Russian Fairy Tales (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library)

by Afanas'Ev, Aleksandr

  The next day, the maiden took her silver dish and rolled her golden egg on it; and many a golden egg did she roll out. The wafer baker’s daughter saw this and said: “Sell me your plaything.” “Buy it.” “And what is the price?” “Let me spend another night with your husband.” “Very well, I agree.” And Finist the Bright Falcon again soared all day in the skies and flew back home only at nightfall. They sat down to supper; the lovely maiden served the viands and kept looking at him, but it was as though he had never known her. Again the wafer baker’s daughter made him drunk with a sleeping potion, put him to bed, and sent the servant to chase the flies from him. And this time too, no matter how much the lovely maiden wept and tried to rouse him, he slept through till the morning and heard nothing.

  On the third day, the lovely maiden sat holding the golden embroidery frame, and the needle embroidered by itself—and what wondrous designs it made! The wafer baker’s daughter could not keep her eyes off this work and said: “Lovely maiden, sell me your plaything!” “Buy it.” “And what is the price?” “Let me spend a third night with your husband.” “Very well, I agree.” At night Finist the Bright Falcon came home; his wife made him drunk with a sleeping potion, put him to bed, and sent the servant to chase the flies from him. The lovely maiden chased the flies while imploring him tearfully: “Arise, awake, Finist the Bright Falcon! I, the lovely maiden, have come to you; I have broken three cast-iron staves, worn out three pairs of iron shoes, and gnawed away three stone wafers, and all that time I have been seeking you, my beloved.” But Finist the Bright Falcon was sound asleep and felt nothing.

  The maiden wept a long time, she spoke to him a long time; suddenly one of her tears fell on his cheek and he awoke on the instant. “Ah,” he said, “something has burned me.” “Finist the Bright Falcon,” said the lovely maiden, “I have come to you; I have broken three cast-iron staves, worn out three pairs of iron shoes, and gnawed away three stone wafers, and all the time I have been seeking you! This is the third night that I have stood beside you while you slept and did not waken and did not answer my words.” Only now did Finist the Bright Falcon recognize her, and he was overjoyed beyond all words. They formed a plan and left the wafer baker’s daughter. In the morning she discovered that her husband was gone and the servant too. She complained to her mother, who ordered the horses put to and rushed after them. She drove and drove and stopped at the houses of the three old women, but did not overtake Finist the Bright Falcon; all trace of him had long since disappeared.

  Finist and his destined bride found themselves near her father’s house. Finist struck the damp earth and turned into a feather; the lovely maiden took it, hid it in her bosom, and went to her father. “Ah, my beloved daughter, I thought you had perished; where have you been so long?” “I went to pray to God.” It was just then Holy Week. The father and the elder daughters made ready to go to matins. “Well, my dear daughter,” he said to the youngest, “make ready and come with us; this is a joyful day.” “Father, I have nothing to wear.” “Put on our dresses,” said the elder sisters. “Ah, sisters, your dresses won’t fit me; I’d rather stay home.”

  The father with his two elder daughters went to matins, and then the lovely maiden took out her feather. It struck the floor and turned into a handsome prince. The prince whistled at the window and straightway there appeared dresses and mantles and a golden carriage. They dressed themselves, sat in the carriage, and went to church. When they entered, they stood before everyone and the people marveled to see that a prince and princess had come. When the service was over they left before everyone else; the carriage and the splendid raiments disappeared, and the prince turned into a feather. The father and the two elder daughters returned. “Oh, sister,” they said, “you did not come with us, and a handsome prince and a marvelous princess were there.” “Never mind, sisters! Since you have told me all about it, it is as though I had been there myself.”

  The next day the same thing happened again. And on the third day, when the prince and the lovely maiden rode in their carriage, the father went out of the church and with his own eyes saw the carriage drive up to his house and then vanish. The father came home and began to question his youngest daughter. She said: “There is nothing to be done, I have to confess everything.” She took out the feather; the feather struck the floor and turned into the prince. They were married at once, and the wedding was a magnificent one!

  THE SUN, THE MOON, AND THE RAVEN

  ONCE THERE LIVED an old man and an old woman who had three daughters. The husband went to the barn to get some groats; he took them and carried them into the house, but there was a hole in the bag, and the groats poured out through it. The wife asked: “Where are the groats?” To tell the truth, the groats had all dropped out. The old man went to pick them up and said: “If the Sun would warm me, if the Moon would give me light, and if the Raven would help me to gather up the groats, I would marry my eldest daughter to the Sun, my second daughter to the Moon, and my youngest daughter to the Raven.” The old man began to gather his groats, and the Sun warmed him, the Moon gave him light, and the Raven helped him to pick up the groats. The old man came home and said to his eldest daughter: “Dress yourself in your finest and go out on the porch.” She dressed, went to the porch, and the Sun carried her off. He also ordered his second daughter to dress in her finest and go out on the porch. She dressed and went out, and the Moon seized her and carried her off. He also said to his youngest daughter: “Dress in your finest and go out on the porch.” She dressed and went to the porch; the Raven seized her and carried her off.

  The old man said: “I think that now I will pay a visit to my son-in-law.” He went to the Sun. When he came the Sun said: “What shall I offer you?” “I don’t want anything,” said the old man. The Sun told his wife to fry some pancakes. The wife fried them. The Sun sat in the middle of the floor, the wife put the frying pan on him, and soon the pancakes were ready. The old man ate them. When he came home he asked his wife to fry pancakes; he sat on the floor and told her to put the frying pan with the pancake batter on him. “They won’t fry on you,” said his wife. “Don’t argue,” he answered, “they will fry.” She put the frying pan on him; but, long as they kept the batter there, it did not fry, it only turned sour. In the end the old woman put the frying pan on the stove, the pancakes fried, and the old man ate his fill.

  The next day he went to see his second son-in-law, the Moon. The Moon said: “What shall I offer you?” “I don’t want anything,” answered the old man. The Moon heated up a bath for him. The old man said: “It will be dark in the bathhouse.” The Moon answered: “Now it will be light. Go.” The old man went to the bathhouse and the Moon thrust his finger through a hole in the door; thus the bathhouse was brightly illumined. The old man steamed himself, came home, and ordered his wife to heat up a bath at night. The old woman did so; then he sent her to steam herself there. She said: “It will be too dark to steam myself.” “Go, it will be light,” said the old man. The old woman went, and the old man, having seen how the Moon illumined his bath, made a hole in the door of the bathhouse and thrust his finger through it. But still there was no light in the bathhouse. The old woman cried to him: “It is dark.” In the end she went to get a torch and then steamed herself.

  On the third day the old man went to see the Raven. “What shall I offer you?” asked the Raven. “I don’t want anything,” said the old man. “In that case, let us at least go to sleep in the attic.” The Raven put a ladder against the attic opening and they climbed up. The Raven put his guest under his wing, and when the old man went to sleep, both of them fell down and were killed.

  THE BLADDER, THE STRAW, AND THE SHOE

  A BLADDER, a blade of straw, and a shoe went to chop wood in the forest. They came to a river and did not know how to cross it. The shoe said to the bladder: “Bladder, let us swim across it on you.” The bladder said: “No, shoe, let the straw blade instead stretch itself from shore to shore, and we will walk over it.” The
blade of straw stretched itself across the water; the shoe walked on it and the straw broke. The shoe fell into the water, and the bladder laughed and laughed until it burst.

  THE THIEF

  ONCE THERE LIVED an old man and his wife and they had a son called Ivan. They fed him until he grew up to be a big boy and then said: “Well, little son, we have fed you up until now, henceforth feed us till the end of our days.” Ivan answered them: “Since you fed me till I grew big, now feed me till I get a mustache.” They fed him till he had a mustache, and said: “Well, little son, we fed you till you had a mustache, now feed us till the end of our days.” “Eh, father and mother,” the son answered, “since you fed me till I have a mustache, feed me now till I have a beard.” There was nothing to be done; the old parents fed him till he had a beard, and then said: “Well, little son, we fed you till you had a beard, now feed us till the end of our days.” “Since you fed me till I had a beard, feed me now till the end of my days,” said the son. The old man could not bear it any longer and went to the barin to complain about his son.

  The lord summoned Ivan and said: “You idler, why don’t you support your father and mother?” “How can I support them?” answered Ivan. “Or do you give me leave to steal? I have never learned to work, and now it is too late for me to learn.” “Do as you please,” said the barin; “steal if you must, but support your parents and let there be no more complaints against you!” At that moment a servant came in announcing that the barin’s bath was ready, and the barin went to steam himself. It was getting dark; the barin washed himself, returned, and said: “Hey, is someone there? Give me my slippers!” Ivan, who was still there, handed him the slippers, took the barin’s boots, and went home with them. “Here, father,” he said, “take off your shoes of linden bark, put on the barin’s boots instead.”

  Next morning the barin discovered that his boots were gone. He sent for Ivan and asked him: “Did you carry off my boots?” “I don’t know anything, but it’s my work.” “Ah, you scoundrel, you cheat! How dare you steal?” “But didn’t you tell me yourself that I must support my father and mother, even if I have to steal? I would not disobey your orders, master.” “In that case,” said the barin, “listen to this order. Steal my black ox from the plow; if you do steal him, I’ll give you a hundred rubles; if you do not, I’ll give you a hundred lashes with the whip.” “At your orders, barin,” said Ivan.

  He went straightway to the village, stole a cock somewhere, plucked his feathers, and hastened to the field. He sneaked up to the edge of the furrow, lifted a clump of earth, put the cock under it, and hid behind the bushes. When the plowmen began to trace a new furrow, they caught that clump of earth and shoved it to one side; the plucked cock jumped out and rushed along the mounds and ruts. “Look at the strange beast that we dug out of the earth!” cried the plowmen, and ran after the cock. When Ivan saw that they were running like scalded creatures, he went to the plow, cut off the tail of one ox, stuck it into the mouth of the second, unharnessed the third ox, and led him home.

  The plowmen chased the cock for a long time, but failed to catch him and went back. They discovered that the black ox had gone and that the speckled one had lost its tail. “Well, brothers,” one of them said, “while we ran after the strange animal, one ox ate the black one whole and bit off the tail of the speckled one.” They went to the barin to confess their dereliction. “Forgive us, little father, one ox ate another.” “Ah, you brainless fools,” the barin shouted at them, “who ever saw an ox eating another ox? Summon Ivan!” When Ivan came he asked: “Did you steal the ox?” “I did, barin.” “What have you done with him?” “I have slaughtered him; sold the hide at the bazaar, and with the flesh I will feed my parents.” “You’re a clever fellow,” said the barin. “Here is a hundred rubles for you. But now steal my favorite stallion, which stands behind three doors and six locks. If you lead him away, I’ll pay you two hundred rubles; if you do not, I’ll give you two hundred lashes with the whip.” “Very well, barin, I’ll steal him.”

  Late at night Ivan got into the barin’s house. There was not a living soul in the entrance hall; he noticed the barin’s clothes hanging on the peg, took the overcoat and cap, put them on himself, went out on the porch, and cried to the stableboys in a loud voice: “Hey, boys, saddle my favorite stallion at once and lead him up here!” The stableboys took him for the barin, ran to the stable, unlocked the six locks, opened the three doors, and in a trice the stallion was saddled and brought up to the porch. The thief mounted him, lashed him with a riding crop, and was gone.

  Next day the barin asked: “Well, how is my favorite stallion?” And he learned that the horse had been stolen the night before. He again had to send for Ivan. “Did you steal the stallion?” the barin asked. “I did, barin.” “Where is he?” “I’ve sold him to horse dealers.” “You’re lucky that I myself ordered you to steal him! Take your two hundred rubles. But now steal the teacher of the dissenting church.” “And what, barin, do you offer me for that job?” “Will three hundred rubles be enough?” “Yes, I’ll steal him for that sum.” “And if you fail?” “Then, barin, do with me what you please.”

  The barin summoned the teacher and said to him: “Be on your guard; pray all night, do not dare to sleep! Ivan the thief has boasted that he will kidnap you.” The saintly old man took fright. He did not feel like sleeping at all; he sat in his cell and chanted prayers. On the stroke of midnight Ivan the thief, carrying a burlap sack, knocked at the window. “Who are you, man?” the teacher asked. “I am an angel from heaven, sent to bring you to paradise alive; crawl into this sack.” The teacher foolishly crawled into the sack; the thief tied him up, slung him over his shoulders, and carried him to the church steeple. He dragged and dragged him. “Is it still far?” asked the teacher. “Wait and see,” said Ivan. “In the beginning the road is long but smooth, in the end it is short but bumpy.”

  Ivan dragged the sack and let it roll down the stairs; the teacher was badly bumped, he counted every step. “Oh,” he said, “the angel spoke the truth: the first part of the way is long but smooth, and the last part is short but bumpy. I didn’t suffer that much even on earth.” “Be patient, you will be saved,” answered Ivan. He lifted the sack, hung it on the fence near the gate, put two birch twigs as thick as a finger near by, and wrote on the gate: “Whoever goes by and fails to strike this bag three times, let him be cursed and anathematized.” Thus everyone who went by struck the bag three times. The barin passed near the church gate and asked: “What is in that sack?” And he ordered it to be taken down and untied. The teacher of the dissenting church crawled out of it. “How did you get here?” asked the barin. “I told you to be on your guard! I am not sorry that you have been beaten with rods, but I am sorry that because of you I will lose three hundred rubles.”

  THE VAMPIRE

  IN A CERTAIN KINGDOM in a certain land there lived an old man and his wife. They had a daughter named Marusia. In their village it was customary to celebrate the holiday of St. Andrew: the girls would assemble in one house, bake cream puffs, and make merry for a whole week or more. Upon one such occasion the girls gathered together and baked and cooked whatever was needed; at nightfall the young men came with pipes and wine, and there was dancing and merriment. All the girls danced well, but Marusia best of all. After some time a handsome fellow entered the house, a man with a fine complexion, dressed neatly and richly. “Good evening, lovely maidens,” he said. “Good evening, young man,” they said. “You’re welcome to join us.” Straightway he drew a purse full of gold from his pocket, sent for wine, nuts, and gingerbread, and began to treat all the girls and youths; he gave enough to all. Then he danced so beautifully that it was a pleasure to look at him. Best of all he liked Marusia, and he did not leave her a minute.

  The time came to go home. The young man said: “Marusia, come and walk a few steps with me.” So she went out and walked with him a little. He said: “Marusia, my darling, do you want me to marry you?” “If you wan
t to take me as your wife, I will marry you gladly. But whence are you?” “From such and such a place; I am a merchant’s clerk.” They said farewell, and each went his way. When Marusia came home, her mother asked her: “Did you have a good time, little daughter?” “Very good, mother. And I want to tell you a piece of good news: there was a fine young man there, handsome, with plenty of money, who promised to take me to wife.” “Listen to me, Marusia,” the mother said. “Tomorrow when you go to the girls, take a ball of thread. When you say farewell to him, loop the thread around a button on his clothes and quietly loosen the ball; then you will learn from this thread where he lives.”

  Next day Marusia went to the party and took along a ball of thread. The young man came again. “Good evening, Marusia,” he said. “Good evening,” she replied. The merrymaking and dancing began; the young man clung to Marusia even more ardently than before, he did not leave her for an instant. When the time came to go home, the guest said: “Marusia, come walk a little way with me.” She went out into the street, began to take farewell of him, and quietly slipped a loop of thread around a button of his clothes. He went his way and she stood there loosening the ball; when it was all unrolled, she ran to find out where her promised groom lived. At first the thread followed the road, then it stretched across fences and ditches and led Marusia straight to the main gate of the church. Marusia tried the gate, but it was closed; she went around the church, found a ladder, put it under the window, and climbed up to see what was going on inside. She peered inside: her promised groom stood near a coffin and was eating a corpse, for a dead man was then laid out in the church. She wanted to jump quietly down from the ladder, but in her fright she stumbled and made a noise. She ran home in terror, fancying that she was pursued, and when she arrived at home she was half dead.