses is like?
The servant ushered him into the barn, which was also full of English gentlemen’s horses, but a place was still empty, and with contempt for fresh straw, the fragrant hay in the manger was ready.
Fresh straw! fragrant hay! How good it is to be the horses of English gentlemen! Good luck sweet friend. I’ll just sleep here myself.
In the morning he goes to the innkeeper and says he wants to pay for the stable, for a horse.-50-
– Where’s that horse?
– I’m that horse myself.
With such an idea, some French vaudevilleir would be a fashion lion for a saison; well but he won so much with him that the freakman didn’t pay for it, he even gave him breakfast for making him laugh so well. Because it’s a very ridiculous thing.
And so he came to all of Hungary, listening and starving there, where they were not asked what he was suffering from?
Within the Hungarian border, his greatness then culminated. He just couldn’t tell people here. It would have been nice! a Hungarian knight who left his homeland, his family, his home stove, who left with bright hopes, proudly, gloriously, and now returns home ragged, hungry, humiliated: how could this tell someone, im here!
Its most rugged station was the last, from the Buda chain leader to Pest. Here we all know, two angry lions sitting carved out of stone, which means that every passer-by must pay two pennies of ransom.
Two pennies is not money! but where shall he take it, who is fallen from the moon?
At last, too, a humane carrier plowed his silent face, telling him to pick him up in his empty cart if he wanted to get through; and thus he reached the capital of his country, the heart of his country, the one who…