Gently, gently, mother, blow,
Else my heart’s blood you will shed.
My treacherous sister murdered me
For juicy berries, slippers red.
“Where is my daughter?” asked the priest. But Alionushka had hidden herself in a dark corner. They found her. “Now, play the pipe,” said her father. “I don’t know how.” “Never mind, play!” She tried to refuse, but her father spoke sternly to her and made her take the pipe. She had no sooner put it to her lips than the pipe began to play by itself:
Gently, gently, sister, blow,
Else my heart’s blood you will shed.
You treacherously murdered me
For juicy berries, slippers red.
Then Alionushka confessed everything, and her father in his rage drove her out of the house.
THE SEA KING AND VASILISA THE WISE
ONCE THERE LIVED a king and a queen. The king loved to go hunting and shoot game. One day he went hunting and saw a young eagle sitting on an oak; he wanted to shoot him, but the eagle begged him: “Do not shoot me, my sovereign! Instead, take me to your castle; some day I shall be useful to you.” The king thought and thought and said: “What do I need you for?” And again he wanted to shoot. The eagle said again: “Do not shoot me, my sovereign! Instead, take me with you; some day I shall be useful to you.” The king thought and thought and could not imagine anything that the eagle might be useful for, and quite made up his mind to shoot him. The eagle prophesied for the third time: “Do not shoot me, my sovereign! Instead, take me with you and feed me for three years; some day I shall be useful to you.”
The king’s heart was moved; he took the eagle to his castle and fed him for a year and a second year. The eagle ate so much that he ate up all the cattle; the king was left without a single sheep or cow. The eagle said to him: “Let me go free.” The king let him go free; the eagle tried his wings—but no, he could not yet fly! And he said: “Now, my sovereign, you have fed me for two years. Feed me for a third year even if you have to borrow, feed me none the less; you will not regret it.” The king did this; he borrowed cattle everywhere and fed the eagle for a whole year. Then he let the bird go free. The eagle soared high; he flew and flew, then came down to the ground, and said: “Well, my king, now sit on me; we shall fly together.” The king sat on the eagle.
They flew. After some time, a long time or a short time, they came to the edge of the blue sea. Here the eagle threw the king down; he fell into the sea and got wet up to his knees. But the eagle did not let him drown, he lifted the king onto his wing and asked: “Well, my king, my sovereign, were you frightened?” “I was,” said the king. “I thought that I would surely be drowned.” Again they flew and flew, till they came to another sea. The eagle threw the king down in the very middle of the sea and the king got wet up to his waist. The eagle put him on his wing and asked: “Well, my king, my sovereign, were you frightened?” “I was,” said the king. “But all the time I thought, if God wishes to help me, you will pull me out.”
Again they flew and flew till they came to a third sea. The eagle threw the king down into deep water, so that he got wet up to his neck. And for the third time the eagle put him on his wing and asked: “Well, my king, my sovereign, were you frightened?” “I was,” said the king. “But all the time I thought that perhaps you would pull me out.” “Well, my king, my sovereign, now you have learned what the fear of death is. That lesson was in return for old, long-past things. Do you remember how I sat on the oak and you wanted to shoot me dead? Three times you were about to shoot me, but I besought you not to kill me and hoped that perhaps you would not, but would be moved and take me with you.”
After that they flew beyond thrice nine lands; they flew for a long, long time. The eagle said: “Look, my king, see what is above us and what is beneath us.” The king looked. “Above us,” he said, “is the sky, and under us the earth.” “Look again. See what is on the right side and what is on the left.” “On the right side there is an open field, and on the left a house stands.” “Let us fly there,” said the eagle. “My younger sister lives in that house.” They landed in the courtyard; the sister came out to meet them, welcomed her brother, seated him at an oaken table, but refused even to look at the king. She left him in the courtyard, unleashed her hounds, and set them upon him. The eagle grew very angry, jumped from behind the table, took the king, and flew on farther with him.
They flew and flew, and the eagle said to the king: “Look, what do you see behind us?” The king turned around and looked. “Behind us is a burning house.” The eagle answered him: “That is my youngest sister’s house, which is burning because she did not welcome you but set hounds on you.” They flew and flew, and again the eagle said: “Look, my king, see what is above us and what is beneath us.” “Above us is the sky and beneath us the earth.” “See what is on the right side and what on the left.” “On the right side is an open field, and on the left a house stands.” “My second sister lives in that house; let us go to visit her.” They landed in the broad courtyard; the second sister welcomed her brother, seated him at an oaken table, but she left the king in the courtyard and unleashed her hounds and set them upon him. The eagle grew angry, jumped up from the table, took the king and flew with him farther still.
They flew and flew, and the eagle said: “My king, look; what is behind us?” The king turned round. “Behind us is a burning house.” “It is my second sister’s house that is burning,” said the eagle. “And now we shall fly to the house where my mother and eldest sister live.” They came to the place; the mother and eldest sister were overjoyed and received the king with honor and kindness. “Well, my king,” said the eagle, “rest in our house, and then I shall give you a ship; I shall pay you back for everything I ate in your house, and God speed you home.” He gave the king a ship and two coffers, one red and the other green, and said: “Mind you, do not open these coffers until you come home; open the red one in the back yard, and the green one in the front yard.”
The king took the coffers, said farewell to the eagle, and sailed on the blue sea; he reached a certain island, and there his ship stopped. He went ashore, recalled his coffers, and began to wonder what could be in them and why the eagle had told him not to open them. He thought and thought and felt a great desire to know the answer; so he took the red coffer, put it on the ground, and opened it, and so much cattle of every kind came out that one could not encompass them with one’s eyes, and there was hardly enough room for them on the island.
When the king saw this, he was overcome with grief. He began to weep and said: “What shall I do now? How can I gather this herd together and place it in such a small coffer?” And he beheld a man coming out of the water, who came to him and said: “King, why are you weeping so bitterly?” “How can I help weeping?” answered the king. “How can I gather together this great herd into such a small coffer?” “I can help you in your trouble; I will gather together all your herd, but on one condition. Give me that which you do not know is in your own house.” The king became thoughtful. “What is there in my house that I do not know is there?” he asked. “It seems to me I know everything that is there.” He thought for a while, then agreed. “Gather together my herd,” he said. “I will give you that which I do not know is in my house.” The man gathered all the king’s cattle into the coffer; the king boarded his ship and sailed homeward.
Only upon his return home did he learn that in his absence the queen had borne him a son; he began to kiss and fondle the child, shedding tears all the while. “My king,” asked the queen, “tell me, why do you shed bitter tears?” “For joy,” he said, fearing to tell her the truth—that he must give the prince away. Then he went out to the back yard, opened the red coffer, and out of it came oxen and cows, sheep and rams, a great number of all kinds of cattle, enough to fill all the sheds and enclosures. Then he went out to the front yard, opened the green coffer, and before him appeared a great and beautiful garden. What wonderful trees were i
n it! The king was so overjoyed that he forgot that he had to give up his son.
Many years went by. One day the king wished to take a walk and he went to a river. The same man as before came out of the water and said: “King, you forget quickly! Remember your debt to me.” The king returned home sad and distressed and told the queen and the prince the whole truth. They all grieved and wept together and decided that there was no choice but to surrender the prince; he was taken to the seashore and left alone.
The prince looked round him, saw a path, and walked along it, trusting in God. He walked and walked and found himself in a thick forest; in this forest stood a little hut, and in the hut lived Baba Yaga. “I will go in,” thought the prince, and entered the little hut. “Good day, prince,” said Baba Yaga, “are you trying to do a deed, or are you shirking one?” “Eh, grandmother, give me food and drink, and question me later.” She gave him food and drink, and the prince told her all about himself and whither and why he was journeying. Baba Yaga said to him: “Go to the seashore, my child; twelve spoonbills will come there, turn into lovely maidens, and bathe; do you quietly steal up to them and take the shift of the eldest maiden. When you have settled accounts with her, go to the Sea King. You will also meet Eater, Drinker, and Sharp Frost; take them all with you, they will be useful to you.”
The prince said farewell to Baba Yaga, went to the place she had named, and hid behind the bushes. Twelve spoonbills came flying, struck the damp earth, turned into lovely maidens, and began to bathe. The prince stole the shift of the eldest and sat behind the bushes without stirring. The maidens bathed and came out on the shore; eleven of them took their shifts, turned into birds, and flew homeward; only the eldest one, Vasilisa the Wise, remained. She began to implore the good youth. “Give me back my shift!” she said. “When you come to my father, the Sea King, I will be useful to you.” The prince gave her shift back to her, and she at once turned into a spoonbill and flew after her sisters. The prince walked on farther. On his way he met three champions, Eater, Drinker, and Sharp Frost; he took them with him and came to the Sea King.
The Sea King saw him and said: “Hail, my friend, why have you not come to see me for so long? I have become weary waiting for you. Now set to work, and here is your first task. Build a great crystal bridge in one night, see that it is ready by morning! If you do not build it, you will lose your head.” The prince left the Sea King and shed tears. Vasilisa the Wise opened the window of her apartment and asked: “Why are you shedding tears, prince?” “Ah, Vasilisa the Wise, how can I help weeping? Your father has ordered me to build a crystal bridge in one night, and I do not even know how to hold an ax in my hands.” “Never mind! Lie down to sleep; the morning is wiser than the evening.”
She put him to sleep, but she herself went out on the porch, and called and whistled with a mighty whistle. From all sides masons came running: some cleared the place, some dragged bricks; soon they built a crystal bridge, painted it with cunning designs, and went back to their homes. Early next morning Vasilisa the Wise roused the prince. “Get up, prince, the bridge is ready, my father will soon come to see it.” The prince got up, took a broom, and went to the bridge to dust and sweep. The Sea King praised him. “Thank you!” he said. “You have performed a great task. Now perform the next. By tomorrow morning have a green garden planted with tall trees and flowering branches, and let songbirds sing in the garden, and ripe apples and pears hang on the fruit trees.” The prince left the Sea King’s presence and shed tears. Vasilisa the Wise opened a window and asked: “Why are you weeping, prince?” “How can I help weeping? Your father ordered me to plant a garden in one night.” “Never mind! Lie down to sleep; the morning is wiser than the evening.”
She laid him down to sleep, and she herself went out on the porch and called and whistled with a mighty whistle. From all sides gardeners came running and planted a green garden, and in the garden songbirds sang, on the trees flowers blossomed, and ripe apples and pears hung on the branches. Early next morning Vasilisa the Wise roused the prince. “Get up, prince, the garden is ready and father is coming to see it!” The prince at once took a broom and went to the garden to sweep the paths and tidy the branches. The Sea King praised him: “Thank you, prince,” he said. “You have served me truly and faithfully. As your reward choose a bride for yourself from among my twelve daughters. They are all like one another, face for face, hair for hair, dress for dress; if you choose thrice one and the same, she shall be your wife; if not, I will have you put to death.” Vasilisa the Wise learned of this new trial and at the first opportunity said to the prince: “The first time I will wave a handkerchief, the second time I will adjust my dress, and the third time a fly will fly over my head.” Thus the prince chose Vasilisa the Wise each time. They were married, and a great feast began.
The Sea King prepared many viands of every description—not even a hundred people could eat what he spread on the oaken table—and he ordered his son-in-law to see that all of it was eaten; if anything should be left, it would go hard with him. “Father,” begged the prince, “we have an old man with us, let him eat too.” “He may come forward.” Straightway Eater came forward. He ate everything on the table and even then he did not have enough. The Sea King served forty barrels of various kinds of drink and ordered his son-in-law to see that all of it was drunk. “Father,” the prince begged again, “we have another old man with us, let him come forward to drink your health.” “He may come forward.” Drinker came, at once emptied all of the forty barrels, and even asked for some more to wash down what he had drunk.
The Sea King saw that nothing had been of any avail, so he ordered that a cast-iron bath be heated very hot for the young couple. A cast-iron bath was heated, twenty cords of wood were burned, the stove and walls were red hot, it was impossible to come within five versts of them. “Father,” said the prince, “allow our old man to steam himself, to try out the bath.” “He may steam himself.” Sharp Frost came to the bath: he blew into one corner, into another, and soon icicles hung there. Following him the newly wed couple went to the bath, washed and steamed themselves, and returned home. “Let us go away from my father, the Sea King,” Vasilisa the Wise said to the prince. “He is very angry with you and might do us some evil.” “Let us go,” said the prince. Straightway they saddled horses and galloped into the open field.
They rode and rode; much time went by. “Prince,” said Vasilisa the Wise, “climb down from your horse and put your ear to the damp earth. Can you hear pursuers coming after us?” The prince put his ear to the damp earth; he heard nothing. Vasilisa the Wise got down from her good steed, put her ear to the damp earth, and said: “Ah, prince, I hear strong pursuers coming after us.” She turned the horses into a well, herself into a ladle, and the prince into a very old man. The pursuers came. “Eh, old man,” they said, “have you not seen a good youth and a lovely maiden?” “I saw them, my friends, but a long time ago; they went by when I was still a young man.” The pursuers returned to the Sea King. “No,” they said, “we found neither trace nor tidings; we saw only an old man near a well, and a ladle floating on the water.” “Why did you not bring them back?” cried the Sea King, and ordered his messengers to be put to a cruel death. He sent another party after the prince and Vasilisa the Wise, but meanwhile they had ridden far along.
Vasilisa the Wise heard the new party of pursuers. She turned the prince into an old priest and herself into an ancient church; its walls were crumbling, moss grew all around them. The pursuers came. “Eh, little old man,” they cried, “have you not seen a good youth with a lovely maiden?” “I saw them, my friends, but very long ago; they went by when I was still young and was building this church.” The second party of pursuers also returned to the Sea King. “No, Your Royal Majesty,” they said, “we found neither trace nor tidings; all we saw was an old priest and an ancient church.” “Why did you not bring them?” the Sea King cried, even more angrily than before. He put the messengers to cruel death and himself gallope
d after the prince and Vasilisa the Wise. This time Vasilisa the Wise turned the horses into a river of mead, with banks made of pudding; she changed the prince into a drake and herself into a gray duck. The Sea King threw himself upon the pudding and the mead, he ate and ate, and drank and drank, until he burst and gave up the ghost.
The prince and Vasilisa rode on farther; they approached the house of the prince’s father and mother. Vasilisa the Wise said: “Prince, you go first. Announce yourself to your father and mother, and I will wait for you here on the road. Only remember my words: Kiss everyone but your sister, else you will forget me completely.” The prince entered his home, greeted everyone, and kissed his sister too; and no sooner had he kissed her than he forgot about his wife, as though she had never been in his thoughts.
Vasilisa the Wise waited for him three days; on the fourth day she disguised herself as a beggar woman, went to the capital, and stopped in the house of a certain old woman. Meanwhile the prince made ready to marry a rich queen; and a call was issued throughout the kingdom summoning all loyal subjects to come to congratulate the bride and groom and to bring them each a wheat cake as a gift. Vasilisa’s hostess began to sift flour and prepare a cake. “Grandmother,” asked Vasilisa the Wise, “for whom are you making a cake?” “Don’t you know that our king is marrying his son to a rich queen? We must go to the palace and bring gifts to the young couple.” “I too will bake a cake and take it to the palace; perhaps the king will reward me with something.” “Certainly, go and bake.” Vasilisa the Wise took some flour, mixed the dough, put some curd cheese and a pair of doves in it, and baked the cake.
At dinnertime the old woman and Vasilisa the Wise went to the palace, where the feast was in full swing. The cake made by Vasilisa the Wise was served, and as soon at it was cut in two, the pair of doves flew out of it. The she-dove snatched the piece of cheese, and the he-dove said: “My little dove, give me some cheese too!” “I will not,” said the she-dove, “else you will forget me just as the prince forgot his Vasilisa the Wise.” Thereupon the prince remembered his wife, jumped up from behind the table, took her by her white hands, and seated her beside him. From then on they lived together in great prosperity and happiness.
Russian Fairy Tales (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) Page 41