“Listen, Sila Czarovitch, I will live with you as your servant. When you
come to the royal apartments, behave humbly to King Salom. He will ask
you where you come from, what country you belong to, who your father is,
what is your name, and on what errand you have come. Tell him all, and
do not try to conceal anything. Tell him that you have come to ask for
his daughter’s hand, and he will give her to you with the greatest joy.”
Sila went into the palace, and when King Salom saw him he came to meet
him, took him by the white hands, led him into the white marble room,
and said to him—
“Young man, who are you? From what kingdom do you come? Who is your
father? What is your name? and why are you come?”
“I have come,” replied Sila, “from the kingdom of the Czar Chotei; I am
known as Sila Czarovitch, and I have come here to ask for your daughter,
the beautiful Queen Truda, for my wife.”
Then King Salom was very pleased when he heard that the son of so famous
a Czar desired to wed his daughter, and he at once sent to her, to tell
her to get ready for the wedding. When the day came, the king commanded
all the princes and nobles to come to the palace. From there they went
to the church, and Sila Czarovitch married the beautiful Queen Truda.
The company went back to the palace, seated themselves at table, and ate
and drank with great joy.
When evening was come Ivaschka came near to Sila, and said to him
softly—
“Listen, Sila Czarovitch. When you retire with your wife, take care you
do not say a word to her, or you are a dead man, and your head will find
a place on the last post. She will do all she can to make you speak, but
do not you say a word to her.”
Sila asked him why he gave him this warning.
“She is,” said Ivaschka, “acquainted with a spirit which flies through
the air in the shape of a dragon with six heads. Your wife will lay her
hand upon your breast. When she does so, spring up and beat her with a
stick till she has no strength left in her. I will myself watch at the
door of the room.”
The queen did, as Ivaschka foretold, do all she could to make Sila
speak, but he would not utter a word. Then Truda put her hand on his
breast, and pressed him, so that he could hardly breathe. Sila jumped
up, seized a stick, which Ivaschka had put there for the occasion, and
commenced to beat her as if he would kill her. Immediately there came on
a terrible storm, and there flew into the room a six-headed dragon who
commenced to attack Sila. Then Ivaschka came in with a sharp sword in
his hand, and he and the dragon fought together for three hours, when
Ivaschka managed to cut off two of the dragon’s heads, and the monster
flew away. Ivaschka then told Sila he might go to sleep and fear
nothing. So Sila laid him down and slept till morning.
King Salom was anxious respecting his son-in-law, and he sent early in
the morning to ask if all was well with him. When he heard that it was,
he was delighted, for he remembered the fate of the others who had come
to marry his daughter. He summoned Sila to him, and they spent the whole
day in merriment.
The next night Ivaschka warned Sila that he must not speak to his wife,
and he himself took up his station outside the door of the room. Sila’s
wife again tried to make him speak, and again put her hand upon his
breast, and Sila leaped up and thrashed her. The dragon flew in and
attacked him, but Ivaschka sprang in from the door with the sword in his
hand, and after he and the dragon had fought for three hours Ivaschka
cut off two more of its heads. Then the dragon flew off and Sila lay
down to sleep. The king again sent for Sila to come to him, and they
spent the day together very pleasantly.
The third night Ivaschka warned Sila as before, and Sila did as he was
bid. Ivaschka again fought with the monster, and, cutting off the two
last heads, he burnt them and the carcass, and scattered the ashes over
the fields.
So Sila Czarovitch stayed with his father-in-law for a whole year, and
then Ivaschka, coming to him one day, told him to ask the king to give
him permission to return home. Sila went to King Salom and obtained his
leave to go, and the king sent two divisions of his army with him as an
escort. So Sila parted with his father-in-law, and set off with his wife
for his own land.
When they were half-way home Ivaschka told Sila to stop and camp there.
Sila did as he advised, and ordered his tent to be put up. On the next
day Ivaschka took some pieces of stick and burnt them in front of the
Czarovitch’s tent. Then he came to the tent, led Queen Truda outside,
and unsheathing his sword he cut her in two. Sila was greatly terrified,
and commenced to weep when he saw that.
“Do not weep,” said Ivaschka, “she will come to life again.”
As soon as the Queen was cut in two there came out of her all manner of
evil spirits, and all of these Ivaschka threw into the fire. Then said
he to Sila—
“Do you see the evil things which possessed your wife? They are all evil
spirits which had entered her.”
When all the evil spirits were destroyed in the fire, he placed the two
parts of Truda’s body together, sprinkled them with water from a running
brook, and the queen became alive again. She was now also as good as she
had before been evil.