Prince Ivan mounted his good steed, rolled his ball, and rode after it; and the forest grew darker and darker. The prince rode up to a little hut and entered it; in the hut sat an old man, hoary with age. “Good day, grandfather!” he said. “Good day, Russian prince! Whither are you going?” “I am seeking Byely Polyanin; do you know where he is?” “Wait a while; I shall assemble my faithful servants and ask them.” The old man went out on the porch, blew on a silver trumpet, and suddenly all kinds of beasts gathered around him from every side. He cried to them in a loud voice and whistled with a mighty whistle: “My faithful servants, my roving beasts, have you ever seen, have you ever heard of Byely Polyanin?” “No,” answered the beasts, “we have not seen him with our eyes nor heard about him with our ears.” “Well, take a roll call among yourselves; perhaps not all of you are here.” The beasts took count among themselves and discovered that the one-eyed she-wolf was missing. Straightway messengers set out and soon they brought her before the old man. “Tell me, one-eyed she-wolf, do you know Byely Polyanin?” “How can I help knowing him, since I am always with him? He defeats armies and I feed on their carrion.” “Where is he now?” “In the open field, on a high mound, asleep in his tent. He battled with Baba Yaga the Golden-legged, and after the contest he lay down to sleep for twelve days.” “Take Prince Ivan there,” the old man ordered.
The she-wolf ran off and the prince galloped after her. He came to the high mound, entered the tent, and found Byely Polyanin sleeping soundly. He said to himself: “My sisters said that Byely Polyanin wages war without ever resting, and here he has lain down to sleep for twelve days. Why shouldn’t I too go to sleep for the present?” Prince Ivan thought and thought, and then lay down beside Byely Polyanin. At that moment a little bird came flying into the tent, circled around the head of the bed, and said: “Arise, awake, Byely Polyanin, and make a cruel end of my brother, Prince Ivan! If you do not, he will rise up and slay you.” Prince Ivan jumped up, caught the bird, tore off her right leg, threw her out of the tent, and again lay down beside Byely Polyanin. He had not yet fallen asleep when another bird flew in, circled around the head of the bed, and said: “Arise, awake, Byely Polyanin, and make a cruel end of my brother, Prince Ivan! If you do not, he will rise up and slay you.” Prince Ivan jumped up, caught the bird, tore off her right wing, threw her out of the tent, and lay down in the same place. Then a third little bird flew in, circled around the head of the bed, and said: “Arise, awake, Byely Polyanin, and make a cruel end of my brother, Prince Ivan! If you do not, he will rise up and slay you.” Prince Ivan jumped up, caught the bird, and tore off her beak; he threw out the bird, lay down, and fell sound asleep.
At the time he had set for himself, Byely Polyanin awoke and saw an unknown knight lying beside him; he seized his sharp sword and was about to put the knight to a cruel death, but restrained himself in time. “No,” he thought, “he came here while I was asleep and did not dip his sword in my blood. It would be no honor for me to kill him; a sleeping man is like a dead man. Instead, I will awaken him.” He roused Prince Ivan and asked him: “Are you a good man or a wicked man? Tell me—what is your name and why have you come here?” “My name is Prince Ivan and I have come to see you, to try your strength.” “You are quite bold, prince! You entered my tent without permission, you went to sleep beside me without announcing yourself; for that I could put you to death.” “Eh, Byely Polyanin, you’re bragging before you have jumped the ditch! Wait, perhaps you will stumble. You have two arms, but I was not born with one arm either.”
They mounted their mighty steeds, rushed at each other, and clashed so violently that their spears were shattered into smithereens and their good steeds fell to the ground. Prince Ivan unhorsed Byely Polyanin and raised his sharp sword over him. Byely Polyanin implored him: “Do not give me death, give me life! I shall call myself your younger brother, I shall honor you as a father.” Prince Ivan took him by his hand, raised him from the ground, kissed him on the mouth, called him his younger brother, and said: “Brother, I have been told that for thirty years you have been warring against Baba Yaga the Golden-legged; what is the cause of your war?” “She has a beautiful daughter; I want to win her and marry her.” “Well,” said the prince, “since we are friends, I will help you in your trouble. Let us go to war together.”
They mounted their steeds and rode into the open field; Baba Yaga the Golden-legged brought forth an innumerable host of troops. Like bright falcons swooping down on a flock of pigeons, the mighty champions fell upon the enemy army; they cut them down with their swords less than they trampled them with their horses, and indeed they cut and trampled thousands upon thousands. Baba Yaga took to her heels and Prince Ivan set out in pursuit of her. He had almost caught up with her when she ran to the edge of a sharp precipice, pulled up a cast-iron trap door, and vanished underground. Prince Ivan and Byely Polyanin bought a great multitude of oxen, slaughtered them, skinned them, and cut the skins into thongs; with these thongs they wound a cable so long that it would reach from this world to the other world. The prince said to Byely Polyanin: “Lower me into the chasm but do not pull out the cable until I give it a tug; then pull me out.” Byely Polyanin lowered him into the very bottom of the chasm. Prince Ivan looked about him and went to search for Baba Yaga.
He walked and walked, and saw some tailors sitting behind a grating. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “We are sewing an army for Baba Yaga the Golden-legged.” “But how do you do it?” “It is quite simple; every time we take a stitch with the needle, a Cossack with a lance mounts a horse, gets in line, and sets out to war against Byely Polyanin.” “Eh, brothers, you are working quite fast, but not solidly; stand in a row, and I will show you how to sew more solidly.” They stood in one row; Prince Ivan swung his sword and all their heads flew off.
Having slain the tailors, he went on farther. He walked and walked and saw some cobblers sitting behind a grating. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “We are preparing an army for Baba Yaga the Golden-legged.” “How do you prepare an army, brothers?” “This way,” they said. “Each time we make a prick with an awl, a soldier with a gun mounts a horse, stands in line, and sets out to war against Byely Polyanin.” “Eh, brothers, you are working fast, but poorly. Stand in a row, I will show you how to do it better.” They stood in a row; Prince Ivan swung his sword and their heads flew off.
Having slain the cobblers, he went on farther. After a long time or a short time he reached a great and beautiful city; in that city there was a royal castle and in the castle sat a maiden of indescribable beauty. She saw the good youth through the window; she fell in love with his black curls, his falcon eyes, his sable brows, his heroic gait. She invited the prince to her room and questioned him as to whither and why he was traveling. He told her that he was looking for Baba Yaga the Golden-legged. “Ah, Prince Ivan, I am her daughter. She is now sound asleep; she lay down to rest for twelve days.” The maiden led him out of the city and showed him the way; Prince Ivan went to Baba Yaga, found her asleep, struck her with his sword, and cut off her head. The head rolled and uttered these words: “Strike again, Prince Ivan!” “A hero strikes once, and that is enough,” said the prince.
He returned to the castle and sat down with the lovely maiden at an oaken table with a checkered cloth. He ate and drank and asked her: “Is there anyone in the world stronger than I or more beautiful than you?” “Ah, Prince Ivan, what sort of beauty am I?” the maiden replied. “Beyond thrice nine lands, in the thrice tenth kingdom, there lives a princess in the dragon king’s palace. She is really of an indescribable beauty; I am only good enough to wash myself in the water in which she has washed her feet.” Prince Ivan took the lovely maiden by her white hand, led her to the place where the cable hung, and gave a sign to Byely Polyanin. The warrior pulled out the cable and with it the prince and the lovely maiden. “Hail, Byely Polyanin,” said Prince Ivan, “here is your bride; live merrily, do not worry about anything. As for me, I am going to the
dragon’s kingdom.”
He mounted his good steed, said farewell to Byely Polyanin and his bride, and galloped beyond thrice nine lands. After a long time or a short time—for speedily a tale is spun, but with much less speed a deed is done—he came to the dragon’s kingdom, slew the dragon king, rescued the beautiful princess from captivity, and married her. Then he returned home and began to live with his young wife in happiness and prosperity.
THE CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN
IN A CERTAIN KINGDOM in a certain land there lived a king who had three sons. One day they said to him: “Father, our gracious sovereign, give us your blessing; we wish to go hunting.” The father gave them his blessing and they set out in different directions. The youngest son rode and rode and lost his way; he came to a clearing, and there lay a dead horse, around which were gathered beasts of many kinds, birds, and reptiles. A falcon rose, flew up to the prince, perched on his shoulder, and said: “Prince Ivan, divide that horse among us; it has lain here for thirty years, and we have been quarreling ever since, unable to find a way of sharing it.” The prince climbed down from his good steed and divided the carcass: he gave the bones to the beasts, the flesh to the birds, the skin to the reptiles, and the head to the ants. “Thank you, Prince Ivan,” said the falcon. “For your kindness you shall be able to turn into a bright falcon or an ant whenever you wish.”
Prince Ivan struck the damp earth, turned into a bright falcon, soared up into the air, and flew to the thrice tenth kingdom. More than half of that kingdom had been swallowed into a crystal mountain. The prince flew straight into the royal palace, turned into a goodly youth, and asked the palace guards: “Will your king take me into his service?” “Why should he not take such a goodly youth?” they answered. Thus he entered the service of that king and lived in his palace for one week, then a second, then a third. The king’s daughter asked her father: “Father, my sovereign, give me leave to take a ride with Prince Ivan to the crystal mountain.” The king gave her leave. They mounted good steeds and set out. When they approached the crystal mountain, a golden goat jumped suddenly out from nowhere. The prince chased it; he galloped and galloped, but could not catch the goat, and when he returned the princess had vanished. What was he to do? How could he dare to appear before the king?
He disguised himself as a very old man, so that he would be unrecognizable, came to the palace, and said to the king: “Your Majesty, hire me as your herdsman.” “Very well,” said the king, “be my herdsman. When the three-headed dragon comes to your herd, give him three cows; when the six-headed dragon comes, give him six cows; and when the twelve-headed dragon comes, count off twelve cows.” Prince Ivan drove his herd over mountains and valleys. Suddenly the three-headed dragon came flying from a lake and said: “Ah, Prince Ivan, what kind of work are you engaged in? A goodly youth like you should be vying in combat, not tending cattle. Well, let me have three cows!” “Won’t that be too much?” asked the prince. “I myself eat only one duck a day, and you want three cows. But you won’t get any!” The dragon flew into a rage, and instead of three cows, seized six. Prince Ivan straightway turned into a bright falcon, cut off all the three heads of the dragon, and drove the cattle home. “Well, grandfather,” asked the king, “has the three-headed dragon come? Did you give him three cows?” “No, Your Majesty,” replied Prince Ivan, “I did not give him any.”
Next day the prince drove his herd over mountains and valleys, and the six-headed dragon came from the lake and demanded six cows. “Ah, you gluttonous monster,” said the prince, “I myself eat only one duck a day, and see what you demand! I won’t give you any!” The dragon flew into a rage and instead of six, seized twelve cows; but the prince turned into a bright falcon, fell upon the dragon, and cut off his six heads. He drove the herd home and the king asked him: “Well, grandfather, has the six-headed dragon come? Has my herd grown much smaller?” “Come he did, but he took nothing,” answered the prince.
Late at night Prince Ivan turned into an ant and crawled into the crystal mountain through a little crack. Lo and behold, the princess was in the crystal mountain. “Good evening!” said Prince Ivan. “How did you get here?” “The twelve-headed dragon carried me off,” said the princess. “He lives in father’s lake and has a coffer in his side. In this coffer is a hare, in this hare is a duck, in this duck is an egg, and in this egg is a seed. If you slay the dragon and get that seed, it will be possible to destroy the crystal mountain and rescue me.”
Prince Ivan crawled out of the mountain, turned again into a herdsman, and drove his herd. Suddenly the twelve-headed dragon flew up to him and said: “Ah, Prince Ivan, you are not doing what you should; a goodly youth like you should be vying in combat, not tending a herd. Well, count off twelve cows for me!” “That will be too much for you!” said the prince. “I myself eat only one duck a day, and see what you demand!” They began to fight, and after a long struggle or a short struggle, Prince Ivan defeated the twelve-headed dragon, slashed open his trunk, and found the coffer in his right side. In the coffer he found a hare, in the hare a duck, in the duck an egg, in the egg a seed. He took the seed, set it alight, and brought it to the crystal mountain, which soon melted away. Prince Ivan led the princess to her father, who was overjoyed and said to the prince: “Be my son-in-law!” The wedding was held at once. I was at that wedding too. I drank beer and mead; they flowed down my beard but did not go into my mouth.
KOSHCHEY THE DEATHLESS
ONCE THERE WAS a king who had an only son. When the prince was small, his nurses and governesses sang lullabies to him. “Prince Ivan, when you grow up, you will find your bride,” they would sing. “Beyond thrice nine lands, in the thrice tenth kingdom, Vasilisa Kirbitievna sits in a tower, and her marrow flows from bone to bone.” When the prince had passed his fifteenth year, he began to ask the king’s leave to set out in search of his bride. “Whither will you go?” the father asked. “You are still too young.” “No, father, when I was little, my nurses and governesses sang lullabies to me and told me where my bride lives; and now I wish to go and find her.” The father gave the prince his blessing and sent word to all the kingdoms that his son, Prince Ivan, was setting out to find his bride.
One day the prince came to a certain town, put up his horse to be cared for, and went to walk in the streets. He came to the square and saw that a man was being flogged with a whip. “Why do you whip him?” he asked. “Because he borrowed ten thousand rubles from a prominent merchant,” they told him, “and did not pay them back at the agreed time. As for the man who redeems him, his wife will be carried off by Koshchey the Deathless.” The prince thought and thought and went away. He walked through the town, then came to the square again, and saw that the man was still being flogged; Prince Ivan took pity on him and decided to redeem him. Since I have no wife, he thought, no one can be taken from me. He paid the ten thousand rubles and went home. Suddenly the man whom he had redeemed ran after him, crying: “Thank you, Prince Ivan! If you had not redeemed me, you would never have won your bride. But now I will help you. Buy me a horse and a saddle at once.” The prince bought him a horse and saddle and asked: “What is your name?” “My name is Bulat the Brave,” the man said.
They mounted their horses and set out. As soon as they arrived in the thrice tenth kingdom, Bulat said: “Well, Prince Ivan, order chickens, ducks, and geese to be bought and roasted, so that there will be plenty of everything. And I will get your bride. But mind you: every time I come to you, cut off the right wing of a fowl and serve it to me on a plate.” Bulat the Brave went straight to the lofty tower where Vasilisa Kirbitievna was sitting, gently threw a stone, and broke the gilded top of the tower. He ran to Prince Ivan and said: “Why are you sleeping? Give me a chicken.” The prince cut off the right wing of a chicken and handed it to him on a plate. Bulat took the plate, ran to the tower, and cried: “Good day, Vasilisa Kirbitievna! Prince Ivan sends you his greetings and has asked me to give you this chicken.” The maiden was frightened and sat in silence. But he answ
ered himself in her stead: “Good day, Bulat the Brave! Is Prince Ivan well? Thank God, he is well. And why do you stand like that, Bulat the Brave? Take the key, open the cupboard, drink a glass of vodka, and God speed you.”
Then Bulat ran to Prince Ivan. “Why are you sitting?” he said. “Give me a duck.” The prince cut off the right wing of a duck and handed it to him on a plate. Bulat took the plate and carried it to the tower. “Good day, Vasilisa Kirbitievna! Prince Ivan sends you his greetings and has asked me to give you this duck.” She sat in silence, and he answered himself in her stead: “Good day, Bulat the Brave! Is the prince well? Thank God, he is well. And why do you stand like that, Bulat the Brave? Take the key, open the cupboard, drink a glass of vodka, and God speed you.” Then Bulat ran home and again said to Prince Ivan: “Why are you sitting? Give me a goose.” The prince cut off the right wing of a goose and handed it to him on a plate. Bulat the Brave took it to the tower. “Good day, Vasilisa Kirbitievna! Prince Ivan sends his greetings and has asked me to give you this goose.” Vasilisa Kirbitievna straightway took a key, opened a cupboard, and gave him a glass of vodka. Bulat did not take the glass, but seized the maiden by her right hand, drew her out of the tower, and seated her on Prince Ivan’s horse, and the good youths galloped away at a headlong pace, taking the lovely maiden with them.
Russian Fairy Tales (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) Page 46
