Russian Fairy Tales (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library)

by Afanas'Ev, Aleksandr

  Buria Bogatyr swung his battle mace and cut off three of the dragon’s heads; he swung again, and cut off the other three. He cut the dragon’s trunk in pieces and cast them into the sea, hid the heads under the white hazelwood bridge, tied the horse to the legs of Ivan the Scullery Maid’s Son, and put the steel sword by his head; he himself went back to the little hut and lay down to sleep as though nothing had happened. Ivan the Scullery Maid’s Son awoke, saw the steed, and was overjoyed; he sat upon him, rode to the little hut, and cried: “Buria Bogatyr, you told me not to look at the pitcher, but I did look, and the Lord gave me this steed.” Ivan the Cow’s Son answered: “He has given you the steed, but promised us more.”

  The next night it fell to Prince Ivan’s lot to stand guard. Buria Bogatyr told him the same thing about the pitcher. The prince began to walk on the bridge and to tap with his walking stick; the little pitcher jumped out and danced before him; he stared at it and fell sound asleep. But Ivan the Cow’s Son, not relying upon his brother, went out himself; he walked on the bridge and tapped with his walking stick; the little pitcher jumped out and danced before him. Ivan the Cow’s Son spat upon it and smashed it to smithereens. Suddenly a duck quacked, the earth opened, the sea surged up, and out of the waves crawled Chudo Yudo, a sea monster, and whistled and shouted with a mighty hiss, in a truly powerful voice: “Magic steed, horse of my need, stand before me as leaf before grass!” The steed ran out, the earth shook; from his ears and nostrils rolled pillars of smoke, from his mouth a flame streamed; he stood before the dragon, rooted to the spot. Chudo Yudo the nine-headed dragon sat upon him and rode to the white hazelwood bridge; as he rode upon the bridge, the steed stumbled under him. Chudo Yudo smote him on his great flanks: “Why do you stumble, carrion flesh? Do you scent a friend or an enemy?” “There is our enemy, Ivan the Cow’s Son!” “You lie! Even his bones were not brought here by a raven in a bladder, and he himself is certainly not here.” “Ah, Chudo Yudo, sea monster,” answered Ivan the Cow’s Son, “I have been walking here for two years.” “Well, Ivan, Cow’s Son, have you come to woo my sisters or my daughters?” “I have come to meet you in the field, not to be your kin; let us join in combat.”

  Ivan the Cow’s Son swung his battle mace and cut off three of the dragon’s heads as easily as if they had been cabbage heads; he swung again and cut off three more heads; he swung a third time and cut off the rest. He chopped the trunk into pieces and cast them into the Black Sea, hid the heads under the white hazelwood bridge, tied the steed to Prince Ivan’s legs, and put the steel sword by his head; he himself went back to the little hut and lay down to sleep as though nothing had happened. Next morning Prince Ivan awoke, saw a steed even better than the first one, was overjoyed, rode on him, and cried: “Eh, Ivan the Cow’s Son, you told me not to look at the little pitcher, but God has given me a steed even better than the first one.” He answered: “God has given you two steeds, and to me only a promise.”

  The third night was approaching and Buria Bogatyr, Champion of Champions, made ready to stand guard; he set up a table and lit a candle, thrust a knife into the wall, hung a towel on it, gave his brothers a pack of cards, and said: “Play cards, boys, and do not forget me; when the candle begins to run out, and when blood drips from this towel onto the dish, hasten to the bridge to aid me.”

  Buria Bogatyr walked on the bridge, tapping with his walking stick; a little pitcher jumped out and danced before him; he spat upon it and smashed it to smithereens. Suddenly a duck quacked, the earth opened, the sea surged up, and out of the waves crawled Chudo Yudo the sea monster; this time it was the twelve-headed dragon. He whistled and shouted with a mighty hiss, in a truly powerful voice: “Magic steed, horse of my need, stand before me as leaf before grass!” The steed ran out, the earth shook; from his ears and nostrils rolled pillars of smoke, from his mouth a fiery flame streamed; he ran to the dragon and stood rooted to the spot. Chudo Yudo sat upon him and rode to the bridge; when the steed stepped upon the bridge he stumbled. “Why do you stumble, carrion flesh? Do you scent an enemy?” the dragon cried. “There is an enemy of ours, Buria Bogatyr, the Cow’s Son.” “Be quiet; the raven has not brought his bones here in a bladder.” “You lie, sea monster, I have been walking here for three years.” “Well, Buria Bogatyr, do you want to marry my sisters or my daughters?” “I have come to fight you in the field, not to be your kin; let us join in combat.” “Ah, you killed my two brothers, so you think you can defeat me too!” “We shall see what God’s will is. Now listen, Chudo Yudo, you have a horse and I am on foot; let us agree that if either of us falls to the ground the other must not strike him.”

  Buria Bogatyr swung his battle mace and cut off three of the dragon’s heads in one stroke; he swung again, and the dragon knocked him down. Cried Ivan the Cow’s Son: “Halt, Chudo Yudo! Our agreement was not to strike a man while he lay on the ground.” Chudo Yudo let him get up; he rose, and at once three heads flew like so many cabbage heads. They began to struggle bitterly; they fought for several hours, till both grew exhausted; the dragon lost three more heads and our hero’s battle mace broke. Buria Bogatyr removed his left boot, flung it into the little hut, and knocked down half of it; but his brothers were asleep and did not hear him. He removed his right boot and flung it also; the little hut flew apart into boards, but still his brothers did not awaken. Buria Bogatyr took a fragment of his mace, hurled it at the stable where their two horses stood, and broke the stable door; the horses galloped onto the bridge and unsaddled the dragon. Our hero was overjoyed, ran up to the dragon, and cut off his remaining three heads. He chopped the dragon’s body into pieces, cast them into the Black Sea, and stuck the heads under the white hazelwood bridge. Then he took the three horses, led them into the stable, and hid under the bridge without wiping the blood off it.

  In the morning his two brothers awoke and saw that the hut had crumbled to bits and that the dish was full of blood; they went to the stable and found three horses; they wondered what had happened to their eldest brother. They sought him for three days but did not find him. They said: “They must have killed each other, and their bodies have vanished; let us go home.” They had saddled their horses and were making ready to go when Buria Bogatyr awoke and came out from under the bridge. “So you are deserting your companion, brothers?” he said. “I saved you from death, but you were asleep and did not come to my aid.” Then they fell on their knees before him and said: “Forgive us, Buria Bogatyr, our eldest brother!” “God will forgive you!” He murmured over the little hut: “Be as thou wert before!” The little hut reappeared just as it was before, full of meat and drink. “Now, brothers,” said Ivan the Cow’s Son, “dine, for without me you might have starved to death; then we shall set out.”

  They dined and set out on their way. When they had gone two versts, Buria Bogatyr said: “Brothers, I forgot my riding crop in the little hut. Amble along while I go back to fetch it.” He rode to the little hut, climbed down from his steed, and set him free in the sacred meadows, saying: “Go, my good steed, until I call thee!” Then he changed himself into a fly, flew into the little hut, and sat on the stove. After a while, Baba Yaga came in and sat down in the front corner. Her young daughter-in-law came to see her and said: “Ah, mother, Buria Bogatyr—Ivan the Cow’s Son—has killed your son, my husband. But I will revenge myself for this insult: I will precede him, send upon him a hot day, and turn myself into a green meadow. In this green meadow I will turn into a well. In this well a silver cup will float. And I will also turn myself into a timber bed. The brothers will want to feed their horses, to rest and drink water; and then they will be blown to bits like poppy seed.” Her mother said to her: “That is what those evildoers deserve!”

  Then her second daughter-in-law came and said: “Ah, mother, Buria Bogatyr—Ivan the Cow’s Son—has killed your son, my husband. But I will revenge myself for this insult: I will precede him and turn into a lovely garden; fruits of every description will hang above the fence, juicy and fragrant! Th
ey will want to pick them, each his favorite fruit; and then they will be blown to bits like poppy seed!” Her mother said: “You, too, have thought up a good revenge!”

  The third and youngest daughter-in-law came and said: “Ah, mother, Buria Bogatyr—Ivan the Cow’s Son—has killed your son, my husband. But I will revenge myself for this insult: I will turn into a little old hut. They will want to spend the night in it, but as soon as they set foot inside they will be blown to bits like poppy seeds.” “Well, my beloved daughters-in-law, if you fail to kill them yourselves, I will run in front of them tomorrow, turn into a sow, and swallow them all.”

  Buria Bogatyr heard these words while sitting on the stove and then flew outside. He struck the earth and turned into a good youth. He whistled and shouted, with a mighty whistle, a powerful cry: “Magic steed, horse of my need, stand before me as leaf before grass!” The steed ran out; the earth shook. Buria Bogatyr sat upon him and rode on; he tied a wisp of bast to a stick, overtook his companions, and said to them: “Here, my brothers, I cannot live without such a riding crop!” “Eh, brother, was it worth while to return for such trash? We could have gone to town and bought a new one.” And they rode on over steppes and through valleys; and the day was so hot that they could not bear it, and thirst tormented them. They came upon a green meadow, and in the meadow the grass was lush, and on the grass there was a timber bed. “Brother Buria Bogatyr,” the younger two said, “let us feed our horses on this grass and rest ourselves on the timber bed; there is also a well, let us drink of the cool water.” Buria Bogatyr said to his brothers: “The well is amidst the steppes and deserts; no one shall take water or drink from it.” He jumped down from his good steed, began to smite and cut the well, and blood spattered out; suddenly the day became misty, the heat subsided, and they were not thirsty. “Now you see, brothers,” he said, “how stale this water is; it is like blood.”

  They rode on farther. After a long time or a short time, they came to a beautiful garden. Prince Ivan said to the eldest brother: “Allow us each to pick an apple.” “Eh, brothers, this garden is amidst steppes and deserts; perhaps the apples are old and rotten, and if you eat them a disease may strike you. First let me see.” He went into the garden and began to smite and cut; he cut down all the trees, down to the last one. His brothers became angry at him for not doing what they wanted.

  They rode along and were overtaken by dark night; soon they came to a hut. “Brother Buria Bogatyr,” the younger brothers said, “rain is beginning to fall; let us spend the night in this hut.” “Eh, brothers, let us pitch our tents and spend the night in the open field rather than in this hut; it is an old hut, and if we enter, it may fall and crush us; let me go and see.” He entered the hut and began to cut it down; blood spattered out, and he said: “You can see for yourselves what kind of hut this is, rotten through and through! Let us ride on farther.” The brothers grumbled but did not show their anger. They rode on farther; suddenly the path branched into two. Buria Bogatyr said: “Brothers, let us take the left path.” They said: “Take the path you want, we shall not go with you.” And so they turned to the right and Buria Bogatyr to the left.

  Buria Bogatyr—Ivan the Cow’s Son—came to a village; in this village twelve blacksmiths were working. And he cried and whistled, with a mighty whistle, a powerful cry: “Blacksmiths, blacksmiths, all of you come here!” The blacksmiths heard him and twelve of them ran to him: “What do you wish?” “Stretch an iron sheet around the smithy.” In a trice they did it. “Forge twelve iron rods, blacksmiths, and heat the tongs red hot. A sow will come to you and say: ‘Blacksmiths, blacksmiths, surrender the culprit; if you do not surrender the culprit, I will swallow you all with the smithy.’ And you say: ‘Ah, mother sow, take this fool from us, he has long been a thorn in our flesh; only thrust your tongue into the smithy, and we will put him on your tongue.’ ”

  Buria Bogatyr had no sooner given them this order than a huge sow came to them and cried in a loud voice: “Blacksmiths, blacksmiths, surrender the culprit!” The blacksmiths answered in one voice: “Mother sow, take this fool from us, he has long been a thorn in our flesh; only thrust your tongue into the smithy: we will put him on your tongue.” The sow was simple-minded and gullible, she thrust her tongue in a whole cubit’s length. Buria Bogatyr seized it with the red-hot tongs and cried to the blacksmiths: “Take the iron rods, thrash her soundly!” They thrashed her until they bared her ribs. “And now,” said Buria Bogatyr, “hold her fast, I will give her a treat.” He seized an iron rod and smote her, breaking all her ribs in two. The sow began to implore him: “Buria Bogatyr, let my soul repent!” Buria Bogatyr said: “And why have you swallowed my brothers?” “I will throw them up at once.” He seized her by her ears; the sow vomited and the two brothers jumped out with their steeds. Then Buria Bogatyr raised her and with all his strength smashed her against the damp earth: the sow shattered into a myriad of evil spirits. Said Buria Bogatyr to his brothers: “Do you see, you fools, where you have been?” They fell on their knees begging: “Forgive us, Buria Bogatyr, Cow’s Son!” “Well, now let us set out on our way. Nothing shall stop us.”

  They came to a kingdom, to the Indian king, and pitched their tents in his sacred meadows. In the morning the king awoke, looked through his spyglass, saw the tents, and summoned his prime minister, saying: “Go, brother, take a horse from the stable, ride to the sacred meadows, and find out what uncouth people have come there, pitched their tents without my permission, and made fires in my sacred meadows.” The prime minister went to the brothers and asked: “What kind of people are you, kings or princes, or mighty champions?” Buria Bogatyr, the Cow’s Son, answered: “We are very mighty champions, we have come to woo the king’s daughter. Report to your king that he must give his daughter to Prince Ivan in marriage; and if he refuses, let him send an army.” The king asked his daughter whether she would marry Prince Ivan. She answered: “No, father, I do not want to marry him; send an army.” Straightway the bugles blew, the cymbals clashed, the troops gathered and went to the sacred meadows; and it was such a big host that Prince Ivan and Ivan the Scullery Maid’s Son took fright.

  At that moment Buria Bogatyr was cooking some gruel for breakfast and stirring it with a ladle; he went out and with one swing of the ladle knocked down half the army; he went back, stirred his gruel, went out, swung again, and knocked down the other half, leaving only a one-eyed man and a blind man. “Tell your king,” he said to them, “that he must give his daughter Princess Maria to Prince Ivan in marriage; and if he refuses, let him send another army, and come with it himself.” The one-eyed man and the blind man came to their king and said: “Your Majesty, Buria Bogatyr sent us to tell you that you must give your daughter to Prince Ivan in marriage; and he was frightfully angry, and slew all our troops with a ladle.” The king entreated his daughter: “My beloved daughter, please marry Prince Ivan.” The daughter said: “We have no choice, I must marry him. Have a carriage sent for him.”

  The king forthwith sent a carriage and stood waiting before the gate. Prince Ivan came with his two brothers; the king received them courteously and kindly, with music and drums, and seated them at oaken tables covered with checkered tablecloths, on which were placed sweet viands and heady drinks. Then Buria Bogatyr whispered to Prince Ivan: “Mind you, Prince Ivan, when the princess asks you for permission to leave for an hour, say to her: ‘You may go even for two hours.’ ” After a while, the princess came to Prince Ivan and said: “Prince Ivan, permit me to go to another room to change my dress.” Prince Ivan let her go; she went out of the chambers and Buria Bogatyr followed behind her quietly. The princess struck herself against the porch, turned into a gull, and flew out to sea. Buria Bogatyr struck the ground, turned into a falcon, and flew after her. The princess came to the seashore, struck the ground, turned into a lovely maiden, and said: “Grandfather, grandfather, golden head, silver beard, let me speak to you!” Her grandfather emerged from the blue sea and said: “My little granddaughter, what d
o you want?” “Prince Ivan is wooing me; I do not wish to marry him, but all our army is slain. Grandfather, give me three hairs from your head; I will show them to Prince Ivan and ask him to guess from what root comes this grass.”

  The grandfather gave her three hairs; she struck the ground, turned into a gull, and flew home. And Buria Bogatyr struck the ground, turned into the same lovely maiden, and said: “Grandfather, grandfather, come out again, I want to speak to you, I have forgotten to tell you something.” The grandfather had no sooner stuck his head out of the water than Buria Bogatyr seized it and tore it off; he struck the ground, turned into an eagle, and came back to the palace ahead of the princess. He called Prince Ivan out to the entrance hall and said: “Prince Ivan, take this head; the princess will show you three hairs and ask you to guess from what root this grass comes; for answer just show her this head.”

  A little later the princess came to Prince Ivan, showed him the three hairs, and said: “Prince, guess from what root this grass comes; if you guess right, I will marry you, if not, do not hold it amiss if I don’t.” Prince Ivan took the head from under his coat and struck the table with it, saying: “Here is your root.” The princess thought to herself: “They are brave knights!” Then she said: “Please, Prince Ivan, let me change my dress in another room.” Prince Ivan let her go; she went on the porch, struck the ground, turned into a gull, and again flew out to sea. Buria Bogatyr took the head from the prince, went into the yard, struck the head against the porch, and said: “Where you were before, be now too.” The head flew forth, came to the place ahead of the princess, and grew together with the body.