Of all the mighty heroes of Holy Russia one of the mightiest was young
Kasyan, the leader of a band of forty. Brave he was, without equal,
who had fought against the accursed Tatars, and had won great renown in
battle against infidel hordes; but he had never taken the golden crowns
nor loved any lady except the Dream Maiden, whose image he kept ever
in his golden heart. For she had come to him in a vision; and whether
she were a lily for whiteness, a rose for redness, or a violet for
darkness he could not tell. He knew only that he would know her when
he met her among the warrior-maids or gentle hearth-dwellers of Holy
Russia, and that she would know him also. But in all his wanderings
and among all the fair maidens of palace and plain, he had seen no
living lady who could compare with the Dream Maiden; though many a
Princess and noble-woman of high descent had favoured him secretly
or openly, and had longed to be hailed as the beauty of his vision.
On the broad and open plain he assembled his band of forty, and they
came to a halt in a green meadow, dismounted from their nimble steeds,
and sat down in a ring to tell of adventure and to take counsel as to
the next journey to be made across the boundless steppe. They told
many tales of far journeys and bold deeds, and boasted of death as
if it were a pretty plaything. Then when silence fell upon them young
Kasyan spoke:
"Greatly have ye sinned against the Most High, ye mighty heroes of
Holy Russia; for though ye are bold and fearless, ye have made a
plaything of death and shed much blood without cause. Will you agree,
one and all, to follow out my plan? It would be better that each
of us should now go on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Jerusalem,
to pray in the Holy of Holies, to visit the grave of the Risen Lord,
and to bathe in Jordan river, for in this way only shall we win pardon
for our sins. But before we go, it will be well if we take a vow--the
keeping of which will prove our heroic strength--not to rob or steal,
not to look with love upon the face of any maiden, and not to stain
our hands with blood. And if any of our band shall break his vow then
shall his nimble feet be hewn off at the knee, and his white hands at
the elbow, his far-seeing eyes shall be darkened, and his tongue cut
out, and he shall be buried up to the breast in moist Mother Earth."
The heroes agreed at once to the word of Kasyan, and rising to their
feet loosed their good steeds and gave them their freedom. Then they
dressed themselves in pilgrims' dress of the hue of the scarlet poppy,
and slung over their shoulders the beggars' wallets of black velvet
embroidered in thread of red gold and set with fine seed pearls,
while on their heads they placed the pilgrims' caps. With curving
staves of walrus tusks in their hands, they set out upon their way,
travelling by day in the light of the glorious sun, and at night in
the radiance which came from the jewels set thickly in their shoes
of fine leather. So they passed onward from town to town and from
city to city until they came to Kiev.
In the open plain near the city they met Prince Vladimir hunting the
martens, black sables, white swans, grey geese, and downy ducks,
and as the royal party drew near to them the pilgrims shouted:
"Vladimir, Fair Sun of Kiev, give alms to the wandering pilgrims. Not
a pittance but a royal gift will we take from such as you, even a
noble benefaction of forty thousand roubles." Then the Prince lifted
his hand to stay the hunt, and dismounting from his horse, greeted
the holy pilgrims with the reverence which he paid to the Saints,
and begged them to sing in his hearing the sweetest of the holy songs,
even the psalm of Elena, which he was longing to hear.
So the one-and-forty pilgrims placed their staves in damp Mother
Earth and hung their wallets upon them. Then standing in a circle
they sang the sweetest of the holy songs, even the psalm of Elena;
and as the sound welled upward to the heavens the bosom of moist
Mother Earth heaved and trembled as if with mingled joy and grief,
the pine trees shook in a neighbouring wood, far away the oak trees
upon the mountains bowed their heads, and the birds were hushed into
silence. The Prince was strangely moved, and at length could listen
no longer, for the sound of the holy psalm showed him all that he
might be as a King and a Leader; so he held up his hand to cause the
music to cease, and the one-and-forty pilgrims took their wallets
from their staves and made ready to pursue their journey.
"I have no roubles with me," said the courteous Prince, "nor can I
refresh you as you deserve and as I desire. But go onward to Kiev
town to the Princess Apraxia, who in my name will give you food and
drink and lodging."
So they journeyed on until they came to Kiev town, where they went
to the palace and gave the pilgrims' cry; and at this piercing sound
from so many heroic throats the Princess Apraxia came in haste to the
window of her apartment, with her golden hair all unbound, and thrust
herself from the window to her waist. Then she saw the young Kasyan
among the foremost, and knew him for the dreamer who had troubled
the hearts of so many fair ladies; and there came into her heart
a burning desire that he should find her as beautiful as the Dream
Maiden and should tell her so.
The one-and-forty pilgrims were now conducted to an ante-chamber and
from thence, after a little time, to the great hall, where they bowed
to North, South, East, and West, and particularly to the Princess
Apraxia, who was now arrayed more splendidly than ever before. She
gave them a gracious welcome and ordered the cloths with drawn-thread
work to be laid upon the white oaken tables, and the richest of food
with the sweetest of drinks to be set before her guests. The Princess
herself sat at the high table with her nurses and ladies and a host of
bold warrior maids, and Kasyan sat in the great corner. He had laid
aside his cap and from his fair hair the sun seemed to shine, while
his eyes rested upon the company of ladies for a while, searching
diligently, after his manner, for the Dream Maiden; but though all
the beauty of Holy Russia was now before his eyes he turned away,
after a while, to contemplate the painted pictures of holy saints.
When the feast was over the pilgrims were conducted each to his own
apartment, where he might pray before retiring to rest. Now as Kasyan
sat in holy meditation the door was opened and the Princess Apraxia
entered softly. She was dressed in a simple robe of gleaming whiteness
with a girdle of ruddy gold, and holding out her hands she cried in
quivering tones:
"Am I not fair as the Dream Maiden, young Kasyan?"
"Nay, not so," was the cold answer. "Princess, ask Vladimir for
his thoughts on your beauty." Then the young pilgrim turned aside,
and with anger in her heart the Princess Apraxia left the room. But
while he slept she came again very quietly, took down his pilgrim's
wallet from the place where it hung, cut it open and placed within
it the silver loving-cup from which Prince Vladimir always drank when
he returned from his hunting. Then she sewed up the velvet once more,
so neatly, that the place of the rent could not be seen.
Next morning, as the early sun was rising, the one-and-forty pilgrims
arose, washed themselves in cold spring water and prayed to God. The
Princess was already astir and saw that her guests were well
supplied. Then having satisfied their heroic hunger, they called
down a blessing upon Prince Vladimir and upon Princess Apraxia,
swung their wallets over their shoulders and set out for the holy
city of Jerusalem.
A short time after their departure Vladimir returned from his hunting,
and sat down to appease his mighty hunger. Then he called for his
silver loving-cup, and the stewards searched for it in all corners of
the palace, but were not able to find it. The Prince was very angry,
and looking round upon his household he asked sternly, "Which of you
hath taken the royal cup?"
None spoke for a moment, and then the clear, cold voice of the Princess
was heard. "My Prince and Lord," she said, "we feasted yesterday a band
of one-and-forty pilgrims, in accordance with your own desires. It may
be that they have stolen the royal cup." Thereupon Prince Vladimir
gave the word, and a company of heroes sprang to their feet, eager
to ride after the pilgrim band. But as they prepared themselves the
voice of Ilya of Murom was heard from the great corner:
"These were no psalm-singers," he said, "but heroes of the
boldest. Whom have we worthy to go and outface them."
"I will send Alyosha alone," said Vladimir, and it was done in
accordance with his word, the messenger being commanded to speak
gently to the pilgrims. But when he overtook them he called out in
an angry voice:
"Ho, there, ye thieves and robbers. Restore to me now without dispute
the royal cup which you have stolen."
At this discourteous speech young Kasyan sprang to his nimble feet,
grasped his travelling staff of walrus ivory as if it were his heroic
mace and flourished it about his head.
"Think you," he cried in righteous anger, "that we went to Kiev
town for the royal cup? Come nigh to me and I will punish you as you
richly deserve."
But Alyosha did not dare to come within the whirling circle of that
ivory cudgel. He wheeled his horse about and returning in haste to
Kiev told how the robbers had set upon him when he asked for the cup,
and how he had escaped with difficulty from their heroic turbulence.
"Alyosha is a fool of an ambassador," said Ilya of Murom, "send
Nikitich. He knows how to sweeten valour with courtesy."
So Nikitich mounted his horse at once, and when he came to the
pilgrims, who were seated in a ring on the open plain, he said:
"All hail, ye one-and-forty holy men. I ask for your hospitality."
"All hail, goodly youth," was the reply, "sit with us here and share
our humble fare."
Then Nikitich sat with them, and in hesitation began his
message. "There is great trouble," he said gently, "in the palace of
Prince Vladimir, for the royal loving-cup is mislaid and without it
the Prince cannot refresh himself after his hunting. Let me therefore
beg of you, good youths, to look within your pilgrims' wallets and
see whether it has strayed into one of them in error."
The one-and-forty looked at each other, and then forty turned and
looked at Kasyan. "It is well, good comrades," said their leader,
"to satisfy the courteous youth. Open your wallets and show him what
they contain, for we can do this without fear." Thereupon all the
pilgrims sprang to their nimble feet, opened their wallets and showed
Nikitich what they contained, but the royal cup was not to be found
among the forty. Last of all Kasyan opened his velvet wallet and,
lo! the loving-cup was found within.
Then the forty pilgrims looked in anger and sadness upon Kasyan. "What
shall we do to you now, young Kasyan?" they asked sternly. "Did you
not impose the great vow upon us of your own choice?"
"Beloved comrades," said their leader, "I did not steal the royal
cup. Nevertheless do now what has been agreed amongst us, and break
not your great vow for me."
Then they wept sorely, but they took Kasyan and did with him in
accordance with their terrible vow. After that they prayed to God
and went on their way once more to the holy city of Jerusalem. Young
Nikitich stood in silence while the vow was performed, and then
rode back at great speed to Kiev town, where he gave the cup to
Prince Vladimir and told of all he had seen. When he had finished
the Princess Apraxia fell in her place to the floor; and when her
ladies had restored her she spoke no word, but unloosing her golden
hair and unbinding her golden girdle she went unto the courtyard and
lay upon the great dung-heap.
Prince Vladimir now prepared himself to go and see the wonder of the
fulfilment of the vow. But before he could reach the place where
Kasyan had been buried to the breast in moist Mother Earth there
passed over the boundless white plain an aged saint with flowing
beard, ruddy cheeks, and eyes which shone with the laughter of boys
and girls. With his holy hands he restored Kasyan to his completeness,
his manly strength and youthful beauty, and set him again upon his
nimble feet, saying:
"Go thy way, young Kasyan, and thou shalt overtake the forty at the
first inn upon the way to the holy city of Jerusalem. Pray in that holy
city, visit the grave of the risen Lord and bathe in Jordan river. And
when you come home again build a cathedral church to St. Nicholas,
who loves all men and especially youths and maidens." Then the old
man vanished from sight; it was only a snow-wreath driven before the
winter wind across the white world and he was gone.
Young Kasyan went on his way and late on that same evening he
overtook his companions, who, when they saw that he was much more
comely than he had ever been, rejoiced over him and praised God for
His goodness. Meanwhile Prince Vladimir had come to the place where
young Kasyan had been buried and found a deep pit only, whereupon he
and his company returned in wondering amazement to Kiev town.
Once more the one-and-forty pilgrims home returning stood at the
gateway of Prince Vladimir's palace, asking alms in the name of the
Risen Lord. Then the Prince begged them with reverence to enter his
great hall and partake of his hospitality, and they came within the
portals. But before they sat down to meat Kasyan asked that he might
be taken to the Princess, who still lay upon the dung-heap, and whom
when he saw in her sorrow and debasement he breathed upon with his
holy breath. Then he laid his white hand upon her lowly head and
pardoned her, and she arose, arrayed herself, and had never seemed
so fair in the eyes of her lord, Prince Vladimir.
Then after feasting and quiet merriment the one-and-forty pilgrims
went to their own home; and young Kasyan raised a cathedral church to
St. Nicholas, who loved all men and especially youths and maidens;
and for himself he spent his time in holy deeds and in ministration
to the poor, loving always the Dream Maiden only and keeping her ever
in his golden heart.