THE LITTLE BOY SLEEPLESS
The little boy could not sleep. The room was full of people very
excitedly talking about the action of the zemstvo on some subject of
importance, and although he did not understand a word that they were
saying, the talking and the thought of to-morrow's journey kept him
awake. He was lying on a pallet laid upon the bench against the wall
in a far corner of the room, and he turned over so often that at last
he fell upon the floor. He tried hard not to cry, but he could not
quite help it.
The other grandmother picked him up and cuddled him in her arms. "Go
to sleep," she said, patting him gently.
The little boy shut his eyes, but in a minute they were open again.
"Mother's-mother, I can't sleep. Couldn't you tell me one more story,
very softly, so that the others can't hear?"
The other grandmother laid the little boy back upon his pallet,
covered him up warm, and told him about
THE VILA IN THE GOLDEN CASTLE
Once upon a time there was a father who had three sons. One day he
bade the eldest go into the garden and keep watch that the swans did
not eat the flowers. The son kept watch a long time, but at last sleep
overcame him, and immediately the swans came and ate up the flowers.
Now these were not really swans, but Vilas.
Upon this the second brother betook himself to the garden, and with
the same result.
Then it was the youngest brother's turn; but this one put thorns
under his head, so that he could not go to sleep. He lay there in a
doze until the swans arrived; then, springing nimbly upon his feet,
he caught one of them, which changed herself into a Vila. Upon this
the other swans flew away, and the Vila and the youth both lay down
and fell asleep.
Shortly after a girl came along that way and cut off the Vila's
hair. When the Vila awoke she fell into the deepest dejection over the
loss. The youth asked her, "My beloved, wherefore so sorrowful?" and
she answered, "Some one has robbed me of my hair."
She remained with him for a whole week. Then, as it chanced, he was
obliged to go away somewhere, and she improved the opportunity to quit
the house--not, however, without leaving word that he would find her
in the golden castle.
When he returned home and asked after her, he learned that she had
gone to the golden castle. He therefore set out to find it. After much
walking he came to a great forest, where he met an old man, whom he
asked if he could give him any information about the golden castle.
The old man said he knew nothing about it, but perhaps a still older
man, who lived a long way off in the forest, might know where it
was. After long wandering the youth found this man, but neither
could he give him any information, but sent him to a still older
man. So he sought out the third old man, and from him he received
the desired information.
The young man set out in the direction indicated, arrived at the
castle, and perceived his beloved one, who smiled kindly upon him. In
the castle he found an old Vila, who told him that he should not have
her daughter to wife until he had executed the order which she was
about to give. Then she handed him a wooden hoe, with the words:
"If you wish to be my son-in-law you must root up all this forest,
plant vines in its place, and bring me wine from their fruit; and
all must be done to-day."
This command he certainly could not obey; but his beloved one drew
near and asked him, "Why are you so sorrowful?"
He answered, "Why should I not be sorrowful? I can surely never obey
that command."
Then she cut down a tree, and the whole forest was uprooted; she
planted a vine, and the whole vineyard was planted; she pressed one
grape, and the work was already done.
When he brought the wine into the castle the old Vila said:
"You must perform another task. In a single day you must sow wheat,
reap and thresh it, and store it away in the granary."
He would not have been equal to this task either had not his beloved
one done it for him.
When he showed the old Vila the threshed wheat she was still not
satisfied, but said:
"If you wish to be my son-in-law you must gild the whole castle." To
this end she gave him a golden nut.
He succeeded in gilding a hand's breadth, but more he could not
do. Then his beloved came to his help; she only made a cross, and in
a twinkling the whole was done.
Still the old Vila said, "If you are positively determined upon being
my son-in-law you must to-morrow guess which Vila is yours. I may tell
you beforehand that they all look precisely alike, even to a hair."
Then his beloved one told him to notice well. When all the Vilas were
standing in a row, a little dog would come and nose around her alone,
and he must say, "That one is she." She also gave him a comb, and
a brush into the bargain, saying that they would be of the greatest
use to them in their flight.
The next day, when the Vilas stood in a row before him, the little dog
came and nosed around one of them. He at once said that this was she,
and immediately they took to flight, the old Vila after them.
She had almost overtaken the fugitives, but the youth threw the
brush behind them, and a thick forest grew up at their back, so that
they gained a considerable start. But the old Vila soon overcame this
hinderance, and had nearly caught up to them when, at the very moment,
he threw the comb behind him. Instantly a great river flowed between
them which the old woman could not cross.
Thus the two got away at last, arrived safely at home, married,
and lived in happiness till their dying day.
The little boy made no remark. He was sound asleep.