“Sun, look on me, and tell me where is my love, and if he thinks of me.”
“Princess Marvel,” replied the sun, “dry up your tears and take courage.
The prince is coming to you. He has obtained the magic ring from the
depths below; he has collected together an innumerable army to come to
your rescue, and to punish Koshchei. All will, however, be useless
unless the prince takes another course, for Koshchei can overthrow all
the prince’s forces. I will go to the prince and give him some advice.
Good-bye. I go to him who loves you. Be of good cheer, for he will come
and rescue you, and you shall be happy.”
Then the sun looked down upon the country where Prince Junak, clothed in
golden armour and mounted on a fiery horse, got ready his army to go and
attack Koshchei. Three times had the prince seen the Princess Marvel in
his dreams, and he loved her deeply.
“Leave your army,” said the sun to him, “for it will be of no service
whatever against Koshchei. You can only deliver the princess from him by
killing him, and to learn how you are to do that you must go to old
Yaga. She can tell you how he can be killed. I will tell you how to get
a horse which will carry you direct to her. Go towards the east until
you come to a vast plain in the middle of which grow three oaks. Near to
these you will find in the ground an iron door. Open it, and in a corner
you will find the horse and the invisible club, which you must have to
effect your wishes. You will afterwards learn how to proceed.”
Prince Junak hardly knew what to do, but at length he resolved to take
the sun’s advice, so he took off the magic ring from his finger and
threw it into the sea. His army at once disappeared, and the prince set
out to go to the east. For eight days he went on, and then he came to a
large plain, in the middle of which he found the three oaks of which the
sun had spoken. He saw the iron door, opened it, and saw before him some
winding steps. He went down these till he came to another iron door,
which he likewise opened. Then he heard the neigh of a horse in the
distance. Twelve other doors opened of themselves, and the prince at
last came to the horse, which had been confined there during a great
many ages by a magician. When it saw the prince, the horse broke the
twelve iron chains that held it, and ran to him.
“Prince Junak,” it said, “I have waited for ages for such a man as
yourself. Now I am ready to bear you and serve you faithfully. Leap on
my back and grasp the invisible club which is attached to my saddle. You
will not, however, have to wield it, for you have only to tell it what
you want done and it obeys you of itself. Now let us go. Where shall I
take you? Name the place you wish to be at, and we will be off at once.”
The prince leaped on the horse’s back, grasped the invisible club, and
set out. The horse took its course through the air, and towards sunset
the prince came to the borders of an immense forest in which was the
residence of the old Yaga. Huge oaks stood all around. Not a bird sang,
not an insect hummed, all was profound silence. The prince went on till
he came to a hut which stood upon fowl’s feet, and which kept turning
round and round.
“Hut,” said the prince, “turn your front towards me and your back to the
forest.”
The hut turned to him and stood still, and the prince, going in, found
the old Yaga there. When she saw him, she cried out—
“Why are you come here, Prince Junak, where no one has ever before
been?”
“You are a foolish witch to ask questions of me,” said the prince, “and
not to welcome me.” Then the Yaga rose and got ready everything that the
prince needed. When he had eaten and drunk and rested himself, he told
her why he had come.
“You have undertaken a difficult thing, Prince Junak,” said the Yaga,
“and you will want all your courage to succeed. I will show you how to
overcome Koshchei. In the middle of the ocean is the island of eternal
life. In the centre of the island grows an oak, and under it is an iron
coffer. In the coffer is a hare, under the hare is a grey duck, and
under the duck is an egg in which is contained the life of Koshchei. If
the egg is broken, Koshchei dies.”
The Prince at once set off to seek the egg. He rode on his wonderful
horse until he came to the seashore. There he found a large fish
struggling in a net.
“Prince Junak,” said the fish, “let me loose, and I promise you your
kindness shall not be forgotten.”
The prince took the fish out of the net and set it free. Then he stood
upon the shore, and thought how he should reach the island of eternal
life, whose rocks he saw afar off. As he stood silent and sad, his horse
said to him—
“Prince, what is it you are thinking of, and why do you look so sad?”
“How can I be otherwise,” answered the prince, “when I find my journey
here all in vain? How can I reach the far-off island?”
“Mount upon my back,” said the horse, “and I will carry you to it. Only
hold on well.”
The prince did as the horse told him, and the brave steed, plunging into
the sea, carried him over to the island. When he had arrived there, the
prince looked around him, and in the middle of the island he saw an
immense oak. Going to it, the prince seized it, and, pulling with all
his force, the oak was torn up by the roots. The tree groaned as the
prince tore it from the earth. In the place its roots had occupied was a
large hole in which was an iron coffer. When the prince opened the
coffer out sprang the hare, and away flew the duck carrying the egg with
it. The duck made towards the sea, and the prince, fearing he should
lose the egg, shot at the bird. It fell, and with it also fell the egg
into the sea. Then the prince gave a cry of despair, and, running down
to the shore, he looked around to see if he could see anything of the
egg, but it was not to be seen. All of a sudden a large fish made its
appearance. “Prince Junak,” it said, “I have not forgotten the service
you did me, for which I now make you some return.”
As it said this the fish placed the egg upon the shore, turned, and
disappeared in the sea. Junak was delighted. He went to his horse,
leaped into the saddle, and set off to the island where the Princess
Marvel dwelt, carrying the egg with him. When he came there he saw the
immense iron wall Koshchei had raised around the palace, and the dragon
which lay at the gate. Six of the monster’s heads were asleep, while the
other six watched. Then the prince commanded his invisible club to slay
it. The dragon became furious under the blows. It could not see the
club, and so could not tell to what quarter to turn itself. It rolled
about, it turned its twelve heads here and there, it darted forth its
sharp tongues, but all to no purpose. At length, in despair, it turned
its rage upon itself, and with its sharp claws tore itself to pieces.
Then the prince went in, and, dismounting and taking the invisible club
in his hand, he sought the princess.
“Prince,” said she, when she saw him approach, “I have seen how you have
overcome the dragon, but a still more terrible conflict awaits you with
my cruel jailer, Koshchei. Be careful, I beseech you, how you engage
with him, for, should you fall, I will cast myself down the steep
precipice near the palace.”
“Do not fear, Princess Marvel,” replied he, “for I hold the life of
Koshchei in my hand.”