The maiden went on: “And then I dreamed that I came to a river and the ferryman asked me how long he would have to ferry.” “Let him put on the ferryboat the first man who comes to him, and push the boat away from the shore—and this man will ferry forever, and the ferryman will go home.” “And then I dreamed that I walked across the sea on a whale, and she asked me how long she would have to lie there.” “She shall lie there till she vomits up the twelve ships of Marco the Rich; then she will go down into the water and her body will grow again.” When King Dragon had said this he fell sound asleep.
The maiden let Vasily out of the chest and advised him thus: “Do not tell the whale that she must vomit up the twelve ships of Marco the Rich, until you have crossed to the other side. Likewise, when you come to the ferryman, do not tell him what you have heard, until you have crossed. And when you come to the oak, kick it toward the east, and you will discover countless riches.” Vasily the Luckless thanked the maiden and went away.
He came to the whale and she asked: “Did he say anything about me?” “He did; as soon as I cross I shall tell you.” When Vasily had crossed over he said: “Vomit up the twelve ships of Marco the Rich.” The whale vomited up the ships and they sailed forth, wholly unscathed; and Vasily the Luckless found himself in water up to his knees. Then he came to the ferryman, who asked: “Did you speak about me to King Dragon?” “I did,” said Vasily, “but first ferry me over.” When he had crossed over, he said to the ferryman: “Whoever comes to you first, put him on the ferryboat and push it away from the shore; he will ferry forever, and you will go home.”
Vasily the Luckless came to the oak, kicked it with his foot, and the oak fell; beneath it he found gold and silver and precious stones without number. Vasily looked back and lo and behold, the twelve ships that had been thrown up by the whale were sailing straight to shore. And the ships were commanded by the same old man whom Vasily had met when he was carrying the letter of Marco the Rich to his wife. The old man said to Vasily: “This, Vasily, is what the Lord has blessed you with.” Then he got off his ship and went on his way.
The sailors transported the gold and silver to the ships and then set out with Vasily the Luckless. Marco the Rich was told that his son-in-law was coming with twelve ships and that King Dragon had rewarded him with countless riches.
Marco grew furious that what he desired had not come to pass. He had his carriage harnessed and set out to drive to King Dragon’s palace and upbraid him. He came to the ferryman and sat in the ferryboat; the ferryman pushed it away from the shore, and Marco remained to ferry forever. But Vasily the Luckless came home to his wife and mother-in-law, began to live with them and gain wealth, helped the poor, gave food and drink to beggars, and took possession of all the wealth of Marco the Rich.
IVANKO THE BEAR’S SON
IN A CERTAIN VILLAGE there lived a wealthy peasant and his wife. One day the wife went to the forest for mushrooms, lost her way, and stumbled into a bear’s den. The bear kept her with him, and after some time, a long time or a short time, she had a son by him. This son was a man down to the waist and a bear below the waist; his mother called him Ivanko the Bearlet. Years went by, and when Ivan grew up he wanted to go away with his mother and live with the peasants in the village; they waited until the bear went to a beehive, made ready, and ran away. They ran and ran and finally came to their own village. The peasant saw his wife and was overjoyed—he had given up hope that she would ever return. Then he beheld her son and asked: “And who is this freak?” His wife told him all that had happened, how she had lived in the bear’s den and had a son by him and that this son was human to the waist and a bear from the waist down. “Well, Bearlet,” said the peasant, “go to the back yard and slaughter a sheep; we must make dinner for you.” “And which one shall I slaughter?” “Whichever one stares at you.”
Ivanko the Bearlet took a knife, went out to the yard, and called the sheep; all of them began to stare at him. He forthwith slaughtered them all, skinned them, and went to ask the peasant where he should store the skins and the meat. “What’s this?” yelled the peasant. “I told you to slaughter one sheep, and you have slaughtered them all!” “No, father, you told me to slaughter whichever one stared at me; but when I came out into the yard all of them, without exception, began to stare at me.” “You certainly are a clever fellow. Take the meat and skins into the barn, and at night guard the door against thieves and dogs.” “Very well, I will guard it.” It so happened that on that night a storm broke and the rain fell in buckets. Ivanko the Bearlet broke the door off the barn, took it into the bathhouse, and spent the night there. Thieves took advantage of the darkness; they found the barn open and without a guard, so they took whatever they pleased. Next morning the peasant arose, went to see whether everything was in order, and found that nothing was left: what the thieves had not taken, the dogs had eaten up. He looked for the guard, found him in the bathhouse, and began to chide him even more severely than the first time. “But, father, it is not my fault,” said Ivanko. “You yourself told me to guard the door, and I did guard it. Here it is; the thieves did not steal it, nor did the dogs eat it up.”
“What can I do with this fool?” thought the peasant to himself. “If this goes on for a month or two, he will ruin me completely. I wonder how I can get rid of him.” Then he hit upon an idea; the next day he sent Ivanko to the lake and told him to wind ropes of sand. In that lake dwelt many devils, and the peasant hoped that they would drag him into the water. Ivanko the Bearlet went to the lake, sat on the shore, and began to wind ropes of sand. Suddenly a little devil jumped out of the water and asked: “What are you doing here, Bearlet?” “Can’t you see? I’m winding ropes; I want to thrash the lake and torment you devils, because you live in our lake but do not pay any rent.” “Wait a while, Bearlet, I’ll run and tell my grandfather,” said the little devil, and—flop!—he jumped into the water.
Five minutes later he was out again and said: “Grandfather said that if you can run faster than I, we’ll pay the rent; if not, he told me to drag you down into the lake.” “Aren’t you a nimble fellow!” said Ivanko. “But you cannot hope to run faster than I. Why, I have a grandson who was born only yesterday, and even he can outrun you. Do you want to race with him?” “What grandson?” “He is lying there behind a bush,” said the Bearlet, and cried to a hare, “Hey, hare, do not fail me!” The hare darted off into the open field like mad and in a trice vanished from sight; the devil rushed after him, but it was of no use—he was half a verst behind.
“Now, if you wish,” said Ivanko, “race with me. But on one condition—if you lag behind, I will kill you.” “O no!” said the devil, and once more flopped into the water.
After a while, he jumped out, carrying his grandfather’s iron crutch, and said: “Grandfather said that if you can throw this crutch higher than I can, he will pay the rent.” “Well, you throw first!” The devil threw the crutch so high that it was hardly visible; it fell back with a terrible rumble and thrust half its length into the ground. “Now you throw it,” said the devil. The Bearlet took the crutch in his hand and could not even move it. “Wait a while,” he said, “a cloud is coming near, I shall throw the crutch on it.” “O no, that won’t do, grandfather needs his crutch!” said the little devil. He snatched the crutch and rushed into the water.
After a while, he jumped out again, saying: “Grandfather said that if you can carry this horse around the lake at least one more time than I can, he will pay the rent; if not, you will have to go into the lake.” “Is that supposed to be hard? All right, begin!” answered Ivanko. The devil heaved the horse on to his back and dragged it around the lake; he carried it ten times, till he was exhausted and sweat streamed down his snout. “Well, now it’s my turn,” said Ivanko.
He mounted the horse and began to ride around the lake; he rode so long that finally the horse collapsed under him. “Well, brother, how was that?” he asked the little devil. “I must admit,” said the devil, “that y
ou carried it more times than I, and in what a strange fashion! Between your legs! That way I couldn’t have carried it even once! How much rent must we pay?” “Just fill my hat with gold, and work for a year as my laborer—that’s all I want.” The little devil ran to fetch the gold; Ivanko cut the bottom out of his hat and placed it above a deep pit; the devil kept bringing gold and pouring it into the hat. He worked at this for a whole day and only by evening was the hat filled. Ivanko the Bearlet got a cart, loaded it with gold coins, had the devil drag it home, and said to the peasant: “Now be happy, father! Here is a laborer for you, and gold too.”
THE SECRET BALL
THERE WAS ONCE a widowed king who had twelve daughters, one more beautiful than the other. Every night these princesses went away, no one knew whither; and every night each of them wore out a new pair of shoes. The king could not get shoes for them fast enough and he wanted to know where they went every night and what they did there. So he prepared a feast, summoned kings and princes, noblemen, merchants, and simple people from all lands, and said: “Can anyone solve this riddle? He who solves it will receive his favorite princess in marriage and half the kingdom as a dowry.” However, no one would undertake to find out where the princesses went at night, except one needy nobleman, who said: “Your Royal Majesty, I will find out.” “Very well, find out.”
Soon the needy nobleman began to doubt and thought to himself: “What have I done? I have undertaken to solve this riddle, yet I do not know how. If I fail now, the king will put me in prison.” He went out of the palace and walked outside the town with a sad face. He met an old woman who asked him: “Why are you so sad, my good man?” He answered: “Grandmother, how can I help being sad? I have undertaken to find out for the king whither his daughters go every night.” “Yes, that is a difficult task. But it can be accomplished. Here is an invisible cap; with its help you can find out many things. But mind you: when you go to bed, the princesses will give you a sleeping potion; however, turn your face to the wall, pour the drops into your bed, and do not drink them!” The nobleman thanked the old woman and returned to the palace.
At nightfall he was assigned a room next to the princesses’ bedroom. He lay on his bed and made ready to watch. Then one of the princesses brought him sleeping drops in wine and asked him to drink to her health. He could not refuse, took the cup, turned to the wall, and poured it into his bed. On the stroke of midnight the princesses came to see whether he was asleep. The nobleman pretended to be sleeping so soundly that nothing could rouse him, but actually he was listening to every rustle. “Well, little sisters,” said one of them, “our guard has fallen asleep; it is time for us to go to the ball.” “It is time, high time!”
They dressed in their best garments; the oldest sister pushed her bed to one side and disclosed a passage to the underground kingdom, to the realm of the accursed king. They began to climb down a ladder. The nobleman quietly rose from his bed, donned his invisible cap, and followed them. Accidentally he stepped on the youngest princess’ dress. She was frightened and said to her sisters: “Ah, little sisters, someone seems to have stepped on my dress; this is a bad omen.” “Don’t worry, nothing will happen to us.” They went down the ladder and came to a grove where golden flowers grew. The nobleman picked one flower and broke off a twig, and the whole grove rumbled. “Ah, little sisters,” said the youngest princess, “do you hear how the grove is rumbling? This bodes no good.” “Fear not, it is the music in the accursed king’s palace.”
They came to the palace and were met by the king and his courtiers. The music began to play and they began to dance; they danced till their shoes were torn to shreds. The king ordered wine to be served to the guests. The nobleman took a goblet from the tray, drank the wine, and put the goblet in his pocket. At last the party was over; the princesses said farewell to their cavaliers, promised to come the next night, returned home, undressed, and went to sleep.
The next morning the king summoned the needy nobleman. “Well,” he said, “have you discovered what my daughters do every night?” “I have.” “Then where do they go?” “To the underground kingdom, to the accursed king, and there they dance all night.” The king summoned his daughters and began to question them: “Where were you last night?” The princesses denied everything. “We did not go anywhere,” they said. “Have you not been with the accursed king? This nobleman testifies against you and is ready to offer proof.” “Father, he cannot offer proof, for he slept like the dead all night.” The needy nobleman drew the golden flower and the goblet from his pocket. “Here,” he said, “is the proof.” The princesses had no choice but to confess everything to their father; he ordered the passage to the underground kingdom to be walled up, married the needy nobleman to his youngest daughter, and all of them lived happily ever afterward.
THE INDISCREET WIFE
ONCE UPON A TIME there lived an old man and his wife. They built weirs in the river and put a basket in each one. Then they went home. On the way the old woman saw a treasure and immediately began to tell everyone about it. What could the old man do? He decided to play a trick on her, went to the field, caught a hare, then stopped at the river to look at his traps. He found a pike in one of them. He took it out and put the hare in its place; then he carried the pike into the field and laid it among the peas. When he got home he asked his wife to go with him to pick peas.
They made ready and went. On the way the old man said: “There is a rumor that fish are now living in the fields and that the beasts have moved to the river.” “What nonsense, old man!” They came to the field. “But the rumor is true!” cried the old man. “Look here, a pike has crawled into our peas.” “Catch him!” The old man took the pike, put it into his basket, and said: “Now let us go to the river and see whether there is anything in our traps.” He took out a trap and said: “Now you see? What people are saying is true! Look, a hare has fallen into the trap!” “Hold him tight or he may jump back into the water.” The old man took the hare and said: “Now let us go and get our treasure.”
They took all the money and drove home. On the way, the old woman saw a bear tearing a cow apart and said: “Hey, old man, look, there is a bear tearing a cow to pieces.” “Be quiet, wife! That is the devil thrashing our barin.” They came home; the old man went to hide the money, and the old woman ran to tell the news to her neighbor. The neighbor told it to the steward, and the steward told it to the barin, who called the old man before him and said: “Have you found a treasure?” “Why, no!” “But your wife says you have.” “Well, it won’t be her first lie.” The barin sent for the old woman and asked her: “Is it true, old woman, that you have found a treasure?” “We have, little father.” “Then why, old man, do you say that you have not?” asked the barin. The old man turned to his wife and said: “You foolish woman, why are you lying? Where have we found a treasure?” “What do you mean, where? In the field, of course; it was on the same day that we found a pike swimming in the peas and a hare caught in our fish trap.” “Ah, you old hag, did anyone ever see a pike living in a field, and a hare swimming in the water?” “Have you forgotten everything? And at the same time a devil was thrashing our barin!” The barin boxed her ears: “What are you raving about, fool! When did the devil thrash me?” “But he did, I swear he did!” The barin grew angry, ordered rods to be brought in, and had her punished in his presence. The good woman was laid down and lashed; but she kept saying the same things even under the blows. The barin spat with disgust and drove the old couple out of his house.
THE CHEATER CHEATED
THERE WAS ONCE a merchant who had a son. One day the merchant sent his son to the city to buy merchandise and instructed him: “Mind you, little son, be careful and don’t make friends with redheads.” The merchant’s son set out on his way. It was a cold day; he felt chilly and stopped at an alehouse to warm himself. When he entered he found a redheaded servant pouring out liquor. “Pour me a glass of good liquor,” said the merchant’s son to him. He drank it and found i
t very much to his taste. “That’s fine liquor,” he said, “it’s worth a hundred rubles. Pour me another glass.” He drank the second glass and it seemed even better. “Well, brother,” he said, “this glass is worth two hundred rubles.” The man behind the counter was quick-witted: he wrote on the wall the sums mentioned by the merchant’s son.
When the time came to pay the bill, the merchant’s son said: “How much do I owe you?” “Three hundred rubles.” “Are you out of your mind to charge me such a price?” “You set the price yourself, and now you are trying to go back on your word! No, brother, you can’t wriggle out of it; unless you pay, I will not let you go.” There was nothing to be done. The merchant’s son paid three hundred rubles, went on his way, and thought to himself: “I’ll remember now not to make friends with redheads! My father spoke the truth, and one should always listen to one’s parents.”
At that very moment he met a redheaded peasant driving a cart. When the merchant’s son saw him, he jumped out of his carriage and lay flat in the snow, trembling with fear. “What’s the matter with him?” the peasant wondered. He went over to the merchant’s son and tried to raise him to his feet: “Get up, brother!” he said. “Let me alone! One redhead cheated me, you’ll cheat me too.” “Don’t be foolish, brother! There are redheads of all kinds; some are cheats, some are honest. But who cheated you?” “So-and-so, the redheaded man who serves liquor in the neighboring village.” “Come back with me, I’ll take care of him.”
They returned to the alehouse. The peasant cast a glance around him and noticed that a shoulder of mutton was hanging from the main beam; he went to the servant, asked for a glass of vodka, and at the same time tapped him on his shoulder and said: “How about selling me that shoulder?” “I’ll sell it for a ruble.” The peasant gave him a ruble, then drew a big knife from his pocket and gave it to the merchant’s son, saying: “Now, brother, cut off his shoulder, I’ll have it with my vodka.” “Are you crazy?” said the servant. “I sold you the shoulder of mutton, not my shoulder.” “Don’t tell me any such stories, you won’t cheat me as you cheated this merchant’s son. I’m no fool.” The servant began to beg and implore him, bowing almost to the ground. “Very well,” said the peasant, “I will forgive you if you will return all the money to the merchant’s son.” The servant returned the three hundred rubles, and that was what the peasant wanted. “You see,” he said to the merchant’s son. “There are redheads of all kinds—cheats and honest people. Now go in peace.”
Russian Fairy Tales (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) Page 21