Upload
masdevid
View
152
Download
1
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
RUSSIAN AND UKRAINE FOLK TALES
YUDIANTO RACHWONO
Baba Yaga
Once upon a time there was a man and woman
who had an only daughter. When his wife died,
the man took another. But the wicked stepmother
took a dislike to the girl, beat her hard and
wondered how to be rid of her forever. One day
the father went off somewhere and the stepmother
said to the girl, "Go to your aunt, to my sister, and
ask her for a needle and thread to sew you a
blouse." The aunt was really Baba Yaga, the bony
witch.
Now, the little girl was not stupid and she first
went to her own aunt for advice. "Good morrow.
Auntie," she said. "Mother has sent me to her
sister for a needle and thread to sew me a blouse.
What should I do?" The aunt told her what to do.
"My dear niece," she said. "You will find a birch-
tree there that will lash your face; you must tie it
with a ribbon. You will find gates that will creak
and bang; you must pour oil on the hinges. You
will find dogs that will try to rip you apart; you
must throw them fresh rolls. You will find a cat
that will try to scratch your eyes out; you must
give her some ham." The little girl went off,
walked and walked and finally came to the witch's
abode.
There stood a hut, and inside sat Baba Yaga, the
bony witch, spinning. "Good day. Auntie," said
the little girl. "Good day, dearie," the witch
replied. "Mother sent me for a needle and thread
to sew me a blouse," said the girl. "Very well,"
Baba Yaga said. "Sit down and weave." The girl
sat at the loom. then Baba Yaga went out and told
her serving-maid, "Go and heat up the bath-house
and give my niece a good wash; I want to eat her
for breakfast." The serving-maid did as she was
bid; and the poor little girl sat there half dead with
fright, begging, "Oh, please, dear serving-maid,
don't bum the wood, pour water on instead, and
carry the water in a sieve." And she gave the maid
a kerchief.
Meanwhile Baba Yaga was waiting; she went to
the window and asked, "Are you weaving, dear
niece? Are you weaving, my dear?" "I'm weaving,
Auntie," the girl replied, "I'm weaving, my dear."
When Baba Yaga moved away from the window,
the little girl gave some ham to the cat and asked
her whether there was any escape. At once the cat
replied, "Here is a comb and towel. Take them and
run away. Baba Yaga will chase you; put your ear
to the ground and, when you hear her coming,
throw down the towel—and a wide, wide river
will appear. And if she crosses the river and starts
to catch you up, put your ear to the ground again
and, when you hear her coming close, throw down
your comb — and a dense forest will appear. She
won't be able to get through that."
The little girl took the towel and comb and ran. As
she ran from the house, the dogs tried to tear her
to pieces, but she tossed them the fresh rolls and
they let her pass. The gates tried to bang shut, but
she poured some oil on the hinges, and they let her
through. The birch-tree tried to lash her face, but
she tied it with a ribbon, and it let her pass. In the
meantime, the cat sat down at the loom to
weave—though, truth to tell, she tangled it all up
instead. Now and then Baba Yaga would come to
the window and call, "Are you weaving, dear
niece? Are you weaving, my dear?" And the cat
would answer in a low voice, "I'm weaving.
Auntie. I'm weaving, my dear."
The witch rushed into the hut and saw that the girl
was gone. She gave the cat a good beating and
scolded her for not scratching out the girl's eyes.
But the cat answered her, "I've served you for
years, yet you've never even given me a bone, but
she gave me some ham." Baba Yaga then turned
on the dogs, the gates, the birch-tree and the
serving-maid, and set to thrashing and scolding
them all. But the dogs said to her, "We've served
you for years, yet you've never even thrown us a
burnt crust, but she gave us fresh rolls." And the
gates said, "We've served you for years, yet you've
never even poured water on our hinges, but she
oiled them for us." And the birch-tree said, "I've
served you for years, yet you've never even tied
me up with thread, but she tied me with a ribbon."
And the serving-maid said, "I've served you for
years, yet you've never even given me a rag, but
she gave me a kerchief."
Crimson flower
Once upon a time in a far away land a merchant
was preparing to set out on a long journey. This
merchant had three daughters, and he asked all of
them what they would like as gifts for themselves
when he returned from his voyage. The first
daughter requested a golden crown, and the
second one wanted a crystal mirror. The third
daughter asked only for "the little scarlet flower."
2
The merchant set out on his journey. It did not
take him very long to find a beautiful golden
crown and a fine crystal mirror. He had difficulty
however, finding the third gift, the scarlet flower.
He searched everywhere, and eventually his
search led him into a magical forest. Deep within
these woods there was situated a palace, in whose
courtyard grew a beautiful flower. As the
merchant drew closer to the flower he realized
what it was, the scarlet flower. Cautiously, the
merchant picked the flower that his youngest
daughter wanted so badly. Upon picking the
scarlet flower he was confronted by a hideous
beast, who demanded that in return for picking the
flower the merchant must send one of his
daughters deep into the enchanted forest, to live
with the beast forever.
Upon recieving the scarlet flower, the merchant's
youngest daughter agreed to go to the beast. She
journeyed alone into the forest and found the
castle where she would dwell forever. For a time,
she lived there very happily. The beast had not
revealed himself to her, and showered her daily
with kindness and gifts. She started to grow quite
fond of her invisible keeper, and one day asked
that he show himself. The beast reluctantly gave
into her plea, and just as he had feared, she
recoiled in terror at the site of him.
That night the girl had a haughnting dream about
her father falling deathly ill. She begged the beast
to release her, so that she could find her dying
father. Touched by her concern, the beast released
her on one condition - that she return to him in
three days time. The girl found her father, and
prepared to return to the beast in the alloted time.
However, her sisters altered the time on the
clocks, making her arrive late. There upon her
arrival the girl was horrified at what she
encountered. The beast was dead, lying there
clutching her scarlet flower. Heartbroken, the girl
embraced the dead beast, and declared her love for
him. Having done this, she unknowingly broke the
evil spell, and her beloved beast awoke, turning
into a handsome prince.
They lived happily ever after
Daughter and Stepdaughter
Ukrainian folk tail
A widowed peasant with a daughter married a
widow who also had a daughter:
so they each had a stepchild. The stepmother was
a wicked woman and constantly nagged the old
man, 'Take your daughter off to the forest, to a
hut. She'll spin more yam there." What could he
do? He did as the woman said, carted his daughter
off to the forest hut and gave her steel, flint and
tinder, and a bag of millet, saying, "Here is fire;
keep the fire burning and the porridge boiling, sit
and spin, and let no one in."
Night fell. The maid heated the stove, cooked the
porridge, and suddenly heard a little mouse say,
"Maid, Maid, give me a spoonful of porridge."
"Oh, little mouse," she cried, "stay and talk to me:
I'll give you more than a spoonful of porridge, I'll
feed you to your heart's content." So the mouse ate
his fill and left. In the night a bear broke in,
calling, "Come on, girl, put out the light and let's
play blindman's buff."
The mouse came scampering up to the maid's
shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Don't be
afraid. Say yes, then put out the light and crawl
under the stove, and I'll run about ringing a little
bell." And the game began. The bear started to
chase the mouse, but could not catch him; he soon
began to holler and hurl logs at him; he hurled one
after the other, but kept missing, and he grew
tired. "You are good at playing blindman' s buff,
little girl," he said. "I will send you a drove of
horses and a cartload of good things in the
morning."
Next morning the old man's wife said, "Go and
see how much yam the girl has spun since
yesterday, old man." So off he set, while his wife
sat waiting for him to bring back his daughter's
bones! By and by the dog began to bark. "Bow-
wow- wow! The old man is coming with his
daughter driving a drove of horses and bringing a
cartload of good things." "You're lying, fleabag!"
3
shouted the step- mother. "Those are her bones
rattling and clanking in the cart." The gate
creaked, the horses raced into the yard, and there
were the old man and his daughter sitting in the
cart. With a cartload of good things! The woman's
eyes gleamed with greed. "That's a pittance!" she
cried. "Take my daughter to the forest for the
night: she'll come home driving two droves of
horses with two cartloads of good things."
The peasant drove his wife's daughter Natasha to
the hut and provided her with food and fire. At
nightfall she cooked porridge for herself. Out
came the little mouse asking for a spoonful of
porridge. But Natasha cried. "Be off. you pest!"
And she threw the spoon at him. The mouse ran
away. Natasha gobbled up the porridge all by
herself, put out the light and lay down in a corner.
At midnight the bear broke in. crying. "Hey.
where are you, girl? Let's have a game of
blindman's buff." The maid was silent, only her
teeth chattering from fear. "Ah. there you are."
cried the bear. "Here. take this little bell and run.
I'll try to catch you." Her hand trembling, she took
the little bell and could not stop it ringing. Out of
the darkness came the mouse's voice. 'The wicked
girl will soon be dead!"
Next morning the woman sent her husband to the
forest, saying, "Go and help my daughter drive
back two droves of horses with two cartloads of
good things." The peasant went off, leaving his
wife waiting at the gate. The dog began to bark.
"Bow-wow-wow! The mistress's girl is coming:
her bones are rattling in the bag, the old man's
sitting on the nag!" "You're lying, fleabag," cried
the dame. "My daughter's driving droves and
bringing loads." But when she looked up, there
was the old man at the gate, handing her a bundle.
When she opened it and saw the bones, she began
to rant and rage so much she died next day from
grief and fury. The old man lived out his life in
peace with his daughter; and with a wealthy son-
in-law, too.
Emelya and the Pike
Once upon a time there lived an old man who had
three sons, two of them clever young men and the
third, Emelya, a fool. The two elder brothers were
always at work, while Emelya lay on the stove
ledge all day long with not a care in the world.
One day the two brothers rode away to market,
and their wives said:
“Go and fetch some water, Emelya.”
And Emelya, lying on the stove ledge, replied:
“Not I. I don’t want to.”
“Go, Emelya, or your brothers will bring no
presents for you from the market.”
“Oh, all right then.”
Down climbed Emelya from the stove, put on his
boots and caftan and, taking along two pails and
an axe, went to the river.
He cut a hole in the ice with his axe, scooped up
two pailfuls of water, put down the pails and
himself bent down to look into the ice-hole. He
looked and he looked and what did he see but a
Pike swimming in the water. Out shot his arm, and
there was the Pike in his hands.
“We’H have some fine pike soup for dinner
today!” he exclaimed, delighted.
But the Pike suddenly spoke up in a human voice
and said:
“Let me go,’ Emelya, and I’ll do you a good turn,
too, some day “ Emelya only laughed.
“What good turn could you do me? No, I think I’ll
take you home and tell my sisters-in-law to make
some soup. I do so love pike soup.”
But the Pike fell to begging him again and said:
“Do let me go, Emelya, and I’ll do anything you
wish.”
“All right,” Emelya replied, “only first you must
prove you aren’t trying to fool me.”
Said the Pike: “Tell me what you want, Emelya.”
“I want my pails to go home all by themselves
without spilling a drop of water.”
4
“Very well, Emelya,” the Pike said. “Whenever
you wish something, you have only to say:
“By will of the Pike, do as I like’, and it will all be
done at once.”
And Emelya, nothing loath, said: “By will of the
Pike, do as I like! Off you go home, pails, by
yourselves!”
O nce upon a time there lived an old man who had
three sons, two of them clever young men and the
third, Emelya, a fool. The two elder brothers were
always at work, while Emelya lay on the stove
ledge all day long with not a care in the world.One
day the two brothers rode away to market, and
their wives said:
“Go and fetch some water, Emelya.”
And Emelya, lying on the stove ledge, replied:
“Not 1. I don’t want to.”
“Go, Emelya, or your brothers will bring no
presents for you from the market.”
“Oh, all right then.”
Down climbed Emelya from the stove, put on his
boots and caftan and, taking along two pails and
an axe, went to the river.
He cut a hole in the ice with his axe, scooped up
two pailfuls of water, put down the pails and
himself bent down to look into the ice-hole. He
looked and he looked and what did he see but a
Pike swimming in the water. Out shot his arm, and
there was the Pike in his hands.
“We’H have some fine pike soup for dinner
today!” he exclaimed, delighted.
But the Pike suddenly spoke up in a human voice
and said:
“Let me go,’ Emelya, and I’ll do you a good turn,
too, some day “
Emelya only laughed.
“What good turn could you do me? No, I think I’ll
take you home and tell my sisters-in-law to make
some soup. I do so love pike soup.”
But the Pike fell to begging him again and said:
"Do let me go, Emelya, and I’ll do anything you
wish.”
“All right,” Emelya replied, “only first you must
prove you aren’t trying to fool me.”
Said the Pike: “Tell me what you want, Emelya.”
“I want my pails to go home all by themselves
without spilling adrop of water.”
“Very well, Emelya,” the Pike said. “Whenever
you wish some-thing, you have only to say:
“By will of the Pike, do as I like’, and it will all be
done at once.”
And Emelya, nothing loath, said:
“By will of the Pike, do as I like! Off you go
home, pails, by yourselves!”
And, lo and behold! the pails turned and marched
up the hill. Emelya put the Pike back into the ice-
hole and himself walked after his pails.
On went the pails along the village street, and the
villagers stood round and marvelled while Emelya
followed the pails, chuckling. The pails marched
straight into Emelya’s hut and jumped up on the
bench, and Emelya climbed up on to the stove
ledge again.
A long time passed by and a little time, and his
sisters-in-law said to Emelya:
“Why are you lying there, Emelya? Go and chop
us some wood.”
“Not I.I don’t want to,” Emelya said.
“If you don’t do what we say, your brothers will
bring no presents for you from the market.”
Emelya. was loath to leave the stove ledge. He
remembered the
5
Pike and said under his breath:
“By will of the Pike, do as I like! Go and chop
some wood, axe, and you, wood, come inside the
house and jump into the stove.”
And lo! the axe leapt out from under the bench
and into the yard and began to chop the wood, and
the logs filed into the hut all by themselves and
jumped into the stove.
A long time passed by and a little time, and his
sister-in-law said to Emelva:
“We have no more wood, Emelva. Go to the forest
and cut some.”
And Emelya, lolling on the stove, replied:
“Andwhatareyou herefor?”
“What do you mean by that, Emelya?” the women
said. “Surelv it’s not out business to go to the
forest for wood.”
“But I don’t much want to do it,” Emelva said.
“Well, then you won’t get any presents,” they told
him.
There was no help for it, so Emelya climbed down
from the stove and put on his boots and caftan. He
took a length of rope and an axe, came out into the
yard and, getting into the sledee; cried:
“Open the gates, women!”
And his sisters-in-law said to him:
“What are you doing in the sledge, fool? You
haven’t harnessed the horse yet.”
“I can do without the horse,” Emelya replied.
His sisters-in-law opened the gate and Emelya
said under his breath:
“By will of the Pike; do as I like! Off you go to
the forest, sledge’” And, lo and behold? the sledge
whizzed out through the gate so quickly that one
could scarcely have caught up with it even on
horseback.
Now the way to the forest lay through a town. and
the sledge knocked down many people. The
townsfolk cried: “Hold him! Catch him’” But
Emelya paid no heed and only urged the sledge on
to go the faster.
He came to the forest, stopped the sledge and said:
“By will of the Pike, do as I hke! Cut some dry
wood, axe, and you. faggots, climb into the sledge
and bind yourselves together.”
And, lo and behold ! the axe began to hack and
split the dry wood, and the faggots dropped into
the sledge one by one and bound themselves
together. Emelya then ordered the axe to cut him a
cudgel, so heavy that one could scarcely lift it. He
got up on top of his load and said:
“By will of the Pike, do as I like! Off you go
home, sledge!”
And the sledge drove off very fast indeed. Emelya
again passed through the town where he had
knocked down so many people, and there they
were all ready and waiting for him. They seized
him, pulled him out of the sledge and began to
curse and to beat him.
Seeing that he was in a bad plight, Emelya said
under his breath:
“By will of the Pike, do as I like! Come, cudgel,
give them a good thrashing!”
And the cudgel sprang up and laid to, right and
left. The townsfolk took to their heels and Emelya
went home and climbed up on the stove again.
A long time passed by and a little time, and the
Tsar heard of Emelya’s doings and sent one of his
officers to find him and bring him to the palace.
The officer came to Emelya’s village, entered his
hut and asked him:
“Are you Emelya the Fool?”
And Emelya replied from the stove ledge:
“What if I am?”
6
“Dress quickly and I shall take you to the Tsar’s
palace.”
“Oh, no. I don’t want to go,” Emelya said.
The officer flew into a temper and struck Emelya
in the face. And Emelya said under his breath:
“By will of the Pike, do as I like! Come, cudgel,
give him a good thrashing.”
And out the cudgel jumped and beat the officer so
that it was all he could do to drag himself back to
the palace.
The Tsar was much surprised to learn that his
officer had not been able to get the better
ofEmelya and he sent for the greatest of his
nobles.
“Find Emelya and bring him to my palace or I’ll
have your head chopped off,” he said.
The great noble bought a store of raisins and
prunes and honey cakes, and then he came to the
selfsame village and into the selfsame hut and he
asked Emelya’s sisters-in-law what it was Emelya
liked best.
“Emelya likes to be spoken to kindly,” they said.
“He will do anything you want if only you are
gentle with him and promise him a red caftan for a
present.”
The great noble then gave Emelya the raisins,
prunes and honey cakes he had brought, and said:
“Please, Emelya, why do you lie on the stove
ledge? Come with me to the Tsar’s palace.”
“I’m well enough where I am,” Emelya replied.
“Ah, Emelya, the Tsar will feast you on
sweetmeats and wines. Do let us go to the palace.”
“Not I. I don’t want to,” Emelya replied.
“But, Emelya, the Tsar will give you a fine red
caftan for a present and a pair of boots.”
Emelya thought for a while and then he said:
“Very well, then, I shall come. Only you must go
on alone and I shall by follow by and by.”
The noble rode away and Emelya lay on the stove
a while longer said:
“By will of the Pike, do as I like! Off you go to
the Tsar’s palace, stove!”
And lo! the corners of the hut began to crack, the
roof swayed, a wall crashed down and the stove
whipped off all by itself into the street and down
the road and made straight for the Tsar’s palace.
The Tsar looked out of the window and marvelled.
“What is that?” he asked.
And the great noble replied:
“That is Emelya riding on his stove to your
palace.”
The Tsar stepped out on his porch and said:
“I have had many complaints about you, Emelya.
It seems you have knocked down many people.”
“Why did they get in the way of my sledge ?” said
Emelya.
Now, the Tsar’s daughter Tsarevna Marya was
loolong out of the palace window just then, and
when Emelya saw her, he said under his breath:
“By will of the Pike, do as I like! Let the Tsar’s
daughter fall in love with me.”
And he added:
“Go home, stove!”
The stove turned and made straight for Emelya’s
village. It whisked into the hut and went back to
its place, and Emelya lay on fhe stove ledge as
before.
Meanwhile, there were tears and wails in the
palace. Tsarevna Marya was crying her eyes out
for Emelya. She told her father she could not live
without him and begged him to let her marry
Emelya. The Tsar was much troubled and grieved
and he said to the great noble:
7
“Go and bring Emelya here, dead or alive. Do not
fail, or I’ll have your head chopped off.”
The great noble bought many kinds of dainties and
sweet wines and set off for Emelya’s village
again. He entered the selfsame hut and he began to
feast Emelya royally.
Emelya had his fill of the good food and the wine,
and his head swimming, lay down and fell asleep.
And the noble put the sleeping Emelya into his
carriage and rode off with him to the Tsar’s
palace.
The Tsar at once ordered a large barrel bound with
iron hoops to be brought in. Emelya and Tsarevna
Marya were placed into it and the barrel was
tarred and cast into the sea.
A long time passed by and a little time, and
Emelya awoke. Finding himself in darkness and
closely confined, he said:
“Where am I?”
And Tsarevna Marya replied:
“Sad and dreary is our lot, Emelya my love! They
have put us in a tarred barrel and cast us into the
blue sea.”
“And who are you?” Emelya asked.
“I am Tsarevna Marya.”
Said Emelya:
“By will of the Pike, do as I like! Come, o wild
winds, cast the barrel on to the dry shore and let it
rest on the yellow sand!”
And, lo and behold! the wild winds began to blow,
the sea became troubled and the barrel was cast on
to the dry shore and it came to rest on the yellow
sand. Out stepped Emelya and Tsarevna Marya,
and Tsarevna Marya said:
“Where are we going to live, Emelya my love? Do
build us a hut of some kind.”
“Not I. I don’t want to,” Emelya replied.
But she begged and begged and at last he said:
“By will of the Pike, do as I like! Let a palace of
stone with a roof of gold be built!”
And no sooner were the words out of his mouth
than a stone palace with a roof of gold rose up
before them. Round it there spread a green garden,
where flowers bloomed and birds sang. Tsarevna
Marya and Emelya came into the palace and sat
down by the window. Said Tsarevna Marya:
“Oh, Emelya, couldn’t you become a little more
handsome?”
And-Emelya did not think long before he said:
“By will of the Pike, do as I like! Change me into
a tall and handsome man.”
And lo! Emelya turned into a youth as fair as the
sky at dawn, the handsomest youth that ever was
born.
Now about that time the Tsar went hunting and he
saw a palace where one had never been seen
before.
“What dolt has dared to build a palace on my
ground?” he asked, and he sent hig messengers to
learn who the culprit was.
The Tsar’s messengers ran to the palace, stood
under the window and called to Emelya, asking
him to tell them who he was.
“Tell the Tsar to come and visit me, and he shall
hear from my lips who I am,” Emelya replied.
The Tsar did as Emelya bade, and Emelya met
him at the palace gate, led him into the palace,
seated him at his table and feasted him royally.
The Tsar ate and drank and marvelled.
“Who are you, my good fellow?” he asked at last.
“Do you remember Emelya the Fool who came to
visit you on top of a stove?” Emelya said. “Do
you remember how you had him put in a tarred
barrel together with your daughter Tsarevna
Marya and cast into the sea? Well, I am that same
Emelya. If I choose, I can set fire to your whole
tsardom and level it with the ground.”
8
The Tsar was very frightened and he begged
Emelya to forgive him.
“You can have my daughter in marriage and you
can have my tsardom, too, only spare me,
Emelya,” said he.
Then such a grand feast was held as the world had
never seen. Emelya married Tsarevna Marya and
began to rule the realm and they both lived
happily ever after.
And that is my faithful tale’s end, while he who
listened is my own true friend
Father Frost
In a far-away country, somewhere in Russia, there
lived a stepmother who had a stepdaughter and
also a daughter of her own. Her own daughter was
dear to her, and always whatever she did the
mother was the first to praise her, to pet her; but
there was but little praise for the stepdaughter;
although good and kind, she had no other reward
than reproach. What on earth could have been
done? The wind blows, but stops blowing at
times; the wicked woman never knows how to
stop her wickedness. One bright cold day the
stepmother said to her husband:
"Now, old man, I want thee to take thy daughter
away from my eyes, away from my ears. Thou
shalt not take her to thy people into a warm izba.
Thou shalt take her into the wide, wide fields to
the crackling frost."
The old father grew sad, began even to weep, but
nevertheless helped the young girl into the sleigh.
He wished to cover her with a sheepskin in order
to protect her from the cold; however, he did not
do it. He was afraid; his wife was watching them
out of the window. And so he went with his lovely
daughter into the wide, wide fields; drove her
nearly to the woods, left her there alone, and
speedily drove away—he was a good man and did
not care to see his daughter's death.
Alone, quite alone, remained the sweet girl.
Broken-hearted and terror-stricken she repeated
fervently all the prayers she knew.
Father Frost, the almighty sovereign at that place,
clad in furs, with a long, long, white beard and a
shining crown on his white head, approached
nearer and nearer, looked at this beautiful guest of
his and asked:
"Dost thou know me?—me, the red-nosed Frost?"
"Be welcome, Father Frost," answered gently the
young girl. "I hope our heavenly Lord sent thee
for my sinful soul."
"Art thou comfortable, sweet child?" again asked
the Frost. He was exceedingly pleased with her
looks and mild manners.
"Indeed I am," answered the girl, almost out of
breath from cold.
And the Frost, cheerful and bright, kept crackling
in the branches until the air became icy, but the
good-natured girl kept repeating:
"I am very comfortable, dear Father Frost."
But the Frost, however, knew all about the
weakness of human beings; he knew very well
that few of them are really good and kind; but he
knew no one of them even could struggle too long
against the power of Frost, the king of winter. The
kindness of the gentle girl charmed old Frost so
much that he made the decision to treat her
differently from others, and gave her a large heavy
trunk filled with many beautiful, beautiful things.
He gave her a rich "schouba" lined with precious
furs; he gave her silk quilts— light like feathers
and warm as a mother's lap. What a rich girl she
became and how many magnificent garments she
received! And besides all, old Frost gave her a
blue "sarafan" ornamented with silver and pearls.
When the young girl put it on she became such a
beautiful maiden that even the sun smiled at her.
The stepmother was in the kitchen busy baking
pancakes for the meal which it is the custom to
give to the priests and friends after the usual
service for the dead.
"Now, old man," said the wife to the husband, '' go
down to the wide fields and bring the body of thy
daughter; we will bury her."
9
The old man went off. And the little dog in the
corner wagged his tail and said:
"Bow-wow! bow-wow! the old man's daughter is
on her way home, beautiful and happy as never
before, and the old woman's daughter is wicked as
ever before."
"Keep still, stupid beast!" shouted the stepmother,
and struck the little dog.
"Here, take this pancake, eat it and say, 'The old
woman's daughter will be married soon and the
old man's daughter shall be buried soon.'" The dog
ate the pancake and began anew:
"Bow-wow! bow-wow! the old man's daughter is
coming home wealthy and happy as never before,
and the old woman's daughter is somewhere
around as homely and wicked as ever before."
The old woman was furious at the dog, but in spite
of pancakes and whipping, the dog repeated the
same words over and over again.
Somebody opened the gate, voices were heard
laughing and talking outside. The old woman
looked out and sat down in amazement. The
stepdaughter was there like a princess, bright and
happy in the most beautiful garments, and behind
her the old father had hardly strength enough to
carry the heavy, heavy trunk with the rich outfit.
"Old man!" called the stepmother, impatiently;
"hitch our best horses to our best sleigh, and drive
my daughter to the very same place in the wide,
wide fields."
The old man obeyed as usual and took his
stepdaughter to the same place and left her alone.
Old Frost was there; he looked at his new guest.
"Art thou comfortable, fair maiden?" asked the
red-nosed sovereign.
"Let me alone," harshly answered the girl; "canst
thou not see that my feet and my hands are about
stiff from the cold?"
The Frost kept crackling and asking questions for
quite a while, but obtaining no polite answer
became angry and froze the girl to death.
"Old man, go for my daughter; take the best
horses; be careful; do not upset the sleigh; do not
lose the trunk."
And the little dog in the corner said:
"Bow-wow! bow-wow! the old man's daughter
will marry soon; the old woman's daughter shall
be buried soon."
"Do not lie. Here is a cake; eat it and say, 'The old
woman's daughter is clad in silver and gold.'"
The gate opened, the old woman ran out and
kissed the stiff frozen lips of her daughter. She
wept and wept, but there was no help, and she
understood at last that through her own
wickedness and envy her child had perished
Fenist the Bright Falcon
Once upon a time there lived a peasant. His wife
died and left him three daughters. The old man
wanted to hire a servant-girl to help about the
house, but his youngest daughter Maryushka said:
"Don't hire a servant, Father, I shall keep house
alone."
And so his daughter Maryushka began keeping
house, and a fine housekeeper she made. There
was nothing she could not do, and all she did she
did splendidly. Her father loved Maryushka dearly
and was glad to have such a clever and hard-
working daughter. And how lovely she was! But
her two sisters were ugly creatures, full of envy
and greed, always paint-ed and powdered and
dressed in their best. They spent all day putting on
new gowns and trying to look better than they
really were. But nothing ever pleased them long --
neither gowns, nor shawls, nor high-heeled
boots.Now, one day the old man set out to market
and he asked his daughters:
"What shall I buy you, dear daughters, what shall I
please you with?"
"Buy us each a kerchief," said the two elder
daughters. "And mind it has big flowers on it done
in gold."
10
But his youngest daughter Maryushka stood silent,
so the father asked her:
"And what would you like, Maryushka?"
"Dear Father, buy me a feather of Fenist the
Bright Falcon."
By and by the father came back with the kerchiefs,
but the feather he had not found.
After a while the man went to market again.
"Well, daughters, make your orders," said he.
And the two elder daughters replied eagerly: "Buy
each of us a pair of silver-studded boots."
But Maryushka said again: "Dear Father, buy me a
feather of Fenist the Bright Falcon."
All that day the father walked about the market
and bought the boots, but the feather he could not
find. And so he came back without it. Very well,
then. He set out on his way to the market for the
third time and his elder daughters asked him:
"Buy us each a new gown."
But Maryushka said again:
"Dear Father, buy me a feather of Fenist the
Bright Falcon."
All that day the father walked about the market,
but still no feather. So he drove out of town, and
who should he meet on the way but a little old
man.
"Good day, Grandfather!"
"Good day to you, my dear man. Where are you
bound for?"
"Back to my village, Grandfather. And I don't
know what to do. My youngest daughter asked me
to buy her a feather of Fenist the Bright Falcon,
but I haven't found it."
"I have the feather you need; it is a charmed one,
but I see you are a good man, so you shall have it,
come what may."
The little old man took out the feather and gave it
to the girl's father, but it looked quite ordinary, so
the peasant rode home and he thought:
"What good can it be to my Maryushka?"
In a while the old man came home and gave the
presents to his daughters. And the two elder ones
tried on their new gowns and kept laughing at
Maryushka:
"Silly you were, and silly you are! Stick it in your
hair now -- won't you look fine with it!"
But Maryushka made no answer, she just kept
away from them. And when the whole house was
asleep, she cast the feather on the floor and said
softly:
"Come to me, dear Fenist, Bright Falcon, my
cherished bridegroom!"
And there came to her a youth of wondrous
beauty. Towards morning he struck the floor and
became a falcon. And Maryushka opened the
window and the falcon soared up into the blue
sky.And so for three nights she made him
welcome. By day he flew about in the blue
heavens as a falcon; at nightfall he came back to
Maryushka and turned into a handsome youth.
But on the fourth day the wicked sisters caught
sight of them and went and told their father.
"Dear daughters," said he, "better mind your own
business."
"All right," thought the sisters, "we shall see what
comes next."
And they stuck a row of sharp knives into the
window-sill and hid by watching.
And after a while the Bright Falcon appeared. He
flew up to the window, but could not get into
Maryushka's room. So he fluttered and fluttered
there, beating against the pane, till all his breast
was cut by the blades. But Maryushka slept fast
and heard nothing. So at last the falcon said:
"Who needs me, will find me, but not without
pains. You shall not find me till you wear out
three pairs of iron shoes, and break three iron
staffs, and tear three iron caps."
Maryushka heard this and she sprang from her bed
to the window. But the falcon was gone, and all he
left on the window was a trace of red blood.
Maryushka burst into bitter tears, and the little
tear-drops washed off the trace of red blood and
made her still prettier.And then she went to her
father and said to him:
"Do not chide me, Father, but let me go on my
weary way. If I live to see you, I shall, but if I do
not, then so must it be."
The man was sorry to part with his sweet
daughter, but at last he let her go.So Maryushka
went and ordered three pairs of iron shoes, three
iron staffs, and three iron caps. And off she set on
her long weary way to seek her heart's desire
11
Fenist the Bright Falcon. She walked through
open fields, she went through dark forests and she
climbed tall mountains. The little birds cheered
her heart with merry songs, the brooks washed her
white face, and the dark woods made her
welcome. And no one could do harm to
Maryushka, for all the wild beasts -- grey wolves,
brown bears and red foxes -- would come running
out towards her. At last one pair of iron shoes
wore out, one iron staff broke and one iron cap
was torn. And Maryushka came to a glade in the
woods and she saw a little hut on hen's feet
spinning round and round.
"Little hut, little hut," said Maryushka, "turn your
back to the trees and your face to me, please. Let
me in to eat bread within."
The little hut turned its back to the trees and its
face to Maryushka, and in she went. And there she
saw Baba-Yaga, the witch with a broom and a
switch, a bony hag with a nose like a snag.Baba-
Yaga caught sight of Maryushka and growled:
"Ugh, ugh, Russian blood, never met by me
before, now I smell it at my door. Who comes
here? Where from? Where to?"
"Granny dear, I am looking for Fenist the Bright
Falcon."
"It's a long way off, pretty maid! You will have to
pass through the Thrice-Nine Lands to the Thrice-
Ten Kingdom to find him. A wicked sorceress, the
queen there, has charmed him with a magic drink
and made him marry her. But I shall help you.
Here, take this silver saucer and golden egg. When
you come to the Thrice-Ten Kingdom get hired as
a servant to the Queen. After the day's work is
done, take the silver saucer and put the golden egg
on it. It will start to roll about all by itself. Should
they want to buy it, do not sell it -- ask them to let
you see Fenist the Bright Falcon."
Maryushka thanked Baba-Yaga and went off. The
woods became darker, and she got too frightened
to move, when all of a sudden there came a Cat. It
jumped up to Maryushka and it purred:
"Have no fear, Maryushka, it will be still worse
farther on, but go on and on and do not look
back."
And the Cat rubbed against her feet and was gone,
while Maryushka went farther. And the deeper she
went into the woods the darker it grew. She
walked and she walked, till her second pair of iron
shoes wore out, her second iron staff broke and
her second iron cap got torn. And soon she came
to a little hut on hen's feet with a strong fence all
round and terrible glowing skulls on the
pales.Maryushka said:
"Little hut, little hut, turn your back to the trees
and your face to me, please. Let me in to eat bread
within."
The little hut turned its back to the trees and its
face to Maryushka, and Maryushka went in. And
there she saw Baba-Yaga, the witch with a broom
and a switch, a bony hag with a nose like a
snag.Baba-Yaga caught sight of Maryushka and
she growled:
"Ugh, ugh, Russian blood, never met by me
before, now I smell it at my door. Who comes
here? Where from? Where to?"
"I want to find Fenist the Bright Falcon."
"And have you been to my sister?"
"Yes, Granny dear, I have."
"All right, then, my beauty, I shall help you. Take
this gold needle and silver frame. The needle
works all by itself and embroiders red velvet with
silver and gold. Should they want to buy it, do not
sell it -- ask them to let you see Fenist the Bright
Falcon."
Maryushka thanked Baba-Yaga and went on her
way. It crashed and it banged and it whistled in
the forest, and a weird light shone from the skull,
hanging round. How terrible it was! But suddenly
up ran a Dog:
"Bow-wow, Maryushka, have no fear, darling, it
will be still worse, but you go on and never look
back."
So it spoke and was gone. Maryushka went on and
on, and the woods got darker, scratching her knees
and catching at her sleeves. But Maryushka
walked and walked and never looked back.How
long she walked is hard to say, but the third pair of
iron shoes wore out, the third iron staff broke and
the third iron cap was torn. And she came to a
glade in the forest and saw a little hut on hen's feet
with a tall paling all round and glowing horse
skulls on the pales.Then said Maryushka:
"Little hut, little hut, turn your back to the trees
and your face to me, please."
The hut turned its back to the trees and its face to
Maryushka, and in she stepped. And there she saw
Baba-Yaga, the witch with a broom and a switch,
a bony hag with a nose like a snag.Baba-Yaga saw
Maryushka and she growled:
12
"Ugh, ugh, Russian blood, never met by me
before, now I smell it at my door. Who comes
here? Where from? Where to?"
"I'm looking for Fenist the Bright Falcon,
Granny!"
"It is no easy task to find him, my beauty, but I
shall help you. Here, take this silver distaff and
this gold spindle. Hold the spindle in your hands
and it will spin all by itself and the thread will
come out all gold."
"Thank you, Granny."
"All right, save your thanks until afterwards, and
now listen to me. Should they want to buy the
gold spindle, don't sell it, but ask them to let you
see Fenist the Bright Falcon."
Maryushka thanked Baba-Yaga and went on her
way. And it roared and rumbled and whistled in
the forest. The owls wheeled round, the mice
crawled out of their holes and rushed straight to
Maryushka. Then all of a sudden a Grey Wolf ran
up to her and said:
"Have no fear, Maryushka. Get on my back and
never look behind."
So she sat on the Wolf's back and off they flashed
out of sight. They passed wide steppes and velvet
meadows, they crossed honey rivers with custard
banks and they climbed tall mountains that
touched the clouds. On and on raced Maryushka
till she reached a crystal palace with a carved
porch and fancy windows. And there was the
Queen herself looking out of a window.
"Well," said the Wolf, "we've come, Maryushka.
Climb down from my back and get hired as a
servant at the palace."
Maryushka climbed off, took her bundle and
thanked the Wolf. Then she went up to the Queen
and bowed.
"I beg your pardon," she said, "I don't know your
name; aren't you in need of a servant-girl?"
"Yes," said the Queen, "it is long I have looked
for a servant, but the one I need must be able to
spin, weave and embroider."
"All that I can do," said Maryushka.
"Then come in and set to work."
And so Maryushka became a servant-girl. She
worked all the day until night-time, and then she
took out her golden egg and silver saucer and said:
"Roll about, golden egg, on your silver saucer,
show me my Fenist dear."
And the golden egg rolled about till Fenist the
Bright Falcon appeared before her. Maryushka
gazed and gazed at him and her tears ran fast.
"Fenist, my Fenist, why have you left poor me to
shed tears without you?"
And the Queen overheard her and said:
"Maryushka, sell me your silver saucer and golden
egg."
"No," replied Maryushka, "they are not to be sold,
but you may have them free if you let me see
Fenist the Bright Falcon."
The Queen thought for a while and then she said:
"All right, let it be so. To-night, when he falls
asleep, I will let you see him."
So when night came, Maryushka went to his
bedroom and saw Fenist the Bright Falcon. Her
darling lay fast asleep and could not be awakened.
She looked and she looked and she could not look
enough, and she kissed him on his sweet mouth,
and she pressed him to her white bosom, but her
darling slept on and did not awaken. Morning set
in, but still Maryushka could not rouse her
beloved.All that day she worked and in the
evening took her silver frame and gold needle.
And as it sewed, Maryushka kept saying:
"Get embroidered, little towel, get embroidered,
little towel, let my Fenist the Bright Falcon wipe
his face."
The Queen overheard her and asked:
"Maryushka, sell me your silver frame and gold
needle."
"Sell I will not," replied Maryushka, "but you may
have them free if you let me see Fenist the Bright
Falcon."
The Queen thought hard, but at last she said:
"All right, let it be so. Come and see him to-
night."
Night came on, and Maryushka entered the
bedroom and she saw her Fenist the Bright Falcon
lying fast asleep.
"O my Fenist, Bright Falcon, arise, wake up!"
But her Fenist slept on as fast as ever, and
Maryushka could not wake him up, try as she
might.At daybreak Maryushka set to work and
took out her silver distaff and golden spindle. And
the Queen saw her and began asking her to sell
them. But Maryushka replied:
"Sell them I will not, but you may have them for
13
nothing if only you let me see Fenist the Bright
Falcon."
"All right," said the other and she thought to
herself: "She won't wake him up anyhow."
Night drew on and Maryushka entered the
bedroom, but Fenist lay as fast asleep as ever.
"O my Fenist, Bright Falcon, arise, wake up!"
But Fenist slept on and would not
awaken.Maryushka tried and tried again to wake
him, but she could not. And soon it would be
morning. So Maryushka burst out weeping and
she said:
"Dearest Fenist, arise and open your eyes, look at
your Maryushka, press her close!"
And a hot tear fell from Maryushka's eyes on the
bare shoulder of Fenist and burnt it. Fenist the
Bright Falcon stirred and he opened his eyes and
saw Maryushka. And then he took her in his arms
and kissed her.
"Can it be you, my Maryushka? So you have worn
out three pairs of iron shoes and broken three iron
staffs and torn three iron caps? Cry no more. Let
us go home, now."
And they started getting ready for the homeward
journey. But the Queen noticed it and she bade her
trumpeters spread the news of her husband's
betrayal through all the towns of the land.And the
princes and merchants of her land came together
to hold council and decide how to punish Fenist
the Bright Falcon.
And then Fenist the Bright Falcon stood up and
said:
"Who do you think is the real wife, the one who
loves me truly or the one that sells and betrays
me?"
Everyone had to agree that only Maryushka was
fit to be his wife.
After that they went back to their own land. And
they had a grand feast there, and all the guns fired
and all the trumpets blew at their wedding. And
the feast they had was so grand, it is still
remembered. And they both lived happily ever
afterwards.
Flying Ship
Once upon a time, there lived an old peasant and
his wife. They had three sons. The two eldest were
clever. The old woman loved them. She cooked
them tasty dishes and laundered their clothes. The
youngest, whose name was Ivan, was dirty and
was considered a fool.
One day the Tsar had sent heralds to announce
that he wanted a Flying ship to be built and
whoever would built it would have the hand of his
daughter in marriage, as well as half his Kingdom.
The two eldest brothers decided to try their luck
and build such a ship. Their mother baked them
tarts, roasted chicken and goose to have on their
journey and gave them her blessing.
The brothers went to the forest and began to chop
trees. They chopped many branches and didn't
know what to do afterwards. They started to abuse
each other and suddenly noticed an old man
standing nearby.
- Why are you scolding? - he asked.
- Go away, beggary! - replied the brothers.
Some time later the brothers came back home. A
few days after, Ivan begged his parents for
permission to try his luck too.
- You will never be able to make such a journey
and will probably be eaten by wild animals on the
way, - said the mother.
The youngest insistent on his decision and started
his journey. The mother gave him a thick slice of
stale bread and sent him on his way.
Ivan went to the forest, fall a high pine-tree and
began to build the flying ship. The old man came
to him and asked:
- What are you doing here?
- I'm building the flying ship, - replied Ivan.
- It's difficult to build such a ship.
- Old people are wise, please, give me a piece of
good advice, - asked Ivan.
The old man instructed Ivan how he should build
the flying ship and Ivan built it with great ease.
The old man praised Ivan for a good work and
offered him to have a snack.
- I can offer you only stale bread. It's disgustful, -
14
said Ivan sadly.
- No matter, give me your bread, - replied the old
man.
Ivan gave him bread and it turned into fresh-bake
wheat bread as soon as the old man touched it.
After the meal they set sail and the old man
instructed Ivan:
- You should take on board every wayfarer whom
you pass!
Ivan thanked the old man profusely. No sooner
did he sit down in the ship than it rose up into the
air, soaring high above the treetops, the rivers and
the wide fields. As he flew along, he spied a man
below, kneeling on the ground, his ear pressed to
the earth. Ivan was very surprised and asked the
man:
- What are you doing with your ear pressed to the
ground?
- I am listening how birds are singing in distant
Southlands. I can hear all that is happening, no
matter where in the world it is, - answered the
man.
- Come and join me in my flying ship! - exclaimed
Ivan.
The man agreed, climbed on board and they flew
into the blue sky. They had not flown far when
they saw a man hopping on one leg with the other
tied to his ear. Ivan demanded him:
- Why are you hopping on one foot with the other
tied to your ear?
- If I don't do it, I will step across the world in no
time at all, - replied the man.
- Then come and join us in my flying ship! -
offered Ivan, bringing the ship down to land.
The man on one foot hopped into the ship and off
and they flew again over forest and meadow until
they noticed a man shooting his gun at nothing at
all in the sky. Ivan brought his ship down and
asked the man why he was aiming his gun at the
sky when there was not a bird in sight.
- I am aiming my gun at the greyhen, which is
sitting on the tree situated at a distance of a
thousand kilometers from here, - answered the
man.
- Come and join as! - said Ivan.
When he was on board, Ivan cast off. On and on
they sailed through the endless sky until they saw
a man below carrying a sackful of loaves on his
back. Ivan steered the ship until it was level with
the man and asked:
- Where are you going with such a load?
- I am going to town to get bread for my dinner, -
answered the man.
Ivan was puzzled and exclaimed:
- But you have a whole sackful of loaves on your
back!
The man replied:
- That's nothing. I could swallow that in one gulp
and still be hungry, - replied the man.
- Come and join us! - called Ivan, landing the ship
beside the Hungry Man, who accepted the offer.
As soon as he climbed aboard they soared off.
They had not gone far when they saw a man
walking round and round a lake. Ivan asked him:
- Why are you walking round the lake?
- I feel thirsty, but I can find no water, - answered
the man.
- But there is a whole lake of water in front of
you! - said Ivan.
- I would swallow this lake in one gulp and still go
thirsty, - replied the man.
Ivan invited him to join his voyage and the Thirsty
Man climbed on board. One they flew until they
saw a man walking into a forest with a bundle of
brushwood on his back.
- Why are you taking brushwood into the forest? -
asked Ivan.
- This is not just ordinary brushwood. I only have
to scatter it over the plain and a whole army will
spring up.
This man also joined the ship and shortly
afterwards they met a man carrying a bale of hay.
But this was no ordinary hay. No matter how hot
the sun, he only had to spread the hay upon the
ground and a cool breeze would spring up and
snow and frost would follow.
He was the last wayfarer to join the band in the
ship. They continued their journey and soon they
reached the royal courtyard. At that time the Tsar
was having his breakfast. Seeing the flying ship
landing not far from the palace, he immediately
ordered his servants to discover who the visitors
15
were. The servants told him that common peasants
arrived and there wasn't a single one of noble
blood. The Tsar was extremely displeased. How
could he possible allow his daughter to marry a
simple peasant? He asked boyars to help him and
they gave him the following advice:
- You should set impossible tasks for these
peasants and you will be able to get rid of them
without going back on your word.
So the Tsar ordered Ivan to bring him two jugs: a
jug of the Water of Life and a jug of the Water of
Death - and to bring them to him before he
finished eating his breakfast! Ivan was shocked
because he couldn't fulfill this order. Giantsteps
said:
- Don't worry, I will bring the jugs in a minute!
Giantsteps unhitched his leg from his ear, ran to
the remote kingdom and collected the jugs. Then
he thought to himself: "I have plenty of time and it
is possible to have a rest." He sat under a big oak
and dozed off. Back at the palace, the Tsar was
just finishing his breakfast and the men in the
flying ship were becoming uneasy. The first
wayfarer (the one who could hear the slightest
sound near and far) put his ear to the ground and
heard the mighty snores of Giantsteps beneath the
big oak. The Marksman took his gun and fired at
the oak. Acorns fell on the head of Giantsteps and
woke up him. Giantsteps jumped up and brought
the water in several seconds. The Tsar looked at
the jugs of the Water of Life and the Water of
Death and decided to test the magic water.
Servants caught a cock and splashed the Water of
Death on it. The cock died at once. Then servant
splashed the Water of Life on it and the cock
returned to life.
Foiled on the first task, the Tsar set a second. This
time it was even more impossible: to eat a dozen
roast oxen and a dozen freshy baked loaves at a
single sitting. Ivan groaned:
- I could not eat a single ox in a week!
The Hungry man calmed Ivan and said:
- Don't worry, that is only enough to whet my
appetite!
And so the Hungry Man devoured the twelve roast
oxen and twelve freshy baked loaves in one gulp -
and then called for more! The Tsar was furious.
He called for forty pails of beer to be poured into
each of forty barrels and commanded that all this
was to be consumed in a single draught.
Again Ivan was crestfallen. But the Thirsty Man
cheered him up:
- I can drain them all in one draught, and still have
room for more!
And so it was. This time the Tsar was desperate.
He gave orders for an iron bath-house to be heated
until it was white hot. Ivan had to spend the night
steaming himself in it. That would surely put an
end to him, the Tsar thought to himself.
Ivan entered the bath-house in the company of the
Straw Man, who scattered his hay across the iron
floor. This made the temperature drop so slow that
Ivan had barely washed himself before the water
turned to ice. When the Tsar unlocked the bath-
house the next morning, Ivan stepped out, washed
and clean and as fresh as a daisy!
The Tsar was beside himself with rage. He
commanded Ivan to assemble an entire regiment
of troops by the next morning. At last he had
found the best solution to the entire problem, for
where could a simple peasant raise an army? He
would be rid of Ivan once and for all!
Ivan was distressed because he couldn't complete
this order. The Brushwood suddenly exclaimed:
- You have forgotten me! I can raise a whole host
of fighting men in the twinkle of an eye. And if
the Tsar refuses to give up his daughter after that,
our army will conquer his kingdom!
In the morning Ivan and his friend went in the
field and spread brushwood over the grass and in a
twinkling a vast army of cavalry, infantry and
artillery appeared.
When the Tsar awoke the next morning and saw
the army before his palace, with banners and
pennants fluttering in the morning breeze, he took
fright and ordered his generals to withdraw the
royal army. The Tsar's army lost a battle and Ivan
burst into the palace. The Tsar was very
frightened, he groveled at Ivan's feet asking him to
marry his daughter. Ivan said:
- I won't obey you any more!
Ivan turned the Tsar out of the kingdom and
16
married the princess. No one ever refered to Ivan
as "The Fool" after that. He became a clever ruler
who was fair to common people. Everybody loved
and respected him especially the princess with
whom he lived happily for the rest of his days.
Fox, Hare and Cock
There was once a fox and a hare. The fox had a
house of ice, the hare a house of wood. Fair spring
came and melted the fox's house, while the hare's
stood firm and strong. So the fox asked the hare if
she could come in to warm herself, then drove him
out. The hare went down the road crying, and met
two dogs, who asked, "Wuff, wuff, wuff! Why are
you crying?" "Leave me alone, dogs! Who
wouldn't cry? I had a wooden house, while the fox
had one of ice. She invited herself into mine and
drove me out." "Don't cry, hare," barked the dogs.
"We'll chase her out." "No, you won't." "Oh, yes
we will." Off they went to the hare's house. "Wuff,
wuff, wuff! Come out of there, fox!" "Go away,
before I come and tear you to pieces," she shouted
back from the stove. The dogs took fright and
fled.
Once more the hare went on his way crying. This
time he met a bear who asked, "Why are you
crying?" "Leave me alone, bear," said the hare.
"Who wouldn't cry? I had a wooden house, while
the fox had one of ice. She invited herself into
mine and drove me out." "Don't cry, hare," said
the bear. "I'll chase her out." "No, you won't. The
dogs tried and failed; you'll fare no better." "Oh,
yes I will." Off they went to chase her out. "Come
on out, fox!" roared the bear. But she shouted
from the stove: "Go away, before I come and tear
you to pieces." The bear took fright and fled.
Once more the hare went on his way crying and
met an ox who asked, "Why are you crying?"
"Leave me alone, ox! Who wouldn't cry? I had a
wooden house,
while the fox had one of ice. She invited herself
into mine and drove me out." "Come with me, I'll
chase her out." "No, you won't," said the hare.
"The dogs tried and failed, the bear tried and
failed; you'll fare no better." "Oh, yes I will." Off
they went together to the hare's house. "Come on
out, fox!" But she shouted from the stove: "Go
away, before I come and tear you to pieces." The
ox took fright and fled.
Once more the hare went on his way crying and
met a cock with a scythe. "Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Why are you crying, hare?" "Leave me alone,
cock! Who wouldn't cry? I had a house of wood,
while the fox had one of ice. She invited herself
into mine and drove me out." "Come along with
me, I'll chase her out." "No, you won't," said the
hare. "The dogs tried and failed; the bear tried and
failed;
the ox tried and failed. You'll fare no better." "Oh,
yes I-will." So they went up to the house. "Cock-
a-doodle-doo! I'll cut that fox in two with my
scythe so sharp and true!" When the fox heard
that, she took fright and called, "I'm getting
dressed." Again the cock crowed: "Cock-a-
doodle-doo! I'll cut that fox in two with my scythe
so sharp and true!" And the fox cried: "I'm putting
on my fur coat." A third time the cock crowed:
"Cock-a-doodle-doo! I'll cut that fox in two with
my scythe so sharp and true!" The fox rushed out
of the door and the cock cut off her head. So the
hare and the cock lived together happily ever after
Golden Fish
Once upon a time, on the island of Buyan, there
stood a small tumble-down cottage; and in that
cottage dwelt an old man and woman. They lived
in great poverty. The old man would cast his net
and try to catch some fish; but all he caught was
barely enough to keep body and soul together each
day. One day the old man cast his net, began to
haul it in and felt something heavy in it; never had
he felt the like before. He could hardly pull it in.
Yet when he looked he saw the net was empty:
except for a little fish. But it was no ordinary
fish—it was golden. And it spoke in a human
voice, "Don't take me, old man! Let me go back to
the deep blue sea and I'll be useful to you: I'll do
whatever you wish." The old man set to thinking,
then said, "I need nothing from you: go back and
swim in the sea."
He threw the golden fish into the sea and turned
for home. The old woman asked him how much
he had caught. "Nothing but a single golden fish,
and that I threw back into the sea," he said. "It
spoke in a human voice: 'Let me go,' it said, 'into
17
the deep blue sea and I'll do whatever you wish.' I
was sorry for it, asked for naught and set it free."
"Oh, you old devil!" exclaimed his wife. "Good
luck falls from the skies and you haven't the sense
to grab it." She grew angry and cursed the old man
from mom till night, giving him no peace. "You
could have asked for bread at least," she yelled at
him. "We won't have a dry crust to eat soon,
what'll you do then?" In despatir the old man went
down to the seashore to ask the golden fish for
bread; coming to the sea-edge he shouted in a loud
voice: "Fish, oh fish! Stand with your tail on the
sea and your head facing me." The fish came
swimming to the shore. "What do you need, old
man?" it asked. "The old woman is angry with me
and has sent me for bread." "Go home, you'll have
bread aplenty," said the fish. So he went back
home and asked his old woman whether there was
any bread. "Bread aplenty," she replied. "But
here's the rub: my tub has sprung a leak and I can't
do the washing. Go back to your golden fish and
ask it for a new wash-tub."
Back went the old man to the sea. "Fish, oh fish!"
he shouted. "Stand with your tail on the sea and
your head facing me." Up swam the golden fish.
"What do you need, old man?" it asked. "The old
woman sent me, she wants a new wash-tub." "All
right, you'll have a wash-tub too," it said. Back
home went the old man; but before he had crossed
the threshold, the old woman set on him again.
"Go back," she said, "to your golden fish and ask
it to build us a new house. We can't live here any
more, it's falling about our ears." Off went the old
man to the sea, calling, "Fish, oh fish! Stand with
your tail on the sea and your head facing me." Up
swam the fish, stood its tail on the sea and faced
him directly, asking, "What do you need, old
man?" "Build us a new house," he said, "the old
woman is angry and won't give me any peace. She
says she won't live in the old cottage anymore,
because it's falling about her ears." "Cheer up, old
man," said the fish. "Go on home and say your
prayers; all will be done."
So the old man returned and what should he see
but a brand new house, made of oak, with carved
eaves. And there was his old woman rushing at
him, even wilder than before, cursing louder than
ever: "Oh, you old fool! You don't know good
luck when you stare it in the face. You ask for a
house and think that's enough! No, you go back to
that golden fish and tell it this: I don't want to be a
fisherman's wife, I want to be a fine lady, so that
good folk do as I tell them and bow low when
they meet me." Back he went to the sea and said
in a loud voice, "Fish, oh fish! Stand with your tail
on the sea and your head facing me." Up swam the
fish, stood its tail on the sea and faced him
directly. "What do you need, old man?" it asked.
"The old woman gives me no peace," he said.
"She's gone raving mad: she's tired of being a
fisherman's wife, she wants to be a fine lady."
"Very well, cheer up. Go home and say your
prayers; all will be done."
So the old man went home and was surprised to
see a big stone house in place of his hut, rising up
three floors; with servants running about in the
yard, cooks bangmg in the kitchen, and his old
woman sitting on a high chair in a rich brocade
dress, giving orders. "Hello, wife," the old man
said. "What impudence!" the bro- caded lady
cried. "How dare you address me, a fine lady, as
your wife. Servants! Take that silly old dolt to the
stables and give him forty lashes till he's sore."
Right away the servants came running in, seized
the old man by the scruff of the neck and hauled
him off to the stables. There he got such a
thrashing that he could barely stand. After that the
old woman made him her yardman; he was given
a broom to sweep the yard and made to eat and
drink in the kitchen. What a life the old man led:
all day sweeping out the yard, and if he missed a
speck of dust he was hauled off to the stables for a
whipping. "What a witch!" he thought. "I bring
her good fortune, and she sticks her nose in the
air, doesn't even consider me her husband."
By and by the old woman grew tired of being a
fine lady, had the old man brought to her and
ordered him, "Go back to the golden fish, you old
devil, and tell it this: I don't want to be the
Governor's Lady, after all; I want to be the
Queen." So the old man went down to the sea and
called, "Fish, oh fish! Stand with your tail on the
sea, and your head facing me." Up swam the
golden fish, asking, "What do you need, old
man?" "My old woman has gone even further
round the bend; she doesn't want to be a fine lady,
she wants to be the Queen." "Cheer up," said the
fish. "Go home and say your prayers; all will be
done." So the old man returned and instead of his
former home saw a towering palace with a roof of
gold; guardsmen with rifles marched up and
down; behind the palace were elegant gardens,
18
while in front was a big green meadow on which
troops were parading. The old woman, all dressed
up like a queen, appeared on the balcony with her
generals and governors, and began to inspect her
troops and take the salute. The drums went bang
and the music rang and the soldiers shouted
"Hurrah".
By and by the old woman grew tired of being the
Queen. She ordered a search for the old man so
that she might set eyes on him again. What a fuss
there was! The generals buzzed about, the
governors huffed and puffed. 'What old man could
she mean?' Finally he was found in the back yard
and brought before the Queen. "Lis- ten, you old
devil," the woman said. "Go to the golden fish and
tell it this: I don't want to be the Queen any more,
I want to be the Mistress of the Sea, so that all the
seas and all the fish obey me." The old man tried
to object. But what was the use? If he didn't go
he'd lose his head! So, reluctantly he went down
to the sea and called, "Fish, oh fish! Stand with
your tail on the sea and your head facing me." But
this time no golden fish appeared. The old man
called it once more—and again no fish. He called
it a third time—and suddenly the sea began to
murmur and seethe. Where the waters bad been
clear and blue, they were now black as pitch. Up
swam the fish to the shore, asking, "What do you
need, old man?" "The old woman has gone even
madder," he said. "She's tired of being the Queen
and wants to be the Mistress of the Sea, ruling all
the waters, commanding all the fish."
The golden fish said nothing to the old man, just
turned tail and vanished into the depths. The old
man went back and could scarce believe his eyes:
the palace had gone, and in its place stood a small
tumble-down cottage. And inside the cottage sat
his old woman in a ragged sarafan. They began to
live as before. The old man set ! about his fishing,
but no matter how often he cast his net into the
Golden Mountain
Once upon a time a merchant's son had too much
fun spending money, and the day came when he
saw himself ruined; he had nothing to eat, nothing
to drink. He took a shovel and went to the market
place to see if perchance somebody would hire
him as a worker.
A rich, proud merchant, worth many, many
thousands, came along in a gilded carriage. All the
fellows at the market place, as soon as they
perceived him, rushed away and hid themselves in
the corners. Only one remained, and this one was
our merchant's son.
"Dost thou look for work, good fellow? Let me
hire thee," the very rich merchant said to him.
"So be it; that's what I came here for."
"And thy price?"
"A hundred rubles a day will be sufficient for me."
"Why so much?"
"If too much, go and look for some one else;
plenty of people were around and when they saw
thee coming, all of them rushed away."
"All right. To-morrow come to the landing place."
The next day, early in the morning, our merchant's
son arrived at the landing; the very rich merchant
was already there waiting.
They boarded a ship and went to sea. For quite a
long time they journeyed, and finally they
perceived an island. Upon that island there were
high mountains, and near the shore something
seemed to be in flames.
"Yonder is something like fire," said the
merchant's son.
"No, it is my golden palace."
They landed, came ashore, and--look there! the
rich merchant's wife is hastening to meet him, and
along with her their young daughter, a lovely girl,
prettier than you could think or even dream of.
The family met; they greeted one another and
went to the palace. And along with them went
their new work-man. They sat around the oak
table and ate and drank and were cheerful.
"One day does not count," the rich merchant said;
"let us have a good time and leave work for to-
morrow."
19
The young workman was a fine, brave fellow,
handsome and stately, and the merchant's lovely
daughter liked him well.
She left the room and made him a sign to follow
her. Then she gave him a touchstone and a flint.
"Take it," she said; "when thou art in need, it will
be useful."
The next day the very rich merchant with his hired
workman went to the high golden mountain. The
young fellow saw at once that there was no use
trying to climb or even to crawl up.
"Well," said the merchant, "let us have a drink for
courage."
And he gave the fellow some drowsy drink. The
fellow drank and fell asleep.
The rich merchant took out a sharp knife, killed a
wretched horse, cut it open, put the fellow inside,
pushed in the shovel, and sewed the horse's skin
together, and himself sat down in the bushes.
All at once crows came flying, black crows with
iron beaks. They took hold of the carcass, lifted it
up to the top of the high mountain, and began to
pick at it.
The crows soon ate up the horse and were about to
begin on the merchant's son, when he awoke,
pushed away the crows, looked around and asked
out loud:
"Where am I?"
The rich merchant below answered:
"On a golden mountain; take the shovel and dig
for gold."
And the young man dug and dug, and all the gold
he dug he threw down, and the rich merchant
loaded it upon the carts.
"Enough!" finally shouted the master. "Thanks for
thy help. Farewell!"
"And I--how shall I get down?"
"As thou pleasest; there have already perished
nine and ninety of such fellows as thou. With thee
the count will be rounded and thou wilt be the
hundredth."
The proud, rich merchant was off.
"What shall I do?" thought the poor merchant's
son. ''Impossible to go down! But to stay here
means death, a cruel death from hunger."
And our fellow stood upon the mountain, while
above the black crows were circling, the black
crows with iron beaks, as if feeling already the
prey.
The fellow tried to think how it all happened, and
he remembered the lovely girl and what she said
to him in giving him the touchstone and the flint.
He remembered how she said:
"Take it. When thou art in need it will prove
useful."
"I fancy she had something in mind; let us try."
The poor merchant's son took out stone and flint,
struck it once and lo! two brave fellows were
standing before him.
"What is thy wish? What are thy commands?" said
they.
"Take me from this mountain down to the
seashore."
And at once the two took hold of him and
carefully brought him down.
Our hero walks along the shore. See
there! a vessel comes sailing near the island.
"Ahoy! good people! take me along!"
"No time to stop!" And they went sailing by. But
the winds arose and the tempest was heavy.
"It seems as if this fellow over there is not an
ordinary man; we had better go back and take him
along," decided the sailors.
20
They turned the prow toward the island, landed,
took the merchant's son along with them and
brought him to his native town.
It was a long time, or perhaps only a short time
after--who could tell?--that one day the merchant's
son took again his shovel and went to the market
place in search of work.
The same very rich merchant came along in his
gilded carriage; and, as of old, all the fellows who
saw him coming rushed away.
The merchant's son remained alone.
"Will you be my workman?"
"I will at two hundred rubles a day. If so, let us to
work."
"A rather expensive fellow."
"If too expensive go to others; get a cheap man.
There were plenty of people, but when thou didst
appear--thou seest thyself--not one is left."
"Well, all right. Come to-morrow to the landing
place."
They met at the landing place, boarded a ship and
sailed toward the island.
The first day they spent rather gayly, and on the
second, master and workman went to work.
When they reached the golden mountain the rich,
proud merchant treated his hired man to a tumbler.
"Before all, have a drink."
"Wait, master! thou art the head; thou must drink
the first. Let me treat thee this time."
The young man had already prepared some of the
drowsy stuff and he quickly mixed it with the
wine and presented it to the master.
The proud merchant drank and fell sound asleep.
Our merchant's son killed a miserable old horse,
cut it open, pushed his master
and the shovel inside, sewed it all up and hid
himself in the bushes.
All at once black crows came flying, --black
crows with iron beaks; they promptly lifted up the
horse with the sleeping merchant inside, bore it to
the top of the mountain, and began to pick the
bones of their prey.
When the merchant awoke he looked here and
looked there and looked everywhere.
"Where am I?"
"Upon the golden mountain. Now if thou art
strong after thy rest, do not lose time; take the
shovel and dig. Dig quickly and I'll teach thee
how to come down."
The proud, rich merchant had to obey and dug and
dug. Twelve big carts were loaded.
"Enough!" shouted the merchant's son. "Thank
thee, and farewell!"
"And I?"
"And thou mayst do as thou wishest! There are
already ninety and nine fellows perished before
thee; with thyself there will be a hundred."
The merchant's son took along with him the
twelve heavy carts with gold, arrived at the golden
palace and married the lovely girl; the rich
merchant's daughter became mistress of all her
father's wealth, and the merchant's son with his
family moved to a large town to live.
And the rich merchant, the proud, rich merchant?
He himself, like his many victims, became the
prey of the black crows, black crows with iron
beaks.
Well, sometimes it happens just so.
Ilya the Murom
Illya of Murom was born near the town of Murom
into a family of poor peasants. His father and
mother chopped wood in the forest for a living
and farmed a small plot of land and they fed Illya
who had weak legs and could not walk. For thirty
years he lay on the stove without getting up and
did no work.
One day, when he was thirty years of age and
lying on the stove as usual and his father and
mother were away at work, three old men came up
to their house.
"Open the door, Illya!" they called.
"I cannot!" Illya called back. "My legs are weak
and I dare not get up.
"You can do it if you try, Illya. Come, get up!"
Illya tried hard. He pulled and strained, and,
swinging his legs over the side of the stove, leapt
down onto the floor. Then, walking easily across
the room, he opened the door and let in the old
men.
"You have been very ill, Illya, but you are well
now," the old man said. "Rejoice and let your
father and mother rejoice with you, for you will
always be healthy and strong like a true bohatyr
brave warrior! They held out a jug of water to him
and said again:
"Here, drink this water and a change will come
over you. There.. How strong do you feel?"
"Very strong."
"That is good. Drink some more!"
Illya lifted the jug to his lips and took a long
drink.
"Well, do you feel any stronger now?"
"Yes! I feel so strong that if a ring were to be
driven into the earth and I were to take hold of it, I
could turn the earth upside down!"
"Good! Very good! And now listen, Illya. You
must not boast of your strength or tell anyone
about it but do only that which will please your
father and mother. Harm none but do good to all."
Now, this was a time when Rus was overrun by
the Tatars, and Illya of Murom decided to come to
his country's defense. Kazan had been besieged,
with three tsars, bohatyrs all three, leading the
enemy host, and it was thither he hastened. He
approached the town, and, pulling an oak tree up
by the roots, began smiting the Tatars with it, and
he struck down all but a few of them. Of the
whole enemy host only the three tsars were still on
their feet, and Illya came up to them and said:
"Go back whence you came and tell your people
never to cross our borders again. I only left you
alive in order that you might do so. Rus has Illya
of Murom defending her, and he is a great bohatyr
whom none can vanquish."
The Tatar tsars went back to their own land, and
Illya of Murom rode into Kazan. The streets were
empty, for the townsfolk had sought shelter in
their homes and in the churches. Illya entered a
church and found it full of people who were
praying and weeping.
"What are you doing here, good folk?" he asked.
"Cannot you see for yourself!" said they. "The
Tatars are at our gates and there is not a man or a
woman among us who is not in danger of being
slain."
"Speak you of Tatars? But there are none
anywhere near. Go and see for yourselves!"
They went outside, and lo! — the Tatars were
indeed gone and it was as though they had never
been.
After that there was much rejoicing and
merrymaking, and the towns- folk thanked Illya of
Murom and begged him to stay with them.
But Illya said:
"Nay, that I cannot do! I delivered Kazan from the
Tatars, and now I must haste to other towns and
free them too. Fear nothing, for no foe will come
to bother you again. Live as you lived before and
be at peace!"
And Illya of Murom got on his horse and made for
Kiev.
Now, all who went there took a roundabout way
as the regular road was blocked by Solovei the
22
Whistler-Robber who slew all who came near: not
a bird could fly, not a beast could run, not a
bohatyr could ride past him. But Illya of Murom
took the road that led straight to Kiev
and so had to pass the forest where Solovei lay in
wait. On three oaks he sat and nine branches in a
nest he had built for himself and from which he
could see over the whole of the forest. And the
moment he spied anyone he would whistle like a
bird and roar like a beast, and the leaves would
rain from the trees, the trees crash to the ground,
and all who happened to be passing by drop dead.
Illya of Murom came riding past the forest, and
Solovei the Whistler- Robber saw him and
whistled like a bird, and the leaves rained down
from the trees; he roared like a beast, and Illya's
horse stumbled and fell onto its knees. But Illya of
Murom drove his knee into the horse's flank and
cried:
"A horse of mine to fear Solovei the Whistler-
Robber? Up now or I'll give you to the dogs!"
The horse stood up, and Illya rode on. He was
close now to where Solovei the Whistler-Robber
was waiting, and, seeing him, Solovei leapt down
to the ground and made for him. But Illya of
Murom took aim and sent an arrow straight into
Solovei's right eye. The arrow pierced
Solovei's head and came out from the back of it,
and Solovei fell to the ground. Illya sprang up to
him, and, seizing him, held him in his grip, and
Solovei knew Illya for one stronger than he and
told himself that his end had come.
Illya untied the stirrups from his saddle, and,
binding the Whistler- Robber's arms and legs with
strong leather thongs, tied him to it, sprang on the
horse's back and made for Solovei's house.
Now, Solovei the Whistler-Robber had a daughter
who was as strong as any bohatyr, and when this
daughter saw Illya of Murom come riding up, with
her father hanging from his saddle, she seized an
iron bar weighing all of ninety pods and hurled it
at him. But Illya of Murom
stopped the bar with his shoulder and sent it flying
back and it struck Solovei's daughter and killed
her on the spot. Solovei's wife came out, and,
seeing that her husband's life was in danger, began
to plead with Illya, begging him to spare Solovei
and promising to pay him as large a ransom in
either gold or silver as he wanted. But Illya of
Murom would have none of it.
"Nay, Solovei has lived long enough!" he said.
"Never would I spare one who killed and
orphaned so many! And I want none of your gold.
It is not riches I covet — I seek to defend the
wronged and helpless!-" And turning round his
horse, he headed for Kiev.
Now, it was Prince Volodimir who reigned in
Kiev at the time, and when Illya of Murom arrived
the Prince was holding a feast at which all his
bohatyrs had gathered. Illya told the Prince who
he was, and the Prince asked him by what road he
had traveled.
"By the road that runs straight to Kiev, Prince,"
Illya said.
At this all the bohatyrs sprang up from their seats,
and one who was more famed than any, Alyosha,
Son of a Priest, said:
"He lies, Prince, it cannot be! For who can travel
by the road that runs straight to Kiev, with Solovei
the Whistler-Robber lying in wait there and not a
bird being able to fly nor a beast to run past him!
"Do you then call yourself a true bohatyr, you
who fear Solovei the Whistler-Robber?" said Illya
of Murom. "Let me show you where Solovei is!"
He led the Prince, his wife and the bohatyrs into
the courtyard and pointed at the Whistler-Robber.
"There he is?" he said.
They looked, and, seeing Solovei dangling from
the saddle, knew Illya of Murom to be a true
bohatyr, for who but a true bohatyr could have
vanquished such a one!
Prince Volodimir said not a word to Illya, but
addressed Solovei.
"Come, Solovei, whistle like a bird and roar like a
beast!" he said.
But Solovei the Whistler-Robber only sneered.
"It was not you who took me captive and it is not
for you to tell me what to do!" he said.
23
The Prince turned to Illya of Murom.
"Bid him do as I said?" said he.
Said Illya of Murom:
"Come, Prince, and you, Princess, stand beside
me, and I will throw my cape over you that your
eardrums might not burst when Solovei whistles."
He threw his cape over them and turned to
Solovei.
"Hark now, Solovei, do as I bid and whistle like a
bird!" he cried.
Solovei whistled like a bird, and lo! — the leaves
rained from the trees, and Prince Volodimir's
bohatyrs fell to the ground and began crawling
across the courtyard on all fours in their fright.
Then Solovei roared like a beast, and they
stumbled and fell and were so dazed that they
knew not where to go. But Prince Volodimir and
his Princess were safe under Illya of Murom's
cape.
"And is this how brave you are, my gallants!" said
Illya of Murom to the Prince's bohatyrs. "Why did
I not fly from Solovei as you do!"
He led Solovei the Whistler-Robber out into the
field and cut off his head. And now that Solovei
was dead, he stayed with the Prince and lived in
his palace.
One day the bohatyrs again came to visit the
Prince. They spent the time in revelry, and they
quarreled with Illya and so set the Prince against
him that he threw him into a dungeon. He had an
earthen wall put up around it, and, thinking to
starve Illya to death, sent him no food for three
years. But the Prince's daughter brought him food
and drink in secret from her father, and though the
Prince thought him dead, Illya was alive and well.
Three years passed, and a Tatar tsar, Kalin by
name, who was famed for his prowess in battle,
sent a messenger to Prince Volodimir with a letter
for him in which he wrote as follows:
"Kalin, Tsar of the Tatars, writes you this. Of my
own lands I have not enough and wish to add your
Kiev lands to them. Should you refuse to
surrender Kiev I shall lead my host against you
and seize it, and you and the Princess shall work
in my kitchens."
Prince Volodimir read the letter and turned white
with fear. He spoke to his wife, but as they could
not think what to do they called their daughter and
asked her counsel.
"Send for Illya of Murom. Perhaps he is still
alive," the daughter said.
"You must be out of your senses, daughter!' said
the Prince. "Illya has been kept in a dungeon
without food for three years. So not only is he
long dead by now but his bones have long turned
to dust.
"Send for him all the same, Father!"
The Prince was vexed by this and said so, but the
daughter said again:
"But, Father, what if he is still alive?"
Seeing her so insistent, the Prince argued no more.
"Very well, I'll send someone there to see."
He sent his men to the dungeon, and they dug a
passage in the earthen wall and made their way
into it. And lo! — there sat Illya of Murom, alive
and well, singing songs to pass the time. The men
came back to the Prince.
"Illya of Murom is alive, Prince, and as well as he
ever was," said they.
"Speak you truly?" the Prince demanded.
"Aye, Prince."
"Then let us go there at once!"
And the Prince hastened to the dungeon.
He unlocked all the doors, let out Illya of Murom
and said to him in pleading tones:
"Be not wroth with me, Illya, for letting my anger
24
get the better of me, help me out in my trouble."
"Nay, Prince, ask not for my help. You kept me
here in order to starve me to death!" said Illya.
The Prince went away and sent the Princess, his
wife, to talk to Illya, but he would have none of
her and all her pleas availed her nothing. Then the
Prince's daughter offered to speak to him and went
to the dungeon, and when he saw her Illya said:
"You brought me food, maid, and did not let me
die, and I will fight for you and defend Rus.
Lucky are your father and mother to have such a
daughter!"
Out he stepped from the dungeon and went forth
to war against Tsar Kalin. He routed Tsar Kalin's
host, but Tsar Kalin was a strong man and a true
bohatyr and he said that now that his men had
fallen in battle he would himself fight Illya of
Murom. For three long days they fought, and Tsar
Kalin got the better of Illya He threw him to the
ground and held him in an iron grip."
But Tsar Kalin, who had three beautiful daughters,
did not mean to kill Illya of Murom but only to
frighten him. So he pulled out his dagger and
cried: "Beware, for I will cut you to ribbons, Illya
of Murom!- And in the next breath: "Nay, live,
bohatyr! Take one of my daughters to wife and
join forces with me! Leave your princes! Why
should you fight for them when they do nothing
for you?"
Now, Illya of Murom knew, for so the old men
who had cured him of his long illness had told
him, that he drew his strength from his native soil
and that the longer he lay on the bare earth the
stronger
he would become. So when Tsar Kalin threw him
down and held him pinned to the ground, he was
glad, for he felt himself growing stronger. He lay
there and waited, and Tsar Kalin, seeing him so
calm, was enraged and said:
"Refuse to do as I say, and you will die!"
But Illya made no reply, and it was only when he
felt himself to have become strong again, stronger
than ever he was, that he caught Tsar Kalin with
his legs and hurled him high. Up into the air a full
ten meters flew Tsar Kalin and then he fell to the
ground and there was little life left in him. And
Illya of Murom seized him by the legs and began
swinging him round and round, using his body to
smite those men of his who were still alive. And
in this way he slew them all.
After that he came back to Kiev, married Prince
Volodimir's daughter and lived out his life in
peace.
Ivan Tsarevitch and the Grey Wolf
Once upon a time there lived a Tsar who had three
sons. The youngest was called Ivan. The Tsar had
a wonderous garden. In it grew a tree with golden
apples. Someone began coming to the Tsar's
garden to steal the apples. The Tsar became upset
about it. He sent some guards there.
None of the guards were able to track the culprit.
The Tsar stopped eating and drinking, he became
listless. His sons tried to comfort him: "Dear
Father, don't grieve, we ourselves will guard the
garden." The oldest son said: "Today is my turn, I
will go to watch over the garden." The oldest son
set out for the garden.
A little while before evening, there wasn't a trace
of anyone, and he lay down on the soft grass and
fell asleep. In the morning the Tsar asked him:
"Well, enlighten me, did you see the culprit?"
"No, Father, all night I didn't sleep, my eyes never
closed, but I didn't see anything."
On the next night the middle son went to stand
guard and also slept the whole night, but in the
morning said that he hadn't seen the culprit. At
last it was time for the youngest son to stand
watch. Ivan went to guard his father's garden, and
even though he was sitting there afraid, he didn't
25
lie down. When he started to dream, he took dew
from the grass and wiped the dream from his eyes.
Midnight came, and to him it appeared there was
light in the garden. It got brighter and brighter. All
the garden was lit up. He saw the Firebird sitting
in the apple tree, pecking at the golden apples.
Ivan Tsarevich crawled toward the apple tree and
grabbed the bird by the tail. The Firebird flapped
it's wings and flew away, leaving in Ivan's hand,
one feather.
In the morning Ivan Tsarevich went to his father.
"Well, my dear Vanya, you didn't see the culprit
either?" "Dear Father, I remember but don't
remember, who destroys our garden. Here is a
memento from the culprit for you to take. It is,
Dear Father, the Firebird."
The Tsar took the feather, and from that time
began to eat and to drink, and knew no more
sorrow. It was a beautiful time to him and he
pondered about the Firebird. He called his sons
and said to them: "My dear children, saddle would
you good steeds, go would you about the wide
world, to places unknown, where you might catch
the Firebird.
The children bowed to their father, saddled good
horses and set out on their way. The oldest in one
direction, the middle in another, and Ivan
Tsarevich in the third direction. Ivan went a long
time, or a short time. The day was summery. Ivan
Tsarevich grew tired, got down from his horse,
fettered him, and tumbled down to sleep.
A long time or a short time passed, Ivan Tsarevich
woke up and saw, no horse. He went to look for
him, he walked and walked and hoped to find his
horse nibbling on a bush. Thought Ivan Tsarevich:
where without a horse to go in such remoteness?
"Well, what of it, he thought, set out, nothing else
to do." And he went on foot. He walked and
walked, grew tired to death. Sat on the soft grass
and grew more sad. From out of nowhere ran
toward him the Grey Wolf. "What, Ivan
Tsarevich, sitting there grieving, your head
hanging?" "How can I not grieve, Grey Wolf?" I
am left alone without a good steed." "It is I, Ivan
Tsarevich, who ate your horse...I'm sorry! Tell
me, why are you traveling in this remote place,
where are you going?" "My father sent us to go
about the wide world to find the Firebird." "Pooh,
pooh, you on your own good horse could not in
three years go to the Firebird. I alone know where
he lives.
So, and it will be, I ate your horse, and I will serve
you, it's only right. Sit on me and hold on tight."
Ivan Tsarevich sat on his back and the Grey Wolf
leapt flying through the blue forest faster than the
eye could see, past rivers and lakes. For a long
time, or a short time, they flew to a high fortress.
The Grey Wolf said: "Listen to me, Ivan
Tsarevich, and remember: crawl over the wall,
don't be afraid, it's a lucky hour, all the guards are
asleep. You will see in the terem window, on the
window sill stands a golden cage, and in the cage
sits the Firebird. Take the bird, lay him by your
breast, and look but don't touch the cage!"
Ivan Tsarevich crawled over the wall, saw the
terem, on the window sill sat the golden cage, and
in the cage sat the Firebird. He took the bird, laid
him by his breast, and looked at the cage. His
heart caught fire: "Ah, such golden decoration!
How can I not take it!" And he remembered what
the Grey Wolf had said to him. He only touched
the cage, throughout the fortress sounds: pipes
piped, the guards woke up, grabbed Ivan
Tsarevich and carried him to Tsar Afron.
Tsar Afron was enraged and said: "Who are you,
where are you from?" "I am the son of Tsar
Ferapont. Ivan Tsarevich." "Ah, what a disgrace!
A tsar's son goes out and steals." "But what about
when your bird flew into our garden and destroyed
it?" "But if you had come to me to ask for advice,
I would have given him to you, out of respect for
your father Tsar Ferapont. But now, about all the
city, the most uncomplimentary glory upon you...
Well and all right, render to me a service, I ask
you. In some-such principality Tsar Kusman has a
horse with a golden mane. Bring him to me, then I
will give you the Firebird with the cage. Ivan
Tsarevich grew very excited, went to the Grey
Wolf. But the wolf said to him: "I told you, don't
disturb the cage! Why didn't you listen to my
instructions?" "Well, I beg you, I beg you, Grey
Wolf." "Well, well, I beg....Alright, sit on me.
Take the rope, don't say that it is not strong."
Again set off the Grey Wolf with Ivan Tsarevich.
For a long time, or a short time, they flew to the
other fortress, where stood the horse with the
26
golden mane. "Crawl, Ivan Tsarevich, over the
wall, the guards are asleep, go to the stable, take
the horse, and look, but don't touch the bridle."
Ivan Tsarevich crawled into the fortress, all the
guards were asleep.
He went to the stables, took the horse with the
golden mane, and looked at the bridle. It was gold
with precious stones. Ivan Tsarevich touched the
bridle, and a loud noise went all through the
fortress: pipes piped, the guards awoke, grabbed
Ivan and carried him to Tsar Kusman. "Who are
you, where are you from?" "I am Ivan Tsarevich."
"Eeh, such stupidity to undertake, to steal a horse!
On this even a simple peasant would agree."
"Well, all right, I beg you, Ivan Tsarevich, render
me a service.
Tsar Dalmat has a daughter, Elena Prekracnaya.
(the beautiful) Go and get her, bring her to me,
and I will give you the horse with the golden mane
and his bridle." Ivan Tsarevich became more
dejected than ever, he went toward the Grey Wolf.
"I told you, Ivan Tsarevich: Don't touch the
bridle! You didn't listen to my advice." "Well, I
beg you, I beg you, Grey Wolf".
"Well well, you beg...yes, all right, sit on my
back." Again sped off the grey wolf with Ivan
Tsarevich. They rushed to Tsar Dalmat. He had a
garden in his fortress where Elena Prekrasnaya
walked with her mother and her nurse. Grey Wolf
said: "This time I myself will go. You go back the
way we came. I will soon catch up with you." Ivan
Tsarevich went back the way they had come, and
the Grey Wolf jumped over the wall and into the
garden. He sat in hiding behind a bush and
watched.
Elena Prekrasnaya came out with her mother and
nurse. They walked and walked and her mother
and nurse stopped for a bit. Grey Wolf grabbed
Elena Prekrasnaya, leapt over the wall, and took
flight. Ivan Tsarevich was going along the way,
when suddenly the Grey Wolf caught up with him.
On the wolf sat Elena Prekrasnaya. Ivan Tsarevich
rejoiced, but the Grey Wolf said to him: "Sit on
me quickly, for they will not be far behind." The
Grey Wolf sped away with Ivan Tsarevich and
Elena Prekrasnaya the way they had come,
through the blue forest, faster than the eye could
see, past rivers and lakes. For a long time, or for a
short time, they hurried to Tsar Kusman.
The Grey Wolf asked: "Why, Ivan Tsarevich have
you become even more sad?" "But, how can I not
be sad, Grey Wolf? How can I be parted with such
beauty? How can I exchange Elena Prekrasnaya
for a horse?" The Grey Wolf answered: "I won't
part you with such beauty, we will hide her
somewhere, I will turn myself into Elena
Prekrasnaya, and you will bring me to the Tsar."
They hid Elena Prekrasnaya in a forest isba.
The Grey Wolf turned his head and became
exactly like Elena Prekrasnaya. Ivan Tsarevich
took him to Tsar Kusman. The Tsar rejoiced and
began thanking him: "Thankyou, Ivan Tsarevich,
for you have brought to me a bride. Take the horse
with the golden mane and bridle." Ivan Tsarevich
sat on the horse and went for Elena Prekracnaya.
He picked her up and sat her on the horse and they
set out on their way. Tsar Kusman had the
wedding, and feasted all day until evening. Then
he needed to lie down to sleep. But when he and
his young wife went up the stairs, he looked, and
in place of Elena Prekrasnaya was a wolf! The tsar
turned angrily toward him, but the wolf ran off.
The Grey Wolf caught up with Ivan Tsarevich and
asked: "Why are you so sad, Ivan Tsarevich?"
"How can I not be sad? It would be a pity to part
with such a bridle, and to trade the horse with the
golden mane for the Firebird." "Don't grieve, I
will help you." And they traveled to Tsar Afron.
The wolf said: "Hide the horse and Elena
Prekrasnaya. I will turn myself into the horse with
the golden mane, and you will bring me to Tsar
Afron." They hid Elena Prekrasnaya and the horse
with the golden mane in the forest. The Grey Wolf
looked over his back and turned himself into the
horse with the golden mane. Ivan Tsarevich took
him to Tsar Afron.
The tsar was overjoyed and gave him the Firebird
with the golden cage. Ivan Tsarevich returned on
foot to the forest, sat Elena Prekrasnaya on the
horse with the golden mane picked up the golden
cage with the Firebird, and they traveled in the
direction of his homeland. Tsar Afron commanded
his servants to bring his horse to him. He wanted
to sit on him, but the horse turned into the Grey
Wolf.
The tsar was so surprised that he fell down right
where he was standing, and the Grey Wolf took
27
flight, quickly catching up with Ivan Tsarevich.
"Now, farewell, I am not allowed to go any
further." Ivan Tsarevich got down from his horse,
and three times bowed down to the ground, with
respect he thanked the Grey Wolf. Then he said:
"You won't be parted with me forever, I again will
call you into service." Ivan Tsarevich thought:
"Aren't you already in my service, all of my
wishes you have fufilled."
He sat on the horse with the golden mane, and
again set out with Elena Prekrasnaya and the
Firebird. They traveled into his region. They had
only a little bread left. They traveled to a little
spring and drank the water, and ate the bread, and
lay down on the grass to rest. Ivan Tsarevich fell
asleep. His brothers suddenly came upon him.
They had traveled to other lands, seeking the
firebird, and returned empty-handed. They came
upon Ivan and saw all that he had acquired.
Then they said: "Let us kill our brother, all that he
has gained will be ours." This decided, they killed
Ivan Tsarevich. They saddled the horse with the
golden mane, picked up the Firebird, sat Elena
Prekrasnaya on the horse, and threatened her: "At
home, don't say anything>" Ivan Tsarevich lay
dead, two crows were already flying over him.
From out of no where ran the Grey Wolf, and
grabbed the crow and his wife. "You fly, crow, for
the water of life and death.
Bring to me the water of life and the water of
death, and then I will let go of your wife. The
crow flew for a long time or a short time, bringing
the water of life and the water of death. The Grey
Wolf sprinkled the water of death on Ivan's
wounds, the wounds healed.
He sprinkled him with the water of life, and Ivan
got up. “Oh, how soundly I slept!” “You would
have slept even sounder”, said the Grey Wolf, “if I
hadn’t sprinkled you with the water of life and the
water of death! Your own brothers killed you and
took all that you have gained. Even now one of
your brothers is to marry Elena Prekrasnaya. Sit
on me quickly!”
They rushed home, where, indeed, Ivan’s brother
was preparing to marry Elena Prekrasnaya. No
sooner had Ivan Tsarevich entered the castle, than
Elena Prekrasnaya jumped up and threw her arms
around him. “This is my true bridegroom, Ivan!”
she cried, “Not the evil brother sitting there!” And
she told the Tsar everything the brothers had done,
and how they had threatened to kill her if she told
anyone what had happened.
The Tsar was very angry and threw the two oldest
brothers into the dungeon. Then Ivan Tsarevich
married Elena Prekrasnaya, and they lived happily
ever after.
Ivanushka the Simpleton
In a kingdom far away from our country, there
was a town over which ruled the Tsar Pea with his
Tsaritza Carrot. He had many wise statesmen,
wealthy princes, strong, powerful warriors, and
also simple soldiers, a hundred thousand, less one
man. In that town lived all kinds of people:
honest, bearded merchants, keen and open-handed
rascals, German tradesmen, lovely maidens,
Russian drunkards; and in the suburbs all around,
the peasants tilled the soil, sowed the wheat,
ground the flour, traded in the markets, and spent
the money in drink. In one of the suburbs there
was a poor hut where an old man lived with his
three sons, Thomas, Pakhom, and Ivan. The old
man was not only clever, he was wise. He had
happened once to have a chat with the devil. They
talked together while the old man treated him to a
tumbler of wine and got out of the devil many
great secrets. Soon after this the peasant began to
perform such marvelous acts that the neighbors
called him a sorcerer, a magician, and even
supposed that the devil was his kin.
Yes, it is true that the old man performed great
marvels. Were you longing for love, go to him,
bow to the old man, and he would give you some
strange root, and the sweetheart would be yours. If
there is a theft, again to him with the tale. The old
man conjures over some water, takes an officer
along straight to the thief, and your lost is found;
only take care that the officer steals it not.
Indeed the old man was very wise; but his
children were not his equals. Two of them were
almost as clever. They were married and had
children, but Ivan, the youngest, was single. No
one cared much for him because he was rather a
28
fool, could not count one, two, three, and only
drank, or ate, or slept, or lay around. Why care for
such a person? Every one knows life for some is
brighter than for others. But Ivan was good-
hearted and quiet. Ask of him a belt, he will give a
kaftan also; take his mittens, he certainly would
want to have you take his cap with them. And that
is why all liked Ivan, and usually called him
Ivanoushka the Simpleton; though the name
means fool, at the same time it carries the idea of a
kind heart.
Our old man lived on with his sons until finally
his hour came to die. He called his three sons and
said to them:
"Dear children of mine, my dying hour is at hand
and ye must fulfill my will. Every one of you
come to my grave and spend one night with me;
thou, Tom, the first night; thou, Pakhom, the
second night; and thou, Ivanoushka the Simpleton,
the third."
Two of the brothers, as clever people, promised
their father to do according to his bidding, but the
Simpleton did not even promise; he only scratched
his head.
The old man died and was buried. During the
celebration the family and guests had plenty of
pancakes to eat and plenty of whisky to wash
them down.
Now you remember that on the first night Thomas
was to go to the grave; but he was too lazy, or
possibly afraid, so he said to the Simpleton:
"I must be up very early to-morrow morning; I
have to thresh; go thou for me to our father's
grave."
"All right," answered Ivanoushka the Simpleton.
He took a slice of black rye bread, went to the
grave, stretched himself out, and soon began to
snore.
The church clock struck midnight; the wind
roared, the owl cried in the trees, the grave opened
and the old man came out and asked:
"Who is there?"
"I," answered Ivanoushka.
"Well, my dear son, I will reward thee for thine
obedience," said the father.
Lo! the cocks crowed and the old man dropped
into the grave. The Simpleton arrived home and
went to the warm stove.
"What happened?" asked the brothers.
"Nothing," he answered. "I slept the whole night
and am hungry now."
The second night it was Pakhom's turn to go to his
father's grave. He thought it over and said to the
Simpleton:
"To-morrow is a busy day with me. Go in my
place to our father's grave."
"All right," answered Ivanoushka. He took along
with him a piece of fish pie, went to the grave and
slept. Midnight approached, the wind roared,
crows came flying, the grave opened and the old
man came out.
"Who is there?" he asked.
"I," answered his son the Simpleton.
"Well, my beloved son, I will not forget thine
obedience," said the old man.
The cocks crowed and the old man dropped into
his grave. Ivanoushka the Simpleton came home,
went to sleep on the warm stove, and in the
morning his brothers asked:
"What happened?"
"Nothing," answered Ivanoushka.
On the third night the brothers said to Ivan the
Simpleton:
"It is thy turn to go to the grave of our father. The
father's will should be done."
"All right," answered Ivanoushka. He took some
cookies, put on his sheepskin, and arrived at the
grave.
At midnight his father came out. "Who is there?"
he asked. "I," answered Ivanoushka. "Well," said
29
the old father, "my obedient son, thou shalt be
rewarded;" and the old man shouted with a mighty
voice:
"Arise, bay horse--thou wind-swift steed, Appear
before me in my need; Stand tip as in the storm
the weed!"
And lo!--Ivanoushka the Simpleton beheld a horse
running, the earth trembling under his hoofs, his
eyes like stars, and out of his mouth and ears
smoke coming in a cloud. The horse approached
and stood before the old man.
"What is thy wish?" he asked with a man's voice.
The old man crawled into his left ear, washed and
adorned himself, and jumped out of his right ear
as a young, brave fellow never seen before.
"Now listen attentively," he said. "To thee, my
son, I give this horse. And thou, my faithful horse
and friend, serve my son as thou hast served me."
Hardly had the old man pronounced these words
when the first cock crew and the sorcerer dropped
into his grave. Our Simpleton went quietly back
home, stretched himself under the icons, and his
snoring was heard far around.
"What happened?" the brothers again asked.
But the Simpleton did not even answer; he only
waved his hand.
The three brothers continued to live their usual
life, the two with cleverness and the younger with
foolishness. They lived a day in and an equal day
out. But one morning there came quite a different
day from all others. They learned that big men
were going all over the country with trumpets and
players; that those men announced everywhere the
will of the Tsar, and the Tsar's will was this: The
Tsar Pea and the Tsaritza Carrot had an only
daughter, the Tsarevna Baktriana, heiress to the
throne. She was such a beautiful maiden that the
sun blushed when she looked at it, and the moon,
altogether too bashful, covered itself from her
eyes. Tsar and Tsaritza had a hard time to decide
to whom they should give their daughter for a
wife. It must be a man who could be a proper ruler
over the country, a brave warrior on the
battlefield, a wise judge in the council, an adviser
to the Tsar, and a suitable heir after his death.
They also wanted a bridegroom who was young,
brave, and handsome, and they wanted him to be
in love with their Tsarevna. That would have been
easy enough, but the trouble was that the beautiful
Tsarevna loved no one. Sometimes the Tsar
mentioned to her this or that one. Always the same
answer, "I do not love him." The Tsaritza tried,
too, with no better result; "I do not like him."
A day came when the Tsar Pea and his Tsaritza
Carrot seriously addressed their daughter on the
subject of marriage and said:
"Our beloved child, our very beautiful Tsarevna
Baktriana, it is time for thee to choose a
bridegroom. Envoys of all descriptions, from
kings and tzars and princes, have worn our
threshold, drunk dry all the cellars, and thou hast
not yet found any one according to thy heart's
wish."
The Tsarevna answered: ''Sovereign, and thou,
Tsaritza, my dear mother, I feel sorry for you, and
my wish is to obey your desire. So let fate decide
who is destined to become my husband. I ask you
to build a hall, a high hall with thirty-two circles,
and above those circles a window. I will sit at that
window and do you order all kinds of people,
tsars, kings, tsarovitchi, korolevitchi, brave
warriors, and handsome fellows, to come. The one
who will jump through the thirty-two circles,
reach my window and exchange with me golden
rings, he it will be who is destined to become my
husband, son and heir to you."
The Tsar and Tsaritza listened attentively to the
words of their bright Tsarevna, and finally they
said: "According to thy wish shall it be done."
In no time the hall was ready, a very high hall
adorned with Venetian velvets, with pearls for
tassels, with golden designs, and thirty-two circles
on both sides of the window high above. Envoys
went to the different kings and sovereigns,
pigeons flew with orders to the subjects to gather
the proud and the humble into the town of the Tsar
Pea and his Tsaritza Carrot. It was announced
everywhere that the one who could jump through
the circles, reach the window and exchange
golden rings with the Tsarevna Baktri-ana, that
man would be the lucky one, notwithstanding his
rank--tsar or free kosack, king or warrior,
30
tsarevitch, koro-levitch, or fellow without any
kinfolk or country.
The great day arrived. Crowds pressed to the field
where stood the newly built hall, brilliant as a star.
Up high at the window the tsarevna was sitting,
adorned with precious stones, clad in velvet and
pearls. The people below were roaring like an
ocean. The Tzar with his Tzaritza was sitting upon
a throne. Around them were boyars, warriors, and
counselors.
The suitors on horseback, proud, handsome, and
brave, whistle and ride round about, but looking at
the high window their hearts drop. There were
already several fellows who had tried. Each would
take a long start, balance himself, spring, and fall
back like a stone, a laughing stock for the
witnesses.
The brothers of Ivanoushka the Simpleton were
preparing themselves to go to the field also.
The Simpleton said to them: "Take me along with
you."
"Thou fool," laughed the brothers; "stay at home
and watch the chickens."
"All right," he answered, went to the chicken yard
and lay down. But as soon as the brothers were
away, our Ivanoushka the Simpleton walked to the
wide fields and shouted with a mighty voice:
"Arise, bay horse--them wind-swift steed, Appear
before me in my need; Stand up as in the storm
the weed!"
The glorious horse came running. Flames shone
out of his eyes; out of his nostrils smoke came in
clouds, and the horse asked with a man's voice:
"What is thy wish?"
Ivanoushka the Simpleton crawled into the horse's
left ear, transformed himself and reappeared at the
right ear, such a handsome fellow that in no book
is there written any description of him; no one has
ever seen such a fellow. He jumped onto the horse
and touched his iron sides with a silk whip. The
horse became impatient, lifted himself above the
ground, higher and higher above the dark woods
below the traveling clouds. He swam over the
large rivers, jumped over the small ones, as well
as over hills and mountains. Ivanoushka the
Simpleton arrived at the hall of the Tsarevna
Baktriana, flew up like a hawk, passed through
thirty circles, could not reach the last two, and
went away like a whirlwind.
The people were shouting: "Take hold of him!
take hold of him!" The Tsar jumped to his feet, the
Tsaritza screamed. Every one was roaring in
amazement.
The brothers of Ivanoushka came home and there
was but one subject of conversation--what a
splendid fellow they had seen! What a wonderful
start to pass through the thirty circles!
"Brothers, that fellow was I," said Ivanoushka the
Simpleton, who had long since arrived.
"Keep still and do not fool us," answered the
brothers.
The next day the two brothers were going again to
the tsarski show and Ivanoushka the Simpleton
said again: "Take me along with you."
"For thee, fool, this is thy place. Be quiet at home
and scare sparrows from the pea field instead of
the scarecrow."
"All right," answered the Simpleton, and he went
to the field and began to scare the sparrows. But
as soon as the brothers left home, Ivanoushka
started to the wide field and shouted out loud with
a mighty voice:
"Arise, bay horse--thou wind-swift steed, Appear
before me in my need; Stand up as in the storm
the weed!"
--and here came the horse, the earth trembling
under his hoofs, the sparks flying around, his eyes
like flames, and out of his nostrils smoke curling
up. "For what dost thou wish me?" Ivanoushka the
Simpleton crawled into the left ear of the horse,
and when he appeared out of the right ear, oh, my!
what a fellow he was! Even in fairy tales there are
never such handsome fellows, to say nothing of
everyday life.
Ivanoushka lifted himself on the iron back of his
horse and touched him with a strong whip. The
31
noble horse grew angry, made a jump, and went
higher than the dark woods, a little below the
traveling clouds. One jump, one mile is behind; a
second jump, a river is behind; and a third jump
and they were at the hall. Then the horse, with
Ivanoushka on his back, flew like an eagle, high
up into the air, passed the thirty-first circle, failed
to reach the last one, and swept away like the
wind.
The people shouted: "Take hold of him! take hold
of him!" The Tsar jumped to his feet, the Tsaritza
screamed, the princes and boyars opened their
mouths.
The brothers of Ivanoushka the Simpleton came
home. They were wondering at the fellow. Yes, an
amazing fellow indeed! one circle only was
unreached.
"Brothers, that fellow over there was I," said
Ivanoushka to them.
"Keep still in thy own place, thou fool," was their
sneering answer.
The third day the brothers were going again to the
strange entertainment of the Tsar, and again
Ivanoushka the Simpleton said to them: "Take me
along with you."
"Fool," they laughed, "there is food to be given to
the hogs; better go to them."
"All right," the younger brother answered, and
quietly went to the back yard and gave food to the
hogs. But as soon as his brothers had left home
our Ivanoushka the Simpleton hurried to the wide
field and shouted out loud:
"Arise, bay horse--thou wind-swift steed, Appear
before me in my need; Stand up as in the storm
the weed!"
At once the horse came running, the earth
trembled; where he stepped there appeared ponds,
where his hoofs touched there were lakes, out of
his eyes shone flames, out of his ears smoke came
like a cloud.
"For what dost thou wish me?" the horse asked
with a man's voice.
Ivanoushka the Simpleton crawled into his right
ear and jumped out of his left one, and a
handsome fellow he was. A young girl could not
even imagine such a one.
Ivanoushka struck his horse, pulled the bridle
tight, and lo! he flew high up in the air. The wind
was left behind and even the swallow, the sweet,
winged passenger, must not aspire to do the same.
Our hero flew like a cloud high up into the sky,
his silver-chained mail rattling, his fair carls
floating in the wind. He arrived at the Tsarevna's
high hall, struck his horse once more, and oh! how
the wild horse did jump!
Look there! the fellow reaches all the circles; he is
near the window; he presses the beautiful
Tsarevna with his strong arms, kisses her on the
sugar lips, exchanges golden rings, and like a
storm sweeps through the fields. There, there, he
is crushing every one on his way! And the
Tsarevna? Well, she did not object. She even
adorned his forehead with a diamond star.
The people roared: "Take hold of him!" But the
fellow had already disappeared and no traces were
left behind.
The Tsar Pea lost his royal dignity. The Tsaritza
Carrot screamed louder than ever and the wise
counselors only shook their wise heads and
remained silent.
The brothers came home talking and discussing
the wonderful matter.
"Indeed," they shook their heads; "only think of it!
The fellow succeeded and our Tsarevna has a
bridegroom. But who is he? Where is he?"
"Brothers, the fellow is I," said Ivanoushka the
Simpleton, smiling.
"Keep still, I and I--," and the brothers almost
slapped him.
The matter proved to be quite serious this time,
and the Tsar and Tsaritza issued an order to
surround the town with armed men whose duty it
was to let every one enter, but not a soul go out.
Every one had to appear at the royal palace and
show his forehead. From early in the morning the
crowds were gathering around the palace. Each
32
forehead was inspected, but there was no star on
any. Dinner time was approaching and in the
palace they even forgot to cover the oak tables
with white spreads. The brothers of Ivanoushka
had also to show their foreheads and the
Simpleton said to them: "Take me along with
you."
"Thy place is right here," they answered, jokingly.
"But say, what is the matter with thy head that
thou hast covered it with cloths? Did somebody
strike thee?"
"No, nobody struck me. I, myself, struck the door
with my forehead. The door remained all right, but
on my forehead there is a knob."
The brothers laughed and went. Soon after them
Ivanoushka left home and went straight to the
window of the Tsarevna, where she sat leaning on
the window sill and looking for her betrothed.
"There is our man," shouted the guards, when the
Simpleton appeared among them. "Show thy
forehead. Hast thou the star?" and they laughed.
Ivanoushka the Simpleton gave no heed to their
bidding, but refused. The guards were shouting at
him and the Tsarevna heard the noise and ordered
the fellow to her presence. There was nothing to
be done but to take off the cloths.
Behold! the star was shining in the middle of his
forehead. The Tsarevna took Ivanoushka by the
hand, brought him before Tsar Pea, and said:
"He it is, my Tsar and father, who is destined to
become my groom, thy son-in-law and heir."
It was too late to object. The Tsar ordered
preparations for the bridal festivities, and our
Ivanoushka the Simpleton was wedded to the
Tsarevna Baktriana. The Tsar, the Tsaritza, the
young bride and groom, and their guests, feasted
three days. There was fine eating and generous
drinking. There were all kinds of amusements
also. The brothers of Ivanoushka were created
governors and each one received a village and a
house.
The story is told in no time, but to live a life
requires time and patience. The brothers of
Ivanoushka the Simpleton were clever men, we
know, and as soon as they became rich every one
understood it at once, and they themselves became
quite sure about it and began to pride themselves,
to boast, and to brag. The humble ones did not
dare look toward their homes, and even the boyars
had to take off their fur caps on their porches.
Once several boyars came to Tsar Pea and said:
"Great Tsar, the brothers of thy son-in-law are
bragging around that they know the place where
grows an apple tree with silver leaves and golden
apples, and they want to bring this apple tree to
thee."
The Tsar immediately called the brothers before
him and bade them bring at once the wonderful
tree, the apple tree with silver leaves and golden
apples. The brothers had ever so many excuses,
but the Tsar would have his way. They were given
fine horses out of the royal stables and went on
their errand. Our friend, Ivanoushka the
Simpleton, found somewhere a lame old horse,
jumped on his back facing the tail, and also went.
He went to the wide field, grasped the lame horse
by the tail, threw him off roughly, and shouted:
"You crows and magpies, come, come! There is
lunch prepared for you."
This done he ordered his horse, his spirited
courser, to appear, and as usual he crawled into
one ear, jumped out the other ear and they went--
where? Toward the east where grew the wonderful
apple tree with silver leaves and golden apples. It
grew near silver waters upon golden sand. When
Ivanoushka reached the place he uprooted the tree
and turned toward home. His ride was long and he
felt tired. Before he arrived at his town
Ivanoushka pitched his tent and lay down for a
rest. Along the same road came his brothers. The
two were proud no more, but rather depressed, not
knowing what answer to give the Tsar. They
perceived the tent with silver top and near by the
wonderful apple tree. They came nearer and--
"There is our Simpleton!" exclaimed the brothers.
Then they awakened Ivanoushka and wanted to
buy the apple tree. They were rich and offered
three carts filled with silver.
"Well, brothers, this tree, this wonderful apple
tree, is not for sale," answered Ivanoushka, "but if
you wish to obtain it you may. The price will not
be too high, a toe from each right foot."
33
The brothers thought the matter over and finally
decided to give the desired price. Ivanoushka cut
the toes off, gave them the apple tree, and the
happy brothers brought it to the Tsar and there
was no end to their bragging.
"Here, all-powerful Tsar," they said. "We went
far, and had many a trouble on our way, but thy
wish is fulfilled."
The Tsar Pea seemed pleased, ordered a feast,
commanded tunes to be played and drums beaten,
rewarded the two brothers of Ivanoushka the
Simpleton, each one with a town, and praised
them.
The boyars and warriors became furious.
"Why," they said to the Tsar, "there is nothing
wonderful in such an apple tree with golden
apples and silver leaves. The brothers of thy son-
in-law are bragging around that they will get thee
a pig with golden bristles and silver tusks, and not
alone the pig, but also her twelve little ones!"
The Tsar called the brothers before him and
ordered them to bring the very pig with her golden
bristles and silver tusks and her twelve little ones.
The brothers' excuses were not listened to and so
they went. Once more the brothers were traveling
on a difficult errand, looking for a golden-bristled
pig with silver tusks and twelve little pigs.
At that time Ivanoushka the Simpleton made up
his mind to take a trip somewhere. He put a saddle
on a cow, jumped up on her back facing the tail,
and left the town. He came 'to a field, grasped the
cow by the horns, threw her far on the prairie and
shouted:
"Come, come, you gray wolves and red foxes!
there is a dinner for you!"
Then he ordered his faithful horse, crawled into
one ear, and jumped out of the other. Master and
courser went on an errand, this time toward the
south. One, two, three, and they were in dark
woods. In these woods the wished-for pig was
walking around, a golden-bristled pig with silver
tusks. She was eating roots, and after her followed
twelve little pigs.
Ivanoushka the Simpleton threw over the pig a
silk rope with a running noose, gathered the little
pigs into a basket and went home, but before he
reached the town of the Tsar Pea he pitched a tent
with a golden top and lay down for a rest. On the
same road the brothers came along with gloomy
faces, not knowing what to say to the Tsar. They
saw the tent, and near by the very pig they were
searching for, with golden bristles and silver
tusks, was fastened with a silk rope; and in a
basket were the twelve little pigs. The brothers
looked into the tent. Ivanoushka again! They
awakened him and wanted to trade for the pig;
they were ready to give in exchange three carts
loaded with precious stones.
"Brothers, "my pig is not for trade," said
Ivanoushka, ''but if you want her so much, well,
one finger from each right hand will pay for her."
The brothers thought over the case for a long
while; they reasoned thus: "People live happily
without brains, why not without fingers?''
So they allowed Ivanoushka to cut off their
fingers, then took the pig to the Tsar, and their
bragging had no end.
"Tsar Sovereign," they said, "we went
everywhere, beyond the blue sea, beyond the dark
woods; we passed through deep sands, we
suffered hunger and thirst; but thy wish is
accomplished."
The Tsar was glad to have such faithful servants.
He gave a feast great among feasts, rewarded the
brothers of Ivanoushka the Simpleton, created
them big boyars and praised them.
The other boyars and different court people said to
the Tsar:
"There is nothing wonderful in such a pig. Golden
bristles, silver tusks,--yes, it is fine. But a pig
remains a pig forever. The brothers of thy son-in-
law are bragging now that they will steal for thee
out of the stables of the fiery dragon a mare with
golden mane and diamond hoofs."
The Tsar at once called the brothers of Ivanoushka
the Simpleton, and ordered the golden-maned
mare with the diamond hoofs. The brothers swore
34
that they never said such words, but the Tsar did
not listen to their protests.
"Take as much gold as you want, take warriors as
many as you wish, but bring me the beautiful mare
with golden mane and diamond hoofs. If you do it
my reward will be great; if not, your fate is to
become peasants as before."
The brothers went, two sad heroes. Their march
was slow; where to go they did not know.
Ivanoushka also jumped upon a stick and went
leaping toward the field. Once in the wide, open
field, he ordered his horse, crawled into one ear,
came out of the other, and both started for a far-
away country, for an island, a big island. On that
island in an iron stable the fiery dragon was
watchfully guarding his glory--the golden-maned
mare with diamond hoofs, which was locked
under seven locks behind seven heavy doors.
Our Ivanoushka journeyed and journeyed, how
long we do not know, until at last he arrived at
that island, struggled three days with the dragon
and killed him on the fourth day. Then he began to
tear down the locks. That took three days more.
When he had done this he brought out the
wonderful mare by the golden mane and turned
homeward.
The road was long, and before he reached his
town Ivanoushka, according to his habit, pitched
his tent with a diamond top, and laid him down for
rest. The brothers came along--gloomy they were,
fearing the Tsar's anger. Lo! they heard neighing;
the earth trembled--it was the golden-maned mare!
Though in the dusk of evening the brothers saw
her golden mane shining like fire. They stopped,
awakened Ivanoushka the Simpleton, and wanted
to trade for the wonderful mare. They were
willing to give him a bushel of precious stones
each and promised even more.
Ivanoushka said: "Though my mare is not for
trade, yet if you want her I'll give her to you. And
you, do you each give me your right ears."
The brothers did not even argue, but let
Ivanoushka cut off their ears, took hold of the
bridle and went directly to the Tsar. They
presented to him the golden-maned mare with
diamond hoofs, and there was no end of bragging.
"We went beyond seas, beyond mountains," the
brothers said to the Tsar; "we fought the fiery
dragon who bit off our ears and fingers; we had no
fear, but one desire to serve thee faithfully; we
shed our blood and lost our wealth."
The Tsar Pea poured gold over them, created them
the very highest men after himself, and planned
such a feast that the royal cooks were tired out
with cooking to feed all the people, and the cellars
were fairly emptied.
The Tsar Pea was sitting on his throne, one
brother on his right hand, the other brother on his
left hand. The feast was going on; all seemed
jolly, all were drinking, all were noisy as bees in a
beehive. In the midst of it a young, brave fellow,
Ivanoushka the Simpleton, entered the hall--the
very fellow who had passed the thirty-two circles
and reached the window of the beautiful Tsarevna
Baktriana.
When the brothers noticed him, one almost
choked himself with wine, the other was
suffocating over a piece of swan. They looked at
him, opened wide their eyes, and remained silent.
Ivanoushka the Simpleton bowed to his father-in-
law and told the story as the story was. He told
about the apple tree, the wonderful apple tree with
silver leaves and golden apples; he told about the
pig, the golden-bristled pig with silver tusks and
her twelve little ones; and finally he told about the
marvelous mare with a golden mane and diamond
hoofs. He finished and laid out ears, fingers, and
toes.
"It is the exchange I got," said Ivanoushka.
Tsar Pea became furious, stamped his feet,
ordered the two brothers to be driven away with
brooms. One was sent to feed the pigs, another to
watch the turkeys. The Tsar seated Ivanoushka
beside himself, creating him the highest among
the very high.
The feast lasted a very long time until all were
tired of feasting.
Ivanoushka took control of the tsarstvo, ruling
wisely and severely. After his father-in-law's
death he occupied his place. His subjects liked
35
him; he had many children, and his beautiful
Tsaritza Baktriana remained beautiful forever.
Little Snow Girl
Russian folk tale retold by Vladimir Dahl
Once upon a time there was an old man and his
wife, who had no children, no grandchildren at all.
One feast day they went outside and watched
other people's children making snowmen and
throwing snowballs at one another. The old man
picked up a snowball and said to his wife:
"If only you and I had a little daughter as white
and chubby as this, wife!"
The old woman looked at the snowball, shook her
head and said: "Well, we haven't and there's no
getting one now, so there!" But the old man took
the snowball into the cottage, lay it in a pot,
covered it with a piece of cloth and placed it on
the window-sill. When the sun rose, it warmed the
pot and the snow inside began to melt. Suddenly
the old couple heard a lisping sound in the pot
under the piece of cloth. They ran up to take a
look, and there in the pot lay a little girl, as white
and chubby as a snowball.
"I am Little Snow Girl, rolled from the snow of
spring, warmed and browned by the sun of
spring," she said to them.
The man and his wife were beside themselves
with joy. They took her out, and the old woman
began sewing her some pretty clothes, while the
old man wrapped her in a towel, rocked her and
sang this lullaby:
Sleep, Little Snow Girl, sleep,
Our tasty bun so sweet,
Rolled from the snow of spring,
Warmed by the sun of spring.
We'll give you drink a-plenty,
We'll give you food galore,
And make you such a pretty dress
And teach you four times four.
. So Little Snow Girl grew up, a joy to the old
couple. She was good and clever, as little girls are
in fairy tales, but very rarely in real life.
Everything was going well for the old couple and
their livestock. The cattle got through the winter
safely, and in spring they put the chickens back
into the yard. But no sooner had the moved them
from the house to the hen-coop, than the trouble
started. A fox came up to the old man's dog
Zhuchka, pretending to be ill, and begged her in a
whining voice:
"Dear little Zhuchka of the white paws and silky
tail, please let me go and warm up in the hen-
coop!"
Zhuchka had been with the old man in the forest
all day and she didn't know that the old woman
had put the chickens back into the coop. So she
took pity on the fox and let her in. The fox killed
two chickens and dragged them off home. When
the old man found out, he gave Zhuchka a beating
and drove her out of the yard.
"Be off with you," he said. "You're no good to me
as a watchdog!" So Zhuchka left the old couple's
house, whimpering, and only the old woman and
Little Snow Girl felt sorry for her.
Summer came, the berries ripened, and Little
Snow Girl's friends asked her to come berry-
picking in the forest with them. The old man and
his wife would not hear of it. But Little Snow
Girl's friends promised faithfully not to let go of
her hand, and Little Snow Girl herself begged the
old couple to let her go berry-picking and see
what the forest was like. So in the end they gave
her a basket and a piece of pie and let her go.
The girls set off holding Little Snow Girl's hand,
but as soon as they got to the forest and saw all the
berries, they forgot about everything else and ran
off in all directions, picking berries and hallooing
to one another.
They filled their baskets with berries, but lost
Little Snow Girl in the forest.
Little Snow Girl called out, but no one replied.
The poor mite began to cry. She tried to find the
path, but got even more lost than before. So she
climbed a tree and shouted: "Halloo! Halloo!" Up
came Bear, crunching the dry branches and
bending the bushes. "What's the matter, my pretty
one?"
36
"Halloo! I'm Little Snow Girl, rolled from spring
snow and browned by the spring sun. My
girlfriends asked my grandparents to let me go
with them into the forest, but now they've left me
all alone!" "Come down," said Bear. "I'll take you
home." "No, Bear," Little Snow Girl replied. "I
won't go with you. I'm afraid of you. You'll eat
me!" So Bear went away.
Up ran Grey Wolf.
"Why are you crying, my pretty one?" "Halloo!
I'm Little Snow Girl, rolled from spring snow and
browned by the spring sun. My girlfriends asked
my grandparents to let me go berry-picking with
them in the forest, and now they've left me all
alone!"
"Climb down," said Wolf. "I'll take you home!"
"No, Wolf, I won't go with you. I'm afraid of you.
You'll eat me." So Wolf went away. Then Fox
came up. "Why are you crying, my pretty one?"
"Halloo! I'm Little Snow Girl, rolled from spring
snow and browned by the spring sun. My
girlfriends asked my grandparents to let me go
berry-picking with them in the forest, and now
they've left me all alone!"
"Never mind, my poor little pretty one! Come
down quickly, and I'll take you home!"
"No, Fox of the honeyed words. I'm afraid of you.
You'll lead me to Wolf or give me to Bear. I'm not
going with you!"
Fox began stalking round the tree, looking at
Little Snow Girl and trying to lure her down, but
the little girl would not go.
"Wuff, wuff, wuff!" barked a dog in the forest.
"Halloo there, Zhuchka!" cried Little Snow Girl.
"Halloo, my darling doggy! It's me, Little Snow
Girl, rolled from spring snow and browned by the
spring sun. My girlfriends asked my grandparents
to let me go berry-picking with them in the forest,
and now they've left me all alone. Bear wanted to
carry me off, but I wouldn't go. Wolf wanted to
take me away, but I refused. And Fox tried to lure
me down, but I wouldn't be tricked by her. But I'll
go with you, Zhuchka!"
At the sound of the dog barking, Fox turned tail
and fled for dear life. Little Snow Girl climbed
down the tree. Zhuchka rushed up, licked her face
all over and set off home with her.
Bear was hiding behind a tree-stump, Wolf was
skulking in a glade and Fox was lurking in the
bushes.
Zhuchka barked loudly, and they were so
frightened that they dared not come close.
They arrived home, and the old couple wept for
joy. They fed Little Snow Girl, put her in her nice
cosy bed and sang:
Sleep, Little Snow Girl, sleep,
Our tasty bun so sweet,
Rolled from the snow of spring,
Warmed by the sun of spring.
We'll give you drink a-plenty,
We'll give you food galore,
And make you such a pretty dress
And teach you four times four.
Zhuchka was forgiven. They gave her a nice
saucer of milk and put her back in her old kennel
to guard the house again.
Little Straw Bull
Once upon a time there lived an Old Man and an
Old Woman. The Old Man went out to work and
made tar for a living, and the Old Woman stayed
home spinning tow. But the little they earned all
went on food, and they had nothing at all to their
name.
Now, the Old Woman began to fret and to worry
and she said to the Old Man:
"Do make me a little bull of straw, Old Man, and
smear him with tar."
"What's come over you, you silly Old Woman,
what do you want with a straw bull?"
"I know what I want, just you make me one."
There was nothing to be done, so the Old Man
made a little bull of straw and smeared his back
and sides over with tar. Night came, and in the
37
morning the Old Woman led the Little Straw Bull
out to pasture and she took her spinning with her.
She sat down on a hillside and she spun her thread
and said:
"Graze, graze, Little Bull, while I spin my thread!
Graze, graze, Little Bull, while I spin my thread!"
And she spun and she spun till at last she dozed
off.
All of a sudden who should come running out of
the great dark forest but a Bear! He lumbered
straight up to the Bull and said:
"Do tell me who you are!"
"I am the Little Straw Bull with the Tarred Back."
"Give me a little tar, Straw Bull, for my side is
torn and perhaps it will heal faster if I put some tar
on it."
But the Straw Bull just stood there and made no
reply.
So then the Bear began clawing at the Straw Bull's
back and side to get some tar off, and there he was
stuck fast. He tugged and he pulled, and before he
knew it he had pulled the Bull from the spot and
out of sight.
The Old Woman woke up, she looked about her,
and there was no sign of the Bull anywhere.
"Dear me, what a terrible thing to have
happened!" she cried. "Where is my Bull? Perhaps
he has gone home."
She lifted her distaff, put it over her shoulder and
went home in great haste. Her way lay through the
forest, and she had only walked a short distance
when lo and behold! — there was the Bull
standing where the Bear had dragged him.
The Old Woman ran home and she cried at the top
of her voice:
"Old Man, Old Man, the Straw Bull has caught a
Bear. Come quickly and kill him!"
The Old Man came running, he pulled the Bear
free and threw him into the cellar.
On the following day, at the first glimpse of dawn,
the Old Woman k the Straw Bull out to pasture
again and she took her spinning with he She sat
down on a hillside and she spun her thread and
said:
"Graze, graze, Little Bull, while I spin my thread'
Graze, graze, Litt Bull, while I spin my thread'"
And she spun and she spun till at last she dozed
off.
All of a sudden who should come running out of
the great dark. fore but a Wolf' He saw the Bull
and said:
'Do tell me who you are'"
'I am the Little Straw Bull with the Tarred Back!"
the Bull replied-
'Well, then, let me have some tar, for the dogs
have torn my side!"
"Take it!"
The Wolf caught at the Straw Bull's side with his
teeth and beg trying to get some of the tar off. He
tried very, very hard, but befc he knew it there he
was stuck fast and unable to get his teeth out! he
pulled and he pulled till he had pulled the Straw
Bull from the spot a out of sight.
The Old Woman woke up, she looked about her,
and there was no) sign of the Little Straw Bull
anywhere!"
"Perhaps he has gone home," said she to herself,
and off she w< home.
But she had not gone very far before she saw the
Bull being drag^ along by the Wolf. So she ran
home and told the Old Man about it. c the Old
Man came and seized the Wolf and threw him into
the cellar.
On the third day the Old Woman took the Little
Bull out to past' again. She sat down on the
hillside and dozed off.
38
By and by a Fox came running up and she saw the
Straw Bull and asl him who he was.
'I am the Little Straw Bull with the Tarred Back,"
the Little Bull plied.
"Well, then, do be a dear and let me have
some tar to put on my s:
The dogs have nearly taken the hide off me!"
'Take it!"
The Fox tried to take some of the tar and she too
was stuck fasi the Bull's side and, try as she
would, could not get free.
The Old Woman woke, she called the Old Man,
and the Old Man th the Fox into the cellar.
And on the next day they caught a Rabbit in the
same way and th him into the cellar too.
So now there were four of them there, and the Old
Man sat down on the trap door and began
sharpening his knife.
"Why do you sharpen your knife, Old Man?" the
Bear asked.
"Because I mean to skin you and make coats for
myself and my Old Woman."
"Don't do that, Old Man! Let me go free, and I
will bring you lots and lots of honey."
All right, then, see that you do!"
And with that the Old Man let the Bear go free.
Then he seated himself on the trap door again and
began sharpening his knife.
"Why do you sharpen your knife. Old Man?" the
Wolf asked.
'I am going to skin you and make a warm hat for
myself for the winter."
"Don't do that, Old Man. Let me go free, and I
will bring you a whole herd of sheep.'
"Well, then, see that you do!"
And he let the Wolf go free and began sharpening
his knife again.
The Fox heard him and she pushed up the trap
door with her head.
"Please, Old Man, do be a dear and tell me why
you are sharpening your knife," she said. 'I am
going to skin you, Fox,' the Old Man replied. 'For
you have fine fluffy fur that will make a nice
collar and trimming for my Old Woman's coat."
'Please don't kill me, Old Man! Let me go free,
and I will bring you some chickens and geese.
"All right, then, see that you do!"
And with that he let the Fox go free.
So now there was only the Rabbit left in the cellar.
The Old Man began sharpening his knife again,
and when the Rabbit asked him why he was doing
it he said:
"You have soft, warm fur that will go to make a
pair of fine mittens for me and a hat as well."
"Please don't kill me, Old Man! Let me go free,
and I'll bring you beads and earrings and ribbons."
So the Old Man let the Rabbit go free too.
Night came and passed, and just before dawn had
set in or day broken, there came a rap-tap-tap at
the door.
"Someone is knocking at the door, Old Man', she
cried. "Go and see who it is."
The Old Man opened the door, and there stood the
Bear with a whole hive of honey'.
The Old Man took the honey, put it away and had
only }ust gone to sleep when suddenly there came
a rap-tap-tap at the door again,
The Old Man opened the door, and there stood the
Wolf with a whole herd of sheep'. And soon after
that the Fox came. bringing chickens and geese
and other towl, and after her the Rabbit with a bag
full of ribbons and beads and earrings.
39
The Old Man and the Old Woman were
overjoyed. They sold the -sheep and bought
themselves a team of oxen, and the Old Man took
to carrying other people's wares to market for
them. And they became so -rich and had so much
money that no one could have asked for more,
And as for the Straw Bull, there was no longer any
use for him, and so he stood out in the sun until he
melted away.
Magic Ring
In a certain realm, in a certain land, there once
lived an old man and woman with their only son
Martin. All his life the old man had been a hunter,
catching animals and birds and feeding his family
on his catch. With time the old man took sick and
died, leaving Martin and his mother alone in the
world; they grieved and sorrowed, but there was
nothing for it: tears won't bring back the dead. A
week passed by and they had eaten all the food in
the larder; seeing there was nothing more to eat,
the old woman realised she would have to spend
some money. The old man had left them two
hundred rubles; though she was loath to open the
money- box, they had to eat somehow and keep
the wolf from the door. So she counted off a
hundred rubles and told her son, "Here, Martin,
take these hundred notes and borrow the
neighbour's horse so that you can ride to town and
buy some food. That will see us through the
winter and we will look for work come the
spring."
Martin borrowed his neighbour's horse and cart
and rode off to town; as he was passing butchers'
stalls in the market he saw a noisy crowd gathered
there. What had happened? The butchers had
caught a hound, tied him to a post and were
beating him with sticks, and the dog was
cowering, whining and yapping with pain. Martin
ran over to the butchers and asked, "Why are you
beating the poor dog so mercilessly?" "That devil
deserves all he gets," the butchers said. "He stole a
whole side of beef." "Stop, brothers," Martin
cried. "Don't beat him, sell him to me instead."
"Buy him if you please, but it will cost you a
hundred rubles." said one butcher in jest. Martin
pulled out a hundred rubles, paid the butcher,
untied the hound and took him along. The dog
wagged his tail and licked his new master's hand;
he knew the young fellow had saved his life.
When Martin got back home, his mother asked
him at once, "What have you bought, my boy?"
"My first piece of good fortune," Martin replied.
"What are you blathering about? What good
fortune?" "Here it is, Blackie," he said pointing at
the dog. "Is that all?" "If I'd had any money left I
might have bought more: but the whole hundred
went on the dog." The old woman scolded him:
"We've nothing to eat; I've scraped the last bits of
flour to make a roll for today, but tomorrow
there'll be nothing at all."
Next day his mother took out the last hundred
rubles, gave it to her son and told him: "Go to
town and buy some food. son. but don't fritter the
money away." Martin arrived at the town, began
to walk up and down the streets and take a look
around, and saw a boy dragging a cat along on a
string towards the river. "Stop." called Martin.
"Where are you taking that cat?" "I'm going to
drown him: he stole a pie from our table." "Don't
drown him," Martin said. "Sell him to me
instead." "Buy him if you please, but it will cost
you a hundred rubles." Martin did not think twice:
he pulled out the money and gave it to the boy;
then he put the cat in his bag and turned for home.
"What have you bought, my boy?" asked his
mother. "Stripey the cat." "Is that all?" "If I'd had
any money left, I might have bought more." "Oh.
what a fool you are!" she cried. "Leave this house
at once and go begging food at someone else's
door."
Off went Martin to the next village in search of
work. taking with him Blackie the dog and Stripey
the cat. On the way he met a priest. "Where are
you going, my son?" he asked. "To look for
work," the lad replied. "Come and work for me;
only I take on workmen without fixing a wage:
whoever serves me well for three years gets what
he deserves." Martin agreed and toiled away three
summers and winters for the priest; when the time
came for payment, his master summoned him.
"Well. Martin," he said, "come and get your
reward." He led him into the bam. pointed at two
full sacks and said, 'Take whichever you want."
Martin saw that there was silver in one sack and
sand in the other, and thought: "There's more to
this than meets the eye. Come what may, but I will
take the sand and see what happens." So he said:
"I will take the sack of fine sand. master." "Please
yourself, my son. Take the sand if you prefer it to
silver."
40
Martin heaved the sack of sand upon his back and
went to look for work again. He walked and
walked, until he found himself in a dark. dense
forest. In the middle of the forest was a glade, and
in the glade a fire burned brightly, and in the fire
sat a maiden more fair than tongue can tell or tale
can spell. The fair maiden called to him, "Martin,
the widow's son. if you wish to win good fortune,
rescue me: put out the flame with the sand for
which you laboured three years." "Aha," thought
Martin, "it would be better to help someone than
drag this load around. Sand is not worth much
anyway, there's plenty of it about." He put down
his sack, untied it and began to pour out the sand;
the fire went out at once, the fair maiden struck
the earth with her foot, turned into a snake, leapt
upon his chest and wound herself about his neck.
Martin took fright. "Do not be afraid," said the
snake. "Go to the Thrice-Ten King- dom beyond
the Thrice-Nine Land; my father is king there.
When you come to his palace he will offer you
gold and silver and precious stones. But do not
take any- thing. Just ask for the ring from his little
finger. It is no ordinary ring: when you put it on
one hand and then on the other twelve strapping
youths will appear to do whatever you order, all in
a single night."
Martin went on his way; by and by he reached the
Thrice-Ten Kingdom and saw a huge rock. The
snake jumped down from his neck, struck the
earth and became a fair maiden once more.
"Follow me," she said, leading the way under the
rock. For a long time they walked along the
underground passage until suddenly a light
appeared; it got brighter and brighter, and they
came out to a wide plain under a clear blue sky;
and on the plain was a magnificent castle where
the fair maiden's father lived—the king of mis
underground realm.
As the travellers entered the white-stone castle
they were greeted warmly by the king. "Welcome,
my dear daughter. Where have you been all these
years?" "Father. noble Sire, I would have perished
had it not been for this man: he saved me from a
cruel death and brought me here to my native
land." "Thank you, young man," said the king,
"your good deed deserves reward; take all the
gold, silver and precious stones that your heart
desires." But Martin, the widow's son, answered,
"Your Maj- esty, I want neither gold, nor silver,
nor precious stones; all I ask is the ring from the
little finger of your royal hand. I am a single
fellow: I shall look at the ring, and think of my
future bride to drive away my loneliness." At once
the king took off the ring and gave it to Martin.
"Here, take it and good luck to you. But tell no
one of the ring or you will find yourself in dire
trouble."
Martin, the widow's son, thanked the king, took
the ring and a small sum of money for the road,
and set off the way he had come. By and by he
returned to his native land, sought out his old
mother, and they began to live happily without a
care in the world. One day Martin thought to take
a wife and sent his mother off as matchmaker.
"Go to the king himself," he said, "and ask for his
lovely daughter." "Oh, my son," the old woman
replied, "don't bite off more than you can chew. If
I go to the king, he will get angry and have us
both put to death." "Do not worry, Mother," said
her son, "since I am sending you, go forth boldly.
And bring back the king's reply whatever it is;
don't come home without it." The old woman set
off sadly for the king's abode: she walked into the
courtyard and made straight for the royal staircase,
without as much as by your leave. But the guards
seized her. "Halt. old hag! Where do you think
you're going! Even generals don't dare come here
without permission..." "Leave me alone!" cried the
old woman. "I've come to do the king a favour; I
want his daughter to marry my son, and you are
trying to stop me!" She caused such a commotion
that you'd have -thought the palace was on fire.
Hearing the shouts, the king looked out of the
window and ordered the woman to be brought to
him. She marched straight into the royal chamber,
crossed herself before the icons and curtseyed to
the king. "What have you to say, old woman?"
asked the king. "Well, you see, I have come to
Your Majesty; now don't get cross: I have a buyer,
you have the wares. The buyer is my son Martin, a
very clever fellow; the wares are your daughter,
the beautiful princess. Will you let her marry my
Martin? They'd make a good pair." "Have you
taken leave of your senses, woman?" cried the
king. "Not at all, Your Majesty. Pray, give me
your reply."
Straightaway the king summoned his ministers
and they took counsel as to what the reply should
be. And it was decided thus: let Martin build the
richest of palaces within a single day and link it to
the king's palace by a crystal bridge with gold and
41
silver apple-trees growing on either side. And let
him build a church with five domes: so there was
a place where the wedding could be held and the
marriage celebrated. If the old woman's son could
do all that, he would be really clever and would
win the princess's hand. But if he failed, he and
the old woman would lose their heads for their
impudence. Home went the old woman with the
reply, weeping bitter tears as she trudged along.
"Well, my son," she cried. "I told you not to bite
off more than you can chew; but you would have
your way. Now our poor heads are for the chop,
tomorrow we shall die." "Who knows, mother, we
might stay alive. Pray to God and go to bed:
morning is wiser than evening."
On the stroke of midnight, Martin got up from his
bed, went out into the yard, put the ring on his
other hand—and right away twelve strapping
youths appeared, all exactly alike. "What is it that
you require, Martin, the widow's son?" they asked.
"It is this: build me by first light on this very spot
a .splendid palace, with a crystal bridge leading
from my palace to the king's and with gold and
silver apple-trees growing on either side, and birds
of every kind singing in their branches: build me,
too, a church with five domes; so there is a place
where my wedding can be held, and my marriage
celebrated." "All will be ready by the morrow,"
replied the twelve strapping youths. With that they
set to busily, brought workmen and carpenters
from all sides and got down to work. They worked
with a will and soon everything was done. In the
morning Martin woke up to find himself not in his
simple cottage, but in splendid chambers. He
stepped onto the high porch and saw that all was
ready:
the palace, the church, the crystal bridge, and the
trees with gold and silver apples. The king also
walked onto his balcony, looked through his spy-
glass and marvelled to see that all had been done
as he had ordered. He summoned the fair princess
and told her to get ready for the wedding. "Well,"
he said, "I never thought I would hand my
daughter over to a peasant's son, but there's
nothing for it now."
While the princess was dressing herself in her
finery, Martin, the widow's son. came into the
yard, put the magic ring on his other hand, and
saw twelve strapping youths appear as if from out
of the ground. "What is it that you require?" they
asked. "It is this," Martin said, "dress me in a
nobleman's caftan and get ready a golden coach
with six fine horses." "Straightway, master." In
the twinkling of an eye Martin was brought the
caftan; he put it on and it fitted him perfectly.
Then he looked round and saw standing at the
portals a carriage harnessed to six splendid horses
dappled silver and gold. He got into the carriage
and drove to the church; the bells were already
ringing for mass, and people were flocking by the
score! Behind the groom came the bride with her
maids and matrons and the king with his minis-
ters. After mass Martin, the widow's son, took the
fair princess by the hand and, as right and proper,
they were wed. The king gave his daughter a rich
dowry, bestowed high office upon his new son-in-
law and held a wedding feast to which all the
world was invited.
The young couple lived together one month, then
two and three: all the while Martin had new
palaces and gardens built by the day, if not the
hour. But it pained the princess to think that she
had been wed not to a prince, a royal heir. but to a
simple peasant. So she began wondering how to
get rid of him. She pretended to be as sweet and
loving as any husband could desire. She saw to
her husband's every need, served him in every
way she could, trying all the time to wheedle his
secret out of him. But Martin was as firm as a rock
and would not betray it.
One day, however, after drinking with the king, he
came home and lay down to rest; the princess ran
to his side, kissing and caressing him, breathing
sweet words into his ear; and so oily was her
tongue that Martin finally told her about his
wonderful ring. "Good," thought the princess,
"now I'll finish you off." As soon as he fell asleep,
she snatched the ring from his little finger, went
into the courtyard and put it on her other hand. At
once the twelve strapping youths appeared. "What
is it that you require, fair princess?" they asked.
"Listen, lads," she said, "make the palace, the
church and the crystal bridge vanish by dawn; and
bring back the humble cottage as before. Leave
my husband as poor as he always was, and carry
me off to the Thrice-Ten Kingdom beyond the
Thrice-Nine Land, to the Mice's Realm. I am
ashamed to live here." "Straightway, Your
Highness," they said. In a flash she was swept up
by the wind and borne off to the Thrice-Ten
Kingdom, the Mice's Realm.
42
Next morning the king awoke and went out onto
his balcony to look through his spy-glass—but
there was no palace with a crystal bridge and no
five-domed church. just a humble cottage. "What
does this mean?" he thought. "Where has it all
gone?" And without delay he sent his adjutant to
find out what had happened. The adjutant galloped
off, inspected everything, then returned to report
to the king, "Your Majesty, where the grand
palace once stood there is now the humble cottage
as before:
and inside the cottage lives your son-in-law with
his mother; but there is no sign of the fair princess
and no one knows where she is." The king called a
grand council to pronounce judgement on his son-
in-law: they condemned him for sorcery and the
wrong he had done to the fair princess. Martin was
to be immured in a high stone pillar with neither
food nor drink. Let him starve to death.
Stonemasons came and put up a tall stone pillar in
which Martin was immured, with one small
window for light. And there he sat. poor lad, shut
in without food or drink one day. then a second
and a third, weeping bitterly.
Martin's old friend. Blackie the dog. found out
what had happened and came running to the
cottage. Stripey the cat lay purring on the stove.
"You lazy scoundrel, Stripey," said the dog. "all
you can do is lie and stretch on the stove in the
warm. while our master is shut up in a stone
prison far away. Have you forgotten how he gave
his last hundred rubles to save your miserable
skin? If it hadn't been for him the worms would
have eaten you away long ago. Get up quickly!
We must go and help him." Stripey hopped down
from the stove and. together with the dog. ran off
to search for their master. Coming at last to his
stone prison, the cat scrambled up to the window.
"Hey, master! Are you still alive?" "Only just."
answered Martin. "I'm starving; it must be my fate
to die of hunger." "Don't despair; we will bring
you food and drink." said Stripey. jumping out of
the little window and down to the ground. "Our
master's starving to death, Blackie; what can we
do to help him?" "Oh, Stripey. you're too stupid to
think of anything! I know: let's go to town. and as
soon as we meet a pieman with a tray of pies. I'll
trip him up and make him drop the tray. Then grab
some pies and take them to our master."
So they went to the high street and met a man
carrying a tray on his head. The dog darted under
his feet, making the man stumble and drop his
tray. The pies went flying, and the poor man ran
off in a panic, thinking a mad dog was after him.
Stripey snatched up a pie and ran off to Martin.
He gave him the pie and dashed back for another,
then a third. In the same fashion they frightened
away a man selling cabbage soup, and thus got
many a bowlful for their master. Then Blackie and
Stripey decided to set off for the Thrice-Ten
Kingdom, the Mice's Realm, to bring back the
wonderful ring; the road was long and it would
take them some time. Before setting off they
brought Martin a good store of rusks, rolls, pies
and provi- sions to last a whole year. "Eat and
drink, master, but make sure your supplies last out
until we return." They bade him farewell and set
off on their long journey.
By and by they came to a deep blue sea. "I think I
can swim to the other side. what about you'^" said
the dog. "I'm no good at swimming." Stripey said.
"I'll drown in no time." "Then climb on my back."
So Stripey climbed on the dog's back. dug his
claws into Blackie's thick fur, and they swam off
across the sea. When they reached the other side
they came to the Thrice-Ten Kingdom, the Mice's
Realm. There was not a single human being in that
land; but there were more mice than you could
count—wherever you looked they were
scampering about in their thousands. "Now it's
your turn, Stripey," said the dog. "You break their
necks. while I gather up the bodies and put them
in a pile."
Stripey was used to this sort of hunting; off he
went to deal with the mice in his way; one pounce
and the mouse was finished. The dog could hardly
keep up with him and by the end of a week the
pile was huge. A terrible grief lay over the entire
realm. When the Mouse King found that his
subjects were missing, that many had suffered a
cruel fate, he crawled out of his hole and begged
the dog and the cat: "I bow before you, mighty
warriors. Take pity on my poor people, do not kill
us all;
tell me, instead, what I can do for you. Whatever
you say will be done." The dog told him this:
"You have a palace in your realm, and within that
palace dwells a fair princess; she stole our
master's magic ring. Fetch us that ring, or you will
43
die and your kingdom will perish—we will lay it
waste!" "Wait," said the Mouse King, "I will
summon my subjects and ask them."
Immediately he gathered all the mice, large and
small, and asked if one of them would creep into
the palace to the fair princess and steal her ring.
One little mouse answered, "I often go to that
palace. By day the princess wears the ring on her
little finger, and by night when she goes to bed
she puts it into her mouth." "Go and try to get it,"
said the Mouse King. "If you succeed I will
reward you handsomely." The little mouse waited
until nightfall, made his way into the palace and
crept on tiptoe into the princess's bed-chamber.
She was sleeping soundly. Climbing onto the bed,
he poked his tail into the princess's nose and
tickled her nostrils. She sneezed, and the ring flew
out of her mouth and dropped onto the carpet. The
little mouse hopped down from the bed, seized the
ring in his teeth and took it to the Mouse King.
The Mouse King handed the ring to the mighty
warriors, Blackie and Stripey, and they in turn
paid him their compliments. Then they held
counsel between themselves: who should look
after the ring? "Give it to me, I'll never lose it, not
for anything," said the cat. "All right," said
Blackie. "But see you guard it with your life." The
cat took the ring in his mouth and they set off on
their return journey.
When they arrived at the deep blue sea, Stripey
climbed onto the dog's back, dug his claws into
Blackie's thick fur as tightly as he could, and into
the water they went, swimming across to the other
side. They swam for an hour or two, then out of
nowhere a black raven swooped down and started
pecking at Stripey's head. The poor cat did not
know how to protect himself from the enemy. If
he used his claws he would slip into the water and
end up at the bottom of the sea; if he used his
teeth, he might lose the ring. What was he to do?'
He endured it as long as he could, until his head
was bloody from the raven's pecking. Then he lost
his temper, opened his mouth to seize the raven
and ... dropped the ring into the deep blue sea. The
black raven flew up and disappeared into a dark
forest. As soon as they reached land, Blackie
demanded to see the ring. Stnpey hung his head in
shame. "Forgive me, Blackie." he said. "I'm sorry.
I dropped it into the sea." The dog let fly at him.
"You stupid oaf! You're lucky I didn't find out
earlier, or I'd have dropped you into the sea, you
dolt. What are we going to tell our master? Crawl
into the sea at once and find that ring, or I'll tear
you to pieces!" "What good will that do?" growled
the cat. "We must put our heads together: just as
we caught mice before, we'll catch crabs now.
Perhaps they will find our ring for us." The dog
agreed. So they began to walk along the seashore
catching crabs and piling them up. The pile grew
and grew. A huge crab crawled out of the sea to
take a walk; in a flash Stripey had him in his
claws. "Don't kill me, mighty warriors, I am the
Crab King. I shall do whatever you order." "We
dropped a ring into the sea," said Stripey, "go and
look for it if you desire our pardon; or we will put
your whole kingdom to waste."
The Crab King called his subjects at once and told
them about the ring. Then up spoke a tiny crab: "I
know where it is. When the ring fell into the deep
blue sea, a sturgeon seized it and swallowed it
before my very eyes." All the crabs ran through
the sea in search of the sturgeon; when they found
it they began pinching and tweaking the poor fish
ceaselessly. The fish twisted and turned this way
and that. and finally leapt onto the shore. The
Crab King again emerged from the water and
addressed the cat and the dog: "Here is the
sturgeon, mighty warriors. Have no mercy on it,
for it has swallowed your ring." The dog pounced
on the sturgeon and started eating it up from the
tail. But the cunning cat guessed where the ring
would be. He gnawed a hole in the sturgeon's
belly, tore out its insides and there was the ring.
Seizing it in his teeth he scampered off as fast as
his legs would carry him, thinking, "I'll run to the
master, give him the ring and say I found it all by
myself; and the master will love me more than
Blackie."
Meanwhile the dog was finishing his meal of fish
and wondering where the cat had gone. He soon
guessed what the cat was up to, that he was trying
to curry favour with their master. "It's no good,
Stripey, you rascal! I'll catch you up and tear you
to pieces." And off ran Blackie after the cat. He
caught Stripey up and threatened him with a
terrible fate. Spying a birch-tree in a field, Stripey
scampered up it and sat there right at the top.
"Very well," said the dog, "you can't sit in a tree
forever; you'll want to come down sometime. And
I shan't budge until you do." For three days
Stripey sat up the tree, and for three days Blackie
stood guard, not letting him out of sight for a
44
moment. They both got very hungry and agreed to
make it up. then set off together to their master.
When they reached the stone prison, Stripey
sprang up to the little window and asked, "Are
you still alive. Master?" "Hello, dear Stripey! I
thought you would never return. I haven't had a
bite to eat for three days." Thereupon the cat gave
him the magic ring. Martin bided his time till dead
of night, put the ring on his other hand and the
twelve strapping youths appeared.
"What is it that you require?" "Set up my former
palace, lads," said Martin, "and the crystal bridge
and the five-domed church; and bring back my
unfaithful wife; have it ready by morning."
No sooner said than done. The king awoke next
morning, went onto his bal- cony, and looked
through his spy-glass: where the cottage had stood
there was now a lofty palace; from the palace
stretched a crystal bridge, and on either side of the
bridge grew trees with gold and silver apples. The
king ordered his coach to be made ready and rode
off to see whether it had all really come back or
whether he was dreaming. Martin met him at the
gates, took him by his fair hands and led him into
his splendid palace. "Well, this is how it was, Sire,
and all because of the princess", and he told the
king the whole story. The king ordered the
princess to be executed: the unfaithful wife was
tied to the tail of a wild stallion which was set
loose upon the open plain. The stallion flew like
the wind, dashing her snow-white body against
the gullies and steep ravines. But Martin still lives
and prospers to this day.
Magic Wild Geese
An old man lived with his old wife; they had a
daughter and a little son.
"Daughter, Daughter," said the mother, "we are
going to work; we shall bring you back a bun, sew
you a dress and buy you a kerchief. Be very
careful, watch over your little brother, and do not
leave the house".
The parents went away and the daughter forgot
what they had told her; she put her brother on the
grass beneath the window, ran out into the street,
and became absorbed in games.
Some magic swan geese came and seized the little
boy, and carried him off on their wings. The girl
came back and found her brother gone. She
gasped, and rushed to look in every corner, but
could not find him. She called him, wept and
lamented that her father and mother would scold
her severely; still her little brother did not answer.
She ran into the open field; the swan geese flashed
in the distance and vanished into the dark forest.
The swan geese had long had a very bad
reputation; they had done a great deal of damage
and had stolen many little children. The girl had
guessed that they had carried off her little brother,
and so she rushed after them. She ran and ran and
saw a stove.
"Stove, stove, tell me whither have the geese
flown?"
"If you eat my cake of rye I will tell you."
"Oh, in my father's house we do not eat cakes of
wheat!".
The stove did not tell her. She ran farther and saw
an apple tree tree.
"Apple tree, apple tree, whither have the geese
flown?"
"If you eat some of my wild apples, I will tell
you".
" Oh, in my father's house we do not even eat
sweet apples."
She ran farther and farther and saw a river of milk
with shores of pudding.
"River of milk, and shores of pudding, whither
have the geese flown?"
"If you eat my simple pudding with milk, I will
tell you".
"Oh in my father's house we do not even eat
cream."
She would have run in the fields and wandered in
the woods for a long time, if she had not luckily to
meet hedgehog. She wanted to nudge him, but she
45
was afraid that he would prick her, when she
asked:
"Hedgehog, hedgehog, have you not seen whither
the geese have flown?"
"Thither", he said and showed her. She ran and
saw a little hut that stood on chicken legs and
turned round and round. In the little hut lay Baba
Yaga with veined snout and clay legs, and the
little brother was sitting on a bench, playing with
golden apples. His sister saw him, crept near him
and seized him, and carried him away. But the
geese flew after her: if the robbers overtook her,
where would she hide?
There flowed the river of milk and the shores of
pudding.
"Little mother river, hide me!" she begged.
"If you eat my pudding." There was nothing to be
done; she ate it and the river hid her beneath the
shore, and the geese flew by.
She went out and said:
"Thank you", and ran on carrying her brother; and
the geese turned back and flew toward her. What
could she do in this trouble? There was the apple
tree.
"Apple tree, apple tree, little mother, hide me!"
she begged.
"If you eat my wild apple." She ate it quickly. The
apple tree covered her with branches and leaves;
and the geese flew by. She went out again and ran
on with her brother. The geese saw her and flew
after her. They now came quite close, they began
to strike at her with their wings; at any moment
they would tear her brother from her hands.
Luckily there was the stove on her path.
"Madam stove, hide me", she begged.
"If you eat my cake of rye." The girl quickly stuck
the cake in her mouth, went into the the stove, and
sat there. The geese whirred and whirred, quacked
and quacked, and finally flew away without
recovering their prey. The girl ran home, and it
was a good thing that she came when she did, for
soon afterward her mother and father arrived.
Maria Morevna
A long time ago in a Russian kingdom closer than
you might think lived a Tsar and his Queen, with
their son Ivan and three daughters Maria, Olga,
and Anna.
The years passed and it was time for the old Tsar
to hand over his kingdom to his son on his
deathbed. On his deathbed the Tsar instructed
young Ivan to see that his sisters be properly
married and taken care of while they were still
fresh and young.
As the years passed, the now, Tsar Ivan found
himself walking in a garden on palace grounds
with his three sisters. Out of nowhere a black
cloud appeared covering the entire sky. As this
happened Ivan instructed his sisters to retreat to
the inside of the palace before the storm began. As
soon as they all stepped inside the palace lighting
flashed across the entire sky, thunder rattled the
land, and rain covered the entire kingdom. Next
thing they knew a flacon flew through a window
and as he landed he turned into a handsome
prince. He looked at Maria then Ivan and asked
for her hand in marriage. Ivan accepted the
proposal as did Maria and they were married
shortly thereafter and the falcon carried her back
to his kingdom.
One year to the day Ivan found himself walking
through a palace garden with the remaining two
sisters. Just as did happen the previous year a
black cloud appeared and Ivan and his sisters ran
back to the palace to escape the storm. When they
got back to the palace the storm arrived but this
time an eagle flew in turning into a handsome
young prince. He looked at Olga then Ivan and
asked for her hand in marriage. Ivan approved as
did Olga and they were quickly married after
which the eagle carried Olga back to his kingdom.
46
One year to the day of the second meeting of a
prince Ivan was once again walking in a palace
garden with his youngest and only remaining
sister Anna. The same turn of events that occurred
in the previous years once again came to pass. As
they got back inside the palace a raven appeared
immediately after the storm started. As the raven
landed he turned into a handsome prince. He
looked at Anna then Ivan and asked for Anna's
hand in marriage. Ivan did not hesitate in giving
them his blessing and Anna did not hesitate in
accepting the proposal. They were married and the
raven carried Anna off to his kingdom.
Tsar Ivan now lived alone in his immense palace
lonely and without a family to look after. He
missed his sisters so much that one day he told his
princes and boyars that he was leaving the
kingdom in their care and that he was leaving the
kingdom for an indefinite period of time.
He mounted his horse and rode off. He rode up to
a field of a slain army of soldiers. This army
happened to be defeated by the army of Marya
Morevna, which happened to be resting in a field
of white tents. There he met Marya and made it
clear to her that he came in peace. She invited him
into her tent for a feast and he ended up staying
with her for three days and nights. Both realized
that they were madly in love and set a date to
marry in Marya's kingdom. For years they lived
happily and in peace.
One day Marya came to Ivan and told him that she
was going to have to leave to battle an army in
another portion of her kingdom. When she
departed she told Ivan that he was in charge of the
kingdom until she got back and not to enter the
chamber at the tallest turret in the castle under any
circumstances.
While she was gone he wandered the castle for
days looking into every room wondering when his
love was going to come back. He remembered that
in the tallest turret there was something inside that
he was not supposed to see. Burning with
curiosity he ran to the uppermost chamber in the
turret and unlocked the door. Inside he found a
giant lying sprawled on the floor with his arms
and legs chained to the floor with seven iron
chains.
The giant pleaded to Ivan that he had food or
drink in ten years. Ivan feeling pity brought the
giant a pale of water, which the giant drank in one
gulp. He asked for two more pails and when he
finished the last one he got up and broke through
the chains like they were paper-thin. This was no
ordinary giant this was the one and only Koschei
the Deathless.
He told Ivan that he would never see his wife
again and like a whirlwind flew out of the
window. Koschei flew across the land and swept
up Marya who was returning home from battle
and carried her off to his kingdom.
Ivan was depressed and he sat in the castle crying
and weeping for his mistake and the loss of his
love. Time passed and wounds healed but he still
missed his wife so he decided to go rescue her.
He rode on his horse for three days and on the
third he saw a beautiful castle in front of him.
Next to him perched on an oak tree was a falcon
that at the sight of Ivan flew done and turned into
his first brother-in-law. They went inside the
castle where his sister Maria was there to meet
him. Ivan stayed with them for three days and told
them that he had to leave. He left his silver spoon
with them so they would know how he was doing
and rode off on his horse.
He rode for three days and on the third day he
came upon another castle that was more beautiful
than the first. Looking at the immense structure he
sat on his horse next to a large oak. In the oak was
perched an eagle who upon seeing Ivan flew down
and turned into the second brother-in-law. They
went inside the castle and met with Ivan's sister
Olga who was delighted to see him. Ivan stayed in
the castle for three days and said that he would
47
have to depart because he was on a quest to find
his wife Marya Morevna. To see his progress the
two asked Ivan to leave his silver fork. He did as
was asked and rode off.
Riding non-stop for three days he came upon
another castle that was more beautiful than both of
the ones he stayed at before, put together. In a
large oak was perched a falcon who swooped
down to Ivan and turned into the third brother-in-
law. He invited Ivan in and Anna the youngest of
the sisters embraced Ivan since she had not seen
him in so long. Ivan spent three days with them
and rode off leaving them a silver tobacco box so
that they could keep track of his progress.
He traveled for three more days before coming up
to the kingdom of Koschei the Deathless. Ivan
bravely walked into the palace grounds and found
Marya Morevna who warned him that Koschei
was out on a hunt. Ivan took Marya on his horse
and rode off with her hoping to make it home.
Koschei returning from the hunt was informed by
a horse of his that Ivan had taken Marya. Hearing
this news he mounted the magical horse and
caught up to Ivan and Marya in a flash. Koschei
swept up Marya and told him that he would not
kill him since he took pity on him in the past.
Dejected he sat on his horse and thought about his
defeated effort. Driven to have his wife back he
rode back Koschei's palace to once again rescue
Marya.
When he found Marya again she warned him that
Koschei would be back soon. He ignored her
warning and took her and charged off on his
horse.
Koschei came back and was informed by his horse
that Ivan had taken Marya again. Mounting the
magical horse he caught up to the two escapees
just as fast as he did previously, took Marya, and
told Ivan that if he was ever to do that again that
he would be killed.
This time Ivan returned and waited several days
until Koschei left the palace to go in and rescue
Marya. Ivan found Marya and he told her to get on
the horse and ride off with him. She was reluctant
and he told him that he would be killed if Koschei
found them again. Ivan told her that it was better
to be dead than not to be with her and she
responded by getting on his horse and riding off
with him.
Koschei returned and found that Marya was
missing and galloped after them in a fury. He
caught up to them, grabbed Marya, sliced Ivan
into many small pieces, and put the pieces into a
tarred barrel, which he threw into the deep blue
sea.
As this was happening the spoon, fork, and
tobacco box all turned black. The brothers-in-law
all realized that something very terrible had
happened to Ivan. The eagle flew to the sea and
snared the barrel carrying it to shore. The falcon
flew off to obtain the water of the living and the
raven flew to obtain the water of the dead. The
falcon and the raven flew back to the eagle that
was waiting for them. The three of them broke the
barrel and put Ivan's body back together piece by
piece. Next the raven poured the water of the dead
on the severed pieces and they fused back
together. Then the falcon poured the water of the
living on the body and Ivan sprung back to life.
Ivan thanked his brothers-in-law and walked back
to Koschei's palace.
When Koschei left in the morning Ivan snuck
inside and found Marya and told her to find out
where Koschei acquired his magical horses. When
Koschei returned Marya waited for the opportune
time and asked him the question. He answered
that he got the horses from Baba Yaga who lived
on the other side of the River of Fire, which his
magical handkerchief helped him cross.
While Koschei slept Marya took his magic
handkerchief and gave it to Ivan and told him to
48
go to Baba Yaga's house on the other side of the
River of Fire.
Ivan started off for Baba Yaga's house and soon
enough he was at the River of Fire. He waved the
magic handkerchief and a crystal bridge rose up
from a low and decrepit bridge and he was able to
cross safely.
Ivan walked and walked and was very hungry. He
came upon a mother bird with her young. He
thought of having them to eat but the mother bird
told him not to eat them because he might need
their help later, and Ivan trekked on.
Still famished Ivan came up to a beehive from
which he wanted to take some honey. However
the queen bee flew to him and said not to eat any
honey since he might need her help in the future,
and so he walked on.
Not having eaten for a long time he crossed paths
with a lioness and her cub. Ivan wanted to kill the
cub for a meal but was told not to by the lioness
since he might need their help someday, and he
walked on.
He walked long exhausted from severe hunger and
eventually made it to Baba Yaga's house. He met
with her and told her that he would serve her. She
told him that he would tend her stables and if one
horse escaped she would cut off his head and put
it on a stake next to all of her other heads. She
would reward him though if he could manage to
keep her horses at bay. She made him a hearty
meal, told him to eat, sleep, and that he would be
starting his work in the morning.
In the morning before waking Ivan Baba Yaga
told all of her horses to run away from Ivan once
they got in the meadow.
After Ivan woke he took the horses as instructed
to the meadow. As soon as they arrived all the
horses ran off in different directions. Ivan could
do nothing as he sat in the middle of the meadow.
Then the same birds that Ivan spared swooped out
of the sky forcing all the horses back to their
stables.
Baba Yaga angered at her horses asked them what
happened. They told her they had no choice
because the birds would have plucked their eyes
out. She instructed them next time to scatter into
the deepness of the forest.
Ivan woke up the next day and took the horses out
and they ran into the depths of the forest as soon
as they had the chance. The same lioness her cub
and an army of lions ran into the forest and chased
the horses back to their stables.
Baba Yaga was once again angry at her horses
since they were back in their stables in the
morning. This time she told them to hide in the
blue sea once Ivan took them out.
Ivan woke up and took the horses out and sure
enough they ran off into the blue sea. Then a
swarm of bees flew at the horses that were
standing in the sea and stung them until they
returned home. One of the bees flew to Ivan and
told him to go back to Baba Yaga's house but so
that she does not know that he is there and hides
in the stables. The bee also told him to find a
mangy looking colt and flee at night. Ivan did as
he was told and rode off on the ugly colt towards
the River of Fire.
He reached the River of Fire, waved the
handkerchief, and crossed the crystal bridge that
appeared out of nowhere. The next morning Baba
Yaga found that Ivan had taken one of her colts
and she rode after him. When she came up to the
River of Fire she tried to cross it but fell in and
was never heard from again.
Once Ivan led his colt out into a pasture it
suddenly turned into a strong and beautiful steed.
Ivan mounted him and rode to the palace of
Koschei the Deathless. Once he reached the palace
he found Marya Morevna and put her on his new
49
magical horse and rode off.
Koschei found out from one of his magic horses
that Ivan had come back and took Marya. Furious,
Koschei mounted the horse and charged after
them.
When Koschei caught up to them Ivan's horse
struck Koschei in the head and killed him with
that blow. Marya mounted Koschei's horse and
she and Ivan rode back to their kingdom stopping
to feast at each of the brothers-in-law castles.
Tsar Ivan and Marya Morevna unified their two
kingdoms, which they helped reign over happily
ever after.
Masha and The Bear
Once upon a time there lived an old man and
woman who had a granddaughter named Masha.
One day some friends of Masha's decided to go to
the forest to gather mushrooms and berries and
they came to Masha's house to ask her to go with
them.
"Please, Grannie and Grampa," said Masha, "do
let me go to the forest"
"You may go but see that you keep close to the
others and do not lose sight of them or you might
get lost", the two old people replied.
Masha and her friends came to the forest and
began to hunt for the mushrooms and berries.
From bush to bush, from tree to tree went Masha.
Before she knew it she had strayed away from her
friends. When at last she saw that she was all
alone she began to halloo and call to them, but her
friends did not hear her and made no answer.
Masha went here and there, she walked all over
the forest, and there before her she saw a little hut.
Masha knocked on the door but there was no
answer, so she gave the door a push and lo! the
door opened. Masha went into the hut and sat
down on a bench by the window.
"I wonder who lives here she thought". Now in
that hut lived a great big bear, only he was out
walking in the forest just then. It was evening by
the time he came home and when he saw Masha
he was very pleased.
"Aha", said he, "now I'll never let you go!. You
will live here in my house as meek as a mouse,
and you will cook my dinner and my breakfast
too, and be my servant, faithful and true."
Masha grieved and sorrowed for a long time, but it
could not be helped, and so she stayed with the
bear and kept house for him. Every day the bear
would go into the forest for the day and before
leaving, he would tell Masha to stay in the hut and
wait for him.
"You must never go out without me, he told her,
for if you do I will catch you and eat you up."
So Masha sat thing of how she could get away
from the bear. All around was the forest and there
was no one to ask which way to go. She thought
and thought until she knew what to do.
That day, when the bear came back from the
forest, Masha said to him:
" Bear, Bear do let me to to my village for a day. I
want to take something good to eat for my
Grandma and Grandpa."
"No that wont do at all" said the bear, "you will
get lost in the forest, but if you give me what it is
you want to give your Grandma and Grandpa, I
will take it myself".
Now that was all that Masha wanted to hear. She
baked some pies, put them on a plate, and getting
out a very large basket, said to the bear:
"I'll put the pies in the basket and you can take
them to my Grandma and Grandpa. But mind you
are not to open the basket on the way and you are
not to eat any of the pies. I am going to climb to
the top of the big oak tree and watch that you do
not open the basket."
"Very well ", said the bear, "Give me the basket".
The bear went out on the porch to make sure that
it was not raining. When he did, Masha crawled
into the basket and covered herself with the pies.
The bear came in, and there was the basket all
50
ready to go. So he strapped the basket on his back
and started off. Tramp-tramp went the bear amid
the spruce trees. Clumpity-clumphe went amid the
birch trees, up hill and down dale went his long
winding trail, and on and on he walked. At last he
got tired and sat down to rest.
"If I don't rest my bones I think I will die, So I
will sit on a stump And I'll eat a pie", said the
Bear.
But Masha called out from the basket:
"I see you, I see you Don't sit on the stump And
don't eat my pie But take it to Grandma And
Grandpa, say I".
"Dear me what sharp eyes eyes Masha has", said
the bear, "she sees everything".
He picked up the basket and went on. He stopped
again and said:
"If I don't rest my bones, I think I will dies, so I'll
sit on a stump and eat a pie".
But Masha called out again from the basket:
"I see you, I see you! Don't sit on the stump, and
don't eat my pie, but take it to Grandma and
Grandpa, say I".
"What a clever little girls Masha is", said the bear.
"She is sitting high up in a tree and she is far
away, but she sees all I do and she hears all I say".
He got to his feet and walked on and on even
faster than before. He came to the village and
finding the house where Masha's grandfather and
grandmother lived he began to bang away on the
gate with all his might.
" KNOCK, KNOCK, open the gate", he cried, "I
have brought something for you from Masha, he
cried".
But the village dogs scented the bear and rushed
out at him from every yard, yelping and barking.
The bear was frightened, he set down the basket
by the gate and away he ran as fast as he could
without looking back.
The old man and woman came up to the gate and
saw the basket.
"What is in the basket", the old woman asked.
The old man lifted the top, and looked and he
could not believe his eyes. For there in the basket
sat Masha alive and well. The old man and woman
were overjoyed. They kissed and hugged and
embraced. Masha and they said she was as clever
as clever can be, as indeed all our readers will
surely agree.
Morozko
Once there lived an old widower and his daughter.
In due time, the man remarried to an older woman
who had a daughter herself from a previous
marriage. The woman doted on her own daughter,
praising her at every opportunity, but she despised
her stepdaughter
She found fault with everything the girl did and
made her work long and hard all day long.
One day the old woman made up her mind to get
rid of the stepdaughter once and for all. She
ordered her husband:
"Take her somewhere so that my eyes no longer
have to see her, so that my ears no longer have to
hear her. And don't take her to some relative's
house. Take her into the biting cold of the forest
and leave her there."
The old man grieved and wept but he knew that he
could do nothing else; his wife always had her
way. So he took the girl into the forest and left her
there. He turned back quickly so that he wouldn't
have to see his girl freeze.
Oh, the poor thing, sitting there in the snow, with
her body shivering and her teeth chattering! Then
Morozko (the Father Frost), leaping from tree to
tree, came upon her. "Are you warm, my lass?" he
asked.
"Welcome, my dear Morozko. Yes, I am quite
warm," she said, even though she was cold
through and through.
At first, Morozko had wanted to freeze the life out
of her with his icy grip. But he admired the young
51
girl's stoicism and showed mercy. He gave her a
warm fur coat and downy quilts before he left. In
a short while, Morozko returned to check on the
girl.
"Are you warm, my lass?" he asked.
"Welcome again, my dear Morozko. Yes, I am
very warm," she said.
And indeed she was warmer. So this time
Morozko brought a large box for her to sit on. A
little later, Morozko returned once more to ask
how she was doing. She was doing quite well
now, and this time Morozko gave her silver and
gold jewelry to wear, with enough extra jewels to
fill the box on which she was sitting!
Meanwhile, back at her father's hut, the old
woman told her husband to go back into the forest
to bring back the body of his daughter. He did as
he was ordered. He arrived at the spot where had
left her, and was overjoyed when he saw his
daughter alive, wrapped in a sable coat and
adorned with silver and gold. When he arrived
home with his daughter and the box of jewels, his
wife looked on in amazement.
"Harness the horse, you old goat, and take my
own daughter to that same spot in the forest and
leave her there," she said.
The old man did as he was told. Like the other girl
at first, the old woman's daughter began to shake
and shiver. In a short while, Morozko came by
and asked her how she was doing.
"Are you blind?" she replied. "Can't you see that
my hands and feet are quite numb? Curse you, you
miserable old man!" Dawn had hardly broken the
next day when, back at the old man's hut, the old
woman woke her husband and told him to bring
back her daughter, adding:
"Be careful with the box of jewels." The old man
obeyed and went to fetch the girl. A short while
later, the gate to the yard creaked. The old woman
went outside and saw her husband standing next
to the sleigh. She rushed forward and pulled aside
the sleigh's cover. To her horror, she saw the body
of her daughter, frozen by an angry Morozko. She
began to scream and berate her husband, but it
was all in vein. Later, the old man's daughter
married a neighbor, had children, and lived
happily. Her father would visit his grandchildren
every now and then, and remind them always to
respect Old Man Winter
Pea-Roll Along
There was once a man who had six sons and one
daughter, Olenka by name. One day the sons went
out to plough and they told their sister to bring
them their dinner to the field.
"How will I find you there?" Olenka asked.
"We will make a furrow stretching from our house
to the place where we will be," said they.
And with that they drove away.
Now, in the forest beyond the field there lived a
Dragon, and he came and filled in the furrow the
brothers had made with earth and made a furrow
of his own which led to the door of his house. And
when Olenka went out to take her brothers dinner
to them she followed it and walked straight into
the Dragon's courtyard. And the Dragon seized
her and held her captive.
In the evening the brothers came home and they
said to their mother:
"We were ploughing all day. Why didn't you send
us anything to eat, Mother?"
"But I did!' the mother replied. "I sent Olenka to
the field with your dinner. She must have lost her
way."
"We must go and look for her," the brothers said.
They set out at once, and, seeing the Dragon's
furrow, followed it and came to his house. They
walked in through the gate, and there was their
sister running out to meet them!
"Oh, my brothers, my dear brothers, where will I
hide you?" she cried. "The Dragon is out now but
he will eat you up when he comes back!"
And lo! — there was the Dragon flying toward
them.
52
"I smell a man, I smell many men!" he cried.
"Well, now, my lads, is it to fight me you have
come or to make peace with me?"
"To fight you!"
"Very well, then, let us go to the iron threshing
floor."
They went to the iron threshing floor, but they did
not fight long. For the Dragon struck them once
and drove them into the floor. Then he pulled
them out, more dead than alive, and threw them
into a deep dungeon.
The mother and father waited for their sons to
return, but they waited in vain.
One day the mother went to the river with her
laundry, and what should she see rolling toward
her along the road but a pea! She picked
"Perhaps I can free you," said Pea-Roll Along.
"My brothers, and there were six of them, tried
and could not do it, so how can you!"
"We shall see what we shall see!" said Pea-Roll
Along.
And he sat down to wait by a window.
By and by the Dragon came flying back. He
stepped into the house, sniffed and said:
"I smell a man!"
"Of course you do, for .here I am!" said Pea-Roll
Along, coming forward.
"And what brings you here, my lad? Do you want
to fight me or to make peace with me?"
"I want to fight you!"
"Well, then, let us go to the iron threshing floor!"
"Let's!"
They came to the threshing floor, and the Dragon
faced Pea-Roll Along.
"You strike first!" he said.
"No, you do!" said Pea-Roll Along.
At this the Dragon pounced on Pea-Roll Along
and struck him such a blow that he sank ankle-
deep into the iron threshing floor. But Pea-Roll
Along was out again in a flash and he gave the
Dragon an answering blow with his mace and
drove him knee-deep into the floor. The Dragon
heaved himself out and he again came at Pea-Roll
Along and drove him as deep into the floor as he
had just been driven himself. But Pea-Roll Along
was not one to be frightened. He struck the
Dragon a blow which drove him waist-deep into
the floor, and then another that killed him on the
spot.
After that he made his way to the dungeon, freed
his brothers, who were more dead than alive, and,
taking them and his sister Olenka with him, and
all the gold and silver the Dragon had in the house
too, set out for home. But he never told them that
he was their brother.
Whether they were long on their way or not
nobody knows, but by and by they sat down for a
rest under an oak tree, and so tired was Pea-Roll
Along after having battled the Dragon that he fell
fast asleep. And his six brothers talked it all over
among themselves and said:
"We will be mocked at when it becomes known
that the six of us could not do away with the
Dragon while this young lad here did it all by
himself. And he will get all the Dragon's riches
besides."
And they decided to tie Pea-Roll Along while he
was asleep and Helpless to the oak tree and leave
him there to be eaten up by a wild beast.
No sooner said than done. They bound Pea-Roll
Along to the tree, left him there and went away.
And Pea-Roll Along slept on and felt nothing. He
slept for a day and he slept for a night, and he
woke to find himself bound to the oak tree. But he
jerked and heaved, and lo! — out came the tree,
roots and all, from the ground, and Pea-Roll
Along threw it over his shoulder and went home.
He came up to his house and he heard his brothers
talking to their mother.
53
"Did you have any more children, Mother, after
we left home?" they asked.
"Yes, indeed!" the mother replied. "I had a son,
Pea-Roll Along by name, who went to seek you."
"Then it must have been he we bound to the oak
tree. We shall have to go back at once and untie
him!"
But Pea-Roll Along waved the oak tree he was
carrying and it struck the roof of the hut so hard
that the but all but tumbled to the ground.
"Stay where you are since you are what you are
and no better, my brothers!" he cried. "I will go
off by myself and roam the wide world."
And he shouldered his mace and away he went.
He walked and he walked and he saw two
mountains ahead. Between them stood a man who
had his hands and his feet set against them and
was trying to push them apart.
"Good morning, friend!" Pea-Roll Along called
out.
"Good morning to you!" the man replied.
"What are you doing?"
"Moving the mountains apart to make a path for
passers-by."
"Where are you going?"
"To see the world and seek my fortune."
"I am out to do the same. What is your name?"
"Move-Mountain. What's yours?"
"Pea-Roll Along. Let's go together!"
"Let's!"
They went along together, they walked and they
walked, and they saw a man in the forest who was
pulling out oak trees by their roots. And he had
only to give a tree one twist, and out it came!
"Good morning, friend!" called Pea-Roll Along
and Move-Mountain.
"Good morning to you, my lads!" the man called
back.
"What are you doing?"
"Uprooting oak trees to make a path for anyone
who wants to walk here."
"Where are you going?"
"To seek my fortune."
"We are out to do the same. What's your name?"
"Twist-Oak. And yours?"
"Pea-Roll Along and Move-Mountain. Let's go
together!"
"Let's!"
The three of them went on together, they walked
and they walked, and they saw a man sitting on
the bank of a river. The man had the longest of
long whiskers, and he had only to twirl one of
them for the waters to part and roll away, leaving
a path for anyone who wanted to walk over the
river bed.
"Good morning, friend!" they called to him.
"Good morning to you, my lads!"
"What are you doing?"
"Parting the waters in order to cross the river."
"Where are you going?"
"To seek my fortune."
"We are out to do the same. What's your name?"
"Twirl-Whisker. What are yours?"
"Pea-Roll Along, Move-Mountain and Twist-Oak.
Let's go together!"
"Let's!"
54
They went on together and had an easy time of it,
for Move-Mountain
moved aside every mountain, Twist-Oak uprooted
every forest, and Twirl-Whisker parted the waters
of every river that was in their way.
They walked and they walked, and they came to a
small hut standing in the middle of a large forest.
They stepped inside, and lo! — there was no one
there.
"Here's where we will spend the night!" said Pea-
Roll Along.
They spent the night in the hut, and in the morning
Pea-Roll Along said:
"You stay at home, Move-Mountain, and make
dinner, and we three will go hunting."
They went away, and Move-Mountain cooked a
big dinner and lay down for a sleep.
All of a sudden there came a rap at the door: rap-
tap-tap!
"Open the door!" someone called.
"I'm no servant of yours to open doors!" Move-
Mountain called back.
The door opened, and the same voice called again:
"Carry me over the threshold!"
"You're no lord of mine, so don't wail or whine!"
Move-Mountain called back.
And lo! — there climbed over the threshold the
tiniest old man that ever was, with a beard so long
that it dragged over the floor. The little old man
caught Move-Mountain by the hair and hung him
on a nail on the wall. Then he ate all there was to
eat and drank all there was to drink, and after
cutting a long strip of skin from Move-Mountain's
back, went away.
Move-Mountain twisted and turned on the nail till
he broke loose, and then he set to work making
dinner anew. He was still at it when his friends
returned.
"Why are you so late getting dinner?" they asked.
"I dozed off and forgot about it," said Move-
Mountain.
They ate their fill and went to bed, and on the
following morning Pea-Roll Along said:
"Now you stay at home, Twist-Oak, and the rest
of us will go hunting."
They went away, and Twist-Oak cooked a big
dinner and lay down for a sleep.
All of a sudden there came a rap at the door: rap-
tap-tap!
"Open the door!" a voice called.
"I'm no servant of yours to open doors!" Twist-
Oak called back.
"Carry me over the threshold!" the same voice
called again.
"You're no lord of mine, so don't wail or whine!"
Twist-Oak replied.
And lo! — there climbed over the threshold and
stepped into the hut the tiniest little old man that
ever was, with a beard so long that it trailed over
the floor. The old man grabbed Twist-Oak by the
hair and hung him on a nail, and then ate all there
was to eat and drank all there was to drink, and,
after cutting a long strip of skin from Twist-Oak's
back, went away.
Twist-Oak twisted and turned this way and that
till he succeeded in breaking free, and then he
started to make dinner again. He was still at it
when his friends returned.
"Why are you so late getting dinner?" they asked.
"I dozed off and only woke a little while ago,"
said Twist-Oak.
Move-Mountain, who guessed what had
happened, said nothing.
On the third day Twirl-Whisker was the one to
remain at home, and the same thing happened to
him.
55
Said Pea-Roll Along:
"You three are very slow getting dinner.
Tomorrow you'll go hunting and I'll stay home."
Morning came, and Pea-Roll Along remained at
home while his three friends went hunting. He
cooked a big dinner, and just as he lay down for a
nap there came a rap at the door: rap-tap-tap!
"Open up!" a voice called.
Pea-Roll Along opened the door, and there before
him was the tiniest little old man that ever lived,
with a beard so long that it trailed over the floor.
"Carry me over the threshold, my lad!" said the
little old man.
Pea-Roll Along picked him up, carried him into
the hut and set him down on the floor, and the
little old man began dancing round and round and
taking little flying jumps at him.
"What do you want?" asked Pea-Roll Along.
"You'll soon see what I want!" said the little old
man. He stretched out his hand and was about to
seize Pea-Roll Along by the hair, but Pea-Roll
Along cried out, "Oh, so that's the sort you are!"
and caught him by the beard instead. Then, taking
an axe, he dragged the little old man outside and
up to an oak tree, split the oak tree in two, and
thrust the little old man's beard deep into the cleft,
pinning it fast.
"You were wicked enough to try to catch me by
the hair, Grandpa," he said, "so now you'll have to
stay here till I return."
Back he went to the hut, and he found his three
friends waiting for him there.
"Is dinner ready?" they asked.
"Yes, it's been ready and waiting a long time,"
Pea-Roll Along replied.
They sat down and began eating, and after they
had finished he
said:
"Come with me and I will show you a most
strange sight." He led them outside, but oddly
enough there was no oak tree there and
no little old man either. For the little old man had
pulled out the oak
tree by the roots and dragged it away with him.
Pea-Roll Along then told his friends of all that had
happened to him,
and they, on their part, confessed that the little old
man had had them
hanging from a nail and had cut strips of skin from
their backs.
"He's a wicked old thing, is the little old man, and
we had better go and find him," said Pea-Roll
Along.
Now, the little old man had been dragging the oak
tree and had thus left a trail which they found easy
to follow. The trail led them to a hole in the
ground so deep that it seemed bottomless.
Pea-Roll Along turned to Move-Mountain.
"Climb down the hole, Move-Mountain!" he said.
"Not I!" answered Move-Mountain.
"How about you, Twist-Oak, or you, Twirl-
Whisker?"
But neither Twist-Oak nor Twirl-Whisker would
risk climbing down the hole.
"All right, then, I'll do it!" said Pea-Roll Along.
"But I'll need a rope. Let's plait one!"
They plaited a rope, and Pea-Roll Along wound
one end of it round his wrist.
"Now let me down!" he said.
They began letting him down, and it took them a
long time, for so deep was the hole that to reach
its bottom was like trying to reach the nether
world itself. But they got him down at last, and
Pea-Roll Along set out to explore the place. On he
walked, and by and by he came across a huge
56
palace. He went inside, and everything in the
palace sparkled and shone, for it was made of gold
studded with precious stones. He passed from
chamber to chamber, and all of a sudden who
should come running toward him but a princess,
and so beautiful was she that her equal could not
have been found anywhere in the world.
"What brings you here, good youth?" she asked.
"I am looking for a little old man with a beard that
trails over the ground," said Pea-Roll Along.
"He got his beard stuck in the cleft of a tree and is
now trying to pull it out," said the princess. "Don't
go to him or he will kill you as he has killed
others."
"He won't kill me," said Pea-Roll Along. "It was I
who caught him by the beard and stuck it in the
cleft. But who are you?"
"I am a princess, the daughter of a king. The little
old man carried me off and is keeping me captive
here."
"I will free you, never fear! Just take me to him."
The princess led Pea-Roll Along to the little old
man, and lo!—there he sat stroking his beard
which he had pulled out of the cleft. At the sight
of Pea-Roll Along he turned red with anger.
"What brings you here — have you come to fight
me or to make peace with me?" he asked.
"I am here to fight you!" said Pea-Roll Along.
"Do you think I would make peace with the likes
of you?"
They began to fight, and they fought fiercely and
long till at last Pea-Roll Along struck the little old
man with his mace and killed him at once.
After that Pea-Roll Along and the princess took all
the gold and gems they could find in the palace,
and, filling three sacks full of them, made for the
hole down which Pea-Roll Along had climbed
into the underground kingdom.
They came to it soon enough, and Pea-Roll Along
cupped his hands round his mouth and began
calling to his friends.
"Are you still there, my brothers?" he called.
"We are!" came the reply.
Pea-Roll Along tied one of the sacks to the rope.
"Pull it up, brothers! he called again. "The sack is
yours!"
They pulled up the sack and let the rope down
again, and Pea-Roll Along tied the second sack to
it.
"Pull it up! This one is yours too!" he called.
He sent up the third sack as well, and then he tied
the princess to the rope.
"The princess is mine!" he called.
The three friends pulled out the princess, and now
only Pea-Roll Along was left at the bottom of the
hole.
"Let's pull him up and then let go of the rope!"
said they. "He will fall and be killed, and the
princess will be ours."
But Pea-Roll Along guessed what they were up to
and tied a large stone to the rope
"Now pull me up!" he called.
They pulled up the rope nearly to the top and then
let go of it, and down came the stone with a crash!
"A fine lot of friends I have!" said Pea-Roll
Along, and he set out to roam the kingdom at the
bottom of the hole.
On and on he walked, and all of a sudden the sky
became overcast, and it began to rain and to hail.
Pea-Roll Along hid under an oak tree, and as he
stood there he heard the chirping of baby griffins
coming from a nest at the top of the tree. He
climbed the tree, and, taking off his coat, covered
the birds with it.
The rain stopped, and a huge griffin, the nestlings'
father, came flying up.
"Who was it that covered you, my little ones?"
asked he.
57
"We'll tell you if you promise not to eat him up,"
said the nestlings.
"I won't, never fear!"
"Well, do you see that man sitting under the tree?
It was he who did it."
The griffin flew down from the tree.
"Ask of me whatever you want, and I will do it!"
said he to Pea-Roll Along. "For this is the first
time that none of my children has drowned in such
a downpour, with me away."
"Take me to my own kingdom," said Pea-Roll
Along.
"That is not easy to do, but if we take six barrels
of meat and six of water with us I may be able to
do it," the griffin said. "Every time I turn my head
to the right you will throw a piece of meat into my
mouth, and every time I turn it to the left you will
give me a sip of water. If you don't do it we'll
never get there, for I'll die on the way."
They took six barrels of meat and six of water.
Pea-Roll Along put them on the griffin's back and
climbed on himself, and away they flew! And
whenever the griffin turned his head to the right
Pea-Roll Along put some meat into his mouth, and
whenever he turned it to the left he gave him a sip
of water.
They flew for a long time and had nearly reached
Pea-Roll Along's kingdom when the griffin turned
his head to the right again. Pea-Roll Along looked
into the barrel, the last of the six, and, seeing that
there was not a scrap of meat left there, cut off a
piece of his own leg and gave it to him.
"What was it that I just ate? It was very good," the
griffin asked.
"A piece of my own flesh," replied Pea-Roll
Along pointing to his leg.
The griffin said nothing, but spat out the piece,
and leaving Pea-Roll Along to wait for him, flew
off to fetch some living water. He was back with it
before long, and no sooner had they put the piece
that he had cut off to Pea-Roll Along's leg and
sprinkled it with the living water than it grew fast
to it again.
After that the griffin flew home, and Pea-Roll
Along went to seek his three faithless friends.
Now, the three had made their way to the palace
of the princess's father, the king, and they were
now living there and quarrelling among
themselves, for each of them wanted to marry the
princess and would not give her up to the others.
It was there that Pea-Roll Along found them, and
when they saw him they turned white with fright.
"Traitors deserve no mercy! cried Pea-Roll Along,
and he struck them with his mace and killed them.
Soon after that he married the princess, and they
lived happily ever after.
Princess Frog
Long, long ago, in days of yore, there lived a king
who had three sons, all of them grown to
manhood. One day the king called them to him
and said, "My sons. let each of you make a bow
for himself and shoot an arrow. The maiden who
brings your arrow back will be your bride; and he
whose arrow is not returned will stay unwed." The
eldest son shot an arrow and a prince's daughter
brought it back. The middle son loosed an arrow
and a general's daughter brought it back. But
young Prince Ivan's arrow fell into a marsh and
was brought back by a frog holding it between her
teeth. The first two brothers were joyful and
happy, but Prince Ivan was downcast and cried:
"How can I live with a frog? Marrying is for a
lifetime, it isn't like wading a stream or crossing a
field!" He wept and wept but there was nothing
for it: he had to marry the frog. All three couples
were wed together according to the custom—the
frog being held aloft on a platter.
Some time passed. One day the king wished to see
which bride was the best needle-woman. So he
ordered them to make him a shirt. Poor Prince
Ivan was again downcast and cried: "How can my
frog sew? I'll be a laughing stock." The frog only
jumped across the floor croaking. But no sooner
was Prince Ivan asleep than she went outside, cast
58
off her skin and turned into a beautiful maiden,
calling. "Maids and matrons, sew me a shirt!" The
maids and matrons straightway brought a finely-
embroidered shirt: she took it, folded it and placed
it alongside Prince Ivan.
There upon she turned back into a frog as if
nothing had happened. In the morning Prince Ivan
awoke and was overjoyed to find the shirt which
he took forthwith to the king. The king gazed at it
and said: "Now there's a shirt for you, fit to wear
on holy days!" Then the middle brother brought a
shirt, at which the king said, "This shirt is fit only
for the bath-house!" And taking the eldest
brother's shirt, he said, "And this one is fit only for
a smoky peasant hut!" The king's sons went their
separate ways, with the two eldest muttering
among themselves, "We were surely wrong to
mock at Prince Ivan's wife; she must be a cunning
sorceress, not a frog."
Presently the king again issued a command: this
time the daughters-in-law were each to bake a loaf
of bread, and bring it to him to judge which bride
was the best cook. The other two brides had made
fun of the frog, but now they sent a chamber-
maid to see how she would bake her loaf. The frog
noticed the woman, so she kneaded some dough,
rolled it out, made a hole in the stove and tipped
the dough straight into the fire. The chambermaid
ran to tell her mistresses, the royal brides, and
they proceeded to do the same. But the crafty frog
had tricked them; as soon as .the woman had
gone, she retrieved the dough, cleaned and
mended the stove as if nothing had happened, then
went out on to the porch, cast off her skin and
called, "Maids and matrons, bake me a loaf of
bread such as my dear father used to eat on
Sundays and holidays." In an instant the maids
and matrons brought the bread. She took it, placed
it beside Prince Ivan, and turned into a frog again.
In the morning Prince Ivan awoke, took the loaf of
bread and gave it to his father. His father was
receiving the loaves brought by the elder brothers:
their wives had dropped the dough into the fire
just as the frog had done, so their bread was black
and lumpy. First the king took the eldest son's
loaf, inspected it and despatched it to the kitchen.
then he took the middle son's loaf and despatched
it thither too. Then came Prince Ivan's turn: he
presented his loaf to his father who looked at it
and said, "Now this is bread fit to grace a holy
day. It is not at all like the burnt offerings of my
elder daughters-in-law!"
After that the king thought to hold a ball to see
which of his sons' wives was the best dancer. AU
the guests and daughters-in-law assembled;
everyone was there except Prince Ivan, who
thought: "How can I go to the ball with a frog?"
And the poor prince began- to weep bitterly. "Do
not cry, Prince Ivan," said the frog. "Go to the
ball. I shall follow in an hour." Prince Ivan was
somewhat cheered at the frog's words, and left for
the ball. Then the frog cast off her skin and turned
into a lovely maid dressed in finery. When she
arrived at the ball, Prince Ivan was overjoyed, and
the guests clapped their hands at the sight of such
beauty. They began to eat and drink. But the frog-
princess would eat and slip the bones into her
sleeve, then drink and pour the dregs into her
other sleeve. The elder brothers' wives saw this
and followed suit, slipping bones into one sleeve
and dregs into the other. When the time came for
dancing, the king called upon his elder sons' wives
but they insisted on the frog-princess dancing first.
And she straightway took Prince Ivan's arm and
came forward to dance. She danced and danced,
whirling round and round, to the delight of all.
When she shook her right sleeve, woods and lakes
appeared; when she shook her left sleeve, all kinds
of birds flew about. The guests were filled with
wonder. When she finished dancing, everything
disappeared. Then the wives of the two elder sons
began to dance. They wished to do as the frog-
princess had done, so they shook their right
sleeves and bones flew out hitting folk about
them; and when they shook their left sleeves,
water splashed all over the onlookers. The king
was most displeased and soon called an end to the
dancing.
The ball was over. Prince Ivan rode off ahead of
his wife, found the frogskin and burnt it. So when
his wife returned and looked for the skin, it was
nowhere to be seen. She lay down to sleep with
Prince Ivan, but just before daybreak she said to
him, "Oh, Prince Ivan, if only you had waited a
little longer I would have been yours. Now God
alone knows when we shall meet again. Farewell.
If you wish to find me you must go beyond the
Thrice-Nine Land to the Thrice-Ten Kingdom."
And the frog-princess vanished.
59
A year went by, and Prince Ivan still pined for his
wife. As a second year began, he made ready to
leave, seeking first the blessing of his father and
mother. He rode for a long way and eventually
chanced upon a little hut facing the trees, with its
back to him. "Little hut, little hut," he called. 'Turn
your face to me, please, and your back to the
trees." The little hut did as he said and Prince Ivan
entered. There before him sat an old woman, who
cried, "Fie, Foh! There was neither sight nor
sound of Russian bones, yet now they come
marching in of their own free will! Whither go
you, Prince Ivan?" "First give me food and drink
and put me to bed, old woman, then ask your
questions." So the old woman gave food and drink
and put him to bed. Then Prince Ivan said to her,
"Grannie, I have set out to rescue Yelena the
Fair." "Oh, my child," the old woman said,
"you've waited too long! At first she spoke of you
often, but now she no longer remembers you. I
haven't seen her for a long time. Go now to my
middle sister, she knows more than me."
In the morning Prince Ivan set out, came to
another little hut, and cried, "Little hut, little hut,
turn your face to me, please, and your back to the
trees." The little hut did as he said and Prince Ivan
entered. There before him sat an old woman, who
cried, "Fie, Foh! There was neither sight nor
sound of Russian bones, yet now they come
marching in of their own free will! Whither go
you. Prince Ivan?" "I seek Yelena the Fair,
Grannie-," he replied. "Oh, Prince Ivan," the old
woman said, "you've waited too long! She has
begun to forget you and is to marry another. She is
now living with my eldest sister; go there now,
but beware: as you approach they will know it is
you. Yelena will turn into a spindle, her dress will
turn to gold. My sister will wind the gold thread
around the spindle and put it into a box which she
will lock. But you must find the key, open the
box, break the spindle, toss the top over your
shoulder and the bottom before you. Then she will
appear."
Off went Prince Ivan, came to the old woman's
hut, entered and saw her wind- ing gold thread
around a spindle; she then locked it in a box and
hid the key. But Prince Ivan quickly found the
key, opened the box, took out the spindle, broke it
as he had been told, tossed the top over his
shoulder and the bottom before him. All of a
sudden, there was Yelena the Fair standing in
front of him. "Oh, Prince Ivan,'' she sighed, "how
long you were in coming! I almost wed another."
And she told him that the other bridegroom would
soon arrive. But, taking a magic carpet from the
old woman, Yelena the Fair sat upon it and they
soared up and away like birds. The bridegroom set
off quickly in pursuit. He was clever and guessed
that they had fled. He was within ten feet of them
when they flew on the carpet into Rus. Just in
time! He could not follow them there, so he turned
back. But Prince Ivan and Yelena the F
Sadko
Adapted from an English version of the Russian
byliny by K.N. Payne
In the north of Holy Russia lies the mighty and
glorious town of Novgorod, known to all as Lord
Novgorod the Great. And once there lived in great
Novgorod a bard, a musician of some repute, by
name: Sadko. He had little in the way of gold, and
to support himself he made the rounds of the
noble feasts and banquets, entrancing and
delighting everyone, whether prince or boyar,
merchant or peasant, with his marvelous skill on
the gusli and his golden voice and his skill at
weaving words and music into mighty visions of
the exploits of Russian folk. He was always in
demand and he looked forward to a day when he
might have saved enough money to allow him to
sing and play simly for pleasure rather than
sustenance.
Alas! Misfortune strikes us all, and so it struck
Sadko. A day arrived when no one called for his
presence, and he did not sing that day, neither did
he receive any payment for his music. A second
day passed without feast or banquet calling for his
songs, and then a third. His money pouch was
quicky being depleted, and his plans for an easier
life being thwarted.
Sighing with regret, Sadko journeyed down to the
shores of Lake Ilmen and sat upon a rock by the
waters. He began to pluck the strings of his
faithful gusli, and to sing a song of lament. All the
day, from just after the rising of the great, red sun
until late in the afternoon as that same sun sank
toward the western hills, Sadko played and sang.
First a lament, then a mighty ballad of a great
bogatyr, then a love song, then another lament,
60
and so on through the passing hours. Just as
evening fell, as he finished another song, there
was a disturbance in the waters of the lake.
Suddenly the waves began to swirl and a great
noise of thunder rose from the depths of the
waters. Great clouds of sand darkened the lake
still further. Sadko, quite frightened, tucked his
gusli under his arm and fled back to the town of
Novgorod.
The dark night passed and once again the sun rose
into the heavens, but once again no invitation to
perform came to Sadko. Being forced into idleness
is tremendously wearing, so the bard went once
again to the lovely shores of Lake Ilmen, sat upon
the rocks by the blue waters, and began to sing.
This day he sang new songs, songs he was only
then composing in his mind. He sang to the glory
of Novgorod, and to the prince, and he sang to the
glory of Christ our Lord and to His Mother, the
Theotokos. He sang new tales of Russian bogatyri
and of magical beings who played tricks on
unwary travelers. All the day long he played, and
as it grew on toward dusk, there was a disturbance
in the waters of the lake. Suddenly the waves
began to swirl and a great noise of thunder rose
from the depths of the waters. Great clouds of
sand darkened the lake still further. Sadko, once
more afraid, returned swiftly back to Novgorod.
On the third morning the door remained
undarkened by anyone inviting Sadko to play at
feasting, and so for the third time he went again to
the stones on the shore of Lake Ilmen and sat in
the warm sun and played his gusli while he sang
sweet songs. As on the previous two days, at dusk
the waves began to swirl and a great noise of
thunder rose from the depths of the waters. Great
clouds of sand darkened the lake still further. This
time, however, Sadko remained in his place atop a
great boulder and continued to sing and to play.
He played as the night came on, a long while or a
short while, it matters not a bit, for all of a sudden
the waves grew high and crashed at the baseof
Sadko's stone, and the thunderous roar of the
waters grew louder than ever before. Then, before
the terrified bard could move a muscle, the waters
sank back into quietude and parted! Up from the
depths of Lake Ilmen strode the mighty form of
the King of the Blue Seas!
"Many thanks to you, O Sadko the Bard of
Novgorod," cried the King, and his voice was like
the crashing of waves and rushing of waters. "For
three days now you have greatly entertained us,
for I have been holding feastday in my palace
beneath Lake Ilmen. All have been bewitched by
the golden tones of your voice, the dexterity of
your fingers on the gusli, and the wit and wisdom
of your words. Would that we could reward you
adequately, but I know not how I should... But
wait! Go now to your home in Novgorod, O
Sadko, and on the morrow you shall be called to
perform at the banquet of the wealthiest merchant
of the city. Everyone will be present, from the
veche, to the prince, to the merchants. As always
happens with men, when they have eaten and
drunk all they desire, they will begin to boast, and
oh, such boasting as would make a bard's ears
tingle with ideas for rollicking songs! One will
brag of his great wealth, another of his noble
steed, yet another of his great might and prowess
in battle, and even more of his youth. Wisdom
will boast of his elderly father and mother,
foolishness will boast of his sweet young wife.
But you, Sadko the Bard, will make a boast to
shame theirs! Say to them: 'I, Sadko the Bard,
knowthat dwelling in Lake Ilmen are fish with fins
of pure gold!" Those rich (and ignorant)
merchants of Novgorod will delight t ridiculing
your words, and they will contradict you and deny
that such fish are in Lake Ilmen. Thereupon you
must wager with them, setting your turbulent head
against all their shops and precious goods. When
they accept (and they will, for foolish men always
do), take a net of silk and come here, casting the
net into the lake three times. Whenyou do this, I
will send you each time a fishwith fins of pure
gold. And in this way you will win markets full of
shops and become Sadko the richest merchant of
Novgorod, and you will be able to play and sing
solely for pleasure rather than sustenance!"
Sadko returned to Novgorod, sighing over the
tricks of a head left to sit too long in the heat of
the sun. But lo and behold! on the morrow when
he went forth from his bed he was greeted by the
chamberlain of the richest merchant in town, and
invited to grace a great feast with song and story.
And everything happened just as the King of the
Blue Sea had predicted.
When everyone present, the veche, the prince, and
the rich merchants, had eaten and drunk all they
desired, they began to boast and oh! the braggarts
told tales that would make fodder for many fine
61
witticisms of Sadko the Bard for long years to
come! One boasted of his great riches and endless
treasures, another of his noble steed descended
from the most ancient and worthy bloodlines, yet
another of his knightly bearing on the field of
battle and his prowess a arms, while a wise man
boasted of his elderly and saintly father and
mother, and a fool bragged of his sweet young
wife. All the while, Sadko sat and spoke not a
word. When the feasters had finished their
bragging, the host of the banquet turned to the
silent and smiling Sadko and asked him whether
he had nothing to boast of. Laying aside his gusli,
Sadko arose and said:
"Aie me! O noble merchants of Novgorod, o
mighty prince, o all-powerful veche, what could a
poor man such as I, Sadko the Bard, have to match
against your glorious boasts? I have no goden
treasure, I have no sweet wife. My music is a gift
of God and not mine to boast of. I know of only
one thing whereof I could boast, for I alone know
that in Lake Ilmen swim fish with fins of gold!"
At first there was silence, then a snicker, and
finally the merchants of Novgorod roared with
laughter! Then they began to argue and contend
with the bard, asserting that no such fish existed in
the lake, or even in the wide world.
"Ah, if I were rich, like you," lamented Sadko, "I
would be able to wager much gold on the truth of
my words. But alas! I have nothing but my own
turbulent head to offer as stakes."
"We gladly accept your wager, Sadko!" chuckled
the over-confident merchants. "We say no fish
with fins of gold are in Lake Ilmen, and we shall
wager all of our shops in the Great Market and all
of their fine goods against your turbulent head!"
Then Sadko took a net of silk and went
straightaway to the shores of Lake Ilmen and cast
it into the waters. When he drew it out, there lay
within it a tiny fish with fins of pure gold. The
merchants were amazed, but Sadko did as the
King of the Blue Sea had bidden him and cast the
net into the lake twice more, and each time he
drew forth a tiny fish with fins of pure gold.
Without argument and seeing that the bard had
spoken truth (for the merchants of Novgorod
prided themselves on their honesty), they turned
over to Sadko the shops in the Great market and
all their fine goods. Thus did Sadko the Bard
become one of the richest merchants in the
glorious town of Novgorod, and no more sang for
sustenance, but rather for pleasure.
Silver Hoof
A long time ago, there was an old widowed hunter
named Kokovanya. He was lonely so he adopted
Daryonka, a poor little orphan girl. When he took
Daryonka into his home with him, he also let her
bring her scrawny kitten.
Kokovanya, Daryonka, and the kitten were not
rich but they had a good life. While the old man
hunted, Daryonka would clean the cottage and
cook soup. Her cat kept her company. At night,
Kokovanya told wonderful tales, but the girl’s
favorite was the one about Silver Hoof, the
magical goat. Legend had it that Silver Hoof was a
very special goat. Where most goats have two
horns, Silver Hoof has antlers with five tines. On
his right forefoot he had a silver hoof. When he
stamped his foot, a gem would be left there. If he
stamped it twice there would be two, but if he
pawed the ground there would be a whole pile of
gems.
Kokovanya told Daryonka that he had been trying
for years to find Silver Hoof and that when
Autumn came he would be going into the woods
to find him. Daryonka begged the old man to let
her go with him, since she would be so lonely in
the cottage and because she truly wanted to see
Silver Hoof also.
So the old man, the young girl, and the cat headed
deep into the woods. By now the cat was a very
healthy and hearty cat and could offer them
protection. They stayed in a cabin that the old man
had there. The hunter hunted many goats, but he
never found Silver Hoof. Towards the end of
winter, he told Daryonka that he had so many goat
skins and meat that he would have to go into town
to get a horse to help bring it all home. It would
take him several days.
On the 2nd day that Daryonka was by herself in
the cabin, she heard a pitter patter outside. It was
Silver Hoof! She opened the door and called out
to him, but he ran away. On the 3rd day the cat
went out to play but did not return. Daryonka was
62
worried so she went outside to find him. There he
was in the glade with Silver Hoof. Both were
nodding their heads as if they were talking to each
other. Then they began to run about in the snow.
The goat would run and stamp all around the
cabin. Then he jumped upon the roof and stamped
some more. Precious stones flashed out like
sparks -- red, green, light blue, dark blue, and
many other colors.
It was then that Kokovanya returned, but he did
not recognize his hut. It was covered in gems and
sparkled in the moonlight. Suddenly, Silver Hoof
and the cat just disappeared from the roof. They
were gone. The old man gathered some of the
stones in his hat and then he and Daryonka went
in to sleep. They had such wonderful dreams.
When they awoke they ran outside to look at the
wonder, but all the gems were gone. All they had
left were the ones the old man had put in his hat.
But that was enough to let them live happily ever
after. No one ever saw Silver Hoof or the cat
again, but sometimes people still find stones in the
glade where the goat played that night.
Sirko
There was once a man who had a dog named
Sirko. The dog was very, very old, and one day
his master drove him out of the house. Sirko went
roaming the fields, and he felt very sad and
woebegone.
"I served my master for so many years and
watched over his house,"
said he to himself, "and now that I'm old and weak
he grudges me even a crust of bread and has
driven me out of the house."
He wandered on, thinking these thoughts, when all
of a sudden who should come up to him but a
Wolf.
"What are you doing, roaming about like that?"
asked the Wolf.
"There's nothing else I can do, for my master has
driven me out of the house," Sirko replied.
"I can help you if you like," the Wolf said. "If you
do as I say, your master will take you back again."
"Please, please help me, my dear friend!" Sirko
cried. "I will find a way to repay you for your
kindness."
"Well, then, listen to me. Your master and
mistress will soon go out to the fields to reap, and
the mistress will leave her baby beside a stack of
straw to sleep there while she is helping her
husband. Now, you must stay close to the baby so
I'll know where it is. I'll come running up and
carry it off, and you must run after me and try to
take it away. Then I'll pretend I'm frightened and
let it go."
The time to reap the wheat came, and the master
and mistress went to the field. The mistress left
her baby beside a straw stack and herself joined
her husband and set to work. They were not at it
very long when the Wolf ran up. He seized the
baby and ran off with it across the field. Sirko ran
after him, and his master cried:
"Catch him, Sirko!"
Sirko caught up with the Wolf, snatched the baby
away from him, and brought it back to his master.
And his master got out some bread and a piece of
bacon from a sack and said:
"Here, Sirko, eat your fill! This is to thank you for
saving our baby."
Evening came, the master and mistress went
home, and they took Sirko with them. They went
into the house, and the master said:
"Make us an extra dish of dumplings, wife, and
don't spare the fat!"
The dumplings were soon ready, and the master
seated Sirko at the table and sat down beside him.
"Serve the dumplings, wife!" said he. "We're
going to have our supper."
The mistress set the dumplings on the table, and
the master filled a dish full of them and gave the
dish to Sirko. And he blew on them lest Sirko
burn himself while he ate.
"This is all the Wolf's doing," said Sirko to
himself. "I must repa him for his kindness."
63
Now, Sirko's master, who had waited till it was
the season for eatin meat, prepared to marry off
his eldest daughter.
Sirko went out into the field, found the Wolf there
and said to hin
"Come to our vegetable garden toward evening on
Sunday. I will tak you into the house and repay
you for your kindness."
The Wolf waited till Sunday came round and went
where Sirko ha told him to.
Now, it was on that very day that the wedding was
held. Sirko wei outside, took the Wolf into the
house and hid him under the table. The he seized a
bottle of vodka and a big piece of meat from the
tabi and gave them to the Wolf. The guests wanted
to beat Sirko, but th master stopped them.
"Do not touch Sirko!" he said. "He has done me a
great service, an I will be kind to him always."
And Sirko took some of the best pieces from the
table and gave thei to the Wolf. So well did he
feast him that the Wolf who had had to much to
drink could not stop himself and said:
"I'm going to sing!"
"Please don't or you'll get into trouble," Sirko
begged. "I'll give yo some more vodka if only you
promise to keep quiet."
He gave the Wolf another bottle of vodka, and the
Wolf draine it dry.
"I'm going to sing no matter what you say!" he
cried.
"Don't do it or we'll both pay with our lives for it!"
Sirko said.
"I can't help myself, I'm going to sing and that's
the end of it!" the Wolf cried again, and he let out
a terrific howl from under the table!
The guests jumped up in fright, they rushed hither
and thither, and some of them wanted to beat up
the Wolf. So then Sirko jumped on top of him and
made as though he was about to kill him.
"Don't touch the Wolf or you'll hurt Sirko!" the
master said. "And don't you worry, he'll teach him
a good lesson!"
Sirko took the Wolf to the field and said:
"You did me a kindness once, and now I have paid
you back for it!"
They bade each other goodbye and went their
separate ways.
Sivka-Burka
Once upon a time in a Russian village lived an old
peasant. He had three sons. The two elder sons
were clever, but the youngest was a fool named
Ivanushka. The family had a wheat field. One day
they noticed that at night something had come into
the field and trampled the wheat. The old peasant
sent his sons to guard the field.
On the first night the eldest son went to the field,
but did not try hard enough to stay awake and fell
asleep. On the second night the middle son went
to the field, but he too fell asleep and did not see
anything.
On the third night Ivanushka went there. At
midnight he saw a great chestnut-gray stallion
wearing a gold saddle and a silver bridle. The
stallion started to eat and trampled the wheat.
Ivanushka managed to catch the wonderful horse.
The stallion said, "Let me go free, I will be your
friend. If you need something, go to the field,
whistle and say, "Sivka-Burka, appear here!" I
will come and help you."
Ivanushka agreed and let him go free. It happened
about that time that the tsar, who had no son,
organized a contest to determine who would
succeed him as tsar. He placed his beautiful
daughter on the top floor of a very tall tower and
announced that the man who could reach the
princess jumping on a horse and could take the
ring from her finger would win her hand in
marriage and rule the land. The older brothers
64
decided to go to the competition, but Ivanushka
stayed home.
When his brothers left, he whistled and called
Sivka-Burka, who rose thundering out of the
ground. Ivanushka climbed in his right ear and
climbed out of the left ear a very handsome, well-
dressed young man. Then he rode to the
competition to try his luck. Sivka jumped trying to
reach the princess. Ivan was very close to her, but
couldn't quite reach the ring. He quickly turned
the horse and galloped home. There he turned
back into his previous self. When his brothers
came from the tsar's courtyard they told Ivanushka
about the handsome man who almost reached the
princess. Ivanushka only laughed at them.
The next day the same thing happened. On the
third day, Ivanushka and Sivka-Burka reached the
princess and took the ring from her finger. Then
they galloped away so quickly that nobody could
even see Ivanushka's face. At home he turned
back into his previous self but he had one hand in
a bandage. His brothers asked him, "What is
wrong with your hand?" He laughed and said,
"Nothing serious, just a scratch."
Three days later, the tsar invited everyone to a
feast. The old peasant came with his three sons.
They sat at the table ate, drank and had fun. At the
end of the feast the tsar's daughter herself served
honey to the guests. When she approached
Ivanushka, she noticed the bandage on his hand
and asked him, "Good young man, why do have a
bandage on your hand? Let me look at it!" And
there everyone saw the ring on his finger. The
princess said, "Dear father, here is my fiance!"
Ivanushka called Sivka-Burka, turned into the
handsome man and married the princess.
Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka
Once there lived an old man and his wife, and
they had a daughter named Alyonushka and a son
named Ivanushka.
The old man and the old woman died, and
Alyonushka and Ivanushka were left all alone in
the world.
"I am dying of thirst, Sister Alyonushka. May I
drink out of the hoof?"
Alyonushka set off to work and took her little
brother with her. They had a long way to go, and a
wide field to cross, and after they had been
walking for a time, Ivanushka began to feel very
thirsty. "Sister Alyonushka, I am thirsty," he said.
"Be patient, little brother, we shall soon come to a
well." They walked and they walked, and the sun
was now high up in the sky, and so hot were the
two that they felt very blue. They came upon a
cow's hoof filled with water, and Ivanushka said:
"May I drink out of the hoof, Sister Alyonushka?"
"No, little brother. If you do, you will turn into a
calf." Ivanushka obeyed, and they walked on a bit
farther. The sun was still high up in the sky, and
the heat was so bad that they felt very sad. They
came upon a horse's hoof filled with water, and
Ivanushka said:
"May I drink out of the hoof. Sister Alyonushka?"
"No, little brother. If you do, you will turn into a
foal." Ivanushka sighed and they walked on again.
They walked and they walked, but the sun was
still high up in the sky, and the air was so dry that
they felt they could die. They came upon a goat's
hoof filled with water, and Ivanushka said:
"No, little brother. If you do, you will turn into a
kid." But Ivanushka did not heed his sister and
drank out of the goat's hoof. And the moment he
did so he turned into a little white goat.
Alyonushka called her brother, and instead of
Ivanushka the goat came running up to her.
Alyonushka burst into tears. She sat sobbing on
the ground by a stack of hay while the little goat
skipped round in play. Just then a Merchant
chanced to be riding by.
"What are you crying for, pretty maid?" asked he.
Alyonushka told him of her trouble. Said the
Merchant:
65
"Marry me, pretty maid. I will dress you in gold
and silver, and the little goat will live with us."
Alyonushka thought it over and agreed to marry
the Merchant.
They lived together happily, and the little goat
lived with them and ate and drank with
Alyonushka out of the same cup.
One day the Merchant went away from home and
all of a sudden a Witch appeared out of nowhere.
She stood under Alyonushka's window and
begged her ever so sweetly to go and bathe in the
river with her. Alyonushka followed the Witch to
the river, and when they got there the Witch fell
upon Alyonushka and, tying a stone round her
neck, threw her into the water and herself took on
her shape.
Then she put on Alyonushka's clothes and went to
her house, and no one guessed she was not
Alyonushka but a Witch. The Merchant came
home and even he did not guess.
Only the little goat knew what had happened. He
went about with drooping head and did not touch
food or drink. Morning and evening he never left
the river bank and, standing at the water's edge,
called:
"Sister, dear Sister Alyonushka!
Swim out, swim out to me".
The Witch learned of this, and she asked her
husband to kill the little goat.
The Merchant was sorry for the little goat, for he
had become very fond of him. But the Witch kept
coaxing and wheedling so that there was nothing
to be done, and he gave in at last.
"All right, you kill him then," he said. The Witch
had big fires kindled, big pots heated and big
knives sharpened.
The little goat found out that he was going to be
killed, so he said to the Merchant:
"Let me go to the river before I die and have a last
little drink." "Go," said the Merchant.
The little goat ran to the river, stood on the bank
and cried piteously:
"Sister, dear Sister Alyonushka!
Swim out, swim out to me.
Fires are burning high,
Pots are boiling,
Knives are ringing,
And I am going to die."
And Alyonushka answered from out the river:
"Brother, dear Brother Ivanushka!
A heavy stone lies on my shoulders,
Silken weeds entangle my legs,
fellow sands press hard on my breast."
"Go and find the goat and bring him to me."
The servant went to the river, and what did he see
but the little goat running up and down the bank,
calling piteously:
"Sister, dear Sister Alyonushka!
Swim out, swim out to me.
Fires are burning high,
Pots are boiling,
Knives are ringing,
And I am going to die."
And from the river someone's voice called back:
"Brother, dear Brother Ivanushka!
A heavy stone lies on my shoulders,
Silken weeds entangle my legs,
Yellow sands press harden my breast."
The servant ran home and told his master what he
had heard and seen. The Merchant called some
people together, they went down to the river and,
casting a silken net, dragged Alyonushka out on to
the bank. They untied the stone which was round
her neck, dipped her in spring water and dressed
her in bright clothes. And Alyonushka came back
to life and was more beautiful than ever.
The little goat was wild with joy, he turned three
somersaults, and lo and behold! He was changed
into his proper shape again.
And the wicked Witch was tied to a horse's tail
and the horse turned loose in an open field.
66
Sister Fox and Brother Wolf There was once a Fox who built herself a hut and
lived there as snug as you please. But winter
came, it was cold in the hut, and so off the Fox ran
to the village to fetch a light for her stove. She
came to an Old Woman's house and said:
"Top of the morning, Grandma! Do give me a
light, and I will do as much for you some day."
"Very well, Sister Fox," the Old Woman said. "Sit
down and warm up while I take my baking out of
the oven."
Now, the Old Woman was baking some poppy-
seed cakes. She took them out of the oven and put
them on the table to cool. And the Fox took one
look at them, and, snatching up a cake, made off
with it. She ate up the poppy-seed filling, stuffed
the cake full of straw, covered it with the crust and
set off on her way again at a run.
She ran and she ran till she saw two shepherd boys
driving a herd of cows to water.
"Good morning, my fine lads!" the Fox called.
"Good morning to you, Sister Fox!"
"Let's trade! You give me a young bull and I'll
give you this poppy-seed cake."
"Very well."
"But mind you don't eat the cake till I leave the
village."
So the Fox gave the shepherds the cake in return
for a young bull. She made off with the bull for
the forest, and the shepherds began to eat the cake
and found it stuffed full of straw.
Sister Fox came to her hut and she cut down a tree
and made herself a sledge. She harnessed the bull-
calf to the sledge and went driving along, and by
and by who should come running toward her but
Brother Wolf.
"Good morning, Sister Fox!" called the Wolf.
"Good morning to you, Brother Wolf!"
"Where did you get the sledge and the little bull?"
"I made them."
"Do let me ride with you a little way, Sister Fox!"
"How can I do that? You'll break my sledge."
"No, I won't. I'll just put one of my legs on it."
"Oh, very well."
So the Fox and the Wolf went driving along
together, and by and by the Wolf said:
"I think I'll put my second leg on the sledge, Sister
Fox!"
"Don't, for you'll break the sledge, Brother Wolf."
"No, I won't."
"Well, go ahead, then!"
So the Wolf put another leg on the sledge, and he
and the Fox went driving along again when
suddenly there came a great c-r-rack!
"Hey there, you're breaking my sledge, Brother
Wolf!" the Fox cried.
"No, I'm not, Sister Fox, I was only cracking a
nut."
"Oh, well, if that was all!"
So the two of them went driving along again, and
by and by the Wolf said:
"I think I'll put my third leg on the sledge now,
Sister Fox."
"Don't be silly! You'll break the sledge, and then
what will I have to carry my firewood in?"
"I won't break it. Never you feral"
"Oh, very well, then."
So the Wolf put his third leg on the sledge, and
something went cr-r-ack! — again.
67
"Dear me! You'd better go away, Brother Wolf, or
you'll break my sledge!" said the Fox.
"No, Sister Fox, I was only cracking a nut,
"Give me one!"
"I haven't any more- That was the last."
They went driving along again, and by and by the
Wolf said:
"I think I'll climb into your sledge now, Sister
Fox."
"You mustn't, Brother Wolf, you'll break the
sledge!" No, I won't. I'll be careful."
"Well, see that you are!"
So the Wolf climbed into the sledge and of course
it broke under him and fell to pieces!
The Fox was furious. She scolded the Wolf and
she scolded him. And -en she said:
"Go and cut down a tree. You bad so-and-so, and
chop it up into logs, enough to keep my house
warm and to make a new sledge too, and then ,:put
the logs here!"
"How will I do that?" said the Wolf. "I don't know
which tree You want."
"You bad so-and-so!" the Fox cried. "You knew
how to break my sledge, but when it comes to
chopping down a tree, You pretend You don't
know how to do it."
She scolded and scolded him and then she said:
"As soon as You come to the forest You must say:
"Fall do crooked and straight! Fall down, tree,
crooked and straight!"
Off the Wolf went, he came to the forest and said:
"Fall down, tree, crooked and crooked! Fall down,
tree, crock crooked!"
The tree fell down, and the logs were so twisted
and knobby even a stick could be made out of
them, let alone sledge runners.
The Wolf took the logs to the Fox, and the Fox
took one look and began scolding the Wolf harder
than ever.
You bad so-and-so," she said, You must have said
the wrong
"Oh no, Sister Fox! What I said was: 'Fall dowa,
tree, crooked and crooked!'"
"I knew it! What a blunderhead You are! Sit here,
and I'll go and chop down a tree myself."
And off the Fox went.
There sat the Wolf, and by and by he began to
grow very hungry. He looked all over the Fox's
hut but found nothing. He thought and he thought
and said to himself:
"I think I'll eat the little bull and run away."
He made a hole in the bull's side, ate up his
insides, stuffed the bull full of sparrows, sealed
the hole with a handful of straw and himself ran
away.
By and by the Fox came back. She made herself a
beautiful new sledge, climbed in and called:
"Giddy-up, little bull!"
But the bull-calf never stirred from the spot.
Then the Fox took up a stick and she gave the bull
such a blow that the handful of straw fell from his
side, and the sparrows flew out with a wh-o-o-sh!
"You wicked, wicked Wolf!" cried the Fox. "You
wait, I'll pay You back for this!"
And off she went.
She stretched herself out on the road and lay there
very quietly.
By and by some chumak carters came driving up
with a wagon caravan loaded with fish. The Fox
lay there without stirring and pretended to be
dead.
The men looked and were much surprised.
68
"Let's take the Fox and sell it, brothers," said they.
"We ought to be able to get enough money for it
to buy some liquor."
They threw the Fox into the last wagon and drove
on. The Fox saw that they never looked back and
began to throw the fish one after another out onto
the road. Then, leaving the cart only half full, she
climbed down herself.
The men drove on, and the Fox gathered up the
fish, sat down and began to eat.
By and by the Wolf came running up.
"Hello there, Sister Fox!" he called.
"Hello yourself, Brother Wolf!"
"What are You doing, Sister Fox?"
"Eating fish."
"Give me some!"
"Go catch them yourself."
"I can't, I don't know how to do it!"
"Well, that's your business, You won't get as much
as a bone from me.'-
" Won't You at least tell me how to do it"
And the Fox said to herself:
"You wait, Little Brother! You ate my little bull
and now I'll pay You back for it!"
Then she turned to the Wolf and said:
"Go to the river, put your tail into an ice hole,
move it slowly back and forth and say: 'Come and
be caught, fish, big and small!' That way you'll
catch all the fish You want."
"Thank You for telling me," said the Wolf.
He ran to the river, let down his tail into an ice
hole, moved it slowly, back and forth and said:
"Come and be caught, fish, big and small!"
And the Fox looked out at him through the reeds
on the bank and said:
"Freeze, freeze, Wolf's tail!"
Now, there was a bitter frost out, and the Wolf
kept moving his tail back and forth and saying:
"Come and be caught, fish, big and small!"
And the Fox kept repeating:
"Freeze, freeze, Wolf's tail!"
There the Wolf stayed catching fish till his tail
was frozen fast to the ice, and when that happened
the Fox ran to the village and cried:
"Come, good people, and kill the Wolf!"
And the villagers came running with pokers,
prongs and axes. They fell on the poor Wolf and
killed him.
And as for the Fox, she still lives in her hut as
snug as You please
Snowmaiden
Once upon a time there lived a woodcutter and his
old wife. They were poor and had no children.
The old man cut logs in the forest and carried
them into town; in this way he eked out a living.
As they grew older they became sadder and sadder
at being childless.
"We are growing so old. Who will take care of
us?" the wife would ask from time to time.
"Do not worry, old woman. God will not abandon
us. He will come to our aid in time," answered the
old man.
One day, in the dead of winter, he went into the
forest to chop wood and his wife came along to
help him. The cold was intense and they were
nearly frozen.
"We have no child," said the woodcutter to his
wife. "Shall we make a little snow girl to amuse
us?"
69
They began to roll snowballs together, and in a
short while they had made a "snegurochka," a
snow maiden, so beautiful that no pen could
describe her. The old man and the old woman
gazed at her and grew even sadder.
"If only the good Lord had sent us a little girl to
share our old age!" said the old woman.
They thought on this so strongly that suddenly a
miracle happened. They looked at their snow
maiden, and were amazed at what they saw. The
eyes of the snow maiden twinkled; a diadem
studded with precious stones sparkled like fire on
her head; a cape of brocade covered her shoulders;
embroidered boots appeared on her feet.
The old couple looked at her and did not believe
their eyes. Then the mist of breath parted the red
lips of Snegurochka; she trembled, looked around,
and took a step forward.
The old couple stood there, stupefied; they
thought they were dreaming. Snegurochka came
toward them and said:
"Good day, kind folk, do not be frightened! I will
be a good daughter to you, the joy of your old age.
I will honor you as father and mother."
"My darling daughter, let it be as you desire,"
answered the old man. "Come home with us, our
longed-for little girl!" They took her by her white
hands and led her from the forest.
As they went, the pine trees swayed goodbye,
saying their farewell to Snegurochka, with their
rustling wishing her safe journey, happy life.
The old couple brought Snegurochka home to
their wooden hut, their 'isba,' and she began her
life with them, helping them to do the chores. She
was always most respectful, she never
contradicted them, and they could not praise her
enough, nor tire of gazing at her, she was so kind
and so beautiful.
Snegurochka, nevertheless, worried her adopted
parents. She was not at all talkative and her little
face was always pale, so pale. She did not seem to
have a drop of blood, yet her eyes shone like little
stars. And her smile! When she smiled she lighted
up the isba like a gift of rubles.
They lived together thus for one month, two
months; time passed. The old couple could not
rejoice enough in their little daughter, gift of God.
One day the old woman said to Snegurochka: "My
darling daughter, why are you so shy? You see no
friends, you always stay with us, old people; that
must be tiresome for you. Why do you not go out
and play with your friends, show yourself and see
people? You should not spend all your time with
us, aged folk."
"I have no wish to go out, dear Mother," answered
Snegurochka. "I am happy here."
Carnival time arrived. The streets were alive with
strollers, with singing from early morning until
late at night. Snegurochka watched the
merrymaking through the little frozen window
panes. She watched ... and finally she could resist
no longer; she gave in to the old woman, put on
her little cape, and went into the street to join the
throng.
In the same village there lived a maiden called
Kupava. She was a true beauty, with hair as black
as a raven's wing, skin like blood and milk, and
arching brows.
One day a rich merchant came through town. His
name was Mizgir, and he was young and tall. He
saw Kupava and she pleased him. Kupava was not
at all shy; she was saucy and never turned down
an invitation to stroll.
Mizgir stopped in the village, called to all the
young girls, gave them nuts and spiced bread, and
danced with Kupava. From that moment he never
left town, and, it must be said, he soon became
Kupava's lover. There was Kupava, the belle of
the town, parading around in velvets and silks,
serving sweet wines to the youths and the maidens
and living the joyful life.
The day Snegurochka first strolled in the street,
she met Kupava, who introduced all her friends.
From then on Snegurochka came out more often
and looked at the yours. A young boy, a shepherd,
pleased her. He was named Lel. Snegurochka
pleased him too, and they became inseparable.
Whenever the young girls came out to stroll and to
sing, Lel would run to Snegurochka's isba, tap on
the window and say: "Snegurochka, dearest, come
70
out and join the dancing." Once she appeared, he
never left her side.
One day Mizgir came to the village as the maidens
were dancing in the street. He joined in with
Kupava and made them all laugh. He noticed
Snegurochka and she pleased him; she was so pale
and so pretty! From then on Kupava seemed too
dark and too heavy. Soon he found her unpleasant.
Quarrels and scenes broke out between them and
Mizgir stopped seeing her.
Kupava was desolate, but what could she do? One
cannot please by force nor revive the past! She
noticed that Mizgir often returned to the village
and went to the house of Snegurochka's old
parents. The rumor flew that Mizgir had asked for
Snegurochka's hand in marriage.
When Kupava learned this, her heart trembled.
She ran to Snegurochka's isba, reproached her,
insulted her, called her a viper, a traitor, made
such a scene that they had to force her to leave.
"I will go to the Tsar!" she cried. "I will not suffer
this dishonor. There is no law that allows a man to
compromise a maiden, then throw her aside like a
useless rag!"
So Kupava went to the Tsar to beg for his help
against Snegurochka, who she insisted had stolen
her lover.
Tsar Berendei ruled this kingdon; he was a good
and gracious Tsar who loved truth and watched
over all his subjects. He listened to Kupava and
ordered Snegurochka brought before him.
The Tsar's envoys arrived at the village with a
proclamation ordering Snegurochka to appear
before their master.
"Good subjects of the Tsar! Listen well and tell us
where the maiden Snegurochka lives. The Tsar
summons her! Let her make ready in haste! If she
does not come of her will we will take her by
force!"
The old woodcutters were filled with fear. But the
Tsar's word was law. They helped Snegurochka to
make ready and decided to accompany her, to
present her to the Tsar.
Tsar Berendei lived in a splendid palace with
walls of massive oak and wrought-iron doors; a
large stairway led to great halls where Bukhara
carpets covered the floors and guardsmen stood in
scarlet kaftans with shining axes. All the vast
courtyard was filled with people.
Once inside the sumptuous palace, the old couple
and Snegurochka stood amazed. The ceilings and
arches were covered with paintings, the precious
plate was lined up on shelves, along the walls ran
benches covered with carpets and brocades, and
on these benches were seated the boyars wearing
tall hats of bear fur trimmed with gold. Musicians
played intricate music on their tympanums. At the
far end of the hall, Tsar Berendei himself sat erect
on his gilded and sculptured throne. Around him
stood bodyguards in kaftans white as snow,
holding silver axes.
Tsar Berendei's long white beard fell to his belt.
His fur hat was the tallest; his kaftan of precious
brocade was embroidered all over with jewels and
with gold.
Snegurochka was frightened; she did not dare to
take a step nor to raise her eyes.
Tsar Berendei said to her: "Come here, young
maiden, come closer, gentle Snegurochka. Do not
be afraid, answer my questions. Did you commit
the sin of separating two lovers, after stealing the
heart of Kupava's beloved? Did you flirt with him
and do you intend to marry him? Make sure that
you tell me the truth!"
Snegurochka approached the Tsar, curtsied low,
knelt before him, and spoke the truth; that she was
not at fault, neither in body nor in soul; that it was
true that the merchant Mizgir had asked for her in
marriage, but that he did not please her and she
had refused his hand.
Tsar Benendei took Snegurochka's hands to help
her to rise, looked into her eyes and said: "I see in
your eyes, lovely maiden, that you speak the truth,
that you are nowhere at fault. Go home now in
peace and do not be upset!"
And the Tsar let Snegurochka leave with her
adoptive parents.
71
When Kupava learned of the Tsar's decision she
went wild with grief. She ripped her sarafan, tore
her pearl necklace from her white neck, ran from
her isba, and threw herself in the well.
From that day on, Segurochka grew sadder and
sadder. She no longer went out in the street to
stroll, not even when Lel begged her to come.
Meanwhile, spring had returned. The glorious sun
rose higher and higher, the snow melted, the
tender grass sprouted, the bushes turned green, the
birds sang and made their nests. But the more the
sun shone, the paler and sadder Snegurochka
grew.
One beautiful spring morning Lel came to
Snegurochka's little window and pleaded with her
to come out with him, just once, for just a
moment. For a long while Snegurochka refused to
listen, but finally her heart could no longer resist
Lel's pleas, and she went with her beloved to the
edge of the village.
"Lel, oh my Lel, play your flute for me alone!"
she asked. She stood before Lel, barely alive, her
feet tingling, not a drop of blood in her pale face!
Let took out his flute and began to play
Snegurochka's favorite air.
She listened to the song, and tears rolled down
from her eyes. Then her feet melted beneath her;
she fell onto the damp earth and suddenly
vanished.
Lel saw nothing but a light mist rising from where
she had fallen. The vapor rose, rose, and
disappeared slowly in the blue sky ...
Stone Flower
A long time ago in one Urals village there lived a
famous craftsman named Prokopyich. He made
jewelry and other things from malachite and was
renowned as the best gem carver in the Urals. The
rulers ordered him to teach some boys his
profession, but none of them was talented enough.
At the same time an orphan named Danila lived in
the village. He was weak and couldn't work at the
factory. But he was full of dreams and liked to
observe nature. Once he tried to help an old
herdsman, but when he played his flute, the old
shepherd felt asleep and several cattle were eaten
by wolves. Danila and the herdsman were were
severely punished.
A kind old woman took Danila into her house and
healed him using many herbs and flowers. She
taught him the lore of plants, and one day told him
about the Stone Flower from Malachite Mountain.
She told him it was the most beautiful flower in
the world. But she also warned him, "Whoever
finds that flower will never be happy."
After Danila recovered, the manager of the factory
sent him to Prokopyich to study gem carving. He
was surprisingly gifted. Prokopyich was a widow
without children, and he loved the boy as if he
were his own son. Several years passed. Danila
became a strong, handsome young man.
One day the owner of the factory sent him a
commission to make a vase from malachite, along
with a sketch of what he wanted. Danila began the
intricate task, but he was unsatisfied with the idea
on the sketch. Every day he went to the woods
looking for inspiration and observing many
flowers and plants. He worked for a long time and
at last completed a vase like the one in the sketch.
When he showed it to the other craftsmen, they
liked it and praised it. But Danila said, "This vase
is made precisely according to the sketch, but
there is no living beauty in it. When you look at
the simplest flower, joy fills your heart because of
its beauty. Where is there such beauty in the
stone?"
One very old craftsman warned him, "Don't even
think that way. Otherwise you could become a
servant of the Mistress of Copper Mountain. Her
workers live and work in the Mountain and
nobody ever sees them. Once I was lucky enough
to see their work. Magnificent! Our work can't
compare with theirs, because they have seen the
72
Stone Flower and understand the beauty of the
stone."
After this conversation Danila went to the woods
more often looking for a block of stone for his
own vase. Prokopyich was worried about him and
urged him to marry the nice girl named Katya to
whom Danila was engaged. But Danila said, "I
want to wait! First I need to make my own vase
and then we will think about marriage.".
One day he was in the woods looking for stone
and suddenly heard a whisper saying, "Danila-
Craftsman, look for stone on Serpent Hill." He
turned around and saw the dim outline of a
woman, which vanished in a second. He thought,
"Perhaps it was the Mistress of Copper
Mountain!" So he went to Serpent Hill and found
a huge block of malachite. He was very glad, took
the stone home and started to carve the vase.
But soon again he was disappointed with the
result and said sadly, "Maybe I am just not able to
understand the power and the beauty of the stone."
So he and Katya announced the date of their
wedding. The day before the wedding he went for
a walk to Serpent Hill again, sat down and thought
about the Stone Flower. "How I desire to see that
Flower!" he mused.
All a sudden the Mistress of Copper Mountain
appeared before his eyes. Danila began to implore
her: "There is no life for me without seeing that
Flower!"
She replied, "I could show it to you, but
afterwards you will regret it. Those who have seen
my Flower have left their family and come to live
in my mountain. Think about Prokopyich and
Katya who love you."
"I know," shouted Danila, "but I must see it." "All
right," she said. "Let's go then to my garden." So
she took him and showed him the wonderful
Stone Flower.
In the evening Danila came to the village. His
fiancee Katya had a party the day before the
wedding. At first he had fun, danced, and sang
songs, but then he became sadder and sadder. To
Katya's questions he replied that he had a
headache. After the party he returned home, broke
his vase and ran away.
The village was full of rumors after he
disappeared, but no one knew where he had gone.
Three years passed. Katya did not marry. After her
parents died she came to live with old Prokopyich
and helped him in his work. But soon Prokopyich
died, too, and Katya lived on her own. She did not
have any money, so she decided to try making
some brooches.
She went to Serpent Hill hoping to find good
pieces of stone. But at the hill she remembered her
beloved Danila and wept. Suddenly she saw a
beautiful piece of malachite. Katya took it home
and tried to carve several brooches. She worked
hard and well and her carving beautifully set off
the natural patterns in the stone. Katya was happy
when she sold her works to a merchant in the
village. She thought, "My brooches are the best in
his store. I was lucky finding that malachite.
Maybe Danila helped me?"
She ran again to Serpent Hill looking for another
good stone. But she thought again of Danila and
burst into tears, sobbing, "Where are you, my
beloved friend? Why did you leave me?" When
Katya looked around it seemed to her she stood in
an unfamiliar woods, and the mountain opened
before her eyes. "Here is the magic mountain," she
thought. "Maybe I could see my Danila."
When Katya looked down, she saw a man who
looked just like Danila. The man raised his hands
toward her. She wanted to jump down to him, but
the vision disappeared. She told her relatives what
she had seen but they did not believe her and
decided that she must be ill.
The next day Katya ran to the hill hoping
73
desperately to see Danila. Her sister followed her.
Katya came to the same place and found herself in
the magic woods. She started to call out, "Danila,
where are you? Answer me!" The echo answered:
"He is not here! He is not here!" Then suddenly
the Mistress of Copper Mountain appeared and
demanded, "Why did you come to my garden? If
you need the stones, take what you wish and go
away."
Brave Katya replied, "I don't need your dead
stones. Give me my Danila back. You don't have
the right to take another's fiance." The Mistress
laughed. "Do you have any idea whom you are
speaking to?" Katya cried out, "I am not blind, I
know who you are. I am not afraid of you! Not at
all! And I know that Danila wants to come back to
me." The Mistress said, "All right, let him speak
then."
At the same moment Katya saw Danila. The
Mistress said, "You have to choose, Danila-
Craftsman. If you go with her, you will forget
everything you saw and learned in the mountain.
If you want to stay here, you have to forget the
rest of the world."
Danila sighed, "I am sorry. I can't forget the
people I love. I think about Katya every minute of
my life." The Mistress smiled and said, "All right,
Danila. Go back home. And for your honesty and
loyalty I will give you a present. You will not lose
your knowledge that you have learned here. But
do not tell people about the mountain. If
somebody asks you where have you been, just say
that you went away to improve your skill."
Katya and Danila returned home, filled with joy.
Katya's sister could not find her in the woods and
returned home. When she came into the house she
saw Danila and Katya. She cried out, "Danila,
where have you been?" Danila just smiled. "I went
to study my craft with a master who lives far
away. "Katya and Danila lived happily together
for many years. He became known far and wide as
the greatest carver in the Ural Mountains.
Termok (Little Hut)
Once upon a time, a little fly built a tower in the
forest. A flea jumped by, saw the tower and
knocked on the door:
"Who is it that lives in this nice tall tower?"
"I, the little fly, and who are you?"
"I am the buzzing mosquito. Come live with me!"
And a little field mouse ran by and knocked on the
door, "Who is it that lives in this nice tall tower?"
"I, the little fly."
"I, the buzzing mosquito, and who are you?"
"I am the little field mouse."
"Come live with us!" And a croaking frog hopped
by and knocked on the door, "Who is it that lives
in this nice tall tower?"
"I, the little fly."
"I, the buzzing mosquito."
"And I, the little field mouse, and who are you?"
"I am a croaking frog."
"Come live with us!" And a nervous rabbit
bounced by and knocked on the door, "Who is it
that lives in this nice tall tower?"
"I, the little fly."
"I, the buzzing mosquito."
"I, the little field mouse."
"And I, the croaking frog, and who are you?"
"I am a nervous rabbit."
"Come live with us!" And a sly fox ran by and
knocked on the door, "Who is it that lives in this
nice tall tower?"
"I, the little fly."
"I, the buzzing mosquito."
"I, the little field mouse."
"I, the croaking frog."
"And I, the nervous rabbit, and who are you?"
"I am a sly fox."
"Come live with us!" And a gray wolf came by
and knocked on the door, "Who is it that lives in
this nice tall tower?"
"I, the little fly."
"I, the buzzing mosquito."
"I, the little field mouse."
"I, the croaking frog."
"I, the running rabbit."
74
"I, the sly fox, and who are you?"
"I am a gray wolf."
"Come live with us!" So they lived happily in the
little tower.
Then a big bear came by and roared, "Who is it
that lives in this nice tall tower?"
"I, the little fly."
"I, the buzzing mosquito."
"I, the little field mouse."
"I, the croaking frog."
"I, the running rabbit."
"I, the sly fox."
"I, the gray wolf, and who are you?"
"I am the big bear."
"Well, come on in!"
The bear tried to climb into the tower, but no
matter how he tried, he just didn't fit.
"I think it would be better if I lived on the roof."
"You will squash us all!"
"No, I won't!" The bear sat down on the roof, and
smashed the little tower. All of the other animals
managed to jump out of the tower, and went back
to the forest to live.
Teryoshka
A Russiam folk story told by Alexei Tolstoy
Translated from the Russian by Olga Shartse
Once upon a time there lived an old man and his
wife who had no children,and were very lonely.
One day, the old man shaped a piece of wood and
the old woman wrapped it up and rocked it like a
baby, singing:
Close your pretty eyes, Teryosha,
Sleep, my darling child!
All the fishes and the thrushes,
All the hares and foxes wild
Have gone bye-bye in the forest,
Sleep, my darling child!
Little by little, the pierce of wood they called
Teryosha began to change into a real child, and
before long he grew into a big and clever boy. The
old man made a boat for him, painting it white,
and a pair of paddles, which he painted red.
Teryosha got into the boat, and said:
My little white boat, do as I wish
And take me to where there's plenty
of fish.
The little white boat obeyed, and took Teryosha
far out into the river. After that, he went fishing
every day, and at midday his mother would bring
him his lunch and, standing on the bank, sing out:
Come and eat your lunch,
Teryosha sonny,
There's milk, and curds, and bread
and honey!
Teryosha, hearing his mother's voice from afar,
would paddle to the bank and come ashore. His
mother would take the fish he had caught, give
him his lunch, change his shirt and belt, and let
him go out in his boat again. The Witch saw and
heard all this. And so, one day she came to the
bank and called in her ugly voice:
Come and eat your lunch, Teryosha sonny,
There's milk, and curds, and bread and honey!
Teryosha knew it was not his mother's voice, and
urged his little white boat to take him as far away
from the bank as it could. The Witch ran to the
blacksmith and told him to re-fashion her throat so
that her voice would sound as sweet as that of
Teryosha's mother. The blacksmith did his best.
And then the Witch came to the bank and called:
Come and eat your lunch,
Teryosha sonny,
There's milk, and curds, and bread
and honey!
Teryosha thought it was his mother calling, for the
voice was exactly like hers, and paddled to the
bank. The Witch grabbed him, stuffed him into
her bag, and carried him to her cottage in the
forest. She told her daughter Alynoka to light the
stove and roast Teryosha for dinner, while she was
away doing more wickedness. Alyonka got the
fire going, and when the oven was very, very hot,
ordered Teryosha to lie flat on the shovel. But he
sat on it, instead of lying down, threw out his arms
and legs and try as she might Alyonka could not
push him into the oven. "I told you to lie flat," she
snapped at him. "I don't know how. You show
me…", Teryosha replied. "Lie down the way cats
sleep and dogs sleep, that's how." "You show me
75
anyway". Alyonka lay down on the shovel, and
Teryosha quickly pushed her into the oven and
clamped the oven door shut. He ran outside and
climbed to the top of an old oak, because he saw
the Witch returning home. The Witch opened the
oven, gobbled up Alyonka and picked the bone
clean. When she had stuffed herself, she came
outside and started rolling in the grass, chanting:
I'll take a roll, and I'll take a loll,
With Teryosha's meat I'm nice and
full!
Teryosha replied quietly from the top of the oak:
"With Alyonka's meat you're full." The Witch
thought it was simply the oak leaves rustling in
the wind, and went on chanting:
I'll take a roll, and I'll take a loll,
With Teryosha's meat I'm nice and
full!
And again Teryosha said: "With Alyonka's meat
you're full." The Witch looked up and saw him
sitting in the tree. She rushed at the oak and tried
to bite it across. She bit and she bit, broke two of
her front teeth, and ran to the blacksmith: "Make
me two iron teeth, quickly." Yhe blacksmith made
her two iron teth, and she went back to bite the
oak across. She bit and she bit, and broke two of
her lower front teeth. She ran to the blacksmith
again, and told him to make her two more iron
teeth. The blacksmith did as he was told. Now she
went at the oak so hard that chips flew to right and
left. The oak was beginning to creak and sway.
What was Teryosha to do? Suddenly he saw a
flock of geese flying overhead, and he begged
them:
Oh, good friends, oh darling geese,
Take me home to mother, please!
But the geese replied: "Another flock's close
behind, the geese are feebler than we are, they'll
take you'" Now the Witch would take a bite or
two, give Teryosha a glare, smack her lips, and go
on biting at the tree. Another flock came along,
and Teryosha begged:
Oh, good friends, oh darling geese,
Take me home to mother, please!
And the geese replied: "There's a pecked young
goose coming behind us, he'll take you home!"
The Witch had only a little way to go before the
oak toppled. The pecked young goose came, and
Teroysha begged him:
You're the kindest of the geese,
Take me home to mother, please!
The pecked young goose took pity on Teryosha,
came down to let him climb on to his back, and
carried him home to mother. They came to the
cottage and alighted on the grass right under the
window. The old women had made some
pancakes to remember Teryosha by, and handing
one to the old man she said: "here's a pancake for
you, and here's one for me." "What about me?"
Teryosha asked from where he was. The old
woman heard him, and said to the old an: "Go
outside and look who's asking for a pancake." The
old man went outside, saw Teryosha, took him
home to the old woman, and she could not kiss
and hug her darling son enough! They gave the
pecked goose all the food and water he wanted,
and let him run free in the yard until he grew into
a big and strong bird. He leads the flocks now,
flaps his wide wings and often remembers
Teroysha.
The Cat and the Cock
Ukrainian folk tail
Once upon a time there lived a Cat and a Cock
who loved one another dearly. The Cat would play
his fiddle and the Cock would sing, the Cat would
go out to get food for the two of them, and the
Cock would stay at home and look after the house.
Every time the Cat prepared to go out he would
say to the Cock:
"You mustn't let anyone into the house, Cock, or
go out yourself, no matter who calls you."
"I won't, don't you worry," the Cock would reply,
and he would get into the house and stay there till
the Cat came home.
Now, a Fox once saw the Cock and decided to
lure him out and catch him. She crept up to the
window of their house when the Cat was out and
called out:
76
"Come out, Cock, and join me, and I'll give you
grains of wheat and some water clear and sweet."
But the Cock called out in reply: "Cock-a-doodle-
doo, I'll do without, For I promised Puss I'd not go
out!"
The Fox saw that this was not the way to go about
things, so one night she crept up to the house,
threw some wheat grains under the window for the
Cock to see and herself hid behind a bush.
By and by the Cat went out hunting as usual, and
the Cock opened the window and looked out.
There was no one about, he saw, but there,
scattered on the ground, lay some luscious grains
of wheat. The Cock was eager to eat them and
said to himself:
"I think I'll go out and peck at those grains for a
bit. There is no one about, so no one will see me
or tell Puss on me."
But no sooner did he step over the threshold than
the Fox was upon him. She seized him by the
scruff of his neck and away she ran to her own
house! And the Cock called out to the Cat:
"Save me, Brother Puss, I pray!
Foxy's taking me far away.
For her bushy tail
I can't see the trail.
If you don't come, friend,
I will meet my end."
Now, the Cat was a long way off and he did not
hear the Cock, and by the time he returned home it
was too late for him to go after the Fox. He tried
to overtake her, but could not, so back he went
home and wept and cried. But he got to thinking
after a while, and, taking his fiddle and a bright-
pictured sack, set out for the Fox's house.
Now, the Fox had four daughters and a son, and
before going out hunting that day, she told them to
keep an eye on the Cock and to heat a potfull of
water so that as soon as she was back she could
kill and cook him for dinner.
"And mind you let no one into the house while I'm
away," she said.
Away she went, and the Cat came up to the house,
stood under the window and began to play and to
sing the following song:
"Foxy's house is big and tall,
Her four little daughters are beauties all,
And Pilipko, her only son,
Is very sweet to look upon.
Step outside, young Foxy, do,
And I'll sing some more for you!"
Now, the Fox's eldest daughter felt that she must
go and see who it was playing and she said to the
others:
"Stay here in the house and I'll go and see who it
is that plays so well."
She came out of the house, and the Cat rapped her
smartly on the nose, whisked her into his sack and
began to play and to sing again:
"Foxy's house is big and tall,
Her four little daughters are beauties all,
And Pilipko, her only son,
Is very sweet to look upon.
Step outside, young Foxy, do,
And I'll sing some more for you!"
The Fox's second daughter went out to see who it
was playing, and the Cat rapped her on the nose
and whisked her into his sack. And the very same
thing happened to the Fox's two younger
daughters. There sat their brother Pilipko in the
house and waited for his sisters, but they did not
come back.
"I think I'll go out and get them to come home,"
said he to himself, "or our mother will give me a
good hiding when she gets back."
He stepped outside, and the Cat rapped him on the
nose too and whisked him into the sack! Then he
hanged the sack on a dry willow tree and ran into
the Fox's house. He found the Cock and untied
him, and the two of them ate all of the Fox's food,
overturned the pot of boiling water, broke all the
dishes and ran home. And the Cock did just as the
Cat told him ever after and never, never disobeyed
him
.
77
The Fire-Bird and Princess Vassilissa
In a certain kingdom, in a thrice-ten realm that lay
far away, beyond the thrice-nine lands, there once
lived a mighty king. The king had an archer who
was as brave as he was strong, and the archer had
a horse that was as strong as it was fleet of foot.
One day the archer got on his horse and rode off
to the forest to hunt.
He rode along a road, and a wide road it was, and
he saw a fire-bird's feather lying there and flaming
like fire.' Said his horse to the archer: "Leave the
feather where it is, for if you don't you will know
a great misfortune." Now, this made the archer
stop and think.
He was sorely tempted to take the feather, for if he
presented it to the king, the king would surely
reward him, and who is there that does not prize
the favor of a king!
In the end, he decided to take it, and, picking it up,
carried it away with him and presented it to the
king. "Many thanks to you, Archer?" said the
king. "But since you were able to fetch its feather,
you must fetch me the fire-bird itself If you don't
it'll be out with my sword and off with your
head?" The archer went back to his horse weeping
bitterly. "Why do you weep. Master?" the horse
asked. "The king has ordered me to fetch him the
fire-bird." "I told you not to take the feather' Still,
you must not fear or give way to despair. You are
in no great trouble
now, there is worse to come! Just go to the king
and ask him for a hundred bags of corn to be
strewn over that field yonder." This the archer did,
and the king had a hundred bags of corn strewn
over the field.
At dawn on the following day the archer rode to
the field. He unbridled his horse, let it roam there
at will and himself hid behind a tree. All of a
sudden the wind swept over the forest and sent it
rustling, the sea rose in waves, and the fire-bird
came flying to the field. Down it dropped and
began pecking the corn, and the archer's horse ran
up and stepped hard on one of its wings, pinning it
to the ground. The archer then rushed out from
behind the tree, and, binding the fire-bird with a
rope, got o the horse with it and rode at a gallop
for the palace. He presented the fire-bird to the
king, who was greatly pleased, thanked the archer
for serving him. so well, promoted him and at
once set him another task. ''You were able to fetch
the fire-bird, so you should be able to fetch me the
maid I wish to marry, Princess Vassilissa. She
lives at the very end of the earth, where the bright
sun rises, and it is her I want and none other. If
you bring her to me, I will shower you with gold
and silver, but if y ou don't, it'll be out with my
sword and off with your head!"
The archer went back to his horse weeping
bitterly. "Why do you weep, Master?" the horse
asked. "The king bids me fetch him Princess
Vassilissa." ''Do not weep or be sad. You are in no
great trouble, there is worse to come! Go to the
king and ask him for a gold-topped tent and for
food and drink for you to take with you on your
journey." The king gave him food and drink and a
tent with a top of gold, and the archer got on his
horse and set off on his way. Beyond thrice-nine
lands he traveled, and whether a short or a long
time passed nobody knows, but he came at last to
the end of the earth, where the bright sun rises
from the blue sea. And there on the sea, in a silver
boat that she pushed with a paddle of gold, was
Princess Vassilissa herself. The archer unbridled
his horse and let it roam at will in the green
meadow and pick at the fresh grass, and then he
set up the gold-topped tent, put foods and drinks
on a table, and sat down to eat and drink while he
waited for Princess Vassilissa.
And Princess Vassilissa saw the gold top
gleaming in the sunlight, paddled to shore, and,
stepping out of the boat, stood there looking
admiringly at the tent. ''Good morrow to you,
Princess Vassilissa!" the archer said. "Pray come
in and share of my board and taste of the wines I
brought from far-off lands." Princess Vassilissa
came into the tent and she and the archer ate and
drank and made merry. A whole glass of wine did
she drink and was so overcome that she fell fast
asleep. The archer called his horse, and when it
came running, folded the tent with the top of gold,
picked up Princess Vassilissa, mounted the horse
with now, there is worse to come! Just go to the
king and ask him for a hundred bags of corn to be
strewn over that field yonder." This the archer did,
78
and the king had a hundred bags of corn strewn
over the field.
At dawn on the following day the archer rode to
the field. He unbridled his horse, let it roam there
at will and himself hid behind a tree. All of a
sudden the wind swept over the forest and sent it
rustling, the sea rose in waves, and the fire-bird
came flying to the field. Down it dropped and
began pecking the corn, and the archer's horse ran
up and stepped hard on one of its wings, pinning it
to the ground. The archer then rushed out from
behind the tree, and, binding the fire-bird with a
rope, got on the horse with it and rode at a gallop
for the palace. He presented the fire-bird to the
king, who was greatly pleased, thanked the archer
for serving him so well, promoted him and at once
set him another task.
''You were able to fetch the fire-bird, so you
should be able to fetch me the maid I wish to
marry, Princess Vassilissa. She lives at the very
end of the earth, where the bright sun rises, and it
is her I want and none other. If you bring her to
me, I will shower you with gold and silver, but if
you don't, it'll be out with my sword and off with
your head!"
The archer went back to his horse weeping
bitterly. ''Why do you weep, Master?" the horse
asked. "The king bids me fetch him Princess
Vassilissa." ''Do not weep or be sad. You are in no
great trouble, there is worse to come! Go to the
king and ask him for a gold-topped tent and for
food and drink for you to take with you on your
journey." The king gave him food and drink and a
tent with a top of gold, and the archer got on his
horse and set off on his way. Beyond thrice-nine
lands he traveled, and wheth er a short or a long
time passed nobody knows, but he came at last to
the end of the earth, where the bright sun rises
from the blue sea. And there on the sea, in a silver
boat that she pushed with a paddle of gold, was
Princess Vassilissa herself. The archer unbridled
his horse and let it roam at will in the green
meadow and pick at the fresh grass, and then he
set up the gold-topped tent, put foods and drinks
on a table, and sat down to eat and drink while he
waited for Princess Vassilissa.
And Princess Vassilissa saw the gold top
gleaming in the sunlight, paddled to shore, and,
stepping out of the boat, stood there looking
admiringly at the tent. ''Good morrow to you,
Princess Vassilissa!" the archer said. "Pray come
in and share of my board and taste of the wines I
brought from far-off lands." Princess Vassilissa
came into the tent and she and the archer ate and
drank and made merry. A whole glass of wine did
she drink and was so overcome that she fell fast
asleep. The archer called his horse, and when it
came running, folded the tent with the top of gold,
picked up Princess Vassilissa, mounted the horse
with her in his arms, and set off home. As fast as
an arrow he flew and was soon in the palace.
The king was overjoyed at the sight of Princess
Vassilissa. He thanked the archer for having
served him so well and gave him a still higher
rank. But when Princess Vassilissa awoke and
learnt that she was far, far away from the blue sea,
she began sobbing and weeping and her face
turned dark with grief. And though the king
pleaded with her not to be sad, there was nothing
he could do. He begged her to marry him, but she
said: "Let him who brought me here go to my
realm at the end of the earth and fetch my
wedding dress which lies under a large rock in the
middle of the sea. I will not marry without it!" The
king sent for the archer. "Go at once to the end of
the earth where the bright sun rises. In the middle
of the sea you will find a large rock and under it
Princess Vassilissa's wedding dress. Bring the
dress here, for I wish to wed without delay! If you
bring it, I shall reward you richly, more so than
ever before, but if you don't, it'll be out with my
sword and off with your head!" Back went the
archer to his horse weeping bitterly. '1 will not
escape death this time!" said he to himself. "Why
do you weep, Master?" the horse asked. "The king
bids me fetch him Princess Vassilissa's wedding
dress from the bottom of the sea." ''Didn't I tell
you not to take the fire-bird's feather? But never
fear, you are in no great trouble, there is worse to
come! Get on my back and let us go to the blue
sea."
Whether a short or a long time passed nobody
knows, but the archer came to the end of the earth
and stopped on the shore of the blue sea. A huge
lobster came crawling over the sand toward him,
and the horse saw it and stepped on its tail with its
hoof. Said the lobster: "Spare me, Horse, do not
let me die! I will do whatever you ask." And the
horse said in reply: "There is a great rock lying on
the bottom of the sea and hidden under it is
79
Princess Vassilissa's wedding dress. Fetch the
dress for me!"
The lobster gave a great roar that carried over the
whole of the sea, the sea rose in waves, and
lobsters, big and small, came crawling to the shore
from all sides. And so many were they that there
was no counting them! The lobster who had called
them and who was their elder bade them fetch the
dress, and they plunged into the sea and came
back with it before an hour had passed.
The archer brought the dress to the king, but
Princess Vassilissa was as stubborn as ever and
said that she would not marry him until he had
made the archer take a dip in boiling water. The
king at once ordered an iron cauldron to be filled
with water, the water to be heated, and as soon as
it came to the boil, the archer to be thrown in it.
Everything was soon ready, the water began to
seethe and to boil, sprays of it flying to all sides,
and the archer was led in.
"Poor, unhappy man that I am!" thought he.
"What made me take the fire-bird's feather? Why
didn't I listen to my horse?" And recalling the
horse, he said to the king: "0 great king, my ruler,
allow me to bid my horse goodbye before I die!"
"Very well," said the king. The archer went to see
the horse, and the tears poured from his eyes.
"Why do you weep, Master?" the horse asked.
"The king bids me dip myself in boiling water."
"Fear nothing and do not weep, you will not die!"
said the horse, and he cast a spell over the archer
that he might not get scalded by the boiling water.
The archer left the stall, and the king's servants
seized him and threw him into the cauldron. He
took a dip and another and jumped out of the
cauldron, and lo!—so handsome had he become as
neither pen can write nor tongue tell! Seeing this,
the king took it into his head to take a dip himself.
He jumped into the cauldron and was boiled alive!
And after he was buried the archer was chosen to
rule the realm in his stead. He married Princess
Vassilissa and they lived together for many long
years and were as happy as happy can be.
The Fly's Castle
A fly once built himself a castle. Along came a
creepy-crawly louse and called, "Who, who, who
is in this castle? Who, who, who is in this den?" "I
am: I Spy Fly. And who are you?" "I am Creepy-
Crawly Louse." Along came an itchy-twitchy flea
and called, "Who, who, who is in this castle?
Who, who, who is in this den?" "We are. I Spy Fly
and Creepy-Crawly Louse." Along came a long-
legged midge and called, "Who, who, who is in
this castle? Who, who, who is in this den?" "We
are," came three voices. "I Spy Fly, Creepy-
Crawly Louse and Itchy-Twitchy Flea." Along
came a tittle-tattle mouse and called, "Who, who,
who is in this castle? Who, who, who is in this
den?" "We are," came four voices. "I Spy Fly,
Creepy-Crawly Louse, Itchy-Twitchy Flea and
Long-Legged Midge."
Along came a busy-lizzie lizard and called, "Who,
who, who is in mis castle? Who, who, who is in
this den?" "We are," came five voices. "I Spy Fly,
Creepy- Crawly Louse, Itchy-Twitchy Flea, Long-
Legged Midge and Tittle-Tattle Mouse." Along
came Liza the fox and called, "Who, who, who is
in this castle? Who, who, who is in this den?" "We
are," came six voices. "I Spy Fly, Creepy-Crawly
Louse, Itchy-Twitchy Flea, Long-Legged Midge,
Tittle-Tattle Mouse and Busy-Lizzie Liz- ard."
Along came bob-tabbit rabbit and called, "Who,
who, who is in this castle? Who, who, who is in
this den?" "We are," came seven voices. "I Spy
Fly, Creepy- Crawly Louse, Itchy-Twitchy Flea,
Long-Legged Midge, Tittle-Tattle Mouse, Busy-
Lizzie Lizard and Liza the Fox."
Along came grey-tailed wolf and called, "Who,
who, who is in this castle? Who, who, who is in
this den?" "We are," came eight voices. "I Spy
Fly, Creepy- Crawly Louse, Itchy-Twitchy Flea,
Long-Legged Midge, Tittle-Tattle Mouse, Busy-
Lizzie Lizard, Liza the Fox and Bob-Tabbit
Rabbit." Along came stumpy-legs bear and called,
"Who, who, who is in this castle? Who, who, who
is in this den?" "We are," came nine voices. "I Spy
Fly, Creepy-Crawly Louse, Itchy-Twitchy Flea,
Long-Legged Midge, Tittle-Tattle Mouse, Busy-
Lizzie Lizard, Liza the Fox, Bob- Tabbit Rabbit
and Grey-Tailed Wolf. And who are you?" 'T am
Crush-'Em-All- Now," said stumpy-legs bear.
With that he put his paw on the castle and
smashed it to pieces.
80
The Golden Hair
This event happened long ago. At that time in the
place we will speak about Russians and even
Bashkirs didnt settle. Bashkirs needed green fields
and wide steppes for their herds but that place was
surrounded with the thick forest. Only brave
hunters dared to visit that place and hunt there.
The most brave and skilful hunter of them was the
Bashkir whose name was Ailyp.
One day Ailyp was galloping through the forest
and suddenly saw a red fox. The fox was an
insignificant prey for such skillful hunter as Ailyp.
Nevertheless the young man was bored and
decided to amuse himself a little and hunt the fox.
He tried to overtake the fox but couldnt do it. He
tried to shoot an arrow at it but wasnt successful.
Soon the hunter reached so dense forest that it was
impossible to move forward by his steed. He
dismounted from his steed and started pursuing
the fox on foot. The fox seemed to tease Ailyp; it
was always so close to him but when he tried to
take aim at it, the fox suddenly disappeared
behind thick bushes.
At last Ailyp found himself in the unfamiliar
place. The fox disappeared somewhere and the
hunter decided to climb the high tree to look
about. From the top of the tree he saw the small
river running merrily along the valley. In some
certain place the river was shinning so brightly
that it was impossible to look at. Ailyp was very
surprised and tried to look at that place more
attentively. Suddenly he saw a beautiful girl
sitting near the river on the big white stone behind
the bush. Her braid was thrown over her shoulder
and the tip of it was dropped into the water. The
braid was gold and very long, its length was about
10 sazhen (=2.134 meters). The gold braid was
reflected in the water and made the river shine like
the sun.
The girl raised her head, noticed Ailyp and said:
" Hello, Ailyp! I know you! My Nanny the Fox
has told me about you long ago. You are the most
handsome, strong and successful hunter all
through the neighborhood. Do you want to marry
me? How much bride-money I will have to pay to
your father?
What are you speaking about? My father is the
owner of the whole worlds gold! He will never
agree to part with me voluntarily. If you want to
marry me we must run!
I want to marry you very much! I will carry you in
my arms! No one will dare to take you away from
me!"
As soon as the hunter exclaimed these words, the
fox yelped, hid its muzzle in the ground, turned
into an old woman and said:
"Dont boast! You even didnt manage to hit and
kill me!
Its the truth answered Ailyp But it is my last
negligence.
It will be very difficult to kidnap my niece the
Golden Hair.
Her father is Poloz, the owner of the whole gold
of the world.
Her hair is of gold. Try to raise her braid! It is
very heavy."
The girl is chained to the ground with her hair.
Ailyp pulled out the gold braid of the rivers sand
and began to wind it round his arm. Then he said:
"Now my dear bride the Golden Hair, we are tied
together with your braid. Nobody can part us!"
The old woman gave the hunter scissors just in
case. Ailyp took the girl in his arms and they
began their journey. Ailyp and his bride were
rambling in the forest the whole day. The Golden
Hair noticed that Ailyp became very tired and
said:
"Ailyp, you are very tired. Let me go by myself
and you will carry my braid. It will be easier for
us and we will go faster. May be we will manage
to go far and get to the place where my fathers
power cant reach us. Otherwise my father will
attract me into the ground."
" How can he do it?" - asked the hunter - "My
father possesses the power of attracting gold. He
can attract all gold of the world. If he wishes he
may attract my golden hair!
Dont be afraid! We will manage to escape!"
The Golden Hair smiled sadly, she knew how
strong and insidious her father was.
So, the girl went down on the ground and went by
herself. Ailyp took her heavy golden braid and
81
carried it. They went and went and at last got very
tired.
Lets rest! offered Ailyp.
As soon as they sat on the green grass, the
mysterious power started to attract them into the
ground. The Golden Hair had time to take scissors
that her nanny had given them and snip off the
golden braid winded round the hunters arm. Then
the girl suddenly disappeared under the ground
together with her beautiful golden hair. Ailyp was
standing alone in the forest glade.
"My bride is taken away! What a shame! I must
return her thought the hunter and began to dig the
earth at the place where his bride had
disappeared."
Suddenly the fox appeared in the forest glade. It
hid its muzzle in the ground, turned into the old
woman and began to mock at the hunter:
"What are you doing? Are you looking for gold?"
" No", - replied Ailyp -"I am trying to find my
bride, the Golden Hair!"
" What a fool! Your bride is sitting near the river
on the big white stone where you have seen her
for the first time. Her gold braid became longer
and heavier, its length now is about 20 sazhen.
Now you wont be able to raise it."
" But what should I do? Please, give me a piece of
good advice!" -begged Ailyp.
"Go home and wait three years. If you dont forget
your bride I will return in three years and show
you the place where you can find her. If you begin
to look for the Golden Hair by yourself you will
never see her!"
Ailyp wasnt used to wait but there was nothing to
do and he had to humble.
Three years were dragging on monotonously.
Even the spring didnt make the hunter glad. His
relatives worried about his health. Every day
Ailyp thought about his bride. How he wished to
look at her! But he remembered the old womans
words and didnt dare to go to seek her. One day he
was walking along the village street and met a
pretty black haired young girl. He liked that girl
very much and thought:
" Ive lost my bride. If people knew this fact they
would mock at me. All the young men of my age
have been married long ago. May be I shall marry
this pretty black haired young girl?! I will pay
bride-money to her parents and they will be glad
to arrange our wedding."
Then the hunter remembered the Golden Hair and
thought:
" However, I cant humble with the fact that my
bride is taken away from me! I must return her!"
Sooner or later three years passed and Ailyp saw
the red fox. He didnt try to shoot an arrow at the
fox but followed it closely. On the way to the river
he marked the trees and stones they passed by to
remember the road. At last they got to the river
and Ailyp saw his bride sitting on the big white
stone at the place where he had seen her for the
first time. He bowed to her and said:
"Hello, my dear bride the Golden Hair!"
" Hello, Ailyp! Dont grieve! My braid became
much easier because you always thought about
me. Only in the end of the third year my braid
became a little bit heavier. Have you fallen in love
with someone?"
Ailyp was ashamed of confirming the fact that he
really had fallen in love with the pretty black
haired girl but all the same he decided to tell the
truth and honestly told his bride everything about
the incident with the black haired girl.
The Golden Hair listened to him attentively and
then said:
" I am glad that you honestly told me everything.
Now I can trust you. Lets go! May be we will
manage to escape to the place where my fathers
power cant reach us!
Ailyp pulled out the gold braid of the rivers sand,
winded it round his arm, took the scissors from
the old woman and they began their journey. They
were rambling in the forest the whole day long. It
grew dark and the hunter offered to rest:
Lets climb that high tree and sleep on the tree
branches. May be your fathers power wont reach
us there."
82
They climbed the tree and Ailyp tied the girls
braid to the tree branches to preserve her from
falling. The Golden Hair fell asleep and the hunter
began to guard her. Soon he also began to doze.
The eagle-owl was hovering near the tree and
screaming desperately as if it wanted to alarm the
hunter.
Ailyp slept like a log and dreamt that he and the
Golden Hair were sitting at home and drinking
tea. His bride was so beautiful! Her golden braid
was shinning like the sun!
At midnight the tree caught fire. Ailyp burnt
himself and fell on the ground. He saw how the
big sparkling fiery ring appeared from under the
ground. The Golden Hair turned into the cloud of
fine golden sparkles. The sparkles flew to the fiery
ring and disappeared. Ailyp ran to that place
trying to find his bride but everything was in vain,
he managed to find only the tip of her golden
braid.
The young man gave way to despair and began to
call the fox. It immediately appeared and said:
" If you want to return the Golden Hair you should
wait three years more. I wont come to help you
any more. You will have to go to look for your
bride by yourself. I can advice you only the
following: bow to the old eagle-owl and ask it to
help you."
At first Ailyp didnt understand what eagle-owl the
old woman was speaking about but later he
remembered the eagle-owl hovering near the
burning tree and comprehended everything.
Next morning the hunter went to the place where
he had seen the old eagle-owl. Having reached the
place he began calling it. Soon he heard its voice:
" Fubu, fubu! I am here! What do you want?"
Ailyp told the old eagle-owl all about his
problems and asked it to help him.
"It will be very difficult to return the Golden Hair,
answered the old eagle-owl Her father Poloz is
very strong. He is the owner of the worlds gold.
He can reach any place where gold deposits are
situated with his fiery ring. There is the only place
where his power is ineffective. But remember the
only thing: if you reach that place you will never
come back!"
" Please tell me where is that place!" - begged the
hunter.
" You should find the lake with the big stone in
the middle. There is the entry under that stone that
lead to the underwater kingdom. The power of
Poloz cant reach you there.
I know this lake! cried Ailyp gaily It is the Itkul
Lake! Go the Itkul Lake to make sure that it is
really the lake you need. Remember! If you
manage to get to the underwater kingdom you will
never come back!"
The hunter thanked the old eagle-owl and went
home. Later he found the Lake Itkul with the big
stone in the middle. At the place he realized that it
was impossible to run to the lake during the day
time and at night Poloz can use his power.
" must build a road to the lake to have a chance to
get there by horses!"
So, the hunter began to chop trees and build the
road.
Three years passed very quickly, Ailyp barely had
time to finish building the road. At target date he
came to the well-known river bank to find his
bride. She was sitting on the big white stone at the
place where the hunter had seen her for the first
time. They saddled the steeds and galloped at full
speed. The red fox was running in advance trying
to hurry them. In the evening they got to the lake
Itkul and boarded a canoe. In a flash they reached
the stone situated in the middle of the river, found
the entry and descended to the underwater
kingdom. As soon as the hunter and his bride took
the shelter, Poloz began to encircle the lake with
his fiery rings. Everything was in vain he couldnt
reach his daughter and Ailyp. His power was
ineffective in the underwater kingdom.
Since that time rich gold deposits appeared at the
banks of the Ikul Lake that provoked quarrels
between Bashkirs and Russian factory owners.
Ailyp and his wife the Golden Hair stayed to live
in the underwater kingdom where they possessed
horse and sheep herds pasturing in the wild fields
and meadows.
83
Sometimes people chanced to see the Golden
Hair. She was sitting in the stone in the middle of
the lake. Her golden braid was shinning brightly
by the light of the moon. She was incomparably
beautiful!
The little round bun (Kolobok)
Once upon a time there lived an old man and an
old woman who were very poor and had nothing
at all to their name. And they kept getting poorer
and poorer till there was nothing left to eat in the
house, not even bread, Said the old man:
"Do bake us a bun, old woman! If you scrape out
the flour-box and sweep out the bin, you'll have
enough flour."
So the old woman scraped out the flour-box and
swept out the bin, she made some dough and she
shaped a little round bun out of it. She then lit the
oven, baked the bun and put it on the window sill
to cool. But the bun jumped out of the window
and onto the bench outside, and from the bench
onto the ground, and away it rolled along the road!
On and on' it rolled, and it met a Rabbit coming
toward it.
"I'm going to eat you up, Little Round Bun!"
called the Rabbit.
"Don't do that, Fleet-Feet, let me sing you a song
instead," said Little Round Bun.
"All right, let's hear it!"
"Here it is!
"I was scraped from the flour-box
And swept from the bin
And baked in the oven
And cooled on the sill.
I ran away from Grandpa,
I ran away from Grandma,
And I'll run away from you, this minute I will!"
And off it rolled and away. By and by it met a
Wolf coming toward it.
"I'm going to eat you up, Little Round Bun!"
called the Wolf.
"Don't do that, Brother Wolf, let me sing you a
song instead."
"All right, let's hear it!"
"I was scraped from the flour-box
And swept from the bin
And baked in the oven
And cooled on the sill.
I ran away from Grandpa,
I ran away from Grandma,
And I'll run away from you, this minute I will!"
And away it rolled.
By and by it met a Bear coming toward it.
"I'm going to eat you up, Little Round Bun!"
called the Bear.
"Don't do that, Brother Bear, I'll sing you a song
instead!"
"All right, let's hear it!"
"I was scraped from the flour-box
And swept from the bin
And baked in the oven
And cooled on the sill.
I ran away from Grandpa,
I ran away from Grandma,
And I'll run away from you, this minute I will!"
And away it rolled and away!
By and by it met a Fox coming toward it.
"I'm going to eat you up, Little Round Bun!"
called the Fox.
"Don't do that, Sister fox, I'll sing you a song
instead."
"All right, let's hear it!"
"I was scraped from the flour-box
And swept from the bin
And baked in the oven
And cooled on the sill.
I ran away from Grandpa,
84
I ran away from Grandma,
And I'll run away from you, this minute I will!"
"Sing some more, please, don't stop!" the Fox
said. "Hop onto my tongue, I can hear you better."
Little Round Bun jumped onto the Fox's tongue
and began to sing:
"I was scraped from the flour-box
And swept from the bin-"
But before it could go on, the Fox opened her
mouth and - snap! -she gobbled it up.
Turnip
An old man planted a turnip. The turnip grew to
be enormous. The old man started to pull the
turnip out of the ground. He pulled and pulled, but
couldn't pull it out. So he called the old woman
over.
The old woman took hold of the old man, the old
man took hold of the turnip, they pulled and
pulled, but couldn't pull it out. So the old woman
called the granddaughter over.
The granddaughter took hold of the old woman,
the old woman took hold of the old man, the old
man took hold of the turnip, they pulled and
pulled, but couldn't pull it out. So the
granddaughter called the dog over.
The dog took hold of the granddaughter, the
granddaughter took hold of the old woman, the
old woman took hold of the old man, the old man
took hold of the turnip, they pulled and pulled, but
couldn't pull it out. So the dog called the cat over.
The cat took hold of the dog, the dog took hold of
the granddaughter, the granddaughter took hold of
the old woman, the old woman took hold of the
old man, the old man took hold of the turnip, they
pulled and pulled, but couldn't pull it out. So the
cat called the mouse over.
The mouse took hold of the cat, the cat took hold
of the dog, the dog took hold of the
granddaughter, the granddaughter took hold of the
old woman, the old woman took hold of the old
man, the old man took hold of the turnip, they
pulled and pulled--and finally pulled out the
turnip!
--In Russian, the name "Zhuckha" is used in place
of "dog." Also, the translation loses all the the
lyricism of this little tale. In Russian, the similar
words repeated patterns combined to make a
rhythm that is almost a tongue-twister!
Transliterated, the last line of the tale sounds like
this:
Myshka za koshku, koshka za Zhuchku, Zhuchka
za vnuchku, vnuchka za babku, babka za dedku,
dedka za repku, tyanut-potyanut--vytyanuli repku!
Twelve Months
THERE was once a widow who had two
daughters, Helen, her own child by her dead
husband, and Marouckla, his daughter by his first
wife. She loved Helen, but hated the poor orphan
because she was far prettier than her own
daughter.
Marouckla did not think about her good looks, and
could not understand why her stepmother should
be angry at the sight of her. The hardest work fell
to her share. She cleaned out the rooms, cooked,
washed, sewed, spun, wove, brought in the hay,
milked the cow, and all this without any help.
Helen, meanwhile, did nothing but dress herself in
her best clothes and go to one amusement after
another.
But Marouckla never complained. She bore the
scoldings and bad temper of mother and sister
with a smile on her lips, and the patience of a
lamb. But this angelic behavior did not soften
them. They became even more tyrannical and
grumpy, for Marouckla grew daily more beautiful,
while Helen's ugliness increased. So the
stepmother determined to get rid of Marouckla,
85
for she knew that while she remained, her own
daughter would have no suitors. Hunger, every
kind of privation, abuse, every means was used to
make the girl's life miserable. But in spite of it all
Marouckla grew ever sweeter and more charming.
One day in the middle of winter Helen wanted
some wood-violets.
"Listen," cried she to Marouckla, "you must go up
the mountain and find me violets. I want some to
put in my gown. They must be fresh and sweet-
scented-do you hear?"
"But, my dear sister, whoever heard of violets
blooming in the snow?" said the poor orphan.
"You wretched creature! Do you dare to disobey
me?" said Helen. "Not another word. Off with
you! If you do not bring me some violets from the
mountain forest I will kill you."
The stepmother also added her threats to those of
Helen, and with vigorous blows they pushed
Marouckla outside and shut the door upon her.
The weeping girl made her way to the mountain.
The snow lay deep, and there was no trace of any
human being. Long she wandered hither and
thither, and lost herself in the wood. She was
hungry, and shivered with cold, and prayed to die.
Suddenly she saw a light in the distance, and
climbed toward it till she reached the top of the
mountain. Upon the highest peak burned a large
fire, surrounded by twelve blocks of stone on
which sat twelve strange beings. Of these the first
three had white hair, three were not quite so old,
three were young and handsome, and the rest still
younger.
There they all sat silently looking at the fire. They
were the Twelve Months of the Year. The great
January was placed higher than the others. His
hair and mustache were white as snow, and in his
hand he held a wand. At first Marouckla was
afraid, but after a while her courage returned, and
drawing near, she said: --
"Men of God, may I warm myself at your fire? I
am chilled by the winter cold."
The great January raised his head and answered:
"What brings thee here, my daughter? What dost
thou seek?"
"I am looking for violets," replied the maiden.
"This is not the season for violets. Dost thou not
see the snow everywhere?" said January.
"I know well, but my sister Helen and my
stepmother have ordered me to bring them violets
from your mountain. If I return without them they
will kill me. I pray you, good shepherds, tell me
where they may be found."
Here the great January arose and went over to the
youngest of the Months, and, placing his wand in
his hand, said: --
"Brother March, do thou take the highest place."
March obeyed, at the same time waving his wand
over the fire. Immediately the flames rose toward
the sky, the snow began to melt and the trees and
shrubs to bud. The grass became green, and from
between its blades peeped the pale primrose. It
was spring, and the meadows were blue with
violets.
"Gather them quickly, Marouckla," said March.
Joyfully she hastened to pick the flowers, and
having soon a large bunch she thanked them and
ran home. Helen and the stepmother were amazed
at the sight of the flowers, the scent of which
filled the house.
"Where did you find them?" asked Helen.
"Under the trees on the mountain-side," said
Marouckla.
Helen kept the flowers for herself and her mother.
She did not even thank her stepsister for the
trouble she had taken. The next day she desired
Marouckla to fetch her strawberries.
"Run," said she, "and fetch me strawberries from
the mountain. They must be very sweet and ripe."
"But whoever heard of strawberries ripening in the
snow?" exclaimed Marouckla.
86
"Hold your tongue, worm; don't answer me. If I
don't have my strawberries I will kill you," said
Helen.
Then the stepmother pushed Marouckla into the
yard and bolted the door. The unhappy girl made
her way toward the mountain and to the large fire
round which sat the Twelve Months. The great
January occupied the highest place.
"Men of God, may I warm myself at your fire?
The winter cold chills me," said she, drawing near.
The great January raised his head and asked:
"Why comest thou here? What dost thou seek?"
"I am looking for strawberries," said she.
"We are in the midst of winter," replied January,
"strawberries do not grow in the snow."
"I know," said the girl sadly, "but my sister and
stepmother have ordered me to bring them
strawberries. If I do not they will kill me. Pray,
good shepherds, tell me where to find them."
The great January arose, crossed over to the
Month opposite him, and putting the wand in his
hand, said: "Brother June, do thou take the highest
place."
June obeyed, and as he waved his wand over the
fire the flames leaped toward the sky. Instantly the
snow melted, the earth was covered with verdure,
trees were clothed with leaves, birds began to
sing, and various flowers blossomed in the forest.
It was summer. Under the bushes masses of star-
shaped flowers changed into ripening
strawberries, and instantly they covered the glade,
making it look like a sea of blood.
"Gather them quickly, Marouckla," said June.
Joyfully she thanked the Months, and having
filled her apron ran happily home.
Helen and her mother wondered at seeing the
strawberries, which filled the house with their
delicious fragrance.
"Wherever did you find them?" asked Helen
crossly.
"Right up among the mountains. Those from
under the beech trees are not bad," answered
Marouckla.
Helen gave a few to her mother and ate the rest
herself. Not one did she offer to her stepsister.
Being tired of strawberries, on the third day she
took a fancy for some fresh, red apples.
"Run, Marouckla," said she, "and fetch me fresh,
red apples from the mountain."
"Apples in winter, sister? Why, the trees have
neither leaves nor fruit!"
"Idle thing, go this minute," said Helen; "unless
you bring back apples we will kill you."
As before, the stepmother seized her roughly and
turned her out of the house. The poor girl went
weeping up the mountain, across the deep snow,
and on toward the fire round which were the
Twelve Months. Motionless they sat there, and on
the highest stone was the great January.
"Men of God, may I warm myself at your fire?
The winter cold chills me," said she, drawing near.
The great January raised his head. "Why comest
thou here? What does thou seek?" asked he.
"I am come to look for red apples," replied
Marouckla.
"But this is winter, and not the season for red
apples," observed the great January.
"I know," answered the girl, "but my sister and
stepmother sent me to fetch red apples from the
mountain. If I return without them they will kill
me."
Thereupon the great January arose and went over
to one of the elderly Months, to whom he handed
the wand saying: --
"Brother September, do thou take the highest
place."
September moved to the highest stone, and waved
his wand over the fire. There was a flare of red
flames, the snow disappeared, but the fading
leaves which trembled on the trees were sent by a
87
cold northeast wind in yellow masses to the glade.
Only a few flowers of autumn were visible. At
first Marouckla looked in vain for red apples.
Then she espied a tree which grew at a great
height, and from the branches of this hung the
bright, red fruit. September ordered her to gather
some quickly. The girl was delighted and shook
the tree. First one apple fell, then another.
"That is enough," said September; "hurry home."
Thanking the Months she returned joyfully. Helen
and the stepmother wondered at seeing the fruit.
"Where did you gather them?" asked the
stepsister.
"There are more on the mountain-top," answered
Marouckla.
"Then, why did you not bring more?" said Helen
angrily. "You must have eaten them on your way
back, you wicked girl."
"No, dear sister, I have not even tasted them," said
Marouckla. "I shook the tree twice. One apple fell
each time. Some shepherds would not allow me to
shake it again, but told me to return home."
"Listen, mother," said Helen. "Give me my cloak.
I will fetch some more apples myself. I shall be
able to find the mountain and the tree. The
shepherds may cry `Stop!' but I will not leave go
till I have shaken down all the apples."
In spite of her mother's advice she wrapped
herself in her pelisse, put on a warm hood, and
took the road to the mountain. Snow covered
everything. Helen lost herself and wandered hither
and thither. After a while she saw a light above
her, and, following in its direction, reached the
mountain-top.
There was the flaming fire, the twelve blocks of
stone, and the Twelve Months. At first she was
frightened and hesitated; then she came nearer and
warmed her hands. She did not ask permission,
nor did she speak one polite word.
"What hath brought thee here? What dost thou
seek?" said the great January severely.
"I am not obliged to tell you, old graybeard. What
business is it of yours?" she replied disdainfully,
turning her back on the fire and going toward the
forest.
The great January frowned, and waved his wand
over his head. Instantly the sky became covered
with clouds, the fire went down, snow fell in large
flakes, an icy wind howled round the mountain.
Amid the fury of the storm Helen stumbled about.
The pelisse failed to warm her benumbed limbs.
The mother kept on waiting for her. She looked
from the window, she watched from the doorstep,
but her daughter came not. The hours passed
slowly, but Helen did not return.
"Can it be that the apples have charmed her from
her home?" thought the mother. Then she clad
herself in hood and pelisse, and went in search of
her daughter. Snow fell in huge masses. It covered
all things. For long she wandered hither and
thither, the icy northeast wind whistled in the
mountain, but no voice answered her cries.
Day after day Marouckla worked, and prayed, and
waited, but neither stepmother nor sister returned.
They had been frozen to death on the mountain.
The inheritance of a small house, a field, and a
cow fell to Marouckla. In course of time an honest
farmer came to share them with her, and their
lives were happy and peaceful.