an aurochs, and make the villain whistle like a nightingale, and make
the robber-dog howl like a dog.”
And Ilyá spoke to the Prince and said:
“O Vladímir, Prince of royal Kiev! Nightingale’s lips are now sealed
together and his mouth is filled with dried blood, for my arrow went
through his right eye and it came out by the left ear. Pray let a bowl
of strong drink be poured out for him—a bowl weighing half a
hundredweight, a bowl holding four gallons, and let it be given to
Nightingale.”
And they poured him out a bowl of strong drink—a bowl weighing half a
hundredweight, a bowl holding four gallons; and they took it to
Nightingale the Robber. He took the bowl in one hand, drank off the
bowl of strong drink at one draught, and spoke these words:
“Pour out another bowl of strong beer—a bowl weighing half a
hundredweight, a bowl holding four gallons, and pour out a third bowl
of sweet mead—a bowl weighing half a hundredweight, a bowl holding four
gallons.”
And they poured out a bowlful of strong beer, and they poured out a
bowlful of sweet mead and brought both to Nightingale the Robber. He
took the bowl with one hand and drank off the bowlful at one draught.
And then Nightingale the Robber was drunken, and Ilyá of Múrom said to
him:
“Now, Nightingale! Roar, thou robber, like an aurochs; whistle, O
villain, like a nightingale; and howl, O dog, like a dog.”
And Nightingale the Robber roared like an aurochs, the villain whistled
like a nightingale, and the robber-dog howled like a dog.
Princes and nobles all lay for dead, but Vladímir the Prince of royal
Kiev stood up straight and went up to Ilyá, for the Prince had a boon
to ask:
“Silence Nightingale the Robber, lest he whistle again like a
nightingale, and my nobles leave me here alone.”
VI.
THE THREE WAYS.
One day Ilyá set off on his good horse for a ride. He rode a long way
through the open plain till he came to the Burning Stone. Three lengths
beyond the stone there were three paths leading this way and that from
the Burning Stone, and upon the stone was written:
“Who goes by the first path will be killed.
Who goes by the second path will find marriage.
Who goes by the third path will become rich.”
He stopped to consider:
“By which path shall I go? Why should a bold hero want to be rich? Why
should I want to marry? I will take the way to be killed.”
So he took that way and rode on for three hours, and he rode three
hundred miles, and then he came to a hill, and at that hill, that high
hill, brigands began to come up, and there came up forty thousand
brigands. They began to defy our bold hero, and the brave Cossack spoke
and hailed them:
“Come, you forty thousand robbers! What will you take from me, the bold
hero? I have not many chests of uncounted gold, I have no beautiful
young wives, I have no fine clothes, I have nothing but a good horse, a
good horse which cost three hundred; on the horse are trappings worth
five hundred; on myself a hero’s gear worth a cool thousand.”
When he drew his iron mace of three tons weight, he began to defy the
robbers, and he killed the forty thousand robbers.
Then the bold hero turned back, and when he reached the Burning Stone
he altered the writing thus:
“If thou goest by this road thou wilt not be killed.”
And he said:
“I shall go by the road to marriage.”
So Ilyá took the second path and rode on for just three hundred miles.
He rode on always through the plain, that open plain, through the open
plain, the green meadow, through those open plains and through green
meadows till he came to a wonderful and a strange thing. If we called
it a town it would be too small; if we called it a village it would
seem too large, but there stood a palace built of white stone. When
Ilyá reached the broad palace yard there came a most beautiful young
princess from the palace of white stone. She came to meet the brave
hero and took him by his white hands, kissed him with her sweet lips,
led him into the white stone palace, and made him sit down at the oaken
table, where a feast was spread. Ilyá ate and drank in plenty, and
stuffed himself the whole day long till evening, when he rose up from
the oaken table and spoke to the princess and said:
“O thou enchanting and beautiful lady, where are thy warm sleeping
chambers? Where are the beds of carved wood? Where are the soft feather
beds? I am an old man and weary, and I would fain sleep.”
And the princess led him to a warm chamber, but the old man stood by
the bed and shook his head and said:
“Much have I travelled through Holy Russia, but so strange a thing have
I never seen. It seems to me that that bed is a trap.”
Suddenly he seized the princess by her white hands and threw her
against the brick wall against which the bed stood. The bed of carved
wood turned over and the princess fell down into a deep dungeon below.
The old Cossack walked out of the palace, and outside he found the door
of the deep dungeon. Then he took the golden keys, went on and unlocked
the deep dungeon and set free many goodly youths and brave, and many
strong and mighty heroes, but the beautiful and wicked enchantress was
killed. And all the rich treasure which Ilyá found there in that white
stone palace he bestowed on the good youths and brave, and on the
strong and mighty heroes. But that white stone palace he gave to the
flames.
And then our bold hero rode back again, and when he came to the Burning
Stone he again altered the graven letters and wrote:
“By that way I went—I was not married.”
“I go,” said he, “by the third path, where one will become rich.”
And on he rode for three hours, three hundred miles he rode, and again
he rode through the plain, the open plain, the meadow, the green
meadow, to a place where there were sunk deep pits in the ground, all
piled up with red gold—red gold, pure silver, and fine round pearls.
Ilyá looked at the gold and said:
“What has a bold hero to do with these riches, with this treasure of
much uncounted gold?”
He began to consider: and then he took enough of this treasure in this
plain, this open plain, to build an abbey for prayers to God. He built
a church, a minster church, ordered the singing of psalms and the
ringing of bells, and then Ilyá said:
“Let him whose treasure it was go and look for it!”
And then the bold hero turned back again; again he rode to that Burning
Stone; again he wrote beneath that inscription:
“Though I rode by that path, I became not rich.”
VII.
ILYÁ OF MÚROM AND KING KÁLIN.
In the palace of the gracious Prince Vladímir, in royal Kiev town, a
great feast of honour was spread for many princes and nobles and for
the strong and mighty heroes and their bold followers, men of the
plains, and for the stranger merchants and traders.
The Fair Sun, Prince Vladímir himself, took his pleasure there, and
gave rich gifts to his guests. To some he gave towns, and to others he
gave small towns, to some he gave villages, and to others he gave
hamlets, and to Ilyá of Múrom he gave a coat of marten fur with a
collar of sable.
But Ilyá received not the fur coat as an honour; he received it without
respect and praised it not. He took the fur coat into the kitchen and
dragged the fur coat about the kitchen floor. Yes, and thus he talked
to the fur coat:
“Just as I drag about this fur coat, so will I drag about that serpent,
King Kálin, by his yellow curls. And just as I pour strong drink upon
this fur coat, his heart shall pour forth his hot blood.”
And there was a dark-haired maid there, and she reported the matter to
Fair Sun, Prince Vladímir, and said:
“O Fair Sun, Prince Vladímir! When Ilyá of Múrom was in my kitchen, he
dragged about the coat of marten fur; yes, and he said to the fur coat:
“Just as I drag this fur coat about, so will I drag Prince Vladímir
about by his yellow curly hair, and, just as I pour strong drink upon
the fur coat—yes, he himself said it to the fur coat—the Fair Sun,
Prince Vladímir’s hot blood shall be poured out by my white hands.”
And the Fair Sun, Prince Vladímir, grew angry, and he cried out in a
loud voice:
“Come, my strong and mighty heroes, take Ilyá away to the dungeon, and
put an iron grating there and cover it over with logs of oak; yes, and
bury him with yellow sand.”
And the heroes came to Ilyá and said:
“Now, old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom! Fair Sun Vladímir, the Prince, has
ordered us to put thee in a deep dungeon, and to put an iron grating
there, and to cover it all over with oak logs, yes, and to bury thee
with yellow sand.”
And Ilyá spoke to them and said:
“Now, what will ye do with me?”
And the heroes said:
“There is no sun in the heavens. Not one hero in Holy Russia. Old
Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom! O that we might take thee out of this bitter
captivity! Fair Sun, Prince Vladímir, makes us turn pale.”
Then Ilyá mounted his good horse and rode to Kiev town. He rode not
into Kiev town, but he rode to the deep dungeon.
He got down from his good horse, took off the Circassian saddle, took
off the braided bridle and let his brown horse go where God willed.
Then Ilyá was let down into the deep dungeon, and they put a grating
over; they put it above him and placed oak logs all over it, and buried
him with yellow sand.
Now the glorious Prince Vladímir had an only daughter, and she saw that
this was no small matter that Prince Vladímir of royal Kiev town had
put the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom, into that cold dungeon. For it
might be that he alone would be able to defend the Faith and Country;
that he alone might defend Kiev town; that he alone might defend the
Minster Church, might protect Vladímir the Prince and the Princess
Apráxia.
So the Princess caused a deep trench to be dug to reach the dungeon of
the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom. And she commanded that false keys
should be made; and she sent people secretly to take to the cold
dungeon pillows of down and feather beds, and ordered them to take warm
coverlets too, and changes of clothing, and to provide delicate food
for the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom. But of this had Vladímir the Prince
no knowledge.
Now that dog, the Tartar King Kálin, burned to be at Kiev town. Even
royal Kiev town would he destroy, and all the peasants he would cut to
pieces, and would burn down the churches of God, and also cut off the
heads of Vladímir the Prince and the Princess Apráxia.
And King Kálin, the dog, sent an envoy to royal Kiev town and gave him
a letter to deliver, and he said to the envoy:
“When thou goest to royal Kiev town thou wilt be an ambassador in Kiev
town to the glorious Prince Vladímir. Therefore go to the broad
courtyard of the Prince’s palace, and dismount not, but ride in on thy
good steed. After thou hast ridden through the courtyard, then get down
off thy steed and go to the palace of white stone, and into the great
hall of white stone and into the dining hall. Go not humbly, but walk
in with a flourish through the five doors and take not thy cap from thy
head; but go up to the oaken table and stand opposite Prince Vladímir
and place the letter upon the golden table before him, and speak to
Prince Vladímir and say:
“O Prince Vladímir of royal Kiev town! Take this letter which is sent
to thee, and look at what is written in the letter and see what is
impressed upon it. Clean all thy arrow-straight streets and the Courts
of the Prince in all the town of Kiev, and in all the broad streets and
alleys of the princedom place sweet strong drinks, cask by cask
standing close together, for those who stand by the dog, King Kálin,
with his mighty warriors, in thy town of Kiev.”
Prince Vladímir of royal Kiev took the letter sent to him, broke the
seal and looked at what was written therein, and he saw what was in the
letter: that he was commanded to clean the arrow-straight streets and
the great Courts of the Prince, and to place sweet strong drinks in all
the broad streets and all the alleys of the princedom.
Then Vladímir, the Prince of royal Kiev, saw that this was no small
matter, but a great one, and he sat down in his writing-chair and a
humble letter wrote he.
“Thou dog, King Kálin! Give me the space of three years, give me three
years and three months, three months and also three days, that I may
clean the arrow-straight streets and the great Courts of the Prince,
and make sweet strong drinks and place them in the town of Kiev and in
all the broad streets and in in all the alleys of the glorious
princedom.”
The Prince sent off this humble letter to that dog, King Kálin. And the
dog, King Kálin gave him the space of three years, three years and
three months, three months and three days. And day after day the rain
it rained, and week after week it ran like a river, and the time went
by—the three years and three months and three days; and then came the
dog, King Kálin. Came beneath the town of Kiev with his great army.
Then Prince Vladímir of royal Kiev began to walk up and down, and tears
of grief flowed from his bright eyes. With a kerchief of silk the
Prince wiped his eyes, and he spoke these words:
“The old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom, lives no longer, none is there to
defend the Faith and Country; none to defend the Church of God and Kiev
town; none to protect Vladímir the Prince and the Princess Apráxia!”
Then came to him his dear daughter, and spoke to him these words:
“O my dear father, Prince Vladímir of royal Kiev, the old Cossack, Ilyá
of Múrom, is yet alive, he is alive in the cold dungeon.”
Then Prince Vladímir quickly brought the golden keys and went to the
cold dungeon, and soon unlocked the doors and opened the iron grating.
And there was the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom, sitting there in the
dungeon, reading the Holy Gospels.
And there were down pillows and feather beds, and warm coverlets had
been brought there, and changes of apparel and delicate food provided.
And the Prince took Ilyá by his white hands and by his golden ring, and
led him from the cold dungeon, brought him to his white stone palace,
and placed him near himself. He kissed Ilyá and welcomed him, and
invited him to the oaken table, and gave him sugar sweetmeats to eat
and drink made from honey. Then spoke the Prince to Ilyá these words:
“Old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom! Taken is our town of Kiev. The dog, King
Kálin, has surrounded Kiev town with his great army. Do thou defend our
Faith and Country and glorious Kiev town, and defend the Church of the
Mother of God, and Vladímir thy Prince and the Princess Apráxia.”
Then the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom, went out from the palace of white
stone, and walked through the town of Kiev to his dwelling of white
stone. He asked for his beloved steed, and went to the broad yard and
into the stable, and looked at his good war horse. And Ilyá said:
“My beloved steed! My trusty and unchanging servant! Well hast thou
been looked to, my hero horse.”
He kissed him on his sweet mouth, led the good horse from the stable
stall and into the fine broad courtyard; and then the old Cossack began
to saddle his good horse there. Upon the horse he put a saddle-cloth,
and upon the saddle-cloth he laid a cloth of felt; now the saddle-cloth
was of silk, and upon the saddle-cloth he laid another cloth, and then
the Circassian saddle. But the Circassian saddle did not hold firmly,
and Ilyá fastened it by twelve girths of silk, and he drew them up with
steel pins. And he fixed on stirrups of steel and buckles of red
gold—not for show, but for heroic strength. Drawn up are the girths of
silk, and they break not; steel and iron bend, but break not; and the
buckles of red gold may get wet, but they rust not.
Ilyá then got upon his good steed, and took with him his hero’s
weapons. His club of steel took he, and his grooved spear, his sharp
sabre also, and his whip for the journey. And Ilyá set out from the
town of Kiev and rode through the open plain, and up to the Tartar
army. And when he came near and saw that great host, and heard the
shouting of the men and the neighing of the horses, he began to lose
heart. And when the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom rode through the free
and open plain, he could not find out where the army ended. He leapt up
a high hill, looked round on all sides and looked down upon the Tartar
army; he could see no end or limit to it.
He came down from that high hill and rode on through the free and open
plain, and he leapt up another high hill and looked towards the western
side and saw some white tents standing, and by the tents stood heroes’
horses. He hastened down from that high hill and rode through the
freedom of the open plain, and he came to the white tents. And when
Ilyá got down from his good horse near the white tents, there stood the
heroes’ horses. They were standing by a white linen cloth, and on the
cloth millet and spring corn were scattered.
Ilyá let the silken bridle hang loose on the neck of his good hero
horse and urged on his horse to the white linen, saying:
“Pleasant indeed would it be to taste it, if the heroes’ horses will
allow him upon the white linen cloth to share the millet and spring
corn.”
His good horse stood by the linen cloth and began to eat the millet and
spring corn, and the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom went to the white tent.
In the tent were twelve heroes, and the heroes were all Russian, and
they sat there eating bread and salt, and they were about to dine.
And Ilyá went into the tent and said:
“A good appetite to you, Heroes of Holy Russia, and to thee, Samson, my
dear godfather!”
“Come here, my dear godson!” said his godfather. “Come, old Cossack,
Ilyá of Múrom. Sit down and eat with us.”
And he stood up on his nimble feet to greet Ilyá of Múrom. And they
greeted each other and kissed each other, and he made Ilyá sit at their
table to eat bread and salt with them. Twelve heroes were they, and
Ilyá was the thirteenth. They all ate and drank, and when they had
dined they came away from the oaken table and made their prayer to God.
Then the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom, spoke and said:
“My dear godfather, Samson, and you, O mighty Russian heroes! I pray
you saddle your good horses and ride out through the free and open
plain to glorious, royal Kiev town. For before our town of Kiev stands
that dog, King Kálin with his great army. He will lay waste royal Kiev
town and cut the peasants to pieces. He will send the churches of God
up in smoke; and as for Prince Vladímir and Apráxia the Princess, he
would cut off their turbulent heads. Now, come ye and defend the Faith
and country, and defend our glorious, royal Kiev town, and protect
Prince Vladímir and Apráxia the Princess.”
And Samson, his godfather, answered him:
“O my beloved godson, old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom! We will not saddle
our horses and ride through the free and open plain to defend our Faith
and country, and defend royal Kiev town. We will not defend the
churches of God or protect Prince Vladímir and Apráxia the Princess.
For the Prince in truth has many princes and nobles, and he gives them
food and drink and rewards them. Nothing have we from Prince Vladímir.”
“O Samson, my dear god-father,” said the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom,
“this would be no good thing on our part, to stand apart when King
Kálin lays waste Kiev town, and cuts the peasants to pieces, and sends
the churches of God up in smoke, and cuts off the turbulent heads of
Vladímir the Prince and the Princess Apráxia. Come, saddle your good
horses and ride through the open plain to Kiev town, to defend the
Faith and country and glorious, royal Kiev, and to protect the churches
of God, and Vladímir the Prince with the Princess Apráxia.”
But unavailing were Ilyá’s entreaties; not one hero would join him for
the defence of Kiev town against the Tartar King and his hosts. Nothing
had they from Prince Vladímir, so they would not help him.
When Ilyá saw that he could not persuade them, he went out from the
white tent to his good hero-horse, took him by his silken bridle and
led him away from the white linen cloth, and from the millet and spring
corn. And Ilyá got upon his good steed and rode through the free and
open plain, and up to the great Tartar army.
No bright falcon is this attacking geese and swans and nights of grey
ducks, but a Hero of Holy Russia, advancing to attack that great host
of Tartars.
He urged on his heroic steed, and rode on through the Tartar army. He
began to ride over the Tartar soldiers and to trample them under his
horse’s feet, to tread them under foot and slay them with his spear. He
fought with that great army, and beat down men as if he were mowing
grass.
His good heroic horse spoke to him in human tongue:
“Come, thou glorious hero of Holy Russia! If thou dost trample down the
Tartars, thou canst not by thyself conquer this great army. Ride thou
up to that dog, King Kálin, and to that great host of soldiers. With
him are mighty heroes and bold warrior-women of the plains. That dog,
King Kálin has had three deep trenches made in the glorious open plain.
When thou ridest on the free and open plain, thou wilt beat down many
men of the forces, and when we come to the deep trenches I shall leap
out of the first trench and will bear thee thence. When we come to the
next trench, I shall leap out and bear thee thence. But at the third
deep trench I shall leap out, but I shall not bear thee out of it; in
the deep trench wilt thou remain.”
Now the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom, liked not this thing. In his white
hand he took his whip with the lash of silk, and beat his horse upon
the ribs, and thus he spoke to his steed:
“O thou faithless dog! I feed and water thee and provide for thee, and
thou wouldst leave me in the open plain, even in those deep trenches!”
And Ilyá rode on through the free and open plain to that great army.
And he trampled men under foot and speared them with his spear, and
beat them down like mowing grass.
And Ilyá’s strength grew no less, and when he came to the deep trench
his good horse leapt out again and bore Ilyá thence, and he urged on
his hero-horse through the free and open plain to that great army; and
again he trampled the Tartars under foot, and speared them and beat
them down like mowing grass. And Ilyá’s strength grew no less; he sat
his good horse and grew no older. And he cut his way through with his
hero-horse and fell into the second trench. His good steed leapt out
and bore Ilyá thence; and Ilyá again urged on his steed through the
free and open plain, and again he trampled men under foot and speared
them, and beat down Tartars like mowing grass. And Ilyá’s strength
became no less; he sat his good steed and grew no older; but he fell
into the third trench. He cut his way through the deep trench, and also
out of the third trench leapt his good heroic steed, but Ilyá he bore
not out thence, for Ilyá slipped off his good horse, and in the deep
trench he remained.
And there came the Tartars running to catch the good horse, but the
heroic steed would not allow himself to be taken, but galloped away
through the open plain.
Then came the pagan Tartars and fell upon the old Cossack, Ilyá of
Múrom, and they chained together his nimble feet, and bound his white
hands, and the Tartars said:
“Cut off his turbulent head.”
But some of the Tartars said:
“There is no need to cut off his turbulent head; we will lead Ilyá to
the dog, King Kálin, and what he commands that must we do.”
And they took Ilyá through the open plain to that pavilion of white
linen, and led him in to the dog, King Kálin, and placed him before the
King, and spoke thus to King Kálin:
“Now, O King Kálin, we have taken the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom, and
have brought him to thee, O King. Do to him as thou wilt.”
Then the dog, King Kálin spoke to Ilyá, and said:
“Now, thou old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom! A young puppy have they let
loose against my great army! How couldst thou alone overcome my great
host? Unchain Ilyá’s nimble feet and unloose his white hands.”
So the Tartars removed the bonds from his feet and hands, and the dog,
King Kálin said:
“Now old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom! Sit down with me at my table, and eat
of my sugar sweetmeats and drink of my honey drink. Wear my costly
garments, and take from my chest of gold what thou needest. Serve no
longer the Prince Vladímir, but serve the dog, King Kálin.”
And Ilyá answered the King:
“I will not sit at the same table with thee, nor eat thy sugar
sweetmeats, nor drink of thy honey drinks. I will not wear thy costly
garments, nor take gold from thy chest. I will not serve thee, thou
dog, King Kálin, but will serve my Faith and country, and defend the
churches of God and Vladímir the Prince and the Princess Apráxia.”