Alexander Nikolaevich Afanasyev

“ Meanwhile, somehow or other, the peasant's field righted itself; new shoots sprang up out of the old roots, the rain poured down on them, and nourished the earth; wonderful fresh corn grew up, lofty and thick; not a weed to be seen; and the ears were so full that they bowed down to earth. The little sun warmed them, and the rye was warmed through, and waved like a field of gold. The peasant bound up sheaf after sheaf, built rick after rick; carted it away and stacked it.
Just then Elijah and St. Nicholas were once more passing by. ”

“ Tsar Dolmát was very angry with Iván Tsarévich, and shrieked in a wrathful tone: "Are you not ashamed of yourself, young man, to come stealing? Who are you—of what land? Who was your father? How do they call you on earth?"
Iván Tsarévich answered him: "I am the son of Tsar Výslav Andrónovich, and they call me Iván Tsarévich. Your Bird of Light flew into the garden every night and stole the golden apples from the apple-tree my father loved, and for that reason my father sent me to seek the Bird of Light and to take it to him." ”

“ Then Mark the Rich came, and sat awaiting the Lord. The hours went by, and never a guest. And then the poor heard that there was a great feast at the house of Mark the Rich. They all gathered round for the hallowed gifts; but the journeymen and servants drove them all away. But one poor beggar, bent with age, and all in rags, went up to the door of Mark the Rich. And as Mark the Rich saw him from the window, he cried out in a fierce voice: "Hi, you sluggards and louts! Eyes and no eyes? Look at the beast that is traipseing up and down our courtyard: get rid of him." ”

“ The boy lay down to sleep and began to think which he would take. Suddenly the door opened and a beautiful maiden came in. "Are you asleep, doughty youth, or not?"
"No, fair maiden, I cannot sleep. I am thinking which is the bride I shall take."
"That is the very reason I came to see you, in order to give you counsel; for, good man, you have become the Devil's guest. So, listen to me; if you ever wish to return to the light of day, you must do as I say. If you do not, you will not leave this place alive." ”

“ Vasilísa got everything ready with the help of her doll. Then the old woman came back, looked over everything, and said: "Ho, my faithful servants, friends of my heart! Make me some poppy-oil." Then three pairs of hands came, laid hold of the poppies and carried them off.
Bába Yagá sat down to supper, and Vasilísa sat silently in front of her. "Why do you not speak; why do you stay there as if you were dumb?" Bába Yagá asked.
"I did not venture to say anything; but if I might, I should like to ask some questions."
"Ask, but not every question turns out well: too knowing is too old." ”

“ I am going to seek my wife, Márya Moryévna, the fair Queen."
"This will be a hard search for you," the Crow said. "At least leave us your silver snuff-box; we can gaze on it and think of you."
So Iván Tsarévich left them his silver snuff-box, and set out on his road.
Then a day went and another day, and on the third day he at last reached Márya Moryévna. When she saw her beloved through the window, she rushed out to him, flung herself at his neck, wept, and said, "Oh! Iván Tsarévich, why did you not obey me? Why did you look into the lumber-room and let Koshchéy the Deathless out?" ”

“ At that same instant the snake disentailed herself from his neck, struck the grey earth, and turned into the maiden of his soul, vanished from his eyes as though she had never been there.
The Cossack stabled his horse, went into the palace, and began looking at the rooms: there were looking-lasses all about, silver and velvet, but never a soul of a man to be seen. "Ah!" thought the Cossack, "Wherever have I got to? Who will give me food and drink? I must here die of thirst and hunger." ”

“ It occurred to him suddenly he might peer out of the window, and he saw opposite a big palace, but not one pane of glass was whole. "What is this?" he asked the inn-keeper. "What is this palace? Why does it stand empty?"
"Why, don't you know?" the master replied. "Our Tsar built himself this palace, but cannot inhabit it; and, for seven years, it has been standing empty. Some unholy power drives every one out of the place. Every night an assemblage of devils meets there, make a row, dance, play cards, and perpetrate every sort of vileness!"
So off the soldier went to the Tsar. ”

“ Hail, Ilyá Múromets! Do you recollect? I learned my letters with you in the same school, and now you are setting your horse on me, who am only a beggar, as though I were an enemy, and you do not know that a very great misfortune has befallen the city of Kíev. The infidel knight, the mighty man, the dishonourable Ídolishche, has arrived. His head is as big as a beer cauldron, and his shoulders a sazhén broad. There is a span length between his brows, and between his ears there is a tempered dart. And he eats an ox at a time and he drinks a cask at a time. ”

“ The shoes of the doughty warrior will not be soiled, nor will the hoofs of his horse be smeared.'"
So Danílo the Unfortunate invited them as guests; and the Swan-bird, the fair maiden, stepped out to her window, flapped her wings, shook her little head, and there was a bridge laid from her house to the palace of Prince Vladímir. It was covered with cloth of purple, tacked in with tacks of tin; and on one side flowers grew, nightingales sang, and on the other side apple-trees and fruits bloomed and ripened. ”

“ And the fair Princess Eléna, seeing Iván Tsarévich dead, was sore afraid, and with bitter tears spake. "I am Princess Eléna the Fair; and Iván Tsarévich found me, whom ye have slain, whom ye have given over to an evil death: if ye were good champions, ye would have gone with him into the open field and have slain him in fair fight. But ye have slain him in his sleep, and how shall ye receive praise? Is not a man asleep as one dead?" ”

“ Thou, oh evil witch of Kíev, bid thy crow fly over the sea of Khvalýnsk to the house of bronze; bid him peck the fiery snake, bid him gain the seven pud key. She was grim, and she clove to her crow, the evil witch of Kíev. In my old age I cannot roam to the sea, to the ocean, to the isle of Buyán, to the Black Crow. Do thou bid, by my enchanting words, the crow gain me the seven pud key. ”

“ CHRIST AND THE GEESE
One day St. Peter and Christ were out walking together. St. Peter was deep in thought and suddenly said: "How fine it must be to be God! If for half a day I might be God, then let me be Peter all the rest of my days!"
The Lord smiled. "Your will shall be granted. Be God until nightfall."
They were approaching a village, and saw a peasant girl driving a flock of geese. She drove them to the meadow, left them there, and hurried back home.
"Are you going to leave the geese by themselves?" St. Peter asked. ”

“ Eat, pray, and lie down to sleep, for the morning is wiser than the evening."
Very early next day Vasilísa woke up. Bába Yagá was already up and was looking out of the window. The glimmer in the eyes of the skulls had dimmed; the white horseman raced by: and it dawned. Bába Yagá went into the courtyard, and whistled, and the mortar, the pestle, and the besom appeared at once, and the red horseman came by: and the sun rose. Bába Yagá sat in the mortar and went by, thrusting the mortar with the pestle, and with the besom she removed every trace of her steps. ”

“ In the warm hut the Cock crowed and began singing merry songs.
Now the Fox heard the Cock singing merry songs, and thought he would like to make such a dainty acquaintance, only he did not know how to.
So the Fox bethought himself of his wiles, and ran up to the Bear and the Wolf and said, "Now, my dear kinsmen, I have found food for all of us: a Bull for you, Mr. Bear, a Ram for you, Mr. Wolf, and a Cock for myself."
"What a capital fellow you are, Mr. Fox! said the Bear and the Wolf. "We shall never be oblivious of our services: let us kill and eat them." ”

“ Then the peasant told him the bare truth—how Sorrow had followed on his heels and how he and his sorrow had gone into the inn, and he had drunk away all his goods and chattels to the last shred, until he had only his soul left in his body; and then how Sorrow had showed him the treasure-trove in the field, and he had thus freed himself from the thraldom of Sorrow.
And the rich man became envious and thought: "I will go into the field and will lift the stone up. Sorrow will rend my brother's body asunder, so that he cannot then brag of his riches in front of me." ”

“ Katomá replied, "you are of the age at which you ought to look for a bride: go into the great hall, where you will see pictures of all the Korolévny [2] and Tsarévny in the world. Gaze on them carefully, and select for yourself a bride, one who pleases you, and you shall marry her."
Iván Tsarévich went into the great hall, looked at the pictures, and he was most delighted with Anna the Fair. She was so fair that she was fairer than any princess in the world. But under her portrait there was a legend: "He who can set her a riddle she cannot solve is to marry her. ”

“ Very soon the devils saw that they could not possibly stand such treatment, and they began to shriek: "Mercy on us—mercy on us! Let us out, discharged soldier, into the free world. Unto all eternity we will not forget you, and into this palace never a devil shall enter again. We will forbid everybody—all of them—and drive them all a hundred versts away."
So the soldier bade the smiths stop, and as soon as he unbuckled the nosebag the devils rushed out, and flew off, without looking, into the depths of hell—into the abysses of hell. But the soldier was no fool ”

“ This time they forgot how the hours were flying by, and suddenly the witch stood in front of them.
"Darling, tell me, where have the Russian bones crept away?"
"Here, my mother; a fair maiden is waiting for you."
"Daughter mine, darling, heat the oven quickly; make it very hot."
So the maiden looked up and was frightened to death. For Bába Yagá with the wooden legs stood in front of her, and to the ceiling rose her nose. So the mother and daughter carried firewood in, logs of oak and maple; made the oven ready till the flames shot up merrily. ”

“ Stay, I will tell you, my child. Do you go beyond the ocean into the thrice-tenth kingdom; there there is a king's daughter so fair, that, if you go through all the world, you will never find any one more beautiful. ”

“ THE BEAR, THE DOG, AND THE CAT
Once there lived a peasant who had a good dog, and as the dog grew old it left off barking and guarding the yard and the storehouses: its master would no longer nourish it, so the dog went into the wood and lay under a tree to die.
Then a bear came up and asked him, "Hello, Dog, why are you lying here?"
"I have come to die of hunger. You see how unjust people are. As long as you have any strength, they feed you and give you drink; but when your strength dies away and you become old they drive you from the courtyard." ”

“ So he summoned the soldier. So the soldier came to him unwashed, unshaved, uncombed, with his nose unwiped and his dress unchanged.
"Health, your Majesty!"
"Listen, soldier. You, they say, are good to all folks: will you lend me some money? I have not enough to pay my troops. If you will I will make you a general at once."
"No, your Majesty, I do not wish to be a general; but if you will do me a favour, give me one of your daughters as my wife, and you shall have as much money as you wish for the Treasury." ”

“ He gave her the blossom and told what had befallen him.
"Do not grieve, bátyushka" said the youngest daughter, "it is God's gift: perhaps I shall fare well. Take me to the snake."
So the father took her away, set her in the palace, bade farewell, and set out home.
Then the fair maiden, the daughter of the merchant, went in the different rooms, and beheld everywhere gold and velvet; but no one was there to be seen, not a single human soul. ”

“ For the good youth grew melancholy, and he again went to seek his squint-eyed wife. So he let down the basket right away into the pit. There the woman was sitting, and he hauled her to the top. As soon as ever she came near she was breathing out fire and fury, gnashing her teeth and brandishing her fists. The peasant's hands shook with fear, and the withy broke, and the squint-eyed woman clashed down as before into Hell. ”

“ Then the dragon, seeing his doom approach, came out into the open. Nikíta the tanner fought the grisly worm some time, maybe long, maybe short, and at last got him under.
Then the dragon besought Nikíta the tanner: "Do not beat me to death. Stronger than us two there is nothing in the white world. Let us divide the earth. You may live on the one half and I on the other." ”

“ EGÓRI THE BRAVE AND THE GIPSY
In a certain kingdom, in a certain land, there was a gipsy who had a wife and seven children, and he lived so poorly that at last there was nothing in the house to eat or to drink—not even a crust of bread. He was too idle to work, and too much of a coward to thieve. So what could he do?
Well, the peasant went on the road and stood pondering. At this time Egóri the Brave was passing by.
"Hail!" said the peasant. "Whither are you faring?"
"To God."
"Why?"
"With a message from men wherewith each man should live, and wherewith each man should busy himself." ”

“ Then she asked him: "Grandfather, how can I get the Talking-Bird, the Singing-Tree, and the Water of Life?"
He answered: "How can you get them? Cleverer folk than you have been after them, and they have all been lost."
But she persisted: "Please tell me!"
So he gave her another rolling-pin, and told her to follow it: she would hear cries of "Catch her: scotch her," but she must not look round, for fear of being turned into stone. "At the top you will see a well and the Talking-Bird. As you come back, you will see lofty stones standing upright; sprinkle them all with the Water of Life." ”

“ So the soldier marched into the palace, and settled himself down in the biggest saloon, took his knapsack off and his sabre, put the knapsack in a corner and the sabre on a hand-peg, sat down on a chair, put his hand into his pocket for his tobacco-pouch, lit his pipe, and smoked at his ease. Then about midnight, I don't know where from, hordes of devils, seen and unseen, scurried up, and made such a turmoil and row, and set up a dance with wild music. "What, you here, discharged soldier!" all the devils began yelling. ”

“ Zamorýshek bound the neck round with chains and mounted her. The mare began to gallop over the valleys and over the hills, and she reared, but she could not dislodge the rider; and at last she stopped and said in a human voice: "Now, good youth, now you can mount me, you may become master of my foals." Then she ran under the sea and neighed, and the sea opened and up ran forty-one foals; and they were such fine foals, every single horse was better than every other horse. You might go round the entire earth and never see any horses as good. ”

“ And the Devil gave him his directions, and instantly vanished, and Petrúsha went back home.
Next day Petrúsha went to pay a visit to the Devil—went on and went on for three whole days; and he got into a deep wood—into the dreary and darksome forest where he could not see the sky. And in that forest there stood a rich palace; and when he came to the palace, a fair maiden saw him. She had been stolen from a village by the Unholy Spirit. She saw him and asked: "Why have you come here, doughty youth? Here the devils live, and they will tear you to tatters." ”

“ Tsar Dolmát cried. "I would certainly have given you the bird, but what did you do? If you had come to me, I should have given you the Bird of Light as an honour; but, now, would it be well, were I to send you into all kingdoms to proclaim how you came into my realm and dealt dishonourably? ”

“ Donotknow shook off his oxhide, took the bladder from his head, summoned his good horse and rode out, so fair a youth as no tale can tell and no pen can write.
They met in the open field, in the wide plains, and the list lasted long. Iván the merchant's son killed the Arab Prince. Then at last the King recognised that Donotknow was not a monster but a splendid and handsome knight, and he made him his heir. Iván the merchant's son lived on in his kingdom for good and lived all for happiness, took his own father to stay with him, but consigned his stepmother to punishment. ”

“ Iván Tsarévich sat on the grey Wolf's back, and the Wolf chased as fast as a dart and ran may-be far, may-be near, and at last he reached the kingdom of Tsar Afrón at night-time; and when he had come to the white-stoned stables of the Tsar, the grey Wolf said to Iván Tsarévich: "Get down, Iván, go into the white-stoned stables, and take the golden-maned horse; only there hangs a golden bridle on the wall which you are not to touch, or it will go ill with you." ”