Russian Fairy Tales (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library)

by Afanas'Ev, Aleksandr

  The merchant’s son was glad to go; he got into his carriage, spurred his horses, and said to himself: “Thank God I got away! The redheaded servant is a cheat, but this peasant is an even greater cheat; if I had become friendly with him, he would surely have skinned me alive.”

  THE MAIDEN TSAR

  IN A CERTAIN LAND, in a certain kingdom, there was a merchant whose wife died, leaving him with an only son, Ivan. He put this son in charge of a tutor, and after some time took another wife; and since Ivan, the merchant’s son, was now of age and very handsome, his stepmother fell in love with him. One day Ivan went with his tutor to fish in the sea on a small raft; suddenly they saw thirty ships making toward them. On these ships sailed the Maiden Tsar with thirty other maidens, all her foster sisters. When the ships came close to the raft, all thirty of them dropped anchor. Ivan and his tutor were invited aboard the best ship, where the Maiden Tsar and her thirty foster sisters received them; she told Ivan that she loved him passionately and had come from afar to see him. So they were betrothed.

  The Maiden Tsar told the merchant’s son to return to the same place the following day, said farewell to him, and sailed away. Ivan returned home and went to sleep. The stepmother led the tutor into her room, made him drunk, and began to question him as to what had happened to him and Ivan at sea. The tutor told her everything. Upon hearing his story, she gave him a pin and said: “Tomorrow, when the ships begin to sail toward you, stick this pin into Ivan’s tunic.” The tutor promised to carry out her order.

  Next morning Ivan arose and went fishing. As soon as his tutor beheld the ships sailing in the distance, he stuck the pin into Ivan’s tunic. “Ah, I feel so sleepy,” said the merchant’s son. “Listen, tutor, I will take a nap now, and when the ships come close, please rouse me.” “Very well, of course I will rouse you,” said the tutor. The ships sailed close to the raft and cast anchor; the Maiden Tsar sent for Ivan, asking him to hasten to her; but he was sound asleep. The servants began to shake him, pinch him, and nudge him. All in vain—they could not awaken him, so they left him.

  The Maiden Tsar told the tutor to bring Ivan to the same place on the following day, then ordered her crews to lift anchor and set sail. As soon as the ships sailed away, the tutor pulled out the pin, and Ivan awoke, jumped up, and began to call to the Maiden Tsar to return. But she was far away then and could not hear him. He went home sad and aggrieved. His stepmother took the tutor into her room, made him drunk, questioned him about everything that had happened, and told him to stick the pin through Ivan’s tunic again the next day. The next day Ivan again went fishing, again slept all the time, and did not see the Maiden Tsar; she left word that he should come again.

  On the third day he again went fishing with his tutor. They came to the old place, and beheld the ships sailing at a distance, and the tutor straightway stuck in his pin, and Ivan fell sound asleep. The ships sailed close and dropped anchor; the Maiden Tsar sent for her betrothed to come aboard her ship. The servants tried in every possible way to rouse him, but no matter what they did, they could not waken him. The Maiden Tsar learned of the stepmother’s ruse and the tutor’s treason, and wrote to Ivan telling him to cut off the tutor’s head, and, if he loved his betrothed, to come and find her beyond thrice nine lands in the thrice tenth kingdom.

  The ships had no sooner set sail and put out to sea than the tutor pulled the pin from Ivan’s garment; he awoke and began to bemoan his loss of the Maiden Tsar; but she was far away and could not hear him. The tutor gave him her letter; Ivan read it, drew out his sharp saber, and cut off the wicked tutor’s head. Then he sailed hurriedly to the shore, went home, said farewell to his father, and set out to find the thrice tenth kingdom.

  He journeyed onward, straight ahead, a long time or a short time—for speedily a tale is spun, but with less speed a deed is done—and finally came to a little hut; it stood in the open field, turning on chicken legs. He entered and found Baba Yaga the Bony-legged. “Fie, fie,” she said, “the Russian smell was never heard of nor caught sight of here, but now it has come by itself. Are you here of your own free will or by compulsion, my good youth?” “Largely of my own free will, and twice as much by compulsion! Do you know, Baba Yaga, where lies the thrice tenth kingdom?” “No, I do not,” she said, and told him to go to her second sister; she might know.

  Ivan thanked her and went on farther; he walked and walked, a long distance or a short distance, a long time or a short time, and finally came to a little hut exactly like the first and there too found a Baba Yaga. “Fie, fie,” she said, “the Russian smell was never heard of nor caught sight of here, but now it has come by itself. Are you here of your own free will or by compulsion, my good youth?” “Largely of my own free will, and twice as much by compulsion! Do you know, Baba Yaga, where lies the thrice tenth kingdom?” “No, I do not,” she said, and told him to stop at her youngest sister’s; she might know. “If she gets angry at you,” she added, “and wants to devour you, take three horns from her and ask her permission to blow them; blow the first one softly, the second louder, and the third still louder.” Ivan thanked the Baba Yaga and went on farther.

  He walked and walked, a long distance or a short distance, a long time or a short time, and finally beheld a little hut standing in the open field and turning upon chicken legs; he entered it and found another Baba Yaga. “Fie, fie, the Russian smell was never heard of nor caught sight of here, and now it has come by itself,” she said, and ran to whet her teeth, for she intended to eat her uninvited guest. Ivan begged her to give him three horns: he blew one softly, the second louder, and the third still louder. Suddenly birds of all kinds swarmed about him, among them the firebird. “Sit upon me quickly,” said the firebird, “and we shall fly wherever you want; if you don’t come with me, the Baba Yaga will devour you.” Ivan had no sooner sat himself upon the bird’s back than the Baba Yaga rushed in, seized the firebird by the tail, and plucked a large handful of feathers from it.

  The firebird flew with Ivan on its back; for a long time it soared in the skies, till finally it came to the broad sea. “Now, Ivan, merchant’s son, the thrice tenth land lies beyond this sea. I am not strong enough to carry you to the other shore; get there as best you can.” Ivan climbed down from the firebird, thanked it, and walked along the shore.

  He walked and walked till he came to a little hut; he entered it, and was met by an old woman who gave him meat and drink and asked him whither he was going and why he was traveling so far. He told her that he was going to the thrice tenth kingdom to find the Maiden Tsar, his betrothed. “Ah,” said the old woman, “she no longer loves you; if she gets hold of you, she will tear you to shreds; her love is stored away in a remote place.” “Then how can I get it?” “Wait a bit! My daughter lives at the Maiden Tsar’s palace and she is coming to visit me today; we may learn something from her.” Then the old woman turned Ivan into a pin and stuck the pin into the wall; at night her daughter flew in. Her mother asked her whether she knew where the Maiden Tsar’s love was stored away. “I do not know,” said the daughter, and promised to find out from the Maiden Tsar herself. The next day she again visited her mother and told her: “On this side of the ocean there stands an oak; in the oak there is a coffer; in the coffer there is a hare; in the hare there is a duck; in the duck there is an egg; and in the egg lies the Maiden Tsar’s love.”

  Ivan took some bread and set out for the place she had described. He found the oak and removed the coffer from it; then he removed the hare from the coffer; the duck from the hare, and the egg from the duck. He returned with the egg to the old woman. A few days later came the old woman’s birthday; she invited the Maiden Tsar with the thirty other maidens, her foster sisters, to her house; she baked the egg, dressed Ivan the merchant’s son in splendid raiment, and hid him.

  At midday, the Maiden Tsar and the thirty other maidens flew into the house, sat down to table, and began to dine; after dinner the old woman served them each an egg, and to the Maiden Tsar she served th
e egg that Ivan had found. The Maiden Tsar ate of it and at once conceived a passionate love for Ivan the merchant’s son. The old woman brought him out of his hiding place. How much joy there was, how much merriment! The Maiden Tsar left with her betrothed, the merchant’s son, for her own kingdom; they married and began to live happily and to prosper.

  IVAN THE COW’S SON

  IN A CERTAIN KINGDOM, in a certain land, there lived a king with his queen; they had no children, and after they had lived ten years together, the king issued a call to all the kings, all the cities, all the nations, and even to the common people, asking who could cure the queen of her barrenness and make her bear a child. Princes and boyars, wealthy merchants and peasants, gathered in the king’s palace; he gave them meat and drink till they were drunk and then began to question them. But no one knew. No one could say how the queen might be made to bear a child—no one, except the son of a peasant. The king gave him a handful of gold coins and told him that in three days he must give the answer.

  Well, although the son of the peasant had undertaken to cure the queen, he had not even dreamed of what he should suggest; so he went outside the town and began to ponder deeply. He met an old woman who said: “Tell me, peasant lad, what are you thinking about?” He answered her: “Be quiet, old hag, don’t annoy me!” But she ran after him and said: “Tell me your secret thoughts; I am old, I know everything.” He thought that perhaps he had been wrong in offending her, that perhaps she really knew something, and said: “Little grandmother, I undertook to tell the king how the queen might be made to bear a child, but I do not know it myself.” “Oho! But I know! Go to the king and tell him to have three silken nets prepared. In the sea beneath the king’s window there is a pike with golden wings, which always swims in front of the palace. When the king catches the pike and cooks it, and the queen eats of it, she will bear a child.”

  The young peasant himself then went to fish in the sea. When he cast in the three silken nets, the pike leaped out, tearing all three nets. He cast in the nets for the second time, and again the pike tore them. Then the young peasant took his belt and the silken kerchief from his neck, tied up the nets, and cast them in for the third time. This time he caught the pike with the golden wings; he was overjoyed and brought it to the king. The king ordered the pike to be washed, cleaned, fried, and served to the queen. The cooks washed and cleaned the fish and threw the entrails out of the window. A cow swallowed these entrails. As soon as the cooks had fried the pike, a scullery maid put it on a dish, took it to the queen, and on the way tore off a wing and tasted it. Thus all three of them—the cow, the scullery maid, and the queen—became pregnant on the same day, at the same hour.

  Speedily a tale is spun, with much less speed a deed is done. After some time the dairymaid came out of the cattle shed and reported to the king that a cow had given birth to a human babe. The king was very much surprised; and he had no sooner heard this news than he was told that the scullery maid had given birth to a boy exactly like the cow’s son. And a few minutes later it was reported to him that the queen had given birth to a son as like the cow’s son as one pea is like another. They were all wonderful boys! They grew by the hour as other boys grow by the year; in one hour they were as others in one year; in three hours, they were as others in three years. When they came of age, they sensed in themselves a mighty and heroic strength; they came to their father, the king, and asked his permission to go to the town, to see people, and show themselves to the world. He granted them permission, told them to behave soberly and peaceably, and gave them as much money as they could carry.

  And so the good youths set out. One was called Ivan the Prince, the other Ivan the Scullery Maid’s Son, and the third Ivan the Cow’s Son, and nicknamed also Buria Bogatyr, Champion of Champions. And they walked and walked, but did not buy anything. Then Ivan the Prince saw some glass balls and said to his brothers: “Brothers, let us each buy a ball and throw it upward; whoever throws it highest will be our eldest.” The brothers agreed and cast lots as to who should throw first. The lots fell out in favor of Ivan the Prince. He threw high, but Ivan the Scullery Maid’s Son threw still higher, and Buria Bogatyr threw the ball so high that it vanished from sight, and he said: “Henceforth I am your eldest!” Ivan the Prince grew angry. “What do you mean?” he said. “You are the cow’s son, yet you want to be our eldest!” Ivan the Cow’s Son answered him: “It must be God’s will that you should obey me.”

  They set out on the road and came to the Black Sea; in it the sea serpent was wallowing. Ivan the Prince said: “Brothers, whoever of us subdues this serpent, he will be our eldest.” The brothers consented. Ivan the Cow’s Son said: “Subdue him, Prince Ivan! If you succeed, you will be our eldest.” Prince Ivan began to shout in order to subdue the serpent, but the serpent only grew more ferocious. Then Ivan the Scullery Maid’s Son tried to subdue him, but failed also. Then Buria Bogatyr shouted and threw a stick into the water, and the serpent vanished in a trice. He said again: “I am your eldest.” Price Ivan grew angry and said: “We do not want to be the inferior brothers!” “Then I shall leave you,” said Ivan the Cow’s Son, and he returned to his native land. The two brothers went on straight ahead.

  When the king learned that Ivan the Cow’s Son had returned alone, he ordered him to be imprisoned in a fortress; for three days he was not given any food or drink. The mighty champion knocked with his fist on the stone wall and shouted in a mighty voice: “Ask your king and my foster father why he does not feed me! Your walls and bars are no bars to me. If I want to, I can smash them all with my fist.” This was straightway reported to the king. The king came to him and said: “What are you bragging about, Buria Bogatyr?” “My foster father, why do you not feed me, why have you starved me for three days? I have not committed any misdeed.” “But what have you done with my sons, your brothers?” Ivan the Cow’s Son told him everything that had happened. “My brothers are alive,” he said. “They are safe and sound and went straight ahead.” The king asked: “Why did you not go with them?” “Because Prince Ivan wants to be the eldest, although the lots fell out making me the eldest.” “Very well then, I will send for them.” Ivan the Cow’s Son said: “No one except myself can overtake them, for they went to the land of the dragons, to the place where dragons with six, nine, and twelve heads come up from the Black Sea.” The king begged him to go after them. Ivan the Cow’s Son made ready for his journey, took his battle mace and his steel sword, and left.

  Speedily a tale is spun, with much less speed a deed is done. Ivan the Cow’s Son walked and walked, and finally overtook his brothers near the Black Sea, near the white hazelwood bridge; and by that bridge there stood a post, and on it was written that this was the place where the three dragons always come out of the sea. “Good day, brothers!” he said to his brothers. They were overjoyed to see him and said: “Good day, Ivan the Cow’s Son, our eldest brother.” And he said: “I see that what is written on the post is not to your taste.” He looked around and near the bridge he saw a little hut on chicken legs and with a cock’s head, turned with its front to the wood and its back to them. Ivan the Cow’s Son cried: “Little hut, little hut, stand with thy back to the wood, and thy front to us!” The little hut turned around; they entered it and found that the table was set with meat and drink in abundance; in the corner stood a bed of timber and on it lay a featherbed of down. Buria Bogatyr said: “You see, brothers, without me you would not have had any of this.”

  They sat down and dined, then lay down to rest. When they arose, Ivan the Cow’s Son said: “Brothers, tonight the six-headed dragon will come out of the sea; let us cast lots as to who shall stand guard.” They cast lots and the task fell to Ivan the Scullery Maid’s Son. The Cow’s Son said to him: “Mind you, a little pitcher will jump out of the sea and begin to dance before you; do not look at it, just spit at it and smash it.” When the Scullery Maid’s Son came to the sea he fell asleep. But Buria Bogatyr, knowing that his brothers were unreliable, went out himse
lf; he walked on the bridge, tapping from time to time with his stick.

  Suddenly a little pitcher jumped up before him and began to dance; the Cow’s Son spat upon it and smashed it to smithereens. Then a duck quacked, the earth opened, the sea surged up, and out of the waves crawled Chudo Yudo, a sea monster. It was the six-headed dragon. He whistled and shouted with a mighty hiss, in a truly powerful voice: “Magic steed, horse of my need! Stand before me as leaf before grass!” The steed ran out, the earth shook, whole hayricks flew from under his hoofs, from his ears and nostrils thick smoke rolled. Chudo Yudo mounted the horse and rode toward the white hazelwood bridge. Suddenly his steed stumbled under him. “Why do you stumble, carrion flesh?” the dragon asked. “Do you scent a friend or an enemy?” The good steed answered: “There is an enemy—Ivan the Cow’s Son.” “You lie, carrion flesh! Even his bones were not brought here by a raven in a bladder, and he himself is certainly not here.” “Ah, Chudo Yudo,” said Buria Bogatyr, “no raven has brought my bones. I walked here myself.” The dragon asked him: “Why have you come? To woo my sisters or daughters?” “No, brother, I came to meet you in the field, not to become your kin. Let us fight!”