The Story of Alexander Petoff

Down the long path of history, tramping across centuries and continents and the graves of kings and the necks of dictators, seeking always a way of life where the people have their freedom, believing, praying, fighting, dying, we came this way.

NBC University of the Air, a public service of the National Broadcasting Company and its independent affiliated stations, Present the second chapter in the new series. We came this way. A dramatic account of man's struggle down through the ages for a democratic way of life.

For listeners at home at overseas, we present chapter two. A story of Alexander the Disney. Arm, we came this way. Hear the minstrel thing. I strike the harp, and the tail comes forth.

I strike the harp, and the tail is born. My strikes are hard and the air is frequent with metal and forest and the river Danube. Sweet with the song of my Hungarian land. What tail shall I sing to you brothers?

What tail but a tail of freedom? What tail but a hero's ending? Draw close. Listen to the tale of young Alexander. Alexander for Turkey. Hungarian singer. I, my lips shall sing of hymn, My heart shall pray, I strike the harp for Alexander Paterthae, I strike the harp, and the tail begins.

In the dead century behind us, My Hungary was a prisoner of an Austrian king, Ferdinand, A child's brain, frightened by empire, But at his right hand, like Gaunt Death, Stood Prince Messianic the Plonter, Then on his left, General Agile the killer, Hungry Gaunt under the Austrian oppression, On the plain, the hoodman sang bitter songs.

My soul is a wounded bird, My spirit is a heavy storm they sang. In the huts of the peasants, the smoke of their fires was thin as their joys. None was free but the wind and the river.