Russian Fairy Tales (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library)

by Afanas'Ev, Aleksandr

  Meanwhile the brother who had taken the road to the left galloped night and day without rest; a month, a second month, then a third month passed, and he arrived in an unknown kingdom, in the center of its capital. There was a great sorrow in this kingdom: the houses were draped with black cloth, the people staggered about as though in sleep. He hired wretched quarters at a poor old woman’s house and began to question her. “Tell me, grandmother,” he said, “why are all the people in your kingdom so grieved, why are all the houses draped with black cloth?” “Ah, good youth,” the old woman said, “a great misfortune has come upon us. Every day a twelve-headed dragon comes forth from the blue sea, from behind a gray stone, and devours a man; and now it is the turn of the king’s family. He has three beautiful princesses; just now the oldest has been taken to the shore, to be devoured by the dragon.”

  Ivan, the soldier’s son, mounted his horse and galloped to the blue sea, to the gray stone: on the shore stood the beautiful princess, bound by an iron chain. She saw the knight and said to him: “Go hence, good youth! Soon the twelve-headed dragon will come. I am doomed, and if you stay you will not escape death either; the cruel dragon will devour you.” “Fear not, lovely maiden,” he replied. “He might choke to death on me.” Ivan came up to her, seized the chain with his mighty hand, and tore it into little bits as though it were a rotten rope; then he laid his head on the lovely maiden’s knee and said: “Now pick in my hair for lice. But do not so much pick as watch the sea: as soon as a cloud arises, and the winds begin to roar, and the sea to surge, rouse me.” The lovely maiden did as he told her; more than she picked in his hair, she watched the sea. Suddenly a cloud arose, the wind began to roar, the sea surged; a dragon emerged from the blue sea and reared up in the air. The princess roused Ivan; he rose, and had no sooner mounted his steed than the dragon flew up to him. “Why have you come here, Ivanushka?” the monster said. “This is my place. Say farewell to the white world and hasten into my throat of your own accord—it will be easier for you.” “You lie, accursed dragon!” answered the champion. “You won’t swallow me, you will choke on me!” He bared his sharp sword, took a swing, and cut off all the twelve heads of the dragon; he lifted the gray stone, put the heads under it, threw the trunk into the sea, returned home to the old woman, ate and drank his fill, lay down to sleep, and slept for three days.

  Meanwhile the king had called his water carrier and said to him: “Go to the shore, at least gather up the princess’ bones.” The water carrier went to the blue sea and saw that the princess was alive and unhurt. He put her on his cart and drove into a thick forest; in the forest he began to whet his knife. “What are you going to do?” the princess asked him. “I am whetting my knife to slay you,” replied the water carrier. The princess began to weep. “Do not slay me, I have not done you any harm,” she begged. “Tell your father that I have rescued you from the dragon,” the water carrier said. “Then I will spare you.” She had no choice but to consent. They went to the palace. The king was overjoyed and made the water carrier a colonel.

  When Ivan awoke he called the old woman, gave her money, and said to her: “Grandmother, go to market, buy what you need, and listen to what the people are saying among themselves. Find out what news there is.” The old woman went to market, bought various provisions, listened to people’s talk, returned home, and said: “This is what people are saying. There was a great dinner at the king’s palace; princes and envoys and boyars and notables were sitting at his table, when an iron arrow flew through the window and fell in the middle of the chamber; to that arrow was fastened a letter from another twelve-headed dragon. The dragon wrote: ‘If you do not send me your second daughter, I shall burn your kingdom with fire and scatter its ashes.’ Now they are about to take the poor maiden to the blue sea, to the gray stone.” Ivan straightway saddled his good steed, mounted him, and galloped to the seashore. The princess said to him: “Why have you come here, good youth? My turn has come to die and to shed my young blood; but why should you perish?” “Fear not, lovely maiden!” said Ivan. “God may save you.” He had no sooner said this than the cruel dragon flew up to him, breathing flames, threatening him with death. The champion struck him with his sharp sword and cut off all of his twelve heads; he put the heads under the stone, threw the trunk into the sea, returned home, ate and drank his fill, and again lay down to sleep for three days and three nights. The water carrier went down to the shore again, saw that the princess was alive, put her in his cart, drove to the thick forest, and set about whetting his knife. The princess asked him: “Why are you whetting your knife?” “Because I am going to slay you,” he said. “But if you swear to tell your father what I ask you to tell him, I will spare you.” The princess swore that she would, and he brought her to the palace. The king was overjoyed and made the water carrier a general.

  On the fourth day Ivan awoke and told the old woman to go to market and listen to the news. The old woman ran to the market, returned, and said: “A third dragon has appeared; he sent the king a letter demanding that the third princess be sent him to be devoured.” Ivan saddled his good steed, mounted him, and galloped to the blue sea. On the shore stood the beautiful princess, bound to the stone with an iron chain. The champion seized the chain, shook it, and broke it as though it were a rotten rope; then he laid his head on the lovely maiden’s knees, saying: “Pick in my hair; and do not so much pick in my hair as watch the sea—as soon as a cloud arises, and the wind begins to roar and the sea to surge, rouse me.” The princess began to pick in his hair. Suddenly a cloud came up, the wind began to roar and the sea to surge, and from the blue sea a dragon emerged and reared himself up. The princess began to rouse Ivan; she nudged and nudged him, but he did not awake. She burst into tears, and burning tears dropped on his cheek. This caused the champion to wake; he ran to his steed, and the good steed had already dug up half a yard of earth with his hoofs. The twelve-headed dragon flew toward them, breathing flames. He cast a glance at the champion and cried: “You are handsome and strong, good youth, but you won’t stay alive; I’ll devour you down to the last bone.” “You lie, accursed dragon!” Ivan answered him. “You will choke on me!”

  Instantly they were locked in mortal combat. Ivan swung his sword so fast and mightily that it grew red hot, he could not hold it in his hand. He begged the princess: “Save me, lovely maiden! Take off your precious kerchief, wet it in the blue sea, and give it to me to wrap my sword in.” The princess straightway wet her kerchief and gave it to the good youth. He wrapped it around his sword and fell to hacking at the dragon; he cut off all the twelve heads of the monster, put them under the stone, threw the trunk into the sea, galloped home, ate and drank his fill, and lay down to sleep for three days.

  Again the king sent the water carrier to the seashore. The water carrier went there, took the princess to the thick forest, drew out his knife, and began to whet it. “What are you doing?” asked the princess. “I am whetting my knife to slay you,” he answered. He terrified the lovely maiden, and she swore that she would say what he commanded. Now the youngest daughter was the king’s favorite; when he saw her alive and unhurt, he was even more overjoyed than before, and to reward the water carrier wished to give him this favorite daughter to wife. The rumor of it went through the whole kingdom. Ivan the champion learned that the king was making preparations for a wedding. He went straight to the palace; there a feast was in full swing, the guests were eating and drinking, and diverting themselves with various games. The youngest princess saw Ivan, recognized her precious kerchief on his sword, jumped up, took him by his hand, and brought him to her father. “My dear father and sovereign,” she said, “here is the man who saved us from the cruel dragon and from undeserved death; and all that the water carrier did was whet his knife and say: ‘I am whetting my knife to slay you.’ ” The king was furious, ordered the water carrier to be hanged on the spot, and married the princess to Ivan, the soldier’s son. There was great rejoicing. The young people began to live together ha
ppily and prosperously.

  While all this was going on, this is what befell the other brother, Prince Ivan. One day he went hunting and came upon a fleet-footed stag. He spurred his horse and pursued the stag; he galloped and galloped and came to a broad meadow. Here the stag vanished. The prince looked about and wondered in what direction he should go. Then he saw a little stream flowing in the meadow, and on the water two gray ducks were swimming. He took aim with his gun, fired it, and killed the pair of ducks; then he dragged them out of the water, put them in his bag, and went on farther. He rode and rode, and he saw a white stone palace; he climbed down from his horse, tied it to a post, and went into the chambers. They were all empty, there was not a living soul anywhere. But in one room there was fire in the stove, a pan stood on the hearth, the table was set: there was a plate, a fork, and a knife. Prince Ivan took the ducks out of his bag, plucked and cleaned them, put them in the pan, and shoved the pan into the oven; when the ducks were roasted, he put them on the table and began to carve and eat them. Suddenly out of nowhere a lovely maiden appeared before him—such a beauty as neither tongue can tell of nor pen describe—and said: “Welcome, Prince Ivan.” “Welcome, lovely maiden, sit down and eat with me,” Ivan said. “I would sit with you, but I am afraid: you have a magic horse.” “No, lovely maiden, you are mistaken; my magic horse is at home, I have come on an ordinary horse.” When the lovely maiden heard this she began to swell up and turned into a terrible lioness; she opened her jaws and swallowed the prince whole. For she was not an ordinary maiden, but the sister of the three dragons that Ivan the champion had slain.

  One day Ivan the champion recalled his brother, drew from his pocket the handkerchief that had been the other Ivan’s, wiped himself, and lo and behold, the whole handkerchief was drenched with blood. He grieved deeply. “What does this mean?” he said. “My brother took the good road, which was to make him king, and he has met his death!” He took leave of his wife and father-in-law and went on his mighty steed to seek his brother. After he had journeyed a short distance or a long distance, for a long time or a short time, he came to the kingdom where his brother had lived. He made inquiries and learned that the prince had gone hunting and vanished without a trace. Ivan the champion went hunting in the same forest and he too saw the fleet-footed stag, and started in pursuit of it. He came to the wide meadow and the stag vanished; he saw a little stream flowing through the meadow and two ducks swimming on the water. Ivan the champion shot the ducks, came to the white stone palace, and entered the chambers. It was empty everywhere, but in one room there was a fire in the stove, and a pan stood on the hearth. He roasted the ducks, took them out on the porch, sat there in the yard, and carved and ate them.

  Suddenly a lovely maiden appeared before him. “Welcome, good youth!” she said. “Why are you eating in the yard?” “I don’t like to eat indoors, it is more pleasant outside,” replied Ivan. “Sit down with me, lovely maiden.” “I would sit down gladly, but I am afraid of your magic horse.” “Don’t be afraid, my beauty! I have come on an ordinary horse.” She foolishly believed him, and she began to swell up; she became a terrible lioness, but when she was about to swallow the good youth, his magic steed came running and took hold of her with his mighty legs. Ivan the champion bared his sharp sword and cried in a loud voice: “Wait, accursed one! You swallowed my brother, Prince Ivan! Disgorge him, or I shall cut you into little pieces!” The lioness spat out Prince Ivan; he was dead, he had begun to rot, and the flesh of his face had fallen off. Ivan the champion took the two phials with healing water and the water of life from his saddle; he sprinkled his brother with the healing water, and the flesh grew together; he sprinkled him with the water of life, and the prince stood up and said: “Ah, how long have I slept!” Ivan the champion answered: “You would have slept forever were it not for me.”

  Then he took his sword and wanted to cut off the lioness’ head; but she turned into an exquisite maiden, such a beauty as no tale can tell of, and began to shed tears and beg for mercy. Looking on her indescribable beauty, Ivan the champion took pity on her and let her go free. The brothers went to the palace and feasted for three days. Then they parted: Prince Ivan remained in his kingdom, and Ivan the champion went to join his wife and began to live with her in love and concord.

  After some time, Ivan the champion went for a walk in the open field; he met a little child, who begged him for alms. The good youth was moved, drew a golden coin from his pocket, and gave it to the boy; the boy took the alms, began to swell up, turned into a lion, and tore the champion into little bits. A few days later the same thing happened to Prince Ivan; he went to walk in his garden and met an old man, who bowed low to him and begged for alms. The prince gave him a gold piece. The old man took the coin, swelled up, and turned into a lion, seized Prince Ivan, and tore him into little bits. Thus died the two mighty champions, the soldier’s sons—at the hands of the dragons’ sister.

  PRINCE IVAN AND BYELY POLYANIN

  IN A CERTAIN KINGDOM in a certain land there lived a king who had three daughters and one son, Prince Ivan. The king grew old and died, and Prince Ivan succeeded to the throne. Upon learning this, the neighboring kings gathered together innumerable troops and waged war against him. Prince Ivan did not know what to do. He came to his sisters and asked them: “My dear sisters, what shall I do? All the kings are waging war against me.” “Ah, you brave warrior!” they said: “Why are you afraid? Think of how Byely Polyanin for thirty years has been warring against Baba Yaga the Golden-legged, without ever climbing down from his horse, without a moment’s respite. And you are afraid without having seen anything!” Prince Ivan straightway saddled his good steed, donned his armor, took a steel sword, a long spear, and a silken riding crop, prayed to God, and rode forth to meet the enemy. He did not cut down as many with his sword as he trampled with his steed. He slew all the enemy troops, returned to his capital, lay down to sleep., and slept for three days without awakening.

  On the fourth day he awoke, went out on the balcony, looked out on the open field, and saw that the other kings had gathered even more troops than before and were again approaching the very walls of his town. The prince was grieved and went to his sisters. “Ah, my sisters, what shall I do?” he said. “I have destroyed one army; now there is another one at the city gates, more menacing than the first.” “What kind of warrior are you?” his sisters said. “You fought for a day and then slept three days without awakening. See how Byely Polyanin has been warring for thirty years against Baba Yaga the Golden-legged, without ever climbing down from his horse, without a moment’s respite!” Prince Ivan ran to the white stone stable, saddled a mighty steed, donned his armor, girded on his steel sword, took a long spear in one hand and a silken riding crop in the other, prayed to God, and went forth to fight the enemy. Like a bright falcon swooping down on a flock of geese, swans, and gray ducks, Prince Ivan fell upon the enemy host; he did not slay as many himself as his steed trampled down. He defeated the great host of troops, returned home, lay down to sleep, and slept without awakening for six days.

  On the seventh day he awoke, went out on the balcony, looked out on the open field, and saw that the other kings had gathered together an even greater army than before and had again surrounded the entire town. Prince Ivan went to his sisters, saying: “My dear sisters, what shall I do? I have destroyed two armies; now there’s a third one before our walls, more menacing than the others.” “Ah, you brave warrior!” his sisters said. “You fought for one day and slept for six days without awakening. Think of how Byely Polyanin has been warring for thirty years against Baba Yaga the Golden-legged, without ever climbing down from his horse, without a moment’s respite!” The prince was stung to the quick; he ran to the white stone stable, saddled his good steed, donned his armor, girded on his steel sword, took a long spear in one hand and a silken riding crop in the other, prayed to God, and went forth to fight the enemy. As a bright falcon swoops down on a flock of geese, swans, and gray ducks, so Prince Ivan
fell upon the enemy troops; he did not slay as many himself as his horse trampled down. He defeated the great host of troops, returned home, lay down to sleep, and slept for ten days without awakening.

  On the tenth day he awoke, summoned all his ministers and senators, and said: “My ministers and senators, I have decided to go to foreign lands, to see Byely Polyanin; I charge you to rule and govern and judge all matters in accordance with the truth.” Then he took leave of his sisters, mounted his horse, and set out on his way. After a long time or a short time, he entered a dark forest and saw a little hut in which an old man dwelt. Prince Ivan went in to see him. “Good day, grandfather,” he said. “Good day, Russian prince! Whither is God taking you?” “I am seeking Byely Polyanin; do you know where he is?” “I myself do not know, but wait awhile; I shall assemble my faithful servants and ask them.” The old man went out on the porch, blew on a silver trumpet, and suddenly birds began to fly toward him from all sides. A numberless host of them came, covering the whole sky like a black cloud. The old man cried in a loud voice and whistled with a mighty whistle: “My faithful servants, birds of passage, have you ever seen, have you ever heard anything about Byely Polyanin?” “No,” the reply came, “we have not seen him with our eyes nor heard of him with our ears.” “Well, Prince Ivan,” said the old man, “go to my older brother, he may be able to tell you. Here is a little ball, let it roll before you; wherever the ball rolls, there direct your horse to go.”