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diff --git a/29672.txt b/29672.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..374526e --- /dev/null +++ b/29672.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6008 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales, by Anonymous + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales + +Author: Anonymous + +Illustrator: Noel L. Nisbet + +Translator: R. Nisbet Bain + +Release Date: August 12, 2009 [EBook #29672] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COSSACK FAIRY TALES AND FOLK TALES *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Dan Horwood and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive.) + + + + + + + + + +COSSACK +FAIRY TALES + + + + +_Uniform with this Volume_ + +RUSSIAN FAIRY TALES + +From the Skazki of Polevoi. By +R. NISBET BAIN. Illustrated in +Colour and Black and White by +NOEL L. NISBET + + + + +[Illustration: THEY CAME TO THE PLACE WHERE HE HAD LEFT HER +PAGE 79] + + + + +COSSACK +FAIRY TALES +AND FOLK TALES SELECTED +EDITED AND TRANSLATED BY +R. NISBET BAIN ILLUSTRATED BY +NOEL L. NISBET + + + + +LONDON: GEORGE G. HARRAP & CO. +2 & 3 PORTSMOUTH STREET KINGSWAY W.C. +MCMXVI + + + + +PRINTED AT THE COMPLETE PRESS +WEST NORWOOD ENGLAND + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + Introduction 9 + Oh: The Tsar of the Forest 15 + The Story of the Wind 29 + The Voices at the Window 49 + The Story of Little Tsar Novishny, the False Sister, and + the Faithful Beasts 57 + The Vampire and St Michael 83 + The Story of Tremsin, the Bird Zhar, and Nastasia, the + Lovely Maid of the Sea 95 + The Serpent-Wife 105 + The Story of Unlucky Daniel 111 + The Sparrow and the Bush 123 + The Old Dog 129 + The Fox and the Cat 133 + The Straw Ox 139 + The Golden Slipper 147 + The Iron Wolf 159 + The Three Brothers 167 + The Tsar and the Angel 173 + The Story of Ivan and the Daughter of the Sun 183 + The Cat, the Cock, and the Fox 191 + The Serpent-Tsarevich and His Two Wives 197 + The Origin of the Mole 207 + The Two Princes 211 + The Ungrateful Children and the Old Father Who Went to + School Again 219 + Ivan the Fool and St Peter's Fife 229 + The Magic Egg 239 + The Story of the Forty-First Brother 255 + The Story of the Unlucky Days 261 + The Wondrous Story of Ivan Golik and the Serpents 267 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + PAGE + They came to the place where he had left her Frontispiece + All manner of evil powers walked abroad 16 + "How much do you want for that horse?" 24 + The wind came and swept all his corn away 30 + "Out of the drum, my henchmen!" 40 + The Tsarivna arose from her coffin 86 + They were both on their knees 90 + Daniel waved his sword 114 + His wife caressed and wheedled him 118 + The girl drove the heifer out to graze 148 + The Tsar's councillors went to the houses of all + the nobles and princes 154 + The Tsar went about inquiring of his people if + any were wronged 178 + The rulers of Hell laid hands upon the overseer + straightway 186 + Nineteen times did she cast off one of her suits + of clothes 198 + Suddenly St Peter appeared to him 230 + Ivan Golik drew the bow 276 + + + + +INTRODUCTION TO THE +FIRST EDITION + + +The favourable reception given to my volume of _Russian Fairy Tales_ +has encouraged me to follow it up with a sister volume of stories +selected from another Slavonic dialect extraordinarily rich in +folk-tales--I mean Ruthenian, the language of the Cossacks. + +Ruthenian is a language intermediate between Russian and Polish, but +quite independent of both. Its territory embraces, roughly speaking, +that vast plain which lies between the Carpathians, the watershed of +the Dnieper, and the Sea of Azov, with Lemberg and Kiev for its chief +intellectual centres. Though it has been rigorously repressed by the +Russian Government, it is still spoken by more than twenty millions of +people. It possesses a noble literature, numerous folk-songs, not +inferior even to those of Serbia, and, what chiefly concerns us now, a +copious collection of justly admired folk-tales, many of them of great +antiquity, which are regarded, both in Russia and Poland, as quite +unique of their kind. Mr Ralston, I fancy, was the first to call the +attention of the West to these curious stories, though the want at +that time of a good Ruthenian dictionary (a want since supplied by the +excellent lexicon of Zhelekhovsky and Nidilsky) prevented him from +utilizing them. Another Slavonic scholar, Mr Morfill, has also +frequently alluded to them in terms of enthusiastic but by no means +extravagant praise. + +The three chief collections of Ruthenian folk-lore are those of +Kulish, Rudchenko, and Dragomanov, which represent, at least +approximately, the three dialects into which Ruthenian is generally +divided. It is from these three collections that the present selection +has been made. Kulish, who has the merit of priority, was little more +than a pioneer, his contribution merely consisting of some dozen +_kazki_ (_Maerchen_) and _kazochiki_ (_Maerchenlein_), incorporated in +the second volume of his _Zapiski o yuzhnoi Rusi_ ("Descriptions of +South Russia," Petrograd, 1856-7). Twelve years later Rudchenko +published at Kiev what is still, on the whole, the best collection of +Ruthenian folk-tales, under the title of _Narodnuiya Yuzhnorusskiya +Skazki_ ("Popular South Russian Folk-tales"). Like Linnroet among the +Finns, Rudchenko took down the greater part of these tales direct from +the lips of the people. In a second volume, published in the following +year, he added other stories gleaned from various minor manuscript +collections of great rarity. In 1876 the Imperial Russian Geographical +Society published at Kiev, under the title of _Malorusskiya Narodnuiya +Predonyia i Razkazui_ ("Little-Russian Popular Traditions and Tales"), +an edition of as many manuscript collections of Ruthenian folk-lore +(including poems, proverbs, riddles, and rites) as it could lay its +hands upon. This collection, though far less rich in variants than +Rudchenko's, contained many original tales which had escaped him, and +was ably edited by Michael Dragomanov, by whose name, indeed, it is +generally known. + +The present attempt to popularize these Cossack stories is, I +believe, the first translation ever made from Ruthenian into +English. The selection, though naturally restricted, is fairly +representative; every variety of folk-tale has a place in it, and it +should never be forgotten that the Ruthenian _kazka_ (_Maerchen_), +owing to favourable circumstances, has managed to preserve far more of +the fresh spontaneity and naive simplicity of the primitive folk-tale +than her more sophisticated sister, the Russian _skazka_. It is +maintained, moreover, by Slavonic scholars that there are peculiar +and original elements in these stories not to be found in the +folk-lore of other European peoples; such data, for instance, as the +magic handkerchiefs (generally beneficial, but sometimes, as in the +story of Ivan Golik, terribly baleful), the demon-expelling +hemp-and-tar whips, and the magic cattle-teeming egg, so mischievous +a possession to the unwary. It may be so, but, after all that Mr +Andrew Lang has taught us on the subject, it would be rash for any +mere philologist to assert positively that there can be anything +really new in folk-lore under the sun. On the other hand, the +comparative isolation and primitiveness of the Cossacks, and their +remoteness from the great theatres of historical events, would seem +to be favourable conditions both for the safe preservation of old +myths and the easy development of new ones. It is for professional +students of folk-lore to study the original documents for themselves. + + R. N. B. + + + + +OH: THE TSAR OF THE FOREST + + +The olden times were not like the times _we_ live in. In the olden +times all manner of Evil Powers[1] walked abroad. The world itself was +not then as it is now: now there are no such Evil Powers among us. +I'll tell you a _kazka_[2] of Oh, the Tsar of the Forest, that you may +know what manner of being he was. + + [1] _Div._ This ancient, untranslatable word (comp. Latin _deus_) is + probably of Lithuanian origin, and means any malefic power. + + [2] A folk-tale; Russ. _skazka_, Ger. _Maerchen_. + +[Illustration: ALL MANNER OF EVIL POWERS WALKED ABROAD] + +Once upon a time, long long ago, beyond the times that we can call to +mind, ere yet our great-grandfathers or their grandfathers had been +born into the world, there lived a poor man and his wife, and they had +one only son, who was not as an only son ought to be to his old father +and mother. So idle and lazy was that only son that Heaven help him! +He would do nothing, he would not even fetch water from the well, but +lay on the stove all day long and rolled among the warm cinders. If +they gave him anything to eat, he ate it; and if they didn't give him +anything to eat, he did without. His father and mother fretted sorely +because of him, and said, "What are we to do with thee, O son? for +thou art good for nothing. Other people's children are a stay and a +support to their parents, but thou art but a fool and dost consume our +bread for naught." But it was of no use at all. He would do nothing +but sit on the stove and play with the cinders. So his father and +mother grieved over him for many a long day, and at last his mother +said to his father, "What is to be done with our son? Thou dost see +that he has grown up and yet is of no use to us, and he is so foolish +that we can do nothing with him. Look now, if we can send him away, +let us send him away; if we can hire him out, let us hire him out; +perchance other folk may be able to do more with him than we can." So +his father and mother laid their heads together, and sent him to a +tailor's to learn tailoring. There he remained three days, but then he +ran away home, climbed up on the stove, and again began playing with +the cinders. His father then gave him a sound drubbing and sent him to +a cobbler's to learn cobbling, but again he ran away home. His father +gave him another drubbing and sent him to a blacksmith to learn +smith's work. But there too he did not remain long, but ran away home +again, so what was that poor father to do? "I'll tell thee what I'll +do with thee, thou son of a dog!" said he. "I'll take thee, thou lazy +lout, into another kingdom. There, perchance, they will be able to +teach thee better than they can here, and it will be too far for thee +to run home." So he took him and set out on his journey. + +They went on and on, they went a short way and they went a long way, +and at last they came to a forest so dark that they could see neither +earth nor sky. They went through this forest, but in a short time they +grew very tired, and when they came to a path leading to a clearing +full of large tree-stumps, the father said, "I am so tired out that I +will rest here a little," and with that he sat down on a tree-stump +and cried, "Oh, how tired I am!" He had no sooner said these words +than out of the tree-stump, nobody could say how, sprang such a +little, little old man, all so wrinkled and puckered, and his beard +was quite green and reached right down to his knee.--"What dost thou +want of me, O man?" he asked.--The man was amazed at the strangeness +of his coming to light, and said to him, "I did not call thee; +begone!"--"How canst thou say that when thou didst call me?" asked the +little old man.--"Who art thou, then?" asked the father.--"I am Oh, +the Tsar of the Woods," replied the old man; "why didst thou call me, +I say?"--"Away with thee, I did not call thee," said the man.--"What! +thou didst not call me when thou saidst 'Oh'?"--"I was tired, and +therefore I said 'Oh'!" replied the man.--"Whither art thou going?" +asked Oh.--"The wide world lies before me," sighed the man. "I am +taking this sorry blockhead of mine to hire him out to somebody or +other. Perchance other people may be able to knock more sense into him +than we can at home; but send him whither we will, he always comes +running home again!"--"Hire him out to me. I'll warrant I'll teach +him," said Oh. "Yet I'll only take him on one condition. Thou shalt +come back for him when a year has run, and if thou dost know him +again, thou mayst take him; but if thou dost not know him again, he +shall serve another year with me."--"Good!" cried the man. So they +shook hands upon it, had a good drink to clinch the bargain, and the +man went back to his own home, while Oh took the son away with him. + +Oh took the son away with him, and they passed into the other world, +the world beneath the earth, and came to a green hut woven out of +rushes, and in this hut everything was green; the walls were green and +the benches were green, and Oh's wife was green and his children were +green--in fact, everything there was green. And Oh had water-nixies +for serving-maids, and they were all as green as rue. "Sit down now!" +said Oh to his new labourer, "and have a bit of something to eat." The +nixies then brought him some food, and that also was green, and he ate +of it. "And now," said Oh, "take my labourer into the courtyard that +he may chop wood and draw water." So they took him into the courtyard, +but instead of chopping any wood he lay down and went to sleep. Oh +came out to see how he was getting on, and there he lay a-snoring. +Then Oh seized him, and bade them bring wood and tie his labourer fast +to the wood, and set the wood on fire till the labourer was burnt to +ashes. Then Oh took the ashes and scattered them to the four winds, +but a single piece of burnt coal fell from out of the ashes, and this +coal he sprinkled with living water, whereupon the labourer +immediately stood there alive again and somewhat handsomer and +stronger than before. Oh again bade him chop wood, but again he went +to sleep. Then Oh again tied him to the wood and burnt him and +scattered the ashes to the four winds and sprinkled the remnant of the +coal with living water, and instead of the loutish clown there stood +there such a handsome and stalwart Cossack[3] that the like of him can +neither be imagined nor described but only told of in tales. + + [3] _Kozak_, a Cossack, being the ideal human hero of the Ruthenians, + just as a _bogatyr_ is a hero of the demi-god type, as the name + implies. + +There, then, the lad remained for a year, and at the end of the year +the father came for his son. He came to the self-same charred stumps +in the self-same forest, sat him down, and said, "Oh!" Oh immediately +came out of the charred stump and said, "Hail! O man!"--"Hail to thee, +Oh!"--"And what dost thou want, O man?" asked Oh.--"I have come," said +he, "for my son."--"Well, come then! If thou dost know him again, thou +shalt take him away; but if thou dost not know him, he shall serve +with me yet another year." So the man went with Oh. They came to his +hut, and Oh took whole handfuls of millet and scattered it about, and +myriads of cocks came running up and pecked it. "Well, dost thou know +thy son again?" said Oh. The man stared and stared. There was nothing +but cocks, and one cock was just like another. He could not pick out +his son. "Well," said Oh, "as thou dost not know him, go home again; +this year thy son must remain in my service." So the man went home +again. + +The second year passed away, and the man again went to Oh. He came to +the charred stumps and said, "Oh!" and Oh popped out of the tree-stump +again. "Come!" said he, "and see if thou canst recognize him now." +Then he took him to a sheep-pen, and there were rows and rows of rams, +and one ram was just like another. The man stared and stared, but he +could not pick out his son. "Thou mayst as well go home then," said +Oh, "but thy son shall live with me yet another year." So the man went +away, sad at heart. + +The third year also passed away, and the man came again to find Oh. +He went on and on till there met him an old man all as white as milk, +and the raiment of this old man was glistening white. "Hail to thee, +O man!" said he.--"Hail to thee also, my father!"--"Whither doth God +lead thee?"--"I am going to free my son from Oh."--"How so?"--Then +the man told the old white father how he had hired out his son to Oh +and under what conditions.--"Aye, aye!" said the old white father, +"'tis a vile pagan thou hast to deal with; he will lead thee about +by the nose for a long time."--"Yes," said the man, "I perceive that +he is a vile pagan; but I know not what in the world to do with him. +Canst thou not tell me then, dear father, how I may recover my +son?"--"Yes, I can," said the old man.--"Then prythee tell me, +darling father, and I'll pray for thee to God all my life, for +though he has not been much of a son to me, he is still my own flesh +and blood."--"Hearken, then!" said the old man; "when thou dost go to +Oh, he will let loose a multitude of doves before thee, but choose +not one of these doves. The dove thou shalt choose must be the one +that comes not out, but remains sitting beneath the pear-tree pruning +its feathers; that will be thy son." Then the man thanked the old +white father and went on. + +He came to the charred stumps. "Oh!" cried he, and out came Oh and led +him to his sylvan realm. There Oh scattered about handfuls of wheat +and called his doves, and there flew down such a multitude of them +that there was no counting them, and one dove was just like another. +"Dost thou recognize thy son?" asked Oh. "An thou knowest him again, +he is thine; an thou knowest him not, he is mine." Now all the doves +there were pecking at the wheat, all but one that sat alone beneath +the pear-tree, sticking out its breast and pruning its feathers. "That +is my son," said the man.--"Since thou hast guessed him, take him," +replied Oh. Then the father took the dove, and immediately it changed +into a handsome young man, and a handsomer was not to be found in the +wide world. The father rejoiced greatly and embraced and kissed him. +"Let us go home, my son!" said he. So they went. + +As they went along the road together they fell a-talking, and his +father asked him how he had fared at Oh's. The son told him. Then the +father told the son what he had suffered, and it was the son's turn to +listen. Furthermore the father said, "What shall we do now, my son? I +am poor and thou art poor: hast thou served these three years and +earned nothing?"--"Grieve not, dear dad, all will come right in the +end. Look! there are some young nobles hunting after a fox. I will +turn myself into a greyhound and catch the fox, then the young +noblemen will want to buy me of thee, and thou must sell me to them +for three hundred roubles--only, mind thou sell me without a chain; +then we shall have lots of money at home, and will live happily +together!" + +They went on and on, and there, on the borders of a forest, some +hounds were chasing a fox. They chased it and chased it, but the fox +kept on escaping, and the hounds could not run it down. Then the son +changed himself into a greyhound, and ran down the fox and killed it. +The noblemen thereupon came galloping out of the forest. "Is that thy +greyhound?"--"It is."--"'Tis a good dog; wilt sell it to us?"--"Bid +for it!"--"What dost thou require?"--"Three hundred roubles without a +chain."--"What do we want with _thy_ chain, we would give him a chain +of gold. Say a hundred roubles!"--"Nay!"--"Then take thy money and +give us the dog." They counted down the money and took the dog and +set off hunting. They sent the dog after another fox. Away he went +after it and chased it right into the forest, but then he turned into +a youth again and rejoined his father. + +They went on and on, and his father said to him, "What use is this +money to us after all? It is barely enough to begin housekeeping with +and repair our hut."--"Grieve not, dear dad, we shall get more still. +Over yonder are some young noblemen hunting quails with falcons. I +will change myself into a falcon, and thou must sell me to them; only +sell me for three hundred roubles, and without a hood." + +They went into the plain, and there were some young noblemen casting +their falcon at a quail. The falcon pursued but always fell short of +the quail, and the quail always eluded the falcon. The son then +changed himself into a falcon and immediately struck down its prey. +The young noblemen saw it and were astonished. "Is that thy +falcon?"--"'Tis mine."--"Sell it to us, then!"--"Bid for it!"--"What +dost thou want for it?"--"If ye give three hundred roubles, ye may +take it, but it must be without the hood."--"As if we want _thy_ hood! +We'll make for it a hood worthy of a Tsar." So they higgled and +haggled, but at last they gave him the three hundred roubles. Then the +young nobles sent the falcon after another quail, and it flew and flew +till it beat down its prey; but then he became a youth again, and went +on with his father. + +"How shall we manage to live with so little?" said the father.--"Wait +a while, dad, and we shall have still more," said the son. "When we +pass through the fair I'll change myself into a horse, and thou must +sell me. They will give thee a thousand roubles for me, only sell me +without a halter." So when they got to the next little town, where +they were holding a fair, the son changed himself into a horse, a +horse as supple as a serpent, and so fiery that it was dangerous to +approach him. The father led the horse along by the halter; it pranced +about and struck sparks from the ground with its hoofs. Then the +horse-dealers came together and began to bargain for it. "A thousand +roubles down," said he, "and you may have it, but without the +halter."--"What do we want with _thy_ halter? We will make for it a +silver-gilt halter. Come, we'll give thee five hundred!"--"No!" said +he. Then up there came a gipsy, blind of one eye. "O man! what dost +thou want for that horse?" said he.--"A thousand roubles without the +halter."--"Nay! but that is dear, little father! Wilt thou not take +five hundred with the halter?"--"No, not a bit of it!"--"Take six +hundred, then!" Then the gipsy began higgling and haggling, but the +man would not give way. "Come, sell it," said he, "with the +halter."--"No, thou gipsy, I have a liking for that halter."--"But, my +good man, when didst thou ever see them sell a horse without a halter? +How then can one lead him off?"--"Nevertheless, the halter must remain +mine."--"Look now, my father, I'll give thee five roubles extra, only +I must have the halter."--The old man fell a-thinking. "A halter of +this kind is worth but three _grivni_[4] and the gipsy offers me five +roubles for it; let him have it." So they clinched the bargain with a +good drink, and the old man went home with the money, and the gipsy +walked off with the horse. But it was not really a gipsy, but Oh, who +had taken the shape of a gipsy. + + [4] A _grivna_ is the tenth part of a rouble, about 2-1/2 d. + +[Illustration: "HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT FOR THAT HORSE?"] + +Then Oh rode off on the horse, and the horse carried him higher than +the trees of the forest, but lower than the clouds of the sky. At last +they sank down among the woods and came to Oh's hut, and Oh went into +his hut and left his horse outside on the steppe. "This son of a dog +shall not escape from my hands so quickly a second time," said he to +his wife. At dawn Oh took the horse by the bridle and led it away to +the river to water it. But no sooner did the horse get to the river +and bend down its head to drink than it turned into a perch and began +swimming away. Oh, without more ado, turned himself into a pike and +pursued the perch. But just as the pike was almost up with it, the +perch gave a sudden twist and stuck out its spiky fins and turned its +tail toward the pike, so that the pike could not lay hold of it. So +when the pike came up to it, it said, "Perch! perch! turn thy head +toward me, I want to have a chat with thee!"--"I can hear thee very +well as I am, dear cousin, if thou art inclined to chat," said the +perch. So off they set again, and again the pike overtook the perch. +"Perch! perch! turn thy head round toward me, I want to have a chat +with thee!" Then the perch stuck out its bristly fins again and said, +"If thou dost wish to have a chat, dear cousin, I can hear thee just +as well as I am." So the pike kept on pursuing the perch, but it was +of no use. At last the perch swam ashore, and there was a Tsarivna[5] +whittling an ash twig. The perch changed itself into a gold ring set +with garnets, and the Tsarivna saw it and fished up the ring out of +the water. Full of joy she took it home, and said to her father, +"Look, dear papa! what a nice ring I have found!" The Tsar kissed her, +but the Tsarivna did not know which finger it would suit best, it was +so lovely. + + [5] Russian _Tsarevna_, _i.e._ a Tsar's daughter. + +About the same time they told the Tsar that a certain merchant had +come to the palace. It was Oh, who had changed himself into a +merchant. The Tsar went out to him and said, "What dost thou want, old +man?"--"I was sailing on the sea in my ship," said Oh, "and carrying +to the Tsar of my own land a precious garnet ring, and this ring I +dropped into the water. Has any of thy servants perchance found this +precious ring?"--"No, but my daughter has," said the Tsar. So they +called the damsel, and Oh began to beg her to give it back to him, +"for I may not live in this world if I bring not the ring," said he. +But it was of no avail, she would not give it up. + +Then the Tsar himself spoke to her. "Nay, but, darling daughter, give +it up, lest misfortune befall this man because of us; give it up, I +say!" Then Oh begged and prayed her yet more, and said, "Take what +thou wilt of me, only give me back the ring."--"Nay, then," said the +Tsarivna, "it shall be neither mine nor thine," and with that she +tossed the ring upon the ground, and it turned into a heap of +millet-seed and scattered all about the floor. Then Oh, without more +ado, changed into a cock, and began pecking up all the seed. He pecked +and pecked till he had pecked it all up. Yet there was one single +little grain of millet which rolled right beneath the feet of the +Tsarivna, and that he did not see. When he had done pecking he got +upon the window-sill, opened his wings, and flew right away. + +But the one remaining grain of millet-seed turned into a most +beauteous youth, a youth so beauteous that when the Tsarivna beheld +him she fell in love with him on the spot, and begged the Tsar and +Tsaritsa right piteously to let her have him as her husband. "With no +other shall I ever be happy," said she; "my happiness is in him +alone!" For a long time the Tsar wrinkled his brows at the thought of +giving his daughter to a simple youth; but at last he gave them his +blessing, and they crowned them with bridal wreaths, and all the world +was bidden to the wedding-feast. And I too was there, and drank beer +and mead, and what my mouth could not hold ran down over my beard, and +my heart rejoiced within me. + + + + +THE STORY OF THE WIND + + +Once upon a time there dwelt two brethren in one village, and one +brother was very, very rich, and the other brother was very, very +poor. The rich man had wealth of all sorts, but all that the poor man +had was a heap of children. + +One day, at harvest-time, the poor man left his wife and went to reap +and thresh out his little plot of wheat, but the Wind came and swept +all his corn away down to the very last grain. The poor man was +exceeding wrath thereat, and said, "Come what will, I'll go seek the +Wind, and I'll tell him with what pains and trouble I had got my corn +to grow and ripen, and then he, forsooth! must needs come and blow it +all away." + +[Illustration: THE WIND CAME AND SWEPT ALL HIS CORN AWAY] + +So the man went home and made ready to go, and as he was making ready +his wife said to him, "Whither away, husband?"--"I am going to seek +the Wind," said he; "what dost thou say to that?"--"I should say, do +no such thing," replied his wife. "Thou knowest the saying, 'If thou +dost want to find the Wind, seek him on the open steppe. He can go ten +different ways to thy one.' Think of that, dear husband, and go not at +all."--"I mean to go," replied the man, "though I never return home +again." Then he took leave of his wife and children, and went straight +out into the wide world to seek the Wind on the open steppe. + +He went on farther and farther till he saw before him a forest, and +on the borders of that forest stood a hut on hens' legs. The man went +into this hut and was filled with astonishment, for there lay on the +floor a huge, huge old man, as grey as milk. He lay there stretched +at full length, his head on the seat of honour,[6] with an arm and +leg in each of the four corners, and all his hair standing on end. It +was no other than the Wind himself. The man stared at this awful +Ancient with terror, for never in his life had he seen anything like +it. "God help thee, old father!" cried he.--"Good health to thee, +good man!" said the ancient giant, as he lay on the floor of the +hut. Then he asked him in the most friendly manner, "Whence hath God +brought thee hither, good man?"--"I am wandering through the wide +world in search of the Wind," said the man. "If I find him, I will +turn back; if I don't find him, I shall go on and on till I +do."--"What dost thou want with the Wind?" asked the old giant lying +on the floor. "Or what wrong hath he done thee, that thou shouldst +seek him out so doggedly?"--"What wrong hath he done me?" replied +the wayfarer. "Hearken now, O Ancient, and I will tell thee! I went +straight from my wife into the field and reaped my little plot of +corn; but when I began to thresh it out, the Wind came and caught +and scattered every bit of it in a twinkling, so that there was +not a single little grain of it left. So now thou dost see, old +man, what I have to thank him for. Tell me, in God's name, why such +things be? My little plot of corn was my all-in-all, and in the +sweat of my brow did I reap and thresh it; but the Wind came and blew +it all away, so that not a trace of it is to be found in the wide +world. Then I thought to myself, 'Why should he do this?' And I said +to my wife, 'I'll go seek the Wind, and say to him, "Another time, +visit not the poor man who hath but a little corn, and blow it not +away, for bitterly doth he rue it!"'"--"Good, my son!" said the giant +who lay on the floor. "I shall know better in future; in future I will +not blow away the poor man's corn. But, good man, there is no need +for thee to seek the Wind in the open steppe, for I myself am the +Wind."--"Then if thou art the Wind," said the man, "give me back my +corn."--"Nay," said the giant; "thou canst not make the dead come back +from the grave. Yet, inasmuch as I have done thee a mischief, I will +now give thee this sack, good man, and do thou take it home with +thee. And whenever thou wantest a meal say, 'Sack, sack, give me to +eat and drink!' and immediately thou shalt have thy fill both of +meat and drink, so now thou wilt have wherewithal to comfort thy +wife and children." + + [6] _Pokute_, the place of honour in a Ruthenian peasant's hut, at + the right-hand side of the entrance. + +Then the man was full of gratitude. "I thank thee, O Wind!" said he, +"for thy courtesy in giving me such a sack as will give me my fill of +meat and drink without the trouble of working for it."--"For a lazy +loon, 'twere a double boon," said the Wind. "Go home, then, but look +now, enter no tavern by the way; I shall know it if thou dost."--"No," +said the man, "I will not." And then he took leave of the Wind and +went his way. + +He had not gone very far when he passed by a tavern, and he felt a +burning desire to find out whether the Wind had spoken the truth in +the matter of the sack. "How can a man pass a tavern without going +into it?" thought he; "I'll go in, come what may. The Wind won't +know, because he can't see." So he went into the tavern and hung up +his sack upon a peg. The Jew who kept the tavern immediately said to +him, "What dost thou want, good man?"--"What is that to thee, thou +dog?" said the man.--"You are all alike," sneered the Jew, "take what +you can, and pay for nothing."--"Dost think I want to buy anything +from thee?" shrieked the man; then, turning angrily to the sack, he +cried, "Sack, sack, give me to eat and drink!" Immediately the table +was covered with all sorts of meats and liquors. Then all the Jews in +the tavern crowded round full of amazement, and asked all manner of +questions. "Why, what is this, good man?" said they; "never have we +seen anything like this before!"--"Ask no questions, ye accursed +Jews!" cried the man, "but sit down to eat, for there is enough for +all." So the Jews and the Jewesses set to and ate until they were full +up to the ears; and they drank the man's health in pitchers of wine of +every sort, and said, "Drink, good man, and spare not, and when thou +hast drunk thy fill thou shalt lodge with us this night. We'll make +ready a bed for thee. None shall vex thee. Come now, eat and drink +whatever thy soul desires." So the Jews flattered him with devilish +cunning, and almost forced the wine-jars to his lips. + +The simple fellow did not perceive their malice and cunning, and he +got so drunk that he could not move from the place, but went to sleep +where he was. Then the Jews changed his sack for another, which they +hung up on a peg, and then they woke him. "Dost hear, fellow!" cried +they; "get up, it is time to go home. Dost thou not see the morning +light?" The man sat up and scratched the back of his head, for he was +loath to go. But what was he to do? So he shouldered the sack that was +hanging on the peg, and went off home. + +When he got to his house, he cried, "Open the door, wife!" Then his +wife opened the door, and he went in and hung his sack on the peg and +said, "Sit down at the table, dear wife, and you children sit down +there too. Now, thank God! we shall have enough to eat and drink, +and to spare." The wife looked at her husband and smiled. She thought +he was mad, but down she sat, and her children sat down all round +her, and she waited to see what her husband would do next. Then +the man said, "Sack, sack, give to us meat and drink!" But the sack +was silent. Then he said again, "Sack, sack, give my children +something to eat!" And still the sack was silent. Then the man fell +into a violent rage. "Thou didst give me something at the tavern," +cried he; "and now I may call in vain. Thou givest nothing, and thou +hearest nothing"--and, leaping from his seat, he took up a club +and began beating the sack till he had knocked a hole in the wall, +and beaten the sack to bits. Then he set off to seek the Wind again. +But his wife stayed at home and put everything to rights again, +railing and scolding at her husband as a madman. + +But the man went to the Wind and said, "Hail to thee, O Wind!"--"Good +health to thee, O man!" replied the Wind. Then the Wind asked, +"Wherefore hast thou come hither, O man? Did I not give thee a sack? +What more dost thou want?"--"A pretty sack indeed!" replied the man; +"that sack of thine has been the cause of much mischief to me and +mine."--"What mischief has it done thee?"--"Why, look now, old +father, I'll tell thee what it has done. It wouldn't give me anything +to eat and drink, so I began beating it, and beat the wall in. Now +what shall I do to repair my crazy hut? Give me something, old +father."--But the Wind replied, "Nay, O man, thou must do without. +Fools are neither sown nor reaped, but grow of their own accord--hast +thou not been into a tavern?"--"I have not," said the man.--"Thou hast +not? Why wilt thou lie?"--"Well, and suppose I did lie?" said the man; +"if thou suffer harm through thine own fault, hold thy tongue about +it, that's what I say. Yet it is all the fault of thy sack that this +evil has come upon me. If it had only given me to eat and to drink, I +should not have come to thee again." At this the Wind scratched his +head a bit, but then he said, "Well then, thou man! there's a little +ram for thee, and whenever thou dost want money say to it, 'Little +ram, little ram, scatter money!' and it will scatter money as much as +thou wilt. Only bear this in mind: go not into a tavern, for if thou +dost, I shall know all about it; and if thou comest to me a third +time, thou shalt have cause to remember it for ever."--"Good," said +the man, "I won't go."--Then he took the little ram, thanked the Wind, +and went on his way. + +So the man went along leading the little ram by a string, and they +came to a tavern, that very same tavern where he had been before, and +again a strong desire came upon the man to go in. So he stood by the +door and began thinking whether he should go in or not, and whether he +had any need to find out the truth about the little ram. "Well, well," +said he at last, "I'll go in, only this time I won't get drunk. I'll +drink just a glass or so, and then I'll go home." So into the tavern +he went, dragging the little ram after him, for he was afraid to let +it go. + +Now, when the Jews who were inside there saw the little ram, they +began shrieking and said, "What art thou thinking of, O man! that thou +bringest that little ram into the room? Are there no barns outside +where thou mayst put it up?"--"Hold your tongues, ye accursed +wretches!" replied the man; "what has it got to do with you? It is not +the sort of ram that fellows like you deal in. And if you don't +believe me, spread a cloth on the floor and you shall see something, I +warrant you."--Then he said, "Little ram, little ram, scatter money!" +and the little ram scattered so much money that it seemed to grow, and +the Jews screeched like demons.--"O man, man!" cried they, "such a ram +as that we have never seen in all our days. Sell it to us! We will +give thee such a lot of money for it."--"You may pick up all that +money, ye accursed ones," cried the man, "but I don't mean to sell my +ram." + +Then the Jews picked up the money, but they laid before him a table +covered with all the dishes that a man's heart may desire, and they +begged him to sit down and make merry, and said with true Jewish +cunning, "Though thou mayst get a little lively, don't get drunk, for +thou knowest how drink plays the fool with a man's wits."--The man +marvelled at the straightforwardness of the Jews in warning him +against the drink, and, forgetting everything else, sat down at table +and began drinking pot after pot of mead, and talking with the Jews, +and his little ram went clean out of his head. But the Jews made him +drunk, and laid him in the bed, and changed rams with him; his they +took away, and put in its place one of their own exactly like it. + +When the man had slept off his carouse, he arose and went away, taking +the ram with him, after bidding the Jews farewell. When he got to his +hut he found his wife in the doorway, and the moment she saw him +coming, she went into the hut and cried to her children, "Come, +children! make haste, make haste! for daddy is coming, and brings a +little ram along with him; get up, and look sharp about it! An evil +year of waiting has been the lot of wretched me, but he has come home +at last." + +The husband arrived at the door and said, "Open the door, little wife; +open, I say!"--The wife replied, "Thou art not a great nobleman, so +open the door thyself. Why dost thou get so drunk that thou dost not +know how to open a door? It's an evil time that I spend with thee. +Here we are with all these little children, and yet thou dost go away +and drink."--Then the wife opened the door, and the husband walked +into the hut and said, "Good health to thee, dear wife!"--But the wife +cried, "Why dost thou bring that ram inside the hut, can't it stay +outside the walls?"--"Wife, wife!" said the man, "speak, but don't +screech. Now we shall have all manner of good things, and the children +will have a fine time of it."--"What!" said the wife, "what good can +we get from that wretched ram? Where shall we get the money to find +food for it? Why, we've nothing to eat ourselves, and thou dost saddle +us with a ram besides. Stuff and nonsense! I say."--"Silence, wife," +replied the husband; "that ram is not like other rams, I tell +thee."--"What sort is it, then?" asked his wife.--"Don't ask +questions, but spread a cloth on the floor and keep thine eyes +open."--"Why spread a cloth?" asked the wife.--"Why?" shrieked the man +in a rage; "do what I tell thee, and hold thy tongue."--But the wife +said, "Alas, alas! I have an evil time of it. Thou dost nothing at all +but go away and drink, and then thou comest home and dost talk +nonsense, and bringest sacks and rams with thee, and knockest down our +little hut."--At this the husband could control his rage no longer, +but shrieked at the ram, "Little ram, little ram, scatter money!"--But +the ram only stood there and stared at him. Then he cried again, +"Little ram, little ram, scatter money!"--But the ram stood there +stock-still and did nothing. Then the man in his anger caught up a +piece of wood and struck the ram on the head, but the poor ram only +uttered a feeble baa! and fell to the earth dead. + +The man was now very much offended and said, "I'll go to the Wind +again, and I'll tell him what a fool he has made of me." Then he took +up his hat and went, leaving everything behind him. And the poor wife +put everything to rights, and reproached and railed at her husband. + +So the man came to the Wind for the third time and said, "Wilt thou +tell me, please, if thou art really the Wind or no?"--"What's the +matter with thee?" asked the Wind.--"I'll tell thee what's the +matter," said the man; "why hast thou laughed at and mocked me and +made such a fool of me?"--"I laugh at _thee_!" thundered the old +father as he lay there on the floor and turned round on the other ear; +"why didst thou not hold fast what I gave thee? Why didst thou not +listen to me when I told thee not to go into the tavern, eh?"--"What +tavern dost thou mean?" asked the man proudly; "as for the sack and +the ram thou didst give me, they only did me a mischief; give me +something else."--"What's the use of giving thee anything?" said the +Wind; "thou wilt only take it to the tavern. Out of the drum, my +twelve henchmen!" cried the Wind, "and just give this accursed +drunkard a good lesson that he may keep his throat dry and listen a +little more to old people!"--Immediately twelve henchmen leaped out of +his drum and began giving the man a sound thrashing. Then the man saw +that it was no joke and begged for mercy. "Dear old father Wind," +cried he, "be merciful, and let me get off alive. I'll not come to +thee again though I should have to wait till the Judgment Day, and +I'll do all thy behests."--"Into the drum, my henchmen!" cried the +Wind.--"And now, O man!" said the Wind, "thou mayst have this drum +with the twelve henchmen, and go to those accursed Jews, and if they +will not give thee back thy sack and thy ram, thou wilt know what to +say." + +[Illustration: "OUT OF THE DRUM, MY HENCHMEN!"] + +So the man thanked the Wind for his good advice, and went on his way. +He came to the inn, and when the Jews saw that he brought nothing with +him they said, "Hearken, O man! don't come here, for we have no +brandy."--"What do I want with your brandy?" cried the man in a +rage.--"Then for what hast thou come hither?"--"I have come for my +own."--"Thy own," said the Jews; "what dost thou mean?"--"What do I +mean?" roared the man; "why, my sack and my ram, which you must give +up to me."--"What ram? What sack?" said the Jews; "why, thou didst +take them away from here thyself."--"Yes, but you changed them," said +the man.--"What dost thou mean by changed?" whined the Jews; "we will +go before the magistrate, and thou shalt hear from us about +this."--"You will have an evil time of it if you go before the +magistrate," said the man; "but at any rate, give me back my own." And +he sat down upon a bench. Then the Jews caught him by the shoulders to +cast him out and cried, "Be off, thou rascal! Does any one know where +this man comes from? No doubt he is an evil-doer." The man could not +stand this, so he cried, "Out of the drum, my henchmen! and give the +accursed Jews a sound drubbing, that they may know better than to take +in honest folk!" and immediately the twelve henchmen leaped out of the +drum and began thwacking the Jews finely.--"Oh, oh!" roared the Jews; +"oh, dear, darling, good man, we'll give thee whatever thou dost want, +only leave off beating us! Let us live a bit longer in the world, and +we will give thee back everything."--"Good!" said the man, "and +another time you'll know better than to deceive people." Then he +cried, "Into the drum, my henchmen!" and the henchmen disappeared, +leaving the Jews more dead than alive. Then they gave the man his sack +and his ram, and he went home, but it was a long, long time before the +Jews forgot those henchmen. + +So the man went home, and his wife and children saw him coming from +afar. "Daddy is coming home now with a sack and a ram!" said she; +"what shall we do? We shall have a bad time of it, we shall have +nothing left at all. God defend us poor wretches! Go and hide +everything, children." So the children hastened away, but the husband +came to the door and said, "Open the door!"--"Open the door thyself," +replied the wife.--Again the husband bade her open the door, but she +paid no heed to him. The man was astonished. This was carrying a joke +too far, so he cried to his henchmen, "Henchmen, henchmen! out of the +drum, and teach my wife to respect her husband!" Then the henchmen +leaped out of the drum, laid the good wife by the heels, and began to +give her a sound drubbing. "Oh, my dear, darling husband!" shrieked +the wife, "never to the end of my days will I be sulky with thee +again. I'll do whatever thou tellest me, only leave off beating +me."--"Then I have taught thee sense, eh?" said the man.--"Oh, yes, +yes, good husband!" cried she. Then the man said: "Henchmen, henchmen! +into the drum!" and the henchmen leaped into it again, leaving the +poor wife more dead than alive. + +Then the husband said to her, "Wife, spread a cloth upon the floor." +The wife scudded about as nimbly as a fly, and spread a cloth out on +the floor without a word. Then the husband said, "Little ram, little +ram, scatter money!" And the little ram scattered money till there +were piles and piles of it. "Pick it up, my children," said the man, +"and thou too, wife, take what thou wilt!"--And they didn't wait to be +asked twice. Then the man hung up his sack on a peg and said, "Sack, +sack, meat and drink!" Then he caught hold of it and shook it, and +immediately the table was as full as it could hold with all manner of +victuals and drink. "Sit down, my children, and thou too, dear wife, +and eat thy fill. Thank God, we shall now have no lack of food, and +shall not have to work for it either." + +So the man and his wife were very happy together, and were never tired +of thanking the Wind. They had not had the sack and the ram very long +when they grew very rich, and then the husband said to the wife, "I +tell thee what, wife!"--"What?" said she.--"Let us invite my brother +to come and see us."--"Very good," she replied; "invite him, but dost +thou think he'll come?"--"Why shouldn't he?" asked her husband. "Now, +thank God, we have everything we want. He wouldn't come to us when we +were poor and he was rich, because then he was ashamed to say that I +was his brother, but now even he hasn't got so much as we have." + +So they made ready, and the man went to invite his brother. The poor +man came to his rich brother and said, "Hail to thee, brother; God +help thee!"--Now the rich brother was threshing wheat on his +threshing-floor, and, raising his head, was surprised to see his +brother there, and said to him haughtily, "I thank thee. Hail to +thee also! Sit down, my brother, and tell us why thou hast come +hither."--"Thanks, my brother, I do not want to sit down. I have come +hither to invite thee to us, thee and thy wife."--"Wherefore?" +asked the rich brother.--The poor man said, "My wife prays thee, and +I pray thee also, to come and dine with us of thy courtesy."--"Good!" +replied the rich brother, smiling secretly. "I will come whatever +thy dinner may be." + +So the rich man went with his wife to the poor man, and already from +afar they perceived that the poor man had grown rich. And the poor +man rejoiced greatly when he saw his rich brother in his house. And +his tongue was loosened, and he began to show him everything, +whatsoever he possessed. The rich man was amazed that things were +going so well with his brother, and asked him how he had managed +to get on so. But the poor man answered, "Don't ask me, brother. I +have more to show thee yet." Then he took him to his copper money, +and said, "There are my oats, brother!" Then he took and showed +him his silver money, and said, "That's the sort of barley I thresh +on my threshing-floor!" And, last of all, he took him to his gold +money, and said, "There, my dear brother, is the best wheat I've +got."--Then the rich brother shook his head, not once nor twice, +and marvelled at the sight of so many good things, and he said, +"Wherever didst thou pick up all this, my brother?"--"Oh! I've more +than that to show thee yet. Just be so good as to sit down on that +chair, and I'll show and tell thee everything." + +Then they sat them down, and the poor man hung up his sack upon a peg. +"Sack, sack, meat and drink!" he cried, and immediately the table was +covered with all manner of dishes. So they ate and ate, till they were +full up to the ears. When they had eaten and drunken their fill, the +poor man called to his son to bring the little ram into the hut. So +the lad brought in the ram, and the rich brother wondered what they +were going to do with it. Then the poor man said, "Little ram, scatter +money!" And the little ram scattered money, till there were piles and +piles of it on the floor. "Pick it up!" said the poor man to the rich +man and his wife. So they picked it up, and the rich brother and his +wife marvelled, and the brother said, "Thou hast a very nice piece of +goods there, brother. If I had only something like that I should lack +nothing;" then, after thinking a long time, he said, "Sell it to me, +my brother."--"No," said the poor man, "I will not sell it."--After a +little time, however, the rich brother said again, "Come now! I'll +give thee for it six yoke of oxen, and a plough, and a harrow, and a +hay-fork, and I'll give thee besides, lots of corn to sow, thus thou +wilt have plenty, but give me the ram and the sack." So at last they +exchanged. The rich man took the sack and the ram, and the poor man +took the oxen and went out to the plough. + +Then the poor brother went out ploughing all day, but he neither +watered his oxen nor gave them anything to eat. And next day the poor +brother again went out to his oxen, but found them rolling on their +sides on the ground. He began to pull and tug at them, but they didn't +get up. Then he began to beat them with a stick, but they uttered not +a sound. The man was surprised to find them fit for nothing, and off +he ran to his brother, not forgetting to take with him his drum with +the henchmen. + +When the poor brother came to the rich brother's, he lost no time in +crossing his threshold, and said, "Hail, my brother!"--"Good health to +thee also!" replied the rich man, "why hast thou come hither? Has thy +plough broken, or thy oxen failed thee? Perchance thou hast watered +them with foul water, so that their blood is stagnant, and their flesh +inflamed?"--"The murrain take 'em if I know thy meaning!" cried the +poor brother. "All that I know is that I thwacked 'em till my arms +ached, and they wouldn't stir, and not a single grunt did they give; +till I was so angry that I spat at them, and came to tell thee. Give +me back my sack and my ram, I say, and take back thy oxen, for they +won't listen to me!"--"What! take them back!" roared the rich brother. +"Dost think I only made the exchange for a single day? No, I gave them +to thee once and for all, and now thou wouldst rip the whole thing up +like a goat at the fair. I have no doubt thou hast neither watered +them nor fed them, and that is why they won't stand up."--"I didn't +know," said the poor man, "that oxen needed water and food."--"Didn't +know!" screeched the rich man, in a mighty rage, and taking the poor +brother by the hand, he led him away from the hut. "Go away," said he, +"and never come back here again, or I'll have thee hanged on a +gallows!"--"Ah! what a big gentleman we are!" said the poor brother; +"just thou give me back my own, and then I will go away."--"Thou hadst +better not stop here," said the rich brother; "come, stir thy stumps, +thou pagan! Go home ere I beat thee!"--"Don't say that," replied the +poor man, "but give me back my ram and my sack, and then I _will_ +go."--At this the rich brother quite lost his temper, and cried to his +wife and children, "Why do you stand staring like that? Can't you come +and help me to pitch this insolent rogue out of the house?" This, +however, was something beyond a joke, so the poor brother called to +his henchmen, "Henchmen, henchmen! out of the drum, and give this +brother of mine and his wife a sound drubbing, that they may think +twice about it another time before they pitch a poor brother out of +their hut!" Then the henchmen leaped out of the drum, and laid hold of +the rich brother and his wife, and trounced them soundly, until the +rich brother yelled with all his might, "Oh, oh! my own true brother, +take what thou wilt, only let me off alive!" whereupon the poor +brother cried to his henchmen, "Henchmen, henchmen! into the drum!" +and the henchmen disappeared immediately. + +Then the poor brother took his ram and his sack, and set off home with +them. And they lived happily ever after, and grew richer and richer. +They sowed neither wheat nor barley, and yet they had lots and lots to +eat. And I was there, and drank mead and beer. What my mouth couldn't +hold ran down my beard. For you, there's a _kazka_, but there be fat +hearth-cakes for me the asker. And if I have aught to eat, thou shalt +share the treat. + + + + +THE VOICES AT THE WINDOW + + +A nobleman went hunting one autumn, and with him went a goodly train +of huntsmen. All day long they hunted and hunted, and at the end of +the day they had caught nothing. At last dark night overtook them. It +had now grown bitterly cold, and the rain began to fall heavily. The +nobleman was wet to the skin, and his teeth chattered. He rubbed his +hands together and cried, "Oh, had we but a warm hut, and a white bed, +and soft bread, and sour kvas,[7] we should have naught to complain +of, but would tell tales and feign fables till dawn of day!" +Immediately there shone a light in the depths of the forest. They +hastened up to it, and lo! there was a hut. They entered, and on the +table lay bread and a jug of kvas; and the hut was warm, and the bed +therein was white--everything just as the nobleman had desired it. So +they all entered after him, and said grace, and had supper, and laid +them down to sleep. + + [7] A sourish drink. + +They all slept, all but one, but to him slumber would not come. About +midnight he heard a strange noise, and something came to the window +and said, "Oh, thou son of a dog! thou didst say, 'If we had but a +warm hut, and a white bed, and soft bread, and sour kvas, we should +have naught to complain of, but would tell tales and feign fables till +dawn'; but now thou hast forgotten thy fine promise! Wherefore this +shall befall thee on thy way home. Thou shalt fall in with an +apple-tree full of apples, and thou shalt desire to taste of them, +and when thou hast tasted thereof thou shalt burst. And if any of +these thy huntsmen hear this thing and tell thee of it, that man shall +become stone to the knee!" All this that huntsman heard, and he +thought, "Woe is me!" + +And about the second cockcrow something else came to the window and +said, "Oh, thou son of a dog! thou didst say, 'If we had but a warm +hut, and a white bed, and soft bread, and sour kvas, we should have +naught to complain of, but would tell tales and feign fables till +dawn'; but now thou hast forgotten thy fine promises! Wherefore this +shall befall thee on thy way home. Thou shalt come upon a spring by +the roadside, a spring of pure water, and thou shalt desire to drink +of it, and when thou hast drunk thereof thou shalt burst. But if any +of these thy huntsmen hear and tell thee of this thing, he shall +become stone to the girdle." All this that huntsman heard, and he +thought to himself, "Woe is me!" + +Again, toward the third cockcrow, he heard something else coming to +the window, and it said, "Oh, thou son of a dog! thou didst say, 'If +only we had a warm hut, and a white bed, and soft bread, and sour +kvas, we should have naught to complain of, but would tell tales and +feign fables till dawn'; but now thou hast forgotten all thy fine +promises! Wherefore this shall befall thee on thy way home. Thou shalt +come upon a feather-bed in the highway; a longing for rest shall come +over thee, and thou wilt lie down on it, and the moment thou liest +down thereon thou shalt burst. But if any of thy huntsmen hear this +thing and tell it thee, he shall become stone up to the neck!" All +this that huntsman heard, and then he awoke his comrades and said, +"It is time to depart!"--"Let us go then," said the nobleman. + +So on they went, and they had not gone very far when they saw an +apple-tree growing by the wayside, and on it were apples so beautiful +that words cannot describe them. The nobleman felt that he must taste +of these apples or die; but the wakeful huntsman rushed up and cut +down the apple-tree, whereupon apples and apple-tree turned to ashes. +But the huntsman galloped on before and hid himself. + +They went on a little farther till they came to a spring, and the +water of that spring was so pure and clear that words cannot describe +it. Then the nobleman felt that he must drink of that water or die; +but the huntsman rushed up and splashed in the spring with his sword, +and immediately the water turned to blood. The nobleman was wrath, and +cried, "Cut me down that son of a dog!" But the huntsman rode on in +front and hid himself. + +They went on still farther till they came upon a golden bed in the +highway, full of white feathers so soft and cosy that words cannot +describe it. The nobleman felt that he must rest in that bed or die. +Then the huntsman rushed up and struck the bed with his sword, and it +turned to coal. But the nobleman was very wrath, and cried, "Shoot me +down that son of a dog!" But the huntsman rode on before and hid +himself. + +When they got home the nobleman commanded them to bring the huntsman +before him. "What hast thou done, thou son of Satan?" he cried. "I +must needs slay thee!" But the huntsman said, "My master, bid them +bring hither into the courtyard an old mare fit for naught but the +knacker." They brought the mare, and he mounted it and said, "My +master, last midnight something came beneath the window and said, 'Oh, +son of a dog! thou saidst, "If only we had a warm hut, and a white +bed, and soft bread, and sour kvas, we should grieve no more, but tell +tales and feign fables till dawn," and now thou hast forgotten thy +promise. Wherefore this shall befall thee on thy way home: thou shalt +come upon an apple-tree covered with apples by the wayside, and +straightway thou shalt long to eat of them, and the moment thou +tastest thereof thou shalt burst. And if any of thy huntsmen hears +this thing, and tells thee of it, he shall become stone up to the +knee.'" When the huntsman had spoken so far, the horse on which he sat +became stone up to the knee. Then he went on, "About the second +cockcrow something else came to the window and said the selfsame +thing, and prophesied, 'He shall come upon a spring by the roadside, a +spring of pure water, and he shall long to drink thereof, and the +moment he tastes of it he shall burst; and whoever hears and tells him +of this thing shall become stone right up to the girdle.'" And when +the huntsman had spoken so far, the horse on which he sat became stone +right up to the breast. And he continued, and said, "About the third +cockcrow something else came to the window and said the selfsame +thing, and added, 'This shall befall thy lord on his way home. He +shall come upon a white bed on the road, and he shall desire to rest +upon it, and the moment he rests upon it he shall burst; and whoever +hears and tells him of this thing shall become stone right up to the +neck!'" And with these words he leaped from the horse, and the horse +became stone right up to its neck. "That therefore, my master, was why +I did what I did, and I pray thee pardon me." + + + + +THE STORY OF LITTLE TSAR +NOVISHNY, THE FALSE SISTER, +AND THE FAITHFUL BEASTS + + +Once upon a time, in a certain kingdom, in a certain empire, there +dwelt a certain Tsar who had never had a child. One day this Tsar went +to the bazaar (such a bazaar as we have at Kherson) to buy food for +his needs. For though he was a Tsar, he had a mean and churlish soul, +and used always to do his own marketing, and so now, too, he bought a +little salt fish and went home with it. On his way homeward, a great +thirst suddenly fell upon him, so he turned aside into a lonely +mountain where he knew, as his father had known before him, there was +a spring of crystal-clear water. He was so very thirsty that he flung +himself down headlong by this spring without first crossing himself, +wherefore that Accursed One, Satan, immediately had power over him, +and caught him by the beard. The Tsar sprang back in terror, and +cried, "Let me go!" But the Accursed One held him all the tighter. +"Nay, I will not let thee go!" cried he. Then the Tsar began to +entreat him piteously. "Ask what thou wilt of me," said he, "only let +me go."--"Give me, then," said the Accursed One, "something that thou +hast in the house, and then I'll let thee go!"--"Let me see, what have +I got?" said the Tsar. "Oh, I know. I've got eight horses at home, the +like of which I have seen nowhere else, and I'll immediately bid my +equerry bring them to thee to this spring--take them."--"I _won't_ +have them!" cried the Accursed One, and he held him still more tightly +by the beard. "Well, then, hearken now!" cried the Tsar. "I have +eight oxen. They have never yet gone a-ploughing for me, or done a +day's work. I'll have them brought hither. I'll feast my eyes on them +once more, and then I'll have them driven into thy steppes--take +them."--"No, that won't do either!" said the Accursed One. The Tsar +went over, one by one, all the most precious things he had at home, +but the Accursed One said "No!" all along, and pulled him more and +more tightly by the beard. When the Tsar saw that the Accursed One +would take none of all these things, he said to him at last, "Look +now! I have a wife so lovely that the like of her is not to be found +in the whole world, take her and let me go!"--"No!" replied the +Accursed One, "I will not have her." The Tsar was in great straits. +"What am I to do now?" thought he. "I have offered him my lovely wife, +who is the very choicest of my chattels, and he won't have her!"--Then +said the Accursed One, "Promise me what thou shalt find awaiting thee +at home, and I'll let thee go." + +The Tsar gladly promised this, for he could think of naught else that +he had, and then the Accursed One let him go. + +But while he had been away from home, there had been born to him a +Tsarevko[8] and a Tsarivna; and they grew up not by the day, or even +by the hour, but by the minute: never were known such fine children. +And his wife saw him coming from afar, and went out to meet him, with +her two children, with great joy. But he, the moment he saw them, +burst into tears. "Nay, my dear love," cried she, "wherefore dost thou +burst into tears? Or art thou so delighted that such children have +been born unto thee that thou canst not find thy voice for tears of +joy?"--And he answered her, "My darling wife, on my way back from the +bazaar I was athirst, and turned toward a mountain known of old to my +father and me, and it seemed to me as though there were a spring of +water there, though the water was very near dried up. But looking +closer, I saw that it was quite full; so I bethought me that I would +drink thereof, and I leaned over, when lo! that Evil-wanton (I mean +the Devil) caught me by the beard and would not let me go. I begged +and prayed, but still he held me tight. 'Give me,' said he, 'what thou +hast at home, or I'll never let thee go!'--And I said to him, 'Lo! +now, I have horses.'--'I don't want thy horses!' said he.--'I have +oxen,' I said.--'I don't want thine oxen!' said he.--'I have,' said I, +'a wife so fair that the like of her is not to be found in God's fair +world; take her, but let me go.'--'I don't want thy fair wife!' said +he.--Then I promised him what I should find at home when I got there, +for I never thought that God had blessed me so. Come now, my darling +wife! and let us bury them both lest he take them!"--"Nay, nay! my +dear husband, we had better hide them somewhere. Let us dig a ditch by +our hut--just under the gables!" (For there were no lordly mansions in +those days, and the Tsars dwelt in peasants' huts.) So they dug a +ditch right under the gables, and put their children inside it, and +gave them provision of bread and water. Then they covered it up and +smoothed it down, and turned into their own little hut. + + [8] A little Tsar. + +Presently the serpent (for the Accursed One had changed himself into a +serpent) came flying up in search of the children. He raged up and +down outside the hut--but there was nothing to be seen. At last he +cried out to the stove, "Stove, stove, where has the Tsar hidden +his children?"--The stove replied, "The Tsar has been a good master +to me; he has put lots of warm fuel inside me; I hold to him."--So, +finding he could get nothing out of the stove, he cried to the +hearth-broom, "Hearth-broom, hearth-broom, where has the Tsar +hidden his children?"--But the hearth-broom answered, "The Tsar has +always been a good master to me, for he always cleans the warm grate +with me; I hold to him." So the Accursed One could get nothing out +of the hearth-broom.--Then he cried to the hatchet, "Hatchet, +hatchet, where has the Tsar hidden his children?"--The hatchet +replied, "The Tsar has always been a good master to me. He chops +his wood with me, and gives me a place to lie down in; so I'll not +have him disturbed."--Then the Devil cried to the gimlet, "Gimlet, +gimlet, where has the Tsar hidden his children?"--But the gimlet +replied, "The Tsar has always been a good master to me. He drills +little holes with me, and then lets me rest; so I'll let him rest +too."--Then the serpent said to the gimlet, "So the Tsar's a good +master to thee, eh! Well, I can only say that if he's the good +master thou sayest he is, I am rather surprised that he knocks thee +on the head so much with a hammer."--"Well, that's true," said +the gimlet, "I never thought of that. Thou mayst take hold of me if +thou wilt, and draw me out of the top of the hut, near the front +gable; and wherever I fall into the marshy ground, there set to work +and dig with me!" + +The Devil did so, and began digging at the spot where the gimlet fell +out on the marshy ground till he had dug out the children. Now, as +they had been growing all along, they were children no more, but a +stately youth and a fair damsel; and the serpent took them up and +carried them off. But they were big and heavy, so he soon got tired +and lay down to rest, and presently fell asleep. Then the Tsarivna sat +down on his head, and the Tsarevko sat down beside her, till a horse +came running up. The horse ran right up to them and said, "Hail! +little Tsar Novishny; art thou here by thy leave or against thy +leave?"--And the little Tsar Novishny replied, "Nay, little nag! we +are here against our leave, not by our leave."--"Then sit on my back!" +said the horse, "and I'll carry you off!" So they got on his back, for +the serpent was asleep all the time. Then the horse galloped off with +them; and he galloped far, far away. Presently the serpent awoke, +looked all round him, and could see nothing till he had got up out of +the reeds in which he lay, when he saw them in the far distance, and +gave chase. He soon caught them up; and little Tsar Novishny said to +the horse, "Oh! little nag, how hot it is. It is all up with thee and +us!" And, in truth, the horse's tail was already singed to a coal, for +the serpent was hard behind them, blazing like fire. The horse +perceived that he could do no more, so he gave one last wriggle and +died; but they, poor things, were left alive. "Whom have you been +listening to?" said the serpent as he flew up to them. "Don't you know +that I only am your father and tsar, and have the right to carry you +away?"--"Oh, dear daddy! we'll never listen to anybody else +again!"--"Well, I'll forgive you this time," said the serpent; "but +mind you never do it again." + +Again the serpent took them up and carried them off. Presently he +grew tired and again lay down to rest, and nodded off. Then the +Tsarivna sat down on his head, and the Tsarevko sat down beside her, +till a humble-bee came flying up. "Hail, little Tsar Novishny!" cried +the humble-bee.--"Hail, little humble-bee!" said the little +Tsar.--"Say, friends, are you here by your leave or against your +leave?"--"Alas! little humble-bumble-bee, 'tis not with my leave I +have been brought hither, but against my leave, as thou mayst see for +thyself."--"Then sit on my back," said the bee, "and I'll carry you +away."--"But, dear little humble-bumble-bee, if a horse couldn't save +us, how will you?"--"I cannot tell till I try," said the humble-bee. +"But if I cannot save you, I'll let you fall."--"Well, then," said +the little Tsar, "we'll try. For we two must perish in any case, +but thou perhaps mayst get off scot-free." So they embraced each +other, sat on the humble-bee, and off they went. When the serpent +awoke he missed them, and raising his head above the reeds and rushes, +saw them flying far away, and set off after them at full speed. +"Alas! little humble-bumble-bee," cried little Tsar Novishny, "how +burning hot 'tis getting. We shall all three perish!" Then the +humble-bee turned his wing and shook them off. They fell to the +earth, and he flew away. Then the serpent came flying up and fell +upon them with open jaws. "Ah-ha!" cried he, with a snort, "you've +come to grief again, eh? Didn't I tell you to listen to nobody but +me!" Then they fell to weeping and entreating, "We'll listen to you +alone and to nobody else!" and they wept and entreated so much that +at last he forgave them. + +So he took them up and carried them off once more. Again he sat down +to rest and fell asleep, and again the Tsarivna sat upon his head and +the Tsarevko sat down by her side, till a bullock came up, full tilt, +and said to them, "Hail, little Tsar Novishny! art thou here with thy +leave or art thou here against thy leave?"--"Alas! dear little +bullock, I came not hither by my leave; but maybe I was brought here +against my leave!"--"Sit on my back, then," said the bullock, "and +I'll carry you away."--But they said, "Nay, if a horse and a bee could +not manage it, how wilt thou?"--"Nonsense!" said the bullock. "Sit +down, and I'll carry you off!" So he persuaded them.--"Well, we can +only perish once!" they cried; and the bullock carried them off. And +every little while they went a little mile, and jolted so that they +very nearly tumbled off. Presently the serpent awoke and was very very +wrath. He rose high above the woods and flew after them--oh! how fast +he did fly! Then cried the little Tsar, "Alas! bullock, how hot it +turns. Thou wilt perish, and we shall perish also!"--Then said the +bullock, "Little Tsar! look into my left ear and thou wilt see a +horse-comb. Pull it out and throw it behind thee!"--The little Tsar +took out the comb and threw it behind him, and it became a huge wood, +as thick and jagged as the teeth of a horse-comb. But the bullock went +on at his old pace: every little while they went a little mile, and +jolted so that they nearly tumbled off. The serpent, however, managed +to gnaw his way through the wood, and then flew after them again. Then +cried the little Tsar, "Alas! bullock, it begins to burn again. Thou +wilt perish, and we shall perish also!"--Then said the bullock, "Look +into my right ear, and pull out the brush thou dost find there, and +fling it behind thee!"--So he threw it behind him, and it became a +forest as thick as a brush. Then the serpent came up to the forest and +began to gnaw at it; and at last he gnawed his way right through it. +But the bullock went on at his old pace: every little while they went +a little mile, and they jolted so that they nearly tumbled off. But +when the serpent had gnawed his way through the forest, he again +pursued them; and again they felt a burning. And the little Tsar said, +"Alas! bullock, look! look! how it burns. Look! look! how we perish." +Now the bullock was already nearing the sea. "Look into my right ear," +said the bullock, "draw out the little handkerchief thou findest +there, and throw it in front of me." He drew it out and flung it, and +before them stood a bridge. Over this bridge they galloped, and by the +time they had done so, the serpent reached the sea. Then said the +bullock to the little Tsar, "Take up the handkerchief again and wave +it behind me." Then he took and waved it till the bridge doubled up +behind them, and went and spread out again right in front of them. +The serpent came up to the edge of the sea; but there he had to stop, +for he had nothing to run upon. + +So they crossed over that sea right to the other side, and the serpent +remained on his own side. Then the bullock said to them, "I'll lead +you to a hut close to the sea, and in that hut you must live, and you +must take and slay me." But they fell a-weeping sore. "How shall we +slay thee!" they cried; "thou art our own little dad, and hast saved +us from death!"--"Nay!" said the bullock; "but you must slay me, and +one quarter of me you must hang up on the stove, and the second +quarter you must place on the ground in a corner, and the third +quarter you must put in the corner at the entrance of the hut, and the +fourth quarter you must put round the threshold, so that there will be +a quarter in all four corners." So they took and slew him in front of +the threshold, and they hung his four quarters in the four corners as +he had bidden them, and then they laid them down to sleep. Now the +Tsarevko awoke at midnight, and saw in the right-hand corner a horse +so gorgeously caparisoned that he could not resist rising at once and +mounting it; and in the threshold corner there was a self-slicing +sword, and in the third corner stood the dog _Protius_[9], and in the +stove corner stood the dog _Nedviga_[9]. The little Tsar longed to be +off. "Rise, little sister!" cried he. "God has been good to us! Rise, +dear little sister, and let us pray to God!" So they arose and prayed +to God, and while they prayed the day dawned. Then he mounted his +horse and took the dogs with him, that he might live by what they +caught. + + [9] The two fabulous hounds of Ruthenian legend. + +So they lived in their hut by the sea, and one day the sister went +down to the sea to wash her bed-linen and her body-linen in the blue +waters. And the serpent came and said to her, "How didst thou manage +to jump over the sea?"--"Look, now!" said she, "we crossed over in +this way. My brother has a handkerchief which becomes a bridge when he +waves it behind him."--And the serpent said to her, "I tell thee what, +ask him for this handkerchief; say thou dost want to wash it, and take +and wave it, and I'll then be able to cross over to thee and live with +thee, and we'll poison thy brother."--Then she went home and said to +her brother, "Give me that handkerchief, dear little brother; it is +dirty, so I'll wash and give it back to thee." And he believed her and +gave it to her, for she was dear to him, and he thought her good and +true. Then she took the handkerchief, went down to the sea, and waved +it--and behold there was a bridge. Then the serpent crossed over to +her side, and they walked to the hut together and consulted as to the +best way of destroying her brother and removing him from God's fair +world. Now it was his custom to rise at dawn, mount his horse, and go +a-hunting, for hunting he dearly loved. So the serpent said to her, +"Take to thy bed and pretend to be ill, and say to him, 'I dreamed a +dream, dear brother, and lo, I saw thee go and fetch me wolf's milk to +make me well.' Then he'll go and fetch it, and the wolves will tear +his dogs to pieces, and then we can take and do to him as we list, for +his strength is in his dogs." + +So when the brother came home from hunting the serpent hid himself, +but the sister said, "I have dreamed a dream, dear brother. Methought +thou didst go and fetch me wolf's milk, and I drank of it, and my +health came back to me, for I am so weak that God grant I die +not."--"I'll fetch it," said her brother. So he mounted his horse and +set off. Presently he came to a little thicket, and immediately a +she-wolf came out. Then Protius ran her down and Nedviga held her +fast, and the little Tsar milked her and let her go. And the she-wolf +looked round and said, "Well for thee, little Tsar Novishny, that thou +hast let me go. Methought thou wouldst not let me go alive. For that +thou hast let me go, I'll give thee, little Tsar Novishny, a +wolf-whelp."--Then she said to the little wolf, "Thou shalt serve this +dear little Tsar as though he were thine own dear father." Then the +little Tsar went back, and now there were with him two dogs and a +little wolf-whelp that trotted behind them. + +Now the serpent and the false sister saw him coming from afar, and +three dogs trotting behind him. And the serpent said to her, "What a +sly, wily one it is! He has added another watch-dog to his train! Lie +down, and make thyself out worse than ever, and ask bear's milk of +him, for the bears will tear him to pieces without doubt." Then the +serpent turned himself into a needle, and she took him up and stuck +him in the wall. Meanwhile the brother dismounted from his horse and +came with his dogs and the wolf to the hut, and the dogs began +snuffing at the needle in the wall. And his sister said to him, "Tell +me, why dost thou keep these big dogs? They let me have no rest." Then +he called to the dogs, and they sat down. And his sister said to him, +"I dreamed a dream, my brother. I saw thee go and search and fetch me +from somewhere bear's milk, and I drank of it, and my health came back +to me."--"I will fetch it," said her brother. + +But first of all he laid him down to sleep. Nedviga lay at his head, +and Protius at his feet, and _Vovchok_[10] by his side. So he slept +through the night, and at dawn he arose and mounted his good steed and +hied him thence. Again they came to a little thicket, and this time a +she-bear came out. Protius ran her down, Nedviga held her fast, and +the little Tsar milked her and let her go. Then the she-bear said, +"Hail to thee, little Tsar Novishny; because thou hast let me go, I'll +give thee a bear-cub." But to the little bear she said, "Obey him as +though he were thine own father." So he set off home, and the serpent +and his sister saw that four were now trotting behind him. "Look!" +said the serpent, "if there are not four running behind him! Shall we +never be able to destroy him? I tell thee what. Ask him to get thee +hare's milk; perhaps his beasts will gobble up the hare before he can +milk it." So he turned himself into a needle again, and she fastened +him in the wall, only a little higher up, so that the dogs should not +get at him. Then, when the little Tsar dismounted from his horse, he +and his dogs came into the hut, and the dogs began snuffing at the +needle in the wall and barked at it, but the brother knew not the +cause thereof. But his sister burst into tears and said, "Why dost +thou keep such monstrous dogs? Such a kennel of them makes me ill with +anguish!" Then he shouted to the dogs, and they sat down quite still. +Then she said to him, "I am so ill, brother, that nothing will make me +well but hare's milk. Go and get it for me."--"I'll get it," said he. + + [10] Little Wolf. + +But first he laid him down to sleep. Nedviga lay at his head, Protius +at his feet, and Vovchok and _Medvedik_[11] each on one side. He slept +through the night, but at dawn he mounted his steed, took his pack +with him, and departed. Again he came to a little thicket, and a +she-hare popped out. Protius ran her down, Nedviga held her fast, then +he milked her and let her go. Then the hare said, "Hail to thee, +little Tsar Novishny; because thou hast let me go--I thought thou +wouldst have torn me to pieces with thy dogs--I'll give thee a +leveret." But to the leveret she said, "Obey him, as though he were +thine own father." Then he went home, and again they saw him from +afar. "What a wily rogue it is!" said they. "All five are following +him, and he is as well as ever!"--"Ask him to get thee fox's milk!" +said the serpent; "perhaps when he goes for it his beasts will leave +him in the lurch!" Then he changed himself into a needle, and she +stuck him still higher in the wall, so that the dogs could not get at +him. The Tsar again dismounted from his horse, and his dogs rushed up +to the hut and began snuffing at the needle. But his sister fell +a-weeping, and said, "Why dost thou keep such monstrous dogs?" He +shouted to them, and they sat down quietly on their haunches. Then his +sister said again, "I am ailing, my brother; go and get me fox's milk, +and I shall be well."--"I'll fetch it for thee," said her brother. + + [11] Little Bear. + +But first he lay down to sleep. Nedviga lay at his head, Protius at +his feet, and Vovchok, Medvedik, and the leveret by his side. The +little Tsar slept through the night, and at dawn he arose, mounted his +horse, took his pack with him, and went off. They came to a little +thicket, and a vixen popped out. Protius ran her down, Nedviga held +her fast, and the little Tsar milked her and let her go. Then said the +vixen to him, "Thanks to thee, little Tsar Novishny, that thou hast +let me go. Methought thou wouldst tear me in pieces with thy dogs. For +thy kindness I'll give thee a little fox." But to the little fox she +said, "Obey him as though he were thine own father." So he went home, +and they saw him coming from afar, and lo! now he had six guardians, +and yet had come by no harm. "'Tis no good; we shall never do for +him," said the serpent. "Look, now! Make thyself worse than ever, and +say to him, 'I am very ill, my brother, because in another realm, far, +far away, there is a wild boar who ploughs with his nose, and sows +with his ears, and harrows with his tail--and in that same empire +there is a mill with twelve furnaces that grinds its own grain and +casts forth its own meal, and if thou wilt bring me of the meal that +is beneath these twelve furnaces, so that I may make me a cake of it +and eat, my soul shall live.'"--Then her brother said to her, +"Methinks thou art not my sister, but my foe!"--But she replied, "How +can I be thy foe when we two live all alone together in a strange +land?"--"Well, I will get it for thee," said he. For again he believed +in his sister. + +So he mounted his steed, took his pack with him, and departed, and he +came to the land where were that boar and that mill she had told him +of. He came up to the mill, tied his horse to it, and entered into it. +And there were twelve furnaces there and twelve doors, and these +twelve doors needed no man to open or shut them, for they opened and +shut themselves. He took meal from beneath the first furnace and went +through the second door, but the dogs were shut in by the doors. +Through all twelve doors he went, and came out again at the first +door, and looked about him, and--there were no dogs to be seen. He +whistled, and he heard his dogs whining where they could not get out. +Then he wept sore, mounted his horse, and went home. He got home, and +there was his sister making merry with the serpent. And no sooner did +the brother enter the hut than the serpent said, "Well, we wanted +flesh, and now flesh has come to us!" For they had just slain a +bullock, and on the ground where they had slain it there sprang up a +whitethorn-tree, so lovely that it may be told of in tales, but +neither imagined nor divined. When the little Tsar saw it, he said, +"Oh, my dear brother-in-law!" (for without his dogs he must needs be +courteous to the serpent) "pray let me climb up that whitethorn-tree, +and have a good look about me!" But the sister said to the serpent, +"Dear friend, make him get ready boiling water for himself, and we +will boil him, for it does not become thee to dirty thy hands."--"Very +well," said the serpent; "he shall make the boiling water ready!" So +they ordered the little Tsar to go and chop wood and get the hot water +ready. Then he went and chopped wood, but as he was doing so, a +starling flew out and said to him, "Not so fast, not so fast, little +Tsar Novishny. Be as slow as thou canst, for thy dogs have gnawed +their way through two doors." + +Then the little Tsar poured water into the cauldron, and put fire +under it. But the wood that he had cut was rotten and very very dry, +so that it burned most fiercely, and he took and sprinkled it with +water, and sprinkled it again and again, so that it might not burn too +much. And when he went out into the courtyard for more water, the +starling said to him, "Not so fast, not so fast, little Tsar Novishny, +for thy dogs have gnawed their way through four doors!" As he was +returning to the hut his sister said to him, "That water does not boil +up quickly enough! Take the fire-shovel and poke the fire!" So he did +so, and the faggots blazed up, but when she had gone away he sprinkled +them with water again, so that they might burn more slowly. Then he +went into the courtyard again, and the starling met him and said, "Not +so fast, not so fast, little Tsar; be as slow as thou canst, for thy +dogs have gnawed their way through six doors." Then he returned to the +hut, and his sister again took up the shovel and made him poke up the +fire, and when she went away he again flung water on the burning +coals. So he kept going in and out of the courtyard. "'Tis weary +work!" cried he; but the starling said to him, "Not so fast, not so +fast, little Tsar Novishny, for thy dogs have already gnawed their way +through ten doors!" The little Tsar picked up the rottenest wood he +could find and flung it on the fire, to make believe he was making +haste, but sprinkled it at the same time with water, so that it might +not burn up too quickly, and yet the kettle soon began to boil. Again +he went to the forest for more wood, and the starling said to him, +"Not so fast, not so fast, little Tsar, for thy dogs have already +gnawed their way through all the doors, and are now resting!" But now +the water was boiling, and his sister ran up and said to him, "Come, +boil thyself, be quick; how much longer art thou going to keep us +waiting?" Then he, poor thing, began ladling the boiling water over +himself, while she got the table ready and spread the cloth, that the +serpent might eat her brother on that very table. + +But he, poor thing, kept ladling himself, and cried, "Oh, my +dear brother-in-law, pray let me climb up to the top of that +whitethorn-tree; let me have a look out from the top of it, for +thence one can see afar!"--"Don't let him, dear!" said the sister +to the serpent; "he will stay there too long and lose our precious +time."--But the serpent replied, "It doesn't matter, it doesn't +matter; let him climb up if he likes." So the little Tsar went up +to the tree, and began to climb it; he did not miss a single +branch, and stopped a little at each one to gain time, and so he +climbed up to the very top, and then he took out his flute and +began to play upon it. But the starling flew up to him and said, +"Not so fast, little Tsar Novishny, for lo! thy dogs are running to +thee with all their might." But his sister ran out and said, +"What art thou playing up there for? Thou dost forget perhaps that +we are waiting for thee down here!" Then he began to descend the +tree, but he stopped at every branch on his way down, while his +sister kept on calling to him to come down quicker. At last he came +to the last branch, and as he stood upon it and leaped down to +the ground, he thought to himself, "Now I perish!" At that same +instant his dogs and his beasts, growling loudly, came running up, +and stood in a circle around him. Then he crossed himself and said, +"Glory to Thee, O Lord! I have still, perchance, a little time +to live in Thy fair world!" Then he called aloud to the serpent +and said, "And now, dear brother-in-law, come out, for I am ready +for thee!" Out came the serpent to eat him, but he said to his dogs +and his beasts, "Vovchok! Medvedik! Protius! Nedviga! Seize him!" +Then the dogs and the beasts rushed upon him and tore him to bits. + +Then the little Tsar collected the pieces and burnt them to ashes, and +the little fox rolled his brush in the ashes till it was covered with +them, and then went out into the open field and scattered them to the +four winds. But while they were tearing the serpent to pieces the +wicked sister knocked out his tooth and hid it. After it was all over +the little Tsar said to her, "As thou hast been such a false friend to +me, sister, thou must remain here while I go into another kingdom." +Then he made two buckets and hung them up on the whitethorn-tree, and +said to his sister, "Look now, sister! if thou weepest for me, this +bucket will fill with tears, but if thou weepest for the serpent that +bucket will fill with blood!" Then she fell a-weeping and praying, and +said to him, "Don't leave me, brother, but take me with thee."--"I +won't," said he; "such a false friend as thou art I'll not have with +me. Stay where thou art." So he mounted his horse, called to him his +dogs and his beasts, and went his way into another kingdom and into +another empire. + +He went on and on till he came to a certain city, and in this city +there was only one spring, and in this spring sat a dragon with twelve +heads. And it was so that when any went to draw water from this well +the dragon rose up and ate them, and there was no other place whence +that city could draw its water. So the little Tsar came to that town +and put up at the stranger's inn, and he asked his host, "What is the +meaning of all this running and crying of the people in the +streets?"--"Why, dost thou not know?" said he; "it is the turn of the +Tsar to send his daughter to the dragon!"--Then he went out and +listened, and heard the people say, "The Tsar proclaims that whoever +is able to slay the dragon, to him will he give his daughter and +one-half of his tsardom!" Then little Tsar Novishny stepped forth and +said, "I am able to slay this evil dragon!" So all the people +immediately sent and told the Tsar, "A stranger has come hither who +says he is ready to meet and slay the dragon." Then the Tsar bade them +take him to the watch-house and put him among the guards. + +Then they led out the Tsarivna, and behind her they led him, and +behind him came his beasts and his horse. And the Tsarivna was so +lovely and so richly attired that all who beheld her burst into tears. +But the moment the dragon appeared and opened his mouth to devour the +Tsarivna, the little Tsar cried to his self-slicing sword, "Fall upon +him!" and to his beasts he cried, "Protius! Medvedik! Vovchok! +Nedviga! Seize him!" Then the self-slicing sword and the beasts fell +upon him, and tore him into little bits. When they had finished +tearing him, the little Tsar took the remains of the body and burnt +them to ashes, and the little fox took up all the ashes on her tail, +and scattered them to the four winds. Then he took the Tsarivna by the +hand, and led her to the Tsar, and the people rejoiced because their +water was free again. And the Tsarivna gave him the nuptial ring. + +Then they set off home again. They went on and on, for it was a long +way from the tsardom of that Tsar, and at last he grew weary and lay +down in the grass, and she sat at his head. Then his lackey crept up +to him, unfastened the self-slicing sword from his side, went up to +the little Tsar, and said, "Self-slicing sword! slay him!" Then the +self-slicing sword cut him into little bits, and his beasts knew +nothing about it, for they were sleeping after their labours. After +that the lackey said to the Tsarivna, "Thou must say now to all men +that I saved thee from death, or if not, I will do to thee what I have +done to him. Swear that thou wilt say this thing!" Then she said, "I +will swear that thou didst save me from death," for she was sore +afraid of the lackey. Then they returned to the city, and the Tsar was +very glad to see them, and clothed the lackey in goodly apparel, and +they all made merry together. + +Now when Nedviga awoke he perceived that his master was no longer +there, and immediately awoke all the rest, and they all began to think +and consider which of them was the swiftest. And when they had thought +it well over they judged that the hare was the swiftest, and they +resolved that the hare should run and get living and healing water and +the apple of youth also. So the hare ran to fetch this water and this +apple, and he ran and ran till he came to a certain land, and in this +land the hare saw a spring, and close to the spring grew an apple-tree +with the apples of youth, and this spring and this apple-tree were +guarded by a Muscovite, oh! so strong, so strong, and he waved his +sabre again and again so that not even a mouse could make its way up +to that well. What was to be done? Then the little hare had resort to +subtlety, and made herself crooked, and limped toward the spring as if +she were lame. When the Muscovite saw her he said, "What sort of a +little beast is this? I never saw the like of it before!" So the hare +passed him by, and went farther and farther on till she came right up +to the well. The Muscovite stood there and opened his eyes wide, but +the hare had now got up to the spring, and took a little flask of the +water and nipped off a little apple, and was off in a trice. + +She ran back to the little Tsar Novishny, and Nedviga immediately took +the water and sprinkled therewith the fragments of the little Tsar, +and the fragments came together again. Then he poured some of the +living water into his mouth and he became alive, and gave him a bite +of the apple of youth, and he instantly grew young again and stronger +than ever. Then the little Tsar rose upon his feet, stretched himself, +and yawned. "What a long time I've been asleep!" cried he.--"'Tis a +good thing for thee that we got the living and healing water!" said +Protius.--"But what shall we do next?" said they all. Then they all +took council together, and agreed that the little Tsar should disguise +himself as an old man, and so go to the Tsar's palace. + +So the little Tsar Novishny disguised himself as an old man, and went +to the palace of the Tsar. And when he got there he begged them to let +him in that he might see the young married people. But the lackeys +would not let him in. Then the Tsarivna herself heard the sound of his +begging and praying, and commanded them to admit him. Now when he +entered the room and took off his cap and cloak, the ring which the +Tsarivna had given him when he slew the serpent sparkled so that she +knew him, but, not believing her own eyes, she said to him, "Come +hither, thou godly old pilgrim, that I may show thee hospitality!" +Then the little Tsar drew near to the table, and the Tsarivna poured +him out a glass of wine and gave it to him, and he took it with his +left hand. She marked that he did not take it with the hand on which +was the ring, so she drank off that glass herself. Then she filled +another glass and gave it him, and he took it with his right hand. +Then she immediately recognized her ring, and said to her father, +"This man is my husband who delivered me from death, but that +fellow"--pointing to the lackey--"that rascally slavish soul killed my +husband and made me say that he was my husband." When the Tsar heard +this he boiled over with rage. "So _that_ is what thou art!" said he +to the lackey, and immediately he bade them bind him and tie him to +the tail of a horse so savage that no man could ride it, and then turn +it loose into the endless steppe. But the little Tsar Novishny sat +down behind the table and made merry. + +So the Tsarevko and the Tsarivna lived a long time together in +happiness, but one day she asked him, "What of thy kindred and thy +father's house?" Then he told her all about his sister. She +immediately bade him saddle his horse, and taking his beasts with him, +go in search of her. They came to the place where he had left her, and +saw that the bucket which was put up for the serpent was full of +blood, but that the little Tsar's bucket was all dry and falling to +pieces. Then he perceived that she was still lamenting for the +serpent, and said to her, "God be with thee, but I will know thee no +more. Stay here, and never will I look upon thy face again!" But she +began to entreat and caress and implore him that he would take her +with him. Then the brother had compassion on his sister and took her +away with him. + +Now when they got home she took out the serpent's tooth which she had +hidden about her, and put it beneath his pillow on the bed whereon he +slept. And at night-time the little Tsar went to lie down and the +tooth killed him. His wife thought that he was sulky, and therefore +did not speak to her, so she begged him not to be angry; and, getting +no answer, took him by the hand, and lo! his hand was cold, as cold as +lead, and she screamed out. But Protius came bounding through the door +and kissed his master. Then the little Tsar became alive again, but +Protius died. Then Nedviga kissed Protius and Protius became alive, +but Nedviga died. Then the Tsarevko said to Medvedik, "Kiss Nedviga!" +He did so, and Nedviga became alive again, but Medvedik died. And so +they went on kissing each other from the greatest to the smallest, +till the turn came to the hare. She kissed Vovchok and died, but +Vovchok remained alive. What was to be done? Now that the little hare +had died there was none to kiss her back into life again. "Kiss her," +said the little Tsar to the little fox. But the little fox was artful, +and taking the little hare on his shoulder, he trotted off to the +forest. He carried her to a place where lay a felled oak, with two +branches one on the top of the other, and put the hare on the lower +branch; then he ran under the branch and kissed the hare, but took +good care that the branch should be between them. Thereupon the +serpent's tooth flew out of the hare and fastened itself in the upper +branch, and both fox and hare scampered back out of the forest alive +and well. When the others saw them both alive they rejoiced greatly +that no harm had come to any of them from the tooth. But they seized +the sister and tied her to the tail of a savage horse and let her +loose upon the endless steppe. + +So they all lived the merry lives of Tsars who feast continually. And +I was there too, and drank wine and mead till my mouth ran over and it +trickled all down my beard. So there's the whole _kazka_ for you. + + + + +THE VAMPIRE AND ST MICHAEL + + +Once upon a time in a certain village there lived two neighbours; one +was rich, very rich, and the other so poor that he had nothing in the +world but a little hut, and that was tumbling about his ears. At +length things came to such a pass with the poor man that he had +nothing to eat, and could get work nowhere. Full of grief, he +bethought him what he should do. He thought and thought, and at last +he said, "Look ye, wife! I'll go to my rich neighbour. Perchance he +will lend me a silver rouble; that, at any rate, will be enough to buy +bread with." So he went. + +He came to the rich man. "Good health to my lord!" cried he.--"Good +health!"--"I have come on an errand to thee, dear little master!"--"What +may thine errand be?" inquired the rich man.--"Alas! would to God that I +had no need to say it. It has come to such a pass with us that +there's not a crust of bread nor a farthing of money in the house. So I +have come to thee, dear little master; lend us but a silver rouble and +we will be ever thankful to thee, and I'll work myself old to pay it +back."--"But who will stand surety for thee?" asked the rich man.--"I +know not if any man will, I am so poor. Yet, perchance, God and St +Michael will be my sureties," and he pointed at the ikon in the corner. +Then the ikon of St Michael spoke to the rich man from the niche and +said, "Come now! lend it him, and put it down to my account. God will +repay thee!"--"Well," said the rich man, "I'll lend it to thee." So he +lent it, and the poor man thanked him and returned to his home full of +joy. + +But the rich man was not content that God should give him back his +loan by blessing him in his flocks and herds, and in his children, and +in his health, and in the blessed fruits of the earth. He waited and +waited for the poor man to come and pay him back his rouble, and at +last he went to seek him. "Thou son of a dog," he shouted, before the +house, "why hast thou not brought me back my money? Thou knowest how +to borrow, but thou forgettest to repay!" Then the wife of the poor +man burst into tears. "He would repay thee indeed if he were in this +world," said she, "but lo now! he died but a little while ago!" The +rich man snarled at her and departed, but when he got home he said to +the ikon, "A pretty surety _thou_ art!" Then he took St Michael down +from the niche, dug out his eyes, and began beating him. + +He beat St Michael again and again, and at last he flung him into a +puddle and trampled on him. "I'll give it thee for standing me surety +so scurvily," said he. While he was thus abusing St Michael, a young +fellow about twenty years old came along that way, and said to him, +"What art thou doing, my father?"--"I am beating him because he stood +surety and has played me false. He took upon himself the repayment of +a silver rouble, which I lent to the son of a pig, who has since gone +away and died. That is why I am beating him now."--"Beat him not, my +father! I'll give thee a silver rouble, but do thou give me this holy +image!"--"Take him if thou wilt, but see that thou bring me the silver +rouble first." + +Then the young man ran home and said to his father, "Dad, give me a +silver rouble!"--"Wherefore, my son?"--"I would buy a holy image," +said he, and he told his father how he had seen that heathen beating +St Michael.--"Nay, my son, whence shall we who are poor find a silver +rouble to give to him who is so rich?"--"Nay, but give it me, dad!" +and he begged and prayed till he got it. Then he ran back as quickly +as he could, paid the silver rouble to the rich man, and got the holy +image. He washed it clean and placed it in the midst of sweet-smelling +flowers. And so they lived on as before. + +Now this youth had three uncles, rich merchants, who sold all manner +of merchandise, and went in ships to foreign lands, where they sold +their goods and made their gains. One day, when his uncles were again +making ready to depart into foreign lands, he said to them, "Take me +with you!"--"Why shouldst thou go?" said they; "we have wares to sell, +but what hast thou?"--"Yet take me," said he.--"But thou hast +nothing."--"I will make me laths and boards and take them with me," +said he.--His uncles laughed at him for imagining such wares as these, +but he begged and prayed them till they were wearied. "Well, come," +they said, "though there is naught for thee to do; only take not much +of these wares of thine with thee, for our ships are already +full."--Then he made him laths and boards, put them on board the ship, +took St Michael with him, and they departed. + +They went on and on. They sailed a short distance and they sailed a +long distance, till at last they came to another tsardom and another +empire. And the Tsar of this tsardom had an only daughter, so lovely +that the like of her is neither to be imagined nor divined in God's +fair world, neither may it be told in tales. Now this Tsarivna one day +went down to the river to bathe, and plunged into the water without +first crossing herself, whereupon the Evil Spirit took possession of +her. The Tsarivna got out of the water, and straightway fell ill of so +terrible a disease that it may not be told of. Do what they would--and +the wise men and the wise women did their utmost--it was of no avail. +In a few days she grew worse and died. Then the Tsar, her father, made +a proclamation that people should come and read the prayers for the +dead over her dead body, and so exorcise the evil spirit, and +whosoever delivered her was to have half his power and half his +tsardom. + +And the people came in crowds--but none of them could read the prayers +for the dead over her, it was impossible. Every evening a man went +into the church, and every morning they swept out his bones, for there +was naught else of him remaining. And the Tsar was very wrath. "All my +people will be devoured," cried he. And he commanded that all the +foreign merchants passing through his realm should be made to read +prayers for the dead over his daughter's body. "And if they will not +read," said he, "they shall not depart from my kingdom." + +So the foreign merchants went one by one. In the evening a merchant +was shut up in the church, and in the early morning they came and +found and swept away his bones. At last it came to the turn of the +young man's uncles to read the prayers for the dead in the church. +They wept and lamented and cried, "We are lost! we are lost! Heaven +help us!" Then the eldest uncle said to the lad, "Listen, good +simpleton! It has now come to my turn to read prayers over the +Tsarivna. Do thou go in my stead and pass the night in the church, and +I'll give thee all my ship."--"Nay, but," said the simpleton, "what if +she tear me to pieces too? I won't go!"--But then St Michael said to +him, "Go and fear not! Stand in the very middle of the church, fenced +round about with thy laths and boards, and take with thee a basket +full of pears. When she rushes at thee, take and scatter the pears, +and it will take her till cockcrow to pick them all up. But do thou go +on reading thy prayers all the time, and look not up, whatever she may +do." + +When night came, he took up his laths and boards and a basket of +pears, and went to the church. He entrenched himself behind his +boards, stood there and began to read. At dead of night there was a +rustling and a rattling. O Lord! what was that? There was a shaking of +the bier--bang! bang!--and the Tsarivna arose from her coffin and came +straight toward him. She leaped upon the boards and made a grab at him +and fell back. Then she leaped at him again, and again she fell back. +Then he took his basket and scattered the pears. All through the +church they rolled, she after them, and she tried to pick them up till +cockcrow, and at the very first "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" she got into her +bier again and lay still. + +[Illustration: THE TSARIVNA AROSE FROM HER COFFIN] + +When God's bright day dawned, the people came to clean out the church +and sweep away his bones; but there he was reading his prayers, and +the rumour of it went through the town and they were all filled with +joy. + +Next night it was the turn of the second uncle, and he began to beg +and pray, "Go thou, simpleton, in my stead! Look now, thou hast +already passed a night there, thou mayst very well pass another, and +I'll give thee all my ship."--But he said, "I won't go, I am +afraid."--But then St Michael said to him again, "Fear not, but go! +Fence thee all about with thy boards, and take with thee a basket of +nuts. When she rushes at thee, scatter thy nuts, and the nuts will go +rolling all about the church, and it will take her till cockcrow to +gather them all up. But do thou go on reading thy prayers, nor look +thou up, whatever may happen." + +And he did so. He took his boards and the basket of nuts, and went to +the church at nightfall and read. A little after midnight there was a +rustling and an uproar, and the whole church shook. Then came a +fumbling round about the coffin--bang! bang!--up she started, and made +straight for him. She leaped and plunged, she very nearly got through +the boards. She hissed, like seething pitch, and her eyes glared at +him like coals of fire, but it was of no use. He read on and on, and +didn't once look at her. Besides, he scattered his nuts, and she went +after them and tried to pick them all up till cockcrow. And at the +first "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" she leaped into her coffin again and pulled +down the lid. In the morning the people came to sweep away his bones, +and lo! they found him alive. + +The next night he had to go again in the third uncle's stead. Then he +sat down and cried and wailed, "Alas, alas! what shall I do? 'Twere +better I had never been born!"--But St Michael said to him, "Weep +not, 'twill all end happily. Fence thyself about with thy boards, +sprinkle thyself all about with holy water, incense thyself with holy +incense, and take me with thee. She shall not have thee. And the +moment she leaves her coffin, do thou jump quickly into it. And +whatever she may say to thee, and however she may implore thee, let +her not get into it again until she says to thee, '_My consort!_'" + +So he went. There he stood in the middle of the church, fenced himself +about with his boards, strewed consecrated poppy-seed around him, +incensed himself with holy incense, and read and read. About the +middle of the night a tempest arose outside, and there was a rustling +and a roaring, a hissing and a wailing. The church shook, the altar +candelabra were thrown down, the holy images fell on their faces. O +Lord, how awful! Then came a bang! bang! from the coffin, and again +the Tsarivna started up. She left her coffin and fluttered about the +church. She rushed at the boards and made a snatch at him, and fell +back; she rushed at him again, and again she fell back. She foamed at +the mouth, and her fury every instant grew worse and worse. She dashed +herself about, and darted madly from one corner of the church to the +other, seeking him everywhere. But he skipped into the coffin, with +the image of St Michael by his side. She ran all over the church +seeking him. "He was here--and now he is not here!" cried she. Then +she ran farther on, felt all about her, and cried again, "He was +here--and now he's not here!" At last she sprang up to the coffin, and +there he was. Then she began to beg and pray him, "Come down, come +down! I'll try and catch thee no more, only come down, come down!" +But he only prayed to God, and answered her never a word. Then the +cock crew once, "Cock-a-doodle-doo!"--"Alas! come down, come down, _my +consort!_" cried she. Then he came down, and they both fell on their +knees and began praying to God, and wept sore and gave thanks to God +because He had had mercy on them both. + +And at dawn of day crowds of people, with the Tsar at the head of +them, came to the church. "Shall we find him reading prayers, or shall +we only find his bones?" said they. And lo! there they both were on +their knees praying fervently to God. Then the Tsar rejoiced greatly, +and embraced both him and her. After that they had a grand service in +the church, and sprinkled her with holy water, and baptized her again, +and the unclean spirit departed from her. Then the Tsar gave the young +man half his power and half his kingdom, but the merchants departed in +their ships, with their nephew on board. + +[Illustration: THEY WERE BOTH ON THEIR KNEES] + +They lived together, and time went on and the young man still remained +a bachelor, and was so handsome that words cannot describe it. But the +Tsar lived alone with his daughter. She, however, grew sadder and +sadder, and was no longer like her former self, so sorrowful was she. +And the Tsar asked her, saying, "Wherefore art thou so sorrowful?"--"I +am not sorrowful, father," said she. But the Tsar watched her, and saw +that she _was_ sorrowful, and there was no help for it. Then he asked +her again, "Art thou ill?"--"Nay, dear dad," said she. "I myself know +not what is the matter with me." + +And so it went on, till the Tsar dreamt a dream, and in this dream it +was said to him, "Thy daughter grieves because she loves so much the +youth who drove the unclean spirit out of her." Then the Tsar asked +her, "Dost thou love this youth?"--And she answered, "I do, dear +father."--"Then why didst thou not tell me before, my daughter?" said +he. Then he sent for his heyducks and commanded them, saying, "Go this +instant to such and such a kingdom, and there ye will find the youth +who cured my daughter; bring him to me." Then they went on and on +until they found him, and he took just the same laths and boards that +he had had before, and went with them. The Tsar met him, and bought +all his boards, and when they split them in pieces, lo! they were full +of precious stones. Then the Tsar took him to his own house and gave +him his daughter. And they lived right merrily together. + + + + +THE STORY OF TREMSIN, THE +BIRD ZHAR, AND NASTASIA, +THE LOVELY MAID OF THE SEA + + +There was once upon a time a man and a woman, and they had one little +boy. In the summertime they used to go out and mow corn in the fields, +and one summer when they had laid their little lad by the side of a +sheaf, an eagle swooped down, caught up the child, carried him into a +forest, and laid him in its nest. Now in this forest three bandits +chanced to be wandering at the same time. They heard the child crying +in the eagle's nest: "Oo-oo! oo-oo! oo-oo!" so they went up to the oak +on which was the nest and said one to another, "Let us hew down the +tree and kill the child!"--"No," replied one of them, "it were better +to climb up the tree and bring him down alive." So he climbed up the +tree and brought down the lad, and they nurtured him and gave him the +name of Tremsin. They brought up Tremsin until he became a youth, and +then they gave him a horse, set him upon it, and said to him, "Now go +out into the wide world and search for thy father and thy mother!" So +Tremsin went out into the wide world and pastured his steed on the +vast steppes, and his steed spoke to him and said, "When we have gone +a little farther, thou wilt see before thee a plume of the Bird +_Zhar_[12]; pick it not up, or sore trouble will be thine!" Then they +went on again. They went on and on, through ten tsardoms they went, +till they came to another empire in the land of Thrice Ten where lay +the feather. And the youth said to himself, "Why should I not pick up +the feather when it shines so brightly even from afar?" And he went +near to the feather, and it shone so that the like of it cannot be +expressed or conceived or imagined or even told of in tales. Then +Tremsin picked up the feather and went into the town over against him, +and in that town there lived a rich nobleman. And Tremsin entered the +house of this nobleman and said, "Sir, may I not take service with +thee as a labourer?"--The nobleman looked at him, and seeing that he +was comely and stalwart, "Why not? Of course thou mayst," said he. So +he took him into his service. Now this nobleman had many servants, and +they curried his horses for him, and made them smart and glossy +against the day he should go a-hunting. And Tremsin began to curry his +horse likewise, and the servants of the nobleman could not make the +horses of their master so shining bright as Tremsin made his own +horse. So they looked more closely, and they perceived that when +Tremsin cleaned his horse he stroked it with the feather of the Bird +Zhar, and the coat of the good steed straightway shone like burnished +silver. Then those servants were filled with envy, and said among +themselves, "How can we remove this fellow from the world? We'll +saddle him with a task he is unable to do, and then our master will +drive him away."--So they went to their master and said, "Tremsin has +a feather of the Bird Zhar, and he says that if he likes he can get +the Bird Zhar itself." Then the nobleman sent for Tremsin and said to +him, "O Tremsin! my henchmen say that thou canst get the Bird Zhar if +thou dost choose."--"Nay, but I cannot," replied Tremsin.--"Answer me +not," said the nobleman, "for so sure as I've a sword, I'll slice thy +head off like a gourd."--Then Tremsin fell a-weeping and went away to +his horse. "My master," said he, "hath given me a task to do that will +clean undo me."--"What task is that?" asked the horse.--"Why, to fetch +him the Bird Zhar."--"Why that's not a task, but a trifle," replied +the horse. "Let us go to the steppes," it continued, "and let me go +a-browsing; but do thou strip thyself stark-naked and lie down in the +grass, and the Bird Zhar will straightway swoop down to feed. So long +as she only claws about thy body, touch her not; but as soon as she +begins to claw at thine eyes, seize her by the legs." + + [12] _I.e._ Burning bright. + +So when they got to the wild steppes, Tremsin stripped himself naked +and flung himself in the grass, and, immediately, the Bird Zhar +swooped down and began pecking all about him, and at last she pecked +at his eyes. Then Tremsin seized her by both legs, and mounted his +horse and took the Bird Zhar to the nobleman. Then his fellow-servants +were more envious than ever, and they said among themselves, "How +shall we devise for him a task to do that cannot be done, and so rid +the world of him altogether?" So they bethought them, and then they +went to the nobleman and said, "Tremsin says that to get the Bird Zhar +was nothing, and that he is also able to get the thrice-lovely +Nastasia of the sea." Then the nobleman again sent for Tremsin and +said to him, "Look now! thou didst get for me the Bird Zhar, see that +thou now also gettest for me the thrice-lovely Nastasia of the +sea."--"But I cannot, sir!" said Tremsin.--"Answer me not so!" +replied the nobleman, "for so sure as I've a sword, I'll slice thy +head off like a gourd an thou bring her not."--Then Tremsin went out +to his horse and fell a-weeping.--"Wherefore dost thou weep?" asked +the faithful steed.--"Wherefore should I not weep?" he replied. "My +master has given me a task that cannot be done."--"What task is +that?"--"Why, to fetch him the thrice-lovely Nastasia of the +sea!"--"Oh-ho!" laughed the horse, "that is not a task, but a trifle. +Go to thy master and say, 'Cause white tents to be raised by the +sea-shore, and buy wares of sundry kinds, and wine and spirits in +bottles and flasks,' and the thrice-lovely Nastasia will come and +purchase thy wares, and then thou mayst take her." + +And the nobleman did so. He caused white tents to be pitched by the +sea-shore, and bought kerchiefs and scarves and spread them out gaily, +and made great store of wine and brandy in bottles and flasks. Then +Tremsin rode toward the tents, and while he was on the way his horse +said to him, "Now when I go to graze, do thou lie down and feign to +sleep. Then the thrice-lovely Nastasia will appear and say, 'What for +thy wares?' but do thou keep silence. But when she begins to taste of +the wine and the brandy, then she will go to sleep in the tent, and +thou canst catch her easily and hold her fast!" Then Tremsin lay down +and feigned to sleep, and forth from the sea came the thrice-lovely +Nastasia, and went up to the tents and asked, "Merchant, merchant, +what for thy wares?" But he lay there, and moved never a limb. She +asked the same thing over and over again, but, getting no answer, went +into the tents where stood the flasks and the bottles. She tasted of +the wine. How good it was! She tasted of the brandy. That was still +better. So from tasting she fell to drinking. First she drank a +little, and then she drank a little more, and at last she went asleep +in the tent. Then Tremsin seized the thrice-lovely Nastasia and put +her behind him on horseback, and carried her off to the nobleman. The +nobleman praised Tremsin exceedingly, but the thrice-lovely Nastasia +said, "Look now! since thou hast found the feather of the Bird Zhar, +and the Bird Zhar herself, since also thou hast found me, thou must +now fetch me also my little coral necklace from the sea!" Then Tremsin +went out to his faithful steed and wept sorely, and told him all about +it. And the horse said to him, "Did I not tell thee that grievous woe +would come upon thee if thou didst pick up that feather?" But the +horse added, "Come! weep not! after all 'tis not a task, but a +trifle." Then they went along by the sea, and the horse said to him, +"Let me out to graze, and then keep watch till thou seest a crab come +forth from the sea, and then say to him, 'I'll catch thee.'"--So +Tremsin let his horse out to graze, and he himself stood by the +sea-shore, and watched and watched till he saw a crab come swimming +along. Then he said to the crab, "I'll catch thee."--"Oh! seize me +not!" said the crab, "but let me get back into the sea, and I'll be of +great service to thee."--"Very well," said Tremsin, "but thou must get +me from the sea the coral necklace of the thrice-lovely Nastasia," and +with that he let the crab go back into the sea again. Then the crab +called together all her young crabs, and they collected all the coral +and brought it ashore, and gave it to Tremsin. Then the faithful +steed came running up, and Tremsin mounted it, and took the coral to +the thrice-lovely Nastasia. "Well," said Nastasia, "thou hast got the +feather of the Bird Zhar, thou hast got the Bird Zhar itself, thou +hast got me my coral, get me now from the sea my herd of wild +horses!"--Then Tremsin was sore distressed, and went to his faithful +steed and wept bitterly, and told him all about it. "Well," said the +horse, "this time 'tis no trifle, but a real hard task. Go now to thy +master, and bid him buy twenty hides, and twenty poods[13] of pitch, +and twenty poods of flax, and twenty poods of hair."--So Tremsin went +to his master and told him, and his master bought it all. Then Tremsin +loaded his horse with all this, and to the sea they went together. And +when they came to the sea the horse said, "Now lay upon me the hides +and the tar and the flax, and lay them in this order--first a hide, +and then a pood of tar, and then a pood of flax, and so on, laying +them thus till they are all laid." Tremsin did so. "And now," said the +horse, "I shall plunge into the sea, and when thou seest a large red +wave driving toward the shore, run away till the red wave has passed +and thou dost see a white wave coming, and then sit down on the shore +and keep watch. I shall then come out of the sea, and after me the +whole herd; then thou must strike with the horsehair the horse which +gallops immediately after me, and he will not be too strong for +thee."--So the faithful steed plunged into the sea, and Tremsin sat +down on the shore and watched. The horse swam to a bosquet that rose +out of the sea, and there the herd of sea-horses was grazing. When +the strong charger of Nastasia saw him and the hides he carried on his +back, it set off after him at full tilt, and the whole herd followed +the strong charger of Nastasia. They drove the horse with the hides +into the sea, and pursued him. Then the strong charger of Nastasia +caught up the steed of Tremsin and tore off one of his hides, and +began to worry it with his teeth and tear it to fragments as he ran. +Then he caught him up a second time, and tore off another hide, and +began to worry that in like manner till he had torn it also to shreds; +and thus he ran after Tremsin's steed for seventy miles, till he had +torn off all the hides, and worried them to bits. But Tremsin sat upon +the sea-shore till he saw the large white billow bounding in, and +behind the billow came his own horse, and behind his own horse came +the thrice-terrible charger of the thrice-lovely Nastasia, with the +whole herd at his heels. Tremsin struck him full on the forehead with +the twenty poods of hair, and immediately he stood stock still. Then +Tremsin threw a halter over him, mounted, and drove the whole herd to +the thrice-lovely Nastasia. Nastasia praised Tremsin for his prowess, +and said to him, "Well, thou hast got the feather of the Bird Zhar, +thou hast got the Bird Zhar itself, thou hast got me my coral and my +herd of horses, now milk my mare and put the milk into three vats, so +that there may be milk hot as boiling water in the first vat, lukewarm +milk in the second vat, and icy cold milk in the third vat." Then +Tremsin went to his faithful steed and wept bitterly, and the horse +said to him, "Wherefore dost thou weep?"--"Why should I not weep?" +cried he; "the thrice-lovely Nastasia has given me a task to do that +cannot be done. I am to fill three vats with the milk from her mare, +and the milk must be boiling hot in the first vat, and lukewarm in the +second, and icy cold in the third vat."--"Oh-ho!" cried the horse, +"that is not a task, but a trifle. I'll caress the mare, and then go +on nibbling till thou hast milked all three vats full." So Tremsin did +so. He milked the three vats full, and the milk in the first vat was +boiling hot, and in the second vat warm, and in the third vat freezing +cold. When all was ready the thrice-lovely Nastasia said to Tremsin, +"Now, leap first of all into the cold vat, and then into the warm vat, +and then into the boiling hot vat!"--Tremsin leaped into the first +vat, and leaped out again an old man; he leaped into the second vat, +and leaped out again a youth; he leaped into the third vat, but when +he leaped out again, he was so young and handsome that no pen can +describe it, and no tale can tell of it. Then the thrice-lovely +Nastasia herself leaped into the vats. She leaped into the first vat, +and came out an old woman; she leaped into the second vat, and came +out a young maid; but when she leaped out of the third vat, she was so +handsome and goodly that no pen can describe it, and no tale can tell +of it. Then the thrice-lovely Nastasia made the nobleman leap into the +vats. He leaped into the first vat, and became quite old; he leaped +into the second vat, and became quite young; he leaped into the third +vat, and burst to pieces. Then Tremsin took unto himself the +thrice-lovely Nastasia to wife, and they lived happily together on the +nobleman's estate, and the evil servants they drove right away. + + [13] A pood = 40 lb. + + + + +THE SERPENT-WIFE + + +There was once a gentleman who had a labourer who never went about in +company. His fellow-servants did all they could to make him come with +them, and now and then enticed him into the tavern, but they could +never get him to stay there long, and he always wandered away by +himself through the woods. One day he went strolling about in the +forest as usual, far from any village and the haunts of men, when he +came upon a huge Serpent, which wriggled straight up to him and said, +"I am going to eat thee on the spot!" But the labourer, who was used +to the loneliness of the forest, replied, "Very well, eat me if thou +hast a mind to!"--Then the Serpent said, "Nay! I will not eat thee; +only do what I tell thee!" And the Serpent began to tell the man what +he had to do. "Turn back home," it said, "and thou wilt find thy +master angry because thou hast tarried so long, and there was none to +work for him, so that his corn has to remain standing in the field. +Then he will send thee to bring in his sheaves, and I'll help thee. +Load the wagon well, but don't take quite all the sheaves from the +field. Leave one little sheaf behind; more than that thou needst not +leave, but that thou must leave. Then beg thy master to let thee have +this little sheaf by way of wages. Take no money from him, but that +one little sheaf only. Then, when thy master has given thee this +sheaf, burn it, and a fair lady will leap out of it; take her to +wife!" + +The labourer obeyed, and went and worked for his master as the +Serpent had told him. He went out into the field to bring home his +master's corn, and marvellously he managed it. He did all the carrying +himself, and loaded the wagon so heavily that it creaked beneath its +burden. Then when he had brought home all his master's corn, he begged +that he might have the remaining little sheaf for himself. He refused +to be rewarded for his smart labour, he would take no money; he wanted +nothing for himself, he said, but the little sheaf he had left in the +field. So his master let him have the sheaf. Then he went out by +himself into the field, burnt the sheaf, just as the Serpent had told +him, and immediately a lovely lady leapt out of it. The labourer +forthwith took and married her; and now he began to look out for a +place to build him a hut upon. His master gave him a place where he +might build his hut, and his wife helped him so much with the building +of it that it seemed to him as if he himself never laid a hand to it. +His hut grew up as quick as thought, and it contained everything that +they wanted. The man could not understand it; he could only walk about +and wonder at it. Wherever he looked there was everything quite spick +and span and ready for use: none in the whole village had a better +house than he. + +And so he might have lived in all peace and prosperity to the end of +his days had not his desires outstripped his deserts. He had three +fields of standing corn, and when he came home one day his labourers +said to him, "Thy corn is not gathered in yet, though it is standing +all ripe on its stalks." Now the season was getting on, and for all +the care and labour of his wife, the corn was still standing in the +field. "Why, what's the meaning of this?" thought he. Then in his +anger he cried, "I see how it is. Once a serpent, always a serpent!" +He was quite beside himself all the way home, and was very wrath with +his wife because of the corn. + +When he got home he went straight to his chamber to lie down on his +pillow. There was no sign of his wife, but a huge serpent was just +coiling itself round and round and settling down in the middle of the +pillow. Then he called to mind how, once, his wife had said to him, +"Beware, for Heaven's sake, of ever calling me a serpent. I will not +suffer thee to call me by that name, and if thou dost thou shalt lose +thy wife." He called this to mind now, but it was already too late; +what he had said could not be unsaid. Then he reflected what a good +wife he had had, and how she herself had sought him out, and how she +had waited upon him continually and done him boundless good, and yet +he had not been able to refrain his tongue, so that now, maybe, he +would be without a wife for the rest of his days. His heart grew heavy +within him as he thought of all this, and he wept bitterly at the harm +he had done to himself. Then the Serpent said to him, "Weep no more. +What is to be, must be. Is it thy standing corn thou art grieved +about? Go up to thy barn, and there thou wilt find all thy corn lying, +to the very last little grain. Have I not brought it all home and +threshed it for thee, and set everything in order? And now I must +depart to the place where thou didst first find me." Then she crept +off, and the man followed her, weeping and mourning all the time as +for one already dead. When they reached the forest she stopped and +coiled herself round and round beneath a hazel-nut bush. Then she said +to the man, "Now kiss me once, but see to it that I do not bite +thee!"--Then he kissed her once, and she wound herself round a branch +of a tree and asked him, "What dost thou feel within thee?"--He +answered, "At the moment when I kissed thee it seemed to me as if I +knew everything that was going on in the world!"--Then she said to him +again, "Kiss me a second time!"--"And what dost thou feel now?" she +asked when he had kissed her again.--"Now," said he, "I understand all +languages which are spoken among men."--Then she said to him, "And now +kiss me a third time, but this will be for the last time." Then he +kissed the Serpent for the last time, and she said to him, "What dost +thou feel now?"--"Now," said he, "I know all that is going on under +the earth."--"Go now," said she, "to the Tsar, and he will give thee +his daughter for the knowledge thou hast. But pray to God for poor me, +for now I must be and remain a serpent for ever." And with that the +Serpent uncoiled herself and disappeared among the bushes, but the man +went away and wedded the Tsar's daughter. + + + + +THE STORY OF UNLUCKY DANIEL + + +There was once upon a time a youth called Unlucky Dan. Wherever he +went, and whatever he did, and with whomsoever he served, nothing came +of it: all his labour was like spilt water, he got no good from it. +One day he took service with a new master. "I'll serve thee a whole +year," said he, "for a piece of sown wheat-land." His master agreed, +and he entered into his service, and at the same time he sowed his +piece of wheat-land. His wheat shot up rapidly. When his master's +wheat was in the stalk, his was already in the ear, and when his +master's wheat was in the ear, his own wheat was already ripe. "I'll +reap it to-morrow," thought he. The same night a cloud arose, the hail +poured down, and destroyed his wheat altogether. Daniel fell +a-weeping. "I'll go serve another master," he cried, "perhaps God will +then prosper me!" So he went to another master. "I'll serve thee for a +whole year," said he, "if thou wilt give me that wild colt." So he +stopped and served him, and by the end of the year he trained the wild +colt so well that he made a carriage-horse out of it. "Oh-ho!" thought +he, "I shall take away something with me this time!" The same night +the wolves made an inroad upon the stables and tore the horse to +pieces. Daniel fell a-weeping. "I'll go to another master," said he, +"perhaps I shall be luckier there." So he went to a third master, and +on this master's tomb lay a large stone. Whence it came none knew, and +it was so heavy that none could move it, though they tried for ages. +"I'll serve thee a year," said he, "for that stone." The master +agreed, and he entered his service. Then a change came over the stone, +and divers flowers began to grow upon it. On one side they were red, +on the second side silver, and on the third side golden. "Oh-ho," +thought Daniel, "that stone, at any rate, will soon be mine. Nobody +can move it." But the next morning a thunderbolt descended and struck +the stone, and shivered it to atoms. Then Daniel fell a-weeping, and +lamented that God had given him nothing, though he had served for so +many years. But the people said to him, "Listen now! thou that art so +unlucky, why dost thou not go to the Tsar? He is the father of us all, +and will therefore certainly care for thee!" So he listened to them +and went, and the Tsar gave him a place at his court. One day the Tsar +said to him, "I marvel that thou art so unlucky, for do whatsoever +thou wilt, thou art none the better for it. I would fain requite thee +for all thy labours." Then he took and filled three barrels, the first +with gold, and the second with coal, and the third with sand, and said +to Daniel, "Look now! if thou dost pitch upon that which is filled +with gold, thou shalt be a Tsar; if thou dost choose the one that is +filled with coal, thou shalt be a blacksmith; but if thou dost pick +out the one that is full of sand, why then thou art indeed hopelessly +unlucky, and out of my tsardom thou must go straightway, yet I will +give thee a horse and armour to take along with thee." So Daniel was +brought to the place where were the three barrels, and went about them +and felt and felt them one after the other. "This one is full of +gold!" said he. They broke it open and it was full of sand. "Well," +said the Tsar, "I see that thou art hopelessly unlucky. Depart from my +tsardom, for I have no need at all of such as thou." Then he gave him +a charger and armour, and the full equipment of a Cossack, and sent +him away. + +He went on and on for a whole day, he went on and on for a second +day, and there was nothing to eat, either for his horse or himself. +He went for a third day, and in the distance he saw a hay-cock. "That +will do for my horse, at any rate," thought he, "even if it is of no +good to me." So he went up to it, and immediately it burst into +flames. Daniel began to weep, when he heard a voice crying piteously, +"Save me, save me! I am burning!"--"How can I save thee," he cried, +"when I myself cannot draw near?"--"Oh! give me thy weapon!" cried +the voice, "and I'll seize hold of it, and then thou canst pull me +out." So he stretched forth his weapon, and drew forth a goodly +serpent, such as is only known of in old folk-songs. And she said +to him, "Since thou hast drawn me out, thou must also take me +home."--"How shall I carry thee?" asked he.--"Carry me on thy horse, +and in whatsoever direction I turn my head and his, thither go."--So +he took her upon his horse, and they went on and on till they came to +a court so splendid that it was a delight to look at it. Then she +glided down from his charger and said, "Wait here, and I'll soon be +with thee again," and with that she wriggled under the gate. He stood +there and stood and waited and waited till he wept from sheer +weariness; but, at last, she came out again in the shape of a +lovely damsel in gorgeous raiment, and opened the gate for him. +"Lead in thy horse," said she, "and eat and rest awhile." So they +went into the courtyard, and in the midst of it stood two springs. +The lady drew out of one of these springs a little glass of water, +and strewing a handful of oats beside it, said, "Fasten up thy +horse here!"--"What!" thought he, "for these three days we have had +naught to eat or drink, and now she mocks us with a handful of +oats!"--Then they went together to the guest-chamber, and she gave +him there a little glass of water and a small piece of wheaten +bread.--"Why, what is this for a hungry man like me?" thought he. +But when he chanced to glance through the window, he saw that the +whole courtyard was full of oats and water, and that his horse had +already eaten its fill. Then he nibbled his little piece of wheaten +bread and sipped his water, and his hunger was immediately satisfied. +"Well," said the lady, "hast thou eaten thy fill?"--"That I have," +he replied.--"Then lie down and rest awhile," said she. And the next +morning, when he rose up, she said to him, "Give me thy horse, thy +armour, and thy raiment, and I'll give thee mine in exchange."--Then +she gave him her shift and her weapon, and said, "This sword is of +such a sort that, if thou do but wave it, all men will fall down +before thee; and as for this shift, when once thou hast it on, none +will be able to seize thee. And now go on thy way till thou come +to an inn, and there they will tell thee that the Tsar of that land is +seeking warriors. Go and offer thyself to him, and thou shalt marry +his daughter, but tell her not the truth for seven years!" Then they +took leave of each other, and he departed. He came to the inn, and +there they asked him whence he came. And when they knew that he came +from a strange land, they said to him, "A strange people has +attacked our Tsar, and he cannot defend himself, for a mighty +warrior has conquered his tsardom and carried off his daughter, and +worries him to death."--"Show me the way to your Tsar," said +Daniel. Then they showed him, and he went. When he came to the Tsar, +he said to him, "I will subdue this strange land for thee. All the +army I want is a couple of Cossacks, but they must be picked men." +Then the heralds went through the tsardom till they had found +these two Cossacks, and Daniel went forth with them into the endless +steppes, and there he bade them lie down and sleep while he kept +watch. And while they slept the army of the strange country came upon +them, and cried to Daniel to turn back if he would escape destruction. +And then they began to fire with their guns and cannons, and they +fired so many balls that the bodies of the two Cossacks were quite +covered by them. Then Daniel waved his sword and smote, and only those +whom his blows did not reach escaped alive. So he vanquished them +all, and conquered that strange land, and came back and married the +Tsar's daughter, and they lived happily together. + +[Illustration: DANIEL WAVED HIS SWORD] + +But counsellors from the strange land whispered dark sayings in the +ears of the Tsarivna. "What is this fellow that thou hast taken to +thyself? Who is he, and whence? Find out for us wherein lies his +strength, that we may destroy him and take thee away."--Then she began +asking him, and he said to her, "Look now! all my strength is in these +gloves." Then she waited till he was asleep, and drew them off him, +and gave them to the people from the strange land. And the next day he +went hunting, and the evil counsellors surrounded and shot at him with +their darts, and beat him with the gloves; but it was all in vain. +Then he waved his sword, and whomsoever he struck fell to the ground, +and he clapped them all in prison. But his wife caressed and wheedled +him again, and said, "Nay, but tell me, wherein doth thy strength +lie?"--"My strength, darling," said he, "lies in my boots." Then she +drew off his boots while he slept, and gave them to his enemies. And +they fell upon him again as he went out, but again he waved his sword, +and as many as he struck fell to the ground, and he put them all in +prison. Then his wife wheedled and caressed him the third time. "Nay, +but tell me, darling," quoth she, "wherein doth thy strength lie?" +Then he was wearied with her beseeching, and said to her, "My strength +lies in this sword of mine, and in my shirt, and so long as I have +this shirt on, nobody can touch me." Then she caressed and fondled +him, and said, "Thou shouldst take a bath, my darling, and well wash +thyself. My father always did so." So he let himself be persuaded, and +no sooner had he undressed than she changed all his clothes for +others, and gave his sword and his shirt to his enemies. Then he came +out of his bath, and immediately they fell upon him, cut him to +pieces, put him in a sack, placed him on his horse, and let the horse +go where it would. So the horse went on and on, and wandered farther +and farther, till it came to the old place where he had stayed with +the Serpent Lady. And when his benefactress saw him, she said, "Why, +if poor unlucky Daniel hasn't fallen into a scrape again." And +immediately she took him out of the sack, and fitted his pieces +together, and washed them clean, and took healing water from one of +the springs, and living water from the other, and sprinkled him all +over, and he stood there sound and strong again. "Now, did I not bid +thee tell not thy wife the truth for seven years?" said she, "and thou +wouldst not take heed." And he stood there, and spoke never a word. +"Well, now, rest awhile," she continued, "for thou dost need it, and +then I'll give thee something else." So the next day she gave him a +chain, and said to him, "Listen! Go to that inn where thou didst go +before, and early next morning, whilst thou art bathing, bid the +innkeeper beat thee with all his might on the back with this chain, +and so thou wilt get back to thy wife, but tell her not a word of what +has happened." So he went to this same inn and passed the night there, +and, on the morrow, he called the innkeeper, and said to him, "Look +now! the first time I dip my head in the water, beat me about the back +with this chain as hard as thou canst." So the innkeeper waited till +he had ducked his head under the water, and then he thrashed him with +the chain, whereupon he turned into a horse so beautiful that it was a +delight to look upon it. The innkeeper was so glad, so glad. "So I've +got rid of one guest only to get another one," thought he. He lost no +time in taking the horse to the fair, and offered it for sale, and +among those who saw it was the Tsar himself. "What dost thou ask for +it?" said the Tsar.--"I ask five thousand roubles." Then the Tsar +counted down the money and took the horse away. When he got to his +court, he made a great to-do about his beautiful horse, and cried to +his daughter, "Come and see, dear little heart, what a fine horse I +have bought." Then she came forth to look at it; but the moment she +saw it, she cried, "That horse will be my ruin. Thou must kill it on +the spot."--"Nay, dear little heart! how can I do such a thing?" said +the Tsar.--"Slay it thou must, and slay it thou shalt!" cried the +Tsarivna. So they sent for a knife, and began sharpening it, when one +of the maidens of the court took pity on the horse, and cried, "Oh, my +good, my darling horse, so lovely as thou art, and yet to kill thee!" +But the horse neighed and went to her, and said, "Look now! take the +first drop of blood which flows from me, and bury it in the garden." +Then they slew the horse, but the maiden did as she was told, and took +the drop of blood and buried it in the garden. And from this drop of +blood there sprang up a cherry-tree; and its first leaf was golden, +and its second leaf was of richer colour still, and its third leaf was +yet another colour, and every leaf upon it was different to the +others. One day the Tsar went out walking in his garden, and when he +saw this cherry-tree he fell in love with it, and praised it to his +daughter. "Look!" said he, "what a beauteous cherry-tree we have in +our garden! Who can tell whence it sprung?"--But the moment the +Tsarivna saw it, she cried, "That tree will be my ruin! Thou must cut +it down."--"Nay!" said he, "how can I cut down the fairest ornament of +my garden?"--"Down it must come, and down it shall come!" replied the +Tsarivna. Then they sent for an axe and made ready to cut it down, but +the damsel came running up, and said, "Oh, darling little cherry-tree, +darling little cherry-tree, so fair thou art! From a horse hast thou +sprung, and now they will fell thee before thou hast lived a +day!"--"Never mind," said the cherry-tree; "take the first chip that +falls from me, and throw it into the water."--Then they cut down the +cherry-tree; but the girl did as she was bidden, and threw the first +chip from the cherry-tree into the water, and out of it swam a drake +so beautiful that it was a delight to look upon it. Then the Tsar went +a-hunting, and saw it swimming in the water, and it was so close that +he could touch it with his hand. The Tsar took off his clothes and +plunged into the water after it, and it enticed him farther and +farther away from the shore. Then the drake swam toward the spot where +the Tsar had left his clothes, and when it came up to them it changed +into a man and put them on, and behold! the man was Daniel. Then he +called to the Tsar: "Swim hither, swim hither!" The Tsar swam up, but +when he swam ashore Daniel met and killed him, and after that he went +back to court in the Tsar's clothes. Then all the courtiers hailed him +as the Tsar, but he said, "Where is that damsel who was here just +now?"--They brought her instantly before him. "Well," said he to her, +"thou hast been a second mother to me, and now thou shalt be my +second wife!" So he lived with her and was happy, but he caused his +first wife to be tied to the tails of wild horses and torn to pieces +in the endless steppes. + +[Illustration: HIS WIFE CARESSED AND WHEEDLED HIM] + + + + +THE SPARROW AND THE BUSH + + +A sparrow once flew down upon a bush and said, "Little bush, give good +little sparrow a swing."--"I won't!" said the little bush. Then the +sparrow was angry, and went to the goat and said, "Goat, goat, nibble +bush, bush won't give good little sparrow a swing."--"I won't!" said +the goat.--Then the sparrow went to the wolf and said, "Wolf, wolf, +eat goat, goat won't nibble bush, bush won't give good little sparrow +a swing."--"I won't!" said the wolf.--Then the sparrow went to the +people and said, "Good people, kill wolf, wolf won't eat goat, goat +won't nibble bush, bush won't give good little sparrow a swing."--"We +won't!" said the people.--Then the sparrow went to the Tartars and +said, "Tartars, Tartars, slay people, people won't kill wolf, wolf +won't eat goat, goat won't nibble bush, bush won't give good little +sparrow a swing."--But the Tartars said, "We won't slay the people!" +and the people said, "We won't kill the wolf!" and the wolf said, "I +won't eat the goat!" and the goat said, "I won't nibble the bush!" and +the bush said, "I won't give the good little sparrow a swing."--"Go!" +said the bush, "to the fire, for the Tartars won't slay the people, +and the people won't kill the wolf, and the wolf won't eat the goat, +and the goat won't nibble the bush, and the bush won't give the dear +little sparrow a swing."--But the fire also said, "I won't!" (they +were all alike)--"go to the water," said he.--So the sparrow went to +the water and said, "Come water, quench fire, fire won't burn Tartars, +Tartars won't slay people, people won't kill wolf, wolf won't eat +goat, goat won't nibble bush, bush won't give good little sparrow a +swing."--But the water also said, "I won't!" So the sparrow went to +the ox and said, "Ox, ox, drink water, water won't quench fire, fire +won't burn Tartars, Tartars won't slay people, people won't kill wolf, +wolf won't eat goat, goat won't nibble bush, bush won't give little +sparrow a swing."--"I won't!" said the ox.--Then the sparrow went to +the pole-axe and said, "Pole-axe, pole-axe, strike ox, ox won't drink +water, water won't quench fire, fire won't burn Tartars, Tartars won't +slay people, people won't kill wolf, wolf won't eat goat, goat won't +nibble bush, bush won't give little sparrow a swing."--"I won't!" said +the pole-axe.--So the sparrow went to the worms and said, "Worms, +worms, gnaw pole-axe, pole-axe won't strike ox, ox won't drink water, +water won't quench fire, fire won't burn Tartars, Tartars won't slay +people, people won't kill wolf, wolf won't eat goat, goat won't nibble +bush, bush won't give little sparrow a swing."--"We won't!" said the +worms.--Then the sparrow went to the hen and said, "Hen, hen, peck +worms, worms won't gnaw pole-axe, pole-axe won't strike ox, ox won't +drink water, water won't quench fire, fire won't burn Tartars, Tartars +won't slay people, people won't kill wolf, wolf won't eat goat, goat +won't nibble bush, bush won't give little sparrow a swing."--"I +won't!" said the hen, "but go to the sparrow-hawk, he ought to give +the first push, or why is he called the Pusher!"[14]--So the sparrow +went to the sparrow-hawk and said, "Come, pusher, seize hen, hen +won't peck worms, worms won't gnaw pole-axe, pole-axe won't strike +ox, ox won't drink water, water won't quench fire, fire won't burn +Tartars, Tartars won't slay people, people won't kill wolf, wolf won't +eat goat, goat won't nibble bush, bush won't give little sparrow a +swing." + + [14] _Shulyak_ means both _sparrow-hawk_ and _push_. + +Then the sparrow-hawk began to seize the hen, the hen began to peck +the worms, the worms began to gnaw the pole-axe, the pole-axe began to +hit the ox, the ox began to drink the water, the water began to quench +the fire, the fire began to burn the Tartars, the Tartars began to +slay the people, the people began to kill the wolf, the wolf began to +eat the goat, the goat began to nibble the bush, and the bush cried +out: + + "_Swing away, swing away, swi-i-i-i-ing! + Little daddy sparrow, have your fli-i-i-ing!_" + + + + +THE OLD DOG + + +There was once a man who had a dog. While the dog was young he was +made much of, but when he grew old he was driven out of doors. So he +went and lay outside the fence, and a wolf came up to him and said, +"Doggy, why so down in the mouth?"--"While I was young," said the dog, +"they made much of me; but now that I am old they beat me." The wolf +said, "I see thy master in the field; go after him, and perchance +he'll give thee something."--"Nay," said the dog, "they won't even let +me walk about the fields now, they only beat me."--"Look now," said +the wolf, "I'm sorry, and will make things better for thee. Thy +mistress, I see, has put her child down beneath that wagon. I'll seize +it, and make off with it. Run thou after me and bark, and though thou +hast no teeth left, touzle me as much as thou canst, so that thy +mistress may see it." + +So the wolf seized the child, and ran away with it, and the dog ran +after him, and began to touzle him. His mistress saw it, and made +after them with a harrow, crying at the same time, "Husband, husband! +the wolf has got the child! Gabriel, Gabriel! don't you see? The wolf +has got the child!" Then the man chased the wolf, and got back the +child. "Brave old dog!" said he; "you are old and toothless, and yet +you can give help in time of need, and will not let your master's +child be stolen." And henceforth the woman and her husband gave the +old dog a large lump of bread every day. + + + + +THE FOX AND THE CAT + + +In a certain forest there once lived a fox, and near to the fox lived +a man who had a cat that had been a good mouser in its youth, but was +now old and half blind. The man didn't want puss any longer, but not +liking to kill it, took it out into the forest and lost it there. Then +the fox came up and said, "Why, Mr Shaggy Matthew! How d'ye do! What +brings you here?"--"Alas!" said Pussy, "my master loved me as long as +I could bite, but now that I can bite no longer and have left off +catching mice--and I used to catch them finely once--he doesn't like +to kill me, but he has left me in the wood where I must perish +miserably."--"No, dear Pussy!" said the fox; "you leave it to me, and +I'll help you to get your daily bread."--"You are very good, dear +little sister foxey!" said the cat, and the fox built him a little +shed with a garden round it to walk about in. + +Now one day the hare came to steal the man's cabbage. +"Kreem-kreem-kreem!" he squeaked. But the cat popped his head out of +the window, and when he saw the hare, he put up his back and stuck up +his tail and said, "Ft-t-t-t-t-Frrrrrrr!" The hare was frightened and +ran away and told the bear, the wolf, and the wild boar all about it. +"Never mind," said the bear, "I tell you what, we'll all four give a +banquet, and invite the fox and the cat, and do for the pair of them. +Now, look here! I'll steal the man's mead; and you, Mr Wolf, steal his +fat-pot; and you, Mr Wildboar, root up his fruit-trees; and you, Mr +Bunny, go and invite the fox and the cat to dinner." + +So they made everything ready as the bear had said, and the hare ran +off to invite the guests. He came beneath the window and said, "We +invite your little ladyship Foxey-Woxey, together with Mr Shaggy +Matthew, to dinner"--and back he ran again.--"But you should have told +them to bring their spoons with them," said the bear.--"Oh, what a +head I've got! if I didn't quite forget!" cried the hare, and back he +went again, ran beneath the window and cried, "Mind you bring your +spoons!"--"Very well," said the fox. + +So the cat and the fox went to the banquet, and when the cat saw the +bacon, he put up his back and stuck out his tail, and cried, "Mee-oo, +mee-oo!" with all his might. But they thought he said, "Ma-lo, +ma-lo[15]!"--"What!" said the bear, who was hiding behind the beeches +with the other beasts, "here have we four been getting together all we +could, and this pig-faced cat calls it too little! What a monstrous +cat he must be to have such an appetite!" So they were all four very +frightened, and the bear ran up a tree, and the others hid where they +could. But when the cat saw the boar's bristles sticking out from +behind the bushes he thought it was a mouse, and put up his back again +and cried, "Ft! ft! ft! Frrrrrrr!" Then they were more frightened than +ever. And the boar went into a bush still farther off, and the wolf +went behind an oak, and the bear got down from the tree, and climbed +up into a bigger one, and the hare ran right away. + + [15] What a little! What a little! + +But the cat remained in the midst of all the good things and ate away +at the bacon, and the little fox gobbled up the honey, and they ate +and ate till they couldn't eat any more, and then they both went home +licking their paws. + + + + +THE STRAW OX + + +There was once upon a time an old man and an old woman. The old man +worked in the fields as a pitch-burner, while the old woman sat at +home and spun flax. They were so poor that they could save nothing at +all; all their earnings went in bare food, and when that was gone +there was nothing left. At last the old woman had a good idea. "Look +now, husband," cried she, "make me a straw ox, and smear it all over +with tar."--"Why, you foolish woman!" said he, "what's the good of an +ox of that sort?"--"Never mind," said she, "you just make it. I know +what I am about."--What was the poor man to do? He set to work and +made the ox of straw, and smeared it all over with tar. + +The night passed away, and at early dawn the old woman took her +distaff, and drove the straw ox out into the steppe to graze, and she +herself sat down behind a hillock, and began spinning her flax, and +cried, "Graze away, little ox, while I spin my flax! Graze away, +little ox, while I spin my flax!" And while she spun, her head drooped +down and she began to doze, and while she was dozing, from behind the +dark wood and from the back of the huge pines a bear came rushing out +upon the ox and said, "Who are you? Speak and tell me!"--And the ox +said, "A three-year-old heifer am I, made of straw and smeared with +tar."--"Oh!" said the bear, "stuffed with straw and trimmed with tar, +are you? Then give me of your straw and tar, that I may patch up my +ragged fur again!"--"Take some," said the ox, and the bear fell upon +him and began to tear away at the tar. He tore and tore, and buried +his teeth in it till he found he couldn't let go again. He tugged and +he tugged, but it was no good, and the ox dragged him gradually off +goodness knows where. Then the old woman awoke, and there was no ox to +be seen. "Alas! old fool that I am!" cried she, "perchance it has gone +home." Then she quickly caught up her distaff and spinning-board, +threw them over her shoulders, and hastened off home, and she saw that +the ox had dragged the bear up to the fence, and in she went to the +old man. "Dad, dad!" she cried, "look, look! the ox has brought us a +bear. Come out and kill it!" Then the old man jumped up, tore off the +bear, tied him up, and threw him in the cellar. + +Next morning, between dark and dawn, the old woman took her distaff +and drove the ox into the steppe to graze. She herself sat down by a +mound, began spinning, and said, "Graze, graze away, little ox, while +I spin my flax! Graze, graze away, little ox, while I spin my flax!" +And while she spun, her head drooped down and she dozed. And, lo! from +behind the dark wood, from the back of the huge pines, a grey wolf +came rushing out upon the ox and said, "Who are you? Come, tell +me!"--"I am a three-year-old heifer, stuffed with straw and trimmed +with tar," said the ox.--"Oh! trimmed with tar, are you? Then give me +of your tar to tar my sides, that the dogs and the sons of dogs tear +me not!"--"Take some," said the ox. And with that the wolf fell upon +him and tried to tear the tar off. He tugged and tugged, and tore with +his teeth, but could get none off. Then he tried to let go, and +couldn't; tug and worry as he might, it was no good. When the old +woman woke, there was no heifer in sight. "Maybe my heifer has gone +home!" she cried; "I'll go home and see." When she got there she was +astonished, for by the palings stood the ox with the wolf still +tugging at it. She ran and told her old man, and her old man came and +threw the wolf into the cellar also. + +On the third day the old woman again drove her ox into the pastures to +graze, and sat down by a mound and dozed off. Then a fox came running +up. "Who are you?" it asked the ox.--"I'm a three-year-old heifer, +stuffed with straw and daubed with tar."--"Then give me some of your +tar to smear my sides with, when those dogs and sons of dogs tear my +hide!"--"Take some," said the ox. Then the fox fastened her teeth in +him and couldn't draw them out again. The old woman told her old man, +and he took and cast the fox into the cellar in the same way. And +after that they caught Pussy Swift-foot[16] likewise. + + [16] The hare. + +So when he had got them all safely, the old man sat down on a bench +before the cellar and began sharpening a knife. And the bear said to +him, "Tell me, daddy, what are you sharpening your knife for?"--"To +flay your skin off, that I may make a leather jacket for myself and +a pelisse for my old wife."--"Oh! don't flay me, daddy dear! Rather +let me go, and I'll bring you a lot of honey."--"Very well, see you +do it," and he unbound and let the bear go. Then he sat down on the +bench and again began sharpening his knife. And the wolf asked him, +"Daddy, what are you sharpening your knife for?"--"To flay off your +skin, that I may make me a warm cap against the winter."--"Oh! +don't flay me, daddy dear, and I'll bring you a whole herd of +little sheep."--"Well, see that you do it," and he let the wolf go. +Then he sat down and began sharpening his knife again. The fox put out +her little snout and asked him, "Be so kind, dear daddy, and tell me +why you are sharpening your knife!"--"Little foxes," said the old +man, "have nice skins that do capitally for collars and trimmings, +and I want to skin you!"--"Oh! don't take my skin away, daddy dear, +and I will bring you hens and geese."--"Very well, see that you do +it!" and he let the fox go. The hare now alone remained, and the +old man began sharpening his knife on the hare's account. "Why do +you do that?" asked puss, and he replied, "Little hares have nice +little soft warm skins, which will make me gloves and mittens +against the winter!"--"Oh! daddy dear! don't flay me, and I'll +bring you kale and good cauliflower, if only you let me go!" Then he +let the hare go also. + +Then they went to bed, but very early in the morning, when it was +neither dusk nor dawn, there was a noise in the doorway like +"Durrrrrr!"--"Daddy!" cried the old woman, "there's some one +scratching at the door, go and see who it is!" The old man went out, +and there was the bear carrying a whole hive full of honey. The old +man took the honey from the bear, but no sooner did he lie down than +again there was another "Durrrrr!" at the door. The old man looked out +and saw the wolf driving a whole flock of sheep into the yard. Close +on his heels came the fox, driving before him geese and hens and all +manner of fowls; and last of all came the hare, bringing cabbage and +kale and all manner of good food. And the old man was glad, and the +old woman was glad. And the old man sold the sheep and oxen and got so +rich that he needed nothing more. As for the straw-stuffed ox, it +stood in the sun till it fell to pieces. + + + + +THE GOLDEN SLIPPER + + +There was once upon a time an old man and an old woman, and the old +man had a daughter, and the old woman had a daughter. And the old +woman said to the old man, "Go and buy a heifer, that thy daughter may +have something to look after!" So the old man went to the fair and +bought a heifer. + +Now the old woman spoiled her own daughter, but was always snapping at +the old man's daughter. Yet the old man's daughter was a good, +hard-working girl, while as for the old woman's daughter, she was but +an idle slut. She did nothing but sit down all day with her hands in +her lap. One day the old woman said to the old man's daughter, "Look +now, thou daughter of a dog, go and drive out the heifer to graze! +Here thou hast two bundles of flax. See that thou unravel it, and reel +it, and bleach it, and bring it home all ready in the evening!" Then +the girl took the flax and drove the heifer out to graze. + +So the heifer began to graze, but the girl sat down and began to weep. +And the heifer said to her, "Tell me, dear little maiden, wherefore +dost thou weep?"--"Alas! why should I not weep? My stepmother has +given me this flax and bidden me unravel it, and reel it, and bleach +it, and bring it back as cloth in the evening."--"Grieve not, maiden!" +said the heifer, "it will all turn out well. Lie down to sleep!"--So +she lay down to sleep, and when she awoke the flax was all unravelled +and reeled and spun into fine cloth, and bleached. Then she drove the +heifer home and gave the cloth to her stepmother. The old woman took +it and hid it away, that nobody might know that the old man's daughter +had brought it to her. + +The next day she said to her own daughter, "Dear little daughter, +drive the heifer out to graze, and here is a little piece of flax for +thee, unravel it and reel it, or unravel it not and reel it not as +thou likest best, but bring it home with thee." Then she drove the +heifer out to graze, and threw herself down in the grass, and slept +the whole day, and did not even take the trouble to go and moisten the +flax in the cooling stream. And in the evening she drove the heifer +back from the field and gave her mother the flax. "Oh, mammy!" she +said, "my head ached so the whole day, and the sun scorched so, that I +couldn't go down to the stream to moisten the flax."--"Never mind," +said her mother, "lie down and sleep; it will do for another day." + +And the next day she called the old man's daughter again, "Get up, +thou daughter of a dog, and take the heifer out to graze. And here +thou hast a bundle of raw flax; unravel it, heckle it, wind it on to +thy spindles, bleach it, weave with it, and make it into fine cloth +for me by the evening!"--Then the girl drove out the heifer to graze. +The heifer began grazing, but she sat down beneath a willow-tree, and +threw her flax down beside her, and began weeping with all her might. +But the heifer came up to her and said, "Tell me, little maiden, +wherefore dost thou weep?"--"Why should I not weep?" said she, and she +told the heifer all about it.--"Grieve not!" said the heifer, "it +will all come right, but lie down to sleep."--So she lay down and +immediately fell asleep. And by evening the bundle of raw flax was +heckled and spun and reeled, and the cloth was woven and bleached, so +that one could have made shirts of it straight off. Then she drove the +heifer home, and gave the cloth to her stepmother. + +[Illustration: THE GIRL DROVE THE HEIFER OUT TO GRAZE] + +Then the old woman said to herself, "How comes it that this daughter +of the son of a dog has done all her task so easily? The heifer must +have got it done for her, I know. But I'll put a stop to all this, +thou daughter of the son of a dog," said she. Then she went to the old +man and said, "Father, kill and cut to pieces this heifer of thine, +for because of it thy daughter does not a stroke of work. She drives +the heifer out to graze, and goes to sleep the whole day and does +nothing."--"Then I'll kill it!" said he.--But the old man's daughter +heard what he said, and went into the garden and began to weep +bitterly. The heifer came to her and said, "Tell me, dear little +maiden, wherefore dost thou weep?"--"Why should I _not_ weep," she +said, "when they want to kill thee?"--"Don't grieve," said the heifer, +"it will all come right. When they have killed me, ask thy stepmother +to give thee my entrails to wash, and in them thou wilt find a grain +of corn. Plant this grain of corn, and out of it will grow up a +willow-tree, and whatever thou dost want, go to this willow-tree and +ask, and thou shalt have thy heart's desire." + +Then her father slew the heifer, and she went to her stepmother and +said, "Prythee, let me have the entrails of the heifer to wash!"--And +her stepmother answered, "As if I would let anybody else do such work +but thee!"--Then she went and washed them, and sure enough she found +the grain of corn, planted it by the porch, trod down the earth, and +watered it a little. And the next morning, when she awoke, she saw +that a willow-tree had sprung out of this grain of corn, and beneath +the willow-tree was a spring of water, and no better water was to be +found anywhere in the whole village. It was as cold and as clear as +ice. + +When Sunday came round, the old woman tricked her pet daughter out +finely, and took her to church, but to the old man's daughter she +said, "Look to the fire, thou slut! Keep a good fire burning and get +ready the dinner, and make everything in the house neat and tidy, and +have thy best frock on, and all the shirts washed against I come back +from church. And if thou hast not all these things done, thou shalt +say good-bye to dear life." + +So the old woman and her daughter went to church, and the smart little +stepdaughter made the fire burn up, and got the dinner ready, and then +went to the willow-tree and said, "Willow-tree, willow-tree, come out +of thy bark! Lady Anna, come when I call thee!" Then the willow-tree +did its duty, and shook all its leaves, and a noble lady came forth +from it. "Dear little lady, sweet little lady, what are thy commands?" +said she.--"Give me," said she, "a grand dress and let me have a +carriage and horses, for I would go to God's House!"--And immediately +she was dressed in silk and satin, with golden slippers on her feet, +and the carriage came up and she went to church. + +When she entered the church there was a great to-do, and every one +said, "Oh! oh! oh! Who is it? Is it perchance some princess or some +queen? for the like of it we have never seen before." Now the young +Tsarevich chanced to be in church at that time. When he saw her, his +heart began to beat. He stood there, and could not take his eyes off +her. And all the great captains and courtiers marvelled at her and +fell in love with her straightway. But who she was, they knew not. +When service was over, she got up and drove away. When she got home, +she took off all her fine things, and put on all her rags again, and +sat in the window-corner and watched the folk coming from church. + +Then her stepmother came back too. "Is the dinner ready?" said +she.--"Yes, it is ready."--"Hast thou sewn the shirts?"--"Yes, the +shirts are sewn too."--Then they sat down to meat, and began to relate +how they had seen such a beautiful young lady at church.--"The +Tsarevich," said the old woman, "instead of saying his prayers, was +looking at her all the while, so goodly was she." Then she said to the +old man's daughter, "As for thee, thou slut! though thou _hast_ sewn +the shirts and bleached them, thou art but a dirty under-wench!" + +On the following Sunday the stepmother again dressed up her daughter, +and took her to church. But, before she went, she said to the old +man's daughter, "See that thou keep the fire in, thou slut!" and she +gave her a lot of work to do. The old man's daughter very soon did it +all, and then she went to the willow-tree and said, "Bright spring +willow, bright spring willow, change thee, transform thee!" Then +still statelier dames stepped forth from the willow-tree, "Dear little +lady, sweet little lady, what commands hast thou to give?" She told +them what she wanted, and they gave her a gorgeous dress, and put +golden shoes on her feet, and she went to church in a grand carriage. +The Tsarevich was again there, and at the sight of her he stood as if +rooted to the ground, and couldn't take his eyes from her. Then the +people began to whisper, "Is there none here who knows her? Is there +none who knows who such a handsome lady may be!" And they began to ask +each other, "Dost _thou_ know her? Dost _thou_ know her?"--But the +Tsarevich said, "Whoever will tell me who this great lady is, to him +will I give a sack-load of gold ducats!"--Then they inquired and +inquired, and laid all their heads together, but nothing came of it. +But the Tsarevich had a jester who was always with him, and used +always to jest and cut capers whenever this child of the Tsar was sad. +So now, too, he began to laugh at the young Tsarevich and say to him, +"I know how to find out who this fine lady is."--"How?" asked the +young Tsarevich.--"I'll tell thee," said the jester; "smear with pitch +the place in church where she is wont to stand. Then her slippers will +stick to it, and she, in her hurry to get away, will never notice that +she has left them behind her in church."--So the Tsarevich ordered his +courtiers to smear the spot with pitch straightway. Next time, when +the service was over, she got up as usual and hastened away, but left +her golden slippers behind her. When she got home she took off her +costly raiment and put on her rags, and waited in the window-corner +till they came from church. + +When they came from church they had all sorts of things to talk about, +and how the young Tsarevich had fallen in love with the grand young +lady, and how they were unable to tell him whence she came, or who she +was, and the stepmother hated the old man's daughter all the more +because she had done her work so nicely. + +But the Tsarevich did nothing but pine away. And they proclaimed +throughout the kingdom, "Who has lost a pair of golden slippers?" But +none could tell. Then the Tsar sent his wise councillors throughout +the kingdom to find her. "If ye do not find her," said he, "it will be +the death of my child, and then ye also are dead men." + +So the Tsar's councillors went through all the towns and villages, and +measured the feet of all the maidens against the golden slippers, and +she was to be the bride of the Tsarevich whom the golden slippers +fitted. They went to the houses of all the princes, and all the +nobles, and all the rich merchants, but it was of no avail. The feet +of all the maidens were either too little or too large. Then they hied +them to the huts of the peasants. + +[Illustration: THE TSAR'S COUNCILLORS WENT TO THE HOUSES OF ALL THE +NOBLES AND PRINCES] + +They went on and on, they measured and measured, and at last they were +so tired that they could scarce draw one foot after the other. Then +they looked about them and saw a beautiful willow-tree standing by a +hut, and beneath the willow-tree was a spring of water. "Let us go and +rest in the cool shade," said they. So they went and rested, and the +old woman came out of the hut to them.--"Hast thou a daughter, little +mother?" said they.--"Yes, that I have," said she.--"One or two?" they +asked.--"Well, there is another," said she, "but she is not my +daughter, she is a mere kitchen slut, the very look of her is +nasty."--"Very well," said they, "we will measure them with the golden +slippers."--"Good!" cried the old woman. Then she said to her own +daughter, "Go, my dear little daughter, tidy thyself up a bit, and +wash thy little feet!"--But the old man's daughter she drove behind +the stove, and the poor thing was neither washed nor dressed. "Sit +there, thou daughter of a dog!" said she.--Then the Tsar's councillors +came into the hut to measure, and the old woman said to her daughter, +"Put out thy little foot, darling!"--The councillors then measured +with the slippers, but they wouldn't fit her at all. Then they said, +"Tell us, little mother, where is thy other daughter?"--"Oh, as for +her, she is a mere slut, and besides she isn't dressed."--"No matter," +said they; "where is she?"--Then she came out from behind the stove, +and her stepmother hustled her and said, "Get along, thou sluttish +hussy!"--Then they measured her with the slippers, and they fitted +like gloves, whereupon the courtiers rejoiced exceedingly and praised +the Lord. + +"Well, little mother," said they, "we will take this daughter away +with us."--"What! take a slattern like that? Why, all the people will +laugh at you!"--"Maybe they will," said they.--Then the old woman +scolded, and wouldn't let her go. "How can such a slut become the +consort of the Tsar's son?" screeched she.--"Nay, but she must come!" +said they; "go, dress thyself, maiden!"--"Wait but a moment," said +she, "and I'll tire myself as is meet!"--Then she went to the spring +beneath the willow-tree, and washed and dressed herself, and she came +back so lovely and splendid that the like of it can neither be thought +of nor guessed at, but only told of in tales. As she entered the hut +she shone like the sun, and her stepmother had not another word to +say. + +So they put her in a carriage and drove off, and when the Tsarevich +saw her, he could not contain himself. "Make haste, O my father!" +cried he, "and give us thy blessing." So the Tsar blessed them, and +they were wedded. Then they made a great feast and invited all the +world to it. And they lived happily together, and ate wheat-bread to +their hearts' content. + + + + +THE IRON WOLF + + +There was once upon a time a parson who had a servant, and when this +servant had served him faithfully for twelve years and upward, he came +to the parson and said, "Let us now settle our accounts, master, and +pay me what thou owest me. I have now served long enough, and would +fain have a little place in the wide world all to myself."--"Good!" +said the parson. "I'll tell thee now what wage I'll give thee for thy +faithful service. I'll give thee this egg. Take it home, and when thou +gettest there, make to thyself a cattle-pen, and make it strong; then +break the egg in the middle of thy cattle-pen, and thou shalt see +something. But whatever thou doest, don't break it on thy way home, or +all thy luck will leave thee." + +So the servant departed on his homeward way. He went on and on, and at +last he thought to himself, "Come now, I'll see what is inside this +egg of mine!" So he broke it, and out of it came all sorts of cattle +in such numbers that the open steppe became like a fair. The servant +stood there in amazement, and he thought to himself, "However in God's +world shall I be able to drive all these cattle back again?" He had +scarcely uttered the words when the Iron Wolf came running up, and +said to him, "I'll collect and drive back all these cattle into the +egg again, and I'll patch the egg up so that it will become quite +whole. But in return for that," continued the Iron Wolf, "whenever +thou dost sit down on the bridal bench,[17] I'll come and eat +thee."--"Well," thought the servant to himself, "a lot of things may +happen before I sit down on the bridal bench and he comes to eat me, +and in the meantime I shall get all these cattle. Agreed, then," said +he. So the Iron Wolf immediately collected all the cattle, and drove +them back into the egg, and patched up the egg and made it whole just +as it was before. + + [17] Posad, or posag, a bench covered with white cloth on which the + bride and bridegroom sat down together. + +The servant went home to the village where he lived, made him a +cattle-pen stronger than strong, went inside it and broke the egg, and +immediately that cattle-pen was as full of cattle as it could hold. +Then he took to farming and cattle-breeding, and he became so rich +that in the whole wide world there was none richer than he. He kept to +himself, and his goods increased and multiplied exceedingly; the only +thing wanting to his happiness was a wife, but a wife he was afraid to +take. Now near to where he lived was a General who had a lovely +daughter, and this daughter fell in love with the rich man. So the +General went and said to him, "Come, why don't you marry? I'll give +you my daughter and lots of money with her."--"How is it possible for +me to marry?" replied the man; "as soon as ever I sit down on the +bridal bench, the Iron Wolf will come and eat me up." And he told the +General all that had happened.--"Oh, nonsense!" said the General, +"don't be afraid. I have a mighty host, and when the time comes for +you to sit down on the bridal bench, we'll surround your house with +three strong rows of soldiers, and _they_ won't let the Iron Wolf get +at you, I can tell you." So they talked the matter over till he let +himself be persuaded, and then they began to make great preparations +for the bridal banquet. Everything went off excellently well, and they +made merry till the time came when bride and bridegroom were to sit +down together on the bridal bench. Then the General placed his men in +three strong rows all round the house so as not to let the Iron Wolf +get in; and no sooner had the young people sat down upon the bridal +bench, than, sure enough, the Iron Wolf came running up. He saw the +host standing round the house in three strong rows, but through all +three rows he leaped and made straight for the house. But the man, as +soon as he saw the Iron Wolf, leaped out of the window, mounted his +horse, and galloped off with the wolf after him. + +Away and away he galloped, and after him came the wolf, but try as it +would, it could not catch him up anyhow. At last, toward evening, the +man stopped and looked about him, and saw that he was in a lone +forest, and before him stood a hut. He went up to this hut, and saw an +old man and an old woman sitting in front of it, and said to them, +"Would you let me rest a little while with you, good people?"--"By all +means!" said they.--"There is one thing, however, good people!" said +he, "don't let the Iron Wolf catch me while I am resting with +you."--"Have no fear of that!" replied the old couple. "We have a dog +called Chutko,[18] who can hear a wolf coming a mile off, and he'll be +sure to let us know." So he laid him down to sleep, and was just +dropping off when Chutko began to bark. Then the old people awoke him, +and said, "Be off! be off! for the Iron Wolf is coming." And they +gave him the dog, and a wheaten hearth-cake as provision by the way. + + [18] Hearkener. + +So he went on and on, and the dog followed after him till it began to +grow dark, and then he perceived another hut in another forest. He +went up to that hut, and in front of it were sitting an old man and an +old woman. He asked them for a night's lodging. "Only," said he, "take +care that the Iron Wolf doesn't catch me!"--"Have no fear of that," +said they. "We have a dog here called Vazhko,[19] who can hear a wolf +nine miles off." So he laid him down and slept. Just before dawn +Vazhko began to bark. Immediately they awoke him. "Run!" cried they, +"the Iron Wolf is coming!" And they gave him the dog, and a barley +hearth-cake as provision by the way. So he took the hearth-cake, sat +him on his horse, and off he went, and his two dogs followed after +him. + + [19] Heavysides. + +He went on and on. On and on he went till evening, when again he +stopped and looked about him, and he saw that he was in another +forest, and another little hut stood before him. He went into the hut, +and there were sitting an old man and an old woman. "Will you let me +pass the night here, good people?" said he; "only take care that the +Iron Wolf does not get hold of me!"--"Have no fear!" said they, "we +have a dog called Bary, who can hear a wolf coming twelve miles off. +He'll let us know." So he lay down to sleep, and early in the morning +Bary let them know that the Iron Wolf was drawing nigh. Immediately +they awoke him. "'Tis high time for you to be off!" said they. Then +they gave him the dog, and a buckwheat hearth-cake as provision by the +way. He took the hearth-cake, sat him on his horse, and off he went. +So now he had three dogs, and they all three followed him. + +He went on and on, and toward evening he found himself in front of +another hut. He went into it, and there was nobody there. He went and +lay down, and his dogs lay down also, Chutko on the threshold of the +room door, Vazhko at the threshold of the house door, and Bary at the +threshold of the outer gate. Presently the Iron Wolf came trotting up. +Immediately Chutko gave the alarm, Vazhko nailed him to the earth, and +Bary tore him to pieces. + +Then the man gathered his faithful dogs around him, mounted his horse, +and went back to his own home. + + + + +THE THREE BROTHERS + + +There were, once upon a time, three brothers, and the third was a +fool. And in their little garden grew golden apple-trees with golden +apples, and not far off lived a hog that had taken a fancy to these +apples. So the father sent his sons into the garden to guard the +trees. The eldest went first, and sat and sat and watched and watched +till he was tired of watching, and fell asleep. Then the hog crept in, +and dug and dug till he had digged up an apple-tree, which he ate up, +and then went his way. The father got up next morning and counted his +apple-trees, and one of them was gone. The next night the father sent +the second son to watch. He waited and watched till he also fell +asleep, and the hog came again and dug up and ate another golden +apple-tree and made off. The next morning the father got up again and +counted his trees, and another was gone. Then the fool said, "Dad, let +me go too!" But the father said, "Oh, fool, fool, wherefore shouldst +thou go? Thy wise brethren have watched to no purpose, what canst thou +do?"--"Hoity-toity!" said the fool; "give me a gun, and I'll go all +the same." His father wouldn't give him a gun, so he took it, and went +to watch. He placed his gun across his knees and sat down. He sat and +sat, but nothing came, nothing came; he got drowsy, was nodding off, +when his gun fell off his knees, and he awoke with a start and watched +more warily. At last he heard something--and there stood the hog. It +began to dig up another tree, when he pulled the trigger and--bang! +His brothers heard the sound, came running up, were quite amazed to +see a dead boar lying there, and said, "What will become of us +now?"--"Let us kill him," said the eldest brother, "and bury him in +that ditch, and say that we killed the hog." So they took and slew +him, and buried him in the ditch, and took the hog to their father, +and said, "While we were watching, this hog came up and began digging, +so we killed him and have brought him to you." + +One day a nobleman came by that way, and was surprised to see a +beautiful elder-bush growing out of the ditch; so he went up to it, +cut off a branch, made him a flute out of it, and began playing upon +it. But the flute played of its own accord, and made this moan: + + "_Play, good master, play, + But steal not my heart away! + Me my brothers took and slew, + In the ditch my body threw, + For that hog shot down by me + That rooted up the tree._" + +The nobleman then went on to the inn, and there he found the fool's +father. "Such a funny thing has happened to me," said the nobleman. "I +went and cut me out a flute from an elder-bush, and lo! it plays of +its own accord!" Then the father took the flute and tried his hand at +it, and it sang: + + "_Play, good daddy, play, + But don't steal my heart away! + Me my brothers took and slew, + In the ditch my body threw, + For that hog shot down by me, + That rooted up the tree!_" + +The father was so astonished that he bought it, and took it home, and +gave it to the mother for her to play upon it, and it sang: + + "_Play, good mammy, play, + But don't steal my heart away! + Me my brothers took and slew, + In the ditch my body threw, + For that hog shot down by me, + That rooted up the tree!_" + +Then the father gave the flute to his brothers to play upon, but they +wouldn't. "Nay, but you must!" said their father. Then the younger +brother took and played upon it: + + "_Play, my brother, play, + But don't steal my heart away! + Me my brothers took and slew, + In the ditch my body threw, + For the hog shot down by me, + That rooted up the tree!_" + +Then the father gave the flute to the elder brother who had slain him, +but he wouldn't take it. "Take it and play upon it!" roared his father +at him. Then he took it and played: + + "_Play, my brother, play, + But don't steal my heart away! + 'Twas thou who didst me slay, + And stowed my corpse away, + For the hog shot down by me, + That rooted up the tree!_" + +"Then it was thou who didst slay him?" cried the father. What could +the elder brother do but confess it! Then they dug the dead man up, +and buried him in the cemetery; but they tied the elder brother to a +wild horse, which scattered his bones about the endless steppe. + +But I was there, and drank wine and mead till my beard was wet. + + + + +THE TSAR AND THE ANGEL + + +Somewhere, nowhere, in a certain kingdom, in a certain empire, time +out of mind, and in no land of ours, dwelt a Tsar who was so proud, so +very proud, that he feared neither God nor man. He listened to no good +counsel from whithersoever it might come, but did only that which was +good in his own eyes, and nobody durst put him right. And all his +ministers and nobles grieved exceedingly, and all the people grieved +likewise. + +One day this Tsar went to church; the priest was reading from Holy +Scripture, and so he needs must listen. Now there were certain words +there which pleased him not. "To say such words to me!" thought he, +"words that I can never forget, though I grow grey-headed." After +service the Tsar went home, and bade them send the priest to him. +The priest came. "How durst thou read such and such passages to me?" +said the Tsar.--"They were written to be read," replied the +priest.--"Written, indeed! And wouldst thou then read everything that +is written? Smear those places over with grease, and never dare to +read them again, I say!"--"'Tis not I who have written those words, +your Majesty," said the priest; "nor is it for such as I to smear +them over."--"What! thou dost presume to teach me? I am the Tsar, and +it is thy duty to obey me."--"In all things will I obey thee, O +Tsar, save only in sacred things. God is over them, men cannot +alter them."--"Not alter them!" roared the Tsar; "if I wish them +altered, altered they must be. Strike me out those words instantly, +I say, and never dare read them in church again. Dost hear?"--"I dare +not," said the priest, "I have no will in the matter."--"I command +thee, fellow!"--"I dare not, O Tsar!"--"Well," said the Tsar, "I'll +give thee three days to think about it, and on the evening of the +fourth day appear before me, and I'll strike thy head from thy +shoulders if thou dost not obey me!" Then the priest bowed low and +went home. + +The third day was already drawing to a close, and the priest knew not +what to do. It was no great terror to him to die for the faith, but +what would become of his wife and children? He walked about, and wept, +and wrung his hands: "Oh, woe is me! woe is me!" At last he lay down +on his bed, but sleep he could not. Only toward dawn did he doze off, +then he saw in a dream an angel standing at his head. "Fear nothing!" +said the angel. "God hath sent me down on earth to protect thee!" So, +early in the morning, the priest rose up full of joy and prayed +gratefully to God. + +The Tsar also awoke early in the morning, and bawled to his huntsmen +to gather together and go a-hunting with him in the forest. + +So away they went hunting in the forest, and it was not long before a +stag leaped out of the thicket beneath the very eyes of the Tsar. Off +after it went the Tsar; every moment the stag seemed to be faltering, +and yet the Tsar could never quite come up with it. Hot with +excitement, the Tsar spurred his horse on yet faster. "Gee up! gee +up!" he cried; "now we've got him!" But here a stream crossed the +road, and the stag plunged into the water. The Tsar was a good +swimmer. "I've got him now, at any rate," thought he. "A little +longer, and I shall hold him by the horns." So the Tsar took off his +clothes, and into the water he plunged after the stag. But the stag +swam across to the opposite bank, and the Tsar was extending his hand +to seize him by the horns--when there was no longer any stag to be +seen. It was the angel who had taken the form of a stag. The Tsar was +amazed. He looked about him on every side, and wondered where the stag +had gone. Then he saw some one on the other side of the river putting +on his clothes, and presently the man mounted his horse and galloped +away. The Tsar thought it was some evil-doer, but it was the self-same +angel that had now put on the Tsar's clothes and gone away to collect +the huntsmen and take them home. As for the Tsar, he remained all +naked and solitary in the forest. + +At last he looked about him and saw, far, far away, smoke rising above +the forest, and something like a dark cloud standing in the clear sky. +"Maybe," thought he, "that is my hunting-pavilion." So he went in the +direction of the smoke, and came at last to a brick-kiln. The +brick-burners came forth to meet him, and were amazed to see a naked +man. "What is he doing here?" they thought. And they saw that his feet +were lame and bruised, and his body covered with scratches. "Give me +to drink," said he, "and I would fain eat something also." The +brick-burners had pity on him; they gave him an old tattered garment +to wear and a piece of black bread and a gherkin to eat. Never from +the day of his birth had the Tsar had such a tasty meal. "And now +speak, O man!" said they; "who art thou?"--"I'll tell you who I am," +said he, when he had eaten his fill; "I am your Tsar. Lead me to my +capital, and there I will reward you!"--"What, thou wretched rogue!" +they cried, "thou dost presume to mock us, thou old ragamuffin, and +magnify thyself into a Tsar! Thou reward us, indeed!" And they looked +at him in amazement and scorn.--"Dare to laugh at me again," said he, +"and I'll have your heads chopped off!" For he forgot himself, and +thought he was at home.--"What! thou!" Then they fell upon him and +beat him. They beat him and hauled him about most unmercifully, and +then they drove him away, and off he went bellowing through the +forest. + +He went on and on till at last he saw once more a smoke rising up out +of the wood. Again he thought, "That is surely my hunting-pavilion," +and so he went up to it. And toward evening he came to another +brick-kiln. There, too, they had pity upon and kindly entreated him. +They gave him to eat and to drink. They also gave him ragged hose and +a tattered shirt, for they were very poor people. They took him to be +a runaway soldier, or some other poor man, but when he had eaten his +fill and clothed himself, he said to them, "I am your Tsar!" They +laughed at him, and again he began to talk roughly to the people. Then +they fell upon him and thrashed him soundly, and drove him right away. +And he wandered all by himself through the forest till it was night. +Then he laid him down beneath a tree, and so he passed the night, and +rising up very early, fared on his way straight before him. + +At last he came to a third brick-kiln, but he did not tell the +brick-burners there that he was the Tsar. All he thought of now was +how he might reach his capital. The people here, too, treated him +kindly, and seeing that his feet were lame and bruised, they had +compassion upon him, and gave him a pair of very, very old boots. And +he asked them, "Do ye know by which way I can get to the capital?" +They told him, but it was a long, long journey that would take the +whole day. + +So he went the way they had told him, and he went on and on till he +came to a little town, and there the roadside sentries stopped him. +"Halt!" they cried. He halted. "Your passport!"[20]--"I have +none."--"What! no passport? Then thou art a vagabond. Seize him!" they +cried. So they seized him and put him in a dungeon. Shortly after they +came to examine him, and asked him, "Whence art thou?"--"From such and +such a capital," said he. Then they ordered him to be put in irons and +taken thither. + + [20] This is a good instance of the modern intrusions in these ancient + _kazki_. An angel and a passport in the same tale! + +So they took him back to that capital and put him in another dungeon. +Then the custodians came round to examine the prisoners, and one said +one thing and one said another, till at last it came to the turn of +the Tsar.--"Who art thou, old man?" they asked. Then he told them the +whole truth. "Once I was the Tsar," said he, and he related all that +had befallen him. Then they were much amazed, for he was not at all +like a Tsar. For indeed he had been growing thin and haggard for a +long time, and his beard was all long and tangled. And yet, for all +that, he stood them out that he was the Tsar. So they made up their +minds that he was crazy, and drove him away. "Why should we keep this +fool for ever," said they, "and waste the Tsar's bread upon him?" So +they let him go, and never did any man feel so wretched on God's earth +as did that wretched Tsar. Willingly would he have done any sort of +work if he had only known how, but he had never been used to work, so +he had to go along begging his bread, and could scarce beg enough to +keep body and soul together. He lay at night at the first place that +came to hand, sometimes in the tall grass of the steppes, sometimes +beneath a fence. "That it should ever have come to this!" he sighed. + +But the angel who had made himself Tsar went home with the huntsmen. +And no man knew that he was not a Tsar, but an angel. The same evening +that priest came to him and said, "Do thy will, O Tsar, and strike off +my head, for I cannot blot out one word of Holy Scripture."--And the +Tsar said to him, "Glory be to God, for now I know that there is at +least one priest in my tsardom who stands firm for God's Word. I'll +make thee the highest bishop in this realm." The priest thanked him, +bowed down to the earth, and departed marvelling. "What is this +wonder?" thought he, "that the haughty Tsar should have become so just +and gentle."--But all men marvelled at the change that had come over +the Tsar. He was now so mild and gracious, nor did he spend all his +days in the forest, but went about inquiring of his people if any +were wronged or injured by their neighbours, and if justice were done. +He took count of all, and rebuked the unjust judges, and saw that +every man had his rights. And the people now rejoiced as much as they +had grieved heretofore, and justice was done in all the tribunals, and +no bribes were taken. + +[Illustration: THE TSAR WENT ABOUT INQUIRING OF HIS PEOPLE IF ANY WERE +WRONGED] + +But the Tsar, the real Tsar, grew more and more wretched. Then, after +three years, a ukase went forth that on such and such a day all the +people were to come together to a great banquet given by the Tsar, all +were to be there, both rich and poor, both high and lowly. And all the +people came, and the unhappy Tsar came too. And so many long tables +were set out in the Tsar's courtyard that all the people praised God +when they saw the glad sight. And they all sat down at table and ate +and drank, and the Tsar himself and his courtiers distributed the meat +and drink to the guests as much as they would, but to the unfortunate +Tsar they gave a double portion of everything. And they all ate and +drank their fill, and then the Tsar began to inquire of the people +whether any had suffered wrong or had not had justice done him. And +when the people began to disperse, the Tsar stood at the gate with a +bag of money, and gave to every one a _grivna_,[21] but to the unhappy +Tsar he gave three. + + [21] About twopence-halfpenny. + +And after three years the Tsar gave another banquet, and again +entertained all the people. And when he had given them both to eat and +to drink as much as they would, he inquired of them what was being +done in his tsardom, and again gave a _grivna_ to each one of them; +but to the unlucky Tsar he gave a double portion of meat and drink and +three _grivni_. + +And again, after three years, he made yet another banquet, and +proclaimed that all should come, both rich and poor, both earls and +churls. And all the people came and ate and drank and bowed low before +the Tsar and thanked him, and made ready to depart. The unlucky Tsar +was also on the point of going, when the angel Tsar stopped him, and +took him aside into the palace, and said to him, "Lo! God hath tried +thee and chastised thy pride these ten years. But me He sent to teach +thee that a Tsar must have regard to the complaints of his people. So +thou wast made poor and a vagabond on the face of the earth that thou +mightst pick up wisdom, if but a little. Look now, that thou doest +good to thy people, and judgest righteous judgment, as from henceforth +thou shalt be Tsar again, but I must fly back to God in heaven."--And +when he had said this he bade them wash and shave him (for his beard +had grown right down to his girdle), and put upon him the raiment of a +Tsar. And the angel said further, "Go now into the inner apartments. +There the courtiers of the Tsar are sitting and making merry, and none +will recognize in thee the vagabond old man. May God help thee always +to do good!" And when the angel had said this he was no more to be +seen, and only his clothes remained on the floor. + +Then the Tsar prayed gratefully to God, and went to the merry-making +of his courtiers, and henceforth he ruled his people justly, as the +angel had bidden him. + + + + +THE STORY OF IVAN AND THE +DAUGHTER OF THE SUN + + +There were once upon a time four brethren, and three of them remained +at home, while the fourth went out to seek for work. This youngest +brother came to a strange land, and hired himself out to a husbandman +for three gold pieces a year. For three years he served his master +faithfully, so, at the end of his time, he departed with nine gold +pieces in his pocket. The first thing he now did was to go to a +spring, and into this spring he threw three of his gold pieces. "Let +us see now," said he, "if I have been honest, they will come swimming +back to me." Then he lay down by the side of the spring and went fast +asleep. How long he slept there, who can tell? but at any rate he woke +up at last and went to the spring, but there was no sign of his money +to be seen. Then he threw three more of the gold pieces into the +spring, and again he lay down by the side of it and slept. Then he got +up and went and looked into the spring, and still there was no sign of +the money. So he threw in his three remaining gold pieces, and again +lay down and slept. The third time he arose and looked into the +spring, and there, sure enough, was his money: all nine of the gold +pieces were floating on the surface of the water! + +And now his heart felt lighter, and he gathered up the nine gold +pieces and went on his way. On the road he fell in with three +_katsapi_[22] with a laden wagon. He asked them concerning their +wares, and they said they were carrying a load of incense. He begged +them straightway to sell him this incense. Then they sold it to him +for the gold pieces, and when he had bought it and they had +departed, he kindled fire and burnt the incense, and offered it up +to God as a sweet-smelling sacrifice. Then an angel flew down to +him, and said, "Oh, thou that hast offered this sweet-smelling +sacrifice to God, what dost thou want for thine own self? Dost thou +want a tsardom, or great riches? Or, perchance, the desire of thy +heart is a good wife? Speak, for God will give thee whatsoever thou +desirest." When the man had listened to the angel, he said to him, +"Tarry a while! I will go and ask those people who are ploughing +yonder." Now those people who were ploughing there were his own +brethren, but he did not know that they were his brethren. So he went +up and said to the elder brother, "Tell me, uncle, what shall I ask +of God? A tsardom, or great riches, or a good wife? Tell me, which of +the three is the best gift to ask for?"--And his eldest brother +said to him, "I know not, and who does know? Go and ask some one +else." So he went to the second brother, who was ploughing a little +farther on. He asked him the same question, but the man only +shrugged his shoulders and said he didn't know either. Then he went to +the third brother, who was the youngest of the three, and also +ploughing there. And he asked him, saying, "Tell me, now, which is +the best gift to ask of God: a tsardom, or great riches, or a good +wife?"--And the third brother said, "What a question! Thou art too +young for a tsardom, and great riches last but for a little while; +ask God for a good wife, for if it please God to give thee a good +wife, 'tis a gift that will bless thee all thy life long." So he went +back to the angel and asked for a good wife. Then he went on his way +till he came to a certain wood, and, looking about him, he perceived +that in this wood was a lake. And while he was looking at it, +three wild doves came flying along and lit down upon this lake. They +threw off their plumage and plunged into the water, and then he saw +that they were not wild doves, but three fair ladies. They bathed in +the lake, and in the meantime the youth crept up and took the raiment +of one of them and hid it behind the bushes. When they came out of +the water the third lady missed her clothes. Then the youth said to +her, "I know where thy clothes are, but I will not give them to thee +unless thou wilt be my wife."--"Good!" cried she, "thy wife will I +be." Then she dressed herself, and they went together to the +nearest village. When they got there, she said to him, "Now go to +the nobleman who owns the land here, and beg him for a place where +we may build us a hut." So he went right up to the nobleman's castle +and entered his reception-room, and said, "Glory be to God!"--"For +ever and ever!" replied the nobleman. "What dost thou want here, +Ivan?"--"I have come, sir, to beg of thee a place where I may build me +a hut."--"A place for a hut, eh? Good, very good. Go home, and +I'll speak to my overseer, and he shall appoint thee a place."--So +he returned from the nobleman's castle, and his wife said to him, "Go +now into the forest and cut down an oak, a young oak, that thou +canst span round with both arms." So he cut down such an oak as his +wife had told him of, and she built a hut of the oak, for the overseer +had come and shown them a place where they might build their hut. But +when the overseer returned home he praised loudly to his master the +wife of this Ivan. "She is such and such," said he. "Fair she may +be," replied the nobleman, "but she is another's."--"She need not be +another's for long," replied the overseer. "This Ivan is in our +hands; let us send him to see why it is the sun grows so red when he +sets."--"That's just the same as if you sent him to a place whence he +can never return."--"All the better."--Then they sent for Ivan, and +gave him this errand, and he returned home to his wife, weeping +bitterly. Then his wife asked him all about it, and said, "Well, I +can tell thee all about the ways of the sun, for I am the sun's +own daughter. So now I'll tell thee the whole matter. Go back to this +nobleman and say to him that the reason why the sun turns so red as +he sets is this: Just as the sun is going down into the sea, three +fair ladies rise out of it, and it is the sight of them which makes +him turn so red all over!" So he went back and told them. "Oh-ho!" +cried they, "if you can go as far as that, you may now go a little +farther"; so they told him to go to hell and see how it was there. +"Yes," said his wife, "I know the road that leads to hell also very +well; but the nobleman must let his overseer go with thee, or else +he never will believe that thou really didst go to hell."--So the +nobleman told his overseer that he must go to hell too, so they +went together; and when they got there the rulers of hell laid +hands upon the overseer straightway. "Thou dog!" roared they, +"we've been looking out for thee for some time!" So Ivan returned +without the overseer, and the nobleman said to him, "Where's my +overseer?"--"I left him in hell," said Ivan, "and they said there that +they were waiting for you, sir, too." When the nobleman heard this +he hanged himself, but Ivan lived happily with his wife. + + [22] _Lit._ Big billy-goats, the name given by the clean-shaved + Ruthenians to their hairy neighbours the Russians. + +[Illustration: THE RULERS OF HELL LAID HANDS UPON THE OVERSEER +STRAIGHTWAY] + + + + +THE CAT, THE COCK, AND THE FOX + + +There was once upon a time a cat and a cock, who agreed to live +together, so they built them a hut on an ash-heap, and the cock kept +house while the cat went foraging for sausages. + +One day the fox came running up: "Open the door, little cock!" cried +she.--"Pussy told me not to, little fox!" said the cock.--"Open the +door, little cock!" repeated the fox.--"I tell you, pussy told me not +to, little fox!"--At last, however, the cock grew tired of always +saying "No!" so he opened the door, and in the fox rushed, seized him +in her jaws, and ran off with him. Then the cock cried: + + "_Help! pussy-pussy! + That foxy hussy + Has got me tight + With all her might. + Across her tail + My legs do trail + Along the bridge so stony!_" + +The cat heard it, gave chase to the fox, rescued the cock, brought him +home, scolded him well, and said, "Now keep out of her jaws in the +future, if you don't want to be killed altogether!" + +Then the cat went out foraging for wheat, so that the cock might +have something to eat. He had scarcely gone when the sly she-fox +again came creeping up. "Dear little cock!" said she, "pray open +the door!"--"Nay, little fox! Pussy said I wasn't to." But the fox +went on asking and asking till at last the cock let him in. Then +the fox rushed at him, seized him by the neck, and ran off with +him. Then the cock cried out: + + "_Help! pussy-pussy! + That foxy hussy + Has got me tight + With all her might. + Across her tail + My legs do trail + Along the bridge so stony!_" + +The cat heard it, and again he ran after the fox and rescued the cock, +and gave the fox a sound drubbing. Then he said to the cock, "Now, +mind you never let her come in again, or she'll eat you." + +But the next time the cat went out, the she-fox came again, and said, +"Dear little cock, open the door!"--"No, little fox! Pussy said I +wasn't to." But the fox begged and begged so piteously that, at last, +the cock was quite touched, and opened the door. Then the fox caught +him by the throat again, and ran away with him, and the cock cried: + + "_Help! pussy-pussy! + That foxy hussy + Has got me tight + With all her might. + Across her tail + My legs do trail + Along the bridge so stony!_" + +The cat heard it, and gave chase again. He ran and ran, but this time +he couldn't catch the fox up; so he returned home and wept bitterly, +because he was now all alone. At last, however, he dried his tears and +got him a little fiddle, a little fiddle-bow, and a big sack, and went +to the fox's hole and began to play: + + "_Fiddle-de-dee! + The foxy so wee + Had daughters twice two, + And a little son too, + Called Phil.--Fiddle-dee! + Come, foxy, and see + My sweet minstrelsy!_" + +Then the fox's daughter said, "Mammy, I'll go out and see who it is +that is playing so nicely!" So out she skipped, but no sooner did +pussy see her than he caught hold of her and popped her into his sack. +Then he played again: + + "_Fiddle-de-dee! + The foxy so wee + Had daughters twice two, + And a little son too, + Called Phil.--Fiddle-dee! + Come, foxy, and see + My sweet minstrelsy!_" + +Then the second daughter skipped out, and pussy caught her by the +forehead, and popped her into his sack, and went on playing and +singing till he had got all four daughters into his sack, and the +little son also. + +Then the old fox was left all alone, and she waited and waited, but +not one of them came back. At last she said to herself, "I'll go out +and call them home, for the cock is roasting, and the milk pottage is +simmering, and 'tis high time we had something to eat." So out she +popped, and the cat pounced upon her, and killed her too. Then he went +and drank up all the soup, and gobbled up all the pottage, and then he +saw the cock lying on a plate. "Come, shake yourself, cock!" said +puss. So the cock shook himself, and got up, and the cat took the cock +home, and the dead foxes too. And when they got home they skinned them +to make nice beds to lie upon, and lived happily together in peace and +plenty. And as they laughed over the joke as a good joke, we may laugh +over it too! + + + + +THE SERPENT-TSAREVICH AND +HIS TWO WIVES + + +There was once a Tsaritsa who had no child, and greatly desired one, +so the soothsayers said to her, "Bid them catch thee a pike, bid them +boil its head and nothing but its head, eat it, and thou shalt see +what will happen." So she did so. She ate the pike's head and went +about as usual for a whole year, and when the year was out she gave +birth to a son who was a serpent. + +And no sooner was he born than he looked about him, and said, "Mammy +and daddy! Bid them make me a stone hut, and let there be a little bed +there, and a little stove and a fire to warm me, and let me be married +in a fortnight!"--So they did as he desired. They shut him up in a +stone hut, with a little bed and a little stove and fire to warm him, +and in a fortnight he grew quite big, indeed he grew too big for his +little bed. "And now," said he, "I want to be married!" So they +brought to him all the fair young damsels of the land that he might +choose one to be his own true bride. Exceeding fair were all the +damsels they brought him, and yet he would choose none of them. Now +there was an old woman there, who had twelve daughters, and eleven of +these daughters they brought to the Serpent-Tsarevich, but not the +twelfth. "She is too young!" said they.--Then the youngest daughter +said, "Ye fools, not to take me too! Why, if I were brought to the +Serpent-Tsarevich, he would make me his bride at once." + +Now this came to the Tsar's ears, and he commanded them to bring her +to him straightway. And the Tsar said to her, "Wilt thou be my son's +bride or not?"--And she said, "I will; but before I go to thy son, +give me at once a score of chemises, and a score of linen kirtles, and +a score of woollen kirtles, and twenty pairs of shoes--twenty of each, +I say."--So the Tsar gave them to her, and she put on the twenty +chemises, the twenty linen kirtles, the twenty woollen kirtles, and +the twenty pairs of shoes, one after the other, and went to see the +Serpent-Tsarevich. When she came to the threshold of his hut, she +stopped and said, "Hail, O Serpent-Tsarevich!"--"Hail, maiden!" cried +he. "Wilt thou be my bride?"--"I will!"--"Then take off one of thy +skins!" cried he.--"Yes," she said, "but thou must do the same."--So +he cast off one of his skins, and she cast off one of her twenty suits +of clothes. Then he cried out again, "Cast off another of thy skins, +maiden."--"Yes," she replied, "but thou must cast off one too!"--So he +did so. Nineteen times did he cast off one of his serpent's skins, and +nineteen times did she cast off one of her suits of clothes, till at +last she had only her every-day suit left, and he had only his human +skin left. Then he threw off his last skin also, and it flew about in +the air like a gossamer, whereupon she seized hold of it and threw it +into the fire that was burning on the hearth till it was all consumed, +and he stood before her no longer a serpent, but a simple Tsarevich. +Then they married and lived happily together, but the husband never +would go to visit his old father the Tsar, nor would he allow his +bride to go near the palace. + +[Illustration: NINETEEN TIMES DID SHE CAST OFF ONE OF HER SUITS OF +CLOTHES] + +The old Tsar sent for him again and again, but his son would never go. +At last the wife was ashamed, and said to her husband one day, "Dear +heart! let me go to thy father! I will only go for my own pastime, +lest he get angry. Why should I not go?" Then he let her go, and she +went to the court of the old Tsar, and took her pastime there. She +amused herself finely, and ate and drank her fill of all good things. +Now her husband had laid this command upon her, "Go and divert thyself +if thou wilt, but if thou tell my father and my mother what has +happened to me, and how I have lost my twenty serpent skins, thou +shalt never see me more." For they did not know that he was now no +longer a serpent, but a simple Tsarevich. She vowed she would never +tell; but for all her promises, she nevertheless told them at last how +her husband had lost his twenty serpent skins. Then she enjoyed +herself to her heart's content, but when she returned home she found +no trace of her husband--he had departed to another kingdom in the +uttermost parts of the world. + +Then the poor bride sat her down and wept and wept, and when she had +no more tears to weep, she went forth into the wide world to seek her +husband. She went on till she came to a lonely little house, and she +went and begged a night's lodging from the old woman who dwelt there, +who was the Mother of the Winds. But the Mother of the Winds would not +let her in. "God preserve thee, child!" said she. "My son is already +winging his way hither. In another moment thou wilt hear the rustling +of his wings, in another moment he will slay thee, and scatter thy +bones to the four winds." But the bride besought the old woman till +she had her desire, and the old woman hid her behind a huge chest. A +moment afterward the son of the Mother of the Winds came flying up, +and he smelt out the bride, and said, "What's this, mother? There is +an evil smell of Cossack bones about the house!"--"No, it is not +that," said his mother, "but a young woman has taken shelter here, who +says that she is going in search of her husband."--"Then, mother, give +her the little silver apple, and let her go, for her husband is in +another kingdom." So they sent her away with the little silver apple. + +She went on and on till night descended upon her, and she came to the +lonely abode of another old woman, and begged a night's lodging of her +also. But the old woman would not let her in. "My son will be here +presently," said she, "and he will slay thee."--"Nay, but, granny," +said the bride, "I've already stayed the night with such as thou, for +I have lodged at the house of the Mother of the Winds."--Then the old +woman took her in, and hid her, for she was the Mother of the Moon. +And immediately afterward the Moon came flying up. "What is this, +little mother?" cried he. "I smell an evil smell of Cossack +bones!"--But she said to him, "Nay, my dear little son, but a young +woman has come hither who is obliged to search for her husband because +she told his father and mother the truth." Then the Moon said, +"'Twould be as well to let her go on farther. Give her the little +golden apple, and let her be off as quickly as possible, for her +husband is about to marry another wife." So she passed the night +there, and in the morning they sent her away with the little golden +apple. + +She went on and on. Night again descended upon her, and she came to +the house of the Mother of the Sun, and begged her for a night's +lodging. But the old woman said to her, "I cannot let thee in. My son +is flying about the world, but he will fly hither presently, and if he +find thee here he will slay thee!"--Then the bride said, "Nay, but, +granny dear, I have already lodged with the like of thee. I have +lodged with the Mother of the Winds, and the Mother of the Moon, and +they each gave me a little apple." Then the Mother of the Sun also let +her in. Immediately afterward her son, the Sun, came flying up, and he +said, "Why, what is this, little mother? I smell an evil smell of +Cossack bones!"--But his mother answered, "A young woman came hither +who begged for a night's lodging." She did not tell her son the whole +truth, that the bride was in search of her husband, but he knew it +already, and said, "Her husband is about to marry another wife. Let +her go to the land where now he is, and give her the diamond apple, +which is the best and most precious apple in the whole world, and tell +her to hasten on to the house where her husband abides. They won't let +her in there, but she must disguise herself as an old woman, and sit +down outside in the courtyard, and spread out a cloth and lay upon it +her little silver apple, and all the people will come flocking around +to see the old woman who is selling apples of silver." So the bride +did as the Sun bade her, and went to that distant empire, and the +Empress of that empire, whom her husband had married, came to see what +she was selling, and said to her, "What dost thou want for thy silver +apple?" And she answered, "No money do I want for it. Oh, sovereign +lady, all that I require in exchange therefor is that I may pass the +night near my husband."--Then the Empress took the apple, and allowed +her to come into the bedchamber of the Tsarevich to pass the night +there; but first of all she gave the Tsarevich a sleeping draught so +that he knew nothing, and could speak not a word to her, nor could he +even recognize what manner of person his true wife was. Then only did +the Empress let her come into the room where her husband lay. And she +watched over him, she watched over him the live-long night, and with +the dawn she departed. + +The next morning he awoke out of his drugged sleep, and said to +himself, "Why, what is this? It is just as if my first wife has been +weeping over me here, and wetted me with her tears!" But he told +nobody what he thought, nor did he say a word about it to his second +wife. "Wait a bit!" thought he, "to-morrow night I'll not go to sleep. +I'll watch and watch till I watch the thing out." + +The next day the faithful wife spread out her little cloth again, and +laid upon it her golden apple. The Empress again came that way, went +up to her, and said, "Sell me that apple of thine, and I'll give thee +for it as many pence as thou canst hold in thy lap!"--But she replied, +"Nay, my sovereign lady! money for it I will not take, but let me pass +one more night in my own husband's room!"--And the Empress took the +apple, and let her go there. But first the Empress caressed and kissed +her husband into a good humour, and then she gave him another sleeping +draught. And the faithful wife came again, and watched and wept over +him and wetted him with her tears, and with the dawn she departed. + +And now she had only one apple left, but that was the diamond apple, +the most precious apple in the world. And she said to the Empress, +"Let me watch by him for this apple but one night more, and I'll never +ask again!" And she let her. Now this night also her husband was +asleep. And his first wife came and immediately began to kiss him on +the head, but he said nothing. Then she kissed him again, and at last +he awoke and started up, and said, "Who's that?"--"It is I, thy first +wife."--"How hast thou found thy way hither?"--"Oh, I have been here +and there and everywhere. I have lodged with the Mother of the Winds, +and the Mother of the Moon, and the Mother of the Sun, and they gave +me three apples, and I gave these apples to thy Empress-wife, and she +let me watch over thee, and this is the third night that I have +watched by thy side." + +Then he came to his right mind, and cried aloud that they should bring +in lights, and he saw that his faithful wife was quite an old woman. +Then he bethought him, and said, "Was ever the like of this known? My +first and faithful wife goes a-seeking her husband throughout the wide +world, while my accursed second wife, Empress though she be, sells her +husband for three apples!" + +Then he bade them give his faithful wife rich garments as much as she +would, and she stripped off her disguise, and washed her face and grew +young again. But the faithless wife was tied to the tails of four wild +horses, and they tore her to pieces in the endless steppe. + + + + +THE ORIGIN OF THE MOLE + + +Once upon a time a rich man and a poor man had a field in common, and +they sowed it with the same seed at the same time. But God prospered +the poor man's labour and made his seed to grow, but the rich man's +seed did not grow. Then the rich man claimed that part of the field +where the grain had sprung up, and said to the poor man, "Look now! +'tis my seed that has prospered, and not thine!" The poor man +protested, but the rich man would not listen, but said to him, "If +thou wilt not believe me, then, poor man, come into the field quite +early to-morrow morning, before dawn, and God shall judge betwixt +us." + +Then the poor man went home. But the rich man dug a deep trench in the +poor man's part of the field and placed his son in it, and said to +him, "Look now, my son; when I come hither to-morrow morning and ask +whose field this is, say that it is not the poor man's, but the rich +man's." + +Then he well covered up his son with straw, and departed to his own +house. + +In the morning all the people assembled together and went to the +field, and the rich man cried, "Speak, O God! whose field is this, the +rich man's or the poor man's?" + +"The rich man's, the rich man's," cried a voice from the midst of the +field. + +But the Lord Himself was among the people gathered together there, and +He said, "Listen not to that voice, for the field is verily the poor +man's." + +Then the Lord told all the people how the matter went, and then He +said to the son of the rich man, + +"Stay where thou art, and sit beneath the earth all thy days, so long +as the sun is in the sky." + +So the rich man's son became a mole on the spot, and that is why the +mole always flies the light of day. + + + + +THE TWO PRINCES + + +There was once upon a time a King who had two sons, and these sons +went a-hunting in the forest and there lost themselves. They wandered +on and on for twelve weeks, and at the end of the twelve weeks they +came to a place where three roads met, and the elder brother said to +the younger, "My brother, here our roads part. Take thou the road on +that side, and I'll take the road on this." Then the elder brother +took a knife and stuck it into the trunk of a maple-tree by the +roadside, and said, "Look now, brother, should any blood drip from the +blade of this knife it will be a sign that I am perishing, and thou +must go and seek me; but if any blood flow from the handle, it will be +a sign that _thou_ art perishing, and I will then go and seek thee." +Then the brothers embraced each other and parted, and one went in one +direction and the other went in the other. + +The elder brother went on and on and on till he came to a mountain so +high that there cannot be a higher, and he began climbing it with his +dog and his stick. He went on till he came to an apple-tree, and +beneath the apple-tree a fire was burning, and he stopped to warm +himself, when an old woman came up and said to him, "Dear little +gentleman! dear little gentleman! tie up that dog lest he bite me." So +he took the dog and tied it up, and immediately he was turned to +stone, and the dog too, for the old woman was a pagan witch. + +Time passed, and the younger brother came back to the maple-tree by +the cross-roads and saw that blood was dripping from the blade of the +knife. Then he knew that his brother was perishing, and he went in +search of him, and came at last to the high mountain that was higher +than all others, and on the top of this mountain there was a little +courtyard, and in the courtyard an old woman, who said to him, "Little +Prince, what brings thee hither, and what dost thou seek?"--"I seek my +brother," said he; "a whole year has passed since I heard of him, and +I know not whether he be alive or dead."--Then she said to him, "I can +tell thee that he is dead, and it is of no use seeking for him, though +thou goest the wide world over. But go up that mountain, and thou wilt +come to two other mountains opposite to each other, and there thou +wilt find an old man, who will put thee on thy way." So he went up the +high mountain till he came to two other mountains that were opposite +each other, and there he saw two old men sitting, and they asked him +straightway, "Little Prince! little Prince! whither dost thou go, and +what dost thou seek?"--"I am going in search of my brother," said he, +"my dear elder brother who is perishing, and I can find him +nowhere."--Then one of the old men said to him, "If thou canst scale +those two mountains yonder without falling, I'll give thee all that +thou dost want." Then he scaled the two mountains as nimbly as a goat, +and the old man gave him a bast rope, three fathoms long, and bade him +return to the mountain where was the fire and the old woman who had +asked him to stay and warm himself, and bind this old woman with the +cord and beat her till she promised to bring his brother back to life +again, and not only his brother but a Tsar and a Tsaritsa[23] and a +Tsarivna, who were also turned to stone there. "Beat her till she has +brought them all to life again," said they. So he took the cord and +went back to where the fire was burning. An apple-tree was there, and +beneath the apple-tree was the fire, and the old witch came out to him +and said, "Little master! little master! let me come and warm +myself."--"Come along, little mother!" cried he; "come and warm +thyself and make thyself comfortable." Then she came out, but no +sooner had she done so, than he threw the cord around her and began +flogging her. "Say," cried he, "what hast thou done with my +brother?"--"Oh, dear little master! dear little master! let me go, let +me go! I'll tell thee this instant where thy brother is." But he +wouldn't listen, but beat her and beat her, and held her naked feet +over the fire, and toasted and roasted her till she shrivelled right +up. Then he let her go, and she went with him to a cave that was on +that mountain, and drew from the depths of it some healing and +life-giving water, and brought his brother back to life again, but it +was as much as she could do, for she was half dead herself. Then his +brother said to him, "Oh, my dear brother, how heavily I must have +been sleeping! But thou must revive my faithful dog too!" Then she +revived the faithful dog, and she also revived the Tsar and the +Tsaritsa and the Tsarivna, who had been turned to stone there. Then +they left that place and when they had gone a little distance, the +elder brother bowed to the ground and went on his way alone. + + [23] The wife of a Tsar. + +He went on and on till he came to a city where all the people were +weeping and all the houses were hung with black cloth. And he said to +them, "Why do ye weep, and why are all your houses hung with +black?"--And they answered, "Because there's a Dragon here who eats +the people, and it has come to such a pass with us that to-morrow we +must give him our Princess for dinner."--"Nay, but ye shall not do +this thing," said he, and, with that, he set out for the cavern where +the Dragon lived, and tethered his horse there and slept by the side +of the cavern all night. And the next day, sure enough, the Princess +was brought to the mouth of the cavern. She came driving thither in a +carriage and four and with a heyduck[24] in attendance. But when the +Prince saw her, he came forth to meet her and led her aside and gave +her a prayer-book in her hand, and said to her, "Stay here, Princess, +and pray to God for me." Then she fell down on her knees and began to +pray, and the Dragon popped one of his heads out of the cavern and +said, "It is time I had my dinner now, and there's not so much as a +breakfast here!" But the Prince also fell down on his knees and read +out of his prayer-book and prayed to God, and said to the Dragon, +"Come forth! come forth! and I'll give thee breakfast and dinner at +the same time!" Then the Dragon darted back again, but when he had +waited till midday and still there was neither breakfast nor dinner +for him, he popped two of his heads out and cried, "It is high time I +had my dinner, and still there is neither breakfast nor dinner for +me!"--"Come forth, and I'll give thee both at once!" cried the +Prince. Then the Dragon wouldn't wait any longer, but stuck out all +his six heads and began to wriggle out of the cavern; but the Prince +attacked him with his huge broadsword, a full fathom long, which the +Lord had given him, and chopped off all the Dragon's six heads, and +the rock fell upon the Dragon's body and crushed it to pieces. Then +the Prince gathered up the six dragon-heads and laid them on one side, +and cut out the six lolling tongues and tied them in his handkerchief, +and told the Princess to go back to her palace, for they could not be +married for a year and twelve weeks, and if by that time he did not +appear, she was to marry another, and with that he departed. Then the +coachman of the Princess came up to the place and saw the six heads of +the Dragon, and took them up and said to the Princess, "I will slay +thee on the spot if thou dost not swear to me twelve times that thou +wilt say I slew the Dragon, and wilt take me for thy husband!" Then +she swore to it twelve times, for else he would have slain her. So +they returned together to the town, and immediately all the black +cloth was taken off the houses and the bells fell a-ringing, and all +the people rejoiced because the coachman had killed the Dragon. "Let +them be married at once!" cried they. + + [24] Hungarian soldier. + +Meanwhile the King's son went on and on till he came to that town +where he had left his brother, and there he found that the Tsar and +the Tsaritsa had given his brother the whole tsardom and the Tsarivna +to wife as well, and there he tarried for a time; but toward the end +of a year and twelve weeks he went back to the other city where he had +left the Princess, and there he found them making ready for a grand +wedding. "What is the meaning of all this?" asked he. And they +answered, "The Tsar's coachman has slain the Dragon with six heads and +saved the Princess, and now he is to be married to her."--"Good Lord!" +cried he, "and I never saw this Dragon! What manner of beast was +it?"--Then they took him and showed him the heads of the Dragon, and +he cried, "Good Lord! every other beast hath a tongue, but this Dragon +hath none!" Then they told this to the coachman, who had been made a +Prince, and the coachman was very angry and said, "Whoever maintains +that a Dragon has tongues, him will I order to be tied to four wild +horses, and they shall tear him to pieces on the open steppe!" The +Princess, however, recognized the King's son, but she held her peace. +Then the King's son took out his handkerchief, unrolled it, showed +them the six tongues, and put each one into one of the six mouths of +the Dragon's six heads, and each of the tongues began to speak and bid +the Princess say how the matter went. Then the Princess told how she +had knelt down and prayed out of the prayer-book while the King's son +slew the Dragon, and how the wicked coachman had made her swear twelve +times to that which was false. When the Tsar heard this, he +immediately gave the Princess his daughter to the King's son, and they +asked him what death the wicked coachman should die. And he answered, +"Let him be tied to the tails of four wild horses, and drive them into +the endless steppe that they may tear him to pieces there, and the +ravens and crows may come and pick his bones." + + + + +THE UNGRATEFUL CHILDREN AND +THE OLD FATHER WHO WENT TO +SCHOOL AGAIN + + +Once upon a time there was an old man. He lived to a great age, and +God gave him children whom he brought up to man's estate, and he +divided all his goods amongst them. "I will pass my remaining days +among my children," thought he. + +So the old man went to live with his eldest son, and at first the +eldest son treated him properly, and did reverence to his old +father. "'Tis but meet and right that we should give our father to +eat and drink, and see that he has wherewithal to clothe him, and take +care to patch up his things from time to time, and let him have +clean new shirts on festivals," said the eldest son. So they did so, +and at festivals also the old father had his own glass beside him. +Thus the eldest son was a good son to his old father. But when the +eldest son had been keeping his father for some time he began to +regret his hospitality, and was rough to his father, and sometimes +even shouted at him. The old man no longer had his own set place +in the house as heretofore, and there was none to cut up his food +for him. So the eldest son repented him that he had said he would +keep his father, and he began to grudge him every morsel of bread +that he put in his mouth. The old man had nothing for it but to go to +his second son. It might be better for him there or worse, but stay +with his eldest son any longer he could not. So the father went to +his second son. But here the old man soon discovered that he had only +exchanged wheat for straw. Whenever he began to eat, his second son +and his daughter-in-law looked sour and murmured something between +their teeth. The woman scolded the old man. "We had as much as we +could do before to make both ends meet," cried she, "and now we +have old men to keep into the bargain." The old man soon had enough +of it there also, and went on to his next son. So one after +another all four sons took their father to live with them, and he was +glad to leave them all. Each of the four sons, one after the other, +cast the burden of supporting him on one of the other brothers. "It is +for him to keep thee, daddy!" said they; and then the other would +say, "Nay, dad, but it is as much as we can do to keep ourselves." +Thus between his four sons he knew not what to do. There was quite +a battle among them as to which of them should _not_ keep their old +father. One had one good excuse and another had another, and so none +of them would keep him. This one had a lot of little children, and +that one had a scold for a wife, and this house was too small, and +that house was too poor. "Go where thou wilt, old man," said they, +"only don't come to us." And the old man, grey, grey, grey as a +dove was he, wept before his sons, and knew not whither to turn. +What could he do? Entreaty was in vain. Not one of the sons would take +the old man in, and yet he had to be put somewhere. Then the old +man strove with them no more, but let them do with him even as +they would. + +So all four sons met and took counsel. Time after time they laid their +heads together, and at last they agreed among themselves that the +best thing the old man could do was to go to school. "There will be a +bench for him to sit upon there," said they; "and he can take +something to eat in his knapsack." Then they told the old man about +it; but the old man did not want to go to school. He begged his +children not to send him there, and wept before them. "Now that I +cannot see the white world," said he, "how can I see a black book? +Moreover, from my youth upward I have never learnt my letters; how +shall I begin to do so now? A clerk cannot be fashioned out of an old +man on the point of death!" But there was no use talking, his children +said he _must_ go to school, and the voices of his children prevailed +against his feeble old voice. So to school he had to go. Now there was +no church in that village, so he had to go to the village beyond it to +school. A forest lay along the road, and in this forest the old man +met a nobleman driving along. When the old man came near to the +nobleman's carriage, he stepped out of the road to let it pass, took +off his hat respectfully, and then would have gone on farther. But he +heard some one calling, and, looking back, saw the nobleman beckoning +to him; he wanted to ask him something. The nobleman then got out of +his carriage and asked the old man whither he was going. The old man +took off his hat to the nobleman and told him all his misery, and the +tears ran down the old man's cheeks. "Woe is me, gracious sir! If the +Lord had left me without kith and kin, I should not complain; but +strange indeed is the woe that has befallen me! I have four sons, +thank God, and all four have houses of their own, and yet they send +their poor old father to school to learn! Was ever the like of it +known before?" So the old man told the nobleman his whole story, and +the nobleman was full of compassion for the old man. "Well, old man," +said he, "'tis no use for thee to go to school, that's plain. Return +home. I'll tell thee what to do so that thy children shall never send +thee to school again. Fear not, old man, weep no more, and let not thy +soul be troubled! God shall bless thee, and all will be well. I know +well what ought to be done here." So the nobleman comforted the old +man, and the old man began to be merry. Then the nobleman took out his +purse, it was a real nobleman's purse, with a little sack in the +middle of it to hold small change. Lord! what a lovely thing it was! +The more he looked at it, the more the old man marvelled at it. The +nobleman took this purse and began filling it full with something. +When he had well filled it, he gave it to the old man. "Take this and +go home to thy children," said he, "and when thou hast got home, call +together all thy four sons and say to them, 'My dear children, long +long ago, when I was younger than I am now, and knocked about in the +world a bit, I made a little money. "I won't spend it," I said to +myself, "for one never knows what may happen." So I went into a +forest, my children, and dug a hole beneath an oak, and there I hid my +little store of money. I did not bother much about the money +afterward, because I had such good children; but when you sent me to +school I came to this self-same oak, and I said to myself, "I wonder +if these few silver pieces have been waiting for their master all +this time! Let us dig and see." So I dug and found them, and have +brought them home to you, my children. I shall keep them till I die; +but after my death consult together, and whosoever shall be found to +have cherished me most and taken care of me and not grudged me a clean +shirt now and then, or a crust of bread when I'm hungry, to him shall +be given the greater part of my money. So now, my dear children, +receive me back again, and my thanks shall be yours. You can manage it +amongst you, and surely 'tis not right that I should seek a home among +strangers! Which of you will be kind to your old father--for money?'" + +So the old man returned to his children with the purse in a casket, +and when he came to the village with the casket under his arm, one +could see at once that he had been in a _good forest_.[25] When one +comes home with a heavy casket under one's arm, depend upon it there's +something in it! So, no sooner did the old man appear than his eldest +daughter-in-law came running out to meet him, and bade him welcome in +God's name. "Things don't seem to get on at all without thee, dad!" +cried she, "and the house is quite dreary. Come in and rest, dad," she +went on; "thou hast gone a long way and must be weary." Then all the +brothers came together, and the old man told them what God had done +for him. All their faces brightened as they looked at the casket, and +they thought to themselves, "If we keep him we shall have the money." +Then the four brothers could not make too much of their dear old +father. They took care of him and the old man was happy, but he took +heed to the counsel of the nobleman, and never let the casket out of +his hand. "After my death you shall have everything, but I won't give +it you now, for who knows what may happen? I have seen already how you +treated your old father when he had nothing. It shall all be yours, I +say, only wait; and when I die, take it and divide it as I have said." +So the brothers tended their father, and the old man lived in clover, +and was somebody. He had his own way and did nothing. + + [25] _I.e._ a forest where treasure is hidden. + +So the old man was no longer ill-treated by his children, but lived +among them like an emperor in his own empire, but no sooner did he die +than his children made what haste they could to lay hands upon the +casket. All the people were called together and bore witness that they +had treated their father well since he came back to them, so it was +adjudged that they should divide the treasure amongst them. But first +they took the old man's body to church and the casket along with it. +They buried him as God commands. They made a rich banquet of funeral +meats that all might know how much they mourned the old man; it was a +splendid funeral. When the priest got up from the table, the people +all began to thank their hosts, and the eldest son begged the priest +to say the _sorokoust_[26] in the church for the repose of the dead +man's soul. "Such a dear old fellow as he was!" said he; "was there +ever any one like him? Take this money for the _sorokoust_, reverend +father!" so horribly grieved was that eldest son. So the eldest son +gave the priest money, and the second son gave him the like. Nay, +each one gave him money for an extra half _sorokoust_, all four gave +him requiem money. "We'll have prayers in church for our father though +we sell our last sheep to pay for them," cried they. Then, when all +was over, they hastened as fast as they could to the money. The coffer +was brought forth. They shook it. There was a fine rattling inside it. +Every one of them felt and handled the coffer. That was something like +a treasure! Then they unsealed it and opened it and scattered the +contents--and it was full of nothing but glass! They wouldn't believe +their eyes. They rummaged among the glass, but there was no money. It +was horrible! Surely it could not be that their father had dug up a +coffer from beneath an oak of the forest and it was full of nothing +but glass! "Why!" cried the brothers, "our father has left us nothing +but glass!" But for the crowds of people there, the brothers would +have fallen upon and beaten each other in their wrath. So the children +of the old man saw that their father had made fools of them. Then all +the people mocked them: "You see what you have gained by sending your +father to school! You see he learned something at school after all! He +was a long time before he _began_ learning, but better late than +never. It appears to us 'twas a right good school you sent him to. No +doubt they whipped him into learning so much. Never mind, you can keep +the money and the casket!" Then the brothers were full of lamentation +and rage. But what could they do? Their father was already dead and +buried. + + [26] Prayers lasting forty days. + + + + +IVAN THE FOOL AND ST PETER'S +FIFE + + +There was once upon a time a man who had three sons, and two were +clever, but the third, called Ivan, was a fool. Their father divided +all his goods among them and died, and the three brothers went out +into the world to seek their fortunes. Now the two wise brothers left +all their goods at home, but Ivan the fool, who had only inherited a +large millstone, took it along with him. They went on and on and on +till it began to grow dark, when they came to a large forest. Then the +wise brothers said, "Let us climb up to the top of this oak and pass +the night there, and then robbers will not fall upon us."--"But what +will this silly donkey do with his millstone?" asked one of +them.--"You look to yourselves," said Ivan, "for I mean to pass the +night in this tree also." Then the wise brothers climbed to the very +tip-top of the tree and there sat down, and then Ivan dragged himself +up too, and the millstone after him. He tried to get up as high as his +brothers, but the thin boughs broke beneath him, so he had to be +content with staying in the lower part of the tree on the thicker +boughs; so there he sat, hugging the millstone in his arms. Presently +some robbers came along that way, red-handed from their work, and they +too prepared to pass the night under the tree. So they cut them down +firewood, and made them a roaring fire beneath a huge cauldron, and in +this cauldron they began to boil their supper. They boiled and boiled +till their mess of pottage was ready, and then they all sat down round +the cauldron and took out their large ladles, and were just about to +fall to--in fact they were blowing their food because it was so +boiling hot--when Ivan let his big millstone plump down into the +middle of the cauldron, so that the pottage flew right into their +eyes. The robbers were so terrified that they all sprang to their feet +straightway and scampered off through the forest, forgetting all the +booty of which they had robbed the merchantmen. Then Ivan came down +from the oak and cried to his brothers, "You come down here and divide +the spoil!" So the wise brothers came down, put all the merchandise on +the backs of the robbers' horses, and went home with it; but the only +thing that Ivan was able to secure for himself was a bag of incense. +This he immediately took to the nearest churchyard, placed it on the +top of a tomb, and began to pound away at it with his millstone. +Suddenly St Peter appeared to him and said, "What art thou doing, good +man?"--"I am pounding up this incense to make bread of it."--"Nay, +good man, I will advise thee better: give me the incense and take from +me whatever thou wilt."--"Very well, St Peter," said the fool; "thou +must give me a little fife, but a fife of such a sort that whenever I +play upon it, every one will be obliged to dance."--"But dost thou +know how to play upon a fife?"--"No, but I can soon learn." Then St +Peter drew forth a little fife from his bosom and gave it to him, and +took away the incense, and who can say where he went with it? But Ivan +stood up and gazed at the sky and said, "Look now! if St Peter hath +not already burnt my incense and made of it that large white cloud +that is sailing above my head!" Then he took up his fife and began to +play, and the moment he began to play, everything around him began to +dance; the wolves, and the hares, and the foxes, and the bears, nay, +the very birds lit down upon the ground and began to dance, and Ivan +went on laughing and playing all the time. Even the savage, surly +bears danced and danced till their legs tottered beneath them. Then +they clutched tight hold of the trees to stop themselves from dancing; +but it was of no use, dance they must. At last Ivan himself was tired, +and lay down to rest, and when he had rested a little, he got up again +and went on into the town. There all the people were in the bazaars, +buying and selling. Some were buying pancakes, others baskets of +bright-coloured eggs, others again pitchers of _kvas_. Ivan began +playing on his fife, and forthwith they all fell a-dancing. One man +who had a whole basket of eggs on his head danced them into bits, and +danced and danced till he looked like the yolk of an egg himself. +Those who were asleep got up and gave themselves up to dancing +straightway; there were some who danced without trousers, and some who +danced without smocks or shirts, and there were some who danced with +nothing on at all, for dance they must when Ivan began a-playing. The +whole town was turned upside down: the dogs, the swine, the cocks and +hens, everything that had life came out and danced. At last Ivan was +tired, so he left off playing and went into the town to seek service. +The parson there took a fancy to him, and said to him, "Good man! wilt +enter my service?"--"That will I, gladly," said Ivan.--"How much wages +dost thou want by the year then?"--"It won't come dear; five +_karbovantsya_[27] are all I ask."--"Good, I agree," said the parson. +So he engaged Ivan as his servant, and the next day he sent him out +into the fields to tend his cattle. Ivan drove the cattle into the +pastures, but he himself perched on the top of a haystack while the +cattle grazed. He sat there, and sat and sat till he grew quite dull, +and then he said to himself, "I'll play a bit on my fife, I haven't +played for a long time." So he began to play, and immediately all the +cattle fell a-dancing; and not only the cattle, but all the foxes, and +the hares, and the wolves, and everything in the hedges and ditches +fell a-dancing too. They danced and danced till the poor cattle were +clean worn out and at the last gasp. In the evening Ivan drove them +home, but they were so famished that they tugged at the dirty straw +roofs of the huts they passed, and so got a chance mouthful or two. +But Ivan went in and had supper and a comfortable night's rest +afterward. The next day he again drove the cattle into the pastures. +They began grazing till he took out his fife again, when they all fell +a-dancing like mad. He played on and on till evening, when he drove +the cattle home again, and they were all as hungry as could be, and +wearied to death from dancing. + + [27] A _karbovanets_ is about four shillings. + +[Illustration: SUDDENLY ST PETER APPEARED TO HIM] + +Now the parson was not a little astonished when he saw his cattle. +"Where on earth has he been feeding them?" thought he; "they are quite +tired out and almost famished! I'll take care to go myself to-morrow, +and see exactly whither he takes them, and what he does with them." On +the third day the neat-herd again drove the cattle into the pastures, +but this time the parson followed after them, and went and hid himself +behind the hedge near to which Ivan was watching the cattle graze. +There he sat then, and watched to see what the man would do. Presently +Ivan mounted on to the haystack and began to play. And immediately all +the cattle fell a-dancing, and everything in the hedge, and the parson +behind the hedge danced too. Now the hedge was a quickset hedge, and +as the parson began capering about in it, he tore to shreds his +cassock and his breeches, and his under-coat, and his shirt, and +scratched his skin and wrenched out his beard as if he had been very +badly shaved, and still the poor parson had to go on dancing in the +midst of the prickly hedge till there were great weals and wounds all +over his body, and the red blood began to flow. Then the parson saw he +was in evil case, and shrieked to his herdsman to leave off playing; +but the herdsman was so wrapped up in his music that he did not hear +him; but at last he looked in the direction of the hedge, and when he +saw the poor parson skipping about like a lunatic, he stopped. The +parson darted away as fast as his legs could carry him toward the +village, and oh! what a sight he looked as he dashed through the +streets! The people didn't know him, and--scandalized that anybody +should run about in rags and tatters so that his whole body could be +seen--began to hoot him. Then the poor man turned aside from the +public road, crawled off through the woods, and dashed off through the +tall reeds of the gardens, with the dogs after him. For wherever he +went they took him for a robber, and hounded on the dogs. At last the +parson got home, all rags and tatters, so that when his wife saw him +she did not know him, but called to the labourers, "Help, help! here's +a robber, turn him out!" They came rushing up with sticks and cudgels, +but he began talking to them, and at last they recognized him, led him +home, and he told his wife all about Ivan. The parson's wife was so +amazed she could scarce believe it. In the evening Ivan drove home the +oxen, put them into their stalls, gave them straw to eat, and then +came into the house himself to have supper. He came into the house, +and the parson said to him, "Come now, Ivan, when thou hast rested a +bit, play my wife a little song!" But as for the parson, he took good +care to tie himself first of all to the pillar which held up the roof +of the house. Ivan sat down on the ground near to the threshold and +began to play. The parson's wife sat down on the bench to listen to +him while he played; but immediately she leaped up from the bench and +began to dance, and she danced with such hearty good-will that the +place became too small for her. Then the Devil seemed to take +possession of the cat too, for pussy leaped from under the stove and +began to spring and bound about also. The parson held on and held on +to the pillar with all his might, but it was of no use. He had no +power to resist; he let go with his hands, and tugged and tugged till +the rope that held him grew slacker and slacker, and then he went +dancing round and round the pillar at a furious rate, with the rope +chafing his hands and feet all the time. At last he could endure it no +longer, and bawled to Ivan to stop. "The deuce is in thee!" cried he. +Then Ivan stopped playing, put his fife into his breast-pocket, and +went and lay down to sleep. But the parson said to his wife, "We must +turn away this Ivan to-morrow, for he will be the death of ourselves +and our cattle!" Ivan, however, overheard what the parson said to his +wife, and getting up early in the morning, he went straight to the +parson, and said to him, "Give me one hundred _karbovantsya_, and I'll +be off; but if you won't give them to me, I'll play and play till you +and your wife have danced yourselves to death, and then I'll take your +place and live at mine ease." The parson scratched himself behind the +ears and hesitated; but at last he thought he had better give the +money and be quit of him. So he took the hundred _karbovantsya_ out of +his satchel and gave them to Ivan. Then Ivan played them a parting +song, till the parson and his wife fell down to the ground, dead-beat, +with their tongues lolling out of their mouths; and then he put his +fife into his breast-pocket, and wandered forth into the wide world. + + + + +THE MAGIC EGG + + +There was once upon a time a lark who was the Tsar among the birds, +and he took unto himself as his Tsaritsa a little shrew-mouse. They +had a field all to themselves, which they sowed with wheat, and when +the wheat grew up they divided it between them, when they found that +there was one grain over! The mouse said, "Let me have it!" But the +lark said, "No, let me have it!"--"What's to be done?" thought they. +They would have liked to take counsel of some one, but they had no +parents or kinsmen, nobody at all to whom they could go and ask advice +in the matter. At last the mouse said, "At any rate, let me have the +first nibble!" The lark Tsar agreed to this; but the little mouse +fastened her teeth in it and ran off into her hole with it, and there +ate it all up. At this the Tsar lark was wrath, and collected all the +birds of the air to make war upon the mouse Tsaritsa; but the Tsaritsa +called together all the beasts to defend her, and so the war began. +Whenever the beasts came rushing out of the wood to tear the birds to +pieces, the birds flew up into the trees; but the birds kept in the +air, and hacked and pecked the beasts wherever they could. Thus they +fought the whole day, and in the evening they lay down to rest. Now +when the Tsaritsa looked around upon her forces, she saw that the ant +was taking no part in the war. She immediately went and commanded the +ant to be there by evening, and when the ant came, the Tsaritsa +ordered her to climb up the trees with her kinsmen and bite off the +feathers round the birds' wings. + +Next day, when there was light enough to see by, the mouse Tsaritsa +cried, "Up, up, my warriors!" Thereupon the birds also rose up, and +immediately fell to the ground, where the beasts tore them to bits. So +the Tsaritsa overcame the Tsar. But there was one eagle who saw there +was something wrong, so he did not try to fly, but remained sitting on +the tree. And lo! there came an archer along that way, and seeing the +eagle on the tree, he took aim at it; but the eagle besought him and +said, "Do not kill me, and I'll be of great service to thee!" The +archer aimed a second time, but the eagle besought him still more and +said, "Take me down rather and keep me, and thou shalt see that it +will be to thy advantage." The archer, however, took aim a third time, +but the eagle began to beg of him most piteously, "Nay, kill me not, +but take me home with thee, and thou shalt see what great advantage it +will be to thee!" The archer believed the bird. He climbed up the +tree, took the eagle down, and carried it home. Then the eagle said to +him, "Put me in a hut, and feed me with flesh till my wings have grown +again." + +Now this archer had two cows and a steer, and he at once killed and +cut up one of the cows for the eagle. The eagle fed upon this cow for +a full year, and then he said to the archer, "Let me go, that I may +fly. I see that my wings have already grown again!" Then the archer +let him loose from the hut. The eagle flew round and round, he flew +about for half a day, and then he returned to the archer and said, "I +feel I have but little strength in me, slay me another cow!" And the +archer obeyed him, and slew the second cow, and the eagle lived upon +that for yet another year. Again the eagle flew round and round in the +air. He flew round and about the whole day till evening, when he +returned to the archer and said, "I am stronger than I was, but I have +still but little strength in me, slay me the steer also!" Then the man +thought to himself, "What shall I do? Shall I slay it, or shall I not +slay it?" At last he said, "Well! I've sacrificed more than this +before, so let this go too!" and he took the steer and slaughtered it +for the eagle. Then the eagle lived upon this for another whole year +longer, and after that he took to flight, and flew high up right to +the very clouds. Then he flew down again to the man and said to him, +"I thank thee, brother, for that thou hast been the saving of me! Come +now and sit upon me!"--"Nay, but," said the man, "what if some evil +befall me?"--"Sit on me, I say!" cried the eagle. So the archer sat +down upon the bird. + +Then the eagle bore him nearly as high as the big clouds, and then let +him fall. Down plumped the man; but the eagle did not let him fall to +the earth, but swiftly flew beneath him and upheld him, and said to +him, "How dost thou feel now?"--"I feel," said the man, "as if I had +no life in me."--Then the eagle replied, "That was just how I felt +when thou didst aim at me the first time." Then he said to him, "Sit +on my back again!" The man did not want to sit on him, but what could +he do? Sit he must. Then the eagle flew with him quite as high as the +big clouds, and shook him off, and down he fell headlong till he was +about two fathoms from the ground, when the bird again flew beneath +him and held him up. Again the eagle asked him, "How dost thou feel?" +And the man replied, "I feel just as if all my bones were already +broken to bits!"--"That is just how I felt when thou didst take aim at +me the second time," replied the eagle. "But now sit on my back once +more." The man did so, and the eagle flew with him as high as the +small fleecy clouds, and then he shook him off, and down he fell +headlong; but when he was but a hand's-breadth from the earth, the +eagle again flew beneath him and held him up, and said to him, "How +dost thou feel now?" And he replied, "I feel as if I no longer +belonged to this world!"--"That is just how I felt when thou didst aim +at me the third time," replied the eagle. "But now," continued the +bird, "thou art guilty no more. We are quits. I owe thee naught, and +thou owest naught to me; so sit on my back again, and I'll take thee +to my master." + +They flew on and on, they flew till they came to the eagle's uncle. +And the eagle said to the archer, "Go to my house, and when they ask +thee, 'Hast thou not seen our poor child?' reply, 'Give me the magic +egg, and I'll bring him before your eyes!'" So he went to the house, +and there they said to him, "Hast thou heard of our poor child with +thine ears, or seen him with thine eyes, and hast thou come hither +willingly or unwillingly?"--And he answered, "I have come hither +willingly!"--Then they asked, "Hast thou smelt out anything of our +poor youngster? for it is three years now since he went to the wars, +and there's neither sight nor sound of him more!"--And he answered, +"Give me the magic egg, and I'll bring him straightway before your +eyes!"--Then they replied, "'Twere better we never saw him than that +we should give thee the magic egg!"--Then he went back to the eagle +and said to him, "They said, ''Twere better we never saw him than that +we should give thee the magic egg.'"--Then the eagle answered, "Let us +fly on farther!" + +They flew on and on till they came to the eagle's brother, and the +archer said just the same to him as he had said to the eagle's uncle, +and still he didn't get the egg. Then they flew to the eagle's father, +and the eagle said to him, "Go up to the hut, and if they ask for me, +say that thou hast seen me and will bring me before their eyes."--So +he went up to the hut, and they said to him, "O Tsarevich, we hear +thee with our ears and see thee with our eyes, but hast thou come +hither of thine own free will or by the will of another?"--And the +archer answered, "I have come hither of my own free will!"--Then they +asked him, "Hast thou seen our son? Lo, these four years we have not +had news of him. He went off to the wars, and perchance he has been +slain there."--And he answered them, "I have seen him, and if you will +give me the magic egg, I will bring him before your eyes."--And the +eagle's father said to him, "What good will such a thing do thee? We +had better give thee the lucky penny!"--But he answered, "I don't want +the lucky penny, give me the magic egg!"--"Come hither then," said he, +"and thou shalt have it." So he went into the hut. Then the eagle's +father rejoiced and gave him the egg, and said to him, "Take heed +thou dost not break it anywhere on the road, and when thou gettest +home, hedge it round and build a strong fence about it, and it will do +thee good." + +So he went homeward. He went on and on till a great thirst came upon +him. So he stopped at the first spring he came to, and as he stooped +to drink he stumbled and the magic egg was broken. Then he perceived +that an ox had come out of the egg and was rolling away. He gave chase +to the ox, but whenever he was getting close to one side of it, the +other side of it got farther away from him. Then the poor fellow +cried, "I shall do nothing with it myself, I see."--At that moment an +old she-dragon came up to him and said, "What wilt thou give me, O +man, if I chase this ox back again into the egg for thee?"--And the +archer replied, "What _can_ I give?"--The dragon said to him, "Give me +what thou hast at home without thy will and wit!"--"Done!" said the +archer. Then the dragon chased the ox nicely into the egg again, +patched it up prettily and gave it into the man's hand. Then the +archer went home, and when he got home he found a son had been born to +him there, and his son said to him, "Why didst thou give me to the old +she-dragon, dad? But never mind, I'll manage to live in spite of her." +Then the father was very grieved for a time, but what could he do? Now +the name of this son was Ivan. + +So Ivan lost no time in going to the dragon, and the dragon said to +him, "Go to my house and do me three tasks, and if thou dost them not, +I'll devour thee." Now, round the dragon's house was a large meadow +as far as the eye could reach. And the dragon said to him, "Thou must +in a single night weed out this field and sow wheat in it, and reap +the wheat and store it, all in this very night; and thou must bake me +a roll out of this self-same wheat, and the roll must be lying ready +for me on my table in the morning." + +Then Ivan went and leaned over the fence, and his heart within him was +sore troubled. Now near to him there was a post, and on this post was +the dragon's starveling daughter. So when he came thither and fell +a-weeping, she asked him, "Wherefore dost thou weep?"--And he said, +"How can I help weeping? The dragon has bidden me do something I can +never, never do; and what is more, she has bidden me do it in a single +night."--"What is it, pray?" asked the dragon's daughter. Then he told +her. "Not every bush bears a berry!" cried she. "Promise to take me to +wife, and I'll do all she has bidden thee do." He promised, and then +she said to him again, "Now go and lie down, but see that thou art up +early in the morning to bring her her roll." Then she went to the +field, and before one could whistle she had cleaned it of weeds and +harrowed it and sown it with wheat, and by dawn she had reaped the +wheat and cooked the roll and brought it to him, and said, "Now, take +it to her hut and put it on her table." + +Then the old she-dragon awoke and came to the door, and was amazed at +the sight of the field, which was now all stubble, for the corn had +been cut. Then she said to Ivan, "Yes, thou hast done the work well. +But now, see that thou doest my second task." Then she gave him her +second command. "Dig up that mountain yonder and let the Dnieper flow +over the site of it, and there build a store-house, and in the +store-house stack the wheat that thou hast reaped, and sell this wheat +to the merchant barques that sail by, and everything must be done by +the time I get up early next morning!" Then he again went to the fence +and wept, and the maiden said to him, "Why dost thou weep?" and he +told her all that the she-dragon had bidden him do. "There are lots of +bushes, but where are the berries? Go and lie down, and I'll do it all +for thee." Then she whistled, and the mountain was levelled and the +Dnieper flowed over the site of it, and round about the Dnieper +store-houses rose up, and then she came and woke him that he might go +and sell the wheat to the merchant barques that sailed by that way, +and when the she-dragon rose up early in the morning she was amazed to +see that everything had been done which she had commanded him. + +Then she gave him her third command. "This night thou must catch the +golden hare, and bring it to me by the morning light." Again he went +to the fence and fell a-weeping. And the girl asked him, "Why art thou +weeping?"--He said to her, "She has ordered me to catch her the golden +hare."--"Oh, oh!" cried the she-dragon's daughter, "the berries are +ripening now; only her father knows how to catch such a hare as that. +Nevertheless, I'll go to a rocky place I know of, and there perchance +we shall be able to catch it." So they went to this rocky place +together, and she said to him, "Stand over that hole. I'll go in and +chase him out of the hole, and do thou catch him as he comes out; but +mind, whatever comes out of the hole, seize it, for it will be the +golden hare." + +So she went and began beating up, and all at once out came a snake and +hissed, and he let it go. Then she came out of the hole and said to +him, "What! has nothing come out?"--"Well," said he, "only a snake, +and I was afraid it would bite me, so I let it go."--"What hast thou +done?" said she; "that was the very hare itself. Look now!" said she, +"I'll go in again, and if any one comes out and tells you that the +golden hare is not here, don't believe it, but hold him fast." So she +crept into the hole again and began to beat for game, and out came an +old woman, who said to the youth, "What art thou poking about there +for?"--And he said to her, "For the golden hare."--She said to him, +"It is not here, for this is a snake's hole," and when she had said +this she went away. Presently the girl also came out and said to him, +"What! hast thou not got the hare? Did nothing come out then?"--"No," +said he, "nothing but an old woman who asked me what I was seeking, +and I told her the golden hare, and she said, 'It is not here,' so I +let her go."--Then the girl replied, "Why didst thou not lay hold of +her? for she was the very golden hare itself, and now thou never wilt +catch it unless I turn myself into a hare and thou take and lay me on +the table, and give me into my mother's, the she-dragon's hands, and +go away, for if she find out all about it she will tear the pair of us +to pieces." + +So she changed herself into a hare, and he took and laid her on the +table, and said to the she-dragon, "There's thy hare for thee, and +now let me go away!" She said to him, "Very well--be off!" Then he set +off running, and he ran and ran as hard as he could. Soon after, the +old she-dragon discovered that it was not the golden hare, but her own +daughter, so she set about chasing after them to destroy them both, +for the daughter had made haste in the meantime to join Ivan. But as +the she-dragon couldn't run herself, she sent her husband, and he +began chasing them, and they knew he was coming, for they felt the +earth trembling beneath his tread. Then the she-dragon's daughter said +to Ivan, "I hear him running after us. I'll turn myself into standing +wheat and thee into an old man guarding me, and if he ask thee, 'Hast +thou seen a lad and a lass pass by this way?' say to him, 'Yes, they +passed by this way while I was sowing this wheat!'" + +A little while afterward the she-dragon's husband came flying up. +"Have a lad and a lass passed by this way?" said he. "Yes," replied +the old man, "they have."--"Was it long ago?" asked the she-dragon's +husband.--"It was while this wheat was being sown," replied the old +man.--"Oh!" thought the dragon, "this wheat is ready for the sickle, +they couldn't have been this way yesterday," so he turned back. Then +the she-dragon's daughter turned herself back into a maiden and the +old man into a youth, and off they set again. But the dragon returned +home, and the she-dragon asked him, "What! hast thou not caught them +or met them on the road?"--"Met them, no!" said he. "I did, indeed, +pass on the road some standing wheat and an old man watching it, and +I asked the old man if he had seen a lad and a lass pass by that way, +and he said, 'Yes, while this wheat was being sown,' but the wheat was +quite ripe for the sickle, so I knew it was a long while ago and +turned back."--"Why didst thou not tear that old man and the wheat to +pieces?" cried the she-dragon; "it was they! Be off after them again, +and mind, this time tear them to pieces without fail." + +So the dragon set off after them again, and they heard him coming from +afar, for the earth trembled beneath him, so the damsel said to Ivan, +"He's coming again, I hear him; now I'll change myself into a +monastery, so old that it will be almost falling to pieces, and I'll +change thee into an old black monk at the gate, and when he comes up +and asks, 'Hast thou seen a lad and a lass pass this way?' say to him, +'Yes, they passed by this way when this monastery was being built.'" +Soon afterward the dragon came flying past, and asked the monk, "Hast +thou seen a lad and a lass pass by this way?"--"Yes," he replied, "I +saw them what time the holy fathers began to build this monastery." +The dragon thought to himself, "That was not yesterday! This monastery +has stood a hundred years if it has stood a day, and won't stand much +longer either," and with that he turned him back. When he got home, he +said to the she-dragon, his wife, "I met a black monk who serves in a +monastery, and I asked him about them, and he told me that a lad and a +lass had run past that way when the monastery was being built, but +that was not yesterday, for the monastery is a hundred years old at +the very least."--"Why didst thou not tear the black monk to pieces +and pull down the monastery? for 'twas they. But I see I must go after +them myself, thou art no good at all." + +So off she set and ran and ran, and they knew she was coming, for the +earth quaked and yawned beneath her. Then the damsel said to Ivan, "I +fear me 'tis all over, for she is coming herself! Look now! I'll +change thee into a stream and myself into a fish--a perch." +Immediately after the she-dragon came up and said to the perch, "Oh, +oh! so thou wouldst run away from me, eh!" Then she turned herself +into a pike and began chasing the perch, but every time she drew near +to it, the perch turned its prickly fins toward her, so that she could +not catch hold of it. So she kept on chasing it and chasing it, but +finding she could not catch it, she tried to drink up the stream, till +she drank so much of it that she burst. + +Then the maiden who had become a fish said to the youth who had become +a river, "Now that we are alive and not dead, go back to thy +lord-father and thy father's house and see them, and kiss them all +except the daughter of thy uncle, for if thou kiss that damsel thou +wilt forget me, and I shall go to the land of Nowhere." So he went +home and greeted them all, and as he did so he thought to himself, +"Why should I not greet my uncle's daughter like the rest of them? +Why, they'll think me a mere pagan if I don't!" So he kissed her, and +the moment he did so he forgot all about the girl who had saved him. + +So he remained there half a year, and then bethought him of taking +to himself a wife. So they betrothed him to a very pretty girl, and +he accepted her and forgot all about the other girl who had saved +him from the dragon, though she herself was the she-dragon's daughter. +Now the evening before the wedding they heard a young damsel crying +_Shishki_[28] in the streets. They called to the young damsel to go +away, or say who she was, for nobody knew her. But the damsel +answered never a word, but began to knead more cakes, and made a +cock-dove and a hen-dove out of the dough and put them down on the +ground, and they became alive. And the hen-dove said to the +cock-dove, "Hast thou forgotten how I cleared the field for thee, and +sowed it with wheat, and thou mad'st a roll from the corn which thou +gavest to the she-dragon?"--But the cock-dove answered, "Forgotten! +forgotten!"--Then she said to him again, "And hast thou forgotten how +I dug away the mountain for thee, and let the Dnieper flow by it that +the merchant barques might come to thy store-houses, and that thou +mightst sell thy wheat to the merchant barques?" But the cock-dove +replied, "Forgotten! forgotten!"--Then the hen-dove said to him +again, "And hast thou forgotten how we two went together in search of +the golden hare? Hast thou forgotten me then altogether?"--And the +cock-dove answered again, "Forgotten! forgotten!" Then the good +youth Ivan bethought him who this damsel was that had made the doves, +and he took her to his arms and made her his wife, and they lived +happily ever afterward. + + [28] Wedding-cakes of the shape of pine-cones. + + + + +THE STORY OF THE FORTY-FIRST +BROTHER + + +There was once upon a time an old man who had forty-one sons. Now +when this old man was at the point of death, he divided all he had +among his sons, and gave to each of the forty a horse; but when he +came to the forty-first he found he had no more horses left, so the +forty-first brother had to be content with a foal. When their father +was dead, the brothers said to each other, "Let us go to Friday and +get married!"--But the eldest brother said, "No, Friday has only +forty daughters, so one of us would be left without a bride."--Then +the second brother said, "Let us go then to Wednesday--Wednesday has +forty-one daughters, and so the whole lot of us can pair off with the +whole lot of them." So they went and chose their brides. The eldest +brother took the eldest sister, and the youngest the youngest, +till they were all suited. And the youngest brother of all said, +"I'll take that little damsel who is sitting on the stove in the +corner and has the nice kerchief in her hand." Then they all drank +a bumper together to seal the bargain, and after that the forty-one +bridegrooms and the forty-one brides laid them down to sleep side by +side. But the youngest brother of all said to himself, "I will +bring my foal into the room." So he brought in the foal, and then +went to his bedchamber and laid him down to sleep also. Now his +bride lay down with her kerchief in her hand, and he took a great +fancy to it, and he begged and prayed her for it again and again, +until at last she gave it to him. Now, when Wednesday thought that +all the people were asleep, he went out into the courtyard to sharpen +his sabre. Then the foal said, "Oh, my dear little master, come +here, come here!" He came, and the foal said to him, "Take off the +night-dresses of the forty sleeping bridegrooms and put them on the +forty sleeping brides, and put the night-dresses of the brides on +the bridegrooms, for a great woe is nigh!" And he did so. When +Wednesday had sharpened his sabre he came into the room and began +feeling for the stiff collars of the bridegrooms' night-dresses, and +straightway cut off the forty heads above the collars. Then he carried +off the heads of his forty daughters in a bunch (for the brides +now had on the night-dresses of their bridegrooms), and went and +lay down to sleep. Then the foal said, "My dear little father! awake +the bridegrooms, and we'll set off." So he awoke the bridegrooms +and sent them on before, while he followed after on his own little +nag. They trotted on and on, and at last the foal said to him, "Look +behind, and see whether Wednesday is not pursuing." He looked round: +"Yes, little brother," said he, "Wednesday _is_ pursuing!"--"Shake +thy kerchief then!" said the foal. He shook his kerchief, and +immediately a vast sea was between him and the pursuer. Then they +went on and on till the foal said to him again, "Look behind, and +see if Wednesday is still pursuing!"--He looked round. "Yes, little +brother, he _is_ pursuing!"--"Wave thy handkerchief on the left +side!" said the foal. He waved it on the left side, and immediately +between them and the pursuer stood a forest so thick that not +even a little mouse could have squeezed through it. Then they went on +still farther, till the foal said again, "Look behind, and see +whether Wednesday is still pursuing!"--He looked behind, and +there, sure enough, was Wednesday running after them, and he was not +very far off either.--"Wave thy kerchief!" said the foal. He waved +his kerchief, and immediately a steep mountain--oh, so steep!--lay +betwixt them. They went on and on, until the foal said again, "Look +behind, is Wednesday still pursuing?"--So he looked behind him and +said, "No, now he is not there." Then they went on and on again, +and soon they were not very far from home. Then the youngest brother +said, "You go home now, but I am going to seek a bride!" So he went +on and on till he came to a place where lay a feather of the bird +Zhar. "Look!" cried he, "what I've found!"--But the foal said to +him, "Pick not up that feather, for it will bring thee evil as well +as good!"--But his master said, "Why, I should be a fool not to pick +up a feather like that!" So he turned back and picked up the +feather. Then he went on farther and farther, until he came to a +clay hut. He went into this clay hut, and there sat an old woman. +"Give me a night's lodging, granny!" said he.--"I have neither bed +nor light to offer thee," said she. Nevertheless he entered the hut +and put the feather on the window-corner, and it lit up the whole +hut. So he went to sleep. But the old woman ran off to the Tsar, and +said to him, "A certain man has come to me and laid a certain +feather on the window-sill, and it shines like fire!" Then the +Tsar guessed that it was a feather of the bird Zhar, and said to his +soldiers, "Go and fetch that man hither!" And the Tsar said to him, +"Wilt thou enter my service?"--"Yes," he replied, "but you must give +me all your keys." So the Tsar gave him all the keys and a hut of his +own to live in besides. But one day the Tsar said to his servants, +"Boil me now a vat of milk!" So they boiled it. Then he took off his +gold ring, and said to the man, "Thou didst get the feather of the +bird Zhar, get me also this golden ring of mine out of the vat of +boiling milk!"--"Bring hither, then, my faithful horse," said he, +"that he may see his master plunge into the vat of boiling milk and +die!" So they brought his horse, and, taking off his clothes, he +plunged into the vat, but as he did so the horse snorted so +violently that all the boiling milk leaped up in the air and the +man seized the ring and gave it back to the Tsar. Now when the Tsar +saw that the man had come out of the vat younger and handsomer than +ever, he said, "I'll try and fish up the ring in like manner." So he +flung his ring into the vat of boiling milk and plunged after it +to get it. The people waited and waited and wondered and wondered +that he was so long about it, and at last they drained off the +milk and found the Tsar at the bottom of the vat boiled quite red. +Then the man said, "Now, Tsaritsa, thou art mine and I am thine." And +they lived together happily ever afterward. + + + + +THE STORY OF THE UNLUCKY DAYS + + +At the end of a village on the verge of the steppe dwelt two brothers, +one rich and the other poor. One day the poor brother came to the rich +brother's house and sat down at his table; but the rich brother drove +him away and said, "How durst thou sit at my table? Be off! Thy proper +place is in the fields to scare away the crows!" So the poor brother +went into the fields to scare away the crows. The crows all flew away +when they saw him, but among them was a raven that flew back again and +said to him, "O man! in this village thou wilt never be able to live, +for here there is neither luck nor happiness for thee, but go into +another village and thou shalt do well!" Then the man went home, +called together his wife and children, put up the few old clothes that +still remained in his wardrobe, and went on to the next village, +carrying his water-skin on his shoulders. On and on they tramped along +the road, but the Unlucky Days clung on to the man behind, and said, +"Why dost thou not take us with thee? We will never leave thee, for +thou art ours!" So they went on with him till they came to a river, +and the man, who was thirsty, went down to the water's edge for a +drink. He undid his water-skin, persuaded the Unlucky Days to get into +it, tied it fast again and buried it on the bank close by the river. +Then he and his family went on farther. They went on and on till they +came to another village, and at the very end of it was an empty +hut--the people who had lived there had died of hunger. There the +whole family settled down. One day they were all sitting down there +when they heard something in the mountain crying, "Catch hold! catch +hold! catch hold!" The man went at once into his stable, took down the +bit and reins that remained to him, and climbed up into the mountain. +He looked all about him as he went, and at last he saw, sitting down, +an old goat with two large horns--it was the Devil himself, but of +course he didn't know that. So he made a lasso of the reins, threw +them round the old goat, and began to drag it gently down the +mountain-side. He dragged it all the way up the ladder of his barn, +when the goat disappeared, but showers and showers of money came +tumbling through the ceiling. He collected them all together, and they +filled two large coffers. Then the poor man made the most of his +money, and in no very long time he was well-to-do. Then he sent some +of his people to his rich brother, and invited him to come and live +with him. The rich brother pondered the matter over. "Maybe he has +nothing to eat," thought he, "and that is why he sends for me." So he +bade them bake him a good store of fat pancakes, and set out +accordingly. On the way he heard that his brother had grown rich, and +the farther he went the more he heard of his brother's wealth. Then he +regretted that he had brought all the pancakes with him, so he threw +them away into the ditch. At last he came to his brother's house, and +his brother showed him first one of the coffers full of money and then +the other. Then envy seized upon the rich brother, and he grew quite +green in the face. But his brother said to him, "Look now! I have +buried a lot more money in a water-skin, hard by the river; you may +dig it up and keep it if you like, for I have lots of my own here!" +The rich brother did not wait to be told twice. Off he went to the +river, and began digging up the water-skin straightway. He unfastened +it with greedy, trembling hands; but he had no sooner opened it than +the Unlucky Days all popped out and clung on to him. "Thou art ours!" +said they. He went home, and when he got there he found that all his +wealth was consumed, and a heap of ashes stood where his house had +been. So he went and lived in the place where his brother had lived, +and the Unlucky Days lived with him ever afterward. + + + + +THE WONDROUS STORY OF IVAN +GOLIK AND THE SERPENTS + + +Somewhere, nowhere, in another kingdom, in the Empire of Thrice-ten, +lived--whether 'twas a Tsar and a Tsaritsa, or only a Prince and a +Princess, I know not, but anyhow they had two sons. One day this +prince said to his sons, "Let us go down to the seashore and listen to +the songs of the sea-folk!" So they went. Now the prince wanted to +test the wits of his two sons; he wanted to see which of the twain was +fit for ruling his empire, and which should stand aside and make way +for better men. So they went on together till they came to where three +oaks stood all in a row. The prince looked at the trees, and said to +his eldest son, "My dear son, what wouldst thou make of those trees?" + +"What would I make of them, dear father? I would make me good barns +and store-houses out of them. I would cut them down and plane the +timber well, and goodly should be the planks I should make of them." + +"Good, my son!" replied the prince, "thou wilt make a careful +householder." + +Then he asked his younger son, "And what wouldst thou make out of +these oaks, my son?" + +"Well, dear father," said he, "had I only as much power as will, I +would cut down the middle oak, lay it across the other two, and hang +up every prince and every noble in the wide world." + +Then the prince shook his head and was silent. + +Presently they came to the sea, and all three stood still and looked +at it, and watched the fishes play. Then, suddenly, the prince caught +hold of his younger son, and pitched him right into the sea. "Perish!" +cried he, "for 'tis but just that such a wretch as thou shouldst +perish!" + +Now, just as the father pitched his younger son into the sea, a great +whale-fish was coming along and swallowed him, and into its maw he +went. There he found wagons with horses and oxen harnessed to them, +all of which the fish had also gobbled. So he went rummaging about +these wagons to see what was in them, and he found that one of the +wagons was full of tobacco-pipes and tobacco, and flints and steels. +So he took up a pipe, filled it with tobacco, lit it, and began to +smoke. He smoked out one pipe, filled another, and smoked that too; +then he filled a third, and began smoking that. At last the smoke +inside the whale made it feel so uncomfortable that it opened its +mouth, swam ashore, and went asleep on the beach. Now some huntsmen +happened to be going along the beach at that time, and one of them saw +the whale, and said, "Look, my brethren! we have been hunting jays and +crows and shot nothing, and lo! what a monstrous fish lies all about +the shore! Let us shoot it!" + +So they shot at it and shot at it, and then they fell upon it with +their axes and began to cut it to pieces. They cut and hacked at it +till suddenly they heard something calling to them from the middle of +the fish, "Ho! my brothers! hack fish if you like, but hack not that +flesh which is full of Christian blood!" + +They fell down to the ground for fright, and were like dead men, but +the prince's younger son crept out of the hole in the fish that the +huntsmen had made, went out upon the shore, and sat down. He sat down +there quite naked, for all his clothes had rotted and dropped off +inside the fish. Maybe he had been a whole year in the whale without +knowing it, and he thought to himself, "How shall I now manage to live +in the wide, wide world?" + +Meanwhile the elder brother had become a great nobleman. His father +had died, and he was lord over his whole inheritance. Then, as is the +wont of princes, he called together his senators and his servants, and +they counselled their young prince to marry; so out he went to seek a +bride, and a great retinue followed after him. They went on and on +till they came to where a naked man was sitting. Then the prince said +to one of his servants, "Go and see what manner of man that is!" + +So the servant went up to the man, and said, "Hail!" + +"Hail to thee!" + +"Who art thou, prythee?" + +"I am Ivan Golik.[29] Who art thou?" + + [29] Naked. + +"We are from such and such a land, and we are going with our prince to +seek him a bride." + +"Go, tell thy prince that he must take me with him, for he'll make no +good match without me." + +So the messenger returned to the prince and told him. Then the prince +bade his servants open his trunk and take out a shirt and pantaloons +and all manner of raiment, whereupon the naked man went into the water +and washed, and after that he dressed himself. Then they brought him +to the prince, and he said to him, "If you take me with you, you must +all obey me. If you listen to me, you shall remain in the land of +Russia; but if not, you shall all perish." + +"Be it so!" said the prince, and he bade all his suite obey him. + +They went on and on till they overtook the hosts of the mice. The +prince wanted to go hunting after the mice, but Ivan Golik said, "Nay, +step aside and give place to the mice, so that not a single one of +them lose a single hair!" + +So they turned aside, and the mice swept by in their hosts, but the +hindmost mouse turned round and said, "Thanks to thee, Ivan Golik, +thou hast saved my host from perishing; I will save thine also." + +Then they went on farther, and lo! the gnat was marching with his +host, and so vast was it that no eye could take it all in. Then the +lieutenant-general of the gnats came flying up and said, "Oh, Ivan +Golik! let my host drink of thy blood. If thou dost consent, 'twill be +to thy profit; but if thou dost not consent, thou shalt not remain in +the land of Russia." + +Then he stripped off his shirt and bade them tie him up so that he +could not beat off a single gnat, and the gnats drank their fill of +him and flew off again. + +After that they went along by the seashore till they came to a man who +had caught two pike. Then Ivan Golik said to the prince, "Buy those +two pike of the man, and let them go into the sea again." + +"But wherefore?" + +"Ask not wherefore, but buy them!" + +So they bought the pike, and let them go into the sea again. But as +they swam away, the pike turned round and said, "We thank thee, Ivan +Golik, that thou hast not let us perish, and it shall be to thy weal +and welfare!" + +Swiftly they moved on their way, but the story that tells thereof +moves still swifter. They went on and on, for more than a month maybe, +till they came to another land and to another tsardom, to the Empire +of Thrice-ten. And the serpent was the Tsar of that tsardom. Vast were +his palaces, iron railings surrounded his courtyards, and the railings +were covered with the heads of various warriors; only on the twenty +huge pillars in front of the gate were there no heads. As they drew +nigh, deadly fear oppressed the heart of the prince, and he said to +Ivan, "Mark me, Ivan! those pillars yonder are meant for _our_ +heads!"--"That remains to be seen," replied Ivan Golik. + +When they arrived there, the serpent at first treated them hospitably +as welcome guests. They were all to come in and make merry, he said, +but the prince he took to his own house. So they ate and drank +together, and the thoughts of their hearts were joyous. Now the +serpent had twenty-one daughters, and he brought them to the prince, +and told him which was the eldest, and which the next eldest, down to +the very last one. But it was the youngest daughter of all that the +prince's fancy fed upon more than on any of the others. Thus they +diverted themselves till evening, and in the evening they made ready +to go to sleep. But the serpent said to the prince, "Well, which of +my daughters dost thou think the loveliest?" + +"The youngest is the most beautiful," said the prince, "and her will I +wed." + +"Good!" said the serpent, "but I will not let thee have my daughter +till thou hast done all my tasks. If thou doest my tasks, thou shalt +have my daughter; but if thou doest them not, thou shalt lose thy +head, and all thy suite shall perish with thee." + +Then he gave him his first task: "In my barn are three hundred ricks +of corn; by the morning light thou shalt have threshed and sifted them +so that stalk lies by stalk, chaff by chaff, and grain by grain." + +Then the prince went to his own place to pass the night there, and +bitterly he wept. But Ivan Golik saw that he was weeping, and said to +him, "Why dost thou weep, O prince?" + +"Why should I not weep, seeing the task that the serpent has given me +is impossible?" + +"Nay, weep not, my prince, but lie down to sleep, and by the morning +light it will all be done!" + +No sooner had Ivan Golik left the prince than he went outside and +whistled for the mice. Then the mice assembled round them in their +hosts: "Why dost thou whistle, and what dost thou want of us, O Ivan +Golik?" said they. + +"Why should I not whistle, seeing that the serpent has bidden us +thresh out his barn by the morning light, so that straw lies by straw, +chaff by chaff, and grain by grain?" + +No sooner did the mice hear this than they began scampering all about +the barn! There were so many of them that there was not room to move. +They set to work with a will, and long before dawn it was quite +finished. Then they went and awoke Ivan Golik. He went and looked, and +lo! all the chaff was by itself, and all the grain was by itself, and +all the straw by itself! Then Ivan bade them be quite sure that there +was not a single grain remaining in a single ear of corn. So they +scampered all about, and there was not a mouse which did not look +under every stalk of straw. Then they ran up to him, and said, "Fear +not! there is not a single loose grain anywhere. And now we have +requited thee thy service, Ivan Golik, farewell!" + +Next morning the prince came to seek Ivan, and marvelled to find that +everything had been done as the serpent had commanded. So he thanked +Ivan Golik, and went off to the serpent. Then they both went together, +and the serpent himself was amazed. He called to his twenty-one +daughters to search the ears of corn well to see whether one single +grain might not be found therein, and his daughters searched and +searched, but there was not a single loose grain to be found. Then +said the serpent, "'Tis well, let us go! We will eat and drink and +make merry till evening, and in the evening I will give thee thy +to-morrow's task." So they made merry till evening, and then the +serpent said, "Early this morning, my youngest daughter went bathing +in the sea and lost her ring in the water. She searched and searched +for it, but could find it nowhere. If thou canst find it to-morrow, +and bring it hither while we are sitting down to meat, thou shalt +remain alive; if not, 'tis all over with thee!" + +The prince returned to his own people and fell a-weeping. Ivan Golik +perceived it, and said to him, "Wherefore dost thou weep?" + +"For such and such a reason," said he; "dost thou not see that I am +ruined?" + +Then said Ivan Golik, "The serpent lies. He himself it was who took +his daughter's ring and flew over the sea early this morning, and +dropped it in the water. But lie down and sleep! I myself will go to +the sea to-morrow, haply I may find the ring." + +So, very early next morning, Ivan Golik went down to the sea. He +shouted with an heroic voice, and whistled with an heroic whistle, +till the whole sea was troubled by a storm. Then the two pike he had +thrown back into the sea came swimming to the shore. "Why dost thou +call us, O Ivan Golik?" said they. + +"Why should I not call you? The serpent flew over the sea early +yesterday morning and dropped in it his daughter's ring. Search for it +everywhere. If you find it, I shall remain alive, but if you find it +not, know that the serpent will remove me from the face of the +earth!" + +Then they swam off and searched, nor was there a single corner of the +sea where they searched not. Yet they found nothing. At last they swam +off to their mother, and told her what a great woe was about to +befall. Their mother said to them, "The ring is with me. I am sorry +for him, and still more sorry for you, so you may have it." And with +that she drew off the ring, and they swam with it to Ivan Golik, and +said, "Now we have requited thy service. We have found it, but 'twas a +hard task." + +Then Ivan Golik thanked the two pike and went on his way. He found the +prince weeping, for the serpent had already sent for him twice, and +there was no ring. The moment he saw Ivan Golik he sprang to his feet, +and said, "Hast thou the ring?" + +"Yes, here it is! But look! the serpent himself is coming!" + +"Let him come!" + +The serpent was already on the threshold as the prince was going out. +They ran against each other with their foreheads, and the serpent was +very angry. "Where's the ring?" cried he. + +"There it is! But I will not give it to thee, but to her from whom +thou didst take it." + +The serpent laughed. "Very good!" said he, "but now let us go to +dinner, for my guests are many, and we have been waiting for thee this +long time." + +So they went. The prince arrived at the house, where eleven serpents +were sitting down to dinner. He saluted them, and then went on to the +daughters, and said, as he drew off the ring, "To which of you does +this belong?" + +Then the youngest daughter blushed and said, "To me!" + +"If it be thine, take it, for I sounded all the depths of the sea in +searching for it." + +All the others laughed, but the youngest daughter thanked him. + +Then they all went to dine. After dinner the serpent said to him, in +the presence of all the guests, "Well, prince, now that thou hast +dined and rested, to thy tasks again! I have a bow of one hundred +poods[30] weight. If thou canst bend this bow in the presence of these +my guests, thou shalt have my daughter!" + + [30] A pood = forty pounds. + +When dinner was over they all lay down to rest, but the prince +hastened off as quickly as he could to Ivan Golik, and said, "Now +indeed it is all over with us, for he has given me such and such a +task." + +"Simpleton!" cried Ivan Golik, "when they bring forth this bow, look +at it, and say to the serpent, 'I should be ashamed to bend a bow that +the least of my servants can bend!' Then call me, and I'll bend the +bow so that none other will be able to bend it again." + +With that the prince went straight off to the serpent again, and the +serpent commanded and they brought the bow, together with an arrow +weighing fifty poods. When the prince saw it, he was like to have died +of fright; but they put the bow down in the middle of the courtyard, +and all the guests came out to look at it. The prince walked all round +the bow and looked at it. "Why," said he, "I would not deign to touch +a bow like that. I'll call one of my servants, for any one of them can +bend such a bow as that!" + +Then the serpent looked at the prince's servants one after the other, +and said, "Well, let them try!" + +"Come forward thou, Ivan Golik!" cried the prince. + +And the prince said to him, "Take me up that bow and bend it!" + +Ivan Golik took up the bow, placed the arrow across it, and drew the +bow so that the arrow split into twelve pieces and the bow burst. +Then the prince said, "Did I not tell you? and was I to put myself to +shame by touching a bow that one of my servants can draw?" + +[Illustration: IVAN GOLIK DREW THE BOW] + +After that Ivan Golik returned to his fellow-servants, and put the +pieces of the broken bow behind his shin-bone; but the prince returned +with the serpents into the guest-chamber, and they all rejoiced +because he had done his appointed task. But the serpent whispered +something in the ear of his youngest daughter, and she went out, and +he after her. They remained outside a long time, and then the serpent +came in again, and said to the prince, "There is no time for anything +more to-day, but we'll begin again early to-morrow morning. I have a +horse behind twelve doors; if thou canst mount it, thou shalt have my +daughter." + +Then they made merry again till evening and lay down to sleep, but the +prince went and told Golik. Golik listened to the prince, and said, +"Now thou knowest, I suppose, why I took up those pieces of the broken +bow, for I could see what was coming. When they lead forth this horse, +look at it and say, 'I will not mount that horse lest I put myself to +shame. 'Tis with the horse as with the bow, any one of my servants can +mount it!' But that horse is no horse at all, but the serpent's +youngest daughter! Thou must not sit upon her back, but I will trounce +her finely." + +Early in the morning they all arose, and the prince went to the +serpent's house to greet them all, and there he saw twenty of the +serpent's daughters, but where was the twenty-first? Then the serpent +got up and said, "Well, prince, now let us come down into the +courtyard; they'll soon bring out the horse, and we'll see what thou +dost make of it." + +So they all went out and saw two serpents bringing out the horse, and +it was as much as the pair of them could do to hold its head, so +fierce and strong it was. They led it out in front of the gallery, and +the prince walked round it and looked at it. Then said he, "What! did +you not say you would bring out a _horse_? Why, this is no horse, but +a mare. I will not sit on this mare, for 'twould be to my shame. I +will call one of my servants, and he shall mount her." + +"Good!" said the serpent, "let him try!" + +The prince called forth Ivan Golik. "Sit on that mare," said he, "and +trot her about!" + +Ivan mounted the mare, and the two serpents let go. She carried him +right up among the clouds, and then down again upon the ground she +came, with a ringing of hoofs that made the earth tremble. But Ivan +Golik took out a fragment of the broken bow, fifty pounds in weight, +and trounced her finely. She reared and bucked and carried him hither +and thither, but he flogged her between the ears without ceasing. So +when she saw that all her prancing and curveting was in vain, she fell +to piteously beseeching him, and cried, "Ivan Golik! Ivan Golik! beat +me not, and I'll do all thy behests!" + +"I have nothing to do with thee at all," said he, "but when thou dost +come up to the prince, fall down before him, and stretch out thy legs +toward him!" + +At this she bethought her for a long time. "Well," cried she at last, +"it must be so, there is no doing anything with thee!" So she carried +him all over the courtyard, fell down before the prince, and stretched +out her legs toward him. + +Then said the prince, "Thou seest what a sorry jade it is! And ye +would have had me mount such a mare!" + +At this the serpent was full of shame, but there was nothing to be +said or done. So they went into the garden and sat them down to +dinner. The youngest daughter met them there, and they greeted her. +The prince could not refrain from looking at her, so fair was she, and +now she seemed fairer than ever. Then they sat down and ate, and when +the meal was over the serpent said, "Well, prince, after dinner I'll +bring all my daughters into the courtyard, and if you can find out the +youngest, you may be happy together." + +So after dinner the serpent bade his daughters go and dress +themselves, but the prince took counsel of Ivan Golik. Ivan whistled, +and immediately the gnat came flying up. He told the gnat all about +it, and the gnat said, "Thou didst help me, so now I will help thee. +When the serpent brings out his daughters, let the prince keep his +eyes open, for I will fly on her head. Let him walk round them once, +and I will fly round them too. Let him walk round them a second time, +and I will fly round them twice also. Let him walk round them a third +time, and then I'll settle on her nose, and she will not be able to +endure my bite, but will strike at me with her right hand." And with +these words the gnat flew off into the house. + +Soon afterward the serpent sent for the prince. He went, and there in +the courtyard stood the twenty-one daughters. They were as like as +peas, their faces, their hair, and their raiment were exactly the +same. He looked and looked, but could not tell one from the other. He +walked round them the first time, but there was no sign of the gnat. +He walked round them the second time, and the gnat came and lit upon +her head. Henceforth he never took his eyes off the gnat, and when he +had begun to walk round the twenty-one daughters for the third time, +the gnat sat on the nose of the youngest, and began to bite her. She +brushed it off with her right hand, whereupon the prince said, "She is +mine!" and led her to the serpent. + +The serpent was amazed, but said, "Since thou hast found out thy +bride, we'll wed thee to-day, and all be merry together." + +So they made them merry, and that very evening the young couple got +their bridal crowns. And they feasted and fired guns, and what else +did they not do? But at night, Ivan Golik took the prince aside, and +said to him, "Now, prince, see that we go home to-morrow, for they +mean us no good here. And now, listen to me! I beg thee tell not thy +wife the truth of the matter for seven years. However caressing she +may be, thou shalt not let her ears know the truth, for if thou _dost_ +tell her the truth, both thou and I shall perish!" + +"Good!" said he. "I will not tell my wife the truth." + +Next morning the young men arose and went to the serpent, and the +prince took leave of his father-in-law, and said he must be going +home. + +"But why off so soon?" said the serpent. + +"Nay, but I must go," said he. + +Then the serpent gave the youth a banquet, and they sat down and ate +and made merry, and after that he departed to his own tsardom. And the +prince thanked Ivan Golik for all that he had done for him, and made +him the first of his counsellors. Whatever Ivan Golik said was +performed throughout the realm, while the Tsar had only to sit on his +throne and do nothing. + +So the young prince dwelt with his wife for a year or two, and in the +third year a son was added to them, and the heart of the prince was +glad. Now one day he took his little son in his arms, and said, "Is +there anything in the wide world that I like better than this child?" +When the princess saw that the heart of her spouse was tender, she +fell a-kissing and caressing him, and began asking him all about the +time when they were first married, and how he had been able to do her +father's commands. And the prince said to her, "My head would long ago +have been mouldering on the posts of thy father's palace had it not +been for Ivan Golik. 'Twas he who did it all and not I." + +Then she was very wrath. But she never changed countenance, and +shortly afterward she went out. + +Ivan Golik was sitting in his own house at his ease, when the princess +came flying in to him. And immediately she drew out of the ground a +handkerchief with gold borders, and no sooner had she waved this +serpentine handkerchief, than Ivan fell asunder into two pieces. His +legs remained where they were, but his trunk with his head disappeared +through the roof, and fell seven miles away from the house. And as he +fell he cried, "Oh, accursed one! did I not charge thee not to +confess! Did I not implore thee not to tell thy wife the truth for +seven years! And now I perish and thou also!" + +He raised his head and found himself sitting in a wood, and there he +saw an armless man pursuing a hare. He pursued and pursued it, but +though he caught it up, he couldn't catch it, for he had no arms. Then +Ivan Golik caught it and they fell out about it. The armless one said, +"The hare is mine!"--"No," said Ivan Golik, "it is mine!" So they +quarrelled over it, but as one had no legs and the other had no arms, +they couldn't hurt one another. At last the armless one said, "What is +the use of our quarrelling? Let us pull up that oak, and whichever of +us pitches it farthest shall have the hare." + +"Good!" said Legless. + +Then Armless kicked Legless up to the oak, and Legless pulled it up +and gave it to Armless. Then Armless lay down on the ground and kicked +the oak with his feet three miles off. But Legless threw it seven +miles. Then Armless said, "Take the hare and be my elder brother!" + +So they became brothers, and made a wagon between them, and fastened +ropes to it, and while Armless dragged it along Legless drove it. On +they went till they came to a town where a Tsar lived. There they went +up to the church, and planted themselves with their wagon in the place +of beggars, and waited till the Tsarivna came up. And the Tsarivna +said to her court lady, "Take this money, and give it to those poor +cripples." + +The lady was about to go with it when Legless said, "Nay, but let the +Tsarivna give it to us with her own hands." + +Then the Tsarivna took the money from her court lady and gave it to +Legless. But he said to her, "Be not angry, but tell me, now, +wherefore art thou so yellow?" + +"God made me so," answered she, and then she sighed. + +"No," replied Legless. "I know why thou art so yellow. But I can make +thee once more just as God made thee." + +Now the Tsar had heard them speaking, and the words of the cripples +moved him strangely. So he had the armless man and the legless man in +the wagon brought to him, and said to them, "Do as you are able." + +But Legless said, "O Tsar! let the Tsarivna speak the truth, and +confess openly how she became so yellow!" + +Then the father turned to his daughter, and she confessed and said, +"The serpent flew to me, and drew my blood out of my breast." + +"When did he fly to thee?" they asked. + +"Just before dawn, when the guards were sleeping, he came flying down +my chimney. In he came flying, and lay down beneath the cushions of my +couch." + +"Stop!" cried Legless; "we'll hide in the straw in thy room, and when +the serpent comes flying in again, thou must cough and wake us." + +So they hid them in the straw, and just as the guards had ceased +knocking at the doors as they went their rounds, sparks began to flash +beneath the straw roof, and the Tsarivna coughed. They rushed up to +her, and saw the serpent already nestling beneath the cushions. Then +the Tsarivna leaped out of bed; but Armless lay down on the floor and +kicked Legless on to the cushions, and Legless took the serpent in his +arms and began to throttle it. "Let me go! let me go!" begged the +serpent, "and I'll never fly here again, but will renounce my +tithes." + +But Legless said, "That is but a small thing. Thou must carry us to +the place of healing waters, that I may get back my legs and my +brother here his arms." + +"Catch hold of me," said the serpent, "and I'll take you, only torture +me no more." + +So Legless clung on to him with his arms and Armless with his feet, +and the serpent flew away with them till he came to a spring. "There's +your healing water!" cried he. + +Armless wanted to plunge in straightway, but Legless shrieked, "Wait, +brother! Hold the serpent tight with your legs while I thrust a dry +stick into the spring, and then we shall see whether it really is +healing water." + +So he thrust a stick in, and no sooner had it touched the water than +it was consumed as though by fire. Then the pair of them, in their +rage, fell upon that false serpent and almost killed him. They beat +him and beat him till he cried for mercy. "Beat me no more!" cried he; +"the spring of healing water is not very far off!" Then he took them +to another spring. Into this they also dipped a dry stick, and +immediately it burst into flower. Then Armless leaped into the spring +and leaped out again with arms, whereupon he pitched in Legless, who +immediately leaped out again with legs of his own. So they let the +serpent go, first making him promise never to fly to the Tsarivna +again, and then each thanked the other for his friendship, and so they +parted. + +But Ivan Golik went again to his brother the prince, to see what had +become of him. "I wonder what the princess has done to him?" thought +he. So he went toward that tsardom, and presently he saw not very far +from the roadside, a swineherd tending swine; he was tending swine, +but he himself sat upon a tomb. "I'll go and ask that swineherd what +he's doing there," thought Ivan Golik. + +So he went up to the swineherd, and, looking straight into his eyes, +recognized his own brother. And the swineherd looked at him, and +recognized Ivan Golik. There they stood for a long time looking into +each other's eyes, but neither of them spoke a word. At last Ivan +Golik found his voice: "What!" cried he. "Is it thou, O prince, who +art feeding swine? Thou art rightly served! Did I not bid thee, 'Tell +not thy wife the truth for seven years'?" + +At this the prince flung himself down at the other's feet, and cried, +"O Ivan Golik! forgive me, and have mercy!" + +Then Ivan Golik raised him up by the shoulders and said, "'Tis well +for thee that thou art still in God's fair world! Yet wait a little +while, and thou shalt be Tsar again!" + +The prince thereupon asked Ivan Golik how he had got his legs back +again, for the princess had told him how she had cut Ivan Golik in +two. Then Ivan Golik confessed to him that he was his younger brother, +and told him the whole story of his life. So they embraced and kissed +each other, and then the prince said, "'Tis high time I drove these +swine home, for the princess doesn't like being kept waiting for her +tea." + +"Well," said Ivan Golik, "we'll drive them back together." + +"The worst of it, brother, is this," said the prince. "Dost thou see +that accursed pig that leads the others? Well, he will go only up to +the gate of the sty, and there he stands fast as if rooted to the +ground, and until I kiss his bristles he will not move from the spot. +And all the time the princess and the serpents are sitting in the +gallery at tea, and they look on and laugh!" + +But Ivan Golik said, "It needs must be so! Kiss it again to-day, and +to-morrow thou shalt kiss it no more!" + +Then they drove the swine up to the gates, and Ivan Golik looked to +see what would happen. He saw the princess sitting in the gallery with +six serpents drinking tea, and the accursed pig stuck fast in the +gate, and stretched out its legs and wouldn't go in. The princess +looked on and said, "Look at my fool driving the swine, and now he is +going to kiss the big boar!" + +So the poor fellow stooped down and kissed its bristles, and the pig +ran grunting into the courtyard. Then the princess said, "Look! he has +picked up from somewhere an under-herdsman to help him!" + +The prince and Ivan Golik drove the pigs into their sty, and then Ivan +Golik said, "Brother, get me twenty poods of hemp and twenty poods of +pitch, and bring them to me in the garden." And he did so. Then Ivan +Golik made him a huge whip of the twenty poods of hemp and the twenty +poods of tar. First he twined tightly a pood of hemp, and tarred it +well with a pood of pitch; round this he plaited another pood of hemp, +and tarred that also with another pood of pitch, till he had used up +the whole forty. By midnight his task was done, and then he laid him +down to sleep. But the prince had gone to sleep long before in the +pig-sty. + +Early in the morning they rose up again, and Ivan Golik said to him, +"Up till to-day thou hast been a swineherd, and after to-day thou +shalt be a prince again; but first let us drive the swine into the +field." + +"Nay, but," said the prince, "the princess has not yet come out upon +the balcony to drink tea with the serpents, and see me kiss the pig +before it goes out, as is her wont." Ivan Golik said to him, "We will +drive the swine out this time too, but it will not be thou but I who +shall kiss the big boar." + +"Good!" said the prince. + +And now the time came for the swine to be driven away, and the +princess came out on the balcony to drink tea. They took the swine out +of the sty, and the pair of them drove the beasts before them. When +they reached the gate the leading pig stuck fast in the gateway, and +wouldn't budge an inch. The princess and the serpents grinned and +looked on, but Ivan Golik flicked his heroic whip, and struck the pig +one blow that made it fly to pieces. Then all the serpents wriggled +off as fast as they could. But she, the accursed one, was in no way +frightened, but caught Ivan by the hair of his head. He, however, +caught her also by her long locks, and flicked her with his whip till +he had flicked all the serpent-blood out of her, and she walked the +earth in human guise. So she cast off her serpent nature, and lived +happily with her husband. And that's the end of the _kazka_. + + + + + * * * * * + + + + +Transcriber's Note: + + Illustrations have been moved closer to their relevant paragraphs. + + The page numbers in the List of Illustrations do not reflect the new + placement of the illustrations, but are as in the original. + + Author's archaic and variable spelling and hyphenation is + preserved. + + Author's punctuation style is preserved. + + Passages in italics indicated by _underscores_. + + Typographical problems have been changed and are listed below. + + +Transcriber's Changes: + + =Equals signs= are used to highlight changes made in the following + passages. + + Page 18: Was '"Oh!".' (in the self-same forest, sat him down, and + said, ="Oh!"= Oh immediately came out of the charred + stump) + + Page 64: Added closing double-quote (handkerchief thou findest + there, and throw it in front of =me."= He drew it out and + flung it) + + Page 115: Added closing double-quote (carried off his daughter, and + worries him to =death."=--"Show me the way to your + Tsar,") + + Page 161: Added opening double-quote ("Have no fear of that!" + replied the old couple. ="We= have a dog called Chutko) + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales, by Anonymous + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COSSACK FAIRY TALES AND FOLK TALES *** + +***** This file should be named 29672.txt or 29672.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/6/7/29672/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Dan Horwood and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. 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