He walked one day, a second day, and a third day; hunger tormented him, yet he had nothing to eat or drink. He sat on the road, wept bitter tears, and began to think: “Well, am I not a fool? I served the king for ten years, I was always sated and content; every day I received three pounds of bread. But I had to run away to die of hunger! Eh, evil spirit, it is all your fault!” Suddenly out of nowhere the evil spirit appeared before him and said: “Good day, soldier! Why are you so sad?” “How can I help being sad when I have been tormented by hunger for three days?” “Do not grieve, this can be remedied,” said the evil spirit. He rushed here and there, brought all kinds of wine and provisions, fed the soldier, and invited him to his house. “In my house you will have an easy life,” the evil spirit said. “You can eat, drink, and be merry as much as your heart desires. Only look after my daughters, I don’t demand anything else.” The soldier consented and the evil spirit seized him by the arm, raised him high, very high in the air, and carried him beyond thrice nine lands, to the thrice tenth kingdom, to a white stone palace.
The evil spirit had three daughters, who were beauties. He ordered them to obey the soldier and to give him food and drink in abundance, and himself flew away to do mischief, as is the custom of evil spirits. He never sat in one place, but kept traveling about the world, troubling people and tempting them to sin. The soldier stayed with the lovely maidens and began to have such a gay life that he did not think of dying. Only one thing worried him: every night the lovely maidens left the house and where they went he did not know. He tried to question them, but they refused to answer, denying everything. “Very well, then,” he thought, “I will stand guard for a whole night and I will find out where you go.” At night he lay on his bed, pretended that he was sound asleep, and waited impatiently.
When the time came, he stole quietly up to the maidens’ bedroom, stood at the door, bent down, and looked through the keyhole. The lovely maidens brought in a magic carpet, spread it on the floor, struck the carpet, and turned into doves; they shook their wings and flew out of the window. “What a marvel!” thought the soldier. “I’ll try it too.” He jumped into the bedroom, struck the carpet, and turned into a hedge sparrow; he flew out of the window and followed the doves. They alighted on a green meadow, and the sparrow sat behind a currant bush, hiding among the leaves and peeping out from there. An immense host of doves gathered, covering the whole meadow; in the middle of the meadow stood a golden throne. After a short while, heaven and earth were illumined; a golden carriage flew in the air, drawn by six fiery dragons; in the carriage sat Princess Elena the Wise, a marvelous beauty such as no mind can imagine and no tongue can tell of. She descended from her carriage and sat on the golden throne; then she began to call each dove in turn and to teach it various cunning tricks. When she had finished teaching the doves she jumped into the carriage and drove off.
Then all the doves left the green meadow, flying each in a different direction, and the hedge sparrow followed the three sisters and found itself together with the doves in the bedroom. The doves struck the carpet and turned into lovely maidens, and the hedge sparrow struck the carpet and turned into a soldier. “Whence do you come?” the maidens asked him. “I have been with you on the green meadow; I saw the beautiful princess on the golden throne and I heard her teach you various cunning tricks.” “Well, you are lucky to have escaped! For this princess, Elena the Wise, is our powerful ruler. If she had had her magic book with her, she would have discovered your presence at once, and you would not have escaped a cruel death. Take care, soldier! Do not return to the green meadow, do not look at Elena the Wise, or you will lose your rash head.” The soldier was not frightened; he let these words pass through his ears unheeded. He waited till the next night, struck the carpet, and turned into a hedge sparrow. The hedge sparrow flew to the green meadow, hid behind a currant bush, looked at Elena the Wise, feasted his eyes upon her marvelous beauty, and thought: “If I could get such a wife, I would want nothing else in the world! I will follow her and find out where she lives.”
Elena the Wise came down from her golden throne, sat in her carriage, and soared in the air to her marvelous palace; the hedge sparrow flew after her. The princess came to her palace; her governesses and nurses ran out to meet her, seized her by the arms, and led her to her magnificent chambers. The hedge sparrow flew to the garden, chose a beautiful tree that stood right under the princess’ bedroom, perched on a branch, and began to sing so well and so plaintively that the princess could not close her eyes all night. She listened and listened. As soon as the radiant sun arose, Elena the Wise cried in a loud voice: “Governesses and nurses, run to the garden, catch that hedge sparrow!” The governesses and nurses rushed to the garden and tried to catch the songbird, but the old women were not equal to this task. The hedge sparrow fluttered from bush to bush, never flying far, yet refusing to be caught.
The princess became impatient. She ran out into the green garden to catch the hedge sparrow herself; she came up to the bush, and the bird did not move from the branch, but sat drooping its wings, as though waiting for her. The princess was overjoyed, took the bird in her hands, carried it to the palace, put it in a golden cage, and hung the cage in her bedroom. The day went by, the sun set. Elena the Wise flew to the green meadow, returned, undressed, and lay in her bed. The hedge sparrow gazed at her white body and her wondrous beauty and trembled all over. As soon as the princess had fallen asleep, the hedge sparrow turned into a fly, flew out of the golden cage, struck the floor, and turned into a goodly youth. The goodly youth came up to the princess’ bed, gazed and gazed at her beauty, could not restrain himself, and kissed her on her sweet mouth. He saw that the princess was awakening, turned quickly into a fly, flew into the cage, and became a hedge sparrow.
Elena the Wise opened her eyes; she looked around her and saw no one. “Apparently,” she thought, “I dreamed all that in a dream.” She turned over and fell asleep again. But the soldier could not restrain himself; he tried a second and a third time, and the princess, who was a light sleeper, awoke after each kiss. After the third time she rose from her bed and said: “Something is wrong; I must look into my magic book.” She looked into it and found at once that in the golden cage there was not a simple hedge sparrow but a young soldier. “Ah, you insolent fellow,” she cried, “get out of that cage! For this deception you will answer with your life.”
The hedge sparrow had no choice; it flew out of the golden cage, struck the floor, and turned into a goodly youth. The soldier fell on his knees before the princess and began to beg for her pardon. “There is no pardon for you, scoundrel,” said Elena the Wise, and called the executioner to cut the soldier’s head off. Out of nowhere a giant appeared with an ax and a block, threw the soldier down, pressed his head to the block, and raised his ax, waiting for the princess to give the signal with her handkerchief. “Have mercy upon me!” the soldier begged with tears in his eyes. “Give me leave to sing a song before I die.” “Sing, but hurry!” said Elena. The soldier intoned a song so sad, so plaintive, that Elena the Wise began to weep. She took pity on the goodly youth and said to him: “I give you ten hours; if by that time you manage to hide so cunningly that I can’t find you, I shall marry you; if you do not, I shall order your head to be cut off.”
The soldier went out of the palace, wandered into a thick forest, sat under a bush, and became sad and thoughtful. “Ah, evil spirit, it is all your fault!” he said. At that very moment the evil spirit appeared before him, saying: “What do you want, soldier?” “Eh,” the soldier said, “my death is approaching! Where shall I hide from Elena the Wise?” The evil spirit struck the earth and turned into a blue-winged eagle. “Soldier, sit on my back,” he said. “I will carry you to the skies.” The soldier sat on the eagle, who soared upward and flew beyond black clouds. Five hours passed. Elena the Wise took her magic book, looked into it, and saw everything as though on the palm of her hand. She cried in a loud voice: “Enough, eagle! Stop flying in the skies. Descend
! You will not hide from me.” The eagle descended to the ground.
The soldier was even more grieved than before. “What shall I do now?” he asked. “Where shall I hide?” “Wait,” said the evil spirit, “I will help you.” He jumped to the soldier, struck him on his cheek, and turned him into a pin; then he himself turned into a mouse, seized the pin in his teeth, stole into the palace, found the magic book, and stuck the pin into it. The last five hours passed. Elena the Wise opened her magic book, looked and looked, and the book showed nothing; the princess grew very angry and flung the book into the stove. The pin fell out of the book, struck the floor, and turned into a goodly youth. Elena the Wise took his arm. “I am cunning,” she said, “but you are more cunning than I.” They did not stop to think too long; they wedded and began to live together happily.
TREASURE-TROVE
IN A CERTAIN KINGDOM an old man and his old wife were living in great misery. When her time came the old woman died. Outside it was bitter, frosty winter weather. The old man went to his neighbors and friends and asked them to help him to dig a grave for his wife, but knowing his utter poverty they bluntly refused. The old man went to the priest—and the priest of his village was very greedy and unscrupulous. “Holy father,” said the old man, “please bury my wife.” “And have you money to pay for the burial? Pay me in advance, my friend.” “There is no use hiding from you that I have not a penny in my house. But wait awhile; when I earn some money, I will pay you with interest; I swear that I will pay you.”
The priest refused even to listen to the old man. “If you have no money,” he said, “don’t dare to come to me!” “I have no choice,” thought the old man, “but to go to the graveyard, dig a grave somehow, and bury my wife myself.” He took an ax and a shovel and went to the graveyard. He began to dig the grave. First he cut the frozen ground with his ax, then he took his shovel, and dug and dug; he dug up a little pot, looked into it, and found it full to the brim with gold pieces gleaming like fire. The old man was overjoyed: “Glory be to God!” he said. “Now I have enough money to give my wife a decent burial and provide a funeral dinner.” He stopped digging the grave, took the pot of gold, and went home.
Money, as always, made everything go as smoothly as butter. Good people were found at once to dig the grave and make the coffin; the old man sent his daughter-in-law to buy wine and all kinds of viands, everything that is needed for a funeral feast, then took a gold piece and again went to the priest. As soon as he set foot on the doorstep, the priest fell upon him. “I told you clearly, you old dotard, not to come without money, and yet you’re here again,” he said. “Do not be angry, holy father,” the old man begged him, “here is a gold piece. Bury my wife and I shall never forget your kindness.” The priest took the money and could not find ways enough of being gracious to the old man. He begged him to sit down and spoke fawning words to him: “Well, dear old man, be of good cheer; everything will be done as it should be.” The old man bowed to him and went home, and the priest and his wife began to talk about him. “The old rascal!” they said. “Everyone says he is poor, very poor, yet he came here with a gold piece. I have buried many wealthy people in my life, and never has anyone given me as much as this.”
The priest gathered all his attendants and gave the old woman a decent burial. After the burial the old man invited the priest to the funeral repast. All the mourners came to his house, sat at table, and out of nowhere appeared wine and meats and plenty of everything. The priest sat there eating enough for three, and his mouth watered at the sight of another man’s goods. After dinner the visitors began to go home, and the priest too rose from his chair. The old man went with him to the gate, and as soon as they were out in the yard, and the priest saw that no one could hear them, he began to question the old man. “My dear friend,” he said, “confess to me, do not let a sin weigh on your soul; you may speak to me as to God himself. How have you managed to improve your fortunes so quickly? You were a poor peasant, and now all of a sudden you have everything. Confess, my friend! Whom have you killed, whom have you robbed?” “Holy father, what are you saying? I will confess the whole truth to you. I did not rob, I did not kill anyone; a treasure-trove came into my hands of itself.” And he told the priest everything.
Upon hearing this, the priest began to tremble with greed. He returned home and could not attend to anything. Night and day he had only one thought: “The idea of such a wretched little peasant having so much money—how can I get my hands on his potful of gold?” He spoke about it to his wife; they put their heads together and finally thought of a plan. The priest said: “Listen, wife, we have a goat, haven’t we?” “We have.” “Well, that’s fine. At night we shall do everything that is necessary.” Late at night the priest dragged the goat to his room, slaughtered it, and removed its whole skin, with the horns and the beard. Then he put the goatskin on himself and said to his wife: “Take a needle and thread and sew the skin around me so that it stays on.” The priest’s wife took a thick needle and coarse thread and sewed the goatskin around him.
On the stroke of midnight the priest went straight to the old man’s house, came to the window, and knocked and scratched on it. The old man heard the noise, jumped up, and asked: “Who is there?” “The devil!” said the priest. “Our house is consecrated!” the peasant yelled, and began to make the sign of the cross and to chant prayers.
“Listen, old man,” said the priest. “You won’t get rid of me, no matter how long you pray or how many times you make the sign of the cross. You had better give me your pot of money, or I’ll settle your account. I took pity on your grief—I showed you a treasure-trove, thinking that you would take just a little of it to pay for your wife’s burial, but you took it all.” The old man looked out of the window, saw the goat’s horns and beard, and was certain that it was the devil himself. “Let him go to hell with the money,” thought the old man. “I’ve lived without money before and I can live without it in the future.” He got his pot of gold, took it out into the street, threw it on the ground, and rushed back to his house. The priest snatched up the money and ran home. Upon his return he said: “Well, now the money is ours. Here, wife, store it away in a safe place, and then take a sharp knife, cut the threads, and remove the goatskin before anyone sees me.”
The priest’s wife took a knife and began to cut the skin along the seam. Suddenly blood began to spurt, and the priest yelled: “Wife, it hurts! Don’t cut, don’t cut!” She tried to cut at another place, but the same thing happened. The goatskin had grown to the priest’s body, and no matter what they did, no matter what they tried—they even took the money back to the old man—it was of no avail: the goatskin stuck to the priest. That was how the Lord punished him for his greed.
MARIA MOREVNA
IN A CERTAIN KINGDOM in a certain land lived Prince Ivan. He had three sisters—Princess Maria, Princess Olga, and Princess Anna. Their father and mother died; their parting injunction to their son was: “Whoever woos a sister of yours, give her to him; do not keep them long with you.” The prince buried his parents and in his sorrow went to walk with his sisters in the green garden. Suddenly a black cloud covered the sky and a terrible storm gathered. “Let us go home, sisters,” said Prince Ivan. They had no sooner entered the castle than a thunderbolt struck it. The ceiling was cut in twain and a bright falcon flew into the room; he struck the floor, turned into a brave knight, and said: “Hail, Prince Ivan! Formerly I came here as a guest, but now I have come as a suitor; I want to woo your sister, Princess Maria.” “If my sister finds you to her liking I do not oppose the marriage; let her go with God.” Princess Maria consented; the falcon married her and carried her off to his kingdom.
Days followed days, hours followed hours, and a whole year went by as though it had never been. Prince Ivan went to walk in the green garden with his two sisters. Again a great cloud came with whirlwind and lightning. “Let us go home, sisters,” said the prince. They had no sooner entered the castle than a thunderbolt struck it.
The roof fell apart, the ceiling was cut in twain, and an eagle flew in; he struck the floor and turned into a brave knight. “Hail, Prince Ivan!” the eagle said. “Formerly I came as a guest but now I have come as a suitor.” And he wooed Princess Olga. Prince Ivan answered: “If Olga finds you to her liking, let her marry you; I do not oppose her will.” Princess Olga consented and married the eagle; he seized her and carried her off to his kingdom.
Another year went by. Prince Ivan said to his youngest sister: “Let us go to walk in the green garden.” They walked a while; again a cloud came and a whirlwind arose and lightning flashed. “Let us return home, sister,” said the prince. They returned home and before they had time to sit down a thunderbolt struck their palace. The ceiling was cut in twain and a raven flew in. He struck the floor and turned into a brave knight; the other two were handsome, but he was even handsomer. “Well, Prince Ivan,” said the raven, “formerly I came as a guest, but now I have come as a suitor: give me Princess Anna in marriage.” “I do not oppose my sister’s will,” said Ivan. “If she finds you to her liking, let her marry you.” Princess Anna married the raven and he carried her off to his kingdom. Prince Ivan was left alone; for a whole year he lived alone, then he became weary. “I will go and look for my sisters,” he said.
He made ready, walked and walked, and one day beheld a host of troops lying slain on the field. Prince Ivan said: “If any man is alive here, let him answer me. Who slew this great army?” One man answered him: “All this great army was slain by Maria Morevna, the beautiful queen.” Prince Ivan went farther, came upon white tents, and Maria Morevna, the beautiful queen, came out to meet him. “Hail, prince,” she said. “Whither is God taking you? And is it of your own will or by compulsion?” Prince Ivan answered her: “Brave knights do not travel by compulsion.” “Well, if you are not in a hurry,” said the queen, “rest in my tents.” Maria Morevna found Prince Ivan to her liking and he married her.
Russian Fairy Tales (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) Page 53
