GIFT OF 
 MICHAEL REESE 
 
MYTHS AND FOLK-TALES 
 
 OF THE 
 
 RUSSIANS, WESTERN SLAVS, AND MAGYARS 
 
MYTHS AND FOLK-TALES 
 
 OF THE 
 
 RUSSIANS,' WESTERN SLAVS, AND 
 MAGYARS 
 
 BY JEREMIAH CURTIN 
 
 > 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 
 1903 
 
GfR 
 
 Copyright, 1890 
 BY JEREMIAH CURTIN 
 
 C 
 
 JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE 
 
To FRANCIS JAMES CHILD, PH.D., LL.D. 
 
 Professor of English in Harvard University, 
 Cambridge, Mass. 
 
 MY DEAR PROFESSOR CHILD, 
 
 It is more than a quarter of a century since you 
 began for Harvard that collection of myths, folk-tales, and 
 ballads, in all European languages, which has grown under 
 your hand to such proportions that it is now, perhaps, the 
 most complete of its kind in either hemisphere. 
 
 This work was begun by you through a clear perception 
 of what was needed for laborers in a most important field 
 of inquiry, and achieved by tireless and patient care in 
 seeking and finding. 
 
 Your labors as a scholar are honored abroad as at 
 home, and your work on English and Scottish ballads 
 will endure as a monument of skill and devotion. 
 
 During your career as Professor you have been true 
 to the ideals of Harvard scholarship and life, adding to 
 them meanwhile something of your own. 
 
 Whoso adds to or freshens the spirit of our revered 
 Alma Mater deserves well of the country ; for Harvard, 
 now in the second half of the third century of her 
 existence, is the oldest witness and, so far, the most 
 
 118537 
 
iv Dedication. 
 
 eloquent that we have to the collective and continuous 
 striving of Americans towards a higher life. 
 
 To you, the distinguished Professor, the earnest scholar, 
 the faithful friend, I, one of thousands who have listened 
 to your instruction, dedicate this volume, gathered from a 
 field in which you take so much delight. 
 
 JEREMIAH CURTIN. 
 
 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 
 BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. 
 
 WASHINGTON D. C. October 23, 1890. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 INTRODUCTION . vii 
 
 RUSSIAN MYTHS AND FOLK-TALES. 
 
 THE THREE KINGDOMS, THE COPPER, THE SILVER, 
 
 AND THE GOLDEN i 
 
 ^ IVAN TSAREVICH, THE FIRE-BIRD, AND THE GRAY 
 
 WOLF 20 
 
 x ~ IVAN THE PEASANT'S SON AND THE LITTLE MAN 
 HIMSELF ONE - FINGER TALL, HIS MUSTACHE 
 
 SEVEN VERSTS IN LENGTH 37 
 
 THE FEATHER OF BRIGHT FINIST THE FALCON ... 47 
 v THE PIG WITH GOLD BRISTLES, THE DEER WITH 
 GOLDEN HORNS, AND THE GOLDEN-MANED STEED 
 
 WITH GOLDEN TAIL 59 
 
 vi- WATER OF YOUTH, WATER OF LIFE, AND WATER OF 
 
 DEATH 72 
 
 THE FOOTLESS AND BLIND CHAMPIONS 82 
 
 THE THREE KINGDOMS 97 
 
 i *- KOSHCHEI WITHOUT-DEATH 106 
 
 ^VASSILISSA GOLDEN TRESS, BAREHEADED BEAUTY . 124 
 
 v THE RING WITH TWELVE SCREWS 137 
 
 V THE FOOTLESS AND THE BLIND 149 
 
 * KOSHCHEI WITHOUT-DEATH 165 
 
 Go TO THE VERGE OF DESTRUCTION AND BRING BACK 
 
 SHMAT-RAZUM 179 
 
vi Contents. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 ^ MARYA MOREVNA 203 
 
 Variant of the Rescue of Ivan Tsarevich and the Win- 
 
 /\ ning of the Colt 217 
 
 ^.YELENA THE WISE 218 
 
 Vt THE SEVEN SIMEONS, FULL BROTHERS 228 
 
 THE ENCHANTED PRINCESS 238 
 
 v VASSILISSA THE CUNNING, AND THE' TSAR OF THE SEA 249 
 
 , CHEKH MYTHS AND FOLK-TALES. 
 
 BOYISLAV, YOUNGEST OF TWELVE 273 
 
 THE TABLE, THE PACK, AND THE BAG 295 
 
 THE KING OF THE TOADS 311 
 
 THE MOUSE-HOLE, AND THE UNDERGROUND KINGDOM 331 
 
 THE CUIRASSIER AND THE HORNED PRINCESS . . . 356 
 
 THE TREACHEROUS BROTHERS 370 
 
 MAGYAR MYTHS AND FOLK-TALES. 
 
 THE POOR MAN, AND THE KING OF THE CROWS . . 409 
 
 THE USELESS WAGONER 424 
 
 MIRKO, THE KING'S SON 434 
 
 THE REED MAIDEN 457 
 
 KlSS MlKLOS, AND THE GREEN DAUGHTER OF THE 
 
 GREEN KING 477 
 
 THE HEDGEHOG, THE MERCHANT, THE KING, AND THE 
 
 POOR MAN 517 
 
IX 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 A FEW tens of years ago it was all- important to under- 
 ** stand and explain the brotherhood and blood-bond 
 of Aryan nations, and their relation to the Semitic race ; t<? 
 discover and set forth the meaning of that which in mental 
 work, historic strivings, and spiritual ideals ties the historic 
 nations to one another. At the present time this work is 
 done, if not completely, at least measurably well, and a new 
 work awaits us, to demonstrate that there is a higher and a 
 mightier bond, the relationship of created things with one 
 another, and their inseverable connection with That which 
 some men reverence as God, but which other men call the 
 Unknowable, the Unseen. 
 
 This new work, which is the necessary continuation of 
 the first, and which alone can give it completeness and 
 significance, will be achieved when we have established the 
 science of mythology. 
 
 Of course all that may be attempted in a volume like the 
 present is to throw out a few hints, and to mention some of 
 the uses of mythology as a science. 
 
 There is a large body of myths and folk-tales already 
 published in Europe, and still a great number as yet un- 
 collected. Many of these tales are of remarkable beauty. 
 They are of deep interest both to young and old, and 
 nowhere do they enjoy more delicate appreciation than 
 among educated people in America and England. The 
 
Introduction. 
 
 The service of the science of mythology will be great in 
 connection with the myth-tales of nations, with literature, 
 and with early history; but its weightiest service will be 
 rendered in the domain of religion, for without mythology 
 there can be no thorough understanding of any religion on 
 earth, either in its inception or its growth. -- 
 
 But how is this science from which men may receive such 
 service to be founded? 
 
 In one way alone : by obtaining from races outside of 
 the Aryan and Semitic their myths, their beliefs, their view 
 of the world ; this done, the rest will follow as a result of 
 intelligent labor. But the great battle is in the first part 
 of the work, for the inherent difficulty of the task has been 
 increased by Europeans, who have exterminated great num- 
 bers among the best primitive races, partially civilized or 
 rather degraded others, and rendered the remainder distrust- 
 ful and not easily approached on the subject of their myths 
 and ethnic beliefs. 
 
 As to the collection of these myths and beliefs, the follow- 
 ing may be stated : 
 
 There is everywhere a sort of selvage of short tales and 
 anecdotes, small information about ghosts and snakes, 
 among all these races, which are easily obtained ; and most 
 Europeans seem to think that when they have collected 
 some of these trivial things they have all that the given 
 people possess. But they are greatly mistaken. All these 
 people have something better. There was not a single 
 stock of Indians in America which did not possess, in 
 beautiful forms, the elements of an extensive literature, 
 with a religion and philosophy which would have thrown 
 light on many 'beginnings of Aryan and Semitic thought, 
 a knowledge of which in so many cases is now lost to us, 
 but which we hope to recover in time. The same may be 
 
Introduction. xi 
 
 said of other primitive races, still unbroken, unmodified ; 
 and though much has been lost, still enough remains to 
 serve our purpose fully, if civilized men instead of slaying 
 " savages," directly and indirectly, will treat them as human 
 beings, and not add to the labor of those workers who in 
 the near future will surely endeavor, singly or in small 
 groups, to study the chief primitive races of the earth, and 
 win from them, not short insignificant odds and ends of in- 
 formation, but great masses of material; for the educated 
 world may rest assured that these races possess in large 
 volume some of the most beautiful productions of the 
 human mind, and facts that are not merely of great, but of 
 unique, value. 
 
 In the introduction to my volume, " Myths and Folk-lore of 
 Ireland," I endeavored to explain in brief what the myths of 
 America are, especially the Creation-myths, referring only 
 to those which I myself have collected. I stated that, " All 
 myths have the same origin, and that all run parallel up to a 
 certain point, which may be taken as the point to which the 
 least developed peoples have risen" (page 27). I do not 
 know any better way of illustrating this than to bring into 
 evidence myths of the Morning-star. The Indians have 
 a great many myths in which the Morning-star figures as 
 the Light-bringer, the same office as that indicated by the 
 Latin word Lucifer ; and here I may be permitted to 
 present a short chapter of my personal experience with 
 reference to that word and the Morning-star. 
 
 I remember well the feelings roused in my mind at 
 mention or sight of the name Lucifer during the earlier 
 years of my life. It stood for me as the name of a being 
 stupendous, dreadful in moral deformity, lurid, hideous, and 
 mighty. I remember also the surprise with which when I 
 had grown somewhat older and begun to study Latin, I 
 
xii Introduction. 
 
 came upon the name in Virgil, where it means the Light- 
 bringer, or Morning- star, the herald of the sun. Many 
 years after I had found the name in Virgil, I spent a night 
 at the house of a friend in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, right at 
 the shore of Lake Michigan. The night was clear but 
 without a moon, a night of stars, which is the most im- 
 pressive of all nights, vast, brooding, majestic. At three 
 o'clock in the morning I woke, and being near an un- 
 curtained window, rose and looked out. Rather low in 
 the east was the Morning-star, shining like silver, with a 
 bluish tinge of steel. I looked towards the west; the 
 great infinity was filled with the hosts of heaven, ranged 
 behind this Morning-star. I saw at once the origin of the 
 myth which grew to have such tremendous moral meaning, 
 because the Morning-star was not in this case the usher of 
 the day but the chieftain of night, the Prince of Darkness, 
 the mortal enemy of the Lord of Light. I returned to bed 
 knowing that the battle in heaven would soon begin. I 
 rose when the sun was high next morning. All the world 
 was bright, shining and active, gladsome and fresh, from the 
 rays of the sun ; the kingdom of light was established ; but 
 the Prince of Darkness and all his confederates had van- 
 ished, cast down from the sky, and to the endless eternity 
 of God their places will know them no more in that night 
 again. They are lost beyond hope or redemption, beyond 
 penance or prayer. 
 
 I have in mind at this moment two Indian stories of 
 the Morning-star, one Modoc, the other Delaware. The 
 Modoc story is very long, and contains much valuable mat- 
 ter ; but the group of incidents that I wish to refer to here 
 are the daily adventures and exploits of a personage who 
 seems to be no other than the sky with the sun in it. This 
 personage is destroyed every evening. He always gets into 
 
Introduction. xiii 
 
 trouble, and is burned up ; but in his back is a golden disk, 
 which neither fire nor anything in the world can destroy. 
 From this disk his body is reconstituted every morning; 
 and all that is needed for the resurrection is the summons 
 of the Morning-star, who calls out, " It is time to rise, old 
 man; you have slept long enough." Then the old man 
 springs new again from his ashes through virtue of the 
 immortal disk and the compelling word of the star. 
 
 Now, the Morning-star is the attendant spirit or 
 " medicine " of the personage with the disk, and cannot 
 escape the performance of his office ; he has to work at 
 it forever. So the old man cannot fail to rise every morn- 
 ing. As the golden disk is no other than the sun, the 
 Morning- star of the Modocs is the same character as the 
 Lucifer of the Latins. 
 
 The Delaware story, also a long one, has many grotesque 
 and striking elements. I will tell it in a closely compressed 
 form. The person who is the hero of this tale has a wife, 
 who, while he is absent hunting, turns into a man-eater, 
 becomes a devouring agency with a mania to swallow all flesji, 
 but has a special and craving mania to eat up her own 
 husband first of all ; so she runs to the woods to find him. 
 Informed by a wise, talking dog, a species of brother of his, who 
 had sprung out to anticipate the woman, the man rushes off 
 southward, runs with all speed till he reaches a deep mighty 
 river, where is an old man who makes a bridge by stretching 
 his neck across the water. The hunted husband speaks 
 kindly, and implores for means to cross or his wife will 
 devour him. The old man lies down with his shoulder on 
 one bank, stretches his neck, makes it flat like a horse's neck, 
 to give safe passage ; soon his head is on the other bank, 
 and the man walks over. The old bridge-maker promises to 
 delay the woman, and then throw her into the river, where 
 
xiv Introduction. 
 
 she will be eaten by monsters, all save her stomach, in 
 which her life resides ; that will float down with the current, 
 come to life, and the woman will be as well and furious as 
 ever, unless the stomach is dragged out, cut to pieces, and 
 burned. 
 
 The hunted man hastens, runs westward by the bank of 
 the river, runs till he comes to two aunts who are witches. 
 They promise to help him and kill the pursuer. Soon after, 
 when the old man has shortened his neck and is sitting on 
 his own side of the river, the wife comes up in hot pursuit, 
 talks roughly, tries to hurry the old pontifex ; but he will 
 not hurry, waits, and then stretches his neck, putting the 
 narrow side upward ; it is no wider than the woman's feet. 
 She storms, but he says that being old he might break his 
 neck were he to give the broad side as a path ; she must 
 walk on the narrow side, and carefully too. She begins to 
 cross, but in the middle of the river grows restive and angry. 
 The old man jerks his neck to one side ; she falls to the 
 water and is eaten right away, all save her stomach, which 
 flpats with the current. But the aunts, the two witches, are 
 watching ; they see and pull out the stomach, cut it up, and 
 burn the life of that man-eater. 
 
 The man travels westward till he sees a young woman 
 gathering branches for fuel. He speaks to her, is pleased ; 
 she is mild-eyed, kind-looking. He asks her to marry him ; 
 she says she is willing if he can live with her grandmother, 
 who is very thick, very ugly, and malicious. He goes home 
 with the young woman ; they are married. 
 
 Soon after the marriage the old woman took her son- 
 in-law to hunt on an island in a lake. They landed. She 
 said, " Go down there," pointing to a place ; " I will drive 
 the game." He started, and when half way, looked back ; 
 the old woman was in the canoe paddling to the other 
 
Introduction. xv 
 
 shore. He called; she would not listen, and left him 
 alone on the island. There was no escape; When the 
 sun had gone down and darkness came, the water of the 
 lake began to rise, and flooded the place. He selected 
 the highest tree, and began to climb, the water all the 
 time rising; he climbed, and continued to climb. About 
 three o'clock in the morning all the trees on the island, 
 except that tree, were covered. Around on every side 
 were great hungry savage-eyed creatures, rising with the 
 water, waiting to eat the man. He looked, saw the Morn- 
 ing-star, and cried out : " When I was young the Morning- 
 star appeared to me in a dream, and said that if ever I 
 should be in distress he would save me." 
 
 The star heard the call, turned to a small boy standing 
 sentry at his door, and said, " Who is that shouting on the 
 island?" 
 
 "That," said the boy, "is the old woman's son-in-law. 
 She put him there. He says you appeared to him in a 
 dream and promised to save him." 
 
 " I did, and I will." The Morning-star came forth from 
 his house and called : " Let daylight come ! " 
 
 Dawn came that moment ; the water began to fall, 
 and at sunrise the island was dry. The man was saved, 
 came down, went to the landing-place, and hid in the 
 bushes. Soon the old woman's canoe struck the shore ; 
 the man heard her say : " Well, I suppose the larger bones 
 of my son-in-law are under the tree. I must go and eat the 
 marrow." When she had gone far enough, he sprang into 
 the canoe and paddled away. The old woman turned, saw 
 the escape of her son-in-law, and cried : " Come back ! 
 I '11 play no more tricks." 
 
 The man paddled to the other shore, and went to his 
 wife. The old woman was alone, not able to escape. 
 
x vi In troduction . 
 
 When darkness came, the lake began to rise. She climbed 
 the highest tree, climbed till the water was nearing the top, 
 and the hungry, terrible creatures were waiting to eat her. 
 Then she called out towards the east : " When J was young 
 the Morning-star appeared to me in a dream, and said he 
 would help me out of distress." 
 
 The Morning-star heard, and asked his boy : " Is that 
 man on the island yet?" 
 
 " Oh," said the boy, " the man is at home ; the old 
 woman herself is on the island now. She says that you 
 appeared to her in a dream, and promised to save her from 
 distress." 
 
 " I never appeared to that old woman," said the star. 
 " I will not hurry daylight to-day." 
 
 The water rose till the old woman was on the highest point 
 of the tree that would bear her. The water raised all the 
 crowd of hungry, terrible creatures. They tore her to pieces, 
 devoured her. 
 
 So the Delawares on the Atlantic, who enjoy seniority 
 among the Algonkin, the most widely-extended Indian 
 stock of America, agree with the Modocs, near the Pacific, 
 in the theory of the Morning-star, which for them, as for the 
 Latins, was the Light-bearer. The opposite view, to which I 
 refer in the night-scene at Milwaukee, gave birth to the myth 
 of the struggle of the stars with the sun for possession of the 
 sky. Now, a combination of these two myths the one in 
 which the Morning-star is the Light-bearer being the ear- 
 lier gives us a third, in which the Morning-star is not 
 merely an opponent, but a rebel. This third myth, after it 
 had increased in age, came to be used in describing, not an 
 event in the sky, looked at variously by primitive men, but 
 an event in the moral world ; and the stories of the Morning- 
 star and the sun were transferred from the fields of heaven 
 
Introduction. xvii 
 
 to the kingdom of the soul. This done, Milton had at hand 
 the splendid mythologic material and accessories which he 
 used with such power in Paradise Lost. 
 
 I know no American myth in which the Morning-star is 
 represented as hostile to the sun; the discovery of one 
 would be very interesting and valuable, as showing that the 
 primitive people of this continent might possibly have 
 worked out a physical myth like that made in the Eastern 
 hemisphere, and afterwards spiritualized till it was given the 
 meaning which we find in the pages of Milton. 
 
 But whatever the future may bring, the present American 
 Morning-star myth is interesting ; for it shows a complete 
 parallelism with Aryan mythology as far as it goes, that 
 is, to the highest point reached by the non-Aryan tribes 
 of America. 
 
 It should be remembered that whatever be the names of 
 the myth-tale heroes at present, the original heroes were 
 not human. They were not men and women, though in 
 most cases the present heroes or heroines bear the names 
 of men and women, or children ; they perform deeds which 
 no man could perform, which only one of the forces of 
 Nature could perform, if it had the volition and desires of 
 a person. This is the great cause of wonderful deeds in 
 myth-tales. 
 
 The following Indian myth, in which we know exactly who 
 the actors were, illustrates this fact very well. I give the 
 myth from memory, and in a compressed form, making first 
 the statement that in a part of eastern Oregon and Washing- 
 ton, where I found it, there are two winds, as the Indians in- 
 formed me, which are all, or practically all, that blow in that 
 region. One of these is a northeast, the other a southwest 
 wind. The Indians subdivide each one of them into five. 
 Each of these five is a little different from the other, that 
 
 b 
 
xviii Introduction. 
 
 is, there are five kinds of southwest winds, and five kinds 
 of northeast winds. Each has a proper name describing 
 its character ; and in telling the myth these names are used, 
 just as the name Ivan the Fool, and Mirko the king's son are 
 used in Russia and Hungary. The Northeast brothers have 
 a sister more harassing and cruel than they, cold, damp, 
 fitful. She also has a name describing her character. The 
 five Southwest winds have grandparents very old, who live 
 in a hut by themselves. They have no sister ; but the eldest 
 has a wife, brought by him to Oregon from her birthplace 
 in the Southern seas. 
 
 One time the Northeast winds challenged the others to a 
 wrestling-match, in which whoever should be thrown would 
 have his head cut off. The Southwest brothers were not 
 free to refuse ; they had to accept. All the details of this 
 match are described precisely as if the opponents were men 
 and not winds. The Southwest brothers were thrown, every 
 one, and each had his head cut off; all were killed, and 
 now the Northeast brothers were lords of that region. The 
 old feeble grandparents were all of the family left in Oregon. 
 The young wife went home to her parents and people in 
 the Southern seas. The victorious brothers did as they 
 pleased, when they wished to knock any one down they 
 did so ; but the crowning wickedness of the victorious 
 family was the malice of the sister against the aged grand- 
 parents. She came every morning to their hut and insulted 
 them in a manner that will not bear recital. Weeping and 
 helpless, they endured the foulest abuse. The evil sister re- 
 joiced, the wicked brothers rejoiced, and all men besides 
 were suffering. Some time after the widow had returned to 
 her home in the Southern seas a son was born to the late 
 eldest brother, a wonderful boy. This posthumous child 
 grew not by years but by days; and when he was three 
 
Introduction. xix 
 
 weeks old he had attained full growth. He was a hero of 
 awful strength ; nothing could resist him. He asked about 
 his father; his mother told how his fathers had perished 
 (the brothers of a father are fathers too in the Indian system) 
 at the hands of the Northeast brothers. " I will go to avenge 
 my fathers," said he, and started. 
 
 He reached the coast near the Columbia River, which 
 he ascended ; when at the Cascades he began to try his 
 strength. He pulled out the greatest trees with their roots, 
 overturned cliffs, and went on his way with delight. At last 
 he arrived at the land where his fathers had ruled, and went 
 first in the early morning to the hut of his great grandparents. 
 They were very weak and wretched, but still they were able 
 to tell of what they had suffered from the sister. " She will 
 soon be here," said they; so he lay in waiting. 
 
 She came, and was preparing to begin her insults when 
 he seized her and put her to a painful death. Then he 
 challenged the five wicked brothers to a wrestling-match, 
 threw them all, and cut their heads off. The whole country 
 rejoiced. No one felt pain. The young hero ruled that 
 land to the delight of all. This hero was not a month old, 
 and since we know the characters in the story, we know 
 that the story is true. 
 
 When, in Gaelic, we find heroes like the son of Fin Mac- 
 Cumhail, Fialan, who at the age of three years slew whole 
 armies, with their champion leaders, 1 and the Shee an 
 Gannon, who was born in the morning, named at noon, and 
 went in the evening to ask his daughter of the King of 
 Erin ; or in Russian, Ivan Tsarevich, 2 nine days old, who 
 
 1 See in Myths and Folk-Lore of Ireland, " Fin MacCumhail and 
 the Fenians of Erin in the Castle of Fear Dubh," p. 221, and " The 
 Shee an Gannon and the Gruagach Gaire," p. 114. 
 
 2 See Koshchei Without-Death, p. 106. 
 
xx Introduction. 
 
 after three sleeps of three days' and nights' duration each, 
 went in search of Peerless Beauty, his bride, we may 
 feel sure that we are dealing mediately or immediately with 
 that category of powers to which old-time divinities belong, 
 the same race of personages as the Wind brothers of 
 Oregon. 
 
 Now we may leave American myths and say a few words 
 of the nations to whom the three groups of myth-tales 
 belong, the Russians, the Chekhs, and the Magyars. It is 
 not easy to describe any one of them in a brief space, for 
 each is remarkable in character and history. 
 
 The Russians are difficult to describe, not only because 
 they are many, but because of their position. The key- 
 note of this position has sounded through their whole his- 
 tory, from the time of Olga and Vladimir, in the Kieff 
 period, to the present day. Listening to this note, Russian 
 leaders have gained political skill, while the people have 
 confirmed their national instinct and endured burdens 
 which they would endure only for the thing which 
 that key-note describes. To tell what it is we must make 
 a digression. 
 
 The first political work of the world soundly done, as 
 men of this age, with minds of modern situation, are able 
 to see, was the work of Rome. Rome was the first power 
 to assimilate peoples, to destroy provincialism, to make a 
 State, in the great modern sense of the word. After the 
 fall of Rome as a political power, with its work done and 
 delivered, there followed a still greater, a new Rome, 
 with a wider ambition, and with plans further reaching than 
 those of its predecessor. This new Rome saw standing 
 before its face, in the East of Europe, the youngest brothers 
 of the Aryan race the Slavs still unconverted. The 
 new Rome was as different from the old as two things may 
 
Introduction. xxi 
 
 be, save in this, that both had strong will to rule. The 
 difference was that old Rome ruled in the name of man 
 and better social order, while new Rome ruled in the 
 name of God and morality ; but new Rome was as firmly 
 fixed in purpose to rule by all the weapons that strong men 
 may use in the world, as was old Rome. 
 
 It happened in history that the Teutonic branch of the 
 Aryans fell heir to the RLoman civilization of the West, and 
 acquired the administrative experience and pride of power 
 personal to lords of the earth. These Teutons, or Germans, 
 became the agents through whom for a long period the 
 Catholic Church acted most frequently in dealing with 
 Eastern Europeans ; and the Germans were determined to 
 be the exclusive dispensers and extenders of Christianity in 
 that quarter, acquiring at the same time temporal lordship 
 and lands for themselves. This produced a conflict along 
 the whole eastern line, on one side a defensive struggle 
 of Slav against German ; on the other, that incursive and 
 attacking movement of the Germans, continued age after 
 age under various forms and guises, but which is as real 
 to-day and as active as in times of its greatest intensity, 
 though veiled in official circles with diplomatic tact. On 
 the northern, or left wing of their advance, the Germans 
 destroyed ethnologically ; that is, they conquered and Ger- 
 manized the Slavs from places not far from Hamburg to a 
 considerable distance east of Berlin. Next they destroyed 
 Poland ; for they gained possession of the original lands of 
 the Commonwealth on the Baltic, and pushed the Poles 
 eastward to make good their losses at the expense of the 
 Russians. The loss to the Slavs of the Polish lands on the 
 Baltic was immense ; and to make the catastrophe more 
 sorrowful for a man of that stock, the Slavs failed on the 
 south, in the kingdom of Great Moravia, which with the 
 
xxii Introduction. 
 
 present Moravia included the dominions of Hungary, and 
 later on failed from the Danube everywhere southward as 
 far as Slavs had a dwelling. 
 
 When all the Western Slavs had fallen, not because 
 they were less worthy individually, less brave, or less wise as 
 separate persons than their invaders, but because they were 
 younger and greener in political growth, there remained in 
 the East still two Slav nations (Poland and Russia) ; and the 
 opposition of these forms the great tragic story of modern 
 ages. And the most remarkable concomitant of this tragedy 
 is, that the cause of it is misunderstood by most of us. It 
 is thought, not only widely but well-nigh universally, in 
 Western Europe and America that the first cause of the 
 downfall of Poland was Russia; while the real causes 
 were first and mightiest the peculiar make-up of Polish 
 society, coupled with the unceasing activity of Germans 
 in conquering and subjecting everything east of them by 
 all the weapons that can be used either in peace or in 
 war. 
 
 If Russia and Poland had both received Christianity from 
 the same source, there would have been strong reasons for 
 them to grow into one political body ; and they might have 
 been able to do so. If both had received Christianity from 
 the East, as Russia did, they might have stood shoulder to 
 shoulder in brotherly defence against the Germanic West. 
 If both had received Christianity directly from the West, 
 they might have prevented the Germans from crusading 
 to Christianize the East at the expense of its land and 
 independence. 
 
 When one thinks of the enthusiastic and kindly labor of 
 the Irish missionaries in the West, and of Cyril and Metho- 
 dius among the Slavs, it seems hard to believe that the 
 Irish and Greeks had the same Master in mind as the iron- 
 
Introduction. xxiii 
 
 clad monks on the Baltic. And they had not ; for the Ger- 
 mans took the lands and persons of the converts, while the 
 Irish and the Slav missionaries had no thought for themselves. 
 
 Poland fell, and Russia remains the one Slav State really 
 independent ; and Russia remains because, as I have just 
 stated, the Russian people have in all centuries listened to 
 and understood the key-note of their position, which is : 
 No foreign influence shall exist in Russia under any form 
 whatever. To maintain this position the Russians have sac- 
 rificed more than any people in Europe; and in many 
 senses they have accomplished more. 
 
 The corollary to the above sentence, and which with it 
 completes the abstract statement of Russia's whole policy, 
 is : The West of Europe shall not dominate the East. 
 
 To the Russian people belong the myth-tales in the first 
 division of this volume. I had hoped to include specimens 
 from Little and White Russia, that is, from those parts 
 of Russia that were once under the dominion of Poland ; 
 but lack of space has confined me to tales from Great 
 Russia, that portion of the Empire which first formed 
 around Moscow. 
 
 The Chekhs of Bohemia are Slavs more nearly related in 
 speech to the Poles than to the Russians. Twice have the 
 Chekhs been very prominent in history, once in the wars 
 which followed the death of John Huss ; and again during 
 the Thirty Years' War, in which they suffered beyond any 
 other people. Reduced from three million to eight hun- 
 dred thousand in number, they were supposed to be extin- 
 guished as Slavs ; but in spite of all emigration they have 
 regained more than their old numbers, and are to-day if 
 possible more determined than ever to preserve their his- 
 torical identity. Take them all in all, there is not a people 
 of more marked character, nor one whose history has 
 
xxiv Introduction. 
 
 greater claims on the student. In fact, the fifteenth and 
 sixteenth centuries cannot be studied at all, in any true 
 sense, without faithful attention to the Chekhs. To them 
 belong our second group of tales. 
 
 The tales of the third group belong to the Magyars (the 
 ruling race of Hungary), who exert more influence than 
 any people of four times their numbers in Europe. Though 
 forming not more, or in any case little more, than one third 
 of the population of Hungary, say five and a half to six 
 millions, they rule the other peoples of the kingdom, and 
 possess preponderant power in the Empire of Austria- 
 Hungary. They have directed its foreign policy for the last 
 twenty years, a fact of great significance. For though 
 foreign affairs have at all times been more important for 
 Austria than perhaps any State in Europe, they have never 
 been more important than at present; and still they are 
 intrusted to the Magyars, a race forming little more than 
 one sixth of the people of the Empire. The reason is not 
 far to seek. 
 
 The Magyars, a non-Aryan people from the Ural-Altai 
 regions, arrived in the places they now occupy about one 
 thousand years ago, at the period of a desperate struggle 
 between the Germans and the Slav kingdom of Great Mora- 
 via, a struggle as envenomed as that between Carthage 
 and Rome, but in which the Slavs seemed to be holding 
 their own very well. At this juncture the Magyars struck 
 Great Moravia in the rear with all their force, secured vic- 
 tory for the Germans, and inserted themselves as a dividing 
 wedge between the Southern and the Northern Slavs. 
 
 The fall of Great Moravia closed the way to the political 
 independence of the Western Slavs ; after them, there re- 
 mained in the whole Slav world but the Poles and the 
 Russians with the possibility of political power. 
 
Introduction. xxv 
 
 There are no people so well qualified by their history and 
 hopes to carry out the policy of Austria, and stand against 
 Russia, as the Magyars. Politicians by genius and training, 
 lords of the land by position, their whole existence depends 
 on managing and balancing various forces. Having no per- 
 sonal sympathy for the Germans, looking down on the Slavs, 
 they are a bitter necessity to the first, and they divide, 
 rule, and dominate the second within the kingdom ; outside 
 the kingdom it is their policy not to permit the Slavs to 
 develop, unless as satellites of Austria- Hungary. 
 
 I regret my inability to include Polish myth-tales in this 
 collection, owing to want of space. Should the present 
 volume meet with favor, it will be followed during the 
 coming year by another, in which a good deal of attention 
 will be given the Poles, a most interesting and, in very 
 truth, a little known people. 
 
 JEREMIAH CURTIN. 
 
 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. 
 WASHINGTON, D. C., October 29, 1890. 
 
RUSSIAN MYTHS AND FOLK- TALES. 
 
RUSSIAN MYTHS AND FOLK-TALES 
 
 THE THREE KINGDOMS, THE COPPER, THE 
 SILVER, AND THE GOLDEN. 
 
 IN a certain kingdom in a certain land lived a 
 Tsar, Bail Bailyanyin. He had a wife, Nas- 
 tasya, Golden Tress, and three sons, Pyotr Tsare- 
 vich, Vassili Tsarevich, and Ivan Tsarevich. The 
 Tsaritsa went with her maidens and nurses to walk 
 in the garden. All at once such a mighty Whirlwind 
 rose that, God save us! it caught the Tsaritsa and 
 bore her it was unknown whither. 
 
 The Tsar was grieved and distressed, and knew 
 not what to do. His sons grew up, and he said 
 to them : " My dear children, which of you will go 
 to seek your mother?" 
 
 The two elder brothers made ready and went. 
 After they had gone, the youngest begged permis- 
 sion of his father. " No," said the Tsar, " go not, my 
 dear son ; do not leave me an old man in loneliness." 
 
 " Let me go, father ; I want awfully to wander 
 over the white world and find my mother." 
 
 i 
 
2 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 The Tsar dissuaded and dissuaded, but could 
 not convince him. " Well, there is no help for it, 
 go ; God be with thee ! " 
 
 Ivan saddled his good steed and set out. He 
 rode and rode, whether it was long or short : a tale 
 is soon told, but a deed is not soon done ; he came 
 to a forest. In that forest was the richest of castles. 
 Ivan Tsarevich entered a broad court, saw an old 
 man, and said, " Many years' health to thee ! " 
 
 "We beg the favor of thy presence. Who art 
 thou, gallant youth?" 
 
 " I am Ivan Tsarevich, the son of Tsar Bail Baily- 
 anyin and of Tsaritsa Nastasya, Golden Tress." 
 
 " Oh, my own nephew ! Whither is God bearing 
 thee?" 
 
 " For this cause and that," said he, " I am in 
 search of my mother. Canst thou not tell me, uncle, 
 where to find her? " 
 
 " No, nephew, I cannot ; with what I am able, 
 with that I do service. But here is a ball ; throw it 
 ahead, it will roll on before thee and lead thee to 
 steep, rugged mountains. In those mountains is a 
 cave, enter it; take there iron claws, put them on 
 thy hands and thy feet, and climb up the moun- 
 tains. Perhaps thou wilt find there thy mother, 
 Nastasya, Golden Tress." 
 
 That was good aid. Ivan Tsarevich took leave of 
 his uncle, and threw the ball before him ; the ball 
 rolled and rolled on, he rode behind it. Whether it 
 
The Three Kingdoms. 
 
 was long or short, he saw his brothers, Pyotr Tsare- 
 vich and Vassili Tsarevich. They were encamped in 
 the open field with thousands of troops. His broth- 
 ers were surprised, and asked, " Where art thou 
 going, Ivan Tsarevich?" 
 
 " Oh ! " said he, " I grew weary at home, and I 
 thought of going to look for my mother. Send your 
 army home, and let us go on together." 
 
 They sent home the army, and the three went 
 on together after the ball. While yet at a distance 
 they saw the mountains, such steep and lofty 
 mountains that, God save us ! they touched the 
 heavens with their heads. The ball rolled straight 
 to a cave. Ivan Tsarevich slipped down from his 
 horse and said to his brothers, " Here, brothers, is 
 my good steed ; I will go up on the mountains to 
 look for my mother, and ye remain here. Wait for 
 me just three months. If I am not here in three 
 months, there will be no use in waiting longer." 
 
 The brothers thought, but how could a man 
 climb these mountains? He would break his head 
 there. 
 
 "Well," said they, "go, with God; we will wait 
 for thee here." 
 
 Ivan approached the cave ; he saw that the door 
 was of iron. He struck it with all his strength. It 
 opened, he entered ; iron claws went on to his feet 
 and hands of themselves. He began to climb the 
 mountains, climb, climb; he toiled a whole month, 
 
4 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 reaching the top with difficulty. " Well," said he, 
 " glory be to God ! " He rested a little, and walked 
 along on the mountain ; walked and walked, walked 
 and walked, saw a copper castle, at the gate terri- 
 ble serpents fastened with copper chains, crowds of 
 them ; and right there was a well, and at the well a 
 copper bucket hung by a copper chain. Ivan Tsare- 
 vich drew water and gave the serpents to drink. 
 They became quiet, lay down, and he passed into 
 the court. 
 
 The Tsaritsa of the Copper Kingdom ran out to 
 meet him. "Who art thou, gallant youth?" 
 
 " I am Ivan Tsarevich." 
 
 " Well, hast thou come of thy own will, or against 
 thy will?" 
 
 " Of my own will ; I am in search of my mother, 
 Nastasya, Golden Tress. A certain Whirlwind bore 
 her away out of the garden. Dost thou know where 
 she is?" 
 
 "No; but not far from here lives my second 
 sister, the Tsaritsa of the Silver kingdom, maybe 
 she will tell thee." 
 
 She gave him a copper ball and a copper ring. 
 "The baH," said she, "will lead thee to my second 
 sister, and in this ring is the whole Copper Kingdom. 
 When thou overcomest Whirlwind, who keeps me 
 here and flies to me once in three months, forget me 
 not, poor woman, rescue me from this place, and 
 take me with thee to the free world." 
 
The Three Kingdoms. 
 
 " I will," said Ivan Tsarevich. He threw the cop- 
 per ball before him; the ball rolled ahead, and he 
 followed after. He came to the Silver Kingdom and 
 saw a castle finer than the first, all silver ; at the gate 
 were terrible serpents fastened to silver chains, and 
 at the side of them was a well with a silver bucket. 
 Ivan Tsarevich drew water and gave the serpents to 
 drink. They lay down then, and let him enter the 
 castle. The Tsaritsa of the Silver Kingdom came 
 out. 
 
 " It will soon be three years," said she, " since 
 mighty Whirlwind confined me here, and no Russian 
 have I heard with hearing, or seen with sight; but 
 now a Russian I see. Who art thou, good youth? " 
 
 " I am Ivan Tsarevich." 
 
 " How didst thou happen hither, with thy own 
 will, or against thy will? " 
 
 "With my own will ; I am in search of my mother. 
 She went in the green garden to walk, Whirlwind 
 came and bore her away, it is unknown whither. 
 Canst thou not tell me where to find her? " 
 
 " No, I cannot; but not far from here lives my eld- 
 est sister, the Tsaritsa of the Golden Kingdom, Yelena 
 the Beautiful, maybe she will tell thee. Here is 
 a silver ball, roll it ahead and follow; it will lead 
 thee to the Golden Kingdom. But see, when thou 
 hast killed W 7 hirl\vind, forget me not, poor woman ; 
 rescue me from this place, and take me to the free 
 world. Whirlwind holds me captive, and flies hither 
 
6 Russian Myths and Folk-Taks. 
 
 once in two months." Then she gave him a silver 
 ring, saying, " In this ring is the whole Silver 
 Kingdom." 
 
 Ivan rolled the ball ; wherever it went he followed. 
 Whether it was long or short, he saw a golden castle 
 gleaming like fire ; at the gate was a crowd of ter- 
 rible serpents fastened to golden chains, and right 
 there a well, at the well a golden bucket on a golden 
 chain. Ivan Tsarevich drew water, and gave the ser- 
 pents to drink ; they lay down and were soothed. He 
 entered the palace; Yelena the Beautiful met him. 
 
 " Who art thou, gallant youth? " 
 
 " I am Ivan Tsarevich." 
 
 " How hast thou come hither, of thy own will, or 
 against thy will ? " 
 
 " I came of my own will; I am in search of my 
 mother, Nastasya, Golden Tress. Knowest thou not 
 where to find her?" 
 
 " Why should n't I know? She lives not far from 
 here, Whirlwind flies to her once a week, and to 
 me once a month. Here is a golden ball for thee : 
 throw it ahead and follow, it will lead thee to thy 
 mother. And take besides this golden ring; in this 
 ring is the whole Golden Kingdom. And be careful 
 when thou hast conquered Whirlwind. Forget me not, 
 poor woman ; take me with thee to the free world." 
 
 " I will take thee," said he. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich rolled the ball and followed after; 
 he went and went till he came to such a palace that, 
 
The Three Kingdoms. 
 
 Lord save us ! it was just blazing with diamonds and 
 precious stones. At the gate six-headed serpents 
 were hissing. Ivan Tsarevich gave them to drink; 
 the serpents were soothed, and let him pass to the 
 castle. He went through the great chambers, and 
 in the most distant found his own mother. She was 
 sitting on a lofty throne arrayed in Tsaritsa's robes 
 and crowned with a costly crown. She looked at 
 the stranger and cried : " Ah ! is that thou, my dear 
 son? How hast thou come hither? " 
 
 " So and so," said Ivan ; " I have come for thee." 
 
 " Well, dear son, 't will be hard for thee. Here 
 in these mountains reigns Whirlwind, the evil and 
 mighty, all spirits obey him ; he is the one that 
 bore me away. Thou wilt have to fight him ; come 
 quickly to the cellar." 
 
 They went to the cellar; there were two tubs of 
 water, one on the right, the other on the left hand. 
 " Drink," said the Tsaritsa, " from the right-hand 
 tub." 
 
 Ivan drank. 
 
 " Well, what strength is in thee? " 
 
 " I am so strong that I could turn the whole cas- 
 tle over with one hand." 
 
 " Then drink more." 
 
 Ivan drank again. 
 
 " What strength is in thee now? " 
 
 " If I wished, I could turn the whole world over." 
 
 "That is very great strength. Move these tubs 
 
8 Russian Myths and Folk-Tales. 
 
 from one place to the other : put that on the right 
 to the left, that on the left take to the right." 
 
 Ivan interchanged the tubs. 
 
 " Thou seest, my dear son, in one tub is water of 
 strength, in the other water of weakness. Whoso 
 drinks from the first will be a strong, mighty hero ; 
 whoso drinks from the second will grow weak al- 
 together. Whirlwind always drinks the water of 
 strength and puts it on the right side; so we 
 must deceive him, or thou canst never overcome 
 him." 
 
 They returned to the castle. 
 
 " Soon Whirlwind will fly home," said the Tsaritsa 
 to Ivan Tsarevich. " Sit under my purple robe, so 
 that he may not see thee ; and when he comes and 
 runs to embrace and kiss me, do thou seize his club. 
 He will rise high, high ; he will bear thee over seas, 
 over precipices : but see to it, let not the club go out 
 of thy hand. Whirlwind will grow tired, will want 
 to drink the water of strength, will come down to the 
 cellar and rush to the tub placed on the right hand ; 
 but do thou drink from the tub on the left. Then he 
 will grow weak ; wrest his sword from him, and with 
 one blow hew off his head. When his head is off, 
 that moment there will be voices behind thee crying, 
 ' Strike again, strike again/ Strike not, my son, but 
 say in answer, 'A hero's hand strikes not twice, but 
 always once.' " 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich had barely hidden under the robe 
 
The Three Kingdoms. 
 
 when the court grew dark and everything trembled. 
 Whirlwind flew home, struck the earth, became a 
 brave hero, and entered the castle, in his hands a 
 club. 
 
 " Tfu, tfu, tfu ! somehow it smells of Russia here. 
 Was any one visiting?" 
 
 " I don't know why it seems so to thee," said the 
 Tsaritsa. 
 
 Whirlwind rushed to embrace her; but Ivan that 
 moment seized the club. 
 
 " I '11 eat thee ! " shouted Whirlwind. 
 
 " Well, grandmother spoke double ; either thou 
 wilt eat, or thou wilt not." 
 
 Whirlwind tore out through the window and up to 
 the sky; he bore Ivan Tsarevich away. Over moun- 
 tains he said, " I will smash thee ; " over seas he said, 
 "I will drown thee." But Ivan did not let the club out 
 of his hands. Whirlwind flew over the whole world, 
 wearied himself out, and began to sink. He came 
 down straight into the cellar, rushed to the tub on 
 the right hand, and fell to drinking the water of 
 weakness ; but Ivan ran to the left, drank his fill of 
 the water of strength, and became the first mighty 
 hero in the whole world. He saw that Whirlwind 
 had become utterly weak, wrested the sharp sword 
 from him, and cut off his head with a blow. Voices 
 cried behind, " Strike again, strike again, or he will 
 come to life!" "No," said Ivan; "a hero's hand 
 strikes not twice, but always finishes at a blow." 
 
io Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Straightway he made a fire, burned the body and 
 the head, scattered the ashes to the wind. 
 
 The mother of Ivan Tsarevich was glad. " Now, 
 my dear son," said she, " let us rejoice. We will eat; 
 and then for home with all speed, for it is wearisome 
 here, there are no people." 
 
 " But who serves thee? " 
 
 " Thou wilt see directly." 
 
 They had barely thought of eating, when a table 
 set itself, and various meats and wines appeared on 
 the table of themselves. The Tsaritsa and the Tsare- 
 vich dined. Meanwhile unseen musicians played 
 wonderful songs for them. They ate and drank, and 
 when they had rested, Ivan said, 
 
 " Let us go, mother, it is time ; for under the 
 mountains my brothers are waiting. And on the 
 road I must save three Tsaritsas who are living in 
 Whirlwind's castles." 
 
 They took everything needful and set out on the 
 journey. They went first to the Tsaritsa of the 
 Golden Kingdom, then to her sisters of the Silver 
 and Copper Kingdoms. They took them, and 
 brought linen and all kinds of stuffs. In a short 
 time they reached the place where they had to go 
 down the mountain. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich let his mother down first on the 
 linen, then Yelena the Beautiful and her two sisters. 
 The brothers were standing below waiting, and they 
 thought to themselves, " Let us leave Ivan Tsarevich 
 
The Three Kingdoms. n 
 
 up there; we will take our mother and the three 
 Tsaritsas to our father, and say that we found them." 
 " I '11 take Yelena the Beautiful for myself," said 
 Pyotr Tsarevich ; " thou, Vassili, wilt have the 
 Tsaritsa of the Silver Kingdom ; and we will 
 give the Tsaritsa of the Copper Kingdom to some 
 general." 
 
 When it was time for Ivan Tsarevich to come 
 down from the mountain, his elder brothers seized 
 the linen, pulled and tore it away. Ivan remained 
 on the mountain. What could he do? He wept 
 bitterly; then turned back, walked and walked over 
 the Copper Kingdom, over the Silver Kingdom and 
 the Golden Kingdom, not a soul did he see. He 
 came to the Diamond Kingdom, no one there 
 either. What was he to do alone, deathly weari- 
 ness ! He looked around ; on the window of the 
 castle a whistle was lying. He took it in his hand. 
 " Let me play from weariness," said he. He had 
 barely blown when out sprang Lame and Crooked. 
 
 " What is thy pleasure? " 
 
 Said Ivan Tsarevich, " I want to eat." That mo- 
 ment, from wherever it came, a table was set, and 
 on the table the very best food. Ivan Tsarevich ate 
 and thought, " Now it would not be bad to rest." 
 He blew on the whistle. Lame and Crooked 
 appeared. 
 
 " What is thy pleasure, Ivan Tsarevich? " 
 
 " That a bed be ready." The word was n't out of 
 
12 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 his mouth when the bed was ready. He lay down, 
 slept splendidly, then whistled again. 
 
 " What is thy pleasure? " asked Lame and Crooked. 
 
 " Everything can be done, then ? " 
 
 " Everything is possible, Ivan Tsarevich. Who- 
 ever blows that whistle, we will do everything for 
 him. As we served Whirlwind before, so we are 
 glad to serve thee now ; it is only necessary to keep 
 the whistle by thee at all times." 
 
 " Well," said Ivan, " let me be in my own kingdom 
 this minute." 
 
 He had barely spoken when he appeared in his 
 own kingdom, in the middle of the market square. 
 He was walking along the square, when a shoemaker 
 came toward him, such a jolly fellow ! The Tsare- 
 vich asked: " Whither art thou going, good man?" 
 
 " I am taking shoes to sell ; I am a shoemaker." 
 
 " Take me into thy service," said Ivan. 
 
 " Dost thou know how to make shoes? " 
 
 " Yes, I can do everything. I can make not only 
 shoes, but clothes." 
 
 " Well, come on." 
 
 They went to his house. The shoemaker said: 
 " Go to work ; here is leather for thee, the best 
 kind; I '11 see what skill thou hast." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich went to his own room, and took out 
 the whistle. Lame and Crooked came. " What is 
 thy pleasure, Ivan Tsarevich?" 
 
 " To have shoes ready by to-morrow." 
 
The Three Kingdoms. 13 
 
 " Oh, that is not work, that is play ! " 
 
 " Here is the leather." 
 
 " What sort of leather is that? That 's trash, noth- 
 ing more ; that should go out of the window." 
 
 Next morning Ivan Tsarevich woke up; on the 
 table were beautiful shoes, the very best. 
 
 The shoemaker rose. " Well, young man, hast thou 
 made the shoes?" 
 
 " They are finished." 
 
 " Well, show them." He looked at the shoes and 
 was astonished. " See what a man I have got for my- 
 self, not a shoemaker, but a wonder ! " He took 
 the shoes and carried them to the market to sell. 
 
 At that same time three weddings were in prepara- 
 tion at the palace. Pyotr Tsarevich was to marry 
 Yelena the Beautiful, Vassili Tsarevich the Tsaritsa 
 of the Silver Kingdom, and they were giving the 
 Tsaritsa of the Copper Kingdom to a general. They 
 were making dresses for those weddings. Yelena 
 the Beautiful wanted shoes. Our shoemaker's shoes 
 were better than all the others brought to the 
 palace. 
 
 When Yelena looked at them she said, " What 
 does this mean? They make shoes like these only 
 in the mountains." She paid the shoemaker a large 
 price and said, " Make me without measure another 
 pair wonderfully sewed, ornamented with precious 
 stones, and studded with diamonds. They must be 
 ready by to-morrow; if not, to the gallows with thee." 
 
1 4 Russian Myths and Folk - Tales. 
 
 The shoemaker took the precious stones and money 
 and" went home, such a gloomy man ! " Misery," 
 said he, " what am I to do now? How can I make 
 shoes by to-morrow, and besides without measure? 
 It is clear that they will hang me to-morrow; let me 
 have at least a last frolic with my friends." 
 
 He went to the inn. These friends of his were 
 numerous; they asked, "Why art thou so gloomy, 
 brother?" 
 
 " Oh, my dear friends," answered he, " they are 
 going to hang me to-morrow ! " 
 
 "Why so?" 
 
 The shoemaker told his trouble. " How think of 
 work in such a position? Better I '11 frolic to-night 
 for the last time." 
 
 So they drank and drank, frolicked and frolicked ; 
 the shoemaker was staggering already. 
 
 " Well," said he, " I '11 take home a keg of spirits, 
 lie down to sleep ; and to-morrow when they come 
 to hang me, I '11 drink a gallon and a half right away. 
 Let them hang me without my senses." 
 
 He came home. " Well, thou reprobate ! " said 
 he to Ivan Tsarevich, " see what thy shoes have done 
 ... so and so. ... When they come in the morn- 
 ing for me, wake me up." 
 
 In the night Ivan Tsarevich took out the whistle 
 and blew. Lame and Crooked appeared. " What is 
 thy pleasure, Ivan Tsarevich?" 
 
 " That shoes of such a kind be ready." 
 
The Three Kingdoms. 15 
 
 " We obey ! " 
 
 Ivan lay down to sleep. Next morning he woke 
 up; the shoes were on the table shining like fire. 
 He went to rouse his master. 
 
 " It is time to rise, master." 
 
 "What! have they come for me? Bring the keg 
 quickly ! Here is a cup, pour the spirits in ; let them 
 hang me drunk." 
 
 " But the shoes are made." 
 
 " How made? Where are they? " 
 
 The master ran and saw them. " But when did we 
 make them ? " 
 
 " In the night. Is it possible that thou dost not 
 remember when we cut and sewed ? " 
 
 " Oh, I Ve slept so long, brother ! I barely, barely 
 remember." 
 
 He took the shoes, wrapped them up, and ran to 
 the palace. 
 
 Yelena the Beautiful saw the shoes and knew what 
 had happened. " Surely," she thought, " the spirits 
 made these for Ivan Tsarevich. How didst thou 
 make these? " asked she of the shoemaker. 
 
 " Oh ! I know how to do everything." 
 
 " If that is the case, make me a wedding robe em- 
 broidered with gold, ornamented with diamonds and 
 precious stones ; let it be ready to-morrow morning : 
 if not, off with thy head ? " 
 
 The shoemaker went home again gloomy, x and his 
 friends were long waiting for him. " Well, what is it ? " 
 
1 6 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Nothing but cursedness. The destroyer of Chris- 
 tian people has come ; she commanded me to make 
 her a robe with gold and precious stones by to-mor- 
 row morning : and what sort of a tailor am I ? They 
 will take my head surely to-morrow." 
 
 " Ah ! brother, the morning is wiser than the even- 
 ing ; let us go and frolic." 
 
 They went to the inn, they drank and frolicked; 
 the shoemaker got tipsy again, brought home a whole 
 keg of spirits, and said to Ivan Tsarevich : " Now, 
 young fellow, when thou wilt rouse me in the morn- 
 ing I '11 toss off three gallons ; let them cut the head 
 off me drunk. I could n't make such a robe in a life- 
 time." The shoemaker lay down to sleep and snored. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich blew on the whistle, and Lame 
 and Crooked appeared. " What is thy pleasure, 
 Tsarevich?" 
 
 " That a robe be ready by to-morrow morning 
 exactly such as Yelena the Beautiful wore in Whirl- 
 wind's house." 
 
 " We obey ; it will be ready." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich woke at daylight ; the robe was on 
 the table, shining like fire, so that the whole chamber 
 was lighted up. Then he roused his master, who 
 rubbed his eyes and asked, " What ! have they come 
 to cut my head off? Give the spirits here this 
 minute." 
 
 " But the robe is ready." 
 
 " Is that true ? When did we make it? " 
 
The Three Kingdoms. 17 
 
 " In the night, of course ; dost thou not remember 
 cutting it thyself? " 
 
 " Ah, brother, I just remember, see it as in a 
 dream ! " 
 
 The shoemaker took the robe and ran to the palace. 
 
 Yelena the Beautiful gave him much money and 
 the command, " See that to-morrow by daylight the 
 Golden Kingdom be on the sea, seven versts from 
 shore, and from it to our palace let there be a golden 
 bridge with costly velvet spread upon it, and at the 
 railings on both sides let wonderful trees be growing, 
 and let there be wonderful song-birds singing, with 
 various voices. If thou wilt not have it done by 
 morning, I '11 give orders to quarter thee." 
 
 The shoemaker went from Yelena the Beautiful 
 with drooping head. His friends met him. " Well, 
 brother?" 
 
 "What well! I am lost; to-morrow I shall be 
 quartered. She gave me such a task that no devil 
 could do it." 
 
 " Oh, never mind ! the morning is wiser than the 
 evening; let us go to the inn." 
 
 " Well, let us go ; at the last parting we must have 
 a carousal at least." 
 
 They drank and drank ; and towards evening the 
 shoemaker drank so much they had to lead him 
 home. "Farewell, young fellow," said he to Ivan; 
 " to-rnorrow they will put me to death." 
 
 " But has a new task been given? " 
 2 
 
1 3 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Yes, so and so, so and so." He lay down and 
 snored; but Ivan Tsarevich went straight to his 
 room, and blew on the whistle. Lame and Crooked 
 appeared. 
 
 "What is thy pleasure, Ivan Tsarevich?" 
 
 " Can ye do me such a work as this? " 
 
 " Ivan Tsarevich, this is a work indeed. But there 
 is no avoiding it ; toward morning all will be ready." 
 
 When daylight began to come, Ivan woke up, 
 looked out of the window. Fathers ! everything 
 was ready as asked for. A golden castle was gleam- 
 ing like fire. He roused his master, who sprang up. 
 "Well, have they come for me? Give the keg here 
 this minute ! " 
 
 " But the palace is ready." 
 
 "What dost thou say?" 
 
 The shoemaker looked through the window and 
 said, " Ah ! " in astonishment, " how was that done? " 
 
 "Dost thou not remember how thou and I 
 fixed it?" 
 
 "Yes, it is clear that I have slept too soundly; 
 I barely, barely remember." 
 
 They ran to the golden castle; in it was wealth 
 untold, unseen. 
 
 Said Ivan Tsarevich : " Here, master, is a wing, go 
 and dust the railing of the bridge ; and if they come 
 and ask who lives in the palace, say thou nothing, 
 but give this letter." 
 
 " Very well." 
 
The Three Kingdoms. 19 
 
 The shoemaker went to dust the railing of the 
 bridge. 
 
 In the morning Yelena the Beautiful woke up ; she 
 saw the golden castle, and ran straight to the Tsar. 
 " See what is done in our place ! There is a golden 
 palace on the sea, and from that palace a golden 
 bridge seven versts long; and on both sides of the 
 bridge wonderful trees are growing, and song-birds 
 are singing in various voices." 
 
 The Tsar sent immediately to ask what that meant? 
 Had not some hero come to his kingdom? The mes- 
 sengers came to the shoemaker, asked him. " I know 
 not, but there is a letter to thy Tsar." In that letter 
 Ivan Tsarevich related everything to his father as it 
 was, how he had liberated his mother, won Yelena 
 the Beautiful, and how his elder brothers had de- 
 ceived him. With the letter Ivan Tsarevich sent 
 golden carriages, and begged the Tsar and Tsaritsa to 
 come to him. Let Yelena the Beautiful and her sisters 
 and his brothers be brought behind in simple wagons. 
 
 All assembled at once and started. Ivan Tsarevich 
 met them with joy. The Tsar wished to put his elder 
 sons to death for their untruths ; but Ivan Tsarevich 
 implored his father, and they were forgiven. Then 
 began a mountain of a feast. . Ivan Tsarevich mar- 
 ried Yelena the Beautiful. They gave the Tsaritsa 
 of the Silver Kingdom to Pyotr Tsarevich, the Tsa- 
 ritsa of the Copper Kingdom to Vassili Tsarevich, 
 and made the shoemaker a general. 
 
IVAN TSAREVICH, THE FIRE-BIRD, AND THE 
 GRAY WOLF. 
 
 IN a certain kingdom, in a certain land, lived Tsar 
 Vwislav Andronovich ; he had three sons, 
 Dmitri Tsarevich, Vassili Tsarevich, and Ivan Tsare- 
 vich. Tsar Vwislav had a garden so rich that in no 
 land was there better. In the garden grew many 
 precious trees, with fruit and without fruit. 
 
 Tsar Vwislav had one favorite apple-tree, and on 
 that tree grew apples all golden. The Fire-bird used 
 to fly to the garden of Tsar Vwislav. She had wings 
 of gold, and eyes like crystals of the East ; and she 
 used to fly to that garden every night, sit on the 
 favorite apple-tree, pluck from it golden apples, and 
 then fly away. 
 
 The Tsar grieved greatly over that apple-tree be- 
 cause the Fire-bird plucked from it many apples. 
 Therefore he called his three sons and said : " My 
 dear children, whichever one of you can catch the 
 Fire-bird in my garden and take her alive, to him 
 will I give during my life one half of the kingdom, 
 and at my death I will give it all." 
 
 Then the sons cried out in one voice : " Gracious 
 sovereign, our father, we will try with great pleasure 
 to take the Fire-bird alive." 
 
Ivan, the Bird, and the Wolf. 21 
 
 The first night Dmitri Tsarevich went to watch in 
 the garden, and sat under the apple-tree from which 
 the Fire-bird had been plucking the apples. He 
 fell asleep, and did not hear the Fire-bird when she 
 came, nor when she plucked many apples. 
 
 Next morning Tsar Vwislav called his son Dmitri 
 Tsarevich, and asked, " Well, my dear son, hast 
 thou seen the Fire-bird?" 
 
 " No, gracious sovereign, my father, she came not 
 last night." 
 
 The next night Vassili Tsarevich went to the gar- 
 den to watch the Fire-bird. He sat under the same 
 apple-tree, and in a couple of hours fell asleep so 
 soundly that he did not hear the Fire-bird when she 
 came nor when she plucked apples. 
 
 Next morning Tsar Vwislav called him and asked, 
 " Well, my dear son, hast thou seen the Fire-bird? " 
 
 " Gracious sovereign, my father, she came not last 
 night." 
 
 The third night Ivan Tsarevich went to watch in 
 the garden, and sat under the same apple-tree. He 
 sat an hour, a second, and a third. All at once the 
 whole garden was lighted up as if by many fires. 
 The Fire-bird flew hither, perched on the apple-tree, 
 and began to pluck apples. Ivan stole up to her so 
 warily that he caught her tail, but could not hold the 
 bird, she tore off, flew away; and there remained 
 in the hand of Ivan Tsarevich but one feather of the 
 tail, which he held very firmly. 
 
2 2 Russian Myths and Folk - Tales. 
 
 Next morning, the moment Tsar Vwislav woke 
 from his sleep, Ivan Tsarevich went to him and gave 
 him the feather of the Fire-bird. The Tsar was 
 greatly delighted that his youngest son had been 
 able to get even one feather of the Fire-bird. This 
 feather was so wonderful and bright that when car- 
 ried into a dark chamber it shone as if a great multi- 
 tude of tapers were lighted in that place. Tsar 
 Vwislav put the feather in his cabinet as a thing to be 
 guarded forever. From that time forth the Fire-bird 
 flew to the garden no more. 
 
 Tsar Vwislav again called his sons, and said : " My 
 dear children, I give you my blessing. Set out, find 
 the Fire-bird, and bring her to me alive; and what 
 I promised at first he will surely receive who brings 
 me the bird." 
 
 Dmitri and Vassili Tsarevich began to cherish 
 hatred against their youngest brother because he 
 had pulled the feather from the tail of the Fire-bird. 
 They took their father's blessing, and both went to 
 find the Fire-bird. Ivan Tsarevich too began to beg 
 his father's blessing. The Tsar said to him : " My 
 dear son, my darling child, thou art still young, 
 unused to such a long and difficult journey: why 
 shouldst thou part from me? Thy brothers have 
 gone ; now, if thou goest too, and all three of you 
 fail to return for a long time (I am old, and walk 
 under God), and if during your absence the Lord 
 takes my life, who would rule in my place? There 
 
Ivan, the Bird, and the Wolf. 23 
 
 might be rebellion too, or disagreement among our 
 people, there would be no one to stop it; or if 
 an enemy should invade our land, there would be 
 no one to command our men." 
 
 But no matter how the Tsar tried to detain Ivan 
 Tsarevich, he could not avoid letting him go at his 
 urgent prayer. Ivan Tsarevich took a blessing of 
 his father, chose a horse, and rode away; he rode on, 
 not knowing himself whither. 
 
 Riding by the path by the road, whether it was 
 near or far, high or low, a tale is soon told, but a 
 deed 's not soon done. At last he came to the green 
 meadows. In the open field a pillar stands, and on 
 the pillar these words are written : " Whoever goes 
 from the pillar straight forward will be hungry and 
 cold ; whoever goes to the right hand will be healthy 
 and well, but his horse will be dead ; whoever goes 
 to the left hand will be killed himself, but his horse 
 will be living and well." Ivan read the inscription, 
 and went to the right hand, holding in mind that 
 though his horse might be killed, he would remain 
 alive, and might in time get another horse. 
 
 He rode one day, a second, and a third. All at once 
 an enormous gray wolf came out against him and 
 said : " Oh ! is that thou, tender youth, Ivan Tsare- 
 vich ? Thou hast read on the pillar that thy horse will 
 be dead: why hast thou come hither, then? " The 
 wolf said these words, tore Ivan Tsarevich's horse in 
 two, and went to one side. 
 
24 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Ivan grieved greatly for his horse. He cried bit- 
 terly, and went forward on foot. He walked all day, 
 and was unspeakably tired. He was going to sit 
 down and rest, when all at once the Gray Wolf 
 caught up with him and said : " I am sorry for thee, 
 Ivan Tsarevich, thou art tired from walking; I am 
 sorry that I ate thy good steed. Well, sit on me, 
 the old wolf, and tell me whither to bear thee, 
 and why." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich told the Gray Wolf whither he 
 had to go, and the Gray Wolf shot ahead with him 
 swifter than a horse. After a time, just at nightfall, 
 .he brought Ivan Tsarevich to a stone wall not very 
 high, halted, and said : " Now, Ivan Tsarevich, come 
 down from the Gray Wolf, climb over that stone 
 wall; on the other side is a garden, and in the 
 garden the Fire-bird, in a golden cage. Take the 
 Fire-bird, but touch not the cage. If thou takest 
 the cage, thou 'It not escape ; they will seize thee 
 straightway." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich climbed over the wall into the 
 garden, saw the Fire-bird in the golden cage, and 
 was greatly tempted by the cage. He took the bird 
 out, and was going back ; but changed his mind, and 
 thought, " Why have I taken the bird without the 
 cage? ' Where can I put her? " He returned; but had 
 barely taken down the cage when there was a ham- 
 mering and thundering throughout the whole gar- 
 den, for there were wires attached to the cage. The 
 
OF 
 
 rp 
 Ivan, the Bird, and the WofT 25 
 
 watchmen woke up at that moment, ran to the gar- 
 den, caught Ivan Tsarevich with the Fire-bird, and 
 took him to the Tsar, who was called Dolmat. Tsar 
 Dolmat was terribly enraged at Ivan, and shouted 
 at him in loud, angry tones : " Is it not a shame for 
 thee, young man, to steal? But who art thou, of 
 what land, of what father a son, and how do they 
 call thee by name?" 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich replied : " I am from Vwislav's 
 kingdom, the son of Tsar Vwislav Andronovich, and 
 they call me Ivan Tsarevich. Thy Fire-bird used to 
 fly to our garden each night and pluck golden apples 
 from my father's favorite apple-tree, and destroyed 
 almost the whole tree. Therefore my father has sent 
 me to find the Fire-bird and bring it to him." 
 
 " Oh, youthful young man, Ivan Tsarevich," said 
 Tsar Dolmat, " is it fitting to do as thou hast done? 
 Thou shouldst have come to me, and I would have 
 given thee the Fire-bird with honor ; but now will it 
 be well for thee when I send to all lands to declare 
 how dishonorably thou hast acted in my kingdom? 
 Listen, however, Ivan Tsarevich. If thou wilt do me 
 a service, if thou wilt go beyond the thrice ninth 
 land to the thirtieth kingdom and get for me from 
 Tsar Afron the golden-maned steed, I will forgive 
 thy offence and give thee the Fire-bird with great 
 honor; if not, I will publish in all kingdoms that 
 thou art a dishonorable thief." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich went away from Tsar Dolmat in 
 
26 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 great grief, promising to obtain for him the golden- 
 maned steed. 
 
 He came to the Gray Wolf, and told him all that 
 Tsar Dolmat had said. 
 
 " Oh ! is that thou, youthful young man, Ivan 
 Tsarevich? Why didst thou disobey my words and 
 take the golden cage ? " 
 
 " I have offended in thy sight," said Ivan to the 
 Gray Wolf. 
 
 " Well, let that go ; sit on me, and I will take thee 
 wherever thou wilt." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich sat on the back of the Gray Wolf. 
 The wolf was as swift as an arrow, and ran, whether it 
 was long or short, till he came at last to the kingdom 
 of Tsar Afron in the night-time. Coming to the white- 
 walled stables, the Gray Wolf said : " Go, Ivan Tsa- 
 revich, into these white-walled stables (the grooms 
 on guard are sleeping soundly), and take the golden- 
 maned steed. On the wall hangs a golden bridle ; but 
 take not the bridle, or it will go ill with thee." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich entered the white-walled stables, 
 took the steed, and was coming back; but he saw on 
 the walls the golden bridle, and was so tempted that 
 he took it from the nail. That moment there went a 
 thunder and a noise throughout the stables, because 
 strings were tied to the bridle. The grooms on 
 guard woke up that moment, rushed in, seized Ivan 
 Tsarevich, and took him to Tsar Afron. Tsar Afron 
 began to question him. " Oh, youthful young man, 
 
Ivan, the Bird, and the Wolf. 27 
 
 tell me from what land thou art, of what father a 
 son, and how do they call thee by name?" 
 
 To this Ivan Tsarevich replied : "I am from 
 Vwislav's kingdom, the son of Tsar Vwislav, and 
 they call me Ivan Tsarevich." 
 
 " Oh, youthful young man, Ivan Tsarevich ! " said 
 Tsar Afron, "was that which thou hast done the deed 
 of an honorable knight? I would have given thee the 
 golden-maned steed with honor. But now will it be 
 well for thee when I send to all lands a declaration 
 of how dishonorably thou hast acted in my kingdom? 
 Hear me, however, Ivan . Tsarevich : if thou wilt do 
 me a service and go beyond the thrice ninth land 
 to the thirtieth kingdom and bring to me Princess 
 Yelena the Beautiful, with whom I am in love heart 
 and soul for a long time, but whom I cannot obtain, 
 I will pardon thy offence and give thee the golden- 
 maned steed with honor. And if thou wilt not do 
 me this service, I will declare in all lands that thou 
 art a dishonorable thief. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich promised Tsar Afron to bring 
 Yelena the Beautiful, left the palace, and fell to 
 crying bitterly. 
 
 He came to the Gray Wolf and told him all that 
 had happened. 
 
 " Oh, Ivan Tsarevich, thou youthful young man," 
 said the Gray Wolf, " why didst thou disobey me and 
 take the golden bridle? " 
 
 "I have offended in thy sight," said Ivan Tsarevich, 
 
28 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Well, let that go," replied the Wolf. " Sit on me ; 
 I will take thee wherever need be." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich sat on the back of the Gray Wolf, 
 who ran as swiftly as an arrow flies, and he ran in 
 such fashion as to be told in a tale no long time; 
 and at last he came to the kingdom of Yelena the 
 Beautiful. Coming to the golden fence which sur- 
 rounded her wonderful garden, the Wolf said : " Now, 
 Ivan Tsarevich, come down from me and go back by 
 the same road along which we came and wait in the 
 field, under the green oak." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich went where he was commanded. 
 But the Gray Wolf sat near the golden fence, and 
 waited till Yelena the Beautiful should walk in the 
 garden. 
 
 Toward evening, when the sun was sinking low in 
 the west, therefore, it was not very warm in the air, 
 Princess Yelena went to walk in the garden with her 
 maidens and court ladies. When she entered the 
 garden and approached the place where the Gray 
 Wolf was sitting behind the fence, he jumped out 
 suddenly, caught the princess, sprang back again, and 
 bore her away with all his power and might. He 
 came to the green oak in the open field where Ivan 
 Tsarevich was waiting, and said, " Ivan Tsarevich, sit on 
 me quickly." Ivan sat on him, and the Gray Wolf bore 
 them both along swiftly to the kingdom of Tsar Afron. 
 
 The nurses and maidens and all the court ladies 
 who had been walking in the garden with the prin- 
 
Ivan, the Bird, and the Wolf. 29 
 
 cess Yelena the Beautiful ran straightway to the 
 palace and sent pursuers to overtake the Gray Wolf; 
 but no matter how they ran, they could not overtake 
 him, and turned back. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich while sitting on the Gray Wolf 
 with princess Yelena the Beautiful came to love her 
 with his heart, and she Ivan Tsarevich; and when 
 the Gray Wolf arrived at the kingdom of Tsar Afron, 
 and Ivan Tsarevich had to take Yelena the Beautiful 
 to the palace and give her to Tsar Afron, he grew 
 very sad, and began to weep tearfully. 
 
 "What art thou weeping for, Ivan Tsarevich?" 
 asked the Gray Wolf. 
 
 "My friend, why should I, good youth, not weep? 
 I have formed a heartfelt love for Yelena the Beauti- 
 ful, and now I must give her to Tsar Afron for the 
 golden-maned steed ; and if I yield her not, then Tsar 
 Afron will dishonor me in all lands." 
 
 " I have served thee much, Ivan Tsarevich," said 
 the Gray Wolf, " and I will do yet this service. Lis- 
 ten to me. I will turn myself into a princess, 
 Yelena the Beautiful. Do thou give me to Tsar 
 Afron and take from him the golden-maned steed ; he 
 will think me the real princess. And when thou art 
 sitting on the steed and riding far away, I will beg of 
 Tsar Afron permission to walk in the open field. 
 When he lets me go with the maidens and nurses and 
 all the court ladies, and I am with them in the open 
 field, remember me, and I will come to thee." 
 
30 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 The Gray Wolf spoke these words, struck the 
 damp earth, and became a princess, Yelena the Beau- 
 tiful, so that it was not possible in any way to know 
 that the wolf was not the princess. Ivan Tsarevich 
 told Yelena the Beautiful to wait outside the town, 
 and took the Gray Wolf to the palace of Tsar 
 Afron. 
 
 When Ivan Tsarevich came with the pretended 
 Yelena the Beautiful, Tsar Afron was greatly de- 
 lighted in his heart that he had received a treasure 
 which he had long desired. He took the false 
 maiden, and gave Ivan Tsarevich the golden-maned 
 steed. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich mounted the steed and rode out of 
 the town, seated Yelena the Beautiful with him, and 
 rode on, holding his way toward the kingdom of 
 Tsar Dolmat. 
 
 The Gray Wolf lived with Tsar Afron a day, a sec- 
 ond, and a third, instead of Yelena the Beautiful. On 
 the fourth day he went to Tsar Afron, begging to go 
 out in the open field to walk, to drive away cruel 
 grief and sorrow. Then Tsar Afron said : " Oh, my 
 beautiful princess Yelena, I will do everything for 
 thee ; I will let thee go to the open field to walk ! " 
 And straightway he commanded the nurses, the 
 maidens, and all the court ladies to go to the open 
 field and walk with the beautiful princess. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich was riding along his road and path 
 with Yelena the Beautiful, talking with her; and he 
 
Ivan, the Bird, and the Wolf. 31 
 
 had forgotten about the Gray Wolf, but afterward re- 
 membered. " Oh, where is my Gray Wolf? " 
 
 All at once, from wherever he came, the wolf 
 stood before Ivan, and said : " Ivan Tsarevich, sit on 
 me, the Gray Wolf, and let the beautiful princess ride 
 on the golden-maned steed." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich sat on the Gray Wolf, and they 
 went toward the kingdom of Tsar Dolmat. Whether 
 they journeyed long or short, when they had come 
 to the kingdom they stopped about three versts from 
 the capital town; and Ivan Tsarevich began to im- 
 plore : " Listen to me, Gray Wolf, my dear friend. 
 Thou hast shown me many a service, show me the 
 last one now ; and the last one is this : Couldst thou 
 not turn to a golden-maned steed instead of this one? 
 for I do not like to part with this horse." 
 
 Suddenly the Gray Wolf struck the damp earth 
 and became a golden-maned steed. Ivan Tsarevich, 
 leaving princess Yelena in the green meadow, sat on 
 the Gray Wolf and went to the palace of Tsar Dol- 
 mat. The moment he came, Tsar Dolmat saw that 
 Ivan Tsarevich was riding on the golden-maned 
 steed, and he rejoiced greatly. Straightway he went 
 out of the palace, met the Tsarevich in the broad 
 court, kissed him, took him by the right hand, and 
 led him into the white stone chambers. Tsar Dolmat 
 on the occasion of such joy gave orders for a feast, 
 and they sat at the oaken table at the spread cloth. 
 They ate, they drank, they amused themselves, and 
 
32 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 rejoiced exactly two days ; and on the third day Tsar 
 Dolmat gave Ivan Tsarevich the Fire-bird together 
 with the golden cage. Ivan took the Fire-bird, went 
 outside the town, sat on the golden-maned steed 
 together with Yelena the Beautiful, and went toward 
 his own native place, toward the kingdom of Tsar 
 Vwislav. 
 
 Tsar Dolmat the next day thought to take a ride 
 through the open field on his golden-maned steed. 
 He ordered them to saddle him ; he sat on the horse, 
 and rode to the open field. The moment he urged 
 the horse, the horse threw Tsar Dolmat off his back, 
 became the Gray Wolf as before, ran off, and came 
 up with Ivan Tsarevich. " Ivan Tsarevich," said he, 
 " sit on me, the Gray Wolf, and let Yelena the Beau- 
 tiful ride on the golden-maned steed." 
 
 Ivan sat on the Gray Wolf, and they went their 
 way. When the Gray Wolf had brought Ivan to the 
 place where he had torn his horse, he stopped and 
 said : " I have served thee sufficiently, with faith and 
 truth. On this spot I tore thy horse in two ; to this 
 spot I have brought thee. Come down from me, the 
 Gray Wolf : thou hast a golden-maned steed; sit on 
 him, and go wherever thou hast need. I am no 
 longer thy servant." 
 
 The Gray Wolf said these words and ran to one 
 side. Ivan wept bitterly for the Gray Wolf, and 
 went on with the beautiful princess. 
 
 Whether he rode long or short with the beautiful 
 
Ivan, the Bird, and the Wolf. 33 
 
 princess, when he was within twenty versts of his own 
 kingdom he stopped, dismounted, and he and the 
 beautiful princess rested from the heat of the sun 
 under a tree ; he tied the golden-maned steed to the 
 same tree, and put the cage of the Fire-bird by his 
 side. Lying on the soft grass, they talked pleasantly, 
 and fell soundly asleep. 
 
 At that time the brothers of Ivan Tsarevich, Dmitri 
 and Vassili Tsarevich, after travelling through many 
 lands without finding the Fire-bird, were on their way 
 home with empty hands, and came unexpectedly 
 upon their brother with the beautiful princess. See- 
 ing the golden-maned steed and the Fire-bird in the 
 cage, they were greatly tempted, and thought of kill- 
 ing their brother Ivan. Dmitri took his own sword 
 out of the scabbard, stabbed Ivan Tsarevich, and cut 
 him to pieces ; then he roused the beautiful princess 
 and asked : " Beautiful maiden, of what land art thou, 
 of what father a daughter, and how do they call thee 
 by name?" 
 
 The beautiful princess, seeing Ivan Tsarevich dead, 
 was terribly frightened; she began to shed bitter 
 tears, and in her tears she said : " I am Princess 
 Yelena the Beautiful ; Ivan Tsarevich, whom ye have 
 given to a cruel death, got me. If ye were good 
 knights, ye would have gone with him into the open 
 field and conquered him there; but ye killed him 
 when asleep ; and what fame will ye receive for your- 
 selves ? A sleeping man is the same as a dead one." 
 
 3 
 
34 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Then Dmitri Tsarevich put his sword to the heart 
 of Yelena the Beautiful and said: " Hear me, Yelena 
 the Beautiful, thou art now in our hands; we will 
 take thee to our father, Tsar Vwislav, thou wilt tell 
 him that we got thee and the Fire-bird and the 
 golden-maned steed. If not, we will give thee to 
 death this minute." The princess, afraid of death, 
 promised them, and swore by everything sacred that 
 she would speak as commanded. Then they began 
 to cast lots who should have Yelena the Beautiful, and 
 who the golden-maned steed ; and the lot fell that the 
 princess should go to Vassili, and the golden-maned 
 steed to Dmitri. 
 
 Then Vassili Tsarevich took the princess, and 
 placed her on his horse; Dmitri sat on the golden- 
 maned steed, and took the Fire-bird to give to their 
 father, Tsar Vwislav ; and they went their way. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich lay dead on that spot exactly thirty 
 days; then the Gray Wolf ran up, knew Ivan by his 
 -odor, wanted to aid him, to bring him to life, but 
 knew not how. Just then the Gray Wolf saw a raven 
 with two young ones who were flying above the body 
 and wanted to eat the flesh of Ivan Tsarevich. The 
 wolf hid behind a bush ; and when the young ravens 
 had come down and were ready to eat the body, he 
 sprang out, caught one, and was going to tear it in 
 two. Then the raven came down, sat a little way from 
 the Gray Wolf, and said : " Oh, Gray Wolf, touch 
 not my young child ; it has done nothing to thee ! " 
 
Ivan, the Bird, and the Wolf. 35 
 
 " Listen to me, raven," said the Gray Wolf. " I will 
 not touch thy child; I will let it go unharmed and 
 well if thou wilt do me a service. Fly beyond the 
 thrice ninth land to the thirtieth kingdom, and bring 
 me the water of death and the water of life." 
 
 " I will do that, but touch not my son." Having 
 said these words, the raven flew away and soon disap- 
 peared from sight. On the third day the raven re- 
 turned, bringing two vials, in one the water of life, in 
 the other the water of death, and gave them both to 
 the Gray Wolf. The wolf took the vials, tore the 
 young raven in two, sprinkled it with the water of 
 death ; the little raven grew together, he sprinkled it 
 with the water of life, and the raven sprang up and 
 flew away. 
 
 The Gray Wolf sprinkled Ivan Tsarevich with the 
 water of death : the body grew together ; he sprinkled 
 it with the water of life : Ivan Tsarevich stood up and 
 exclaimed, " Oh, how long I have slept ! " 
 
 " Thou wouldst have slept forever, had it not been 
 for me. Thy brothers cut thee to pieces and carried 
 off Princess Yelena with the golden-maned steed and 
 the Fire-bird. Now hurry with all speed to thy own 
 country ; Vassili Tsarevich will marry thy bride to- 
 day. To reach home quickly, sit on me ; I will bear 
 thee." 
 
 Ivan sat on the Gray Wolf; the wolf ran with him 
 to the kingdom of Tsar Vwislav, and whether it was 
 long or short, he ran to the edge of the town. 
 
36 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Ivan sprang from the Gray Wolf, walked into the 
 town, and found that his brother Vassili had married 
 Yelena the Beautiful, had returned with her from the 
 ceremony, and was sitting with her at the feast. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich entered the palace ; and when Yelena 
 the Beautiful saw him, she sprang up from the table, 
 kissed him, and cried out: "This is my dear bride- 
 groom, Ivan Tsarevich, and not that scoundrel at the 
 table." 
 
 Then Tsar Vwislav rose from his place and asked 
 the meaning of these words. Yelena the Beautiful 
 told the whole truth, told how Ivan Tsarevich had 
 won her, the golden-maned steed, and the Fire-bird ; 
 how his elder brother had killed him while asleep; 
 and how they had terrified her into saying that they 
 had won everything. 
 
 Tsar Vwislav was terribly enraged at Dmitri and 
 Vassili, and cast them into prison ; but Ivan Tsarevich 
 married Yelena the Beautiful, and lived with her in 
 harmony and love, so that one of them could not 
 exist a single minute without the other. 
 
IVAN THE PEASANT'S SON AND THE LITTLE 
 MAN HIMSELF ONE-FINGER TALL, HIS 
 MUSTACHE SEVEN VERSTS IN LENGTH. 
 
 IN a certain kingdom in a certain land there lived 
 a Tsar, and in the courtyard of the Tsar was a 
 pillar, and in the pillar three rings, one gold, one 
 silver, and the third copper. One night the Tsar 
 dreamed that there was a horse tied to the gold ring, 
 that every hair on him was silver, and the clear moon 
 was on his forehead. In the morning the Tsar rose 
 up and ordered it to be proclaimed that whoever 
 could interpret the dream and get the horse for him, 
 to that man would he give his daughter, and one half 
 the kingdom in addition. 
 
 At the summons of the Tsar a multitude of princes, 
 boyars, and all kinds of lords assembled. No man 
 could explain the dream ; no man would undertake 
 to get the horse. At last they explained to the Tsar 
 that such and such a poor man had a son Ivan, who 
 could interpret the dream and get the horse. 
 
 The Tsar commanded them to summon Ivan. 
 They summoned him. The Tsar asked, " Canst thou 
 explain my dream and get the horse ? " 
 
 " Tell me first," answered Ivan, " what the dream 
 was, and what horse thou dost need." 
 
38 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 The Tsar said : " Last night I dreamed that a horse 
 was tied to the gold ring in my courtyard; every 
 hair on him was silver, and on his forehead the clear 
 moon." 
 
 " That is not a dream, but a reality; for last night 
 the twelve-headed serpent came to thee on that horse 
 and wanted to steal thy daughter." 
 
 " Is it possible to get that horse? " 
 
 "It is," answered Ivan; " but only when my fif- 
 teenth year is passed." 
 
 Ivan was then but twelve years old. The Tsar 
 took him to his court, gave him food and drink till 
 his fifteenth year. 
 
 When his fifteenth year had passed, Ivan said to 
 the Tsar : " Now give me a horse on which I can 
 ride to the place where the serpent is." 
 
 The Tsar led him to his stables and showed him 
 all his horses ; but he could not find a single one, by 
 reason of his strength and weight. When he placed 
 his hero's hand on any horse, that horse fell to the 
 ground ; and he said to the Tsar: " Let me go to the 
 open country to seek a horse of sufficient strength." 
 
 The Tsar let him go. Ivan the peasant's son 
 looked for three years ; nowhere could he find a 
 horse. He was returning to the Tsar in tears, when 
 an old man happened to meet him, and asked, "Why 
 dost thou weep, young man? " 
 
 To this question Ivan answered rudely ; just chased 
 the old man away. 
 
Ivan and the Little Man. 39 
 
 The old man said: " Look out, young fellow; do 
 not speak ill." 
 
 Ivan went away a little from the old man, and 
 thought, " Why have I offended the old man? Old 
 people know much." 
 
 He returned, caught up with the old man, fell 
 down before him, and said : " Grandfather, forgive 
 me ! I offended thee through grief. This is what I 
 am crying about : three years have I travelled through 
 the open country among many herds ; nowhere can 
 I find a horse to suit me." 
 
 The old man said : " Go to such a village ; there 
 in the stable of a poor peasant is a mare ; that mare 
 has a mangy colt ; take the colt and feed him, he 
 will be strong enough for thee." 
 
 Ivan bowed down to the old man, and went to the 
 village; went straight to the peasant's stable; saw 
 the mare with the mangy colt, on which he put his 
 hands. The colt did not quiver in the least. Ivan 
 took him from the peasant, fed him some time, came 
 to the Tsar, and said that he had a horse. Then he 
 began to make ready to visit the serpent. 
 
 The Tsar asked: "How many men dost thou 
 need, Ivan? " 
 
 " I need no men," replied Ivan ; " I can get the 
 horse alone. Thou mightest give me perhaps half a 
 dozen to send on messages." 
 
 The Tsar gave him six men ; they made ready and 
 set out. Whether they travelled long or short it is 
 
4O Russian Myths and Folk - Tales. 
 
 unknown to any man ; only this is known, that 
 they came to a fiery river. Over the river was a 
 bridge ; near the river an enormous forest. In that 
 forest they pitched a tent, got many things to drink, 
 and began to eat and make merry. 
 
 Ivan the peasant's son said to his comrades : " Let 
 us stand guard every night in turn, and see if any 
 man passes the river." 
 
 It happened that when any of Ivan's comrades 
 went on guard, each one of them got drunk in the 
 evening and could see nothing. At last Ivan himself 
 went on guard; and just at midnight he saw that a 
 three-headed serpent was crossing the river, and the 
 serpent called, " I have no enemy, no calumniator, 
 unless one enemy and one calumniator, Ivan the 
 peasant's son ; but the raven has n't brought his 
 bones in a bladder yet." 
 
 Ivan the peasant's son sprang from under the 
 bridge. " Thou liest ; I am here ! " 
 
 " If thou art here, then let us make trial ; " and 
 the serpent on horseback advanced against Ivan. But 
 Ivan went forth on foot, gave a blow with his sabre, 
 and cut off the three heads of the serpent, took the 
 horse for himself, and tied him to the tent. 
 
 The next night Ivan the peasant's son killed the 
 six-headed serpent, the third night the nine-headed 
 one, and threw them into the fiery river. When he 
 went on guard the fourth night the twelve-headed 
 serpent came, and began to speak wrathfully. " Who 
 
Ivan and the Little Man. 41 
 
 art thou, Ivan the peasant's son? Come out this min- 
 ute to me ! Why didst thou kill my sons? " 
 
 Ivan the peasant's son slipped out and said : " Let 
 me go first to my tent, and then I will fight with 
 thee." 
 
 " Well, go on." 
 
 Ivan ran to his comrades. " Here, boys, is a bowl, 
 look into it; when it shall be filled with blood, come 
 to me." 
 
 He returned and stood against the serpent ; they 
 rushed and struck each other. Ivan at the first blow 
 cut four heads off the serpent, but went himself to 
 his knees in the earth; when they met the second 
 time, Ivan cut three heads off and sank to his waist 
 in the earth ; the third time they met he cut off three 
 more heads, and sank to his breast in the earth ; at 
 last he cut off one head, and sank to his neck in 
 the earth. Then only did his comrades think of 
 him ; they looked, and saw that the blood was run- 
 ning over the edge of the bowl. They hastened out, 
 cut off the last head of the serpent, and pulled Ivan 
 out of the earth. Ivan took the serpent's horse and 
 led him to the tent. 
 
 Night passed, morning came; the good youth 
 began to eat, drink, and be merry. Ivan the peas- 
 ant's son rose up from the merry-making and said to 
 his comrades, "Do ye wait here." He turned into 
 a cat, and went along the bridge over the fiery river, 
 came to the house where the serpents used to live, 
 
42 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 and began to make friends with the cats there. In 
 the house there remained alive only the old mother 
 of the serpents and her three daughters-in-law ; they 
 were sitting in the chamber talking to one another. 
 " How could we destroy that scoundrel, that Ivan 
 the peasant's son?" 
 
 The youngest daughter-in-law said : " I '11 bring 
 hunger on the road, and turn myself into an apple- 
 tree, so that when he eats an apple it will tear him 
 to pieces in a moment." 
 
 The second daughter-in-law said : " I will bring 
 thirst on the road, and turn myself into a well; let 
 him try to drink." 
 
 The eldest said : " I '11 bring sleep and make a 
 bed of myself; let Ivan try to lie down, he '11 die in a 
 minute." 
 
 At last the old woman said : " I '11 open my mouth 
 from earth to sky and swallow them all." 
 
 Ivan heard what they said, went out of the cham- 
 ber, turned into a man, and went back to his com- 
 rades. " Now, boys, make ready for the road." 
 
 They made ready, went their way, and to begin with 
 a terrible hunger appeared on the road, so that they 
 had nothing to eat. They saw an apple-tree. Ivan's 
 comrades wanted to pluck the apples, but Ivan would 
 not let them. " That is not aa apple-tree," said he ; 
 and began to slash at it : blood came out. Another 
 time thirst came upon them. Ivan saw a well; he 
 would not let them drink from it ; he began to slash 
 
Ivan and the Little Man, 43 
 
 at it : blood came forth. Then sleep came on them ; 
 there was a bed on the road. Ivan cut it to pieces. 
 They came to the jaws stretched from the earth to 
 the sky. What was to be done? They thought of 
 jumping through on a run. No man was able to 
 jump through save Ivan ; and he was borne out of the 
 trouble by his wonderful steed, every hair of which 
 was silver, and the bright moon on his forehead. 
 
 He came to a river ; at the river was a hut ; there he 
 was met by a little man, himself one finger tall, his 
 mustache seven versts in length, who said : " Give 
 me the horse ; and if thou wilt not give him quietly, 
 I '11 take him by force." 
 
 Ivan answered : " Leave me, cursed reptile, or I '11 
 crush thee under the horse." 
 
 The little man himself, one ringer tall, his mus- 
 tache seven versts in length, knocked him on to the 
 ground, sat on the horse, and rode away. Ivan went 
 into the hut and grieved greatly for his horse. In 
 the hut was lying on the stove a footless, handless 
 man, and he said to Ivan : " Listen, good hero, I 
 know not how to call thee by name. Why didst thou 
 try to fight with him? I was something more of a hero 
 than thou, and still he gnawed my hands and feet off." 
 
 "Why?" 
 
 " Because I ate bread on his table." 
 
 Ivan began to ask how he could win his horse 
 back. The footless, handless said, 
 
 " Go to such a river and take the ferry, ferry for 
 
44 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 three years, take money from no man: then thou 
 mayest win the horse back." 
 
 Ivan bowed down to him, went to the river, took 
 the ferry, and ferried three whole years for nothing. 
 Once it happened to him to ferry over three old 
 men ; they offered him money, he would not take it. 
 
 " Tell me, good hero, why thou takest no money? " 
 
 He said, " According to a promise." 
 
 "What promise?" 
 
 "A malicious man took my horse, and good peo- 
 ple told me to take the ferry for three years, and 
 receive money from no man." 
 
 The old men said: "If thou choosest, Ivan, we 
 are ready to help thee to get back thy horse." 
 
 " Help me, my friends." 
 
 The old men were not common people ; they were 
 the Freezer, the Devourer, and the Wizard. The 
 Wizard went out on the shore, made the picture of a 
 boat in the sand and said : " Well, brothers, you see 
 this boat?" 
 
 " We see it." 
 
 " Sit in it" 
 
 All four sat in the boat. 
 
 The Wizard said : " Now, light little boat, do me a 
 service as thou didst do before." 
 
 Straightway the boat rose in the air, and in a flash, 
 just like an arrow sent from a bow, it brought them 
 to a great stony mountain. At that mountain stood 
 a house, and in the house lived the little man, 
 
Ivan and the Little Man. 45 
 
 himself one finger tall, his mustache seven versts in 
 length. The old men sent Ivan to ask for the horse. 
 Ivan began to ask. 
 
 The little man said : " Steal the Tsar's daughter 
 and bring her to me ; then I '11 give thee the horse." 
 
 Ivan told this to his comrades. They left him at 
 once and went to the Tsar. The Tsar knew what 
 they nad come for, and commanded his servants to 
 heat the bath red hot " Let them suffocate there," 
 said he. Then he asked his guests to the bath. 
 They thanked him and went. The Wizard com- 
 manded the Freezer to go first. The Freezer went 
 into the bath and made it cool. Then they washed 
 and steamed themselves, and came to the Tsar. He 
 ordered a great dinner to be given, and a multitude 
 of all kinds of food was on the table. The Devourer 
 began and ate everything. In the night they came 
 together, stole the Tsar's daughter, and brought her 
 to the little man himself, one finger tall, his mustache 
 seven versts in length. They gave him the Tsar's 
 daughter and got the horse. 
 
 Ivan bowed down to the old men, sat on the horse, 
 and went to the Tsar. He travelled and travelled, 
 stopped in an open field to rest, put up his tent, and 
 lay down. He woke up, threw out his hand, the 
 Tsar's daughter was by him ; he was delighted, and 
 asked, "How didst thou come here?" 
 
 " I turned into a pin, and stuck myself into thy 
 collar." 
 
46 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 That moment she turned into a pin again. Ivan 
 stuck her into his collar and travelled on; came to 
 the Tsar. The Tsar saw the wondrous horse, re- 
 ceived the good hero with honor, and told how his 
 daughter had been stolen. 
 
 Ivan said : " Do not grieve, I have brought her 
 back." 
 
 He went into the next chamber ; the Tsarevna 
 turned into a fair maiden. Ivan took her by the 
 hand and brought her to the Tsar. 
 
 The Tsar was still more rejoiced. He took the 
 horse for himself, and gave his daughter to Ivan. 
 Ivan is living yet with his young wife. 
 
THE FEATHER OF BRIGHT FINIST THE 
 FALCON. 
 
 THERE lived an old man with his old wife. 
 They had three daughters. The youngest 
 was such a beauty that she could neither be told of 
 in a tale nor described with a pen. Once the old 
 man was going to town to the fair, and he said: 
 " My dear daughters, say what ye want; I will buy 
 all ye wish at the fair." 
 
 The eldest said, " Father, buy me a new dress." 
 The second said, " Father, buy me a shawl kerchief." 
 But the youngest said, " Buy me a red flower." 
 
 The old man laughed at his youngest daughter. 
 " Oh, little dunce ! what dost thou want of a red 
 flower? Great good in it for thee; better I'll buy 
 thee clothes." 
 
 No matter what he said, he could not persuade her. 
 " Buy me a little red flower, nothing but that." The 
 old man went to the fair, bought the eldest daughter 
 a dress, the second a shawl kerchief; but in the 
 whole town he could not find a red flower. Only as 
 he was coming home did an unknown old man hap- 
 pen in his way. The old man had a red flower in 
 his hand. " Sell me thy flower, old man." 
 
48 Russian Myths and Folk -Talcs. 
 
 " It is not for sale, it is reserved. If thy youngest 
 daughter will marry my son, Bright Finist the Falcon, 
 I will give the flower as a gift." 
 
 The father grew thoughtful. Not to take the 
 flower was to grieve his daughter, and to take it 
 was to give her in marriage, God knows to whom ! 
 He thought and thought; still he took the flower. 
 " What harm ? " said he to himself; " they will come 
 with proposals by and by. If he is not the right 
 man, why, we can refuse." He came home, gave the 
 eldest daughter her dress, the second her shawl, and 
 to the youngest he gave the flower, saying, " I like 
 not thy flower, my dear daughter; greatly I like it 
 not." And then he whispered in her ear : " The 
 flower was reserved, and not for sale. I took it from 
 a strange man for the promise to give thee in mar- 
 riage to his son, Bright Finist the Falcon." 
 
 " Be not troubled, father, he is so good and kind ; 
 he flies as a bright falcon in the sky, and when he 
 strikes the damp earth he is a hero of heroes." 
 
 " But dost thou know him? " 
 
 " I know him, father. Last Sunday he was at Mass, 
 and looked at me all the time. I talked to him 
 he loves me, father." 
 
 The old man shook his head, looked at his daughter 
 very sharply, made the sign of the cross on her, and 
 said : " Go to thy room, my dear daughter, it is time 
 to sleep. The morning is wiser than the evening; we 
 will talk this matter over hereafter." 
 
The Feather of Bright Finist. 49 
 
 The daughter shut herself up in her room, put the 
 red flower in water, opened the window, and looked 
 into the blue distance. Wherever he came from, 
 Bright Finist the Falcon of Flowery Feathers wheeled 
 before her, sprang in through the window, struck the 
 floor, and became a young man. The maiden was 
 frightened ; but when he spoke it became one knows 
 not how joyous and pleasant at her heart. They 
 talked till dawn, I know not indeed of what ; I know 
 only that when day began to break, Bright Finist 
 the Falcon of Flowery Feathers kissed her and said : 
 " Every night as soon as the bright little flower is 
 placed on the window I will fly to thee, my dear. 
 But here is a feather from my wing. Shouldst thou 
 wish for robes, go out on the balcony and wave it on 
 the right side ; in a moment all that thy soul desires 
 will appear before thee." He kissed her once more, 
 turned into a bright falcon, and flew away beyond the 
 dark forest. 
 
 The maiden looked after her fated one, closed the 
 window, and lay down to sleep. From that time 
 every night, as soon as she placed the little red 
 flower at the window, the good youth, Bright Finist 
 the Falcon, flew to her. 
 
 Well, Sunday came. The elder sisters began to 
 dress for Mass. " But what art thou going to wear? 
 Thou hast nothing new," said they to the youngest 
 one. 
 
 She answered, " Never mind ; I can pray even at 
 home." 4 
 
50 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 The elder sisters went to church, and the youngest 
 sat at the window in an old dress and looked at the 
 orthodox people going to church. She bided her 
 time, went out on the porch, waved her colored 
 feather on the right ; and from wherever they came 
 there appeared before her a crystal carriage, blooded 
 horses, servants in gold, robes, and every ornament 
 of precious stones. In one moment the beautiful 
 maiden was dressed, sat in the carriage, and dashed 
 off to church. The people look, admire her beauty. 
 " It is clear that some Tsar's daughter has come," 
 said they among themselves. 
 
 As soon as " Dostoino " was sung, she went out of 
 the church, sat in the carriage, and was whirled back 
 home. The orthodox people went out to look at 
 her, to see where she would go ; but nothing of the 
 sort, her trace had grown cold long ago. 
 
 Our beauty had barely come to the court when 
 she waved her bright feather on the left side ; in a 
 moment the maidens undressed her and the carriage 
 vanished. She was sitting as if nothing had hap- 
 pened, looking out through the window to see how 
 the orthodox people go home from church. 
 
 The sisters too came home. " Well, sister," said 
 they, " what a beauty was at church to-day ! Just a 
 sight, neither to be told in a tale nor described 
 with a pen. It must be that she is some Tsar's 
 daughter from another land, so splendidly dressed, 
 wonderfully ! " 
 
The Feather of Bright Finist. 5 r 
 
 The second and third Sundays came ; the beautiful 
 maiden mystified the orthodox people, and her sis- 
 ters, her father, and her mother. But the last time 
 when she undressed she forgot to take out of her 
 hair the diamond pin. The elder sisters came from 
 the church and told her of the Tsar's daughter; but 
 when they looked at the youngest sister the diamonds 
 were blazing in her hair. 
 
 " Oh, sister, what is this?" cried they; "why just 
 such a pin was in the hair of the Tsar's daughter to- 
 day. Where didst thou get it?" 
 
 The beautiful maiden was confused, and ran to her 
 chamber. There was no end of guesses and whis- 
 pers, but the youngest sister said nothing and 
 laughed in secret. The elder sisters began to watch 
 her and to listen in the night at her chamber ; and 
 they overheard one time her conversation with Bright 
 Finist the Falcon, and saw with their own eyes at 
 daybreak how he sprang from the window and flew 
 off beyond the dark forest. 
 
 The elder sisters were clearly malicious. They 
 planned to put hidden knives for the evening on 
 the window of their sister's room, so that Bright 
 Finist the Falcon might cut his colored wings. They 
 did this straightway ; the youngest sister knew noth- 
 ing of the matter. She put her red flower on the 
 window, lay down on the couch, and fell asleep 
 soundly. Bright Finist the Falcon flew to the 
 window, and as he was springing in cut his left foot; 
 
52 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 but the beautiful maiden knew nothing of this ; she 
 was sleeping so sweetly, so calmly. Angrily did 
 Bright Finist the Falcon rise to the sky and fly 
 beyond the dark forest. 
 
 In the morning the maiden woke up. She looked 
 on every side ; it was daylight already, and the good 
 youth was not there. She looked at the window, 
 and on the window were two sharp knives across 
 each other, and red blood was dripping from them 
 to the flower. Long did the maiden shed bitter tears, 
 many sleepless nights did she pass by the window 
 of her chamber. She waved the bright feather in 
 vain; Bright Finist the Falcon flies no longer him- 
 self, and sends not his servants. 
 
 At last she went to her father with tears in her 
 eyes and begged his blessing, gave orders to forge 
 three pairs of iron shoes, three iron staves, three 
 iron caps, and three iron Easter cakes; she put a 
 pair of shoes on her feet, the cap on her head, took 
 a staff in her hand, and went toward that point from 
 which Bright Finist the Falcon had flown to her. 
 She goes through slumbering forests, she goes over 
 stumps, over logs. One pair of iron shoes are trod- 
 den out, one iron cap is worn off, one staff is break- 
 ing up, one cake is gnawed away, and the beautiful 
 maiden walks on, walks all the time, and the forest 
 grows darker, grows denser. 
 
 All at once she sees standing before her an iron 
 hut on hen's legs, and it turns without ceasing. 
 
\ 
 
 The Feather of Bright Finist. 53 
 
 " Hut, hut ! " said she, " stand with thy back to the 
 forest, thy front to me." 
 
 The hut turned its front to her. She entered the 
 hut, and in it was lying a Baba-Yaga from corner to 
 corner, her lips on the crosspiece, her nose in the loft. 
 
 " Tfu-tfu-tfu ! in former days nothing of Russia was 
 seen with sight nor heard with hearing; but now the 
 odor of Russia goes through the wide world in visi- 
 ble seeming, runs to one's nose. Where dost thou 
 hold thy way, beautiful maiden? Art flying from 
 labor, or seekest labor?" 
 
 " Oh, grandmother dear, I had Bright Finist the 
 Falcon of Flowery Feathers ; my sisters did harm him ! 
 Now I am seeking for Bright Finist the Falcon." 
 
 " Oh, my child, thou hast far to go ; thrice nine 
 lands must yet be passed ! Bright Finist the Falcon 
 of Flowery Feathers lives in the fiftieth kingdom in 
 the eightieth land, and is now betrothed to the daugh- 
 ter of a Tsar." 
 
 The Baba-Yaga nourished and fed the maiden with 
 what God had sent, and put her to bed. Next morn- 
 ing, when the light was just coming, she roused her, 
 gave her a present for the road, a small golden 
 hammer and ten little diamond nails, and said : 
 " When thou comest to the blue sea, the bride of 
 Bright Finist the Falcon will come out on the shore 
 to walk; take the golden hammer and drive the dia- 
 mond nails. She will try to buy them of thee; but, 
 beautiful maiden, take no pay, only ask to see Bright 
 
54 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Finist the Falcon. Now go, with God, to my second 
 sister." 
 
 Again the fair maiden goes through the dark for- 
 est, goes farther and farther; the forest is darker 
 and deeper, the tree-tops wind up to the sky. Now 
 almost the second pair of shoes are trodden out, the 
 second cap worn away, the second iron staff break- 
 ing, the iron cake gnawed away; before the maiden 
 is an iron hut on hen's legs, and it turns without 
 ceasing. 
 
 " Hut, oh, hut ! " said she, " stop with thy back to 
 the trees and thy front to me, so that I may creep in 
 and eat." 
 
 The hut turned its back to the trees and its front 
 to the maiden. She entered. In the hut lay a Baba- 
 Yaga from corner to corner, her lips on the cross- 
 piece, her nose in the loft. 
 
 " Tfu-tfu-tfu ! in former days nothing of Russia was 
 seen with sight or heard with hearing ; but now the 
 odor of Russia goes through the wide world. Whither 
 dost hold thy way, fair maiden ? " 
 
 " Grandmother, dear, I am seeking Bright Finist 
 the Falcon." 
 
 " Oh ! he is going to marry ; they have the maiden's 
 party to-night," said the Baba-Yaga. 
 
 She gave her to eat and drink, and put the maiden 
 to sleep. At daybreak next morning she roused her, 
 gave her a golden plate with a diamond ball, and 
 enjoined on her most firmly, "When thou comest 
 
 
The Feather of Bright Finist. 55 
 
 to the shore of the blue sea, roll the diamond ball 
 on the golden plate. The bride of Bright Finist the 
 Falcon of Flowery Feathers will try to buy the plate 
 and ball; but take nothing for it, only ask to see 
 Bright Finist the Falcon. Now go, with God, to my 
 eldest sister." 
 
 Again the fair maiden goes through the dark for- 
 est, goes farther and farther ; the forest grows darker 
 and deeper. Now are the third pair of shoes almost 
 trodden out, the third cap is wearing off, the third 
 staff is breaking, and the last cake is gnawed away. 
 On hen's legs stands an iron hut and turns about. 
 
 " Hut, oh, hut ! " cried she, " stand with thy back to 
 the trees and thy face to me; I must creep in and 
 eat bread." 
 
 The hut turned. In the hut lay another Baba- 
 Yaga from corner to corner, her lips on the cross- 
 piece, her nose in the loft. 
 
 " Tfu-tfu-tfu ! in former times nothing of Russia was 
 seen with sight nor heard with hearing; but now the 
 odor of Russia goes through the wide world. Where, 
 beautiful maiden, dost thou hold thy way? " 
 
 " Grandmother, dear, I am seeking Bright Finist 
 the Falcon." 
 
 " Oh, fair maiden, he has married a Tsar's daugh- 
 ter ! Here is my swift steed ; sit on him, and go, with 
 God." 
 
 The maiden sat on the steed and shot away farther. 
 The forest grew thinner and thinner. 
 
56 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Behold, the blue sea is before her; broad and 
 roomy is it spread, and there in the distance, like 
 fire, burn the golden summits above the lofty, white- 
 walled chambers. That is the kingdom of Bright 
 Finist the Falcon. She sat then on the movable 
 sand of the shore, and hammered with hammer the 
 diamond nails. All at once the Tsar's daughter goes 
 with her nurses and maidens and trusty serving- 
 women along the shore ; she stops, and wants to buy 
 .the diamond nails and the golden hammer. 
 
 " Tsar's daughter, let me but look at Bright Finist 
 ithe Falcon, I will give them for nothing," answered 
 ithe maiden. 
 
 "Bright Finist the Falcon is sleeping at present, 
 .and has ordered that none be admitted ; but give me 
 thy beautiful nails and hammer, I will show him to 
 thee." 
 
 She took the hammer and nails, ran to the palace, 
 stuck into the clothes of Bright Finist the Falcon a 
 magic pin, so that he should sleep more soundly and 
 .not wake ; then she commanded her nurses to con- 
 duct the beautiful maiden through the palace to her 
 .husband, and went herself to walk. 
 
 Long did the maiden struggle, long did she weep 
 over her dear one ; she could not wake him in any 
 way. When she had walked to her pleasure, the 
 Tsar's daughter came home, drove her away, and 
 pulled out the pin. 
 
 Bright Finist the Falcon woke. " Oh, how long I 
 
The Feather of Bright Finis t. 57 
 
 have slept ! Some one was here," said he, " and wept 
 over me all the time, talking the while ; but I could 
 not open my eyes, I felt so heavy." 
 
 "Thou wast only dreaming," said the Tsar's daugh- 
 ter; " no one was here." 
 
 Next day the beautiful maiden sat again on the 
 shore of the blue sea, and was rolling a diamond ball 
 on a golden plate. 
 
 The Tsar's daughter went out to walk; she saw 
 them, and said, " Sell them to me." 
 
 " Let me look at Bright Finist the Falcon, and I 
 will give them for nothing." 
 
 The Tsar's daughter agreed, and again she pierced 
 the clothes of Bright Finist the Falcon with a magic 
 pin. Again the fair maiden wept bitterly over her 
 dear one, but could not rouse him. 
 
 The third day she sat on the shore of the blue sea, 
 so sad and sorrowful, she was feeding her steed with 
 glowing coals. The Tsar's daughter, seeing that the 
 steed was eating fire, wanted to buy him. 
 
 " Let me look on Bright Finist the Falcon, and I '11 
 give the steed for nothing." 
 
 The Tsar's daughter agreed, ran to the palace, and 
 said to her husband, "Let me look in thy head." 
 She sat down to look in his head, and stuck the pin 
 in his hair; straightway he was in a deep sleep. 
 Then she sent her nurses for the beautiful maiden. 
 
 The fair maiden came, tried to wake her dear, 
 embraced him and kissed him, crying bitterly, bit- 
 
58 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 terly herself; he wakes not. Then she began to look 
 in his head, and out fell the magic pin. 
 
 Bright Finist the Falcon woke all at once ; he saw 
 the fair maiden and was glad. She told him every- 
 thing as it was, how her malicious sisters had envied 
 her, how she had wandered, and how she had ex- 
 changed with the Tsar's daughter. He loved her 
 more than before, kissed her on the sweet lips, and 
 gave command to call without delay boyars, princes, 
 and people of every degree. Then he asked: "What 
 is your judgment : with which wife should I spend my 
 life, with her who sold me, or her who bought me?" 
 
 All the boyars, princes, and people of each degree 
 decided in one voice to take the woman who had 
 bought him ; but the one who had sold him, to hang 
 on the gate and shoot her. Bright Finist the Falcon 
 of Flowery Feathers did this. 
 
THE PIG WITH GOLD BRISTLES, THE DEER WITH 
 GOLDEN HORNS, AND THE GOLDEN-MANED 
 STEED WITH GOLDEN TAIL. 
 
 THERE lived a Tsar, and he had a daughter, 
 Tsarevna, Priceless Beauty, not to be told of 
 in a tale nor described with a pen. The Tsar issued 
 a call throughout all towns that whoever would kiss 
 the Tsarevna through twelve windows, no matter of 
 what stock he might be, he would get the Tsarevna 
 for wife, and receive half the kingdom. 
 
 In this kingdom lived a merchant, and he had 
 three sons ; the two elder were crafty, and the third, 
 the youngest, was a simpleton. Well, the elder 
 brothers said, "Father, we will go to get the 
 Tsarevna." 
 
 " Go, with God," said the merchant. 
 
 They took the very best horses and began to make 
 ready for the road. The fool also was preparing. 
 
 "Where art thou going, fool? How couldst thou 
 kiss the Tsarevna? " and they laughed at him in 
 every manner. 
 
 They went away, and the simpleton dragged along 
 after them on a poor mangy little horse. He went 
 into the field, and he cried with a shrill voice : " Oh, 
 
60 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 blue-brown, cunning bay, stand before me as leaf 
 before stem ! " 
 
 Wherever he came from, a splendid steed rushed 
 up ; the ground trembled. The simpleton crept into 
 one ear of the steed and out of the other, and became 
 such a beauty as had never been seen nor heard of. 
 He sat on the horse, and rode to the Tsar's palace ; 
 and when he rushed up he broke six panes of glass. 
 
 All were astonished, and cried, "Who is that? 
 Seize him, hold him ! " 
 
 But his trace was cold. He rode away into the 
 field, crept into one ear of his steed, out of the other, 
 and became just such a simpleton as before ; he sat 
 on his wretched horse, rode home, and lay on the 
 stove. 
 
 His brothers came back and said : " Well, father, 
 there was a hero, such a hero ! He broke through 
 six glasses at once." 
 
 The simpleton from the stove cried out : " Ah, 
 brothers, was not that I?" 
 
 " Thou dunce ! how couldst thou do it ; how couldst 
 thou get the Tsarevna? Thou art not worth her fin- 
 ger nail." 
 
 Next day the brothers prepared again to go to the 
 Tsar's palace ; the simpleton also prepared. " What 
 art thou going for, thou dunce?" laughed the broth- 
 ers ; " thou art needed there, I suppose ! " 
 
 The simpleton went again on his mangy, wretched 
 little horse to the field, and cried in a shrill voice: 
 
The Pig, the Deer, and the Steed. 61 
 
 " Oh, blue-brown, cunning bay, stand before me as 
 leaf before stem ! " 
 
 The steed rushed, the ground trembled, the sim- 
 pleton crept into one ear of the steed and out of the 
 other, and became such a beauty as had never been 
 seen or heard of before. He rushed through the 
 Tsar's court, broke all the twelve windows, and kissed 
 the Tsarevna, Priceless Beauty. She put a mark 
 straight on his forehead. 
 
 All were astonished, and cried : " Stop him, hold 
 him! Who is he?" 
 
 But his trace was cold. He rode out to the field, 
 crept into one ear and out of the other, became just 
 such a simpleton as before, came home, tied a rag 
 around his forehead, pretended that his head was 
 aching, and lay down on the stove. 
 
 His brothers returned and said : " Oh, father, there 
 was a hero, such a hero ! At once he broke all twelve 
 windows and kissed the Tsarevna." 
 
 The simpleton cried out from the stove : " Ah, 
 brothers, was it not I ? " 
 
 " Oh, thou dunce, how could it be? " 
 
 Meanwhile the Tsarevna was thinking who her 
 bridegroom could be. She went to the Tsar and 
 said : " Father, let me bring together all the Tsars' 
 sons, kings' sons, nobles, merchants, and peasants to 
 a feast, to a talk, and find out who kissed me." The 
 Tsar permitted her. 
 
 Well, the whole Christian world met. The Tsarevna 
 
62 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 herself went among them all, entertained all with 
 wine, examined to see if she could find the mark on 
 any man's forehead. She went to each ; at last she 
 brought wine to the simpleton. 
 
 "What hast thou bound up there?" asked the 
 Tsarevna. 
 
 " So, nothing ; my head aches," said the simpleton. 
 
 " Well, then, untie it." The Tsarevna unbound his 
 head, recognized the mark, and grew faint. 
 
 The Tsar said to her, " It is impossible to change 
 the word now; it has to be so,: be his wife." 
 
 They married the simpleton and the Tsarevna. 
 She was weeping bitterly ; her two sisters, who had 
 married Tsars' sons, were laughing at her, and said : 
 " There it is ; she has married a fool ! " 
 
 Once the Tsar called all his sons-in-law and said : 
 " I have heard that in such a state, in such a king- 
 dom, there is a wonder, a pig with gold bristles. 
 Is it not possible in some way to get this pig? Try." 
 
 Well, the two crafty sons-in-law saddled the very 
 best horses, sat on them, and rode away. 
 
 The fool took from the stable the very last miser- 
 able horse, and followed his brothers. He came out 
 into an open field, and cried with a shrill voice: 
 " Come, blue-brown, cunning bay, stand before me 
 as leaf before stem ! " Wherever he came from, 
 the wondrous horse was snorting and tearing the 
 ground with his hoof. The simpleton crawled into 
 one ear and out of the other. 
 
The Pig, the Deer, and the Steed. 63 
 
 Wherever they came from, there stood before him 
 two youths, and they asked, " What dost thou wish, 
 what is thy pleasure ? " 
 
 " To have a tent here, and in the tent a bed ; beside 
 the tent to have the pig with gold bristles walking." 
 
 All was done in a moment. The tent was there, in 
 the tent a bed; on the bed lay the simpleton, but 
 such a hero that no one could know him. The pig 
 with gold bristles was walking by the side of the tent 
 in the meadow. 
 
 The other brothers-in-law travelled and travelled ; 
 nowhere could they see a pig with gold bristles. On 
 their way home they approached the tent and saw 
 the wonder. " Oh ! here is where the pig with gold 
 bristles is walking; let us go," said they, " and what- 
 ever must be given we will give, we will buy the pig 
 and please our father-in-law." 
 
 They went to the tent and saluted the owner. The 
 simpleton asked: " Where are ye travelling? what 
 are ye looking for?" 
 
 "Wilt thou sell us the pig with gold bristles? we 
 are looking for this pig a long time." 
 
 " No, I want it myself." 
 
 " Ask what will please thee, but sell." 
 
 They offered him a thousand for the pig, and two 
 and three and more ; but the simpleton would not con- 
 sent. " I will not take a hundred thousand," said he. 
 
 " Oh, let us have him, please ; take what seems 
 good to thee ! " 
 
64 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Well, ye need him so greatly, I will give him, and 
 will not take much, the middle toe of each man's 
 foot." 
 
 They thought and thought, took off their boots, 
 and each man cut off the middle toe of his foot 
 The simpleton took the toes, hid them, and gave 
 the pig with gold bristles. The brothers-in-law went 
 home, taking the pig with them. 
 
 The Tsar was so glad that he knew not what to 
 call them, where to seat them, or what to give them 
 to eat. 
 
 " Have ye seen the fool ? " asked the Tsar. 
 
 " With seeing we have not seen him, with hearing 
 we have not heard." 
 
 The simpleton crept into one ear of his horse, out 
 of the other, and became just such a fool as before. 
 He killed his horse, took off his skin, and put it on ; 
 then he caught magpies, crows, jackdaws, and spar- 
 rows, tied them around himself, and went home. He 
 came into the palace and let all his birds loose ; they 
 flew around on every side, and broke nearly all the 
 windows of the palace. 
 
 The Tsarevna, Priceless Beauty, covered herself 
 with tears, and her sisters were screaming with laugh- 
 ter. " Our husbands," said they, " brought home the 
 pig with gold bristles, and thy fool look, if it please 
 thee, how he has dressed himself as a monster ! " 
 
 The Tsar shouted : " What a clown ! I '11 fix him." 
 
 Again the Tsar called his sons-in-law. " My dear 
 
The Pig, the Deer, and the Steed. 65 
 
 sons-in-law, I have heard that in such a kingdom, in 
 such a land, there is a wonder, a deer with golden 
 horns and a golden tail. Can ye not get him in 
 any way?" 
 
 " We can, your Majesty." 
 
 Now the two crafty sons-in-law saddled the very 
 best horses and set out. 
 
 " Well," said the Tsar to the simpleton, " go thou 
 with the others." 
 
 The simpleton took from the stable the very last 
 miserable horse and followed his brothers. He went 
 out in the open field and cried with a shrill voice: 
 " Oh, blue-brown, cunning bay, stand before me as 
 leaf before stem." Wherever he came from, the 
 wonderful horse was there, snorting and tearing the 
 ground with his hoofs. The simpleton crept in one 
 of his ears and out of the other. Wherever they 
 came from, two young men stood before him and 
 asked: "What dost thou want?" 
 
 " I want a tent here, in the tent a bed, and at the 
 side of the tent a deer with golden horns and a 
 golden tail." 
 
 That moment the tent was there, in the tent a bed, 
 on the bed the simpleton stretched himself, such 
 a beauty that no man could know him ; at the side 
 of the tegt_walked a deer with golden horns and a 
 golden tail. 
 
 The crafty brothers travelled and travelled. No- 
 where did they see such a deer, and they turned 
 
 S 
 
66 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 to come home. They came near the tent and saw 
 the wonder. " Oh, this is where the deer with golden . 
 horns and a golden tail is! Let us go," said they; 
 " whatever must be given we '11 give, buy that deer, 
 and please our father-in-law." 
 
 They came up and saluted, The simpleton asked : 
 " Why are ye travelling; what are ye seeking? " 
 
 " Wilt thou sell us the deer with golden horns and 
 a golden tail?" 
 
 " No, it is not for sale ; I want it myself." 
 
 " Ask what will please thee, but sell." They offered 
 one, two, three thousand, and more. The simpleton 
 -would n't listen to the offers, would not take money. 
 
 " But if my deer has pleased you, I '11 sell him, if 
 ye like, at a cheap price, the middle finger of each 
 man's hand." 
 
 They thought and thought, and agreed. They took 
 off their gloves and cut off the middle finger. The 
 simpleton put the fingers away and gave the deer. 
 
 The sons-in-law came home, and brought the deer 
 with golden horns and a golden tail. The Tsar from 
 joy knew not what to call them, where to seat them, 
 or with what to entertain them. 
 
 "Have ye seen the fool anywhere?" asked the 
 Tsar. 
 
 " With seeing we have not seen him, with hearing 
 we have not heard." 
 
 The simpleton crept into one ear of the horse and 
 out of the other, and became just such a simpleton as 
 
 
The Pig, the Deer, and the Steed. 67 
 
 he had been before. He killed his wretched horse, 
 skinned him, and put on the skin ; then caught a lot 
 of jackdaws, crows, magpies, and sparrows, tied them 
 around himself, and went home. He came again to 
 the palace, and let out the birds in different direc- 
 tions ; his wife was sobbing, and her sisters were 
 laughing. " Our husbands," said they, " brought 
 home the deer with golden horns and a golden tail, 
 and thy fool look at him ! " 
 
 The Tsar shouted at the fool : " What an ignorant 
 lout ! " and he gave half the kingdom to his crafty 
 sons-in-law. 
 
 The third time the Tsar called his crafty sons-in- 
 law, and said : " My dear sons-in-law, I will give you 
 the whole kingdom if ye will get for me the golden- 
 maned steed with golden tail ; I have heard that he is 
 in such a kingdom and such a land." 
 
 The crafty sons-in-law saddled the very best horses 
 and went on their journey. 
 
 The Tsar sent also the fool. " Well, go thou too." 
 
 The simpleton took the very last wretched horse 
 from the stable and followed his crafty brothers. He 
 came to the open field and cried with a shrill voice : 
 " Oh, blue-brown, cunning bay, stand before me as 
 leaf before stem ! " Wherever he came from, the 
 marvellous steed was snorting, and tearing the earth 
 with his hoof. Behold, the simpleton crept into one 
 ear and out of the other, and became such a beauty 
 that it was not in the power of man to recognize him. 
 
68 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Then, wherever they came from, there stood before 
 him two youths, and they asked, "What dost thou 
 wish; what dost thou want?" 
 
 " I want a tent here, in the tent a bed, and at the side 
 of the tent the golden-maned steed with golden tail." 
 
 That minute the tent was made, in the tent a bed. 
 The simpleton stretched himself on the bed; at the 
 side of the tent the golden-maned steed with golden 
 tail was walking. 
 
 The crafty sons-in-law travelled and travelled ; no- 
 where did they see that kind of steed, and were on 
 their way home. They drew near the tent, and saw 
 the wonder. 
 
 " Oh, here is the place where the golden-maned 
 steed with golden tail is walking. Let us go in," said 
 they ; " we will give whatever they ask, and buy him 
 to please our father-in-law." 
 
 The simpleton asked : " Whither are ye travelling ; 
 what are ye seeking? " 
 
 " Sell us the golden-maned steed with golden tail." 
 
 " He is not for sale ; I want him myself." 
 
 " Ask what may please thee, only sell him ; " and 
 they offered one, two, three thousand and more. 
 
 " I would not take a hundred thousand," said the 
 simpleton. 
 
 " Sell him to us; take what will please thee." 
 
 " Well, if ye need him greatly, I will give him to 
 you; I will not take a high price. Let me cut a 
 strap from the back of each one of you." 
 
The Pig, the Deer, and the Steed. 69 
 
 They thought and thought, struggled and strug- 
 gled, wanted the horse very badly, were sorry for 
 themselves, but decided at last, undressed, and took 
 off their shirts. The simpleton cut from the back 
 of each one of them a strap, took the straps, put 
 them away, and delivered the steed. 
 
 The sons-in-law came home bringing the golden- 
 maned steed with golden tail. The Tsar from de- 
 light knew not what to call them, where to seat 
 them, or how to entertain them, and gave them the 
 remaining half of the kingdom. The simpleton crept 
 into one ear of the steed and out of the other, and 
 became what he had been before. He killed his 
 wretched horse, took off the skin, put it on himself, 
 caught magpies, crows, jackdaws, and sparrows,, tied 
 them around himself, came to the palace, and let out 
 the birds ; they flew in different directions, and broke 
 nearly all the windows. The Tsarevna, his wife, was 
 crying, and her sisters were laughing at her. "Our 
 husbands have brought the golden-maned steed with 
 golden tail ; but look at thy fool going around such 
 a fright!" 
 
 The Tsar shouted at the fool : " What an ignorant 
 lout ! I '11 have thee shot." 
 
 And the simpleton asked : " With what wilt thou 
 reward me ? " 
 
 "What reward shouldst thou have?" asked the 
 Tsar. 
 
 " If the truth must be told, I got for thee the pig 
 
70 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 with gold bristles, the deer with golden horns and a 
 golden tail, and the golden-maned steed with golden 
 tail." 
 
 " How canst thou prove that? " asked the Tsar. 
 
 " Command thy sons-in-law, Gosudar, to take off 
 their boots." 
 
 The sons-in-law began to make excuses ; they did n't 
 want to take off their boots. 
 
 " Take off your boots," urged the Tsar; " there is 
 no harm in that." 
 
 They took off their boots. The Tsar looks : one 
 toe is missing. 
 
 " Here are their toes," said the simpleton. " Order 
 them now to take off their gloves." 
 
 They removed their gloves, and the Tsar saw there 
 was a finger missing. 
 
 " Here are their fingers," said the simpleton. 
 " Order them now to take off their shirts." 
 
 The Tsar saw that the affair was coming true, 
 and ordered them to undress. They took off their 
 shirts, and the Tsar saw that each one of them had 
 a strap cut from his back the width of two fingers. 
 
 " Here are the straps," said the simpleton ; and told 
 the whole story as it was. 
 
 The Tsar did n't know how to entertain him, nor 
 how to reward him. He gave him the whole king- 
 dom, and the other sons-in-law, because they had 
 deceived him, he had shot. 
 
 The simpleton went to the open field and cried 
 
The Pig, the Deer, and the Steed. 71 
 
 with a shrill voice : " Oh, blue-brown, cunning bay, 
 stand before me as leaf before stem ! " The horse 
 ran, the ground trembled, the simpleton crept into 
 one ear of the steed and out of the other, and 
 became a hero and a beauty. 
 
 He came home, began to live with his Tsarevna 
 and win wealth. 
 
WATER OF YOUTH, WATER OF LIFE, AND 
 WATER OF DEATH. 
 
 IN a certain kingdom in a certain land there lived 
 a Tsar ; that Tsar had three _sons, two crafty, 
 and the third simple. Somehow the Tsar had a 
 dream that beyond the thrice ninth land, in the thir- 
 tieth kingdom, there was a beautiful maiden, from 
 whose hands and feet water was flowing, that who- 
 ever would drink that water would become thirty 
 years younger. The Tsar was very old. He sum- 
 moned his sons and counsellors, and asked : " Can 
 anyone explain my dream?" 
 
 The counsellors answered the Tsar : " We have 
 not seen with sight nor heard with hearing of such 
 a beautiful maiden, and how to go to her is un- 
 known to us." 
 
 Now the eldest son, Dmitri Tsarevich, spoke up : 
 " Father, give me thy blessing to go in all four direc- 
 tions, look at people, show myself, and make search 
 for the beautiful maiden." 
 
 The Tsar gave his parental blessing. " Take," said 
 he, " treasure as much as thou wishest, and all kinds 
 of troops as many as are necessary." 
 
 Dmitri Tsarevich took one hundred thousand 
 men and set out on the road, on the journey. He 
 
Waters of Youth, Life, and Death. 73 
 
 , rode a day, he rode a week, he rode a month, and 
 two and three months. No matter whom he asked, 
 no one knew of the beautiful maiden, and he came to 
 such desert places that there were only heaven and 
 earth. He urged his horse on, and behold before 
 him is a lofty mountain ; he could not see the top 
 with his eyes. Somehow he climbed the mountain 
 and found there an ancient, a gray old man. 
 
 " Hail, grandfather ! " 
 
 " Hail, brave youth ! Art fleeing from labor, or 
 seekest thou labor?" 
 
 " I am seeking labor." 
 
 " What dost thou need?" 
 
 " I have heard that beyond the thrice ninth land, 
 in the thirtieth kingdom, is a beautiful maiden, from 
 whose hands and feet healing water flows, and that 
 whoever gets and drinks this water will r row thirty 
 years younger." 
 
 " Well, brother, thou canst not go there." 
 
 " Why not?" 
 
 " Because there are three broad rivers on the road, 
 and on these rivers three ferries: at the first ferry 
 they will cut off thy right hand, at the second thy 
 left foot, at the third they will take thy head." 
 
 Dmitri Tsarevich was grieved ; he hung his stormy 
 head below his shoulders, and thought: " Must I spare 
 my father's head? Must I spare my own? I'll turn 
 back." 
 
 He came down from the mountain, went back to 
 
74 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 his father, and said : " No, father, I have not been 
 able to find her; there is nothing to be heard of 
 that maiden." 
 
 The second son, Vassili Tsarevich, began to beg : 
 " Father, give me thy blessing; perhaps I can find 
 her." 
 
 " Go, my son." 
 
 Vassili Tsarevich took one hundred thousand men, 
 and set out on his road, on his journey. He rode a 
 day, he rode a week, he rode a month, and two, and 
 three, and entered such places that there was nothing 
 but forests and swamps. He found there Baba-Yaga, 
 boneleg. " Hail, Baba-Yaga, boneleg ! " 
 
 " Hail, brave youth ! Art thou fleeing from labor, 
 or seekest labor? " 
 
 "I am seeking labor. I have heard that beyond 
 the thrice ninth land, in the thirtieth kingdom, is a 
 beautiful maiden, from whose feet and hands heal- 
 ing water flows." 
 
 " There is, father ; only thou canst not go there." 
 
 "Why not?" 
 
 " Because on the road there are three ferries : at the 
 first ferry they will cut off thy right hand, at the 
 second thy left foot, at the third off with thy head." 
 
 " It is not a question of saving my father's head, 
 but sparing my own." 
 
 He returned, and said to his father: "No, father, 
 I could not find her; there is nothing to be heard 
 of that maiden." 
 
Waters of Youth, Life, and Death. 75 
 
 The youngest son, Ivan Tsarevich, began to beg : 
 "Give me thy blessing, father; maybe I shall find 
 her." 
 
 The father gave him his blessing. " Go, my dear 
 son; take troops and treasure all that are needed." 
 
 " I need nothing, only give me a good steed and 
 the sword Kladyenets." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich mounted his steed, took the sword 
 Kladyenets, and set out on his way, on his journey. 
 He rode a day, he rode a week, he rode a month, 
 and two and three; and rode into such places that 
 his horse was to the knees in water, to the breast in 
 grass, and he, good youth, had nothing to eat. He 
 saw a cabin on hen's feet, and entered: inside sat 
 Baba-Yaga, boneleg. 
 
 " Hail, grandmother ! " 
 
 " Hail, Ivan Tsarevich ! Art flying from labor, or 
 seekest labor? " 
 
 "What labor? I am going to the thirtieth king- 
 dom ; there, it is said, lives a beautiful maiden, from 
 whose hands and feet healing water flows." 
 
 "There is, father; though with sight I have not 
 seen her, with hearing I have heard of her: but to 
 her it is not for thee to go." 
 
 "Why so?" 
 
 " Because there are three ferries on the way: at the 
 first ferry they will cut off thy right hand, at the 
 second thy left foot, at the third off with thy head." 
 
 " Well, grandmother, one head is not much ; I will 
 go, whatever God gives. 
 
76 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Ah ! Ivan Tsarevich, better turn back ; them art 
 still a green youth, hast never been in places of dan- 
 ger, hast not seen great terror." 
 
 " No," said Ivan ; " if thou seizest the rope, don't 
 say thou art not strong." He took farewell of Baba- 
 Yaga and went farther. 
 
 He rode a day, a second, and a third, and came to 
 
 the first ferry: the ferrymen were sleeping on the 
 v 
 
 opposite bank. " What is to be done? " thought Ivan. 
 
 " If I shout, they '11 be deaf for the rest of their lives ; 
 if I whistle, I shall sink the ferry-boat." He whistled 
 a half whistle. The ferrymen sprang up that minute 
 , and ferried him across the river. 
 
 " What is the price of your work, brothers? " 
 " Give us thy right hand." 
 
 " Oh, I want that for myself! " Then Ivan Tsarevich 
 struck with his sword on the right, and on the left. 
 He cut down all the ferrymen, mounted his horse, and 
 galloped ahead. At the two other ferries he got 
 away in the same fashion. He was drawing near 
 the thirtieth kingdom. On the boundary stood a wild 
 man, in stature tall as a forest, in thickness the equal 
 of a great stack of hay; he held in his hands an 
 enormous oak-tree. 
 
 " Oh, worm ! " said the giant to Ivan Tsarevich, 
 " whither art thou riding? " 
 
 " I am going to the thirtieth kingdom ; I want to 
 see the beautiful maiden from whose hands and feet 
 healing water flows." 
 
 "How couldst thou, little pigmy, go there? I am 
 
Waters of Youth, Life, and Death. 77 
 
 a hundred years guarding her kingdom, great, mighty 
 heroes came here, not the like of thee, and they 
 fell from my strong hand. What art thou? Just a 
 little worm ! " 
 
 V ^***^ 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich saw that he could not manage the 
 giant, and he turned aside. He travelled and travelled 
 till he came to a sleeping forest; in the forest was a 
 cabin, and in the cabin an old, arroieji^Ycupan was sit- 
 ting.' She saw the good youth, and said: " Hail, Ivan 
 Tsarevich ! Why has God brought thee hither?" 
 
 He told her all without concealment. The old 
 woman gave him magic herbs and a ball. 
 
 " Go out," said she, " into the open field, make a 
 fire, and throw these herbs on it; but take care to 
 stand on the windward. From these magic herbs the 
 giant will sleep a deep sleep ; cut his head off, then 
 let the ball roll, and follow. The ball will take thee 
 to those regions where the beautiful maiden reigns. 
 She lives in a great golden castle, and often rides out 
 with her army to the green meadows to amuse her- 
 self. Nine days does she stay there ; then sleeps a 
 hero's sleep nine days and nine nights." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich thanked the old woman and went 
 to the open field, where he made a fire and threw into 
 it the magic herbs. The stormy wind bore the smoke 
 to where the wild man was standing on guard. It 
 grew dim in his eyes ; he lay on the damp earth and 
 fell soundly asleep. Ivan Tsarevich cut off his head, 
 let the ball roll, and rode on. He travelled and 
 
78 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 travelled till the golden palace was visible ; then he 
 turned from the road, let his horse out to feed, and 
 u crept into a thicket himself. He had just hidden, 
 when dust was rising in a column from the front of 
 | the palace: the beautiful maiden rode out with her 
 army to amuse herself in the green meadows. The 
 f Tsarevich saw that the whole army was formed of 
 maidens alone. One was beautiful, the next sur- 
 passed that one ; fairer than all, and beyond admira- 
 tion was the Tsarevna herself. 
 
 Nine days was she sporting in the green meadows, 
 
 and the Tsarevich did not take his eyes from her, 
 
 I still he could not gaze his fill. On the tenth day he 
 
 went to the golden palace. The beautiful maiden 
 
 i was lying on a couch of down, sleeping a hero's 
 
 | sleep; from her hands and feet healing water was 
 
 flowing. At the same time her trusty army was 
 
 sleeping as well. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich took a flask of the healing water. 
 His heroic heart could not withstand her maiden 
 beauty. He tarried awhile, then left the palace, 
 mounted his good steed, and rushed toward home. 
 
 Nine days slept the beautiful maiden, and when she 
 woke her rage was dreadful. She stamped, she 
 screamed with a piercing voice : " What wretch has 
 been here?" she sprang on to her fleet-flying mare, 
 and struck into a chase after Ivan Tsarevich. The 
 mare races, the ground trembles; she caught up 
 with the good hero, struck him with her sword, and 
 
Waters of Youth, Life, and Death. 79 
 
 straight in the breast did she strike. The Tsarevich 
 fell on the damp earth : his bright eyes close, his red 
 blood stiffens. The fair maiden looked at him, and 
 great pity seized her; through the whole world 
 might she search, and not find such a beauty. She 
 placed her white hand on his wound, moistened it 
 with healing water. All at once the wound closed, 
 and Ivan Tsarevich rose up unharmed. 
 " Wilt thou take me as wife? " asked she. 
 " I will, beautiful maiden." 
 " Well, go home, and wait three years." 
 Ivan Tsarevich took farewell of his betrothed bride 
 and continued his journey. He was drawing near 
 his own kingdom ; but his elder brothers had put 
 guards everywhere, so as not to let him come near 
 his father. The guards gave notice at once that Ivan 
 Tsarevich was coming. The elder brothers met him 
 on the road, drugged him, took the flask of healing 
 water, and threw him into a deep pit. Ivan Tsarevich 
 came out in the underground kingdom. 
 
 He travelled and travelled in the underground king- 
 dom. When he came to a certain place, a great 
 storm rose up, lightning flashed, thunder roared, rain 
 fell. He went to a tree to find shelter ; looked up, J 
 and saw young birds in that tree all wet. He took 
 off his coat, covered them, and sat himself under the ' 
 tree. 
 
 When the old bird flew to the tree, she was so 
 large that she hid the light, and it grew dark as if 
 
8o Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 night were near. When she saw her young covered, 
 she asked: "Who has protected my little birds?" 
 Then, seeing the Tsarevich, she said : " It is thou 
 [ who didst this; God save thee! Whatever thou 
 wishest, ask of me ; I will do everything for thee." 
 
 He said, " Bear me out into the upper world." 
 
 " Make ready," said the bird, " a double box. Fill 
 one half of it with every kind of game, and in the 
 other half put water, so as to have something with 
 which to nourish me." 
 
 The Tsarevich did all that was asked. The bird 
 took the box on her back, and the Tsarevich sat in 
 the middle. She flew up ; and whether it was long 
 or short, she bore him to this upper world, took fare- 
 well of him, and flew home. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich went to his father ; but the old Tsar 
 did not like him by reason of the lies which his 
 brothers had told, and sent him into exile. For 
 three whole years Ivan wandered from place to 
 place. When three years had passed, the beautiful 
 maiden sailed in a ship to the capital town of Ivan 
 
 ?Tsarevich's father. She sent a letter to the Tsar, 
 demanding the man who had stolen the water, and 
 if he refused she would burn and destroy his kingdom 
 utterly. 
 
 The Tsar sent his eldest son; he went to the ship. 
 Two little boys, grandsons of the Tsar, saw him, and 
 asked their mother: " Is that our father? " 
 "No, that is your uncle." 
 
Waters of Youth, Life, and Death. 81 
 
 " How shall we meet him? " 
 
 " Take each one a whip and flog him back home." 
 
 The eldest Tsarevich returned, looking as if he had 
 eaten something unsalted. 
 
 The maiden continued her threats, demanded the 
 guilty man. The Tsar sent his second son, and 
 the same thing happened to him as to the eldest. 
 Now the Tsar gave command to find the youngest 
 Tsarevich. 
 
 When the Tsarevich was found, his father wished 
 him to go on the ship to the maiden. But he said : 
 " I will go when a crystal bridge is built to the ship, 
 and on the bridge there shall be many kinds of food 
 and wine set 'out." 
 
 There was no help for it; they built the bridge, 
 prepared the food, brought wines and meat. 
 
 The Tsarevich collected his comrades. "Come 
 with me, attend me," said he ; " eat ye and drink, 
 spare nothing." 
 
 While he was walking on the bridge the little boys 
 cried out: " Mother, who is that?" 
 
 " That is your father." 
 
 " How shall we meet him? " 
 
 " Take him by the hands and lead him to me." 
 
 They did so; there was kissing and embracing. 
 After that they went to the Tsar, told him all just as 
 it ^had been. The Tsar drove his eldest sons from 
 the castle, and lived with Ivan, lived on and gained 
 wealth. 
 
 6 
 
THE 
 FOOTLESS AND BLIND CHAMPIONS. 
 
 IN a certain kingdom, in a certain land, there lived 
 a Tsar with his Tsaritsa. They had a son, Ivan 
 Tsarevich, and Katoma of the Oaken Cap was ap- 
 pointed tutor to care for and guard Ivan. 
 
 The Tsar and Tsaritsa attained to ancient years, 
 fell ill, and had no thought to recover. They sum- 
 moned Ivan Tsarevich and said : " When we die, do 
 thou obey in all things Katoma of the Oaken Cap and 
 honor him. If thou obeyest him, thou 'It be happy; 
 but if disobedient, thou wilt perish like a fly." 
 
 Next day the Tsar and Tsaritsa died. Ivan buried 
 his parents and lived according to their command : 
 whatever he did, he always held counsel with his 
 tutor. Whether it was long or short, the Tsarevich 
 grew to years of manhood and thought of marrying. 
 He came to Katoma of the Oaken Cap and said : " I 
 feel dreary alone ; I wish to marry." 
 
 "Well, Tsarevich, where is the halt? Thy years 
 are such that it is time to think of a bride. Go to the 
 great chamber, there the portraits of all Tsars' 
 daughters and all kings' daughters are collected. 
 Look at them and choose ; if any please thee, pro- 
 pose for that one." 
 
The Footless and Blind Champions. 83 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich went to the great chamber, exam- 
 ined the portraits ; and Princess Anna the Beautiful 
 suited his mind, such a beauty that in the whole 
 world there was not her equal. Under her portrait 
 was written that if any man gave her a riddle and 
 she could not solve it, she would marry the man ; and 
 whose riddle she solved, off went his head. Ivan 
 Tsarevich read this inscription, grew very sorrowful, 
 and went to his uncle. " I have been," said he, " in the 
 great chamber, and have found for myself a bride, 
 Anna the Beautiful ; but I know not how to get her." 
 
 " Yes, Tsarevich, it is difficult to win her. If thou 
 go alone, thou wilt never succeed ; but if thou take 
 me and will do what I say, perhaps the affair may be 
 settled." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich begged Katoma of the Oaken Cap 
 to go with him, and gave his faithful word to obey him 
 in sorrow and in joy. 
 
 They prepared for the road and the journey, and 
 went to ask Princess Anna the Beautiful in marriage. 
 They travelled one year, travelled a second, then a 
 third, and passed over many lands. Ivan Tsarevich' 
 said : " Uncle, we are travelling now so long a time, 
 are nearing the land of Anna the Beautiful, and we 
 know not what riddle to give her." 
 
 " Oh, we will think of one yet." 
 
 They went farther. Uncle Katoma looked on the 
 road, and there was lying a purse with gold. He 
 took it up, poured all the money out of it into his 
 
84 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 own purse, and said : " Here is the riddle, Ivan 
 Tsarevich. When thou comest to the princess, give 
 her the riddle in these words : * We were travelling 
 along, and we saw good lying on the road. We took 
 good with good and put it in our good.' She '11 
 not solve that riddle all her life; and every other 
 one she would know in a moment, she would just 
 look into her magic book, and as soon as she knew 
 the riddle she would have thy head cut off." 
 
 Well, Ivan Tsarevich with his uncle came at last 
 to the lofty palace where the beautiful princess was 
 living. At that very time she was on the balcony, 
 saw the travellers, and sent out to know whence they 
 were, and what they had come for. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich replied : " I have come from such 
 and such a kingdom, and I wish to ask Anna the 
 Beautiful in marriage." 
 
 They reported this to the princess. She gave 
 answer that the Tsarevich should come to the palace 
 and give, in the presence of all her counselling princes 
 and boyars, a riddle. " With me," said she, " this 
 order is established, that if I solve not the riddle of 
 a man, I will marry him ; but if I solve any man's 
 riddle, I give him to a cruel death." 
 
 " Hear my riddle, beautiful princess," said Ivan. 
 " We were going along, we saw good lying on the road, 
 we took good with good and put it in our good," 
 
 Anna the Beautiful took her magic book, began to 
 examine it and look for riddles; she went through 
 
The Footless and Blind Champions. 85 
 
 the whole volume and found nothing. Then the 
 counselling princes and boyars decided that the 
 princess must marry Ivan Tsarevich. Though sorry, 
 she had to give way, and began to prepare for the 
 wedding ; but plotting to win time and get rid of the 
 bridegroom, she thought, " I will trouble him with 
 difficult tasks." She called Ivan Tsarevich and said : 
 " Oh, my dear Ivan Tsarevich, my betrothed hus- 
 band, we must prepare for the wedding; do me a 
 small service. In my kingdom in such a place stands 
 a great iron pillar; bring it to the palace kitchen 
 and cut it into small pieces as fuel for the cook." 
 
 " My princess, is it possible that I have come here 
 to cut fuel? Is that my business? I have a servant 
 for that, Uncle Katoma of the Oaken Cap." 
 
 The Tsarevich called Uncle Katoma straightway, 
 and commanded him to bring the iron pillar to the 
 kitchen and cut it into small pieces as fuel for the 
 cook. 
 
 Uncle Katoma went to the place mentioned, took 
 the pillar in his arms, brought it to the palace kitchen, 
 and cut it into small pieces. Four pieces of iron did 
 he put in his pocket, saying, " They will be good in 
 the future." 
 
 Next day the princess said to Ivan : " My dear 
 Tsarevich, my betrothed husband, to-morrow we 
 must go to the crown : I will go in a carriage, and 
 thou on an heroic steed. Meanwhile thou shouldst 
 try the steed." 
 
86 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Shall I try a horse when I have a servant for 
 that?" Ivan Tsarevich called Uncle Katoma of the 
 Oaken Cap. 
 
 " Go," said he, " and order the stable-boys to 
 lead forth the heroic steed ; sit on him and ride him 
 around. To-morrow I will go to the marriage on 
 him." 
 
 Uncle Katoma saw through the cunning of the 
 princess, without talking long. He went to the 
 stable and ordered them to lead forth the heroic 
 steed. Twelve men went : they opened twelve locks, 
 opened twelve doors, and led out the magic horse 
 by twelve iron chains. 
 
 Uncle Katoma went to the horse : the moment he 
 sat on him the magic steed left the earth and rose 
 higher than the standing forest, lower than the mov- 
 ing clouds. Katoma sat firmly; with one hand he 
 held the mane, with the other he took from his 
 pocket one of the iron bars and began to pound 
 the horse between the ears with it. He broke one 
 bar, took another, broke that, took a third, broke 
 that. The fourth entered service ; and Katoma so 
 hammered the steed that he could not endure, but 
 spoke with the voice of a man : " Father Katoma, let 
 me even live in the white world ; whatever thou wish- 
 est, command, everything shall be as thou sayest" 
 
 " Listen, dog's meat ! " answered Uncle Katoma. 
 "To-morrow Ivan Tsarevich will ride thee to the mar- 
 riage: see to it when they lead thee to the broad 
 
The Footless and Blind Champions. 87 
 
 court, when the Tsarevich approaches and puts his 
 hand on thee, that thou standest quietly, movest not 
 an ear; and when he sits on thy Hack, sink to thy 
 fetlocks, and walk under him with a heavy tread, as 
 if an immeasurable burden were on thee." 
 
 The heroic steed heard the command and came 
 down barely alive to the earth. Katoma took him 
 by the tail and threw him to the side of the stable, 
 saying, " Oh, coachmen and grooms, take this dog's 
 meat to the stable ! " 
 
 The next day rose, the hour of marriage came. 
 They gave a carriage to the princess, and led out 
 the heroic steed for Ivan Tsarevich. The people ran 
 from every side in thousands. The bridegroom and 
 the bride came forth from the white-walled palace. 
 The princess sat in the carriage and waited for what 
 would happen to Ivan Tsarevich. The magic steed, 
 she thought, would scatter his hair to the wind and 
 drag his bones over the field. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich approached the steed, put his hand 
 on his back, his foot in the stirrup ; the horse stood 
 as if fixed to the earth, moved not an ear. Ivan sat 
 on his back ; the horse sank in the ground to the fet- 
 locks. They removed the twelve chains from him; 
 the horse began to walk with a slow and heavy 
 tread, the sweat rolled from him like rain. 
 
 " Oh, what a champion, what immeasurable 
 strength ! " said the people, looking at the Tsarevich. 
 
 They crowned the bridegroom with the bride. 
 
88 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 They were coming out of the church, took each 
 other by the hand, and the princess thought of 
 testing once more the strength of Ivan Tsarevich. 
 She pressed his hand with such force that he could 
 not endure; the blood rushed to his face, his eyes 
 went up under his forehead. 
 
 " So this is the kind of hero thou art ! " thought 
 the princess. " Thy uncle has deceived me grandly ; 
 but this will not go with thee for nothing." 
 
 Anna the Beautiful lived with Ivan Tsarevich as 
 -was befitting a wife with a God-given husband, and 
 she in every way flattered him with words, but 
 thought only of one thing, how to destroy Uncle 
 Katoma of the Oaken Cap. It was not difficult for 
 her to manage the Tsarevich without the uncle. 
 No matter how much calumny she invented, Ivan 
 did not yield to her speeches; he had pity on his 
 uncle. In a year's time he said to his wife : " My 
 dear consort, beautiful princess, I should like to go 
 with thee to my own kingdom." 
 
 " Very well, let us go ; I have long wished to see 
 thy kingdom." 
 
 They got ready and went, making Uncle Katoma 
 coachman. They travelled and travelled. Ivan 
 Tsarevich fell asleep on the way. All at once Anna 
 the Beautiful began to rouse him and complain: 
 "Now, Tsarevich, thou art sleeping all the time, 
 hearest nothing. But thy uncle will not obey me; 
 he drives the horses on purpose over hillocks and 
 
The Footless and Blind Champions. 89 
 
 into holes, just as if trying to kill me. I spoke to 
 him kindly, and he laughed at me. I will not live 
 unless thou punish him." 
 
 Ivan in his drowsiness grew very angry at his 
 uncle, and gave him over entirely to the princess. 
 " Do with him as thou desirest." The princess gave 
 orders to cut off his feet. Katoma allowed himself 
 to be maltreated by her. " Let me endure," thought 
 he ; " and the Tsarevich will know what it is to suffer 
 sorrow." They cut off Katoma's feet. The princess 
 looked around and saw a high stump on one side; 
 she called the servants and ordered them to seat him 
 on that stump. Ivan Tsarevich she tied by a rope 
 to the carriage, turned back, and went to her own 
 kingdom. Uncle Katoma of the Oaken Cap was 
 sitting on the stump, shedding bitter tears. " Fare- 
 well, Ivan Tsarevich," said he, " thou wilt remember 
 me ; " and Ivan Tsarevich ran jumping behind the 
 carriage. He knew himself that he had made a 
 mistake, but he could not turn back. 
 
 Anna the Beautiful came to her own kingdom, and 
 she made Ivan Tsarevich herd cows. Every morn- 
 ing he went with the herd into the open field, and in 
 the evening he drove them back into the princess' 
 yard; and at that time she sat on the balcony and 
 counted the cows, were they all there? She counted 
 them, and ordered the Tsarevich to kiss the last cow 
 on the tail ; and the cow was so well trained that 
 when she came to the gate she stopped and raised 
 her tail. 
 
9O Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Uncle Katoma was sitting on the stump one day, 
 a second, a third, without food or drink. He could 
 in no way slip down, and it was coming to him to 
 die of hunger. Not far away was a thick wood, and 
 in that wood lived a blind, mighty hero; and he 
 nourished himself only with this, that when he knew 
 by the smell that a beast was running past, a hare, 
 fox, or bear, that moment he ran, caught it, and 
 his dinner was ready. The hero was very swift of 
 foot, and no running beast could escape him. Be- 
 hold, it happened thus : a fox was slipping by ; the 
 hero heard it and pursued; the fox ran to the tall 
 stump and turned aside. The blind champion hur- 
 ried, and in the run struck his forehead against the 
 stump so that he drove it out of the ground with 
 its roots. 
 
 Katoma was thrown to the earth, and asked, " Who 
 artthou?" 
 
 " The blind hero ; I live in this forest thirty years, 
 and I nourish myself only in this way. If I seize a 
 beast, I roast it on the fire ; otherwise I should have 
 died of hunger long since." 
 
 " Is it possible that thou art blind from birth?" 
 
 " No, not from birth ; Anna the Beautiful put out 
 my eyes." 
 
 " Well, brother," said Uncle Katoma of the Oaken 
 Cap, " and I through her am footless ; she cut off my 
 two feet, the cursed woman." 
 
 The two heroes talked to each other, and agreed to 
 
The Footless and Blind Champions. 91 
 
 live together and find food in common. The blind 
 said to the footless : " Sit on me and show the way ; I 
 will serve thee with my feet, and thou shalt serve 
 me with thy eyes." 
 
 He took the footless and carried him. Katoma 
 sat, looked on both sides, and cried out : " To the 
 right; to the left; straight ahead." They lived in 
 this way some time in the forest and caught food, 
 hares, foxes, and bears. 
 
 Once the footless asked : " Is it possible that we 
 shall live all our lives without company? I have 
 heard that in a certain town there is a rich merchant 
 with his daughter, and the daughter is very chari- 
 table to poor people and cripples, and gives alms 
 herself to all. Let us carry her off, brother ; let her 
 live with us as a housekeeper." 
 
 The blind man took a wagon, put the footless in it, 
 and drew him to the town. They went straight to 
 the house of the rich merchant. The merchant's 
 daughter saw them through the window. Straight- 
 way she sprang up and went to give them something. 
 She went to the footless : " Take this, poor man, for 
 Christ's sake." While taking the gift he seized her 
 by the hand and into the wagon with her. He called 
 to the blind man, who ran so swiftly that no horse- 
 man could come up with him. 
 
 The merchant sent a party in pursuit, but no one 
 could overtake the two men. The heroes brought 
 the merchant's daughter to their hut in the forest, and 
 
92 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 said to her : " Be to us in the place of our own 
 sister ; live with us, keep the house, for we have no 
 one to cook a meal for us or to wash our shirts. God 
 will not forget thee for doing this." 
 
 The maiden remained with them. The heroes re- 
 spected and loved her, and considered her as their own 
 sister. The way was, they used to go hunting, and 
 she was always at home, took care of the house- 
 keeping, cooked for them, washed for them. Now a 
 Baba-Yaga, boneleg, began to come to the hut and 
 suck the blood of the merchant's daughter. The 
 moment the heroes went to hunt, Baba-Yaga was 
 there. Whether it was long or short, the fair maid- 
 en's face fell away ; she grew thin and poor. 
 
 The blind man saw nothing, but Uncle Katoma of 
 the Oaken Cap noticed that something was wrong. 
 He spoke of it to the blind man, and they questioned 
 their adopted sister. They began to urge her to 
 answer. The Baba-Yaga had strictly forbidden her 
 to confess. For a long time she was afraid to tell 
 of her trouble ; long she resisted. At last they per- 
 suaded her, and she confessed everything. " When- 
 ever ye go away to hunt, an ancient old woman 
 comes, evil-faced, long-haired, gray; she makes me 
 search in her head, and then sucks my blood." 
 
 " Ah ! " said the blind man, " that is Baba-Yaga. 
 Wait, we must settle with her in our own fashion; 
 to-morrow we will not go to hunt, we will try to come 
 upon her and catch her." 
 
The Footless and Blind Champions. 93 
 
 Next morning they did not go to hunt. 
 
 " Well, footless uncle," said the blind man, " crawl 
 thou under the bench ; sit quietly. I will go outside 
 and stay under the window. And thou, sister, when 
 Baba-Yaga comes, sit right here in this window, search 
 in her head, separate her hair gradually, and let it out 
 of the window. I will catch her by the gray locks." 
 
 It was said and done. The blind man caught the 
 Baba-Yaga by the gray locks and cried, " Ei ! Uncle 
 Katoma, crawl from under the bench and hold the 
 viperous old hag till I go into the house." 
 
 Baba-Yaga heard trouble, wanted to jump up, and 
 raised her head. What could she do? She had no 
 chance ; she tore and tore, no use. 
 
 Then Katoma crawled from under the bench, threw 
 himself on her like a stone mountain, and began to 
 smother Baba-Yaga. She was frightened out of her 
 wits. 
 
 The blind man sprang into the house, and said to 
 the footless : " We must make a big fire now, burn 
 the old outcast, and scatter her ashes to the wind." 
 
 Baba-Yaga implored. " Father, dove, forgive me ; 
 whatever thou wishest I '11 do." 
 
 " Well, old witch," said the heroes, " show us the 
 well of living and healing water." 
 
 " Only don't beat me, and I '11 show you this 
 moment." 
 
 Uncle Katoma sat on the blind man, the blind 
 man took Baba-Yaga by the hair, and she led them 
 
94 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 to the forest depth, brought them to a well, and said : 
 " Here is the healing and living water." 
 
 " See to it, Uncle Katoma," said the blind man, 
 " make no mistake ; if she deceives us now, we can- 
 not mend matters while we live." 
 
 Uncle Katoma of the Oaken Cap broke from a tree 
 a green branch and threw it into the well ; the branch 
 had not reached the water when it burst into a blaze. 
 
 " Ah, thou hast turned to deceit ! " 
 
 They began to choke the old woman, and wanted 
 to throw her into the fiery well. She implored more 
 than before, and gave an awful oath that now she 
 would play no tricks. " Ton my true word, I will 
 lead you now to good water." 
 
 They agreed to try once more, and the old woman 
 brought them to another well. 
 
 Uncle Katoma broke a dry branch from a tree, and 
 threw it into the well ; the branch had not reached 
 the water when it gave out buds, grew green, and 
 blossomed. 
 
 " Oh, this is good water ! " said Uncle Katoma. 
 
 The blind man moistened his eyes with it, and in 
 a moment he saw. He let the footless down into the 
 water, and his feet grew out. 
 
 Both were rejoiced, and said: "Now we will re- 
 store everything; but first we must settle with Baba- 
 Yaga. If we forgive her now, we shall not see good 
 ourselves ; she will plot evil against us all our lives." 
 
 They returned to the fiery well and threw Baba- 
 
The Footless and Blind Champions. 95 
 
 Yaga into it, so that she perished. Then Uncle 
 Katoma married the merchant's daughter, and all 
 three went to the kingdom of Anna the Beautiful 
 to liberate Ivan Tsarevich. 
 
 They were approaching the capital town. They 
 looked, Ivan Tsarevich was driving a herd of cows. 
 
 " Stop, herdsman ! " said Uncle Katoma. " Whither 
 art thou driving thesq cows ? " 
 
 " I am driving them to the royal castle. The prin- 
 cess always counts them herself, to see if all the 
 cows are there." 
 
 " Well, herdsman, here are my clothes ; put them 
 on. I '11 put on thine, and drive the cows." 
 
 " No, brother, that is impossible ; if the princess 
 should know it, woe to me." 
 
 " Never fear, nothing will come of it ; Uncle 
 Katoma is security for thee in that." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich sighed, and said : " Oh, kind man, 
 if Uncle Katoma were living I should not be herding 
 ,cows in this field." 
 
 Then Uncle Katoma confessed to him who he was. 
 Ivan Tsarevich embraced him firmly and shed tears. 
 " I did not think to see thee." 
 
 They changed clothes. Uncle Katoma drove the 
 cows to the princess's yard. Anna the Beautiful came 
 out on the balcony, counted to see if all the cows 
 were there, and gave command to drive them into 
 the shed. All went in but the last one ; she stopped 
 at the gate. Katoma jumped up. " What art thou 
 
96 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales 
 
 waiting for, dog's meat? " caught her by the tail, and 
 pulled her skin off. 
 
 The princess saw this and cried : " What is that 
 scoundrel of a herdsman doing? Seize him; bring 
 him to me ! " 
 
 Here the servants caught Katoma and dragged him 
 to the palace. He made no excuse, for he was confi- 
 dent in himself. They brought him to the palace. She 
 looked at him and asked : " Who art thou? Whence 
 art thou here ? " 
 
 " I am the man whose feet thou didst cut off, and 
 thou didst seat me on a stump ; they call me Uncle 
 Katoma of the Oaken Cap." 
 
 " Well," thought the princess, " if he has brought 
 back his feet, there is no use in playing tricks with 
 him ; " and she begged forgiveness of him, was sorry 
 for her sins, and took an oath to love Ivan Tsarevich 
 forever and obey him in all things. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich forgave her, and began to live with 
 her in peace and harmony. The blind hero lived 
 with them, and Uncle Katoma went with his wife to 
 the rich merchant and lived in his house. 
 
OF 
 
 THE THREE KINGDOMS. 
 
 IN that ancient time when God's world was full 
 of wood-demons, witches, and river-maidens, 
 when rivers of milk were flowing between banks of 
 jelly, when over the fields roast partridges were 
 flying, there lived a Tsar, Goroh by name, with his 
 Tsaritsa, Anastasia the Beautiful ; and they had three 
 sons. A misfortune not small happened, an un- 
 clean spirit carried away the Tsaritsa. 
 
 Said the eldest son to the Tsar: " Father, give me 
 thy blessing ; I will go in search of my mother." 
 
 He went away and vanished ; for three years 
 there were neither tidings nor report of him. 
 
 , The second son began to ask : " Father, give me 
 thy blessing for the road, for the journey. Perhaps 
 I may have the luck to find my brother and my 
 mother." 
 
 The Tsar gave his blessing. The Tsarevich rode 
 off and also disappeared as if he had sunk in 
 water. 
 
 Ivan, the youngest son, came to the Tsar. " My 
 dear father, give me thy blessing for the road, for 
 the journey; perhaps I shall find my brothers and 
 mother." 
 
 " Go thy way, my dear son." 
 7 
 
98 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich set out for a strange, distant region. 
 He travelled and travelled, and reached the blue sea. 
 He stopped on the shore and thought: "Whither 
 can I hold my way now? " All at once there flew to 
 sea three and thirty spoonbills, struck the earth, and 
 became fair maidens, all beautiful, but one was 
 better than all the rest. They undressed and rushed 
 into the water. Whether they were bathing a long 
 or short time, Ivan Tsarevich stole up and took the 
 girdle of that maiden who was better than all the 
 rest and hid it in his bosom. When they had fin- 
 ished bathing they came out on shore and began to 
 >dress. One girdle was gone. 
 
 " Ah ! Ivan Tsarevich," said the beauty, " give me 
 ;my girdle." 
 
 " Tell me first where my mother is." 
 
 " Thy mother is at the house of my father, Raven 
 son of Raven (Voron Voronovich). Go up along 
 the sea, thou wilt meet a silver bird with a golden 
 crest ; wherever it flies do thou follow." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich gave her the girdle and went along 
 the sea ; there he met his brothers, exchanged greet- 
 ings, and took them with him. They went together 
 along the shore, saw the golden-tufted silver bird, 
 and ran after it. The bird flew and flew till it 
 rushed under an iron plate into an opening. 
 
 "Well, brothers," said Ivan Tsarevich, "give me 
 your blessing in the place of father and mother. I 
 will let myself down into this opening and discover 
 
The Three Kingdoms. 99 
 
 what a land of strange faith is like, perhaps our 
 mother is there." 
 
 His brothers gave him their blessing. He sat on 
 a rope swing, crawled into that deep opening, and 
 went down no short distance. Just three years was 
 he letting himself down, and then went on his road 
 and way. He went and went, went and went. He 
 saw the Copper Kingdom. In the castle were sitting 
 three and thirty spoonbill maidens. They were em- 
 broidering towels with cunning designs, with towns 
 and suburbs. 
 
 " Hail, Ivan Tsarevich ! " said the Tsaritsa of the 
 Copper Kingdom. "Whither dost thou hold thy 
 way?" 
 
 " I am going in search of my mother." 
 
 "Thy mother is with my father, Raven son of 
 Raven. He is cunning and wise ; over mountains 
 and valleys, over caves and clouds, has he flown. He 
 will slay thee, good youth. Here is a ball for thee. 
 Go to my second sister ; hear what she will tell thee. 
 If thou comest back, forget me not." 
 
 Ivan rolled the ball and followed ; he came to the 
 Silver Kingdom. The Tsaritsa of the Silver Kingdom 
 said : " Till now the Russian odor was not to be seen 
 with sight nor heard with hearing ; but now the Rus- 
 sian odor appears visibly. Well, Ivan Tsarevich, art 
 fleeing from work, or seekest work? " 
 
 " Ah, fair maiden ! I am in search of my mother." 
 
 "Thy mother is with my father, Raven son of 
 
i oo Russian Myths and Folk - Tales. 
 
 Raven. Cunning is he and wise ; over mountains, over 
 valleys has he flown, over caves, over clouds has he 
 swept. Oh, Tsarevich, he will slay thee ! Here is a 
 ball. Go to my youngest sister ; hear what she will 
 say to thee, whether to go on or come back." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich came to the Golden Kingdom; 
 there three and thirty spoonbill maidens were sit- 
 ting embroidering towels. Taller than all, fairer 
 than all, was the Tsaritsa of the Golden kingdom, 
 a beauty that could not be told of in a tale or 
 described with a pen. 
 
 " Hail, Ivan Tsarevich ! " said she. " Whither dost 
 thou hold thy way?" 
 
 " I am going to seek my mother." 
 
 " Thy mother is with my father, Raven son of 
 Raven. Cunning is he and wise. Oh, Tsarevich, he 
 will slay thee surely ! Here is a ball for thee. Go 
 now to the Pearl Kingdom ; there thy mother lives. 
 When she sees thee she will be rejoiced, and that 
 moment will say, * Nurses and maidens, bring my son 
 green wine ; ' but take it not. Ask her to give thee 
 wine three years old that is in the cupboard, and a 
 burnt crust for lunch, and do not forget that my 
 father has in the yard two jars of water, one water 
 of strength, the other of weakness ; put each in 
 the place of the other, and drink of the water of 
 strength." 
 
 The Tsarevich talked a long time with the Tsaritsa, 
 and they fell in love with each other to such a degree 
 
The Three Kingdoms. 101 
 
 that they hated to part ; but there was no help for 
 them. Ivan Tsarevich took farewell of her and went 
 on his journey. He travelled and travelled till he 
 came to the Pearl Kingdom. His mother saw him, 
 was delighted, and cried out, " Nurses and maidens, 
 bring my son green wine." 
 
 " I drink no common wine ; give me wine three 
 years old, and for a bite a burnt crust." He drank 
 wine three years old, ate the burnt crust, went out in 
 the broad court, put each jar in the place of the other, 
 and fell to drinking the water of strength. 
 
 All at once Raven son of Raven flew home, bright 
 as the clear day ; but when he saw Ivan Tsarevich he 
 grew gloomier than the dark night. He stooped 
 down to the jar, and began to drink the water of 
 weakness. Then Ivan Tsarevich fell upon his wings, 
 and Raven son of Raven soared high, high ; he bore 
 Ivan over mountains, over valleys, over caves, over 
 clouds. " What dost thou need, Ivan Tsarevich ? 
 If thou wishest, I will give thee treasure." 
 
 " I want nothing but the feather staff." 
 
 " No, Ivan Tsarevich, thou wishest to sit in a very 
 wide sleigh." And again Raven son of Raven bore 
 him over mountains, over valleys, over caves, over 
 clouds. 
 
 Ivan held firmly, bore down with all his weight, 
 and nearly broke the wings of Raven son of Raven, 
 who screamed, "Break not my wings; take the 
 feather staff!" He gave Ivan the feather staff, 
 
IO2 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 became a common raven himself, and flew away to 
 the steep mountains. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich went back, came to the Pearl King- 
 dom, took his mother, and set out for home. He 
 looked ; the Pearl Kingdom had turned into a ball, 
 and was rolling after him. He came to the Golden 
 Kingdom, then to the Silver, and then to the Copper 
 Kingdom. He took and brought with him the three 
 beautiful Tsaritsas, and those kingdoms were wound 
 into balls and rolled after him. He came to the 
 rope swing and sounded a golden trumpet: "My 
 own brothers, if ye are alive, do not betray me." 
 
 The brothers heard the call, and drew out into the 
 white world the beautiful soul maiden, the Tsaritsa of 
 the Copper Kingdom. They saw her, and began to 
 fight among themselves ; one would not yield to the 
 other. 
 
 "Why fight, good youths?" said the maiden. 
 " Down there are better than I." 
 
 They let down the rope swing and drew up the 
 Tsaritsa of the Silver Kingdom. Again they began 
 to dispute and fight; one said, " Let her be mine, and 
 come to me ; " the other said, " I won't let her be 
 thine." 
 
 "Do not fight, good youths; down there is a 
 maiden more beautiful than I." 
 
 They stopped fighting, put down the rope swing, 
 and drew up the Tsaritsa of the Golden Kingdom. 
 Again they began to fight; but the Tsaritsa, the 
 
 
The Three Kingdoms. 103 
 
 beauty, immediately stopped them, saying : " Your 
 mother is waiting for you." They drew out their 
 mother, and let down the rope swing for Ivan Tsare- 
 vich ; they raised him half way, and cut the rope. 
 Ivan Tsarevich fell into the depth and was terribly 
 shocked ; he lay half a year without senses, came to 
 himself, and looked around, remembered everything 
 that had happened to him, took out the feather staff, 
 and struck the earth with it. That moment twelve 
 youths appeared. " What is thy command, Ivan 
 Tsarevich ? " 
 
 " Take me out into the free world." 
 
 The youths seized him under the arms and bore 
 him into the free world. Ivan Tsarevich inquired 
 about his brothers, and heard that they had married 
 long before. The Tsaritsa of the Copper Kingdom 
 married the second brother; the Tsaritsa of the 
 Silver Kingdom, his eldest brother; but his own 
 bride would not marry any man: his old father 
 wanted to marry her. He summoned a council, ac- 
 cus^d his wife of intimacy with evil spirits, and gave 
 command to cut her head off. After the execution 
 he said to the Tsaritsa of the Golden Kingdom: 
 "Wilt thou marry me?" 
 
 " I will when thou makest shoes for me without 
 measure." 
 
 The Tsar gave command to issue a call and ask 
 all and each, would any man make shoes for the 
 Tsaritsa without taking her measure. At this time 
 
IO4 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich had come to his own kingdom, and 
 hired as a workman with a certain old man ; and he 
 sent him to the Tsar : " Go, grandfather, take this 
 affair on thyself, and I will make the shoes for thee ; 
 but do not tell about me." 
 
 The old man went to the Tsar. " I," said he, " am 
 ready to undertake the work." 
 
 The Tsar gave him leather for a pair of shoes, and 
 asked : " But canst thou do it, old man? " 
 
 " Never fear, Gosudar. I have a son who is a 
 shoemaker." 
 
 When he came home the old man gave the leather 
 to Ivan Tsarevich, who cut it into bits and threw it 
 out of the window; then he opened the Golden 
 Kingdom and took out shoes already made. " Here, 
 grandfather, take these and carry them to the Tsar." 
 
 The Tsar was delighted, and urged the bride: 
 " Shall we go to the crown soon ? " 
 
 She answered : " I will marry thee if thou wilt 
 make for me robes to fit without measure." 
 
 The Tsar again was in trouble ; he assembled all 
 the dressmakers, and offered them much money if 
 they would only make robes to fit without measuring 
 the Tsaritsa. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich said to the old man: " Grandfather, 
 go to the Tsar, get cloth ; I will sew robes for thee, 
 but do not tell of me." 
 
 The old man dragged himself off to the palace, 
 took satin and velvet, came home, and gave it to the 
 
The Three Kingdoms. 105 
 
 Tsarevich. Ivan Tsarevich took scissors straightway, 
 and cut all the satin and velvet to pieces and threw 
 them out of the window. Then he opened the 
 Golden Kingdom and took out the most beautiful 
 robes and gave them to the old man, saying, " Take 
 these to the palace." 
 
 The Tsar was delighted. " Well, my beloved bride, 
 is it not time for us to go to the crown? " 
 
 The Tsaritsa answered : " I will marry thee when 
 thou wilt fake the son of that old man and command 
 that he be boiled in milk." 
 
 The Tsar thought awhile, then gave the command* 
 and that day they collected three gallons of milk 
 from each house, filled a great caldron, and boiled it 
 on a hot fire. They brought Ivan Tsarevich. He 
 took farewell of all, bowed to the earth, then threw 
 himself into the caldron, dived once, dived twice, 
 sprang out such a beauty that it could neither be told 
 of in a tale nor described with a pen. 
 
 Said the Tsaritsa: "Look, Tsar! Whom shall I 
 marry, thee, old man, or that gallant youth? " 
 
 The Tsar thought awhile. "If I bathe in the 
 milk, I shall become just such a beauty as he." He 
 sprang into the caldron, and was cooked in a minute. 
 But Ivan Tsarevich went to be crowned with the 
 Tsaritsa of the Golden Kingdom ; they were crowned, 
 and began to live and live on, gaining wealth. 
 
KOSHCHEI WITHOUT-DEATH. 
 
 IT happened that once there lived in a certain land a 
 Tsar and a Tsaritsa. They had a son, Ivan Tsare- 
 vich. When an infant the maidens rocked him ; but 
 do what they might, they could not rock him to sleep. 
 "Tsar, great Gosudar, come, rock thy own son." The 
 Tsar went to rock the child : " Sleep, little son, sleep 
 my own dear ; thou wilt grow up a man. I will get thee 
 Peerless Beauty as bride, the daughter of three 
 mothers, the granddaughter of three grandmothers, 
 and the sister of nine brothers." The Tsarevich went 
 to sleep and slept for three days and three nights; 
 woke up, and cried more than before. 
 
 The maidens rock him, but they cannot rock him 
 to sleep; they call his father: " Tsar, great Gosudar, 
 come, rock thy own son." 
 
 The Tsar rocked him, saying, " Sleep, little son, 
 sleep, my own dear; thou wilt grow up a man. I 
 will get thee Peerless Beauty as bride, the daughter 
 of three mothers, the granddaughter of three grand- 
 mothers, and the sister of nine brothers." The 
 Tsarevich fell asleep, and again slept three days and 
 three nights. He woke up and cried more than ever. 
 
 The maidens rock him, they cannot rock him to 
 
Koshchei Without- Death. 107 
 
 sleep. " Come, Tsar, great Gosudar," said they, 
 " rock thy own son." 
 
 The Tsar rocked him, saying the while, " Sleep, 
 little son, sleep, my own dear; thou wilt grow up a 
 man. I will get thee Peerless Beauty as bride, the 
 daughter of three mothers, the granddaughter of 
 three grandmothers." 
 
 The Tsarevich fell asleep and slept again three 
 days and three nights. He woke up and said, " Give 
 thy blessing, father ; I am going to marry." 
 
 "What dost thou mean, my dear little child? 
 Whither canst thou go? Thou art but nine days of 
 age in all." 
 
 " If thou wilt give me thy blessing, I '11 go ; if not, 
 I '11 go also." 
 
 " Well, the Lord guide thee." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich arrayed himself, and went to find 
 a horse. He went a short way from the house, and 
 met an old man. " Where art thou going, young 
 man," asked he, " of thy own will, or against thy 
 will?" 
 
 " I will not talk with thee," answered the Tsarevich. 
 He went on a little, changed his mind. " Why did I 
 not say something to the old man. Old people bring 
 us to sense." Straightway he overtook the old man. 
 " Stop, grandfather. Of what didst thou ask me? " 
 
 " I asked where art thou going, young man, of 
 thy own will, or against thy will? " 
 
 " I go so much of my own will, and twice that much 
 
1 08 Russian Myths and Folk - Tales. 
 
 against my will. I was in early years; my father 
 rocked me in the cradle ; he promised to get me 
 Peerless Beauty as bride." 
 
 " Thou art a good youth, thou art well spoken ; 
 but thou canst not go on foot. Peerless Beauty dwells 
 far away." 
 
 "How far?" 
 
 " In the Golden Kingdom, at the end of the white 
 world, where the sun comes up." 
 
 " What am I to do? I, young man, have no saddle- 
 horse unridden, and silken whip unused that are fit- 
 ting for me." 
 
 "Why hast thou not? Thy father has thirty 
 horses all alike. Go home, tell the grooms to water 
 them at the blue sea; and whichever horse shall 
 push ahead, enter the water to its neck, and when it 
 drinks, waves rise on the blue sea and roll from 
 shore to shore, that one take." 
 
 " God save thee for the good word, grandfather ! " 
 
 As the old man taught him, so did the Tsarevich 
 do, he chose for himself an heroic steed, passed 
 the night, rose next morning early, opened the gate, 
 and was preparing to go. 
 
 The horse spoke to him in the language of men : 
 " Ivan Tsarevich, drop to the earth ; I will push thee 
 three times." He pushed him once, he pushed him 
 twice; but the third time he pushed not. "If thou 
 wert pushed a third time, the earth would not bear 
 thee and me." 
 
Koshchei Without- Death. 109 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich took his horse from the chains, sad- 
 dled him, sat on him. The Tsar barely sees his son. 
 He rides far, far. The day is growing short, night is 
 coming on. A house stood like a town, each room is 
 a chamber. He came to the house, straight to the 
 porch, tied his horse to the copper ring, went into the 
 first chamber, then into the second, prayed to God, 
 asked to spend the night. 
 
 " Stay the night, good youth," said an old woman. 
 "Whither is God bearing thee?" 
 
 " Old woman, thou dost ask impolitely. First give 
 me to eat and to drink, put me to rest, and then ask 
 me for news." 
 
 She gave him food and drink, put him to bed, and 
 then asked for news. 
 
 " I was, grandmother," said he, " in tender years ; 
 my father rocked me in the cradle, and promised 
 me Peerless Beauty as bride, the daughter of three 
 mothers, the granddaughter of three grandmothers, 
 and the sister of nine brothers." 
 
 " Thou art a good youth, and fair spoken. I am 
 living to the end of the seventh ten of years, and of 
 that beauty I have not heard. Farther on the road 
 lives my elder sister ; maybe she knows. But sleep 
 now; the morning is wiser than the evening." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich passed the night ; next morning he 
 rose early, washed himself white, led forth his steed, 
 saddled him, put his foot in the stirrup. The old 
 woman merely saw him. He rode far with distance, 
 
no Russian Myths and Folk - Tales. 
 
 high with height; the day was shortening, coming 
 toward night. There stood a house like a town, each 
 room was a chamber. He rode to the porch, tied 
 his horse to a silver ring, went to the entrance, and 
 then to the chamber, prayed to God, asked a night's 
 lodging. An old woman said : " Tfu, tfu ! so far a 
 Russian bone was not seen with sight nor heard 
 with hearing ; but now a Russian bone has come itself 
 to the house. Where hast thou come from, Ivan 
 Tsarevich?" 
 
 " Oh, thou old hag, how angry thou art ! Thou dost 
 not ask with politeness ; thou shouldst first give me 
 food and drink, put me to rest, then ask for news." 
 
 She seated him at the table, gave him food and 
 drink, put him to rest, sat at the head of the bed, and 
 inquired ; " Where is God bearing thee ? " 
 
 " I was in tender years, grandmother ; my father 
 rocked me in the cradle and promised me Peerless 
 Beauty as bride, the daughter of three mothers, the 
 granddaughter of three grandmothers, and the sister 
 of nine brothers." 
 
 " Thou art a good youth, of kind speech. I am liv- 
 ing toward the end of the eighth ten of years, and of 
 that beauty I have never heard. Before thee on the 
 road lives my elder sister, mayhap she knows ; she 
 has answer-givers. Her first answer-givers are the 
 beasts of the forests, the second are the birds of the 
 air, the third are the fish and creatures of the sea. 
 Whatever is in the white world obeys her. Go to her 
 
Koshch'ei Without-Death. in 
 
 in the morning, but sleep now; the morning is wiser 
 than the evening." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich passed the night, rose early, washed 
 himself very white, sat on his steed, and vanished. 
 He rode far with distance, high with height. The day 
 was growing short, drawing near to the night ; and 
 there stood a house like a town, each room was a 
 chamber. He came to the porch, tied his horse to 
 a golden ring, then went to the entrance, and next 
 to the chamber, prayed to God, and asked a night's 
 lodging. An old woman screamed at him. " Oh, 
 thou, this and that kind of man, thou art not 
 worthy of an iron ring, and thou hast tied thy horse 
 to a gold one ! " 
 
 " Well, grandmother, scold not ; the horse may be 
 loosed and tied to another ring." 
 
 " Oh, good hero, have I given thee a fright? Be 
 not afraid ; sit on the bench, and I will ask from what 
 stock, from what town, thou dost come." 
 
 " Oh, grandmother, thou shouldst first give me 
 food and drink, then ask for the news ! Thou seest 
 I'm a wayfaring man ; I Ve not eaten all day." 
 
 Straightway the old woman set the table, brought 
 bread and salt, poured out a glass of vodka, and 
 began to entertain Ivan Tsarevich. He ate and 
 drank plenty, threw himself on the bed. The old 
 woman made no inquiry; he told her himself: "I was 
 in tender years, my father rocked me in the cradle, 
 promised me Peerless Beauty as bride, the daughter 
 
H2 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 of three mothers, the granddaughter of three grand- 
 mothers, and the sister of nine brothers. Do me a 
 kindness, grandmother ; tell me where Peerless Beauty 
 is living, and how I may reach her." 
 
 " But, Ivan Tsarevich, I know not myself; I am 
 ending the ninth ten of years, and I have not heard of 
 that beauty. But sleep now with God ; in the morn- 
 ing I will summon my answer-givers, maybe one 
 of them knows." 
 
 Next day the old woman rose early, washed her- 
 self very white, came out with Ivan Tsarevich on the 
 porch, cried with a champion's voice, whistled with a 
 hero's whistle. She cried to the sea-fish and crea- 
 tures of the water, " Come hither." 
 
 That instant the blue sea boiled up, the fish, great 
 and small, came together, all creatures assembled and 
 went toward the shore ; they covered the water. 
 
 The old woman asked : " Where lives Peerless 
 Beauty, the daughter of three mothers, the grand- 
 daughter of three grandmothers, the sister of nine 
 brothers ? " 
 
 All the fish and all the creatures answered in one 
 voice: "We have not seen her with sight, nor heard 
 of her with hearing." 
 
 The old woman shouted over the land : " Assemble, 
 ye beasts of the forest." 
 
 The beasts run ; they hide the earth. In one voice 
 they answer : " We have not seen her with sight, nor 
 heard her with hearing." 
 
Koshchei Without- Death. 113 
 
 The old woman cried toward the sky : " Come hither, 
 ye birds of the air ! " 
 
 The birds fly, they hide the light of day. In one 
 voice they answer: " We have not seen her with 
 sight, we have not heard her with hearing." 
 
 " There is no one else to ask," said the old woman. 
 She took Ivan Tsarevich by the hand and led him 
 into the room. They had just come in when the 
 Mogol bird arrived on the wing, fell to the ground. 
 There was no light in the window. 
 
 " Oh, thou Mogol bird, where hast thou been fly- 
 ing ; why art thou late ? " 
 
 " I was arraying Peerless Beauty for mass." 
 
 " Thou hast the news I need. Now do me a 
 service with faith and truth, carry Ivan Tsarevich 
 to her." 
 
 " Gladly would I serve, but much food is needed." 
 
 " How much? " 
 
 " Three forties of beef, and a vessel of water." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich filled the vessel with water, brought 
 oxen with beef. He put the kegs on the bird, ran to 
 the forge, and had a long iron lance made for him- 
 self ; he came back and took farewell of the old 
 woman. " Good-by," said he. " Feed my good steed 
 enough ; I will pay thee for everything." 
 
 He sat on the Mogol bird, and that moment it rose 
 up and flew; it flew and looked around continually. 
 When it looked, Ivan Tsarevich immediately gave 
 a piece of meat on the end of his lance. Now 
 
 8 
 
ii4 Russian Myths and Folk-Tales. 
 
 it was flying and flying no short time. The Tsare- 
 vich had already given two kegs of beef, and 
 had begun on the third ; and he said, " O Mogol 
 bird, fall to the damp earth; small nourishment is 
 left." 
 
 " What art thou saying, Ivan Tsarevich? Below 
 us are sleeping forests and sticky morasses ; we could 
 not escape to the end of our lives." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich gave out all the beef and threw 
 down the kegs; but the Mogol bird flies, looks 
 around. What can be done ? Ivan Tsarevich 
 thought a while, cut off the calves of his own legs, 
 and gave them to the bird. It swallowed them, and 
 flew out over the green meadow, silken grass, blue 
 flowers, then dropped to the earth. Ivan Tsarevich 
 stood on his feet, walked along the meadow, was 
 lame of both legs. 
 
 " What is the matter, Ivan Tsarevich? Art thou 
 lame?" 
 
 " I am lame, Mogol bird ; a little while ago I cut 
 off my calves to nourish thee." 
 
 The Mogol bird coughed up the calves, put them 
 on the legs of Ivan Tsarevich, blew and spat; the 
 calves grew to their places, and the Tsarevich went 
 on in strength and activity. He came to a great 
 town, and stopped to rest with a grandmother living 
 in a backyard. 
 
 " Sleep, Ivan Tsarevich; in the morning, when the 
 bell rings, I '11 rouse thee." 
 
Koshchei Without- Death. 115 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich lay down and slept that minute; 
 he slept the day, slept the night. The bells rang for 
 early prayers, the backyard grandmother ran to him, 
 fell to beating him with whatever she found at hand, 
 but could not rouse him. The morning prayers were 
 over, they rang for mass; Peerless Beauty went to 
 church. The old grandmother came again, and went 
 to work again at Ivan Tsarevich, beat him with what- 
 ever came under her hands; with great effort she 
 woke him. Ivan Tsarevich sprang up very quickly, 
 washed himself very white, dressed, and went to 
 mass. He came to the church, prayed before the 
 images, bowed down on every side, and especially 
 to Peerless Beauty. They stood side by side and 
 prayed. At the end of mass she went first to the 
 cross, then he went out on a platform, looked at 
 the blue sea ; ships are approaching, six champions 
 came to offer marriage. 
 
 The champions saw Ivan Tsarevich and began to 
 ridicule him : " Oh, thou country clown, is such a 
 beauty as this for thee? Thou art not worth her 
 middle finger ! " 
 
 They said this once, they said it twice, they said 
 it thrice. Ivan Tsarevich was offended. He swung 
 his arm, there was a street; he swung it a second 
 time, the place was clear and smooth all around. 
 Then he went to the old grandmother. 
 
 "Well, Ivan Tsarevich, hast thou seen Peerless 
 Beauty?" 
 
n6 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " I have, and I shall not forget her for an age.'* 
 
 " Now lie down to sleep. To-morrow thou wilt go 
 to mass again ; I will wake thee the minute the bell 
 rings." 
 
 The Tsarevich lay down; he slept the day, he 
 slept the night. The bell rang for early prayers; 
 the grandmother ran to him, began to rouse him ; 
 whatever happened under her hand, with that she 
 beat him ; but she could n't wake him. They rang 
 the bell for mass; again she beat him and roused 
 him. Ivan Tsarevich sprang up very quickly, washed 
 very white, dressed, and to church. He entered, 
 prayed to the images, bowed on all four sides, es- 
 pecially to Peerless Beauty. She looked at him and 
 blushed. They stood side by side, prayed to God. 
 At the end of mass she went to the cross first, he 
 second. The Tsarevich went out on a platform, 
 looked on the blue sea; ships were sailing, twelve 
 champions came. They began to ask Peerless 
 Beauty in marriage, and ; to make sport of Ivan 
 Tsarevich : " Oh, thou country clown, is such a 
 beauty for thee? Thou art not worth her middle 
 finger ! " 
 
 He was offended at these speeches. He swung 
 his arm, there was a street; he swung the other, the 
 place was clear and smooth around. 
 
 He went to the old grandmother. " Hast thou 
 seen Peerless Beauty?" asked she. 
 
 "I have, and for an age I shall not forget her." 
 
Koshckei Without-Death. 117 
 
 " Well, sleep now ; in the morning I will wake thee." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich slept the day, he slept the night; 
 they rang the bell for morning prayers ; the old 
 woman ran in to wake him, beat him with whatever 
 happened under her hand, did not spare, but could 
 not rouse him. They rang the bell for mass, and 
 she was working away all the time at the Tsarevich. 
 At last she roused him. He rose up quickly, washed 
 himself very white, prepared, dressed, and to church. 
 When he came he prayed to the images, bowed on 
 all four sides, and separately to Peerless Beauty. 
 She saluted him, put him at her right hand, and she 
 stood at the left. They stand there, pray to God. 
 At the end of mass he went first to the cross, she 
 after him. The Tsarevich went out on the platform, 
 looked on the blue sea ; ships are sailing, and 
 twenty-four champions come to offer marriage to 
 Peerless Beauty. 
 
 The champions saw Ivan Tsarevich and straight- 
 way began to make sport of him : "Oh, country 
 clown, is such a beauty for thee? Thou art not 
 worth her middle finger ! " 
 
 They attacked him on every side to take away his 
 bride. Ivan Tsarevich did not endure this. He 
 swung his arm, there was a street; he swung the 
 other, the place was smooth and clear around. He 
 killed all to the last man. Peerless Beauty took him 
 by the hand, led him to her chambers, seated him at 
 the oaken tables, at the spread cloths, entertained 
 
n8 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 him, called him her bridegroom. Soon after they 
 prepared for the road and set out for the land of 
 Ivan Tsarevich. They travelled and travelled, halted 
 in the open field to rest. Peerless Beauty lay down 
 to sleep, and Ivan Tsarevich guarded her slumber. 
 When she had slept enough, and woke up, the Tsa- 
 revich said : " Peerless Beauty, guard my white 
 body; I will lie down to sleep." 
 
 " But wilt thou sleep long? " 
 
 " Nine days and nights ; and I shall not turn from 
 one side to the other. If thou tryest to wake me, 
 theu wilt not rouse me. When the time comes I 
 shall wake myself." 
 
 " It is long, Ivan Tsarevich ; I shall be wearied." 
 
 " Wearied or not, there is no help for it." 
 
 He lay down to sleep, and slept exactly nine days 
 and nights. Meanwhile Koshchei Without-Death 
 bore away Peerless Beauty to his own kingdom. 
 Ivan Tsarevich woke up; there was no Peerless 
 Beauty. He began to weep, and went along neither 
 by the road nor the way. Whether it was long or 
 short, he came to the kingdom of Koshchei Without- 
 Death, and begged lodgings of an old woman. 
 
 " Well, Ivan Tsarevich, why art thou so sad 
 looking? " 
 
 " Thus and thus, grandmother; I had everything, 
 now I have nothing." 
 
 " Thy affair is a bad one, Ivan Tsarevich ; thou 
 canst not kill Koshchei." 
 
Koshchei Without-Death. 119 
 
 " Well, I will look on my bride at least." 
 
 " Lie down, sleep till morning; to-morrow Koshche"i 
 will go to war." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich lay down, but sleep di'd not come 
 to his mind. In the morning Koshchei went out of 
 the house, and Ivan Tsarevich went in. He stood at 
 the gate and knocked. Peerless Beauty opened it, 
 looked at him, and fell to weeping. They went to 
 the upper chamber, sat at the table, and talked. 
 Ivan Tsarevich instructed her. " Ask Koshche" i where 
 his death is." 
 
 " I will." 
 
 He had just left the house when Koshche*i came in. 
 " Oh ! " said he, " it smells of the Russian bone ; it 
 must be that Ivan Tsarevich was with thee." 
 
 " What art thou thinking of, Koshchei Without- 
 Death? Where could I see Ivan Tsarevich. He 
 has remained in slumbering forests and in sticky 
 quagmires ; wild beasts have destroyed him ere 
 now." 
 
 They sat down to sup. At supper Peerless Beauty 
 said : " Tell me, Koshchei Without-Death, where is 
 thy death?" 
 
 "Why dost thou wish to know, silly woman? 
 My death is tied up in the broom." 
 
 Early next morning Koshchei went to war. Ivan 
 Tsarevich came to Peerless Beauty. She took the 
 broom, gilded it brightly with pure gold. The 
 Tsarevich had just departed when Koshche'i came 
 
I2O Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 in. " Ah ! " said he, " it smells of the Russian bone ; 
 Ivan Tsarevich has been with thee." 
 
 " What dost thou mean, Koshchei Without-Death? 
 Thou hast been flying through Russia thyself and 
 hast caught up the odor of Russia ; it is from thee. 
 Where should I see Ivan Tsarevich? " 
 
 At supper Peerless Beauty sat on a small bench 
 and seated Koshchei on a large one. He looked 
 under the threshold; the broom was lying there 
 gilded. "What does this mean?" 
 
 " Oh, Koshchei Without-Death, thou seest thyself 
 ihow I honor thee ! " 
 
 " Oh, simple woman, I was joking ! My death is 
 ^out there, fastened in the oak fence." 
 
 Next day Koshchei went away. Ivan Tsarevich 
 came and gilded the whole fence. Towards evening 
 Koshchei came home. " Ah ! " said he, " it smells 
 of the Russian bone. Ivan Tsarevich has been with 
 thee." 
 
 "What dost thou mean, Koshche'i Without-Death? 
 It seems I have told thee times more than one, 
 where am I to see Ivan Tsarevich? He has remained 
 ; in dark forests, in sticky quagmires ; the wild beasts 
 have torn him to pieces ere now." 
 
 Supper-time came. Peerless Beauty sat on a bench 
 herself, and seated him on a chair. Koshchei looked 
 through the window, saw the fence gilded, shining 
 like fire. "What is that?" 
 
 " Thou seest thyself, Koshche'i, how I respect thee. 
 
Koshchei Without- Death. 121 
 
 If thou art dear to me, of importance is thy 
 death." 
 
 This speech pleased Koshchei Without-Death. 
 " Oh, simple woman, I was joking with thee ! My 
 death is in an egg, the egg is in a duck, and the 
 duck is in a stump floating on the sea." 
 
 When Koshche'i went off to war, Peerless Beauty 
 baked cakes for Ivan Tsarevich and told him where 
 to look for the death of Koshchei. Ivan Tsarevich 
 went neither by road nor by way, came to the ocean 
 sea broad, and knew not where to go farther. The 
 cakes had long since given out, and he had nothing 
 to eat. All at once a hawk flew up. Ivan Tsarevich 
 aimed. "Well, hawk, I '11 shoot thee and eat thee raw." 
 
 " Do not eat me, Ivan Tsarevich ; I will serve thee 
 in time of need." 
 
 A bear ran along. " Oh, bear, crooked paw, I '11 
 kill thee and eat thee raw ! " 
 
 " Do not eat me, Ivan Tsarevich ; I '11 serve in time 
 of need." 
 
 Behold, a pike is struggling on the beach. " Oh, 
 big-toothed pike, thou hast come to it ! I '11 eat thee 
 raw." 
 
 " Eat me not, Ivan Tsarevich ; better throw me into 
 the sea. I will serve thee in time of need." 
 
 Ivan stood there thinking, " The time of need will 
 come, it is unknown when. But now I must go 
 hungry." All at once the blue sea boiled up, waves 
 rose, began to cover the shore. Ivan Tsarevich ran 
 
122 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 up the hill, ran with all his might, and the water 
 followed at his heels; chasing, he ran to the very 
 highest place and climbed a tree. A little later the 
 water began to fall, the sea grew calm, fell, and a 
 great stump was left on land. The bear ran up, 
 raised the stump, and when he had hurled it to the 
 ground the stump opened ; out flew a duck and 
 soared high, high. That minute, from wherever he 
 came, the hawk flew, caught the duck, and in a 
 twinkle tore her in two. An egg fell out ; then the 
 pike caught it, swam to the beach, and gave the 
 egg to Ivan Tsarevich, who put it in his bosom 
 and went to Koshchei Without-Death. He came 
 to the house. Peerless Beauty met him, she kissed 
 him on the lips and fell on his shoulder. Koshchei 
 Without-Death was sitting at the window cursing. 
 
 " Oh, Ivan Tsarevich, thou wishest to take Peerless 
 Beauty from me ; and so thou wilt not live." 
 
 " Thou didst take her from me thyself," answered 
 Ivan Tsarevich, took the egg from his bosom, and 
 showed it to Koshchei. " What is this? " 
 
 The light grew dim in the eyes of Koshche'i ; then 
 he became mild and obedient. Ivan Tsarevich 
 threw the egg from one hand to the other. Koshche'i 
 Without-Death staggered from corner to corner. 
 This seemed pleasant to the Tsarevich. He threw 
 the egg more quickly from hand to hand, and broke 
 it; then Koshche'i fell and died. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich attached the horses to his golden 
 
 
Koshchei Without -Death. 123 
 
 carriage, took whole bags filled with gold and silver, 
 and went to his father. Whether it was long or 
 short, he came to that old woman who had inquired 
 of every creature, fish, bird, and beast. He found 
 his steed. " Glory be to God," said he, " the raven 
 (black steed) is alive ; " and he poured forth gold 
 freely for her care of the steed. Though she were 
 to live ninety-nine years longer, she would have 
 enough. Then the Tsarevich sent a swift courier to 
 the Tsar with a letter, in which he wrote : " Father, 
 meet thy son ; I am coming with my bride, Peerless 
 Beauty." 
 
 His father got the letter, read it, and had not belief. 
 " How could that be? Ivan Tsarevich left home 
 when nine days old ! " After the courier came the 
 Tsarevich himself. The Tsar saw that his son had 
 written the real truth ; he ran out to the porch, met 
 him, and gave command to beat drums and sound 
 music. 
 
 " Father, bless me for the wedding." 
 
 Tsars have not to brew beer nor make wine ; they 
 have much of all things. That same day there was 
 a joyous feast and a wedding. They crowned Ivan 
 Tsarevich and Peerless Beauty, and put out on all 
 streets great jars of various drinks ; every one could 
 come and drink what his soul desired. I was there, 
 drank mead and wine; it flowed on my mustaches, 
 but was not in my mouth. 
 
VASSILISSA GOLDEN TRESS, BAREHEADED 
 BEAUTY. 
 
 THERE lived a Tsar Svaitozar. This Tsar had 
 two sons and a beauty of a daughter. Twenty 
 years did she live in her bright chamber. The Tsar 
 and Tsaritsa admired her, and so did the nurses and 
 maidens ; but no one of the princes and champions 
 had seen her face. And this beauty was called Vassi- 
 lissa Golden Tress. She went nowhere out of her 
 chamber ; the Tsarevna did not breathe the free air. 
 She had many bright dresses and jewels, but was 
 wearied ; it was oppressive for her in the chamber. 
 Her robes were a burden, her thick golden silk hair, 
 covered with nothing, bound in a tress, fell to her 
 feet, and people called her Vassilissa Golden Tress, 
 Bareheaded Beauty. The kingdom was filled with 
 her fame. Many Tsars heard of her and sent envoys 
 to Tsar Svaitozar to beat with the forehead and ask 
 the Tsarevna in marriage. 
 
 The Tsar was in no hurry, but when the time came, 
 he sent messengers to all lands with tidings that the 
 Tsarevna would choose a bridegroom; and inviting 
 Tsars and Tsareviches to assemble and collect at his 
 palace to feast, he went himself to the lofty chamber 
 
Vassilissa Golden Tress. 125 
 
 to tell Vassilissa the Beautiful. It was gladsome in 
 the heart of the Tsarevna. Looking out of the slop- 
 ing window from behind the golden lattice on the 
 green garden, the flowery meadow, she was eager to 
 walk ; she asked him to let her go forth to the garden 
 to play with the maidens. " My sovereign father," 
 said she, " I have not seen the world of God yet, I 
 have not walked on the grass, on the flowers, I have 
 not looked on thy palace ; let me go with my nurses 
 and maidens to walk in thy garden." 
 
 The Tsar permitted, and Vassilissa the Beautiful 
 went down from the lofty chamber to the broad court. 
 The plank gate was open, and she appeared in the 
 green meadow. In front was a steep mountain ; on 
 that mountain grew curly trees ; on the meadow 
 were beautiful flowers of many kinds. The Tsarevna 
 plucked blue flowers, stepped aside a little from her 
 nurses ; there was no caution in her young mind ; 
 her face was exposed, her beauty uncovered. Sud- 
 denly a mighty whirlwind rose, such as had not been 
 seen, heard of, or remembered by old people ; the 
 whirlwind turned and twisted behold, it seized the 
 Tsarevna and carried her through the air. 
 
 The nurses screamed and shrieked : they ran and 
 stumbled, threw themselves on every side; they saw 
 nothing but how the whirlwind shot away with her. 
 And Vassilissa Golden Tress was borne over many 
 lands, across deep rivers, through three kingdoms into 
 the fourth, into the dominions of the Savage Serpent 
 
126 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 The nurses hurry to the palace, covering them- 
 selves with tears, throw themselves at the feet of the 
 Tsar. " Sovereign, we are not answerable for the 
 misfortune, we are answerable to thee. Give not com- 
 mand to slay us, command us to speak. The whirl- 
 wind bore away our ^un, Vassilissa Golden Tress, the 
 Beauty, and it is unknown whither." 
 
 The Tsar was sad, he was angry ; but in his anger 
 he pardoned the poor women. 
 
 Next morning the princes and kings' sons came to 
 the Tsar's palace, and seeing the sadness and serious- 
 ness of the Tsar they asked him what had happened. 
 
 "There is a sin to my. account," said the Tsar. 
 " My dear daughter, Vassilissa Golden Tress, has been 
 borne away by the whirlwind, I know not whither; " 
 and he told everything as it had happened. 
 
 Talk rose among the guests, and the princes and 
 kings' sons thought and talked among themselves. 
 " Is not the Tsar refusing us ; is he not unwilling 
 to let us see his daughter?" They rushed to the 
 chamber of the Tsarevna; nowhere did they find 
 her. 
 
 The Tsar made them presents, gave to each one 
 from his treasure. They mounted their steeds, he 
 conducted them with honor; the bright guests took 
 farewell, and went to their own lands. 
 
 The two young Tsareviches, brave brothers of Vas- 
 silissa Golden Tress, seeing the tears of their father 
 and mother, begged of their parents : " Let us go, 
 
Vassilissa Golden Tress. 127 
 
 our father, bless us, our mother, to find your 
 daughter, our sister." 
 
 " My dear sons, my own children," said the Tsar, 
 without joy, " where will ye go? " 
 
 "We will go, father, everywhere, where a road 
 lies, where a bird flies, where the eyes have vision ; 
 mayhap we shall find her." 
 
 The Tsar gave his blessing, the Tsaritsa prepared 
 them for the journey; they wept, and they parted. 
 
 The two Tsareviches journeyed on. Whether the 
 road was near or far, long in going or short, they did 
 not know. They travelled a year, they travelled two. 
 They passed three kingdoms, lofty mountains were 
 visible and seemed blue; between these mountains 
 were sandy plains, the land of the Savage Serpent. 
 And the Tsareviches inquired of those whom they 
 met had they not heard, had they not seen, where 
 Tsarevna Vassilissa Golden Tress was. And from 
 all the answer was one: "We know not where she 
 is, and we have not heard." 
 
 The Tsar's sons approach a great town; a de- 
 crepit old man stands on the road; crooked-eyed 
 and lame, with a crutch and a bag, he begs alms. 
 The Tsareviches stopped, threw him a silver coin, 
 and asked had he not seen, had he not heard of 
 the Tsarevna Vassilissa Golden Tress, Bareheaded 
 Beauty? 
 
 "Ah! my friend," said the old man, "it is clear 
 that thou art from a strange land. Our ruler, the 
 
128 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Savage Serpent, has forbidden strongly and sternly 
 to speak with men from abroad. We are forbidden 
 under penalty to tell or relate how a whirlwind bore 
 past the town the beautiful princess." 
 
 Now the sons of the Tsar understood that their 
 sister was near. They urged on their restive steeds 
 and approached the castle of gold which stood on a 
 single pillar of silver; over the castle was a curtain 
 of diamonds ; the stairways, mother-of-pearl, opened 
 and closed like wings. 
 
 At this moment Vassilissa the Beautiful was look- 
 ing in sadness through the golden lattice, and she 
 screamed out for joy. She knew her brothers from 
 a distance, just as if her heart had told her. And 
 the Tsarevna sent down in silence to meet them, to 
 bring them to the castle ; the Savage Serpent was 
 absent. 
 
 Vassilissa the Beautiful was wary ; she feared the 
 serpent might see them. They had barely entered 
 when the silver pillar groaned, the stairways opened, 
 all the roofs glittered ; the whole castle began to turn 
 and move. The Tsarevna was frightened, and said to 
 her brothers: "The serpent is coming, the serpent 
 is coming; that's why the castle goes round ! Hide, 
 brothers ! " 
 
 She had barely said this when the Savage Serpent 
 flew in, cried with a thundering voice, and whistled 
 with a hero's whistle : " What living man is here? " 
 
 " We, Savage Serpent," answered the Tsar's sons, 
 
 
Vassilissa Golden Tress. 129 
 
 without fear; "from our birthplace we 've come for 
 our sister." 
 
 " Oh, the young men are here ! " shouted the ser- 
 pent, clapping his wings. " Ye should not die here 
 from me, nor seek your sister to free ; her own broth- 
 ers, champions, are ye, but champions puny I see." 
 And the serpent caught one of them with his wing, 
 struck him against the other, whistled and shouted. 
 The castle guard ran to him, took the dead Tsare- 
 viches, threw them both down a deep ditch. 
 
 The Tsarevna Vassilissa Golden Tress covered 
 herself with tears, took neither food nor drink, would 
 not look on the world. Two days and three passed. 
 It was not right she should die, she did not decide to 
 die ; she took pity on her beauty, took counsel of 
 hunger. On the third day she ate, and was thinking 
 how to free herself from the serpent, and began to 
 gain knowledge by wheedling. 
 
 " Savage Serpent," said she, " great is thy power, 
 mighty thy flight : is it possible that thou hast no foe?" 
 
 " Not yet," replied the serpent ; " it was fated at 
 my birth that my foe should be Ivan Goroh [John 
 Pea] ; and he will be born from a pea." 
 
 The serpent said this in jest; he expected no foe. 
 The strong one relied on his strength ; but the jest 
 came true. 
 
 The mother of Vassilissa Golden Tress was griev- 
 ing because she had no news of her children after 
 the Tsarevna, the Tsareviches, were lost. 
 
 9 
 
130 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 She went one day to walk in the garden with her 
 ladies; the day was hot, she was thirsty. In that 
 garden, from a foot-hill, spring water ran forth in a 
 stream, and above it was a white marble well. They 
 drew, with a golden cup, water pure as a tear. The 
 Tsaritsa was eager to drink, and with the water she 
 swallowed a pea. The pea burst, and the Tsaritsa 
 became heavy; the pea increased and grew. In 
 time the Tsaritsa gave birth to a son ; they called 
 him Ivan Goroh, and he grew, not by the year, but 
 by the hour, smooth and plump ; he is lively, laughs, 
 jumps, springs on the sand, and his strength is grow- 
 ing in him all the time, so that at ten years he was 
 a mighty champion. Then he asked the Tsar and 
 Tsaritsa if he had had many brothers and sisters, and 
 r he heard how it happened that the whirlwind had 
 .borne away his sister, it was unknown whither, how 
 his two brothers had begged to go in search of their 
 sister, and were lost without tidings. 
 
 " Father, mother," begged Ivan Goroh, " let me 
 go too ; give me your blessing to find my brothers 
 and sister." 
 
 "What art thou saying, my child?" asked the 
 Tsar and Tsaritsa at once. " Thou art still green 
 and young ; thy brothers went, they were lost, thou 
 wilt go too and be lost." 
 
 " Mayhap I shall not be lost," said Ivan Goroh. 
 " I want to find my brothers and sister." 
 
 The Tsar and Tsaritsa persuaded and begged their 
 
 
Vassilissa Golden Tress. 131 
 
 dear son, but he craved, cried, and entreated. They 
 prepared him for the road, let him go with tears. 
 
 Ivan Goroh was free. He went out into the open 
 field, travelled one day, travelled another. Toward 
 night he came to a dark forest ; in that forest was a 
 cabin on hen's legs ; from the wind it was shaking and ( > 
 turning. Ivan spoke from the old saying, from his 
 nurse's tale. " Cabin, cabin," said he, " turn thy back 
 to the forest, thy front to me ; " and the cabin turned 
 around to Ivan. Out of the window an old woman was 
 looking, and she asked, " Whom is God bringing?" 
 
 Ivan bowed, and hastened to ask : " Hast thou not 
 seen, grandmother, in what direction the passing 
 whirlwind carries beautiful maidens?" 
 
 " Oh, young man," said she, coughing, and looking 
 at Ivan, " that whirlwind has frightened me too, so 
 that I sit in this cabin a hundred and twenty years, 
 and I go out nowhere ! Maybe he would fly up and 
 sweep me away. That 's not a whirlwind, but the 
 Savage Serpent." 
 
 " How could one go to him? " asked Ivan. 
 
 " What art thou thinking of, my world ? The serpent 
 will swallow thee." 
 
 " Maybe he will not swallow me." 
 
 " See to it, champion, or thou wilt not save thy 
 head. But shouldst thou come back, give me thy 
 word to bring from the serpent's castle water with 
 which, if a man sprinkles himself, he will grow 
 young," said she, moving her teeth beyond measure. 
 
132 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " I will get it, grandmother, I give thee my word." 
 " I believe thee, on conscience ! Go straight to 
 where the sun sets.> In one year thou wilt reach the 
 bald mountain there ; ask for the road to the serpent's 
 kingdom." 
 
 " God save thee, grandmother ! " 
 " There is no reason for thanks, father." 
 Well, Ivan Goroh went to the land where the sun 
 sets. A^story is soon told, but a deed 's not soon 
 done. He passed three kingdoms, and went to the 
 serpent's land ; before the gates of the town he saw a 
 beggar, a lame, blind old man with a crutch, and 
 giving him charity, he asked if the young Tsarevna 
 Vassilissa Golden Tress was in that town. 
 
 " She is, but it is forbidden to say so," answered 
 the beggar. 
 
 Ivan knew that his sister was there ; the good, bold 
 hero became courageous, and went to the palace. 
 At that time Vassilissa Golden Tress was looking out 
 of the window to see if the Savage Serpent was com- 
 ing; and she saw from afar the young champion, 
 wished to know of him, sent quietly to learn from 
 what land he had come, of what stock was he, was 
 he sent by her father or by her own mother. 
 
 Hearing that Ivan, her youngest brother, had come 
 (and she did not know him by sight), Vassilissa ran 
 to him, wet him with tears. " Run, brother, quickly ! " 
 cried she. " The serpent will soon be here ; he will 
 see thee, destroy thee." 
 
Vassilissa Golden Tress. 133 
 
 " My dear sister," answered Ivan, " if another had 
 spoken, I should not have listened. I have no fear 
 of the serpent, no fear of his strength." 
 
 " But art thou Goroh, " asked Vassilissa Golden 
 Tress, " to manage him? " 
 
 " Wait, friend sister ; first give me to drink. I have 
 travelled under heat, I am tired from the road; I 
 want a drink." 
 
 " What dost thou drink, brother?" 
 
 " Three gallons of sweet mead, dear sister." 
 
 Vassilissa gave command to bring a three-gallon 
 measure of sweet mead, and Goroh drank it all at 
 one breath. He asked for another; the Tsarevna 
 gave orders to hurry, looked, and wondered. 
 
 " Well, brother, I did not know thee ; but now I 
 believe that thou art Ivan Goroh ! " 
 
 " Let me sit down a moment to rest from the 
 road." 
 
 Vassilissa gave command to bring a strong chair ; 
 but the chair broke under Ivan, flew into bits. They 
 brought another all bound with iron, and that one 
 cracked and bent. " Oh, brother," cried Vassilissa, 
 " that is the chair of the Savage Serpent ! " 
 
 " Now it is clear that I am heavier than he," said 
 Goroh, laughing. 
 
 He rose and went on the street, went from the 
 castle to the forge ; there he ordered the old sage, 
 the serpent's blacksmith, to forge him an iron club of 
 nine tons weight. The blacksmith hastened the work. 
 
1 34 Russian Myths and Folk - Tales. 
 
 They hammered the iron ; night and day the hammers 
 thundered, the sparks just flying. In forty hours the 
 work was done. Fifty men were barely able to carry 
 the club; but Ivan Goroh, seizing it in one hand, 
 hurled the club to the sky: it flew, roared like a 
 storm, whirled above the clouds, vanished from the 
 eye. All the people ran trembling from terror, 
 thinking if that club falls on the town, it will break 
 the walls and crush the people ; if it falls in the sea, 
 it will raise the sea and flood the town. But Ivan 
 Goroh went quietly to the castle, and gave com- 
 mand to tell when the club was coming. The people 
 ran from the square, looked from under the gate, 
 looked out of windows. " Is n't the club coming? " 
 They waited an hour, they waited two ; the third hour 
 they ran to say that the club was coming. Goroh 
 sprang to the square, put forth his hand, caught 
 the club as it came, bent not himself, but the iron 
 bent on the palm of his hand. Ivan took the club, 
 pressed it against his knee, straightened it, went to 
 the castle. 
 
 All at once a terrible whistling was heard, the 
 Savage Serpent was racing; Whirlwind, his steed, 
 flying like an arrow, breathes fire. The serpent in 
 shape is a champion, but his head is the head of a 
 serpent. When he flies, the whole castle quivers ; 
 when he is ten versts distant, it begins to whirl and 
 dance. But now the castle moves not : it is clear that 
 some one is sitting inside. The serpent grew thought- 
 
Vassilissa Golden Tress. 135 
 
 ful, whistled, shouted ; the whirlwind steed shook his 
 dark mane, opened his broad wings, reared and 
 roared. 
 
 The serpent flew up to the castle, but the castle 
 moves not. " Ho ! " roared the Savage Serpent, 
 " it is plain there is a foe. Is not Goroh at my 
 house?" Soon came the champion. " I '11 put thee 
 on the palm of one hand, and slap with the other: 
 they won't find thy bones." 
 
 " We shall see," said Ivan Goroh. 
 
 He went out with his club, and the serpent cried 
 from his whirlwind: " Take thy place in a hurry." 
 
 " Take thy own place, Savage Serpent," said Ivan, 
 and raised his club. 
 
 The Savage Serpent flew up to strike Ivan, to 
 pierce him with his spear, and missed. Goroh 
 sprang to one side, did not stagger. 
 
 " Now I '11 finish thee ! " roared Goroh. Raising his 
 club, he struck the serpent a blow that tore him to 
 pieces, scattered him; the club went across the earth, 
 went through two kingdoms into a third. 
 
 The people hurled up their caps and saluted Ivan 
 Tsar. But Ivan seeing the wise blacksmith, as a 
 reward for having made the club quickly, he called 
 up the old man and said to the people : " Here is 
 your head ; obey him while doing good, as before ye 
 obeyed the Savage Serpent for evil." 
 
 Ivan got also the water of life and the water of 
 death, sprinkled his brothers ; they rose up, rubbed 
 
136 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 their eyes and thought, " We slept long ; God knows 
 what has happened." 
 
 " Without me you would have slept forever, my 
 dear brothers," said Ivan Goroh, pressing them to his 
 restive heart. 
 
 He did not forget to take the serpent's water ; he 
 made a ship, and on the Swan's river sailed with Vas- 
 silissa Golden Tress to his own land through three 
 kingdoms into the fourth. He did not forget the old 
 woman in the cabin ; lie let her wash in the serpent's 
 water. She turned into a young woman, began to 
 sing and dance, ran out after Goroh, and conducted 
 him to the road. 
 
 His father and mother met him with joy and honor. 
 They sent messengers to all lands with tidings that 
 their daughter Vassilissa had returned. In the town 
 there was ringing, and in the ears triple ringing ; trum- 
 pets sounded, drums were beaten, guns thundered. 
 
 A bridegroom came to Vassilissa, and a bride was 
 found for the Tsarevich ; they had four crowns made, 
 and celebrated two weddings. At the rejoicing, at 
 the gladness, there was a feast as a mountain, and 
 mead a river. 
 
 The grandfathers of grandfathers were there ; they 
 drank mead, and it came to us, flowed on our mus- 
 taches, but reached not our mouths. Only it be- 
 came known that Ivan, after the death of his father, 
 received the crown, and ruled the land with renown ; 
 and age after age the name of Goroh was famous. 
 
 
THE RING WITH TWELVE SCREWS. 
 
 THERE lived in a village a son with his mother, 
 and the mother was a very old woman. The 
 son was called Ivan the Fool. They lived in a poor 
 little cottage with one window, and in great poverty. 
 Such was their poverty that besides dry bread they 
 ate almost nothing, and sometimes they had not even 
 the dry bread. The mother would sit and spin, and 
 Ivan the Fool would lie on the stove, roll in the ashes, 
 and never wipe his nose. His mother would say to 
 him time and again : " Ivanushka, thou art sitting 
 there with thy nose unwiped. Why not go some- 
 where, even to the public-house? Some kind man 
 may come along and take thee to work. Thou 
 wouldst have even a bit of bread, while at home here 
 we have nothing to keep the life in us." 
 
 " Very well, I'll go," said Ivan. He rose up and 
 went to the public-house. On the way a man met 
 him. 
 
 " Where art thou going, Ivan? " 
 
 " I am going to hire out to work." 
 
 " Come, work for me ; I '11 give thee such and such 
 wages, and other things too." 
 
 Ivan agreed. He went to work. 
 
138 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 The man had a dog with whelps; one of the 
 whelps pleased Ivan greatly, and he trained it. A 
 year passed, and the time came to pay wages for the 
 work. The man was giving Ivan money, but he 
 answered: "I need not thy money; give me that 
 whelp of thine that I trained." 
 
 The man was glad that he had not to pay money, 
 and gave the whelp. 
 
 Ivan went home ; and when his mother found what 
 he had done, she began to cry, saying: " All people 
 are people, but thou art a fool ; we had nothing to 
 eat, and now there is another life to support." 
 
 Ivan the Fool said nothing, sat on the stove with 
 unwiped nose, rolling in the ashes, and the whelp 
 with him. Some time passed ; whether it was short or 
 long, his mother said again : " Why art thou sitting 
 there without sense ; why not go to the public-house? 
 Some good man may come along and hire thee." 
 
 " Very good, I '11 go," said the Fool. 
 
 He took his dog and started. A man met him on 
 the road. 
 
 "Where art thou going, Ivan? " 
 
 " To find service," said he ; " to hire out." 
 
 " Come, work for me." 
 
 " Very well," said Ivan. 
 
 They agreed, and Ivan went again to work; and 
 that man had a cat with kittens. One of the kittens 
 pleased the Fool, and he trained it. The time came 
 for payment. 
 
. The Ring with Twelve Screws. 139 
 
 Ivan the Fool said to this man : " I need not thy 
 money, but give me that kitten." 
 
 " If thou wilt have it," said the man. 
 
 Now the Fool went home, and his mother cried 
 more than before. " All people are people, but thou 
 wert born a fool. We had nothing to eat, and now 
 we must support two useless lives ! " 
 
 It was bitter for Ivan to hear this. He took his 
 dog and cat and went out into the field. He saw in 
 the middle of the field a fire burning in a great pile 
 of wood, such an awful pile of wood! When he 
 drew nearer he saw that a snake was squirming in it, 
 burning on hot coals. 
 
 The snake screamed to him in a human voice: 
 " Oh, Ivan the Fool, save me ! I will give thee a 
 great ransom for my life." 
 
 Ivan took a stick and raised the snake out of the 
 fire. 
 
 When he had thrown it out, there stood before 
 him, not a snake, but a beautiful maiden; and she 
 said : " Thanks to thee, Ivanushka. Thou hast done 
 me great service ; I will do thee still greater. We will 
 go," said she, " to my mother. She will offer thee 
 copper money : do not take it, because it is coals, and 
 not money; she will offer thee silver coin: do not 
 take that either, for that will be chips, and not sil- 
 ver ; she will bring out to thee gold : take not even 
 that, because instead of gold it is potsherds and 
 broken bricks. But ask of her in reward the ring 
 
140 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 with twelve screws. It will be hard for her to give it; 
 but be firm, she will give it for my sake." 
 
 Behold, all took place as she said. Though the 
 old woman grew very angry, she gave the ring. Ivan 
 was going along through the field, thinking, " What 
 shall I do with this ring?" 
 
 He was looking at it, when that same young girl 
 caught up with him and said : " Ivan, whatever thou 
 wishest, thou wilt have. Only stand in the evening 
 on the threshold, loosen all the twelve screws, and 
 before thee twelve thousand men will appear: what- 
 ever thou wishest, command ; all will be done." 
 
 Ivan went home, said nothing to his mother, sat 
 on the stove, lay in the ashes with unwiped nose. 
 Evening came ; they lay down to sleep. 
 
 Ivan waited for the hour, went on the threshold, 
 unscrewed the twelve screws, and twelve thousand 
 men stood before him. " Thou art our master, we 
 are thy men : declare thy soul's desire." 
 
 Said Ivan to the men : " Have it made that on this 
 very spot a castle shall stand such as there is not in 
 the world, and that I sleep on a bedstead of gold, on 
 down of swans, and that my mother sleep in like 
 manner; that coachmen, outriders, servants, and all 
 kinds of powerful people be walking in my court and 
 serving me." 
 
 " Lie down for .thyself in God's name," said the 
 men ; " all will be done at thy word." 
 
 Ivan the Fool woke up next morning, and was 
 
The Ring with Twelve Screws. 141 
 
 frightened even himself. He looked around; he 
 was sleeping on a golden bedstead on down of 
 swans, and there were lofty chambers and so rich 
 that even the Tsar had not such. In the courtyard 
 were walking coachmen, outriders, servants, and all 
 kinds of mighty and important people who were 
 serving him. The Fool was amazed, and thought, 
 " This is good." He looked in the mirror, and did 
 not know his own self; he had become a beauty that 
 could not be described with a pen or be told of in 
 a tale. As was fitting, the lord was as fine as his 
 chambers. 
 
 When the Tsar woke up at the same hour, and 
 the Tsar lived in that town, he looked, and behold 
 opposite his palace stood a castle just gleaming in 
 gold. 
 
 The Tsar sent to learn whose it was. "Let the 
 owner come to me," said he, " and show what sort of 
 man he is." 
 
 They informed Ivan, and he said : " Tell him that 
 this is the castle of Ivan Tsarevich ; and if he wants 
 to see me, he is not so great a lord, let him come 
 himself." 
 
 There was no help for it. The Tsar had to go to 
 Ivan the Fool's castle. They became acquainted, 
 and after that Ivan the Fool went to the Tsar. The 
 Tsar had a most beautiful young Tsarevna of a 
 daughter, and she brought refreshments to Ivan ; and 
 right there she pleased him greatly, and straightway 
 
142 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 he begged the Tsar to give her in marriage to him. 
 Now the Tsar in his turn began to put on airs. 
 
 " Give her, why not give her? But thou, Ivan 
 Tsarevich, perform a service for me. My daughter is 
 not of common stock, and therefore she must marry 
 only the very best among the whole people. Ar- 
 range this for me, that from thy castle to mine there 
 be a golden road, and that I have a bridge over the 
 river, not a common one, but such a bridge that 
 one side shall be of gold, and the other of silver; and 
 let all kinds of rare birds be swimming on the river, 
 geese and swans; and on the other side of the river 
 let there be a church, not a simple one, but one 
 all wax, and let there grow around it wax apple- 
 trees and bear ripe apples. If thou do this, my 
 daughter shall be thine ; and if not, blame thyself." 
 (" Well," thought the Tsar, " I have joked enough with 
 Ivan Tsarevich ; " but he kept his own counsel.) 
 
 " Agreed," said Ivan. " Now do thou make ready 
 the wedding to-morrow." With that he departed. 
 
 In the evening, when all had lain down to sleep, he 
 stood on the threshold, unscrewed all the screws in 
 the ring : twelve thousand men stood before him. 
 
 " Thou art our master, we are thy men : command 
 what thy soul desires." 
 
 " Thus and thus," said he ; "I want this and that." 
 
 " All right," said they; " lie down with God." 
 
 In the morning the Tsar woke up, went to the win- 
 dow; but his eyes were dazzled. He sprang back 
 
The Ring witli Twelve Screws. 143 
 
 six paces. That meant that the bridge was there, 
 one side silver, the other gold, just blazing and shin- 
 ing. On the river were geese and swans and every 
 rare bird. On the opposite bank stood a church of 
 white wax, and around the church apple-trees, but 
 without leaves ; the naked branches were sticking up. 
 
 "Well," thought the Tsar, " the trick has failed; 
 we must prepare our daughter for the wedding." 
 
 They arrayed her and drove to the church. 
 When they were driving from the palace, buds began 
 to come out on the apple-trees; when they were 
 crossing the bridge, the apple-trees were coming into 
 leaf; when they were driving up to the church, white 
 blossoms were bursting forth on the trees ; and when 
 the time came to go home from the marriage cere- 
 mony, the servants and all kinds of people met them, 
 gave them ripe apples on a golden salver. Then 
 they began to celebrate the wedding. Feasts and 
 balls were given ; they had a feast which lasted three 
 days and three nights. 
 
 After that, whether it was a short time or a long 
 one, the Tsarevna began to tease Ivan. "Tell me, 
 my dear husband, how dost thou do all this? How 
 dost thou build a bridge in one night, and a wax 
 church?" 
 
 Ivan the Fool would not tell her for a long time ; 
 but as he loved her very much, and she begged very 
 hard, he said : " I have a ring with twelve screws, and 
 it must be handled in such and such fashion." 
 
144 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Well, they lived on. The misery of the matter 
 was this : one of their servants pleased the Tsarevna, 
 he was a fine-looking, shapely, strong fellow, and 
 she conspired with him to rob her husband, take 
 away the ring, and the two would then go to live 
 beyond the sea. 
 
 As soon as evening came she took out the ring 
 quietly, stood on the threshold, and unscrewed the 
 twelve screws: twelve thousand men stood before 
 her. 
 
 " Thou art our mistress, we are thy men : command 
 what thy soul desires." 
 
 She said : " Take this castle for me and bear it 
 beyond the sea, with all that is in it; and on this 
 spot let the old cabin stand, with my ragged husband, 
 Ivan the Fool, inside." 
 
 " Lie down with God," said the men ; " all will be 
 done on thy word." 
 
 Next morning Ivan woke up, looked around. He 
 was lying on a bark mat, covered with a ragged coat, 
 and not a sign of his castle. He began to cry bit- 
 terly, and went to the Tsar, his father-in-law. He 
 came to the palace, asked to announce to the Tsar 
 that his son-in-law had come. When the Tsar saw 
 him he said : " Oh, thou this and that kind of 
 breechesless fellow, what son-in-law art thou to me? 
 My sons-in-law live in golden chambers and ride in 
 silver carriages. Take him and wall him up in a 
 stone pillar." 
 
The Ring with Twelve Screws. 145' 
 
 It was commanded and done. They took Ivan and 
 walled him up in a stone pillar. But the cat and 
 the dog did not leave him, they were there too, 
 and dug out a hole for themselves ; through the hole 
 they gave food to Ivan. But one time they thought : 
 " Why do we sit here, dog and cat, with folded hands? 
 Let 's run beyond the sea and get the ring." 
 
 As they decided to do that, they did it. They 
 swam through the sea, found their castle. The 
 Tsarevna was walking in the garden with the servant, 
 laughing at her husband. 
 
 " Well, do thou remain .here a while, and I '11 go to 
 the chamber and get the ring," said the cat ; and she 
 went her way, mi-au, mi-au, under the door. The 
 Tsarevna heard her, and said : " Ah, here is that 
 scoundrel's cat; let her in and feed her." They 
 let her in and fed her. The cat walked through 
 the chambers all the time and looked for the ring. 
 She saw on the stove a glass box, and in the box 
 the ring. 
 
 The cat was delighted. " Glory be to God ! " 
 thought she. " Now only wait for night; I '11 get the 
 ring, and then for home ! " 
 
 When all had lain down, the cat sprang on to the 
 stove and threw down the glass box ; it fell, and was 
 broken. She caught the ring in her mouth and hid 
 under the door. All in the house were roused ; the 
 Tsarevna herself got up, and saw that the box was 
 broken. 
 
 10 
 
146 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Oh ! " said she, " it must be the cat of that 
 scoundrel broke it. Drive her out; drive her out ! " 
 
 They chased out the cat, and she was glad ; she ran 
 to the dog. 
 
 " Well, brother dog," said she, " I have the ring. 
 Now if we could only get home quickly ! " 
 
 They swam through the sea, were a long time 
 swimming. When the dog was tired, he sat on the 
 cat ; when the cat was tired, she sat on the dog ; and 
 so they worked on and it was not far from land. But 
 the dog was growing weak. The cat saw this, and 
 said, " Sit thou on me ; thou art tired." The minute 
 she said this the ring fell out of her mouth into the 
 water. What was to be done? They swam to shore 
 and wept tears. Meanwhile they grew hungry. The 
 dog ran through the field and caught sparrows for 
 himself, and the cat ran along the shore catching 
 little fish thrown up by the waves; that was how 
 she fed herself. 
 
 But all at once the cat cried out: " Oh, thou dog, 
 come here quickly to me ; I have found the ring ! I 
 caught a fish, began to eat it, and in the fish was the 
 ring." 
 
 Now they were both powerfully glad ; they ran to 
 Ivan and brought him the ring. 
 
 Ivan waited till evening, unscrewed all the twelve 
 screws, and twelve thousand men stood before him. 
 
 " Thou art our master, we are thy men : tell us to 
 do what thy soul desires." 
 
The Ring with Twelve Screws. 147 
 
 " Break in a minute this stone pillar so that dust 
 from it shall not remain; and from beyond the sea 
 bring hither my castle with all who are in it, and 
 every one as sleeping now, and put it in the old 
 place." 
 
 Straightway all this was done. In the morning 
 Ivan went to his father-in-law. The Tsar met him, 
 seated him in the first place, and said : " Where hast 
 thou been pleased to pass thy time, my dear son- 
 in-law?" 
 
 " I was beyond the sea," said Ivan. 
 
 "That's it," said the Tsar, " beyond the sea. Tis 
 clear that thou hadst pressing business, for thou didst 
 not come to take farewell of thy father-in-law. But 
 while thou wert gone, some sort of bare-legged fellow 
 came to me and called himself my son-in-law. I 
 gave command to wall him up in a stone pillar; he 
 has perished there, doubtless. Well, beloved son-in- 
 law, where hast thou been pleased to spend thy time ; 
 what sights hast thou seen ? " 
 
 " I have seen," said Ivan, " various sights ; and 
 beyond the sea there was an affair of such kind that 
 no man knew how to settle it." 
 
 "What was the affair?" 
 
 " Well, this is the kind of affair it was ; and if thou 
 art a wise man, decide it according to thy wisdom of 
 Tsar : A husband had a wife, and while he was liv- 
 ing she found a sweetheart for herself; she robbed 
 her husband, and went away with the sweetheart 
 
148 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 beyond the sea; and now she is with that man. 
 What, to thy thinking, should be done with that 
 wife?" 
 
 " According to my wisdom of Tsar I will utter the 
 following sentence: Tie them both to the tails of 
 horses, and let the horses loose in the open field, 
 let that be their punishment." 
 
 " If that is thy judgment, very well," said Ivan. 
 " Come with me as a guest; I will show thee other 
 sights and another wonder." 
 
 They went to Ivan's castle, and found there the 
 Tsar's daughter and the servant. As Ivan had com- 
 manded, they were still asleep. 
 
 There was no help for it ; according to the word of 
 the Tsar they tied them both to the tails of horses 
 and urged the horses into the open field, that was 
 their punishment. But Ivan afterwards married 
 that beautiful, most beautiful maiden whom he had 
 saved from the fire, and they began to live and win 
 wealth. 
 
THE FOOTLESS AND THE BLIND. 
 
 IN a certain kingdom, in a certain state, lived a 
 terrible Tsar. He was famed through all lands, 
 a terror to kings and princes. The Tsar took a 
 thought to marry, and published an order in every 
 town and village that whoever would find him a 
 bride ruddier than the sun, fairer than the moon, and 
 whiter than snow, would be rewarded with countless 
 wealth. The report of this went through the whole 
 kingdom ; and from small to great, all were talking 
 and thinking, but no one offered to find such a 
 beauty. 
 
 Not far from the king's castle was a large brewery. 
 The working-men came together for some reason, 
 and began to say that a man might get much money 
 from the Tsar, but where could such a bride be 
 found ? 
 
 "Well, brothers," said a man, Nikita Koltoma by 
 name, " no one can find a bride for the Tsar without 
 my help ; but if I undertake it, then he will find her 
 without fail." 
 
 "What art thou boasting of, thou fool? How 
 couldst thou do that deed? There are famous and 
 rich people, not the like of us, and they are afraid. 
 
150 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Thou couldst not do it in a dream, much less in thy 
 senses." 
 
 " Well, say what ye please ; but I have faith in 
 myself," said he, " and I '11 get her." 
 
 " Ah, Nikita, don't boast ; thou knowest our Tsar 
 is terrible, and for an empty boast he will put thee 
 to death." 
 
 "He won't put me to death; he will reward me 
 with money." 
 
 They reported these speeches to the Tsar himself. 
 He was delighted, and gave command to bring Nikita 
 before his bright eyes. The soldiers ran, seized 
 Nikita Koltoma, and hurried him to the palace. His 
 comrades called after him : "Well, brother, thou 
 hast said it; thou thinkest to joke with the Tsar: go 
 now and give answer." 
 
 They brought Nikita to the great palace, and the 
 terrible Tsar said to him : " Thou, Nikita, dost boast 
 that thou art able to find me a bride ruddier than 
 the sun, fairer than the moon, and whiter than 
 snow." 
 
 " I can, your Majesty." 
 
 " Very well, brother. If thou wilt do me that ser- 
 vice, I will reward thee with countless treasure and 
 make thee first minister ; but if thou hast lied, I have 
 a sword, and thy head leaves thy shoulders." 
 
 "I am glad to serve thee, Great Tsar; but com- 
 mand that I have a holiday for a whole month." 
 
 The Tsar consented, and gave over his own signa- 
 
The Footless and the Blind. 151 
 
 ture an open order to Nikita, commanding that in 
 all eating-houses and inns they should give him 
 gratis all kinds of food and drink. 
 
 Nikita went through the capital to enjoy himself. 
 Whatever in he entered, he showed the paper; 
 immediately they brought him everything that his 
 soul desired. He caroused one day, a second, a 
 third ; a week, a second, a third week. And now the 
 term is passed ; 't is time to go to the Tsar. 
 
 Nikita took farewell of his friends, went to the 
 palace, and asked the Tsar to collect for him twelve 
 brave youths, the same in stature, in hair, and in 
 voice, and to prepare besides thirteen white woven 
 tents with golden embroidery. Everything was soon 
 ready; the young men were collected at once, and 
 the tents made. 
 
 " Now, Great Tsar," said Nikita, " get ready, and 
 we will go for the bride." 
 
 They saddled their good steeds, packed the tents 
 
 on the horses. After that they had a prayer in the 
 
 church, took leave of the people of the town, sat on 
 
 their steeds, and galloped away ; nothing but a pillar 
 
 of dust behind them. They travelled one day, a 
 
 second, and a third. In the open field was a forge. 
 
 . Said Nikita : " Go straight ahead with God, and \ 
 
 will run into the forge and smoke a pipe." He en- 
 
 \ tered the forge ; fifteen blacksmiths were forging 
 
 iron inside, striking with their hammers. 
 
 " God aid you, brothers ! " 
 
152 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " God save thee, good man ! " 
 
 " Make me a staff fifteen poods 1 weight." 
 
 " To make it we are not unwilling ; but who will 
 turn the iron? Fifteen poods are no joke." 
 
 " That is nothing, brothers ; you beat with the 
 hammers, and I '11 turn the iron." 
 
 The blacksmiths went to work and forged an iron 
 staff of fifteen poods. Nikita took the rod, went out 
 into the field, and threw it up ninety feet, held out 
 his hand ; the iron staff fell on his hand, but was not 
 equal to the strength of the hero, it broke in two. 
 Nikita Koltoma paid the blacksmiths for their work, 
 threw the broken rod to them, and rode away. He 
 caught up with his comrades. They travelled three 
 days more; again there was a forge in the open field. 
 
 " Go on, I will enter this forge," said Nikita. He 
 went into the forge. Twenty-five blacksmiths were 
 working inside, forging iron, pounding with their 
 hammers. 
 
 " God aid thee, boys ! " 
 
 "'God save thee, good man! " 
 
 " Make me a staff twenty-five poods in weight." 
 
 " To forge is no trouble ; but where is the man with 
 strength to turn so much iron?" 
 
 " I will turn it myself." 
 
 He took the twenty-five poods weight of iron, 
 heated it red hot, and turned it on the anvil while 
 the blacksmiths pounded with their hammers. They 
 1 One pood = 36 pounds. 
 
The Footless and the Blind. 153 
 
 made a staff twenty-five poods in weight. Nikita 
 took that staff, went out into the open field, threw it 
 up one hundred and fifty feet, and held out his hand : 
 the staff struck the hero's hand and broke in two. 
 
 " No, this will not do," said Nikita. He paid for 
 the work, sat on his horse, and rode away. He over- 
 took his comrades. They travelled a day, a second, 
 and a third. Again there was a forge in the open field. 
 
 " Go on," said Nikita; "I will smoke a pipe in 
 this forge." 
 
 He entered the forge, where fifty blacksmiths were 
 tormenting an old man. A gray-haired old man was 
 lying on the anvil ; ten men were holding him with 
 pincers by the beard, and forty men were pounding 
 him on the sides with hammers. 
 
 ' " Have pity on me, brothers ! " cried the old man, 
 with all his strength. " Leave the life in me to do 
 penance ! " 
 
 " God aid you ! " said Nikita. 
 
 " God aid thee, good man ! " said the blacksmiths. 
 
 " Why are ye tormenting the old man? " 
 
 " Because he owes each one of us a rouble, and he 
 will not pay it. Why should n't we beat him? " 
 
 "What an unfortunate man," thought Nikita; "for 
 ' fifty roubles he suffers such torment ! " And he said 
 to the blacksmiths : " Listen, brothers : I '11 pay you 
 for him ; let the old man go." 
 
 " Agreed, good man ; it is all the same to us from 
 whom we get the money, so that we have it." 
 
154 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Nikita took out fifty roubles. The blacksmiths 
 took the money, and the moment they freed the old 
 man out of the iron pincers, he vanished from the 
 eye. Nikita looked. " But where is the old man? " 
 
 " Oh, look for him now ; he is a wizard ! " 
 
 Nikita ordered them to forge an iron staff of fifty 
 poods. He hurled it up three hundred feet, and 
 held out his hand : the staff stood the test, did not 
 break. " This will do," said Nikita, and rode off to 
 overtake his comrades. All at once he heard a voice 
 behind him. Nikita Koltoma stopped; he looked 
 around, and saw the same old man running after him. 
 
 " Thanks to thee," said the old man, " for saving 
 me from cruel torture; I suffered that misery for 
 thirty years exactly. Here is a present to remember 
 me by, take it; it will be of use to thee; " and he 
 gave him a cap of invisibility. " Just put it on thy 
 head ; no man will see thee." 
 
 Nikita took the cap, thanked the old man, and 
 galloped on. He overtook his comrades, and all 
 rode together. Whether it was long or short, near 
 or far, they came to a castle ; around the castle was a 
 great iron paling ; there was no way to enter, on foot 
 or on horseback. The terrible Tsar said: "Well, 
 brother Nikita, there is no passage farther." 
 
 Nikita Koltoma answered : " Why not, Great Tsar? 
 I '11 go through the whole world but I '11 find thee a 
 bride. This paling is no stop to us. Now, boys, 
 break the paling; open the gate to the wide court ! " 
 
The Footless and the Blind. 155 
 
 The good youths came down from their horses 
 and went at the paling ; but no matter what they did, 
 they could not break it, it stood fast. 
 
 "Oh, brothers," said Nikita, "ye sail in shallow 
 water ! No use in my depending on you ; I must 
 work myself." 
 
 Nikita sprang from his horse, went to the paling, 
 took it with his heroic hand, pulled once, the whole 
 paling was on the ground. The terrible Tsar and the 
 young men rode in on the broad court, and there on 
 the green meadow they put up their white woven, 
 gold-embroidered tents, ate what God sent them, lay 
 down, and from weariness slept a sound sleep. Each 
 one had a tent, but there was none for Nikita Kol- 
 toma ; he found three worn bark mats, made himself 
 a little hut, lay down on the bare ground. As to 
 sleeping, he slept not ; he waited for what would be. 
 
 At the morning dawn Yelena the Beautiful woke 
 up in her chamber, looked out through her lattice- 
 window, and saw that thirteen white woven tents 
 were standing on her green meadow, and in front of 
 all a small hut of bark rugs. 
 
 "What is this?" thought the Tsarevna; "whence 
 have these guests come? See, the iron paling is 
 broken ! " 
 
 Yelena the Beautiful was terribly enraged; she 
 called her powerful, mighty hero, and said : " To 
 horse this minute ! Ride to the tents and give all 
 those disobedient scoundrels to a cruel death ; throw 
 
156 Russian Myths and Folk-Tales. 
 
 their bodies over the fence, and bring the tents to 
 me." 
 
 The powerful, mighty hero saddled his good steed, 
 put on his battle-armor, and went toward the un- 
 bidden guests. Nikita Koltoma saw him. " Who 
 goes?" asked he. 
 
 " And who art thou, rude fellow, that askest? " 
 
 These words did not please Nikita. He sprang 
 out of his hut, caught the hero by the foot, dragged 
 him from the horse to the damp earth, raised his iron 
 staff of fifty poods, gave him one blow, and said : 
 " Go now to thy Tsarevna, tell her to stop her pride, 
 not to waste her men, but to marry our terrible 
 Tsar." 
 
 The hero galloped back, glad that Nikita had left 
 him alive, came to the castle, and said to the Tsa- 
 revna: "Men of immeasurable strength have come 
 to our place. They ask thee for their terrible Tsar 
 in marriage, and commanded me to tell thee to put 
 an end to thy pride, not to waste thy army in vain, 
 and to marry their Tsar." 
 
 When Yelena the Beautiful heard such bold 
 speeches she was roused. She summoned her great, 
 mighty heroes, and began to command them all: 
 " My trusty servants, assemble a countless army, take 
 down these white tents, kill these unbidden guests, 
 that the dust of them be not here." 
 
 The great, mighty heroes did not stop long. They 
 collected a countless army, sat on their heroic steeds, 
 
The Footless and the Blind. 157 
 
 and bore down on the white woven, gold-embroidered 
 tents. 
 
 As soon as they came to the bark hut, Nikita 
 Koltoma sprang out before them, took his iron staff 
 of fifty poods, and began to wave it at them in 
 different directions. In a little while he had killed 
 the whole army, and of the great, mighty heroes he 
 left but one alive. " Go," said he, " to thy Tsarevna, 
 Yelena the Beautiful, and tell her not to waste her 
 army further. She cannot frighten us with armies. 
 Now I have fought with you alone ; what will happen 
 to your kingdom when my comrades wake? We will 
 not leave a stone upon a stone ; we will scatter every- 
 thing over the open field." 
 
 The hero returned to the Tsarevna and said : " Thy 
 whole army is slain ; against such champions no 
 power can avail." Yelena the Beautiful sent to invite 
 the terrible Tsar to the castle, and then ordered that 
 the sharp arrow be ready ; went herself to meet the 
 guests with grace, with honor. The Tsarevna moves 
 on to , meet them, and behind her fifty men are 
 bearing the bow and the arrow. Nikita Koltoma 
 saw that that was a hero's bow, and knew at once 
 that it was intended to treat them to the arrow. 
 He put on the cap of invisibility, drew the bow, 
 and aimed the arrow at the Tsarevna's chamber. In 
 one moment he knocked off the whole top of her 
 castle. 
 
 There was no help for her now. Yelena the Beau- 
 
158 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 tiful took the terrible Tsar by the hand, led him to 
 the white-walled chambers, seated him and his men 
 at the oaken tables with the spread cloths. They 
 began to drink, to eat and rejoice. In the chambers 
 were wonderful ornaments; the whole world might 
 be searched, and the like wouldst thou find nowhere. 
 
 After dinner Nikita said to the terrible Tsar: 
 " Does the young woman please thee, or shall we 
 go for another? " 
 
 " No, Nikita, there is no use in travelling for noth- 
 ing; there is not a better than this in the whole 
 world." 
 
 " Well, then, marry now she is in our hands. But 
 look out, Great Tsar, don't be caught napping. 
 The first three nights she will try thy strength ; she 
 will put her hand on thee and press mightily, might- 
 ily : thou canst not endure it in any way. At these 
 times hurry out of the chamber; I '11 take thy place 
 and soon tame her." 
 
 They set about the wedding, and Tsars have not 
 to make mead or wine ; all was on hand. They had 
 the wedding, and the terrible Tsar went to the cham- 
 ber of Yelena the Beautiful. He reclined on a 
 couch. 
 
 Yelena put her hand on his breast and asked : " Is 
 my hand heavy? " 
 
 "It is as heavy as a feather on water," answered 
 the terrible Tsar ; but he could barely draw breath, 
 so had she pressed his breast. "Wait, I have for- 
 
The Footless and the Blind. 159 
 
 gotten to give an order; I must give it now." He 
 left the chamber. 
 
 Nikita was standing at the door outside. " Well, 
 brother, thou didst speak truly ; she came very near 
 putting the breath out of me." 
 
 " Never mind, I'll settle the matter; stay here." 
 
 Nikita entered the dark chamber, lay on the 
 couch. Yelena thought the Tsar had returned. She 
 put her hand on his breast, pressed and pressed ; 
 could do nothing. She put on both hands, and 
 pressed more than before. Nikita Koltoma, like a 
 man in sleep, caught her and hurled her to the floor, 
 so that the whole castle shook. The Tsarevna got 
 up, went quietly to her bed, and fell asleep. 
 
 Now Nikita slipped out to the Tsar and said: 
 " Go in boldly ; she will do nothing till to-morrow." 
 
 With Nikita's aid the Tsar escaped the second and 
 the third time, and then lived as was proper with 
 Yelena the Beautiful. Neither a long nor a short 
 time passed, but Yelena the Beautiful discovered that 
 the terrible Tsar had deceived her, that his strength 
 was not great, that people were laughing at her, 
 that Nikita was the man who had conquered her. 
 She was in a terrible rage, and hid in her heart a 
 cruel revenge. 
 
 The Tsar had in mind to go to his own kingdom, 
 and said : " We have stayed here long enough ; it is 
 time to go home. Make ready for the road." 
 
 They prepared to go by the sea, and had a ship 
 
160 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales, 
 
 laden with various precious things. They went on 
 board, and sailed out on the sea; sailed one day, 
 sailed a second, then a third. The Tsar was de- 
 lighted ; he could not rejoice sufficiently that he was 
 taking home a Tsaritsa ruddier than the sun, fairer 
 than the moon, whiter than snow. But Yelena the 
 Beautiful was thinking her own thought, thinking 
 how to pay for the insult. 
 
 At that time an heroic slumber overcame Nikita, 
 and he slept for twelve whole days and nights. When 
 the Tsaritsa saw Nikita in this sleep, she summoned 
 her trusty servants, commanded them to cut off his 
 legs to the knee, put him in a boat, and push him 
 out into the sea. Before her eyes they cut off the legs 
 of the sleeping Nikita, put him in a boat, and pushed 
 him out to sea. 
 
 On the thirteenth day poor Nikita woke. He 
 looked around, water everywhere; he was lying 
 without feet, and no trace of the ship. 
 
 Meanwhile the ship sailed on, sailed on. At last the 
 harbor was before them. The cannon thundered, the 
 people ran together. The merchants and boyars met 
 the Tsar with bread and salt, and congratulated him 
 on his marriage. The Tsar called guests, gave feasts, 
 and forgot to think of Nikita. Little time had he left 
 to rejoice. Yelena the Beautiful soon seized his king- 
 dom, took the management of all to herself, and forced 
 him to herd pigs. The wrath of the Tsaritsa was not 
 allayed with this ; she gave command to make search 
 
The Footless and the Blind. 161 
 
 on every side for relatives of Nikita Koltoma, and if 
 any were found to bring them to the palace. 
 
 Messengers galloped and searched everywhere. 
 They found a brother of Nikita, Timofei Koltoma ; 
 they brought him to the palace. Yelena the Beautiful 
 gave command to take out his eyes and drive him 
 from the town, 
 
 When they had blinded Timofei they led him out- 
 side the town and left him in the open field. The 
 blind man dragged along, found his way by feeling ; 
 he went and went, till he came to the sea-shore, 
 advanced a step or two, and felt water under his feet. 
 He halted, stood on one spot, moved neither back- 
 ward nor forward ; he was afraid to go. All at once 
 the boat with Nikita was borne toward the shore. 
 Nikita saw a man, was rejoiced, and called to him : 
 " Ei ! good'man; help me to land." 
 
 The blind man answered : " Gladly would I help 
 thee, but I cannot. I am without eyes; I see 
 nothing." 
 
 " But whence art thou, and what is thy name? " 
 
 " I am Timofei Koltoma. The new Tsaritsa, Yelena 
 the Beautiful, had my eyes put out, and drove me 
 from her kingdom." 
 
 "Ah! but thou art my own brother; I am Nikita 
 Koltoma. Go thou, Timofei, to the right side, 
 there a tall oak is growing ; pull out the oak, bring 
 it here, and throw it from the shore into the water. 
 I will creep out upon it to thee." 
 
 ii 
 
1 62 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Timofei turned to the right, stepped forward, and 
 found the tall old oak, seized it with both hands, 
 pulled it out by the roots, drew the oak, and threw 
 it into the water. The tree lay with one end on land, 
 the other came down near the boat. Nikita crept 
 out on shore somehow, kissed his brother, and said : 
 " How is our terrible Tsar living now? " 
 
 " Oh, brother," answered Timofei, " our terrible 
 Tsar is now in great straits, he is herding pigs in 
 the field ! Every morning he gets a pound of bread, 
 a jug of water, and three rods on his back." 
 
 Then they talked about how they were to live and 
 how to support themselves. Said Nikita: "Hear, 
 brother, my advice : thou wilt carry me, because I 
 am footless, and I will sit on thee and tell thee where 
 to go." 
 
 " Agreed ; be it as thou sayest. Though we are 
 both maimed, we shall serve for one sound man." 
 
 So Nikita sat on his brother's shoulders and showed 
 him the way. Timofei walked and walked, and came 
 into a slumbering forest. In that forest stood the 
 cabin of Baba-Yaga. The brothers entered the 
 cabin ; there was not a soul inside. 
 
 " Well, brother," said Nikita, " feel in the oven. 
 Is n't there some food ? " 
 
 Timofei crawled to the oven, took out every kind 
 of food, put it on the table, and they both began to 
 put the food away ; from hunger they ate everything 
 clean. Then Nikita began to examine the cabin. He 
 
The Footless and the Blind. 163 
 
 saw on the window a small whistle, placed it to his 
 lips and began to whistle. He looks what sort of 
 wonder! His blind brother is dancing, the cabin is 
 dancing, the table, the dishes are dancing, every- 
 thing dancing ; the pots were broken into bits. 
 
 " Enough, Nikita, stop playing," begged the blind 
 man ; " my strength can hold out no longer." 
 
 Nikita stopped whistling, and that moment every- 
 thing was silent. All at once the door opened, in 
 walked Baba-Yaga, and she screamed with a loud 
 voice : " Oh, homeless vagrants, to this minute not 
 a bird has flown past, nor a beast run by here ; and 
 ye have come, devoured my food, broken my pots ! 
 Very good ; I '11 settle with you ! " 
 
 " Silence, old- carrion ! We shall be able to settle 
 with thee ourselves. Here, brother Timofei, hold the 
 old witch firmly ! " 
 
 Timofei caught the Baba-Yaga in his arms, squeezed 
 her hard, hard ; but Nikita seized her that moment 
 by the hair and dragged her through the cabin. 
 
 "Oh, fathers," begged Baba-Yaga, "I'll be of 
 use to you myself; whatever ye want I '11 get you ! " 
 
 " Well, then, old woman, speak. Canst thou get us 
 healing and living water? If thou gettest it, I '11 let 
 thee go alive into the white world ; if not, then I '11 
 give thee to a cruel death." 
 
 Baba-Yaga agreed, and led them to two springs. 
 " Here are for you the healing and living water." 
 
 Nikita Koltoma took the healing water, poured it 
 
1 64 Russian Myths and Folk - Tales. 
 
 on himself, and his legs grew out. They were quite 
 healthy, but would n't move. He took living water, 
 moistened his legs, and began to use them. The 
 same happened to Timofei Koltoma: he washed the 
 hollows of his eyes with healing water, eyes came in 
 his head just as if they had never been injured, but 
 saw nothing ; he washed them with the living water, 
 and they began to see better than ever. 
 
 The brothers thanked the old woman, let her go 
 home, and went to liberate the terrible Tsar from suf- 
 fering and misfortune. They came to the capital 
 town and saw that the Tsar was herding pigs in 
 front of the castle. Nikita Koltoma began to blow 
 on the whistle, and the herdsman with the pigs fell 
 to dancing. Yelena the Beautiful saw this from the 
 window; she was furious, and gave command to 
 take a bunch of rods and flog the pigherd and the 
 musicians. 
 
 The guard ran out, seized them, brought them to 
 the castle to treat them to rods. When Nikita Kol- 
 toma came to Yelena the Beautiful he made no delay, 
 but seized her white hands and said : " Dost know 
 me, Yelena the Beautiful? I am Nikita Koltoma. 
 Well, terrible Tsar, she is in thy power; what thou 
 wishest, that do." 
 
 The Tsar gave command to shoot her, and he 
 made Nikita his first minister; he honored him 
 always, and obeyed him in all things. 
 
KOSHCHEI WITHOUT-DEATH. 
 
 '"THHERE was a Tsar who had one son, and when 
 -*- the Tsarevich was an infant his nurses and 
 maids used to sing to him, " Baiyu, baiyii, Ivan Tsare- 
 vich ; when thou 'It grow up a man thou 'It find thee 
 a bride in the thirtieth kingdom, beyond the thrice 
 ninth land, Vassilissa Kirbityevna, and her marrow 
 flows from bone to bone." 
 
 Fifteen years had passed for the Tsarevich, and he 
 went to ask leave to search for his bride. " Where 
 wilt thou go?" asked his father. "Thou art still too 
 small." 
 
 "No, father; when I was small the nurses and 
 maids sang to me, and told where my bride lives ; and 
 now I am going to find her." 
 
 The Tsar gave his blessing and sent word to all 
 kingdoms that his son, Ivan Tsarevich, was going for 
 his bride. 
 
 Well, the Tsarevich came to a town, gave his horse 
 to be cared for, and went himself to walk along the 
 streets. He walked, and saw that on the square they 
 were punishing a man with a whip. " Why," asked 
 he, " do ye flog him? " 
 
 " Because," answered they, " he went in debt ten 
 thousand to an eminent merchant, and did not pay 
 
1 66 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 in season. And whoso redeems him, that man's wife 
 Koshchei Without-Death will bear away." 
 
 Now the Tsarevich thought and thought, and then 
 went off. As he was walking through the town he 
 came out again on the square, and they were still 
 beating that man. Ivan Tsarevich pitied him and 
 resolved to redeem him. 
 
 " I have no wife," thought Ivan ; " there is no one 
 to take from me." He paid the ten thousand and 
 went to his lodgings. 
 
 All at once the man whom he had redeemed ran 
 after him and called : " God save thee, Ivan Tsa- 
 revich ! If thou hadst not redeemed me, thou 
 couldest not have gained thy bride in a lifetime ; 
 but now I will help thee. Buy me a horse and 
 saddle straightway." 
 
 The Tsarevich bought him a horse and saddle, and 
 asked : " What is thy name? " 
 
 " They call me Bulat the hero." 
 
 They sat on the horses, went their way and road. 
 When they came to the thirtieth kingdom, Bulat 
 said : " Well, Ivan Tsarevich, give orders to buy and 
 roast chickens, ducks, and geese, so that there may be 
 plenty of everything, and I will go to get thy bride. 
 And see to it : every time I run to thee, cut the right 
 wing of a bird, and hand it to me on a plate." 
 
 Bulat the hero went to the lofty tower where Vas- 
 silissa Kirbftyevna was sitting, threw a stone lightly, 
 and broke the summit of the gilded tower. He ran 
 
Koshchei Without-Death. 167 
 
 to the Tsarevich and said to him : " What, art thou 
 sleeping? Give me a hen." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich cut off the right wing and gave it 
 on a plate. Bulat took the plate, ran to the tower, 
 and cried out: " Hail, Vassilissa Kirbityevna! Ivan 
 Tsarevich gave command to bow to thee, and asked 
 me to give thee this hen." 
 
 Vassilissa was frightened, and sat in silence. Bulat 
 gave answer to himself instead of her : " Hail, Bulat 
 the hero ! Is Ivan Tsarevich in good health ? 
 
 " Glory be to God, in good health. 
 
 "But why stand there, Bulat the hero? Take the 
 key, open the cupboard, drink a glass of vodka, and 
 go with God." 
 
 Bulat the hero ran to Ivan Tsarevich and said: 
 "Art sitting here? Give me a duck." 
 
 He cut off the wing, and gave it on a plate. 
 
 Bulat bore it to the tower and said : " Hail, Vassi- 
 lissa Kirbityevna ! Ivan Tsarevich gave command to 
 bow to thee, and sent thee this duck." 
 
 She sat there, said nothing; but he answered 
 instead of her : " Hail, Bulat the hero ! Is Ivan 
 Tsarevich well? 
 
 " Glory be to God, he is well. 
 
 "But why stand there, Bulat the hero? Take the 
 key, open the cupboard, drink a glass, and go with 
 God." 
 
 Bulat ran again to Ivan Tsarevich. " Art thou 
 sitting here? Give me a goose." 
 
1 68 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Ivan cut off the right wing and gave it on a plate. 
 Bulat the hero bore it to the tower. " Hail, Vassi- 
 lissa Kirbityevna ! Ivan Tsarevich gave command to 
 bow to thee, and sent thee this goose." 
 
 Vassilissa Kirbityevna took the key quickly, 
 opened the cupboard, and reached a glass of vodka. 
 Bulat the hero took not the glass, but seized the 
 maiden by the right hand, drew her out of the 
 tower, and seated her on the Tsarevich's steed. They 
 galloped away, the good hero and the beautiful soul- 
 maiden, with all horse-speed. 
 
 Next morning Tsar Kirbit woke and rose. He saw 
 that the top of the tower was broken and his daughter 
 stolen ; he grew powerfully angry, and gave command 
 to pursue over all roads and ways. 
 
 Whether our heroes travelled much or little, Bulat 
 took the ring from his hand, hid it, and said : " Go 
 on, Ivan Tsarevich ; but I will turn back and look for 
 my ring." 
 
 Vassilissa Kirbityevna began to implore : " Do not 
 leave us, Bulat the hero ; if it please thee, thou shalt 
 have my ring." 
 
 "Impossible, Vassilissa Kirbityevna; my ring was 
 priceless. My own mother gave it me, and when 
 giving, she said: "Wear and lose it not; forget not 
 thy mother." 
 
 Bulat the hero galloped back and met the pursuers 
 on the road. He slew them all straightway, left but 
 one man to take news to the Tsar, hurried back, and 
 caught up with the Tsarevich. 
 
Koshchei Without -Death. 169 
 
 Whether they went much or little, Bulat hid his 
 handkerchief and said : " Oh, Ivan Tsarevich, I have 
 lost my handkerchief! Ride on thy road and way; 
 I will soon come up with thee." 
 
 He turned back, went some versts, and met pur- 
 surers twice as many ; he slew them all, and returned 
 to Ivan, who asked : " Hast found the handkerchief? " 
 
 " I have found it." 
 
 Dark night overtook them. They pitched a tent; 
 Bulat lay down to sleep, left Ivan Tsarevich on guard, 
 and said to him : " If need be, rouse me." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich stood and stood, grew tired ; sleep 
 began to bend him ; he sat down at the tent and fell 
 asleep. 
 
 From wherever he came, Koshchei Without-Death 
 bore away Vassilissa Kirbityevna. Ivan Tsarevich 
 woke up at dawn, saw that his bride was gone, and 
 began to weep bitterly. Bulat the hero woke up and 
 asked : " Why art thou weeping? " 
 
 " Why should I not weep ? Some one has borne 
 away Vassilissa Kirbityevna." 
 
 " I told thee to keep watch. That is the work of 
 Koshchei Without-Death. Let us set out in search 
 of her." 
 
 Long and long did they ride, till they saw two 
 shepherds herding a flock. " Whose herd is that?" 
 
 The herdsmen answered: "This is the herd of 
 Koshchei Without-Death." 
 
 Bulat and Ivan Tsarevich asked the herdsmen if 
 
170 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Koshchei Without-Death lived far from there, how 
 to go to his house, what time they went home with 
 the flock, and how they shut it in. Then they came 
 down from their horses, wrung the necks of the shep- 
 herds, dressed themselves in their clothes, drove the 
 herd home, and stood at the gate. 
 
 1 Ivan Tsarevich had a gold ring on one of his 
 fingers, Vassilissa had given it to him. Vassilissa 
 had a goat, and she washed herself morning and 
 evening with the milk of that goat. The maid ran 
 with a vessel, milked the goat, and was carrying the 
 milk. Bulat took the Tsarevich's ring and threw it 
 into the vessel. 
 
 " Oh, my dove," said the maid, " thou art getting 
 impudent ! " She came to Vassilissa Kirbityevna and 
 complained. " Now," said she, " the herdsmen have 
 begun to make sport of us, they threw a ring into 
 the milk." 
 
 " Leave the milk ; I will strain it myself," said 
 Vassilissa. She strained the milk, saw the ring, and 
 gave command to send the herdsmen to her. The 
 herdsmen came. 
 
 " Hail, Vassilissa Kirbityevna ! " said Bulat the 
 hero. 
 
 " Hail, Bulat the hero ! Be well, Tsarevich ! How 
 did God bring you? " 
 
 " We came for thee, Vassilissa Kirbityevna ; thou 
 wilt hide from us nowhere. We should find thee even 
 on the bottom of the sea." 
 
Koshchei Without -Death. 171 
 
 She seated them at the table, gave them every 
 sort of food and all kinds of wine. 
 
 Said Bulat the hero : " When Koshchei comes 
 home from hunting, ask him, Vassilissa Kirbityevna, 
 where his death is. And now it would not be amiss 
 for us to hide." 
 
 As soon as the guests had hidden, Koshchei 
 Without-Death was flying home from the hunt. 
 "Tfu-tfu ! " said he; " of old there was n't a sign of 
 Russia to be heard with hearing or seen with sight ; 
 but now Russia runs into one's eyes and mouth." 
 
 Said Vassilissa : " Thou hast been flying through 
 Russia thyself, and art full of its odor; so to thy 
 thinking dost find it here." 
 
 Koshchei ate his dinner and lay down to rest. 
 Vassilissa came to him, threw herself on his neck, 
 fondled him, and kissed him, saying: " My dear love, 
 hardly was I able to wait for thee. I did not expect 
 to see thee alive; I feared that savage beasts had 
 devoured thee." 
 
 Koshchei laughed aloud. " Simple woman ! her 
 hair is long, but her wit is short. Could savage beasts 
 eat me? " 
 
 " But where is thy death, then ? " 
 
 " My death is in the broom which lies around at 
 the threshold." 
 
 As soon as Koshchei had flown away, Vassilissa 
 Kirbityevna ran to Ivan Tsarevich. 
 
 Bulat asked: " Well, where is Koshchei's death?" 
 
172 Russian Myths and Folk-Taks. 
 
 " In a broom thrown around at the threshold." 
 
 " No, he lies with design ; thou must ask him more 
 cunningly." 
 
 Vassilissa Kirbityevna formed a plan. She took 
 
 the broom, gilded it, adorned it with various ribbons, 
 
 and placed it on the table. When Koshche'i Without- 
 
 *Death flew home, he saw the broom on the table, and 
 
 asked why that was done. 
 
 " How was it possible," answered Vassilissa Kir- 
 bftyevna, " that thy death should roll around at the 
 threshold? Better let it lie on the table." 
 
 " Ha, ha, ha ! The woman is simple ; her hair is 
 long, but her wit is short ! Could my death be here? " 
 
 "Where is it, then?" 
 
 " My death is hidden in the goat." 
 
 As soon as Koshchei went off to the hunt, Vassi- 
 lissa Kirbityevna took the goat and adorned it with 
 ribbons and bells, and gilded its horns. Koshchei 
 saw the goat ; again he laughed. " Oh, the woman 
 is simple ; her hair is long, but her wit is short ! " 
 
 " My death is far from here. On the sea, on the 
 ocean, is an island; on that island stands an oak; 
 under the oak is buried a chest; in the chest is a 
 hare, in the hare a duck, in the duck an egg, and in 
 the egg my death," said he, and flew away. 
 
 Vassilissa Kirbityevna told all this to Ivan Tsare- 
 vich. They took supplies and went to find Kosh- 
 che7s death. Whether they travelled long or short, 
 they ate all their provisions and began to be hungry. 
 
Koshchei Without -Death. 173 
 
 A dog with her whelps happened in their way. " I 
 will kill her," said Bulat the hero ; " there is nothing 
 else to eat." 
 
 " Do not kill me," said the dog, " do not make my 
 children orphans, and I will serve thee myself." 
 
 " Well, God be with thee." 
 
 They went farther. On an oak was an eagle with 
 eaglets. Said Bulat the hero : " I will kill the eagle." 
 
 " Kill me not," said the eagle, " make not my 
 children orphans ; I will serve thee myself." 
 
 " Let it be so ; live to thy health." 
 
 They came to the ocean sea wide; on the shore 
 a lobster was crawling. Said Bulat the hero: "I will 
 kill it with a blow." 
 
 " Strike me not, good hero ; there is not much 
 good in me. Wilt eat me, thou 'It not be satisfied. 
 The time will come when I will serve thee myself." 
 
 " Well, crawl off with God," said Bulat the hero. 
 He looked on the sea, saw a fisherman in a boat, and 
 shouted, " Come to shore." The fisherman brought 
 the boat. Ivan Tsarevich and Bulat the hero sat in 
 it and went to the island ; they landed, and came to 
 the oak. Bulat the hero caught the oak with his 
 mighty hands and tore it out with the roots. They 
 took the chest from under the oak, opened it ; out of 
 the chest sprang a hare, and ran with all its breath. 
 
 " Ah ! " said Ivan Tsarevich, " if the dog were here 
 now, she would catch the hare." 
 
 Behold, the dog is bringing the hare. Bulat the 
 
174 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 hero tore it open ; out of the hare flew the duck and 
 rose high in the air. 
 
 " Ah ! " said Ivan Tsarevich, " if the eagle were 
 here, she would catch the duck." And already the 
 eagle was bringing the duck. 
 
 Bulat the hero tore open the duck ; an egg rolled 
 out and fell into the sea. 
 
 " Ah ! " said Ivan Tsarevich, " if the lobster would 
 pull it out." The lobster was crawling and bringing 
 the egg. They took the egg, went to Koshchdi 
 Without-Death, struck him with the egg on the fore- 
 head ; that moment he stretched out and died. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich took Vassilissa Kirbityevna, and 
 they went their way. They travelled and travelled ; 
 dark night overtook them; they pitched their tent. 
 Vassilissa Kirbityevna lay down to rest. Said Bulat 
 the hero, " Lie down too, Tsarevich, and I will stand 
 guard." 
 
 At dark midnight twelve doves appeared, struck 
 wing against wing, and became maidens. 
 
 " Well, Bulat the hero and Ivan Tsarevich, ye 
 killed our brother, Koshch^i Without-Death, ye car- 
 ried away our sister-in-law, Vassilissa Kirbftyevna; 
 but no good will come to you either. When Ivan 
 Tsarevich comes home, he will give command to 
 bring out his favorite dog, the dog will break away 
 from the keeper and tear the Tsarevich into small 
 pieces ; but whoso hears this and tells Ivan what we 
 have said will become stone to the knees." 
 
Koshchei Without- Death. 175 
 
 In the morning Bulat the hero roused the Tsarevich 
 and Vassilissa Kirbftyevna; they made ready and 
 went their road and way. A second night overtook 
 them; they pitched their tent in the open field. 
 Again Bulat said : " Lie down to sleep, Ivan Tsare- 
 vich; I will stand guard." In the dark midnight 
 twelve doves came flying, they struck wing against 
 wing, and became maidens. 
 
 " Well, Bulat and Ivan Tsarevich, ye killed our 
 brother, Koshchei Without-Death, ye carried away 
 our sister-in-law; but no good will come to you, for 
 when Ivan Tsarevich comes home he will give com- 
 mand to bring out his favorite horse, on which he 
 has ridden since childhood. The horse will tear 
 away from the groom and beat the Tsarevich to 
 death ; and whoso hears this and tells him will become 
 stone to the girdle." 
 
 Morning came, again they travelled on. A third 
 night overtook them. They pitched their tent and 
 stopped in the open field. Bulat said : " Lie down 
 to sleep, Ivan Tsarevich ; I will stand watch." Again 
 at midnight twelve doves came flying, struck wing 
 against wing, and became maidens. 
 
 "Well, Bulat and Ivan Tsarevich, ye killed our 
 brother, Koshchei Without-Death, and carried away 
 our sister-in-law; but no good will come to you. 
 When Ivan Tsarevich comes home he will give com- 
 mand to lead out his favorite cow, on whose milk he 
 has been nourished since childhood. She will tear 
 
176 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 away from the herder and raise the Tsarevich on her 
 horns. But whoso sees and hears us, and tells him 
 this, will become altogether stone." They finished 
 the sentence, turned into doves, and flew home. 
 
 In the morning Ivan Tsarevich and Vassilissa set 
 out on the road. The Tsarevich came home, mar- 
 ried Vassilissa Kirbityevna; and in a day or two he 
 said to her, " I will show thee my favorite dog, with 
 which I played all the time when I was little." 
 
 Bulat the hero took his sword, ground it sharp, 
 sharp, and stood at the porch. They were bringing the 
 dog. It tore away from the keeper and ran straight 
 to the porch ; but Bulat drew his sword and cut the 
 dog in two. Ivan Tsarevich was angry, but for 
 Bulat's former service he was silent. 
 
 The next day he ordered them to bring out his 
 favorite horse. The horse broke his halter, tore 
 away from the groom, and galloped straight at 
 Ivan Tsarevich. Bulat the hero cut off the horse's 
 head. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich was still more in anger, and gave 
 command to seize Bulat and hang him; but Vassilissa 
 Kirbftyevna interceded. " Had it not been for him," 
 said she, " thou wouldst never have won me." 
 
 On the third day the Tsarevich gave command to 
 lead out his favorite cow. She tore away from the 
 herder and ran straight at the Tsarevich. Bulat cut 
 off her head too. 
 
 Now Ivan Tsarevich was so enraged that he would 
 
Koshchei Without- Death. 177 
 
 listen to no one, gave orders to call the headsman 
 to put Bulat to death on the spot. 
 
 " Oh, Ivan Tsarevich, if 'tis thy wish to put me to 
 death by the executioner, better let me die of my- 
 self; only let me speak three speeches." 
 
 Bulat told about the first night, how twelve doves 
 flew to them in the open field, and what they said. 
 That moment he was stone to the knees ; he told of 
 the second night, and was stone to the girdle. Now 
 Ivan Tsarevich begged him not to speak to the end. 
 Bulat answered : " T is all the same now, I am stone 
 to the girdle ; it is not worth while to live." He told 
 of the third night, and was all stone. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich put him in a chamber apart, went 
 there each day with Vassilissa, and wept bitterly. 
 
 Years passed on. Once Ivan Tsarevich was weep- 
 ing over the stone hero Bulat, and heard a voice 
 coming out of the stone: " Why dost thou weep? 
 It is hard for me even as I am." 
 
 " Why should I not weep ? How can I help it ? 
 Thou knowest I destroyed thee." 
 
 " If thou wishest, thou canst save me. Thou hast 
 two children, a son and a daughter. Kill them, 
 pour their blood into a vessel, and rub this stone with 
 the blood." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich told this to Vassilissa Kirbityevna. 
 They grieved and mourned; decided to kill their 
 children. They killed them, gathered the blood, and 
 
 rubbed the stone. 
 
 12 
 
178 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 When Bulat the hero came to life he asked the 
 Tsarevich and his wife, " Were ye grieved for the 
 children?" 
 
 " We were grieved, Bulat." 
 
 " Well, let us go to their room." 
 
 They went, and behold, the children were alive ! 
 The father and mother were delighted, and in their 
 delight gave a feast to all. 
 
GO TO THE VERGE OF DESTRUCTION AND 
 BRING BACK SHMAT-RAZUM. 
 
 IN a certain kingdom there lived a wifeless, un- 
 married king, who had a whole company of 
 sharpshooters. They went to the forests, shot 
 birds of passage, and furnished the king's table with 
 game. Among these sharpshooters was one named 
 Fedot, who hit the mark and almost never missed ; 
 for this reason the king loved him beyond all his 
 comrades. 
 
 Once while shooting in the early morning, just at 
 dawn, Fedot went into a dark, dense forest, and saw a 
 blue dove sitting on a tree. He aimed, fired, struck 
 her wing, and she fell to the damp earth. The sharp- 
 shooter picked her up, was going to twist her neck 
 and put her in his bag, when the blue dove spoke : 
 " Oh, brave youth, do not tear off my stormy little 
 head, do not send me out of the white world ! Better 
 take me alive, carry me home, put me on the window, 
 and watch. As soon as sleep comes upon me strike 
 me that moment with the back of thy right hand, and 
 thou wilt gain great fortune." 
 
 Fedot marvelled. "What can it mean?" thought 
 he ; " in seeming a bird, but she speaks with a 
 
180 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 human voice. Never has such a thing happened to 
 me before." 
 
 He brought the bird home, placed her on the win- 
 dow, and stood waiting. After a short time the bird 
 put her head under her wing and fell asleep. The 
 sharpshooter struck her lightly with the back of his 
 right hand. The blue dove fell to the floor, and 
 became a soul-maiden so beautiful as not to be 
 imagined nor described, but only told about in a 
 tale. Such another beauty could not be found in 
 the whole world. 
 
 Said she to the young man, the king's sharp- 
 shooter: "Thou hast known how to get me; now 
 know how to live with me. Thou wilt be my wedded 
 husband, and I thy God-given wife. I am not a blue 
 dove, but a king's daughter." 
 
 They agreed. Fedot married her, and they lived 
 together. He is happy with his young wife, but does 
 not forget his service. Every morning at dawn he 
 takes his gun, goes out into the forest, and shoots 
 game, which he carries to the king's kitchen. 
 
 His wife sees that he is wearied from this hunting, 
 and says : " Listen, my dear. I am sorry for thee. 
 Every God-given day thou dost wander through 
 forests and swamps, comest home wet and worn, 
 and profit to us not a whit. What sort of a life is 
 this? But I know something so that thou wilt not 
 be without gain. Get of roubles two hundred, and 
 we will correct the whole business." 
 
Shmat-Razum. 1 8 1 
 
 Fedot rushed around to his friends, got a rouble 
 from one, and two from another, till he had just two 
 hundred. " Now," said his wife, " buy different kinds 
 of silk for this money." 
 
 He bought the silk ; she took it, and said : " Be not 
 troubled ; pray to God and lie down to sleep : the 
 morning is wiser than the evening." 
 
 He lay down and fell asleep; his wife went out on 
 the porch, opened her magic book, and two unknown 
 youths appeared at once. "What dost thou wish? 
 Command us." 
 
 " Take this silk, and in one single hour make a 
 piece of such wonderful tapestry as has not been seen 
 in the world ; let the whole kingdom be embroidered 
 on it, with towns, villages, rivers, and lakes." 
 
 They went to work, and not only in an hour, but in 
 ten minutes they had the tapestry finished, a won- 
 der for all. They gave it to the sharpshooter's wife, 
 and vanished in an instant just as if they never had 
 been. In the morning she gave the tapestry to her 
 husband. " Here," said she, " take this to the mer- 
 chants' rows, sell it, but see that thou ask no price of 
 thy own; take what they give." 
 
 Fedot went to the merchants' rows ; a trader saw 
 him, came up, and asked : " Well, my good man, is 
 this article for sale?" 
 
 " It is." 
 
 " What's the price?" 
 
 " Thou art a dealer, name the price." 
 
1 82 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 The merchant thought and thought, but could not 
 fix a price. Now a second, a third, and a fourth came ; 
 no one could set a price on the tapestry. At this 
 time the mayor of the palace was passing by and saw 
 the crowd ; wishing to know what the merchants were 
 talking about, he jumped out of his carriage, came 
 up to them, and said : " Good morning, merchants, 
 dealers, guests from beyond the sea; what is the 
 question?" 
 
 " Here is a piece of tapestry that we cannot value." 
 
 The mayor looked at the tapestry and marvelled 
 himself. " Look here, sharpshooter," said he, " tell 
 me in truth and sincerity where didst thou get such 
 glorious tapestry?" 
 
 " My wife made it." 
 
 " How much must one give for it? " 
 
 " I know not myself; my wife told me to set no 
 price on it, but what people would give, that would 
 be ours." 
 
 " Well here are ten thousand for thee." 
 
 Fedot took the money and gave up the tapestry. 
 The mayor was always near the person of the king, 
 ate and drank at his table. When he went to the 
 king's to dine he took the tapestry. " Would it not 
 please your Majesty to see what a glorious piece of 
 work I have bought to-day?" 
 
 The king looked ; he saw his whole kingdom as if 
 on the palm of his hand. He opened his mouth in 
 amazement. 
 
Shmat-Razum. 183 
 
 " This is indeed work ; in all my life I have never 
 seen such cunning art. Well, mayor, say what thou 
 pleasest, but I shall not give this back to thee." 
 Straightway the king took twenty-five thousand out 
 of his pocket, placed the money in the mayor's hand, 
 and hung the tapestry in the palace. 
 
 " That 's nothing," thought the mayor; " I will order 
 another still better." Straightway he galloped to find 
 the sharpshooter, found his cottage, went in ; and the 
 moment he saw Fedot's wife he forgot himself, his 
 errand, knew not why he had come. Before him was 
 such a beauty that he would not take his eyes off her 
 all his life; he would have looked and looked. He 
 gazes on another man's wife, and in his head thought 
 follows thought : " Where has it been seen, where 
 heard of, that a simple soldier possessed such a treas- 
 ure ? Though I serve the king's person and rank as 
 a general I have never beheld such beauty ! " 
 
 The mayor came to his mind with difficulty, and 
 went home, gainst his will. From that hour, from 
 that time, he was not his own. Sleeping or wak- 
 ing, he thought only of the beautiful woman; he 
 could neither eat nor drink, she was ever before his 
 eyes. The king noticed the change, and asked: 
 " What has come upon thee, some grief? " 
 
 " Oh, your Majesty, I have seen the sharpshooter's 
 wife ; there is not such a beauty in the whole world ! 
 I am thinking of her all the time ; I can neither eat 
 nor drink, with no herb can I charm away my sorrow." 
 
184 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 The desire came to the king to admire the woman 
 himself. He ordered his carnage and drove to the 
 soldier's quarters. He entered the room and saw 
 unspeakable beauty. No matter who looked on the 
 woman, an old man, a youth; each was in love, 
 lost his wits, a heart-flame pinched him. " Why," 
 thought the king, "am I wifeless and single? Let me 
 marry this beauty, that is the thing. Why is she a 
 sharpshooter's wife? It is her fate to be queen." 
 
 The king returned to his palace and said to the 
 mayor : " Listen to me ! Thou hast known how to show 
 me this unimaginable beauty, now find the way to 
 get rid of her husband ; I want to marry her myself. 
 And if thou dost not put him out of the way, blame 
 thyself; for though thou art my faithful servant, 
 thou 'It die on the gallows." 
 
 The mayor went his way sadder than before. 
 How was he to "finish the sharpshooter?" he 
 could not think. As he was going through back 
 lanes and waste places, a Baba-Yaga met him. 
 
 " Stop," said she, " servant of the king ! I know 
 all thy thoughts. If thou wilt, I will aid thee in this 
 unavoidable sorrow." 
 
 "Aid me, grandmother, and I'll pay what thou 
 wishest." 
 
 "The king has ordered thee to put an end to 
 Fedot the sharpshooter. That would be easy 
 enough, for he is simple, were it not for his wife, 
 who is awfully cunning. Well, we '11 give them 
 
Shmat-Razum. 185 
 
 such a riddle that it will not soon be explained. 
 Go back to the king and say : ' Beyond the thrice- 
 ninth land, in the thirtieth kingdom, is an island, on 
 that island a deer with golden horns.' Let the king 
 bring together half a hundred sailors, the most 
 good-for-nothing fellows, all bitter drunkards, and 
 order that a rotten old ship which has been out of 
 service for thirty years be fitted for the voyage. Let 
 him send Fedot the sharpshooter on that ship to 
 get the deer with golden horns. In order to go to 
 the island it is necessary to sail neither more nor 
 less than three years, and back from the island three 
 more ; six in all. Well, the ship will sail out on the 
 sea, serve about a month, and sink right there; the 
 sharpshooter and the sailors will go to the bottom, 
 every man ! ' ' 
 
 The mayor listened to these words, thanked the 
 Baba-Yaga for her counsel, rewarded her with gold, 
 and went off on a run to the king. " Your Majesty," 
 said he, " Fedot can be finished in such and such 
 fashion." 
 
 The king consented, and issued an order at once 
 to the navy to prepare for a voyage an old rotten 
 ship, to provision it for six years, and man it with 
 fifty sailors, the most dissolute and bitter drunk- 
 ards. Messengers ran to all the dram-shops and 
 drinking-houses, collected such sailors that it was 
 dear and precious to look at them. One had a black 
 eye, another had his nose driven to one side. 
 
1 86 Russian Myths and .Folk -Tales. 
 
 As soon as it was reported to the king that the 
 ship was ready, he sent for the sharpshooter and 
 said: "Now, Fedot, thou art a hero of mine, the 
 first shot in the company. Do me a service. Go 
 beyond the thrice-ninth land to the thirtieth king- 
 dom. In that place is an island, on that island lives 
 the deer with golden horns. Take it alive, and bring 
 it to me." 
 
 Fedot became thoughtful, knew not what to answer. 
 
 "Think, think not," said the king; "but if thou 
 do not the work, I have a sword, and thy head leaves 
 thy shoulders ! " 
 
 Fedot wheeled round to the left and went forth 
 from the palace, came home in the evening power- 
 fully sad, not wishing to utter one word. 
 
 "Why dost thou grieve, my dearest?" asked his 
 wife. "Is there some mishap?" 
 
 He told her all. 
 
 " This is why thou art grieved. There is reason, 
 indeed ; for it is an exploit, not a service. Pray to 
 God and lie down to sleep; the morning is wiser 
 than the evening: everything will be done." 
 
 The sharpshooter lay down and slept. But his 
 wife opened her magic-book, at once two unknown 
 youths appeared before her and asked : " What dost 
 thou wish ? What dost thou need ? " 
 
 " Go beyond the thrice-ninth land to the thirtieth 
 kingdom, to an island; seize there the deer with 
 golden horns, and bring it here." 
 
Shmat-Razum. 187 
 
 "We obey; it will be done before dawn." 
 
 They rushed like a whirlwind to the island, caught 
 the deer with golden horns, and brought it straight 
 to Fedot's house. An hour before daybreak all was 
 done, and they vanished as if they had never been. 
 The beautiful wife roused her husband at dawn and 
 said : " Look out ; the deer with golden horns is walk- 
 ing in the yard. Take it with thee on board the 
 ship, sail forward five days, on the sixth turn back." 
 
 The sharpshooter put the deer in a close, fastened 
 cage, and had it carried on board the ship. 
 
 "What's there?" asked the sailors. 
 
 " Oh, supplies and medicine ! It 's a long voyage ; 
 we shall need many a thing." 
 
 The day for sailing came. A great crowd of 
 people went to see the ship leave the wharf. The 
 king went himself, made Fedot chief over all the 
 sailors, and bade him farewell. 
 
 The vessel sailed five days on the sea ; the shores 
 had long vanished. Fedot ordered a hundred-and- 
 twenty-gallon cask to be rolled on to the deck, and 
 said to the sailors : " Drink, brothers ; spare it not, 
 your souls are your measure ! " 
 
 They were delighted, rushed to the cask, began 
 to drink, and got so drunk that they rolled down on 
 the deck, and fell fast asleep at the side of the cask. 
 Fedot took the helm, turned the ship around toward 
 the harbor, and sailed home. So that the sailors 
 should not know anything about it, he kept pouring 
 
1 88 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 liquor into them from morning till night ; when they 
 began to open their eyes after one drunken fit, a 
 new cask was ready. On the eleventh day the ship 
 drew up at the wharf; the flag was hoisted, and guns 
 fired. The king heard the firing, and ran down to 
 the landing. "What does all this mean?" He saw 
 the sharpshooter, fell into a towering passion, and 
 rushed at him furiously. " How hast thou dared to 
 come back before time ? " 
 
 " But where was I to go, your Majesty? Some fool 
 might have spent ten years in sailing over the seas 
 and got nothing ; but I, instead of spending six years, 
 did the work in ten days. Would you be pleased to 
 look at the golden-horned deer?" 
 
 Straightway they brought the cage from the ship 
 and let out the golden-horned deer. The king saw 
 that the sharpshooter was right ; he could not touch 
 him, he let him go home. The sailors had a holiday 
 for six years ; no one could ask them to work during 
 that time, for the voyage was counted as six years, 
 and they had served their time. 
 
 Next day the king called the mayor into his pres- 
 ence and threatened him : " What meanest thou ; art 
 making sport of me? Tis clear thy head is not dear 
 to thee. Do what thou pleasest, but find means of 
 putting Fedot to a cruel death." 
 
 " Let me think, your Majesty ; we may mend 
 matters." The mayor went his way, betook himself 
 to back lanes and waste places, met the Baba-Yaga. 
 
Shmat-Razum. 189 
 
 " Stop, servant of the king ! I know thy thoughts : 
 dost wish I will help thee in trouble?" 
 
 " Oh, help me, grandmother ! Fedot has brought 
 the deer with golden horns." 
 
 " Oh, I have heard that already. It would be as 
 easy to put Fedot out of the way as to take a pinch 
 of snuff, for he is simple ; but his wife is terribly cun- 
 ning. Well, we '11 give them another riddle that they 
 will not solve so quickly. Tell the king to send the 
 sharpshooter to the verge of destruction and bring 
 back Shmat-Razum, that's a task he will not ac- 
 complish to all eternity; he will either be lost without 
 tidings, or come back empty-handed." 
 
 The mayor rewarded the old witch with gold and 
 hurried to the king, who heard him and summoned 
 Fedot. 
 
 "Fedot," said the king, " thou art a hero, the 
 best shot I have. Thou hast brought me the deer 
 with golden horns, now thou must do me another 
 service ; and if thou wilt not do it, I have a sword, 
 and thy head leaves thy shoulders. Thou must go 
 to the verge of destruction and bring back Shmat- 
 Razum." 
 
 Fedot turned to the left, walked out of the palace, 
 went home sad and thoughtful. 
 
 " My dear," asked his wife, "why art thou sad, has 
 some misfortune happened?" 
 
 " Ah," said he, " one woe has rolled from my neck 
 and another rolled on ! The king sends me to the 
 
i go jRusstan Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 verge of destruction to bring back Shmat-Razum. 
 For thy beauty I bear all this trouble and care." 
 
 "That," said she, " is no small task, nine years 
 to go there, and nine to come back, eighteen in all. 
 Will good come of it? God knows. But pray to the 
 Lord and lie down to sleep; the morning is wiser 
 than the evening. To-morrow thou 'It know all." 
 
 After Fedot had lain down, his wife opened her 
 magic book and asked the two unknown youths if 
 they knew how to go to the verge of destruction and 
 bring back Shmat-Razum. They answered : " We 
 know not." In the morning she roused her hus- 
 band and said, " Go to the king and ask for the road 
 golden treasure, thou hast eighteen years to wan- 
 der ; when thou hast the money come home for the 
 parting." 
 
 Fedot got the money from the king and returned" 
 to take farewell of his wife. She gave him a towel 
 and a ball, and said : " When thou goest out of the 
 town throw the ball down before thee, and wherever 
 it rolls do thou follow. Here is a towel of my own 
 work; no matter where thou art, wipe thy face with 
 it after washing." 
 
 Fedot took farewell of his wife and comrades, 
 bowed down on all four sides, and went beyond the 
 barrier. He threw down the ball before him; it 
 rolled, rolled on, and he followed after. 
 
 About a month had passed, when the king sum- 
 moned the mayor and said : " The sharpshooter has 
 
Shmat-Razum. 191 
 
 gone to wander over the white world for eighteen 
 years ; it is evident that he will not come back alive. 
 Eighteen years, as thou knowest, are not two weeks ; 
 many a thing may happen on the road. He has 
 much money, and robbers will fall upon him perhaps, 
 strip him, and give him to a savage death. I think we 
 can begin at his wife now. Take my carriage, drive to 
 the soldier's quarters, and bring her to the palace." 
 
 The mayor drove to Fedot's house, entered, saluted 
 the sharpshooter's wife, and said : " Hail, witty woman, 
 the king has ordered us to present thee at the palace." 
 
 She went. The king received her with gladness, 
 led her to a golden chamber, and spoke these words : 
 "Dost thou wish to be queen? I will take thee in 
 marriage." 
 
 " Where has it ever been seen or heard of," asked 
 she, " that a wife was taken from her living hus- 
 band? Though he is a simple soldier he is my law- 
 ful husband." 
 
 " If thou wilt not yield of thy free will, I will take 
 thee by force." 
 
 The beautiful woman laughed, struck the floor, be- 
 came a blue dove, and flew out through the window. 
 
 Fedot journeyed over many lands and king- 
 doms, the ball rolling ahead of him all the time. 
 When he came to a river the ball became a bridge ; 
 whenever he wanted rest it became a soft couch. 
 Whether it is long or short, a story is soon told, but 
 a deed is not soon done ; the sharpshooter arrived at 
 
1 92 Russian Myths and Folk-Taks. 
 
 a splendid palace, the ball rolled to the gate and dis- 
 appeared. Fedot went straight up the stairs into a 
 rich chamber, where he was met by three maidens of 
 unspeakable loveliness. 
 
 "Whence comest, good man, and for what?" 
 
 " Oh, beautiful maidens, ye have not let me rest 
 after the long journey, but have begun to inquire. 
 First ye should give me to eat and drink, put me to 
 rest, and then make inquiry." 
 
 Straightway they set the table. When he had eaten 
 and drunk and rested, they brought him water, a 
 basin, and an embroidered towel. He took not the 
 towel, but said, " I have one of my own." When 
 they saw it they asked : " Good man, where didst 
 thou get that towel ? " 
 
 " My wife gave it me." 
 
 " Then thy wife is our own sister." 
 
 They called their aged mother. The moment she 
 saw the towel she recognized it. " Why, this is my 
 daughter's work." She asked the guest all sorts of 
 questions. He told her how he had married her 
 daughter, and how the king had sent him to the verge 
 of destruction to bring back Shmat-Razum. 
 
 " Oh, my dear son-in-law, of that wonder even 
 I have not heard ! Wait a moment ; maybe my 
 servants have." 
 
 She went out on the balcony and called in a loud 
 voice. Presently all kinds of beasts ran up, and all 
 kinds of birds flew to her. " Hail to you, beasts of 
 
Shmat-Razum. 
 
 193 
 
 the wilderness, birds of the air ! Ye beasts run 
 through all places, ye birds fly everywhere ; have ye 
 never heard how to go to the verge of destruction, 
 where Shmat-Razum lives? " 
 
 All the beasts and birds answered in one voice : 
 " No ; we have never heard ! " 
 
 Then the old woman sent them all to their homes in 
 hidden places, forests, and thickets ; went to her magic 
 book, opened it, and that instant two giants appeared. 
 " What is thy pleasure ; what dost thou wish? " 
 
 " This, my faithful servants, bear my son-in-law 
 and me to the ocean sea wide, and stop just in the 
 middle above the very abyss." 
 
 Immediately they seized the sharpshooter and the 
 old woman and bore them on like a stormy whirl- 
 wind till they stopped just in the middle above the 
 abyss. They stood up themselves like pillars, hold- 
 ing the old woman and the sharpshooter in their 
 arms. The old woman cried out with a loud voice, 
 and all the fishes and living things in the sea swam 
 to her in such multitudes that the blue sea could not 
 be seen for them : " Hail, fish and worms of the sea ! 
 Ye swim in all places, ye pass by all islands; have 
 ye not heard how to go to the verge of destruction, 
 where lives Shmat-Razum?" 
 
 All worms and fishes answered in one voice, " No ; 
 we Ve not heard ! " 
 
 All at once an old limping frog, who had been 
 thirty years out of service, pushed her way to the 
 
 13 
 
194 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 front and said, " Kwa-kwa ! I know where to find 
 such a wonder ! " 
 
 " Well, then, my dear, thou art the person I need," 
 said the old woman. She took the frog, and com- 
 manded the giants to bear them home. They were 
 at the palace in a flash. The old woman asked the 
 frog how her son was to go. 
 
 " Oh ! " said the frog, " that place is at the rim of 
 the world, far, far away. I would conduct him 
 myself, but I am very old ; I can barely move my 
 legs, I could n't jump there in fifty years." 
 
 The old woman took a bowl with some fresh milk, 
 put the frog in it, gave the bowl to Fedot, and said : 
 " Carry this in thy hand ; she will show thee the way." 
 
 The sharpshooter took farewell of the old woman 
 and her daughters, and went on his journey, the frog 
 showing him the way. Whether it was near or dis- 
 tant, long or short, he came at last to a flaming river, 
 .beyond which was a lofty mountain with a door in 
 :the side. 
 
 " Kwa-kwa ! " said the frog. " Put me down out 
 of the bowl ; we must cross the river." 
 
 He put her on the ground. 
 
 " Now, good youth, sit thou on my back ; do not 
 spare me." 
 
 He sat on her back and pressed her to the ground ; 
 she began to swell, and swelled until she was as big 
 as a stack of hay. The sharpshooter's one care was 
 to keep from falling. " If I fall," thought he, " I 
 
Shmat-Razum. 195 
 
 shall be crushed." The frog cleared the flaming 
 river at a jump, became small as before, and said: 
 " Now, good youth, I will wait here ; but do thou 
 enter that door in the mountain. Thou wilt find a 
 cave, hide thyself well. After a time two old men 
 will come in : listen to what they say, and watch what 
 they do ; when they are gone, act as they did." 
 
 The sharpshooter entered the door of the moun- 
 tain ; it was so dark in the cave that if a man strained 
 his eyes out he could not see a thing. Fedot felt 
 around and found a cupboard, crept in. After a 
 while two old men entered and said, "Shmat-Razum, 
 feed us ! " 
 
 That moment, however it happened, the lamps were 
 lighted, the dishes and plates rattled, and various 
 kinds of food and wine appeared on the table. The 
 old men ate and drank, and then ordered Shmat- 
 Razum to remove everything. Everything disap- 
 peared in a flash ; neither table, nor food, nor wine, 
 nor lights remained. The two old men went out. 
 
 The sharpshooter crawled from the cupboard and 
 cried, " Hei, Shmat-Razum ! " 
 
 " What dost thou wish? " 
 
 " Feed me ! " 
 
 Again the lights, the table, the food and drink 
 appeared as before. Fedot sat at the table and said : 
 "Hei, Shmat-Razum, sit down brother, with me, we'll 
 eat and drink together; it is irksome for me alone." 
 
 The voice of the unseen answered : " Oh, kind man ! 
 
196 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 whence has God brought thee? It is nearly thirty 
 years that I serve these old men in faith and in truth, 
 and all this time they have never once seated me 
 with themselves." 
 
 The sharpshooter looked and wondered. He saw 
 no one, but the food was swept from the plates as 
 if with a broom ; the bottles raised themselves and 
 poured the wine into glasses, behold, in a moment 
 bottles and glasses are empty ! 
 
 " Shmat-Razum, dost thou wish to serve. me?" 
 asked the sharpshooter. " I '11 give thee a pleasant 
 life." 
 
 " Why not? I am sick of being here; and thou, I 
 see, art a kind man." 
 
 " All right ; pick up everything and come along." 
 The sharpshooter went out of the cave, looked around, 
 saw no one, and asked : " Art thou here, Shmat- 
 Razum?" 
 
 " Here ; I '11 not leave thee, never fear." 
 
 "Very well," said Fedot, and sat on the frog, 
 she swelled, jumped over the river, and became 
 small. He put her in the bowl, and went on the 
 homeward road, came to his mother-in-law, and made 
 his new servant entertain the old woman and her 
 daughters. Shmat-Razum gave them such a feast 
 that the old woman came very near dancing from 
 joy. She ordered that three bowls of milk be given 
 to the frog every day in reward for her faithfulness. 
 The sharpshooter bade good by to his friends and set 
 
Shmat-Razum. 197 
 
 out for home. He travelled and journeyed till he was 
 almost wearied to death. " Oh, Shmat-Razum," said 
 he, " if thou couldst only know how tired I am, I am 
 just losing my legs." 
 
 " Why not tell me long ago ? " asked the other ; 
 " I should have brought thee home quickly." With 
 that he seized Fedot and bore him like a rushing 
 whirlwind, so swiftly that his cap fell off. 
 
 "Hei, Shmat-Razum, wait a minute; my cap is 
 gone." 
 
 " Late, my master; thy cap is now three thousand 
 miles behind." 
 
 Towns and villages, rivers and forests, just flashed 
 before the eye ; as Fedot was flying over a deep sea 
 Shmat-Razum said : " If thou wishest, I will make a 
 summer-house in the midst of the sea; thou canst 
 rest, and acquire great fortune." 
 
 "Well, make it." 
 
 They dropped down toward the sea, and behold, 
 where a moment before the waves were rolling, an 
 island rose up, and in the centre a golden pleasure- 
 house. 
 
 " Now, my master, sit down in this house, rest, and 
 look at the sea. Presently three merchant-ships will 
 sail by and cast anchor. Invite the merchants, enter- 
 tain them well, and exchange me for three wonder- 
 ful things which they have. I '11 come to thee again 
 in my own time." 
 
 Fedot looked; three merchant ships were sailing 
 
198 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 from the west. The merchants saw the island and 
 wondered. 
 
 "What does this mean?" asked they. "How 
 many times have we sailed by here and seen nothing 
 but water, and now an island and a pleasure-house ! 
 Let us stand up to the shore, brothers, let us look and 
 admire." 
 
 They stopped the ships, cast anchor; the three 
 merchants stepped into a light boat, went to the 
 island, landed, and saluted Fedot, 
 
 " Hail, worthy man ! " 
 
 " Good health to you, foreign merchants ! We 
 crave kindness. Come in, rejoice, have a good time, 
 and rest yourselves. This pleasure-house was made 
 on purpose for passing guests." They went in and 
 sat down. 
 
 " Hei, Shmat-Razum, meat and drink ! " A table 
 appeared ; on the table wines and meats, whatever 
 the soul could desire was at hand in a moment. The 
 merchants opened their mouths in amazement. 
 
 " Let us exchange," said they. " Give us thy 
 servant, and take any one of our wonders." 
 
 " What wonders have ye? " 
 
 " Look, and thou wilt see." 
 
 One merchant took a small box from his pocket 
 and opened it: that minute a glorious garden was 
 spread over the whole island with flowers and paths ; 
 he closed the box, and the garden was gone. The 
 second merchant took an axe from under his skirts 
 
Shmat-Razum. 1 99 
 
 and began to hit, hit strike, a ship came out: hit 
 strike another ship. He struck a hundred times a 
 hundred ships. They moved around the island under 
 full canvas, with sailors and cannon. The sailors run 
 and fire guns. The commanders come to the mer- 
 chant for orders. He amused himself, hid his axe : 
 the ships vanished from the eye, were as if they 
 had never been. The third merchant took a horn, 
 blew into it at one end: that minute an army ap- 
 peared, cavalry and infantry, with muskets and can- 
 nons and flags ; from every regiment come reports to 
 the merchant, and he gives them orders. The army 
 marches, with music sounding and banners waving. 
 The merchant took his horn, blew in at the other end : 
 there is nothing. Where has all the power gone to ? 
 
 " Your wonders are strange," said the sharpshooter; 
 " but these are all playthings for kings, and I am a sim- 
 ple soldier. If ye will exchange, however, I agree to 
 give you my unseen servant for all three of your 
 wonders." 
 
 " Is not that rather too much? " 
 
 "Well, ye know your own business, I suppose; but 
 I will not exchange on other conditions." 
 
 The merchants thought to themselves, " What good 
 are these ships and soldiers and garden to us? Let us 
 exchange, at least we shall have enough to eat and 
 drink all our lives without trouble." 
 
 They gave the sharpshooter their wonders, and 
 asked: " Shmat-Razum, wilt thou come with us?" 
 
20O Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 "Why not? It's all the same to me where I 
 live." 
 
 The merchants returned to their ships and said : 
 " Now, Shmat-Razum, fly about ; give us to eat and 
 drink." They invited all the men, and had such a feast 
 that every one got drunk and slept a sound sleep. 
 
 The sharpshooter was sitting in the golden summer- 
 house ; he fell to thinking, and said: "I am sorry; 
 where art thou now, trusty servant?" 
 
 " Here, my master." 
 
 Fedot rejoiced. " Is n't it time for us to go home? " 
 The moment he spoke he was borne through the air 
 as if by a whirlwind. 
 
 The merchants woke up, and wishing to drink off 
 the effects of their carousal, cried out : " Give us to 
 drink, Shmat-Razum." No one answered, nothing was 
 brought; no matter how much they screamed and 
 commanded, no result. "Well, gentlemen, this scoun- 
 drel has swindled us. Now Satan himself could not 
 find him ; the island has vanished, the pleasure-house 
 is gone." The merchants grieved and regretted; 
 then hoisted their sails and went to where they had 
 business. 
 
 The sharpshooter soon arrived at his own kingdom, 
 came down by the seashore. " Shmat-Razum, canst 
 thou build me a palace here? " 
 
 " Why not? it will be ready directly." 
 
 The palace appeared so splendid that it could not 
 be described, twice as good as the king's. Now the 
 
Shmat-Razum. 201 
 
 box was opened, and all around the palace was a 
 glorious garden, with rare trees and flowers. 
 
 The sharpshooter sat by the window admiring the 
 garden when all at once a blue dove flew in through 
 the open window, struck the floor, and became his 
 young wife. They embraced and kissed each other; 
 then made inquiries and gave answer. Said his 
 wife to Fedot : " Since the time thou didst leave me I 
 have lived a lone dove in the forests and thickets." 
 
 Next morning the king went out on the balcony, 
 and saw by the shore of the blue sea a new palace, 
 and a green garden around it. "What insolent fellow 
 has built on my land without leave?" Couriers has- 
 tened, discovered, reported, that the palace was built 
 by Fedot, who was living there then, and with him 
 his wife. 
 
 The king's anger increased. He gave orders to 
 collect troops and go to the sea-shore, destroy the 
 garden, break the palace into small pieces, and give 
 the sharpshooter and his wife to a cruel death. 
 
 Fedot saw the strong army approaching. He took 
 his axe quickly, and struck ; a ship came forth ; he 
 struck a hundred times, a hundred ships were 
 ready; he blew his horn once, infantry was march- 
 ing; he blew it a second time, cavalry was galloping. 
 The commanders rushed to him from the ships, from 
 the army, for orders. He ordered them to give bat- 
 tle. The music sounded at once, the drums rattled, 
 the regiments advanced. The hundred ships open a 
 
2O2 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 cannonade on the king's capital. The army moves 
 on at the sound of music and beat of drum. The 
 infantry rout the king's soldiers, the cavalry take 
 them prisoners. The king sees that his army is 
 fleeing, hurries forward himself to stop it. But 
 what could he do? Half an hour had not passed 
 before he was killed. 
 
 When the battle was over, the people came to- 
 gether and begged the sharpshooter to take the 
 government of the kingdom into his hands. He 
 agreed, became king, and his wife queen. 
 
MARYA MOREVNA. 
 
 IN a certain kingdom in a certain land lived Ivan 
 Tsarevich. He had three sisters. The first 
 was Marya Tsarevna; the second, Olga Tsarevna; 
 the third, Anna Tsarevna. Their father and mother 
 were dead. When dying they said to their son : 
 "Whoever woos first a sister of thine, give her to 
 him ; keep not thy sisters with thee long." 
 
 The Tsarevich buried his parents, and from sorrow 
 went with his sisters to walk in the green garden. 
 Suddenly a black cloud rose in the sky; a fearful 
 storm was coming. " Let us go home, sisters," said 
 Ivan Tsarevich. They had barely entered the castle 
 when thunder roared, the ceiling opened, and a 
 bright falcon flew into the chamber. The falcon 
 struck the floor, became a gallant youth, and said: 
 " Hail, Ivan Tsarevich ! Ere now I came as a guest, 
 but now I 'm a suitor. I wish to sue for thy sister, 
 Marya Tsarevna." 
 
 "If thou art pleasing to my sister, I shall not 
 restrain her. Let her go, with God." 
 
 Marya Tsarevna agreed, the Falcon married her, 
 and bore her away to his own kingdom. 
 
 Days followed days, hours chased hours, a whole 
 year was as if it had not been. Ivan Tsarevich went 
 
204 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 with his two sisters to walk in the green garden. 
 Again a cloud rose with whirlwind, with lightning. 
 " Let us go home, my sisters," said the Tsarevich. 
 They had barely entered the castle when a thunder- 
 clap came, the roof fell apart, the ceiling opened, and 
 in flew an eagle. The eagle struck the floor and be- 
 came a gallant youth. " Hail, Ivan Tsarevich ! Ere 
 now I came as a guest, but now I 'm a suitor." And 
 he asked for Olga Tsarevna in marriage. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich answered : " If thou art pleasing to 
 Olga Tsarevna, then let her marry thee ; I take not 
 her will from her." Olga Tsarevna consented, and 
 accepted the Eagle in marriage. The Eagle caught 
 her up and bore her to his own kingdom. 
 
 Another year passed. Ivan Tsarevich said to his 
 youngest sister: "Let us go to walk in the green 
 garden." They walked a little ; again a cloud rose 
 with whirlwind, with lightning. " Come home, 
 my sister, come ! " They returned to the castle, 
 but had not sat down when a thunderclap came, 
 the ceiling opened, and in flew a raven. The 
 raven struck the floor and became a gallant youth. 
 The others were beautiful in person, but he was 
 still better. 
 
 " Well, Ivan Tsarevich ! Ere now I came as a 
 guest, but now I 'm a wooer. Give me Anna 
 Tsarevna." 
 
 " I take not her will from my sister. If thou hast 
 pleased her, take her in marriage." 
 
Marya Morevna. 205 
 
 Anna Tsarevna married the Raven, and he bore her 
 away to his own kingdom. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich remained alone. He lived a whole 
 year without sisters, grew weaned. " I will go," 
 said he, "to seek out my sisters." 
 
 He made ready for the road, travelled and trav- 
 elled, saw an army, a power lying slain on the field. 
 Said Ivan Tsarevich : "If there is a living man here, 
 let him speak. Who killed this great army?" 
 
 A living man answered : " Marya Morevna, the 
 fair Korolyevna, killed all this great army." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich went farther; he came to white 
 tents. Marya Morevna, the fair Korolyevna, came 
 forth to meet him. " Hail, Tsarevich ! Where does 
 God bear thee ? Of thy own will, or against thy will ? " 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich gave answer : " Good heroes travel 
 not against their will." 
 
 " Well, if thy work be not hasty be a guest in my 
 tents." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich was glad ; he spent two nights in 
 the tents, pleased Marya Morevna, and married her. 
 Marya Morevna, the fair Korolyevna, took him with 
 her to her own kingdom. They lived together a 
 time, and then the Korolyevna had a thought to 
 make war; she left to her husband her household, 
 and said : " Go everywhere, see after all things, but 
 look not in this closet." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich could not endure this, but when 
 Marya Morevna had gone he rushed to the closet, 
 
206 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 opened the door, looked, and there Koshchei With- 
 out-Death was hanging inside, fastened with twelve 
 chains. Koshchei implored the Tsarevich : " Take 
 pity on me, give me to drink. Twelve years do I 
 sit here in torment ; I have not eaten nor drunk ; my 
 throat is parched." 
 
 The Tsarevich gave him a whole three-gallon tub 
 of water. He drank it, and begged, " With one tub 
 my thirst cannot be quenched." The Tsarevich gave 
 him another tub. Koshche"i drank that, and begged 
 for a third ; and when he had drunk the third tub he 
 regained his former strength, shook his chains, and 
 in one moment broke all twelve. 
 
 " God save thee, Ivan Tsarevich ! " said Koshchei 
 Without-Death ; " now thou wilt never see Marya 
 Morevna any more than thy own ears ; " and he went 
 out a terrific whirlwind, flew through the window, 
 overtook on the road Marya Morevna, the fair Ko- 
 rolyevna, seized her, and bore her away. 
 
 But Ivan Tsarevich cried bitterly, bitterly, made 
 ready, and went on his road, on his way. " Whatever 
 may happen, I will find Marya Morevna." He trav- 
 elled one day, he travelled a second ; at the dawn of 
 the third day he saw a wonderful palace, near the 
 palace an oak, on the oak a bright falcon. The fal- 
 con flew down from the tree, struck the earth, turned 
 into a gallant youth, and shouted : " Ah ! my dear 
 brother-in-law, how does God favor thee?" 
 
 Marya Tsarevna ran out, met Ivan Tsarevich joy- 
 
Mary a Morevna. 207 
 
 ously, asked about his health, his life, and told about 
 her own life and household. 
 
 The Tsarevich stayed three days with them, and 
 said : " I cannot stay longer, I am in search of my 
 wife, Marya Morevna, the fair Korolyevna." 
 
 "It is hard to find her," said the Falcon. "In 
 any case leave thy silver spoon here; we will look 
 at it and think of thee." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich left his silver spoon and went his 
 way. He travelled a day, he travelled a second ; at 
 the dawn of the third he saw a castle better than the 
 first, at the side of the castle an oak, on the oak sits 
 an eagle. The eagle flew from the tree, struck the 
 ground, turned into a gallant youth, and shouted: 
 "Rise up, Olga Tsarevna ; our dear brother is com- 
 ing." Olga Tsarevna ran out that moment to meet 
 him ; she began to kiss, to embrace her brother, to 
 ask about his health, and to tell of her own life and 
 household. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich remained three days with them, 
 and then said: "I have no time to visit longer; I 
 am going to seek my wife, Marya Morevna, the 
 fair Korolyevna." 
 
 Said the Eagle : " It is hard for thee to find her. 
 Leave with us thy silver fork ; we will look at it and 
 remember thee." 
 
 He left the fork and went his way. He travelled a 
 day, he travelled a second ; and on the dawn of the 
 third day he saw a castle better than the other two. 
 
4 \ 
 
 208 Russian Mytfis and Folk-Tales. 
 
 At the side of the castle was an oak, and on the oak 
 a raven was perched. The raven flew down, struck 
 the earth, turned into a gallant youth, and cried: 
 " Anna Tsarevna, hurry out; our brother is coming." 
 
 Anna Tsarevna ran out, met him joyously, began 
 to kiss and embrace her brother, to ask about his 
 health, and to tell about her own life and household. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich stayed with them three short days, 
 and said : " Farewell, I am going to look for my 
 wife, Marya Morevna, the fair Korolyevna." 
 
 The Raven said : " It is hard for thee to find her; 
 but leave thy gold ring with us, we will look at it 
 and remember thee. If the ring is bright, it means 
 that thou art alive and well ; if dim, then we shall 
 know that evil has come on thee." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich left his gold ring and went his way. 
 He travelled a day, he travelled a second ; and on the 
 third he came to Marya Morevna. She saw her dear 
 one, rushed on his neck, covered herself with tears, 
 and said : " Ivan Tsarevich, why didst thou not obey 
 me; why didst thou look in the closet and let out 
 Koshchei Without-Death ? " 
 
 " Forgive me, Marya Morevna; remember not the 
 past. Better go with me while Koshchei is not here ; 
 mayhap he will not overtake us." 
 
 They made ready and went. Koshchei was out 
 hunting; toward evening he was coming home, his 
 good steed stumbled under him. " Why stumble, 
 hungry crowbait; or dost feel some misfortune? " 
 
v m v L. > < c 
 
 OF 
 
 Marya Morevna. 209 
 
 The horse answered : " Ivan Tsarevich came and 
 took Marya Morevna away." 
 
 " Can we overtake them? " 
 
 " Thou mightest sow wheat, wait till it should 
 ripen, reap it, thresh it, make flour, bake five ovens 
 of bread, eat that bread, go in pursuit, and overtake 
 them." 
 
 Koshchei galloped on, overtook Ivan Tsarevich. 
 " Well," said he, " I forgive thee the first time for 
 thy kindness, because thou didst give me water to 
 drink ; and a second time I '11 forgive thee : but for 
 the third have a care ; I will hew thee to pieces." 
 
 He took Marya Morevna and led her away. Ivan 
 Tsarevich sat on a stone and wept; he cried and 
 cried, went back for Marya Morevna. Koshchei 
 Without-Death did not happen to be at home. 
 
 " Let us go, Marya Morevna." 
 
 " Ah, Ivan Tsarevich, he will overtake us ! " 
 
 " Let him overtake us ; anyhow, we shall pass a 
 couple of hours together." They made ready and 
 started away. 
 
 Koshchei Without-Death was coming home ; his 
 good steed stumbled under him. " Why dost thou 
 stumble, hungry crowbait; or feelest thou evil? " 
 
 " Ivan Tsarevich came and carried Marya Morevna 
 away." 
 
 " Can they be overtaken? " 
 
 " Barley might be sown, waited for till ripe, har- 
 vested, threshed, and beer made of it; we might 
 
2io Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 drink the beer, sleep after drinking, then pursue and 
 catch them." 
 
 Koshch^i galloped on, rode up, overtook Ivan 
 Tsarevich. " But I have said that thou canst no more 
 see Marya Morevna than look at thy own ears." He 
 took her away and led her home. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich remained alone ; he cried and cried, 
 and went back for Marya Morevna. That time 
 Koshchei was not at home. 
 
 " Let us go, Marya Morevna." 
 
 " Ah ! Ivan Tsarevich, he will come up with us, 
 will hew thee to pieces." 
 
 " Let him hew me ; I cannot live without thee." 
 They made ready and started. 
 
 Koshchei Without-Death was coming home; his 
 good steed stumbled under him. " Why dost thou 
 stumble, hungry crowbait; or feelest thou evil?" 
 
 " Ivan Tsarevich came, and took Marya Morevna 
 away." 
 
 Koshchel galloped on, caught up with Ivan Tsare- 
 vich, hewed him into small pieces, put him in a pitched 
 barrel, took that barrel, strengthened it with iron 
 hoops, and cast it into the blue sea. Marya Morevna 
 he took home. 
 
 Now the silver grew black at the houses of Ivan 
 Tsarevich's brothers-in-law. " Oh," said they, " it is 
 clear that some evil has happened ! " 
 
 The Eagle rushed off to the blue sea, caught the 
 barrel, and drew it to shore ; the Falcon flew for the 
 
 
Mary a Morevna. 211 
 
 living water, and the Raven for the dead water. All 
 flew together to the same place, broke the barrel, 
 took out the pieces of Ivan Tsarevich, washed them, 
 put them together in proper order. The Raven 
 sprinkled them with dead water, the body grew to- 
 gether and united; the Falcon sprinkled the body 
 with living water. Ivan Tsarevich trembled, rose up, 
 and said, " Oh, how long I have been sleeping! " 
 
 " Thou wouldst have slept still longer without us," 
 answered the brothers-in-law. " Come now to our 
 houses." 
 
 " No, brothers, I shall go to seek Marya Morevna." 
 He came to her and said, " Discover from Koshchei 
 Without-Death where he found such a steed." 
 
 Behold, Marya Morevna seized a favorable mo- 
 ment, inquired of Koshche"i. Koshchei said : " Be- 
 yond the thrice-ninth land, in the thirtieth kingdom, 
 beyond the fiery river, lives Baba-Yaga ; and she has 
 a mare on which she flies round the world each 
 day; she has many other glorious mares. I was 
 her herdsman for three days. I let not one mare 
 stray from her, and for that service Baba-Yaga gave 
 me a colt." 
 
 " But how didst thou cross the river of fire? " 
 
 " I have a kerchief of such sort that when I wave 
 it on the right side three times, a bridge is made, lofty 
 and high ; the fire cannot reach it." 
 
 Marya Morevna listened, told all to Ivan Tsare- 
 vich, carried away the kerchief, and gave it to him. 
 
212 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich crossed the fiery river, and went to 
 Baga-Yaga. Long did he go without eating and 
 drinking; a bird from beyond the sea, with her little 
 children, happened in his way. " I '11 eat one little 
 chick," said Ivan Tsarevich. 
 
 " Eat it not, Ivan Tsarevich," begged the bird from 
 beyond the sea ; " in time I will serve thee." 
 
 He went farther, saw in the forest a swarm of bees. 
 " I '11 take some honey," said he. 
 
 The queen-bee called out, " Touch not my honey, 
 Ivan Tsarevich ; in time I will serve thee." 
 
 He left the honey and went on. Then a lioness 
 and her whelp met him. " At least I '11 eat this little 
 lion ; I feel Such hunger that I am sick." 
 
 "Touch him not, Ivan Tsarevich; in time I will 
 serve thee." 
 
 " Well, let it be as thou sayest." 
 
 He went on hungry; he travelled and travelled. 
 There is the house of Baba-Yaga. Around the house 
 stand twelve stakes ; on eleven are heads of men, 
 only one stake is unoccupied. 
 
 " Hail to thee, grandmother ! " 
 
 " Hail to thee, Ivan Tsarevich ! Hast come of thy 
 own good will, or from need ? " 
 
 " I have come to earn of thee an heroic steed." 
 
 " Very well, Tsarevich ; no need to serve a year 
 with me, but three days in all. If thou wilt herd my 
 mares, I '11 give thee an heroic steed ; but if not, be 
 not angry, thy head will be on the last stake." 
 
Marya Morevna. 213 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich consented. Baba-Yaga gave him 
 food with drink, and ordered him to begin the work. 
 As soon as he had driven the mares afield, they 
 raised their tails and all ran apart through the mea- 
 dows. The Tsarevich could not cast his eyes round 
 before they had vanished. Then he began to weep 
 and grow sad ; he sat on a stone and fell asleep. The 
 sun was going down when the bird from beyond the 
 sea flew up and roused him. 
 
 " Rise, Ivan Tsarevich; the mares are now home." 
 
 The Tsarevich stood up, came home, but Baba- 
 Yaga was screaming and crying at her mares. " Why 
 did ye come home? " 
 
 " How could we help it, when birds from the whole 
 world flew together and almost picked our eyes 
 out?" 
 
 "Well, to-morrow don't run in the meadows, but 
 scatter through the sleeping forest." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich slept the night; in the morning 
 Baba-Yaga said : " See to it, Tsarevich. If thou dost 
 not herd the mares, if thou losest even one of them, 
 thy stormy head will be on the stake." 
 
 He drove the mares afield. That moment they 
 raised their tails and ran through the sleeping forest. 
 Again the Tsarevich sat down on a stone, cried and 
 cried, then fell asleep. The sun had gone behind 
 the forest when the lioness ran up. " Rise, Ivan 
 Tsarevich ; the mares are driven in." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich stood up and went home. Baba- 
 
214 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Yaga was screaming and crying more than before 
 at her mares. " Why did ye come home ? " 
 
 " How could we help coming? Savage beasts ran 
 at us from the whole world, came near tearing us 
 to pieces." 
 
 " Well, run to-morrow into the blue sea." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich slept that night; next morning 
 Baba-Yaga sent him to herd the mares. " If thou 
 dost not guard them, thy stormy head will be on the 
 stake." 
 
 He drove the mares to the field ; that moment they 
 raised their tails and vanished from the eye, ran into 
 the blue sea, and stood to their necks in the water. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich sat on a stone, cried, and fell asleep. 
 The sun had gone beyond the forest when a bee flew 
 up and said : " Ivan Tsarevich, the mares are driven 
 in. But when thou art home, do not show thyself 
 before the eyes of Baba-Yaga ; go to the stable and 
 hide behind the manger. There is a mangy little 
 colt lying on the dung-heap ; steal him, and at dark 
 midnight leave the place." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich rose up, made his way to the stable, 
 and lay down behind the manger. Baba-Yaga 
 screamed and cried at her mares : " Why did ye 
 come home?" 
 
 " How could we help coming home when bees, 
 seen and unseen, flew from the whole world and 
 began to sting us on every side till the blood came ! " 
 
 Baba-Yaga went to sleep, and just at midnight Ivan 
 
Mary a Morevna. 215 
 
 Tsarevich stole from her the mangy colt, saddled 
 him, sat on his back, and galloped to the fiery river ; 
 when he came to the river he shook the kerchief three 
 times on the right side, and suddenly, from wherever 
 it came, a high, splendid bridge was hanging over the 
 river. The Tsarevich crossed on the bridge, waved 
 the kerchief on the left side only twice, and there 
 remained above the river a bridge very, very slender. 
 
 In the morning Baba-Yaga woke up; the mangy 
 colt is not to be seen with sight. Baba-Yaga, on an 
 iron mortar, rushed off in pursuit with all her breath, 
 urging forward with a pestle, and removing her trail 
 with a broom. She galloped to the fiery river, looked 
 and thought : " The bridge is good." She rode out 
 on it, and the moment she reached the middle the 
 bridge broke. Baba-Yaga went headlong into the 
 river; there a savage death came to her. 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich fed his colt in the green meadows, 
 and it became a marvellous steed. The Tsarevich 
 came to Marya Morevna; she ran out to him, threw 
 herself on his neck. 
 
 " How has God brought thee to life? " 
 
 " In this way and that way," said he ; " come with 
 me." 
 
 " I am afraid, Ivan Tsarevich. If Koshchei over- 
 takes us again, thou wilt be cut to pieces." 
 
 " No, he will not overtake us. I have a glorious, 
 heroic steed now; he goes like a bird." 
 
 They sat on the horse and rode off. Koshchei 
 
216 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Without-Death was coming home ; under him 
 stumbled his steed. 
 
 "Why stumble, hungry crow-bait ; or feelest thou 
 evil?" 
 
 " Ivan Tsarevich came, took away Marya Morevna." 
 
 " Can we overtake him? " 
 
 " God knows ! Now Ivan Tsarevich has an heroic 
 steed better than I." 
 
 " I cannot stand this," said Koshchei the Deathless, 
 * I '11 give chase." 
 
 Whether it was long or short, he caught up with 
 Ivan Tsarevich, sprang to the ground, and wanted to 
 cut him with his sharp sword. That moment Ivan's 
 horse struck, with all the sweep of his hoof, Koshchei 
 Without-Death, and smashed his skull. The Tsarevich 
 finished him with his club. Then he raised a pile of 
 wood, made a fire, burned Koshchei Without-Death 
 on the fire, and scattered the ashes to the wind. 
 
 Marya Morevna mounted Koshchei's horse, and 
 Ivan Tsarevich his own. They went to visit the Raven, 
 then the Eagle, and last the Falcon ; wherever they 
 came they were met with joy. 
 
 " Oh, Ivan Tsarevich, we did not think to see thee ! 
 It was not for nothing thou didst struggle ; another 
 such beauty as Marya Morevna could not be found 
 if sought for in the whole world." 
 
 They visited and feasted, and set out for their own 
 kingdom; arrived there, gained wealth, and drank 
 mead. 
 
Mary a Morevna. 217 
 
 VARIANT OF THE RESCUE OF IVAN TSAREVICH 
 AND THE WINNING OF THE COLT. 
 
 EAGLE son of Eagle flew to the sea and brought 
 mighty winds, the sea rose, and threw the barrel 
 on shore. Falcon son of Falcon grasped the bar- 
 rel in his talons, bore it high, high in the air, and 
 dropped it thence to the ground. The barrel fell 
 and was broken in pieces ; but Raven son of Raven 
 carried healing water and living water and sprinkled 
 Ivan Tsarevich with them. Then all three of them 
 caught him up and bore him to the thrice-ninth land, 
 to the thirtieth kingdom. They brought him to the 
 thirtieth kingdom and said : " Go now to the blue 
 sea, where lives a marvellous mare ; in front of her 
 twelve men are mowing hay, and twelve rakers are 
 raking what they mow: she follows them and eats 
 the hay. When the mare drinks water, the blue sea 
 rises in waves and leaves fall from the trees ; when 
 she scratches herself on hundred-year oaks, they fall 
 to the ground like bundles of oats. Every month 
 she has one colt ; twelve wolves follow her and devour 
 these colts. Bide thy time ; and the moment a colt is 
 born with a star on its forehead, seize it quickly, that 
 colt will be an heroic steed for thee. On that colt 
 Koshche"i Without-Death will not overtake thee." 
 Ivan Tsarevich did as his brothers-in-law taught him 
 
YELENA THE WISE. 
 
 IN a certain kingdom, in a certain land, the Tsar 
 had a golden company ; in this company served 
 k soldier, Ivan by name, a hero in appearance. The 
 Tsar took him into favor and began to reward him 
 with rank ; in a short time he made him colonel. The 
 superior officers envied him. " Why have we served 
 for our rank as we have thirty years, and he has got 
 
 F every rank all at once? We must get rid of him, or 
 
 I he will go ahead of us." 
 
 The generals and counselling boyars arranged a trip 
 on the sea, prepared the ship, invited Ivan the 
 colonel to go with them. They sailed out into the 
 open sea, and went around till late in the evening. 
 Ivan grew tired, lay on a bed, and fell into a deep 
 sleep. That was all the boyars and generals were 
 waiting for. They seized him, put him in a 
 tK*at, pushed him out to sea, and returned home 
 themselves. 
 
 ^>oon dark clouds came up and a storm began to 
 roaV; the waves rose and carried the boat it is un- 
 known whither ; they carried it far, far away, and cast 
 it out on an island. Here Ivan woke up, looked, 
 saw a desert land, no trace of the ship, and the sea 
 ran terribly high. 
 
Yelena the Wise. 219 
 
 " It is clear," thought he, "that the ship has been 
 wrecked by the storm, and all my comrades are 
 drowned. Glory be to God that I am safe myself! " 
 
 He went to look at the island, walked and walked. 
 Nowhere did he see a springing beast, a flying bird, 
 or a dwelling of man. Whether it was long or short, 
 Ivan wandered to an imderground )passage ; through 
 this he went down a deep precipice, and came to the 
 underground kingdom, where the six-headed serpent 
 lived and reigned. He saw a white-walled castle, 
 entered. The first chamber was empty, in the 
 second there was no one, in the third the six-headed 
 serpent was sleeping a hero's sleep. At his side 
 stood a table, on the table an enormous book was 
 lying. 
 
 Ivan opened the book and read to the page where 
 it was written that a Tsar had never a son, but always 
 a Tsaritsa had sons. He took and scratched out 
 these words with a knife, and in place of them wrote 
 that a Tsaritsa had never a son, but always a Tsar 
 had sons. 
 
 In an hour's time the serpent turned to his other 
 side, woke up, opened his eyes, saw Ivan, and asked : 
 " From what place hast thou come? I live so many j 
 years in the world and I have not seen one man in \ 
 my kingdom." 
 
 " How from what place ? But thou knowest I am 
 thy son." 
 
 "How can that be?" asked the serpent. "I will 
 
22O Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 look in the book and see if a Tsar can have a 
 son." 
 
 He opened the book, read in it what Ivan had 
 written, and was convinced. " Thou art right, my 
 son." 
 
 He took Ivan by the hand, led him through all 
 his treasure-chambers, showed him his countless 
 wealth, and they began to live and live on together. 
 
 Some time passed, and the six-headed serpent 
 said : " My dear son, here are the keys of all the 
 chambers; go wherever thy desire may lead thee, 
 but do not dare to look into that chamber which is 
 fastened with two locks, one of gold, the other of silver. 
 I will fly around the world, will look at people, and 
 amuse myself." 
 
 He gave the keys, and flew away out of the under- 
 ground kingdom to wander through the white world. 
 Ivan Tsarevich remained all alone. He lived a month, 
 a second and a third month, and the year was coming 
 to an end, when it became dreary for him, and he 
 thought to examine the chambers; he walked and 
 walked till he came straight in front of the forbidden 
 chamber. The good youth could not restrain him- 
 self; he took out the keys, opened both locks, the 
 gold and the silver, opened the oaken door. 
 
 In that chamber were sitting two maidens riveted 
 in chains: one was Tsarevna Yelena the Wise, and 
 the other her maid. The Tsarevna had golden wings, 
 and her maid silver wings. Said Yelena the Wise : 
 
Yelena the Wise. 221 
 
 " Hail, good hero ! Do us a service not great : give 
 us each of a glass of spring water to drink." 
 
 Ivan, looking at her unspeakable beauty, forgot all 
 about the serpent, pited the poor prisoners, poured 
 out two glasses of spring water, and gave them to the 
 beautiful women. They drank, shook themselves; 
 the iron rings were broken, and the heavy chains fell. 
 The beautiful women clapped their wings and flew 
 through the open window ; then only did Ivan come 
 to his mind. He shut the empty chamber, came 
 out on the porch, sat on the step, hung his stormy 
 head below his mighty shoulders, and grew power- 
 fully, powerfully sad. How was he to give answer? 
 Suddenly the wind began to whistle, a mighty storm 
 rose up, the six-headed serpent flew home. 
 
 " Hail, my dear son ! " 
 
 Ivan answered not a word. 
 
 " Why art thou silent ; or has something happened ? " 
 
 "Evil, father, I did not obey thy command. I 
 looked into that chamber where two maidens were 
 sitting riveted in chains, I gave them spring water to 
 drink, they drank, shook themselves, clapped their 
 wings, and flew out through the open window." 
 
 The serpent was terribly enraged ; he began to 
 abuse and curse in every fashion. Then he took an 
 iron rod, heated it red hot, and gave Ivan three blows 
 on the back. " It is thy luck," said he, " that thou 
 art my son ; if thou wert not, I should eat thee alive." 
 
 As soon as Ivan's back had healed he began to 
 
222 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 beg of the serpent : " Father, let me go out into the 
 world to look for Yelena the Wise." 
 
 " What couldst thou do ? I was thirty-three years 
 getting her, and barely, barely had I the skill to catch 
 her." 
 
 " Let me go, father ; let me try my fortune." 
 
 " Well, after me if thou pleasest. Here is the car- 
 pet that flies of itself: wherever thou wishest, there 
 will it bear thee; only I am sorry for thee, since 
 Yelena the Wise is terribly cunning. If thou catch 
 her she will still overreach and deceive thee." 
 
 Ivan sat on the carpet that flies of itself, flew out 
 of the underground kingdom, and hadn't time to 
 wink before he found himself in a beautiful garden. 
 He went to a pond, sat under a laburnum-bush, and 
 began to look and admire the gold and silver fish 
 swimming in the clear water. Before five minutes 
 had passed, Yelena the Wise had flown to the pond 
 with her maid. They took off their wings at once, 
 put them near the bush, undressed, and ran into the 
 water to bathe. 
 
 Ivan took the wings quietly, came from under the 
 bush, and cried with a loud voice : " But now ye are 
 in my hands ! " 
 
 The beautiful women sprang out of the pond, put 
 on their clothes, came to the good youth, and begged 
 him to give back their wings. " No," said Ivan, " I 
 will not give them for anything. Yelena the Wise, 
 thou hast pleased me more than the bright sun ; now 
 
Yelena the Wise. 22 
 
 I will take thee to my father and my mother, I will 
 marry thee, and thou shalt be my wife, and I will be 
 thy husband" 
 
 The Tsarevna's maid said : " Hear me, good youth : 
 't is thy wish to marry Yelena the Wise, but why 
 detain me. Better give me my wings; I will serve 
 thee in time." 
 
 Ivan thought and thought, and gave her the silver 
 wings. She tied them on quickly, sprang up, and flew 
 far, far away. After that, Ivan made a box, put the 
 golden wings into it, and closed it firmly with a lock. 
 He sat on the self-flying carpet, placed Yelena the 
 Wise at his side, and flew away to his own kingdom. 
 He came to his father, to his mother, brought them 
 his bride, and begged them to love and to favor her. 
 Then there was rejoicing such as no one had seen. 
 
 Next day Ivan gave his mother the key of the 
 box. " Take care of it for a time," said he, " give it 
 to no one ; and I will go to the Tsar and invite him 
 to the wedding." 
 
 As soon as he had gone, Yelena the Wise ran in : 
 " Mother, give me the key of the box ; I must get 
 clothes to dress for the wedding." The mother, 
 knowing nothing, gave her the key without fear. 
 Yelena the Wise ran to the box, raised the lid, took 
 her wings, put them on, clapped them once and 
 again ; that was all they saw of her. 
 
 The bridegroom came home. " Mother, where is 
 my bride. It is time to prepare for the crown." 
 
224 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Oh, my dear son, she has flown away ! " 
 
 Deeply did the good youth sigh ; he took farewell 
 of his father and his mother, sat on his self-flying 
 carpet, and flew to the underground kingdom, to the 
 six-headed serpent, who saw him and said : " Well, 
 daring head, did I speak in vain when I said that 
 thou couldst not get Yelena the Wise ; and if thou 
 didst get her she would deceive thee?" 
 
 " Thou art right, father ; but no matter what 
 comes, I will try again, I will go to get her." 
 
 " Ah ! thou irrestrainable fellow, knowest thou she 
 has a rule that whoever wants to marry her must 
 hide three times, and if she finds him she will have 
 his head cut off? Many a hero has gone to her, but 
 all to the last man have laid down their stormy 
 heads ; and the same is preparing for thee. But here 
 is a flint and steel for thee : when Yelena the Wise 
 makes thee hide, strike the flint with the steel, strike 
 out a spark, and set fire to the grass of the steppe. 
 At that moment a blue-winged eagle will appear and 
 raise thee above the third range of clouds ; if that 
 does not succeed, strike fire again, and let it into the 
 blue sea. A giant pike will swim to land, will take 
 thee and bear thee away to the depth of the sea; 
 and if Yelena the Wise finds thee, then there is no 
 place in which thou canst hide from her." 
 
 Ivan Tsarevich took the flint and steel, thanked 
 the six-headed serpent, and flew off on the carpet. 
 Whether it was long or short, near or far, he flew 
 
Yelena the Wise. 225 
 
 beyond the thrice-ninth land to the thirtieth kingdom, 
 where lived Yelena the Wise. Her palace was flash- 
 ing like fire; it was made of pure silver and gold. 
 At her gate, on iron points, were the heads of eleven 
 heroes. Ivan the good youth became thoughtful. 
 " Eleven heads on the points, mine will surely be the 
 twelfth." He came down in the broad court, went on 
 the lofty porch, and straight to the chamber. 
 
 Yelena the Wise met him. "Thou!" said she, 
 "why art thou here?" 
 
 " I want to take thee in marriage." 
 
 " Well, ail right, try. If thou art able to hide from 
 me, I will marry thee ; if not, thou wilt pay with thy 
 head." 
 
 Ivan went out in the open field, took his flint 
 and steel, struck fire, and put it to the steppe grass. 
 From wherever he came, a blue-winged eagle flew to 
 him and said, with the voice of a man, " Good youth, 
 sit on me quickly; hold firmly, or thou wilt fall." 
 
 Ivan sat on the eagle, grasped firmly with his 
 hands. The eagle clapped his wings, and rose high 
 beyond the third range of clouds. He is well hidden ; 
 it seems no one can find him. But Yelena the Wise 
 had a mirror : all she had to do was to look in it, and 
 the whole world was open to her. She knew in a 
 moment where and what was going on in the white 
 world. She stepped up to that mirror, looked in it, 
 and knew every secret. 
 
 " Stop, cunning fellow," cried Yelena the Wise, 
 15 
 
226 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 with a loud voice ; " I see thou hast flown above the 
 third range of clouds. The blue-winged eagle bore 
 thee; it is time to come down to the earth." 
 
 Ivan came to the earth, slipped off the eagle, went 
 to the sea-shore, struck fire, and put it to the blue 
 sea. Suddenly, from wherever he came, a giant pike' 
 swam to shore. " Well, good youth, creep into my 
 mouth ; I '11 hide thee in the bottom of the sea." 
 He opened his jaws, took in the young man, sank 
 with him in the abyss of the sea, and covered him 
 with sand. 
 
 " Now," thought Ivan, " perhaps it will be all right." 
 But the point was not there. 
 
 Yelena the Wise barely looked in the mirror, and 
 saw everything at once. " Stop, cunning fellow, I 
 see thou hast gone into the giant pike, and thou art 
 sitting now in the abyss of the sea beneath rolling 
 sands ; it is time to come to shore." The pike swam 
 to shore, threw out the good youth, and vanished in 
 the sea. 
 
 Ivan returned to the broad court of Yelena the 
 Wise, sat on the porch, and grew powerfully thought- 
 ful and sad. At that moment the maid of Yelena the 
 Wise ran up the stairway. " Why are thou sad, 
 good youth? " 
 
 " How can I be glad? If I hide not the third time, 
 I must part with the white world ; so here I am sit- 
 ting and waiting for death." 
 
 " Grieve not; foretell no evil on thy own stormy 
 
Yelena the Wise. 
 
 227 
 
 head. Once I promised to serve thee; I spoke no 
 empty word. Come, I will hide thee." 
 
 She took Ivan by the hand, led him in, and put 
 him behind the^jnjrror. A little later Yelena the 
 Wise ran to the chamber, looked and looked in 
 the mirror. She could not see her bridegroom ; the 
 appointed time had passed. She grew angry, and 
 with vexation struck the glass ; it fell into fragments, 
 and before her stood Ivan the brave youth. 
 
 There was no help for it, she had to yield this 
 time. At the house of Yelena the Wise there was no 
 need of waiting to make mead or wine; that day 
 they had a noble feast and a wedding. They were 
 crowned, and began to live, to live on and win 
 wealth. 
 
THE SEVEN SIMEONS, FULL BROTHERS. 
 
 THERE lived an old man and his old wife ; they 
 lived many years, to a great age. Then they 
 began to pray to God to give them a child who in 
 their old age might help them to work. They 
 prayed a year, they prayed a second, they prayed a 
 third and fourth, they prayed a fifth and a sixth, and 
 did not receive a child ; but in the seventh year the 
 Lord gave them seven sons, arid they called them all 
 Simeon. When the old. man with the old woman 
 died, the Simeons were left orphans all in their 
 tenth year. 
 
 They ploughed their own land, and were not worse 
 than their neighbors. It happened one time to Tsar 
 Ador, the ruler of all that country, to pass their vil- 
 lage, and he saw the Seven Simeons working in the 
 field. He wondered greatly that such small boys 
 were ploughing and harrowing. Therefore he sent 
 his chief boyar to inquire whose children they were. 
 When the boyar came to the Simeons he asked 
 why they, such small children, were doing such 
 heavy work? 
 
 The eldest Simeon answered that they were or- 
 phans, that there was no one to work for them, and 
 
The Seven Simeons, Full Brothers. 229 
 
 said at the same time that they were all called 
 Simeon. The boyar left them and told this to the 
 Tsar, who wondered greatly that so many small boys, 
 brothers, should be called by one name. Therefore 
 he sent the same boyar to take them to the palace. 
 The boyar carried out the command of the Tsar and 
 took all the Simeons with him. When the Tsar 
 came to the palace he assembled the boyars and men 
 of counsel and asked advice in the following words : 
 
 " My boyars and men of counsel, ye see these 
 seven orphans who have no relatives : I wish to make 
 of them men who may be grateful to me hereafter ; 
 therefore I ask counsel of you. In what science or 
 art should I have them instructed? " 
 
 To this all answered as follows : " Most Gracious 
 
 Sovereign, as they are now grown somewhat and 
 
 have reason, dost thou not think it well to ask each 
 
 one of them separately with what science or art he 
 
 would like to occupy himself? " 
 
 The Tsar accepted this advice gladly, and began 
 by asking the eldest Simeon: "Listen to me, my 
 friend : with whatever science or art thou wishest to 
 occupy thyself, in that I will have thee instructed." 
 
 Simeon answered : " Your Majesty, I have no wish 
 to occupy myself with any science or art ; but if you 
 would give command to build a forge in the middle 
 of your court-yard, I would forge a pillar reaching to 
 the sky." 
 
 The Tsar saw that there was no reason to teach 
 
230 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 this Simeon, for he knew well enough the art of a 
 blacksmith; still, he did not believe that the boy 
 could forge a pillar to the very sky, therefore he gave 
 command to build in quick time a forge in the middle 
 of his court-yard. After the first he called the second 
 Simeon. " And thou, my friend, whatever science or 
 art thou wishest to study, in that will I give thee to 
 be taught." 
 
 Then that Simeon answered : " Your Majesty, I do 
 not wish to study any science or art ; but if my eldest 
 brother will forge a pillar to the sky, then I will climb 
 that pillar to the top, and will look at all lands, and 
 tell you what is going on in each one of them." 
 
 The Tsar considered that there was no need to 
 teach this Simeon either, because he was wise al- 
 ready. Then he asked the third Simeon: "Thou, 
 my friend, what science or art dost thou wish to 
 learn?" 
 
 Simeon answered : " Your Majesty, I do not wish 
 to learn any science or art ; but if my eldest brother 
 will make me an axe, with the axe I will strike once, 
 twice; that moment there will be a ship." 
 
 Then the king answered : " I need shipwrights, 
 and thou shouldst not be taught anything else." 
 Next he asked the fourth : " Thou, Simeon, what 
 science or art dost thou wish to know?" 
 
 " Your Majesty," answered he, " I do not wish to 
 know any science ; but if my third brother should 
 make a ship, and if it should happen to that ship to 
 
The Seven Simeons, Full Brothers. 231 
 
 be at sea, and an enemy should attack it, I would 
 seize it by the prow and take the ship to the under- 
 ground kingdom ; and when the enemy had gone away 
 I would bring it back to the surface of the sea." 
 
 The Tsar was astonished at these great wonders of 
 the fourth Simeon, and he said : " There is no need to 
 teach thee either." Then he asked the fifth Simeon : 
 " And thou, Simeon, what science or art dost thou 
 wish to learn ? " 
 
 " I do not wish to learn any," said he ; " but if my 
 eldest brother will make me a gun, with that gun, if 
 I see a bird, I will hit it, even one hundred versts 
 distant." 
 
 "Well, thou wilt be a splendid sharpshooter for 
 me," said the Tsar. Then he asked the sixth Simeon : 
 " Thou, Simeon, what science dost thou wish to 
 begin?" 
 
 " Your Majesty," said Simeon, " I have no wish to 
 begin any science or art ; but if my fifth brother will 
 shoot a bird on the wing, I will not let it reach the 
 earth, but will catch it and bring it to you." 
 
 " Thou 'rt very cunning," said the Tsar ; " thou wilt 
 take the place of a retriever for me in the field." Then 
 the Tsar asked the last Simeon : " What art or science 
 dost thou wish to learn?" 
 
 " Your Majesty," answered he, " I do not wish to 
 learn any science or art, because I have a most pre- 
 cious craft." 
 
 " But what is thy craft? Tell me, if it please thee." 
 
232 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " I know how to steal dexterously," said Simeon, 
 " so that no man can steal in comparison with me." 
 
 The Tsar became greatly enraged, hearing of such 
 an evil art, and said to his boyars and men of counsel : 
 " Gentlemen, how do ye advise me to punish this 
 thief Simeon? Tell me what death should he 
 die ? " 
 
 " Your Majesty," said they all to him, " why put 
 him to death? He is a thief in name, but a thief who 
 may be needed on an occasion." 
 
 " For what reason? " asked the Tsar. 
 
 " For this reason : your Majesty is trying now 
 these ten years to get Tsarevna Yelena the Beau- 
 tiful, and you have not been able to get her; and 
 besides, have lost great forces and armies, and spent 
 much treasure and other things. Mayhap this Simeon 
 the thief may in some way be able to steal Yelena the 
 Beautiful for your Majesty." 
 
 The Tsar said in answer : " My friends, ye tell me 
 the truth." Then. he turned to Simeon the thief and 
 asked: "Well, Simeon, canst thou go to the thrice- 
 ninth land, to the thirtieth kingdom, and steal for me 
 Yelena the Beautiful? I am strongly in love with 
 her, and if thou canst steal her for me I '11 give thee 
 a great reward." 
 
 " Stealing is my art, your Majesty," anwered the 
 seventh Simeon, " and I will steal her for you ; only 
 give the command." 
 
 " Not only do I give the command, but I beg thee 
 
The Seven Simeons, Full Brothers. 233 
 
 to do it; and delay no longer at my court, but take 
 for thyself troops and money, whatever is needed." 
 
 " Neither troops nor treasure do I need," answered 
 he. " Let all of us brothers go together, and I will 
 get Tsarevna Yelena the Beautiful." 
 
 The Tsar did not like to part with all the Simeons ; 
 still, though he regretted it, he was obliged to let 
 them all go together. Meanwhile the forge was built 
 in the court, and the eldest Simeon forged an iron 
 pillar to the very sky; the second Simeon climbed 
 on that pillar to the top, and looked in the direction 
 in which was the kingdom of the father of Yelena the 
 Beautiful. After he had looked he cried from the 
 top of the pillar : " Your Majesty, I see Yelena the 
 Beautiful sitting beyond the thrice-ninth land in the 
 thirtieth kingdom under a window; her marrow flows 
 from bone to bone." 
 
 Now the Tsar was still more enticed by her beauty, 
 and said to the Simeons in a loud voice : " My friends, 
 start on your journey at once, for I cannot live with- 
 out Yelena, the beautiful Tsarevna." 
 
 The eldest Simeon made an axe for the third, and 
 for the fifth he made a gun ; and after that they took 
 bread for the journey, and Simeon the Thief took a 
 cat, and they went their way. Simeon the Thief had 
 made the cat so used to him that she ran after him 
 everywhere like a dog ; and if he stopped on the road, 
 or in any other place, the cat stood on her hind legs, 
 rubbed against him, and purred. So the brothers went 
 
234 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 their way for some time, and at last came to the sea, 
 which they had to cross, and there was nothing to 
 cross upon. They walked along the shore and looked 
 for a tree of some kind to make a vessel, and they 
 found a very large oak. The third Simeon took his 
 axe and cut the oak at the very root, and then with 
 one stroke and another he made straightway a ship, 
 which was rigged, and in the ship were various costly 
 goods. All the Simeons sat on that ship and sailed 
 on their journey. 
 
 In a few months they arrived safely at the place 
 where it was necessary for them to go. When they 
 entered the harbor they cast anchor at once. On the 
 following day Simeon the Thief took his cat and 
 went into the town, and coming to the Tsar's palace he 
 stood opposite the window of Yelena the Beautiful. 
 At that moment the cat stood on her hind legs and 
 began to rub against him and to purr. It is necessary 
 to say that in that kingdom they knew nothing of cats, 
 and had not heard what kind of beast the cat is. 
 
 Tsarevna Yelena the Beautiful was sitting at the 
 window; and seeing the cat, sent straightway her 
 nurses and maidens to ask Simeon what kind of 
 beast that was, would he not sell it, and what price 
 would he take. The maidens and nurses ran out in 
 the street and asked Simeon what kind of beast that 
 was, and would he not sell it? 
 
 Simeon answered : " My ladies, be pleased to relate 
 to her Highness, Yelena the Beautiful, that this little 
 
The Seven Simeons ', Full Brothers. 235 
 
 beast is called a cat, that I will not sell it, but if she 
 wishes to have it I will give it to her without price." 
 
 The maidens and nurses ran straight to the palace 
 and told what they had heard from Simeon. 
 
 Tsarevna Yelena the Beautiful was rejoiced beyond 
 measure, ran out herself, and asked Simeon would 
 he not sell the cat. 
 
 Simeon said : " Your Highness, I will not sell the 
 cat; but if you like her, then I make you a present 
 of her." 
 
 The Tsarevna took the cat in her arms and went 
 to the palace, and Simeon she commanded to follow. 
 When she came to the palace the Tsarevna went to 
 her father, and showed him the cat, explaining that 
 a certain foreigner had given it to her as a present. 
 
 -The Tsar, seeing such a wonderful little beast, was 
 greatly delighted, and gave orders to call Simeon the 
 Thief; and when he came, the Tsar wished to reward 
 him with money for the cat; but as Simeon would 
 not take it, he said : " My friend, live for the 
 time in my house, and meanwhile, in your pres- 
 ence, the cat will become better used to my 
 daughter." 
 
 To this Simeon did not agree, and said to the Tsar: 
 "Your Majesty, I could live with great delight in 
 your house if I had not the ship on which I came 
 to your kingdom, and which I cannot commit to any 
 one ; but if you command, me I will come every day 
 and teach the cat to know your daughter." 
 
236 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 The Tsar commanded Simeon to come every day. 
 Simeon began to visit Tsarevna Yelena the Beautiful. 
 One day he said to her: " Gracious lady, often have I 
 come here; I see that you are not pleased to walk 
 anywhere ; you might come to my ship, and I would 
 show you such costly brocades as you have never 
 seen till this day." 
 
 The Tsarevna went straightway to her father and 
 began to beg permission to go to the ship-wharf. 
 The Tsar permitted her, and told her to take nurses 
 and maidens, and go with Simeon. 
 
 As soon as they came to the wharf Simeon invited 
 her to his ship, and when she entered the ship Simeon 
 and his brothers began to show the Tsarevna various 
 rich brocades. Then Simeon the Thief said to Yelena 
 the Beautiful : " Now be pleased to tell your nurses 
 and maidens to leave the ship, because I wish to show 
 you things so costly that they should not see them." 
 
 The Tsarevna commanded her maidens and nurses 
 to leave the ship. As soon as they had gone, Simeon 
 the Thief ordered his brothers in silence to cut off 
 the anchor and go to sea with all sail ; meanwhile 
 he showed the Tsarevna rich goods and made her 
 presents of some. About two hours had passed while 
 he was showing the stuffs. At last she said it was time 
 for her to go home, the Tsar her father would expect 
 her to dinner. Then she went out of the cabin and 
 saw that the ship was under sail and land no longer 
 in sight. 
 
The Seven Simeons, Full Brothers. 237 
 
 She struck herself on the breast, turned into a 
 swan, and flew off. The fifth Simeon took his gun 
 that minute and wounded the swan ; the sixth Simeon 
 did not let her fall to the water, but brought her back 
 to the ship, where she became a maiden as before. 
 
 The nurses and maidens who were at the wharf, 
 seeing the ship move away from the shore with the 
 Tsarevna, ran straight to the Tsar and told him of 
 Simeon's deceit. Then the Tsar sent a whole fleet in 
 pursuit. When this fleet coming up was very near the 
 ship of the Simeons, the fourth Simeon seized the 
 prow and conducted the ship to the underground 
 kingdom. When the ship had become entirely invis- 
 ible, the commanders of the fleet thought it was lost, 
 with the Tsarevna ; therefore they returned, and re- 
 ported to the Tsar that Simeon's ship had gone to the 
 bottom with Yelena the Beautiful. 
 
 The Simeons arrived at their own kingdom suc- 
 cessfully, delivered Yelena the Beautiful to Tsar Ador, 
 who for such a mighty service of the Simeons gave 
 liberty to them all, and plenty of gold, silver, and 
 precious stones, married Yelena the Beautiful himself, 
 and lived with her many years. 
 
THE ENCHANTED PRINCESS. 
 
 IN a certain kingdom a soldier served in the 
 mounted guard of the king. He served twen- 
 ty-five years in faithfulness and truth; and for his 
 good conduct the king gave orders to discharge him 
 with honor, and give him as reward the same horse 
 on which he had ridden in the regiment, with all the 
 caparison. 
 
 The soldier took farewell of his comrades and set 
 out for his native place. He travelled a day, a sec- 
 ond, and a third. Behold, a whole week had gone ; 
 a second and third week ! The soldier had no 
 money ; he had nothing to eat himself, nothing to 
 give his horse, and his home was far. far away. He 
 saw that the affair was a very bad one ; he wanted 
 terribly to eat, began to look in one direction and 
 another, and saw on one side a great castle. " Well," 
 thought he, " better go there ; maybe they will take 
 me even for a time to serve, I '11 earn something." 
 
 He turned to the castle, rode into the court, put 
 his horse in the stable, gave him hay, and entered the 
 castle. In the castle a table was set with food and 
 wine, with everything that the soul could wish for. 
 
 The soldier ate and drank. " Now," thought he, 
 " I may sleep." 
 
The Enchanted Princess. 239 
 
 All at once a bear came in. " Fear me not, brave 
 hero; thou hast come in good time. I am not a 
 savage bear, but a fair maiden, an enchanted princess. 
 If thou canst endure and pass three nights in this 
 place, the enchantment will be broken, I shall be a 
 princess as before, and will marry thee." 
 
 The soldier consented. Now, there fell upon him 
 such a sadness that he could not look on the world, 
 and every moment the sadness increased; if there 
 had been no wine he could not have held out a single 
 night, as it seemed. The second night it went so far 
 that the soldier resolved to leave everything and run 
 away; but no matter how he struggled, no matter 
 how he tried, he found no way out of the castle. 
 There was no help for it, he had to stay in spite of 
 himself. 
 
 He passed the third night. In the morning there 
 stood before him a princess of unspeakable beauty. 
 She thanked him for his service, and told him to 
 make ready for the crown (marriage). Straightway 
 they had the wedding, and began to live together 
 without care or trouble. After a time the soldier 
 remembered his native place; he wanted to spend 
 some time there. The princess tried to dissuade 
 him. 
 
 " Remain, stay here, my friend, go not away. 
 What is lacking to thee?" 
 
 No, she could not dissuade him. She took fare- \ 
 well of her husband, gave him a sack filled with seeds, 
 
240 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 and said : " On whatever road thou mayest travel, 
 throw these seeds on both sides. Wherever they fall, 
 that moment trees will spring up ; on the trees pre- 
 cious fruit will be hanging in beauty, various birds 
 will sing songs, and tom-cats from over the sea will 
 tell tales." 
 
 The good hero sat on his horse of service and 
 went his way. Wherever he journeyed he cast seeds 
 on both sides, and after him forests were rising, just 
 creeping out of the damp earth. He rode one day, he 
 rode a second, a third, and saw in the open field a 
 caravan. On the grass merchants were sitting play- 
 ing cards, near them a great kettle was hanging, and, 
 though there was no fire under the kettle, it was boil- 
 ing like a fountain within the pot. " What a won- 
 der!" thought the soldier; "there is no fire to be 
 seen, and in the kettle it is boiling like a fountain, 
 let me look at it more closely." He turned his horse 
 to the place and rode up to the merchants. 
 
 " Hail, honorable gentlemen ! " He had no sus- 
 picion that these were not merchants, but all unclean. 
 " That is a good trick of yours, a kettle boiling 
 without fire; but I have a better one." 
 
 He took out a seed and threw it on the ground, 
 that moment a full-grown tree came up ; on the tree 
 were precious fruits in their beauty, various birds 
 were singing songs, and tom-cats from over the 
 sea were telling tales. From this boast the unclean 
 knew him. 
 
The Enchanted Princess. 241 
 
 " Ah," said they among themselves, " this is the 
 man who liberated the princess ! Come, brothers, 
 let us drug him with a weed, and let him sleep half 
 a year." 
 
 They went to entertaining him, and drugged him 
 with the magic weed. The soldier dropped on the 
 grass and fell into deep sleep from which he could 
 not be roused. The merchants, the caravan, and the 
 kettle vanished in a twinkle. 
 
 Soon after the princess went out in her garden 
 and saw that the tops of all the trees had begun to 
 wither. " This is not for good," thought she; "it 
 is evident that evil has come to my husband." 
 
 Three months passed. It was time for his return, 
 and there was nothing of him, nothing. The princess 
 made ready and went to search for him. She went 
 by that road along which he had travelled, on both 
 sides forests were growing, birds were singing, and 
 tom-cats from over the sea were purring their tales. 
 She reached the spot where there were no more trees, 
 the road wound out into the open field ; she thought, 
 "Where has he gone to? Of course he has not 
 sunk through the earth." 
 
 She looked, aside by itself was one of the won- 
 derful trees, and under it her dear husband. She 
 ran to him, pushed, and tried to rouse him. No, he 
 did not wake. She pinched him, stuck pins in his 
 side, pricked and pricked him. He did not feel 
 even the pain, lay like a corpse without motion. 
 
 16 
 
242 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 The princess grew angry, and in her anger pro- 
 nounced the spell : " Mayest thou be caught by 
 the stormy whirlwind, thou good-for-nothing sleepy 
 head, and be borne to places unknown ! " 
 
 She had barely uttered these words when the wind 
 began to whistle, to sound, and in one flash the sol- 
 dier was caught up by a boisterous whirlwind and 
 borne away from the eyes of the princess. She saw 
 too late that she had spoken an evil speech. She 
 shed bitter tears, went home, lived alone and lonely. 
 
 The poor soldier was borne by the whirlwind far, 
 far away beyond the thrice-ninth land, to the thirtieth 
 kingdom, and thrown on a point between two seas ; 
 he fell on the very narrowest little wedge. If the 
 sleeping man were to turn to the right, or roll to the 
 left, that moment he would tumble into the sea, and 
 then remember his name. 
 
 The good hero slept out his half year, moved not 
 a finger; and when he woke he sprang straight to his 
 feet, looked on both sides. The waves are rolling; 
 no end can be seen to the broad sea. He stands in 
 doubt, asking himself, " By what miracle have I come 
 to this place? Who dragged me hither?" He turned 
 back from the point and came out on an island ; on 
 that island was a mountain steep and lofty, touching 
 the clouds with its peak, and on the mountain a 
 great stone. He came near this mountain and saw 
 three devils fighting; blood was just flowing from 
 them, and bits of flesh flying. 
 
The Enchanted Princess. 243 
 
 " Stop, ye outcasts ! What are ye fighting for? " 
 
 " But seest thou our father died three days ago and 
 left three wonderful things, a flying carpet, swift- 
 moving boots, and a cap of invisibility ; and we can- 
 not divide them." 
 
 " Oh, ye cursed fellows, to fight for such trifles ! 
 If ye wish I '11 divide them between you, and ye shall 
 be satisfied ; I '11 offend no one." 
 
 " Well then, countryman, divide between us if it 
 please thee." 
 
 " Very good. Run quickly through the pine woods 
 and gather one hundred poods of pitch, and bring 
 it here." 
 
 The devils rushed through the pine woods, col- 
 lected three hundred poods of pitch, and brought it 
 to the soldier. 
 
 " Now bring me from your own kingdom the very 
 largest kettle that is in it." The devils brought the 
 very largest kettle, one holding forty barrels, 
 and put the pitch into it. The soldier made a fire, 
 and when the pitch was boiling he ordered the devils 
 to take it on the mountain and pour it out from the 
 top to the bottom. The devils did this in a flash. 
 " Now," said the soldier, " push that stone there ; let 
 it roll from the mountain, and follow it. Whoever 
 comes up with it first may take any of the three 
 things; whoever comes up second will choose from 
 the two remaining ones whichever he likes ; and the 
 last wonder will go to the third." The devils pushed 
 
244 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 the stone, and it rolled from the mountain quickly, 
 quickly. One devil caught up, seized the stone, the 
 stone turned, and in a flash put him under it, crushed 
 him into the pitch. The second devil caught up, and 
 then the third ; and with them it happened as with 
 the first, they were driven firmly into the pitch. 
 
 The soldier took under his arm the swift boots and 
 the cap of invisibility, sat on the flying carpet, and 
 flew off to look for his own country. Whether it was 
 long or short, he came to a hut, went in. In the hut 
 was sitting a Baba-Yaga, bone-leg, old and toothless. 
 " Greetings to thee, grandmother ! Tell how I am 
 to find my fair princess." 
 
 " I have not seen her with sight, I have not heard 
 of her with hearing ; but pass over so many seas and 
 so many lands, and there lives my second sister. 
 She knows more than I do; mayhap she can tell 
 thee." 
 
 The soldier sat on his carpet and flew away. He 
 had to wander long over the white world. Whenever 
 he wanted to eat or drink, he put on the cap of in- 
 visibility, let himself down, entered a shop, and took 
 what his heart desired ; then to the carpet and off on 
 his journey. He came to the second hut, entered ; 
 inside was sitting Baba-Yaga, bone-leg, old and tooth- 
 less. " Greeting to thee, grandmother ! Dost thou 
 know how I can find my fair princess? " 
 
 "No, my dove, I do not know." 
 
 " Ah, thou old hag ! how many years art thou living 
 
The Enchanted Princess. 245 
 
 in the world ? All thy teeth are out, and thou knowest 
 no good." 
 
 He sat on the flying carpet and flew toward the 
 eldest sister. Long did he wander, many seas and 
 many lands did he see. At last he flew to the end 
 of the world, where there was a hut and no road 
 beyond, nothing but outer darkness, nothing to be 
 seen. 
 
 " Well," thought he, " if I can get no account here, 
 there is nowhere else to fly to." He went into the 
 hut ; there a Baba-Yaga was sitting, gray, toothless. 
 
 " Greeting to thee, grandmother ! Tell me where 
 must I seek my princess." 
 
 " Wait a little ; I will call all my winds together and 
 ask them. They blow over all the world, so they 
 must know where she is living at present." 
 
 The old woman went out on the porch, cried with 
 a loud voice, whistled with a hero's whistle. Straight- 
 way the stormy winds rose and blew from every side ; 
 the hut just quivered. 
 
 " Quieter, quieter !" cried Baba-Yaga; and as soon 
 as the winds had assembled, she said : " My stormy 
 winds, ye blow through all the world. Have ye seen 
 the beautiful princess anywhere ? " 
 
 " We have not seen her anywhere," answered the 
 winds in one voice. 
 
 "But are ye all here?" 
 
 " All but South Wind." 
 
 After waiting a little, South Wind flew up. The old 
 
C 
 
 246 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 woman asked : " Where hast thou been lost to this 
 moment? I could hardly wait for thee." 
 
 " Pardon, grandmother ; I went into a new kingdom, 
 where the beautiful princess is living. Her husband 
 has vanished without tidings, so now various Tsars 
 and Tsars' sons, kings and kings' sons are paying 
 court to her." 
 
 " And how far is it to the new kingdom? " 
 
 " For a man on foot thirty-five years, ten years 
 on wings ; but if I blow I can put a man there in 
 three hours." 
 
 The soldier implored South Wind tearfully to take 
 him and bear him to the new kingdom. 
 
 " I will, if it please thee," said South Wind, " pro- 
 vided thou wilt let me run around in thy kingdom 
 three days and three nights as I like." 
 
 " Frolic three weeks if thou choosest." 
 
 "Well, I will rest for two or three days, collect my 
 forces and my strength, and then for the road ! " 
 
 South Wind rested, collected his strength, and 
 said to the soldier : " Well, brother, make ready, 
 we '11 go straightway ; but look out, have no fear, 
 thou wilt arrive in safety." 
 
 All at once a mighty whirlwind whistled and roared, 
 caught the soldier into the air, and bore him over 
 mountains and seas up to the very clouds; and in 
 three hours exactly he was in the new kingdom, 
 where his beautiful princess was living. South Wind 
 said, 
 
 
The Enchanted Princess. 247 
 
 " Farewell, good hero ; out of compassion for thee 
 I will not frolic in thy kingdom." 
 
 " Why is that?" 
 
 " Because if I frolic, not one house will be standing 
 in the town, not one tree in the gardens; I should 
 put everything bottom upward." 
 
 " Farewell then ; God save thee ! " said the soldier, 
 who put on his cap of invisibility and went to the white- 
 walled castle. Behold, while he was absent from the 
 kingdom all the trees in the garden had stood with 
 withered tops, and the moment he appeared they came 
 to life and began to bloom. He entered the great 
 hall ; there were sitting at the table various Tsars and 
 Tsars' sons, kings and kings' sons who had come to 
 pay court to the beautiful princess. They were sitting 
 and entertaining themselves with sweet wines. Who- 
 ever filled a glass and raised it to his lips, the soldier 
 that moment struck it with his fist and knocked it 
 from his hand. All the guests wondered at this ; but 
 the beautiful princess understood in a moment the 
 reason. 
 
 " Surely," thought she, " my friend is here." She 
 looked through the window; all the tree-tops in the 
 garden had come to life, aad she gave a riddle to the 
 guests. " I had a home-made casket with a golden 
 key ; I lost this key, and did not think to find it : but 
 now this key has found itself. Who guesses the riddle, 
 him will I marry." 
 
 The Tsars and Tsars' sons, the kings and kings' 
 
248 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 sons were long breaking their wise heads over this 
 riddle, and could not solve it in any way. 
 
 The princess said : " Show thyself, dear friend." 
 
 The soldier removed his cap of invisibility, took 
 her by the white hand, and began to kiss her on the 
 sweet mouth. 
 
 " Here is the riddle for you," said the fair princess : 
 " I am the home-made casket, and the golden key is 
 my faithful husband." 
 
 The wooers had to turn their wagon-shafts around. 
 ' They all drove home, and the princess began to live 
 with her husband, to live and win wealth. 
 
VASSILISSA THE CUNNING AND THE TSAR 
 OF THE SEA. 
 
 A PEASANT sowed rye, and the Lord gave him 
 a wonderful harvest. He could barely bring 
 it in from the field. He drew the bundles home, 
 threshed the grain, and poured it into bins ; his gra- 
 nary was full to the brim. When he was pouring it 
 in, he thought, " Now I shall live without trouble." 
 
 A mouse and a sparrow used to visit that peasant's 
 barn ; every one of God's days they came about five 
 times, ate all they could, and then went out. The 
 mouse would spring into her hole, and the sparrow 
 fly away to his nest. They lived together in this 
 way in friendship for three whole years, ate up all 
 the grain ; there remained only a mere trifle, about 
 eight bushels, not more. 
 
 The mouse saw that the supply was drawing to an 
 end, and began to contrive how to deceive the spar- 
 row and get possession of all that was left. And the 
 mouse succeeded. She came in the dark night-time, 
 ,gnawed a great hole in a plank, and let all the rye 
 down through the floor to the last grain. Next 
 morning the sparrow came to the granary to have 
 breakfast; looked, there was nothing! The poor 
 
250 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 fellow flew out hungry, and thought to himself, " Oh, 
 the cursed creature, she has deceived me ! I will fly 
 now to her sovereign, the lion, and present a petition 
 against the mouse ; let the lion pass judgment on us 
 in justice." 
 
 So he started and flew to the lion. " Lion, Tsar of 
 beasts," said the sparrow, beating to him with the 
 forehead, " I lived with one of thy beasts, the strong- 
 toothed mouse. We lived for three years in one 
 barn and had no dispute. But when the supply be- 
 gan to come to an end, she went to playing tricks, 
 gnawed a hole through the floor, and let all the 
 grain down to herself, left me, poor fellow, to be 
 hungry. Judge us in truth ; if not, I will fly to seek 
 justice and reparation from my own Tsar, the eagle." 
 
 " Well, fly off, with God ! " said the lion. 
 
 The sparrow rushed with his petition to the eagle, 
 related the whole offence, how the mouse had stolen 
 and the lion had upheld her. The eagle grew 
 fiercely angry, and sent a swift courier to the lion 
 straightway : " Come to-morrow with thy army of 
 beasts to such and such a field ; I will assemble all 
 the birds and give battle." 
 
 Nothing to be done, the lion made a great call and 
 summoned the beasts to battle. There were assem- 
 bled of them seen and unseen. As soon as they 
 came to the open field, the eagle flew upon them with 
 his winged warriors like a cloud from heaven. A 
 great battle began. They fought for three hours and 
 
Vassilissa and the Tsar. 
 
 three minutes, and the eagle Tsar conquered; he 
 covered the whole field with bodies of beasts. Then 
 he sent his birds to their homes, and flew himself to 
 a slumbering forest, sat on a lofty oak, bruised and 
 wounded, and began to think seriously how to regain 
 his former strength. 
 
 This was a long time ago. There lived then a mer- 
 chant with his wife, and they had not a single child. 
 The merchant rose up one morning and said to his 
 wife: " I have had a bad dream. I thought that a 
 great bird fastened on me, one that eats a whole ox 
 at a meal and drinks a pailful ; and it was impossible 
 to get rid of the bird, impossible not to feed it. I '11 
 go to the forest; mayhap the walk will cheer me." 
 
 He took his gun and went to the forest. Whether 
 he wandered long or short in that forest, he wandered 
 till he came to an oak-tree, saw an eagle, and was 
 going to shoot it. 
 
 " Kill me not, good hero," said the eagle, in a hu- 
 man voice. " If thou kill me, small will be thy profit. 
 Better take me home, feed me for three years, three 
 months, and three days. I shall recover at thy house, 
 shall let my wings grow, regain my strength, and re- 
 pay thee with good." 
 
 "What pay can one expect from an eagle?" 
 thought the merchant, and aimed a second time. 
 The eagle spoke as at first. The merchant aimed a 
 third time, and again the eagle begged, 
 
252 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Kill me not, good hero ! Feed me three years, 
 three months, and three days; when I have recov- 
 ered, when my wings have grown, and I have re- 
 gained my strength, I '11 repay thee with good." 
 J The merchant took pity on the eagle, carried him 
 home, killed an ox, and poured out a pailful of mead. 
 " This will serve the eagle for a long time," thought 
 he ; but the eagle ate and drank all at one meal. A 
 bad time to the merchant; from the unbidden guest 
 utter ruin. 
 
 The eagle saw the merchant's loss and said : 
 " Hear me, my host ! Go to the open field. Thou 
 wilt find there many beasts killed and wounded. 
 Take their rich furs, bear them to the town to sell. 
 Get food for thyself and me, and there will be some 
 left for a supply." 
 
 The merchant went into the open field and saw 
 many animals lying there, some slain and some 
 wounded. He took the dearest furs, carried them 
 to town to sell, and sold them for much money. 
 ' A year passed. The eagle said : " Bear me to that 
 place where the lofty oaks are standing." 
 
 The merchant got his wagon ready and took him 
 to that place. The eagle rose above the clouds, and 
 when he swooped down, he struck a tree with his 
 breast, the oak was split in two. " Well, merchant, 
 good hero," said the eagle, " I have not regained 
 my former strength; feed me another round year." 
 
 Another year passed. Again the eagle rose be* 
 
Vassilissa and the Tsar. 253 
 
 yond the dark clouds, shot down from above, struck 
 the tree with his breast, split the oak into small 
 pieces. " Merchant, good hero, thou must feed me 
 another whole year ; I have not regained my former 
 strength ! " 
 
 When three years, three months, and three days 
 had passed, the eagle said to the merchant: "Take 
 me again to the same place, to the lofty oaks." 
 The merchant carried him to the lofty oaks. The 
 eagle soared higher than before; like a mighty whirl- 
 wind he struck from above the largest oak, broke it 
 into small bits from the top to the root, indeed, the 
 forest was reeling all around. " God save thee, mer- 
 chant, good hero!" said the eagle; "now all my 
 former strength is with me. Leave thy horse, sit on 
 my wings ; I will bear thee to my own land, and pay 
 thee for all the good thou hast done." The merchant 
 sat on his wings, the eagle bore him out on the blue 
 sea, and he rose high, high. " Look now," said he, 
 " on the blue sea. Is it wide? " 
 
 " As a cart-wheel," answered the merchant. 
 
 The eagle shook his wings and threw the mer- 
 chant, let him fall, gave him to feel mortal terror, 
 and caught him before he had reached the water, 
 caught him, and rose still higher. " Look on the 
 blue sea. Is it great?" 
 
 " As a hen's egg." 
 
 The eagle shook his wings, threw the merchant, 
 let him fall, but did not let him reach the water, 
 
254 Russian Myths and Folk-Tales. 
 
 caught him, and rose up higher than ever. " Look 
 on the blue sea. Is it great?" 
 
 " As a poppy seed." 
 
 A third time the eagle shook his wings and threw 
 the merchant from under the heavens ; still he did n't 
 let him reach the water, caught him, and asked: 
 " Well, merchant, good hero, hast thou felt what 
 mortal terror is? " 
 
 "I have," said the merchant; "and I thought I 
 was lost forever." 
 
 " And so did I when thou wert pointing thy gun 
 at me." 
 
 The eagle flew with the merchant beyond the sea, 
 straight to the copper kingdom. " Behold, my eld- 
 est sister lives here ! " said the eagle. " When we 
 shall be guests with her, and she brings presents, 
 take nothing, but ask for the copper casket." The 
 } eagle said this, struck the damp earth, turned into 
 va gallant hero. 
 
 They went through the broad court. The sister saw 
 him, and was delighted. " Oh, my own brother, how 
 has God brought thee? I have not seen thee for 
 three years and more ; I thought thou wert lost for- 
 ever. How can I entertain thee? How can I feast 
 thee?" 
 
 " Entertain not me, my dear sister, I am at home 
 in thy house; but entreat and entertain this good 
 hero. He gave me meat and drink for three years, 
 did not let me die of hunger." 
 
Vassilissa and the Tsar. 255 
 
 She seated them at the oaken table, at the spread 
 cloth; she feasted and entertained them, then led 
 them to her treasure-chambers, showed treasures in- 
 calculable, and said to the merchant : " Good hero, 
 here are gold, silver, and precious stones ; take what 
 thy soul desires." 
 
 The merchant gave answer: "I need neither gold, 
 silver, nor precious stones. Give me the copper 
 casket." 
 
 " Thou 'It not get it; that is not the boot for thy 
 foot." 
 
 The brother was angry at his sister's words; he 
 turned into an eagle, a swift bird, caught the 
 merchant, and flew away. 
 
 " Oh, my own brother, come back ! " cried the 
 sister. " I '11 not stand for the casket." 
 
 " Thou art late, sister ! " 
 
 The eagle flew through the air. " Look, merchant, 
 good hero, what is behind us and what before ? " 
 
 " Behind, a fire is in sight ; before us flowers are 
 blooming." 
 
 "That is the copper kingdom in flames, and the 
 flowers are blooming in the silver kingdom of my 
 second sister. When we are her guests, and she 
 offers gifts, take nothing, but ask for the silver 
 casket." The eagle came, struck the damp earth, 
 and become a good hero. 
 
 " Oh, my own brother," said his sister, " whence 
 hast come; where wert thou lost; why hast thou 
 
256 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 been so long without visiting me; with what can I 
 serve thee? " 
 
 " Entreat me not, entertain me not, my dear sister, 
 I am at home with thee ; but entreat and entertain 
 this good hero, who gave me meat and drink for 
 three years, and did not let me die of hunger." 
 
 She seated them at the oaken tables at spread 
 cloths, entertained and feasted them, then led them 
 to treasure-chambers. " Here are gold and silver 
 and precious stones; take, merchant, what thy soul 
 desires." 
 
 " I want neither gold, silver, nor precious stones. 
 Give me only the silver casket." 
 
 " No, good hero, thy desire is not for the right 
 morsel; thou mightest choke thyself." 
 
 The eagle brother was angry, caught up the mer- 
 chant, and flew away. 
 
 " Oh, my own brother, come back ! I will not 
 stand for the casket." 
 
 " Thou art late, sister ! " 
 
 Again the eagle flew under the heavens. " See, 
 merchant, good hero, what is behind us, what is 
 before?" 
 
 " Behind us a fire is blazing ; before us are flowers 
 in bloom." 
 
 " That is the silver kingdom in flames ; but the 
 flowers are blooming in the golden kingdom of my 
 youngest sister. When we are her guests, and she 
 offers gifts, take nothing ; ask only the golden casket." 
 
 
Vassilissa and the Tsar. 257 
 
 The eagle came to the golden kingdom and turned 
 into a good hero. 
 
 " Oh, my own brother," said the sister, " whence 
 hast thou come ? Where hast thou vanished so long 
 that thou hast not visited me? With what shall I 
 feast thee ? " 
 
 " Entreat me not, feast me not, I am at home ; but 
 entreat and feast this merchant, good hero. He gave 
 me meat and drink for three years, saved me from 
 hunger." 
 
 She seated them at the oaken table, at the spread 
 cloth, entertained them, feasted them, led the mer- 
 chant to her treasure-chambers, offered him gold, 
 silver, and precious stones. 
 
 " I need nothing ; give me only the golden casket." 
 
 " Take it for thy happiness. Thou didst give 
 meat and drink to my brother for three years, and 
 didst save him from hunger ; I regret nothing that is 
 spent on my brother." 
 
 So the merchant lived and feasted a while in the 
 golden kingdom, till the time came for parting, for 
 taking the road. 
 
 " Farewell," said the eagle ; " think not on me with 
 harsh feeling, but see that the casket is not opened 
 till thou art at home." 
 
 The merchant journeyed homeward. Whether it 
 was long or short, he grew tired and wished to rest. 
 He stopped in a strange meadow on the land of the 
 Tsar of the Sea ; he looked and looked at the golden 
 
 17 
 
258 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 casket, could n't endure, opened it. That moment, 
 wherever it came from, there stood before him a 
 great castle all painted, a multitude of servants 
 appeared, inquiring : " What dost thou wish for ; 
 what dost thou want?" The merchant, good hero, 
 ate his fill, drank enough, and lay down to sleep. 
 The Tsar of the Sea saw that there was a great castle 
 on his land, and he sent messengers : " Go see what 
 sort of an insolent fellow has come and built a castle 
 on my land without leave ; let him go off at once in 
 ihealth and safety." 
 
 When such a threatening word came to the mer- 
 chant he began to think and conjecture how to put 
 the castle into the casket as before ; he thought and 
 thought, no, he could do nothing. " I should be glad 
 to go away," said he, " but how, I can't think myself." 
 
 The messengers returned, and reported all to the 
 Tsar of the Sea. " Let him give me what he has at 
 home but knows it not; I will put his palace in the 
 golden casket." 
 
 There was no other way, and so the merchant 
 promised with an oath to give what he had at home 
 but knew it not. The Tsar of the Sea put the palace 
 in the golden casket at once. The merchant took 
 the casket and went his way. Whether it was long 
 or short, he came home, his wife met him. " Oh, be 
 thou hearty, my world. Where wert thou lost? " 
 
 " Well, where I was I am not now." 
 
 " But while thou wert gone the Lord gave us a son." 
 
Vassilissa and the Tsar. 259 
 
 " Ah ! that is what was at home and I knew it not," 
 thought the merchant; and he grew very sad and 
 sorrowful. 
 
 "What is the matter? Art thou not glad to be 
 here ? " insisted his wife. 
 
 " Not that," said the merchant ; and he told her all 
 that had happened to him, and they grieved and wept 
 together. But people of course cannot cry all their 
 lives. The merchant opened his golden casket, and 
 before them stood a great castle cunningly adorned, 
 and he began to live with his wife and son and gain 
 wealth. 
 
 Ten years passed and more; the merchant's son 
 grew up, became wise, fine-looking, a splendid fellow. 
 One morning he rose up in sadness and said to his 
 father : " My father, I had a bad dream last night. 
 I dreamed of the Tsar of the Sea; he commanded 
 me to come to him. ' I am waiting long,' said he ; 
 ' it is time to know thy honor.' " 
 
 The father and mother shed tears, gave him their 
 parental blessing, and let him go to a strange land. 
 He went along the road, along the broad road; he 
 walked over clear fields and wide steppes, and came 
 to a dreamy forest. It was empty all around, not a 
 soul to be seen; but there stood a small cabin by 
 itself, with front to the forest and back to Ivan. 
 " Cabin, cabin," said he, " turn thy back to the forest, 
 thy front to me." The cabin obeyed, and turned its 
 back to the forest, its front to Ivan. He entered the 
 
260 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 cabin, inside was Baba-Yaga, bone-leg, lying from 
 corner to corner. Baba-Yaga saw him and said: 
 " Before now, nothing of Russia was heard with hear- 
 ing or seen with sight, but now Russia runs to our 
 eyes. Whence dost thou come, good hero, and where 
 dost thou bear thy way ? " 
 
 " Oh, thou old hag, thou hast given neither meat 
 nor drink to a wayfaring man, and art asking for 
 news ! " 
 
 Baba-Yaga put drink on the table and various 
 meats ; she fed him, she gave him to drink, and put 
 him to rest. Early next morning she roused him, 
 and then she put questions. Ivan the merchant's son 
 told the whole secret, and said: "Teach me, grand- 
 mother, how to go to the Tsar of the Sea." 
 
 " It is well that thou hast come to me ; hadst thou 
 not, thou wouldst have lost thy life, for the Tsar of the 
 Sea is terribly angry because thou didst not go to him 
 long ago. Listen to me : go by this path ; thou wilt 
 come to a lake, hide behind a tree and wait a while. 
 Three beautiful doves, maidens, will fly there, they 
 are the daughters of the Tsar of the Sea ; they will 
 loose their wings, undress, and bathe in the lake. One 
 will have many-colored wings: watch the moment, 
 seize the wings, and do not give them up till she 
 consents to marry thee ; then all will be right." 
 
 Ivan the merchant's son took farewell of Baba- 
 Yaga and travelled the path she had shown, walked 
 and walked, saw the lake, hid himself behind a 
 
Vassilissa and the Tsar. 261 
 
 thick tree. After a time three doves came flying, 
 one with many-colored wings ; they struck the earth, 
 turned into beautiful maidens, removed their wings, 
 and took off their dresses. Ivan the merchant's son 
 kept his eyes open ; he crept up in silence and took 
 the many-colored wings. He watched to see what 
 would happen. The fair maidens bathed, came out 
 of the water, two of them dressed straightway, put on 
 their wings, turned into doves, and flew away. The 
 third remained to find her wings. She searched, 
 singing the while : " Tell who thou art, thou who 
 hast taken my wings ! If an old man, thou wilt be a 
 father to me ; if of middle years, my uncle dear ; if 
 a good youth, I will marry thee." 
 
 Ivan the merchant's son came from behind the 
 tree. " Here are thy wings ! " 
 
 " Now tell me, good youth, betrothed husband, of 
 what stock or race art thou, and whither dost thou 
 bear thy way ? " 
 
 " I am Ivan the merchant's son, and I am going to 
 thy own father, to the Tsar of the Sea." 
 
 " And my name is Vassilissa the Cunning." 
 
 Now, Vassilissa was the favorite daughter of the 
 Tsar, and was first in mind and beauty. She showed 
 her bridegroom how to go to the Tsar of the Sea, 
 sprang away as a dove, and flew after her sisters. 
 
 Ivan the merchant's son came to the Tsar of the 
 Sea, who made him serve in the kitchen, cut wood, 
 and draw water. Chumichka, the cook, did not like 
 
262 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 him, and told lies to the Tsar. " Your Majesty," said 
 he, " Ivan the merchant's son boasts that in one night 
 he can cut down a great dense forest, pile the logs in 
 heaps, dig out the roots, plough the land, sow it with 
 wheat, reap that wheat, thresh it, grind it into flour, 
 make cakes of the flour, and give these cakes to your 
 Majesty at breakfast next morning." 
 
 " Well," said the Tsar, "call him to me." 
 
 Ivan the merchant's son came. 
 
 " Why art thou boasting that in one night thou 
 canst cut down a thick forest, plough the land just 
 like a clean field, sow it with wheat, reap the wheat, 
 thresh it, and make it into flour, the flour into cakes 
 for my breakfast next morning? See that by to- 
 morrow morning this is all done; if not, I have a 
 sword, and thy head leaves thy shoulders." 
 
 No matter how Ivan protested, it was no use; 
 the order was given, it had to be carried out. He 
 went away from the Tsar, and hung his stormy head 
 from grief. Vassilissa the Cunning, the daughter 
 of the Tsar, saw him, and asked: "Why art thou 
 grieved ? " 
 
 "What is the use in telling thee? Thou couldst 
 not cure my sorrow ! " 
 
 "How knowest? Maybe I can." 
 
 Ivan the merchant's son told her what task the 
 Tsar had put on him. 
 
 "What task is that! That is a pleasure, the 
 task is ahead. Go thy way; pray to God and lie 
 
 t . 
 
Vassilissa and the Tsar. 263 
 
 down to rest ; the morning is wiser than the evening ; 
 toward daylight all will be ready." 
 
 Just at midnight Vassilissa the Cunning went out 
 on the great porch and cried in a piercing voice. In 
 one moment laborers ran together from every side, 
 myriads of them; one was felling a tree, another 
 digging out roots, another ploughing the land. In 
 one place they were sowing, in another reaping and 
 threshing; a pillar of dust went up to the sky, 
 and at daybreak the grain was ground, the cakes 
 baked. Ivan took the cakes to the breakfast of the 
 Tsar. 
 
 " Spendid fellow!" said the Tsar; and he gave 
 command to reward him from his own treasure. 
 
 Chumichka the cook was angrier than ever at 
 Ivan, began to talk against him again. " Your Ma- 
 jesty, Ivan the merchant's son boasts that in one 
 night he can make a ship that will fly through the 
 air." 
 
 "Well, call him hither." 
 They called Ivan the merchant's son. 
 " Why boast to my servants that in one night thou 
 canst make a wonderful ship that will fly through the 
 air, and say nothing to me ? See this ship is ready 
 by morning; if not, I have a sword, and thy head 
 leaves thy shoulders." 
 
 Ivan the merchant's son from sorrow hung his 
 stormy head lower than his shoulders, and went from 
 the Tsar beside himself. Vassilissa the Cunning said 
 
264 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 to him : " Of what art thou grieving ; why art thou 
 sad?" 
 
 "Why should I not be sad? The Tsar of the Sea 
 has commanded me to build in one night a ship that 
 will fly through the air." 
 
 "What sort of task is that? That is not a task, 
 but a pleasure ; the task is ahead. Go thy way ; lie 
 down and rest : the morning is wiser than the even- 
 ing ; at daybreak all will be done." 
 
 At midnight Vassilissa the Cunning went out on 
 the great porch, cried in a piercing voice. In a mo- 
 ment carpenters ran together from every side ; they 
 began to pound with their axes, and the work was 
 seething quickly. Toward morning all was ready. 
 
 " A hero ! " said the Tsar. " Come, now we will 
 take a trip." 
 
 They sat on the ship together, and took as a third 
 companion Chumichka the cook; and they flew 
 through the air. When they were flying over the 
 place of wild beasts the cook bent over the side 
 to look out. Ivan the merchant's son pushed him 
 from the ship that moment. The savage beasts tore 
 him into little bits. " Oh," cried Ivan the merchant's 
 son, " Chumichka has fallen off! " 
 
 " The devil be with him," said the Tsar of the Sea ; 
 " to a dog, a dog's death ! " They came back to the 
 palace. "Thou art skilful, Ivan," said the Tsar; 
 " here is a third task for thee. Break my unridden 
 stallion so that he will go under a rider. If thou 
 
Vassilissa and the Tsar. 265 
 
 wilt break him I will give thee my daughter in mar- 
 riage; if not, I have a sword, and thy head leaves 
 thy shoulders." 
 
 " Now that is an easy task," thought Ivan the 
 merchant's son. He went away from the Tsar laugh- 
 ing. Vassilissa the Cunning saw him and asked about 
 everything ; he told her. 
 
 " Thou art not wise, Ivan," said she ; " now a diffi- 
 cult task is given thee, no easy labor. That stal- 
 lion will be the Tsar himself: he will carry thee 
 through the air above the standing forest, below the 
 passing cloud, and scatter thy bones over the open 
 field. Go quickly to the blacksmiths, order them to 
 make for thee an iron hammer three poods in weight, 
 and when thou art sitting on the stallion hold firmly 
 and beat him on the head with the iron hammer." 
 
 Next day the grooms brought out the unridden 
 stallion. They were barely able to hold him ; he 
 snorted, rushed, and reared. The moment Ivan sat 
 on him he rose above the standing forest, below the 
 passing cloud, flew through the air more swiftly than 
 strong wind. The rider held firmly, beating him all 
 the time on the head with the hammer. The stallion 
 struggled beyond his power, and dropped to the 
 damp earth. Ivan the merchant's son gave the stal- 
 lion to the grooms, drew breath himself, and went 
 to the palace. The Tsar of the Sea met him with 
 bound head. 
 
 " I have ridden the horse, your Majesty." 
 
266 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Well, corne to-morrow to choose thy bride ; but 
 now my head aches." 
 
 Next morning Vassilissa the Cunning said to Ivan 
 the merchant's son, "There are three sisters of us 
 with our father; he will turn us into mares, and 
 make thee select. Be careful, take notice; on my 
 bridle one of the spangles will be dim. Then he will 
 let us out as doves ; my sisters will pick buckwheat 
 very quietly, but I will not, I will clap my wings. 
 The third time he will bring us out as three maidens, 
 one like the other in face, in stature, and hair. I 
 will shake my handkerchief; by that thou mayest 
 know me." 
 
 The Tsar brought out the three mares, one just 
 like the other, put them in a row. " Take the one 
 that pleases thee," said the Tsar. 
 
 Ivan the merchant's son examined them carefully. 
 He saw that on one bridle a spangle had grown dim; 
 he caught that bridle and said, " This is my bride." 
 
 " Thou hast taken a bad one ; thou mayest choose 
 a better." 
 
 " No use, this will do for me." 
 
 " Choose a second time." 
 
 The Tsar let out three doves just alike, and scat- 
 tered buckwheat before them. Ivan saw that one of 
 them was shaking her wings all the time. He caught 
 her by the wing and said, " This is my bride." 
 
 " Thou hast not taken the right piece ; thou wilt 
 choke thyself. Choose a third time." 
 
Vassilissa and the Tsar. 267 
 
 He brought out three maidens, one like the other 
 in face, in stature, and hair. Ivan the merchant's son 
 saw that one waved her handkerchief; he seized her 
 by the hand, " This is my bride." 
 
 There was nothing to be done. The Tsar could 
 not help himself, gave Vassilissa the Cunning to 
 Ivan, and they had a joyous wedding. 
 
 Not much nor little time had passed when Ivan 
 thought of escaping to his own country with Vassilissa 
 the Cunning. They saddled their horses and rode 
 away in the dark night. In the morning the Tsar dis- 
 covered their flight and sent a pursuing party. 
 
 " Drop down to the damp earth," said Vassilissa 
 the Cunning to her husband ; " perhaps thou wilt 
 hear something." 
 
 He dropped to the earth, listened, and answered : 
 " I hear the neighing of horses." 
 
 Vassilissa turned him into a garden, and herself 
 into a head of cabbage. The pursuers returned to 
 the Tsar empty-handed. " Your Majesty, there is 
 nothing to be seen in the open country; we saw only 
 a garden, and in the garden a head of cabbage." 
 
 " Go on, bring me that head of cabbage ; that is 
 their tricks." 
 
 Again the pursuers galloped on; again Ivan 
 dropped down to the damp earth. " I hear," said he, 
 "the neighing of horses." Vassilissa the Cunning 
 made herself a well, and turned Ivan into a bright 
 falcon ; the falcon was sitting on the brink, drinking 
 
268 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 water. The pursuers came to the well ; there was no 
 road beyond, and they turned back. 
 
 " Your Majesty, there is nothing to be seen in the 
 open country; we saw only a well, and a bright 
 falcon was drinking water out of that well." 
 
 The Tsar himself galloped a long time to over- 
 take them. 
 
 " Drop down to the damp earth ; perhaps thou 
 wilt hear something," said Vassilissa the Cunning to 
 her husband. 
 
 " There is a hammering and thundering greater 
 than before." 
 
 " That is my father chasing us. I know not, I 
 cannot think what to do." 
 
 Vassilissa the Cunning had three things, a brush, 
 a comb, and a towel. She remembered them, and 
 said : " God is yet merciful ; I have still defence before 
 the Tsar." She threw the brush behind her: it 
 became a great drowsy forest ; a man could not put 
 his hand through, could not ride around it in three 
 years. Behold, the Tsar of the Sea gnawed and 
 gnawed the drowsy forest, made a path for himself, 
 burst through it, and was again in pursuit. He is 
 drawing near them, has only to seize them with his 
 hand. Vassilissa threw her comb behind, and it 
 became such a great lofty mountain that a man could 
 neither pass over it nor go around it. 
 
 The Tsar of the Sea dug and dug in the mountain, 
 made a path, and again chased after them. Then 
 
 
Vassilissa and the Tsar. 269 
 
 Vassilissa the Cunning threw the towel behind her, 
 and it became a great, great sea. The Tsar galloped 
 up to the sea, saw the road was stopped, and turned 
 homeward. 
 
 Ivan the merchant's son was near home, and said 
 to Vassilissa the Cunning: " I will go ahead, tell my 
 father and mother about thee, and do thou wait here." 
 
 "See to it," said Vassilissa the Cunning, "when 
 thou art home, kiss all but thy godmother ; if thou 
 kiss her thou 'It forget me." 
 
 Ivan came home, kissed all in delight, kissed his 
 godmother, and forgot Vassilissa. She stood there, 
 poor thing, on the road, waited and waited; Ivan 
 did not come for her. She went to the town and 
 hired to do work for an old woman. 
 
 Ivan thought of marrying ; he found a bride, and 
 arranged a feast for the whole world (mir 1 ). 
 
 Vassilissa heard this, dressed herself as a beggar, j 
 and came to the merchant's house to beg alms. ' 
 
 " Wait," said the merchant's wife ; " I '11 bake thee 
 a small cake instead of cutting the big one." 
 
 " God save thee for that, mother ! " said Vassilissa. 
 
 But the great cake got burnt, and the small one 
 came out nicely. The merchant's wife gave Vassilissa 
 the burnt cake and put the small one on the table. 
 They cut that cake, and immediately two pigeons 
 flew out. 
 
 1 Mir means in Russian the " world," the " universe ; " and 
 also the " commune," or village society. 
 
270 Russian Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Kiss me," said the cock-pigeon to the other. 
 
 " No, thou wilt forget me, as Ivan the merchant's 
 son forgot Vassilissa the Cunning." 
 
 And the second and the third time he asked, " Kiss 
 me." 
 
 " No, thou 'It forget me, as Ivan the merchant's son 
 forgot Vassilissa the Cunning." 
 
 Ivan remembered then ; he knew who the beggar 
 was, and said to his father and mother : " This is my 
 wife." 
 
 " Well, if thou hast a wife, then live with her." 
 
 They gave rich presents to the new bride, and let 
 her go home ; but Ivan the merchant's son lived with 
 Vassilissa the Cunning, gained wealth, and shunned 
 trouble. 
 
CHEKH MYTHS AND FOLK-TALES. 
 
BOYISLAV, YOUNGEST OF TWELVE. 
 
 ONCE there was a king who groaned many a day ; 
 doctors came from far and near, but they could 
 not cure him. At last his condition was such that one 
 day all thought he must die. The following night he 
 had a marvellous dream. It seemed to him that he 
 was on Black Island, had freed three princesses, and 
 straightway recovered. When he woke he felt a certain 
 relief, but had almost forgotten the dream. The next 
 night he had the same dream, and again on waking 
 felt easier, but did not ascribe the relief to his dream. 
 The third night he had no dream, but a vision, in which 
 the three princesses appeared to him and said : " Free 
 us, and thou wilt recover; if not, thou wilt die." 
 Then they vanished, and the terrified king felt such 
 pain that he could barely wait till morning. He sum- 
 moned his twelve sons in haste, and when he had 
 told them of his vision he said in a sad voice : " But 
 how can I, poor man, go on a long journey to Black 
 Island, of which I have never even heard?" 
 
 " I will go instead of thee," said Boyislav, the 
 youngest son, with decision. 
 
 " We will all go," said the others, looking angrily 
 at Boyislav, whom they hated with all their hearts, 
 because he was his father's favorite. 
 
 18 
 
274 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Ye cannot all leave me ; and thou, Boyislav, surely 
 not," said the king, shaking his head. " Who would 
 there be to reign in my place?" 
 
 " Let Boyislav stay at home," said the eldest; 
 " besides, he would be merely a hindrance to us on 
 the road." 
 
 "la hindrance ! " said Boyislav, flushing up with 
 anger and pity. " Let me go, father; I will free the 
 princesses alone." 
 
 His brothers began to laugh at him and then to dis- 
 pute as to who should go to Black Island. Since they 
 could not decide, the king said : " I know that ye 
 would all gladly serve me, but since some of you 
 must stay at home> I will make six blank lots and 
 six written ones ; whoever draws a written one will go, 
 whoever a blank will remain." 
 
 The princes were satisfied and drew lots. They 
 were angry when Boyislav drew a prize, and the king 
 was sad ; but he had given his word and could not 
 withdraw it. That very day the princes set out and 
 Boyislav with them. While on dry land they were 
 prosperous ; it was worse when they entered a boat 
 and knew not whither to turn. Boyislav said that they 
 ought to go north, but his brothers laughed at him. 
 When they had sailed many weeks in one direction 
 and another without finding Black Island, they were 
 glad to follow his advice ; and the third day they ar- 
 rived at the place, but so terrible was it that no one 
 dared to land save Boyislav. He took provisions 
 
Boyislav, Youngest of Twelve. 275 
 
 and sprang on shore, telling his brothers to await his 
 return. While light lasted he ran up and down on 
 the island, but saw nothing except black rocks. He 
 was forced to pass the night on a bare stone, but 
 rose early, completely refreshed by sleep, and ex- 
 amined farther. 
 
 One day passed, and a second ; the third day ap- 
 peared, and still he found nothing. At last, in the 
 evening, he came to a large stone, which seemed to 
 him hewn out by men's hands. He lifted with all 
 his might, turned it over, and found a great dark 
 opening, from which a pleasant odor arose. He went 
 down without delay, and soon found himself in a 
 glorious garden, in which were three golden castles 
 at a great distance. He gazed with astonishment; 
 though there were things there without number such 
 as he had never seen before, still his attention was 
 attracted first by three horses, which rushed around 
 him three times in a wild gallop, and then vanished 
 in the twinkle of an eye. Boyislav looked after 
 them, and heard a voice saying : " I welcome thee, 
 Boyislav, youngest of twelve ! " 
 
 He looked on every side, but could see no one. 
 The voice cried out the second time : "I welcome 
 thee, Boyislav, youngest of twelve ! " 
 
 Now he knew where the voice came from; but 
 though he went in that direction and examined every- 
 thing very carefully, he could see no one. Only after 
 the voice had called much louder than the first and 
 
276 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 second time, " I welcome thee, Boyislav, youngest of 
 twelve ! " did he see behind a rock a famished little 
 horse, so poor that he could count all its ribs. 
 
 "What dost thou want of me?" asked Boyislav, 
 not a little astonished that the horse knew him. 
 
 " 'T is thy wish to free the three princesses," an- 
 swered the horse ; " then listen to what I advise : In 
 the first castle thou wilt find the first princess, who 
 will greet thee with kindness beyond measure, and 
 offer thee food and drink. Eat with relish, but let 
 not the princess eat with thee or kiss thee. Take 
 what is left of the food when thou hast eaten, and go 
 to the second castle ; there the second princess will 
 greet thee with still greater kindness, and offer food 
 and drink. Eat with relish, but for no reason let her 
 eat with thee or kiss thee. Take what is left after 
 eating, and go to the third castle, where the third 
 princess will give thee the most kindly reception of 
 all, and place food and drink before thee ; eat freely, 
 but let not the princess eat with thee or kiss thee. 
 Take what is left, and come here to me." 
 
 "Is nothing more needed to gain their freedom?" 
 asked Boyislav. 
 
 " Nothing," answered the horse ; " but thou must 
 not speak a word all this time." 
 
 " That is very easy," thought Boyislav. 
 
 But the horse said with great emphasis : " Have a 
 care ; for to thee 't is a question of life or death." 
 
 Boyislav went with quick step to the' first castle, 
 
Boyislav, Youngest of Twelve. 277 
 
 where a princess of wonderful beauty ran forth to- 
 ward him. " I welcome thee, Boyislav, youngest of 
 twelve ! " cried she, with glad voice. " How art thou 
 here? Come to my chamber ; let me give thee good 
 cheer. What is thy father doing? How are thy 
 brothers? " 
 
 Then she took his hand and seated him at the 
 table, to which she brought the most savory food and 
 drink, continually speaking of his home. But he 
 gave no regard; and when she wished to eat with 
 him, he thrust her aside without mercy. Then he 
 seized what was left of the food and hurried away. 
 The princess gave him the sweetest of names, and 
 stretched her hands toward him, but he acted as if 
 he neither saw her nor heard her. 
 
 At the second castle a still more beautiful princess 
 ran toward him, greeted him with still greater glad- 
 ness, led him into a chamber, seated him at a table, 
 and brought the most savory food and drink, talking 
 continually. She moved toward him, wishing to kiss 
 him ; but he thrust her aside very rudely, so that she 
 fell to the floor. Before she could rise he had taken 
 what was left of the food, and was gone. 
 
 He had barely reached the third castle when a 
 princess ran out to meet him. She was far more 
 beautiful than the other two, and wished to fall on 
 his neck straightway. He was amazed at her beauty ; 
 but keeping in mind the words of the horse, he thrust 
 her away. But still she led him into the castle, seated 
 
278 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 him at a table in the loftiest chamber, and entertained 
 him with the best food and drink. Boyislav ate and 
 drank heartily, but when the princess wished to eat, 
 he pushed her aside so rudely that, after staggering a 
 few steps, she fell to the floor. Then, quickly gath- 
 ering the remnants of food, he ran off, though the 
 princess called him with heart-rending voice. 
 
 When he came to the horse he spread on the 
 rock the remnants of food, which the horse devoured 
 eagerly. " What now? " asked Boyislav. 
 
 " Go for the three princesses, and bring them to 
 thy brothers in the boat ; they are free, for they are 
 the horses which thou hast seen running around thee. 
 A wicked sorceress enchanted them, so that twelve 
 hours they were horses and twelve hours princesses. 
 Then come for me, or thou wilt suffer." 
 
 Boyislav did as the horse desired, and brought to 
 his brothers the three princesses, who, with tearful 
 eyes, thanked him for their liberation. Then he re- 
 turned to the horse, which said, with sad voice: 
 " Too bad ! too bad ! " 
 
 " What has happened?" asked Boyislav. 
 
 " Thou art unfortunate," answered the horse ; " thy 
 departure from home was unfortunate, for know that 
 thy brothers have gone." 
 
 " Then I must perish here ! " cried Boyislav. 
 
 " Now thou wilt not perish ; but hadst thou gone 
 on the boat thy death would be sure, for thy brothers 
 had conspired to kill thee." 
 
 
Boyislav, Youngest of Twelve. 279 
 
 " Oh, the thankless wretches ! " cried Boyislav. 
 "What shall I do now?" 
 
 " If thou wilt obey me," said the horse, " thou wilt 
 gain thy object in time. Go now to the garden of 
 the first castle, and pluck four golden apples, but 
 only four." 
 
 Boyislav went, and for the first time noticed the 
 beauty of the whole garden ; he went back and forth, 
 and would have soon forgotten the apples had he not 
 heard the neighing of the horse. Now he saw the 
 tree with golden apples, and plucked four. Since 
 they were so beautiful, he wanted more, but the 
 horse neighed so fiercely that the whole castle trem- 
 bled; his arm, which was stretched to the apples, 
 dropped of itself, and he returned to the horse, 
 which said, " Now sit on me." 
 
 Boyislav did so, and the horse bore him soon to 
 the shore of the sea, and said, " Throw an apple in 
 the sea." 
 
 " But it is a pity to lose it ! " said Boyislav. 
 
 " Throw it in ! " repeated the horse, with stern 
 voice; and Boyislav obeyed. That moment a road 
 five hundred miles long rose out of the sea. The 
 horse stepped on the road, and hurried along night 
 and day. When the domes of a great city were seen 
 in the distance, he said to Boyislav : " Now we are 
 going to Red Island, to a king who has a very ugly 
 daughter; but have no fear in the world of her. 
 When she casts eyes on thee, say that thou art 
 
280 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 seeking a bride, but before choosing thou must con- 
 sult thy father. Then the king will offer thee a 
 present; take nothing but a piece of rope for my 
 bridle." 
 
 Boyislav promised obedience. When they came 
 to Red Island, the road sank in the sea, and the horse 
 hurried on. Boyislav left him on the meadow out- 
 side the city, and went straight to the king's castle, 
 where he was courteously received. " Where art thou 
 going, noble prince?" asked the king. 
 
 " In search of a bride," answered Boyislav ; and the 
 king led him to his daughter. She was so ugly that 
 Boyislav was frightened. 
 
 " Does she not please thee? " asked the king. 
 
 "Oh, she pleases me," said Boyislav, "pleases 
 ^me greatly; but first I must talk with my father." 
 The king smiled, and led his guest to the supper- 
 chamber, where he was entertained in king's fashion. 
 Boyislav wished to go very soon, but the king took 
 him first to his treasury, and offered him much gold 
 and silver. 
 
 " Thanks to thy Grace ! " answered Boyislav. " My 
 father has great treasures also ; but if thou wilt make 
 me some present, give me a piece of rope to repair 
 my horse's bridle." 
 
 " Oh, I will give thee a splendid bridle and saddle ! " 
 said the king. 
 
 But Boyislav answered: ' I wish no rich outfit on 
 the road ; it is an enticement to robbers." 
 
 
Boyislav, Youngest of Twelve. 281 
 
 The king tried to persuade him, but could not; 
 then he had a rope brought which was very slender, 
 but very long, so that Boyislav was hardly able to 
 bear it away. After a kindly farewell to the king and 
 the princess, he hastened outside the town, where the 
 horse called from a distance: " Thou hast done well; 
 now wind that rope round my body." 
 
 Boyislav opened the bundle, and a whole hour 
 passed before he could wind the rope around the 
 horse. When he had finished, they hurried to the 
 sea, where the horse said, " Throw a second apple 
 in the sea." 
 
 " But it would be an eternal pity ! " said Boyislav. 
 
 " I tell thee to throw the second apple in the 
 sea ! " repeated the horse, with stern voice. Boyislav 
 obeyed. That moment five hundred miles of road 
 rose from the waves of the sea, along which the 
 horse rushed like the wind, night and day. When 
 the domes of a great city were visible in the distance, 
 he said to Boyislav : " Now we are coming to Green 
 Island, ruled by a king who has a daughter, not 
 beautiful and not ugly; thou wilt say that thou art 
 looking for a bride, but before choosing thou must 
 consult thy father. When thou art taking leave, the 
 king will offer all kinds of jewels as a gift; accept 
 nothing, but ask for the cloth of the table from which 
 thou hast eaten." 
 
 Boyislav promised this. When they had come to 
 Green Island, the road sank in the sea, and the horse 
 
282 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 hurried toward the city. The horse remained in a 
 meadow outside the gates. Boyislav went to the 
 palace, where he was welcomed by the king, and pre- 
 sented to the princess. 
 
 "What brought thee to me?" asked the king. 
 
 " I am in search of a bride," answered Boyislav, 
 looking at the princess, who seemed pleased at his 
 words. 
 
 "And hast thou found one? " asked the king. 
 
 " Not yet," replied Boyislav. 
 
 "Does my daughter not please thee?" The 
 princess blushed. 
 
 " Oh, she pleases me greatly," said Boyislav, " but 
 first I must talk with my father." 
 
 The king frowned at these words, and the princess 
 was flushed with anger; but Boyislav changed not, 
 and was so courteous that the king grew ashamed, 
 and conducted him to the supper-chamber, where 
 there was a small table covered with a poor-looking 
 cloth, but upon which stood the choicest food and 
 drink. Boyislav ate with relish. When he had finished, 
 the king took him to his treasure-chamber, where he 
 offered him the richest presents ; but Boyislav said : 
 " My father has many treasures, and I prefer to travel 
 unburdened." When the king insisted on his taking 
 something as a keepsake, even if of the smallest value, 
 Boyislav said : " Give me the cloth of the table on 
 which I was entertained by thee." 
 
 " Oh, I should be ashamed to give such a thing," 
 
Boyislav, Youngest of Twelve. 283 
 
 said the king. " I will give thee another very skil- 
 fully woven." 
 
 " I want no other," answered Boyislav, making 
 ready to go. 
 
 " Then take it," said the king, giving the cloth with 
 evident reluctance. 
 
 Boyislav parted with him and the princess, and 
 hastened to the horse, which called out from afar: 
 " Thou hast done well ; now sit on my back, we '11 
 fare farther." Boyislav sprang on the horse, and he 
 raced over Green Island till he came to the sea. 
 
 " Throw the third apple in the sea," said the horse. 
 
 " But 't is a pity forever to lose it," said Boyislav. 
 
 " Throw the third apple in the sea, I say," com- 
 manded the horse, sternly ; and Boyislav obeyed. 
 
 That moment a road five hundred miles long rose 
 from the waves of the sea. The horse ran like a flash, 
 day and night, till they saw in the distance the domes 
 of a great city. 
 
 " Now we are nearing White Island," said the horse, 
 " where a king reigns who has .the most beautiful 
 daughter under the sun. All the people on the island 
 are asleep ; for in the king's palace a taper is burning 
 which never burns out, and till some one quenches it 
 they must all sleep. Go to the palace, look at the 
 princess as much as may please thee, then take the 
 taper, but be careful that it does not go out on a sud- 
 den; if it is quenched, run to me with all speed or 
 thou wilt have trouble." 
 
284 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Boyislav promised to obey faithfully. When they 
 came to White Island the road sank in the sea. Boy- 
 islav, leaving his horse before the gates of the city, 
 hastened to the palace. The most luxuriant trees 
 were growing all over the island, and beautiful flow- 
 ers were in bloom ; the city was splendid, the palace 
 of silver and gold, but nowhere was a living creature 
 to be seen. Boyislav moved on carefully through 
 the empty streets as if afraid of waking some person. 
 When he entered the palace he was amazed at its 
 matchless beauty, but all was as nothing in compar- 
 ison with the beauty of the princess who was sleeping 
 on a dark purple couch in the last chamber. She 
 was clothed in a light garment, white as new-fallen 
 snow, her dark hair fell on her white, slightly moving 
 bosom, her lips were half open, her teeth shone like 
 pearls, and her whole figure was so full of charm that 
 Boyislav held his breath. Witty head inclined, with 
 crossed hands, he looked at her long, forgot the 
 horse, the taper, and the whole world, not thinking 
 whether he was living ; he only felt that the princess 
 was beautiful. When he had waited a long time he 
 remembered the taper, looked around the room, saw 
 it on the table, and saw on two couches the king and 
 queen. He stepped quickly to the table to quench 
 the taper and rouse the princess, when all at once he 
 heard the horse neigh so fiercely that the palace 
 trembled to its foundation ; his hand dropped of it- 
 self, and he muttered : " Thanks to thee, oh horse ! 
 
Boyislav, Youngest of Twelve. 285 
 
 Had I quenched the taper all would have risen, and 
 who knows what might have come to me? " 
 
 He took the taper quickly and turned away, but 
 when passing through the door he could not refrain 
 from looking at the princess again ; she seemed still 
 more beautiful. He put the taper on the table, knelt 
 and kissed her hand ; with that her face became ruddy 
 as a rose, and around her mouth appeared a smile. He 
 sprang up ; and as dark night had come, he thought 
 of his return, seized the taper quickly, looked at the 
 princess, wrote on the table, " Boyislav, youngest of 
 twelve," and went from the palace, taking care that 
 the taper should not be quenched. He reached the 
 gate of the city, but there the taper was blown out by 
 the wind. That moment was heard in the city a 
 shout, which grew louder the longer it lasted ; but the 
 trusty steed appeared and bore him in a flash to the 
 shore of the sea. 
 
 " Throw in the last apple," said the horse. 
 
 Boyislav obeyed without a murmur. That moment 
 there rose from the waves a road which reached to 
 firm land, and as dawn was appearing they came to 
 the shore. Then the road sank in the sea. 
 
 "Now come down," said the horse; " let me rest, 
 and do thou rest, too." 
 
 The horse went to the green meadow, and Boyislav 
 lay on the grass and mused on the princess of White 
 Island. Since he was wearied greatly, he fell asleep, 
 but thought of the princess so that he sighed x from 
 
286 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 sorrow when the horse roused him and said, " Let 
 us go." 
 
 Boyislav mounted in silence. They travelled till 
 they saw the domes of a great city. " What city is 
 this ? " inquired Boyislav. 
 
 " Seest not," asked the horse, " that is thy birth- 
 place?" 
 
 " Sure enough ! Go quickly, dear horse, that I 
 may embrace my father." 
 
 " Hurry not," said the horse ; " for it would be 
 better for thee not to go." 
 
 "Why?" asked Boyislav with wonder. 
 
 " Because thy father has uttered sentence of death 
 against thee." 
 
 " I do not believe that," replied Boyislav, shaking 
 his head; and the horse was silent. 
 
 Boyislav's heart beat with joy when he entered the 
 gates of his native place, but his joy was short-lived. 
 He had scarcely passed one street when people be- 
 gan to gather around him, till at last an officer of 
 the king's army seized the bridle of his horse, and 
 ordered the people who were standing around to 
 seize his arms. All rushed like hungry birds of 
 prey on the terrified Boyislav. 
 
 " What art thou doing ! " cried he, when at length 
 he recovered himself. " Do ye not know that I am 
 your prince?" 
 
 " Prince or not," cried all, " we know thee well 
 enough to know that to-morrow thou wilt dance in 
 
Boyislav, Youngest of Twelve. 287 
 
 the air." They took the unfortunate Boyislav to the 
 castle, where, by command of the king, he was cast 
 into a dark dungeon, and his horse, which they all 
 laughed at, was shut up in a pen. The officer who 
 brought Boyislav to the palace got a great reward, 
 and went in high glee to the nearest inn to drink with 
 his comrades. 
 
 Why was the king enraged with his favorite son? 
 Because shameless lies had been told by his other 
 sons. When Boyislav brought the three princesses 
 of Black Island to the boat and returned for his 
 horse, his brothers weighed anchor at once and sailed 
 off. On the way they forced the unfortunate prin- 
 cesses to promise on oath to tell the king that they 
 were the liberators, and to say that Boyislav on Black 
 Island had attached himself to a worthless woman, 
 and made sport of his old father. 
 
 Meanwhile they agreed to cast lots for the prin- 
 cesses. When the brothers declared their wish, the 
 princesses said that they would not break their oaths, 
 but could never be the wives of such men. The 
 brothers paid small heed to this, for their hearts 
 were hard. They were satisfied with having got rid 
 of Boyislav. They ordered the oarsmen to press on. 
 As a favorable wind blew without stopping, they soon 
 arrived safely on firm land, where they hired horses 
 and hurried to their native place. 
 
 The king, who had recovered as soon as the prin- 
 cesses on Black Island were freed, welcomed his sons 
 
288 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 and the princesses with tears in his eyes. But how 
 he flushed up with anger when they told the story to 
 which they had been forced by oath ! He ordered 
 the death of Boyislav at once, and offered a great 
 reward for his capture. The wicked brothers rubbed 
 their hands with glee, but the princesses withdrew to 
 the chambers given them by the king, and passed 
 their time in silent grief. 
 
 The king was astonished at this, and wished to 
 know what prince they loved; he would give his 
 blessing at once, and the proper income. But the 
 princesses only shook their heads, and the king asked 
 his sons the reason of the princesses' sorrow. The 
 young men evaded the question, saying that perhaps 
 the princesses were homesick. At last they led the 
 conversation to Boyislav. The king flushed up with 
 anger, which was all his sons wanted, so as to avoid 
 speaking of the princesses of Black Island, for they 
 knew nothing about them. 
 
 And now, when Boyislav was in prison, they contin- 
 ued to excite the king to give an order forbidding 
 any one to ask mercy for him under pain of death. 
 "Why should I endanger my life?" thought every 
 one ; " the king of course knows why he puts his son 
 to death." Many pitied the prince, but only one man 
 shed tears. He was an old warrior who had once 
 commanded the king's armies, and was retained as a 
 friend of the king; he did not believe that Boyislav 
 deserved death, and resolved to ask pardon for him. 
 
Boyislav^ Youngest of Twelve. 289 
 
 " Well," thought he, " I shall not live till spring, and 
 it is all the same whether I die a day earlier or later. 
 I have been in danger of death times without number 
 and have never been even wounded ; perhaps I shall 
 escape now." 
 
 He went bravely to the king, who greeted him very 
 kindly, as was his wont. "What dost thou wish?" 
 asked he of the old man, who was silent. 
 
 " I ask mercy for Boyislav," said he. 
 
 "How darest thou slight my order? "asked the 
 king, angrily. "Knowest not thou art doomed to 
 death? " 
 
 "I know," answered the old man with dignity; 
 " but I fear not death. I mean to say that thou art 
 disgracing thyself by giving thy own blood to the 
 hangman." 
 
 The king was struck with these words, and walked 
 up and down the room with bowed head. 
 
 " Who knows whether Boyislav is really guilty or 
 not?" said the old man, "for the conduct of the 
 princesses from Black Island is strange." 
 
 " Thou art right, and I will not give him to the 
 hangman ; but still he must die. I shall have him 
 confined with the lions. Let them tear him." 
 
 The old man made further effort, but the king 
 would not be persuaded. When night came Boyislav 
 was taken secretly from prison and shut in with the 
 lions. But the brothers were not satisfied yet ; they 
 told the king that Boyislav could easily escape, and 
 
 19 
 
290 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 advised him to wall up the doors. The king con- 
 sented, and the next day the doors were walled up, 
 there remaining only a small opening on the other 
 side. This was fortunate, for otherwise Boyislav must 
 have perished for want of air. He looked at the 
 lions without fear; they did not harm him. Then he 
 took out the taper and the tablecloth, which he kept 
 in his bosom, lighted the taper, laid the cloth on the 
 ground, and asked for the choicest food ; it appeared. 
 He fed the lions first, then ate and drank himself. 
 The lions lay at his feet in thankfulness ; he lay on 
 them and fell asleep. When awake he played with the 
 lions, who in a few days were tame, or thought 
 of the princess on White Island. In this way his 
 days passed quickly, and before he knew it a whole 
 year had gone. 
 
 Meanwhile the princess of White Island travelled 
 over the world with an army in search of her lib- 
 erator; she had already visited many kings, but in 
 no royal family had she found twelve sons. At last 
 she came to the dominions of the old king and 
 learned that he had twelve sons. Her heart jumped 
 for joy, and she marched night and day till she 
 appeared before the capital. Straightway she sent 
 messengers to the king, asking him to send her that 
 prince who had freed her and her whole kingdom. 
 
 The king called the five princes who went with 
 Boyislav, and asked if they had been on White 
 Island. 
 
Boyislav, Youngest of Twelve. 291 
 
 " Of course ! " answered the truthless princes ; and 
 the eldest one shamelessly added that he had freed 
 its princess. 
 
 " Then hurry to her," said the king. He went. 
 
 " Where is the taper?" asked the princess when 
 he came ; but he knew nothing of it. Thereupon the 
 princess became so angry that she drew her sword 
 and cut off his head with a blow. 
 
 Again she sent the messenger with the announce- 
 ment that if her liberator were not sent, she would 
 turn the city into dust and ashes. 
 
 " I freed her," said the second prince to the fright- 
 ened king. 
 
 " Then go to her." 
 
 When she asked the second prince about the taper, 
 he could give no answer, and lost his life. The mes- 
 senger returned to the king, and told him what had 
 happened to the two princes; the three remaining 
 ones were so terrified that they confessed the truth. 
 
 The old man, Boyislav's savior, now said to the king, 
 " I told thee Boyislav was innocent ; thou wouldst not 
 believe me. Now see how thou hast saved thy city 
 from destruction, for the princess will surely carry 
 out her threat unless Boyislav is delivered up." 
 
 " But how can I deliver him up when he is dead? " 
 asked the king. 
 
 " He is not dead," replied the old man, joyfully, 
 " for there is still a little opening in the lions' den, 
 and there is light there night and day." 
 
2 92 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 The king sprang up joyfully, hastened to the den, 
 and had the walled-up doors opened. Boyislav 
 looked on this carelessly; and when the king im- 
 plored him with tenderness to come out, that he 
 forgave him all, he shook his head saying: "I will 
 not go, it is good enough for me here." 
 
 " But the princess will destroy my city," said the 
 king. 
 
 " What princess? " asked Boyislav with curiosity. 
 
 " The princess from White Island." 
 
 In silence, but with gladness in his eyes, Boyislav 
 quenched the taper, folded the tablecloth, and tak- 
 ing both with him walked out. When he went with 
 the messenger to the princess, his heart beat with 
 anxiety so that he could not raise his eyes when he 
 stood before her. 
 
 " Thou art the man ! " exclaimed the princess, joy- 
 fully. But when Boyislav knew not what to answer, 
 she said reproachfully : " Has the ardor with which 
 thou didst kiss me grown cold?" 
 
 " It has not," murmured Boyislav, wishing to kiss 
 the golden hem of her robe. 
 
 The princess raised him up, and kissing him, said : 
 " This is the earnest of our betrothal." 
 
 Boyislav was glad to respond; and now all re- 
 turned to the castle, where feasting began, which was 
 to be closed by the wedding of the princess and 
 Boyislav. All were rejoiced except the princesses 
 of Black Island, who were as sad as ever. The three 
 
Boyislav^ Youngest of Twelve. 293 
 
 princes who had gone to Black Island were in deathly 
 terror. Boyislav in the middle of the feast grew sad, 
 and when asked the reason, he inquired : " Where is 
 my trusty horse?" 
 
 No one could answer him, till at last one of the 
 servants remembered that the horse had been shut 
 up in a pen. To the great astonishment of all, 
 Boyislav ran out to him, fell upon his neck, and 
 shed tears of joy. 
 
 " Thou hast done well to come," said the horse, 
 sadly, " or I should have perished with hunger ; for 
 the cord brought from Red Island is eaten. Every 
 span of it became a bundle of hay. But now thou 
 hast attained thy object, and I am needed no longer; 
 cut off my head." 
 
 " I cut off thy head ! " exclaimed Boyislav. 
 
 " Then thou dost not wish to free me," said the 
 horse, with chiding voice. 
 
 Boyislav drew his sword and cut off the horse's 
 head at one blow. The horse disappeared in an in- 
 stant, but in his stead appeared a beautiful prince, 
 who fell on Boyislav's neck and shed tears of joy. 
 
 "What is this?" asked Boyislav, full of astonish- 
 ment. 
 
 " Come to supper," said the prince ; " I will ex- 
 plain it all." Both hurried to supper; scarcely were 
 they at the door, when the youngest princess from 
 Black Island fell into his arms, and the other two 
 pressed his hands. When they had recovered from 
 
294 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 the first surprise, the prince said : " I am the only 
 son of a powerful king, whose dominions are not 
 far from Black Island. I would not marry the 
 daughter of a queen who was a witch, and she en- 
 chanted me; and the princesses of Black Island 
 the youngest of whom is my bride were turned into 
 horses twelve hours of each day. Boyislav freed the 
 princesses first, and now has freed me. The moment 
 I regained my form, the spell was removed from 
 Black Island." 
 
 All were delighted with Boyislav ; but the king was 
 thoughtful, and seemed to ponder over important 
 things. At last he summoned the three princes who 
 went with Boyislav to Black Island, and gave com- 
 mand to throw them to the lions ; the lions tore them 
 to pieces in an instant. 
 
 Now came new festivities; and when all was fin- 
 ished, Boyislav went with his wife to White Island ; 
 and the liberated prince, with his wife and sisters, 
 went to Black Island, where they celebrated at once 
 their wedding and their liberation. 
 
THE TABLE, THE PACK, AND THE BAG. 
 
 BEFORE times long past, there lived in a little 
 cottage an old father, with his three sons. The 
 eldest son was called Martin ; the second, Mihal ; and 
 the third, Yanek. 
 
 " Martin," the father used to say often, as they 
 were sitting in the evening at a bowl of skimmed 
 milk, " I shall not be long alive ; I feel it in my body. 
 When I die, the cottage will come to thee; but do 
 not cheat thy old mother and thy brothers." 
 
 Martin always promised ; but while the others were 
 listening to their father, he looked sharply at the 
 food, and picked out every piece of bread from the 
 milk. Mihal saw this with astonishment ; but Yanek 
 was always grieved from his father's talk, and did not 
 even think of eating. 
 
 The father spoke the truth. In no long time he 
 groaned his last; but when he saw his death-hour, he 
 had all summoned for the parting. He reminded 
 Martin again that he was never to let the cottage go 
 out of his possession; and then turning to Yanek, 
 whom he loved most, he said : " Yanichek, thou art 
 simple, 't is true ; but what the Lord has kept from 
 thee in wit, he has added in heart. Only be ever 
 
296 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 as kind as thou hast been, and obey thy brothers ; " 
 with that he coughed, and was no more. 
 
 Martin and Mihal gave themselves up to lamenta- 
 tion, but Yanek was silent ; he stood by his father's 
 bedside as if without sense. Only after a long time 
 did he go out, sit in the garden under a tree, and cry 
 like a little child. 
 
 After the funeral, Martin and Mihal decided to go 
 out in the world, and leave Yanek with his mother. 
 " The world is wide," said they; " there fortune may 
 meet us quickly, while in this little cottage we should 
 never come to anything as long as we lived." 
 
 It was all one to Yanek ; but his mother who was 
 still in good strength, did not like to have Yanek lose 
 his fortune, and talked with his brothers so long that 
 they took him with them. This was not agreeable to 
 Martin and Mihal, but they reverenced their mother, 
 and obeyed her. 
 
 All three made ready; Martin and Mihal put 
 food in bags for themselves, and went out into the 
 world. On the road Yanek said to his brothers, 
 " I shall be glad to see if that fortune meets us 
 soon." 
 
 "Thou mayest run to meet it," snapped the 
 brothers, " since thou hast nothing to carry." They 
 were angry that Yanek had taken nothing, while they 
 must carry heavy bags on their backs. 
 
 They walked on a whole half-day ; the sun was 
 burning, and the brothers were tired and hungry. 
 
 
The Table, the Pack, and the Bag. 297 
 
 They sat down at the roadside under a tree, in the 
 shade, took out provisions, and began to eat, that 
 is, Martin and Mihal ; but Yanek sat by himself and 
 began to cry, either because he remembered his 
 father's death or was hungry. His brothers ridiculed 
 him and said : " See now, thou wilt not be so lazy 
 another time, and then thou wilt not be hungry." 
 
 Yanek brushed away his tears with his sleeve, and 
 said : " Ye might have a little shame. Ye are going 
 out into the world so as to be able to support your 
 mother when ye go home ; but now ye have taken 
 from her everything ! " 
 
 Such an answer the brothers did not expect from 
 simple Yanek. They were silent ; and after a while, 
 as if moved from kindness, they asked Yanek to eat 
 with them ; but they did not do it from compassion 
 or brotherly love, but to lessen their fault. When 
 they had eaten, they rose and went on their way. In 
 the evening they came to a cottage and asked for 
 lodgings. The cottager took them under his roof, 
 and asked them to sup. Martin thanked him with a 
 certain boastfulness, saying that he had provisions 
 enough of his own. 
 
 The man sat down to supper with his wife. Yanek 
 sat with downcast face alone in a corner. The woman 
 went to the kitchen, and when returning, saw that 
 Yanek had nothing to eat. " Oh, little boy, come 
 and eat with us ! " said she kindly. Turning to Martin 
 she asked if that was their servant. 
 
298 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " What servant ! " said Martin. " He is our bro- 
 ther, but such a lazy fellow, he would not bring any- 
 thing for himself." 
 
 Yanek did not wish to go to the table, but consented 
 at last. Martin squinted at the dish ; and when he saw 
 soup, he hated Yanek. Soup was his favorite dish, and 
 now he must look on and see how Yanek enjoyed it, 
 and must be satisfied with dry bread and a bit of 
 cheese. Full of hatred he went to bed in the place 
 which the cottager showed him, with his brothers. 
 For a long time he lay awake, and when he fell asleep 
 he saw in a dream, Yanek eating soup. In the 
 morning the brothers rose before breakfast, because 
 they wanted Yanek to have nothing to eat. Martin 
 went through the nearest forest, hoping that they 
 would find no house all day, and so Yanek would 
 have no food. 
 
 The whole forenoon they walked through the thick 
 forest, and Martin wished to eat his dinner ; but the 
 forest began to grow thin and soon they came to an 
 open country. They looked for a road, went on a 
 small hill, and then saw in the valley a great castle as 
 high as ten houses placed one on the other. Yanek 
 laughed, but Martin was not pleased : " We have lost 
 the road," said he ; " we must go back." 
 
 "But, foolish fellow," said Mihal, who was tired, 
 " we are going out in the world, what difference does 
 it make ; it is all the same whether we go one way or 
 another." 
 
The Table, the Pack, and the Bag. 299 
 
 Without saying a word or looking at his brothers, 
 Yanek went straight toward the castle. That started 
 off Martin, and soon he caught up with Yanek. " Walk 
 behind," said he, " I 'm the eldest; I must go ahead." 
 
 They soon came to the castle, but did not see a 
 living thing ; they were greatly afraid. Martin wished 
 to run away ; but when he saw Yanek open the door, 
 he followed him. They entered a splendid hall. How 
 astonished were they! On the floor was a pile of 
 copper money five ells high. Martin and Mihal, 
 blinded by the glitter of the money, threw out their 
 remaining provisions, filled their bags, and wanted to 
 run away; but Yanek opened the next door, through 
 which the brothers saw in another hall a still greater 
 pile of money, but silver. They emptied their bags 
 of the copper money with all speed, and filled them 
 with silver. They had barely done this when Yanek 
 opened a third door, and cried out with wonder, a 
 thing which he seldom did, " Ai ! " The brothers 
 threw their bags on the floor, rushed to the door, but 
 had to cover their eyes with their hands, for it was as 
 bright as the sun in the next chamber. They saw 
 this was gold. Still more quickly than before, they 
 threw the silver out of their bags, and panting for 
 breath, filled them with gold pieces. 
 
 " Now let us go," cried Martin ; " some one may 
 come, and then we shall suffer." They started from 
 the castle as fast as they could. Yanek went too, 
 and took as he was going only one piece of money 
 
300 Chekh Myths and Folk - Tales. 
 
 from each heap, and in the third room the remnants 
 of food which his brothers had thrown out. The 
 brothers escaped with the money successfully, meet- 
 ing no one. Yanek followed at his leisure, eating 
 the provisions which his brothers had thrown away. 
 When they came to the forest, the two brothers 
 crawled into the thicket, threw their bags on the 
 ground, and began to rest. Yanek also lay down 
 after he had put the last bit of bread in his mouth. 
 Here Martin remembered the provisions, but he had 
 only ducats in his bag. 
 
 " Yanek," said he, " run back to the castle and 
 bring us from the first chamber the provisions which 
 we forgot there." 
 
 But Yanek answered bluntly, " I will not go." 
 
 " Why not? " asked Martin in anger. 
 
 " Because they might catch me, and I should have 
 to suffer instead of you; besides, there is no food 
 there, for when you threw it away I picked it up and 
 ate it." 
 
 " Monster ! " screamed Martin in rage, " I '11 teach 
 thee to obey thy eldest brother. Mihal, give him 
 here to me." 
 
 Mihal did not wait to be spoken to twice. They 
 took poor Yanek between them and put so many 
 blows on him that he was soon lying as if dead on 
 the ground ; then they took their bags on their backs 
 and hurried home through the woods. 
 
 " That lazy-bones ! " growled Martin, " let him go 
 
The Table, the Pack, and the Bag. 301 
 
 wherever he likes ; he will not dare to teach us again." 
 They got out of the forest quickly, and in the evening 
 came to an inn where they refreshed themselves. 
 Next morning they set out for home. In the neigh- 
 boring town, where the king dwelt, they bought a 
 house, brought their mother to it, and began to live 
 like great lords. 
 
 Yanek, poor fellow, lay for a long time unconscious 
 in the forest. At last he woke from his trance, rested 
 his head against a tree, and fell to thinking of his con- 
 dition. " Oh, cruel brothers, ye have left the forest ! 
 Who knows whether I shall find the way home ? I 
 am weak ; I cannot walk far ; I will go back to the 
 castle, no matter what meets me ; I will take money, 
 too, and live like a lord." 
 
 Many a one will wonder that Yanek changed all at 
 once ; but a beating has brought many a man to new 
 ways. So Yanek made ready and went to the castle. 
 In the castle there was not a living soul. Yanek 
 took off his coat, tied the sleeves at the wrist, and 
 began to rake gold into them. He had almost fin- 
 ished when he heard noises at a distance like bursts 
 of thunder. These noises grew louder and louder 
 till at last they were so loud that the castle trembled. 
 All at once a voice as if a fifteen-year-old bull were 
 bellowing, called, " Hu ! hu ! I smell the flesh of a 
 man ! " and before Yanek could gather his wits after 
 the fright, he saw two giants standing at the door. 
 
 " Oh, worm of the earth, thou art the one who is 
 
302 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 stealing our treasures ! " howled one of the giants. 
 " Ha, thou wilt be a nice roast for supper," added 
 he, smacking his lips so that Yanek lost his senses. 
 But the second giant whispered something in the ear 
 of the first, who nodded, and said to Yanek : " Listen, 
 worm of the earth, I grant thee life, but henceforth thou 
 wilt watch our treasures when we are from home." 
 
 Yanek wanted to kiss the giant's hand, but he 
 could barely reach to his knee. " Only watch well, 
 worm of the earth," said the giant, graciously ; " but 
 so that thou shouldst not be hungry, strike on this 
 little table three times with thy fist and call, ' Food 
 for a king ! ' and thou wilt have food to thy liking." 
 
 Yanek promised everything, and from that time 
 forth he led a very pleasant life, he did nothing, 
 no living soul ever came to the castle, the table was 
 always obedient. But at last he grew tired of all this. 
 " Watch your own treasures, lord giants," said he 
 one day when the giants had gone out; "and thou, 
 my good little table, come ! we will go home." 
 
 Yanek put the table on his back, stole away from 
 the castle, and soon found himself in the forest. He 
 strolled leisurely through the forest, and after no 
 long time was in the open field. Here an old grand- 
 father met him, and asked if he had not something 
 to eat. " T is long since I have had a bit in my 
 mouth," lamented the grandfather. 
 
 " Then I will help thee," said Yanek; " come with 
 me to that tree over there." They sat under the 
 
The Table, the Pack, and the Bag. 303 
 
 tree ; Yanek put his table on the ground, and strik- 
 ing on it three times with his fist, said : " Food for a 
 king ! " The table was covered with the daintiest 
 dishes. 
 
 The grandfather ate his fill, and said : " Indeed this 
 is a very beautiful thing ! But, my lad, if thou 
 wouldst give me this little table, I would give thee 
 something better in place of it. This pack has the 
 virtue that at command an army will spring out of 
 it as numerous as ever thou carest to wish." 
 
 Yanek was greedy, but only from the time that he 
 got a beating from his brothers ; he took the pack, 
 gave the grandfather the table, and they parted. But 
 Yanek soon felt hungry ; he was in the open field, and 
 nowhere a house to be seen. Now he was angry at 
 himself for having given away the table so frivolously ; 
 and besides he wished to know if what the grand- 
 father said of the pack was true. He opened the 
 pack and commanded " two hundred hussars to the 
 field." He had barely spoken when horses were 
 neighing, arms rattling, and sooner than he could 
 think, two hundred hussars stood in line before him. 
 The officers saluted Yanek, and asked with respect 
 what he wanted. 
 
 " About five thousand yards from here, under that 
 tree, an old man took a table from me ; ride after 
 him, take the table, and bring it to me." 
 
 He had barely finished speaking when the hussars 
 rode off at a wild gallop, in no long time they re- 
 
304 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 turned, and their leader gave Yanek the table. Yanek 
 opened his pack and said: "Two hundred hussars in 
 here." In a twinkle the hussars were in the pack, 
 from the first man and horse to the last. " That is 
 not a bad thing," said Yanek to himself as he sat at 
 the table, struck three times with his fist, and com- 
 manded, " Food for a king." 
 
 When he had eaten to his content he took his table 
 and his pack and went on. It was inclining toward 
 evening, and Yanek had to look for a night's lodging. 
 But this made him small trouble ; it was warm enough, 
 he laid himself under a tree, put the pack under his 
 head, held the table in his hand, and so fell asleep. 
 Next morning he ate like a king and went on. This 
 time he met a grandfather as he had the day before, 
 and he too asked for food. Yanek commanded the 
 table, and the grandfather ate his fill. " My lad," 
 said he, " here is a bag; give me thy table for it." 
 
 " Oh, grandfather," said Yanek, with a laugh, 
 " nothing can come of that." 
 
 " This is no laughing matter, my lad ; the bag is 
 worth getting, for it has this virtue, that wherever 
 and whenever thou hast the wish, thou canst call 
 out of it as many castles as may please thee." 
 
 Yanek fell to thinking, and then said with a smile, 
 "Let it be so." 
 
 The grandfather took the table, Yanek the bag; 
 then they parted. But barely had the grandfather 
 vanished from sight when Yanek opened the pack 
 
The Table, the Pack, and the Bag. 305 
 
 and commanded : " Three hundred Uhlans to the 
 field ! " Scarce had he spoken when three hundred 
 Uhlans were standing in line before him. " Go now 
 to the right on the road ; at the ditch a man took my 
 table : take that table and bring it to me." 
 
 The Uhlans flashed away, and a man could scarcely 
 have counted ten before Yanek had the table. Then 
 he opened the pack and commanded : " Three hun- 
 dred Uhlans this way ! " and the Uhlans vanished in 
 the pack. Yanek was beside himself with gladness 
 when he took the table, the pack, and the bag, and 
 continued his way. 
 
 In the evening he came to the capital town, and 
 there he learned that his brothers had become great 
 lords. He went before the town, tore his clothes 
 purposely, then lay in the dust and rolled several 
 times. He did this so that he might seem out 
 and out ragged and poor. Then he went to his 
 brothers and implored them to take pity on him. 
 They would not even recognize him ; but his mother 
 fell on his neck and begged for him. The brothers 
 gave way, and granted him lodging, but in the stable. 
 Yanek was satisfied; he lay on the bed which was 
 given him, that is, a bundle of straw, and waited 
 till all were asleep. Then he sprang over the fence 
 to the garden, opened the bag, and commanded : 
 " One castle out of the bag ! " and that moment there 
 stood in the garden the most beautiful castle. Then 
 he opened the pack and commanded : " Fifty infantry 
 
 20 
 
306 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 come out ! " and fifty foot-soldiers stood before 
 him. 
 
 " Ye," said he to them, " will be all night on guard 
 here in my castle ; but when in the morning the cock 
 crows the second time, rouse me." 
 
 The warriors saluted and took their places on 
 guard. Yanek took the table which he had secreted, 
 as well as the pack and bag, and went into the castle. 
 There he selected the most beautiful chamber, com- 
 manded the table, and supped. After supper he lay 
 down and slept till the guards roused him. He rose, 
 ate, and before any one was awake in the house of 
 his brothers he commanded the warriors into the 
 pack, the castle into the bag, then crawled over the 
 fence, and lay on his straw in the stable. This he 
 did night after night. But it was a wonder to his 
 brothers how he was alive ; for though they had two 
 bags of ducats, they never gave him a morsel to eat. 
 Therefore they pressed Yanek to tell them if he had 
 gathered much coin in the castle; they thought he 
 had money, but did not wish to show it before 
 them. 
 
 " Simpleton ! I was glad to get out of there alive ; 
 for that castle belongs to giants," answered Yanek. 
 " But I have something else, and it is better than 
 your gold pieces." 
 
 Then he brought the table, struck it three times 
 with his fist, and said : " Food for a king ! " 
 
 Martin and Mihal stood like apparitions, they 
 
The Table, the Pack, and the Bag. 307 
 
 could not believe their eyes; but when they began 
 to eat they believed their tongues. 
 
 The story of the wonderful table was spread through 
 the town, and soon came to the king. He was eager 
 for the food of the table, and sent his chamberlain 
 to Yanek to borrow the table for three days. 
 
 " Agreed," said Yanek ; " here it is. But if it is not 
 returned to me at the end of three days I will declare 
 war against the king." 
 
 The chamberlain bowed, took the table, and told 
 the king, with a smile, that Yanek would declare war 
 against him unless the table was returned. The table 
 pleased the king beyond measure, but still more the 
 food ; therefore he meditated how to deceive Yanek. 
 He summoned all the joiners, carvers, and turners 
 in the town, and ordered them to make exactly 
 such a table as Yanek's. They went to work, and 
 before the third day had passed there were two 
 tables, and the king himself could not tell which was 
 the right one. Soon he made sure of it, and then 
 he sent the counterfeit table by the chamberlain to 
 Yanek. 
 
 Yanek struck the table three times with his fist and 
 ordered : " Food for a king ! " The table trembled, 
 but nothing more. " Food for a king ! " shouted 
 Yanek, full of anger; but he soon discovered that 
 the king had deceived him, and he pounded the table 
 till he pounded it to pieces. 
 
 " Take this and carry it to the king," said he to 
 
308 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 the chamberlain, " and tell him that I '11 smash down 
 his castle to-morrow as I have broken this table ! " 
 
 The chamberlain collected the fragments, took them 
 to the king, and told him what Yanek had said. The 
 king only smiled haughtily, and thought that he had 
 finished with Yanek. In the night, however, he had 
 wonderful dreams, and early next morning he ordered 
 his army to be placed before the castle and be ready 
 for battle. 
 
 Now Yanek came with his pack, counted the royal 
 troops, and still once more asked the king to return 
 his table ; but the king only laughed. Then Yanek 
 opened the pack and commanded : " A thousand times 
 a thousand infantry out ; a thousand times a thousand 
 cavalry out." From the pack there was the rush of 
 an avalanche. Soon the whole country in front of 
 the castle was filled with the finest of armies. The 
 king and his troops were as if before a vision ; but 
 when Yanek raised his hand as a signal for attack, 
 the king raised a white flag and went to Yanek. 
 
 " Thou seest," said the king, almost imploringly, 
 " I was mistaken ; but I wish to correct my mistake. 
 I will return the table, and besides I will give thee 
 my daughter in marriage." 
 
 " Then peace," said Yanek. " But first bring thy 
 princess ; let me see her." 
 
 The princess soon came with her ladies, raised her 
 veil, and stood before Yanek. 
 
 "The wedding will be to-day!" ordered Yanek, 
 
The Table, the Pack, and the Bag. 309 
 
 and kissed the princess on the forehead. She was 
 not angry; nay, it may be said she was glad. Then 
 Yanek commanded : " A thousand times a thousand 
 infantry in; a thousand times a thousand cavalry 
 in," and closed the pack. 
 
 The royal army withdrew to the fortress, and now 
 quick preparations were made for the marriage. At 
 midday Yanek and the princess belonged to each 
 other. Then they feasted, and the table gave meat 
 and drink till the evening. 
 
 When all were in bed Yanek went out to the king's 
 garden with his bag, opened it, and commanded : 
 " Let the most beautiful castle that can be in the 
 world come out of this bag ! " And that was such 
 a castle that Yanek himself was astonished. 
 
 Then he went to the old castle to the king, who had 
 already prepared chambers to which he wished to 
 conduct him and the princess ; but Yanek answered 
 that he had his own household, and the king had 
 such faith in him that he believed. Yanek con- 
 ducted his bride to the new castle, and she could 
 not admire its splendor sufficiently. 
 
 In the morning people hurried to the king and told 
 him that there was a new castle in the garden. The 
 sun was just rising, and casting its rays on the castle, 
 the castle was blazing with gold, silver, and precious 
 stones. The king now respected Yanek still more, 
 and gave him all that he could, even his kingdom. 
 
 So Yanek became king, and a great king who could 
 
310 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 give battle to the whole world. On the boundaries he 
 put castles everywhere out of the bag, and from the 
 pack he garrisoned them with troops. The table gave 
 him the best of food; what more could he want? 
 
 He reigned long, and was a real father to his sub- 
 jects. As a punishment to his brothers he did not 
 let them come near him ; but his mother he cared for 
 so well that she reached a great age. In the most 
 beautiful chamber of the castle, on a golden throne, 
 were the pack and the bag, and near them the table. 
 
 When King Yanek died he was mourned by all ; 
 he left his children the mightiest kingdom on earth. 
 His eldest son succeeded him ; but accustomed to 
 splendor and luxury, he did not govern the kingdom 
 so well as his father. After his death it was still 
 worse. The succeeding kings were ashamed of their 
 peasant stock ; and so that no man might discover the 
 real foundation of their power and turn them into 
 ridicule, they took the table, the pack, and the bag, 
 and cast them into a dark, damp cellar. 
 
 And will ye ask what became of such a mighty 
 kingdom ? The table rotted, the bag rotted, the mice 
 gnawed the pack ; and then it was all over with that 
 kingdom. 
 
 In after times, when he was in straits, the king ran 
 to the cellar, struck on the table, looked for the pack 
 and the bag. But the table fell to pieces at the first 
 blow, of the pack there remained but a few little 
 straps, and of the bag a few threads. 
 
THE KING OF THE TOADS. 
 
 MANY and many a year ago there was a cottage 
 by the sea, and in this cottage lived a fisher- 
 man who caught fish in the sea. By the king's com- 
 mand he was allowed to take fish, not when he liked, 
 but only once a week, and that on Mondays. He 
 was anxious, therefore, to catch many on that day. 
 Fish, of course, are not so crafty as men, but still 
 they know enough to see that there is no fun in being 
 caught. What is to be done with them afterwards they 
 don't know ; still, they must suspect that it can hardly 
 be for their amusement. It is no wonder then that 
 they did not crowd into the fisherman's net. 
 
 The fisherman worked every Monday till the sweat 
 streamed down his face ; and this all the more, since, 
 come what might, he was obliged to bring fish to the 
 king's kitchen each Monday. Once he worked the 
 whole forenoon without catching even a white fish. 
 "I will try once more/' thought the tired fisherman; 
 " I will throw everything into the water, and jump 
 around to frighten the fish, they are so stubborn." 
 
 He threw the net deeply, and when he pulled it 
 was very heavy. " Now there will be fish," thought 
 he, joyfully ; but what was his astonishment when, in- 
 stead of fish, he drew out a great copper kettle. 
 
312 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 The kettle was so well fastened that the fisherman 
 had to work long before he could take off the cover. 
 But how he was frightened! Scarcely had he re- 
 moved the cover when out of the kettle rushed black 
 smoke, which grew thicker and thicker, till at last it 
 changed to a fiery man. 
 
 " Thou hast helped me, and I will help thee," said 
 he to the terrified fisherman ; " but in my own way I 
 will destroy thee." 
 
 The fisherman lost his head, but soon recovering 
 said: " Oh, I don't care, I am already tired of this 
 world ; still thou must do something for me, since I 
 freed thee. I can't understand how thou wert able to 
 live in such a small place, and under the water too, 
 and then change so quickly." 
 
 " I '11 show thee in a moment," said the fiery 
 man ; and he began to turn into black smoke, 
 and in no long time he was packed into the kettle 
 again. 
 
 " Dost see me? " inquired he of the fisherman. 
 
 " I see thee," answered the fisherman, laughing ; 
 " I see thee, but thou 'It not see me any more." 
 
 The cover was already on the kettle and fastened 
 firmly. The fiery man by no means expected to find 
 such cunning among people, and considering his con- 
 dition in the kettle, began to beg of the fisherman : 
 " Let me out and I will reward thee." 
 
 " Swear that thou wilt never destroy me," said the 
 fisherman. 
 
The King of the Toads. 313 
 
 The spirit answered with a solemn voice, " I 
 swear." 
 
 The fisherman removed the cover, and black smoke 
 rolled out, growing thicker and thicker, till at last it 
 turned into a fiery man. 
 
 " Follow me," said he to the fisherman; and the lat- 
 ter followed without thinking. 
 
 In a short time they came to a high cliff in which 
 steps were cut in the stone. The fiery man bent to 
 the earth, plucked an herb, and giving it to the fisher- 
 man said : " Keep this with thee always. Put thy foot 
 on this step; immediately after thou wilt be on a 
 high mountain, from which thou wilt see a great lake. 
 In the lake is a wealth of fish, and thou hast the right 
 to catch as many of them as may please thee, but 
 only once a week, on Mondays. When thou hast the 
 wish to come down, climb to the top, and soon thou 
 wilt be at the bottom." 
 
 Thereupon the fiery man vanished, but the fisher- 
 man went on the steps cut in the rock; in one 
 moment a mighty wind caught him, and in a twinkle 
 he was on a high mountain, from which he saw an 
 altogether unknown country covered with dark forests, 
 in the midst of which was a broad lake ; only here 
 and there was a grass-plot to be seen, there were 
 neither hills nor the dwellings of men. 
 
 The fisherman went down from the mountain, and 
 when he had reached the lake he found a boat with 
 all the fishing-tackle, as if made ready for him He 
 
314 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 went to work willingly, threw in the net, and drew 
 out nothing; he threw it in a second time, drew out 
 as much as before. " That fiery man has fooled me," 
 thought he, " but the third throw is always the best." 
 He cast his net again and drew out three fish ; when 
 he saw them in the net, he said bitterly : " Well, this 
 is a wealth of fish ! If it goes on in this way I '11 soon 
 leave the place; besides, I don't like travelling by 
 wind." But when he looked at the fish more care- 
 fully, and took them in his hand, he found that in all 
 his life he had never seen anything like them. 
 " These are not for me," muttered he, " I must give 
 them to the king ; he will soon try them." With that 
 he left the boat, went to the mountain, and had barely 
 touched the summit when a mighty wind seized him, 
 and placed him on level land. He set out for home, 
 and it was time ; for his wife had already cooked the 
 dinner and was waiting. As soon as he saw her before 
 the door, he hurried his steps ; and when she was in 
 the cottage he began to run. And why did he run, 
 because he feared her? Not at all. He cared nothing 
 for her, as he said himself; but he loved domestic 
 peace, and did everything his wife wanted, but always 
 did it in such fashion that she might not know what 
 he was doing ; this was to preserve his own impor- 
 tance in her eyes. He went into the house slowly, 
 and said at the door: "Well, my dear, I have caught 
 a few fish to-day ; but I had much trouble, or I should 
 have been home long ago." 
 
The King of the Toads. 315 
 
 " Time for thee," snapped his wife ; " if thou art 
 late again I '11 eat alone, leave nothing, and thou wilt 
 find out that I am not thy slave to wait and suffer 
 hunger." 
 
 " Oh well, things are not so bad to-day," said the 
 fisherman ; " better come and see these wonderful 
 fish." 
 
 " They are just like any other fish," cried the 
 woman, " only they look a little different, that 's all." 
 
 " And for that very reason thou wilt take them to 
 the king. He will pay us well for them ; we should 
 not be able to use them." 
 
 " Oh, thou couldst soon do away with them," 
 replied his wife, " but that's why I '11 take them to 
 the king; besides, we are up to our ears in fish." 
 
 After dinner the fisherman's wife hurried to the 
 king with the fish. When she came to the palace, 
 she asked the first man she met where the king was, 
 but got as answer: " I don't keep the king! " She 
 went farther, making confusion everywhere until all 
 the servants came together, but no one said anything 
 to her. At last she reached the guard who stood 
 before the king's chamber ; she wanted to go without 
 ceremony to his Kingly Grace. The guard pushed 
 her back sharply, but the fishwoman did not retreat 
 so easily; she tried once more to break through the 
 guards, but this time she was repulsed. One of the 
 guards, as firm as a rock, and with as much hair on 
 his face as a bear, caught her by the hand and pulled 
 
316 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 her so roughly that she almost fell to the floor. She 
 screamed that they were killing her, and roused the 
 whole palace; even the king came. She turned 
 straight to him and cried out over the heads of 
 the men : " Royal Grace, I am bringing fish, and 
 these bears won't let me in." 
 
 The king, who was in good humor that day, beck- 
 oned her to come. " What kind of fish, and how 
 many?" asked he when she approached. 
 
 " Royal Grace, only three, but so wonderful that 
 I have not seen such as long as I live." With that 
 she took a fish from the basket and handed it to the 
 king. 
 
 " Wonderful, indeed," said the king, " but give 
 them not to me, give them to my cook ; and here is to 
 thee for the road," giving her a handful of gold-pieces. 
 
 The fishwoman, when she saw so much money, fell 
 at the king's feet, and came near throwing him down ; 
 but he did n't mind. Then she took the fish to the 
 kitchen, and ran headlong home. 
 
 After she had gone the king went to the kitchen, 
 looked at one of the fish, and said to the cook: 
 " Thou must dress these fish in a special manner, and 
 answer with thy head for the cooking." 
 
 " Royal Grace, in what manner?" asked the cook, 
 trembling with terror when he heard of his head; 
 for though he was a great hero at cutting off heads, 
 he trembled like an aspen when his own head was in 
 question. 
 
The King of tke Toads. 317 
 
 " That 's thy affair," replied the king ; " I will send 
 my chamberlain to thee to look after the fish." 
 
 The king went away, and presently the chamber- 
 lain appeared. The cook did not know how to pre- 
 pare the fish, and lost his wits, but that was his luck, 
 for he did everything without knowing it, and alto- 
 gether different from his wont. At last when they 
 had the fish on the pan, and began to butter them, 
 the whole palace trembled. Then followed a terrible 
 shock ; and before the cook or the chamberlain could 
 think what it meant, they received each such a slap 
 on the face from an invisible hand that they fell 
 senseless to the floor. And while they were lying in 
 such concord on the floor, they knew not that one of 
 the fish stood on his tail in the pan, and said to the 
 other two : " Will ye serve me or be food for the 
 king." 
 
 " Serve thee," said both in one voice. With that 
 all three of them vanished, and to this day no man 
 knows whither they went. 
 
 The cook woke up from his involuntary slumber 
 sooner than the chamberlain ; he did not rise, how- 
 ever, but waited for the other. Then he rose, groaned 
 heavily, complained, and both hurried to the fish; 
 but they were gone. " The devil take the fish ! " said 
 the cook ; " but what will the king say? " 
 
 It was no great joy for the chamberlain that the fish 
 were gone ; still he went to the king and told him of 
 all that had happened in the kitchen. 
 
318 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales, 
 
 " I cannot believe it," said the king ; " but if thou 
 canst get more fish like these, thou wilt be forgiven 
 this time. Now go to the fisherman and tell him to 
 get other fish like these." 
 
 The chamberlain hurried away with light heart, re- 
 joiced at his easy escape. The fisherman said that 
 he could catch fish only on Mondays. The chamber- 
 lain told this to the king ; the king was very angry. 
 But what could he gain by that? 
 
 There was joy in the fisherman's cottage by reason 
 of so much money, and the fisherman's wife could 
 hardly wait till Monday. She roused her husband 
 early Monday morning, got him a holiday breakfast, 
 and almost pushed him out of the house, so as to 
 bring those strange fish with all speed. The fisher- 
 man obeyed, not his wife, however, but the king, and 
 hastened to the cliff with the wonderful herb in his 
 bosom. He had barely stood on the step, when he 
 was carried to the mountain; and from there he 
 rushed to the lake, where he found a boat watting 
 for him as before. The first and second time he 
 caught nothing; but the third time he drew out three 
 fish. " Now my wife will be glad," thought he, and 
 hurried up the mountain ; from there he was taken to 
 the valley in an instant, and ran home. His wife 
 pulled the fish out of his hands, threw them into a 
 basket, and ran to the king's palace. The guard was 
 ordered to let her pass; and she went straight to 
 the king, who came out to meet her, and looking at 
 
The King of the Toads. 319 
 
 the fish, to see if they were the same, gave her an- 
 other handful of gold for her trouble. The fish- 
 woman thanked him, took the fish to the kitchen, 
 and went home leisurely, for she counted the money 
 to see if there was the same as before ; there was still 
 more. Now there was joy in the cottage; and the 
 fisherman was thankful in his heart to the fiery man, 
 by whose action he had gained such peace in his 
 household. 
 
 New orders were issued by the king to the cook, 
 who was trembling with terror, thinking what would 
 come of the fish. But the king, who did not believe 
 even the chamberlain, sent his eldest son to watch 
 both the chamberlain and the cook, lest they should 
 eat the fish themselves. They all stood in great 
 expectation around the pan in which the butter was 
 melting under the fish ; but as soon as they began to 
 butter the fish, the castle was shaken more violently 
 than before, a still louder shock followed, and the 
 cook, chamberlain, and even the prince himself, re- 
 ceived such slaps from an unseen hand that all three 
 fell senseless to the floor. And while they were lying 
 there, they did not know that one of the fish stood 
 on its tail in the pan, and said to the other two: 
 "Will ye be food for the king, or serve me?" 
 
 " Serve thee," answered the two in one voice ; then 
 all three vanished in an instant, and to this day no 
 man knows whither. 
 
 The cook came to his senses first ; but seeing the 
 
320 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 chamberlain and the prince still on the floor, he 
 stayed where he was. The chamberlain followed his 
 example ; at last the prince jumped up and roused 
 both. For a while they acted as if they had lost their 
 wits, then rose to their feet slowly, and complained. 
 When they looked in the pan they found it empty. 
 The prince told all carefully to his father. The king 
 was raging, and threatened them all with death. At 
 last he was pacified, and sent the prince to the fish- 
 erman. The prince gave the king's order, but the 
 fisherman said that he could catch those fish only on 
 Mondays. When the king heard this he fell into a 
 towering passion, though he knew himself that the 
 fish could be caught only on Mondays. At last he 
 grew calm, but resolved to be present next time they 
 cooked these most wonderful fish. 
 
 On Monday the fisherman's wife pushed her hus- 
 band out of the house at the dawn of day. The 
 fisherman came to the top of the mountain as before, 
 then hastened to the lake, where on the third cast of 
 the net he drew out three fish. He hurried to the 
 top of the mountain; next moment he was in the 
 valley, and ran home as fast as his breath would let 
 him. His wife shortened the journey for him : she 
 ran to meet him, and pulling the fish out of his 
 hands, rushed off to the palace like a crazy woman. 
 The king was waiting ; and ran out the moment he 
 saw her. When he looked at the fish he gave her two 
 handfuls of gold. She took the fish to the kitchen, 
 
The King of the Toads. 321 
 
 and hurried away. When she came to the field she 
 sat down and counted the money ten times. 
 
 In the king's kitchen the king, the prince, and the 
 chamberlain watched the cook while he was pre- 
 paring the fish. Because the king was present, great 
 attention was paid to everything. This was done 
 partly to make the king tired of being there ; but he 
 gave them to understand that he would wait till the 
 fish were ready. After long preparation they got 
 them on the pan ; but as soon as the cook began to 
 butter them the palace shook as in a tempest. Then 
 came a shock as from a lightning-stroke, and in an 
 instant all present received such slaps on the face 
 that they fell senseless to the floor. While lying 
 there without distinction of persons none of them 
 knew, not even the king, that one of the fish stood 
 on its tail in the pan and said to the other two: 
 "Will ye serve me or be food for the king?" 
 
 " Serve thee ! " answered both in one voice ; and 
 all three vanished. 
 
 After a long time the cook woke from his trance, 
 and seeing the king prostrate, remained as he was. 
 In like manner acted the chamberlain and the prince 
 when they recovered. At last the king rose, walked 
 around the pan quickly, saw no fish, wondered greatly, 
 and went to his chambers in silence. When the king 
 had gone, the prince, the chamberlain, and the cook 
 sprang from the floor and shook themselves. 
 . The king pondered long over these fish, weighed 
 
 21 
 
322 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 everything duly, and then sent for the fisherman. 
 The fisherman came straightway; but how he won- 
 dered when he heard what had happened at the but- 
 tering of the fish ! The king said : " Take me to 
 that lake; I will examine everything carefully my- 
 self." The fisherman of course consented. The 
 king took his body-guard, and all moved toward the 
 cliff, with the fisherman at the head. When they 
 arrived there the fisherman gave the king some of 
 the herb which he had received from the fiery man, 
 .took him by the hand, and stood on the stone step. 
 In an instant a mighty wind seized them ; the king 
 and the fisherman flew through the air, but the 
 body-guard stood, as if fallen from heaven. They 
 waited long ; but when nothing came of it, they re- 
 turned to the palace, and told the terrified people 
 what they had seen. 
 
 In due time the king with the fisherman appeared 
 on the summit of the mountain, from whence he saw 
 the whole country. Although there was no palace, 
 .nor even a cottage, still it pleased him greatly 
 at first sight. 
 
 "There/* said the fisherman to the king, " is the 
 lake where I catch the wonderful fish ; I have n't 
 gone farther yet in any direction." 
 
 "Very well," said the king, " let us go down." 
 
 On reaching the lake the king told the fisherman 
 to catch the fish ; but he went on himself to examine 
 the place. The farther he went the thicker the grass. 
 
 
The King of the Toads. 323 
 
 till at last he had hard work to get through ; still he 
 advanced till he came to a beautiful green meadow, 
 having on one side the forest, and on the other the 
 lake. Near the shore in a boat sat an old grand- 
 father, whose head was as white as an apple-tree in 
 blossom. 
 
 "Wilt thou row me over, grandfather? " asked the 
 king. 
 
 " Why should I not, since that is what I am here 
 for?" 
 
 The king took a seat in the boat. The old man 
 rowed without hurrying ; but the boat moved lightly 
 over the smooth water, like a fly through the blue 
 sky. When they reached the middle of the lake the 
 old man turned to one side. Then the king saw a 
 grand castle half hidden in the dark forest. 
 
 " Oh, what a beautiful castle ! Who reigns there? " 
 asked the king. 
 
 "Thou wilt learn if thou enter," replied the old 
 man. When they touched the shore he gave the 
 king a green twig, and said : " Take this twig ; it will 
 be o^ use to thee. Good-by, for thou wilt not see 
 me again." 
 
 " But who will take me back ? " 
 
 " No one. Thou wilt go back on dry land ; " and 
 turning aside, he disappeared. 
 
 The king went straight to the palace ; and if he won- 
 dered at the words of the old man, he was still more 
 astonished when he entered the principal gate and saw 
 
324 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 no living soul. Thoughtfully he ascended the broad 
 steps, went through one chamber, then another, a 
 third, and a fourth ; but nowhere did he find a living 
 creature. " This is some enchanted castle," thought 
 the king to himself. " Who knows how I shall es- 
 cape? But I will see all, and then find the way 
 home.'* He examined the chambers further till he 
 came to the last, and there in the middle of the room 
 sat an old man, bent to the floor. " I said this was 
 an enchanted castle," thought the king ; " here sits 
 one man ! " 
 
 The old man raised his head, and seeing the king, 
 said : " Welcome ; at last I see a human face ! " 
 
 The king approached him and asked : " Who art 
 thou, and what does this empty palace mean?" 
 
 " I am a king, but without subjects or power; an- 
 other rules in my place," answered the old man, 
 bitterly. 
 
 " What is the cause of this? " 
 
 " The treason of my own wife." 
 
 " And is there no fescue? " 
 
 "Well, the same as none ; therefore be off at once, 
 otherwise my wife will kill thee when she returns 
 from the King of the Toads." 
 
 " I am not afraid of a woman," said the king. " I 
 want to stand before her ; we shall see if there is no 
 escape." 
 
 " If there were escape I should not be sitting here 
 confined by the King of the Toads ! " 
 
The King of the Toads. 325 
 
 "Who is this King of the Toads?" 
 
 " Listen ; I will tell thee my whole sad story. The 
 sun is yet high, and until it sets my wife will not 
 return : Once I ruled over a powerful nation ; around 
 my palace was a great city, and near it a beautiful 
 garden. All is changed into a dark forest and a 
 lake. The fish in the lake are my former subjects. 
 I was once happy, and the more so because I ob- 
 tained as wife a beautiful and kind princess ; but the 
 King of the Toads got into the place where the lake 
 now is, and he turned my wife's heart from me. I 
 remonstrated, begged, threatened my wife with death, 
 but in vain. Every day she went to meet the King 
 of the Toads, and listened to his wheedling speech. 
 Once I came upon them in the summer-house, and 
 heard with my own ears their whispering and kissing. 
 At last the King of the Toads said : ' I will find the 
 nest of the magic bird, will take its eggs, and give 
 them thee to eat; thou wilt become immortal and 
 ever young; then we shall be altogether happy/ 
 ' Deceitful serpent ! ' I cried, springing from my hid- 
 ing-place ; and with a sharp sword I cut the King of 
 the Toads in two. My wife fell upon him, weeping, 
 and he grew together again. Looking at me with 
 venomous eye he muttered words I could not un- 
 derstand, and that moment I felt my blood grow cold, 
 and my veins stiffened so that I could not think 
 of further struggle. I came home in misery and sat 
 down on this chair to rest ; but the King of the Toads 
 
326 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 froze me to my seat, and laid a spell upon the land. 
 From that time I sit here, I know not how many years. 
 My wife spends every day with her lover, and catches 
 frogs for him out of the lake ; in return, he promises 
 her immortality and eternal youth. Now, thou canst 
 see there is no aid for me ; but escape thou before 
 my wife kills thee." 
 
 " I will not flee," said the king, and drew his sword. 
 " I '11 cut off her head, the traitorous soul ! " 
 
 "Foolish man," said the old king; "the King of 
 the Toads saves her, and will not let her be hurt." 
 
 "Let him guard her; I must avenge thee," an- 
 swered the king, and sat on a chair waiting for the 
 deceitful queen, paying no attention to the old man, 
 who begged him by everything in the world to escape. 
 
 As the sun was going down the queen came, and 
 was not a little astonished when she saw the stately 
 knight with her husband. The king drew his sword 
 and ran towards her, but the moment the sword 
 touched her clothing it broke in two. It would have 
 been bad for the king now, if he had not remembered 
 the twig which the boatman gave him. 'He pulled it 
 out quickly, and struck the queen three times. The 
 third time he struck she dropped on a seat, and was 
 unable to move an eye. 
 
 " Sit there, like thy husband," said the king, mock- 
 ingly, and counselled with the old man what to do 
 further. 
 
 " It would be better," said the old man, who gained 
 
The King of the Toads. 327 
 
 courage when he saw his wife frozen to the chair, 
 " to persuade the King of the Toads to free the king- 
 dom and me from enchantment." 
 
 " I will try," answered the king ; and going to the 
 adjoining chamber, where the queen's wardrobe was, 
 he dressed in her garments and came back to the old 
 man. " Now I will go to the King of the Toads and 
 pretend to be his love, thy virtuous wife. Then I 
 will beg him ; and if he does not do what I want, I '11 
 freeze him with this twig, and stroke him with my 
 sword till his heart softens." 
 
 " But beg of him first," said the old man. 
 
 The king made his way in silence to the King of 
 the Toads ; but as it was night he could not find him, 
 and was obliged to call out. He changed his voice, 
 which deceived the King of the Toads, who came 
 quickly and wished to embrace him, thinking that he 
 was the queen. 
 
 " No, my dear," said the king; "first thou must 
 do something to please me. What good is it for us 
 to live together if my former husband is troubling 
 me? Either kill him altogether or give him back his 
 former condition, so that he may die ; if thou wilt take 
 the spell from him, he will fall to dust and ashes." 
 
 " Let it be as thou wishest," said he, drawing 
 nearer. 
 
 But she moved away, and said : " I have one more 
 favor to ask, but this concerns us alone. As soon as 
 my former husband dies thou wilt take his place and 
 
328 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 we shall reign together, but what sort of a reign 
 would it be if the whole country were enchanted; 
 therefore give back its former shape to the kingdom, 
 and I will marry thee before the world." 
 
 " So let it be," replied the King of the Toads, and 
 embraced his supposed love, who refused no longer. 
 Scarcely had he touched her when he was struck 
 three times with the twig, in the dark night, and the 
 King of the Toads was frozen to the earth. 
 
 " Serpent of hell ! " cried the king with his power- 
 ful voice, " now I '11 enchant thee for the eternal 
 ages ; " and with that he drew out his sword and cut 
 him into countless pieces, which he threw into the 
 water. Frogs rushed from every side with a terrible 
 croaking, and greedily swallowed the bits of the body' 
 of their destroyer. 
 
 They had barely devoured him when the water be- 
 gan to run out of the lake ; and the king saw by the 
 light of the moon which had risen over the mountain 
 summit, how the tree-tops were rising quickly from 
 the water, higher and higher till the water disap- 
 peared altogether, and in the place of the lake was a 
 splendid park, in which were multitudes of people 
 who, praising the king, hurried to the castle. The 
 king joined them, but before reaching the castle he 
 had to pass through a large city ; and only after trav- 
 elling many streets did he arrive there. All the 
 chambers were lighted up, and full of people, so that 
 with difficulty did he find the old man, who was 
 
The King of the Toads. 329 
 
 ) 
 
 standing in the last chamber, and preventing the peo- 
 ple from hewing the queen to pieces ; but the king 
 drew his sword and cut off her head. " She deserved 
 it," said he to the old man, who. dropped a few tears 
 for his former wife. 
 
 Now universal rejoicings began, but the liberated 
 king took no part in them. He called his deliverer 
 and said : " My hours are numbered, I give the 
 whole kingdom to thee; rule in my place." 
 
 The new king thanked the old one kindly, and 
 when he rose in the morning, he heard that the old 
 king was dead. 
 
 . Our king mounted a fiery steed, rode to the city, 
 and announced to the people the death and last will 
 of their former ruler. They grieved for a moment, 
 then with shouts of gladness greeted the new king. 
 
 After the burial of the old monarch, his successor 
 examined the kingdom ; and as everything pleased 
 him greatly, he decided to stay there. Therefore he 
 went to his former palace, but the road was far longer 
 than when he had travelled it with the fisherman. 
 He was obliged to ride several weeks before arriv- 
 ing there. No one knew him, for several years had 
 passed while he was in the enchanted kingdom. At 
 last an old grandfather came, who said : " I am one of 
 the body-guard who went with thee to the cliff where 
 thou didst leave us. Take me, I beg, into thy service 
 again, for all my comrades are dead; I am alone." 
 
 The people . believed quickly the grandfather's 
 
330 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 words, gathered around the king and kissed the hem 
 of his garment. The king sold his castle, put every- 
 thing he could into wagons, and made ready for the 
 road. Now he remembered the fisherman, asked how 
 he was getting on, and when he had returned home. 
 
 " Only yesterday," was the reply. 
 
 "Send for him," commanded the king; and 
 straightway the fisherman was there. 
 
 When the king asked about his adventures, the 
 fisherman answered : " Royal Grace, I have no fish, 
 and God alone knows what happened in that place. 
 All at once the water disappeared under my boat and 
 I was on dry land. I left everything and ran away ; 
 but trees began to grow under me, and so quickly 
 that every second branches struck my face. Since it 
 was in the night I might have lost my senses. In the 
 morning I wondered when I saw instead of a forest 
 an enormous city, with a great palace. I hurried 
 from that magic country, thinking to see my cottage 
 soon; but I travelled one day, I travelled two, a 
 week, a month, and then a year no sign of my 
 cottage. I gave up for a time, and only yesterday I 
 came home safely. My wife was dead ; I am all alone 
 now in this wide world." 
 
 " Do not cry," said the king ; " thou hast me yet. 
 Thou wilt stay with me." 
 
 The fisherman answered with tears, and all started 
 off on their journey. They arrived safely at the new 
 kingdom ; and all lived happily till they died. 
 
THE MOUSE-HOLE, AND THE UNDERGROUND 
 KINGDOM. 
 
 T3EFORE times long past there reigned a king 
 -L* somewhere, and he had three sons. When 
 they had grown up, and were trained as befits princes, 
 they came one day to their father and said : " Our 
 kingly father, permit us to visit strange lands, since 
 we know our own country well." 
 
 " Yes, it is proper," answered the king, wisely, " for 
 royal princes to know more than any of my subjects ; 
 and I permit what ye ask, but on one condition. Ye 
 are all of an age in which almost every man seeks the 
 partner of his life ; and as far as I know, ye also will 
 do the same. I have no wish to tell you what prin- 
 cesses to fall in love with, but I ask this: Return 
 before a year and a day, and bring me some gift 
 not costly, but valued from your chosen ones." 
 
 The princes were astonished that their father had 
 guessed their thoughts so well, and agreed without 
 thinking. Then they took their crossbows and went 
 to the open field. The eldest son let the bow-string 
 go, and the arrow flew to the east. The second let 
 the string go, and the arrow flew to the west. 
 
 "And where am I to aim?" cried the youngest, 
 whose name was Yarmil. That moment a mouse ran 
 
332 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 near him to its hole; he let the string go, and the 
 arrow flew after the mouse. 
 
 " Oh, thoughtless fellow ! " said the eldest prince 
 in rebuke ; " now thou must go to the mouse-hole." 
 
 " It is settled," answered Yarmil, and shrugged his 
 shoulders. 
 
 They went home, prepared for the road, and next 
 day started ; the eldest to the east, the second to the 
 west, and Yarmil to the mouse-hole. Up to that mo- 
 ment he had held it merely a jest ; but how was he 
 astonished when on nearing the place the earth 
 opened so that he rode in conveniently, and sooner 
 than he could think was in an open country, in the 
 middle of which stood a white marble castle. No- 
 where did he see a living soul ; and he felt sure then 
 that he would find no one in the castle; but scarcely 
 had he entered the gate when a lady came forth to 
 meet him who had not only garments, but face, hair, 
 eyes, in short everything, white as newly fallen snow. 
 She held by the bridle a mettlesome white steed, and 
 without saying a word, indicated to Yarmil to de- 
 scend from his own horse and sit on the white one ; 
 but he had barely mounted the white steed when it 
 rose with him through the air, and without heeding 
 the bit, went on till it brought him to the earth before 
 a splendid castle. Yarmil marvelled, for the castle 
 was so brilliant that he could not look at it, such was 
 the glitter of gold and precious stones. Around 
 about, wherever the eye could see, was a beautiful 
 
The Mouse-He 
 
 333' 
 
 garden, in which the most luxuriant trees were grow- 
 ing, the most beautiful flowers were in bloom, and 
 birds of every color were singing. 
 
 When he had recovered from the first surprise, 
 Yarmil dismounted and wished to lead the steed to 
 the castle ; but it tore away, rose through the air, and 
 vanished like a white dove in the clouds. 
 
 Full of expectation Yarmil entered the castle. He 
 struck on the gate; no answer, but it opened of it- 
 self. He went in on broad marble steps to the door 
 of the first chamber. Again he knocked; no an- 
 swer, but the door opened. He entered, but how did 
 he wonder again ! There was such splendor that he 
 exclaimed, " My father is by far the richest king, 
 but this chamber alone is worth more than his 
 kingdom." 
 
 But if the first chamber was rich, the second was 
 richer; and that splendor increased till he came to the 
 eleventh, where there was a great crystal tub with 
 golden hoops, into which, through a golden pipe, 
 water still clearer than crystal was flowing. In the 
 twelfth chamber were only four naked walls, an ordi- 
 nary ceiling, and a common floor, but in the middle 
 of the floor a diamond pan. When Yarmil examined 
 more carefully, he saw written on it : " Whoever 
 .wishes to liberate me must carry me next to his body, 
 and bathe me each day." 
 
 Urged by curiosity Yarmil removed a diamond, 
 then a golden, and finally, with great effort, a silver, 
 
334 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 cover. But how was he frightened when under it 
 appeared a great ugly toad ! He wished to escape, 
 but at that moment such terror seized him that in 
 spite of himself he took the toad out of the pan and 
 put it in his bosom. The toad chilled him, but in a 
 moment he was as happy as if he had liberated some 
 one from death. Straightway he went to the eleventh 
 chamber, took the toad from his bosom, and washed it 
 carefully ; but to his great affliction he saw that it was 
 a toad, and the more he washed the uglier it grew. 
 When he had grown tired he put it in his bosom 
 again and went to the garden to cheer himself. 
 
 A sight of the trees and the flowers hitherto unno- 
 ticed, the odor of them, and the singing of the birds 
 entertained him so that midday came before he knew 
 it. He went back to the castle, and there, to his 
 great surprise, saw in the first chamber a table cov- 
 ered with the most delicate dishes. He sat down 
 with appetite, and when he had eaten to his content, 
 and drunk of the wine which an unseen hand had 
 placed before him in a golden goblet, he confessed 
 that he had never tasted at his father's table, or at the 
 greatest festivals, such delicate dishes and such good 
 wine. 
 
 Now he looked the room through with more care ; 
 the splendor did not charm him so much as at first, 
 but the many musical instruments, writing imple- 
 ments, and beautiful books pleased him beyond meas- 
 ure, for he was skilled in every good art. 
 
The Mouse-Hole. 335 
 
 After the supper, which was as good as the dinner, 
 he lay on a soft bed and slept soundly till morning ; 
 then he ate a good meal, which was on the table, and 
 spent the time as he had the day before. He was 
 annoyed at his lonely life, but he soon drove away 
 trouble. He was grieved because the more the toad 
 was washed the uglier it grew ; still he washed it with 
 care, and carried it in his bosom. 
 
 Now the year was nearing its end, when he had 
 to return to his father with a gift from his bride. He 
 walked like one deprived of reason through the 
 castle and the garden; nothing could comfort him, 
 but still he did not forget to bathe the toad each day, 
 and with greater care. When the last day of the 
 year had come, he knew not what to begin; but 
 while walking through the room he saw on his writ- 
 ing-table a sheet of paper not there before. He seized 
 it quickly; and on it was written in black letters: 
 
 DEAR YARMIL, I love thee unspeakably ; but be thou 
 patient, as I am patient. A gift for thy father thou hast 
 in the pan ; give it to him, but tarry not long at home. Put 
 me back in the pan. 
 
 Yarmil hastened with joy to the twelfth chamber, 
 took from the pan a rich casket set with diamonds, 
 and put the toad in the pan ; then he ran out quickly, 
 mounted the white steed which was waiting, and 
 which rose in the air and flew regardless of bit, till 
 it stopped before the white castle; there the white 
 
336 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 lady gave Yarmil his horse, took the white steed, and 
 led it away. 
 
 In a short time Yarmil came to the great gate, and 
 when he had ridden through and looked, there was 
 nothing behind but a mouse-hole. Putting spurs to 
 his horse he rushed on at a gallop and came to the 
 gate of his father's castle almost at the same moment 
 as his brothers, so that all three were able to appear 
 together before their father, and say: " Here we are, 
 according to thy command." 
 
 " But have ye brought gifts from your princesses? " 
 asked the king. 
 
 " Of course," cried the elder brothers, proudly. 
 Yarmil answered, as it were, timidly, with a nod ; for he 
 knew not what was in that casket taken from the pan. 
 
 The king had invited a great number of guests to 
 look at the gifts. All were in the banqueting-hall. 
 The king led his sons thither, and when the feast was 
 ended, he said to the eldest : " Now give me the gift 
 from thy princess." 
 
 " My love is the daughter of a great king," said 
 the prince, proudly ; and he gave his father a casket 
 containing a small mirror. 
 
 The king looked, and wondered not a little that he 
 saw his whole person. Then he said : " Well, men's 
 hands can do everything." 
 
 The second son gave him a still smaller mirror, but 
 the king saw in it his whole person ; still he only said : 
 " Men's hands can do everything. But what has thy 
 
The Mouse-Hole. 337 
 
 princess sent me?" asked he of Yarmil. In silence, 
 and timidly, Yarmil gave him the casket. The king 
 barely looked in it when he cried in amazement, 
 "That princess of thine has wealth in abundance; 
 these diamonds alone have more value than my king- 
 dom." But he wondered when he took from the 
 casket another such mirror, but smaller ; and he was 
 really frightened when in a twinkle a puppet sprang 
 out and held the glass for him as soon as he looked 
 at it, and the moment he stopped looking the puppet 
 was gone. 
 
 " Oh," cried the king, " no hand of man could 
 frame that ; " and embracing Yarmil, he added with 
 tenderness : " Thou hast brought me true joy, my 
 son." 
 
 Yarmil called to mind the ugly toad, and had no 
 regret now that he had spent a whole year with it ; 
 but his brothers and his mother, who was a witch 
 and hated Yarmil, were enraged though they dis- 
 sembled. 
 
 When the feast was over and the princes were part- 
 ing with their father, he said : " Go now with rejoicing, 
 but return in a year and a day, and bring me portraits 
 of your princesses." 
 
 The elder brothers promised with joy, but Yarmil 
 barely nodded, for he feared what his father would 
 say should he bring the toad's portrait ; still he went 
 with his brothers beyond the town, where he parted 
 with them, and galloped on to the mouse-hole. He 
 
 22 
 

 338 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 was just drawing near when the ground opened to 
 give a good entrance. At the white castle the white 
 lady took his horse and gave him the white steed, 
 which rose through the air, and regardless of bit, flew 
 on till it reached the golden castle. Yarmil hurried 
 to the twelfth chamber; the steed disappeared like a 
 dove in the clouds. 
 
 In the castle nothing was changed, and the diamond 
 pan was standing in the twelfth chamber. Yarmil 
 removed the three covers, took out the toad and 
 placed it in his bosom. Now he bathed it twice each 
 day, but to his grief it grew uglier. How could he 
 take the portrait of his princess to his father ! He might 
 paint the most beautiful lady, because he was very 
 well skilled in painting, but he would not deceive his 
 father. Only the hope that the toad would help him 
 as before gave him strength to endure the dreary life. 
 
 At last the day was near in which he must return 
 to his father. He looked continually on his writing- 
 table till he saw to his great joy a sheet of paper on 
 which was written in silver letters, 
 
 DEAR YARMIL, I love thee unspeakably ; be patient, 
 as I am patient. Thou hast my portrait in the pan ; give, 
 it to thy father, but tarry not long. Put me back in the 
 pan. 
 
 Yarmil hastened to the twelfth chamber, found in 
 the pan a casket still richer than the first. He took 
 it quickly, and put the toad in its place. Then he hur- 
 
The Mouse-Hole. 339 
 
 ried forth, sat on the white steed, which brought him 
 to the white castle, where the white lady gave him his 
 own horse. When he had ridden through the gate 
 and looked back, he saw nothing behind but a 
 mouse-hole. He put spurs to his horse, and rode to 
 the gate of his father's castle at the same time with 
 his brothers. They stood before their father and 
 said : " Here we are, as thou hast commanded." 
 
 "Do ye bring me portraits of your princesses? " 
 asked the king. 
 
 " Of course ! " exclaimed the two elder brothers, 
 full of pride. But Yarmil only answered with a nod, 
 for he knew not what portrait the casket contained. 
 
 The king led them to the banqueting-hall, where 
 the guests were assembled. When the banquet was 
 over, he said to the eldest : " Now show me the por- 
 trait of thy princess." 
 
 The eldest brother gave a rich casket to his father. 
 He opened it, took out a portrait, and looking at it 
 from every side, said at last : " That is a beautiful 
 lady ; she pleases me. Still there are fairer than she 
 in the world, but any man might love her." Then 
 he gave the portrait to the guests, and said to his 
 second son: "And the portrait of thy princess?" 
 
 The second son gave him promptly a richer casket, 
 and smiled with happiness. He thought doubtless 
 that his father must be astonished at the beauty of 
 his princess ; but he looked on her with indifference 
 and said : " A beautiful lady too, but there are more 
 
34-O Chekh Myths and Folk-Tales. 
 
 beautiful in the world ; still any man might fall in love 
 with her." 
 
 Then he nodded to Yarmil, who gave with trem- 
 bling hand his diamond casket. Scarcely had the 
 king looked at it when he exclaimed: " Thy princess 
 must be rich beyond measure ; thy casket is at any 
 time worth twice my whole kingdom." But how was 
 he astonished when he took out the portrait! He 
 looked fixedly at it for a while, unable to utter a 
 word. Then he said with the greatest enthusiasm, 
 " No ; such a lady cannot be found in the world." 
 
 All the guests crowded around the portrait, and in 
 one voice agreed with the king. At last Yarmil drew 
 near to look at his princess, unknown till that mo- 
 ment. Now he regretted no whit that he had spent 
 two years in lone life and nursing a toad; but his 
 brothers and his mother were raging, and envied him 
 his princess. 
 
 Next day the princes were taking farewell, and the 
 king said to them : " After this time I will not let you 
 go again. In a year and a day I wish to see your 
 princesses ; then we will celebrate the weddings." 
 
 The two elder brothers were shouting with joy, but 
 Yarmil answered no word. They took leave of their 
 father and went together to the edge of the town, 
 where they separated; the eldest went to the east, 
 the second to the west, but Yarmil to the mouse-hole, 
 which opened quickly to give him a convenient pas- 
 sage. At the white castle the white lady gave him 
 
The Mouse-Hole. 341 
 
 the white steed, which flew to the golden castle re- 
 gardless of bit. There Yarmil descended, and the 
 steed vanished like a dove in the clouds. 
 
 Full of hope Yarmil hastened to the twelfth cham- 
 ber, for he trusted to find there his wondrous fair 
 princess whose portrait he had taken to his father ; 
 but he found in the pan the ugly toad, which he put 
 in his bosom, and now washed three times each day. 
 In vain was all his labor, for the more he bathed the 
 uglier grew the toad. Had it not been for the por- 
 trait he would have fled from the castle, and who 
 knows what he might have done? Every day his 
 strength decreased, and when the last day of the year 
 drew near it is a wonder that he did not despair ; for 
 the toad had become now not only ugly beyond 
 measure, but all mangy, so that he shivered when he 
 looked at it. And now he must bring this to his 
 father as his chosen one. 
 
 " My father will kill me ! " cried he with grief, and 
 threw himself on the couch. He thought what to 
 do, but could come to no resolve. At last he 
 reached to his bosom to look once more at the toad, 
 hoping that at sight of it a happy thought might 
 come; but a new surprise, the toad was gone. 
 Now he began to lament. He ran through the whole 
 castle, searched every room, in the garden every tree 
 and bush, but no trace of the toad. 
 
 At last he remembered the dish in the twelfth 
 chamber, ran thither, but stopped on the threshold 
 
342 Chekh Myths and Folk-Tales. 
 
 as if thunderstruck ; for that poor chamber had be- 
 come a real paradise, and in tne middle of it stood a 
 lady as beautiful, if not still more beautiful, than the 
 portrait which he had carried to his father. In 
 speechless amazement he looked at her, and who 
 knows how long he might have stood there had she 
 not turned to him and said : " My dear, thou hast 
 suffered much; but I am not yet entirely free, and 
 my people are not. Hurry now to the cellar; here 
 is the key, and do to a hair what I command, or it 
 will go ill with us. When the door is opened, thou 
 wilt hear a terrible wailing; but listen to nothing, 
 and speak not a word. Go down on the steps ; be- 
 low thou wilt find on a table twelve burning tapers, 
 and before each taper one shirt. Roll up the shirts, 
 quench the tapers, bring them all with thee." 
 
 Yarmil took the key. When he opened the door 
 of the cellar he heard such wailing that it is a won- 
 der his heart did not break; but mindful of what 
 had been said by his bride, he went boldly, de- 
 scended the steps, rolled up the twelve shirts, 
 quenching at each one, one taper ; then he took the 
 shirts and the tapers and hurried back. But how did 
 he wonder when he saw a man nailed to the door by 
 his tongue ! The man begged Yarmil by all things 
 to set him free, so that there was a strange feeling in 
 Yarmil's heart; but after short hesitation he mastered 
 this feeling, and shut the door. 
 
 When he came to his bride and gave her the shirts, 
 
The Mouse-Hole. 343 
 
 with the tapers, she said : " These twelve shirts are 
 my twelve skins, in which I was a toad ; and these 
 twelve tapers burned me continually. Now I am 
 liberated, it is true ; but it will be three years before 
 I shall be completely free. Know that I am the 
 daughter of a mighty king, whom that foul monster, 
 who is nailed to the cellar door by the tongue, 
 changed into a toad because I refused him my hand. 
 He is a wizard ; but there is a witch more powerful 
 than he. To punish him, she nailed him to that 
 door; I, too, am still in her power. Now promise 
 that for three years thou wilt tell no living person 
 into what creature I was enchanted ; but especially 
 tell not how many skins I had." 
 
 " Not even to my own mother ! " exclaimed Yarmil, 
 with excitement. 
 
 " It is just from thy own mother that thou must 
 hide it most, for she is a witch, and hates thee ; she 
 knows long since that thou art three years with me, 
 and most carefully will she try to learn from thee just 
 what I have forbidden thee to tell." 
 
 Yarmil was greatly grieved, but the princess soon 
 cheered him, especially when she said : " It is now 
 high time to go, so. as to come to thy father's at the 
 right moment." Then she took him by the hand, 
 and led him down the stairs. In front of the castle a 
 carriage with four white horses was waiting; when 
 they entered, the horses rushed off with such speed 
 that soon they passed the white castle. Yarmil was 
 
344 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 going to ask who the white lady was, when the 
 princess said : " That is my mother, who has aided 
 in my liberation." 
 
 Soon they were at the great gate ; and when they 
 had passed it, and looked back, there was nothing 
 but a mouse-hole. They arrived at the king's castle 
 just in the same moment with the two elder brothers 
 and their princesses. But no one looked at them, 
 for the eyes of all were turned to Yarmil's bride. 
 
 The king was rejoiced most of all. He conducted 
 ithe bride to the banqueting-hall, where there was a 
 :multitude of guests, and with tears of delight he ex- 
 .:alted the happiness of his favorite son ; but the elder 
 princes and the queen were enraged, though they 
 would not let it be known. 
 
 On the following day came the weddings of the 
 'three princes ; though Yarmil and his bride were the 
 "last, still glory came only to them. At the banquet 
 the guests drank continually to the health of his 
 bride, so that the other princesses were purple from 
 shame. 
 
 When Yarmil was almost reeling with delight, the 
 queen drew near him, and praised with great flattery 
 the beauty of his bride ; but all at once she spoke of 
 her origin, and in every way tried to discover whence 
 she had come. 
 
 Yarmil at first evaded her questions ; but when she 
 urged him vehemently to tell from what land came his 
 bride, he said : " Dear mother, I will do everything 
 
The Mouse-Hole. 345 
 
 according to thy wish, but of this one thing ask 
 me not." 
 
 " I know well whence she comes," smiled the 
 queen ; " I know, too, that thou didst not see her 
 first in her present form." 
 
 " Of course not; but I am proud that I liberated 
 her." 
 
 " Oh, my dear son ! " exclaimed the queen, compas- 
 sionately. " I pity thee greatly for letting thyself be 
 so duped ; but dost thou know that that beauty of 
 hers is pure deceit?" 
 
 "Why?" asked Yarmil in fright. 
 
 " Because she is a witch," whispered the queen in 
 his ear, with an anxious look. " There is still time," 
 continued she, when she saw that Yarmil as it were 
 believed, " to extricate thyself from her snares ; and I 
 wish to aid thee in every way. But thou must tell 
 me what form she had before." 
 
 Yarmil said that he would not tell, but the queen 
 did not abandon her plan. When she could not dis- 
 cover from him directly, she began to name every 
 kind of beast, looking with exceeding quickness at 
 his face. Yarmil shook his head unceasingly, but 
 was confused when she said " toad." 
 
 " Then she was a toad before," cried in horror the 
 queen. " Ah ! dear son, it is ill, very ill with thee ; 
 but it may be well yet if only I know in how many 
 skins she was living." 
 
 Again Yarmil answered decidedly that he would 
 
346 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 not tell, but the queen tried so long that at last she 
 discovered. Now she knew what she wanted, and 
 went from Yarmil. It is a wonder that he was not 
 suspicious, but he said nothing to the princess. 
 
 Next morning a number of guests went with the 
 king and his sons to the chase, and stayed in the forest 
 till evening; thus the queen could act freely. 
 
 While the three princesses and the remaining 
 guests were walking in the garden, she stole into the 
 chamber of Yarmil's bride, found the twelve shirts 
 and the tapers, hid them in her own apartments, and 
 in the evening, when the king had returned from the 
 chase and all were sitting in the banqueting-hall at 
 table, she went to the garden, where she burned the 
 shirts and the tapers. At that moment Yarmil's 
 bride felt great faintness, so that she went for fresh 
 air in the garden. 
 
 Yarmil hurried after her, but he had scarcely gone 
 through the door, when she cried : " Woe is me, 
 Yarmil ! Thou hast told what I forbade thee to tell. 
 Forget me ; I must now to the glass mountain, from 
 which there is no liberation." Straightway she van- 
 ished in the darkness of night. 
 
 Yarmil remained a moment as if paralyzed ; then 
 he ran through the garden as if he had lost his 
 wits, and called his bride by the most endearing 
 names, but in vain. The guests ran out at the sound 
 of his lamentation, and were greatly terrified when 
 Yarmil told his misfortune. The queen also came 
 
The Mouse-Hole. 347 
 
 quickly, and listened as if with terrified wonder to 
 what had happened. 
 
 " That was a witch," said she ; " and 't is well that 
 other mishaps have not come." 
 
 But the king was grieved more than all, and put 
 an end to the rejoicing. Next day the two elder 
 brothers went away with their brides, and poor Yar- 
 mil stayed home alone. In vain did his father try to 
 comfort him ; in vain did he promise that he would 
 go himself to seek another bride for him. Yarmil 
 was not to be consoled ; and when the first onrush of 
 sorrow had passed, he resolved to go to the glass 
 mountain for his bride. 
 
 " In what direction wilt thou go ? " objected his 
 father. " While I live no one has heard of a glass 
 mountain." 
 
 " Still I will go," said Yarmil, firmly. " It will come 
 to the same whether I perish on the road or at home ; 
 in any event I shall die of disappointment." 
 
 The king tried in all ways to dissuade him from 
 going, but Yarmil would not let him talk. He 
 mounted his horse, dropped the reins, and let him 
 go whithersoever he would. He travelled long in 
 this objectless way, hither and thither; but at last 
 he saw that he must act differently if he meant to 
 reach the glass mountain. But now came his real 
 trouble ; for wherever he asked about the glass moun- 
 tain, people stared at him, and said that there was no 
 such mountain in the world. Yarmil did not let him- 
 
348 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 self be frightened; and now he galloped the more 
 eagerly on his horse, and asked the more carefully 
 everywhere. He had passed through towns without 
 number, but still no one knew of a glass mountain. 
 At last he heard the name. 
 
 In a certain town there was a juggler, a show- 
 man with every kind of wonder. Yarmil was just 
 going past him at the moment when he cried out : 
 " The witch with her twelve daughters on the glass 
 mountain ! " 
 
 Yarmil called the juggler aside and said : " Here are 
 ten goldpieces, tell me where the glass mountain is." 
 "I am a poor man," said the juggler, honestly, 
 "and need these goldpieces greatly; but I know 
 nothing of the glass mountain." 
 
 "Nor in what country it is?" asked Yarmil, im- 
 patiently. 
 
 "I know that," answered the man. "It is in the 
 east, but they say it is very far off; and besides, they 
 say that no one can go within twenty miles of it." 
 
 Yarmil threw the ten goldpieces into the juggler's 
 cap, and putting spurs to his horse galloped off to the 
 east. Many a time did the sun rise and set before 
 he reached the glass mountain. But what good did 
 it do him to go there? Around the mountain flowed 
 an immensely great river, and on the bridge which 
 was across it stood on guard three very fierce giants. 
 Yarmil's courage fell. That moment the white 
 lady from the white castle appeared suddenly before 
 
The Mouse-Hole. 349 
 
 him and said : " Bind thy horse's hoofs with thy coat, 
 and go very carefully over the bridge. The giant 
 who stands on watch will see thee only when thou 
 art in front of him, and will start after thee ; but throw 
 behind this dust and nothing will harm thee. Do the 
 same for the second and third giant." She gave him 
 three packages of dust, and said : " Beyond the river 
 is a mill in which they give a witch to grind. Ask 
 the miller for a night's lodging ; he will give it thee, 
 and invite thee to supper. Towards the end of the 
 supper the cook will bring him a roast cock, and to 
 that he will not invite thee ; he eats it all himself. The 
 bones of it he leaves on the plate and the cook must 
 throw them under the wheel ; but tell her to hide them 
 for thee. And when it will be midnight, go to the glass 
 mountain and put the bones before thee ; but be care- 
 ful to save one till thou art on the summit, then throw 
 that last one back over thy head." 
 
 The moment the lady had finished, she disappeared. 
 Yarmil sprang from his horse, tore his coat into four 
 pieces, and with them muffled the feet of his horse; 
 then he mounted and rode cautiously to the bridge. 
 The first giant was sitting with his back to him and 
 dozing. Yarmil passed him safely ; but that moment 
 the giant woke, and howled with a terrible voice to 
 him to come back. Here Yarmil threw the dust be- 
 hind, and that moment there was such darkness that 
 it hid the giant completely. The same happened 
 with the second and third giant, and Yarmil crossed 
 
350 Chekh Myths and Folk'-Tales. 
 
 the river safely. Not far off was the mill, and the 
 miller stood just on the threshold. 
 
 "What dost thou wish here? " growled he at 
 Yarmil. 
 
 " Oh, grant me a night's lodging," said Yarmil ; " I 
 am a traveller from distant lands." 
 
 " I '11 give thee nothing," answered the miller, 
 roughly, " for if I did I should lose my place." 
 
 Yarmil begged again, and begged so long that the 
 miller asked : " Whence art thou ? " Yarmil told him ; 
 and the miller, meditating awhile, said : " Well, if thou 
 art the son of so powerful a king, I will give thee a 
 night's lodging; for we are from the same country, 
 and I knew thy father very well." 
 
 Then he led him to a sitting-room ; and since it was 
 just dark, he asked him to supper. Yarmil watched 
 continually to see if the cock would soon come to the 
 table, and he had not long to wait. The miller grew 
 sullen, and without speaking a word ate the cock. 
 Yarmil went out, and pressing a few goldpieces into 
 the hands of the cook, begged her to hide the bones 
 of the cock for him. The moment the cook saw 
 the goldpieces she was glad to agree. 
 
 When the miller had picked the cock he called the 
 cook and ordered her strictly to throw the bones 
 under the wheel. The cook took the plate and mo- 
 tioning as if she had thrown them into the water, put 
 them very adroitly into her apron; when all were 
 asleep she gave them to Yarmil. He waited quietly 
 
The Mouse-Hole. 351 
 
 till the approach of midnight, then he went out cau- 
 tiously and made for the glass mountain with his 
 horse. Full of expectation he took out the first bone 
 and put it on the mountain ; and behold ! in a moment 
 a step was made so that he could walk comfortably on 
 it, and so it happened with every bone. Yarmil was 
 already at the summit and only one bone remained 
 to him ; this he threw with all his power over his head, 
 and in a twinkle there was a pleasant highway along 
 which his horse ran after him with ease. 
 
 All wearied, Yarmil fell down at the castle, in which 
 lived the sorceress with the twelve princesses her 
 daughters, and he soon fell asleep. When he woke 
 the sun was high in the heavens ; and before he could 
 think what further to do, his own princess came to him. 
 
 " I told thee," said she, reproachfully, " to forget 
 me; but thou didst not obey." 
 
 " Hide me somewhere quickly from the sorceress ; 
 in the night we will flee." 
 
 " Simple man ! " said the princess smiling. " She 
 knows long ago that thou art here ; rather go to her, 
 but be polite beyond measure. At dinner, rise after 
 each dish and walk through the room, otherwise thou 
 wilt stay here for the ages." 
 
 Yarmil had to obey. When he came to the sor- 
 ceress he bowed low before her, and said : " Great 
 mighty lady, I have come for my bride." 
 
 " I will give her to thee," smiled the sorceress, " but 
 first thou must serve me three years." 
 
352 Check Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " I am glad to do everything thou mayest desire," 
 said Yarmil bowing; and the sorceress answered gra- 
 ciously, inviting him at once to the table, to which 
 just then one of the princesses brought the first dish. 
 Yarmil ate with a relish ; but when he had finished, 
 he said to the sorceress : " Permit me, great mighty 
 lady, to walk a little. I have travelled so much that I 
 fear my legs will lose their power." 
 
 " Oh, walk if it please thee," answered the sor- 
 ceress, but her eyes glittered with anger. And 
 Yarmil did the same after each dish, and the sorceress 
 was ready to split from rage. Next day she gave 
 , him a wooden axe and saw, and said : " Thou must 
 clear all that forest over there, or be the son of 
 Death." 
 
 Yarmil took the axe and the saw, and went on. In 
 the forest he threw himself on the ground and 
 thought of death ; for such a stretch of forest no 
 man could clear alone, still less with such tools. At 
 midday his princess brought him dinner. 
 
 " Ah ! " scolded she, " thou art not working dili- 
 gently." 
 
 " Why trouble myself for nothing? " sighed Yarmil. 
 
 " Only be of good courage," said the princess, com- 
 forting him. "It is not so bad to-day; it will be 
 worse to-morrow." 
 
 Then she gave him dinner ; and when Yarmil had 
 eaten, he put his head on her lap and fell asleep 
 soundly. Then the princess took out of her bosom 
 
The Mouse-Hole. 353 
 
 some kind of powder, and muttering mysterious 
 words she threw it in the air. And wonder of won- 
 ders ! in the twinkle of an eye invisible hands began 
 to fell the aged trees, cut, split, and pile, so that in a 
 short time the whole forest was felled. 
 
 Now Yarmil woke up, and hurried with the prin- 
 cess to the castle. The sorceress praised him ; she 
 suppressed her rage with difficulty, and said : " Thou 
 hast worked out thy first year in order." 
 
 Next day the sorceress gave him a spade and a 
 wheelbarrow, and said : " Thou must carry away that 
 mountain out there, or be the son of Death." 
 
 Yarmil went with his tools to the hill, but when 
 there he threw himself on the ground, for a thousand 
 men would not have been able to carry off the hill in 
 ten years. At midday his princess brought him din- 
 ner, and said : " Oh, thou art working as diligently 
 as yesterday ! " 
 
 " I am," sighed Yarmil. 
 
 " Only be of good cheer," said the princess, com- 
 forting him. " To-day it is not so bad ; it will be 
 worse to-morrow." 
 
 When Yarmil had eaten, he put his head on her 
 lap and fell asleep. The princess again threw into 
 the air a powder of some kind, muttering mysterious 
 words; and straightway unseen hands began to work 
 so vigorously that in a short time the hill was car- 
 ried away. 
 
 Then Yarmil woke up, and hurried to the sorceress 
 23 
 
354 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 to tell her he had done what she had commanded. 
 She flamed up in anger, but nevertheless said : " Thou 
 hast worked the second year of thy service in order." 
 
 Next day she gave him a tailor's thimble, and said : 
 " Thou must bail out that fish-pond, or be the son of 
 Death." 
 
 Yarmil took the thimble and went. At the fish- 
 pond, however, he threw himself on the ground and 
 waited for the princess. She came sooner than usual ; 
 and when Yarmil, strengthened with food, had fallen 
 -asleep with his head on her lap, she threw powder in 
 the air, muttering mysterious words. Soon the water 
 began to disappear from the fish-pond. Now she 
 roused Yarmil, and said to him : " Draw thy sword, 
 and give good care. When all the water is gone 
 from the pond the sorceress will take the shape of a 
 rain-storm, and try to destroy us ; but look well at 
 the darkness, and where it is blackest strike there 
 with thy sword." 
 
 Yarmil promised to do so, and had barely drawn 
 his sword when a black darkness rushed from the 
 castle, but almost on the ground, so that Yarmil 
 could strike the blackest spot with ease. At that 
 moment the darkness turned into the sorceress, and 
 Yarmil's sword stuck in her heart. With fearful curs- 
 ing, she fell to the earth and died. Yarmil hurried to 
 the castle with the princess, mounted his horse, and 
 rushed off at a swift gallop. 
 
 He had to travel far before he came to his father's 
 
The Mouse-Hole. 355 
 
 castle ; but to make up, there was joy unspeakable at 
 the happy meeting. The queen was terrified when 
 she saw them, and she had reason ; for when Yarmil 
 told all to his father the king gave her to be burned 
 without mercy. 
 
 When the feasting was over Yarmil set out with 
 his wife on the journey to their kingdom. When 
 they came to the mouse-hole it was no longer a 
 mouse-hole, but a magnificent gate leading to a great 
 city, in the middle of which stood a golden castle on 
 a hill; and in that city there were multitudes of 
 people everywhere, and in the castle throngs of cour- 
 tiers and servants, who greeted with mighty applause 
 their master and mistress, thanking Yarmil at the 
 same time for their liberation. 
 
 Now followed feasting, which lasted for eight whole 
 days ; and when the feasting was over they all lived 
 happily beyond measure, because the royal pair were 
 goodness itself. 
 
THE CUIRASSIER AND THE HORNED 
 PRINCESS. 
 
 JN a certain town were encamped a regiment of 
 cuirassiers, and they had a very unpleasant life. 
 Twelve men of them agreed to desert, three ser- 
 geants and nine from the ranks. They carried out 
 their plan ; and when they had gone a good distance, 
 one said to the rest : " Let us look, brothers, and see 
 if we are not pursued." Another dismounted, and 
 climbed a high tree, " Oh ! they are searching; 
 but they will not overtake us, for we are far in ad- 
 vance of them." Then he came down, mounted his 
 horse, and all rode rapidly on, rode till dusk. 
 Then the chief man said : " Where shall we go for 
 the night, brothers? Around here we see nothing 
 but mountains and forests." 
 
 One of them climbed a tree again to look for a 
 light. He saw one, and called to his comrades, 
 " Look out! We will ride in the direction in which 
 I throw this sword, for I see a light there." 
 
 All rode toward the light, and came to a very large 
 building in the wild mountains. At the first glance 
 they saw it was an enormous castle, which was open. 
 They entered the court, led their horses to the stable, 
 where oats were ready for twelve horses, and then 
 
The Cuirassier and the Princess. 357 
 
 went themselves into a hall where a table was laid for 
 twelve persons, so that all might sit down and eat ; 
 but there was not a living soul to be seen. 
 
 " Brothers," said one of them, " may we touch this 
 food and drink? " 
 
 " Why not ? " said the chief. " What if we have to 
 pay a few ducats for the entertainment?" 
 
 They sat down, and ate with good relish. After 
 they had eaten and drunk, an old sorceress slipped 
 in and saluted them, saying : " Good evening, gentle- 
 men. I greet you in this our famous castle. Did the 
 supper taste well ? " 
 
 " We ate with pleasure," answered one in the name 
 of all, " only we were a little afraid how it would 
 end." 
 
 " Fear not, fear not, I am glad ye are strengthened 
 after the long ride," said the sorceress ; and then she 
 said further : " Now of course ye will need good beds, 
 so as to refresh yourselves with grateful sleep. In 
 the next chamber are twelve beds and twelve caskets. 
 Lie on the beds prepared for you, but let no man 
 dare, on pain of great punishment, to look at the cas- 
 kets, which are unlocked." 
 
 All went to the next chamber ; the sorceress gave 
 them good-night and went out through the opposite 
 door. In the morning when they rose everything was 
 well prepared for them, basins with water and towels, 
 and food for each man. After breakfast they spoke 
 of the good cheer which they had not expected to find 
 
358 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 in the castle. They spoke of various subjects till they 
 came to the caskets, and the splendid things that must 
 be therein. Some expressed great curiosity; some 
 were heard to say that they could not refrain till 
 evening from looking in the caskets ; others warned 
 their comrades not to do that which they might 
 regret. 
 
 They had a pleasant time all day at the castle, an 
 excellent dinner, a good lunch, a splendid supper. 
 After supper they went to bed. The sun was shining 
 brightly through the windows next morning, but no 
 man was stirring. 
 
 The chief rose and called the others, saying, " It is 
 time to be up." Only two gave answer ; the rest did 
 not move. These three went to the beds and found 
 their comrades lifeless. All were terrified, and went 
 to the stable to look at their horses. In the stable 
 they found the nine dead horses, of the nine dead 
 men. 
 
 " What shall we do?" asked one of them. " We 
 must leave this place where our comrades have per- 
 ished ; nothing can comfort us again." 
 
 They returned to the hall where breakfast was 
 ready for only three. They sat down and ate. After 
 eating, the sorceress came again, and said : " Ye 
 see, my friends, that sinful curiosity has cost those 
 nine men their lives. They could withstand it no 
 longer, rose at midnight, opened the caskets, and 
 looked at the contents ; scarcely had they lain down 
 
 
 
The Cuirassier and the Princess. 359 
 
 again when sudden death overtook them. Had they 
 followed my advice, as ye have, all might have had a 
 pleasant time, and lived joyously here a whole year. 
 Now I see by your faces that nothing can comfort 
 you here, and that ye would gladly go away." 
 
 " Yes," answered one, " we fear to remain longer 
 in this place, where our comrades died a sudden 
 death." 
 
 "There is nothing to fear," said the sorceress; 
 " but since it is unpleasant for you, I will not keep 
 you. Go where ye like, but before going each may 
 look without fear or danger in his casket, and take 
 the things inside to remember me by ; they may be 
 useful." 
 
 The men were afraid at first to open the caskets, 
 having before their eyes the sad example of their 
 comrades ; but when the sorceress assured them again 
 and again that they might open them without fear and 
 take out the contents, they grew bold and opened 
 them. The first took from his casket a cap, which 
 the sorceress said had such power that whoever put it 
 on his head no man could see him. The second drew 
 from his casket a mantle, and whoever put it on, the 
 sorceress said, could fly through the air as high as 
 he wished. The third took a purse which had the 
 power that whenever it was shaken ten ducats were 
 in it. 
 
 The sorceress bade them good-by. They thanked 
 her for the hospitality and useful presents, and 
 
360 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 saddling their horses, rode away from that castle with 
 the Lord God. 
 
 They travelled long, and on the road kept telling 
 what a good time they would have with their gifts. 
 At last they came to a large town, took up their lodg- 
 ing at an inn, and asked what there was strange in the 
 place. The innkeeper answered : " Nothing, unless 
 it be that we have a princess immeasurably fond 
 of playing cards, and who says that no one is able 
 to play with her. She vanquishes every comer, and 
 then has him flogged out of the castle." 
 
 The man who had the purse thought, " Wait a 
 while, I '11 settle thy play." He made ready straight- 
 way, and went to the castle. He had himself an- 
 nounced, and declared that he wished to play with the 
 princess. Meanwhile the other two ate and drank 
 well in the inn. 
 
 The princess was glad to find some one again with 
 whom to play cards and whom she might overcome. 
 She had him brought in without delay. The game 
 began. The man lost; but he didn't mind that, for 
 whenever he lost he shook the purse and had ten 
 ducats again. So he kept losing and shaking the 
 purse till the princess was astonished, and thought to 
 herself: " Where dost thou get all these ducats, good 
 man? Thou hast not a treasury at thy side, and still 
 thou hast plenty of money. How dost thou get it?" 
 
 She watched him and saw that he shook the purse 
 on his knee, from which he took the ducats. She 
 
The Cuirassier and the Princess. 361 
 
 had already won a great bag of ducats, but still was 
 not able to win all he had. She kept thinking how 
 to get that magic purse. " Now let us rest a little," 
 said she, and went to the next room, from which she 
 brought two goblets of wine. One she gave him and 
 drank the other herself, for they were tired and 
 needed refreshment. Her wine was pure, but in his 
 she put a sleeping-powder. She drank to his health, 
 and he emptied his goblet at a draught. After a 
 while he was so very drowsy that he slipped from 
 the seat, dropped under the table, and fell soundly 
 asleep. That was his misfortune. The princess took 
 the magic purse and gave him one like it containing 
 ten ducats. 
 
 When he woke up the princess said to him : " Now 
 let us play again." They played while he had 
 ducats. When the ducats were gone he shook and 
 shook the purse, but in vain. The princess said: 
 " Well, my dear man, since thou hast no money, go. 
 But that disgrace which I have put on others I will 
 not put on thee. I will not have thee flogged out of 
 the castle because I have won much money from 
 thee; go in peace." 
 
 He went to his friends in great trouble. They 
 greeted him from afar, and called out : " Well, how 
 didst thou prosper?" 
 
 " Oh, badly, very badly, brothers ; I no longer have 
 the purse ; I lost that." 
 
 " Oh, comrade, that is bad ; how shall we live 
 
362 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 now? We are in debt for food and drink, and have 
 nothing to pay with." 
 
 The one who had the magic mantle said : " Do ye 
 know what, brothers? I '11 take a good vengeance on 
 that wicked woman ! " 
 
 " But how? " was the question. 
 
 He answered, " This is how I '11 do it. Let me have 
 thy cap so that no one may see me, and I '11 take my 
 mantle. When the princess is going to church I '11 
 seize her, fly with her through the air to desert regions, 
 so far away that she will never be able to come home 
 again." 
 
 " Yes, that will be a just punishment for her," said 
 the two others. The third one immediately took the 
 cap, wrapped the mantle around him, and waited for 
 the princess. As she was going along the street he 
 seized her, flew far away with her to wild moun- 
 tains, and let her down there on the ground near a 
 pear-tree. On that tree were beautiful pears. 
 
 The princess begged the man to climb the tree and 
 shake it, so that she might have some of the fruit to 
 eat. " I '11 gratify thee just once," said he. But he 
 was so cunning that he did not leave the cap or 
 magic mantle on the ground, but took them up on 
 the tree, hung them both on a limb, and shook the 
 tree with all his might. The cap and the mantle 
 fell to the ground before the pears. The princess 
 put the cap on her head at once, wrapped the 
 mantle around her, and was off in an instant,-^ 
 
 
The Cuirassier and the Princess. 363 
 
 sooner than the man on the tree had recovered from 
 his fright. 
 
 He was now alone in the wild mountains. What 
 was he to do ? He stood motionless as the tree at his 
 side, as if senseless from a thunderbolt; he had no 
 longer magic cap or magic mantle. " Oh, where 
 shall I go?" groaned he, and walked around on the 
 mountains. In his trouble and fright he picked up 
 some pears and ate them. Then other terrible mis- 
 eries came upon him, for he had barely eaten the pears 
 when unheard of gigantic horns grew out of his head, 
 so that he could not walk through the woods nor 
 turn around ; the horns stopped him everywhere ; he 
 could barely crawl forward. 
 
 With great care and much struggling, he dragged 
 himself over a bit of road and came to a deep ravine, 
 in which a hermit lived whose name was Wind. 
 
 " Oh, friend," said the man, " help me from the 
 mountain, and take me home." 
 
 Said Wind, " I am not strong enough to bear 
 thee to thy home, but go to my brother ; he is the 
 strongest of us. He will take thee home quickly." 
 
 " I should like to go to him, but I cannot move." 
 
 "He is not far from here, there, on that side; 
 but go as well as thou art able. He will rid thee of 
 those horns." 
 
 The man pushed through as best he could, and 
 came, covered with sweat, to another cave, in which 
 the eldest Wind brother was living. He fell on his 
 
364 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 knees before Wind, and cried imploringly: "Be so 
 kind as to bear me home ! " 
 
 " I should like to help thee, my friend ; but it is 
 not so easy as may seem to thee. I must go to the 
 Lord to ask with what force Wind may blow. If 
 Wind may blow so trees will be torn out with their 
 roots, thou canst reach home; if Wind blows but 
 weakly, thou wilt not go there, for 't is far. Wait 
 a while; I'll come back soon." 
 
 Wind went to ask the Lord how hard he might 
 blow, and the Lord commanded him to blow mightily. 
 
 When he returned, the man asked : " How is it? " 
 
 " Well," said Wind, "I must blow mightily; thou 
 wilt reach home. But knowest thou there is an 
 apple-tree over there? Climb it, pluck an apple, 
 cut it into four parts, and eat; thy great horns will 
 fall off." 
 
 The man was glad, climbed the apple-tree quickly, 
 but the horns hindered him much. He plucked an 
 apple and ate it ; how soon was he free of the horns ! 
 He came down from the tree like a squirrel, and 
 thought : " Oh, brother, thou 'It get back thy things ! " 
 As he was coming down he took more apples and put 
 them in his pocket ; then went to the pear-tree and 
 took pears. Soon Wind caught him up, bore him off 
 swiftly, and in a short time put him down in front 
 of the inn where his friends were waiting impatiently. 
 They were all very glad. 
 
 " Where wert thou? " asked they. 
 
The Cuirassier and the Princess. 365 
 
 " Oh, I was where ye will not be to your dying day, 
 brothers ! " 
 
 " How didst thou prosper? " 
 
 " Badly, badly." 
 
 " Where hast thou the cap and the mantle ? " 
 
 " Oh, that woman took them from me ! " 
 
 " Woe to us, woe, passing woe ! Now we have 
 neither the purse, the cap, nor the mantle. We are 
 beggared beyond reckoning." 
 
 The innkeeper would not let them go because of 
 their debt. 
 
 "What will become of us?" asked they in one 
 voice. 
 
 The man whom Wind bore home said : " I have 
 here noble and wonderful fruit which I brought from 
 the wild mountains. One of you will take these pears 
 to the street and sell them ; but do not dare to sell 
 them to any one save the princess when she is going 
 home from church. For the people thou must put 
 such a price that they will not buy ; for the princess 
 reduce the price so that she may buy." 
 
 One of the men put the pears in a clean basket, 
 covered them with a neat cloth, and went to the 
 square through which the princess was wont to go to 
 church and return. Soon she was coming out of the 
 church, her servant following some steps behind. 
 She saw the uncommonly beautiful pears from a dis- 
 tance, came up herself, and asked : " How many dost 
 thou give for a copper?" 
 
366 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Oh, these pears are not sold for copper coin ! 
 They are so splendid, and have such a flavor, that I 
 can give only three for a ducat." 
 
 The princess bought all, and gave them to her 
 servant to carry ; she had barely reached home, and 
 sat near the table, when she took a golden knife, pared 
 and ate with great relish a number of pears. She 
 ate with such pleasure that she saw not how horns 
 began to grow on her head after the first pear; and 
 in a little while they had grown so much that she 
 could not remain in the room. She went to the great 
 supper-hall, but even there was forced to lie down 
 on the floor, so broad and so lofty were her horns. 
 She gave herself up to fearful lamentation and tears, 
 so that all the servants and the king, her father, 
 with the queen, her mother, ran in. All were 
 horrified and wrung their hands, seeing the princess 
 disfigured. 
 
 The king sent quickly for the doctors, who came in 
 all haste from each corner and town. The servants 
 ran to every place; each one in his excitement 
 brought whomsoever he knew. The doctors met and 
 shook their heads one after another ; each said that 
 in his life he had never seen nor had experience of 
 such a case. They held a consultation, and at last 
 decided to saw off the horns. They went to work, 
 but in vain; they had barely sawed a piece, when 
 it grew on again quickly, so that fright seized every 
 one. The princess was so horrified and ashamed that 
 
The Cuirassier and the Princess. 367 
 
 she would have preferred to be out of the world ; no 
 man could help her. Then the king made proclama- 
 tion that whoso would free the princess from the 
 horns, would get her in marriage, and with her the 
 whole kingdom. 
 
 Who was so glad now as the man with the ap- 
 ples? "Wait," thought he; " my little bird, thou 'It 
 sing as I whistle, no man can help thee but me." 
 
 He had fine clothes brought, and dressed as a doc- 
 tor had himself announced at the palace. He was 
 soon admitted, and began to speak to the princess, 
 saying : " You must have angered God greatly, must 
 have committed grievous sins, for which you are pun- 
 ished in this way. I expect to give you real help ; 
 but first of all you must tell me sincerely what you 
 have done, my aid has to be rendered in view of 
 that." 
 
 She confessed with weeping that she had been 
 fond of playing cards ; had outplayed all men, then 
 had them flogged from the castle. The last time she 
 had played with a stranger, from whom she had 
 stolen a magic purse ; and afterward she had stolen 
 from another man a magic cap and mantle. No 
 doubt the Lord had now punished her for that. 
 
 " Before we can think of a cure," said the unknown 
 physician, " you must return the stolen property." 
 
 The princess had all the above-mentioned articles 
 brought at once, and gave them gladly to the doctor, 
 who promised to deliver them to the owners. "I 
 
368 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 
 will carry them away," said he, " and bring my medi- 
 cine, through which you will be freed from the horns." 
 
 Half an hour later he returned, took her by the 
 hand, looked at her tongue, and said : " Charming 
 woman, you have eaten something, I suppose, from 
 which these horns grew." 
 
 The princess answered : " I don't know that I have 
 eaten anything harmful ; I ate a few beautiful pears ; 
 with that exception I have never eaten any common 
 food." 
 
 " You must have eaten something," said the doc- 
 tor. " I have good medicine that will not fail ; but I 
 can only help you on condition that I receive the 
 whole kingdom, with you in marriage, as our lord 
 the king has proclaimed." 
 
 The king and princess promised then that the proc- 
 lamation would be carried out if he would free her 
 from the horns. After these words he set about the 
 cure. He took from his pocket an apple, and cut it 
 into four parts ; he told her to lie down, and gave her 
 the first fourth of the apple. She was not able how- 
 ever to lie with comfort by reason of the horns. When 
 she had eaten all the four quarters of the apple, the 
 horns fell off at a blow. Then there was mighty 
 gladness throughout the whole castle ; every one re- 
 joiced that the princess, the only daughter of the 
 king, was free of her horns. 
 
 The king had the marriage contract drawn up, and 
 soon after they celebrated the wedding, at which the 
 
The Cuirassier and the Princess. 369 
 
 two friends of the young king were present ; and he 
 promised that while they lived they should remain at 
 his court as the very first lords. 
 
 There was eating and drinking at the wedding; 
 and among other things they ate bread made from 
 rye. But, Mark tell thou no lie. 
 
 24 
 
THE TREACHEROUS BROTHERS. 
 
 THERE was a king, and he had seven sons, 
 young men strong and healthy as deer, except 
 the seventh, the youngest, whose name was Jalmir. 
 He was in his twentieth year, and still a nurse had to 
 care for him as for a little child. It was pitiful to 
 look at Jalmir; he was as shapely as a maiden, and 
 beautiful as a spring day, still could not walk from 
 weakness. How much the king had paid to doctors, 
 quacks, and every kind of old woman, to cure him, 
 but in vain ! At last the afflicted father lost all hope 
 that his dearest son would ever grow strong. 
 
 For this reason there reigned in the king's palace 
 deep distress, which was in no way to the taste of 
 Jalmir's brothers, especially since they could not 
 hunt in the neighborhood. "What shall we do in 
 future?" asked the eldest one day when they were 
 resting in the forest after a hunt. " Let us go into 
 the world." 
 
 " Yes, yes ! " answered all the others. They went 
 home and laid their wishes before their father. 
 
 " What am I to do? " objected the king. "Jalmir 
 is sickly ; I shall be without aid in my old age." 
 
 The sons agreed with him in this, but wheedled 
 him so slyly that at last they received his consent 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 371 
 
 to go out in the world. They rushed with rejoic- 
 ing to the stable, chose the best horses, took what 
 money they could, and that same day rode away 
 from their father's house at a gallop, without even 
 saying good-by to their brother Jalmir. How strange 
 was the feeling at the heart of the poor fellow 
 when his nurse told him of this ! He turned from 
 her in silence; but under the pillow with which 
 he covered his face he shed many tears. When it 
 was growing dark the nurse hurried out of his cham- 
 ber to chat with the servants. She began with the 
 cook, and they talked till midnight was near before 
 she knew it. 
 
 Meanwhile Jalmir was lying on his bed sadder 
 than ever. This time he was not thinking of his 
 bodily pain, but of his brothers who had left him 
 without saying farewell ; this troubled him most. He 
 thought, "Shall I ever be well?" and some internal 
 voice said that he would. Filled with hope he fell 
 into a doze, and saw himself hunting on horseback, 
 and hurling a spear at wild beasts as his brothers had 
 done. All at once, and near midnight, a venerable 
 man, with snow-white beard reaching to his waist, 
 stood before the bed, and said: "Jalmir art thou 
 sleeping? " 
 
 Jalmir started, opened his eyes, but saw no one. 
 " That was a dream," thought he. He meditated 
 a while, and again closed his eyes. After a short 
 time the old man stood before him again, and asked : 
 
372 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Jalmir art thou sleeping? " Jalmir opened his eyes 
 quickly, but saw no one. " That was only a dream 
 then," said he to himself, and again closed his eyes. 
 But soon the old man stood before him and inquired 
 a third time: "Jalmir art thou sleeping?" 
 
 " I am not," said Jalmir, and rubbing his eyes, saw 
 the old man at his bed. 
 
 " Rise in the morning," said the old man, " provide 
 thyself with everything for the road, and go through 
 the southern gate. Outside the town thou wilt find 
 under an old pear-tree a white horse; mount that 
 horse and ride after thy brothers." Then the old 
 man vanished in a twinkle. 
 
 Jalmir rubbed his eyes again, and looked around his 
 chamber, but there was no old man anywhere. " It 
 was only a dream," thought he. Again he lay down 
 and slept soundly ; but when he woke in the morn- 
 ing he felt so well that he sprang from his bed, and 
 jumped around the chamber from gladness. His 
 nurse returned at that moment; but when she saw 
 that her weakly charge was well, she ran to the king, 
 and before she had reached the door, cried : " Jalmir 
 is well ! " 
 
 The king went out, and asked in a sad voice: 
 " Hast thou lost thy senses? " 
 
 "He is really well," said the nurse with greater 
 rejoicing ; but the king shook his head. 
 
 Meanwhile Jalmir recollected his supposed dream, 
 and ascribed his recovery to that majestic old man. 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 373 
 
 " Since he has cured me, I must obey him," said he to 
 himself. He dressed quickly and went to the king. 
 When the king saw him he believed the nurse, and, 
 thoroughly happy, fell on the young man's neck ; but 
 he was astonished still more when Jalmir said : " Now, 
 father, let me go ; I must follow my brothers." 
 
 " And thou wilt leave me ? " complained the 
 father. 
 
 " I must," answered Jalmir seriously, and he told 
 his dream. The king shook his head incredulously, 
 and at first would not even hear of the departure of 
 his favorite son ; but at last he consented with tears. 
 Jalmir made ready for the journey without delay. 
 
 The king gave him a carriage and four servants, he 
 took money, and departed straightway. Outside the 
 town he dismissed the servants, giving them the car- 
 riage and the horses, and walked on alone to the 
 pear-tree, where a splendid white steed was waiting, 
 stamping the ground impatiently. " Sit on me, 
 quickly," said he with the voice of a man, " or we 
 shall be late." 
 
 Jalmir sprang to his back and they went on, not on 
 the ground though, but through the air. In a short 
 time the white steed asked : " Dost thou see thy 
 brothers?" 
 
 " I do not see," answered Jalmir. 
 
 " But the hill on which they are? " 
 
 " Neither do I see that." 
 
 "Thou wilt soon see it," said the steed, and .has- 
 
374 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 tened his course. "Dost thou see the hill now?" 
 asked he after a time. 
 
 " I see," answered Jalmir, " and on it are six ants." 
 
 " Those are thy brothers," said the white steed. 
 " But now listen ; we shall soon come up with them, 
 but do not make thyself known. We shall pass the 
 night in an inn. Thy brothers will feast, but will not 
 be able to pay, for they lost all their money foolishly 
 yesterday. Pay for them ; in the morning we shall go 
 farther." 
 
 Jalmir promised to do this, and then the white 
 steed came down to the earth. Soon they overtook the 
 brothers, who did not know Jalmir ; and indeed, how 
 could they in that stately, fiery hero recognize their 
 weakly brother. Jalmir bowed to them courteously, 
 and asked permission to travel in their company. 
 
 " But where art thou going? " inquired one of the 
 brothers. 
 
 " To see the world," answered Jalmir. 
 
 " We too," cried the others ; " so thou must go 
 with us." 
 
 Jalmir bowed to them, and in silence agreed with 
 a nod. But his brothers all gave him their hands, and 
 soon began to tell him how delightfully they had 
 passed the previous day. Jalmir did not, however, 
 find much that was pleasant in it, and frowned. 
 
 " Art sorry that thou wert not there ? " asked one 
 of the brothers. " Never mind, we can have such 
 days yet without number." 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 375 
 
 With that they came to an inn. The innkeeper, 
 seeing through the window so many lords, ran out 
 and took the horses. When he took the white steed, 
 Jalmir asked: " Hast thou a stable apart? " 
 
 " Yes ; and such a one ! " boasted the innkeeper. 
 
 " Then put my horse in it alone," said Jalmir, " for 
 he is very vicious." 
 
 Then he followed his brothers to a room where 
 they were already seated at a table, and calling with 
 terrible uproar on the innkeeper for wine. In a 
 short time the innkeeper brought all that he had, 
 and the brothers drank, sang, shouted, and rioted till 
 the inn trembled; but Jalmir barely drank for one, 
 because he was sick from the action of his brothers. 
 But how grieved was he when one of the brothers 
 said : " This is a different life from being at home 
 with that grumbling father and that sickly brother." 
 
 Gradually one after the other dropped under the 
 table, overcome by wine. When all were asleep 
 Jalmir said to the innkeeper: " Be careful that no 
 harm comes to them ; I will sleep a little too." 
 
 Then he was going to lie on a bench near the fire. 
 " Do not," said the innkeeper; " I have a bed ready 
 for thee. Come with me." 
 
 Jalmir, after useless refusals, followed him at last; 
 but before he lay down he visited the white steed to 
 see if he had plenty of oats and water. 
 
 When the brothers woke in the morning they 
 looked for Jalmir with a great outcry : " It would 
 
376 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 have been a nice thing if he had run away from us ! " 
 cried one to another. " Who would pay? for I 
 have no money." 
 
 Soon Jalmir came to the room and told them to 
 travel farther ; all was settled. 
 
 " Thou art ours," said they. All embraced him, 
 't is a wonder they did not suffocate him. Escaping 
 from the brothers, Jalmir went to his horse. The 
 brothers followed his example, and soon the inn was 
 far behind. 
 
 " Listen," said the white steed to Jalmir, when the 
 brothers had gone ahead. " In the evening we shall 
 come to a castle, in which lives a sorceress with her 
 seven daughters; they will take your horses, and lead 
 you to a chamber. The sorceress will bring you wine 
 after supper, but drink not. What will take place 
 later, thou wilt see." 
 
 "Why loiter so?" called one of the brothers 
 suddenly to Jalmir. 
 
 " I am coming," answered he ; and the white steed 
 soon galloped so that in a few moments he was ahead 
 of the brothers. 
 
 " Slower or thou wilt leave us ! " cried the brothers ; 
 and the white steed waited for them of his own ac- 
 cord. Soon they entered a forest, rode and rode, but 
 there was no end to the forest; only in the evening 
 did they come out on a plain. In the middle of the 
 plain was a beautiful castle. " Oh, now we are in 
 luck," said the brothers, and they began to rejoice. 
 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 377 
 
 They galloped into the court of the castle, and were 
 still more rejoiced when seven princesses came forth 
 to meet them. They sprang from their horses in a 
 moment to give a courteous salute ; but how did they 
 wonder when the princesses took their horses by the 
 bridles and led them to the stable. Jalmir begged the 
 youngest princess, who had taken his steed, to put the 
 horse in a stable apart, for he was very vicious." 
 
 She did as he wished ; he saw this, and only then 
 did he go to the supper chamber, where his brothers 
 and the six princesses were already sitting at a great 
 table, covered with the daintiest dishes. He came to 
 them with the youngest princess, but ate very little, 
 though she urged him continually ; but when the vile 
 old woman who served them brought wine and 
 poured it to each one in a golden goblet, Jalmir 
 seized his goblet eagerly, but did not drink the wine. 
 He poured it out on one side. 
 
 By degrees the brothers began to doze; at last 
 one after another they fell asleep. Jalmir suspected 
 that the old woman had drugged them, which 
 was true, and that she had no good thoughts re- 
 garding them; therefore he feigned sleep so that in 
 the hour of need he might aid his brothers. Soon 
 after the old woman came and put away each brother 
 with his partner on a couch, of which there were 
 seven in the adjoining chamber ; then she went out, 
 but returned straightway with a great broom, and 
 began to strike the brothers. First she struck the 
 
378 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 eldest, but he moved not; when she had finished 
 with the six she came to Jalmir, and said to herself: 
 " If six are asleep, so is the seventh." She went out, 
 but soon returned with sulphur in her hand, and 
 burned it under the nose of each brother. She began 
 with the eldest, and as not one of them moved, she 
 said when she reached Jalmir : " If six are asleep, so 
 is the seventh." 
 
 She went out, but came back bringing pitch, which 
 she burned on the breast of each brother. She began 
 with the eldest, and as none of them sighed, she said 
 when she reached Jalmir: " If six are asleep, so is the 
 seventh ; now I may cut off their heads without fear." 
 
 Jalmir quivered ; and when the old woman went 
 out, he sprang quickly from the couch, put each of 
 his brothers in the place of a princess and did the 
 same with himself. The old woman returned with a 
 sword, but without a light, and cut off the heads of 
 the seven princesses; then she went out. Jalmir 
 sprang up in a moment and tried to rouse his 
 brothers, but in vain. What anguish the poor fellow 
 suffered ; only towards morning did the brothers wake 
 and look in terror at the dead bodies of the prin- 
 cesses. But Jalmir exclaimed in a voice of despair : 
 " Let us flee ! " and rushed forth ; the brothers fol- 
 lowed him. In the stable they untied their horses, 
 and springing on them hurried in a wild chase from 
 the castle and across the broad plain. 
 
 The sorceress soon saw their flight, and pursued; 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 379 
 
 but as they had crossed the boundary of her castle 
 lands she had power over them no longer, and with 
 work undone was forced to go home, where she cursed 
 herself above the dead bodies of her daughters. The 
 brothers rode without stopping, farther and farther, 
 till at last the castle disappeared from their sight; 
 then they made the first halt to rest and inquire of 
 Jalmir what had been done to them. When they 
 heard that he had saved them from certain death, 
 they fell upon his neck and cried : " Tell us who thou 
 art, since thou hast done so much for us." 
 
 " Who else but your brother Jalmir," answered he, 
 almost swimming in tears; and he pressed brother 
 after brother to his breast. But how astonished was 
 he when he saw that they were much colder to him 
 than they had been when they knew him not ! Still, 
 they asked how he had recovered, why he had ridden 
 after them, and what their father was doing. But 
 gradually they grew silent and hung their heads. 
 Beyond doubt it was not to their liking that just the 
 youngest of them was so wise. 
 
 Jalmir also was silent, and his white steed dropped 
 behind of his own accord. When the brothers could 
 not hear him, he said to his master : " I told thee not 
 to discover thyself, but thou didst not obey me. The 
 results thou canst lay to thyself. In a few days we 
 shall come to a mighty king ; thou and thy brothers 
 will enter his service. When in need come to me for 
 advice." 
 
380 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Jalmir stroked the white steed, and begged his for- 
 giveness. From that time the brothers were no 
 longer joyous as before, and kept noticeably aside 
 from Jalmir. But since they had no money they 
 wheedled him greatly whenever they saw an inn, 
 since he always paid for them. After some days 
 they came to a great city. Their first road, however, 
 was to the inn, where they ate moderately but drank 
 beyond measure ; and now they began to do such 
 senseless things that Jalmir went to his steed as 
 quickly as possible to get consolation. 
 
 When the brothers were alone the eldest said : " I 
 have had favors enough from that sickly brother ; to- 
 morrow we will go to the king of this country and 
 serve him. What do ye think?" 
 
 " We will all go with thee," cried the others ; but 
 suddenly they were confused, for Jalmir had returned. 
 
 "Where are ye going?" inquired he, " I will go 
 with you." 
 
 The brothers answered him sullenly, but Jalmir 
 said he would go. Towards evening, when the broth- 
 ers had had a good sleep, they went to the king, who 
 made them men of his court without delay. Now 
 they had a good living, large pay, and almost nothing 
 to do; but as an offset they were still not at rest, 
 for Jalmir was always a thorn in their eyes, especially 
 since the friendship of the king for him increased 
 every day. 
 
 Once when the brothers, from idleness, were exam- 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 381 
 
 ining the chambers of the king's castle, they came to 
 one in which were all kinds of books, small and great, 
 piled up to the ceiling. They fell to reading these 
 books with great eagerness. 
 
 " Brothers," cried one of them suddenly, " I read 
 here that the king has not a bird in his kingdom." 
 
 "Is this true?" exclaimed the others in wonder; 
 " we have not noticed it." 
 
 " But know ye," asked the eldest, " to what use we 
 may put this?" All shook their heads. "Listen," 
 said he in a whisper; "we will tell the king that 
 Jalmir knows about birds, and to send him for 
 them." 
 
 " And the king will do so at once," said the brother 
 who had read of the birds, " for here is written the 
 great cost of the birds eaten on the king's table in 
 a year." 
 
 They stopped reading at once and went straight to 
 the king, to whom they told what they thought. " But, 
 gracious king," said the eldest, " thou must sharply in- 
 sist, or Jalmir will excuse himself, saying that he knows 
 nothing of birds." 
 
 The king nodded graciously and sent for Jalmir. 
 He came quickly, and the king said : " As thou know- 
 est well I have no birds in my kingdom, therefore I 
 command thee to bring them." 
 
 " I, gracious king," said Jalmir, in fright, " know 
 nothing of birds." 
 
 " Whether thou knowest or knowest not," said the 
 

 382 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 king, in sudden anger, " thou 'It get birds." With 
 that he waved his hand, and poor Jalmir went out 
 with drooping head. Whither can he go ? Who can 
 help him in peril? He went straight to the white 
 steed and complained. 
 
 " Grieve not," said the steed; " at dusk we will go 
 for the birds." 
 
 Jalmir thanked the horse, and could hardly wait till 
 evening. The moment the sun had disappeared be- 
 hind the woods he was ready for the road ; and when 
 the first star had appeared in the sky he led out the 
 white steed, sprang on his back, and flew off like the 
 wind. "But where are we going?" inquired Jalmir 
 of his steed on the way. 
 
 "To that sorceress in whose castle thou didst 
 save thy brothers from death," answered the 
 horse. 
 
 " To that place ! " cried Jalmir in fright. 
 
 " Have no fear," said the steed, comforting him ; 
 "only do to a hair what I tell thee." 
 
 The good steed now increased his speed so that he 
 went like an arrow, and about an hour later he came 
 to the ground at the castle of the sorceress. Jalmir 
 sprang from him, and the steed said : " When thou 
 art in the first chamber thou wilt see silver cages, and 
 in them silver birds ; in the second chamber will be 
 golden cages with golden birds ; in the third cham- 
 ber diamond cages with diamond birds. Of all these 
 touch nothing, or such a blow will fall that the whole 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 383 
 
 castle will tremble, and the sorceress will seize thee 
 to kill thee. But go to the fourth chamber; there 
 take a wooden cage in which is a mean-looking bird, 
 and hasten to me." 
 
 Jalmir entered the first chamber with courage, but 
 cautiously, and looking at nothing, went to the sec- 
 ond chamber; there the glitter of gold dazzled him 
 somewhat. When he opened the door to the third 
 chamber he stood almost blind on the threshold ; but 
 quickly recovering, he shaded his eyes, ran to the 
 fourth chamber, and seizing the cage with the bird 
 in an instant, rushed out swift as an arrow. He 
 sprang on the horse, which rose with him through 
 the air in a moment. The sorceress burst out of 
 the castle, and cursing fearfully because she could 
 not stop him, screamed : " But thou wilt come here 
 again ! " 
 
 When the white steed was beyond the boundary 
 of the castle land, he said to Jalmir : " Open the cage 
 and let the bird fly." 
 
 " But shall I not bring it to the king? " 
 
 " Only do what I ask," said the steed, with such a 
 stern voice that Jalmir obeyed without thinking. 
 
 It was yet night when they reached home. Jalmir 
 tied the horse in the stable and went to his room 
 to strengthen himself with sleep, but he did not 
 sleep long. The morning dawn had barely shown 
 itself when in the king's garden was heard such 
 a loud and cheerful singing of birds that all the 
 
384 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 people were soon on their feet, and earlier than any 
 the king. At the first moment he was so astonished 
 that he asked whence these wonderful creatures had 
 come. 
 
 " Royal Grace," said one of the brothers, " thou 
 didst send Jalmir for them." 
 
 " True," said the king, as he bethought himself; 
 "but where is Jalmir?" 
 
 A courtier soon brought him, and the king fell on 
 his neck from very joy. He was now really dear 
 to the king; but for that reason was held in more 
 hatred by his brothers. 
 
 " How can we get rid of him? " asked the brothers 
 when they were alone. 
 
 " Maybe we can read something else," said one of 
 them. 
 
 " Very good," answered all, at once ; and they hur- 
 ried to the chamber in which so many books were 
 collected, and it was not long before one of the 
 brothers cried out: " The king has no beasts, and 
 they cost him more than the birds, since he uses 
 many more of them in a year." 
 
 " Then let Jalmir go for them," said the sixth 
 brother, smiling maliciously ; and they went straight 
 to the king, to whom they told their minds. The king 
 nodded graciously; dismissed them, called Jalmir and 
 said : " I have no beasts in my kingdom ; and since 
 they cost me much in a year, I command thee to get 
 me beasts." 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 385 
 
 " I, gracious king," said Jalmir in wonder, " know 
 of none." 
 
 " Thou knowest well," said the king in anger, " for 
 thy brothers told me." 
 
 " Did they? " said Jalmir in astonishment. " Well, 
 I will try; " and he went to his white steed, to whom 
 he told everything. 
 
 "Be not down-hearted," said the steed, comforting 
 him. " Come to me in the evening; we will go for 
 the beasts." 
 
 When it was dark the good steed was flying through 
 the air. " But where shall we go? " asked Jalmir. 
 
 " To the sorceress from whom we got the birds," 
 answered the steed. 
 
 " But I am afraid that she will catch me," said 
 Jalmir. 
 
 " Fear not," said the steed ; " only do to a hair 
 what I tell thee." When he came to the ground in 
 front of the castle, he said : " In the first chamber 
 thou wilt see a beast with silver hair, tied with silver 
 chains ; in the second chamber a beast with golden 
 hair and golden chains ; in the third, one with pearl 
 hair and pearl chains. Touch not any of these, or 
 a blow will fall so that the whole castle will trem- 
 ble, and the sorceress will seize thee to kill thee. 
 But go to the fourth chamber; there seize an ugly 
 dog that is tied with a ragged rope, and hurry 
 to me." 
 
 Somewhat timidly, but all the more carefully, did 
 25 
 

 386 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Jalmir pass the first, second, and third chamber, 
 shading his eyes with his hands so the glitter of 
 the silver, gold, and pearl might not blind him. 
 When he entered the fourth chamber he broke the 
 rope, seized the dog in his arms, rushed out, and 
 swift as an arrow sprang on the horse, which rose in 
 the air. And it was high time ; for scarcely had he 
 sat on the horse when the sorceress ran out after 
 him. When she was unable to stop him, she cursed 
 fearfully, and screamed : " But thou wilt come here 
 -again ! " 
 
 When the steed had sprung over the boundary of 
 the castle land, he said : " Now let the dog go." 
 
 Jalmir obeyed at once, for he was sure the steed 
 gave good counsel. When they came home, dawn 
 was already appearing; still Jalmir lay on the bed, for 
 he was greatly wearied. He did not sleep long, how- 
 ever ; for barely had the dawn come when there was 
 a noise in the castle, in the town, and outside the 
 town, as if the earth were breaking. The king sprang 
 in wonder to the window. But how astonished was he ! 
 Right in the garden he saw deer, stags, rabbits ; on 
 the trees squirrels ; on the ground under the trees 
 mice ; in short, such myriads of beasts that his eyes 
 danced. In the king's garden it was pleasant for the 
 beasts; but in the town and outside the town the 
 people killed them, chased wildly after them, and 
 threw stones at them. This displeased the king; and 
 he issued an order that all beasts belonged to him, 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 387 
 
 and that no man should dare to injure them. Then he 
 went to Jalmir, thanked him cordially, and expressed 
 his friendship with an ardent embrace. 
 
 The whole kingdom was pleased with the beasts, 
 but Jalmir's brothers were not pleased. 
 
 " What shall we do with him? " asked the eldest of 
 the others. " Instead of getting rid of him we have 
 brought him into still greater favor with the king." 
 
 " But let us go and read again." 
 
 " Yes, yes," said a third ; and all hurried off to the 
 well-known room. They had read a long time when 
 at last one cried out: " The king has no wine, and of 
 course wine costs him money." 
 
 " Then let Jalmir go for it," answered the eldest, 
 quietly; " and he must get luck from hell if he 
 comes back." 
 
 They went straight to the king, and very insinu- 
 atingly they told him that Jalmir might easily supply 
 him with wine. 
 
 " Then he will do it ; " and dismissing them gra- 
 ciously he had Jalmir summoned, and told him his 
 wish. 
 
 "Gracious king," answered Jalmir, " I know nothing 
 of wine, but I will go and see." 
 
 The king was somewhat angry, thinking surely that 
 Jalmir was unwilling, and thereupon said: "Thou 
 wilt answer to me with thy head." Jalmir, bowing in 
 silence, went out to the steed. 
 
 "Fear not," said the steed; "in the evening we 
 
388 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 will go for the wine." The moment it was dark the 
 kind steed shot away with Jalmir through the air. 
 
 "Where are we going this time?" asked Jalmir, 
 a little frightened. 
 
 " To the sorceress from whom we got the birds 
 and the beasts. But now pull a hair from my tail, and 
 one from my mane ; from the first make a rope three 
 hundred yards long, from the other a net large enough 
 to contain thee." 
 
 Jalmir did in silence according to the steed's words ; 
 and to his astonishment, before they came to the 
 castle the rope and the net were finished. 
 
 " Now attend to my words," said the steed when 
 he had come to the ground. " Tie one end of the 
 rope to my foot and the other to the net, take the 
 net with thee and put it on the door of the cellar, to 
 which thou must go down on three hundred steps. 
 In the cellar thou wilt see vessels with silver and 
 gold and diamond hoops ; pay no heed to them, or a 
 blow will fall, and it will be ill with thee. Go to the 
 farthest part of the cellar. There thou wilt see in a 
 niche a little vessel with wooden hoops, take that 
 quickly and hurry to me ; but if thou art not able 
 to come, just spring into the net and I will help 
 thee." 
 
 Jalmir did everything according to the words of the 
 steed. It was as clear as white day in the cellar from 
 the silver, gold, and diamond hoops, so that he soon 
 saw the little vessel in the niche; but when he 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 389 
 
 caught it, it is a wonder that he did not fall under its 
 weight. With a mighty effort he carried it to the 
 steps ; but there he struck his foot against a vessel, 
 and such a blow fell that the castle trembled from 
 its foundation to the highest points of its tower. 
 Jalmir, however, did not grow weak ; he sprang up 
 like an arrow over the three hundred steps and jumped 
 into the net. 
 
 Meanwhile, the sorceress flew out of the castle and 
 sprang at the steed ; but the steed got her down, and 
 so thrashed her with his feet that he did not leave a 
 sound bone in her body. At the same time he wound 
 up the rope so nicely that in a little while he had 
 drawn up the net containing Jalmir. " Sit quickly on 
 me," said he. Jalmir mounted in a moment, keeping 
 the vessel carefully in his arms. The steed rose in 
 the air and flew like lightning, because the sorceress 
 who had picked herself from the ground was chasing 
 him. But soon they had the boundary of the castle 
 land behind them, so that they had no further need 
 to strain their powers. 
 
 When they reached home the steed was drooping 
 wearily to the earth, so that Jalmir had to support him 
 in going to the stable. Jalmir was barely able to go 
 to his own room ; but first, according to the command 
 of the steed, he left the cask of wine at the door of 
 the king's chamber, then he lay on his bed and was 
 soon asleep. 
 
 When the king opened the door of his chamber in 
 
39O Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 the morning he saw the cask. " This must be wine," 
 said the king, rejoicing; and taking off the head, he 
 tried it. "It's wine; it's wine!" rejoiced he; and 
 calling the people of the castle, he drank a health 
 with them all. 
 
 " But what is this?" wondered they; "we have 
 taken ten kegs of wine out already, and still it comes." 
 
 " This must be an enchanted cask," said the king, 
 and began to laugh. Then he said in serious tones : 
 " Little cask, I should like to have red wine." He 
 drew some. And what a wonder ! the wine was 
 red. " I want yellow wine," said the king ; and yel- 
 low wine flowed out. 
 
 " In real fact, it is an enchanted cask," said the 
 king. " Oh, Jalmir," cried he in delight, " how can 
 I reward thee ! " 
 
 " I have only obeyed thy command, gracious king," 
 answered Jalmir, who had just entered the room. 
 
 " Yes, thou hast done all that I commanded, and 
 much more," said the king ; " therefore I make thee 
 my son, and proclaim thee viceroy." 
 
 All present broke out in tumultuous shouting, but 
 Jalmir's brothers were silent ; they bit their lips and 
 clinched their fists. The king, altogether joyous 
 and full of tenderness, from success and from wine, 
 arranged to have a seven day's celebration in honor 
 of the new viceroy. The people did not wait to have 
 the order repeated, but began that very day, espe- 
 cially since they had plenty of food, and the wine 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 391 
 
 which the enchanted cask gave them without stint. 
 The new viceroy was greeted everywhere with shouts, 
 and won at once the love of the people. 
 
 But his brothers were enraged all the more. In- 
 stead of going to the festivities they went to the room 
 where the books were, and read as diligently as if 
 they wished to become sages at once. This time, 
 however, they were not able to find anything for a 
 great while ; but at last they read what they wanted. 
 
 " Now I have something for our darling viceroy ! " 
 cried one. " In the sea is a golden castle, and in the 
 castle a princess, the most -beautiful under the heav- 
 ens. If our king would take her in marriage, he 
 would grow young and lengthen his life." 
 
 " Oh, that is splendid ! " said all, rejoicing. " The 
 king will surely send him for the princess, and dar- 
 ling Jalmir will either be drowned in the sea or run 
 home to his father." 
 
 When the feasting was over the brothers went to the 
 king, who was, as it were, ill, just the thing for them. 
 " Gracious king," said the eldest, insinuatingly, " we 
 are always trying to prepare some pleasure for thee." 
 
 " Indeed, I have need of it," said the king; " old 
 age and disease are pressing me more and more 
 every day." 
 
 "We have just found a remedy for those two 
 evils," said the brothers. 
 
 " But what is it, tell me! " broke out the king, 
 delighted. They told him what they had read. 
 
392 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Well, Jalmir must take the road this very day," 
 cried the king; and calling Jalmir he explained his 
 wish. Jalmir agreed in silence, but scarcely controll- 
 ing his tears, hastened to his steed and fell on his 
 neck, weeping. 
 
 " What is the matter now? " asked the steed. Jal- 
 mir told him all. 
 
 " Do not lose courage," said the horse. " Go to 
 the king, and ask him to give thee three hundred 
 loaves of bread, three hundred kegs of wine, and 
 three hundred beeves. Have all put into wagons, and 
 then we will go for the princess." 
 
 Jalmir went straightway to the king and asked for 
 these. The king had all provided quickly, and prom- 
 ised him mountains and valleys if he would bring the 
 princess. Jalmir took the road that very day, sitting 
 on his good white steed, which this time did not fly 
 through the air, but walked with slow step behind the 
 wagons on which the loaves, the wine, and the beeves 
 were carried. And many times did day and night 
 change places before they came to the sea. Now 
 they went along the shore ; the white steed, going 
 ahead with Jalmir, showed the road to the wagons. 
 
 Jalmir saw a great fish on the beach which was 
 trying in vain to get back to the water. " Help it," 
 said the steed; and Jalmir, springing to the ground, 
 helped the fish. 
 
 The fish sank under the water, but soon came to 
 the surface and said to Jalmir: " Wait, I must reward 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 393 
 
 thee. Take this whistle, and shouldst thou need 
 aught from me, blow." 
 
 Jalmir took the whistle from the fish's lips, gave 
 thanks, and sat again on his steed. After a time they 
 heard as it were distant thunder. "What is that?" 
 asked he of the horse. 
 
 " We shall soon be at the end of our journey," said 
 the steed ; " those are giants talking." 
 
 In a short time Jalmir saw three giants lying on the 
 beach. When he came up they rose, and now he saw 
 their stature. When he looked in their faces he had 
 to bend back his head as if looking at the highest 
 tower. 
 
 " What is the good word ? " roared one of them, so 
 that Jalmir had to cover his ears. 
 
 " I bring three hundred loaves of bread, three 
 hundred kegs of wine, and three hundred slaugh- 
 tered oxen," answered he. 
 
 " That is good of thee," said the giants, nodding 
 their heads with satisfaction ; and they rushed to the 
 wagons in which the things were placed. They built 
 a fire, and stuck the oxen on great spits to roast; 
 then they went to the bread and wine, and soon had 
 half inside themselves. A great eagle settled down 
 near by, and looked wistfully at the beeves. Jalmir 
 cut off a quarter and gave it to the eagle. 
 
 " Thank thee ! " said the eagle. " I will help thee 
 in time ; " and she rose in the air with the quarter. 
 
 The giants did not leave the oxen very long over 
 
394 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 the fire; and when they had finished, they said to 
 Jalmir : " Now tell us thy wish ; well do we know 
 that ye little worms of the earth do nothing for 
 nothing." 
 
 "I have no wish for myself," said Jalmir; " but 
 my master has sent me to bring the princess from 
 the golden castle which stands out in the sea." 
 
 "That one over there?" asked the other giant, 
 pointing with his finger to the sea. 
 
 Jalmir looked around and saw for the first time a 
 magnificent castle, which gleamed in the waves like 
 the rising sun. "Yes," replied Jalmir. 
 
 "We will take thee to it," said the first giant; "but 
 will the princess go with thee? " 
 
 "I will ask her," said Jalmir; "but how will ye 
 take me there ? " 
 
 " Thou wilt soon see," said the giants ; and they 
 took pieces of a cliff and hurled them into the sea. 
 They went on breaking the cliff, and sooner than 
 Jalmir expected there was a long stretch of dam in 
 the sea. But the giants did not stop ; they worked till 
 the setting of* the sun, so that in the evening they had 
 one third of the dam finished, and on the third day it 
 was possible to go with dry foot to the golden castle. 
 
 Jalmir thanked the giants heartily, and the morn- 
 ing of the fourth day he went to the princess. The 
 castle was a wonder to look at ; but he scarcely no- 
 ticed it. He entered, and how surprised was he when 
 in the first chamber he saw the princess. With down- 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 395 
 
 cast eyes he said : " My king and master has sent me 
 to beg thee in his name to share his throne and 
 crown." 
 
 " I will go," answered the princess, with a silvery 
 voice; " but wilt thou remain at his court?" 
 
 " I must," said Jalmir. " I am the viceroy." 
 
 " Let us go, then," said the princess. 
 
 She mounted a splendid crow-black horse, Jalmir 
 his white steed, and they galloped along the dam. On 
 the way Jalmir took courage to look at the princess 
 more closely, and thought that the king would grow 
 younger, and lengthen his life, if the princess would 
 marry him. At the same time he felt a certain agree- 
 able straitening of the heart. He bent his head, and 
 rode in silence at the side of the princess ; and the 
 nearer he came to the castle of the king, the more 
 did trouble take hold of his heart. The more joyous, 
 however, was the princess; and her eyes rested on 
 him with a certain special delight. They arrived 
 soon without great adventure. 
 
 The king went outside the town to meet them, and 
 conducted them in solemn procession to the castle. 
 " Art thou willing, honored princess, to become my 
 spouse?" asked he of the princess when he had led 
 her to the chambers prepared for her. 
 
 " First I must have my golden castle," replied the 
 princess. 
 
 The king was amazed ; but he bethought himself 
 soon, and turned to Jalmir, gazing imploringly. 
 
396 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " I will go for it," said Jalmir, with decision, espe- 
 cially when the princess nodded graciously and smiled 
 at him. 
 
 " Go, my dear Jalmir," said the king, with a soft 
 voice. " I will reward thee in kings' fashion." 
 
 Jalmir went to the white steed for advice, and the 
 steed said : " Tell the king to give thee three hun- 
 dred loaves of bread, three hundred kegs of wine, 
 and three hundred slaughtered oxen; then we will 
 go for the golden castle." 
 
 Jalmir told the king his wishes, and the king gave 
 him all. Everything was ready so soon that Jalmir 
 was able to set out that very day. But it was a 
 tedious journey; the wagons went slowly, and after 
 them Jalmir still more slowly, and with drooping 
 head, why, he knew best himself. When they 
 came to the giants, Jalmir gave them the loaves, the 
 wine, and the meat, begging them urgently to bring 
 the golden castle to the princess. 
 
 " Ah, little worm of the earth ! " said the giants, 
 laughing, " dost thou think that the castle is made of 
 wood? but we will try," added they after they had 
 looked at the three hundred loaves, at the kegs and 
 the oxen. 
 
 They began eating, and when they had eaten heart- 
 ily, they went to a neighboring forest, where they 
 pulled up three of the strongest trees; and when 
 they had played with them as men play with canes, 
 they went along the dam to the golden castle. After 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 397 
 
 a short time they moved the castle from its founda- 
 tions, put it on the oak-trees, and then on to their 
 shoulders ; and as if it were nothing they walked after 
 Jalmir without weariness till night, when they slept, 
 and next morning went farther. They worked in this 
 way till they drew near the king's castle ; they did 
 not go to it, however, but waited till night. Then 
 they put the golden castle in the garden, bade fare- 
 well to Jalmir, and went home. 
 
 When the morning sun rose people shouted 
 " Fire ! " in the castle. All ran to the garden to 
 put it out; but the princess standing in her window 
 cried, " Be quiet ! That is my golden castle." 
 
 Soon after the king hurried in, and opening his 
 arms in delight, wished to embrace the princess, 
 calling out, " Now thou art mine ! " 
 
 " Not yet," answered the princess. " What is my 
 golden castle to me if I have lost the key of it? " 
 
 The king was frightened ; but soon he said, with 
 clear face : " My dear Jalmir will bring it to thee." 
 He wanted to go for him ; but Jalmir came just then 
 to the princess to tell her that he had brought the 
 castle. The king told his wish ; and Jalmir, gaining 
 pleasure and strength from a gracious smile of the 
 princess, departed. He took counsel of his steed, 
 who said : " The key is somewhere in the sea near 
 the dam." Jalmir mounted; they flew through the 
 air, and were soon on the island where the castle had 
 been. 
 
398 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " But how shall I find the key in the sea? " sighed 
 Jalmir. 
 
 " Thou hast the whistle from the fish helped by 
 thee into the water." 
 
 " Yes," rejoiced Jalmir; and he blew on the whistle. 
 
 That moment the fish swam to the surface, and 
 asked, "What dost thou wish?" 
 
 " The princess has lost the key of her golden castle," 
 answered Jalmir, who was about to ask the fish to 
 find it ; but the fish had already vanished to tell all 
 fish to look for the key. Now there was life under 
 water, such gleaming of fish flying hither and 
 thither, up and down ! till at last after long swimming, 
 one little fish brought the key to the chief fish. The 
 chief fish gave it to Jalmir; Jalmir gave heartfelt 
 thanks, and was soon flying through the air on his 
 steed, so that he was home before night. When he 
 had given the key to the king he went to his room and 
 shut himself in. Why he did this he knew not him- 
 self; but he felt that it would have been better for him 
 had he never seen that princess of the golden castle. 
 
 The king, perfectly happy, went with the key to the 
 princess ; he felt sure this time that she would make 
 no objection. All the greater was his grief when she 
 said : "I have the castle and the key to it ; but what 
 would life be in the castle without the water of death, 
 the water of life, and the water of youth? " 
 
 "And where are they to be found?" asked the 
 king. 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 399 
 
 " They are on my island," answered the princess 
 so decidedly that the king went away 'in silence to 
 think whom he should send. He had pity on Jalmir, 
 and therefore he went to the brothers; but they 
 spoke to him so convincingly that the king asked Jal- 
 mir again to go and do that last service for him. How 
 could Jalmir refuse? Besides, what he had done he 
 had done for her for whom he would have jumped 
 into fire if need be. He went to his steed to ask 
 aid once more, and for the last time. The steed re- 
 proached him for lack of courage, and said : " Sit on 
 my back ; we '11 go straight for the water." Jalmir 
 did so with joy, and was soon going through the air 
 to the island swifter than ever he had travelled be- 
 fore. In a short time the horse came down on the 
 seashore and said : " Go to the island for the water 
 of death, the water of life, and the water of youth; 
 but hurry, or the waves will wash down the dam and 
 thou wilt perish. I will eat grass here a while." 
 
 Jalmir went forward, but very slowly ; for the image 
 of the princess rose continually before his eyes. Ex- 
 cept her, the whole world was as naught to him. He 
 was perhaps half way on the dam when all at once the 
 sea rose and bore it away. Jalmir screamed in terror 
 and disappeared in the sea. The steed heard his 
 screams, but did not run to help him, and hanging 
 his head, went with slow step; he knew well that he 
 could give no aid to Jalmir. Then came a terrible 
 storm on the sea. The steed thought that Jalmir 
 
4OO Chekh Myths and Folk - Tales. 
 
 had perished ; he rose in the air and shot away like 
 a flash. 
 
 Not far from the dam of which there was not a 
 trace after the storm was an eagle's nest high on 
 the cliff, and in it five little eagles that stretched out 
 their necks, without ceasing looking down eagerly, 
 and crying meanwhile. " What do ye want?" called 
 the old eagle, which sat near by on a cliff and looked 
 down. But how quickly did she fly to the beach 
 when she saw a body there ! She recognized it at 
 once ; for though she was only a wild creature she 
 remembered well that Jalmir had done her a kind- 
 ness by giving her the quarter of beef for her young. 
 She seized him now in her strong talons and bore 
 him to the island where the golden castle had been ; 
 she plunged him into a spring, then placing him on 
 the ground, sat near his side. Soon Jalmir began 
 to breathe, at first with difficulty and slowly, then 
 more quickly and evenly, till at last he opened his 
 eyes with a deep sigh. " Why not let me sleep 
 longer ? I slept so lightly ! I dreamed so sweetly ! " 
 said Jalmir, as if waking from slumber. When he 
 looked around more attentively he called out in 
 amazement, "What has been done to me?" 
 
 " Dost thou not know me? " asked the eagle, stand- 
 ing before him. 
 
 " I do not know thee," replied Jalmir, shaking his 
 head. 
 
 " But I know thee well," cried the eagle. " Thou 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 401 
 
 didst give me a quarter of beef for my children. 
 But what art thou looking for now?" 
 
 " The princess sent me to this island for the water 
 of death, the water of life, and the water of youth," 
 answered Jalmir. 
 
 "Then take them," said the eagle, and brought 
 him to the three springs. Jalmir took three flasks 
 from his bosom, and filled them with the three 
 waters. 
 
 " But how shall I leave here? " 
 
 " I would gladly bear thee wherever thou wishest, 
 but I cannot, for I have children ; but I will go to 
 my brother. He has no children." She flew off in a 
 flash, soon returning, and with her her brother. 
 
 "But where has my white steed gone?" asked 
 Jalmir suddenly. 
 
 " I will soon tell thee," answered the eagle, and 
 she rose in the sky till she seemed to the eye of 
 Jalmir as small as the point of a pine leaf. She re- 
 mained motionless a moment, then came down like 
 a bolt and said : " I saw thy steed under the old pear- 
 tree which stands before the southern gate of the 
 great town." 
 
 " Bear me to that place then," said Jalmir, with a 
 voice of entreaty. 
 
 The eagle's brother caught him in his strong tal- 
 ons, and was soon flying with him high in the air ; so 
 high that Jalmir saw his native place, but it was as 
 small as an ant-hill. He went farther, it became 
 
 26 
 
402 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 greater, till at last the eagle came to the earth and 
 put Jalmir down near the old pear-tree; then he 
 parted with him, and soon vanished in the air. 
 
 The white steed was standing behind the pear-tree, 
 with drooping head, and so gloomy that he did not 
 notice his master. 
 
 " My very good steed ! " cried Jalmir, and fell on 
 his neck. 
 
 " Thou art alive and well?" asked the steed in 
 amazement. 
 
 " Yes," answered Jalmir, and told him all that had 
 happened. 
 
 " I am happy," said the steed ; " but now sit 
 quickly on me, we must go to the princess or we 
 shall be late." 
 
 "What is the matter? " asked Jalmir in fright. 
 
 " The king wants the wedding to-day," answered 
 the steed. 
 
 " Then let us hurry," said Jalmir, and he sprang 
 on the steed, opened his arms toward the town, and 
 cried: "Oh, my dear father!" 
 
 " Calm thyself," said the steed ; " I know that thou 
 wouldst embrace him; but vain is thy wish, for he 
 died long ago." The steed rose in the air and flew 
 so swiftly that his native place soon vanished from 
 the tearful eyes of Jalmir. On the road the steed 
 said : " When thou art king, judge justly, even if thy 
 heart has to bleed." 
 
 Jalmir did not understand him; but when he came 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 403 
 
 to the town and heard how his brothers were laugh- 
 ing at their puny little Jalmir who had perished 
 somewhere, an evil feeling seized him. Mastering 
 himself however, he went to the princess to give her 
 the three waters; and she hastened to the king to 
 whom she said : " My dear bridegroom, so that our 
 marriage be equal, thou must become young and 
 beautiful as I am, and therefore I will rub thee with 
 the water of death so that thy old age shall perish, 
 then with the water of youth, and last with the water 
 of life." 
 
 The king consented with gladness, and the prin- 
 cess rubbed him with the water of death ; then 
 he straightened himself on the couch so that the 
 princess herself was terrified. Seizing quickly the 
 water of youth; she rubbed him with it and the fresh 
 color of youth shone on the face of the old king. 
 " But still he is not so beautiful as Jalmir," sighed 
 the princess, greatly grieved. With tearful eyes she 
 reached for the water of life, but instead of it took 
 the water of death and rubbed the king. Straight- 
 way the pallor of death spread over his face. The 
 princess fell in a faint at his side and remained in 
 it till Jalmir came by chance to the chamber, seized 
 the water of life, and rubbed with it quickly the 
 princess and the king. The princess stood up at 
 once, but the king remained dead. 
 
 " Is there no help for him? " asked Jalmir with 
 trembling voice. 
 
404 Chekh Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " There is not," said the princess, shaking her head ; 
 " whoever is rubbed twice with the water of death can 
 never live again/' 
 
 " But what shall I do now? " muttered Jalmir, 
 closing his eyes. 
 
 " Thou art king," answered the princess, " but I " 
 
 " Queen ! " cried Jalmir eagerly, and sank at her 
 feet saying, " Forgive me, but I love thee more than 
 myself." 
 
 The princess in place of an answer kissed him; 
 and now they went to announce to the people that 
 the old king was dead. 
 
 The people, who had already assembled in the 
 square for the wedding of the king, were greatly dis- 
 tressed; but when the princess presented Jalmir as 
 the new king, and herself as his wife, they broke out 
 into mighty rejoicing, which had no end. But Jalmir's 
 brothers were silent; and when the new king with 
 his bride retired, they reported that these two had 
 poisoned the old king. The people raised a tumult ; 
 but Jalmir went out among them and asked the 
 cause. Some were silent, and others told him what 
 his brothers had said. " Do ye believe this? " asked 
 Jalmir. 
 
 " We do not believe," was shouted from every 
 side. 
 
 " Very well," answered Jalmir, " but that ye may 
 believe me I will tell how my brothers tried to kill 
 me ; " and he told them all. 
 
The Treacherous Brothers. 405 
 
 " The wretches ! " cried the people in a rage ; and 
 they caught all the six brothers. Before Jalmir could 
 stop them the people had fired a stack of straw, and 
 when it was blazing high they threw the six brothers 
 into the flames. 
 
 " Now ye are all in one pile," laughed the people, 
 " because hitherto ye were always setting fire." 
 
 Jalmir turned to the princess with tears in his eyes, 
 but she soon consoled him. After the funeral of the 
 old king they celebrated their betrothal ; but when 
 Jalmir, full of happiness, sat at the feast by the side of 
 his bride, all at once he remembered his steed, ran to 
 him, and fell on his neck thanking him as author of 
 all his happiness. 
 
 " I have helped thee, do thou help me now," said 
 the steed. " Lead me to the garden." Jalmir did as 
 he desired ; then the steed said : " Cut off my head." 
 
 " I cut off thy head ! " cried Jalmir in fright. 
 
 " Wilt thou let me suffer one hundred years 
 longer? " asked the steed in a sad voice. 
 
 In place of an answer Jalmir drew his sword, and 
 with one blow cut off his friend's head. The head fell 
 on the ground, but out of it flew a white dove which 
 rose toward the sky. Jalmir turned in sorrow to the 
 princess, but she soon drove the sadness away from 
 his face. They lived happily together, and because 
 they had the water of life, they lived so long that no 
 one has memory of it. 
 
MAGYAR MYTHS AND FOLK-TALES. 
 
THE POOR MAN, AND THE KING OF 
 THE CROWS. 
 
 THERE was once a very poor man, and he had 
 two lean cows. The two cows were to the poor 
 man as their mother's breast to children ; for not only 
 did they give milk and butter, for which he got a few 
 coppers to buy salt, but he tilled his patch of land 
 with them. 
 
 Now, he was ploughing one day at the edge of the 
 woods with the two cows, when, from wherever it 
 came, a six-horse coach stood before him, and in it 
 sat no other than the King of the Crows, who found 
 this to say to the poor man, 
 
 " Listen, poor man ; I will tell thee one thing, and 
 two will come of it. Sell me those lean cows ; I '11 
 give thee good money for them. I '11 pay double 
 price. My army has n't tasted a morsel for three 
 days, and the soldiers will die of hunger and thirst 
 unless thou wilt save them." 
 
 " If that 's the case," said the poor man to fehe 
 King of the Crows, " if it be that thy Highness's army 
 has n't eaten anything for three days, I don't mind 
 the difficulty. I'll let thee have the cows, not for 
 money ; let thy Highness return a cow for a cow." 
 
4io Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Very good, poor man, let it be as thou sayest. I 
 will give thee a cow for a cow ; more than that, for 
 two thou wilt get four cows. For that purpose find 
 me in my kingdom, for I am the King of the Crows. 
 Thou hast but to look in the north for the black 
 castle ; thou 'It be sure to find it." 
 
 With that the King of the Crows vanished as if he 
 had never been there, as if the earth had swallowed 
 him. The poor man kept on ploughing with the two 
 lean cows, till, all at once, the army of the King of 
 the Crows appeared like a black cloud approaching 
 through the air, with mighty cawing, and seizing the 
 two cows tore them bit from bit. When they had 
 finished, the dark legions with tumultuous cawing 
 moved on their way like a cloud. The poor man 
 watched the direction in which they flew so that he 
 might know the way. 
 
 Now he strolled home in great sadness, took leave 
 of his two handsome sons and his dear wife, in the 
 midst of bitter tears, and set out into the world to find 
 the black castle. He travelled and journeyed over 
 forty-nine kingdoms, beyond the Operentsia Sea and 
 the glass mountains, and beyond that, where the little 
 short-tailed pig roots, and beyond that, and still far- 
 ther on, till he came to an ocean-great sand-plain. 
 
 Nowhere for gold was a town, a village, or a 
 cabin to be seen where he might recline his head 
 for a night's rest, or beg a morsel of bread or a cup 
 of water. Food had long since left his bag, and he 
 
The Poor Man and the King. 411 
 
 might have struck fire in the gourd 1 which hung 
 at his side. What was he to do? Where could he 
 save his life? Here he must perish of hunger and 
 thirst in the midst of this ocean-great desert, and 
 then at home let them wait for him till the day of 
 Judgment. Here the poor man's power of walking 
 decreased, and he floundered about like a dazed fish, 
 like a man struck on the head. While stumbling 
 along he sees on a sudden a shepherd's fire. 
 
 He moves towards the light, creeping on all fours. 
 At last he arrives there with great difficulty, and sees 
 that three or four men are lying around the fire, boil- 
 ing kasha in a pot. He salutes them with, " God 
 give you a good evening." 
 
 " God receive thee, poor man ; how is it that thou 
 art journeying in this strange land where even a bird 
 does not go?" 
 
 " I am looking for the black castle in the north. 
 Have ye heard nothing of it in your world-beautiful 
 lives?" 
 
 " How not? Of course we have. Are we not the 
 shepherds of that king, who rigorously and mercilessly 
 enjoined that, if such and such a man, who sold him 
 the two lean cows for his army, should find us, to 
 treat him well with meat and drink, and then to show 
 him the right road ? Maybe thou art the man ! " 
 
 " I am indeed." 
 
 1 A pilgrim bottle made of a dried, long-necked gourd. 
 
412 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 "Is it possible?" 
 
 " I am no one else." 
 
 " In that case sit here on the sheepskin ; eat, drink, 
 and enjoy thyself, for the kasha will be ready this 
 minute." 
 
 As they said, he did. The poor man sat by the 
 fire, ate, drank, and satisfied himself, then lay down 
 and fell asleep. When he rose in the morning they 
 gave him a round cheese, and drove the air out of 
 his bottle ; then they let him go his way, showing him 
 the right road. 
 
 The poor man travelled and journeyed along the 
 right road ; and now, when he was hungry and dry, 
 he had his bag, and his bottle too. Towards evening 
 he sees again a shepherd's fire. He draws near the 
 great fire, and sees the shepherds of the King of 
 the Crows sitting around it cooking a meat stew. 
 He wishes them, " God give you a good-day, my 
 lords, the horseherds." 
 
 " God guard thee, poor man," said the chief herds- 
 man; " where art thou going here in this strange 
 land?" 
 
 " I am looking for the black castle of the King of 
 the Crows. Hast thou never heard of it, brother, in 
 thy world-beautiful life?" 
 
 " How not heard of it? Of course I have. Are 
 we not the servants of him who commanded rigor- 
 ously and unflinchingly that if such and such a poor 
 man, who sold him two lean cows for his army, should 
 
The Poor Man and the King. 413 
 
 wander along, to receive him kindly? Therefore, this 
 is my word and speech to thee. Art thou, per- 
 chance, that man ? " 
 
 " Of course I am." 
 
 "Is it possible?" 
 
 " I 'm no one else." 
 
 " In that case sit down here by the fire, drink, and 
 be filled." 
 
 The poor man sat down by the fire, ate, drank, 
 and satisfied himself; then lying on the sheepskin, he 
 fell asleep. When he rose in the morning the horse- 
 herds entertained the poor man again, wished him 
 happiness, and showing the right road let him go 
 his way ; but they left neither his bag nor his bottle 
 empty. Then he went along the right road. But 
 why multiply words ? for there is an end even to a 
 hundred words; it is enough to know that towards 
 evening he came to the ground of the swineherds of 
 the King of the Crows. He saluted them with, " God 
 give you a good evening." 
 
 " God guard thee," said the reckoning swineherd. 1 
 " How is it thou art journeying in this strange land, 
 where even a bird does not go?" 
 
 " I am looking for the black castle of the King of 
 the Crows. Has my lord elder brother never heard 
 of it in his world-beautiful life ? " 
 
 "Haho, poor man! How not heard of it? Are 
 we not the servants of the lord of that castle ? But 
 
 1 " The reckoning swineherd," he who counts the pigs. 
 
414 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 art not thou the poor man who sold his Highness the 
 two lean cows ? " 
 
 " Well, what 's the use in delay or denial ? I am, 
 indeed, he." 
 
 " Art thou in truth?" 
 
 " I am no one else." 
 
 " But how wilt thou enter the black castle, since it 
 is covered all around with a stone wall, and whirls un- 
 ceasingly on a golden cock's foot? But make no 
 account of that. Here is a shining axe. Just strike 
 the wall with it so that sparks will fly, and thou wilt 
 come upon the door, which will spring open. Then 
 jump in. Have a care, though ; for if thou slip and 
 fall, neither God nor man can save thee. When thou art 
 once inside, the King of the Crows will come forward 
 and receive thee kindly. He won't put his soul on 
 the palm of his hand at once ; but when his Highness 
 inquires what thy wish is, ask for nothing else but 
 the salt-mill which stands in the corner." 
 
 Well, the talk ended there. In the morning the 
 poor man moves on towards the black castle. When 
 he arrives there, he saw that it whirled of itself on 
 a golden cock's foot, like some infernal spindle; and 
 nowhere can he see either window or door upon 
 it, nothing but the naked wall. He took the 
 swineherd's axe and struck the wall, and sparks flew 
 from the axe in such style that it could n't be better. 
 After a time he came upon the door; it flew open, 
 and he jumped in. If he had delayed but one flash of 
 
The Poor Man and the King. 415 
 
 an eye the stone wall door would have crushed him ; 
 as it was, the edge of his trousers was carried off. 
 
 As soon as the poor man got in, he saw that the 
 castle turned only on the outside. At this moment 
 the King of the Crows was standing by the window, 
 and saw the poor man coming for the price of the 
 cows. He went to meet him, shook his hand, treated 
 him as tenderly as an egg ; then he led him into the 
 most beautiful chamber, and seated him at his side 
 on a golden couch. The poor man saw not a soul 
 anywhere, although it was midday, the time of eat- 
 ing. All at once the table began to spread, and 
 was soon bending under its load, so much food was 
 on it. The poor man shook his head, for, as I 
 say, though no one was to be seen anywhere, neither 
 cook nor kitchen-boy nor servant, still, was n't the 
 table spread? It was surely witchcraft, surely some 
 infernal art, but not the work of a good spirit, maybe 
 the salt-mill had something to do with it. That, 
 however, did not come into the poor man's mind, 
 though the mill stood there in the corner. 
 
 He was there three days, the guest of the King of 
 the Crows, who received him with every kindness he 
 could offer, so that no man's son could raise a com- 
 plaint against his Highness. Morning, noon, and 
 night the poor man's food appeared in proper form, 
 but the roast and the wine had no taste for him ; for 
 it came to his mind that while he was feasting there, 
 most likely his wife and children had not bread 
 
416 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 enough. I say it came to his mind; he began to 
 be restless and uneasy. The King of the Crows 
 noticed this, and said to him: "Well, poor man, I see 
 that thou dost not wish to stay longer with me, be- 
 cause thy heart is at home, therefore I ask what dost 
 thou wish for the two lean cows ? believe me, 
 brother, thou didst save me from great trouble that 
 time ; if thou hadst not taken pity on me I should 
 have lost my whole army from famine." 
 
 " I want nothing else," said the poor man, " but 
 that salt-mill standing there in the corner." 
 
 " Oh, poor man, hast thou lost thy wits? Tell me, 
 what good couldst thou get of the mill?" 
 
 " Oh, I could grind corn or a little wheat from time 
 to time ; if I did not some one else might, so there 
 would be something to take to the kitchen." 
 
 "Ask for something else; ask for all the cattle 
 which in coming hither thou didst see." 
 
 " What should I do with such a tremendous lot of 
 cattle? If I should drive them home, people would 
 think evil of me ; besides, I have neither stable nor 
 pasture." 
 
 " But I '11 give thee money. How much dost thou 
 wish? Wouldst be content with three bags of it? " 
 
 " What could I do with such an ocean-great lot 
 of money? My evil fate would use it to kill me; 
 people would think that I stole the coin, or murdered 
 some man for it ; besides, I might be stopped with it 
 on the road." 
 
The Poor Man and the King. 417 
 
 " But 1 11 give thee a soldier as a guard." 
 
 "What good is one of thy Highness's soldiers?" 
 asked the poor man, smiling; " a hen, I think, would 
 drive him away." 
 
 " What ! one of my soldiers? " 
 
 Here the King of the Crows blew a small whistle ; 
 straightway a crow appeared which shook itself, and 
 became such a gallant young fellow that he was not 
 only so, but just so. " That's the kind of soldiers I 
 have ; " said the king and commanded the young man 
 out of the room. The soldier shook himself, became 
 a crow, and flew away. 
 
 " It's all the same to me what kind of soldiers thy 
 Highness has. Thy Highness promised to give me 
 what I want, and I ask for nothing else but the salt- 
 mill." 
 
 " I will not give it. Ask for all my herds, but not 
 for that." 
 
 " I need not herds ; all I want is the mill." 
 
 " Well, poor man, I have refused thee three times, 
 and three times thou hast asked for the mill; now, 
 whether I will or not, I must give it. But know that 
 thou art not to grind corn, or wheat with the mill ; 
 for it has this virtue, that it accomplishes all wishes. 
 Here it is, take it, though my heart bleeds after it. 
 Thou didst me a good deed, therefore let it be thine." 
 
 The poor man put the mill on his back, took fare- 
 well of the King of the Crows, thanking him for his 
 hospitality, and trudged home at his leisure. On the 
 
 27 
 
4i 8 Magyar Myths and Folk-Tales^ 
 
 way back he entertained the swineherds, the horse- 
 herds, and the cowherds. All he did was to say, 
 " Grind, my dear mill," and what food was dear to 
 the eye, the mouth, and the taste appeared of itself; 
 and if he said, " Draw up, my dear mill," all the food 
 was as if the ground had swallowed it, it vanished. 
 Then he took leave of the good shepherds and con- 
 tinued his way. 
 
 As he travelled and journeyed, he came to a great 
 wild wood; and having grown hungry, he said: 
 " Grind, my dear mill." Straightway the table was 
 spread, not for one, but for two persons. The mill 
 'knew at once that the poor man would have a guest ; 
 for that moment, wherever he came from, a great 
 fat man appeared, who without saying a word, took 
 his seat at the table. When they had enjoyed God's 
 blessing, the great fat man spoke, and said : 
 
 " Listen, poor man. Give me that mill for this knotty 
 club ; for if thy mill has the power of accomplishing 
 all thy desires [the fat man knew this already], my 
 knotty club has this power, that thou hast need but 
 to say, ' Strike, my club,' and the man thou hast in 
 mind is the son of Death." 
 
 What was the poor man to do ? Thinking if he did 
 not give it of his free will the fat man would take it 
 by force, he exchanged the mill for the knotty club ; 
 but when he had it once in his hand, he said in a low 
 voice, for he was commanding the knotty club, 
 " Strike, my dear club." And it so struck the fat man 
 
The Poor Man and the King. 419 
 
 behind the ears that he gave forth not a sound ; he 
 did n't move his little finger. Then the poor man 
 continued his journey homeward at his ease; and 
 when seven years had passed he was able to say: 
 " Here we are ! " 
 
 His wife who was weeping by the hearth, mourning 
 over her dear lost lord and the two lean cows, 
 scarcely knew the poor man, but still she knew him. 
 His two sons had become large, and had grown out 
 of their long clothes. When the poor man put his 
 foot in his own house he set the mill down in the 
 chimney-corner, loosed his mantle from his neck, 
 hung it up on a nail, and only then did they know him. 
 
 "Well, father," said his wife, " thou hast come; 
 God knows 't is time. I never expected to see thee 
 again; but what didst thou get for Bimbo and 
 Csako?" 
 
 " This mill," answered he with many " see here's " 
 and " see there's." 
 
 " If that 's the case, the palsy strike thy work," 
 cried the woman ; " better for thee to have stayed at 
 home these seven years, and swung thy feet around 
 here, than to have dragged that good-for-nothing mill 
 from such a distant land, just as if thou hadst eaten 
 the crazy-weed ! " 
 
 " Oh, my sweet wife, something is better than 
 nothing; if we have no grain to grind for ourselves, 
 we can grind for other people, if not in streams at 
 least in drops." 
 
420 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " May a cancer eat thy mill ! I have n't a thing to 
 put between my teeth, and still " 
 
 " Well, my sweet wife, if them hast nothing to put 
 between thy teeth thou 'It soon have. Grind, my 
 dear mill." 
 
 At these words, so much meat and drink appeared 
 on the poor man's table that half of it would have 
 been enough. It was only then that the woman 
 regretted her tongue rattling. But a woman is a 
 woman ; beat her with a stone, only let her talk. 
 
 The poor man, his wife, and two sons sat down at 
 the table, looking at the food like an army of locusts. 
 They ate and drank to their hearts' content Whether 
 from wine or some other cause, a desire to dance came 
 to the two sons ; and they jumped up and danced, 
 so it was pure delight to look at them. " Oh," said 
 the elder one, " if we only had a gypsy ! " That 
 moment a band of gypsies by the chimney struck 
 up their music, and played away with such variations 
 that the poor man too wished to dance, and so 
 whirled his wife around that better could not be 
 asked for. The neighbors knew not what to think 
 of the affair. How was it that music was sounding in 
 the poor man's house? 
 
 " What is this? " said they one to another, coming 
 nearer and nearer, till they came up to the door and 
 the windows. Only then did they see that a band oi 
 gypsies were fiddling away with might and main, and 
 the old man, his wife, and their two sons were danc- 
 
The Poor Man and the King. 421 
 
 ing, while the table was bending under loads of rich 
 meat and drink. 
 
 " Come in cousin ! come in friend ! come in 
 brother-in-law, bring thy wife ! come in brother ! " 
 and there was no end to the invitations of the poor 
 man. Guests collected unceasingly, and still the 
 table was spread. " Ton my soul," said the poor 
 man, " it 's a pity my house is n't larger ; for all these 
 guests could scarcely find room in a palace." At 
 these words, instead of the poor man's cabin such a 
 magnificent palace appeared, with chambers, twelve 
 in a row, that the king himself had n't the like of it. 
 
 A multitude of grand people with the king in the 
 midst of them were out walking just at that time. 
 41 What's this? what's this?" asked they of one 
 another. " There has always been a poor man's 
 cabin here, now there 's a king's palace, and besides, 
 music is sounding, and gypsies are fiddling. Let's 
 go and have a look." 
 
 The king went in front, and after him all the grand 
 people, counts, dukes, barons, and so on. The poor 
 man came out and received the king with the great 
 personages very kindly, and conducted them all to the 
 head of the table as their fitting place. They ate, 
 drank, and caroused, so that it was like a small 
 wedding. 
 
 While they were enjoying themselves at the best, 
 a great sealed letter came to the king. When he had 
 read it, he turned yellow and blue, because it was 
 

 422 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 written therein that the Turk-Tartar was nearing his 
 kingdom with a great army, destroying everything 
 with fire and sword, and sparing not the property of 
 innocent, weeping people, whom he puts to the point 
 of the sword ; that the earth is drinking their blood ; 
 their flesh is devoured by dogs. 
 
 From great joy there was great sorrow. 
 
 Then the poor man stood forth and asked the king : 
 " If 't is no offence, may I ask a question? " 
 
 " What may it be, poor man? " 
 
 " Would thy Highness tell me the contents of that 
 great letter received just now? " 
 
 " Why ask, poor man? Thou couldst not mend the 
 affair." 
 
 " But if I can?" 
 
 " Well, know then, and let the whole kingdom 
 know, that the Turk-Tartar is moving on our coun- 
 try with a great army, with cruel intent; that he 
 spares not the property of innocent, weeping people, 
 puts them to the sword, so that the earth drinks 
 their blood, and their flesh is devoured by dogs." 
 
 " And what will be the reward of him who drives 
 the enemy out of the country?" asked the poor 
 man. 
 
 " In truth," said the king, " great reward and honor 
 await him ; for if he should have two sons, I would 
 give them my two daughters in marriage, with half 
 the kingdom. After my death they would inherit 
 the whole kingdom." 
 
The Poor Man and the King. 423 
 
 " Well, I '11 drive out the enemy all alone." 
 But the king did not place much confidence in the 
 poor man's promise; he hurried together all his 
 soldiers, and marched with them against the enemy. 
 The two armies were looking at each other with 
 wolves' eyes, when the poor man went between the 
 camps and commanded the club : " Strike, my dear 
 club." And the club pommelled the Turk-Tartar 
 army so that only one man was left to carry home 
 the tidings. 
 
 The poor man gained half the kingdom and the 
 two beautiful princesses, whom he married to his two 
 stalwart sons. They celebrated a wedding which 
 spoke to the seven worlds ; and they are living now if 
 they are not dead. 
 
THE USELESS WAGONER. 
 
 THERE was once in the world a king, and he had 
 a Useless Wagoner who never and never did 
 anything but frolic in the tavern. The whole stand- 
 ing day and all the ocean-great night there was noth- 
 ing for him but singing and dancing, eating and 
 drinking. The king had money of course. 
 
 But the king began to grow tired of this thing. 
 He called up the Useless Wagoner, and gave him a 
 terrible scolding. But 't is vain to seat a dog at table, 
 and when the Devil gets into a man he stays there ; 
 so it was labor lost to drive the Useless Wagoner to 
 work, for he went his way, and frolicked as before. 
 At last the king resolved to take his life, and calling 
 him up, said, 
 
 " Dost hear me, work-shunning Useless Wagoner ! 
 I revile thy mother, if within the turn of four and 
 twenty hours thou dost not make for me a three- 
 hundred-gallon cask; and though one joint or seam is 
 not much, if it has that, I '11 empale thee on a stake." 
 
 The Useless Wagoner said not a word to all this, but 
 put a hamper on his back, took a cutting-axe in his 
 hand, and strolled off to the forest to find a tree fit to 
 make a three-hundred-gallon cask. 
 
The Useless Wagoner. 425 
 
 When he came to the forest, being hungry and 
 tired, he sat down under a large shady tree, opened 
 his hamper, and began to eat lunch. He ate and ate, 
 till all at once, from some corner or another, a little 
 fox stood before him and begged food to eat. 
 
 " Of course I '11 give thee something. The food 
 came here, 't will stay here ; " and with that he threw 
 a slice of bread and a bit of sausage to the fox. 
 
 When the fox had finished eating she said : " Dost 
 hear, Useless Wagoner? As thou hast taken pity on 
 me, I will take pity on thee ; in place of a good deed 
 look for a good deed. Though thou hast not told me, 
 still I know why thou hast come to this forest. I 
 know, too, that the king is breaking his head to kill 
 thee ; but he '11 not be in time, for I will help thee out 
 of thy trouble and make thee the three-hundred-gallon 
 cask. And though one seam or joint is not much, 
 even that will not be in it. Now lie down and rest." 
 
 And so it was. The Useless Wagoner lay down and 
 rested. Meanwhile the little fox got such a three- 
 hundred-gallon cask ready, that although a joint or 
 seam is not much, even that was not to be seen in it. 
 
 When the cask was finished the Useless Wagoner 
 took it home and gave it to the king, who, after look- 
 ing at it, dropped his eyes and his lip like a sheep ; 
 for neither his father, his grandfather, nor his great- 
 grandfather had ever seen such a cunningly made 
 cask, for not a seam nor a joint could be seen in it 
 for gold. 
 
426 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Well and good for the moment ; but soon the king 
 summoned the Useless Wagoner to his presence again, 
 and cried out, 
 
 " Dost thou hear me, work-shunning Useless Wag- 
 oner ! I revile thy soul if within the turn of four and 
 twenty hours thou dost not make for me a chariot 
 which will go itself, without horses. I '11 break thee 
 on a wheel ! " 
 
 The Useless Wagoner said nothing, but put his ham- 
 per on his back, took his cutting-axe in his hand, and 
 wandered off to the forest to find a tree fit to make 
 the chariot. 
 
 When he came to the forest he was hungry, and 
 tired too ; therefore he sat down under a large, shady 
 tree, opened his hamper, and began to eat lunch. 
 
 He ate and ate till all at once, from some corner or 
 another, the little fox stood before him again, and 
 begged food to eat. 
 
 " Of course, my dear little fox, I '11 give thee some- 
 thing. It came here, and 't will stay here." 
 
 With that he threw a piece of bread and a slice of 
 ham to the little fox, who after she had eaten, said : 
 
 " Well, Useless Wagoner, in place of a good deed 
 look for a good deed. Though thou hast not told me, 
 still I know why thou art here. I know, too, that the 
 king is breaking his head to kill thee ; but he won't, for 
 I shall help thee out of trouble. I '11 make for thee the 
 chariot which will go of itself, without horses ; but do 
 thou lie down and rest." 
 
The Useless Wagoner. 427 
 
 And so it was. The Useless Wagoner reclined his 
 head in rest; and meanwhile the little fox fashioned 
 a chariot beautifully. When all was ready she roused 
 the Useless Wagoner, and said, 
 
 " Here is the chariot which runs of itself; thou 
 hast but to step in and command it to stop in the 
 king's court-yard. But I would tell thee this : Here 
 is a whistle that will serve thee ; shouldst thou fall 
 into trouble, just blow, it will help thee." 
 
 The Useless Wagoner thanked the fox for her kind- 
 ness, and entered the chariot, which stopped not till 
 it reached the king's court-yard. 
 
 When the king saw the chariot he said nothing, 
 but shook his head, turned on the Useless Wagoner 
 in a rage, and cried, 
 
 " Useless Wagoner, I revile thy mother ! In my 
 stable there are a hundred hares; and if thou dost not 
 herd them three days, if thou dost not drive them 
 a-field in the morning and bring them back at night 
 so that not one shall be missing from the hundred, 
 I '11 strike off thy head." 
 
 What was the poor Useless Wagoner to do ? Against 
 his will, and of need, he let the hundred hares out of 
 the stable and drove them a-field. They had barely 
 touched the edge of the field when they ran in as 
 many directions as there were hares. Who could 
 bring them together again? The poor Useless Wag- 
 oner ran first after one and then after another hare ; 
 he chased the whole day, but could not bring back a 
 
428 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 single hare. It was already growing late, time to go 
 home, but the hundred hares were in a hundred 
 places ; therefore the Useless Wagoner became ter- 
 ribly sad, and wished to make an end of his own 
 life, it was all the same whether he or the king took 
 it ; there was no salvation for him anyhow. So he put 
 his hand in his bosom to take out his clasp-knife and 
 strike himself in the heart, but instead of the knife he 
 found the whistle which the little fox had given him. 
 That was all he wanted; he drew out the whistle, 
 sounded it, and, behold ! all the hares ran up to him, 
 as tame as pet lambs fed from the palm of the 
 hand. 
 
 When all the hares had come together he drove 
 them home. 
 
 The king stood at the gate and let them in 
 singly, counting, " One, two, three . . . ninety-nine, 
 a hundred." Not one was missing. 
 
 Next day the Useless Wagoner drove the hares out 
 again, and when they had barely touched the edge of 
 the field they ran off in as many directions as there 
 were hares. 
 
 But this time the Useless Wagoner took no thought 
 of running and chasing after them; he thought to 
 himself that he would take his whistle and blow, and 
 they would come. So he lay down in a nice shady 
 place, and slept to his liking. 
 
 But the king did not sleep; he was racking his 
 brain to destroy the Useless Wagoner. So he called 
 
The Useless Wagoner. 429 
 
 his only and dearly beloved daughter, and said to her, 
 " My darling daughter, I have a great favor to ask of 
 thee." 
 
 " What may it be, my father the king? " 
 
 " Of a truth nothing but this, that thou dress in 
 peasant's clothes, and go out to the field where the 
 Useless Wagoner is herding the hundred hares, and 
 beg one of him. If he gives it not for a good word, 
 mayhap he will give it for a sweet kiss ; but come not 
 home to me without the hare, even if he asks a piece 
 of thy body for it." 
 
 The princess granted her father's request. She 
 gathered her wits about her, dressed up in peasant's 
 clothes, and went in the field to the Useless Wagoner, 
 who was sleeping at his leisure under a shady tree. 
 The princess pushed him with her foot ; he woke, and 
 saw in a moment with whom he had to deal. 
 
 " God give thee a good-day, hareherd ! " 
 
 " God save thee, king's daughter ! What good 
 dost thou bring the poor hareherd?" 
 
 "I have brought nothing but this, that I have 
 come because I would like to get one little hare. 
 Wouldst thou not give even one for good money ? " 
 
 " High princess, I will not give one for money ; 
 but if thou wilt give me three kisses, I can give 
 them back. Then I don't mind ; I '11 give thee a 
 hare." 
 
 So the princess got a hare for three pairs of kisses, 
 and ran home very joyfully ; but just as she was touch- 
 
430 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 ing the latch to open the gate, the hareherd sounded 
 his whistle, the hare jumped like lightning from her 
 bosom, and stopped not till it reached the flock. 
 
 The hareherd drove home his flock ; the king was 
 waiting for him at the gate, and let them in one by 
 one, counting till he came to a hundred. 
 
 Next day the hareherd drove out his hares the third 
 time, and left them to go their way. 
 
 The king now called his wife to the white chamber, 
 and spoke thus to her : " My heart's beautiful love, I 
 have a great favor to ask of thee." 
 
 " And what may it be, my dear husband? " 
 
 " Of a truth, nothing but this, that thou dress in 
 peasant's clothes, go to the hareherd in the field, and 
 ask a hare of him. If he will not give it for fair 
 words, he may for a sweet kiss ; but come not home 
 to me without a hare, even if he asks a piece of thy 
 flesh." 
 
 Well, the queen yielded to her husband's request, 
 put on a peasant's dress, and went to the field, where 
 she found the Useless Wagoner sleeping in the shade. 
 She roused him with her foot ; he knew at once who 
 was in the peasant's dress. 
 
 " God give thee a good-day, hareherd ! " 
 
 " God save thee, kind queen ! What good hast 
 thou brought the poor hareherd? Why hast thou 
 come, may I ask ? " 
 
 " I have only come to ask if thou wilt give me a 
 hare for good money." 
 
The Useless Wagoner. 431 
 
 " I will not give a hare for money, my queen ; but 
 if thou wilt give me three kisses, I will return them 
 again. Then I don't mind ; I '11 risk my head, and 
 let thee have a hare." 
 
 So the queen got a hare for three pairs of kisses, 
 and took her way home joyously; but just as she 
 was putting her hand on the latch to open the gate, 
 the hareherd sounded the whistle, the hare jumped 
 like a flash from the queen's bosom, and stopped not 
 till it joined its companions. 
 
 When the hares were all together, the hare- 
 herd drove them home. The king was waiting for 
 him at the gate, let each in singly, counting till he 
 reached a hundred, not one missing from the round 
 number. 
 
 Next morning the hares were driven out as before ; 
 but the king now put on a peasant's dress, and went 
 to the field himself. When he came to the hareherd 
 he said : " God give thee good-day ! " 
 
 " God save thee, poor man ! " answered the hare- 
 herd. " What art thou looking for? " 
 
 " Well, what 's the use in delay or denial? I have 
 come to buy a little hare of thee for good money. 
 Of course thou wilt part with one." 
 
 " I will not give one for money ; but if I can wear 
 out twelve rods on thy back, I don't mind ; I '11 risk 
 my head on it." 
 
 What was the king to do? He stretched himself 
 out with face and hands on the grass, and the hare- 
 
43 2 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 herd flogged him as a corporal does a soldier; but 
 he endured it all, gritting his teeth, and thinking to 
 himself, "Wait a bit, thief of a Useless Wagoner, 
 thou wilt have a dose when I get at thee ! " 
 
 But all to no use, for when the king had reached 
 home, and was just putting his hand on the latch 
 to open the gate, the whistle sounded, and the hare 
 sprang away from him like a flash, and ran till it 
 joined the flock. 
 
 Then the Useless Wagoner drove home the hundred 
 hares a fourth time. The king was standing at the lit- 
 tle gate ; he counted them one by one, but could find 
 no fault, for they were all there. 
 
 The Useless Wagoner drove out the hares the fifth 
 time to pasture; but the king mounted the chariot 
 which went wherever the owner commanded, and 
 drove to the Useless Wagoner, taking three empty 
 bags with him. "Dost hear me, thou! this-and- 
 that-kind-of-work-shunning? Hareherd, I revile thy 
 soul! If thou wilt not fill these three bags with 
 truth, I will strike off thy head." 
 
 To all this the Useless Wagoner answered in words : 
 " The king's daughter came out ; I gave her, and she 
 gave me. The queen came ; I gave her, and she gave 
 me. The king came ; I gave him, and he " 
 
 " Stop ! stop ! " cried the king, " the three bags 
 are full ; and I 'd rather be in hell than hear thy 
 words." 
 
 At this speech the chariot started off with the king, 
 
The Useless Wagoner. 433 
 
 and never stopped till it took him to the bottom of 
 hell. 
 
 Then the Useless Wagoner went home, married the 
 king's daughter, became king, and reigns yet with his 
 queen, unless he is dead. 
 
MIRKO, THE KING'S SON. 
 
 ONCE there was a king, and he had three sons. 
 The king rejoiced in his three sons, and re- 
 solved to have them instructed in a befitting manner, 
 so that he might leave good heirs to the kingdom. 
 Therefore he sent his sons to school, where they got 
 on well enough for a time, till at length they turned 
 their backs on the school, went home, all three, and 
 knew their studies no more. 
 
 The king grew fiercely angry at this, forbade his 
 sons to stand before his face, and betook himself to 
 live in the chamber of his palace next the rising sun, 
 where he sat continually at the window and looked 
 towards the east as if waiting for something; and with 
 one eye he wept unceasingly, while with the other he 
 laughed. 
 
 After the three princes had grown up to a good 
 age, they agreed among themselves to inquire of the 
 king why he was always sitting in the chamber next 
 the rising sun, and why one of his eyes was always 
 crying, while the other was always laughing. First 
 the eldest son went in and put the question, saying, 
 " My father the king, I have come to ask why one of 
 thy eyes is always crying and the other always laugh- 
 
Mirko, the Kings Son. 435 
 
 ing, while thou art looking continually towards the 
 east." 
 
 The king measured his son with his eyes from head 
 to foot, said not a word, but took a sword which hung 
 at the window and hurled it at him with such force 
 that it sank into the door up to the hilt. The prince 
 sprang through the door, thus escaping the blow 
 aimed at him. When he came out his brothers asked 
 what success he had had. He answered : " Try your- 
 selves ; then ye will know." The second brother 
 tried, with the same result as the first. At last the 
 youngest, who was called Mirko, went in and declared 
 the cause of his coming. The king answered him not, 
 but seized the sword in still greater anger, and hurled 
 it at him so that it entered the stone wall up to the hilt. 
 Mirko did not spring aside, but went to the sword, 
 drew it out of the stone wall, took it to the king, his 
 father, and placed it before him on the table. 
 
 Seeing this, the king opened his mouth and said to 
 Mirko : " I see now, my son, that thou knowest some- 
 what better than thy two brothers what honor is ; to 
 thee then will I give answer. My one eye weeps 
 unceasingly for sadness at your insignificance, not 
 being fit to rule ; but my other eye laughs because 
 in the time of my youth I had a trusty comrade, the 
 Hero of the Plain, who battled by my side, and he 
 promised that if he should overpower his enemies he 
 would come to dwell with me, that we might pass the 
 days of our old age together. For this reason I sit 
 
436 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 ever by the window next the rising sun, because 
 I await his coming; but every day there rise up 
 against the Hero of the Plain, who dwells in the 
 silken meadow, as many enemies as there are grass- 
 blades on the field. Every day he unaided cuts them 
 down ; and until all his enemies have disappeared, he 
 will not be able to come to me." 
 
 With that Mirko left his father's chamber, came out 
 to his brothers, and told them the king's speech. 
 They counselled together again, and agreed to ask 
 leave of the king to try their fortune. First the 
 eldest son went to his father and made known his 
 wish. The king consented, and the eldest brother 
 went to the royal stables where he chose a good 
 steed, which he saddled next day, and set out on 
 his journey. After he had been absent a whole 
 year, behold he rides home, bearing on his shoul- 
 ders the top of the copper bridge, which he threw 
 down before the palace. He went in then, stood 
 before the face of the king, and told him where he 
 had been and what he had brought back. 
 
 The king heard his son's discourse to the end, and 
 said : " Oh, my son, when I was of thy age the road 
 to the copper bridge was a two hours' ride for me. 
 Thou art a soft hero. Thou writ never make vitriol. 
 Go thy way." 
 
 With that, the eldest son left his father's chamber. 
 After him the second brother went in, and asked 
 leave of the king to try his fortune. Having received 
 
 
Mirko, the Kings Son. 437 
 
 it, he went also to the stables and chose a good steed, 
 which he saddled, mounted, and went his way. At 
 the end of a year he came home, bringing the top of 
 the silver bridge, which he threw down in front of the 
 palace ; then he stood before the king, his father, and 
 told him where he had been and what he had brought 
 back. 
 
 " Oh," said the king, " when I was of thy age that 
 was only a three hours' ride for me. Thou too art a 
 soft hero ; nothing at all will come of thee." With 
 that he dismissed the second son. 
 
 At last Mirko appeared ; he also asked to try his 
 fortune. The king consented, and Mirko went to the 
 stables to choose a steed. Finding nothing to his 
 mind, he went out to the royal stud and examined it 
 carefully, but could not decide which steed to take. 
 Just then an old witch chanced to be passing that 
 way, and asked what he wanted. Mirko told her. 
 " Oh, my master," said she, " thou wilt not find a 
 horse to thy wish here, but I will tell thee how to find 
 one. Go to the king, thy father, and ask him for the 
 horn with which in his youth he called together his 
 golden-haired steeds. Sound this horn and the steeds 
 will appear at once. Choose not among the golden- 
 haired ones ; but last of all will come a shaggy-coated, 
 crooked-legged old mare, thou wilt know her by 
 this, that when she strikes the pillars with her tail the 
 whole palace will tremble from the blow. Choose 
 her; try thy fortune with her." 
 
438 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 
 Mirko took the old witch's advice, went straight- 
 way to the king and said : " My father, I have come 
 that thou mayest give me the horn with which in thy 
 youth thou wert wont to call together thy golden- 
 haired steeds." 
 
 The king asked : " Who told thee of this horn? " 
 
 " No man," answered Mirko. 
 
 " Well, my dear son, if no man told thee, thou art 
 wise ; but if some man told thee, he does not wish thee 
 harm. I will tell thee where to find the horn ; the 
 rust has eaten it up, perhaps, by this time. In the 
 seventh cellar it is enclosed in the wall ; look for it, 
 take it out, and make use of it if thou art able." 
 
 Mirko called a mason, went with him to the seventh 
 cellar, found the hollow place in the wall, took out 
 the horn, and carried it away. Then standing on the 
 square before the palace, he sounded towards the 
 east, the west, the south, and the north, and having 
 waited a little, behold! he hears the golden horse 
 bells ringing so that the whole city is full of the sound. 
 The steeds came in, one more beautiful than the other 
 in appearance and in breed. At a distance he saw 
 the shaggy-haired, crooked-legged mare; and when 
 she came to the gate, as true as I live, she struck the 
 pillars with her tail so that the whole palace trembled. 
 
 When the steeds had stopped in the courtyard, 
 Mirko went up to the mare, led her away to the 
 stable, and then said that he had taken her to try his 
 fortune. The magic mare answered : " That is well, 
 
Mirko, the Kings Son. 439 
 
 my lord king's son; but first thou must feed me, 
 for without that it will be hard to endure the long 
 road." 
 
 " What kind of food dost thou wish? for whatever 
 my father has, I will give thee with a good heart." 
 
 "Very well, kind master; but a steed must be fed 
 before starting, not while on the road." 
 
 " I know not what I can do," said Mirko, " except 
 to give what I have with a good heart." 
 
 " Bring me straightway a measure of peas, and turn 
 them into the manger." 
 
 Mirko obeyed, and when the peas were eaten, he 
 brought a measure of beans ; when these were eaten 
 the mare turned to Mirko and said : " Now bring me 
 half a measure of glowing coals." 
 
 The coals were brought ; and when she had eaten 
 the glowing coals, she became such a golden-haired 
 steed as the Star of Dawn, and spoke further to Mirko. 
 " Go now, my master, to the king, and ask of him 
 that saddle which he used when he coursed the 
 meadow with me in his youth." 
 
 Mirko went to the old king and asked for the sad- 
 dle. The king answered that it was useless, for it 
 had been thrown about a long time in the carriage- 
 house, but if he could find it, he might take it. Mirko 
 went to the carriage-house and found the saddle all 
 befouled by the hens and turkeys. He took it, how- 
 ever, to his steed, which said that it was not proper 
 for a king's son to sit on such a saddle. Mirko was 
 
440 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 about to carry it away and have a fresh cover put on, 
 when she said : " Place it before me." He obeyed. 
 Straightway she blew on it, and in an instant it be- 
 came such a golden saddle that its like could not be 
 found in seven kingdoms. 
 
 With this he saddled the magic mare, and she said : 
 " Go now, my dear master, to thy father, and ask him 
 for the weapons and the sword with which he fought 
 when he journeyed with me." 
 
 Mirko asked his father; the old king said they 
 were on the shelf if he wanted them. Mirko took 
 them to the mare, who blew on them, and instantly 
 they became the most beautiful gold-mounted sword 
 -and weapons. Mirko girded on the sword and took 
 the weapons. Then the bridle was brought, and 
 when blown upon became of the most beautiful 
 gold. 
 
 Mirko bridled the mare, led her out of the stable, 
 and wished to sit in the saddle, but she said : " Wait, 
 my dear master ; lead me out of the city first, and then 
 sit on me." He hearkened to these words, and led 
 her out of the city ; then she stood still, and he sat in 
 the saddle. 
 
 The magic steed now asked : " How shall I bear 
 thee, dear master; with the speed of the fleet whirl- 
 wind, or of quick thought? " 
 
 "Carry me as may please thee," answered the 
 prince ; " only manage so that I shall endure the swift 
 flight." 
 
Mirko, the Kings Son. 441 
 
 " Well, close thy eyes," said the steed, " and hold 
 fast." 
 
 Mirko closed his eyes; the steed shot on like a 
 rushing whirlwind, and after a short time struck the 
 earth with her foot, and said to Mirko: "Open thy 
 eyes ! What dost thou see? " 
 
 " I see," said he, " a great river and a copper 
 bridge." 
 
 "That, my dear master, is the bridge the top of 
 which thy first brother brought home; but look for 
 the open place." 
 
 " I see it," said Mirko ; " but where are we going 
 from here? " 
 
 " Only close thy eyes ; I will take thee straight 
 there." 
 
 With that she moved as quick as thought, and in a 
 few moments struck the earth, stood still, and said to 
 Mirko : " Open thy eyes ! What dost thou see? " 
 
 " I see a great river, and across it a silver bridge." 
 
 " That is the bridge the top of which thy second 
 brother took home ; look for the open place." 
 
 " I see it," said Mirko ; " but where do we go from 
 here?" 
 
 "Only close thy eyes," said the steed; "I will 
 take thee at once." 
 
 With that she moved on like lightning, and in a 
 flash stamped on the ground, and said to the prince : 
 " Open thy eyes ! What dost thou see? " 
 
 " I see," said Mirko, " an enormously wide and 
 
442 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 deep river, across it a golden bridge, and at both 
 ends of the bridge, at this side and that, are four un- 
 mercifully large lions. Must we cross this bridge ? " 
 
 " Never mind," said the steed, " I '11 manage ; only 
 shut thy eyes." 
 
 The mare sped on like a swift falcon, and thus flew 
 across the bridge. After a short time she struck the 
 ground, and said : " Open thy eyes ! What dost 
 thou see?" 
 
 " I see," replied Mirko, " a summitless, high glass 
 mountain, as steep as the side of a house." 
 
 " We must cross that very mountain, my master." 
 
 " That, I think, is impossible," said Mirko. 
 
 " Fear not," said the steed ; " for I have on my 
 feet the shoes which thy father fastened to me with 
 diamond nails, seven hundred years ago. Only shut 
 thy eyes and hold to me firmly." 
 
 Now the steed sprang up, and in an instant was on 
 the glass mountain. She stamped, and said, " Open 
 thy eyes ! What dost thou see? " 
 
 " I see," said Mirko, " when I look behind, some- 
 thing dark, as large as a great plate." 
 
 " Oh, my master, that is the round of the earth. 
 But what dost thou see before thee?" 
 
 " I see a narrow glass road, rising like a half cir- 
 cle. On both sides of it is emptiness of bottomless 
 depth." 
 
 " My dear master, we must pass over that road ; 
 but the passage is so delicate that if one of my feet 
 
Mirko, the Kings Son. 443 
 
 slip the least bit to one side or the other, there is an 
 end to our lives. But trust thyself to me, and close 
 thy eyes. Hold fast, I will manage." 
 
 With that she swept on, and in an instant stamped 
 again. " Open thy eyes ! What dost thou see? " 
 
 " I see behind me," said Mirko, " a faint light, in 
 front of me is darkness so dense that when I hold 
 my ringer before my eyes I cannot see it." 
 
 "Well, we must go through that also; shut thy 
 eyes and hold firmly." 
 
 She sped on anew, and again stamped. " Open 
 thy eyes ! What dost thou see now? " 
 
 " I see," said Mirko, " the most glorious, light, 
 beautiful, snow-covered mountains, and in the midst 
 of them a silken meadow ; in the centre of the silken 
 meadow something dark." 
 
 " This silken meadow," said the steed, " belongs to 
 the Hero of the Plain; and the dark object in the 
 middle is his tent, woven from black silk. Now close 
 thy eyes or not as may please thee. We shall go 
 there directly." Mirko spurred the steed, and they 
 were at the tent in a twinkle. 
 
 Mirko sprang from his steed and left her at the tent 
 by the side of that of the Hero of the Plain, and en- 
 tered himself. Within lay a warrior stretched on the 
 silken grass, sleeping; but a sword above him was 
 cutting around in every direction, so that a fly could 
 not light on his body. "Well," thought Mirko to 
 himself, " though he be a good warrior I could slay 
 
444 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 him in slumber ; but it would not be honorable to slay 
 a sleeping man. I will wait till he rises." Then he 
 went out and tied his steed fast to the tent, near the 
 other, stretched himself on the silken grass, and 
 called : " Sword out of thy sheath ! " and the sword 
 cut around above him, as his sword above the Hero 
 of the Plain, so that a fly could not touch his body. 
 
 When the Hero of the Plain woke up and saw that 
 a horse was tied near his own, he marvelled, and said : 
 "What does this mean? I am here seven hundred 
 years, and I have not seen a strange horse near mine 
 before. Whose can this be?" He rose, went out, 
 and saw Mirko sleeping near the tent with the sword 
 cutting above him. " That," said he, " is an honest 
 warrior ; he has not slain me while sleeping. It 
 would not become me to touch him now." 
 
 Then he pushed the foot of the sleeping hero with 
 his own. Mirko jumped up straightway, and the 
 Hero of the Plain asked: "Who art thou, and on 
 what journey? " Mirko told whose son he was, and 
 what his journey. " God has brought thee, dear 
 younger brother," said the Hero; "thy father is my 
 old friend, and thou, I see, art as good as thy father. 
 But I have need of thee. This great silken meadow 
 which thou seest, is every day filled with enemies, 
 and every day I cut them down ; but to-day as thou 
 art with me, we shall not hurry. Come, let us eat 
 and drink ; let them crowd." Then the two went in, 
 ate and drank till the enemy had so increased that 
 
 
Mirko, the Kings Son. 445 
 
 they reached almost to the tent. The Hero of the 
 Plain sprang then to his feet and said : " Up, my com- 
 rade, we '11 soon finish." Both leaped into their sad- 
 dles and rushed to the centre of the enemy, crying 
 out, " Sword from the sheath ! " The swords hewed 
 off the heads of the countless multitude, so there was 
 scarcely room to move for bodies. Twelve of the op- 
 posing warriors now flee from the rear, the Hero of 
 the Plain and Mirko pursuing. They come to a glass 
 mountain; the twelve warriors rushing ahead. Mirko 
 pursues in hot haste. On the top of the mountain 
 there is a nice, level space ; he sees them running 
 upon it. He gallops after them ; but all at once they 
 are as if the ground had swallowed them. Mirko 
 springs to the place where they disappear, finds a 
 breach and a deep opening with winding steps. His 
 steed rushes into the opening and down the stairs ; 
 they are soon in the lower world. 
 
 Mirko looks around the lower world and sees a 
 shining diamond castle, which serves instead of the 
 sun .down there. The twelve fleeing warriors rush 
 towards the castle, he after them, and ordering his 
 sword out of the sheath, cuts off their heads in a mo- 
 ment. The next instant Mirko stands before the dia- 
 mond castle. Within, there is such a clatter and 
 pounding that the whole interior trembles and shivers. 
 He dismounts and enters. Inside is an old witch 
 weaving, and the racket is deafening. The building is 
 full of armed men. The infernal old witch weaves 
 
446 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 them. When she throws her shuttle tp the right, two 
 hussars spring out on horseback ; when she throws it 
 to the left, two men on foot jump out armed. 
 
 Meanwhile Sword out of the Sheath cuts down the 
 newly made soldiers, but the old witch weaves more. 
 "Well," thinks Mirko to himself, "I shall never 
 get out of here, at this rate ; " but he commands 
 the sword, and it cuts the old witch into small pieces. 
 Then he carries the loom into the yard, where there 
 is a pile. He throws everything on the pile and sets 
 fire to it; but when all is burned one of the old witch's 
 ribs springs out, begins to turn round in the dust, and 
 she rises up again entire. Again Mirko is going to 
 command the sword to cut her to pieces, but she 
 speaks up, " Spare my life, Mirko, and await one 
 good deed for another, if thou wilt let me go. Thou 
 dost not know how to escape from here ; I will give 
 thee four diamond horse-shoe nails. Do as I say; 
 thou wilt profit by it." 
 
 Mirko takes the nails and puts them away, but says 
 to himself: " If I leave the old witch alive, she will 
 put up her loom again, and the Hero of the Plain 
 will never be able to free himself from his enemies." 
 Again he orders his sword to cut the old witch in 
 pieces ; he throws the pieces into the fire, where they 
 are consumed, so that she can never rise again. He 
 mounts his steed and searches the underground world, 
 but nowhere does he find a living soul. 
 
 Then he puts spurs to his steed, springs up the cir- 
 
Mirko, the Kings oSlfc. imir * 447 
 
 cular stairs, and issues forth into the upper world. 
 Straightway he comes down from the glass mountain, 
 and passing over the silken meadow, returns to the 
 Hero of the Plain, who thought Mirko had left him. 
 But when he saw his friend returning, he went out 
 to meet him with great joy, and took him into the 
 tent, where they feasted together gloriously. And 
 when the prince rose to go, he offered him his 
 silken meadow and all the royal domains; but 
 Mirko answered : " My dear elder brother, I have 
 finished thy enemies; they will never attack thy 
 kingdom again. I have this now to ask, that thou 
 come with me to my father the king, who has long 
 been waiting for thee." 
 
 Thereupon they mounted their steeds, and set out 
 for the realms of the old king. They went on easily 
 till they reached the glass mountain, where the Hero 
 of the Plain stopped, and said : " My dear younger 
 brother, I cannot go on, for the diamond nails are 
 long since worn from my horse's shoes, and his feet 
 have no grip." 
 
 Mirko called to mind that the cursed old witch 
 had given him the diamond nails, and said : " Grieve 
 not, elder brother, I have nails ; I '11 shoe thy horse 
 this minute." 
 
 So he took out the nails, and shod the Hero's 
 horse. Then they continued their journey over the 
 glass mountain with ease and comfort, like two jolly 
 comrades, and sped homeward as swiftly as thought. 
 
448 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 At that time the old king was sitting at the win- 
 dow of his palace next the rising sun, and lo ! he 
 beholds two horsemen riding towards him. Straight- 
 way he takes his field-glass, and sees that it is his 
 trusty old comrade, the Hero of the Plain, together 
 with his son Mirko. He runs out, and from the 
 tower commands that a twelve-year old ox be 
 killed ; and when Mirko and the Hero arrive, the 
 great feast is ready. He receives them with joy, 
 kisses and embraces them; this time both his eyes 
 are laughing. Then they sat down to the feast, ate 
 and drank with gladness. Meanwhile the Hero of 
 the Plain spoke of Mirko's doings, and among other 
 things said to the old king: " Well, comrade, thy 
 son Mirko will be a better hero than we were ; he is 
 already a gallant youth. Thou hast cause to rejoice 
 in him." 
 
 " Indeed, I begin to be satisfied with him," said 
 the king, " especially since he has brought thee. But 
 I do not think he would venture yet to measure 
 strength with Doghead." 
 
 Mirko heard the conversation, but said nothing. 
 After dinner, however, he spoke to the Hero of the 
 Plain apart, and inquired who Doghead was, and in 
 what direction he lived. The Hero of the Plain told 
 him that Doghead lived in the north, and was such 
 a hero that his like was not under the sun. 
 
 Mirko made preparations for his journey, took 
 provisions, and next day set out for Doghead's. 
 
 : 
 
Mirko, the Kings Son. 449 
 
 According to his wont, he sat on his steed, held 
 fast, and closed his eyes. The steed sped on, fly- 
 ing like the swift whirlwind. At length she stopped, 
 struck the ground, and said to Mirko : " Open thy 
 eyes! What dost thou see?" 
 
 " I see," said the prince, " a seven-story diamond 
 castle, so bright that I can look on the sun, but not 
 on it." 
 
 "Well, Boghead lives there; that is the royal 
 castle." 
 
 Mirko sprang towards it, stopped right under 
 the window, and called out in a loud voice : " Art 
 thou here, Doghead? I have an account to settle 
 with thee." 
 
 Doghead was not at home, but his daughter was, 
 and such a beautiful princess that her like could not 
 be found on the whole round of the earth. As she 
 sat by the window embroidering, and heard the loud, 
 piercing voice, she looked out so angrily with her won- 
 drous black, beautiful eyes that Mirko and his horse 
 were turned into stone in an instant from the flash. 
 Then she thought : " Maybe this young man is a 
 king's son." She went to look at him, was sorry she 
 had turned him to stone so quickly, and approached, 
 taking a golden rod, walked around the stone statue 
 and struck it on all sides with the rod. The stone 
 began to move, and in a moment Mirko and his 
 horse stood alive before her. Then the maiden 
 asked, " Who art thou, and on what journey? " 
 
 29 
 
45 o Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Mirko answered that he was a king's son, and had 
 come to see Boghead's daughter. 
 
 The maiden was so displeased that she called out 
 to her father very angrily; but presently she thought 
 better of it, fell in love with Mirko, and led him up 
 into the seven-story diamond palace, where she saw 
 him with a good heart. During conversation at the 
 table, Mirko confessed that he had come to try his 
 strength with Doghead. 
 
 The maiden advised him not to do that, since there 
 was no man on the round of the earth whom her 
 father could not conquer. Seeing, however, that 
 Mirko would not desist from his purpose, she took 
 compassion on him, and told how her father might, 
 perhaps, be overcome. " Go down," said she " into 
 the seventh cellar of the castle. There thou wilt 
 find an unsealed cask, in which my father keeps 
 his strength. Here is a silver flask ; fill it from the 
 cask. Do not stop the flask, but keep it always 
 hanging from thy neck uncorked; and when thy 
 strength begins to fail, dip thy little finger in. Every 
 time thou shalt do so, thy strength will be increased 
 with the strength of five thousand men. Drink of 
 the wine, for every drop contains the strength of five 
 thousand men." 
 
 Mirko listened to her advice attentively, hung the 
 flask upon his neck, went into the cellar, and found 
 the wine. He took a good draught of it ; then think- 
 ing that he had enough, and lest Doghead might 
 
Mirko, the Kings Son. 451 
 
 make further use of the wine, he poured it all on the 
 ground, to the last drop. There were six measures 
 of wheat-flour in the cellar, which he sprinkled 
 around to absorb the moisture. Having done this, 
 he went up to Doghead's daughter, and declared 
 that he was ready, and thanking her for the counsel, 
 vowed to take her as wife for her kindness, and 
 swore eternal fidelity. 
 
 The beautiful princess consented, making one con- 
 dition, that if Mirko should overcome her father, 
 he would spare his life. 
 
 Mirko asked the maiden when her father might be 
 expected to return, and from what quarter. 
 
 She answered that he was then in the realms of 
 the setting sun, that he took delight in those regions, 
 but would soon be home, for it was the hour of his 
 coming. But it was easy to know it beforehand, 
 for when he was forty miles distant, he was in the 
 habit of hurling home a forty-hundred-pound club 
 before him; and wherever it fell a fountain gushed 
 out of the earth. 
 
 Mirko and the princess went on the balcony to 
 wait for Boghead; all at once (the Lord save us!) 
 the sky grew dark, and a forty-hundred-pound club 
 fell in the court-yard. A stream rushed out of the 
 earth as if from a force-pump. 
 
 Mirko ran down straightway to see how much his 
 strength had increased. He picked up the club, 
 whirled it around his head, and let it go so that it came 
 
452 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 down just in front of Boghead. Boghead's horse 
 stumbled over the club, whereupon his master flew 
 into a rage, and cried out : " May the wolves and 
 dogs devour thee ! Seven hundred years have I 
 ridden thee, and to this day thou hast never stum- 
 bled. Why begin now?" 
 
 " Oh, dear master," answered the magic steed, 
 " there is mighty trouble at home; for the club which 
 thou hast sent ahead has been hurled back, and I 
 stumbled over it." 
 
 " Oh, that 's nothing ! " said Boghead. " Seven 
 hundred years ago I saw in a dream that I should 
 have a struggle with Mirko, the king's son, some 
 day. He is now at the castle; but what is he to me? 
 There is more strength in my little finger than in his 
 whole body." With that Boghead sped homeward 
 and was soon there. 
 
 Mirko, the king's son, was waiting in the court- 
 yard, and when Boghead saw the prince he made 
 straight towards him and said : " Mirko, I know that 
 thou art waiting for me. Well, here I am ; what dost 
 thou wish, that we should fight with swords or 
 wrestle? " 
 
 " I care not," answered Mirko ; " any way that 
 may please thee." 
 
 " Well, let us try it first with swords," said Bog- 
 head. 
 
 He got off his horse ; they stood face to face, and 
 both commanded : " Sword out of the sheath." 
 
Mirko, the Kings Son. 453 
 
 The swords sprang out in fighting, and so cut above 
 the heads of the two that the whole place was rattling 
 with their blows. Sparks flew so thickly from their 
 fierce slashing that fire covered the ground, and it 
 was impossible to stand long in one place. 
 
 Then Boghead said : " Let us not spoil our swords, 
 but put them up and try wrestling." 
 
 They laid aside the swords and began to wrestle. 
 Boghead seized Mirko by the body, raised him up 
 in the air, and so planted him on the ground that he 
 sank in it up to the girdle. Mirko, frightened at 
 this, thrust his little finger into the flask, and became 
 so strong that he sprang out of the earth in a moment, 
 rushed at Boghead, and so stretched him on the ground 
 that he lay there like a flattened frog. Then, seizing 
 him by the hair, he dragged him toward the castle, 
 where a golden bridge was built across a bottomless 
 lake. Having brought him to the middle of the 
 bridge, he held his head above the water and com- 
 manded the sword to cut. The head fell into the 
 bottomless lake, and Mirko threw the body after. 
 
 Boghead's daughter saw all this, and was power- 
 fully angry at Mirko, the king's son. When he came 
 before her she turned her face away and would not 
 come to speech with him. But Mirko explained that 
 he could not have done otherwise, for if he had 
 spared Boghead's life, he would have lost his own ; 
 but as he had pledged his faith to the princess, he 
 held to his word, and would marry her. The 
 
454 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 princess approved this, and they agreed to make 
 ready and set out for Mirko's kingdom. The horses 
 were brought, Boghead's magic steed for the 
 princess. They mounted the horses, but when ready 
 to start, Mirko became very sorrowful. 
 
 " Why art thou sad Mirko? " inquired the princess. 
 
 " Because," said he, " I wish greatly to go home, 
 but it is hard to leave this glorious, seven-story dia- 
 mond castle here, which was thy father's, for there is 
 none like it in our kingdom." 
 
 " Oh, my dear," said the princess, " I will turn it 
 at once into a golden apple. I will sit in the middle 
 of the apple; thou mayst put it in thy pocket, and 
 thus carry home the castle and me. There thou 
 canst change it back again whenever the wish 
 comes." 
 
 The beautiful princess came down from her horse, 
 gave the reins to Mirko, and taking out a diamond 
 rod walked around the building and struck it on the 
 sides with the rod. The castle began to shrink to- 
 gether, and became smaller and smaller until it was 
 the size of a watchman's booth. Then she jumped 
 in and it became a golden apple, but the diamond 
 rod remained on the ground outside. Mirko, the 
 king's son, picked up the golden apple and the 
 diamond rod, put them in his pocket, sat on his steed, 
 and leading Boghead's horse by the bridle, travelled 
 home comfortably. 
 
 When Mirko had come home and seen his horses 
 
Mirko, the Kings Son. 455 
 
 in the stable he went to the palace, where he found 
 the old king with the Hero of the Plain, satisfied and 
 amused. He told them that he had conquered Dog- 
 head and put him to death; but the old king and 
 the Hero of the Plain shook their heads. 
 
 Mirko, taking them both by the hands, said: 
 " Come with me, and I will show you, so that ye 
 may see with your own eyes that I have beaten 
 Doghead ; for not only have I brought his seven- 
 story diamond castle with me, but his loveliest 
 daughter with the castle, as proof of my work." 
 
 The old king and the Hero of the Plain marvelled 
 at Mirko's speech, and were in doubt; but they went 
 with him, and he led them to the flowery garden of 
 the palace, in the middle of which Mirko took a 
 beautiful spacious place for the diamond castle, where 
 he put down the golden apple. He began to turn 
 and strike it on the sides with the diamond rod. The 
 apple swelled out and began to extend with four cor- 
 ners, and grew greater and greater, till it became a 
 seven-story diamond castle as high as the trees. 
 
 Then taking them by the hands he led them up the 
 diamond staircase and entered the halls of the castle, 
 where the world-renowned beautiful princess met and 
 received them with a good heart. Then she sent for 
 the old king's other sons and the chief men of his 
 court. In the dining-hall was a great horse-shoe 
 table. She commanded it ; the table opened of itself, 
 and every kind of precious meat and drink appeared 
 
45 6 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 upon it. Then the assembled guests feasted joy- 
 ously. The old king was satisfied at last with his 
 son. He gave Mirko his kingdom and all his posses- 
 sions, but he withdrew himself to quiet private life, 
 with the Hero of the Plain, and many a pleasant day 
 the old comrades had together; and the old king's 
 two eyes were always laughing. The royal pair lived 
 happily, and had beautiful children. They are still 
 alive if they are not dead. 
 
THE REED MAIDEN. 
 
 THERE was once a king, and he had two sons. 
 The king sent his eldest son to marry. He 
 went, and chose the elder sister of the Reed Maiden. 
 When he brought home his wife the king was satis- 
 fied with the choice. After that the king sent his 
 younger son to marry, and he answered that he would 
 not take any poor skeleton of a thing, but that his 
 wife must be the most beautiful flower on the whole 
 round of the earth, the most lovely, world-beauti- 
 ful maiden. 
 
 Once the king's two sons went to hunt ; on the way 
 home the younger said to the elder: " My dear elder 
 brother, I would beg of thee a favor." 
 
 "And what may it be, younger brother? " 
 
 " In truth, no other than this : When we come 
 home, ask thy wife if there is any one more beautiful 
 than she." 
 
 " If that 's thy trouble, it is no great matter, for my 
 wife is just coming to meet us. Well, my heart's 
 gold-enclosed ruby, wilt thou answer one question? 
 Thou art for me the most beautiful, but is there one 
 still more beautiful in the world ? " 
 
 Now the princess all at once acted like one hard 
 of hearing ; she answered nothing, but stopped them 
 
458 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 with a nod, and commanded with her eye, " Silence ! 
 not a word more." 
 
 It stopped there. The younger brother, whatever 
 he did not do, he stole into his brother's bed-cham- 
 ber quietly. In the evening, when the elder brother 
 and his wife came in, the husband said : " Tell me, 
 my heart's heart, why didst thou not answer my 
 question a little while ago?" 
 
 " I did not answer, dear husband, because thou 
 didst ask me before thy brother. It would not have 
 been well for him to know that I have a younger 
 sister who is the most beautiful maiden on the whole 
 round of the earth, but she is hidden in the middle one 
 of three reeds ; for this reason she is known as the 
 world-beautiful Reed Maiden. The other two reeds 
 are her waiting-maids." 
 
 " But thou hast not told me, my dear, in what cor- 
 ner of the world she is hidden." 
 
 " Oh, my dear husband, it is far from here, as far 
 as from here there and from there back ; but as thou 
 hast asked I will tell thee. Hast thou heard of the 
 fame of the Black Sea?" 
 
 " I have not, indeed." 
 
 " Well, if thou hast not, then hear now. In the 
 seventy-seventh island of the Black Sea, right in the 
 middle, are hidden three reeds, but no mortal could go 
 to them unless by some magic power or infernal art ; 
 but if by a miracle he should get there, he would not 
 be able to bring away anything, First, because 
 
The Reed Maiden. 459 
 
 there is such darkness on the islands of the Black Sea 
 that a spoon might stand up in it ; second, because 
 the world-beautiful Reed Maiden is guarded by a|t 
 witch whose life will end when the reeds are cut * 
 down ; therefore she guards them as the light of her 
 two eyes, or still more carefully. But if any man 
 could bring the maiden away, he would be the happi- 
 est person in the wide world ; for the islands would be 
 lighted up, and he would gain a wife whom the starry 
 heavens would gaze upon with smiles." 
 
 When the king's younger son had heard all this 
 from root to branch, he went out of the room by the 
 same way he had entered. Then saddling his best 
 and favorite steed, he put provisions in his bag 
 and moved out into the wide world in search of the 
 beautiful Reed Maiden. He journeyed and travelled 
 over forty-nine kingdoms and beyond the Operentsia 
 Sea till he came to a hut ; in the hut an old woman 
 was living : " God give thee good-day, dear old 
 mother." 
 
 " If thou hadst not called me old mother, I should 
 have eaten thee on the spot. But whither art thou 
 journeying in this strange land, where even a bird 
 does not go?" 
 
 " I am looking for the world-beautiful Reed Maiden, 
 who is blooming in the seventy-seventh island of the 
 Black Sea. Hast thou not heard of her, dear old 
 mother?" 
 
 "What's the use in denying, my son? I have not 
 
460 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 heard. Why should I evade, since it can neither 
 harm nor profit me? But here in the neighboring 
 valley, over the mountain, straight ahead, near a 
 round forest on the top of a hill, lives my elder sis- 
 ter ; if she knows nothing about it, then no one in the 
 world knows. Here, Mitsi, come out ! Conduct the 
 king's son to my elder sister." 
 
 The king's son followed Mitsi, who was no other 
 than a large-whiskered little mouse. When they 
 came to a cross-road Mitsi squeaked once, showed 
 the middle of the road, and ran home. The king's 
 son went along the right road, and arrived at the hut 
 in which the second sister lived. She received him 
 in like manner as the first, and sent her servant, 
 Pitsi, to show him the road to her eldest sister. 
 Pitsi was no other than a dove-white squirrel, with a 
 long bushy tail. When the king's son came to the 
 third hut, where the eldest sister lived, he said : " God 
 give thee a good-day, dear old mother." 
 
 " If thou hadst not called me old mother, I should 
 have eaten thee on the spot. Whither art thou wan- 
 dering in this strange land, where even a bird does 
 not go?" 
 
 " I am in search of the world-beautiful Reed 
 Maiden, who is blooming in the seventy-seventh 
 island of the Black Sea. Hast thou not heard of 
 her, dear old mother?" 
 
 " Oh, king's son, thou wouldst wear off thy horse's 
 legs to the knees, and wear out twelve pairs of iron 
 
The Reed Maiden. 461 
 
 boots on thy own feet, before thou couldst reach 
 that place, for it is only possible to go there on a 
 steed that has sucked dragon's milk, eaten glowing 
 coals, and drunk the fiery flame; but thou hast in 
 thy head three golden hairs, grown from one root, of 
 which thou hast known nothing to this moment. 
 Come hither; let me cut them out." 
 
 The king's son bent down his head. The old 
 woman cut out the three golden hairs. " See, my 
 son, these three hairs have wondrous power. A fairy 
 gave them to thy father, with whom, as he was a 
 beautiful man, she fell in love, and thou hast inherited 
 them. Here they are ; I give them to thee with this 
 latch-string. Go up on this terribly high mountain, 
 which in front of my hut supports the heavens. 
 When thou shalt come to the top, strike the three 
 golden hairs with the latch-string three times ; at 
 once will stand before thee a magic steed that has 
 grown up on the silken meadow, sucked dragon's 
 milk, eaten glowing coals, and drunk fiery flames." 
 
 The king's son gave heartfelt thanks for the kind- 
 ness shown him, then went up on the great unclimb- 
 able mountain that supported the heavens. When 
 he had reached the top he took out the three golden 
 hairs and struck them three times with the old latch- 
 string. Behold, a fiery cloud rushed towards him like 
 a shot arrow, with a fearful rumbling and cracking, 
 as if a whole stud of horses were before it, and then 
 stood still above his head. All at once he heard 
 
462 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 from the fiery cloud a triple neighing, at the sound 
 of which, as of a bell, the earth trembled three times. 
 The magic steed rushed out, and like a flood, like 
 a cloud-burst, plunged down by his side, blowing 
 from its nostrils varied flames, red, blue, and 
 green. The latch-string became such a saddle that 
 for the fur and diamond buttons, and silver and gold 
 embroidery, the earth could not be seen. 
 
 " Hip, hop ! here am I, dear master ! That there 
 be no delay in thy affair, wilt thou not sit on my 
 back that I may be off with thee? Shall I go like 
 the swiftest whirlwind, or like thought, or as a bird 
 can fly?" 
 
 " Go, my dear steed, in such fashion that there may 
 be no fault in thee or me." 
 
 " But before we set out on the long road," said the 
 magic steed, " I wish to say this : Since such dense 
 darkness reigns in the islands that a spoon might 
 stand straight in it, we must first go to the bright 
 antechamber of the Sun, and take thence one 
 burning ray." 
 
 When the steed had thus ended the speech, he 
 rose in the airy heavens. They journeyed and trav- 
 elled across forty-nine kingdoms till they came to 
 the portals of the earth, where two bearded wolves 
 stood on guard. These wolves stood on the road 
 and demanded toll. The toll was no other than 
 two pounds of flesh from the good steed. Now, if 
 two pounds of flesh were taken from the steed, it 
 
The Reed Maiden. 463 
 
 would be but half magic, and so would never reach 
 the end of the road. Whatever the king's son did 
 not do, he took his gleaming clasp-knife and cut out 
 two pounds of his own flesh ; then he threw it to the 
 bearded wolves, and only on this condition did they 
 let him pass. 
 
 The king's son pursued his way till he came to 
 the Sun's bright antechamber, where he tied his 
 steed to a diamond pillar; then he bathed in the 
 fire-bath, and rubbed with fire-towels; looking at 
 himself from head to foot in the shining wall of 
 the antechamber as in a mirror, he combed his hair 
 with a golden comb. Here, 'pon my soul, what 
 came of the affair, or what did not, a subject-spirit in 
 the service of the Sun became enraged in good earn- 
 est (for his eyebrows struggled with each other), no 
 doubt it was at the king's son, and with a single 
 breath, which the son of the hurricane could not 
 withstand, blew straight ahead, so that the king's son 
 did not feel the ground under his feet for seventy- 
 seven miles. Then he fell into a terribly dark open- 
 ing, and groped along in this cavern, feeling his way 
 like a blind man. If he made a step, he trod on a 
 serpent ; if he felt with his hand, he grasped a warty 
 toad; if he looked around, he saw only red-eyed 
 worms, creeping, crawling things. He went on and 
 on till he heard the plash of seething water. The 
 beating of iron hammers struck his ear-drum, and so 
 struck as almost to break it. This is the place where 
 
464 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 thunderbolts are made. He went on till he came to 
 a great iron gate, standing open just then ; but a tre- 
 mendous, cursed, hundred-headed dragon, who let no 
 one pass, kept guard there. What could the king's 
 son take hold of? What could he do with his life? 
 Here, upon my soul ! what he did, or what he did 
 not do, he took out a sweet-speaking, magic flute, 
 and blew on it so sadly that his tears rolled down. 
 Such touching notes did he draw from the flute 
 that the great powerful beast the hundred-headed 
 dragon became as a lamb, lowered his bloody 
 crest; his bristling scales dropped smoothly, one on 
 the other; he stretched on the ground, and cowered, 
 whining like a dog when he beholds his master after 
 an absence. Seeing this, the king's son grew bold, 
 and going straight to the dragon, stepped upon him, 
 walked on his back, and the terrible wild beast did 
 not mind it ; he only licked his foot, wagged his tail, 
 and let the king's son pass over. 
 
 After he had gone through the gate the darkness 
 began to part; and no wonder, for a charm-given, 
 lovely maiden, in a purple velvet robe, stepped be- 
 fore him. She was no other than Dawn, the dearest 
 and best-beloved daughter of the Sun. Now, the 
 splendid young prince pleased this flower of the skies. 
 She placed him by her side on her winged steed, and 
 flew across the vault of heaven, and they swept on till 
 they reached the razor bridge. When they touched 
 the bridge, their horse became as if he were not; and 
 
The Reed Maiden. 465 
 
 they crossed so that the horse's feet were not injured, 
 and the razor's edge was not dented. Having passed 
 the razor bridge they came to the copper forest, 
 where were working at that moment the woodcutters 
 of the Sun, who on iron wagons were taking wood to 
 the kitchen, with a terrible rattling and pounding. 
 Thence they rode to the silver forest, where silver- 
 white birds cheered every wanderer. Two of the birds 
 came and sang the sweetest notes. The silver-trees 
 inclined thrice to the daughter of the Sun. Next they 
 reached the golden forest, where sweet-voiced, golden- 
 yellow birds enlivened the visitors, and threw down 
 golden nuts here and there from the trees. The 
 golden forest bent thrice to the daughter of the Sun. 
 
 In the middle of the golden forest was Dawn's 
 garden ; in the garden her copper-roofed mansion. 
 When the Beauty of the Skies came home the pearly 
 flowers shook their bells, and began to sound. On 
 hearing this, the stars swept forth like a swarm, and 
 glittered round about. The maiden nodded but once, 
 and behold ! purple clouds swam before her like so 
 many sky-sacks, which serve on the extended firma- 
 ment as boats. Dawn took her seat, but first she 
 spread her mantle and seated the king's son at her 
 side. Lest his part of the boat might be heavier, 
 she drew him nearer to her with an embrace; but 
 he dared not embrace in return. 
 
 They sailed and sailed through the airy heavens till 
 they were weary; then they tied their boat to the 
 
 30 
 
466 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 tree with diamond blossoms, silver leaves, and golden 
 apples. They sat on a golden bench under the tree, 
 and were there but a moment, when at a nod from 
 the Sun's daughter a golden butterfly appeared more 
 quickly than a spoken word, and brought fresh-gath- 
 ered honey of the skies on a rose-leaf. When they 
 had eaten, thirst seized the king's son; then a modest 
 star came bringing a goblet on a silver tray, in the 
 goblet a charm-drink, and when the king's son had 
 drunk from the golden goblet his thirst fell away 
 as if it had been cut in two. 
 
 When their hunger and thirst were gone, at the Sun's 
 daughter's nod the modest stars brought a cithara. 
 Dawn then played on its golden chords with silver 
 feathers, and sounded such notes that a man hearing 
 them would spring up and whirl in the dance, even if 
 his own father were lying dead on the table. After 
 that came the hour of rest; the king's son was led 
 across seventy-seven chambers to the bath-room. In 
 the middle of the room stood a great golden cask 
 filled with dew, and on a boxwood table lay lathery 
 soap. The king's son bathed in the dew-water, 
 washed himself with the lathery soap, and wiped with 
 a towel of gold. 
 
 When he rose next morning, Dawn gave him a 
 burning ray which she wound up like a ribbon, put 
 in a box, and hung with a golden hair on the neck of 
 the king's son. After that they parted amidst tear- 
 shedding. The Sun's daughter sped across the vault 
 
The Reed Maiden. 467 
 
 of heaven on her winged steed, and the king's son 
 continued his journey. 
 
 As I say, he had a ray to light up the island. The 
 king's son journeyed and travelled till the steed spoke, 
 saying : " Listen, dear master." 
 
 " What is thy command, dear horse? " 
 
 " Gird thyself well, for thou must cut the three 
 reeds at a blow; a second blow would lose thee thy 
 head. If at one blow thou succeed, the island will be 
 lighted up. The world-beautiful maiden and her two 
 attendants will be thine, but only on condition that 
 thou cut not open the reeds before coming to water ; 
 for if thou dost, they will die a fearful death in a 
 moment." 
 
 The king's son promised by heaven and earth that 
 he would act as told. On the seventh day they came 
 to the island of the Black Sea, where there was such 
 darkness that a spoon would have stood up in it; but 
 the king's son drew out the box hanging by the 
 golden hair and removed the cover. All at once the 
 way was lighted, but so strangely that it gave light 
 only to him; he could see everything, but not a 
 created soul could see him. When he came to where 
 the three reeds were growing, they bent before him 
 and bowed to the earth. They continued to bow ; at 
 the best moment the king's son drew his sword and 
 with a blow all three reeds fell upon his breast. But 
 from the three reed-stumps black blood sprang forth, 
 and a bitter wail was heard as if a naked sword had 
 
468 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 
 been thrust into some one's heart. It had been 
 thrust into the heart of the witch ; for the black blood 
 was hers, and the bitter wail was her death-sigh. 
 She could only live while the three reeds stood. As 
 soon as the old witch had breathed out her soul, the 
 burning ray flew out of the silver box as if it had been 
 shot from a gun, and the whole island was in light. 
 
 Then the king's son sat on his good steed and 
 journeyed over forty-nine kingdoms as swiftly as the 
 most fleet-winged bird could go. Once curiosity 
 rose in him to know if there was indeed something in 
 the reeds, and what it could be like. I say, curiosity 
 rose up in him, and bored his side as if with an iron 
 auger, so that what he did or did not do, he took out 
 his gleaming knife and split the smallest reed, in 
 which was the youngest attendant of the world-beau- 
 tiful Reed Maiden. No sooner had he split the reed 
 than a beauteous, pearl-given, lovely girl fell upon his 
 breast ; and her first word was : " Water ! Only as 
 much water as a little swallow takes in her beak when 
 she gives drink to her young, or I die ! " 
 
 But the king's son had it not. One drop of water 
 is not much, but he could not give that much. The 
 beautiful maiden, like a broken flower, began to 
 wither, grew paler and paler, till at last the pallor of 
 death seized her head, and bending to the breast of 
 the king's son, she died. 
 
 The king's son was so sorry for his fault that if it 
 had been possible, he would have atoned for it with 
 
The Reed Maiden. 469 
 
 his blood ; but that was not possible. Therefore he 
 came down from his good steed, dug a grave with 
 his sword, and buried the maiden ; as a grave-mark 
 he planted the split reed, and from it a black rose 
 sprang, which as mourning, bloomed in black. 
 
 A bitter weeping wail, a bitter woe-cry was heard 
 from the two reeds that were not split yet, as if some 
 one were bewailing a brother. Great sadness seized 
 the king's son too, who thought, " I caused the death 
 of this maiden. I broke this flower and planted it in 
 the bosom of death." But if he had wept out his soul, 
 it would have been useless ; therefore he mounted his 
 steed and rode farther. He travelled and journeyed 
 till curiosity rose in his breast, and bored his side as 
 with an iron auger. " Is there in the second reed an- 
 other such maiden; and will she go like the first?" 
 
 At last he could resist the devil's boring no longer ; 
 so he took his gleaming clasp-knife, and split the 
 second reed also. Behold, the elder attendant of 
 the Reed Maiden, came out, saying : " Water, water, 
 or I shall die a fearful death ! " But the king's son 
 had not one drop of water ; the maiden grew paler 
 and paler, till she dropped her head on the breast 
 of the king's son, and died. The king's son came 
 to the earth, dug a grave with his sword, and buried 
 the maiden. At the head of the grave he placed the 
 split reed ; from it a beautiful rose-bush sprang up, 
 which bloomed in black, as mourning. 
 
 A bitter weeping wail, a bitter woe-cry of pain was 
 
470 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 
 heard from the unsplit reed, in which the world- 
 beautiful maiden herself was hidden; and no less 
 grief seized the king's son. He had killed two; 
 with his own strength he had broken two beautiful 
 flowers, and put them in the bosom of death. Grief 
 covered him with black wing. His good steed went 
 as a bird of swiftest flight till curiosity rose up in the 
 breast of the king's son, bored his side as with an 
 iron auger. " What sort of person is his future 
 bride? who is the world-beautiful Reed Maiden?" 
 
 Since he could not resist this devil's boring, this 
 mighty curiosity, he took out the third and last reed 
 to split it; but the magic steed reached back, and 
 taking the reed from the king's son, did not return 
 it till they came to the shore of a lake. 
 
 At the water the king's son split the last reed, and 
 there came forth such a maiden that her like was not 
 born since the world began, nor before, nor after. 
 Her first word was : " Water ! Only as much water as 
 a little swallow takes in her beak when she gives 
 drink to her young, or I shall die in a moment ! " 
 
 The king's son gave her to drink ; she felt better. 
 Then they embraced, and kissed, saying, " I am 
 thine, thou art mine." 
 
 " Listen, my beautiful love," said the king's son, 
 " while I ride home for a carriage of glass and gold 
 do thou hide in this willow; but till I see thee, 
 though one word is not much, speak not that much 
 to any one." 
 
The Reed Maiden. 471 
 
 The king's son rode for the glass and golden car- 
 riage ; the maiden climbed the willow where she hid. 
 Now, what came of the affair, and what did not, while 
 the king's son was gone a crawfish-gathering gypsy 
 girl happened under the willow-tree, and looking in 
 the water she saw the quivering image of the charm- 
 ing maiden. Putting her hand on her hip she said : 
 " What a beautiful shadow I have, quite worthy of a 
 princess." 
 
 " It 's thine of course ! I '11 tell whose it is," said a 
 golden bird from the tree, in a golden voice. 
 
 The gypsy looked into the tree, where she saw 
 the world-beautiful princess, for the sight of whom 
 the sun would have stood still in heaven. The girl 
 said nothing, but in a twinkle she dragged the mai- 
 den from the tree by her white foot, pulled off her 
 purple velvet robe, and threw her into the water. 
 The maiden did not sink, but shaking herself, turned 
 into a golden-feathered duck and swam on the lake. 
 The gypsy then, ill or well, put on the purple velvet 
 robe, which sat on her as if it had been put on with a 
 fork and rake ; then she sat with great importance on 
 the tree. But she did not sit long ; for seeing the 
 golden duck, she jumped down and began to throw 
 stones at her. She threw and threw so many that her 
 arm grew tired, but she could not hit, for the golden 
 duck dived into the water the moment a stone flew 
 over her. At last the gypsy was tired, climbed into 
 the willow-tree and waited for fortune. 
 
Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 She had not long to wait, for soon the king's son 
 came with a gold and glass carriage to take home 
 the golden bird ; but the gypsy had her mind, for she 
 would not come down from the tree at least she 
 said so till he should shoot the golden duck on 
 the lake, so she might drink its red blood, and eat 
 its tender flesh. 
 
 The king's son took his arrow, aimed to kill the 
 golden duck; but the gypsy will not drink its red 
 blood, will not eat its tender flesh, for the arrow never 
 went with its point to the duck, but always turned 
 towards her the feathered end. If it had found her, it 
 would not have been her death. The king's son had 
 shot away all his arrows, and besides it was evening; 
 lie had to leave the amusement and turn his wagon- 
 tongue homeward. 
 
 At home he had told how beautiful a wife he was 
 bringing; all the greater was the surprise when he 
 led in the bride with raised veil. The king's son had 
 praised the world-beautiful Reed Maiden, and now 
 before the wedding assembly stands a leather-cheeked 
 gypsy girl. The guests know not whether to laugh 
 or to be angry. 
 
 Now, the queen the former gypsy thought that 
 it could not remain thus, without the world-beautiful 
 "Reed Maiden visiting her husband in the night; 
 therefore she put a sleeping-powder into his drink 
 every God-given evening, from which the king's son 
 slept like a shepherd's coat. 
 
The Reed Maiden. 473 
 
 The world-beautiful Reed Maiden shook herself, 
 turned into a little bird, and at midnight she came to 
 the king's son's window. She knocked with her little 
 beak, the window opened of itself, and she flew in ; 
 then the little bird shook herself, turned into a prin- 
 cess such as had not been born before, nor since, nor 
 after that. She went to the king's son, spoke to him 
 fondling words, but he did not hear; roused him, but 
 he did not wake; bent over him, and at last cried 
 long, but he did not feel the hot tears which burned 
 his cheek, he lay there motionless as a block. 
 
 Then she said : " Oh, king's son, youth of my soul, 
 thy dear lips are dumb; open them for one, two 
 words, to cheer thy beautiful love, thy tender violet. 
 I will come yet twice, then never again." 
 
 But the king's son did not wake. When the clock 
 struck one after midnight the maiden shook herself, 
 turned into a bird, and flew out through the window; 
 the window closed after her of itself. 
 
 The servant of the king's son heard all these words 
 clearly, for he was awake ; but in the morning when 
 he woke he thought it was all a dream, therefore he 
 did not tell the king's son what he had seen, but 
 resolved that he would wait for the coming night, 
 and if the maiden would appear again in the form of 
 a bird, then surely it was not a dream, and he would 
 tell the king's son. 
 
 The next evening also his wife gave the king's 
 son a sleeping-powder, and he slept like a shepherd's 
 

 474 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 coat. When the clock struck twelve the little bird 
 rapped with her beak, the window opened before her, 
 and closed behind. 
 
 The little bird shook herself and became the beau- 
 tiful Reed Maiden. She went to the bed of the 
 sleeping king's son, spoke to him, strove to rouse 
 him, and cried as the evening before ; but he was 
 motionless as a block. When the clock struck one 
 the maiden shook herself, was a bird, and flew out 
 through the window, which closed behind her. The 
 servant of the king's son heard all this clearly, for he 
 had not slept, and was now sure that it was no dream. 
 He said to his master next morning : " I would say 
 something to thy Highness if I were not afraid." 
 
 " Oh, good Yanchi, thou wilt have no trouble, only 
 speak." 
 
 " Well, the night before last, at midnight, a little 
 bird flew to the window, struck and beat it with her 
 beak ; the window opened before her. She flew in, 
 shook herself, and became such a beautiful maiden 
 that I looked on her as an altar image; and I was 
 afraid that she would bewitch me. The beautiful 
 maiden then bent over thy Highness, spoke to thee, 
 but thou didst not wake ; she cried a long time, but 
 thou didst not feel her hot tears. At last she said, 
 with a bird's tongue: ' Oh, king's son, youth of my 
 soul, thy dear lips are dumb ; open them for one, two 
 words, to cheer thy beautiful love, thy tender violet 
 I will come yet twice, then never again.' This was 
 
The Reed Maiden. 475 
 
 repeated last night, but thy Highness spoke not a 
 word, and lay there like a block. And thy Highness 
 may believe that she was so beautiful that if I had 
 been lying dead on the table, I should have risen." 
 
 "Is that true, Yanchi?" 
 
 " As true as that the bright sun is shining in the 
 sky." 
 
 "Well, Yanchi, couldst thou take a slap on the 
 cheek for a hundred florins?" 
 
 " Not for the money, but gladly for thy Highness, 
 even a hundred of them." 
 
 " If thou wilt, then take it when my wife gives me 
 the sleeping-powder again ; for her dog soul gives it 
 so that I should not wake. Knock down the light as 
 though from awkwardness, then I will pour the sleep- 
 ing-draught quietly into the bath; the woman will 
 think that I have drunk it." 
 
 When bath-time came Yanchi took the candle as 
 if he wished to snuff it, and put it out. The king's 
 son, meanwhile, poured the sleeping-powder and wine 
 into the bath quietly. The gypsy queen thought that 
 he had drunk it, but she gave such a cuff to poor 
 Yanchi that his eyes saw stars ; but Yanchi, for the 
 sake of his master, took the cuff as if a pretty girl 
 had kissed him. 
 
 As the clock struck twelve, the king's son feigned 
 sleep; but he was just as much awake as good 
 myself. I say, the clock struck twelve. The little 
 bird came to the window, knocked with her beak, 
 
476 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 the window opened before and closed behind her; 
 she shook herself and became such a maiden as 
 neither before that, nor since, was born, so that the 
 starry heavens would have looked at her with smiles. 
 She bent over the king's son ; when at last she cried, 
 the king's son put his arm around her and drew her 
 to him, that she might not become a little bird again ; 
 that she might not fly away any more. 
 
 He assembled, next day, all the dukes and counts 
 in the kingdom, and all the doers of good, and taking 
 before them the hand of the world-beautiful Reed 
 Maiden, he asked, 
 
 " What does that person deserve who tries to 
 separate from each other a couple?" 
 
 Because the gypsy thought that the question was 
 in favor of her own leathery face, she called out in an 
 instant : " That person, my royal husband, deserves 
 to be put in a cask, with spikes driven inward from 
 the outside all through it, and rolled from the highest 
 mountain in the kingdom." 
 
 " Oh, dog-given wretch, thou hast pronounced thy 
 own sentence ! " 
 
 And they took by the neck the queen, once a gypsy, 
 and put her in a cask like that, with spikes driven in, 
 and let the cask roll from the highest mountain in 
 the kingdom. 
 
KISS MIKLOS, AND THE GREEN DAUGHTER 
 OF THE GREEN KING. 
 
 r I ^HERE was once a poor man, and he had three 
 * sons. When the poor man was on his death- 
 bed, he called his three sons, and this was his word 
 and speech to them : " My dear sons, if I do not tell, 
 still mayhap ye know why our kingdom is in mourn- 
 ing, in unbroken darkness, such that a spoon might 
 stand up in it; but if ye know not, then I will tell. 
 My sons, this unbroken darkness is here because they 
 have stolen the sun and the moon from our bright 
 heavens. But I will tell one thing, and two will come 
 of it ; a wizard foretold that among my three sons 
 was one (which one I with firm trust cannot say) 
 who would bring back the sun and the moon. There- 
 fore, my sons, I leave you this : that after my death ye 
 will go out to seek the sun and the moon, and not 
 come home till ye bring back the sources of light." 
 
 With that the poor man turned to the wall, wan- 
 dered forth from this world of shadows, and was 
 buried with honor. 
 
 But here, my lord's son, what comes of the affair 
 or what does not, I saw it as I see now; I was in 
 the place where they were talking. The report ran 
 
478 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 through the whole kingdom of what the poor man had 
 left in his will to his three sons, so that even the king 
 heard it, and he summoned straightway to his pres- 
 ence the three brothers. And when the three brothers 
 appeared before the king, he said : " My dear young 
 men, I hear that your father may God give him 
 rest on his death-bed left this to you : that after his 
 death ye would go out into the wide, great world to 
 look for the sun and the moon. Therefore, my sons, 
 this is my word and speech to you : that whoso brings 
 back the sun and the moon will be king after my 
 death, and whoso will assist him in everything, this 
 one I will make viceroy. Now go to my stable and 
 to my armory and choose for yourselves horses and 
 swords; I will give in a sealed letter to you the 
 order that wherever ye go men shall give you in all 
 places, hay, oats, food, and drink free of cost." 
 
 Here the three young men entered the king's 
 stable, and the two elder chose the most beautiful 
 golden-haired steeds ; but the youngest, somewhere off 
 by the wall in a hidden corner, among cobwebs and 
 dirt, picked out for himself a wretched, shaggy haired, 
 plucked colt. The two elder brothers laughed at the 
 youngest because he intended to go on that ragged, 
 nasty colt that was hardly able to stand on its feet ; 
 but the youngest brother thought nothing of this, 
 and did not give ear to the talk of his brothers. 
 
 Now they went to the king's armory, where the 
 elder brothers chose for themselves two beautiful 
 
 
Kiss Miklos. 479 
 
 gold-mounted swords ; but the youngest brother, who 
 had more wit, picked out a rusty steel sword. This 
 rusty sword now jumped out of the sheath, now 
 sprang in again, played unceasingly. The two 
 elder brothers laughed at the youngest again, but 
 he put this as well as their former ridicule quietly in 
 his pocket, thinking to himself that he laughs truly 
 who laughs last ; for the nasty colt, as surely as I live 
 and as ye live I was present where they were talk- 
 ing, I saw as I do now, and I was looking as I am 
 now was a magic six-legged steed, conceived of the 
 Wind, and eating live coals; and the rusty sword had 
 this kind of virtue that a man had only to say, " Cut, 
 my dear sword," and it cut down whatever he wished. 
 But the two elder brothers knew nothing of all this, 
 for they did not understand wood-work. 
 
 Now the three brothers moved on their way 
 through the kingdom, to look for the sun and the 
 moon. They travelled and journeyed over forty- 
 nine kingdoms, beyond the Operentsia Sea, beyond 
 the glass mountains, and beyond that, to where the 
 little short-tailed pig roots, and farther than that, and 
 still farther, till they came to the silver bridge. When 
 they came to the silver bridge the youngest brother, 
 speaking a word, said to his two brothers : " My dear 
 brothers, let us go under the bridge, for soon the 
 steed of the moon will be here, and the twelve-headed 
 dragon, from whose saddle-bow the bright moon is 
 dangling." 
 
480 Magyar My Iks and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Now, the two brothers had barely hidden when the 
 steed of the moon was on the bridge, and on the steed 
 the twelve-headed dragon, from whose saddle-bow the 
 bright moon was dangling. The milk-white steed of 
 the moon stumbled on the bridge. Then the twelve- 
 headed dragon was enraged, and said this to the steed 
 of the moon, 
 
 " Ah, may the crow eat thy eye, may the dog eat 
 thy flesh, may the earth drink thy blood ! From 
 forest to forest I have ridden thee, from mountain to 
 mountain I have sprung with thee, and thou hast 
 never stumbled, but now on the even road thou hast 
 stumbled. Well, in my world-beautiful life I have 
 always heard the fame of Kiss Miklos ; if he were 
 here now, I would like to have a struggle with him." 
 
 At this word our Kiss Miklos for let it be said, 
 meanwhile, this was the name of the youngest 
 brother sprang out from beneath to the silver bridge 
 on his golden-haired magic steed, and closed with the 
 twelve-headed dragon. Long did they struggle, the 
 one with the other, but Kiss Miklos said to the rusty 
 sword : " Cut, my dear sword ! " and with that it cut 
 three heads off the dragon, and in the same order till 
 all the twelve heads were hewn off, so that the twelve- 
 headed dragon drew his shortest breath. Then Kiss 
 Miklos took by the halter the milk-white haired, black- 
 maned steed of the moon, on whose saddle-bow was 
 dangling the bright moon, and gave him to the care 
 of his second brother. Then they passed over the 
 
 
Kiss Miklos. 481 
 
 silver bridge, which sounded like most beautiful music 
 from the golden shoes of the magic steed. 
 
 They travelled and journeyed then through forty- 
 nine kingdoms, beyond the Operentsia Sea and the 
 glass mountains, beyond that, where the little short- 
 tailed pig roots, beyond that, and farther, till they 
 came to the golden bridge. 
 
 Then Kiss Miklos spoke, and said this to his twq^ 
 brothers, speaking speech : " My dear brothers, let 
 us hide under the bridge, for soon will the steed of 
 the sun be here, and on him the twenty-four-headed 
 dragon, from whose saddle-bow the shining sun is 
 dangling. He will call me out at once to the keen 
 sword, and I will measure with him strength with 
 strength. He will not be able to conquer me, nor I 
 him ; then he and I will turn into flames. He will be a 
 red and I a blue flame, but even then we shall not be 
 able to conquer one the other, for we shall be of equal 
 strength. But here is a sulphur stone ; when the red 
 flame springs highest toward the sky to press down 
 the blue flame, that is me, strike the sulphur stone on 
 the red flame." 
 
 Our Kiss Miklos had barely finished his speech 
 when the steed of the sun was on the bridge, bearing 
 the twenty-four-headed dragon and the shining sun. 
 The steed of the sun stumbled on the golden bridge. 
 The twenty-four-headed dragon was enraged at him, 
 and said, 
 
 " Ah, may the crow eat thy eye, may the dog eat 
 
482 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 thy flesh, may the earth drink thy blood ! I have 
 ridden from forest to forest on thee, I have leaped 
 thee from mountain to mountain, and never hast 
 thou stumbled ; but now on the even road thou hast 
 stumbled. In my world-beautiful life I have heard 
 always the fame of Kiss Miklos may the dog 
 devour him ! and if he were here now I would like 
 to have a struggle with him." 
 
 At this word our Kiss Miklos sprang out on to 
 the golden bridge, and closed with the twenty-four- 
 headed dragon. But Kiss Miklos commanded, say- 
 ing: " Cut, my dear sword ! " and that instant it cut 
 the twenty-four heads off the dragon; but, wonder 
 of the world ! when all the twenty-four heads were off, 
 in the twinkle of an eye new ones grew out which 
 the leaping sword could not cut. In vain Kiss 
 Miklos said : " Cut, my dear sword ! " for it could 
 not cut these heads. Well, Kiss Miklos took the 
 sword in his hand and whirled it like lightning; but 
 he did nothing with it, for the dragon had power of 
 the same kind as he. 
 
 When the dragon saw that he could not succeed 
 against Kiss Miklos, he spoke in this way : " Listen 
 to me, Kiss Miklos ! I wish thou hadst perished with 
 thy mother, for I see that I can do nothing with thee, 
 nor thou with me. Let us make one trial. Turn 
 thou into a blue flame, and I will turn into a red one, 
 and whichever can put the other out, his will be the 
 steed of the sun and the shining sun upon him." 
 
Kiss Miklos. 483 
 
 That is what was done. Kiss Miklos turned to a 
 blue flame, and the twenty-four-headed dragon to a 
 red one. The two flames fought the one with the 
 other, but neither was able to put out the other. 
 Happily the two brothers threw the sulphur stone on 
 the red flame, and then the blue flame put out the 
 red one ; and when it was quenched altogether, the 
 twenty-four-headed dragon ceased to live. 
 
 Kiss Miklos gave the steed of the sun to his 
 elder brother, and told his two brothers to go home 
 quietly, for he had work of his own ; and with that 
 he took farewell of them. Miklos then shook himself, 
 turned into a little gray cat> ran along the highroad, 
 and all at once sprang into a cabin. In the cabin 
 was the mother of the dragons and their two 
 wives. 
 
 The younger dragon's wife saw the little gray cat ; 
 she took it on her lap, stroked it, and found this to 
 say to the mother of the dragons : " Well, if I knew 
 that that cursed Kiss Miklos had killed my lord, 
 I would turn into such a spring of water that if 
 he and his two brothers were to drink not more than 
 one drop of it, they would die a fearful death on 
 the spot." 
 
 With this the little gray cat sprang from the lap 
 of the younger dragon's wife, and rubbed up to the 
 skirt of the wife of the elder dragon, who took it on 
 to her lap, stroked it, and found this to say: " Ah! 
 if I knew that that cursed Kiss Miklos had killed my 
 
484 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 lord, I would change into such a pear-tree that if 
 he and his two brothers were to eat no more than one 
 morsel of a pear of mine, they would die a fearful 
 death." 
 
 With this the little gray cat sprang from the lap 
 of the elder dragon's wife, and rubbed on the skirt of 
 the old woman, who took it on her lap, fondled it, 
 and found this to say to her two daughters-in-law: 
 " My dear girls, just prop up my two eyes with that 
 iron bar, which weighs twelve hundred pounds, so 
 that I may look around." 
 
 Her two daughters-in-law then took the twelve- 
 hundred-pound iron bar and opened the old woman's 
 eyes ; then she spoke thuswise : " If that cursed 
 Kiss Miklos has killed my two sons, I will turn into 
 a mouth, one jaw of which will be on the earth and 
 the other I will throw to the sky, so as to catch that 
 cursed villain and his two brothers, and grind them 
 as mill-stones grind wheat." 
 
 When the little gray cat had heard all this exactly, 
 it shot away in a flash out of the cabin, sprang along, 
 and never stopped till it came to the good magic 
 steed. The old woman threw the twelve-hundred- 
 pound bar after the cat, but she failed in her cast, for 
 that moment her eyelids fell ; she was not able to 
 keep them open unless they were propped, for she 
 was old. So Kiss Miklos escaped the twelve-hundred- 
 pound bar, certain death. I say that he escaped, 
 for he came to his good magic steed, shook himself, 
 
Kiss Miklos. 485 
 
 and from a little gray cat became a young man as 
 before. Then he sat on the good steed, which 
 sprang once, jumped twice, and straightway Miklos 
 was with his two brothers; then they fared home- 
 ward in quiet comfort. 
 
 The second brother grew thirsty, and found this to 
 say : " Oh, but I am dry ! My throat is burning ! " 
 
 " If that is thy only trouble," said Miklos, " I 
 will soon bring thee water. Out there a spring is 
 bubbling up." 
 
 With that Kiss Miklos put spurs to his good magic 
 steed, which sprang once, jumped twice, and was at 
 the spring ; but here, instead of filling the gourd that 
 hung at his side, he drew his sharp sword, and thrust 
 it three times into the bubbling water. In a moment 
 from the spring blood gushed forth, and a word of 
 bitter pain was heard. That was the blood of the 
 younger dragon's wife, and the word of pain was 
 her death-groan. The blood made all the water 
 red, and when the two brothers came up they had 
 no wish to drink a drop from the spring. 
 
 Well, they travelled and journeyed till the elder 
 brother said : " Oh, but I am hungry ! " 
 
 " If that is thy trouble," said Kiss Miklos, " we can 
 easily cure it, for there near the dam is a pear-tree, 
 and on it so much ripe fruit that the limbs are break- 
 ing. Wait, I will bring thee a pear directly; but 
 lead thou the steed of the sun there." 
 
 Here Kiss Miklos put spurs to his steed, which 
 
486 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 sprang once, jumped twice, and stood before the 
 pear-tree. Miklos drew his sharp sword and stabbed 
 the pear-tree in the trunk three times; from the 
 trunk blood gushed forth, and a bitter word of pain 
 was heard. The red blood was the blood of the elder 
 dragon's wife, and the bitter word of pain was her 
 death-groan. With that the pears fell, so that when 
 the two elder brothers reached the tree, not only 
 would they not eat the pears, but the desire of eating 
 had gone from them. 
 
 Now they journeyed and travelled through forty- 
 nine kingdoms, till at last Miklos saw from a dis- 
 tance that an unmercifully great mouth, one jaw of 
 which was on earth and the other thrown up to the 
 heavens, was nearing them like the swiftest storm, so 
 that they had barely time left to run into the door of 
 the Lead Friend's house. And a thousand-fold was 
 their luck that they got in ; for the unmercifully great 
 mouth stood before the threshold of the Lead Friend, 
 so that whoever should go out would fall into it, and 
 be swallowed that minute. 
 
 " Hei ! good Lead-Melting Friend," said Miklos, 
 "hast thou much molten lead? I will pay thee for 
 it in honest coin." 
 
 " Haho ! my friend Kiss Miklos, I know thee; in 
 my world-beautiful life I have ever heard thy fame. 
 Long have I been waiting for thee. It is well that 
 thou art here, that thou hast entered my door, 
 for thou wilt never go a step farther from me." 
 
Kiss Miklos. 487 
 
 " Oh ! for God's sake," said Kiss Miklos, " do not 
 pass thy own threshold, for straightway the mother 
 of the dragons will swallow thee with her great 
 mouth." 
 
 The Lead-Melting Friend went out of his chamber, 
 saw the great mouth of the mother of the dragons, 
 and went back in terror to his chamber, where he 
 said this to Kiss Miklos : " Oh, my good friend Kiss 
 Miklos, give counsel. What are we to do? " 
 
 " Hast thou much molten lead? " 
 
 " Not much, only eighteen tons ; it is out there in 
 the caldron boiling. 
 
 Knowest thou what? I will say one thing and two 
 will come of it. Let us take the handles of that great 
 caldron and pour its contents into the great mouth of 
 the mother of the dragons." 
 
 Here, 'pon my soul ! the Lead-Melting Friend put 
 one handle on his shoulder, Kiss Miklos the other on 
 his, brought the unmercifully great caldron to the 
 threshold, and poured the eighteen tons of boiling 
 lead into the old witch's mouth. The boiling lead 
 burned up the stomach of the mother of the dragons, 
 and straightway she breathed out her cursed soul. 
 
 So Kiss Miklos was freed from the mother of the 
 dragons ; but, poor fellow, he was like one that goes 
 from the pail into the barrel, for the Lead-Melting 
 Friend caught his Grace by the neck and took him, 
 as he would a straw, to the chamber, where he found 
 this to say, 
 
488 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Look here, my good friend Kiss Miklos, in my 
 world-beautiful life I have ever heard thy fame ; there- 
 fore let us struggle now and see who is stronger, thou 
 or I." With that the Lead Friend put only his little 
 finger on Kiss Miklos ; from that he began to sink, 
 and went down through the lead floor of the chamber 
 the distance of an ell. 
 
 " Kiss Miklos, my friend, dost thou wish to fight 
 with me?" asked the Lead Friend. "Thou sayest 
 nothing, so I see that thou dost not; therefore this 
 is my word and speech : I will keep thee in endless 
 slavery unless thou bring me the Green Daughter 
 of the Green King. But ye," and he turned to the 
 two brothers, " ye may go home in gentle quietness, 
 and take with you the steeds of the moon and the 
 sun, on which are the bright moon and the shining 
 sun, for of them I have no need." 
 
 Here our Miklos, in the midst of bitter tear-shed- 
 ding, took farewell of his dear brothers. They held 
 on their way homeward, and arrived there in health. 
 Great was the rejoicing in the kingdom that the poor 
 man's sons, as their father had bequeathed them on 
 his death-bed, brought home the bright moon and the 
 shining sun. Therefore the king assembled all that 
 were in his dominions of dukes, counts, barons, lords, 
 lord's sons, chosen gypsies, and broad-brimmed, 
 country-dressed Slovaks ; of these he sought council 
 and asked, " What do brothers deserve who have 
 brought home the bright moon and the shining sun? " 
 
Kiss Miklos. 489 
 
 To this question then they answered, " Our high 
 lord, the one who has brought back the steed of the 
 sun, and on it the bright shining sun, deserves to be 
 king of the country, and he who has brought home 
 the steed of the bright moon, and on it the fair moon, 
 to be viceroy; and each one of them should receive 
 as wife a daughter of thy Highness." 
 
 So it was done. The poor man's eldest son be- 
 came king, and the second son viceroy; and each one 
 of them got a maiden princess as wife. Then they 
 let out the steed of the bright moon and the steed of 
 the shining sun on the highway of the heavens, but 
 both the moon and the sun shone sadly. For this 
 reason they shone sadly : that he was without merited 
 reward who had really freed them from the dragons, 
 for Kiss Miklos was now in never-ending slavery to 
 the Lead Friend. 
 
 Once the Lead Friend called Miklos and found this 
 to tell him : " Well, Miklos, if thou wilt bring me the 
 Green Daughter of the Green King, I will let thee go 
 free, and I will strike from thee the three-hundred- 
 pound ring and the twelve-hundred-pound chain. 
 Therefore, good friend Miklos, I advise thee to start 
 in the morning with the bright shining sun, and bring 
 to me my heart's desire." 
 
 Now our Miklos moved on the road again, and a 
 long one too ; whether there will be an end to it, only 
 the good God knows. And as he travelled and jour- 
 neyed across forty-nine kingdoms, and beyond that, 
 
49 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 and still farther, at the foot of a great mountain 
 was a little hill, and as a shot arrow, as the swiftest 
 whirlwind, ran towards him a man who was always 
 crying, " Out of my way ! out of my way ! " This 
 was Swift Runner, who stood still in a moment, 
 like a pillar, before Miklos, and asked, " Whither, 
 whither, Kiss Miklos? for in my world-beautiful life I 
 K have ever heard thy fame." 
 
 " Haho ! Swift Runner, better thou hadst not asked. 
 I am going for the Green Daughter of the Green 
 King. Hast thou ever heard of her? " 
 
 " I have not heard. I speak not of that, but of 
 this : take me with thee, for thou wilt get good of me 
 somewhere." 
 
 " Well, come on thy own legs, if it please thee." 
 
 They travelled and journeyed after that, two of 
 them, till they came to the sea-shore, and saw a man 
 who was drinking the sea to the last drop, just as I 
 would drink a cup of water ; and then he cried out 
 unceasingly : " Oh, I 'm thirsty ! Oh, I 'm thirsty ! " 
 This was Great Drinker who, when he saw Miklos, 
 went to him and said : " God's good-day, famous 
 Kiss Miklos; for in my world-beautiful life I have 
 ever heard thy fame." 
 
 " God keep thee, Great Drinker ! " 
 
 " On what journey art thou, renowned Kiss Miklos ? " 
 
 "On what journey? Haho ! better thou hadst not 
 asked. I am going for the Green Daughter of the 
 Green King. Hast thou heard of her? " 
 
Kiss Miklos. 491 
 
 "I have not, in truth," answered Great Drinker; 
 " I speak not of that, but of this : take me with thee, 
 for mayhap thou 'It get good of me." 
 
 " Well, come on thy own legs, if it please thee." 
 
 So there were three of them, and they travelled 
 and journeyed after that till they saw a man running 
 on the plain towards cattle, and he thrust the beauti- 
 ful bullocks one by one into his mouth as I would a 
 piece of bread, and swallowed them, hide and horns, 
 one after the other ; and even when he had swallowed 
 all the standing herd of three hundred and sixty-six 
 bullocks, he called out unceasingly : " Oh, I am hun- 
 gry ! Oh, I am hungry ! " This was Great Eater 
 who, when he saw Miklos, went to him and said : 
 " God give thee a good-day, renowned Kiss Miklos ; 
 for in my world-beautiful life I have ever heard thy 
 fame." 
 
 " God keep thee, Great Eater ! " 
 
 " What journey art thou on, renowned Kiss 
 Miklos?" 
 
 " Better thou hadst not asked. I am going for the 
 Green Daughter of the Green King. Hast thou heard 
 of her?" 
 
 " I have not heard, in truth," answered Great Eater ; 
 " but take me with thee, mayhap thou 'It get good of 
 me." 
 
 " Well, come on thy own legs, if it please thee." 
 
 Now there were four of them, and they travelled 
 and journeyed till one day they struck upon a man 
 
492 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 whose bolster was the glowing coals, whose pillow 
 was the burning fire, and whose blanket was the flam- 
 ing blaze ; he had nine pairs of boots on his feet, nine 
 pairs of drawers and nine shirts on his body, nine 
 neckcloths on his neck, nine sheep-skin caps on his 
 head, nine pairs of trousers, nine vests on his body, 
 and nine sheepskin overcoats hung from his shoul- 
 ders, but even then he did nothing but cry out un- 
 ceasingly : " Oh, I 'm freezing ! Oh, I 'm freezing ! " 
 When he saw Kiss Miklos, he stood before him and 
 said : " God give thee a good-day, renowned Kiss 
 Miklos ; for in my world-beautiful life I have ever 
 heard thy fame." 
 
 " God guard thee, Great Freezer ! " 
 
 "What journey art thou on, renowned Kiss 
 Miklos?" 
 
 " Ah, comrade, thou shouldst not have asked. 
 Hast thou heard of the fame of the Green Daughter 
 of the Green King?" 
 
 " I have not heard of it." 
 
 " Well, if thou hast not, hear now; for I am going 
 to her as a wooer." 
 
 " Take me with thee, mayhap thou wilt get good 
 of me." 
 
 " Well, come on thy own legs, if it please thee." 
 
 There were five of them now. They journeyed and 
 travelled after that till they came upon a man who 
 was looking around unceasingly. In one twinkle, in 
 the turn of an eye, he saw the round earth, and in an- 
 
Kiss Miklos. 493 
 
 other turn of the eye he looked through the deep sea ; 
 and he saw Miklos and his comrades thirty-five miles 
 off. 
 
 This was Far Seer, who stood before Miklos and 
 said : " God give thee a good-day, renowned Kiss 
 Miklos." 
 
 " God keep thee, Far Seer ! " 
 
 "On what journey art thou, renowned Kiss Miklos?" 
 
 " Haho ! good friend Far Seer, perhaps thou hast 
 heard of the Green Daughter of the Green King." 
 
 " I have not." 
 
 " Well then, hear now, for I am going to woo 
 her." 
 
 " Take me with thee, mayhap thou 'It get good of 
 me." 
 
 Now there were six of them, and they journeyed 
 and travelled after that, across forty-nine kingdoms and 
 farther, till they came upon a man who threw a seven- 
 hundred-pound iron club thirty-five miles as easily as 
 I could throw a small stone a few yards This was 
 Far Caster, who, when he saw Kiss Miklos and his 
 comrades, came and said : " God give thee a good- 
 day, renowned Kiss Miklos ; for in my world-beautiful 
 life I have ever heard thy fame." 
 
 " God guard thee, Far Caster ! " 
 
 " What journey art thou on? " 
 
 " Better thou hadst not asked. Hast thou heard 
 of the Green King?" 
 
 " I have not." 
 
494 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Well, I am going to woo his daughter." 
 
 " Take me with thee, mayhap thou 'It get good of 
 me." 
 
 " Come on thy own legs, if it please thee." 
 
 Like the seven deadly sins, they were seven now. 
 They journeyed and travelled till they came to the 
 castle of the Green King. Kiss Miklos stood before 
 the king and said : " God give a good-day to thy 
 Highness." 
 
 " God keep thee, renowned Kiss Miklos ; for in 
 my world-beautiful life I have ever heard thy fame. 
 What journey art thou on?" 
 
 " In my journeys and travels I have heard that thy 
 Highness has a charming, love-pervaded, beautiful 
 flower-stalk. What is the use in delay and denial? I 
 have come for her." 
 
 " Haho ! my good friend, the Green Daughter of 
 the Green King is not so easily taken, for there are 
 three tests before thee ; if thou stand these tests, I 
 will give thee my most beloved, my truly one and 
 only daughter. The first test will be this: Thou 
 hast a swift runner and so have I. They are making 
 for my daughter at present a wedding dress at Pluto's, 
 or perhaps it 's ready this moment. If thy swift run- 
 ner will bring that dress here, all right, I care not : 
 let the Green Daughter of the Green King be thine. 
 My swift runner and thine will start to-morrow about 
 four o'clock in the morning. But if I have not told 
 thee, know now the thick end of the business, I will 
 
Kiss Miklos. 495 
 
 bring you all to the stake, if thy swift runner comes 
 second." 
 
 But the Green King deceived ; for that evening after 
 sunset he sent off his swift runner, who was no other 
 than his own old mother, who, let it be said mean- 
 while, was a witch, and a big one at that. Next 
 morning at four o'clock, as had been agreed, Miklos 
 started his own swift runner on the road so as to bring 
 the wedding dress. 
 
 Swift Runner moved on, and he saw that the old 
 mother of the Green King was a good way ahead, 
 for she was just on the point of going in at Pluto's 
 gate. Nothing more was needed. He rushed at her 
 and she saw trouble soon, for he came up just as 
 she had taken hold of the key; Swift Runner was 
 not slow. He caught her by the jacket, hurled her 
 back, ran in at the gate himself, and did not stop till 
 he stood before his Highness, Pluto, told why he had 
 come, and asked for the wedding dress. The dainty 
 dress was nicely packed already in a box, and they 
 gave it to him. Swift Runner hurried homeward, but 
 the old mother of the Green King waited for him, 
 and said : " Hear me, Swift Runner ! Now thou art 
 the victor, run not so fast ; let us go home in pleasant 
 quiet together." 
 
 Swift Runner stopped at the old woman's words, 
 and they went on together, went on till they came to 
 a nice shady place, where the old woman found this 
 to say : " Let us sit down in this shady place ; let us 
 
496 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 rest. It is all the same. Thou art the winner. I will 
 look in thy head." 
 
 Here Swift Runner sat down in the shady place ; 
 the old woman bent his head to her lap and began 
 to search in it, and she searched and searched till 
 Swift Runner fell asleep and was sunk in slumber. 
 When Swift Runner was snoring away at his best, the 
 old woman put a horse-skull under his head, from 
 that he would not have waked till the day of judg- 
 ment ; then she took the box from him and raced off 
 as if she had been shot from a gun. 
 
 It was near four o'clock in the afternoon and Swift 
 Runner had not come yet, though he said he ought 
 to be there at three o'clock. Miklos therefore began 
 to be uneasy, his nose was itching, it was ringing 
 in his right ear and jumping in his right eye, there- 
 fore he found this to say to his Far Seer: "Just 
 look, canst thou see Swift Runner coming?" 
 
 Far Seer did not let this be repeated ; in an instant 
 he ran up on a hill, looked around, saw that Swift 
 Runner was in a shady place, sleeping like a pumpkin, 
 under a tree, with a horse-skull under his head. 
 
 " Oh, my good friend Kiss Miklos, the dog is in 
 the garden ! Swift Runner is sleeping in a nice shady 
 place with a horse-skull under his head; the old 
 woman is right here near the garden, and she has the 
 wedding dress in a box." 
 
 " Here, good friend Far Caster," said Kiss Miklos, 
 " stand forth and throw thy twelve-hundred-pound 
 
Kiss Miklos. 497 
 
 club at that cursed horse-skull under the head of 
 Swift Runner ; for as God is true, all seven of us will 
 see shame, and die a fearful death." 
 
 Far Caster was not slow ; in an instant he hurled the 
 twelve-hundred-pound club and struck out luckily the 
 horse-Skull from under Swift Runner's head. 
 
 Then, 'pon my soul ! Swift Runner sprang up, rubbed 
 his eyes, looked around, saw that the old woman was 
 running near the garden, and bearing the wedding 
 robe. He was not slow. He rushed at her, but in truth 
 it hung from a hair that he did not see disgrace, for 
 the old woman had just taken the key of the Green 
 King's door when Swift Runner reached her. He 
 caught her by the jacket, took the box, and hurled 
 the old woman back to Pluto's in such fashion that 
 not her foot, nor even her little toe, touched ground 
 on the way. Then he gave the wedding dress to 
 Miklos, who took it that moment to the Green King, 
 and putting it on the boxwood table said : " High 
 lord, thy desire is accomplished ; here is the dainty 
 wedding dress." 
 
 " Haho ! renowned Kiss Miklos, this is but one 
 trial in which thou art the winner, there are two be- 
 hind. The Green Daughter of the Green King will 
 not be thine till all of you, as many as there are, 
 spend one night in my iron furnace, which I have 
 heated with three hundred and sixty-six cords of 
 wood; if ye can endure that terrible heat, all right; if 
 not, ye will be roasted alive." 
 
 32 
 
498 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 Here, 'pon my soul ! what came of the affair or what 
 did not, the Green King, as he had said, heated the 
 iron furnace with three hundred and sixty-six cords 
 of wood. The whole furnace was nothing but glow- 
 ing fire, so that it was impossible to go near it. Now 
 the question was, who should enter first, who but 
 Great Freezer? He was delighted with the pleasant 
 amusement ; he was shivering terribly because God's 
 cold had then caught him, though he had nine pairs 
 of boots on his feet, nine shirts and drawers on his 
 body, nine neckcloths on his neck, nine sheep-skin 
 caps on his head, nine sheep-skin overcoats on his 
 back. I say, Great Freezer went first into the fiery 
 furnace. He walked around in it, and straightway 
 it became as cold as an ice-house ; therefore he 
 called out at the entrance : " Oh, I 'm freezing ! Oh, 
 I 'm freezing ! " Then the others and Kiss Miklos 
 went in, and they felt that the 'furnace was as cold 
 as an ice-house, so that their teeth chattered. Kiss 
 Miklos cried out at the entrance, saying, " Wood 
 this way, or we shall freeze ! " 
 
 The servants of the Green King threw an extra 
 cord of wood into the furnace. With this Miklos and 
 his companions made a fire, and gave earth no 
 trouble. Next morning the Green King himself 
 went to see the seven roasts, thinking they were 
 burnt into dust. He opened the mouth of the fur- 
 nace. He will fall on his back with horror, perhaps. 
 Nothing of the sort ; the seven good birds were sit- 
 
Kiss Miklos. 499 
 
 ting there alive in the furnace at the side of a fire, and 
 not a dog's trouble had happened to a man of them. 
 
 Straightway the Green King called up Kiss Miklos 
 and said to him : " Well, renowned Kiss Miklos, thou 
 hast stood two trials, but the third still remains. If 
 ye pass that unharmed, then I don't care ; my daughter 
 will be thine, for I shall see that thou art not inferior 
 to thy fame. The third trial is not other than this : 
 In the yard is a herd of cattle not less than three 
 hundred and sixty-six in number, and also there are 
 three hundred and sixty-six kegs of wine, and if ye 
 do not eat the three hundred and sixty-six head of 
 cattle and drink the three hundred and sixty-six kegs 
 of wine by to-morrow, then I will have you all at the 
 stake ; but if ye eat and drink all, then as I say, I care 
 not. Let my one and only most beloved daughter be 
 thine." 
 
 In the evening after bedtime Miklos went with his 
 comrades to the other yard where were the three 
 hundred and sixty-six head of cattle and the three 
 hundred and sixty-six kegs of wine ; but now the 
 question was who should eat that ocean-great lot of 
 cattle and drink that thundering lot of wine. No 
 one would take more delight in the cattle than Great 
 Eater, and with the thundering lot of wine no one 
 felt better than Great Drinker ; they would take care 
 of them if they were twice as great. Miklos and his 
 comrades, except Great Eater, knocked one of the 
 bullocks on the head, pulled off his jacket, cut up his 
 
5OO Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 flesh and roasted it. That was enough for them, but 
 it was not enough for Great Eater ; for he would not 
 spoil the taste of his mouth with it. He ate that 
 herd of beasts, one after another, as if the earth had 
 swallowed them, ate hair, hide, bones, and horns, 
 so that he did n't leave a single thing as a novelty ; 
 and even then he cried out nothing but, " Oh, I 'm 
 hungry ! Oh, I 'm hungry ! " Then he went to his 
 comrades, ate what they had left of the roast, and 
 pressed it down with the ox-hide for a dessert. Even 
 then he cried without ceasing, " Oh, I 'm hungry ! 
 Oh, I 'm hungry ! " 
 
 Then they began at the wine. Miklos and his 
 comrades, except Great Drinker, rolled forth one 
 keg of wine, knocked the bottom out, and went to 
 drinking. That keg was enough for them, but not 
 enough for Great Drinker ; for him it was as much 
 as one drop would be for me. He would not spoil 
 the taste of his mouth with it, but fell to drinking 
 from the rest in such Magyar-Mishka style that 
 when he looked around he saw that the three hun- 
 dred and sixty-five kegs were empty. Then he cried 
 unceasingly, " Oh, I 'm thirsty ! Oh, I 'm thirsty ! " 
 After that he came to his comrades, and what they 
 had left he drank to the last drop ; and cried : " Oh, 
 I 'm thirsty ! Oh, I 'm thirsty ! " 
 
 Next morning the Green King went himself to the 
 yard to see if Kiss Miklos and his comrades had en- 
 dured the third trial, had they eaten the cattle and 
 
Kiss Miklos. 501 
 
 drunk the wine. It is a wonder that he did n't turn 
 into a pillar of salt he was so frightened when he saw 
 that there was not a horned beast left, nor a drop of 
 wine. Then he complained: "They have eaten 
 three hundred and sixty-six bullocks. Plague take it ! 
 let them eat the cattle, but they might have left the 
 hides ; those could at least have been sold to a Jew 
 for good money. Well, renowned Kiss Miklos, thou 
 hast stood the three tests, now my only and most 
 dearly beloved daughter is thine ; take her." With 
 that the Green King seated his Green Daughter in 
 a coach drawn by six black horses, and they drove 
 towards the dominions of the Lead Friend. 
 
 On the road the Green Daughter of the Green King 
 beckoned Miklos to her and asked him : " Hei ! my 
 heart's beautiful love, renowned Kiss Miklos, tell me, 
 on thy true soul, art thou taking me for thyself or for 
 another? If thou art not taking me for thyself, I will 
 play tricks with thee." 
 
 " I am taking thee for myself; I am taking thee for 
 another," answered Kiss Miklos. 
 
 Well, no more was said. Once, when turning and 
 winding, they look in the coach ; it is empty. The 
 beautiful girl is gone. In a moment they stop, search 
 the coach, but find her nowhere. 
 
 " Here, good friend Far Seer," said Kiss Miklos, 
 " look around ! Whither has our beautiful bird 
 flown?" 
 
 Far Seer did n't let that be said twice. In the 
 
502 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 turn of an eye he surveyed the round earth, but he 
 saw not the beautiful maiden. 
 
 " She is not on the dry earth," said Far Seer. 
 
 " Look into the sea," said Kiss Miklos. 
 
 Far Seer surveyed the deep sea, and saw her hid- 
 den in the belly of a three-pound whale, near the 
 opposite shore of the sea. 
 
 " Ah, I see where she is ! " 
 
 "Where?" asked Miklos. 
 
 " Hidden in the belly of a three-pound whale." 
 
 " Here, good friend Great Drinker," said Miklos, 
 " come hither, and drink up the water of this deep 
 sea ! " 
 
 Great Drinker was not slow. He lay face under 
 by the sea, and with three draughts drank up all the 
 water. The three-pound whale was lying then in a 
 bay near the opposite shore. 
 
 " Now, good brother Swift Runner," said Kiss 
 Miklos, " step out and bring me that three-pound 
 whale which is lying near the opposite shore." 
 
 Swift Runner rushed in a moment across the bot- 
 tom of the sea, and brought back the three-pound 
 whale. Miklos opened the whale, took out its 
 stomach, cut it carefully, and out fell the Green 
 Daughter of the Green King. Then he seated her 
 in the coach, and they drove on. 
 
 They travelled and journeyed, and once the prin- 
 cess beckoned to Miklos, and asked : " My heart's 
 beautiful love, renowned Kiss Miklos, tell me, on thy 
 
Kiss Miklos. 503 
 
 true soul, art thou taking me for thyself, or for 
 another? If for thyself, very well; if not, I'll play 
 tricks with thee." 
 
 " I am taking thee for myself; I am taking thee for 
 another," answered Miklos. 
 
 No more was said. Once while turning and 
 winding, the beautiful maiden is gone, the coach is 
 empty. *' Oh, the dog is in the garden ! " They 
 stop, search the six-horse coach, but find no beau- 
 tiful princess. 
 
 " Here, good friend Far Seer," said Miklos, " stand 
 forth, look around ! Where is our beautiful bird? " 
 
 Far Seer surveyed the deep sea, but got no sight 
 of the princess. " She is not in the sea." 
 
 " If she is not in the sea, look on dry land." 
 
 Far Seer looked around again, and he saw that the 
 princess was at home, in the very middle of her 
 father's garden, on the highest top of a blooming 
 apple-tree, hidden in a ripe red apple. " I have 
 found her ! " said Far Seer. 
 
 "Where is she?" 
 
 " At home, in the very centre of the garden, hid- 
 den on the highest top of an apple-tree, in the middle 
 of a ripe red apple." 
 
 " Here, Swift Runner, come forth ! " 
 
 Swift Runner came forth, and stood like a pillar 
 before Miklos, waiting for command. 
 
 " Run in a twinkle to the garden of the Green 
 King, in the very middle of which is blooming an 
 
504 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 apple-tree ; climb the tree, and bring me the ripe red 
 apple which is on its highest top." 
 
 Swift Runner rushed as a whirlwind, at horse-death 
 speed, found the tree, climbed it, plucked the red 
 apple, and then, as if shot from a cannon, came 
 back to Miklos, and gave him the apple. Miklos 
 cut the apple in two ; the Green Daughter of the 
 Green King fell out. He seated her again in the 
 coach, and they fared farther. 
 
 They travelled and journeyed, and again the prin- 
 cess beckoned to Miklos, and said : " My heart's 
 heart, renowned Kiss Miklos, tell me, on thy true soul, 
 art thou taking me for thyself, or for another? If 
 for thyself, very well ; if not, I '11 play tricks with 
 thee." 
 
 " I am taking thee for myself; I am taking thee for 
 another." 
 
 Well, they said no more. Once, while turning and 
 winding, they look in the coach the maiden is gone ; 
 "the coach is empty. " Oh, the dog is in the gar- 
 den ! " They stop, search the six-horse coach, but 
 find not the maiden. 
 
 " Friend Far Seer," said Miklos, " look around ! 
 Where is our beautiful bird?" 
 
 Far Seer was not slow ; in the turn of an eye he 
 surveyed the round earth, but saw nowhere the Green 
 Daughter of the Green King. " She is not on the 
 round earth," said he. 
 
 " Well, look in the deep sea." 
 
Kiss Miklos. 505 
 
 Far Seer looked again ; in the turn of an eye he 
 surveyed the deep sea, but saw not the princess. 
 " She is not in the deep sea," said Far Seer. 
 
 " Well, if she is not in the deep sea, look in the 
 cloudy heavens." 
 
 Far Seer looked around ; in the turn of an eye he 
 surveyed the broad sky and the cloudy heavens. He 
 saw a cocoon hanging from a thread slender as a 
 spider-web, and hidden in that cocoon the Green 
 Daughter of the Green King. " I have found her ! " 
 said Far Seer. 
 
 " Where is she? " asked Kiss Miklos. 
 
 " Far, far away, near the round forest, from the 
 cloudy heavens is hanging a silk thread, slender as a 
 spider-web, and on the end dangles a cocoon ; in that 
 she is hidden." 
 
 " Now, Far Caster, come forth ! " said Miklos. 
 
 Far Caster stood like a pillar before Kiss Miklos, 
 only waiting for command ; but he had not long to 
 wait, for Miklos said : "Listen, good friend Far Caster. 
 Seest thou that thin silk thread hanging from the 
 cloudy sky near the round forest?" 
 
 " I see." 
 
 " Then cast it down ; but only when Swift Runner 
 reaches the place beneath, so that it may not fall on 
 the earth, but into his hand. Therefore, Swift Run- 
 ner, move thy wheels that way; catch the cocoon 
 and bring it to us." 
 
 Swift Runner rushed at horse-death speed to the' 
 
506 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 place ; Far Caster brought down the cocoon. Swift 
 Runner caught it safely, and brought it to Miklos, 
 who with his bright knife cut it open, and out came 
 the princess. Then he seated her a third time in the 
 coach ; but they had arrived in the domains of the 
 Lead Friend, so the Green Daughter of the Green 
 King, having lost her power, could play no more 
 tricks. 
 
 Kiss Miklos took farewell of his good friends, thank- 
 ing them kindly for their aid. When they were alone 
 the Green Daughter of the Green King fell to crying, 
 and said : " My heart's beautiful love, I know thou art 
 taking me to that dog of a Lead Friend, and I would 
 rather be the bride of death than of him." 
 
 " Oh, my heart's golden bird," said Miklos, " I am 
 taking thee for myself ; but thou canst not be mine 
 till I know where the strength of the Lead Friend 
 lies. If we can discover that, it will be easy to de- 
 stroy him." 
 
 " If that is thy grief, my heart's heart," said she, " I 
 will soon help thee ; leave that to me. Thou must 
 know I am a woman." 
 
 With that Miklos and the princess kissed each 
 other, and there was holy peace ; they said: "I -am 
 thine, thou art mine." 
 
 They travelled and journeyed across forty-nine 
 kingdoms, till Kiss Miklos could say, " We are at 
 home," for they were at the Lead Friend's mansion, 
 and could say to the princess, " Come out of thy 
 
Kiss Miklos. 507 
 
 coach ; it won't cost thee a copper." Here the Lead 
 Friend ran panting out of his mansion to the beautiful 
 princess, but she turned from him. This pleased not 
 the Lead Friend, and though one word is not much, 
 he uttered not that much, but brought her into the 
 lead mansion in silence. 
 
 Next day at sunrise the Lead Friend had to go to 
 his furnace, taking Kiss Miklos with him. The young 
 woman remained all alone, She took a lamp and 
 started to search through the lead house. From 
 chamber to chamber she went till she came to the 
 cellar, but that was closed against her with seven iron 
 doors. Now the question was to get into the cellar. 
 Another would not have been able to pass the first 
 door, but every iron door opened of itself before the 
 magic of the Green Daughter of the Green King. 
 She passed through the seven doors and entered the 
 cellar. She saw there seven leaden vats placed in a 
 row, and every one of them filled to the brim with 
 gold and silver. She took off her apron and filled it 
 with gold, went up, summoned the goldsmith, and 
 gilded the lead threshold a hand in thickness. The 
 Lead Friend was such a miser that he had not bread 
 enough to eat, and every little coin he turned seven 
 times between his teeth before he let it go once from 
 his hand. 
 
 Well, in the evening the Lead Friend came home 
 from his furnace, saw the housekeeping and what the 
 young woman had done. Then, 'pon my soul ! he 
 
508 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 plucked out his own lead beard and hair, trampled 
 them like tow, and roared till the lead house was 
 trembling. 
 
 " Who, in the name of a hundred thousand thun- 
 ders, did this?" asked the Lead Friend. 
 
 " I did it," answered quite bravely the princess. 
 
 " How didst thou dare to do it without my knowl- 
 edge, without informing me? " With that the Lead 
 Friend went to the Green Daughter of the Green 
 King, and seized in his hand the golden hair which 
 reached her heels. Twelve times did he drag her on 
 the lead floor, and he wanted to take the lead flail to 
 her. Kiss Miklos did not permit that, but took the 
 maiden from his grasp and placed her on the silken 
 bed. She was neither dead nor alive, but lay as a 
 lifeless block of wood. But the Green Daughter of 
 the Green King had no more pain than good myself; 
 being a magic woman, seest thou, she had much in 
 her power. 
 
 Now, what did she do? When the Lead Friend 
 wound around his hand the golden hair reaching to 
 her heels, she suddenly sprang out of her skin, and a 
 devil jumped into it. And if the Lead Friend had 
 struck him with the back of an axe, he would not have 
 felt a dog's trouble ; for the more he was beaten the 
 more he would have laughed. 
 
 But the Lead Friend was troubled ; ragged, with 
 torn hair, crying and weeping he entered the white 
 chamber, where the princess was lying without life. 
 
Kiss Miklos. 
 
 509 
 
 He went to her; pushed her, but she waked not; 
 talked to her, but she heard not ; cried, but she lis- 
 tened not. At last he found this to say : " Wake, my 
 heart's beautiful love ; I will do all that may please 
 thee, but stop the gilding." 
 
 Then the princess spoke up to the Lead Friend, 
 " I '11 stop the gilding, but tell where thy strength lies." 
 
 " Oh, my heart's beautiful love, I would rather part 
 with life than tell that." 
 
 Well, things remained thus. Next day at sunrise 
 the Lead Friend went to his furnace, taking Kiss 
 Miklos with him, for he lived in the suspicion that 
 Miklos and the Green Daughter of the Green King 
 would plot together and strive for his destruction. 
 
 The bride remained alone ; she took the lamp and 
 turned straight to the cellar. The great iron doors 
 opened before her and closed behind. When she 
 had passed the seven iron doors and entered the cel- 
 lar, she spread her silk apron, and filled it with gold. 
 Three times she returned, and three times she bore 
 away the same amount, so that the apron was almost 
 torn under it Straightway she called the goldsmith 
 and had the lead thresholds of three chambers gilded 
 to the thickness of a hand. And as I say, the Lead 
 Friend was so stingy that he did not eat bread enough, 
 and every little coin he put seven 1 times between his 
 teeth before he let it out of his hand once. 
 
 1 It is three in the text, but this is probably a mistake ; so 
 seven is put here to agree with p. 507. 
 
510 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 The Lead Friend came home from his furnace 
 towards evening, and saw the housekeeping, and saw 
 also that now not one but three thresholds were gilded 
 a hand's thickness. Here, 'pon my soul ! the Lead 
 Friend fell into such rage that he tore his own lead 
 beard and hair out, and trampled them as he would 
 tow. Then he roared so terribly that the lead house 
 quivered, and turning to the princess he asked : " In the 
 name of a hundred thousand devils, who did this?" 
 
 " I did it," answered the princess quite bravely. 
 
 " How didst thou dare to do this without my knowl- 
 edge and consent? " 
 
 With that the Lead Friend seized the golden hair 
 of the princess, which reached to her heels, and 
 dragged her twelve times up and down the lead floor, 
 twelve times did he hurl her against the floor, then he 
 ran for the lead flail to kill her. Kiss Miklos would 
 not let him do that, but seized the maiden from his 
 hands, and placed her on the silken bed. The Green 
 Daughter of the Green King was neither dead nor 
 alive; she lay there still as a soulless block of wood. 
 Still the princess felt no more pain than good myself. 
 She knew witchcraft, and whatever she did or did not 
 do, when the Lead Friend twisted her golden hair in 
 his hand, she jumped out of her skin in a twinkle, and 
 a devil got into it ; if they had beaten him like a two- 
 headed drum, or even more, he would have taken it as 
 if they were fondling him. 
 
 Now the Lead Friend was terribly sorry ; ragged, 
 
Kiss Miklos. 511 
 
 with torn hair, he entered the white chamber weep- 
 ing ; he wept a long time ; pushed the princess, who 
 waked not ; spoke to her, she heard not ; at last he 
 found this to say : " Wake up, my heart's beautiful 
 love ; all thy desires will be accomplished, only stop 
 the gilding." 
 
 " I '11 stop the gilding, but tell where thy strength 
 lies." 
 
 " Oh, my heart's beautiful love, I would rather 
 part with my life than tell that." 
 
 Next day at sunrise the Lead Friend took Kiss 
 Miklos to the furnace, lest while he was gone himself 
 Miklos might go in secret and gather another man's 
 hay. The bride was alone again, and wanted nothing 
 better. Again she took the lamp and went straight 
 to the cellar, where she opened her beautiful silk 
 apron and filled it with gold, took so much that the 
 apron almost tore under it. She came seven times, 
 and each time carried so much gold that her nose 
 almost cut the earth, like the coulter of a plough. 
 Then she called a goldsmith, and gilded to a hand's 
 thickness the thresholds of seven rooms. 
 
 When the Lead Friend came home in the evening, 
 he saw that not three but seven thresholds had a 
 hand's thickness of gold on them. Then he fell into 
 such a rage that he tore his leaden beard and hair, 
 and trampled them as he would tow; but what good 
 did that do him? for he was trampling his own. 
 Then he roared till the lead house rattled, and in his 
 
512 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 fury he asked: "A thousand million demons, who 
 did this?" 
 
 " I did it," answered the princess all bravely. 
 
 " How didst thou dare to do this without my knowl- 
 edge or command? " 
 
 With that he went in fury to the Green Daughter of 
 the Green King, wound round his hand the golden 
 hair which reached to her heels. Twelve times did 
 he drag her oyfer the leaden floor, twelve times did he 
 dash her against it, twelve times did he raise her aloft, 
 and that was not enough; but he took out the lead 
 flail, and began to thrash and beat the princess as if 
 she were a bundle ,of wheat, so that she was swim- 
 ming in blood. Kiss Miklos took her from his hands 
 and placed her on the silken bed, where she lay, 
 neither dead nor alive, still as a lifeless block. 
 
 Now the Lead Friend grew terribly sorry, and 
 making himself squalid looking, he entered the 
 white chamber, rushed to the princess, wept with- 
 out ceasing, touched her but she woke not, spoke 
 to her but she heard him not. At last he found 
 this to say: "Wake up, my heart's beautiful love. 
 I will tell where my strength lies. In the silken 
 meadow under the seventh bush is a hare, under 
 the tail of the hare an egg, in the egg a hornet, 
 and in the hornet is hidden my strength, so that I 
 live as long as the hornet lives ; if the hornet dies, 
 I die too." 
 
 The Green Daughter of the Green King heard all 
 
Kiss Miklos. 513 
 
 these words clearly, but acted as if she were neither 
 dead nor alive, lay there like a soulless block. 
 
 Well, 'pon my soul ! what came of the affair or 
 what did not, the princess rose from her silken bed 
 in the night-time, quietly, in one garment; but she 
 threw a great shawl around her neck, slipped out of 
 the gate, found Kiss Miklos, to whom her word and 
 speech was this : " Wake up, my heart's beautiful love, 
 renowned Kiss Miklos, I know now whe*e the strength 
 of the Lead Friend lies ; but listen to my word. In 
 the silken meadow under the seventh bush lies a hare, 
 under the hare's tail is an egg, in the egg a hornet, in 
 the hornet is the Lead Friend's strength. If thou kill 
 the hornet, the Lead Friend will lose his strength." 
 
 Our Miklos wanted nought else. He turned himself 
 at once into a hound, drove the hare from the seventh 
 bush of the silken meadow. 'The hare began to run, 
 but the hound was not slow; with a long stick he 
 struck the egg from the hare's tail. The egg broke 
 and the hornet flew out, but the hound was not slow; 
 with a great jump he caught the hornet, and crushed it 
 to bits in his teeth. Then the hound shook himself 
 and turned into Kiss Miklos again. 
 
 At daylight the Lead Friend was sick. He had lost 
 his strength, he could not move his hands or his feet, 
 and lay groaning on his lead couch like a man who 
 had been pressing a straw-bed for seven years ; and 
 when the sun rose he breathed out his cursed soul. 
 
 Who was more delighted at his death than our 
 33 
 
514 Magyar Myths and Folk-Tales. 
 
 Kiss Miklos and the Green Daughter of the Green 
 King? Straightway they called a priest and a hang- 
 man and an iron cap. The priest joined them, the 
 hangman thrashed around, God's arrow flashed, but 
 no one was struck. There was soup plenty and to 
 spare, lucky was the man who came with a spoon ; 
 the unhappy were happy ; the gypsy fiddled, and the 
 music spoke. When the feasting and the poppy 
 week had passed, Kiss Miklos and his consort took a 
 chariot of glass and gold, drawn by six black-haired 
 steeds, and set out for Miklos's birthplace. Now, the 
 shining sun had shone so sadly, and the bright moon 
 had beamed so sadly that it could not be more so ; 
 but the moment they beheld Miklos and his wife in 
 the chariot of glass and gold, the bright sun shone 
 joyously, and so did the clear moon. 
 
 "What's this? what's this?" said to himself the 
 old king, who still rejoiced in good health. He sum- 
 moned the wise men and the skilled scribes of the 
 kingdom to his palace and gave them the following 
 question : " Explain to me this. It is seven years 
 since the two sons of the poor man brought back the 
 bright moon and the shining sun ; these two sons are 
 now ruling kings, may God keep them in health ! 
 but the clear moon and the shining sun gave us 
 such sorrowful light, and now all at once both are 
 radiant." 
 
 One old man skilled in letters, and so old that his 
 white beard almost came to the earth, and he could 
 
Kiss Miklos. 515 
 
 not stand on his feet alone, but three men supported 
 him, spoke the following words : " Haho ! high lord, 
 there is great reason for this. The clear moon and the 
 shining sun were sad because the man who really 
 freed them from the claws of the dragons was 
 pinioned in bondage ; and he is no other than the 
 renowned Kiss Miklos, the poor man's youngest son, 
 who even at this moment is driving to the king's 
 palace with the Green Daughter of the Green King, 
 in a chariot drawn by six horses." 
 
 That moment Kiss Miklos and his wife entered the 
 white chamber together. Here the lords and those 
 great wise men all rose before them, as did even 
 the old king himself, who advancing embraced and 
 kissed them, led them to his own purple velvet 
 throne, seated them thereon, and turning to the wise 
 men and the skilled scribes, asked them, " Who really 
 deserves the kingdom, the elder brothers or Kiss 
 Miklos?" 
 
 The council said : " Kiss Miklos." 
 
 Then Miklos rose and said to the old king and the 
 council : " High king and worthy council, it is true 
 that I deserve the kingdom, and I would take it were 
 I not the heir of the far-famed Lead Friend, and were 
 it not that the dominions of the Green King, after his 
 death, which from my heart I wish not, will come 
 to me. This being the case the worthy council can 
 see, and thy Highness can see also, that I may not 
 accept the kingdom. Let it remain as it is, let my 
 
516 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 eldest brother be king, and my second brother be 
 viceroy; they are, I think, honorable men, and 
 worthy." 
 
 The lords, sages, and skilled scribes present, as 
 well as the old king, rose up and confirmed the wise 
 speech of the youthful Kiss Miklos. 
 
 Then the two brothers of Kiss Miklos the king 
 and the viceroy entered ; they embraced and kissed 
 one another, and sacred was the peace. After that, 
 Kiss Miklos and his wife returned to the domains of 
 the Lead Friend, and after the death of the Green 
 King, Kiss Miklos inherited his dominions. And so 
 he ruled two kingdoms very happily ; and he and the 
 Green Daughter of the Green King are living yet, if 
 they are not dead. 
 
THE HEDGEHOG, THE MERCHANT, THE KING, 
 AND THE POOR MAN. 
 
 \ T 7"HERE there was, where there was not, it is 
 * * enough that there was once a merchant, 
 there were also a king, and a poor man. 
 
 One day the merchant went out to hunt, and he 
 travelled and journeyed till, oh ! my lord's son, he 
 found himself in such a thick forest that he saw 
 neither the sky nor the earth ; he just groped around 
 like a blindman. Here, 'pon my soul ! whether the 
 merchant tried to free himself by turning to the left 
 or the right, he only went into a thicker place. When 
 he was there five days, in hunger and thirst, stum- 
 bling about in the great wild wood without liberation, 
 the merchant called out : 
 
 " Oh, my God, if any one would take me out of this 
 great wild thicket to the right road, I would give him 
 the best of my three daughters, and as a wedding gift 
 three sacks of coin." 
 
 " I '11 lead thee out right away," said some one 
 before him. 
 
 The merchant looked to the right, to the left, but 
 not a soul did he see. 
 
518 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 " Don't look around," said the certain one again, 
 " look under thy feet" 
 
 The merchant then looked in front and saw that 
 near his feet was a little hedgehog, and to him he 
 directed then his word and speech. " Well, if thou 
 wilt lead me out, I will give thee my best daughter 
 and three sacks of coin; the first will be gold, the 
 second silver, and the third copper." 
 
 The hedgehog went on ahead, the merchant walked 
 after. Soon they came out of the great wild wood. 
 Then the hedgehog went back, and the merchant 
 turned his wagon-tongue homeward. 
 
 Now the king went to hunt, went in the same way 
 as the merchant ; and he too was lost in the great wild 
 wood. The king went to the right and the left, tried 
 in every way to free himself; all he gained was 
 that he came to a thicker and a darker place. He 
 too stumbled around five days in the thick wood, 
 without food or drink. On the sixth morning the 
 king cried out : " Oh, my God ! if any one would free 
 me from this dense wood, even if a worm, I would 
 give him the most beautiful of my daughters, and as 
 a wedding gift three coaches full of coin." 
 
 " I '11 lead thee out right away," said some one 
 near him. 
 
 The king looked to the right, to the left, but saw 
 not a soul. 
 
 "Why stare around? Look at thy feet; here I 
 am." 
 
The Hedgehog. 519 
 
 The king then looked at his feet and saw a little 
 hedgehog stretched out, and said to him : " Well, 
 hedgehog, if thou wilt lead me forth, I '11 give thee 
 the fairest of my daughters and three coaches full of 
 coin, the first gold, the second silver, the third 
 copper." 
 
 The hedgehog went ahead, the king followed, and 
 in this way they soon came out of the great wild 
 wood. The hedgehog went back to his own place ; 
 the king reached home in safety. 
 
 Very well, a poor man went out for dry branches. 
 He went like the merchant and king, and he got 
 astray, so that he wandered dry and hungry for five 
 days in the great wild wood ; and whether he turned 
 to the right or the left he gained only this, that he 
 went deeper into the denseness. 
 
 " My God," cried the poor man at last, " send me a 
 liberator ! If he would lead me out of this place, as 
 I have neither gold nor silver, I would take him as a 
 son, and care for him as my own child." 
 
 "Well, my lord father, I'll lead thee out; only 
 follow." 
 
 " Where art thou, dear son? " 
 
 " Here, under thy feet; only look this way, my lord 
 father." 
 
 The poor man looked near his feet, and saw a little 
 hedgehog stretched out. 
 
 " Well, my dear son, lead me out and I '11 keep my 
 promise." 
 
520 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 The hedgehog went ahead, the poor man followed, 
 and soon they came out of the great wild wood. 
 The hedgehog then went back to his own place, and 
 the poor man strolled home. 
 
 Well, things remained thus till once after bedtime 
 there was a knocking at the poor man's door. " My 
 lord father, rise up, open the door." The poor man, 
 who was lying on the stove, heard only that some 
 one was knocking at the door. 
 
 " My lord father, rise up; open the door." 
 
 The poor man heard, and heard that some one was 
 knocking and as he thought calling out: " My lord 
 father, rise up, open the door; " .but in his world life 
 he had never had a son. The third time he heard 
 clearly, " My lord father, rise up, open the door." 
 
 The poor man did not take this as a joke. He rose 
 up and opened the door. My lord's son, who came 
 in to him? No one else than the little hedgehog. 
 
 " God give a good evening to my lord father and 
 to my mother as well," said the hedgehog. 
 
 " God receive thee, my dear son. Hast thou come 
 then?" 
 
 " I have indeed, as thou seest, my lord father ; but I 
 am very tired, therefore wake up my mother and let 
 her make a bed for me in my chamber." 
 
 What was the poor man to do? He woke up his 
 wife ; she made a towering bed, and the hedgehog 
 lay in it. In the morning the poor man and his wife 
 sat down to breakfast. They did not wish to forget 
 
The Hedgehog. 521 
 
 their adopted son, but gave him food on a wooden 
 plate under a bench by the fire. The hedgehog did 
 not touch it. " Well, my son," asked the poor man, 
 "why not eat?" 
 
 " I do not eat, my lord father, because it is not 
 proper to treat an adopted son like some orphan or 
 another ; therefore it beseems me not to eat all alone 
 from a wooden plate under a bench at the fire. Seat 
 me nicely at the table by thy side, put a tin plate 
 before me, and place my food on it." 
 
 What was the poor man to do? He seated the 
 Hedgehog at his side, put a tin plate before him, and 
 measured out food on it ; then the Hedgehog ate 
 with his father and mother. When they had finished 
 breakfast the Hedgehog spoke thuswise : " Well, my 
 lord father, hast thou a couple of thalers ? " 
 
 " I have." 
 
 " I suppose thou art keeping them to buy salt and 
 wood with ? " 
 
 " Yes, my son." 
 
 " I speak not of that, I am speaking of this : lend 
 me the money ; I will return it a thousand-fold. Set 
 not thy mind much on salt and wood now ; but go, 
 my lord father, to the market. In such and such a 
 place an old woman has a black cock for sale ; buy 
 him of her. If she asks a small price, give her double ; 
 for that will be my steed. When thou hast bought the 
 cock for two prices, in such and such a place is a 
 saddler; go to him. In a corner of his shop is a cast- 
 
522 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 away, thrown-away, ragged, torn saddle; buy that 
 for me, but give him two prices also. If he asks little, 
 give him double." 
 
 The poor man put on his coat, put the two thalers 
 in his pocket, went to the market, bought the black 
 cock and the cast-away, thrown-away saddle for two 
 prices ; each one for two small bits of money. 
 
 The Hedgehog then saddled the black cock with 
 the cast-away, thrown-away saddle, sat upon him, and 
 went to the court of the rich merchant whom he had 
 led out of the great wild wood ; he knocked at the 
 door and called : " Hei, father-in-law, open the gate, 
 let me in!" 
 
 The rich merchant opened the gate in great won- 
 der. Who was coming? No one other than our 
 Hedgehog, riding on a black cock. 
 
 " Hear me, rich merchant," began the Hedgehog ; 
 " knowest thou thy promise? When I led thee out of 
 the great wild wood, dost remember thy promise to 
 give me the best of thy three daughters and three 
 sacks of coin? Now I have come for the maid and 
 the money." 
 
 What could the rich merchant do? He called his 
 three daughters into the white chamber, and turned 
 to the Hedgehog, saying : " Well, choose among the 
 three the one who pleases thy eye, thy mouth, and 
 thy heart." 
 
 The Hedgehog chose the second daughter, for she 
 was the most beautiful of the three. The merchant then 
 
 
The Hedgehog. 523 
 
 measured out three sacks of coin, in the first, as he 
 had said, there was gold, in the second silver, in the 
 third copper ; then he put his daughter and the three 
 sacks of coin in a coach, to which four horses were 
 attached, and he sent on her way his most beautiful 
 daughter, with the Hedgehog. They travelled and 
 journeyed till the Hedgehog, who was riding at the 
 side of the coach on his black cock, came up, looked 
 in through the window, and saw that the bride was 
 in tears. 
 
 " Why dost thou cry, why dost thou weep, my 
 heart's beautiful love?" asked the Hedgehog of the 
 maiden. 
 
 " Why should I not cry, why should I not weep, 
 when God has punished me with such a nasty thing 
 as thee ? for I know not whether thou art a man 
 or a beast." 
 
 " If this is thy only trouble, my heart's beautiful 
 love, we can easily cure it ; I '11 keep the three sacks 
 of coin for myself, and thee I '11 send back to thy 
 father, for I see that of me thou art not worthy." 
 
 Thus was it settled ; the Hedgehog kept the three 
 sacks of coin, but the merchant's daughter he sent 
 back to her father. The Hedgehog then took the 
 coin to the poor man, who became so rich that I think 
 another could not be found like him in seven villages. 
 
 Now the Hedgehog plucked up courage, saddled his 
 black cock, sat on him, and rode away to the king, 
 stood before him, and spoke in this fashion : " Dost 
 
524 Magyar Myths and Folk-Talcs. 
 
 thou remember, king, that when I brought thee out of 
 the great wild wood, thou didst promise that if I would 
 show the right road thou wouldst give me the most 
 beautiful of thy three daughters and fill for me three 
 coaches, the first with gold, the second with silver, 
 and the third with copper coin? I am here so that 
 thou mayest keep thy word." 
 
 The king called his three daughters to the white 
 chamber and said : " I made a promise, and this is it : 
 to give one of my three daughters to this Hedgehog 
 as wife; I promised because the Hedgehog led me 
 out of a great wild wood, in which I wandered for 
 five days without food or drink, and he saved me from 
 certain death. Therefore say, my dear daughters, 
 which of you will agree to marry the Hedgehog." 
 
 The eldest daughter turned away, the second turned 
 away also ; but the youngest and fairest spoke thus : 
 " If thou, my father the king, hast made such a prom- 
 ise, I will marry him. Let the will of God be done if 
 he has appointed such a husband for me." 
 
 " Thou art my dearest and best daughter," said the 
 king; and he kissed her again and again. Then the 
 king measured out three coaches of coin, seated 
 the princess in a chariot of gold and glass and started 
 her on her journey, amid bitter tear-shedding, with the 
 Hedgehog, who rode at the side of the chariot on his 
 black cock. They travelled and journeyed across 
 forty-nine kingdoms till the Hedgehog rode up to the 
 chariot, opened the window, looked in, and saw that 
 
 
The Hedgehog. 525 
 
 the princess was not weeping, but was in the best 
 cheerful humor. 
 
 " Oh, my heart's beautiful love," said the princess, 
 "why art thou riding on that black cock? Better 
 come here and sit at my side on the velvet cushion." 
 
 " Thou art not afraid of me ? " 
 
 " I am not afraid." 
 
 " Thou art not disgusted with me ? " 
 
 " No ; if God has given thee to me, then thou 
 shouldst be mine." 
 
 " Thou art my only and most beloved wife ! " said 
 the Hedgehog ; and with that he shook himself, and 
 straightway turned into such a pearl-given, charm- 
 ing, twenty-four-years-old king's son that tongue 
 could not tell, golden-haired, golden-mouthed, 
 golden-toothed. And the black cock shook himself 
 three times, and became such a golden-haired magic 
 steed that his equal would have to be sought for; 
 the cast-away, thrown-away saddle became golden, 
 everything on it was gold to the last buckle. 
 
 The king's son then picked out the most beautiful 
 place in the kingdom ; standing in the middle of this 
 he thought once, and suddenly that instant there 
 stood before him a copper-roofed marble palace, 
 turning on a cock's foot, and in it every kind of the 
 most varied and beautiful golden furniture, every- 
 thing and everything was of gold, beginning with the 
 mirror-frame and ending with the cooking-spoon. 
 The king's son conducted the beautiful golden bird 
 
526 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 - 
 
 the fair princess into the pearl-given palace, 
 where, like birds in a nest, they lived in quiet har- 
 mony. When the merchant's three daughters and 
 the two elder princesses heard of the happiness of 
 the youngest princess, how well she had married, 
 in their sorrow one of them jumped into a well, an- 
 other drowned herself in a hemp-pond, and a third 
 was drawn dead out of the river Tisza [Theiss]. In 
 this way four of the maidens came to an evil end ; 
 but the second daughter of the merchant gritted her 
 teeth venomously at the princess, and made a firm 
 and merciless resolve that she would imbitter her 
 life's happiness. She went therefore to the palace, 
 and found service in the guise of an old woman. She, 
 the devil-given, came at a critical time ; for the Bur- 
 kus king 1 had declared war against the king's son, 
 and the princess, while her husband was in the field, 
 was left to the care of the merchant's daughter, dis- 
 guised as an old woman. Milk might as well be con- 
 fided to a cat as the princess to that cockroach of the 
 underground kingdom. While the king's son was 
 gone, the Lord gave the princess two beautiful chil- 
 dren. The old woman packed them into a basket, 
 put them under a tree in the woods, then ran back to 
 the princess, who, recovering from a faint into which 
 she had fallen, asked the old woman to give her the 
 children so that she might embrace and kiss them. 
 
 1 The Prussian king, King of Prussia. 
 
The Hedgehog. 527 
 
 " High queen," answered the old woman, " what 
 is the use in delay or denial? They were two un- 
 timely, hairy monsters, and to save thee from terror 
 at sight of them, I threw both into the river." 
 
 The two children slept quietly under the tree till a 
 white deer burst with great noise through the thicket, 
 went straight as if sent, and taking the basket hung 
 it on his antlers ; then the white deer disappeared 
 in the forest, went on till he came to the bank of 
 a stream, where he called three times. The Forest 
 Maiden appeared as if by magic, took the basket with 
 great delight, and ran panting into her own palace. 
 
 The two children were seven years with the Forest 
 Maiden, who reared them as carefully as if they had 
 been her own. 
 
 Here, 'pon my soul, what came of the affair, or 
 what did not, the Forest Maiden once sent the little 
 girl with a green jug for water, and enjoined on her 
 rigorously to be careful not to break the jug. 
 
 The little girl did not let this be said twice ; she 
 was obedient and attentive. She took the jug, and 
 was at the well in a moment. When she came, she 
 saw a little golden bird flying around the well. Being 
 a child, she wanted to catch the golden bird, there- 
 fore ran around with the jug in her hand till at last 
 she saw that only the handle was left. The little girl, 
 terrified, burst into tears, sat at the edge of the well, 
 and cried there. The Forest Maiden waited and 
 waited ; but she could not wait longer, therefore she 
 
528 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 sent the little brother with a second jug, and told 
 him sternly to be careful not to break the jug. The 
 little brother went in the same way, for he also, like 
 children of that age, barely saw the golden bird when 
 he wanted to strike it with the jug, which he whirled 
 around till only the handle remained in his hand ; 
 then he burst into tears, sat by his sister, and there 
 the two were crying at the edge of the well. 
 
 Here, 'pon my soul, the golden bird pitied the 
 children, and asked : " Why do ye cry? Why do ye 
 weep, pretty children? " 
 
 " Oh, pretty bird," answered the boy, who had 
 more sense than his sister, " why should we not 
 cry ? Why should we not weep? We shall be flogged 
 for breaking the green jugs; our dear mother will 
 whip us." 
 
 " Oh, my children, she is not your own mother ! 
 She is only your foster-mother. Your father and 
 mother live far from here, beyond those green 
 mountains ; so if ye will follow, I '11 lead you home." 
 
 The two children wanted nothing else. They went 
 back no more to their foster-mother, for they would 
 be flogged ; but they followed the golden bird, which 
 went always before them. And they travelled and 
 journeyed till once in a forest they came upon a 
 great heap of gold ; near the gold was a number of 
 dice, as if some one had been playing there. The 
 little boy and girl each took a handful of gold, and 
 went farther. They travelled and journeyed till they 
 
The Hedgehog. 529 
 
 came to an inn ; since they were wearied, and it was 
 evening, they went in to ask lodging. In the inn 
 three lords were playing dice; the two children at 
 first merely noticed that they were playing. At last 
 the boy took from his pocket the handful of gold, 
 and began to play in such fashion that he won all 
 the money of the three lords ; and then one of them 
 spoke thuswise : 
 
 "Well, my dear son, I see that thou hast good luck. 
 I have in a certain place a charming flower-garden ; in 
 the middle of the garden is a marble palace, and the 
 palace has this peculiarity, if it is struck on the side 
 three times with this golden rod, it will turn into a 
 golden apple ; and thou mayest put down the marble 
 palace and the flower-garden in any part of the world 
 if thou wilt strike the golden apple with the small end of 
 the golden rod. I will bet now this flower-garden and 
 this marble palace ; if thou canst win, they '11 be thine." 
 
 The little boy agreed ; and he won fortunately the 
 flower-garden and the marble palace. The other 
 then gave him the golden rod, and showed him where 
 the garden and the palace were. Next morning the 
 children sought out the garden and the palace, which 
 the boy struck three times on the side, and it turned 
 to a golden apple ; he put the apple in his pocket, and 
 strolled on homeward. The little golden bird flew al- 
 ways ahead of them. They travelled and journeyed 
 till one time the golden bird stopped and said : 
 
 "Well, dear children, now we are at home; put 
 34 
 
530 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 down the golden apple on this spot and strike it 
 three times with the rod, and ye will see what a 
 beautiful marble palace and flowery garden there 
 will be, speaking to the seven kingdoms. The re- 
 port of the palace and garden will circulate imme- 
 diately, and the king himself will come to look at 
 them. Him ye must honor as your father, for thou 
 my little boy art the king's son, and thou my little 
 girl the king's daughter. Dear children, here in a 
 golden frame is a picture which gives your arms 
 and name. Hang in the palace this picture, in the 
 best place ; but lest it be seen, cover it with velvet, 
 and show it to no man save your own father. When 
 he asks what that picture is, draw the velvet from it, 
 and the rest will follow." 
 
 So it happened ; the two children hung up the pic- 
 ture in the best room *of the marble palace, and 
 covered it with velvet. Now, the report ran to dis- 
 tant parts of the kingdom that there was a charming 
 and wonderful marble palace in such and such a place, 
 and people hastened from the seventh province distant 
 to look at it ; so that the report came to the ears of the 
 king himself. The king decided straightway to look 
 at the flowery garden and marble palace ; but he had 
 hardly conceived the idea when the old woman gave 
 him a drug. The king fell ill, and could not see the 
 flowery garden and marble palace ; and then the old 
 woman, without invitation, stood before the king and 
 said: "High king, if thou art so curious to see this 
 
The Hedgehog. 531 
 
 flowery garden and marble palace, then I will go and 
 see if they are as beautiful as report says, and tell the 
 story to thy Highness." 
 
 The king in one way or another agreed, and the 
 old woman went, not to see the garden, but to bring 
 the two children to evil destruction ; the wicked 
 creature tried but succeeded not, for her weapons 
 broke. Not to confound one word with another, I 
 will tell the whole tale in order and accuracy. 
 
 The old witch had barely reached the famous 
 flower-garden when the two children hurried before 
 her and showed everything from root to top, and the 
 old piece of leather began to talk thus : " It is true 
 that the garden is beautiful, but it would be seven 
 times more beautiful if ye would bring the world- 
 sounding tree." 
 
 " What must be done to get that? " asked the little 
 boy. 
 
 " Not other than this," answered the old skeleton : 
 " In such and such a place, in an enchanted palace, 
 is the world-sounding tree ; but ye must go for it and 
 bring it." 
 
 With that the old witch took farewell of the two 
 children, and strolled home; but the boy had no 
 peace from that hour. He wanted to go and bring the 
 world-sounding tree ; therefore taking farewell of his 
 sister with bitter tear-shedding he set out for the tree. 
 He was going and travelling across forty-nine king- 
 doms till he came to a dark castle ; this was the first 
 
532 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 enchanted castle. A big, lame, hairy devil stood 
 there on guard with a fearful whip, so that no man 
 might enter. The hairy devil shouted very angrily 
 at our boy : " Stop ! Who is there? " 
 
 " I," answered the little boy. 
 
 " Who is ' I x ? " 
 
 " I." 
 
 " Art thou Yanoshka? " asked the devil. 
 
 " I am." 
 
 " What journey art thou on? " 
 
 " I am looking for the world-beautifully sounding 
 tree. Hast thou not heard of it, my lord elder 
 brother? " 
 
 " I have not heard of it ; but in such and such a 
 place my brother stands guard, and if he has not 
 heard of it, then no one in the world has." 
 
 Yanoshka went forward on the right road in search 
 of the world-sounding tree. He travelled and jour- 
 neyed till he came to another enchanted dark castle ; 
 there a big, lame, hairy devil was standing on guard 
 who shouted to our Yanoshka in great anger. Our 
 Yanoshka was much braver now, for he knew he had 
 nothing to fear. 
 
 " Who is it? " called out the devil. 
 j 
 
 " Art thou Yanoshka? " 
 
 " I am, at the service of my lord elder brother." 
 " Why art thou journeying here in this strange 
 land, where even a bird does not go? " 
 
The Hedgehog. 533 
 
 "I am looking for the world-beautifully sounding 
 tree. Hast thou not heard of it, my lord elder 
 brother?" 
 
 "What is the use in delay or denial? I have not 
 heard; but in such and such a place my eldest 
 brother is on guard, and if he knows nothing of it, 
 then no one in the world knows." 
 
 With this Yanoshka moved on towards the third 
 enchanted castle ; when he came, there was a big, 
 lame, hairy devil on guard, who called out in great 
 
 anger to Yanoshka: "Who is that? " 
 j 
 
 "Thou art Yanoshka?" 
 
 " I am." 
 
 " Why art thou journeying here in this strange 
 land, where even a bird does not go?" 
 
 " I am looking for the world-beautifully sound- 
 ing tree. Hast thou not heard of it, my lord elder 
 brother?" 
 
 " Ho, ho, Yanoshka ! of course I have ; it is here in 
 the garden of this enchanted palace. Thou mayest 
 take it, but only if thou obey my words. If thou 
 dost not value them or dost not observe them, thou 
 wilt never see God's bright sky or the shining day 
 again. I only want to say this: Here is a golden 
 rod; strike the wall of the enchanted castle with it 
 three times. Straightway a door will open before 
 thee. In the very middle of the garden thou wilt 
 find the world-beautifully sounding tree. Go around 
 
534 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 it three times and then hurry like a shot arrow, with 
 the speed of a dog, or the stone wall will close, and 
 thou wilt remain inside ; and if thou art once shut 
 in, God have mercy and pity on thee, for that instant 
 thou wilt be turned to stone. This is my word and 
 speech ; if thou cling to it, thou wilt be lucky ; if 
 not, thou wilt be wretched forever." 
 
 The boy took the golden rod and struck the side of 
 the enchanted castle with it. That instant the door 
 opened before him. The king's son did not inquire 
 much whether he might enter or not; in a moment 
 he ran in through the door and straight to the gar- 
 den. Every kind of singing and dancing maidens 
 came to meet him, some with citharas and harps; 
 some played on cymbals and begged him to play and 
 dance with them ; some offered rich food and drink 
 of every kind agreeable to the taste. But the king's 
 son had no mind to eat or drink ; he pushed aside 
 the maidens and ran to the very centre of the garden, 
 where the world-beautifully sounding tree was ; then 
 he went around it three times, turning toward the 
 point whence he had come. That done he rushed 
 from the garden, and a thousand times lucky was he. 
 It was not the same for him to be a few minutes later, 
 for the door closed and bit off the heel of his boot ; 
 but he did not care much about the heel of his boot. 
 He ran home on the same road over which he had 
 come; and when he arrived, the world-beautifully 
 sounding tree was in the middle of the flowery gar- 
 
The Hedgehog. 535 
 
 den. Hitherto the flowery garden had been in good 
 fame, but now the fame was seven times greater, so 
 that people came from seven worlds to look at the 
 tree ; and the report of it reached the king himself, 
 who determined in his mind if he had not seen it 
 yet he would now at least go to see it. 
 
 As soon as the old witch divined his thought she 
 put a powder in his coffee so that he became sick, 
 and was not able to leave the room ; then she stood 
 before him without invitation, and said: " High king, 
 as thy Highness is sick, I will go to see if the world- 
 sounding tree is as beautiful as reported, and will soon 
 bring back word." 
 
 The king in one way or another agreed to the old 
 witch's proposal, and let her go to see the world-beau- 
 tifully sounding tree. She had barely put foot in the 
 flowery garden when the two children ran out to her 
 to hear what the old woman would say this time. 
 
 " Beautiful children," said she, " beautiful is the 
 garden of itself, beautiful is the sounding tree, but 
 still seven times more beautiful would it be if the 
 world-sweetly speaking bird were to sing upon it." 
 
 "What must I do?" asked the little boy. 
 
 " Nothing else," answered the old witch, " than 
 this: In such and such a place is an enchanted 
 castle, and thence it would be necessary to bring 
 the world-sweetly speaking bird." 
 
 Then she went back; and from that hour the 
 king's son could not remain at home, but planned to 
 
536 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 go for the wo rid- sweetly speaking bird. Therefore, 
 parting with his sister amidst bitter tear-shedding, he 
 started through the kingdom and the world to bring 
 home the sweetly speaking bird ; but he enjoined on 
 his sister that if the third day he were not at home, 
 she should set out to seek him over a certain road, 
 and with that the king's son went his way. 
 
 He journeyed and travelled across forty-nine king- 
 doms to the first enchanted castle, where there stood 
 on guard a big hairy devil, who had a terribly large 
 whip in his hand, to kill, without pity or mercy, every 
 man going up or down. Now, the hairy devil attacked 
 Yanoshka sharply and roughly, thus: 
 
 " Who art thou?" 
 
 " I, my lord elder brother." 
 
 " Who art thou? " asked the devil again. 
 
 " I." 
 
 " Art thou Yanoshka?" 
 
 " I am." 
 
 " Why art thou here in this strange land, where 
 'even a bird does not go ? " 
 
 " I am going for the world-sweetly speaking bird. 
 Hast thou heard of it, my lord elder brother? " 
 
 "What is the use in delay or denial? I have not in- 
 deed heard. But over there lives my elder brother ; if 
 he knows nothing of it, then no one in the world knows." 
 
 Now the king's son came to the second enchanted 
 castle ; the second devil sent him to his eldest brother, 
 the big lame devil. 
 
The Hedgehog. 537 
 
 When Yanoshka came to the third castle, the devil 
 asked, " Why art thou here in this strange land, where 
 even a bird does not go? " 
 
 " I am looking for the world-sweetly speaking bird. 
 Hast thou not heard of it, lord elder brother, in thy 
 world-beautiful life?" 
 
 " Of course I have ; it is here in this enchanted cas- 
 tle. Thou mayest take it away if thou wilt listen to 
 my word ; if not, better thou hadst never been born. 
 For if thou wilt not observe my words, thou wilt never 
 see God's bright sun again. I only wish to say : Here 
 is a golden rod ; take it, and with it strike the wall of 
 the enchanted castle three times. Straightway the 
 door will open before thee ; pass in, run to the end of 
 the glass corridor and across eight chambers. In the 
 ninth chamber is the world-sweetly speaking bird in a 
 rusty cage. Thou wilt find there every kind of beau- 
 tiful and more beautiful golden birds, but look not at 
 them, listen not to them, take no one of them, but 
 take the sweetly speaking bird sitting sadly in the 
 rusty cage. Snatch the cage in an instant, and rush 
 from the enchanted castle as if thou hadst been shot 
 from a cannon." 
 
 The king's son took the golden rod and struck the 
 wall of the enchanted castle with it three times, and 
 in a twinkle the door opened before him. The king's 
 son then asked few questions. Whether it was per- 
 mitted or not he ran into the room in an instant. 
 While he was running to the end of the glass corri- 
 
538 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 dor he was called by name, from the right to the left, 
 to stop. It is true that he was frightened, but he 
 paid no heed. He ran straight to the first chamber. 
 Every kind of flowers, more and more beautiful, were 
 in golden pots ; but the king's son did not touch them. 
 He ran to the second chamber. In that were all 
 kinds of swords and guns, but he did not choose 
 from them. He entered the third, fourth, fifth, and 
 in this way till he came to the ninth chamber. The 
 ninth chamber, as the devil had told him, was full of 
 all kinds of golden and silver cages, and in them 
 golden-feathered birds, more and more beautiful, were 
 singing; but the world-sweetly speaking bird was 
 drooping there sadly in a rusty cage, and was not 
 singing. 
 
 As the world-sweetly speaking bird was not golden- 
 feathered like the others, it did not please the king's 
 son, and he did not take it, but chose from among the 
 many golden-feathered birds the prettiest, and wished 
 to take that; but as he reached towards it, suddenly, 
 in the twinkle of an eye, he was turned to stone, and 
 the door of the stone wall closed before him. 
 
 Now, the little princess every God-given day 
 spread the table for her good brother, but he did not 
 come. Every God-given evening she went out before 
 the house and waited till nearly midnight; then she 
 spread the bed for him, but he did not lie in it. So 
 the first day passed, and the second, and the third, 
 day after day, but still the dear brother came not ; 
 
The Hedgehog. 539 
 
 therefore the princess, crying and weeping, went out 
 to look for her brother. She journeyed and travelled 
 upon his trail till she came to the first enchanted cas- 
 tle, and the second, and at last the third. The devil 
 there stood on guard, with a great whip like a chain, so 
 as to strike on the head, without pity or mercy, every 
 one going up or down ; and he shouted angrily at the 
 
 little girl, " Who art thou ? " 
 j 
 
 "Thou art Marishka?" For meanwhile, let it be 
 said, this was the name of the king's son's sister. 
 
 " I am." 
 
 " Why art thou travelling in this strange land, 
 where not even a bird goes?" 
 
 " I am looking for my brother. Hast thou not 
 heard of him, lord elder brother?" 
 
 " Of course I have heard, of course ! He is in 
 this enchanted castle, turned into stone ; he had to be, 
 for he would not obey me. Thou wilt go that way, 
 too, if thou wilt not hold to my word." 
 
 Now the little girl took the golden rod from the 
 devil, who told her what to do with it, and struck 
 the wall of the enchanted castle with it three times. 
 The door opened before her in a twinkle, the princess 
 ran in ; but she looked neither to the right nor the 
 left. She ran straight to the ninth chamber; there 
 she took the rusty cage, struck her brother three 
 times on the side with the rod, then ran as if shot 
 from a cannon. And a thousand-fold was her luck 
 
54-O Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 that she did not delay an eye-twinkle longer, for the 
 stone-wall door, as it was, cut the edge of her skirt 
 off when it closed. 
 
 The princess had barely come out of the enchanted 
 castle when she heard behind her frightful thunder- 
 ing, hammering and blowing, swearing and cursing, 
 with threats ; . they shouted after her : " Wait, thou ! 
 this-and-that-kind-of-wretch, it will soon be bitter for 
 thee ! " But she did not turn to them; she ran like a 
 hunted deer till she reached home. Who was waiting 
 for her there? No one else but her dear brother. 
 
 The brother and sister then put up the sweetly 
 speaking bird on the world-beautifully sounding tree, 
 and the sweetly speaking bird spoke, sang more 
 sweetly than any cithara, so that whoever heard 
 it became ten years younger. If the flowery garden 
 had been famous before, it now stood in seven times 
 greater fame, so that from seven kingdoms the peo- 
 ple came to look at it; and the king, hearing of 
 the fair fame of the flowery garden, resolved in 
 his mind that, though he had not gone yet, he would 
 go to see it now. 
 
 The old witch barely divined this intention of the 
 king when she gave him powders in black coffee, 
 from which the king became so sick that this time, 
 too, his visit to the beautiful garden came to nothing. 
 And then the old woman, without invitation, stood 
 before him, and said : " High king, thou hast such a 
 great desire to see the flowery garden, I will go at 
 
The Hedgehog. 541 
 
 once, and bring back word if its beauty is as great 
 as its fame." 
 
 The king agreed, and the old woman went to see the 
 flowery garden. She had barely put foot in it when 
 the two children ran out to meet her, received her very 
 cordially, and did not know where to seat her. 
 
 " Beautiful children," began the old sinner, " the 
 marble palace is beautiful, the flowery garden is 
 beautiful, the world-sweetly speaking bird is beau- 
 tiful; but the flowery garden would be still more 
 beautiful if the silver lake were flowing in it, and in 
 the lake golden fish were playing." 
 
 "What must I do to get the lake?" asked the 
 king's son. 
 
 " Only this," answered the old skeleton. " In a 
 certain place, in an enchanted castle, is the world-sil- 
 ver lake, and in it the world-golden fish ; it is only 
 necessary to go for the silver lake, for the golden fish 
 will come in it. All that is needed is to bring the 
 lake." 
 
 Then the old woman took leavd of the pair pleas- 
 antly, and went home. But the king's son from that 
 day had no rest, so he took leave of his dear sister, 
 and went out into the world for the silver lake. He 
 travelled and journeyed across forty-nine kingdoms, 
 and the Operentsia Sea, till he came to the first en- 
 chanted castle. A devil was guarding there, who sent 
 him to his elder brother, and he to his eldest. The 
 king's son arrived at the third enchanted palace. A 
 
542 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 devil stood guard there, with an enormous knotty 
 club, to hit every man going up or down, without 
 mercy or pity. 
 
 " God give thee good evening, my lord elder 
 brother." 
 
 " God receive thee, Yanoshka ; whither art thou far- 
 ing in this strange land, where not even a bird goes ? " 
 
 " I am looking for the world-silver lake. Hast thou 
 not heard of it, lord elder brother? " 
 
 " Of course I have heard, of course ; it is here in 
 this enchanted castle. But, my younger brother, thou 
 wilt have to tie up thy drawers well if 't is thy wish to 
 take that away ; for if thou dost not obey my word, 
 I tell thee, on my true soul, that thou wilt reach Pilate 
 by supper-time. I wish to say this : Here is a golden 
 rod ; strike the side of the enchanted palace with it, 
 and suddenly the door will open before thee, run in 
 straight to the garden. Thou wilt hear thy name 
 called, but listen not. Every kind of beautiful maiden 
 will come before thee, offering meat and drink; but 
 eat not, neither drink. Thou wilt find on the way 
 every kind of rich thing, gold, silver, diamonds, 
 but touch nothing. Then every kind of disgusting 
 snake and toad will come out, but be not afraid ; run 
 straight to the silver lake, which flows in the garden, 
 run around it three times towards home, and then run 
 out as thou didst go in." 
 
 Well, the king's son took the golden rod, struck 
 the side of the enchanted castle three times, and the 
 
 
The Hedgehog. 543 
 
 door opened before him; scarcely had he put foot 
 inside when maidens called him by name. " This 
 way, this way, Yanoshka ! Eat, drink, with relish, 
 Yanoshka ! This way, Yanoshka, my embracing two 
 arms are open to thee, run no farther ! " 
 
 The king's son, as if deaf, did not listen, but ran 
 farther. Then maidens more and more beautiful 
 came before him, some sprang at him, dangled 
 their golden hair in his face ; the king's son did not 
 stop, but struck at them rudely, rushing on. He had 
 barely left the maidens when he fell on to piles of 
 treasure thrown in his way: beaten gold was piled 
 high, and milk-white silver coin, here every kind of 
 diamond ring, there swords set in diamonds ; but the 
 king's son touched nothing, and ran on. Then every 
 kind of crawling, creeping thing swarmed around him, 
 here hissing snakes, there warty toads. Yanoshka 
 looked not under his feet, but ran till he came to the 
 silver lake, around which he rushed three times, and 
 went out as he had come. A thousand-fold was his 
 fortune, for had he been an instant later the stone 
 wall would have closed before him ; as it was it took 
 the heel off his boot, but he cared nothing for that. 
 He left his boots there and ran home barefoot ; when 
 he reached home the silver lake was already flowing 
 through the flowery garden, and in it all kinds of 
 precious golden fish were jumping. 
 
 Hitherto the marble palace and the flowery garden 
 with the sounding tree and the sweetly speaking bird 
 
544 Magyar Myths and Folk -Tales. 
 
 had been in fair fame, but now, when the silver lake 
 was flowing through the garden, and golden fish 
 playing in it, now I say their fame spoke to the seven 
 worlds, and people came to look at them. When this 
 reached the ears of the king he resolved that he 
 would neither eat nor drink till he saw the marble 
 palace with all its wonders. Though the old witch 
 offered him black coffee repeatedly, the king did not 
 take it; but sitting in the golden carriage with his wife, 
 he drove to see the flowery garden. 
 
 Scarcely had the king and queen entered the 
 flowery garden when the brother and sister ran out 
 before them, panting, and kissed their hands. 
 
 " Oh, father, this little girl is like thee ! " cried the 
 queen ; " she is thy carved second ! " 
 
 " And the little boy looks like thee," answered the 
 king. 
 
 Well, the king and the queen went around the 
 garden in order, and they could not do justice to its 
 beauty; when they saw the sounding tree and the 
 sweetly speaking bird, they clapped their hands. The 
 boy went up in a moment on the sounding tree, plucked 
 from it a couple of golden apples, gave one to the king 
 and the other to the queen, who could not praise suffi- 
 ciently his kindness. Then the king and queen looked 
 at the silver lake and the golden fish in it ; they visited 
 the marble palace, and went from chamber to cham- 
 ber till they had gone through seven in order. 
 
 The king and queen were unable to praise suffi- 
 
The Hedgehog. 545 
 
 ciently the beauty of the rooms ; but when they came 
 to the most beautiful of all, the king found this to say, 
 speaking speech : " Well, my little servant, wilt thou 
 not answer a question of mine? " 
 
 " And what is it? " asked the prince. 
 
 " I should like to know why that picture is covered 
 with velvet, and what it depicts." 
 
 One word is not much, but the king's little son did 
 not say that much; speechless he drew the velvet 
 covering aside. The king and queen were amazed, 
 and knew their own children, whom they had never 
 seen before. One embraced one of them, and the 
 other the other ; they could not speak, but they wept 
 and laughed, and then the world-sounding tree and 
 the sweetly speaking bird were heard. 
 
 Great was the rejoicing of every kind, but sad grew 
 the old sinner when the king seized her, made her fast 
 to a tree, and piled up beneath her a fire of sulphur. 
 
NOTES. 
 
 a 
 
 as 
 
 a 
 
 ai 
 
 " 
 
 ai 
 
 i accented 
 
 
 
 ee 
 
 3 " 
 
 
 
 
 kh and h 
 
 a 
 
 ch 
 
 o accented 
 
 
 
 
 
 o unaccented 
 
 
 
 u 
 
 u 
 
 
 
 oo 
 
 LETTERS in the Russian names and titles in this volume 
 have the following values : 
 
 in hat 
 " bait 
 " beet 
 
 the French/ 
 ch in the Gaelic loch 
 in bone 
 " full 
 " moon 
 
 In this volume Russian names and titles without printed 
 accents are accented on the penult. Names and titles accented 
 on syllables other than the penult have the accents indicated 
 in the following list: 
 
 Addr Feddt Kirbftyevna 
 
 Afrdn Gordh Simedn 
 
 Andrdnovich Gosuddr Svaitozdr 
 
 Baba-Yagd Iva"n Vdronovich 
 
 Buldt Ivdnushka Ye'lena 
 
 Dolmdt Kirbi't 
 
 The few titles in the Russian tales are : 
 
 Tsarevich, Tsar's son. 
 
 Tsarevna, " daughter. 
 
 Tsaritsa " wife. 
 
 Korolyevna, Kings daughter, princess. 
 
548 Notes. 
 
 
 In Chekh and Magyar the accent is always on the first 
 syllable. 
 
 In the Magyar consonantal combinations cs = ch, gy = dy, 
 s = sh. Examples are Csako, pronounced Chako, one of the 
 cows sold by the poor man to the King of the Crows. This is 
 a name given in Hungary to a cow with horns grown outward. 
 Kiss Miklos, pronounced Kish Miklosh, means in English 
 Nicholas Little. Magyar is pronounced Modyor, the unac- 
 cented a in Magyar being the equivalent, or nearly so, of our o. 
 
 The Russian myth-tales in this volume are all taken from 
 Afanasyeff's 1 collection. At the end of each title are given, 
 in parentheses, the part and page of the tale in the original 
 work. 
 
 THE THREE KINGDOMS, THE COPPER, THE SILVER, 
 AND THE GOLDEN. Page i. (Part vii. p. 97.) 
 
 The first name, that of the Tsar Bail Bailyanyin, is best trans- 
 lated as " White of White Land." There is in Russian mythology 
 a lady of unspeakable beauty, Nastasya or Anastasya of the sea, 
 who causes the sun to blush twice each day ; she is perhaps 
 the Nastasya, Golden Tress, of this story. Bail Bailyanyin, 
 "White of White Land," may well be Bail Bog, the White God 
 of pre-Christian Russians. And here a few words touching the 
 persistence of myth-conceptions may not be out of place. In 
 the tales of the Indians, and in fact of all men who have retained 
 firm traces of primitive thought, the people of the myth-tellers 
 are on the side of light and goodness, and their enemies on that 
 of darkness and harm. This is parallel with the antithesis of 
 day and night. The Russian phrases baili dyen, baili svait, 
 " white day," " white world," are good examples of the old-time 
 idea with which is connected, in all likelihood, the title Baili 
 Tsar, " the White Tsar," still existent in Russia. 
 
 1 The Russian title of Afanasyeff's work is, " Narodniya Russkiya 
 Skazki. A. N. Afanasieva, Moskva." There are eight parts, usually 
 bound in three volumes, and dated 1860-61-63. 
 
Notes. 549 
 
 IVAN TSAREVICH, THE FIRE-BIRD, AND THE GRAY 
 WOLF. Page 20. (Part vii. p 121.) 
 
 The variants of this tale among the Russians and other 
 Slavs, as well as in Germany, are many, and would fill a volume 
 of good size if collected and published. In some Russian 
 variants Ivan Tsarevich retains Yelena the Beautiful, not 
 through the art and friendship of the Wolf, but by his own 
 craft and daring. When he has received the golden-maned 
 steed in exchange for Yelena, and is going, he asks to take leave 
 of the maiden ; the request is granted. He raises the beauty to 
 the saddle-bow, puts spurs to the steed, rises in the air, shoots 
 on above the standing forest, below the moving cloud, vanishes, 
 holds on his way till he comes to the Tsar to whom he had 
 promised to give the steed for the Fire-Bird. When the time 
 comes for parting he asks to take a last ride on the steed, if only 
 through the courtyard ; the Tsar agrees. Ivan mounts with the 
 cage in his hand ; the steed rises as before, and he vanishes, 
 comes to the place where he had left Yelena, and fares home- 
 ward with her till he meets his evil brothers. 
 
 IVAN THE PEASANT'S SON AND THE LITTLE MAN HIMSELF 
 ONE - FINGER TALL, HIS MUSTACHE SEVEN VERSTS IN 
 LENGTH. Page 37. (Part viii. p. 109.) 
 
 [Written down in the government of Saratoff, by Guskdff.] 
 
 In this tale we have Freezer and Great Eater, with powers 
 exhibited on a smaller scale than those of the comrades of Kiss 
 Miklos in the Magyar myth. The picture of the boat serving 
 for the reality has its parallel quite frequently in Indian belief. 
 
 THE FEATHER OF BRIGHT FINIST THE FALCON. 
 Page 47. (Part viii. p. i.) 
 
 Written down in the government of Vologda. 
 
550 Notes. 
 
 THE PIG WITH GOLD BRISTLES, THE DEER WITH GOLDEN 
 HORNS, AND THE GOLDEN-MANED STEED WITH GOLDEN 
 TAIL. Page 59. (Part ii. p. 268.) 
 
 Written down in the government of Voronej. 
 
 WATER OF YOUTH, WATER OF LIFE, AND WATER OF DEATH. 
 Page 72. (Part vii. p. 66.) 
 
 The sleeping maiden in this tale, with her slumbering host, 
 reminds us at once of the Queen of Tubber Tintye in " The 
 King of Erin and the Queen of Lonesome Island." See 
 "Myths and Folk-lore of Ireland." 
 
 THE FOOTLESS AND BLIND CHAMPIONS. 
 Page 82. (Part v. p. 164.) 
 
 This tale has many variants in Russian, and resembles the 
 Briinhilde and Gunter story in the " Niebelungen Lied." 
 
 THE THREE KINGDOMS. Page 97. (Part viii. p. 91.) 
 
 This story is remarkable for the change or metamorphosis 
 of Raven, the great power, into a common raven after his defeat 
 by Ivan Tsarevich and the surrender of the feather staff. 
 
 Raven is a great personage in American mythology, especially 
 in that of the Modocs. Whenever he appeared and uttered his 
 spell with an ominous laugh, everything was turned to stone. 
 There are many rock groups of Eastern Oregon described in 
 the myths as ancient mighty personages turned into stone by 
 Raven. As soon as the body became stone, however, the spirit 
 escaped, and took physical form in some other place. Over the 
 spirit, Raven had no power. 
 
 KOSHCHEI WITHOUT-DEATH. Page 106. (Part vii. p. 72.) 
 [Written down in the government of Archangel.] 
 
 This name has been translated, but incorrectly, Koshchdi, 
 the " Deathless '' or " Immortal." Koshchei was not deathless. 
 
Notes. 551 
 
 His death was in the world, but in a place apart from him, which 
 is simply another way of saying that the source of his life was 
 at a distance. We may find in this fact one very important 
 clew to the discovery of the nature of personages like Koshchdi. 
 No matter how they are cut up or slaughtered, where they act, 
 they are alive and as strong as ever next instant ; it is as vain 
 to try to kill them by attacking their bodies as it is to destroy 
 winter by making bonfires in the open country, or destroy the 
 summer by artificial cooling. There are two ways by which 
 we may draw conclusions as to who these personages are, one 
 by discovering what or where their life or death is, the other by 
 examining their acts. We do not know much at present about 
 Koshchei, from the fact that his death is in a duck's egg ; but if 
 we could learn who the women are whom he carries away, that 
 would throw light on his character. Let us take an American 
 example. There is a personage, Winter, in a certain Indian 
 myth whose heart is hidden away at a distance, and whose song 
 brings frost and snow. The heart is found by the enemy of 
 the Snow-maker; this enemy burns it, and the Snow-maker dies. 
 In another Indian myth the hero's enemy is pounded to pieces, 
 but comes to life, is killed repeatedly without result. At last 
 the hero learns that his enemy's heart is in the sky, at the 
 western side of the sun at midday; straightway he reaches up, 
 gets the heart, crushes it, and his enemy dies. In this case the 
 enemy is surely not a snow-maker. 
 
 VASSILISSA GOLDEN TRESS, BAREHEADED BEAUTY. 
 Page 124. (Part viii. p. 367.) 
 
 [Written down by Bronnitski.] 
 
 The name of the Tsar Svaitozar means "light-shining," 
 "resplendent." 
 
 The wise blacksmith of the Savage Serpent receives a reward 
 from Ivan Tsarevich similar to that given by Cuculin to the 
 Strong Smith in " Myths and Folk-lore of Ireland;" he is made 
 king. 
 
552 Notes. 
 
 THE RING WITH TWELVE SCREWS. 
 Page 137. (Part viii. p. 541.) 
 
 THE FOOTLESS AND THE BLIND. Page 149. (Part viii. p. 191.) 
 
 The struggle to the bitter end between Nikita and Yelena 
 the Beautiful is well brought out in this tale. 
 
 KOSHCHEI WITHOUT-DEATH. Page 165. (Part viii. p. 69.) 
 
 For an interesting parallel to this tale, see " Phakir Chand " 
 in " Folk-tales of Bengal," by the Rev. Lai Behari Day. 
 
 Go TO THE VERGE OF DESTRUCTION AND BRING BACK 
 SHMAT-RAZUM. Page 179. (Part vii. p. 38.) 
 
 In the original text the last task given by the king is to go 
 " I know not where and bring back I know not what." Shmat- 
 Razum is a variant. 
 
 MARYA MOREVNA. Page 203. (Part viii. p. 98.) 
 
 Morevna means "daughter of the sea." 
 
 This is a very fine tale, in which the ancient characters are 
 well preserved. Koshchdi Without-Death, however, has his 
 death with him this time. 
 
 YELENA THE WISE. Page 218. (Part vii. p. 304.) 
 
 THE SEVEN SIMEONS, FULL BROTHERS. 
 Page 228. (Part i. p. 370.) 
 
 The Simeons remind us at once of the brothers in " Fin Mac- 
 Cumhail, the Seven Brothers, and the King of France." See 
 " Myths and Folk-lore of Ireland." 
 
 THE ENCHANTED PRINCESS. Page 238. (Part viii. p. 138.) 
 
 This tale contains a good deal of myth material. Specially 
 interesting is the withering of the trees when the soldier is put to 
 sleep, and their budding forth when South Wind brings him^back. 
 
 
Notes. 
 
 553 
 
 VASSILISSA THE CUNNING, AND THE TSAR OF THE 
 SEA. Page 249. (Part vi. p. 218.) 
 
 Vassilissa is written Vasilisa in Russian. I have doubled 
 the s to assist the reader, but regret now that I did not preserve 
 the Russian orthography and call attention to the pronunciation. 
 
 Tsar Unchristened Forehead is in the original text, and Tsar 
 of the Sea is given as a variant. I have taken the variant, which 
 is undoubtedly earlier than the name in the text. The battle 
 between beasts and birds in the beginning of the tale is very 
 curious. In Indian mythology struggles between beasts and 
 birds are common; not, however, beasts and birds of the 
 present kind, but the beings who lived before men appeared, 
 and who fell from their former high places, becoming such 
 beasts and birds as those that we see now. The eagle in this 
 story corresponds in character to the mythologic birds before 
 their fall. 
 
 It is noteworthy that the struggles for superiority in Indian 
 myths are not carried on through fighting (the usual method in 
 Aryan myths), but through trials of skill, strength, dexterity, 
 through playing ball, dice, foot-races, wrestling, and shooting. 
 The opponents always bet their heads, and the head of the 
 losing party is cut off without delay. 
 
 The " Chekh Myths and Folk-Tales," except " The Cuirassier 
 and the Horned Princess," are taken from a work in two parts 
 called, " Folk-Tales," by J. K. z. Radostova. 1 Prague, 1872. 
 
 BOYISLAY, YOUNGEST OF TWELVE. (Part ii. p. 241.) 
 
 THE TABLE, THE PACK, AND THE BAG. (Part i. p. 81.) 
 
 THE KING OF THE TOADS. (Part i. p. 133.) 
 
 THE MOUSE-HOLE, AND THE UNDERGROUND KINGDOM. 
 (In the original, " Mouse-Hole." Part ii. p. 361.) 
 
 1 Narodni Pohadky, od J. K. z. Radostova. V. Praze, 1872. 
 
554 Notes. 
 
 THE TREACHEROUS BROTHERS. (Part ii. p. 321.) 
 
 " The Cuirassier and the Horned Princess " (in the original, 
 "Concerning a Cuirassier") is taken from "Moravian Folk- 
 Tales, Stories, Customs, and Beliefs," collected and written 
 down by Benesh Method Kulda. 1 Prague, 1874. This work 
 is in two parts. 
 
 The " Magyar Myths and Folk-Tales " are taken from the fol- 
 lowing sources, 
 
 From " Original Folk-Tales of the Sayo Valley," collected 
 by Ldszld Merenyi. 2 (2 parts). 
 
 THE POOR MAN, AND THE KING OF THE CROWS. 
 (Part ii. p. 113.) 
 
 KlSS MlKLOS, AND THE GREEN DAUGHTER OF THE GREEN 
 
 KING. (In the original, " The Lead Friend." Part i. p. I.) 
 
 From " Original Folk-Tales," collected by Laszl6 Merdnyi. 8 
 Pest, 1861. (2 parts). 
 
 THE REED MAIDEN. (Part ii. p. 35.) 
 
 From " Original Folk-Tales of the Danube Border," collected 
 by La"szl<5 Mere'nyi. 4 (2 parts). 
 
 THE USELESS WAGONER. (Part ii. p. 143.) 
 
 THE HEDGEHOG, THE MERCHANT, THE KING, AND THE POOR 
 MAN. (In the original, " The Hedgehog." Part ii. p. 5.) 
 
 1 Moravske Narodni Pohadky, Povesti, ObyCeje a Povery sebral a 
 napsal. BeneS Method Kulda. V. Praze, 1874. 
 
 2 Sajovolgyi Eredeti Nepmesek Osszegyiijtotte. Merenyi Laszlo. 
 Pest, 1862. 
 
 8 Eredeti Nepmesek Osszegyiijtotte. Merenyi Laszlo. Pest, 1861. 
 * Dunamelleki Eredeti Nepmesek Osszegyujtotte. Merenyi Laszlo. 
 Pest, 1864. 
 
Notes. 555 
 
 From " Wild Roses. A Collection of the Mental Creations 
 of the Sekler People," by Yanosh Kriza. 1 Klausenburg, 1863. 
 (Volume I., all, I believe, that was published, contains ballads 
 songs, and tales.) 
 
 MIRKO, THE KING'S SON. (Part i. p. 436.) 
 
 This beautiful tale was printed in the Keresturfiszek variety 
 of Sekler Magyar, and has not been put into ordinary Magyar, 
 so far as I know. 
 
 1 Vadroszak, Szekely Nepkoltesi GyUjtemeny. Szerkeszti Kriza 
 Janos. Kolozsvartt, 1863. 
 
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