diff options
Diffstat (limited to '30109-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 30109-0.txt | 5293 |
1 files changed, 5293 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/30109-0.txt b/30109-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c115e22 --- /dev/null +++ b/30109-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5293 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30109 *** + + THE RUSSIAN GARLAND + + BEING RUSSIAN FOLK TALES: TRANSLATED + FROM A COLLECTION OF CHAP-BOOKS + MADE IN MOSCOW: EDITED BY + ROBERT STEELE AND PICTURED BY + J. R. DE ROSCISZEWSKI. + + + [Illustration] + + + A. M. PHILPOT, LIMITED, + 69 GREAT RUSSELL STREET, LONDON, + W.C. 1. + + + + + [Illustration: THE HORSE GREW RESTIVE, REARED HIGHER THAN THE + WAVING FOREST. + _Page 18._] + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + Foreword vii + + Story of Lyubim Tsarevich and the Winged Wolf 1 + + Story of the most wonderful and noble Self-Playing + Harp 16 + + The Seven Brothers Simeon 29 + + Story of Ivan, the Peasant's Son 39 + + Story of the Golden Mountain 50 + + Iliya of Murom and the Robber Nightingale 61 + + The Renowned Hero, Bova Korolevich and the Princess + Drushnevna 68 + + The Mild Man and his Cantankerous Wife 117 + + Story of the Duck with Golden Eggs 125 + + Story of Bulat the Brave Companion 131 + + Story of Prince Malandrach and the Princess Salikalla 142 + + Story of a Shoemaker and his Servant Prituitshkin 153 + + Emelyan, the Fool 166 + + The Judgment of Shemyaka 183 + + Story of Prince Peter with the Golden Keys, and the + Princess Magilene 187 + + Sila Tsarevich and Ivashka with the White Smock 194 + + Story of the Knight Yaroslav Lasarevich and the + Princess Anastasia 202 + + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + + PAGE + The Horse grew restive, reared higher than the + waving forest _Frontispiece_ + + Instantly upstarted Lyubim Tsarevich, put on his + armour and leapt upon his steed 4 + + At length they fell in with a cripple on the road 64 + + "Alas! my gracious mother, why have you put me in + prison?" 74 + + The Judge thought that the bundle was full of roubles 184 + + And so saying, he stretched out his hand to take the + sword 226 + + + + +FOREWORD + + +The special interest of this volume of Russian Folk Tales is that it +is a translation from a collection of peasant Chap-books of all sorts +made in Moscow about 1830, long before the Censorship had in great +measure stopped the growth of popular literature. It is not necessary +to dilate upon the peculiarities of Chap-books and their methods: in +the conditions of their existence many of the finest qualities of the +primitive stories are eliminated, but on the other hand certain +essentials are enforced. The story must be direct, the interest +sustained, and the language however fine, simple and easily +understood. + +It is to be hoped that some of these merits have been preserved in +this translation: for this book is intended to appeal to a class of +severe and incorruptible critics--the children of to-day. To older +critics the matter is also interesting. Who on earth would ever expect +to find in a Russian Chap-book printed in Slavonic type on a coarse +broadside sheet the Provençal legend of "Pierre et Maguelonne" or the +Old English tale of "Bevis of Hampton." And the mystery deepens when +one is told that Bevis of Hampton is ages old in Russia, however the +names have been re-furbished by the printer to--not the English, +but--the Italian form. Some of the tales are evidently of German +origin--adopted and made Russian, like that of the "Seven Simeons" or +"Emelyan, the Fool"; others are as evidently Eastern. A few date from +the Russian Epics, like that of "Iliya of Murom" and "Ivan the +Peasant's Son"; others are of later date, like that of "The Judgment +of Shemyaka," who was a historic character who lived about 1446. + +It is hardly necessary to dilate on the peculiar expressions here to +be found; how that a child grows "not day by day, but hour by hour," +how that when the Tsar wants to drink "beer is not brewed nor brandy +distilled," seeing he is served at once, how the hero passes through +"thrice nine lands to the thirtieth country," how brothers are always +in threes, and how the youngest always succeeds where his elders fail. +Students of folklore will know all about them, and the rest of us must +take them on trust. Do you _know_ why you must never go under a +ladder? + + R. S. + + + + +STORY OF LYUBIM TSAREVICH AND THE WINGED WOLF + + +In a certain country there once lived a Tsar named Elidarovich, with +his wife, Militissa Ibrahimovna, who had three sons. The eldest son +was named Aksof Tsarevich, the second Hut Tsarevich, and the youngest, +Lyubim Tsarevich; and they grew, not from day to day, but from hour to +hour. And when the eldest son was twenty years of age, he begged leave +of his parents to travel in other countries, and seek a beautiful +princess for his wife. So his parents at last consented, gave him +their blessing, and dismissed him to the four quarters of the earth. + +Not long after this, Hut Tsarevich in like manner begged permission of +his parents to travel; and Tsar Elidar and the Tsarina gave their +consent with the greatest pleasure. And so Hut Tsarevich went out into +the world too, and they wandered about a long while, until at length +nothing more was heard or seen of them, and they were given up for +dead. + +As the Tsar and the Tsarina were troubled and wept for their lost +sons, came the youngest son, Lyubim Tsarevich, and likewise entreated +them to let him go forth to seek his brothers. But his parents said to +him: "Son, you are too young and cannot undertake so long a journey; +and how can we part with you, our only child left to us? We are +already in years, and to whom should we leave our crown?" But Lyubim +Tsarevich would not be denied; he remained firm to his purpose, and +said: "It is needful for me to travel and see the world; for if ever I +am called to rule over the country, I must learn to do so with +justice." + +When the Tsar Elidar and Tsarina Militissa heard these words from +their son, they were overjoyed, and gave him their consent to travel; +but only for a short time, and making him promise to have no +companions, nor expose himself to any great dangers. Upon taking +leave, Lyubim bethought him how to provide himself with a knightly +steed and a suit of armour; and as he went musing thus to the city, an +old woman met him, who said: "Why are you so sad, my dear Lyubim +Tsarevich?" But he did not give her an answer, and passed by the old +woman without saying a word. But then he bethought him that old folk +are wiser than young ones, turned round, and going up to the old +woman, accosted her. And Lyubim Tsarevich said to her: "At the first +meeting, mother, I disdained to tell you why I was sad, but it came +into my mind that old folk must know more than young ones." "There it +is, Lyubim Tsarevich," said the old woman, "you can't easily get away +from old folk. Say, why are you sad? Tell the old wife." And Lyubim +Tsarevich said to her: "I have no good horse and no armour, yet I must +travel far and wide in search of my brothers." Then the old woman +said: "What think you? There is a horse and a suit of armour in your +father's forbidden meadow,[A] behind twelve gates, and this horse is +fastened by twelve chains. On that meadow is also a broadsword and a +fine suit of armour." + + [A] The "royal forbidden meadows" were those belonging + to the Sovereign, the use of which was strictly + forbidden to his subjects. When an enemy came into the + country they first pitched their camp in these fields, + as a declaration of hostilities. + +When Lyubim Tsarevich had heard this, and thanked the old woman, he +went straightway, overjoyed, to the forbidden meadow. On reaching the +place where the horse was, he stopped, and bethought him, "How shall I +break through the twelve gates?" At last he made the attempt, and +presently broke down one gate; then the steed perceived by his scent +the presence of the brave youth, and with a great effort burst his +chains; and then Lyubim Tsarevich broke through three more gates, and +the steed trampled down the rest. Then Lyubim Tsarevich surveyed the +steed and the armour; and put on the armour, but left the steed in the +meadow; after which he went to his home, found his parents, and with +great joy told them all that had befallen him, and how an old woman +had helped him, and begged their blessing on his travels. So his +parents gave him their blessing, and, mounting his good steed, he set +forth on his journey. And he went his way, and travelled until he came +at length to a place where three roads met; in the centre stood a +column, with three inscriptions, which ran as follows: "He who turns +to the right will have plenty to eat, but his steed will starve; he +who goes straight forward will hunger himself, but his steed will have +food enough; and whoever takes the left road will be slain by the +Winged Wolf." + +When Lyubim Tsarevich read this, he pondered over it, and resolved to +go no other road but to choose the left, and either be slain himself, +or destroy the Winged Wolf, and free all those who might be travelling +that way. So he journeyed on until he came to the open plains, where +he pitched his tent to rest, when on a sudden he perceived in the west +the Winged Wolf come flying toward him. Instantly upstarted Lyubim +Tsarevich, put on his armour, and leaped upon his steed. And Lyubim +rode at the Wolf, which beat him so hard with his wings that he nearly +fell from his horse; nevertheless, Lyubim kept his seat, flew into a +violent rage, and with his battle-sword struck the Winged Wolf a blow +that felled him to the ground, and injured his right wing so that he +could no longer fly. + + [Illustration: INSTANTLY UPSTARTED LYUBIM TSAREVICH, PUT ON HIS + ARMOUR, AND LEAPT UPON HIS STEED.] + +When the Wolf came to himself he said to Lyubim Tsarevich, in a human +voice: "Do not kill me! I will be useful to you and serve you as your +trusty servant." Then Lyubim Tsarevich replied: "Know you where my +brothers are?" And the Wolf answered: "They have long ago been slain; +but we will bring them to life again when we have won the beautiful +Princess." "How shall we do that?" said Lyubim Tsarevich. "Hark ye," +replied the Wolf; "leave your steed here, and----." + +"How! What shall I do without my horse?" cried Lyubim. + +"Only hear me out," said the Wolf; "I will change myself into a horse, +and carry you; but this steed of yours is not fit for the task we have +to do; in the city where the Princess lives, there are strings from +the walls to all the bells in the city; and we must leap over all +these without touching the smallest, otherwise we shall be taken." +Lyubim Tsarevich saw at once that the Wolf spoke wisely, so he +consented, and exclaimed, "On then!" + +Away they went, until they came to the white stone wall of the city; +and when Lyubim Tsarevich looked on it he grew frightened. "How is it +possible to leap over this high white stone wall?" said he to the +Wolf. But the Wolf replied: "It is not hard for me to jump over this; +but afterwards fresh obstacles will arise, from your falling in love; +then you must bathe in the water of life, and take some for your +brothers, and also some of the water of death." + +Thereupon they leaped safely over the city wall, without touching a +stone. Lyubim Tsarevich stopped at the palace and went to the court of +the beautiful Princess. And as he entered the first apartment he found +a number of chamber women all fast asleep, but the Princess was not +there; he found her not. Then went Lyubim Tsarevich into the second +room, where he found a number of beautiful ladies-in-waiting, all fast +asleep, but the Princess was still not there. Then Lyubim went into +the third apartment, and there he saw the Princess herself, sleeping; +and his heart was on fire with her beauty, and he fell so deeply in +love that he could not tear himself away from her presence. But at +last, fearing he might be seized if he remained too long, he went into +the garden to fetch some of the waters of life and of death. Then he +bathed in the water of life, and taking with him bladders-full of both +waters, he returned to his Wolf. And as he was sitting on his +Wolf-steed, the Wolf said to him: "You have become very heavy. We +cannot leap back over the wall, but shall strike against it and wake +everyone up. Nevertheless you shall kill them; and when they are all +slain, be sure to seize on a white horse. I will then help you to +fight; and as soon as we reach our tent, take your own steed, and I +will mount the white horse. And when we have slain all the warriors, +the Princess herself will come to meet you and offer to be your wife, +professing a violent love for you." + +Thereupon they attempted to leap over the high city wall; but they +touched the strings, and instantly the bells rang an alarm through all +the city, and the drums beat. Then every one jumped up and ran out of +the court with their weapons, whilst some opened the gate that no +misfortune might befall the Princess. Presently the Princess herself +awoke; and, perceiving that a youth had been in the apartment, she +gave an alarm, which soon brought all the courtiers around her. There +was speedily gathered a crowd of famous and valiant knights, and she +said to them: "Now ye brave warriors, go forth and fetch hither this +youth and bring me his head; so shall his boldness be punished!" + +And the valiant knights promised her: "We will not rest until we have +slain him, and brought his head to you, even if he were in the midst +of an army." So the Princess dismissed them, and went up into her +balcony, and gazed after her army and after the stranger who had dared +to intrude into the privacy of her court, and caress her in her sleep. + +When the alarm was given, Lyubim Tsarevich had already ridden a great +distance on his Wolf-steed, and was half-way to his tent before he +could be overtaken. As soon as he saw them approach, he wheeled about +and grew furious at beholding such an array of Knights in the field. +Then they fell upon him; but Lyubim Tsarevich laid about him valiantly +with his sword, and slew many, whilst his horse trod down still more +under his hoofs, and it ended in their slaying nearly all the little +knightlets. And Lyubim Tsarevich saw one single knight mounted upon a +white steed, with a head like a beer-barrel, who rode at him; but +Lyubim Tsarevich slew him also, leaped on the white horse, and left +the Wolf to rest. When they had rested they betook themselves to their +tent. + +When the beautiful Princess saw Lyubim Tsarevich overcome singly such +a large host, she collected a still larger army and sent them forth +against him, whilst she went back again to her balcony. + +But Lyubim Tsarevich came to his tent, and there the Wolf transformed +himself into a valiant knight, such as no one could imagine except in +a fairy-tale. And presently the army of the beautiful Tsarevna was +seen approaching--a countless host; whereupon Lyubim Tsarevich mounted +his white steed, accompanied by his companion the Wolf, and awaited +their attack; and when the army of the beautiful Tsarevna was near, +Lyubim, taking the right wing, ordered the Wolf to attack the left, +and they made ready for the charge. Then on a sudden they fell upon +the warriors of the Tsarevna with a fierce onset, mowing them down +like grass, until only two persons remained on the field, the Wolf and +Lyubim Tsarevich. And after this dreadful fight was ended the brave +Wolf said to Lyubim: "See, yonder comes the beautiful Tsarevna +herself, and she will ask you to take her to wife; there is nothing +more to fear from her; I have expiated my crimes through my bravery; +dismiss me now, and let me return to my own kingdom." So Lyubim +Tsarevich thanked him for his service and counsel and bade him +farewell. + +The Wolf thereupon vanished; and when Lyubim Tsarevich saw the +beautiful Princess coming toward him, he rejoiced, and, going to meet +her, he took her by her white hands, kissing her honey-sweet mouth, +pressed her to his stormy heart, and said: "Did I not love you, my +dearest fair Tsarevna, I should not have remained here; but you have +seen that my love was stronger than your armies." Then the fair +Tsarevna replied: "Ah! thou valiant knight. Thou hast overcome all my +powers, and my strong and famous knights, on whom my hopes relied; and +my city is now desolate. I will leave it and go with you; henceforth +you shall be my protector." + +"Joyfully do I take you for my wife," replied Lyubim Tsarevich, "and I +will guard and protect you and your kingdom faithfully." Conversing +thus they entered the tent, and sat down to rest and feast. + +Early the next morning they mounted their horses and set out on their +journey to the kingdom of Elidar; and on the way Lyubim Tsarevich +said: "Ah! thou fair Princess, I had two elder brothers, who left our +home before I did, in hopes of winning your hand; in these wilds they +have been murdered, and where their remains lie I do not know; but I +have brought with me the waters of life and death, and will seek and +restore them to life; they cannot be far distant from our road; do you +therefore ride on to the pillar with the inscriptions, and wait for +me. I shall soon rejoin you." + +So saying, Lyubim Tsarevich parted from his fair Princess, and went +forth to seek his brothers' remains. He found them at last among some +trees; and after sprinkling them with the water of death, they grew +together; then he sprinkled them with the water of life, and his two +brothers became alive, and stood up on their feet. Then Aksof and Hut +Tsarevich exclaimed: "Ah! brother! how long have we been sleeping +here?" And Lyubim Tsarevich said: "Ay, indeed, and you might have +still slept on for ever, had it not been for me." Then he related to +them all his adventures--how he had conquered the Wolf, and won the +beautiful Princess, and had brought them the waters of life and death. +Thereupon they repaired to the tent, where the fair Tsarevna was +waiting for them; and they all rejoiced and feasted together. + +When they had retired to rest, Aksof Tsarevich said to his brother Hut +Tsarevich: "How shall we go to our father Elidar and our mother +Militissa, and what shall we say to them? Our youngest brother can +boast that he won the beautiful Princess and awakened us from death. +Is it not disgraceful for us to live with him? Had we not better kill +him at once?" So they agreed, and took the battle-sword and cut Lyubim +Tsarevich to pieces, and cast his remains to the winds. Then they +threatened the Princess with the same fate if she betrayed the secret +to anyone; and, drawing lots, the waters of life and death fell to +Hut, and the beautiful Princess to Aksof Tsarevich. + +So they journeyed on to their father's kingdom; and when they reached +the forbidden meadows, and had pitched their tents, the Tsar Elidar +sent messengers to demand who had encamped there. Then Hut replied: +"Aksof and Hut Tsarevich are come, with a beautiful Princess; and tell +our father, the Tsar, that we have brought with us the waters of life +and death." + +The messenger immediately returned to the Court and told this to the +Tsar, who inquired whether all his three sons were come; but the +messenger replied: "Only the two eldest, your Majesty; the youngest is +not with them." The Tsar, nevertheless, rejoiced greatly, and hastened +to tell the Tsarina, his wife, of the return of their two eldest sons. + +Then Tsar Elidar and Tsarina Militissa arose and went to meet their +sons in the way, and unarmed them, and embraced them tenderly. And +when they returned to the palace a great banquet was made, and they +feasted seven days and seven nights. At the end of this time they +began to think of the wedding, and to make preparations, and invite +the guests, boyars, and brave warriors and knights. + +Now, the Winged Wolf, who knew that they had slain their brother, +Lyubim Tsarevich, ran and fetched the waters of life and death, +collected all the remains of Lyubim, and sprinkled them with the water +of death; thereupon the bones grew together, and no sooner had he +sprinkled them with the water of life than the brave youth stood up, +as if nothing had happened to him, and said: "Ah, what a time I have +slept!" Then the Wolf answered: "Ay, you would have slept on for ever +had I not come to awaken you"; and he related to Lyubim all that his +brothers had done; and, changing himself into a horse, he said: +"Hasten after them--you will be sure to overtake them; to-morrow your +brother Aksof Tsarevich is to marry the Princess." + +So Lyubim instantly set out, and the Wolf-steed galloped over hill and +dale, until they arrived at the city of the Tsar, where Lyubim +dismounted. Then he walked through the market, and bought a gusli; and +stationed himself in a spot which the Princess would pass. And, as she +was being conducted to the church, Lyubim Tsarevich began to sing the +events of his youth, accompanying himself on the gusli; and when the +beautiful Princess drew nigh, he sang of his brothers, and how cruelly +they had slain him and deceived their father. Then the Princess +stopped her carriage, and ordered her attendants to call to her the +stranger with the gusli, and to ask his name and who he was. But +without answering a word, Lyubim went straight to the Princess; and +when she saw him, she was overjoyed, and, seating him in her carriage, +they drove off to his parents. + +When the Tsar Elidar and his wife Militissa, beheld their son Lyubim, +they were unspeakably glad; and the beautiful Princess said: "Lyubim +Tsarevich it was, and not Aksof, who gained my hand, and it was he, +too, who obtained the waters of life and death." Then Lyubim related +all his adventures; and the Tsar and Tsarina, after summoning their +sons, Aksof and Hut, asked them why they had acted so unnaturally; but +they denied the charge. Thereat the Tsar waxed wroth, and commanded +that they should be shot at the gate of the city. Lyubim Tsarevich +married the beautiful Princess, and they lived in perfect harmony for +many years; and so this story has an end. + + + + +STORY OF THE MOST WONDERFUL AND NOBLE SELF-PLAYING HARP + + +In a certain country there lived a king named Filon, whose wife +Chaltura had an only son, named Astrach, who from his earliest years +had a strong desire to render himself famous by knightly deeds. When +he arrived at mature age, Astrach began to think of marrying, and he +asked his father in what kingdom lived the most beautiful of all +Tsar's or King's daughters. The King replied: "If it is your wish to +marry, my dearest son, my noble child, I will show you the portraits +of the daughters of the Tsars and Kings of all lands." So saying, he +led Prince Astrach to a gallery, and showed him the pictures. After +examining them all closely, Astrach fell passionately in love with the +Tsarevna Osida, daughter of Afor, the Tsar of Egypt. Then he besought +his father's blessing, and asked leave to repair to the Court of the +Egyptian Sultan, to sue for the hand of Osida. King Filon rejoiced at +the thought of his son's marrying, gave him his blessing, and +dismissed him. + +Then Prince Astrach went to seek a goodly steed in the royal stables, +but could find none there to his mind. So he bade farewell to his +father and mother, and started for his journey to Egypt alone on +foot; and he wandered long, here and there, far and near, until at +length he saw on the plain a palace of white marble, roofed with gold, +which emitted beams of light, shining like the sun. Prince Astrach +went up to the palace; and, on reaching it, he walked round the +building, looking in at every window, to see if any persons were +there; but he could discover no one. So he went into the courtyard, +and wandered up and down for a long time; but there, too, he could see +no living soul; then he entered the marble palace, and went from room +to room, but all was silent and deserted. At length he came to an +apartment, in which a table was spread for one person; and being very +hungry, Prince Astrach sat down, and ate and drank his fill; after +which he laid himself down on a bed and fell fast asleep. + +As soon as he awoke, he wandered again through the palace until he +came to a room, from the window of which he saw the most beautiful +garden he had ever beheld, and it came into his mind to go for a walk +in it. Then he went out of the palace and strolled about for a long +time; and at length came to a stone wall, in which was an iron door, +with a massive lock. As the Prince touched the lock he heard behind +the door the neighing of a horse; and, wishing to remove the lock, he +took up a huge stone in his arms and fell to hammering the door. At +the first blow it burst open, and there behind it was a second iron +door, with a lock like the first. This, too, he broke open, and found +behind it ten other doors, through all of which he forced his way in +like manner; and behind the last he beheld a noble charger, with a +complete suit of armour. Then he went up and stroked the horse, which +stood still as if rooted to the spot. + +Prince Astrach forthwith proceeded to saddle his horse with a +Tcherkess saddle, put a silken bridle into his mouth, and leading him +out, mounted, and rode into the open fields. But as soon as he applied +the spur, the horse grew restive, reared higher than the waving +forests, plunged lower than the flying clouds; mountains and rivers he +left behind; small streams he covered with his tail and broad rivers +he crossed at a bound, until at length Prince Astrach so tired out the +brave steed that he was covered with foam. + +Then the horse spoke with a man's voice the following words: "O +Prince, thou my noble rider, it is now three-and-thirty years since I +served the dead Yaroslav Yaroslavovich--that stout and powerful +knight--and I have borne him in many a single combat and battle; yet +never have I been so worn out as to-day; now I am ready to serve you +faithfully till death." Then Prince Astrach returned into the +courtyard, put his brave steed into the stable, and gave him white +corn and spring water; after which he went into the marble palace, ate +and drank his fill, and then laid him down to sleep. + +The following morning he rose early, saddled his good horse, and rode +forth towards Egypt, to Tsar Afor, to sue for the hand of his +daughter, the beautiful Tsarevna Osida. When he arrived at the court +he announced himself as the son of King Filon, whereupon Tsar Afor +received him with all honour, and enquired what purpose had brought +him thither, to which Prince Astrach replied: "Great Tsar of all the +lands of Egypt, I am not come to your Court to feast and banquet, but +to ask for your lovely daughter to wife." + +"Brave Knight, Prince Astrach," answered the Tsar, "I will gladly +bestow my daughter on you; but one service you must render me. The +unbelieving Tartar Tsar is drawing near, and threatens to lay waste my +kingdom, to carry off my daughter, and slay me and my wife." Prince +Astrach replied: "My gracious lord, Tsar Afor, readily will I go forth +to battle for the Faith with this unbelieving Tsar; and to protect +your city from untimely destruction." Whereat Tsar Afor was glad at +heart, and ordered a great banquet to be prepared for the bold and +fair Prince Astrach; so there was great feasting, and the betrothal +took place with all solemnity. + +The next day the Busurman army of three hundred thousand men arrived +before the city, whereat Tsar Afor was greatly alarmed, and took +counsel with Astrach. Then the Prince saddled his steed, went into the +royal palace, and offered up his prayers, bowing himself to all four +quarters of the globe. After this he took leave of Tsar Afor and his +wife, and his betrothed Tsarevna, the beautiful Osida, and rode +straight to the enemy's camp; and when he spurred his charger, the +steed bounded from the earth higher than the waving forests, and lower +than the drifting clouds; mountains and valleys he left beneath his +feet, small streams he covered with his tail, wide rivers he sprang +across, and at length arrived at the enemy's camp. Then Prince Astrach +fell upon the Busurmen with fearful slaughter, and in a short time cut +them to pieces; and wherever he waved his arm, a way was opened, and +where he turned his horse there was a clear space for him; so he +routed and destroyed the whole army, took the Busurman Tsar himself +prisoner, and brought him to Tsar Afor, who threw him into prison. + +Then there was great feasting and rejoicing, and the revels lasted +for a whole fortnight. At the end of this time, Prince Astrach +reminded Tsar Afor of his marriage contract with the Tsarevna Osida; +and Tsar Afor ordered a great banquet to be made, and bade his +daughter prepare for the wedding. When the Tsarevna heard this, she +called Prince Astrach and said: "My beloved friend and bridegroom, you +are in too great a haste to marry; only think how dull a wedding feast +would be without any music, for my father has no players. Therefore, +dear friend, ride off, I entreat you, through thrice nine lands, to +the thirtieth kingdom, in the domain of the deathless Kashtshei, and +win from him the Self-playing Harp; it plays all tunes so wonderfully +that every one is bound to listen to it, and it is beyond price: this +will enliven our wedding." + +Then Astrach, the King's son, went to the royal stable and saddled his +steed; and, after taking leave of Tsar Afor and his betrothed +Princess, mounted his good horse and rode off to the kingdom of the +deathless Kashtshei, in search of the Self-playing Harp. As he rode +along he saw an old hut, standing in a garden facing a wood; and he +called out with his knightly voice: "Hut, hut, turn about, with your +back to the wood, and your front to me!" And instantly the hut turned +itself round. Then Prince Astrach dismounted and entered the hut, and +there was an old witch sitting on the floor spinning flax. And the +witch screamed with a frightful voice: "Fu! fu! fu! never before has +the sound of a Russian spirit been heard here; and now a Russian +spirit comes to sight!" Then she asked Prince Astrach: "Wherefore, +good youngling, Prince Astrach, art thou come hither--of thine own +free will or not? Hither no bird flies, no wild beast wanders, no +knight ever passes my hut. And how has God brought you here?" + +But Prince Astrach replied: "You silly old wife, first give me food +and drink, and then put your questions." Thereupon the old witch +instantly set food before Prince Astrach, whipped him into the +bath-room, combed his locks, made ready his bed, and then fell again +to questioning him. "Tell me, good youth, whither art thou +travelling--to what far country? and dost thou go of thine own free +will or no?" + +And Prince Astrach answered: "Willingly as I go, yet I go twice as +unwillingly through thrice nine lands into the thirtieth kingdom, the +domain of the deathless Kashtshei, to fetch the Self-playing Harp." + +"Ho! ho! ho!" cried the old witch. "You'll find it a hard task to +gain the Harp; but say your prayers and lie down to rest; the morning +is the time for such exploits, but the night for sleep." So Astrach, +the King's son, laid himself down to sleep. + +The next morning the witch awoke early, got up, and aroused Prince +Astrach. "Bestir yourself, Prince Astrach, it is time for you to set +out on your travels." So Astrach arose and speedily dressed himself, +pulled on his stockings and boots, washed, and said his prayers, +bowing himself north, south, east, and west, and made ready to take +leave of the witch. Then she said: "How! will you go away without +asking an old woman like me how you can gain the Self-playing Harp?" +And when he asked her she said: "Go your way, in God's name, and when +you come to the realm of the deathless Kashtshei, manage to arrive +exactly at noon. Near his golden palace is a green garden, and in this +garden you will see a fair Princess walking about. Leap over the wall +and approach the maiden; she will rejoice to see you, for it is now +six years since she was carried off from her father's court by the +deathless Kashtshei. Enquire of this maiden how you can obtain the +Self-playing Harp, and she will direct you." + +Thereupon Prince Astrach mounted his good steed and rode far and +fast, and came into the kingdom of the deathless Kashtshei. Then he +repaired to the golden palace, and heard the sound of the Self-playing +Harp: he stood still to listen, and was absorbed by its wonderful +music. At last he came to himself, leaped over the wall into the green +garden, and beheld there the Princess, who was at first sight +terrified; but Prince Astrach went up to her, quieted her fears, and +asked her how he could obtain the Self-playing Harp. Then the Tsarevna +Darisa answered: "If you will take me with you from this place I will +tell you how to obtain the Harp." So Prince Astrach gave her his +promise. Then she told him to wait in the garden, and meanwhile she +herself went to the deathless Kashtshei and began to coax him with +false and flattering words. "My most beloved friend and intimate, tell +me, I pray you, will you never die?" + +"Assuredly never," replied Kashtshei. + +"Then," said the Princess, "where is your death? Is it here?" + +"Certainly," he replied; "it is in the broom under the threshold." + +Thereupon Tsarevna Darisa instantly seized the broom and threw it into +the fire; but, although the besom burned, the deathless Kashtshei +still remained alive. Then the Tsarevna said to him: "My beloved, you +do not love me sincerely, for you have not told me truly where is your +death; nevertheless, I am not angry, but love you with my whole +heart." + +And with these fawning words, she entreated Kashtshei to tell her in +truth where was his death. Then he said with a laugh: "Have you any +reason for wishing to know? Well, then, out of love I will tell you +where it lies; in a certain field there stand three green oaks, and +under the roots of the largest oak is a worm, and if ever this worm is +found and crushed, that instant I shall die." + +When the Tsarevna Darisa heard these words, she went straight to +Prince Astrach, and told him how he must go to that field, and seek +for the three oaks, dig up the worm under the biggest oak and crush +it. So the Prince went forth, and rode on from morning to night, until +at length he came to the three green oaks. Then he dug up the worm +from the roots of the largest, and having killed it, he returned to +the Tsarevna Darisa, and said to her: "Does the deathless Kashtshei +still live? I have found the worm and destroyed it." And she replied, +"Kashtshei is still alive." + +Then said Prince Astrach, "Go again and ask him right lovingly where +is his death." So the Princess went, and said to him with tears: "You +do not love me, and don't tell me the truth, but treat me as a +stupid"; and at last King Kashtshei yielded to her entreaties, and +told her the whole truth, saying: "My death is far from hence, and +hard to find, on the wide ocean: in that sea is the island of Bujan, +and upon this island there grows a green oak, and beneath this oak is +an iron chest, and in this chest is a small basket, and in this basket +a hare, and in this hare a duck, and in this duck an egg; and he who +finds this egg, and breaks it, at that same instant causes my death." + +As soon as the Tsarevna heard these words she hastened back to Prince +Astrach and told him all. And thereupon he straightway mounted his +good steed, and rode to the seashore. There he saw a fisherman in a +boat, and asked him to carry him to the island of Bujan; and, taking a +seat in the boat, they speedily reached the island, where he landed. +Prince Astrach soon found the green oak, and he dug up the iron chest, +and broke it in pieces, and opened the basket, and took out of the +basket the hare, and tore in pieces the hare, when out flew a grey +duck; and as she flew over the sea, she let fall the egg into the +water. Thereat Prince Astrach was very sorrowful, and ordered the +fisherman to cast his nets into the sea, and instantly the man did so, +and caught a huge pike. So Prince Astrach drew the pike out of the +net, and found in it the egg which the duck had dropped: and, seating +himself in the boat, he bade the fisherman make for the shore. Then, +after rewarding the man for his trouble, the Prince mounted his steed +and returned to the Tsarevna Darisa. + +As soon as he arrived and told her that he had found the egg, the +Princess said: "Now fear nothing; come with me straight to Kashtshei." +And when they appeared before him, Kashtshei jumped up, and would have +killed Prince Astrach; but the Prince instantly took the egg in his +hand and fell to crushing it gradually. Then Kashtshei began to cry +and roar aloud, and said to the Tsarevna Darisa: "Was it not out of +love that I told you where my death was? And is this the return you +make?" So saying he seized his sword from the wall to slay the +Tsarevna; but at the same moment Astrach, the King's son, crushed the +egg, and Kashtshei fell dead upon the ground like a sheaf of corn. + +Then the Tsarevna Darisa led Astrach into the palace, where was the +Self-playing Harp, and said to him: "The Harp is now thine--take it; +but in return for it, conduct me back to my home." So Prince Astrach +took up the Harp, and it played so gloriously that he was struck dumb +with amazement at its sounds, as well as its workmanship of the +purest Eastern crystal and gold strings. After gazing at it for a long +time, Prince Astrach left the palace, and mounting his gallant steed +with Darisa, set out upon his return. First he carried the Tsarevna +back to her parents, and afterwards went on his way to Egypt, to Tsar +Afor, and gave the Self-playing Harp to his betrothed, the Tsarevna +Osida. Then they placed the Harp on the table, and it fell to playing +the most beautiful and merry tunes. + +The next day Prince Astrach married the fair Tsarevna Osida, and in a +short time left Egypt, and returned to his native country. When his +father and mother saw their dear son again they rejoiced exceedingly. +Not long afterwards King Filon died, and Prince Astrach wore his +father's crown, and lived with his beloved Queen Osida in all joy and +happiness until they died. + + + + +THE SEVEN BROTHERS SIMEON + + +There were once upon a time two old serfs, who lived together for many +years without children; and in their old age they prayed for a child +to keep them from want when they were no longer able to labour. After +seven years the good woman gave birth to seven sons, who were all +named Simeon; but when these boys were in their tenth year, the old +folk died, and the sons tilled the ground which their father left +them. + +It chanced one day that the Tsar Ador drove past, and wondered sore to +see such little fellows all busy at work in their field. So he sent +his oldest boyar to ask them whose children they were, and why they +were working so hard, and the eldest Simeon answered, that they were +orphans, and had no one to work for them, and that they were all +called Simeon. When the boyar told this to Tsar Ador, he ordered the +boys to be brought along with him. + +On returning to the palace, the Tsar called together all his boyars, +and asked their advice, saying: "My boyars, you see here seven poor +orphans, who have no kinsfolk; I am resolved to make such men of them +that they shall hereafter have cause to thank me; and therefore I ask +your advice--what handicraft or art shall I have them taught?" Then +the boyars replied: "Your Majesty, seeing that they are old enough to +have understanding, it would be well to ask each brother separately +what craft he wishes to learn." + +This answer pleased the Tsar, and he said to the eldest Simeon: "Tell +me, friend, what art or trade would you like to learn? I will +apprentice you to it." But Simeon answered: "Please your Majesty, I +wish to learn no art; but if you will command a smithy to be put up in +the middle of your court, I will raise a column which shall reach to +the sky." By this time the Tsar at once saw that the first Simeon +wanted indeed no teaching if he was so good a smith as to do such +work; but he did not believe that he could make so tall a pillar; so +he ordered a smithy to be built in his courtyard, and the eldest +Simeon straightway set to work. + +Then the Tsar asked the second Simeon: "What craft or art would you +learn, my friend?" and the lad replied: "Your Majesty, I will learn +neither craft nor art; but when my eldest brother has smithied the +iron column, I will mount to the top of it, look around over the whole +world, and tell you what is passing in every kingdom." So the Tsar +saw there was clearly no need to teach this brother, as he was clever +enough already. + +Thereupon he questioned the third Simeon: "What craft or what art will +you learn?" He replied: "Your Majesty, I want to learn neither craft +nor art; but if my eldest brother will make me an axe I will build a +ship in the twinkling of an eye." When the Tsar heard this he +exclaimed: "Such master workers are just the men I want! Thou also +hast nothing to learn." + +Then he asked the fourth Simeon: "Thou Simeon, what craft or what art +will thou learn?" and he answered: "Your Majesty, I need to learn +nothing; but when my third brother has built a ship, and the ship is +attacked by enemies, I will seize it by the prow, and draw it into the +kingdom under the earth; and when the foe has departed, I will bring +it back again upon the sea." The Tsar was astonished at such marvels, +and replied: "In truth you have nothing to learn." + +Then he asked the fifth Simeon: "What trade or what art would you +learn, Simeon?" And he replied: "I need none, your Majesty; but when +my eldest brother has made me a gun, I will shoot with it every bird +that flies, however distant, if I can see it." And the Tsar said: +"You'll be a famous hunter truly!" + +The Tsar now asked the sixth Simeon: "What art will you learn?" and +he replied in like manner: "Sire, I will follow no art, but when my +fifth brother has shot a bird in the air I will catch it before it +falls to the ground, and bring it to your Majesty." "Bravo!" said the +Tsar; "you will serve in the field as well as a retriever." + +Thereupon the Tsar enquired of the last Simeon what craft or art he +would learn. "Your Majesty," he replied, "I will learn neither craft +nor trade, for I am already skilled in a precious art." "What kind of +art do you understand then?" said the Tsar. "I understand how to steal +better than any man alive." When the Tsar heard of such a wicked art, +he grew angry, and said to his boyars: "My Lords, how do you advise me +to punish this thief Simeon? What death shall he die?" But they all +replied: "Wherefore, O Tsar, should he die? Who knows but that he may +be a clever thief, and prove useful in case of need?" "How so?" said +the Tsar. "Your Majesty," replied the boyars, "has for ten long years +sued for the hand of the beautiful Tsarina Helena in vain, and has +already lost many armies and great store of money. Who knows but that +this thief Simeon may in some way steal the fair Tsarina for your +Majesty." + +"Well spoken, my friends," replied the Tsar; and, turning to the +thief Simeon, he said: "Hark you, friend, can you pass through thrice +nine lands into the thirtieth kingdom and steal for me the fair Queen +Helena? I am in love with her, and if you can bring her to me I will +reward you richly." + +"Leave it to us," answered Simeon; "your Majesty has only to command." + +"I do not order you, I entreat you then," said the Tsar, "not to tarry +longer at my Court, but take with you all the armies and treasure you +require." "I want not your armies nor your treasure," said Simeon; +"only send us brothers forth together; without the rest I can do +nothing." The Tsar was unwilling to let them all go; nevertheless he +was obliged to consent. + +Meanwhile the eldest Simeon had finished the iron column in the smithy +of the palace-yard. Then the second Simeon climbed up it, and looked +around on all sides, to see whereabouts the kingdom of fair Helena's +father lay; and presently he called out to the Tsar Ador: "Please, +your Majesty, beyond thrice nine lands, in the thirtieth kingdom, sits +the fair Tsarina at her window. How beautiful she is! One can see the +very marrow of her bones, her skin is so clear." On hearing this the +Tsar was more in love than ever, and cried aloud to the Simeons: "My +friends, set out instantly on your journey, and come back as soon as +possible; I can no longer live without the fair Tsarina." + +So the eldest Simeon made for the third brother a gun, and took bread +for their travels; and the thief Simeon took a cat with him, and so +they set out. Now thief Simeon had so accustomed this cat to him, that +she ran after him everywhere like a dog; and whenever he stopped, she +sat up on her hind legs, rubbed her coat against him and purred. So +they all went their way, until they came to the shore of the sea over +which they must sail. For a long time they wandered about, seeking +wood, to build a ship with. At last they found a huge oak. Then the +third Simeon took his axe and laid it at the root of the tree, and in +the twinkling of an eye the oak was felled, and a ship built from it, +fully rigged, and in the ship there were all kinds of costly wares. + +After some months' voyage they arrived safely at the place to which +they were bound, and cast anchor. The next day Simeon the thief took +his cat and went into the city; and walking straight up to the Tsar's +palace, he stood under the window of Queen Helena. Immediately his cat +sat up on her hind legs, and fell to rubbing him and purring. But you +must know that no cat had ever been seen or heard of in this country, +nor was anything known of such an animal. + +The fair Tsarina Helena was sitting at her window, and observing the +cat, she sent her attendants to inquire of Simeon what kind of animal +it was, and whether he would sell it, and for how much. And when the +servants asked him, Simeon replied: "Tell her Majesty that this +creature is called a cat, but I cannot consent to sell her; if, +however, her Majesty pleases, I shall have the honour of presenting +the cat to her." + +So the attendants ran back and told what they had heard from Simeon; +and when the Tsarina Helena knew it, she was overjoyed, and went +herself to him, and asked why he would not sell it, but would only +give it to her. Then she took the cat in her arms, went into her room, +and invited Simeon to accompany her; and, going to her father, the +Tsar Sarg, the Tsarina showed him the cat, and told him that a +stranger had presented it to her. The Tsar gazed at the wonderful +animal with delight, and commanded the thief Simeon to be summoned; +and when he came, the Tsar wanted to reward him richly for the cat. +But Simeon would not take anything; and the Tsar said: "Stay here in +my palace for a time, and meanwhile the cat will become better used +to my daughter in your presence." + +Simeon, however, had no desire to remain, and answered: "Your Majesty, +I would stay in your palace with pleasure had I not a ship, in which I +came to your kingdom, and which I cannot entrust to anyone; but if +your Majesty pleases, I will come every day to the palace and accustom +the cat to your fair daughter." + +This offer pleased the Tsar: so every day Simeon went to the fair +Queen; and once he said to her: "Gracious Lady, Your Majesty, often as +I have come to visit you, I have not observed that you ever go out to +take a walk. If you will come once on board my ship, I will show you a +quantity of fine wares, diamonds and gold brocades, more beautiful +than you have ever seen before." Thereupon the Tsarina went to her +father and asked his permission to take a walk upon the quay. The Tsar +consented, bidding her take her attendants and lady's-maids with her. + +When they came to the quay, Simeon invited the Tsarina on board his +ship, where he and his brothers displayed to her all kinds of wares. +Then said Simeon the thief to the fair Helena: "You must order your +attendants to leave the ship, and I will show you some more costly +wares which they must not see." So the Tsarina ordered them to return +to shore; and Simeon the thief instantly desired his brothers to cut +the cable, set all the sails, and put out to sea. + +Meantime he amused the Tsarina by unpacking the wares and making her +various presents. In this manner hours passed by; and at last she told +him it was time for her to return home, as her father would be +expecting her back. So saying, she went up from the cabin and +perceived that the ship was already far out at sea, and almost out of +sight of land. Thereat she beat her breast, changed herself into a +swan, and flew away. But in an instant the fifth Simeon seizing his +gun, fired at her; and the sixth brother caught her before she fell +into the water, and placed her on the deck, when the Tsarina changed +back into a woman. + +Meanwhile the attendants and lady's-maids, who were standing on the +shore, and had seen the ship sail away with the Tsarina, went and told +the Tsar of Simeon's treachery. Then the Tsar instantly commanded his +whole fleet to go in pursuit; and it had already got very near to the +Simeons' ship when the fourth brother seized the vessel by the prow +and drew it into the subterranean region. When the ship disappeared, +all the sailors in the fleet thought it had sunk, together with the +beautiful Tsarina Helena, and went back to the Tsar Sarg and told him +the sad tidings. But the seven brothers Simeon returned safely to +their own country, and conducted the Tsarina Helena to Tsar Ador, who +gave the Simeons their freedom as a reward for the services they had +rendered, together with much gold and silver and precious stones. And +the Tsar lived with the beautiful Queen Helena for many years in peace +and happiness. + + + + +STORY OF IVAN, THE PEASANT'S SON + + +In a certain village there lived a poor peasant with his wife, who for +three years had no children: at length the good woman had a little +son, whom they named Ivan. The boy grew, but even when he was five +years old, could not walk. His father and mother were very sad, and +prayed that their son might be strong on his feet; but, however many +their prayers, he had to sit, and could not use his feet for +three-and-thirty years long. + +One day the peasant went with his wife to church; and whilst they were +away, a beggar man came to the window of the cottage and begged alms +of Ivan the peasant's son. And Ivan said to him: "I would gladly give +you something, but I cannot rise from my stool." Then said the beggar: +"Stand up and give me alms! Your feet are stout and strong!" In an +instant Ivan rose up from his stool, and was overjoyed at his newly +acquired power: he called the man into the cottage and gave him food +to eat. Then the beggar asked for a draught of beer, and Ivan +instantly went and fetched it; the beggar, however, did not drink it, +but bade Ivan empty the flask himself, which he did to the very +bottom. Then the beggar said: "Tell me, Ivanushka, how strong do you +feel?" "Very strong," replied Ivan. "Then fare you well!" said the +beggar; and disappeared, leaving Ivan standing lost in amazement. + +In a short time his father and mother came home, and when they saw +their son healed of his weakness, they were astonished, and asked him +how it had happened. Then Ivan told them all, and the old folk thought +it must have been no beggar but a holy man who had cured him; and they +feasted for joy and made merry. + +Presently Ivan went out to make a trial of his strength; and going +into the kitchen garden, he seized a pole and stuck it half its length +into the ground, and turned it with such strength that the whole +village turned round. Then he went back into the cottage to take leave +of his parents and ask their blessing. The old folk fell to weeping +bitterly when he spoke of leaving them, and entreated him to stay at +least a little longer; but Ivan heeded not their tears, and said: "If +you will not give me your consent, I shall go without it." So his +parents gave him their blessing; and Ivan prayed, bowing himself to +all four sides, and then took leave of his father and mother. +Thereupon he went straight out of the yard, and followed his eyes, +and wandered for ten days and ten nights until at length he came to a +large kingdom. He had scarcely entered the city when a great noise and +outcry arose; whereat the Tsar was so frightened that he ordered a +proclamation to be made, that whoever appeased the tumult should have +his daughter for wife, and half his kingdom with her. + +When Ivanushka heard this he went to the Court and desired the Tsar to +be informed that he was ready to appease the tumult. So the doorkeeper +went straight and told the Tsar, who ordered Ivan the peasant's son to +be called. And the Tsar said to him: "My friend, is what you have said +to the doorkeeper true?" + +"Quite true," replied Ivan; "but I ask for no other reward than that +your Majesty gives me whatever is the cause of the noise." At this the +Tsar laughed, and said: "Take it by all means, if it is of any use to +you." So Ivan the peasant's son made his bow to the Tsar and took his +leave. + +Then Ivan went to the doorkeeper and demanded of him a hundred +workmen, who were instantly given him; and Ivan ordered them to dig a +hole in front of the palace. And when the men had thrown up the earth, +they saw an iron door, with a copper ring. So Ivan lifted up this door +with one hand, and beheld a steed fully caparisoned, and a suit of +knightly armour. When the horse perceived Ivan, he fell on his knees +before him, and said with a human voice: "Ah, thou brave youth! Ivan +the peasant's son! the famous knight Lukopero placed me here; and for +three-and-thirty years have I been impatiently awaiting you. Seat +yourself on my back, and ride whithersoever you will: I will serve you +faithfully, as I once served the brave Lukopero." + +Ivan saddled his good steed, gave him a bridle of embroidered ribands, +put a Tcherkess saddle on his back, and buckled ten rich silken girths +around him. Then he vaulted into the saddle, struck him on the flank, +and the horse chafed at the bit, and rose from the ground higher than +the forest; he left hill and dale swiftly under his feet, covered +large rivers with his tail, sent forth a thick steam from his ears, +and flames from his nostrils. + +At length Ivan the peasant's son came to an unknown country, and rode +through it for thirty days and thirty nights, until at length he +arrived at the Chinese Empire. There he dismounted, and turned his +good steed out into the open fields, while he went into the city and +bought himself a bladder, drew it over his head, and went round the +Tsar's palace. Then the folks asked him whence he came, and what kind +of man he was, and what were his father and mother's names. But Ivan +only replied to their questions, "I don't know." So they all took him +for a fool, and went and told the Chinese Tsar about him. Then the +Tsar ordered Ivan to be called, and asked where he came from and what +was his name; but he only answered as before, "I don't know." So the +Tsar ordered him to be driven out of the Court. But it happened that +there was a gardener in the crowd, who begged the Tsar to give the +fool over to him that he might employ him in gardening. The Tsar +consented, and the man took Ivan into the garden, and set him to weed +the beds whilst he went his way. + +Then Ivan lay down under a tree and fell fast asleep. In the night he +awoke, and broke down all the trees in the garden. Early the next +morning the gardener came and looked round, and was terrified at what +he beheld: so he went to Ivan the peasant's son and fell to abusing +him, and asked him who had destroyed all the trees. But Ivan only +replied, "I don't know." The gardener was afraid to tell this to the +Tsar; but the Tsar's daughter looked out of her window and beheld with +amazement the devastation, and asked who had done it all. The gardener +replied that fool Know-nothing had destroyed the noble trees; but +entreated her not to tell her father, promising to put the garden +into a better condition than it was before. + +Ivan did not sleep the next night, but went and drew water from the +well, and watered the broken trees; and early in the morning they +began to rise and grow; and when the sun rose they were all covered +with leaves, and were even finer than ever. When the gardener came +into the garden he was amazed at the change; but he did not again ask +Know-nothing any questions, as he never returned an answer. And when +the Tsar's daughter awoke, she rose from her bed, and looking out into +the garden, she saw it in a better state than before; then, sending +for the gardener, she asked him how it had all happened in so short a +time. But the man answered that he could not himself understand it, +and the Tsar's daughter began to think Know-nothing was in truth +wonderfully wise and clever. From that moment she loved him more than +herself, and sent him food from her own table. + +Now the Chinese Tsar had three daughters, who were all very beautiful: +the eldest was named Duasa, the second Skao, and the youngest, who had +fallen in love with Ivan the peasant's son, was named Lotao. One day +the Tsar called them to him and said to them: "My dear daughters, fair +Princesses, the time is come that I wish to see you married; and I +have called you now to bid you choose husbands from the princes of the +countries around." Then the two eldest instantly named two Tsareviches +with whom they were in love; but the youngest fell to weeping, and +begged her father to give her for wife to Know-nothing. At this +request the Tsar was amazed, and said: "Have you lost your senses, +daughter, that you wish to marry the fool Know-nothing, who cannot +speak even a word?" "Fool as he may be," she answered, "I entreat you, +my lord father, to let me marry him." "If nothing else will please +you," said the Tsar sorrowfully, "take him--you have my consent." + +Soon after, the Tsar sent for the Princes whom his eldest daughters +had chosen for husbands; they obeyed the invitation instantly, and +came with all speed to China, and the weddings were celebrated. The +Princess Lotao also was married to Ivan the peasant's son, and her +elder sisters laughed at her for choosing a fool for a husband. + +Not long afterwards a great army invaded the country, and its leader, +the knight Polkan, demanded of the Tsar his daughter, the beautiful +Lotao, for wife, threatening that, if he did not consent, he would +burn his country with fire and slay his people with the sword, throw +the Tsar and Tsarina into prison, and take their daughter by force. +At these threats the Tsar was aghast with terror, and instantly +ordered his armies to be collected; and they went forth, commanded by +the two Princes, against Polkan. Then the two armies met, and fought +like two terrible thunder-clouds, and Polkan overthrew the army of the +Chinese Tsar. + +At this time the Princess came to her husband, Ivan the peasant's son, +and said to him: "My dear friend Know-nothing, they want to take me +from you; the infidel knight Polkan has invaded our country with his +army and routed our hosts with his terrible sword." Then Ivan told the +Princess to leave him in peace; and, jumping out of the window, he ran +into the open fields, and cried aloud: + + "Sivka Burka! he! + Fox of Spring! Appear! + Like a grass blade, here + Stand before me!" + +The horse galloped until the earth trembled: from his ears came steam, +from his nostrils flames. Ivan the peasant's son crept into his ear to +change himself, and came out looking such a brave knight as no pen can +write down or story tell. Then he rode up to the army of Polkan, and +laid about him with his sword, trod the army down under his horse's +hoofs, and drove it quite out of the kingdom. At the sight of this the +Chinese Tsar came to Ivan, but knew him not, and invited him to his +palace; but Ivan answered: "I am not your subject and I will not serve +you." And so saying, away he rode, let his horse run loose in the open +fields, went back to the palace, crept again through the window, drew +the bladder over his head, and lay down to sleep. + +The Tsar gave a public feast for this great victory, and it lasted +several days; until the knight Polkan once more invaded the country +with a fresh army, and again demanded with threats the youngest +Princess for his wife. The Tsar instantly assembled his armies again, +and sent them against Polkan; but the knight defeated them forthwith. +Then Lotao went to her husband, and everything happened exactly as +before; and Ivan again drove Polkan and his army out of the empire. +Thereupon the Tsar invited him to his palace; but without heeding him, +Ivan turned off his horse in the fields, went back to the palace, and +lay down to sleep. So the Tsar gave another feast, in honour of the +victory over Polkan; but he marvelled what hero it could be who had so +bravely defended his realm. + +After a while, Polkan a third time invaded the empire, and all fell +out as before: Ivan jumped out of the window, ran into the fields, +mounted his steed, and rode forth against the enemy. Then the horse +said in a human voice: "Listen, Ivan Peasantson! we have now a hard +task to perform; defend yourself as stoutly as possible, and stand +firm against Polkan--otherwise you and the whole Chinese army will be +destroyed." Then Ivan spurred his steed, rode against Polkan's host, +and began to slay them right and left. When Polkan saw that his army +was defeated, he flew into a rage, and fell upon Ivan the peasant's +son like a furious lion, and a fight began between the two horses, at +the sight of which the whole army stood aghast. They fought for a long +time, and Polkan wounded Ivan in the left hand. Thereupon Ivan the +peasant's son, in a fierce rage, aimed his javelin at Polkan, and +pierced him through the heart: then he struck off his head, and drove +the whole army out of China. + +Ivan now went to the Chinese Tsar, who bowed to the ground, and +invited him to his palace. The Princess Lotao, seeing blood upon +Ivan's left hand, bound it up with her handkerchief, and invited him +to remain in the palace; but, without heeding her, Ivan mounted his +steed and trotted off. Then he turned his horse into the fields, and +went himself to sleep. + +The Tsar again ordered a great banquet to be prepared; and the +Princess Lotao went to her husband and tried to awaken him, but all in +vain. On a sudden she beheld with surprise golden hair upon his head, +from which the bladder had fallen off; and, stepping up to him, she +saw her handkerchief bound on his left hand; and now she knew that he +it had been who had three times defeated and at last slain Polkan. +Then she ran instantly to her father, led him into the apartment, and +said: "See, my father! You told me I had married a fool; look closely +at his hair, and at this wound which he received from Polkan." Then +the Tsar saw that it had been he who had thrice delivered his empire, +and he rejoiced greatly. + +When Ivan the peasant's son awoke, the Emperor took him by his white +hands, led him into the palace, thanked him for the services he had +rendered; and being himself far advanced in years, he placed the crown +upon Ivan's head. Then Ivan mounted the throne, and ruled happily, and +lived with his wife for many years in the greatest harmony and love. + + + + +STORY OF THE GOLDEN MOUNTAIN + + +In a certain country there lived a Tsar with his wife, who had three +handsome sons; the eldest was named Vasili Tsarevich, and the second +Fedor Tsarevich, and the youngest son Ivan Tsarevich. One day the Tsar +went out with his Tsarina for a walk in the garden, and on a sudden a +violent storm came on, which carried off the Tsarina from his sight. +The Tsar was very much grieved, and mourned a long time for his wife; +and the two eldest sons, seeing their father's sorrow, begged his +blessing and permission to go forth and wander in search of their +mother. So he consented, and dismissed them. + +The two sons travelled for a long time, until at length they came to a +wide desert, where they pitched their tents, and waited until some one +should pass who might show them the way. For three whole years they +waited, but saw no one. + +Meanwhile the youngest brother, Ivan Tsarevich, grew up, and went +likewise to his father, begged his blessing, and took leave. And he +wandered for a long time, until at length he discerned in the +distance some tents, up to which he rode; and there he discovered his +brothers. "What brings you to such a desolate place, brothers?" said +he; "let us join company and travel in search of our mother." The +others followed his advice, and they all journeyed on together. + +They rode on and on for many days, until at length they saw afar off a +palace, built of crystal, and surrounded by a fence of the same +material. So they rode up to the palace, and Ivan Tsarevich opened the +gate, and entered the courtyard; and at the entrance-door he saw a +pillar, into which were fastened two rings, one of gold and the other +of silver. Then drawing his bridle through both these rings, he tied +up his steed, and went up the stairs. At the head of the stairs the +King himself came to meet him; and, after a long conversation, he +found out that Ivan Tsarevich was his nephew. So he conducted him into +his hall, and invited in his brothers also. + +After remaining in the palace a long time, the King gave the brothers +a magic ball, which they bowled away, and then rode after it, until +they came to a mountain, so high and steep that they could not ascend +it. Ivan Tsarevich rode round and round the mountain, until at last he +found a cleft. He stepped into it and beheld an iron door, with a +copper ring; and on opening this he perceived some iron hooks, which +he fastened to his hands and feet, and by their aid he climbed up the +mountain. On reaching the top he was very tired, and sat down to rest; +but no sooner had he taken off the hooks than they disappeared. + +In the distance upon the mountain Ivan beheld a tent of fine cambric, +upon which was represented a copper kingdom, and on its top was a +copper ball. Then he approached the tent; but at its entrance there +lay two huge lions, which allowed no one to enter. Ivan Tsarevich +seeing two copper basins standing close by, poured some water into +them, and quenched the thirst of the lions, who then let him freely +enter the tent. And when he got in, Ivan beheld a beautiful Queen +lying on a sofa, and sleeping at her feet a dragon with three heads, +which he cut off at a single blow. The Queen thanked him for this +service, and gave him a copper egg, in which was contained a copper +kingdom, whereupon the Tsarevich took his leave and went his way +further. + +After travelling for a long time, he descried a tent of fine gauze, +fastened to a cedar tree by silver cords, with knobs of emeralds; upon +the tent was represented a silver kingdom, and on the top was a silver +ball. At the entrance lay two immense tigers, to which he in like +manner gave to drink, and they permitted him to pass. On entering the +tent he beheld, seated on a sofa, a Queen richly attired, who far +surpassed the first one in beauty. At her feet lay a six-headed +dragon, as large again as the other. Then Ivan Tsarevich struck off +all the heads at a blow, and, as a reward for his valor, the Queen +presented him with a silver egg, in which was enclosed a silver +kingdom. Thereupon he took leave of the Queen and journeyed on. + +After a time Ivan came to a third tent, made of silk, upon which was +embroidered a golden kingdom, and on its top was placed a ball of pure +gold. The tent was fastened to a laurel tree with golden cords, from +which hung knobs of diamonds. Before the entrance lay two huge +crocodiles, which breathed forth flames of fire. The Tsarevich gave +them some water to drink, and thus gained an entrance into the tent, +in which he beheld a Queen, who in beauty far surpassed the former +ones. At her feet lay a dragon with twelve heads, all of which Ivan +Tsarevich struck off at two blows. The Queen, in return for this +service, gave him a golden egg, which contained a golden kingdom; and +with the egg she gave him also her heart. As they were conversing +together, Ivan asked the Queen whether she knew where his mother was; +then she showed Ivan her dwelling, and wished him success in his +enterprise. + +After travelling a great distance, Ivan Tsarevich came to a castle; he +entered, and went through many apartments, but without finding anyone. +At length he came to a spacious hall, where he beheld his mother +sitting, arrayed in royal robes. Ivan embraced her tenderly, telling +her how he had travelled far and wide with his brothers in search of +her. Then the Tsarina told Ivan Tsarevich that a spirit would soon +appear, and bade him hide himself in the folds of her cloak. "When the +spirit comes and tries to embrace me," she added, "try all you can to +seize his magic wand with both hands: he will then rise up with you +from the earth; fear not, but remain quiet, for he will presently fall +down again, and be dashed to pieces. These you must collect and burn, +and strew the ashes in the field." + +Scarcely had the Tsarina spoken, and wrapped Ivan in her cloak, when +the Spirit appeared and offered to embrace her. Then Ivan Tsarevich +started up, as his mother had directed, and seized the magic wand. In +a furious rage the Spirit flew with him high up into the air, but soon +fell to the ground and was dashed in pieces. Then the Tsarevich +gathered up the remains and burned them, and kept the magic wand; +after which he took with him his mother and the three Queens he had +rescued, came to an oak tree, and let them all slide down the mountain +in a linen cloth. When his brothers saw him left alone on the +mountain, they pulled the cloth from his hands, conducted their mother +and the Queens back to their own kingdom, and made them promise +solemnly to tell their father that it was the elder brothers who had +found and rescued them. + +Ivan Tsarevich was thus left alone on the mountain, and knew not how +to get down. Lost in thought he wandered about; and, throwing by +chance the magic wand from one hand to the other, on a sudden a man +stood before him, who said: "What is your pleasure, Ivan Tsarevich?" +Thereat Ivan wondered greatly, and asked the man who he was, and how +he had come to that uninhabited mountain. "I am a Spirit," replied the +figure, "and was subject to him whom you have destroyed; but as you +now possess his magic wand, and have changed it from one hand to the +other--which you must always do when you have need of me--I am here +ready to obey you." "Good!" said Ivan Tsarevich; "then do me now the +first service, and carry me back to my own kingdom." + +No sooner had Ivan uttered these words than he found himself at once +transported to his native city. He wished first to know what was +passing in the castle; but instead of going in directly, he went and +took work in a shoemaker's shop, thinking that he should not be easily +recognised in such a place. The next morning the shoemaker went into +the city to buy leather, and returned home so tipsy that he was unable +to work, and left it all to his new assistant. But Ivan, being quite +ignorant of shoemaking, called the Spirit to his aid, ordered him to +take the leather and make it into shoes, and then lay down to sleep. + +Early the next morning, when the shoemaker awoke, he went to see what +work Ivan had done; but, perceiving him still fast asleep, he flew +into a rage, and exclaimed: "Up, you lazy loon! have I engaged you +only to sleep?" Ivan, stretching himself slowly, replied: "Have +patience, master; first go to the workshop, and see what you shall +find." So the shoemaker went to the shop; and what was his +astonishment at beholding a quantity of shoes all made and ready! And +when he took up a shoe, and examined the work closely, his amazement +only increased, and he could scarcely believe his eyes, for the shoes +had not a single stitch, but were just as if cast in a mould. + +The shoemaker now took his goods, and went into the city to sell +them; and no sooner were these wonderful shoes seen than they were all +bought in the twinkling of an eye. In a short time the man became so +renowned that his fame reached the palace; then the Princesses desired +him to be summoned, and ordered of him many dozens of pairs of shoes; +but they were all to be ready without fail the next morning. The poor +shoemaker in vain assured them that this was impossible; they only +threatened that, unless he obeyed their will his head should be struck +off, as they saw clearly that there was some magic in the affair. + +The shoemaker left the castle in despair, and went into the city to +buy leather. Late in the evening he returned home, threw the leather +on the floor, and said to Ivan: "Hark ye, fellow, what a piece of work +you have made with your devilish tricks!" Then he told Ivan what the +Princesses had ordered him to do, and how they had threatened him +unless he fulfilled their commands. "Do not trouble yourself," said +Ivan Tsarevich, "go to bed and sleep--an hour in the morning is worth +two at night." The shoemaker thanked him for his advice, threw himself +on the bench, and soon began to snore aloud. Then Ivan Tsarevich +summoned the Spirit, ordered him to have the work done and in +readiness by the morning, and then lay down to sleep. + +Early the next morning, when the shoemaker awoke, he called to mind +that he was to lose his head that day; so he went in despair to Ivan +to bid him farewell, and asked him to come and have a drink so that he +could bear up. But Ivan said: "Fear nothing, man; go into the workshop +and take the work which was ordered." The shoemaker went distrustfully +into the shop; but when he beheld all the shoes ready made, he capered +about, not knowing what to do for joy, and embraced his companion. +Then he took all the shoes, and hastened to the castle. + +When the Princesses saw all this they were more than ever convinced +that Ivan Tsarevich must be in the city; and they said to the +shoemaker; "You have well and truly fulfilled our orders; but there is +another service which you must render us; to-night a golden castle +must be built opposite to ours, with a porcelain bridge from one to +the other, covered with velvet." The shoemaker stood aghast on hearing +this demand, and replied: "I am indeed only a poor shoemaker, and how +can I possibly do such a thing?" "Well," replied the Princesses, +"unless you fulfil our wish your head shall assuredly be struck off." + +The poor fellow left the castle overwhelmed with grief, and wept +bitterly. On his return home, he told Ivan Tsarevich what a feat he +had been ordered to accomplish. "Go quietly to bed," replied Ivan; +"the morning sun shall see it done." So the shoemaker lay down on the +bench and fell fast asleep. Then Ivan called up the Spirit, and +desired him to fulfil the command of the King's daughters, after which +he went to bed. + +Early the next morning Ivan Tsarevich awoke his master, and giving him +a goose's wing, bade him go on to the bridge and sweep off the dust. +Meanwhile Ivan went into the Golden castle. And when the Tsar and the +Princesses went out early on to the balcony they were amazed at +beholding the Castle and the bridge; but the Princesses were out of +their wits with joy, for they were now quite sure that Ivan Tsarevich +was in the city; and presently after, indeed, they saw him at a window +in the golden castle. Then they begged the Tsar and Tsarina to go with +them into the castle; and as soon as they set foot on the staircase, +Ivan Tsarevich came out to meet them. Thereupon his mother and the +three Princesses ran and embraced him, exclaiming: "This is our +deliverer!" His brothers looked down ashamed, and the Tsar stood dumb +with amazement; but his wife soon explained it all to him. Thereat the +Tsar fell into a passion with his eldest sons, and was going to put +them all to death; but Ivan fell at his feet and said: "Dear father, +if you desire to reward me for what I have done, only grant my +brothers their lives, and I am content." Then his father raised him +up, embraced him, and said: "They are truly unworthy of such a +brother!" So they all returned to the castle. + +The next day three weddings were celebrated. The eldest son, Vasili +Tsarevich, took the Princess of the copper kingdom; Fedor Tsarevich, +the second son, chose the Princess of the silver kingdom, and Ivan +Tsarevich settled with his Princess in the golden kingdom. He took the +poor shoemaker into his household, and they all lived happily for many +years. + + + + +ILIYA OF MUROM AND THE ROBBER NIGHTINGALE + + +In the famous city of Murom there once lived a countryman named Ivan +Timofeyevich. Now Ivan had a son named Iliya, the joy of his heart, +who was thirty years of age before he could walk; when all at once he +acquired such strength that he could not only run about, but made for +himself a suit of armour and a steel spear, saddled his steed, and +went to his parents and begged their blessing. "Dear father and +mother," said he "grant me permission to go to the famous city of +Kiev." So his parents gave him their blessing and dismissed him, +saying: "Go straight to Kiev, straight to the city Chernigov, but do +no wrong upon your way, nor shed Christian blood in vain." + +Then Iliya of Murom took leave of his parents, and journeyed on, far +into the depths of a dark forest, until he came to a camp of robbers. +When the robbers saw him they longed to possess his noble steed, and +conspired together to kill Iliya and seize the horse. So they fell +upon Iliya of Murom, five-and-twenty men. But Iliya of Murom reined in +his steed, drew an arrow from his quiver, laid it on his bow, and +shot the shaft deep into the ground till it scattered the earth far +and wide over three acres. When the robbers saw this, they were struck +dumb with terror, fell on their knees, and said: "Our lord and father, +dear good youth, we have done you wrong: in punishment for our crime, +take all our treasures and rich dresses, and as many steeds as you +desire." Iliya laughed and said: "What should I do with your +treasures? But if you have any regard for your lives, beware in future +how you run such risks." And so saying he journeyed on to the famous +city of Kiev. + +On his way, Iliya came to the city of Chernigov, which was besieged by +a countless Pagan army, threatening to destroy its houses and +churches, and to carry off into slavery all the princes and voyevodes. +Iliya of Murom was terrified at the sight of such an army; +nevertheless, at last he summoned courage, and resolved to die for his +religion. So with a brave heart and a stout spear he attacked the +unbelieving host, scattered them to the winds, took their leader +prisoner, and carried him in triumph to Chernigov. Then the citizens +came out to meet him, headed by the governor and nobles, and offered +him thanks for their deliverance; whereupon they conducted Iliya to +the palace and gave him a grand banquet. + +After this, Iliya of Murom followed the straight road to Kiev, which +the Robber Nightingale had held for thirty years, and on which he +suffered no traveller to pass, on foot or horse; putting them all to +death, not with the sword, but with his robber's whistle. When Iliya +came into the open fields, he rode into the Brianski forest, passing +over swamps, on bridges of elder, to the river Smarodienka. Then the +Robber Nightingale, seeing him approach at a distance, sounded his +robber whistle. The hero's heart quailed not, but when he was within +ten versts the Nightingale whistled so loud that Iliya's steed fell +down upon his knees. Then Iliya of Murom went straight up to the nest, +which was built upon twelve oaks, and the Robber Nightingale looked +forth upon the Russian hero, whistled with all his might, and tried to +slay him. But Iliya took his strong bow, and laying an arrow upon it, +shot straight into the nest and hit the Robber Nightingale in his +right eye; whereupon he fell down from the tree like a sheaf of oats. + +Then Iliya of Murom bound the Robber Nightingale fast to his stirrup +and rode off to the famous city of Kiev. On the road he passed the +palace of the Nightingale, where he saw the daughters of the Robber +looking out of the window. "See!" cried the youngest, "here comes +riding our father, bringing a peasant bound to his stirrup." But the +eldest daughter eyed Iliya more closely, and fell to weeping bitterly, +exclaiming: "Nay, that is not our father, but some strange man, +bringing our father prisoner." Then they called aloud to their +husbands, beseeching them to ride out and meet the stranger, and +deliver their father. Now their husbands were famous horsemen, and +they rode out with their stout lances to meet the Russian rider, and +slay him. But the Robber Nightingale, seeing them approach, cried out: +"My sons, bring not disgrace upon yourselves, by provoking so brave a +rider to slay you; invite him rather to come to our palace and drink a +glass of vodka." + + [Illustration: AT LENGTH THEY FELL IN WITH A CRIPPLE ON THE ROAD.] + +Then Iliya of Murom, at their invitation, turned to go into the +palace, little anticipating the danger that awaited him, for the +eldest daughter had drawn up by a chain a huge rafter to let fall and +slay Iliya as he rode through the gate. But Iliya perceived her +design, and slew her with his lance. Thereupon he rode on toward Kiev, +and going straight to the palace, prayed to God and saluted the +nobles. And the Prince of Kiev said to Iliya, "Tell me, brave youth, +what is your name, and whence do you come?" "My lord," replied Iliya, +"my name is Iliyushka, and I was born in the city of Murom." Then the +Prince asked him which way he had come; and Iliya answered: "I rode +from Murom to Chernigov, where I slew a countless army of pagans, and +delivered the city. Thence I came straight hither, and on my road have +captured the mighty Robber Nightingale, and brought him prisoner bound +to my stirrup." But the Prince was wroth, for he thought Iliya was +deceiving him. Then two of the knights, Alescha Popovich and Dobrinja +Nikitich, rode forth to ascertain the truth of the matter; and when +the Prince was convinced, he ordered a glass of vodka to be given to +the brave youth, and begged to hear the famous whistle of the Robber +Nightingale. So Iliya of Murom took the Prince and Princess under his +arm, wrapped in his sable pelisse, and ordered the Robber Nightingale +to sound his whistle softly. But the Robber whistled so loud that he +stunned all the knights and they fell flat upon the ground, whereat +Iliya of Murom was so enraged that he slew him on the spot. + +Then Iliya formed a close friendship with Dobrinja Nikitich; and +saddling their steeds they rode off, and journeyed on for three months +without meeting any enemy. At length they fell in with a cripple on +the road; his beggar's cloak weighed fifty poods, his bonnet nine +poods, and his crutch was six feet long. Then Iliya of Murom rode at +him to try his courage; but the cripple said: "Ah, Iliya of Murom, do +you not remember me, and how we studied together at the same school? +And have you now the heart to slay me, a poor helpless cripple? Know +you not that a great calamity has befallen the famous city of Kiev? An +unbelieving knight, with a head as big as a beer-barrel, eyebrows a +span apart, and shoulders six feet broad, has entered it? He devours a +whole ox at a time, and drinks off a barrel of beer at a draught. The +Prince is lamenting your absence." + +Then Iliya of Murom drew the cripple's cloak around him, rode off to +the city of Kiev, and going straight up to the Prince's palace, cried +aloud, "Ho there, Prince of Kiev! give alms to a poor cripple." And +when the Prince heard this he said: "Come into my palace, and I will +give you meat and drink, and money for your journey." Then Iliya went +into the palace, and seated himself near the stove; and close by sat +the idolator, who called for food and drink. Thereupon the attendants +brought him a whole roasted ox, which he ate up, bones and all; and +seven-and-twenty men brought him a barrel of beer, which he emptied at +a draught. Then said Iliya of Murom: "My father had once a greedy +horse, which ate so much that he burst." At this the idolator knight +fell into a violent rage and exclaimed: "How dare you provoke me with +such talk, you miserable cripple? Are you forsooth a match for me? +Why, look ye, I could set you on the palm of my hand, and squeeze you +like an orange. You had indeed a valiant hero in your country, Iliya +of Murom, with whom I would fain wage a battle; but you indeed----!" + +"Here stands Iliya of Murom!" exclaimed the cripple; and so saying, he +took off his hat, and struck him a blow on the head, which, although +not hard, drove it through the wall of the palace. Then Iliya took up +the body, and flung it into the courtyard. And the Prince rewarded +Iliya richly, and retained him at his court as his boldest and bravest +knight. + + + + +THE RENOWNED HERO, BOVA KOROLEVICH, AND THE PRINCESS DRUSHNEVNA + + +In the famous city of Anton ruled the brave and mighty King Guidon; +who heard so much from his own subjects, as well as foreigners, of the +beauty of the Princess Militrisa Kirbitovna, that he longed to see +her. So he set out, and travelled to the city of Dimichtian, where he +saw her many times, and fell deeply in love with her. + +When King Guidon returned home, he sent his servant Litcharda as +ambassador to King Kirbit Versoulovich, the father of the Princess +Militrisa Kirbitovna, with a letter written by his own hand, to ask +for his daughter in marriage. When Litcharda arrived at the city of +Dimichtian, he delivered to King Kirbit the letter from his master; +and after Kirbit had read it through, he went at once to the Princess +Militrisa, and said to her: "My dear daughter, the fame of your beauty +has reached the brave and powerful King Guidon. He has been in the +city to see you, and has fallen deeply in love with you. He has sent a +messenger to demand your hand, and I have already given my consent." + +As King Kirbit spoke these words, Militrisa fell to weeping; and her +father seeing this said: "Grieve not, dear daughter, Guidon is +powerful, renowned, and rich; he will be a good husband to you, and +you will share the government with him. To refuse his request is +impossible, for he would return with a large army, storm our city, and +carry you off by force." + +When the Princess Militrisa heard this, she began to sob, fell on her +knees, and said: "My lord and father, you have sovereign power over +me, but let me confess the truth: I have seen Guidon, but his very +look terrified me; I fear therefore to marry him. I entreat you, dear +father, to alter your resolution, and to give me to Tsar Dadon, who is +our neighbour, a faithful friend, and protector of our kingdom." But +Kirbit did not listen to her entreaties, and sent her to King Guidon +to be his wife, in the city of Anton. Guidon rejoiced exceedingly at +her arrival, ordered a great feast to be prepared for their wedding +the following day, and set at liberty all the prisoners in his kingdom +on this joyous event. + +For three years Guidon lived with Militrisa, and they had one only +son, named Bova Korolevich, who was of a powerful figure and handsome +bearing, and he grew, not from day to day, but from hour to hour. One +day Queen Militrisa Kirbitovna called her faithful servant Litcharda, +and said: "Do me a true service; I will repay you with gold and +precious stones: take this letter to Tsar Dadon, without the knowledge +of King Guidon: fail not to do my bidding, or you shall die a +miserable death." + +Litcharda took the private letter of the Queen, mounted his horse, +rode to Tsar Dadon, and delivered the letter to him. When Dadon read +it through he laughed, and said to Litcharda: "Your Queen either jokes +or wishes to affront me: she invites me to lead my army before the +city of Anton, and promises to deliver up her husband to me; this +cannot truly be meant, because she has a young son." But Litcharda +replied: "Mighty Tsar Dadon, let not this letter arouse your +suspicion; put me in prison with food and drink, collect your army, +and march to the city of Anton, and if the contents of the letter +prove untrue, let me suffer death." + +When Tsar Dadon heard these words from Litcharda, he rejoiced, and +ordering the trumpets to sound, he collected an army of thirty +thousand men, marched upon the city of Anton, and encamped on the +royal meadows. No sooner was Militrisa Kirbitovna informed that Tsar +Dadon was encamped before the city with his army, than, dressing +herself in her best attire, she went to King Guidon, and, pretending +to be ill, begged him to go out and slay a wild boar for her to eat. +The King was glad to oblige his wife, and mounting his trusty horse, +rode out to hunt. + +As soon as he had left the city, Militrisa ordered the drawbridges to +be raised and the gates to be shut. And hardly had King Guidon +approached Tsar Dadon's rearguard, when the latter instantly pursued +him. Guidon turned his horse towards the city, but flight was in vain; +when he came to the gates, and found them closed, and the drawbridges +up, he was sad at heart, and exclaimed: "Most miserable of men! Now I +see the cunning of my wicked wife, and the death she has prepared for +me. But Bova, my dear boy, why did you not tell me of your mother's +treachery?" As he spoke these words Dadon rode at him, pierced him +through the heart with his lance, and Guidon fell dead from his horse. + +When Militrisa Kirbitovna saw this from the city walls, she ordered +the gates to be opened and the bridges let down, and went out to meet +Tsar Dadon, kissed him on the lips, took him by the white hands, and +conducted him into the castle. Here they sat together at a table where +a banquet was spread, and they began to feast. But the little boy, +Bova Korolevich, young as he was, when he saw his mother's wicked +conduct, went out of the castle to the stable, and sitting down under +a manger was sad at heart. His attendant, Simbalda, saw him sitting +there, and wept at the sight, and said: "My dear young master, Bova +Korolevich, your cruel mother has let Tsar Dadon kill my good lord +your father, and now she feasts and sports with the murderer in the +palace. You are young, my child, and cannot avenge your father's +death; indeed, who knows but that she may kill you likewise? To save +our lives, therefore, we will fly to the city of Sumin, over which my +father rules." And so saying, Simbalda saddled for himself a good +steed, and for Bova a palfrey, took with him thirty stout young +fellows, and hurried out of the city. + +As soon as Dadon's followers saw this, they went and told their master +that Bova and Simbalda had escaped towards Sumin. When Tsar Dadon +heard this he forthwith commanded his army to be collected, and sent +in pursuit of Bova Korolevich and his protector Simbalda, whom they +overtook at a short distance from Sumin. Simbalda at once saw their +danger, and, setting spurs to his horse, galloped off to the city and +shut the gates. But Bova Korolevich, who was very young, could not +hold his seat upon the horse, and fell to the ground. Then the +pursuers seized Bova, and carried him to Tsar Dadon, who sent him to +his mother, Militrisa; and, collecting all his army, he rode up to the +city of Sumin, in order to take it by force, and put to death its +inhabitants and Simbalda; and pitched his tent on the forbidden +meadows around the city. + +One night Dadon dreamed that Bova Korolevich pierced him through with +a lance: and when he awoke he called to him his chief boyar, and sent +him to Queen Militrisa, bidding her to put Bova to death. But when +Militrisa Kirbitovna heard this message she replied: "I cannot myself +kill him, for he is my own son; but I will command him to be thrown +into a dark dungeon, and kept without food or drink, and so he will +die of hunger." + +Meanwhile Tsar Dadon lay encamped before the city of Sumin for half a +year, but could neither take it by force nor starvation; so at length +he broke up his camp and returned to Anton. After his departure, +Simbalda assembled an army of fifteen thousand men, marched upon the +city of Anton, surrounded it on all sides, and demanded that Bova +should be given up to him. But Dadon collected an army twice as +strong as Simbalda's, and drove him back into the city of Sumin. + +One day, as Queen Militrisa was walking in her garden, she by chance +passed the prison where Bova Korolevich was confined. Then he cried +aloud: "Alas! my gracious mother, fair Queen Militrisa, why are you so +enraged against me? Why have you put me in prison and given me no food +on purpose to let me die of hunger? Have I grieved you by any ill +conduct or cruel words, that you treat me in this way, or have wicked +people spoken evil of me to you?" Militrisa answered: "I know of +nothing wrong in you, and have only put you in prison on account of +your irreverence to Tsar Dadon, who defends our kingdom against our +enemies, while you are young; but I will soon set you at liberty, and +will send you now some sweetmeats and meat; you can eat as much as you +like." + + [Illustration: "ALAS! MY GRACIOUS MOTHER, WHY HAVE YOU PUT ME IN + PRISON?"] + +So saying, Queen Militrisa went into the palace and set to work to +make two cakes, of wheaten dough and serpent's fat, which she baked +and sent to Bova Korolevich by a servant maid named Chernavka. But +when the maid came to Bova she said: "Master, do not eat the cakes +which your mother has sent, but give them to the dogs, for they are +poisoned, here is a piece of my own bread." So Bova took the cakes +and threw them to the dogs, and as soon as they tasted them they died. +And when he saw Chernavka's kindness and fidelity, he took her black +bread and ate it, and begged her not to close the prison door: so she +left it open, and when she came again to Militrisa she told her she +had given the cakes to Bova. + +As soon as the servant was gone, Bova escaped from his prison and went +to the harbour to forget his sorrow. There some drunken people seized +and carried him on board a ship, and the merchants on it asked him of +what condition he was. Bova Korolevich told them that he was of the +poor class, and that his mother got her living by washing linen for +strangers. When the sailors heard this they wondered that he should +look so handsome, and bethought them how they might keep him with +them. They began to wrangle as to who should be his master, but as +soon as Bova perceived their intention, he told them not to quarrel +for his sake, for that he would serve them all in turn. + +Then the shipmen left the city of Anton and sailed out to sea, to the +Armenian kingdom of King Sensibri Andronovich. There they cast anchor, +and went into the city to follow their business; whilst Bova went on +shore, and wandered about, playing on the lute. Meantime the port +officers came on board the ship, whom King Sensibri sent to enquire +whence the ship had come, who the merchants were, and what was their +business. But when they heard Bova Korolevich playing, and saw the +beauty of his features, they forgot what they had come for, and +returning to King Sensibri, said only that they had seen a youth of +unspeakable beauty on board the ship, who played on the lute so +wonderfully that they were never tired of listening to him; adding, +that they had quite forgotten to enquire what wares the ship +contained. When the King heard this he went himself to the ship, and +when he had seen Bova, he offered to purchase him, but the merchants +would not sell him for any price, telling the King that he belonged to +them all equally, and relating how they had picked him up on the +seashore. At this King Sensibri flew into a rage, and instantly +ordered them to be driven out of his kingdom, forbidding them ever to +return. On hearing this order, the merchants agreed to sell Bova +Korolevich for three hundred bars of gold. + +When Bova was brought to the Court, the King called to him and said: +"Tell me, young fellow, to what class do you belong, and what is your +name?" And Bova replied: "Gracious King, Sensibri Andronovich, I am of +the poor class, and lost my father at an early age: my mother washes +linen for strangers; and thus supports herself and me. My name is +Anhusei, and I will serve thee henceforth faithfully." + +When the King heard this he said: "As you are of the lowest class and +cannot remember your father, go into my stables, and you shall be the +head over all my grooms." So Bova made his bow and went into the +stable. + +Bova often drove out with his comrades to the forbidden meadows of the +King, to get grass for the horses; but he never took a sickle with +him, but pulled all the grass with his hands, and gathered himself as +much as ten men together could mow. When the other grooms saw this +they were amazed at his strength. His fame at length reached the +King's daughter, the fair Drushnevna, who went to see him: and as soon +as she beheld Bova, she was enraptured with his uncommon beauty. And +one day she said to the King: "My gracious father, you are indeed +powerful and renowned, not only in your own kingdom, but in all +countries far and near, and no King, Tsar, or Knight can compare with +you; but, O King! you have no trusty and clever steward in your +household. Now, I have heard that there is a young lad in our royal +stables whom you have purchased from some shipmen; his name is +Anhusei. This lad will prove trusty and useful in your service; order +him to be taken from the stable and employed in your household." + +King Sensibri replied: "My dear daughter, I have never refused to +grant any one of your wishes, and in this matter too you are free to +do as you will." When the Princess Drushnevna heard these words, she +thanked her father, made her obeisance, and went out. Then she ordered +Bova to be called and desired him to leave his old task and to enter +on his new employment in the household. + +The next day she called Bova to her and said: "Hark ye, Anhusei, +to-morrow my father will have a great feast, and all the princes, +boyars, and knights will be present to eat and drink and sport; you +must stand near me at the table to do my bidding." Thereupon Bova made +his bow and was going away, but the Princess Drushnevna called him +back, and said: "Tell me the truth, young fellow, what class do you +belong to--of boyar or kingly race? Or are you the son of some brave +knight, or of a merchant from a foreign land? And what is your true +name? I believe not that you are born of common folk as you told my +father." Then Bova replied: "Gracious Lady, I have told your royal +father truly my name and condition, and can only repeat it to you." +And so saying he left the room. + +On the morrow the King held a great feast, and Bova had to hold a +roasted swan to the Princess Drushnevna, which she began to carve; +and, on purpose, she let fall a fork on the floor. Bova instantly +picked it up, and as he held it out to her she kissed him on the head. +As soon as the feast was ended, Bova lay down to sleep, and slept +three days and three nights; no shaking could arouse him. The fourth +day, when he awoke, he rode out into the open country, walked into the +forbidden meadows, gathered some beautiful flowers, and, making a +wreath, placed it on his head, and so went into the city. When the +Princess saw him thus decked out, she called him before her, and bade +him take the wreath from his head and place it on hers. Bova did not +obey; but he took the wreath from his head, pulled it to pieces, and +flung it on the ground; then he left the room, and shut the door after +him with such force that he pulled out the silver handle, and a stone +fell from the wall and wounded him on the head. The fair Drushnevna +hearing this, cured his wound with her medicines; and when it was +healed Bova lay down again to sleep, and slept five days and five +nights. + +Now at this time King Marcobrun came from the kingdom beyond the Don, +with many hundred thousand warriors; and surrounding the Armenian city +with his army, he sent an ambassador to Sensibri to demand the +Princess his daughter Drushnevna for wife; promising, in return, to +reward and defend him; but threatening, in case of his refusal, to +destroy the city with fire and sword, to throw him into prison, and +carry off his daughter by force. Then King Sensibri answered: "Tell +your Master, the renowned King Marcobrun that, until this day, I have +never had any disagreement with him, but have lived in friendship and +good-will; and that I have no desire now to quarrel with him; but +better it had been to have sent you with a simple request instead of +threats. I pardon him, however, on account of his youth, and invite +him to my royal castle to eat bread and salt, and to celebrate the +marriage with my daughter." + +King Sensibri dismissed the messenger, and commanding the city gates +to be opened, went himself to meet King Marcobrun, took him by his +white hands, led him into the marble palace, seated him at an oaken +table spread with checkered tablecloths and sweetmeats, and they fell +to eating and drinking and disport. + +Just then Bova Korolevich awoke from his five days' sleep, and heard +the confused sounds of men, and the neighing of horses, outside the +city. Whereupon he went into the white marble palace to Princess +Drushnevna, and said: "Gracious Lady, I hear the sounds of men and +horses outside the city, and people say that Marcobrun's nobles are +amusing themselves with holding a tournament. I have a wish to join in +it; command, I pray, a good steed to be given me, and allow me to go +forth and see the sports." + +The Princess answered: "My little fellow Anhusei, how can you ride +with Marcobrun's nobles? You are still very young, and cannot sit fast +on a horse. However, if you have so great a longing to go, choose a +good horse and ride off to see the sport; but take no weapon, and do +not mingle in their games." + +The instant Bova received this permission he went into the stable, +straddled across a broom, and so rode out of the city. And as soon as +Marcobrun's nobles saw Bova Korolevich riding upon a broom, they began +to laugh at him, and cried: "Look, look at King Sensibri's groom! +riding cock-horse upon a broom! to sweep the field and make us room!" +But Bova did not relish their jokes, and riding up to them, he +defended himself with his broom, laying about him right and left, and +knocking them down by twos and threes. When Marcobrun's nobles saw +this sport they rushed upon Bova, ten or more at once; but he took +them as they came, and overthrew them all. Thereat the other knights +were enraged, and attacked Bova, two hundred in a body, and tried to +ride him down. Still Bova flinched not, but slew them all, one after +another, to the number of two hundred thousand men. When the King's +daughter saw this from her window, she went to her father and said: +"My gracious father, command your servant Anhusei to return. He has +ridden forth to see the sports of Marcobrun's nobles; but they are +engaged against him, and are attacking him with great fury. It were a +shame to let him be slain: he is still but a young child, and has +little strength." So King Sensibri Andronovich instantly sent to Bova, +and ordered him to return to the city. + +Bova obeyed the command, rode back to the city, lay down to sleep, and +slept for nine days and nine nights. Meanwhile the powerful Tsar and +knight Lukoper came to the Armenian kingdom: his head was as large as +a beer-barrel, his eyebrows were a span apart, his shoulders an +arrow's length broad, and he was as tall as a journey. Never before +had such a powerful knight been heard of; and he came at the head of +a host twice as strong as the army of Marcobrun. Then he surrounded +the city of King Sensibri, and sent an ambassador to him, demanding +the hand of the Princess Drushnevna; threatening, if he refused, to +lay waste his city with fire and sword, to imprison all the +inhabitants, to overthrow Marcobrun's army, slay both Kings, and carry +off the Princess Drushnevna. But if Sensibri assented to his demand, +Lukoper promised him his aid and protection. + +When King Sensibri heard this message he dared not refuse, and +dismissed the ambassador without an answer. Then he called Marcobrun, +and took counsel with him, and they agreed to attack Lukoper with all +their forces. They forthwith ordered their horses to be saddled; each +seized in his right hand a steel sword, and in his left a sharp lance, +and they rode forth out of the city. When the Tsar Lukoper beheld +them, he rode with the blunt end of his lance against Marcobrun and +Sensibri, overthrew them one after another, took them prisoners, and +sent them to his father, Saltan Saltanovich, who was encamped with his +army on the seashore. Then Lukoper fell upon the armies of Sensibri +and Marcobrun, and slew them without mercy, while his gallant steed +trampled down still more than he killed; and in a short time the +royal forbidden meadows were covered with the dead. + +Just at this time Bova Korolevich awoke from his sleep, and heard the +noise of Lukoper's army, and the neighing of the horses. Then he went +to the Princess Drushnevna and said: "Gracious Lady, I hear the noise +of Lukoper's warriors, who are disporting in a tourney after the +victory over your father and Marcobrun, whom he has sent prisoners to +his father the Tsar Saltan Saltanovich, on the seashore. I am +therefore come, as your faithful servant, to crave permission to take +from the royal stable a good horse, with trappings, a sword, and a +steel lance. Let me go forth against Lukoper's army, measure my +strength with him, and try the valour of his boasting warriors." The +Princess answered: "I will consent to your wish, young fellow; but you +must first tell me truly of what rank of life you are, and what is +your real name? You have not told my father the truth: your handsome +figure and valorous deeds show clearly that you are no poor man's +son." + +"Lady," replied Bova Korolevich, "I would not disclose to you my true +rank and name, but that I am now going forth to a battle of life and +death, and know not whether I shall return from it alive, or lose my +head in rescuing my King from prison; therefore I will confess the +truth. My father was the renowned King Guidon, a mighty hero in the +field, and a merciful prince to his subjects. My mother is Queen +Militrisa, daughter of the Tsar Kirbit Versoulovich: my name is Bova. +I left my country in early youth, when King Dadon laid waste our +kingdom, treacherously murdered my father, and seized upon his +dominions. He sought to kill me too; but I fled, sailed with some +merchants to your kingdom, and was bought by your father." + +When the Princess heard this story she loved Bova Korolevich still +more, and she said to him: "Brave Knight, you would engage in a fight +of life and death with the Tsar Lukoper, but you do not know, perhaps, +how powerful he is, and what an immense army he has with him; besides, +you are still very young, and have not the strength of manhood. Stay +rather in my city, take me for your wife, and protect my country and +people against our foes." + +Bova, however, was unmoved by her words; and again entreated her to +let him have a steed and armour. When the Princess Drushnevna saw how +earnestly he begged, she took from the wall a battle sword, buckled it +on him with her own hands, put on his armour, and led him to the stone +stable to fetch a steed, which stood there behind twelve iron doors +and twelve huge locks. Then she commanded the grooms to strike off the +locks; but as soon as the horse perceived a rider worthy of him, he +began to burst the doors with his hoofs, broke them all down, ran out, +set himself on his hind legs before Bova, and neighed so loud that the +fair Drushnevna and all the bystanders were ready to fall down +senseless. + +When Bova took the horse by his black-grey mane and began to pat him, +he stood still as if rooted to the spot; and Bova Korolevich seeing +this, placed a Tcherkess saddle upon him, with girths of Persian silk +and golden buckles. And when he vaulted into the saddle and took leave +of the Princess Drushnevna, she embraced and kissed him. The royal +Chamberlain, named Orlop, who saw this, began to reproach her, which +angered Bova so much that he hurled him to the ground half-dead with +the butt-end of his lance, and rode out of the city. Then Bova struck +the flanks of his steed, which started, rose from the ground, and +leaped over the city wall. + +When Bova beheld the camp of the Tsar Lukoper, in which the tents +stood as thick as trees in a forest, he drew his battle sword and +mace, and rode straight against the mighty Tsar. The crash of two +mountains falling upon one another is not so great as was the onset +between these two powerful knights. Lukoper struck at Bova's heart +with his lance, but Bova parried the thrust with his shield, and the +lance was shivered in pieces. Then Bova struck Lukoper on the head +with his sword, and cleft his body in twain to the very saddle; after +which he fell upon Lukoper's army, and many as he slew with his +battle-axe, as many again were trodden down under his horse's hoofs. +Bova fought five days without resting, and overthrew well nigh the +whole army; a small number only escaped, who fled to the Tsar Saltan, +and said to him: "Our Lord Tsar Saltan Saltanovich, after we had taken +prisoners Tsars Sensibri and Marcobrun, and had overthrown all their +enemies, a young fellow of handsome look rushed out of Sensibri's +city, who slew your brave son Lukoper in single combat, and routed our +whole army. He is even now in pursuit of us, slaying all whom he can +overtake, and will presently attack you." + +On hearing this, Tsar Saltan was seized with terror, and hastened with +his troops on board his ships, leaving all his tents and treasures +behind, cut the cable, and instantly set sail from the Armenian +kingdom. But hardly had he left the shore when Bova rode into the +camp, and found not a single living soul except the Kings Marcobrun +and Sensibri, who lay bound hand and foot beside Saltan's tent. Bova +Korolevich freed them from their bonds, and rode with them back to the +Armenian kingdom. + +On the way Sensibri Andronovich said to Bova: "My trusty servant +Anhusei, I see your fidelity and valour; I owe my liberty to you, and +I know not how to reward you: ask of me whatsoever you desire--my +treasures are at your command." Then Bova answered: "My gracious lord +King, I am rewarded by your royal favour, and ask no more; but I will +serve you faithfully to the best of my power." And as they conversed +thus they came to the Armenian city, where they feasted and made +merry. Then Bova lay down to sleep, and slept nine days and nine +nights. + +At length Kings Sensibri and Marcobrun, tired of feasting, rode out +into the fields to hunt for three days. And meanwhile it happened that +the Chamberlain, jealous of the favour that the King showed to Bova, +called to him thirty young fellows and said: "My friends, you see that +this rascal Anhusei has deceived our King and the Princess Drushnevna, +and, turning their favour from us, drives us from their presence. Come +with me into the stable where he sleeps; let us put him to death, and +I will reward you with gold and silver, with jewels and fine clothes." +When Orlop had told his plan, one of the thirty answered: "We are not +strong enough to slay Anhusei in his sleep; should he awake he would +kill us all. A better plan would be for one of us to lie in the King's +bed, whilst he is out at the chase, to summon Anhusei, and give him a +letter to the Tsar Saltan Saltanovich desiring him to put Anhusei to +death." + +When the Chamberlain Orlop heard this he leaped for joy, embraced the +fellow who had given this wicked advice, and rewarded him more than +the rest. And when the letter was prepared, Orlop went and lay down in +the King's bed, called Bova to him, and said: "Do me a service, +Anhusei; take this letter and give it to the Tsar Saltan with your own +hand. On your return I will reward you in any way you may desire." +Bova, who was half asleep, did not discover the cheat, but took the +letter, went out and saddled a good horse, and rode off to the kingdom +of the Tsar Saltan. + +Bova rode for two months, until he came to a desert, where there was +neither river, brook, nor fountain, and grew sore athirst. At length +he met a pilgrim, who had a leather bottle full of water, and he +begged him for a draught to quench his thirst. The old man secretly +put a sleeping powder into the water and gave it to Bova; but hardly +had he drunk it than it took effect, and he fell from his horse and +slept like one dead. Then the old man took the battle sword, mounted +the horse and rode off, leaving Bova alone and unarmed in the midst of +the desert. + +Bova slept on for ten days; and when he awoke and saw that his steed, +his sword, and battle-axe were all gone he wept bitterly and said to +himself: "It seems that I am doomed to lose my life in this service, +and that King Sensibri has sent me to Tsar Saltan only to meet death +in return for my fidelity." Then he went his way on foot, and his head +hung lower than his shoulders. + +When Bova Korolevich appeared before the Tsar Saltan he bowed to the +ground, handed him the letter and said: "Long life to you, gracious +lord and Tsar Saltan Saltanovich! I am sent by King Sensibri to your +Majesty to bring news of his health, to enquire after yours, and to +deliver to your Majesty this letter." Then Saltan took the letter, +broke the seal, and after reading it exclaimed aloud: "Where are my +valiant knights, my faithful servants and warriors? Seize this +messenger from King Sensibri, and lead him to the gallows, for he has +slain my dear son and destroyed our mighty army." + +Thereupon sixty of Saltan's knights rode forth, surrounded Bova, and +led him into the open fields to hang him. On the way Bova bethought +him how he could have deserved such a shameful death, and to lose his +life in the flower of his days. "Better had it been," said he, "if my +mother had killed me in the city of Anton, or if I had been slain by +Marcobrun's nobles or by Lukoper in the field." And with that he rose +up, overthrew all the sixty knights, and fled out of the kingdom. + +When the Tsar Saltan heard this, he instantly commanded the trumpets +to sound, and collected his knights to the number of a hundred +thousand, pursued Bova Korolevich, and surrounded him on all sides. +Bova had neither a good steed, a sharp sword, nor a steel lance--he +had nothing with which to defend himself. Then he seized one of +Saltan's warriors, and began to fight with him; but he saw that he +could not slay them all, and gave himself up prisoner. So they seized +him, bound his hands, and led him before Saltan Saltanovich. As soon +as the Tsar saw Bova he ordered the hangman to be fetched, to hang +him. + +Just then the Tsar's daughter, the fair Princess Miliheria, fell on +her knees before her father and said: "My gracious lord and father, do +not let Bova be hung, but allow me to speak; his death will not bring +either my brother or your army to life again. Rather grant him his +life, turn him to our faith, and make him the successor to your +throne. Then will he be a defence in war to your old age." + +The Tsar answered: "My dear daughter, Miliheria, you comfort me with +your tender words and wise advice; I give Bova into your hands, and if +he embraces our faith he shall be my successor and your husband, and I +will resign to him all my cities and villages, my treasures of gold +and jewels." + +The Tsar's daughter made her obeisance to her father, left the hall, +and ordered Bova to be brought before her. Then she endeavoured with +gentle speech to persuade him to adopt her faith; but Bova answered +that neither for the whole kingdom, nor all the treasures of gold and +jewels, would he consent to change his faith. + +Then Miliheria commanded Bova to be led to prison, and the entrance to +be stopped up with sand, and that he should have no food nor drink for +five days. At the end of this time she put on a gold-embroidered +dress, adorned with jewels, and went to the prison. Then she ordered +the sand to be removed, and the door to be opened, and, going in, she +said to Bova: "Now, young fellow, have you considered the matter? Will +you change your faith, and live, and rule over my father's kingdom, +or have you not yet overcome your obstinacy and will rather end your +life on gallows?" + +"Never, as long as I live, will I deny my faith," answered Bova, "nor +abandon it for yours. Tempt me not in vain with cunning words and +promises; I will rather suffer death than be a despicable man." + +The Princess Miliheria was very angry at Bova's answer; she went +instantly to her father and said: "My lord and father, I confess to +you my wrong in having interceded for the life of this unbelieving +prisoner, in the hope of converting him to our faith, and making him a +good subject of your Majesty. But now I see his obstinacy and hard +heart, I no longer plead for him, but give him back into your hands; +do with him as you will." And so saying she went out. + +Saltan Saltanovich, on hearing this, called to him thirty bold +knights, and sent them to Bova's prison; but when they came thither +they could not remove the sand from the door as the Tsar's daughter, +in her anger, had heaped up too much; and they thought of taking off +the roof and dragging Bova out. Then Bova Korolevich was sad at heart, +and said, weeping: "Alas, I am the most unfortunate of men! I have +neither sword nor battle-axe, while my foes are numberless, and I am +moreover weakened by five days' hunger and confinement." Then he sat +down in a corner of the prison and felt close to him on the ground a +sword of steel. He seized it, overjoyed, turned it round and round, +and scarcely trusted his unlooked-for prize. Then he went to the spot +where Saltan's knights were letting themselves down into the prison; +and cutting off their heads, one after the other as they came down, he +laid them in a heap. + +Meanwhile Saltan was awaiting the return of the knights whom he had +sent after Bova; at last he was angered at their long delay, and sent +as many more to their help; but Bova slew these likewise, and piled up +their bodies in a heap; and climbing up this he escaped from prison +and hastened to the harbour, where he saw a ship lying at anchor. Then +he cried with a loud voice: "Ho, masters! take an honest young fellow +on board your ship! Save me from a cruel death, and I will reward you +richly." + +When the merchants heard this they sent a boat to the shore and took +Bova Korolevich on board the ship. Presently his pursuers came +galloping up in pursuit of Bova, and with them the Tsar Saltan +Saltanovich himself. Then Saltan cried aloud to the sailors: "Ho! you +foreign merchants, surrender instantly yon malefactor, who has +escaped from my prison and taken refuge in your ship! Deliver him up +or I will never again allow you to trade in my kingdom, but command +you to be seized and put to a miserable death." + +The merchants were terrified by these threats, and were about to send +Bova back to shore; but he drew a sword from under his cloak, laid +about him, and slew them right and left. At the sight of this the rest +fell on their knees before him, and promised to sail with him wherever +he wished. Then Bova ordered them to set sail and steer for the open +sea. And after a voyage of three months they came to the kingdom over +the Don; and not knowing it he enquired of a fisherman what country it +was he saw in the distance. "Yonder lies the Sadonic kingdom," replied +the fisherman, "and the king of it is named Marcobrun." Then Bova +asked: "Can it be the same Marcobrun who went to seek the hand of the +daughter of King Sensibri?" "The same," replied the fisherman, "and he +has not long returned home with his betrothed, the Princess +Drushnevna; their wedding is speedily to be celebrated." + +When Bova Korolevich heard this, he staggered, and for a time could +not utter a word. At length he came to himself, and said to the +fisherman: "Land me on the other side, my good fellow, and I will +reward you handsomely." Then he divided among the ship's crew the +property of the merchants he had slain, took leave of them, and went +to the Sadonic kingdom. On landing, Bova directed his steps towards +Marcobrun's chief city. For two days he went on and on without meeting +anyone. On the third day he met the pilgrim who had given him the +sleeping powder and robbed him of his sword, his battle-axe, and +steed. Then Bova seized and flung him on the ground, saying: "Villain! +you robbed me with a pitcher of water, carried off my brave steed, and +left me helpless in a desert, to be torn to pieces by wild beasts. Now +take your reward and die." + +Then the pilgrim entreated Bova for mercy: "Brave knight, have pity +and grant my life! I will give back your horse, your sword, and +battle-axe, and, for my crime, three powders besides. Wash yourself +with one of these and you will become old, so that no one will +recognize you; if you wash with the second, you will grow young as +before; and if you put the third powder into any person's drink he +will sleep as soundly as if he were dead for nine days." + +When Bova Korolevich heard this, he took the powders, the battle +sword, and the battle-axe; but gave back the horse and his clothes to +the pilgrim. Thereupon he washed himself with the first powder, and +went to the royal court and began to beg alms in the kitchen, in the +name of Bova Korolevich. One of the cooks, hearing this, seized a +brand from the hearth, beat Bova on the head, exclaiming: "Be off, you +worthless fellow! don't come begging here in Bova's name: it is +forbidden in this country to utter his name under pain of death." + +Bova did not feel the blow, but seized a brand, belaboured the cook, +and said: "What mean you, scoundrel, to beat your betters? You might +first have tried words before coming to blows." But the poor cook had +already given up the ghost, and this exhortation was thrown away upon +him. When his comrades saw this they ran out and told the Seneschal, +who went into the kitchen and asked Bova how the matter stood. Then +Bova said to the Seneschal: "Noble sir, I know not the customs of this +country, and have heard nothing of your prohibition. I begged alms of +your cook, in the name of Bova Korolevich, knowing that he was +everywhere honoured for his valour; but the man beat me with a cudgel, +without saying a word; I returned the blows and have killed him +unintentionally." + +When the Seneschal heard this, his anger was turned into favour, and +he said to Bova: "Hark ye, old man; from this hour on never more beg +alms in Bova's name, for we are commanded to slay anyone who speaks a +word in his praise in this country; you are, however, pardoned for +your ignorance. Go straight to the back court, where you will see the +fair Princess Drushnevna, who gives alms to beggars like you. In three +days her wedding with King Marcobrun is to be celebrated." + +Bova bowed to the Seneschal, and went to the back court, where he +beheld Drushnevna; but there was such a crowd of beggars that he could +not make his way up to her, and many of them beat and pushed about the +old man. This annoyed Bova, and he began to push in turn, and soon +made his way to the fair Drushnevna, and said: "Gracious Princess, +betrothed to the renowned King Marcobrun, give me alms, in the name of +Bova Korolevich!" + +When the Princess heard these words her countenance changed: she let +fall from her hand the dish with the money, and could scarcely stand. +Then she ordered one of her maids to distribute the alms amongst the +beggars, called Bova to her, and asked him why he had begged alms in +that name. And Bova answered: "My gracious Lady, I know Bova +Korolevich well, for I was with him in the same prison, in the +kingdom of the Tsar Saltan; we ate black bread and drank dirty water +together, and I shared with him hunger and cold; he confessed to me +that you, fair Princess, loved him dearly, and had pledged him your +word to marry no one but him. Therefore I have had the boldness to beg +alms in his name." + +"Ah, my good man," said Drushnevna, "where did you leave Bova +Korolevich? If I but knew where he was I would instantly go and seek +him, were it through thrice nine lands to the thirtieth country." + +"He was released from prison with me," replied Bova; "and I came to +this kingdom in his company; he stayed behind, and whither he is gone +I know not; but I wandered to this city." As he spoke, King Marcobrun +entered, and saw tears in Drushnevna's eyes; he asked her why she +wept, and whether anyone had offended her. "No, King Marcobrun, I wept +on hearing from this man that my father is lying on his death-bed." +Then Marcobrun ordered Bova to go away, and tried to comfort the +Princess. "My dear Drushnevna, grieve not for your father's illness; +he will recover; your grief cannot help him, and will only injure your +health: your dark eyes will be dimmed with tears, and sorrow will +destroy your beauty." + +As the King was speaking, Bova went into the stable, where his trusty +steed stood fastened with twelve chains. And when the horse heard his +brave rider approach, he began to burst through the iron doors and +break his chains; and having done so, and escaped into the open +fields, he galloped up to Bova, seated himself on his hind legs, and +tried to embrace him. Bova seized him by the mane and stroked his +neck. + +When the grooms saw this they went and told it all to Marcobrun. And +the King hastened into the courtyard, and saw Bova and the horse; +then, calling to him, he ordered him to serve in the stables of his +court and to tend his war-horse. When the Princess Drushnevna heard +this, she summoned Bova and asked him how he could undertake to tame +this steed, which no one ever ventured to approach on account of his +rage. And Bova answered: "Gracious Princess, this horse is restive and +fierce to King Marcobrun's grooms, who have never ridden on him; but +he knows his former master in the kingdom of Sensibri Andronovich, and +him he obeys. The horse recognized me at once, and you have thrice +spoken with me, and have not discovered that I am Bova Korolevich!" + +So saying, he was going away, but the Princess held him back, and +said: "Trouble me not with your prate, old man, nor mock my grief; I +know Bova Korolevich; he is young and handsome, but you are old and +grey-headed." + +"If you believe me not," replied Bova, "order some water to be +brought, and you shall see whether I speak the truth." So they brought +a basin of water, and Bova washed himself before the eyes of +Drushnevna with the white powder, and instantly he was young and +handsome as before. And when the Princess saw this she jumped from her +seat for joy, threw her arms round Bova's neck, and said: "My dear +friend, Bova Korolevich, for your sake I have refused these three +years to obey my father and listen to the suit of King Marcobrun; but +not hearing any tidings of you for so long a time I thought you were +dead, and was compelled, against my will, to come with Marcobrun to +his kingdom. Here I have deferred the wedding from day to day, in the +hope of hearing some tidings of you; but now that I see you face to +face I can boldly dismiss Marcobrun and wander with you to the end of +the world." + +"My dear Drushnevna," replied Bova Korolevich, "you may rely on my +valour; but we cannot now leave this place openly on account of the +great number of Marcobrun's warriors, and the multitudes of people, +whom not ten of the bravest knights could slay, especially in the +heart of their city. But take this powder and mix it in Marcobrun's +drink: he will then sleep soundly for nine days, and in this time we +can fly from his dominions." + +Hardly had he spoken, given her the powder, and gone away, when King +Marcobrun came in. Then Drushnevna spoke with him softly and kindly, +brought him a glass of sweet mead on a silver tray, and shook the +sleeping powder into it: Marcobrun, charmed by her coaxing manner, +instantly took the mead, drank it off, and presently fell asleep. + +The Princess Drushnevna went out and ordered her faithful servants to +bring her a good nag, and the kingly steed for Bova Korolevich. Then +she gave him a suit of armour, and in the darkness of the night they +fled out of the kingdom. For three days they rode on without stopping, +and on the fourth they chose out a pleasant spot, halted by a clear +brook, pitched a tent, and, tired with their journey, fell fast +asleep. + +It was a fine morning when Bova Korolevich took his steed to water, +and on a sudden the horse began to neigh and stamp on the ground, and +thus gave Bova to understand that an enemy was advancing against him. +Then he saddled his steed, donned his armour, girded on his battle +sword, and went into the tent and took leave of Drushnevna saying: "My +dear Princess, I am going out to fight with a great army, but grieve +not for me. Before the sun goes down I shall have gained the victory +and returned to you." So saying, he rode forth against the enemy, and +defeated them, so that only three men were left alive. And when he +heard that the army was sent by Marcobrun in pursuit of him, he said +to these three knights: "Tell King Marcobrun to beware of pursuing me +lest he lose his whole army, for he knows well who I am." Thereupon +these three rode back to their King, and told him that Bova had slain +the army of three hundred thousand men, and that they three alone +survived. Then Marcobrun ordered the trumpets to sound, and assembled +an army of four million men, and said to his boyars: "My faithful +servants, pursue Bova, and bring him and Drushnevna alive to me." And +all the kingdom answered with one voice: "Our Lord and King, you have +a knight Polkan who has been confined in prison for many years; +perhaps he can overtake Bova, for he clears seven versts at a single +leap. From his head to his waist he is a man--the rest of his body is +in the form of a horse." + +On hearing this from the knights, Marcobrun sent immediately for +Polkan, and said to him: "Sir Polkan, pursue Bova Korolevich and bring +him and Drushnevna to me; I will reward you richly." So Polkan +promised to fulfil his command, and hastened after Bova and the +Princess. + +One day Bova was walking in the fields near his tent when on a sudden +he heard Polkan come running; he stepped into the tent and said to +Drushnevna: "My dear Princess I can hear a powerful knight come riding +this way in the direction from Marcobrun's kingdom; but I do not know +whether he will prove a friend or foe." Then Drushnevna answered: "No +doubt it is some one whom Marcobrun has sent in pursuit of us, and he +must be the stout knight Polkan, who can leave behind him seven versts +at a bound: he will soon overtake us." + +Bova took his battle sword, mounted his steed, and rode forth. Polkan +met him, and cried aloud with a terrible voice: "Ha, rascal! you shall +not escape out of my hands!" And so saying, he tore up by the roots an +oak of a hundred years' growth and struck Bova with it on the head; +but Bova staggered not under the blow; with both hands he seized his +battle sword, and aimed at Polkan to slay him; but he missed his blow, +and the sword was struck half-way up to the hilt in the earth, and +Bova fell from his saddle. Then Polkan caught his horse; but the horse +began to fight with his feet, and bite with his teeth, until Polkan +fled. The horse followed him, until Polkan's strength quite failed him +and he dropped half-dead near the tent of Bova Korolevich. Then Bova +went up to Polkan and asked him whether he had rather live or die; and +Polkan replied: "Brother Bova, let us make peace with one another and +be brothers, and there will not be our match in the wide world." So +Bova made a treaty with Polkan, and Bova was to be the elder and +Polkan the younger brother. + +Then Bova mounted his good steed and Drushnevna her palfrey, and +Polkan followed them. Thus they rode for a long time, and at length +they saw before them the city of Kostel, in which ruled the Tsar Uril. +And when Uril heard of their approach he ordered the city gates to be +closed and made fast. Then Polkan ran and leaped over the walls and +opened the gates, whereupon Bova and Drushnevna rode into the city. +The Tsar Uril came to meet them with the Tsarina, and conducted them +with great honour into the palace, and they all fell to feasting and +making merry. + +Meanwhile King Marcobrun advanced against the city of Kostel with +three times a hundred thousand men, beleaguered the city, and sent an +ambassador to the Tsar Uril, commanding him fiercely to deliver up to +him Bova, Drushnevna, and Polkan. Then Tsar Uril assembled his army, +took with him his two sons, and went out to fight with Marcobrun; they +fought bravely, but Marcobrun overthrew their whole army, and took the +Tsar and his sons prisoners. Then Uril promised King Marcobrun to +deliver up Bova, Drushnevna, and Polkan, and left his sons as +hostages. So Marcobrun dismissed the Tsar Uril, and gave him a million +and a half men from his army, to fetch Bova and Polkan. + +The Tsar Uril went into his chamber and lay down to sleep; but Polkan +stepped to the door of his room and listened to what the Tsar should +say of him to his wife. Then the Tsar told the Tsarina how he had left +his sons as hostages with Marcobrun and promised to deliver up Bova, +Drushnevna, and Polkan. And the Tsarina replied: "My dear husband, it +is impossible to give them up." At these words the Tsar struck her in +the face, saying: "Women have long hair, but short wits." When Polkan +heard this he was enraged, opened the door, entered the room, seizing +the Tsar by his head, flung him to the ground and killed him. + +Polkan now looked down into the courtyard and perceived that it was +filled with Marcobrun's soldiers; so, without more ado, he took Bova's +battle sword and slew ten thousand men, drove all the rest out of the +city, closed the gates, and barred them fast, after which he returned +into the castle, awakened Bova Korolevich, and told him all that had +happened. Bova embraced him and thanked him for his faithful service; +thereupon they armed themselves, and rode out of the city against +Marcobrun's army. Bova took the right side and Polkan the left, and +they overthrew the whole army, and set free the children of the Tsar +Uril. King Marcobrun fled into the Sadonic kingdom, and bound himself, +his children, and his grandchildren with an oath never to pursue Bova. + +Bova and Polkan now returned with Uril's sons to the city of Kostel; +and when they arrived at the castle Bova said to the Tsarina: "Here +are your children, Lady!" The remains of the army he made swear +allegiance to Uril's sons, and left them to govern as before. + +Then Bova rode with the knight Polkan and the fair Drushnevna to the +city of Sumin, to his attendant Simbalda, in order to raise a small +army to march against King Dadon and expel him from the city of Anton. +They rode a long time, and at length halted in a meadow, and pitched +their white tent to rest. Drushnevna had two sons born here, and Bova +named one Litcharda and the other Simbalda. + +One day, as Bova was walking with Polkan around his tent, they beheld +in the distance a thick cloud of dust; then said Bova to Polkan: +"Hasten and see whether an army is advancing, or a bold knight comes +riding this way, or a merchant's caravan is on the road." When Polkan +heard this request, he rode forth and presently brought back some +warriors bound. And Bova asked: "Tell me, you warriors, freely and +without resistance, what power comes yonder, and from what country, +who is your King, and wherefore are you sent out?" The soldiers +answered: "Brave Knight, we are sent with a great army by King Dadon +to the kingdom of Armenia to demand the stepson of our King who ran +away in his youth, to be given up by the Tsar Sensibri Andronovich; +his name is Bova." + +"Face about, and tell the commander of your army not to march into the +Armenian kingdom, but await me on the spot where you meet him. I am +Bova Korolevich, and will soon follow you to inspect your army." + +So saying, Bova dismissed the prisoners, and said to Polkan: +"Comrade, I will now ride out to fight with Dadon's army which is sent +against me: I pray you to remain near my white tent to protect my wife +against enemies and wild beasts; but tell her not that I am gone out +to battle; for I shall soon return to reward your faithful service, +and if need be, to lay down my life for you." So saying he took leave +of Polkan, mounted his steed, and rode with all haste against Dadon's +army; and he speedily laid about him right and left, and slew them +until the few who survived fell on their knees and begged for mercy. + +Whilst Bova was thus engaged, and Drushnevna was sitting in the tent, +two huge lions rushed out of the forest and flew at Polkan to tear him +to pieces. Polkan attacked them bravely, and slew one with a single +stroke; but the other lion he could not overcome so easily, and after +a long fight Polkan and the lion at last both fell dead. Shortly after +Drushnevna went out of the tent, and when she saw the dead bodies of +Polkan and the lions she thought that Bova must also have been killed +by these wild beasts. So she took her two sons, mounted her palfrey, +which was tied up to the tent, and rode away from that fearful spot as +fast as she could. + +When Drushnevna arrived at the city of the Tsar Saltan, she +dismounted and turned her palfrey loose in the fields, saying: "Go +your way, rove where you will, my trusty nag, until you find a good +master!" Then she went to a brook, washed herself with the black +powder, and became on a sudden dark-coloured and haggard; and thus she +went her way to the city. + +After Bova Korolevich had destroyed King Dadon's army, he returned to +the place where he had left his wife and Polkan, to take them with him +to the city of Sumin. When he came to his tent, what was his horror at +beholding the dead bodies of Polkan and the lions; and, not finding +either Drushnevna or her children in the tent, he imagined that the +lions had killed both Polkan and his wife. Then sorrow struck Bova to +the heart, and after weeping long and bitterly upon that fatal spot, +he rode off alone to his faithful attendant Simbalda. + +When Bova arrived at the city of Sumin he was received with great +honour by Simbalda; and he speedily ordered an army to be assembled, +took with him Tervis, the son of Simbalda, and marched against the +city of Anton. + +At this time King Dadon was living in his city, without care or +trouble, and awaiting from hour to hour the surrender of Bova by King +Sensibri, little dreaming that the army he had sent to fetch him had +been destroyed. On a sudden messengers came running to him to announce +that Bova Korolevich was besieging the city of Anton on all sides. +When King Dadon heard this, he instantly commanded his whole army to +be assembled; and he collected above thrice one hundred thousand men, +and marched out to battle. But Bova did not wish to shed blood +needlessly, and ordered all his warriors not to stir from the spot. +Then he looked steadfastly at Dadon, rode at him full gallop, and +struck him a sword-blow on the head which, though a light one, cleft +his skull, and Dadon fell dead from his horse. Bova ordered the body +to be taken up and borne into the city of Anton that Queen Militrisa +should herself behold his end. Meanwhile he went to his father's grave +and wept over it, and then returned to the city of Sumin. + +When Dadon's body was brought before Militrisa, she fell to weeping +bitterly; and, as she washed the blood off with her tears, she +perceived that he was still living. Instantly she sent her faithful +servants into all the kingdoms round about to fetch a doctor for King +Dadon, promising to reward him richly. + +Bova, on learning that Dadon was still alive, and had sent to seek a +doctor, resolved to go himself to the city of Anton, disguised as a +physician, and to kill King Dadon. Thereupon he washed himself with +the black powder, and was instantly changed into an old man, dressed +himself like a doctor, and took with him Tervis and a sharp sword. On +reaching the city, Bova sent word to King Dadon that some physicians +had come from a foreign country to cure his wounds. When the King +heard this he instantly commanded the strangers to be brought before +him, and promised that if they healed his wounds they should be richly +rewarded. Then Bova Korolevich bowed himself, and said that he would +speedily cure the King; but that all the bystanders must go away, and +leave the King alone with him. Dadon instantly assented; and as soon +as they were alone, Bova seized him by his beard, drew the sword from +under his cloak, and exclaimed: "Villain, take the reward for letting +yourself be seduced by the beauty of Queen Militrisa treacherously to +murder my father." + +So saying, Bova struck off King Dadon's head, laid it upon a silver +dish, covered it with a white cloth, and went to his mother Militrisa. +When he entered her chamber he said to her: "My gracious Mother, I am +come to inform you that your beloved husband Dadon is quite recovered +from his wounds, and has sent us to announce the glad tidings to you +with this present." Thereupon he gave into her hands the dish, with +King Dadon's head upon it. When Militrisa raised the cloth and beheld +the head, she was so horror-struck that for some time she could not +utter a word; at length she fell to tearing her hair and clothes, and +took an oath to kill Bova Korolevich for slaying Dadon and having +called himself her son. + +Then Bova took some water, washed himself with the white powder, and +in an instant was young and handsome as ever. Militrisa at once knew +him, fell at his feet, and began to beg for pardon. But Bova ordered +Tervis to take her and nail her up in a cask, and roll her into the +sea. Then he called together the princes and boyars and announced to +them that he was Bova Korolevich, the rightful heir to the throne of +his father Guidon, returned from foreign lands, and required of them +the oath of allegiance. Immediately all the princes, boyars and others +swore fidelity to Bova, and wished him a happy accession to the +throne; after which the King ordered feasts and rejoicings to be made +for a whole month. + +After the feasts Bova sent an ambassador with presents to Saltan, to +demand his daughter, Miliheria in marriage, as he believed Drushnevna +to have been torn to pieces by the lions. Then Saltan sent for his +daughter and said: "My dear child, I have just received a letter from +the knight whom you shut up in prison and endeavoured to convert to +our faith. He is a King's son, and rules over his own kingdom: he has +sent me presents, and sues for your hand. Tell me now whether you will +give your consent." + +On hearing this the Princess Miliheria was glad at heart, and said +that she was ready in all things to obey her father's will. The same +day Saltan received presents from the ambassador, and forthwith +ordered everything to be prepared for the journey. + +Whilst all this was passing, the Queen Drushnevna was living in the +same city, and washed linen for her livelihood. And thus she +maintained her two sons, who grew not from day to day, but from hour +to hour, and surpassed all other children in beauty. She had no +thought that Bova Korolevich was still alive; but when by chance she +heard that an ambassador had been sent by him to the Tsar Saltan to +demand the hand of his daughter, and that Saltan had consented to the +match, she took with her her two sons, and went into the city of Anton +where he ruled, travelling slowly and with great fatigue. At length +she arrived, the very same day that Bova was to be married to +Miliheria. Then she washed herself with the white powder, and was as +beautiful as ever; and she sent her sons to the castle to present +themselves to Bova Korolevich, and inform him of their condition and +adventures. + +Litcharda and Simbalda (so the boys were named) stationed themselves +in the passage through which Bova had to pass with his princes and +boyars on his way to dinner. And as he was entering his apartment, his +eye fell upon the lads, and he asked who they were, and for whom they +were waiting. Then the elder son made his obeisance and said: "We are, +O King, the children of the most renowned knight and hero in the wide +world, Bova Korolevich, and the fair Queen Drushnevna; our beloved +father left us when very young in the open country under a tent, with +our mother and the knight Polkan, who was killed by lions. But we fled +from the spot, with our mother, and have ever since been wandering +about in various countries in search of our father." + +Then Bova Korolevich embraced them tenderly, exclaiming: "My sons, my +sons! I am your father, and little had I hoped to have ever seen you +again alive. But where is my beloved wife, your mother?" + +Then Litcharda told him where they had left Drushnevna; and Bova +instantly sent some of his boyars to conduct her to the castle. + +When Bova beheld her again he was overjoyed; and, for such unexpected +happiness, he ordered the feasting to be doubled, and the taxes to be +remitted to his subjects for the two whole months. His faithful +servant Simbalda he rewarded with many towns; and to his son Tervis he +gave the fair Miliheria Saltanovna; then he sent them to her father, +bidding him to love and honour his new son-in-law, and adding, that it +had been impossible for him to marry her after the return of his wife +Drushnevna. + +Then Bova sent Simbalda's brother Ohen with an army into the Armenian +kingdom to win it from Orlop, whom he ordered to be put to death. Bova +gave the Armenian kingdom to Ohen and his successors; but he himself +remained in the city of Anton, and ruled happily. + + + + +THE MILD MAN AND HIS CANTANKEROUS WIFE + + +There lived once upon a time, in great poverty, a countryman and his +wife: he was mild as a calf, and she as cunning as a serpent. She +abused and drubbed her husband for every trifle. One day she begged +some corn of a neighbour to make a loaf of bread, and she sent her +husband with it to the mill to have it ground. The miller ground the +corn, but charged them nothing on account of their poverty; and the +countryman set out on his return home with his pan full of flour. But +on a sudden there arose such a strong wind that in the twinkle of an +eye all the flour was blown out of the pan, which he carried on his +head. So he went home and told his wife; and when she heard it she +fell to scolding and beating him without mercy; and she threatened him +on and on, until at length she grew tired; then she ordered him to go +to the wind which had blown away the flour and get paid for it, either +in money or in as much flour as there had been in the pan. + +The poor countryman, whose bones ached with the blows he had received +from his wife, went out of the house weeping and wringing his hands; +but whither to turn his steps he knew not. And at last he came to a +large and dark forest, in which he wandered here and there. At last an +old woman met him and said: "My good man, where are you going, and how +are you going to find your way? What has brought you into this +country, where rarely a bird flies, and rarely does a beast run?" + +"Good Mother," replied the man, "force has driven me hither. I went to +the mill with some corn, and when it was ground I shook the flour into +a pan and went my way home; but suddenly a wind arose and carried off +the flour out of the pan; and when I came without it to the house and +told my wife, she beat me, and has sent me to seek the Wind, and ask +him either to give me back the meal or to pay me for it in money. So +now I go here and there to look for the Wind, and know not where to +find it." + +"Follow me," said the old woman: "I am the mother of the Winds, and +have four sons; the first son is the East Wind, the second is the +South Wind, the third is the West Wind, and the fourth the North Wind. +Tell me, now, which Wind it is that has blown away your meal?" + +"The South Wind, Mother dear," answered the countryman. + +Then the old woman led the man deeper into the forest, and came to a +little hut, and said: "Here I live, master woodman; creep on to the +stove, and wrap yourself up; my children will soon be here." + +"But why should I wrap myself up?" said the peasant. + +"Because my son the North Wind is very cold, and you would be frozen," +said the old woman. + +Not long after, the old woman's sons began to assemble; and when at +length the South Wind came, the old woman called the countryman from +the stove and said to her sons: "South Wind, my dear son, a complaint +is brought against you; why do you injure poor folks? You have blown +away this man's flour from out of his dish; pay him now for it with +money, or how you will." + +"Very well, Mother," replied the Wind, "I will pay him for his flour." +Then he called the countryman and said: "Hark ye, my little farmer, +take this basket; it contains everything you can wish for--money, +bread, all kinds of food and drink; you have only to say: 'Basket, +give me this and that,' and it will instantly give you all you desire. +Go home now--you have here payment for your flour." So the countryman +made his bow to the South Wind, thanked him for the basket, and went +his way home. + +When the man came home, he gave the basket to his wife, saying: "Here, +wife, is a basket for you, which contains everything you can wish +for--only ask it." So the good woman took the basket, and said: +"Basket, give me good flour for bread!" And instantly the basket gave +her as much as ever she could desire. Then she asked again for this +thing and that, and the basket gave her everything in the twinkling of +an eye. + +A few days after, it happened that a nobleman passed by the +countryman's cottage; and when the good woman saw him, she said to her +husband; "Go and invite this lord to be our guest; if you don't bring +him here, I will beat you half dead." + +The countryman dreaded a beating from his wife. So he went and invited +the nobleman to dinner. Meanwhile the good woman took all kinds of +food and drink out of the basket, spread the table, and then sat down +patiently at the window, laying her hands in her lap, awaiting the +arrival of her husband and their guest. The nobleman was astonished at +receiving such an invitation and laughed, and would not go home with +the man; but instead, he ordered his servants who attended him to go +with the countryman, to dinner, and bring him back word how he treated +them. So the servants went with the countryman, and when they entered +his cottage, they were greatly amazed: for, to judge by his hut, he +must be very poor, but from the dishes upon the table he was evidently +a person of some consequence. Then they sat down to dinner, and made +merry; but they remarked that, whenever the good woman wanted +anything, she asked the basket for it, and obtained all she required. +So they did not leave the room at once, and sent one of their comrades +home to make as quickly as possible just such another basket and bring +it to them, without letting the countryman or his wife observe it. + +Thereupon the man ran as fast as he could, and got a basket just like +the other; and when he brought it to the cottage, the guests secretly +took the countryman's basket and put theirs in its place. Then they +took leave of the man and his wife, and returned to their master and +told him how daintily the countryman had treated them. + +The countryman's wife threw away all the food that was left, intending +to cook fresh on the morrow. The next morning she went to her basket +and began to ask it for what she wanted; and when she found that the +basket gave her nothing, she called her husband and said: "Old +Greybeard, what basket is this you have brought me? Likely enough it +has served us once and for all; and what good is it now if it gives us +nothing more? Go back to the Wind and beg him to give us back our +flour, or I'll beat you to death." + +So the poor man went back to the Winds. When he came to the old woman, +their mother, he fell to complaining of his wife. The old woman told +him to wait for her son, who would soon come home. + +Not long after came the South Wind, and the countryman began to +complain of his wife. Then the Wind answered: "I am sorry, old man, +that you have such a wicked wife; but I will assist you, and she shall +not beat you any more. Take this cask, and when you get home and your +wife is going to beat you, place yourself behind the cask and cry: +'Five! out of the cask and thrash my wife!' and when they have given +her a good beating, then say: 'Five! back to the cask!'" Then the +peasant made a low bow to the Wind, and went his way. + +When he came home he said: "There, I have brought you here a cask +instead of the basket." + +At this the good woman flew into a rage and said: "A cask, indeed! +What shall I do with it? Why have you brought back no flour?" And, so +saying, she seized the poker, and was going to beat her husband. But +the poor man stepped quietly behind the cask and cried: "Five! out of +the cask! Thrash my wife instantly!" In a moment five stout young +fellows jumped out of the cask and fell to cudgelling the woman. And +when her husband saw that she was beaten enough, and she begged for +mercy, he cried: "Five! back to the cask!" Then instantly they stopped +beating her, and crept back into the cask. + +The countryman thought over his loss and decided to go forthwith to +the nobleman and challenge him to fight. The nobleman laughed outright +at the folly of the man; nevertheless he would not refuse, as he +wished to have some sport; so he told the man to go into the field. So +he tucked his cask under his arm, betook himself to the field, and +waited for the nobleman, who came riding to meet him with a number of +attendants; and, when he drew near, he ordered his servants, for a +joke, to thrash the peasant soundly. The man saw that they were +mocking him, and he was wroth with the nobleman, and said: "Come, Sir! +give me my basket back this instant, or it shall fare ill with you +all, I promise!" Nevertheless they did not stop beating, so he cried +out: "Out, Five to each! thrash them soundly!" Immediately five stout +fellows sprang out of the cask upon every man of them and began to +beat them unmercifully. Then the nobleman thought that they would kill +him, and roared out with might and main: "Stop, stop, my good friend +and hear me!" So the countryman, upon this, cried: "Hold! you fellows! +back to the cask!" Then they all stopped beating, and crept back into +the cask again. And straightways the nobleman ordered his servants to +fetch the basket and give it to the countryman, who took it and hied +back home, and lived ever after with his wife in peace and harmony. + + + + +STORY OF THE DUCK WITH GOLDEN EGGS + + +Once upon a time there lived an old man named Abrosim, with his old +wife Fetinia: they were in great poverty and want, and had a son named +Ivanushka, who was fifteen years of age. One day the old man Abrosim +brought home a crust of bread for his wife and son to eat; but hardly +had he begun to cut the bread than Krutchina (Sorrow) sprang from +behind the stove, snatched the crust out of his hands and ran back. At +this the old man bowed low to Krutchina, and begged her to give him +back the bread as he and his wife had nothing to eat. Old Krutchina +answered: "I will not give you back the bread; but I will give you +instead a duck, which lays a golden egg every day." + +"Well and good," said Abrosim; "at all events I shall go to bed +without a supper to-night; only do not deceive me, and tell me where I +shall find the duck." + +"Early in the morning, as soon as you are up," replied Krutchina, "go +into the town and there you will see a duck in a pond; catch it and +bring it home with you." When Abrosim heard this, he laid himself +down to sleep. + +Next morning the old man rose early, went to the town, and was +overjoyed when he really saw a duck in the pond: so he began to call +it, and soon caught it, took it home with him, and gave it to Fetinia. +The old wife handled the duck and said she was going to lay an egg. +They were now both in great delight, and, putting the duck in a bowl, +they covered it with a sieve. After waiting an hour, they peeped +gently under the sieve and saw to their joy that the duck had laid a +golden egg. Then they let her run about a little on the floor; and the +old man took the egg to town to sell it; and he sold the egg for a +hundred roubles, took the money, went to market, bought all kinds of +vegetables, and returned home. + +The next day the duck laid another egg, and Abrosim sold this also; +and in this way the duck went on, laying a golden egg every day, and +the old man in a short time grew very rich. Then he built himself a +grand house, and a great number of shops, and bought wares of all +sorts, and set up in trade. + +Now, Fetinia had struck up a secret friendship with a young shopman, +who did not care for the old woman, but persuaded her he did to make +her give him money. And one day, when Abrosim was gone out to buy +some new wares, the shopman called to gossip with Fetinia, when by +chance he espied the duck; and, taking her up, he saw written under +her wing in golden letters: "Whoso eats this duck will become a Tsar." +The man said nothing of this to Fetinia, but begged and entreated her +for love's sake to roast the duck. Fetinia told him she could not kill +the duck, for all their good luck depended upon her. Still the shopman +entreated the old woman only the more urgently to kill and cook the +duck; until at length, overcome by his soft words and entreaties, +Fetinia consented, killed the duck and popped her into the stove. Then +the shopman took his leave, promising soon to come back and Fetinia +also went into the town. + +Just at this time Ivanushka returned home, and being very hungry, he +looked about everywhere for something to eat; when by good luck he +espied in the stove the roast duck; so he took her out, ate her to the +very bones, and then returned to his work. Presently after, the +shopman came in, and calling Fetinia, begged her to take out the roast +duck. Fetinia ran to the oven, and when she saw that the duck was no +longer there she was in a great fright, and told the shopman that the +duck had vanished. Thereat the man was angry with her, and said: +"I'll answer for it you have eaten the duck yourself!" And so saying +he left the house in a pet. + +At night Abrosim and his son Ivanushka came home, and, looking in vain +for the duck, he asked his wife what had become of her. Fetinia +replied that she knew nothing of the duck; but Ivanushka said: "My +father and benefactor, when I came home to dinner, my mother was not +there; so, looking into the oven, and seeing a roast duck, I took it +out and ate it up; but, indeed, I know not whether it was our duck or +a strange one." + +Then Abrosim flew into a rage with his wife, and beat her till she was +half-dead, and hunted his son out of the house. + +Little Ivan betook himself to the road, and walked on and on, +following the way his eyes led him. And he journeyed for ten days and +ten nights, until at length he came to a great city; and as he was +entering the gates, he saw a crowd of people assembled, holding a +moot; for their Tsar was dead, and they did not know whom to choose to +rule over them. Then they agreed that whoever first passed through the +city gates should be elected Tsar. + +Now just at this time it happened that Little Ivan came through the +city gates, whereupon all the people cried with one voice: "Here comes +our Tsar!" and the Elders of the people took Ivanushka by the arms, +and brought him into the royal apartments, clad him in the Tsar's +robes, seated him on the Tsar's throne, made their obeisance to him as +their sovereign Tsar, and waited to receive his commands. Ivanushka +fancied it was all a dream; but when he collected himself, he saw that +he was in reality a Tsar. Then he rejoiced with his whole heart, and +began to rule over the people, and appointed various officers. Amongst +others he chose one named Luga, and calling him, spoke as follows: "My +faithful servant and brave knight Luga, render me one service; travel +to my native country, go straight to the King, greet him for me, and +beg of him to deliver up to me the merchant Abrosim and his wife; if +he gives them up, bring them hither; but if he refuses, threaten him +that I will lay waste his kingdom with fire and sword, and make him +prisoner." + +When the servant Luga arrived at Ivanushka's native country he went to +the Tsar, and asked him to give up Abrosim and Fetinia. The Tsar knew +that Abrosim was a rich merchant living in his city, and was not +willing to let him go; nevertheless, when he reflected that +Ivanushka's kingdom was a large and powerful one, fearing to offend +him, he handed over Abrosim and Fetinia. And Luga received them from +the Tsar, and returned with them to his own kingdom. When he brought +them before Ivanushka, the Tsar said: "True it is, my father, you +drove me from your home; I therefore now receive you into mine: live +with me happily, you and my mother, to the end of your days." + +Abrosim and Fetinia were overjoyed that their son had become a great +Tsar, and they lived with him many years, and then died. Ivanushka sat +upon the throne for thirty years, in health and happiness, and his +subjects loved him truly to the last hour of his life. + + + + +STORY OF BULAT THE BRAVE COMPANION + + +There was once upon a time a Tsar named Chodor, who had an only son, +Ivan Tsarevich. Chodor gave him in his youth various masters to teach +him the different knightly exercises; and when Ivan was grown up, he +begged leave of his father to travel in other countries, in order to +see the world. Tsar Chodor consented, and bade him show his skill and +valour in foreign lands, and bring renown on his father. + +Then Ivan Tsarevich went into the royal stables to choose a good +steed; and he thought that if he could find one on whose back he could +lay his hand, without the horse's going on his knees, it would be just +the one to suit him. So he looked in all the stalls, but found no +horse to his mind, and he went his way with a heavy heart. Then he +took his crossbow and arrows and roved about in the open fields to +drive away his sadness. As he was walking thus along, he saw high in +the air a swan, and he drew his bow and shot; but he missed the swan, +and his arrow vanished from his sight. Then Ivan was sad at losing a +favourite arrow, and with tears in his eyes he sought for it the +whole field over. At last he came to a little hill, and heard a man's +voice calling to him: "Come hither, Ivan Tsarevich!" Ivan wondered to +himself not a little at hearing a voice and seeing no one. But the +voice called again; and Ivan went toward the spot whence it came, and +remarked in the hill a little window, with an iron lattice; and at the +window he saw a man, who beckoned to him with the hand. Ivan came up, +and the man said to him: "Why are you so sad, my good lad, Ivan +Tsarevich?" + +"How can I help grieving?" replied Ivan; "I have lost my favourite +arrow, and can find it nowhere, and my sorrow is the greater because I +can not discover a steed to please me." + +"That is no great matter to grieve for," said the man; "I will get you +a good horse, and give you back your arrow since it flew down to me +here; but what will you give me for it?" + +"Anything you ask," replied Ivan, "if you will give me what you +promise." + +"Nay," said the man, "I want nothing more than that you will free me +from this place." + +"And how and by whom were you caged up thus?" + +"Your father imprisoned me here," replied the man. "I was a famous +robber, and was called Bulat the Brave Companion. He was enraged +against me, and ordered me to be taken and imprisoned; and here I have +been confined for three-and-thirty years." + +"Hark ye, Bulat, brave Companion," said Ivan, "I cannot set you free +without my father's consent; were he to hear of it he would be wroth." + +"Fear not," replied Bulat; "your father will hear nothing; for as soon +as you set me at liberty I shall go into other lands and not live +here." + +"Well then," said Ivan Tsarevich, "I consent, only on condition that +you give me back my arrow and tell me where I can find a trusty +steed." + +"Go into the open fields," said Bulat the Brave Companion, "and there +you will see three green oaks; and, on the ground under these oaks, an +iron door, with a copper ring. Under the door is a stable, in which +stands a good steed, shut in by twelve iron doors with twelve steel +locks. Heave up this door, strike off the twelve steel locks, and open +the twelve doors; there you will find a horse; mount him and come to +me; I will give you back your arrow, and then you will let me out of +this prison." + +When Ivan Tsarevich heard this he went into the open fields, saw the +three green oaks, and found the iron door with the copper ring. So he +hove up the door, knocked off the twelve locks, and opened the twelve +doors, and entered a stable, where he beheld a knightly steed and a +suit of armour. Then Ivan Tsarevich laid his hand upon the horse, and +the horse fell not upon his knees, but merely bent himself a little. +And as soon as the horse saw a knight standing before him, he neighed +loudly, and let Ivan saddle and bridle him. Ivan Tsarevich took the +steed, the battle-axe, and sword, led the horse out of the stable, +leaped into the Tcherkess saddle, and took the silken bridle in his +white hand. Then Ivan wished to try his steed, and struck him on the +flank: the horse chafed his bit, and rose from the ground, and away he +went over the tall forests and under the flying clouds, left hill and +dale beneath his feet, covered small streams with his tail, bounded +over wide rivers and marshes; and so at last Ivan came to Bulat the +Brave Companion, and said with a loud voice: "Now give me back my +arrow, Bulat my brave fellow, and I will let you out of your cage." So +Bulat instantly gave him back his arrow, and Ivan set him free. + +"I thank you, Ivan Tsarevich," said Bulat, "for giving me freedom. I +will, in return, render you good service; whenever you are in any +difficulty, and want me, only say: 'Where is my Bulat, the Brave +Companion?' and I will instantly come to you and serve you faithfully +in your need." + +So saying, Bulat cried with a loud voice: + + "Sivka Burka! he! + Fox of Spring! Appear! + Like a grass blade, here + Stand before me!" + +Instantly a steed stood before Bulat the Brave, who crept into his +ear, ate and drank his fill, and then crept out at the other ear; and +he became such a handsome youth as no one can imagine, no pen can +describe, nor story tell. Then Bulat mounted his horse and galloped +off, exclaiming: "Farewell, then, for the present, Ivan Tsarevich!" + +Ivan now mounted his good steed and rode to his father, and with tears +in his eyes, took leave of him; then, taking with him his squire, he +rode forth into foreign lands. And after they had ridden for some time +they came to a wood; the day was bright and hot, and Ivan Tsarevich +grew thirsty. So they wandered all about the wood, seeking water, but +could find none. At length they found a deep well, in which there was +some water; and Ivan said to his squire: "Go down the well and fetch +me up some water; I will hold you by a rope to prevent you being +drowned." + +"Nay, Ivan Tsarevich," said the squire, "I am heavier than you, and +you cannot hold me up; you had better descend, for I can support you." + +So Ivan followed his squire's advice, and let himself down into the +well. And when Ivan had drunk enough, he told the squire to draw him +up; but the squire answered: "Nay, I will not draw you out until you +give me your word in writing that you are my servant and I am your +master, and that my name is Ivan Tsarevich; if you refuse this I will +drown you in the well." + +"My dear squire," cried Ivan, "do not drown me, but draw me up, and I +will do all you desire." "No, I don't believe you," said the squire; +"swear me an oath." So Ivan swore that he would be true. + +Thereupon the squire drew him out, and Ivan Tsarevich took a piece of +paper, wrote the writing, and gave it to the squire. Then he took off +his own cloak, and exchanged it for the squire's, and they went on +their way. After some days they came to the kingdom of the Tsar +Panthui. And when the Tsar heard of the arrival of Ivan Tsarevich he +went out to meet him; and, greeting the false Tsarevich, he took him +by the white hands, conducted him into his marble halls, seated him at +his oaken table, and they feasted and made merry. Then Tsar Panthui +asked the false Tsarevich what had brought him to his kingdom, and he +answered: "My gracious lord, I am come to sue for the hand of your +daughter, the fair Princess Tseria." + +"Gladly will I give you my daughter to wife," replied Panthui. + +In the course of their talk the false Ivan said to the Tsar Panthui: +"Let my servant, I pray, do the lowest work in the kitchen, for he has +greatly annoyed me on my journey." So the Tsar immediately commanded +Ivan to be set to do the most menial work, whilst his squire feasted +and made merry with the Tsar. + +A few days after this an army was seen marching against the kingdom of +Panthui, threatening to lay it waste and take the Tsar prisoner. +Thereupon Panthui called the false Ivan and said: "My dear future +son-in-law, a hostile army has come to attack my dominions: drive the +enemy back and I will give you my daughter, but only on this +condition." And the squire answered; "Well and good, I will do as you +desire; but only by night--in the day I have no luck in fight." + +As soon as night drew on and everyone in the castle had gone to rest, +the false Ivan went out into the open court, called to him the true +Tsarevich, and said: "Ivan Tsarevich, be not angry with me for taking +your place; forget it all, do me one service, and drive the enemy from +this kingdom." And Ivan answered: "Go and lie down to sleep--all shall +be accomplished." Then the squire went and lay down to sleep, and Ivan +cried with a loud voice: "Where is my Bulat, the Brave Companion?" In +an instant Bulat stood before him, and asked: "What service do you +require now? What is your need? Tell me forthwith." Then Ivan +Tsarevich told him his need, and Bulat desired him to saddle his horse +and put on his armour; and then cried with a loud voice: + + "Sivka Burka! he! + Fox of Spring! Appear! + Like a grass blade, here + Stand before me!" + +The horse bounded till the ground shook; from his ears rose a column +of steam, and from his nostrils issued flames; but when he came up to +Bulat he stood still. Then Bulat the Brave Companion mounted the +horse, and Ivan Tsarevich seated himself upon his steed, and so they +rode forth from the courtyard. Meanwhile the Princess Tseria, who was +not yet asleep, was sitting at the window, and overheard all that Ivan +Tsarevich had spoken with the squire and Bulat the Brave Companion. + +As soon as they reached the hostile army, Bulat said to Ivan: "Fall +thou upon the enemy on the right, I will attack them on the left." And +so they began to mow down this mighty army with the sword, and to +trample them down with their horses' hoofs; and in an hour's time they +had stretched on the earth a hundred thousand men. Then the hostile +King fled with the small remains of his army back into his own +kingdom, and Ivan Tsarevich returned with Bulat the Brave Companion to +the castle of the Tsar Panthui, unsaddled his steed, led him into the +stable, and gave him white wheat to eat. After that he took leave of +Bulat the Brave Companion, went back into the kitchen, and lay down to +sleep. + +Early the next morning the Tsar went out on to his balcony, and looked +forth over the country where the hostile army lay; and when he saw +that it was all cut down and destroyed, he called to him the false +Ivan, and thanked him for having saved his kingdom; he rewarded him +with a rich present and promised soon to give him his daughter to +wife. + +After a fortnight the same Tsar marched again with a fresh army and +besieged the city. And the Tsar Panthui in terror called again upon +the false Ivan and said: "My dear friend, Ivan Tsarevich, save me once +more from the enemy, and drive them from my kingdom, and I will +immediately give you my daughter to wife." And so it all fell out +again exactly as before, and the enemy were quite driven away by Ivan +and Bulat the Brave. + +The hostile King, however, soon returned to attack Tsar Panthui a +third time, and over and over again he was driven back, until at last +he was himself killed. Then Ivan and Bulat the Brave Companion went +back, unsaddled their steeds, and put them into the stable. Thereupon +Bulat took leave of Ivan Tsarevich, and said: "You will never see me +more." With this he mounted his horse and rode forth; and Ivan went +into the kitchen and lay down to sleep. + +Early the next morning the Tsar went again on to his balcony, and +looked forth over the country where the hostile army had been; and +when he saw that it was all destroyed, he sent for his future +son-in-law and said: "Now I will give you my daughter to wife." Then +all the preparations were made for the wedding; and a few days after, +the squire married the fair Princess Tseria; and when they had +returned from church, and were sitting at table, Ivan Tsarevich begged +the head cook to let him go into the banquet-hall and see his master +and his bride seated at the table. So the cook consented, and gave him +a change of dress. When Ivan entered the royal hall he stationed +himself behind the other guests and gazed at his squire and the fair +Tseria. But the Princess espied Ivan, and recognised him instantly; +then she jumped up from the table, took him by the hand, led him to +the Tsar, and said: "This is the true bridegroom and the saviour of +your kingdom, and not yon man who was betrothed to me." + +Then the Tsar Panthui asked his daughter what it all meant, and begged +her to explain the mystery. And when the Princess Tseria had related +to him all that had passed, Ivan Tsarevich was placed at the table +beside her, and his squire was shot at the gate for his treacherous +conduct. Ivan married the Princess, and returned with her to his +father's kingdom. Tsar Chodor placed the crown upon his head, and Ivan +mounted the throne, and ruled over the kingdom. + + + + +STORY OF PRINCE MALANDRACH AND THE PRINCESS SALIKALLA + + +In a certain country, in the city of Anderika there lived a Tsar, a +clever man, named Abraham Tuksalamovich, with his wife for thirty +years in peace and happiness, but they had no child. At last Tsar +Abraham Tuksalamovich prayed, with tears, that Heaven would give them +a son; their wish was fulfilled, and they had a brave little boy, whom +they named Malandrach Abrahamovich. The little fellow grew, not by +days but by hours; as buck-wheat dough rises with yeast, so did the +Tsarevich grow and grow. The Tsar had his son taught all kinds of +arts; and when the boy came to mature years, he went to the Tsar and +said: "My lord and father, you have instructed me in various arts, but +there is one which I have not yet learnt." + +"My bold and dear son, Malandrach," said the Tsar, "tell me and let me +know what art you desire to learn; I will provide you careful +teachers." And thereupon the Tsarevich answered: "My lord and father, +yesterday I was reading a Swedish book, in which I found that there +are people able to fly in the air with wings. I have now a great +desire to learn this art, and I entreat you to procure me masters who +may teach it me." + +The Tsar replied: "My bold child, it is impossible that men should fly +in the air; you must have been reading something silly, or a +fairy-tale; do not believe such stories. Nevertheless, I will send +into all foreign lands to make search for any such people; and if they +can be found I will order them to be brought hither, and have you +instructed in their art." + +When the Tsar wants them, he does not wait for beer to be brewed nor +brandy to be distilled; so the Tsar instantly sent messengers into +distant lands, commanding them to seek everywhere for flying men, and, +if they found any, to bring them to his Court. So the messengers went +forth into various countries, and after three years they found a +master of the art in the city of Austripa, and brought him to the Tsar +Abraham; and when Malandrach saw him he was overjoyed. Then the Tsar +asked this person whether he understood the art of flying, and the man +replied: "Gracious sovereign, although it is not for me to praise +myself, yet in truth I am the first master in our country. If your +Majesty desire me to teach Prince Malandrach to fly in the air only +command a large and lofty hall to be built, two hundred ells long and +as many wide, and one hundred ells in height: this hall must be quite +empty, have a great number of windows, and a little closet adjoining +it." + +When the Tsar heard this, he instantly ordered such a palace to be +built at once. And as soon as all was ready, the highflyer made two +pairs of wings--one for himself and the other for Malandrach--and he +began to teach the Tsarevich to fly in this hall, fastening the wings +on to himself and Malandrach; and when he left off teaching, he laid +the two pairs of wings in the closet, locked them up, and took the key +with him. But one day it happened, when the Tsarevich had taken his +lesson, and the master locked up the wings in the closet, that +Malandrach observed this, and, without saying anything to his teacher, +went with him to his father. + +Now, just at this time the Tsar had a great feast prepared, and a +large number of guests were invited. Then Malandrach, without saying a +word to anyone, hastened to the large hall, took his wings from the +closet, fastened them on to his shoulders, went into the courtyard, +and began to flap his wings. Thereupon he flew up on to the lofty +building, alighted upon it, and resting there, gazed with delight over +his father's kingdom. After awhile he wished to descend upon the +ground, but suddenly a shudder came over him, and he dreaded to let +himself down from such a height; and, instead of descending, he +mounted higher and higher, until at length the earth appeared only +like an apple, he had flown so high. + +Just then a strong wind arose, which carried Malandrach Tsarevich into +an unknown country; and his strength failed him, so that he could not +manage his wings, and he began to fall. Then he beheld the wide sea +beneath him, and was exceedingly terrified; but, collecting his +remaining strength, he rose aloft again, and looked around on all four +sides to see whether any shore was to be seen. At length he descried +in the distance a small island; so he flew towards it, and alighting, +he took off his wings and took them under his arms. Thereupon he set +out rambling about the island in search of food, for he was sorely +pinched by hunger; and he found by chance a tree with sweet fruit upon +it, of which he ate his fill. Then he lay down to sleep upon the +grass, under a spreading tree, and slept there until daybreak. + +In the morning Malandrach arose and was about to fasten on his wings; +but his arms ached so much that he could not move them; so he was +obliged to stay there ten long days. On the eleventh day, however, he +fastened on the wings, blessed himself, mounted high into the air, and +looked around on all sides to seek for his father's kingdom; he could +not, however, discover it, but toward evening he espied a shore, upon +which was a thick forest; so he alighted, took off his wings, and +following a path, he came at last to the gates of a city. Then he +concealed his wings under a bush, and going into the city, enquired +for the market. And when they showed him the way, he went to it, and +bought a long cloak. Then he returned to the forest, put his wings +under his arm, and betook himself again to the city, where he met a +man whom he asked: "Know you, friend, of any dwelling that is to be +let?" The stranger replied: "You are doubtless a foreigner?" + +"As you say," replied the Tsarevich Malandrach; "I am a merchant from +India, and have come hither in a ship with my wares. Our vessel was +wrecked in a storm, and I was cast upon the shore of this kingdom upon +a raft, to which I had made myself fast." + +"My friend," said the stranger, "if you like, come and live with me; I +will maintain you like my own son." So Malandrach willingly consented, +and went home with the stranger, and lived in his house more than a +month, never going outside the courtyard. His host, observing this, +asked him: "Why do you never take a walk in the city and see the noble +buildings and the old ruins?" Then Malandrach begged his host, whose +name was Achron, to take a walk with him and show him the royal +palace. So his host accompanied Malandrach about the city until +evening, when they returned home and lay down to sleep. + +The next day Malandrach Tsarevich awoke betimes, rose from bed, +dressed and washed himself, said his prayers, and bowed to all four +sides. And after breakfast he went alone to take a walk, till at +length he came outside the city, and perceived an immense stone +building, surrounded by a wall; he walked round this wall, and could +see no gate, but only a little door, which was locked fast. Prince +Malandrach marvelled greatly at this enormous building, and returning +home, asked his host what it was. The man replied that it was a royal +building, in which lived the daughter of the Tsar, named Salikalla; +but the reason of her being shut up there he did not know. + +When Malandrach Tsarevich heard this he took his wings and went back +the next day to the stone building. There he waited until evening, +then fastened on his wings, flew over the wall into the garden, and +alighted on a tree. As he sat perched upon the tree, he looked +towards the window at which the Tsarevna Salikalla sat, which was far, +far off. + +Soon she lay down to sleep, and Malandrach watched her; and in an +hour's time he flew in at the window, which was left open. He went +gently up to the Tsarevna, and saw that she was asleep; then he wished +to awaken her with a kiss, but dared not. He stood gazing at her +beauty and stayed there until near daybreak; then hastened home, +fearing to awaken the Princess. So he silently took leave of her, and +left behind a sign by which she might perceive that someone had been +there. The sign was this: he laid her shoes on the bed, and then flew +out of the window, went home, and lay down to sleep. + +In the morning the Tsarevna awoke, and thought when she saw her shoes +on the bed, that they had been laid there by her attendant, who slept +in the adjoining room. Then she asked the servant, who replied that +she had not done it, whereat the Princess wondered greatly. + +In the evening Prince Malandrach went again to the stone palace, +fastened on his wings, flew through the window, and gazed once more +with delight on the beauty of the Tsarevna. Before daybreak, when he +was obliged to return home, he again took the shoes, laid them at the +head board of the bed, then flew out of the window, went home, and lay +down to sleep. + +When Salikalla awoke the next morning, and perceived the shoes again +on the head board of her couch, she asked the servant whether she had +laid them there. But the servant replied that she had not seen them; +whereat the Princess wondered still more than before; and she resolved +not to sleep the next night, but to watch who laid the shoes upon the +couch. + +The Tsarevich Malandrach waited until evening, then took his wings +under his arm and returned to the palace; and when he thought that the +Princess was asleep, he bound on his wings and flew in at the window. +But hardly had he approached the couch and attempted to kiss her than +the Tsarevna suddenly seized him with both hands, and exclaimed: "Who +art thou? How dost thou dare to come hither?" Prince Malandrach knew +not what to answer for astonishment, and fell to entreating pardon of +the Tsarevna. She would not, however, let him go, until by threats she +had made him tell her who he was, and how he had come into the palace. +Then he told her the whole truth, from beginning to end; and the +Tsarevna Salikalla was so pleased that she kissed his sugar lips, and +begged him to remain, asking him to forgive her having been so rough +and unkind. + +"O my best beloved and most beautiful Tsarevna," replied Malandrach, +"tell me truly, I pray, why art thou shut up alone in this palace +without any living creature near you?" + +Then the Princess told him the story of her life. "When I was born," +she said, "my father summoned all the wise men to him, and asked them +how long I should live; and they told my parents that until my +fifteenth year I should live happily, but that then some evil should +befall me, upon hearing which my father ordered this house to be +built, and when I was ten years old he placed me here for ten years, +and this is the sixth year I am here. My mother visits me once a +month, and my father once a quarter, and a servant is given to attend +upon me. My mother will be here in a week's time; tarry, dear Prince, +meanwhile, and cheer my solitude." + +The Tsarevich Malandrach readily consented, and the time passed +quickly in various amusements and conversation, and at last they took +an oath to marry each other. For more than a year they lived together +thus, only separating when the time came round for the visits of the +Tsarevna's parents. One day the Princess saw her mother coming +unexpectedly to the palace to visit her. Then she called to Malandrach +and begged him instantly to depart; but just at the moment when he had +fastened on his wings and was flying out of the window the Tsarina +observed him. Astonished at the sight, she asked her daughter what it +meant, and pressed her so with entreaties and threats to tell her the +truth, that Salikalla at last told her of the visit of Malandrach, and +how he had come flying into her window. + +When the Tsarina heard this she went straightway to the Tsar, and told +him all that her daughter had related. Then the Tsar instantly sent a +large body of men to seize Malandrach in the house of his host, and to +bring him into his presence. And the soldiers went into the house +where Malandrach lived, took him away and led him before the Tsar. +Then the Tsar asked him whose son he was, from what country he had +come, and what was his name. The Tsarevich replied, and told the plain +truth. Thereupon the Tsar called his daughter Salikalla and said: +"Tell me is this the same man who flew in through your window?" She +answered that it was, and added that she loved him with her whole +heart. Then the Tsar took his daughter by the hand and gave her to the +Tsarevich Malandrach, saying to him: "My dearest son-in-law, receive +from my hand my only daughter for your wife, and live with her in +happiness and love." And, as when the Tsar wants it, beer is not +brewed nor brandy distilled, the wedding was celebrated forthwith. + +So Malandrach married the beautiful Princess Salikalla; and, after +living with his father-in-law for half a year, he asked leave to go +with his wife to his own father. Then the Tsar ordered a ship to be +equipped and dismissed them with his blessing, and Malandrach sailed +with his wife to his native country. When they arrived at the Court of +his father, the Tsar Abraham was overjoyed at again seeing his beloved +son, and asked him: "Where have you been this long while, and by what +accident did you wander from my kingdom?" And Tsarevich Malandrach +told his father the whole truth. + +Tsar Abraham Tuksalamovich was now very old so he placed the crown on +the head of his beloved son, and soon after died. Malandrach +Abrahamovich lived with his beloved wife Salikalla many years in +harmony and love. + + + + +STORY OF A SHOEMAKER AND HIS SERVANT PRITUITSHKIN + + +There lived in a certain kingdom a renowned Prince, Mistafor +Skurlatovich, who had a servant named Goria, the son of Krutshinin. +And Mistafor gave him a skilful master to teach him the art of +shoemaking that he should become the best and most skilful of all +workmen in that craft. Goria went on learning for several years, and +became so clever that he made shoes even better than his master. Then +Mistafor Skurlatovich took him into his house and ordered him to make +some shoes; so he set to work and made twenty dozen pairs, but not a +single pair of them satisfied Mistafor Skurlatovich. So he beat him +unmercifully till the shoemaker, Goria Krutshinin, was half dead, and +lay sick for ten long weeks. + +As soon as Goria began to recover, Mistafor Skurlatovich ordered him +to make some more shoes. And when Goria had finished several pairs he +took them to his master to try on; but not a single pair pleased him. +Then Skurlatovich flung the shoes at his head, and beat him until his +face was covered with blood. Goria Krutshinin, who had one poor +copper altine in his pocket, went to spend it in a public-house by the +road-side, and, as he sat down, he said to himself: "I wish the devil +would free me from this master of mine!" + +Suddenly a stranger stood before him, and said: "Why are you in such a +passion, my good lad?" + +"How can I help it?" replied Goria, the shoemaker; "my master is as +cruel as a mad dog; you see how he has dressed me down, and ten weeks +ago he beat me even still more than now." + +"Why does he beat you so?" said the stranger. And Goria replied: "I +have learnt the art of shoemaking better than my teacher, and I make +shoes for my master, but though I work for him all I can, do what I +will, I never can please him; and instead of thanking me, he beats me +as you see." + +Then the stranger said: "I know your master well enough; you must be +freed from his cruelty; and, if you like, I will marry Mistafor's +daughter to you instead of to the Prince to whom she is betrothed." + +"Are you mad?" said Goria; "what nonsense are you talking?" "Trust +me," replied the stranger, "I can bring it all about." But the +shoemaker could not believe him, and said: "You may talk and promise +what you will, I do not believe a word." "Whether or no, you shall +see that what I promise I can perform." + +So saying the stranger desired him to shut his eyes, throw himself on +the ground facing the sun, and then retire two steps backwards. When +Goria had done so, the stranger told him to look at himself. Goria was +amazed at seeing himself attired in a costly dress, and said: "Without +doubt you must be the devil in man's form!" + +"Certainly I am a devilkin; you called me, and on your summons I came. +I will serve you, and marry you to Mistafor's daughter." "How is that +possible?" said Goria: "I am known down yonder by every one--the very +dogs know me." But the stranger replied: "Nay, it is not so. No one, I +promise, will recognise you: every one will mistake you for Prince +Dardavan, to whom Mistafor's daughter Dogada is betrothed." + +"Good, very good," said Goria, "if what you say prove true." "It shall +all come to pass as I have said," replied the other. And thereupon the +stranger desired Goria to go three steps backward and shut his eyes, +and then open them again. On a sudden Goria saw before him a splendid +palace of white marble, and in amazement, he exclaimed: "You are in +truth the devil himself, and no man, to do such marvellous things!" + +"I tell the truth, you see, and do not deceive you," replied the +stranger; "and now I make you a present of this marble palace, and +will remain with you and serve you faithfully. Call me Prituitshkin!" + +Thereupon the servant conducted his new master Goria, the shoemaker, +into the courtyard, where he beheld a great throng of servants, +horses, and carriages, in the most splendid array; and the servants +all made their obeisance to him, as to the Prince, and the musicians +played on all sorts of instruments; and when the music ceased, Goria +the shoemaker went into the marble palace, where he saw a table +covered with all kinds of dishes; so he seated himself at the table, +ate and drank his fill, and lived in this palace like a great man. + +Meanwhile Prince Dardavan, after his betrothal with Dogada, was +travelling on business to another city; and the trusty servant +Prituitshkin thought this a favourable opportunity to marry Goria the +shoemaker to Dogada. So he went to his master, the shoemaker, and +said: "Now is the time to settle this affair; we must contrive that +Mistafor takes you for Dardavan." So saying, he went out in front of +the marble palace, raised a large tent, and ordered all the musicians +to strike up. When Mistafor heard such a variety of beautiful sounds +he bethought himself that Prince Dardavan must be arrived, and sent to +inquire. As soon as he was informed that the supposed Prince Dardavan +had arrived, he sent a number of his people to invite his dear +son-in-law to a feast. Then the messengers went to Goria, bowed humbly +before him, and invited him in the name of their Prince Mistafor +Skurlatovich to visit him and be his guest. "Go," answered Goria, "and +tell Mistafor Skurlatovich that I will soon come to him." So the +ambassadors bowed low to the shoemaker, and returned and related to +their Prince what they had heard from the supposed Tsarevich Dardavan, +and all they had seen. + +After the departure of Mistafor's messengers, Prituitshkin went to +Goria the shoemaker and said: "Now is the time for you to go to +Mistafor; listen to what I say: when you come to the courtyard of the +palace, and dismount from your steed, do not fasten him up, nor give +him to anyone to hold, but only cough loudly, and stamp on the ground +with all your might. When you enter the hall, seat yourself on the +chair numbered One. In the evening, when it is time to retire to rest, +remain behind, and as soon as your bed is ready, do not lie down upon +it, for Prince Dardavan always lies on his own bed, which weighs a +hundred poods. I will provide you with such a bed; and if I delay, +strike me in the presence of Mistafor and his daughter. When you go to +bed, and the servants bring you a number of lights, bid them take the +lights all away, and order me to bring you a stone, which Prince +Dardavan always lays on his table at night. I will bring you this +stone, which shows more light than a thousand candles." + +When Goria the shoemaker heard these directions he promised to observe +them all. So he went into the courtyard, and Prituitshkin brought him +the horse saddled. Then Goria mounted the steed, and Prituitshkin +another, and away they rode to Mistafor Skurlatovich; and when they +entered the courtyard, Mistafor came out to meet his beloved +son-in-law, the supposed Prince Dardavan. Then Goria the shoemaker +dismounted from his gallant steed; but he did not fasten him up, nor +did he give him to anyone to hold: he only coughed aloud and stamped +upon the ground. The horse stood, as if rooted to the spot. Then Goria +went into the hall and bowed to all four sides, kissed his host, and +seated himself upon the chair with the number One. Mistafor went to +his daughter Dogada, and bade her come and welcome her betrothed +husband, Prince Dardavan; but Dogada was discreet and cunning, and +replied; "My gracious lord and father, this is indeed not Prince +Dardavan, but our shoemaker Goria Krutshinin." "Don't talk nonsense," +said Mistafor; "I have seen Prince Dardavan face to face, and know him +well; this is the Prince, and no shoemaker indeed." + +"Well and good," said Dogada; "I will go and welcome him; but only +bear in mind what I say: it is not Prince Dardavan, but our shoemaker +Goria, disguised like him. Now mind one thing: when we sit down at +table to eat, order white bread and brown bread to be brought to him: +and if you observe that this guest cuts first a piece of the brown +bread you will know that he is not Prince Dardavan but the shoemaker +Goria, for Dardavan always eats first the white bread." + +"Good," said Mistafor, "I will observe." + +Then he invited Goria the shoemaker to sit down at table; and, when +they were all seated, and white and brown bread was brought, Goria +first took of the brown bread, and Mistafor and Dogada remarked this. +Then said Mistafor: "My dear and honoured son-in-law, Prince Dardavan, +how is it that you cut so much brown bread and no white?" + +When the servant Prituitshkin heard this, he went invisibly up to +Goria and whispered in his ear: "Tell Mistafor that your father, when +he sat at table, always gave first to the poor a piece of bread to +eat, and instead of salt, used to pour out to them a bag of gold: and +so saying, order me to bring you the bag of gold." + +Then the supposed Tsarevich Dardavan repeated those words to Mistafor, +cut some more slices of brown bread, and called to his servant +Prituitshkin to bring him the bag of gold. In the twinkling of an eye +Prituitshkin brought the money, which he had stolen from Mistafor's +treasury, and Goria desired him to collect a troop of beggars. So the +servant ran out and returned in a trice with a crowd of hungry men, +and Goria distributed the bread, giving to each a piece of gold out of +the bag. And when he had given away all the bread and the golden +coins, he himself fell to eating. + +After dinner Mistafor said to his daughter: "What say you now--is not +this Prince Dardavan?" "No, dear father," replied Dogada, "this is not +the Prince, but our shoemaker Krutshinin." + +"Why, have you lost your wits, child?" said Mistafor; "we have got rid +of Goria Krutshinin long ago." "Well, mark you," replied Dogada, "I +will prove that this man is not the Prince. Invite him to spend the +night here, and order a bed to be made ready for him; and if he lies +down upon it he is not Prince Dardavan, but the shoemaker Goria." + +When the evening came, and it grew late, Mistafor ordered the best +bed to be made ready for the shoemaker; then Mistafor asked the +pretended Tsarevich whether, as it was growing late, he wished to +retire to rest. So Goria went into the bedchamber, and, seeing that it +was not the bed of which Prituitshkin had spoken, he instantly called +his servant, as if in a passion, and giving him a box on the ears, +said: "You rascal, why have you not made ready my bed? You know very +well that I always sleep on my hundred-pood bed: go instantly and +bring it to me!" Thereupon Prituitshkin ran as fast as he could and +brought the hundred-pood bed, which he had stolen from Prince +Dardavan. + +Then Goria the shoemaker undressed, and lay down upon the bed; and +Dogada, on purpose to try him, ordered a number of tapers to be +lighted and taken into his bedchamber. But Goria instantly drove all +the servants away with the lights, and ordered Prituitshkin to give +him the stone, which the latter presently brought, having stolen this +also from Prince Dardavan. Then Goria placed the stone on the table, +and lay down to sleep; and the light shed by the stone was more +dazzling than a meteor in the sky. + +At midnight, Dogada sent one of her attendants into the bedroom of the +shoemaker, desiring her to steal away the stone from the table. But +hardly had the girl entered the apartment, and was about to run off +with the stone, than the servant Prituitshkin, who was lying by the +door, jumped up and exclaimed: "Is it not a shame for you, pretty +girl, to rob your future lord and master! You must leave me now a +pledge for your conduct." So saying, he drew off the maid's slipper +and head-dress and dismissed her. Then the girl went to her mistress +and told her the whole affair; but Dogada did not despair, and, after +an hour, thinking that Goria and his servant Prituitshkin would now be +asleep, she sent another maid to steal the stone. When the girl +entered the bedchamber, up jumped Prituitshkin again as before, pulled +off her slipper, head-dress and jacket, and let her go. But after +another hour had passed, Dogada, again thinking they must have fallen +asleep, resolved to go herself and fetch the stone. Scarcely, however, +had she entered the bedroom of the shoemaker Goria, and laid her hand +upon the stone, than up jumped Prituitshkin, and, seizing her, +exclaimed: "How! is it not a shame for your Grace to contrive such +wickedness? It is not becoming the daughter of so renowned a father to +be plotting such tricks; therefore, I must beg of you, fair lady, to +leave me a pledge." No sooner said than done: Prituitshkin slipped +off her jacket, slipper, and head-dress, and dismissed Dogada in shame +and remorse. + +Early the next day, when the shoemaker Goria arose, his servant +Prituitshkin told him all that passed during the night, and advised +him, when Mistafor should propose to him a riddle, to answer: "Riddle +me no riddle, but I will give you a riddle, and then," continued he, +"propose to Mistafor this riddle: 'I went to walk in your green +meadows and caught three goats, and stripped from each of them three +skins.' If Mistafor doubts, and says that it is impossible for a goat +to have three skins, call me and order me to bring the skins." + +When Goria received these directions from his servant Prituitshkin, he +went to Mistafor, who at once began to propose to him a riddle, but +Goria answered; "I will give you a riddle." And he continued: "I went +to walk in your green meadows and caught three goats, and stripped +from each of them three skins." Mistafor doubted greatly and said: "It +is impossible for a goat to have three skins." + +"At all events 'tis quite true," replied Goria; and so saying, he +ordered Prituitshkin to bring the three skins which he had taken from +the three goats. So the servant immediately brought them to him. + +When Mistafor beheld his daughter's dress he was troubled, scolded +her in his heart, and asked the pretended Tsarevich how Dogada's dress +had come into his hands. So the shoemaker told him all that had +happened. Mistafor, enraged against his daughter, exclaimed: "Look ye, +did you not say that this was not Prince Dardavan, but the shoemaker +Goria Krutshinin? I have no longer patience--prepare instantly for +your wedding." And Goria the shoemaker married the Princess Dogada +that very day. + +Sometime after this the servant Prituitshkin came to Goria and said: +"Now that I have made your fortune, do something for me in return: I +have a request to make. In your garden is a pond, in which I formerly +lived. A maiden was one day washing linen, and dropped a ring into the +pond, and by that means she drove me from it. Order now the water to +be let off and the pond to be cleaned out: desire that whoever finds +the ring shall bring it to you, and when it is found, order the pond +to be filled with clear water and a boat to be built; and in this boat +sail with your wife and me. I will then throw myself into the water, +and when your wife exclaims: 'Ah! the servant Prituitshkin is +drowned!' only reply: 'The devil take him!'" + +When Goria the shoemaker heard this, he ordered the pond in the +garden to be emptied and cleaned, and that whatever was found in it +should be brought to him. And when the pond was drained, the ring was +found at the bottom by a boy, who brought it to Goria the shoemaker. +Then Goria ordered the water to be let into the pond, and a boat to be +built. As soon as all was ready, he seated himself, with his wife and +servant, Prituitshkin, in the boat, and sailed out into the middle of +the pond. But on a sudden Prituitshkin jumped into the water, and +Dogada exclaimed: "Ah! see, the servant Prituitshkin is drowned!" Then +said Goria: "The devil take him! I want him no longer." + +Prince Dardavan, the real affianced husband of Dogada, was sent out to +battle, and there lost his life. Goria the shoemaker ever after went +by his name, and lived many years with Dogada in great happiness, +forgetting his former unhappy fate. + + + + +EMELYAN, THE FOOL + + +In a certain village lived at one time a peasant, who had three sons, +two of whom were clever, but the third was a fool, and his name was +Emelyan. And when the peasant had lived a long time, and was grown +very old, he called his three sons to him, and said to them: "My dear +children, I feel that I have not much longer to live; so I give you +the house and cattle, which you will divide among you, share and share +alike. I have also given you each a hundred roubles." Soon after, the +old man died, and the sons, when they had buried him, lived on happy +and contented. + +Some time afterwards Emelyan's brothers took a fancy to go to the city +and trade with the hundred roubles their father had left them. So they +said to Emelyan: "Hark ye, fool! we are going to the city, and will +take your hundred roubles with us; and, if we prosper in trade, we +will buy you a red coat, red boots, and a red cap. But do you stay +here at home; and when our wives, your sisters-in-law, desire you to +do anything, do as they bid you." The fool, who had a great longing +for a red coat and cap, and red boots, answered that he would do +whatever his sisters-in-law bade him. So his brothers went off to the +city, and the fool stayed at home with his two sisters. + +One day, when the winter was come, and the cold was great, his +sisters-in-law told him to go out and fetch water; but the fool +remained lying on the stove, and said: "Ay, indeed, and who then are +you?" The sisters began to scold him, and said: "How now, fool! we are +what you see. You know how cold it is, and that it is a man's business +to go." But he said: "I am lazy." "How!" they exclaimed, "you are +lazy? Surely you will want to eat, and if we have no water we cannot +cook. But never mind," they added; "we will only tell our husbands not +to give him anything when they have bought the fine red coat and all +for him!" + +The fool heard what they said; and, as he longed greatly to have the +red coat and cap, he saw that he must go; so he got down from the +stove and began to put on his shoes and stockings and to dress himself +to go out. When he was dressed, he took the buckets and the axe and +went down to the river hard by. And when he came to the river he began +to cut a large hole in the ice. Then he drew water in the buckets, and +setting them on the ice, he stood by the hole, looking into the +water. And as the fool was looking, he saw a large pike swimming +about. However stupid Emelyan was, he felt a wish to catch this pike; +so he stole cautiously and softly to the edge of the hole, and making +a sudden grasp at the pike he caught him, and pulled him out of the +water. Then, putting him in his bosom, he was hastening home with him, +when the pike cried out: "Ho, fool! why have you caught me?" He +answered: "To take you home and get my sisters-in-law to cook you." +"Nay, fool! do not take me home, but throw me back into the water and +I will make a rich man of you." But the fool would not consent, and +jogged on his way home. When the pike saw that the fool was not for +letting him go, he said to him: "Hark ye, fool! put me back in the +water and I will do for you everything you do not like to do yourself; +you will only have to wish and it shall be done." + +On hearing this the fool rejoiced beyond measure for, as he was +uncommonly lazy, he thought to himself: "If the pike does everything I +have no mind to do, all will be done without my being troubled to +work." So he said to the pike: "I will throw you back into the water +if you do all you promise." The pike said: "Let me go first and then I +will keep my promise." But the fool answered: "Nay, nay, you must +first perform your promise, and then I will let you go." When the pike +saw that Emelyan would not put him into the water he said: "If you +wish me to do all you desire, you must first tell me what your desire +is." "I wish," said the fool, "that my buckets should go of themselves +from the river up the hill to the village without spilling any of the +water." Then said the pike: "Listen now, and remember the words I say +to you: At the pike's command, and at my desire, go, buckets, of +yourselves up the hill!" Then the fool repeated after him these words, +and instantly, with the speed of thought, the buckets ran up the hill. +When Emelyan saw this he was amazed beyond measure, and he said to the +pike: "But will it always be so?" "Everything you desire will be +done," replied the pike; "but I warn you not to forget the words I +have taught you." Then Emelyan put the pike into the water and +followed his buckets home. + +The neighbours were all amazed and said to one another: "This fool +makes the buckets come up of themselves from the river, and he follows +them home at his leisure." But Emelyan took no notice of them, and +went his way home. The buckets were by this time in the house, and +standing in their place on the foot-bench; so the fool got up and +stretched himself on the stove. + +After some time his sisters-in-law said to him again: "Emelyan, why +are you lazying there? Get up and go cut wood." But the fool replied: +"Yes! and you--who are you?" "Don't you see it is now winter, and if +you don't cut wood you will be frozen?" "I am lazy," said the fool. +"What! you are lazy?" cried the sisters. "If you do not go instantly +and cut wood, we will tell our husbands not to give you the red coat, +or the red cap, or the fine red boots!" The fool, who longed for the +red cap, coat, and boots, saw that he must go and cut the wood; but as +it was bitterly cold, and he did not like to come down from off the +stove, he repeated in an undertone, as he lay, the words: "At the +pike's command, and at my desire, up, axe, and hew the wood! and do +you, logs, come of yourselves in the stove!" Instantly the axe jumped +up, ran out into the yard, and began to cut up the wood; and the logs +came of themselves into the house, and laid themselves in the stove. +When the sisters saw this, they wondered exceedingly at the cleverness +of the fool; and, as the axe did of its own accord the work whenever +Emelyan was wanted to cut wood, he lived for some time in peace and +harmony with them. At length the wood was all finished, and they said +to him: "Emelyan, we have no more wood, so you must go to the forest +and cut some." "Ay," said the fool, "and you, who are you, then?" The +sisters replied: "The wood is far off, and it is winter, and too cold +for us to go." But the fool only said: "I am lazy." "How! you are +lazy," cried they; "you will be frozen then; and moreover, we will +take care, when our husbands come home, that they shall not give you +the red coat, cap, and boots." As the fool longed for the clothes, he +saw that he must go and cut the wood; so he got off the stove, put on +his shoes and stockings, and dressed himself; and, when he was +dressed, he went into the yard, dragged the sledge out of the shed, +took a rope and the axe with him, and called out to his +sisters-in-law: "Open the gate." + +When the sisters saw that he was riding off without any horses, they +cried: "Why, Emelyan, you have got on the sledge without yoking the +horses!" But he answered that he wanted no horses, and bade them only +open the gate. So the sisters threw open the gate, and the fool +repeated the words: "At the pike's command, and at my desire, away, +sledge, off to the wood!" Instantly the sledge galloped out of the +yard at such a rate that the people of the village, when they saw it, +were filled with amazement at Emelyan's riding the sledge without +horses, and with such speed that a pair of horses could never have +drawn it at such a rate. The fool had to pass through the town on his +way to the wood, and away he dashed at full speed. But the fool did +not know that he should cry out: "Make way!" so that he should not run +over anyone; but away he went, and rode over quite a lot of people; +and, though they ran after him, no one was able to overtake and bring +him back. At last Emelyan, having got clear of the town, came to the +wood and stopped his sledge. Then he got down and said: "At the pike's +command, and at my desire, up, axe, hew wood; and you, logs! lay +yourselves on the sledge, and tie yourselves together." Scarcely had +the fool uttered these words when the axe began to cut wood, the logs +to lay themselves on the sledge, and the rope to tie them down. When +the axe had cut wood enough, Emelyan desired it to cut him a good +cudgel; and when the axe had done this, he mounted the sledge and +cried: "Up, and away! At the pike's command, and at my desire, go +home, sledge!" Away then went the sledge at the top of its speed, and +when he came to the town, where he had hurt so many people, he found a +crowd waiting to catch him; and, as soon as he got into the gates, +they laid hold of him, dragged him off his sledge, and fell to beating +him. When the fool saw how they were treating him, he said in an under +voice: "At the pike's command, and at my desire, up, cudgel, and +thrash them!" Instantly the cudgel began to lay about it on all sides; +and, when the people were all driven away, he made his escape, and +came to his own village. The cudgel, having thrashed all soundly, +rolled home after him; and Emelyan, as usual, when he got home, +climbed up and lay upon the stove. + +After he had left the town, all the people fell to talking, not so +much of the number of persons he had injured, as of their amazement at +his riding in a sledge without horses; and the news spread from one to +another, till it reached the Court and came to the ears of the King. +And when the King heard it, he felt an extreme desire to see him: so +he sent an officer with some soldiers to look for him. The officer +instantly started, and took the road that the fool had taken; and when +he came to the village where Emelyan lived, he summoned the Starosta, +or head-man of the village, and said to him: "I am sent by the King to +take a certain fool, and bring him before his Majesty." The Starosta +at once showed him the house where Emelyan lived, and the officer went +into it and asked where the fool was. He was lying on the stove, and +answered: "What is it you want with me?" "How!" said the officer, +"what do I want with you? Get up this instant and dress yourself; I +must take you to the King." But Emelyan said: "What to do?" Whereat +the officer became so enraged at the rudeness of his replies that he +hit him on the cheek. "At the pike's command, and at my desire," said +the fool, "up, cudgel, and thrash them!" Instantly up sprang the +cudgel and began to lay about it on all sides. So the officer was +obliged to go back to the town as fast as he could; and when he came +before the King, and told him how the fool had cudgelled him, the King +marvelled greatly, and would not believe the story. + +Then the King called to him a wise man and ordered him to bring the +fool by craft, if nothing else would do; so the wise man went to the +village where Emelyan lived, called the Starosta before him and said: +"I am ordered by the King to take your fool; and therefore ask for the +persons with whom he lived." Then the Starosta ran and fetched +Emelyan's sisters-in-law. The King's messenger asked them what it was +the fool liked, and they answered: "Noble sir, if anyone entreats our +fool earnestly to do anything, he flatly refuses the first and second +time; the third time he consents, and does what he is required, for he +dislikes to be roughly treated." + +The King's messenger thereupon dismissed them and forbade them to tell +Emelyan that he had summoned them before him. Then he brought raisins, +baked plums, and grapes, and went to the fool. When he came into the +room, he went up to the stove and said: "Emelyan, why are you lying +there?" and with that he gave him the raisins, the baked plums, and +the grapes, and said: "Emelyan, we will go together to the King: I +will take you with me." But the fool replied: "I am very warm here"; +for there was nothing he liked so much as being warm. Then the +messenger began to entreat him: "Be so good, Emelyan, do let us go! +You will like the Court vastly." "No," said the fool "I am lazy." But +the messenger entreated him once more: "Do come with me, there's a +good fellow, and the King will give you a fine red coat and cap, and a +pair of red boots." When the fool heard of the red coat he said: "Go +on before, I will follow you." The messenger pressed him no further, +but went out and asked the sisters-in-law if there was any danger of +the fool's deceiving him. They assured him there was not, and he went +away. + +Emelyan, who remained lying on the stove, then said to himself: "How +I dislike this going to the King!" And after a minute's thought, he +said: "At the pike's command, and at my desire, up, stove, and away to +the town!" And instantly the wall of the room opened, and the stove +moved out; and when it got clear of the yard, it went at such a rate +that there was no overtaking it; soon it came up with the King's +messenger, and went along with him into the palace. When the King saw +the fool coming, he went forth with all his Court to meet him; and he +was amazed beyond measure at seeing Emelyan come riding on the stove. +But the fool lay still and said nothing. Then the King asked him why +he had upset so many people on his way to the wood. "It was their own +fault," said the fool; "why did they not get out of the way?" + +Just at that moment the King's daughter came to the window, and +Emelyan happening suddenly to look up, and seeing how handsome she +was, said in a whisper: "At the pike's command, and at my desire, let +this lovely maiden fall in love with me!" And scarcely had he spoken +the words when the King's daughter fell desperately in love with him. +Then said the fool: "At the pike's command, and at my desire, up, +stove, and away home!" Immediately the stove left the palace, went +through the town, returned home, and set itself in its old place. And +Emelyan lived there for some time comfortably and happy. + +But it was very different in the town; for, at the word of Emelyan, +the King's daughter had fallen in love, and she began to implore her +father to give her the fool for her husband. The King was in a great +rage, both with her and the fool, but he knew not how to catch him; +then his minister proposed that the same officer, as a punishment for +not succeeding the first time, should be sent again to take Emelyan. +This advice pleased the King, and he summoned the officer to his +presence, and said: "Hark ye, friend! I sent you before for the fool, +and you came back without him; to punish you I now send you for him a +second time. If you bring him, you shall be rewarded; if you return +without him, you shall be punished." + +When the officer heard this, he left the King and lost no time in +going in quest of the fool; and on coming to the village he called for +the Starosta and said to him: "Here is money for you; buy everything +necessary for a good dinner to-morrow. Invite Emelyan, and when he +comes, make him drink until he falls asleep." The Starosta, knowing +that the officer came from the King, was obliged to obey him; so he +bought all that was required and invited the fool. And Emelyan said he +would come, whereat the officer was greatly rejoiced. So next day the +fool came to dinner, and the Starosta plied him so well with drink +that he fell fast asleep. When the officer saw this, he ordered the +kibitka (or carriage) to be brought; and putting the fool into it, +they drove off to the town, and went straight to the palace. As soon +as the King heard that they were come, he ordered a large cask to be +provided without delay, and to be bound with strong iron hoops. When +the cask was brought to the King, and he saw that everything was ready +as he desired, he commanded his daughter and the fool to be put in it, +and the cask to be well pitched; and, when this was all done, the cask +was thrown into the sea, and left to the mercy of the waves. Then the +King returned to his palace, and the cask floated along upon the sea. +All this time the fool was fast asleep; when he awoke, and saw that it +was quite dark, he said to himself: "Where am I?" for he thought he +was alone. But the Princess said: "You are in a cask, Emelyan! and I +am shut up with you in it." "But who are you?" said the fool. "I am +the King's daughter," replied she. And she told him why she had been +shut up there with him. Then she besought him to free himself and her +out of the cask; but the fool said: "Nay, I am warm enough here." "But +grant me at least the favour," said the Princess; "have pity on my +tears, and deliver me out of this cask." "Why so?" said Emelyan; "I am +lazy." Then the Princess began to entreat him still more urgently, +until the fool was at last moved by her tears and entreaties, and +said: "Well, I will do this for you." Then he said softly: "At the +pike's command, and at my desire, cast us, O sea! upon the shore, +where we may dwell on dry land; but let it be near our own country; +and, cask! fall to pieces on the shore." + +Scarcely had the fool uttered these words when the waves began to +roll, and the cask was thrown on a dry place, and fell to pieces of +itself. So Emelyan got up and went with the Princess round about the +spot where they were cast; and the fool saw that they were on a fine +island, where there was an abundance of trees, with all kinds of fruit +upon them. When the Princess saw this, she was greatly rejoiced and +said: "But, Emelyan, where shall we live? there is not even a nook +here." "You want too much," said the fool. "Grant me one favour," +replied the Princess: "let there be at least a little cottage in which +we may shelter ourselves from the rain"; for the Princess knew that +he could do everything that he wished. But the fool said: "I am lazy." +Nevertheless, she went on entreating him, until at last Emelyan was +obliged to do as she desired. Then he stepped aside and said: "At the +pike's command, and at my desire, let me have in the middle of this +island a finer castle than the King's, and let a crystal bridge lead +from my castle to the royal palace; and let there be attendants of all +conditions in the court!" Hardly were the words spoken, when there +appeared a splendid castle, with a crystal bridge. The fool went with +the Princess into the castle and beheld the apartments all +magnificently furnished, and a number of persons, footmen and all +kinds of officers, who waited for the fool's commands. When he saw +that all these men were like men, and that he alone was ugly and +stupid, he wished to be better, so he said: "At the pike's command, +and at my desire, away! let me become a youth without an equal, and +extremely wise!" And hardly had he spoken, when he became so handsome +and so wise that all were amazed. + +Emelyan now sent one of his servants to the King to invite him and all +his Court. So the servant went along the crystal bridge which the fool +had made, and when he came to the Court, the ministers brought him +before the King, and Emelyan's messenger said: "Please, your Majesty, +I am sent by my master to invite you to dinner." The King asked him +who his master was, but he answered: "Please, your Majesty, I can tell +you nothing about my master (for the fool had ordered him not to tell +who he was), but if you come to dine with him, he will inform you +himself." The King, being curious to know who had sent to invite him, +told the messenger that he would go without fail. The servant went +away, and when he got home the King and his Court set out along the +crystal bridge to go and visit the fool; and, when they arrived at the +castle, Emelyan came forth to meet the King, took him by his white +hands, kissed him on his sugared lips, led him into his castle, and +seated him at the oaken tables covered with fine diaper tablecloths, +and spread with sugar-meats and honey-drinks. The King and his +ministers ate and drank and made merry. When they rose from the table +and retired, the fool said to the King: "Does your Majesty know who I +am?" As Emelyan was now dressed in fine clothes, and was very +handsome, it was not possible to recognize him; so the King replied +that he did not know him. Then the fool said: "Does not your Majesty +recollect how a fool came riding on a stove to your Court, and how +you fastened him up in a pitched cask with your daughter, and cast +them into the sea? Know me now--I am that Emelyan." + +When the King saw him thus in his presence he was greatly terrified +and knew not what to do. But the fool went to the Princess and led her +out to him; and the King, on seeing his daughter, was greatly +rejoiced, and said: "I have been very unjust to you, and so I gladly +give you my daughter, to wife." The fool humbly thanked the King; and +when Emelyan had prepared everything for the wedding, it was +celebrated with great magnificence, and the following day the fool +gave a feast to the ministers and all the people. When the festivities +were at an end, the King wanted to give up his kingdom to his +son-in-law, but Emelyan did not wish to have the crown. So the King +went back to his kingdom, and the fool remained in the castle and +lived happily. + + + + +THE JUDGMENT OF SHEMYAKA + + +Two brothers once lived upon a little plot of ground--one rich, the +other poor. The poor brother went to the rich one to beg of him a +horse that he might fetch wood from the forest. His brother gave him +the horse; but the poor one begged of him likewise a horse-collar, +whereat the other was angry and would not give it him. So the poor +fellow in his trouble fastened the sledge to the horse's tail and thus +drove to the forest, and got such a load of wood that the horse had +scarcely strength to draw it. When he came home, he opened the gate, +but forgot to remove the foot-board, fastened to the side posts to +keep the snow from coming in under the door; and the horse stumbled +against the board and lost his tail. The poor fellow took the horse +back, but when his brother saw the beast without a tail, he would not +have him, and set out to go before the judge, Shemyaka, to make a +complaint. The poor man saw that he would fall into trouble, and the +judge would send for him: he considered for a long while that he had +nothing to give, and he followed his brother on foot. + +On the way, as night came on, they stopped at the house of a +merchant. The rich brother was taken in to supper and well treated, +but the poor man was not given anything to eat, and had to take his +night's rest on the kitchen stove. All night he was tossing and +rolling about hungry, and at last he fell off the stove on to a cradle +lying beside it, and killed the merchant's baby in the fall. So the +merchant was very angry, and next morning went with him to get the +poor man punished by the judge Shemyaka. + +It so happened that on the way to town the party had to go over a +bridge, and the poor man was so frightened at the thought of what the +judge Shemyaka might do to him that he threw himself over the bridge, +to put an end to his life; but just at that instant a young man was +driving his sick father to the bath-house, and the poor man fell upon +the sledge and crushed the old man. So the son went with the rich +brother and the merchant to the judge to make his complaint that the +poor man had killed his father. + + [Illustration: THE JUDGE THOUGHT THAT THE BUNDLE WAS FULL OF + ROUBLES.] + +The rich brother came first before the judge Shemyaka and complained +that his brother had pulled off the tail of his horse. The poor man +took a stone and tied it in a towel; and, standing up behind his +brother, he held it up to the judge, intending to kill him unless +he decided in his favour. The judge thought that the towel was filled +with roubles, and so he ordered the rich man to give back the horse to +the poor one until his tail had grown again. + +Then the merchant came up to complain of the death of his baby, and +the poor man again brandished his heavy towel before the judge, and +because he hoped for another bribe the judge said: "You must send your +wife to the poor man's house till she has another baby, and then you +will be as well off as before." + +Then the son came and accused the poor man of having crushed his +father to death, and asked the judge for justice. The poor man took up +the stone again, and showed it as before to the judge, who fancied +that the man would perhaps give him for this charge another hundred +roubles. So he ordered the son to stand on the bridge while the poor +man passed under it; and that the son should in like manner leap down +upon the poor man and crush him. + +So the poor brother came to the rich one to fetch the horse without a +tail, according to the judge's sentence, and to keep it until the tail +grew again. The rich man was very loth to give up the horse, and +instead, made him a present of five roubles, three bushels of corn, +and a milch goat, and thus they settled their quarrel. + +So then the poor man went to the merchant to take his wife away from +him, and the merchant offered him fifty roubles, a cow with her calf, +a mare with her foal, and five measures of grain, which he willingly +accepted. + +Then the poor man went to the son and said: "Come, the judge has said +that you must place yourself on the bridge while I stand under it, and +you must throw yourself down on me and kill me." Then the son thought +to himself: "Who knows but that, if I throw myself from the bridge, I +may, perhaps, instead of falling on this man, dash myself to pieces." +So he tried to make peace with the poor man, and gave him two hundred +roubles, a horse, and five measures of corn. + +But the judge Shemyaka sent his servant to the poor man to ask for the +three hundred roubles. The poor man showed him the stone and said: "If +the judge had not decided in my favour I should have killed him." So +the servant went back to the judge and told him what the poor man had +said; whereat the judge, overjoyed, exclaimed: "Heaven be thanked that +I decided in this man's favour!" + + + + +STORY OF PRINCE PETER WITH THE GOLDEN KEYS, AND THE PRINCESS MAGILENE + + +In France there once lived a high-born Prince named Volchvan, with his +wife Petronida; and they had an only son named Peter. Now, Prince +Peter had in his youth a great inclination for knightly prowess and +deeds of war; and, when he came of age, he sighed after nothing so +much as chivalrous feats. But it happened that at this time a knight +named Ruiganduis arrived there from the kingdom of Naples, who, +observing Peter's bravery, said: "Prince Peter, there is a King in +Naples who has a beautiful daughter named Magilene, and this King +rewards richly all those knights who do battle in behalf of his +daughter." + +Then Peter went to his father and mother and begged for their blessing +that he might travel to the kingdom of Naples to learn there knightly +feats, but especially to see the beauty of the King's daughter +Magilene. So they dismissed Prince Peter with great sorrow, exhorting +him to make friendship with good men only; then, giving him three +golden rings with precious stones and a gold chain, they dismissed him +in peace. + +When Prince Peter arrived at the kingdom of Naples, he ordered a +skilful workman to make him a coat-of-mail and a helmet, and to fasten +to this two golden keys; then he rode to the tournament-lists, where +the King and his knights were assembled. There he gave his name as +Peter with the Golden Keys, and he placed himself behind the knights. +First rode forth Sir Andrei Skrintor, and against him appeared the son +of the King of England; and Andrei struck Henry so hard a blow that he +was well-nigh thrown from his horse; whereupon Landiot, the King's +son, rode out and overthrew Andrei Skrintor. When Prince Peter saw +this he rode at Landiot, and cried with a loud voice: "Long life and +happiness to their Majesties and the beautiful Princess Magilene!" and +he rode at Landiot so furiously that he threw both him and his steed +to the ground, and thrust the lance through his heart. Peter was +praised by the King for this exploit, and still more by the Princess +Magilene and all present, and he became the foremost of the King's +knights. + +When the Princess Magilene beheld the valour and handsome appearance +of Prince Peter she fell in love with him, and resolved to be his +wife. She told her wish to her waiting-maid, and from that time +Prince Peter visited the beautiful King's daughter daily, and gave her +the three golden rings, in token of his love, and rode with her out of +the city. + +And they rode off upon their goodly steeds, taking with them a +quantity of gold and silver, and they journeyed on and on the whole +night. Then Prince Peter came to an impenetrable forest, stretching +among the mountains as far as the seacoast, where they stopped to +rest; and the King's daughter threw herself on the grass, from +weariness, and fell asleep. But Prince Peter sat beside her and +watched her while she slept. Then he observed a knot in a golden +clasp, and unfastening it, he found the three rings which he had given +her. He laid them on the grass, and, as chance would have it, a black +raven flew past, picked up the rings and flew with them on to a tree. +Peter climbed up the tree to catch the bird; but, as he was just about +to seize it, the raven flew into another tree, and so from one tree to +another, and then over the sea, and let fall the rings into the water, +and itself lighted upon an island. Away ran Prince Peter after the +raven to the seashore, and looked about till he found a small fishing +boat to row to the island, but having no oars, he was obliged to +paddle along with his hands. On a sudden a violent wind arose, and +carried him out on to the open sea. When Peter saw that he was far +from land, he well-nigh despaired of being saved, and exclaimed, with +sighs and tears: "Alas! woe is me, the most miserable of men! Why did +I take the rings out of their place of safety? I have destroyed all my +joy; I have carried off the fair Princess, and left her forsaken in a +pathless wood. Wild beasts will tear her to pieces, or she will lose +her way and die of hunger. Murderer that I am, that have shed innocent +blood!" And with that he began to sink in the waves. + +Now it happened that a ship from Turkey came sailing by, and when the +sailors saw a man sinking in the sea they picked him up and took him +half-dead on board their ship. Then they sailed on until they arrived +at the city of Alexandria, where they sold Peter to the Turkish Pasha. +But the Pasha sent Prince Peter as a present to the Sultan of Turkey, +who, when he saw his discreet behaviour, and handsome mien, made Peter +a great senator, and his uprightness and gracious behaviour won for +him the love of everyone. + +When the Princess Magilene awoke from her sleep in the wood, she +looked around on all sides, but nowhere beheld Prince Peter: she wept +with grief and despair, and fell upon the ground. At length she +arose, went into the wood, and cried aloud with all her strength: +"Noble Prince Peter, whither are you gone?" And thus she wandered +about for a long time, and met a nun, and begged for her dark dress, +giving her in exchange her light-coloured one. At length she came to a +harbour, where she hired a ship from the country in which Peter's +father lived. There she dwelt with a noble lady named Susanna; she +chose a spot among the mountains for a harbour, and built a convent, +to which she gave the name of Saint Peter and Paul, and established an +hospital for the reception of strangers. Thus Magilene became +celebrated by her piety and goodness. Then came Peter's father and +mother to visit her, and brought her three rings, saying their cook +had bought a fish, inside which these rings were found; but, as they +had given them to their son Peter, they feared that he had been +drowned at sea, and they wept bitterly. + +After Prince Peter had lived for a long time at the Court of the +Turkish Sultan, he expressed a wish to travel to his native country. +So the Sultan dismissed him with great presents, giving him much gold +and silver and costly jewels. Then Peter hired a French ship, bought +fourteen casks, put at the bottom of them some salt, then laid over +this gold and silver, and on this more salt, and told the sailors that +the casks contained only salt. He sailed with a favourable wind to his +native country, and anchored at an island, not far from the country of +France, for Prince Peter suffered from sea sickness. Then he wandered +about on the shore, and lost his way in the island; he lay down and +fell fast asleep. The sailors sought for him everywhere for a long +time, calling him by name; but not finding him, they went on their +way. At length they came to the convent, and there deposited the casks +of salt; and once when there was a want of salt in the convent, +Magilene ordered the casks to be opened and found in them innumerable +treasures. + +Prince Peter was found by some other sailors upon the island, and +carried to this convent, where he was placed in Magilene's hospital +and there he remained for more than a month, but did not recognize +Magilene, for her face was concealed by a black veil. And Peter wept +every day. + +One day Magilene came to the hospital, saw Peter weeping, and asked +him the cause of his tears; and he related to her exactly all his +adventures. Then Magilene knew him again, and sent to inform his +father Volchvan and his mother, Petronida, that their son was safe +and well. Soon came the father and mother to the convent, and the +King's daughter received them attired in princely robes. When Prince +Peter saw his parents he fell at their feet, embraced them, and wept, +and they wept with him. But Prince Peter stood up, took them by the +hands, kissed them, and said: "My lord and father, and you my mother, +this maiden is the daughter of the great King of Naples, to sue for +whom I wandered so far." Then they were married, and lived happily +ever after. + + + + +SILA TSAREVICH AND IVASHKA WITH THE WHITE SMOCK + + +There was once a Tsar, named Chotei, who had three sons--the first, +Aspar Tsarevich; the second, Adam Tsarevich; and the third and +youngest son, Sila Tsarevich. The two eldest brothers entreated their +father's permission to travel in foreign countries and see the world. +Then the youngest brother, Sila Tsarevich, also begged the Tsar's +permission to travel with his brothers. But Chotei said: "My dear son, +you are still young, and not used to the difficulties of travelling; +remain at home, and think no more of this fancy you have taken." But +Sila Tsarevich had a great longing to see foreign lands, and entreated +his father so much that at length the Tsar consented, and gave him a +ship likewise. As soon as the three brothers embarked, each on board +his ship, they all gave orders to set sail. And when they were out on +the open sea, the eldest brother's ship sailed first, the second +brother's next, and Sila Tsarevich sailed last. + +On the third day of the voyage they saw a coffin with iron bands +floating on the waves. The two eldest brothers sailed past without +heeding it, but as soon as Sila Tsarevich saw the coffin, he ordered +the sailors to pick it up, lay it on board his ship, and carry it to +land. The next day a violent storm arose, by which Sila's ship was +driven out of its course, and cast upon a steep shore in an unknown +country. Then Sila ordered his sailors to take the coffin and to carry +it on shore, whither he himself followed, and buried it in the earth. + +Thereupon Sila Tsarevich ordered the captain to remain upon the spot +where the ship was stranded, and await his return for three years; but +adding that, should he not come back in that time, he should be free +to set sail and return home. So saying, Sila took leave of his captain +and his crew, and went forthwith, journeying on and on. He wandered +about for a long while, without seeing anyone; at length he heard a +man running after him, dressed all in white. Then Sila Tsarevich +turned round and saw the man following him; whereupon he instantly +drew his sword to be upon his guard. But no sooner did the man come up +to him than he fell on his knees and thanked Sila for having saved +him. And Sila asked the man what he had done to deserve his thanks. +Then the stranger stood up and answered: "Ah, Sila Tsarevich, how can +I thank you enough? There I lay in the coffin, which you picked up at +sea and buried; and had it not been for you I might have remained +floating about for a hundred years." "But how did you get into the +coffin?" asked Sila. "Listen, and I will tell you the whole story," +replied Ivashka. "I was a great magician; my mother was told that I +did great mischief to mankind by my arts, and therefore ordered me to +be put into this coffin and set adrift on the open sea: for more than +a hundred years I have been floating about, and no one has ever picked +me up; but to you I owe my rescue, and I will therefore serve you, and +render you all the help in my power. Let me ask you whether you have +not a wish to marry: I know the beautiful Queen Truda, who is worthy +of being your wife." Sila replied that if this Queen were indeed +beautiful, he was willing to marry her; and Ivashka told him she was +the most beautiful woman in the world. When Sila heard this, he begged +Ivashka to accompany him to her kingdom; so they set out and travelled +on and on till they reached that country. Now, Queen Truda's kingdom +was surrounded by a palisade; and upon every stake was stuck a man's +head, except one, which had no head. When Sila saw this, he was +terrified, and asked Ivashka what it meant; and Ivashka told him that +these were the heads of heroes who had been suitors to Queen Truda. +Sila shuddered on hearing this, and wished to return home without +showing himself to the father of Truda; but Ivashka told him to fear +nothing and go with him boldly; so Sila went on. + +When they entered the kingdom, Ivashka said: "Hearken, Sila Tsarevich, +I will be your servant, and when you enter the royal halls, salute +King Salom humbly: then he will ask you whence you came, and whose son +you are, what is your name and business. Tell him everything and +conceal nothing; but say that you are come to sue for his daughter's +hand; he will give her to you with great joy." So Sila Tsarevich went +into the palace, and, as soon as Prince Salom saw him, he went himself +to meet him, took him by his white hands, led him into the marble +halls, and asked him: "Fair youth, from what country do you come, +whose son are you, what is your name, and what is your business?" "I +am from the kingdom of my father the Tsar Chotei," replied Sila; "my +name is Sila Tsarevich, and I am come to sue for your daughter, the +beautiful Queen Truda." + +King Salom was overjoyed that the son of such a renowned Tsar should +be his son-in-law, and immediately ordered his daughter to prepare for +the wedding. And when the day for the marriage came, the King +commanded all his princes and boyars to assemble in the palace; and +they all went in procession to the church, and Sila Tsarevich was +married to the fair Queen Truda. Then they returned to the palace, +seated themselves at table, and feasted and made merry. When the time +came to retire to rest, Ivashka took Sila aside and whispered to him: +"Hark, ye, Sila Tsarevich, when you go to rest, beware lest you speak +a word to your bride or you will not remain alive, and your head will +be stuck on the last stake. She will in every way try to make you +embrace her, but attend to what I say." + +Then Sila Tsarevich enquired why he warned him thus, and Ivashka +replied: "She is in league with an evil Spirit, who comes to her every +night in the shape of a man, but flies through the air in the shape of +a six-headed dragon; now, if she lays her hand upon your breast and +presses it, jump up and beat her with a stick until all her strength +is gone. I will meanwhile remain on watch at the door of your +apartment." + +When Sila Tsarevich heard this, he went with his wife to rest, and +Queen Truda tried in every way to get him to kiss her, but Sila lay +quite still and spoke not a word. Then Truda laid her hand upon his +breast and pressed him so hard that he could scarcely breathe. But up +jumped Sila Tsarevich and seized the stick which Ivashka had laid +there ready for him, and fell to beating her as hard as he could. On a +sudden there arose a storm, and a six-headed dragon came flying into +the room and was going to devour Sila Tsarevich, but Ivashka seized a +sharp sword and attacked the dragon, and they fought three hours, and +Ivashka struck off two of the dragon's heads, whereupon the monster +flew away. Then Ivashka desired Sila Tsarevich to go to sleep and fear +nothing. Sila obeyed him, laid himself down, and fell asleep. + +Early in the morning King Salom went to be informed whether his dear +son still lived, and when he heard that Sila was alive and well, the +King rejoiced, since he was the first who had been saved from his +daughter; and he instantly ordered Sila to be called, and the whole +day was spent in merrymaking. + +The following night Ivashka gave Sila Tsarevich the same caution as +before, not to speak a word to his wife, and he placed himself on +watch at the door. Then it fell out as before, and when Sila Tsarevich +began to beat the Queen, on a sudden the dragon came flying in, and +was going to devour Sila Tsarevich. But Ivashka rushed from behind the +door, sword in hand, and fought with the dragon and struck off two +more of his heads. Then the dragon flew away, and Sila Tsarevich lay +down to sleep. Early in the morning the King commanded Sila to be +invited, and they spent this day in the same pleasures as before. The +third night the same happened again, and Ivashka cut off the last two +heads of the dragon, and he burnt all the heads and strewed the ashes +in the fields. + +Thus time passed on, and Sila Tsarevich lived with his father-in-law a +whole year, without speaking to his wife or gaining her love. Then +Ivashka told him one day to go to King Salom and ask permission to +return to his native country. So Sila went to the King, who dismissed +him, and gave him two squadrons of his army to accompany him as an +escort. Then Sila took leave of his father-in-law, and set out with +his wife on their journey to his own country. + +When they had gone half-way, Ivashka told Sila Tsarevich to halt and +pitch his tent. So Sila obeyed, and ordered the tent to be put up. The +next day Ivashka laid pieces of wood in front of Sila's tent and set +fire to them. Then he led Queen Truda out of the tent, unsheathed his +sword, and cut her in twain. Sila Tsarevich shuddered with terror and +began to weep; but Ivashka said: "Weep not, she will come to life +again." And presently all sorts of evil things came forth from the +body, and Ivashka threw them all into the fire. Then he said to Sila +Tsarevich: "See you not the evil spirits which troubled your wife? She +is now relieved from them." And, so saying, he laid the parts of +Truda's body together, sprinkled them with the water of life, and the +Queen was instantly sound and whole as before. Then said Ivashka: +"Now, farewell, Sila Tsarevich, you will find that your wife loves you +truly, but you will never see me more." And so saying he vanished. + +Sila Tsarevich ordered the tent to be struck, and journeyed on to his +native country. And when he came to the place where his ship was +waiting for him, he went on board with the fair Queen Truda, dismissed +the escort which accompanied him, and set sail. And on arriving at his +own kingdom, he was welcomed with salvos of cannon, and Tsar Chotei +came out of his palace and took him and the beautiful Queen Truda by +their lily-white hands, led them into the marble halls, placed them at +table, and they feasted and made merry. Sila Tsarevich lived with his +father two years; then he returned to the kingdom of King Salom, +received from him the crown, and ruled over the country with his Queen +Truda in great love and happiness. + + + + +STORY OF THE KNIGHT YAROSLAV LASAREVICH AND THE PRINCESS ANASTASIA + + +In a certain country lived a Tsar named Kartaus, who had twelve +knights, and the Tsar had a chief over these knights, Prince Lasar +Lasarevich. Prince Lasar and his wife, the Princess Epistimia, lived +for seventy years and had no child; and they began, with tears, to +sigh for one to cheer their old age, and to pray for their souls after +death. + +At length their wish was granted, and they had a son, whom Prince +Lasar named Yaroslav. The little fellow had a rosy face, blonde hair, +and bright eyes. His parents were overjoyed and made a great feast. +When Yaroslav was fifteen years old he went often to the Tsar's Court +and played with the children of princes and boyars. Then the princes +counselled together, and went to the Tsar and said: "Our lord and +sovereign, grant us your imperial favour: your Majesty has a knight, +Prince Lasar, whose son Yaroslav comes to your imperial Court and +plays with our children; but his sports are mischievous, for whenever +he takes anyone by the head, the head falls off, and this causes us +great trouble and grief. Now, O Tsar, show us your favour, and either +send Yaroslav out of your kingdom or grant us leave to depart, for +live we cannot with Yaroslav." + +Then the Tsar Kartaus immediately sent for Prince Lasar, told him the +complaints the princes and nobles had made of Yaroslav, and commanded +that he should leave the kingdom. When Lasar heard this command, he +rode away sorrowfully, with his head hanging lower than his shoulders. +Now Yaroslav came to meet his father, bowed to the ground, and said: +"Long years of happiness to my lord and father! Why ride you so +sorrowfully, my lord? Have you received an unkind word from the Tsar?" +Prince Lasar answered: "My dear child Yaroslav, I have indeed received +a cruel order from the Tsar. Other children are a joy to their father +from their youth up, a support in his old age, and the guardian of his +memory when dead. Not so, alas! with you, my son. You go to the Tsar's +Court and play mischievous tricks with the children of the princes and +boyars, and they have complained to the Tsar Kartaus, and he has +banished you from the kingdom." + +At this Yaroslav laughed and said: "My lord and father, grieve not for +me that I am banished. I have only one trouble: I am now fifteen +years old, and have never been able to find in your stables a good +horse that might serve me for ever and aye." Then they went into the +marble halls, and Yaroslav Lasarevich begged permission of his father +and mother to travel about the world, to see men and to be seen. So +his parents at length consented, and gave him twenty lads, and fifty +skilful builders, to build a marble palace on the sea coast. These +builders erected the palace in three days, and sent a messenger to +Prince Lasar and the Princess Epistimia, to tell them that the +splendid palace was ready. Then Yaroslav took leave of his parents, +and Prince Lasar and his wife wept bitterly at parting with their son, +and gave him their blessing. + +So Yaroslav Lasarevich rode until he came to the marble palace on the +seashore. His father and mother offered him gold, silver, jewels, +horses, and attendants, but Yaroslav would have none of these: he took +with him only an old horse, a Tcherkess saddle, a snaffle-bit, a +blanket, and a leather whip. Thus came Yaroslav to his marble palace +on the seashore, threw the blanket over him, placed the saddle under +his head, and stretched himself out to sleep. Early the next morning +Yaroslav arose, went out to walk on the seashore, and shot a number of +wild geese, swans, and ducks. Upon these he fed, and lived thus one, +two, and three months. Then he went upon a road which was so broad +that a shot could not reach across it, and so deep that it went to the +ears of a brave steed. Yaroslav looked at the road, and said to +himself: "Who travels this road, a great army or a stout knight?" It +happened that an old man came riding up to him on his grey horse, and +he dismounted and threw himself down with his face to the ground, +saying: "Long life and happiness to you, Yaroslav Lasarevich! How goes +it with you, my lord? and how comes it that you are in this desert +spot?" "What is your name, old brother?" said Yaroslav. The man +replied: "My name is Ivashka, master, and my horse is called +Alotyagilei. I am a great shot and a mighty wrestler in the host of +knights." "But how do you know my name?" replied Yaroslav. Ivashka +answered: "My Lord, I am an old servant of your father, and have +tended his horses in the fields for three-and-thirty years, and I come +to your father once every year to receive my wages. Thus it is that I +know you." Yaroslav answered: "I am going to the chase, and am +wandering about in the open fields. He who has not tasted the bitter, +does not relish the sweet. While still a young boy I ran about in the +courtyard, and played with the children of the princes and boyars. But +when I seize anyone by the head, his head falls off, and, when I take +him by the hand, his hand falls off. This was not agreeable to the +Tsar, and he banished me from his kingdom; but this punishment was +nothing in comparison to another greater grief which pains me sorely. +I am already fifteen years old, but can find no horse in my father's +stable that might serve me for life." Then said Ivashka: "My lord, +Yaroslav Lasarevich, I have a horse, which is called Podlas: he must +be caught, and he will serve you for ever and a day. If you do not +catch him now you never will." "But how can I see the horse, brother +Ivashka?" Ivashka answered: "Yaroslav Lasarevich, you can see this +steed early in the morning, when I take the horses to the sea to +drink, but if, when you see him, you do not seize him on the spot, you +never will." Thereupon Yaroslav Lasarevich went into his marble +palace, laid the horse-cloth under him, and the Tcherkess saddle and +the bit under his head, and stretched himself out to sleep. The next +morning he rose early, went into the field, and took the bridle, the +Tcherkess saddle, and the leather whip with him. He concealed himself +under an oak tree; and presently saw Ivashka driving the horses to the +sea to water, and, as he gazed upon the sea, he observed that where a +steed drank, the waves foamed and roared fearfully. Above the oak +tree screamed the eagles, and on the mountains roared the lions, and +no one could approach the spot. Yaroslav wondered greatly, and when +the horse came to stand opposite him, he leaped out from the oak and +struck him with the back of his hand. The horse fell on his knees, and +he seized him by his mane and said: "My trusty steed, who shall ride +on you if not I your master?" Then he threw the bridle over him, put +the Tcherkess saddle on his back, and rode to the marble palace, and +Ivashka followed. Then said he to Ivashka: "What name shall I give +this horse?" "How, my lord, shall a servant know better than his +master to name such a horse?" So Yaroslav named him Uroshtch Veschei; +and he said to Ivashka: "Ride to my father, Prince Lasar, and tell him +I am well and have found a trusty steed." Then Yaroslav Lasarevich +rode off upon his good horse to Ivan the Russian knight, and behind +him followed Ivashka at full gallop till he was lost to sight. + +Ivashka returned to the kingdom of Kartaus, to Yaroslav's father and +mother, and carried the tidings that he was well. The parents rejoiced +greatly to hear of their son, and dismissed Ivashka with rich +presents. But Yaroslav Lasarevich rode on and on, for two and for +three months, until at last he came to a field where an immense army +lay slain. Then he cried with a loud voice: "Is there here no man +still alive?" Immediately a man stood up and said: "My lord, Yaroslav +Lasarevich, whom dost thou seek?" "I want a living man," said +Yaroslav; and then he enquired to whom the army belonged, and who had +slain it. "The army," replied the man, "belonged to Feodul the Dragon +Tsar, and it has been slain by Prince Ivan the Russian knight, who +sued for the hand of Feodul's daughter, the Princess Kandaula +Feodulavna; and, as he would not give her of his free will, Ivan +sought to take her by force." Thereupon Yaroslav asked how far distant +this Russian knight was; and the man replied: "Yaroslav Lasarevich, he +has gone too far for you to reach him; ride round the army, and you +will see the footsteps of Prince Ivan." So Yaroslav rode round the +army, and saw the tracks of the bounding of the steed; for wherever he +had struck his hoofs, large heaps of earth were thrown up. He followed +the track until he came to another slain army: here he cried with a +loud voice: "Is there not one living man here who has survived the +battle?" Then up rose a man and said: "My lord, Yaroslav Lasarevich, +one steed is better than another, and one youth surpasses another." +Yaroslav rode on, and he rode for one, two, and three months; when at +length he came to an open country, where he descried a white tent and +beside it a goodly steed, before which corn was poured out upon a +white linen cloth. Yaroslav dismounted and led his horse to feed, and +his horse drove the other way. Then Yaroslav entered the tent, where a +comely youth lay fast asleep: he drew his sword, and was on the point +of slaying him when he bethought himself that it would bring no honour +to slay a sleeping man; so he lay down in the tent, on the other side, +near Prince Ivan. When Ivan awoke he went out of the tent, and saw +that his steed was driven away, and was grazing in the open fields, +whilst a strange horse ate the corn. Then he returned to the tent and +saw a youth lying fast asleep. Prince Ivan looked fiercely at him; but +suddenly reflected that he should have little honour from killing a +man asleep. So he cried: "Stand up, man, and save yourself. Why have +you put your horse to feed on another's corn, and lain down to sleep +in another's tent? For this you must answer with your life." Then +Yaroslav awoke, and Prince Ivan asked him his name, whence he came, +and who his parents were. "I am from the kingdom of Kartaus," answered +Yaroslav, "the son of Prince Lasar and the Princess Epistimia and my +name is Yaroslav. Your steed has not been driven away by me, but by my +horse, and good folk are not used to meet strangers with uncivil +speech, but rather to treat them with hospitality. If you have a glass +of water, give it to me, for I am your guest." "You are young," said +Ivan, "and it befits me not to fetch your water; bring it to me +rather." "You pluck the bird before you have caught it," replied the +other, "and blame a youth ere you have tried him." Then said Prince +Ivan: "I am the prince of princes, and the knight of knights, and you +are a cossack." "Ay, indeed!" replied Yaroslav, "you are prince in +your tent; but let us meet in the open field and we are equals." +Prince Ivan saw that he had no coward to deal with: he took a golden +flask, fetched some cold water, and gave it to Yaroslav to drink. Then +they mounted their horses and rode into the open country. And when +they began to fight, Yaroslav struck Prince Ivan with the butt of his +lance and hurled him to the ground: then he whirled round his horse, +put the point of his lance to Ivan's breast, and said: "Prince Ivan, +wilt thou live or die?" And Ivan answered: "Yaroslav Lasarevich, be to +me my elder brother--spare my life!" + +Then Yaroslav dismounted, took Prince Ivan, the Russian knight, by +his hand and embraced him, calling him his younger brother; whereupon +they mounted their steeds, rode off to the tent, and fell to feasting +and making merry. And Yaroslav said: "My lord brother, Prince Ivan, as +I was wandering in the open country I came upon two slain armies." To +which Ivan replied: "Brother Yaroslav, the first army, of the Tsar +Feodul, I slew when he refused to give me his daughter Kandaula in +marriage; and I am resolved to carry her off by force, for I hear +there is no such beauty in the world. To-morrow I shall fight the last +battle with him, and thou shall be witness of my valour." The next +morning Prince Ivan rose early, saddled his steed, and rode to the +kingdom of Feodul, the Dragon Tsar; and Yaroslav went on foot, and +concealed himself under an oak tree to witness the fight. Then Prince +Ivan called upon the Tsar with a loud voice, and Feodul ordered the +trumpets to sound, and an army of a hundred thousand men to assemble. +The Tsar Feodul rode against Prince Ivan, and before and behind him +rode an innumerable host of squires and knights. Ivan grasped his +shield with one hand and his lance with the other. As the falcon +swoops upon the geese, swans, and ducks, even so did Prince Ivan fall +upon that terrible army; and his steed trod to the ground twice as +many as he himself slew. He destroyed the whole host, sparing only the +lives of the old men and boys, who could not resist; and he took the +Tsar Feodul prisoner, and put him to death. Then he hastened to his +kingdom and carried off the Princess Kandaula. He took her by her +white hands, kissed her on her soft lips, and led her into his tent. +Soon after Yaroslav Lasarevich also arrived, and they all fell to +feasting and making merry. + +When Yaroslav went out of the tent Ivan said: "My beloved Princess, +tell me, is there in the world a fairer one than thou art, or a braver +knight than my brother Yaroslav Lasarevich? I have gone far and wide +and have not found thine equal." "Nay," replied the Princess, "there +are yet fairer than I am. In the open fields is a white tent, in which +dwell the daughters of the Tsar Bogrigor. The eldest is named Prodora, +the second Tivobriga, and the youngest Legia: they are ten times +fairer than I; compared to them I am as night to day. Whilst with my +parents I was still fair, but now I am wasted with sorrow. And on the +road to the kingdom of India there is a knight, in the dominions of +Tsar Dalmat, named Ivashka Whitemantle Saracen's-cap. I have heard +from my father that for three-and-thirty years he has guarded the +kingdom of India, and that no traveller or knight rides past, no +animal runs by, and no bird flies past; I know no one braver than he, +for I have never before heard of the valour of Yaroslav Lasarevich." + +Now Yaroslav overheard these words, and his chivalrous heart could not +brook it. He saddled his steed, embraced Ivan the Russian knight, and +the Princess Kandaula, and rode off towards the kingdom of the Tsar +Dalmat, to engage in fight with Ivashka Whitemantle. He had journeyed +for some time, when he bethought himself that he was bound on an +enterprise of life and death, without having taken leave of his father +and mother. So he turned and rode till he came to the kingdom of the +Tsar Kartaus, where he encountered Prince Daniil the White, at the +head of three thousand men, who boasted that he would subdue the +kingdom of Kartaus, take prisoners the Tsar himself, Prince Lasar, and +the twelve knights, and carry them off to his own country. Yaroslav +rode straight to the city, and there beheld Prince Lasar assembling an +army for battle. Then dismounting from his horse, he threw himself +with his face to the ground and said: "Long life to my lord and +father! How fares it with thee? Wherefore so sad, my lord?" And Prince +Lasar answered: "My dear son, whence art thou come like a sunbeam to +cheer me? How can I help grieving? Prince Daniil has invaded our +dominion with an immense army and threatens to seize it and carry off +the Tsar and me and the twelve knights prisoners." Then spoke Yaroslav +Lasarevich: "My lord and father, give me the shield, and lance, and I +will go out to fight the enemy." But Prince Lasar answered: "My son, +how canst thou combat such a host, who hast never been in battle? The +cries of the Tartars will terrify thee, and they will slay thee!" +"Teach not the goose to swim, father," answered Yaroslav, "nor a +knight's son to fight with Tartars! Only give me what I demand, and +fear nought." + +Like a falcon darting upon geese and swans, Yaroslav fell upon the +armies of Prince Daniil the White; and he hewed down not so many as +his horse trampled under his hoofs, and he took Daniil prisoner. +Yaroslav made him pledge his word never again to set foot in the +kingdom of the Tsar Kartaus--he nor his children, nor his children's +children; adding that if he fell again into his hands he should die a +miserable death. Then Yaroslav sent him back to his own country, and +rode into the city. Then Tsar Kartaus came out to meet him, and +Yaroslav threw himself with his face to the ground and said: "Long +years of happiness to thee, my liege Tsar Kartaus!" "Sir Yaroslav +Lasarevich," answered Kartaus, "I have wronged thee in banishing thee +from my kingdom. Abide here and choose the best city and the fairest +villages. My treasures are open to thee--take what thou desirest, and +thy place is at my side." Yaroslav answered: "O Tsar, I am wont to +rove about, to seek adventure and to fight." So, after he had eaten +salt and bread with the Tsar and with his parents, he took leave of +them all and rode forth. + +And Yaroslav rode one, two, and three months, till at length he came +to a plain, on which was pitched a white tent, wherein sat the three +fair daughters of the Tsar Bogrigor, of whose beauty there was not the +like in the wide world; and they were busy at their work. Yaroslav +stepped into the tent, and was so amazed at the sight, that he forgot +to pray to the ikons of the Saints. Then he took the eldest daughter, +Prodora, by the hand, and desiring the others to leave the tent, said: +"My gentle and beautiful Princess Prodora Bogrigorovna, is there in +the world a fairer maiden than thou, or a braver knight than I?" And +Prodora answered: "Sir Yaroslav Lasarevich, how can you call me fair? +In the city of Dobri lives the daughter of the Tsar Vorcholomei, the +Princess Anastasia, compared to her we are like night to day. On the +way to the Indian kingdom of the Tsar Dalmat is a knight named Ivashka +Whitemantle Saracen's-cap, and I have heard from my father that he is +very powerful, and has guarded the kingdom of India for +three-and-thirty years; no one passes him on foot or horse, no animal +runs, no bird flies past. But what a brave knight art thou indeed to +drive us maidens from the tent!" At this Yaroslav was angered: he +bowed the head of the Princess and struck it off with his sword. Then +he took the second Princess, Tivobriga, by the hand and said: "Gentle +princess, is there a more beautiful maiden in the world than thou, or +a braver knight than I?" And she answered as the eldest had done; so +he struck off her head in like manner. Then he took the third sister +Legia by the hand and asked her the same question as her sisters. And +Legia answered: "Sir Yaroslav, I am neither beautiful nor good. When I +was with my father and mother I was so, but now I am wasted and no +longer handsome." Then she likewise told him of the Princess +Anastasia, the daughter of the Tsar Vorcholomei, and of the knight +Ivashka. "Fairest lady," replied Yaroslav, "thou has comforted me with +thy gentle words." + +Then he went out of the tent, took leave of Legia, mounted his steed, +and rode off to the kingdom of India, to see the Tsar Dalmat and +Ivashka Whitemantle. And he rode on for one, two and three months; and +when he came near the city, there upon the plain stood Ivashka, +leaning upon a lance, with a Saracen's cap on his head and a white +mantle around him. Yaroslav rode up to him, struck off his cap with +his whip, and said: "Lie down and sleep, there is no need to stand!" +"Who art thou?" inquired Ivashka; "what is thy name, and whence comest +thou?" Yaroslav answered: "I am come from the kingdom of the Tsar +Kartaus, and my name is Yaroslav: I am preparing to journey to the +kingdom of India to pay my respects to the Tsar Dalmat." But Ivashka +answered: "Never has man or animal passed this way, and thinkest thou +to do so? First let us go into the plain and try the prowess of our +arms!" The two knights made a furious onset; and after a long fight +Yaroslav thrust his lance at Ivashka's heart, and threw him from the +saddle; and Ivashka fell upon the ground like a sheaf of oats, and +Yaroslav slew him on the spot. + +Then Yaroslav rode on his way to the kingdom of India, and on arriving +at the city he went straight to the Tsar Dalmat; and, entering the +palace, he made his obeisance and said: "Long years of happiness to +thee, O Tsar, to thy family, and all thy princes and boyars! Take me +into thy service!" Then said Dalmat: "Man, whence comest thou, and +what is thy name, and whose son art thou?" So Yaroslav told him, and +the Tsar said: "Which way hast thou come, by land or by water?" +Yaroslav replied: "By land," and the Tsar said: "I have a knight who +dwells upon the open plains, and has guarded my kingdom for +three-and-thirty years; no man or animal has ever passed him, on +horse, foot, or wing; and how hast thou ridden past?" Yaroslav +answered: "I have vanquished this man, O Tsar; but I knew not that he +belonged to thee." + +On hearing this the Tsar was terrified, and thought to himself: "If he +has slain such a knight he can easily conquer my kingdom, and he only +wants to rob me of my throne." This thought made him sorrowful, and he +commanded all honour to be shown to Yaroslav Lasarevich, and gave him +drink from his own goblet. Then Yaroslav observed that the Tsar feared +him: he went out of the castle, saddled his steed, and rode away out +of the kingdom. Tsar Dalmat was rejoiced to be freed from Yaroslav, +and ordered the gates to be closed fast behind him. + +Yaroslav now resolved to go to the city of Dobri to witness the +beauty of the Princess Anastasia, and he rode on for one, two, and +three months. Then he bethought himself: "I have come to a strange +country, perhaps to marry this Princess, or meet death without having +my parents' blessing." + +And with that, away he rode to the kingdom of the Tsar Kartaus, which +he found conquered, and laid waste with fire and sword. There remained +one solitary hut standing, in which dwelt a one-eyed old man. Yaroslav +stepped into the hut, bowed to the man, and said: "Old brother, what +has happened to this kingdom?" The man answered: "Brave knight, whence +art thou come, and what is thy name?" But Yaroslav replied: "Knowest +thou me not? I was born in this kingdom, the son of Prince Lasar, and +my name is Yaroslav." On hearing this the old man fell to the earth, +and said with tears: "Since thou hast been gone, long time has passed. +Daniil the White returned, and with him five times a hundred thousand +men; he fell upon this kingdom, laid it waste with fire and sword, and +slew a hundred thousand brave warriors. Five millions of the common +folk, with all the priests and monks, he burnt in the open fields, +slew twelve thousand infants, took prisoners the Tsar Kartaus with his +twelve knights, and put to death the Tsarina and thy mother, the +Princess Epistimia. I am the only one left alive, and have lain nine +days here half-dead with fear." + +Yaroslav wept when he heard this, and mounting his steed, commended +himself to the Saints, and rode to seek the Tsar Daniil the White. He +came to the city at noon without being seen, except by some little +boys playing in the streets: and he asked them where the Tsar Kartaus +was, as he wished to give him alms; so they showed him the prison. At +the gate a guard was standing, but Yaroslav struck him down, and broke +open the doors. On entering the prison, he saw Kartaus, his father +Lasar, and the twelve knights, all blinded; at which cruel sight he +fell to the ground, and with tears exclaimed: "Long life to thee, O +Tsar, to thee my father, and to you brave knights!" Then answered +Kartaus: "I hear thy voice but cannot see thy face. Whence comest +thou, what is thy name, and whose son art thou?" So Yaroslav told him +who he was; but Kartaus replied: "Fellow, away! and mock me not." + +"Father," replied Yaroslav, "I am indeed Yaroslav, and come to relieve +you." "Lie not, fellow!" said Kartaus; "if Yaroslav had been alive we +should not sit here in prison and suffer such a cruel fate; but I +should have been reigning in my kingdom with Prince Lasar and my +twelve knights. But since Yaroslav is dead we are punished for our +sins, and sit here in sightless solitude. If, however, you are really +the true Yaroslav Lasarevich, ride, I pray thee, beyond the Still +Waters and the Warm Sea, to the city of Shtchetin, where rules the +Tsar Fireshield. Slay him, and take some drops of his blood; and when +you return, anoint our eyes with it and we shall then see and shall +believe you." + +Yaroslav made his obeisance to the Tsar, mounted his horse, and rode +forth. But the boys in the streets had observed him, and they told it +to their fathers, who said to Daniil the White: "O Prince, there has +been in our city a brave warrior; his horse was like a lion, and he +was armed from head to foot, and he rode away from the prison where +Tsar Kartaus and his companions are confined." Instantly Prince Daniil +sent his servant Mursa to enquire who had been in the prison. And when +he came there he found the doors standing open, and the guard slain; +then, entering the doors, he said: "O Tsar Kartaus, tell me who has +been with you here? Prince Daniil sends me to inquire." And Kartaus +answered: "My good fellow how can we tell who was here? A man was in +the prison who called himself Yaroslav, but we recognized not his +voice." + +Then Mursa returned to Prince Daniil, and told him what Kartaus had +said; and forthwith Prince Daniil ordered the trumpets to sound and +the drums to beat; and a host of Tartars assembled around him to the +number of two hundred and fifty thousand men. And he commanded thirty +horsemen to pursue and take Yaroslav and to bring him before him. So +they went in pursuit, and after riding for some time they descried +Yaroslav asleep under an oak tree, and his horse standing beside him. +The horse perceived that the Tartars were in pursuit of his master, +and neighed loudly. Thereat Yaroslav awoke, and seeing the knights +afar, he mounted his steed and rode off, exclaiming: "First catch the +wind on the wide plains and then look to catch me!" + +So saying he vanished from their sight, and rode beyond the Still +Waters and the Warm Seas to the Podolish Horde, to the city of +Shtchetin. Then the Tartars took counsel together what they should say +to the Prince, and they resolved to pretend that they had not seen +Yaroslav. + +Yaroslav Lasarevich arrived in half a year at the city of Shtchetin, +before which lay the remains of an army slain, and in the midst the +head of a knight as big as a large hillock. Then Yaroslav rode round +this army, and cried with a loud voice: "Is there not here one living +man?" And the Knight's head said: "Yaroslav Lasarevich, whom seekest +thou?" At this Yaroslav marvelled greatly; but the Head spoke again: +"Wonder not, but tell me whither thou ridest, and what thou seekest." +Then Yaroslav asked: "But who art thou? In what kingdom dost thou +dwell, and who are thy father and mother?" And the Head answered: "I +am a knight of the Sadonic kingdom, son of the Tsar Prochos, and my +name is Raslanei." And Yaroslav said: "Whose armies lie here slain?" +"These hosts belong to the Tsar Fireshield," replied Raslanei, "and a +year has not passed since I came here and slew them. The cause of the +war was that the Tsar had seized upon towns belonging to my father. +But tell me, Yaroslav, how far are you journeying?" Then said +Yaroslav: "I am riding to the city of Shtchetin to slay the Tsar +Fireshield." But the Head answered: "Sooner will you be slain +yourself! I was indeed a powerful knight, feared by all Tsars and +knights; at my birth I was six feet tall, and as stout as a man could +compass. When I was ten years old no wild beast, no man on foot, or +knight on horse, could stand before me. Now you see how I am grown: my +body is sixty feet long, twelve feet between the shoulders, and a +feathered shaft can lie between my eyebrows. My head is as big as a +brewer's vat; my arms are twenty feet long, and I could not stand my +ground against the Tsar. The Tsar is strong, and has a mighty host; +sword and scimitar wound him not; fire does not burn, water does not +drown him. Yet I have a sword which can wound him, but unluckily I +could not wield it, and he struck me down. Nevertheless, I will do you +good service, and give you counsel; when you come to the city of +Shtchetin and the Tsar Fireshield sees and questions you, answer that +you desire to serve him. Then he will bid you follow him; do so, and +serve him faithfully, and when he goes out to the chase, accompany +him. Then remind him of me, and he will grow sad, but tell him you can +get the sword which lies under my head. He will not believe you, but +pledge your word, and as soon as you can, come to me, I will lift my +head and give you the sword." + +Then Yaroslav made his bow, mounted his steed and rode to Shtchetin; +and, as he approached the city, the Tsar perceived and accosted him. +Yaroslav dismounted, and falling with his face to the ground, said: +"Long years of happiness to thee, O Tsar! Take me, I pray, into thy +service." Then the Tsar asked him whence he came, whose son he was, +and what was his name. Yaroslav replied: "I have roamed far and wide, +and now seek the service of a good lord and master; I was born in the +kingdom of the Tsar Kartaus, the son of Prince Lasar, and my name is +Yaroslav." Then said the Tsar: "Yaroslav Lasarevich, ride into my +city--I want followers." So Yaroslav rode into the city. + +One day the Tsar rode out to the chase, and took with him the boyars +and knights, and Yaroslav was among them. When they approached the +Knight's Head, Yaroslav stood and marvelled at the sight. Then said +the Tsar: "Why standest thou there, Yaroslav?" And Yaroslav answered: +"O Tsar, I see here a great army lie slain, and this Knight's Head, +under which rests a trusty sword." The Tsar sighed and answered: "This +Knight has destroyed my army, and I slew him; his sword lies under his +head, and I cannot get it. No sword can wound me, no fire burn, no +water drown me; this sword alone has the power to slay me." + +Then said Yaroslav: "O Tsar, permit me to bring thee the sword." And +the Tsar replied: "Do this service and I will set thee above all my +knights; but if thou talkest idly, thou shalt be safe neither in +water, nor under the earth, nor among the rocks." And so saying, the +Tsar returned into the city, and Yaroslav rode up to the Knight's Head +and said: "Sir Knight's Head, I trust to thy love and friendship to +fulfil thy promise and give me up this sword; for I have given my word +to the Tsar to take it to him, and shall die a cruel death if I +perform not my promise." But the Knight's Head answered not a word. +Then Yaroslav dismounted from his good steed, fell on his knees before +him, and said: "Sir Raslanei, let me die not thus in vain--give me, I +pray, the sword from under thee." + +Thereupon the Knight Raslanei raised himself, and Yaroslav took the +sword, bowed to the Knight's Head, and mounting his steed, rode off to +the city of Shtchetin. And on the way he said to himself: "Hitherto I +have been victorious over Tsars and knights, but now indeed I am +forced to bend before a Knight's Head, and entreat him to give me a +sword!" + +Raslanei heard this, and cried with a loud voice: "Ho, Sir Knight! +return!" So Yaroslav turned round, and went back to the Head; and the +Head reproached him, saying: "Thy sword could not touch my helm." Then +Yaroslav fell on the ground and said: "Sir Knight Raslanei, pardon me +for having offended thee!" And the Knight's Head answered: "Yaroslav +Lasarevich, thy youth and want of understanding have made thee speak +thus. Thou hast taken my sword indeed; but even with this thou mayest +still lose thy life; nevertheless, I wish thee well, and will teach +thee understanding. When thou comest to the city, and the Tsar sees +thee, he will descend from his throne for joy, welcome thee in the +midst of his Court, and give thee gold and silver and precious stones. +Then deal him a single blow upon his head with the sword; but beware +of striking a second blow, or he will revive and kill thee." + + [Illustration: AND SO SAYING, HE STRETCHED OUT HIS HAND TO TAKE + THE SWORD.] + +Yaroslav bowed himself to the Knight's Head, and rode to the city; and +no sooner had he reached the castle, and the Tsar saw him bringing the +sword, than he sprang from his throne, flung away his sceptre, +received him in his Court, and said: "Yaroslav Lasarevich, in return +for this service I grant thee one place opposite me, the second by my +side, and a third where thou wilt. My treasures are open to thee--take +towns and handsome villages, and if thou wilt have my daughter the +Princess Nasaria for wife, I will give thee one-half of my kingdom." +And so saying, he stretched out his hand to take the sword; but +Yaroslav struck him a blow which cleft his head, and the Tsar fell +dead on the spot. Then all the princes and boyars cried aloud: +"Yaroslav Lasarevich, strike him a second blow!" But he answered: "A +knight deals one blow, and that is enough." Forthwith a number of +princes and boyars and the twelve knights fell upon him, and were +going to put him to death; but Yaroslav set his lance under his arm, +seized the Tsar with his left hand, and clutching his sword with his +right, he fell to slaying the princes and knights on all sides. + +Soon the other princes and inhabitants of the city cried aloud: "O +Yaroslav Lasarevich, cease killing and slaying! It is the will of +fate--live with us and rule over our land!" But Yaroslav replied: +"Choose a Tsar from among yourselves: I am no Tsar for you." He +ceased, however, slaying the people, and taking some of the Tsar's +blood, put it into a phial; then mounting his horse, he rode out of +the city and away, until he came to Sir Raslanei, and, taking the +headless body, he set the head upon it, and sprinkled it with the +blood. Thereupon the Knight stood up, as if awakened from a dream; and +Yaroslav embraced him, and they called one another brothers: Raslanei +was the elder, and Yaroslav the younger. Then they parted, and each +rode his way. Raslanei rode to his Sadonic kingdom, to receive his +mother's blessing, as he wished to marry the daughter of the Tsar of +Shtchetin, and rule over that city. But Yaroslav rode on and on for +half a year, until he came to the kingdom of Daniil the White. On +entering the city he went straight to the prison, before which a +strong guard was posted: so he slew them all, broke open the gates, +entered the prison, and said: "Hail, O Tsar Kartaus, and thou my +father, Prince Lasar, and ye twelve knights! How does Heaven protect +you?" But the Tsar Kartaus answered: "Man, whence are thou, and what +is thy name?" "O Tsar," replied Yaroslav, "I was born in thy kingdom, +the son of Prince Lasar, and my name is Yaroslav. I have fulfilled thy +commands and slain the mighty Tsar, and have taken some of his blood." +Then said Kartaus: "If thy name is indeed Yaroslav Lasarevich, and +thou hast slain the Tsar and taken of his blood, anoint our eyes with +it; then we shall see the light of heaven and shall believe thee." + +So Yaroslav took the blood from his phial and anointed their eyes, and +they saw again; thereat they were overjoyed, and with tears exclaimed: +"O Yaroslav Lasarevich, it is indeed he!" and they embraced him. Then +the Tsar Kartaus asked him: "Where hast thou been so long?" "Wait an +instant," replied Yaroslav; and so saying, he left the prison, mounted +his good steed, and rode out of the city. + +Early the next morning Yaroslav cried out with a loud voice; and when +Prince Daniil the White heard the shout, he ordered the trumpets to +sound and the drums to beat. Then the Murses and Tartars flocked +around him, and divers warlike peoples, and Prince Daniil the White +rode with them all out of the city. + +Yaroslav Lasarevich took his shield and lance, and exclaimed: "As the +falcon pounces upon white swans and grey ducks, so darts the brave +Yaroslav Lasarevich upon the army of Daniil the White!" And many as he +slew with his sword, his steed trod down yet more, and he killed ten +thousand Murses, and a hundred thousand of the common Tartars; and he +made Prince Daniil the White prisoner, and led him up to the city. He +baptized all the little children up to the age of ten years into the +true religion, and pronounced a curse upon theirs. Then he commanded +the wife of Prince Daniil the White to be put to death, since she had +killed his mother, the Princess Epistimia; but he spared the life of +Prince Daniil and his nobles as he had not slain the Tsar Kartaus and +Prince Lasar; he only put out their eyes, and threw them into prison +under a strong guard. Then all the citizens came and fell with their +faces to the earth, and entreated Yaroslav to reign over them; but +instead, he seated the Tsar Kartaus on the throne, and Prince Lasar +and the twelve knights were restored to their posts of honour. So +there were great rejoicings, and they fell to feasting right merrily. + +When the tables were removed, Yaroslav Lasarevich stood up, praying to +the ikons of the Saints, and took leave of his father and the Tsar +Kartaus. All present followed him with their tears, and entreated him +not to leave them, but he mounted his horse, and making his bow, rode +off towards the city of Dobri, in the kingdom of the Tsar Vorcholomei, +to see the beauty of the Princess Anastasia. Now, in this country +there was a large lake, in which lived a huge three-headed Dragon +guarding a precious stone, that every year came to the shore and +devoured a number of men. The Tsar had proclaimed again and again that +if anyone slew this monster he would give them plenty of gold and +silver and towns. When Yaroslav came to the city and heard of this +proclamation, he mounted his steed again and rode off to the lake. As +soon as the monster espied him, he sprang ashore: Yaroslav's horse +trembled with fright, and fell on his knees, and Yaroslav was thrown +to the ground. Then the Dragon seized and drew him into the lake. +Yaroslav, who had nothing but his battle sword, leaped upon the back +of the monster, and with one blow struck off his two heads, and was +about to cut off the third, when the Dragon turned round, and +entreating him, said: "O Yaroslav Lasarevich, spare my life! From this +time I will never more come on shore and devour men, but will remain +at the bottom of the lake." Then said Yaroslav: "Give me the stone, +and I will set you free." So the monster went down into the lake, with +Yaroslav sitting upon his back; and Yaroslav received the precious +stone, and desired the Dragon to set him again on shore; but no sooner +had he done so, than Yaroslav struck off the Dragon's third head, and +mounting his steed, rode off to the city of Dobri, where the Tsar +Vorcholomei came out to meet him. When the Tsar heard his name, and +the exploit he had performed, he was overjoyed; and all the people of +the city came and bowed to the ground, and all the little children +jumped about, and there was great rejoicing in the city of Dobri. The +Tsar in his rapture gave a great feast, and invited all his princes +and boyars and people of different ranks, with their wives and +children. Then he took Yaroslav by the hand, and seated him by his +side at table and said: "Sir Yaroslav Lasarevich, thy will shall rule +over me and my whole kingdom; my treasures are open to thee--take gold +and silver, and towns and villages; and if thou wilt marry, I will +give thee my daughter, the Princess Anastasia, with one-half of my +kingdom as her dowry." Then Yaroslav, being merry and light-hearted, +said: "Show me thy daughter, O Tsar Vorcholomei." And the Tsar +instantly ordered his daughter to appear before him, dressed in +sumptuous attire, and she was more beautiful than any fancy could +imagine. Then Vorcholomei took her by the hand and led her to +Yaroslav. She reached to him a golden goblet of wine, and Yaroslav +said: "Health to thee, dear Princess, the fairest in the wide world, +long years of happiness to thee." And he kissed her sugared lips. Then +the Princess said to him: "Health to thee, too, my brave and dear +knight!" Then Yaroslav went to the Tsar Vorcholomei, and said: "O +Tsar, thy fair daughter pleases me, and I will take her to wife." So +Vorcholomei immediately commanded everything to be prepared for the +wedding: and they all fell again to feasting and making merry. + +Early the next morning the Tsar commanded another feast to be made +ready, and taking Yaroslav by the hand, said: "Brave knight Sir +Yaroslav Lasarevich, I give thee in marriage my dear and beauteous +daughter Anastasia: love her well and truly, and live in harmony with +her. And, that I may witness your happy life, I bestow on thee as her +dowry my whole kingdom: only guard it against enemies." Then said the +Tsar to his daughter: "Dear daughter, live with thy husband in peace +and love, and honour him, for the husband is always the head over the +wife." Thereupon he ordered them to drive off to church and be +married; and after the wedding they returned to the royal halls. +Yaroslav took the bride by the hand and led her to the Tsar +Vorcholomei, his father-in-law. All the princes and boyars, with their +wives, brought to him costly presents; and the Tsar received them and +said: "Long years of happiness to my lord Prince Yaroslav Lasarevich, +my beloved son-in-law, and his wife, my daughter, the fair Princess +Anastasia!" Then all the princes and boyars cried aloud with one +voice: "Hail, Sir Yaroslav Lasarevich, with thy young bride the fair +Princess!" and they bowed them to the ground. Then Yaroslav and the +Princess Anastasia, with all the princes and boyars fell to eating and +drinking and making merry. + +One day, as Yaroslav was conversing with Anastasia, he said: "My dear +Tsarina, fairest princess in the world, I have gone through many +kingdoms to behold thy beauty, and have heard of it far and wide from +every maiden; and now, dear, tell me truly, is there any fairer +princess than thou, or any braver knight than I?" Then the Princess +replied: "My dear friend, there is no braver or handsomer knight in +the world indeed than thou; but as for me--what is there fair and good +in me? In the country of the Amazons, in the City of the Sun, there is +a Tsarina Polikaria, who herself rules over the land; another such a +beauty there is not in the wide world." + +When Yaroslav Lasarevich heard this, he could think only of the +beautiful Polikaria; and one morning he arose early, and said to his +wife: "My dear Tsarina, I am going a journey to a certain city in a +distant country; keep this precious stone which I took from the +Dragon. Farewell! if I live, I will return to thee, but if death +overtakes me, have a Mass said for me." Thereat the Tsarina wept +bitterly, and fell to the ground as if dead with grief. Then Yaroslav +went to the Tsar Vorcholomei and said that he wished to pay a visit to +his father, Prince Lasar, and took his leave. + +Yaroslav journeyed for nine months, until at last he came to the City +of the Sun, and dismounted at the gates of the palace. When the +Tsarevna Polikaria beheld a handsome knight in the courtyard, she was +frightened at his appearance in the castle without her permission; and +when he entered she said to him: "Brave knight, whence comest thou, +and what dost thou seek in our kingdom?" + +He replied: "I am come from the kingdom of the Tsar Kartaus, the son +of Prince Lasar and the Princess Epistimia, and my name is Yaroslav. I +am come to pay my compliments to thee, and to behold thy unspeakable +beauty." At hearing this the Tsarevna Polikaria was rejoiced, took him +by his white hands, led him into the royal halls, and said: "Sir +Yaroslav Lasarevich, abide here and rule over my kingdom, and thy will +shall be my will." As Yaroslav gazed on her beauty he was troubled at +heart, but he could not refuse her request, so he remained there and +ruled over her kingdom. + +Meanwhile the Tsarina Anastasia had a brave little son; her father was +greatly rejoiced, and gave him the name of Yaroslav. He had rosy +cheeks, eyes like saucers, and a stout body: he was the image of his +father, and the Tsar, in his joy, ordered a great feast to be +prepared. + +When young Yaroslav reached his sixth year, he went to the Court of +his grandfather the Tsar Vorcholomei, and the children laughed at him, +crying: "Yaroslav, you have no father!" This angered him, and he began +to beat them; and when he seized one by the head, his head dropped +off, and when he seized a hand, the hand dropped off, and when he +seized a foot, the foot dropped off; nevertheless, the princes and +boyars dared not complain to the Tsar. Then little Yaroslav went to +his mother and said: "Mother, tell me the truth--have I a father or +no?" At this the Tsarina Anastasia sighed deeply, and replied with +tears: "Thou hast a father, child--the brave knight Yaroslav +Lasarevich; he is gone a long journey to the City of the Sun, in the +country of the Amazons." + +On hearing this, Yaroslav Yaroslavovich put on his armour to go in +search of his father; and his mother gave him a golden ring with the +precious stone. Then Yaroslav saddled his horse, took leave of his +mother and grandfather, and rode forth to seek his father. + +One morning, at early dawn, he arrived at the city of the Sun. Now, at +that time Yaroslav, his father, was in the camp; and when he heard the +voice of a strange knight, he cried: "Who comes riding this way? I +will go out and slay him." + +With the swiftness of a falcon's sweep, the two knights, father and +son, rushed at each other, and Yaroslavovich struck his father with +the butt-end of his lance, and well-nigh overthrew him. Then said +Yaroslav, the father: "Young boy, go to! or I'll punish thee!" So they +made a second onset, and Yaroslav Lasarevich thrust the butt-end of +his lance at his son and unsaddled him. And Yaroslav, the father, +aimed at him the sharp point of his lance, and was about to kill him; +but young Yaroslav seized the lance with his right hand, and the +precious stone sparkled on his finger. Then Yaroslav Lasarevich +exclaimed: "Whence comest thou, boy? Whose son art thou, and what is +thy name?" And the son answered: "I come from the city of Dobri, in +the kingdom of the Tsar Vorcholomei; my father is Yaroslav Lasarevich, +and my mother is the Tsarina Anastasia. But I know not my father; and +for this reason I am come hither in search of him. My name is +Yaroslav." + +On hearing this, his father leaped from his horse, raised his son, and +pressed him to his heart. Then they mounted their steeds and rode to +the city of Dobri, where they found all the people in lamentation, for +the Tsar Vorcholomei was dead. But the people recognised the knights, +and bowed before them and said: "Hail, our Lord Yaroslav Lasarevich +with your noble son! Our Tsar has left the dominion of our kingdom to +thee." Then the Tsarevna Anastasia came forth from her palace, fell to +the earth, and with tears exclaimed: "O my bright Sun, whence comest +thou to warm and cheer us?" Then she took him by his white hands and +led him into the royal apartments; and all the people, the princes +and boyars, made their obeisance to Yaroslav, and brought him rich +presents. + +Yaroslav mounted the throne with great pomp, took the sceptre, put on +the purple robes, and set the golden crown upon his head. Then he +called his son to him and said: "My dear child, take a war-horse, a +suit of armour, a battle sword and lance, and ride forth. Sit firmly +on thy horse, and be a brave knight, as I have been. Ride to the +kingdom of Daniil the White, to the Tsar Kartaus, and thy grandfather +Prince Lasar; then to my brother-in-arms, Ivan the Russian knight, who +now rules in the kingdom of the Tsar Feodul the Dragon-King, and to +the mighty knight, Raslanei, who rules in the kingdom of the Tsar +Fireshield. Inquire after the health of them all, and return to me. +Upon the journey be gentle and courteous, but brave." So Yaroslav +received his parent's blessing, and set out on his travels. + +In five years he had journeyed and paid all these visits, and returned +to his father. And on the way a little old man met him and stopped up +the road; but he asked him: "Old man, why dost thou place thyself in +my way, and wilt not let me pass?" And so saying, he was about to ride +over him, but the little old man saw his intention and said to him: +"Poor knight, wouldst thou kill a little old man? Thou canst get +nothing from the old." This did not please Yaroslav: he drew his sword +to slay the man; but just as he was rushing at him the old man blew on +him, and Yaroslav could not withstand even this mere breath of wind, +and fell from his horse like a sheaf of corn. Then the old man took +him by the arm and said: "Poor knight, wilt thou live or die?" +Yaroslav was so terrified that he could not answer a word. Then the +old man laid him on the ground and said: "No knight, no hero, above +all, no man, can stand against me; but art thou not the son of the +Tsar in the kingdom of Vorcholomei?" He answered that he was. Then +said the old man: "Ride home, but say nothing of me in that kingdom." +And with that he vanished. + +Yaroslav went to seek his father and mother, and they came to meet +him, and the princes and boyars threw themselves with their faces to +the ground before him. Then his father took him by his white hands, +kissed him on his sugared lips, led him into the royal halls, seated +him at the oaken tables spread with fine cloths, and gave a great +feast. And the elder Yaroslav began to question his son, and said: +"Thou hast travelled to thy grandfather Prince Lasar, tell me about +him and how he is." + +Then Yaroslav delivered the following letter from the Tsar Kartaus to +his father:--"The Tsar Kartaus sends hearty greetings to the great +Tsar and powerful knight Yaroslav Lasarevich! Health to thee and thy +lady wife, Anastasia Vorcholomeievna, and to thy son, Yaroslav +Yaroslavovich, and to thy princes and boyars and all thy subjects! I +continue to rule happily in my kingdom!" Upon the same paper was +written by Prince Lasar to his son: "To my dear son Yaroslav +Lasarevich, and my dear daughter-in-law, Anastasia Vorcholomeievna, my +grandson, Yaroslav Yaroslavovich, and thy whole kingdom, peace and +blessing! Rule and govern happily, and mayest thou be prosperous for +many long years!" + +Yaroslav Lasarevich was greatly rejoiced, and said to his son: "Hast +thou been to visit my brother-in-law, Prince Ivan the Russian Knight?" +And young Yaroslav gave a letter likewise from him to his father, in +which was written as follows:--"To the mighty Tsar of Tsars, and +Knight of Knights, my elder brother Yaroslav Lasarevich, hearty +greetings! Hail to thee, and happiness for many years, with thy lady +wife, Anastasia Vorcholomeievna, and thy son, the valiant knight +Yaroslav, and thy whole empire! Sire, when thy son entered my kingdom, +I was returning from battle; I knew not thy son, and imagined he was a +knight come to subdue my kingdom. I attacked him, and was about to +cut off his head with my battle sword; but he seized his long lance, +and with the butt-end thrust so boldly at my heart that I could hardly +keep my seat in my saddle; then said he: 'I am the son of Yaroslav +Lasarevich.' When I heard these words I pardoned him; but the wound he +gave me is not yet healed." + +Then Yaroslav delivered to his father another letter, from the knight, +Sir Raslanei, which ran as follows: "I, the great Tsar Raslanei +Prochorovich, to my younger brother, the great Tsar and powerful +knight, Yaroslav Lasarevich, send hearty greetings! And, with this +greeting, health and happiness to thee also, O Tsar, with thy fair +lady wife, Anastasia Vorcholomeievna, and thy son the brave knight +Yaroslav Yaroslavovich! Thy son has cleft my head and has pierced me +through with the butt-end of his lance, and my wounds remain still +unhealed; but I heard that he was thy son, and have pardoned him, and +sent him back to thee uninjured." + +Then Yaroslav related to his father everything in order; and soon the +feast was prepared, and they all made merry, and were in great joy at +Yaroslav's return. Then began Yaroslav Lasarevich to praise the +bravery of his son, and to tell how he had overthrown Tsars and +powerful knights; whereat all the princes and boyars marvelled at his +bravery, and declared there were no other such knights in the world as +these, father and son, and that no one could stand against them. + +Yaroslav Lasarevich subdued many cities to his dominion; and many +others, when they heard of his bravery, surrendered voluntarily to his +power. And he sat upon the throne in good health for twenty years, and +his age was forty-and-nine years and three months when he died. His +wife, Anastasia Vorcholomeievna, wept and was inconsolable for the +loss of her husband, and she also soon died of grief. And her son +Yaroslav wept for his father, the mighty knight Yaroslav Lasarevich, +and long too wept for his mother. Soon after he mounted the throne of +his father, and ruled with renown and glory. + + + W. JOLLY AND SONS, LTD., PRINTERS, ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND. + + + + +Transcriber's Note + +Inconsistent capitalisation has been preserved as printed. + +Hyphenation has been made consistent. + +Punctuation errors have been repaired. + +Typographic errors have been amended as follows: + + Page vi--highest amended to waving, for consistency--"The + Horse grew restive, reared higher than the waving forest" + + Page vi--in amended to on, for consistency--"At length + they fell in with a cripple on the road" + + Page 59--Tsarevitch amended to Tsarevich--"Early the + next morning Ivan Tsarevich awoke his master, ..." + + Page 68--Litscharda amended to Litcharda--"... he sent + his servant Litcharda as ambassador ..." and "When + Litcharda arrived at the city of Dimichtian, ..." + + Page 75--Andronovitch amended to Andronovich--"... to + the Armenian kingdom of King Sensibri Andronovich." + + Page 113--Miltrisa amended to Militrisa--"When Militrisa + raised the cloth and beheld the head, ..." + + Page 113--Miltrisa amended to Militrisa--"Militrisa at + once knew him, fell at his feet, ..." + + Page 158--Prituishkin amended to Prituitshkin--"Then + Goria mounted the steed, and Prituitshkin another, ..." + + Page 162--Scarely amended to Scarcely--"Scarcely, + however, had she entered the bedroom ..." + + Page 186--jduge amended to judge--"But the judge + Shemyaka sent his servant to the poor man ..." + + Page 188--beaautiful amended to beautiful--"Long life + and happiness to their Majesties and the beautiful + Princess Magilene!" + + Page 212--Bugrigor amended to Bogrigor--"... in which + dwells the daughters of the Tsar Bogrigor." + + Page 223--or amended to on--"... or knight on horse, + could stand before me." + + Page 238--cheeer amended to cheer--"... whence comest + thou to warm and cheer us?" + + Page 241--Yaroslavoich amended to Yaroslavovich--"... + and to thy son, Yaroslav Yaroslavovich, ..." + +Illustrations have been moved where necessary so that they are not in +the middle of a paragraph. The frontispiece illustration has been +moved to follow the title page. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Russian Garland, by Various + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30109 *** |