Jagica by Edna Worthley Underwood

Name: Jagica
Author: Edna Worthley Underwood

Janko, a young peasant, walks home one summer night singing love songs, and is followed unseen by the narrator through the forest to a hillside orchard, where he meets Jagica, the prettiest peasant girl in the country, at a secret nighttime rendezvous by an apple tree. She has slipped out after her family's lamp is extinguished, bringing him wine from a cask her father brought from the wine-dresser's house. They greet each other formally, without touching, and talk of their day's labor—his cutting wooden pegs in the mountains, hoeing, and fetching water; her spinning and hoeing in the vineyard with her sister. Jagica worries he came through the woods near the horse herdsmen, fearing old tales of a man choked to death by witches there, and fears especially the herdsman Mihalčić Tono, who is jealous because Janko comes from another parish to court her. Janko dismisses the danger. They discuss their families' opposition: Jagica's father disapproves of Janko's visits because the _Zadruga_ (the family land division) has not been settled, and because Janko's household quarrels constantly. Old Mihalčić comes weekly asking for Jagica's hand for his son Tono. Janko vows he will kill anyone who tries to take her, and Jagica insists she wants only him and would rather drown than marry Tono. They also speak of a church festival at St. Peter's that Jagica missed due to nursing her sick sister with rib-wort, at which Janko danced with a girl named Katica while sad at Jagica's absence, and warns Jagica not to speak to Tono. Jagica urges him to hurry to the city to settle the land matter with the gentlemen so they can marry before fall. When the horse herdsmen pass by returning home, including Tono, the couple hides in the bushes until they are gone, then part without touching, Janko walking off singing. The narrator, astonished that peasant hearts could love so deeply, later learns of Janko's struggle: the _Zadruga_ division drags on because his relatives use legal delays to block the land allotment, and Jagica's father favors Tono, blaming the delay on Janko. The narrator advises Janko to accept a smaller share of land to speed the settlement; after long deliberation, Janko agrees and goes to the city that day. Still the process stalls—his housemates dispute the engineer's division, claiming numerous errors. Jagica's father declares he will not forgive Janko for surrendering so much land, and Tono becomes a regular visitor at her house. Jagica weeps and begs Janko to hurry. As St. Catherine's Day—the traditional peasant wedding day—approaches with only four weeks left and nothing resolved, rumors reach Janko that Tono and Jagica are to marry, seemingly confirmed by Jagica no longer meeting him at their usual spot despite his nightly vigils by the apple tree. Janko and Tono come to blows more than once and must be separated. Desperate, Janko roams distractedly through fields and city, disheveled and sleepless, swearing to murder Tono and insisting Jagica is his alone, alternating between sobs and singing his old songs. On the eve of St. Catherine's Day, Janko disappears, reportedly going to the city, and people feel relief that trouble might be avoided at the wedding. The next morning, the wedding procession leaves Jagica's house with the pale, weeping bride in her crown and mantle. As the musicians sound their blast on the highway, Janko suddenly leaps out, ragged and barefoot, brandishing a club at Tono—but at the last moment lets it fall, bursts into wild laughter, and runs off, his laughter echoing through the hills. He has gone mad.

By Edna Worthley Underwood · First published 1919 · Genre: Romance, Tragedy, Realism · 3,722 words

First lines

XAVER ŠANDOR-GJALSKI

I had worked for a long time with the day laborers. As I started to go / home night had already come. It was an inspiring warm night of summer; I / chose the longest way, so enchanted was I with the beauty of the / evening. In the moonlight the mountains seemed to tremble; from the / trees slanted long, black shadows, and the scent of an unknown flower / perfumed the air. The voices of nightingales resounded from trees within / the forest, out of thickets along the hills, and from the deep grass, / insects called.

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Jagica is listed on Textopian as a short story by Edna Worthley Underwood, dated 1919 CE.

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Work type: Short story
Author: Edna Worthley Underwood
Date: 1919 CE
Language: English
Genres: Romance, Tragedy, Realism, Rural Fiction, Folk Literature
Length: 3,722 words
Structure: 1 section, 77 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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Genres

Romance — The narrative centers on the passionate love between Janko and Jagica, their clandestine courtship, and their deep longing to marry despite numerous social and economic barriers.
Tragedy — The work follows a tragic arc where Janko's profound love leads to psychological devastation and madness when Jagica is forced to marry his rival Tono, fulfilling the classical tragic structure.
Realism — The text employs naturalistic representation of rural peasant life with detailed depictions of agricultural labor, economic hardship, and authentic cultural practices of Croatian communities.
Rural Fiction — The narrative is rooted in peasant society and culture, featuring extensive descriptions of village life, seasonal labor, and the traditional customs governing rural communities.