[Illustration: "_She gave him a touchstone and flint_"]
FOLK TALES
FROM THE RUSSIAN
RETOLD BY
VERRA XENOPHONTOVNA KALAMATIANO DE BLUMENTHAL
FOREWORD
In Russia, as elsewhere in the world, folklore is rapidly scattering
before the practical spirit of modern progress. The traveling peasant
bard or story teller, and the devoted "nyanya", the beloved nurse of
many a generation, are rapidly dying out, and with them the tales and
legends, the last echoes of the nation's early joys and sufferings,
hopes and fears, are passing away. The student of folk-lore knows that
the time has come when haste is needed to catch these vanishing songs
of the nation's youth and to preserve them for the delight of future
generations. In sending forth the stories in the present volume, all
of which are here set down in print for the first time, it is my hope
that they may enable American children to share with the children of
Russia the pleasure of glancing into the magic world of the old Slavic
nation.
THE AUTHOR.
THE TABLE OF CONTENTS
_Foreword_
_A List of Illustrations_
_Dedication_
_Notes_
FOLK TALES
The Tsarevna Frog
Seven Simeons
The Language of the Birds
Ivanoushka the Simpleton
Woe Bogotir
Baba Yaga
Dimian the Peasant
The Golden Mountain
Father Frost
A LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
"She gave him a touchstone and flint".
The Tsarevna Frog
"Hunters, grooms, and servants rushed in all directions"
Ivan learns the language of the birds
"The old man went begging from town to town"
"One brother was sent to watch the turkeys"
The rich brother
"The children ran away as fast as their little feet could possibly
carry them"
"Well, I struck a snag"
"Old Frost gave the gentle girl many beautiful, beautiful things"
_TO MY LITTLE FRIEND_
EDITH EVANS
_AND ALL AMERICAN CHILDREN_
[Illustration: _The Tsarevna Frog_]
THE TSAREVNA FROG
[Illustration] In an old, old Russian tsarstvo, I do not know when,
there lived a sovereign prince with the princess his wife. They had
three sons, all of them young, and such brave fellows that no pen
could describe them. The youngest had the name of Ivan Tsarevitch. One
day their father said to his sons:
"My dear boys, take each of you an arrow, draw your strong bow and let
your arrow fly; in whatever court it falls, in that court there will
be a wife for you."
The arrow of the oldest Tsarevitch fell on a boyar-house just in front
of the terem where women live; the arrow of the second Tsarevitch flew
to the red porch of a rich merchant, and on the porch there stood
a sweet girl, the merchant's daughter. The youngest, the brave
Tsarevitch Ivan, had the ill luck to send his arrow into the midst of
a swamp, where it was caught by a croaking frog.
Ivan Tsarevitch came to his father: "How can I marry the frog?"
complained the son. "Is she my equal? Certainly she is not."
"Never mind," replied his father, "you have to marry the frog, for
such is evidently your destiny."
Thus the brothers were married: the oldest to a young boyarishnia, a
nobleman's child; the second to the merchant's beautiful daughter, and
the youngest, Tsarevitch Ivan, to a croaking frog.
After a while the sovereign prince called his three sons and said to
them:
"Have each of your wives bake a loaf of bread by to-morrow morning."
Ivan returned home. There was no smile on his face, and his brow was
clouded.
"C-R-O-A-K! C-R-O-A-K! Dear husband of mine, Tsarevitch Ivan, why so
sad?" gently asked the frog. "Was there anything disagreeable in the
palace?"
"Disagreeable indeed," answered Ivan Tsarevitch; "the Tsar, my father,
wants you to bake a loaf of white bread by to-morrow."
"Do not worry, Tsarevitch. Go to bed; the morning hour is a better
adviser than the dark evening."
The Tsarevitch, taking his wife's advice, went to sleep. Then the
frog threw off her frogskin and turned into a beautiful, sweet girl,
Vassilissa by name. She now stepped out on the porch and called aloud:
"Nurses and waitresses, come to me at once and prepare a loaf of white
bread for to-morrow morning, a loaf exactly like those I used to eat
in my royal father's palace."
In the morning Tsarevitch Ivan awoke with the crowing cocks, and you
know the cocks and chickens are never late. Yet the loaf was already
made, and so fine it was that nobody could even describe it, for only
in fairyland one finds such marvelous loaves. It was adorned all
about with pretty figures, with towns and fortresses on each side, and
within it was white as snow and light as a feather.
The Tsar father was pleased and the Tsarevitch received his special
thanks.
"Now there is another task," said the Tsar smilingly. "Have each of
your wives weave a rug by to-morrow."
Tsarevitch Ivan came back to his home. There was no smile on his face
and his brow was clouded.
"C-R-O-A-K! C-R-O-A-K! Dear Tsarevitch Ivan, my husband and master,
why so troubled again? Was not father pleased?"
"How can I be otherwise? The Tsar, my father, has ordered a rug by
to-morrow."
"Do not worry, Tsarevitch. Go to bed; go to sleep. The morning hour
will bring help."
Again the frog turned into Vassilissa, the wise maiden, and again she
called aloud:
"Dear nurses and faithful waitresses, come to me for new work. Weave a
silk rug like the one I used to sit upon in the palace of the king, my
father."
Once said, quickly done. When the cocks began their early
"cock-a-doodle-doo," Tsarevitch Ivan awoke, and lo! there lay the
most beautiful silk rug before him, a rug that no one could begin
to describe. Threads of silver and gold were interwoven among
bright-colored silken ones, and the rug was too beautiful for anything
but to admire.
The Tsar father was pleased, thanked his son Ivan, and issued a new
order. He now wished to see the three wives of his handsome sons, and
they were to present their brides on the next day.
The Tsarevitch Ivan returned home. Cloudy was his brow, more cloudy
than before.
"C-R-O-A-K! C-R-O-A-K! Tsarevitch, my dear husband and master, why so
sad? Hast thou heard anything unpleasant at the palace?"
"Unpleasant enough, indeed! My father, the Tsar, ordered all of us to
present our wives to him. Now tell me, how could I dare go with thee?"
"It is not so bad after all, and might be much worse," answered the
frog, gently croaking. "Thou shalt go alone and I will follow thee.
When thou hearest a noise, a great noise, do not be afraid; simply
say: 'There is my miserable froggy coming in her miserable box.'"
The two elder brothers arrived first with their wives, beautiful,
bright, and cheerful, and dressed in rich garments. Both the happy
bridegrooms made fun of the Tsarevitch Ivan.
"Why alone, brother?" they laughingly said to him. "Why didst thou not
bring thy wife along with thee? Was there no rag to cover her? Where
couldst thou have gotten such a beauty? We are ready to wager that in
all the swamps in the dominion of our father it would be hard to find
another one like her." And they laughed and laughed.
Lo! what a noise! The palace trembled, the guests were all frightened.
Tsarevitch Ivan alone remained quiet and said:
"No danger; it is my froggy coming in her box."
To the red porch came flying a golden carriage drawn by six splendid
white horses, and Vassilissa, beautiful beyond all description, gently
reached her hand to her husband. He led her with him to the heavy oak
tables, which were covered with snow-white linen and loaded with
many wonderful dishes such as are known and eaten only in the land of
fairies and never anywhere else. The guests were eating and chatting
gayly.
Vassilissa drank some wine, and what was left in the tumbler she
poured into her left sleeve. She ate some of the fried swan, and the
bones she threw into her right sleeve. The wives of the two elder
brothers watched her and did exactly the same.
When the long, hearty dinner was over, the guests began dancing and
singing. The beautiful Vassilissa came forward, as bright as a star,
bowed to her sovereign, bowed to the honorable guests and danced with
her husband, the happy Tsarevitch Ivan.
While dancing, Vassilissa waved her left sleeve and a pretty lake
appeared in the midst of the hall and cooled the air. She waved her
right sleeve and white swans swam on the water. The Tsar, the guests,
the servants, even the gray cat sitting in the corner, all were amazed
and wondered at the beautiful Vassilissa. Her two sisters-in-law alone
envied her. When their turn came to dance, they also waved their left
sleeves as Vassilissa had done, and, oh, wonder! they sprinkled wine
all around. They waved their right sleeves, and instead of swans the
bones flew in the face of the Tsar father. The Tsar grew very angry
and bade them leave the palace. In the meantime Ivan Tsarevitch
watched a moment to slip away unseen. He ran home, found the frogskin,
and burned it in the fire.
Vassilissa, when she came back, searched for the skin, and when she
could not find it her beautiful face grew sad and her bright eyes
filled with tears. She said to Tsarevitch Ivan, her husband:
"Oh, dear Tsarevitch, what hast thou done? There was but a short time
left for me to wear the ugly frogskin. The moment was near when we
could have been happy together forever. Now I must bid thee good-by.
Look for me in a far-away country to which no one knows the roads, at
the palace of Kostshei the Deathless;" and Vassilissa turned into a
white swan and flew away through the window.
Tsarevitch Ivan wept bitterly. Then he prayed to the almighty God,
and making the sign of the cross northward, southward, eastward, and
westward, he went on a mysterious journey.
No one knows how long his journey was, but one day he met an old, old
man. He bowed to the old man, who said:
"Good-day, brave fellow. What art thou searching for, and whither art
thou going?"
Tsarevitch Ivan answered sincerely, telling all about his misfortune
without hiding anything.
"And why didst thou burn the frogskin? It was wrong to do so. Listen
now to me. Vassilissa was born wiser than her own father, and as he
envied his daughter's wisdom he condemned her to be a frog for three
long years. But I pity thee and want to help thee. Here is a magic
ball. In whatever direction this ball rolls, follow without fear."
Ivan Tsarevitch thanked the good old man, and followed his new guide,
the ball. Long, very long, was his road. One day in a wide, flowery
field he met a bear, a big Russian bear. Ivan Tsarevitch took his bow
and was ready to shoot the bear.
"Do not kill me, kind Tsarevitch," said the bear. "Who knows but that
I may be useful to thee?" And Ivan did not shoot the bear.
Above in the sunny air there flew a duck, a lovely white duck. Again
the Tsarevitch drew his bow to shoot it. But the duck said to him:
"Do not kill me, good Tsarevitch. I certainly shall be useful to thee
some day."
And this time he obeyed the command of the duck and passed by.
Continuing his way he saw a blinking hare. The Tsarevitch prepared an
arrow to shoot it, but the gray, blinking hare said:
"Do not kill me, brave Tsarevitch. I shall prove myself grateful to
thee in a very short time."
The Tsarevitch did not shoot the hare, but passed by. He walked
farther and farther after the rolling ball, and came to the deep blue
sea. On the sand there lay a fish. I do not remember the name of the
fish, but it was a big fish, almost dying on the dry sand.
"O Tsarevitch Ivan!" prayed the fish, "have mercy upon me and push me
back into the cool sea."
The Tsarevitch did so, and walked along the shore. The ball, rolling
all the time, brought Ivan to a hut, a queer, tiny hut standing on
tiny hen's feet.
"Izboushka! Izboushka!"--for so in Russia do they name small
huts--"Izboushka, I want thee to turn thy front to me," cried Ivan,
and lo! the tiny hut turned its front at once. Ivan stepped in and saw
a witch, one of the ugliest witches he could imagine.
"Ho! Ivan Tsarevitch! What brings thee here?" was his greeting from
the witch.
"O, thou old mischief!" shouted Ivan with anger. "Is it the way in
holy Russia to ask questions before the tired guest gets something to
eat, something to drink, and some hot water to wash the dust off?"
Baba Yaga, the witch, gave the Tsarevitch plenty to eat and drink,
besides hot water to wash the dust off. Tsarevitch Ivan felt
refreshed. Soon he became talkative, and related the wonderful story
of his marriage. He told how he had lost his dear wife, and that his
only desire was to find her.
"I know all about it," answered the witch. "She is now at the palace
of Kostshei the Deathless, and thou must understand that Kostshei is
terrible. He watches her day and night and no one can ever conquer
him. His death depends on a magic needle. That needle is within a
hare; that hare is within a large trunk; that trunk is hidden in the
branches of an old oak tree; and that oak tree is watched by Kostshei
as closely as Vassilissa herself, which means closer than any treasure
he has."
Then the witch told Ivan Tsarevitch how and where to find the oak
tree. Ivan hastily went to the place. But when he perceived the oak
tree he was much discouraged, not knowing what to do or how to begin
the work. Lo and behold! that old acquaintance of his, the Russian
bear, came running along, approached the tree, uprooted it, and the
trunk fell and broke. A hare jumped out of the trunk and began to run
fast; but another hare, Ivan's friend, came running after, caught it
and tore it to pieces. Out of the hare there flew a duck, a gray one
which flew very high and was almost invisible, but the beautiful white
duck followed the bird and struck its gray enemy, which lost an egg.
That egg fell into the deep sea. Ivan meanwhile was anxiously watching
his faithful friends helping him. But when the egg disappeared in the
blue waters he could not help weeping. All of a sudden a big fish came
swimming up, the same fish he had saved, and brought the egg in his
mouth. How happy Ivan was when he took it! He broke it and found the
needle inside, the magic needle upon which everything depended.
At the same moment Kostshei lost his strength and power forever.
Ivan Tsarevitch entered his vast dominions, killed him with the
magic needle, and in one of the palaces found his own dear wife, his
beautiful Vassilissa. He took her home and they were very happy ever
after.
[Illustration]
SEVEN SIMEONS
[Illustration] In an empire, in a country beyond many seas and
islands, beyond high mountains, beyond large rivers, upon a level
expanse, as if spread upon a table, there stood a large town, and
in that town there lived a Tsar called Archidei, the son of Aggei;
therefore he was called Aggeivitch.
A famous Tsar he was, and a clever one. His wealth could not be
counted; his warriors were innumerable. There were forty times forty
towns in his kingdom, and in each one of these towns there were ten
palaces with silver doors and golden ceilings and magnificent crystal
windows.
For his council twelve wise men were selected, each one of them having
a beard half a yard long and a head full of wisdom. These advisers
offered nothing but truth to their father sovereign; none ever dared
advance a lie.
How could such a Tsar be anything but happy? But it is true, indeed,
that neither wealth nor wisdom give happiness when the heart is not at
ease, and even in golden palaces the poor heart often aches.
So it was with the Tsar Archidei; he was rich and clever, besides
being a handsome fellow; but he could not find a bride to his taste, a
bride with wit and beauty equal to his own. And this was the cause of
the Tsar Archidei's sorrow and distress.
One day he was sitting in his golden armchair looking out of the
window lost in thought. He had gazed for quite a while before he
noticed foreign sailors landing opposite the imperial palace. The
sailors ran their ship up to the wharf, reefed their white sails,
threw the heavy anchor into the sea and prepared the plank ready to
go ashore. Before them all walked an old merchant; white was his beard
and he had about him the air of a wise man. An idea suddenly occurred
to the Tsar: "Sea merchants generally are well informed on many
subjects. If I ask them, perchance I shall find that they have met
somewhere a princess, beautiful and clever, suitable for me, the Tsar
Archidei."
Without delay the order was given to call the sea merchants into the
halls of the palace.
The merchant guests appeared, prayed to the holy icons hanging in
the corner, bowed to the Tsar, bowed to the wise advisers. The Tsar
ordered his servants to serve them with tumblers of strong green wine.
The guests drank the strong green wine and wiped their beards with
embroidered towels. Then the Tsar Archidei addressed them:
"We are aware that you gallant sea merchants cross all the big
waters and see many wonderful things. My desire is to ask you about
something, and you must give a straightforward answer without any
deceit or evasion."
"So be it, mighty Tsar Archidei Aggeivitch," answered the merchant
guests, bowing.
"Well, then, can you tell me if somewhere in an empire or kingdom,
or among great princes, there is a maiden as beautiful and wise as
I myself, Tsar Archidei; an illustrious maiden who would be a proper
wife for me, a suitable Tsaritza for my country?"
The merchant guests seemed to be puzzled, and after a long silence the
eldest among them thus replied:
"Indeed, I once heard that yonder beyond the great sea, on an island
called Buzan, there is a great country; and the sovereign of that land
has a daughter named Helena, a princess very beautiful, not less so,
I dare say, than thyself. And wise she is, too; a wise man once tried
for three years to guess a riddle that she gave, and did not succeed."
"How far is that island, pray tell, and where are the roads that lead
to it?"
"The island is not near," answered the old merchant. "If one chooses
the wide sea he must journey ten years. Besides, the way to it is not
known to us. Moreover, even suppose we did know the way, it seems that
the Princess Helena is not a bride for thee."
The Tsar Archidei shouted with anger:
"How dost thou dare to speak such words, thou, a long-bearded buck?"
"Thy will be done, but think for thyself. Suppose thou shouldst send
an envoy to the island of Buzan. He would require ten long years to go
there, ten years equally long to come back, and so his journey would
require fully twenty years. By that time a most beautiful princess
would grow old--a girl's beauty is like the swallow, a bird of
passage; it lasts not long."
The Tsar Archidei became thoughtful.
"Well," he said to the merchant guests, "you have my thanks, guests of
passage, respectable men of trade. Go in God's name, transact business
in my tsarstvo without any taxes whatever. What to do about the
beautiful Princess Helena I will try to think out by myself."
The merchants bowed low and left the Tsar's rich palace.
The Tsar Archidei sat still, wrapped in thought, but he could find
neither beginning nor end to the problem. "Let me ride into the wide
fields," he said; "let me forget my sorrow amid the excitement of the
noble hunt, hoping that the future may bring advice."
The falconers appeared, cheerful notes from the golden trumpets
resounded, and falcons and hawks were soon slumbering under their
velvet caps as they sat quietly on the fingers of the hunters.
The Tsar Archidei Aggeivitch came with his men to a wide, wide field.
All of his men were watching the moment to loose their falcons in
order to let the birds pursue a long-legged heron or a white-breasted
swan.
Now, you, my listeners, must understand that the fairy tale is quick,
but life is not. The Tsar Archidei was on horseback for a long while,
and finally came to a green valley. Looking around he saw a well
cultivated field where the golden ears of the grain were already ripe,
and oh, how beautiful! The Tsar stopped in admiration.
"I presume," he exclaimed, "that good workers are owners of this
place, honest plowmen and diligent sowers. If only all fields in
my tsarstvo were equally cultivated, my people need never know what
hunger means, and there would even be plenty to send beyond the sea to
be exchanged for silver and gold."
Then the Tsar Archidei gave orders to inquire who the owners of the
field were, and what were their names. Hunters, grooms, and servants
rushed in all directions, and discovered seven brave fellows, all of
them fair, red-cheeked, and very handsome. They were dining according
to the peasant fashion, which means that they were eating rye bread
with onions, and drinking clear water. Their blouses were red, with a
golden galloon around the neck, and they were so much alike that one
could hardly be recognized from another.
The royal messengers approached.
"Whose field is this?" they asked; "this field with golden wheat?"
The seven brave peasants answered cheerfully:
"This is our field; we plowed it, and we also have sown the golden
wheat."
"And what kind of people are you?"
"We are the Tsar Archidei Aggeivitch's peasants, farmers, and we are
brothers, sons of one father and mother. The name for all of us is
Simeon, so you understand we are seven Simeons."
[Illustration: "_Hunters, grooms, and servants rushed in all
directions_"]
This answer was faithfully delivered to the Tsar Archidei by the
envoys, and the Tsar at once desired to see the brave peasants, and
ordered them to be called before him. The seven Simeons presently
appeared and bowed. The Tsar looked at them with his bright eyes and
asked them:
"What kind of people are you whose field is so well cultivated?"
One of the seven brothers, the eldest of them, answered:
"We are all thy peasants, simpletons, without any wisdom, born of
peasant parents, all of us children of the same father and the same
mother, and all having the same name, Simeon. Our old father taught us
to pray to God, to obey thee, to pay taxes faithfully, and besides to
work and toil without rest. He also taught to each of us a trade,
for the old saying is, 'A trade is no burden, but a profit.' The old
father wished us to keep our trades for a cloudy day, but never to
forsake our own fields, and always to be contented, and plow and
harrow diligently.
"He also used to say, 'If one does not neglect the mother earth, but
thoroughly harrows and sows in due season, then she, our mother, will
reward generously, and will give plenty of bread, besides preparing
a soft place for the everlasting rest when one is old and tired of
life.'"
The Tsar Archidei liked the simple answer of the peasant, and said:
"Take my praise, brave good fellows, my peasants, tillers of the soil,
sowers of wheat, gatherers of gold. And now tell me, what trades did
your father teach you, and what do you know?"
The first Simeon answered:
"My trade is not a very wise one. If thou wouldst let me have
materials and working men, then I could build a post, a white stone
column, reaching beyond the clouds, almost to the sky."
"Good enough!" exclaimed the Tsar Archidei. "And thou, the second
Simeon, what is thy trade?"
The second Simeon was quick to give answer:
"My trade is a simple one. If my brother will build a white stone
column, I can climb upon that column high up in the sky, and I shall
see from above all the empires and all the kingdoms under the sun, and
everything which is going on in those foreign countries."
"Thy trade is not so bad either," and the Tsar smiled and looked at
the third brother. "And thou, third Simeon, what trade is thine?"
The third Simeon also had his answer ready:
"My trade is simple, too; that is to say, a peasant's trade. If thou
art in need of ships, thy learned men of foreign birth build them for
thee as well as their wisdom teaches them. But if thou wilt order, I
will build them simply--one, two! and the ship is ready. My ships will
be the result of the quick headwork of a peasant simpleton. But where
a foreign ship sails a year, mine will sail an hour, and where others
take ten years, mine will take not longer than a week."
"Well, well!" laughed the Tsar. "And thy trade, the fourth Simeon?" he
asked.
The fourth brother bowed.
"My trade needs no wisdom either. If my brother will build thee a
ship, I then will sail that ship; and if an enemy gives chase or a
tempest rises, I'll seize the ship by the black prow and plunge her
into the deep waters where there is eternal quiet; and after the storm
is over or the enemy far, I'll again guide her to the surface of the
wide sea."
"Good!" approved the Tsar. "And thou, fifth Simeon, what dost thou
know? Hast thou also a trade?"
"My trade, Tsar Archidei Aggeivitch, is not a fair one, for I am a
blacksmith. If thou wouldst order a shop built for me, I at once would
forge a self-shooting gun, and no eagle far above in the sky or wild
beast in the wood would be safe from that gun."
"Not bad either," answered the Tsar Archidei, well pleased. "Thy turn
now, sixth Simeon."
"My trade is no trade," answered the sixth Simeon, rather humbly. "If
my brother shoots a bird or a beast, never mind what or where, I can
catch it before it falls down, catch it even better than a hunting
dog. If the prey should fall into the blue sea, I'll find it at the
sea's bottom; should it fall into the depth of the dark woods, I'll
find it there in the midst of night; should it get caught in a cloud,
I'll find it even there."
The Tsar Archidei evidently liked the trade of the sixth Simeon very
well also. These were all simple trades, you see, without any wisdom
whatever, but rather entertaining. The Tsar also liked the peasants'
speech, and he said to them:
"Thanks, my peasants, tillers of the soil, my faithful workers. Your
father's words are true ones: 'A trade is not a burden, but a profit.'
Now come to my capital for a trial; people like you are welcome. And
when the season for harvest arrives, the time to reap, to bind in
bundles the golden grain, to thresh and carry the wheat to the market,
I will let you go home with my royal grace."
Then all the seven Simeons bowed very low. "Thine is the will," said
they, "and we are thy obedient subjects."
Here the Tsar Archidei looked at the youngest Simeon and remembered
that he had not asked him about his trade. So he said:
"And thou, seventh Simeon, what is thy trade?"
"I have none, Tsar Archidei Aggeivitch. I learned many, but not a
single one did me any good, and though I know something very well, I
am not sure your majesty would like it."
"Let us know thy secret," ordered the Tsar Archidei.
"No, Tsar Archidei Aggeivitch! Give me, first of all, thy royal word
not to kill me for my inborn talent, but to have mercy upon me. Then
only will I be willing to disclose my secret."
"Thy wish is granted. I give thee my royal word, true and not to be
broken, that whatever thou shalt disclose to me, I will have mercy
upon thee."
Hearing these kind words, the seventh Simeon smiled, looked around,
shook his curls and began:
"My trade is one for which there is no mercy in thy tsarstvo, and it
is the one thing I am able to do. My trade is to steal and to hide the
trace of how and when. There is no treasure, no fortunate possession,
not even a bewitched one, nor a secret place that could be forbidden
me if it be my wish to steal."
As soon as these bold words of the seventh Simeon reached the Tsar's
ears he became very angry.
"No!" he exclaimed, "I certainly shall not pardon thee, thief and
burglar! I will give orders for thy cruel death! I will have thee
chained and thrown into my subterranean prison with nothing but bread
and water for food until thou forget thy trade!"
"Great and merciful Tsar Archidei Aggeivitch, postpone thy orders.
Listen to my peasant talk," prayed the seventh Simeon. "Our old
Russian saying is: 'He is no thief who is not caught, and neither is
he who steals, but the one who instigates the theft.' If my wish had
been to steal, I should have done it long ago. I should have stolen
thy treasures and thy judges would not have objected to take a small
share of them, and I could have built a white-walled stone palace and
have been rich. But, mark this: I am a stupid peasant of low origin. I
know well enough how to steal, but will not. If thy wish were to learn
my trade, how could I keep it from thee? And if thou, for this sincere
acknowledgment, wilt have me put to death, then what is the value of
thy royal word?"
The Tsar thought a moment. "For this time," he said, "I will not let
thee die, for it pleases me to grant thee my grace. But from this very
day, this very hour, thou never shalt see God's light nor the bright
sunshine nor the silvery moon. Thou shalt never walk at liberty
through the wide fields, but thou, my dear guest, shalt dwell in a
palace where no sunny ray ever penetrates. You, my servants, take him,
chain his hands and his feet and lead him to my chief jailor. And you
six Simeons follow me. You have my grace and reward. To-morrow every
one of you will begin to work for me according to his gifts and
capacities."
The six Simeons followed the Tsar Archidei, and the seventh brother,
the youngest, the beloved one, was fallen upon by the servants, taken
away to the dark prison and heavily chained.
The Tsar Archidei ordered carpenters to be sent to the first Simeon,
as well as masons and blacksmiths and all sorts of workingmen. He also
ordered a supply of bricks, stones, iron, clay, and cement. Without
any delay, Simeon, the first brother, began to build a column, and
according to his simple peasant's habits his work progressed rapidly,
and not a moment was wasted in clever combinations. In a short time
the white column was ready, and lo, how high it went! as high as the
great planets. The smaller stars were beneath it, and from above the
people seemed to be like bugs.
The second Simeon climbed the column, looked around, listened to
all sounds, and came down. The Tsar Archidei, anxious to know about
everything under the sun, ordered him to report, and Simeon did so. He
told the Tsar Archidei all the wonderful doings all over the world. He
told how one king was fighting another, where there was war and
where there was peace, and with other things the second Simeon even
mentioned deep secrets, quite surprising secrets, which made the Tsar
Archidei smile; and the courtiers, encouraged by the royal smile,
roared with laughter.
Meantime the third Simeon was accomplishing something in his line.
After crossing himself three times the fellow rolled up his sleeves
to the elbow, took a hatchet and--one, two--without any haste built
a vessel. What a curious vessel it was! The Tsar Archidei watched
the wonderful structure from the shore and as soon as the orders were
given for sailing, the new vessel sailed away like a white-winged
hawk. The cannon were shooting and upon the masts, instead of rigging,
were drawn strings upon which musicians were playing the national
tunes.
As soon as the wonderful vessel sailed into deep water, the fourth
Simeon snatched the prow and no trace of it remained on the surface;
the whole vessel went to the depths like a heavy stone. In an hour or
so Simeon, with his left hand, led the ship to the blue surface of
the sea again, and with his right he presented to the Tsar a most
magnificent sturgeon for his "kulibiaka," the famous Russian fish pie.
While the Tsar Archidei enjoyed himself with looking at the marvelous
vessel, the fifth Simeon built a blacksmith shop in the court back of
the palace. There he blew the bellows and heated the iron. The noise
from his hammers was great and the result of his peasant work was
a self-shooting gun. The Tsar Archidei Aggeivitch went to the wild
fields and perceived high above him, very high under the sky, an eagle
flying.
"Now!" exclaimed the Tsar, "there is an eagle forgetting himself with
watching the sun; shoot it. Perchance thou shalt have the good luck to
hit it. Then I will honor thee."
Simeon shook his locks, smiled, put into his gun a silver bullet,
aimed, shot, and the eagle fell swiftly to the earth. The sixth Simeon
did not even allow the eagle to fall to the ground, but, quick as a
flash, he ran under it with a plate, caught it on that big plate and
presented his prey to the Tsar Archidei.
"Thanks, thanks, my brave fellows, faithful peasants, tillers of the
soil!" exclaimed the Tsar Archidei gayly. "I see now plainly that all
of you are men of trade and I wish to reward you. But now go to your
dinner and rest awhile." The six Simeons bowed to the Tsar very low,
prayed to the holy icons and went. They were already seated, had time
to swallow each one a tumbler of the strong, green wine, took up
the round wooden spoons in order to attack the "stchi," the Russian
cabbage soup, when lo! the Tsar's fool came running and shaking his
striped cap with the round bells and shouted:
"You ignorant simpletons, unlearned peasants, moujiks! Is it a
suitable moment for dinner when the Tsar wants you? Go in haste!"
All the six started running toward the palace, thinking within
themselves: "What can have happened?" In front of the palace stood the
guards with their iron staves; in the halls all the wise and learned
people were gathered together, and the Tsar himself was sitting on his
high throne looking very grim and thoughtful.
"Listen to me," he said when the peasants approached, "you, my brave
fellows, my clever brothers Simeon. I like your trades and I think, as
do my wise advisers, that if thou, the second Simeon, art able to
see everything going on under the sun, thou shouldst climb quickly
on yonder column and glance around to see if there is, as they say,
beyond the great sea an island, Buzan by name. And see if on that
island, as men assert, there is a mighty kingdom, and in that kingdom
a mighty king, and if that king, as the story goes, has a daughter,
the most beautiful princess Helena."
The second Simeon bowed and ran quickly, even forgetting to put on his
cap. He went straight to the column, climbed it, looked around, came
down, and this was his report:
"Tsar Archidei Aggeivitch, I have accomplished thy sovereign wish. I
looked far beyond the sea and have seen the island Buzan. Mighty is
the king there, and he is proud and merciless. He sits within his
palace and his speech is always the same:
'I am a great king and I have a most beautiful daughter, the princess
Helena. There is no one in the universe more beautiful and more wise
than she; there is no bridegroom worthy of her in any place under the
bright sun, no tsar, no king, no tsarevitch, no korolevitch. To no one
will I ever give my daughter, the princess Helena, and whoever
shall dare to court her, on such an one will I declare war, ruin his
country, and capture himself.'"
"And how great is the army of that king?" asked the Tsar Archidei;
"and also how far is his kingdom from my tsarstvo?"
"Well, according to the measure of my eyes," answered Simeon, "I fancy
it would take a ship ten years less two days; or, if it happened to be
stormy, I am afraid even a little longer than ten years. And that
king has not a small army. I have seen altogether a hundred thousand
spearmen, a hundred thousand armed men, and a hundred thousand or more
could be gathered from the Tsar's court, from his servants and all
kinds of underlings. Besides, there is no small armament of guards
held in reserve for a special occasion, fed and petted by the king."
The Tsar Archidei remained for a long time in thoughtful silence and
finally addressed his court people:
"My warriors and advisers: I have but one wish; I want the princess
Helena for my wife. But tell me, how can I reach her?"
The wise advisers remained silent, hiding themselves behind each
other. The third Simeon looked around, bowed to the Tsar, and said:
"Tsar Archidei Aggeivitch, forgive my simple words. How to reach the
island of Buzan there is no need to worry about. Sit down on my ship;
she is simply built, and equipped without any wise tricks. Where
others require a year she takes but a day, and where other ships
take ten years mine will take, let us say, a week. Only order thine
advisers to decide whether we ought to fight for or peacefully court
the beautiful princess."
"Now, my warriors brave, my advisers sage," spoke the Tsar Archidei to
his men, "How will you decide upon this matter? Who among you will go
to fight for the princess, or who will be shrewd enough to bring her
peacefully here? I will pour gold and silver over that one. I will
give to him the first rank among the very first."
And again the brave warriors and the sage advisers remained silent.
The Tsar grew angry; he seemed to be ready for a terrible word. Then,
as if somebody had asked the fool, out he jumped from behind the wise
people with his foolish talk, shook his striped fool's cap, rang his
many bells, and shouted:
"Why so silent, wise men? why so deep in thought? You have big heads
and long beards; it would seem that there is plenty of wisdom, so why
not show it? To go to the island of Buzan to obtain the bride does
not mean to lose gold or army. Have you already forgotten the seventh
Simeon? Why, it will be simple enough for him to steal the princess
Helena. Afterwards let the king of Buzan come here to fight us, and we
will welcome him as an honored guest. But do not forget that he must
take ten years' time to reach us, and in ten years--ah me! I have
heard that some wise man somewhere undertook to teach a horse to talk
in ten years!"
"Good! Good!" exclaimed the Tsar Archidei, forgetting even his anger.
"I thank thee, striped fool. I certainly shall reward thee. Thou must
have a new cap with noisy bells, and each one of thy children a
ginger pancake. You, faithful servants, run quickly and bring here the
seventh Simeon."
According to the Tsar's bidding the heavy iron gates of the dark
prison were thrown open, the heavy chains were taken off and the
seventh Simeon appeared before the eager eyes of the Tsar Archidei,
who thus addressed him:
"Listen to me attentively, thou seventh Simeon, for I had almost
decided to grant thee a high honor; to keep thee thy life long in my
prison. But if thou shouldst prove useful to me, then will I give thee
freedom; and besides, thou shalt have a share out of my treasures. Art
thou able to steal the beautiful princess Helena from her father, the
mighty king of the island of Buzan?"
"And why not?" cheerfully laughed the seventh Simeon. "There is
nothing difficult about it. She is not a pearl, and I presume she is
not under too many locks. Only order the ship which my brother had
built for thee to be loaded with velvets and brocades, with Persian
rugs, beautiful pearls and precious stones, and bid my four brothers
come along with me. But the two eldest keep thou as hostages."
Once said, quickly done. The Tsar Archidei gave orders while all were
running hither and thither, and everything was finished so promptly
that a short-haired girl would scarcely have had time to plait her
hair. The ship, laden with velvets, brocades, with Persian rugs and
pearls, and costly precious stones, was ready; the five brothers, the
brave Simeons, were ready; they bowed to the Tsar, spread sail, and
disappeared.
The ship floated swiftly over the blue waters; she flew like a hawk
in comparison with the slow merchant vessels, and in a week after the
five Simeons had left their native land they sighted the island of
Buzan.
The island appeared to be surrounded with cannon as thick as peas;
the gigantic guards walked up and down the shores tugging fiercely at
their big mustaches. As soon as the ship became visible from a tower
somebody shouted through a Dutch trumpet:
"Stop! Answer! What kind of people are ye? Why come ye here?"
The seventh Simeon answered from the ship: "We are a peaceful people,
not enemies but friends, merchants everywhere welcomed as guests. We
bring foreign merchandise. We want to sell, to buy, and to exchange.
We also have gifts for your king and for the korolevna."
The five brothers, our brave Simeons, lowered the boat, loaded it with
choice Venetian velvets, brocades, pearls, and precious stones, and
covered all with Persian rugs. They rowed to the wharf, and landing
near the king's palace, at once carried their gifts to the king.
The beautiful korolevna Helena was sitting in her terem. She was a
fair maiden with eyes like stars and eyebrows like precious sable.
When she looked at one it was like receiving a gift, and when she
walked it was like the graceful swimming of a swan. The korolevna was
quick to notice the brave, handsome brothers and at once called her
nurses and maidens.
"Hasten, my dear nurses, and you, swift maidens, find out what kind of
strangers are these coming to our royal palace."
All of the nurses, all of the maidens, ran out with questions ready.
The seventh Simeon answered them thus:
"We are merchant guests, peaceful people. Our native land is the
country of the Tsar Archidei Aggeivitch, a great Tsar indeed. We came
to sell, to buy, to exchange; moreover, we have gifts for the king and
his princess. We do hope the king will favor us and will accept these
trifles; if not for himself, at least for the adornment of his court's
lovely maidens."
When Helena heard these words she at once let the merchants in. And
the merchants appeared, bowed low to the beautiful korolevna, unfolded
the showy velvets and golden brocades, strewed around the pearls and
precious stones, such stones and pearls as had never been seen before
in Buzan. The nurses and the maidens opened their mouths in amazement,
and the korolevna herself seemed to be greatly pleased. The seventh
Simeon, quick to understand, smiled and said:
"We all know thee to be as wise as beautiful, but now thou art
evidently joking about us or mocking us. These simple wares are
altogether too plain for thine own use. Accept them for thy nurses and
maidens for their everyday attire, and these stones send away to the
kitchen boys to play with. But if thou wilt listen to me, let me say
that on our ship we have very different velvets and brocades; we have
also precious stones, far more precious than any one has ever seen;
yet we dared not bring them at once lest we might not suit thy temper
and thy hearty wish. If thou shouldst decide to come in person and
choose anything from among our possessions, they all are thine and we
bow to thee gratefully for the bright glance of thy beautiful eyes."
The royal maid liked well enough these polite words of the handsome
Simeon, and to her father she went:
"Father and king, there have come to visit us some foreign merchants
and they have brought some goods never before seen in Buzan. Give
me thy permission to go on board their wonderful ship to choose what
things I like. They also have rich gifts for thee."
The king hesitated before answering her, frowning and scratching
behind his ear.
"Well," he said at last, "be it according to thy wish, my daughter, my
beautiful korolevna. And you, my counselors, order my royal vessel
to be ready, the cannons loaded, and a hundred of my bravest warriors
detailed to escort the vessel. Send besides a thousand heavy armed
warriors to guard the korolevna on her way to the merchants' vessel."
Then the king's vessel started from the island of Buzan. Numbers
of cannon and warriors protected the princess, and the royal father
remained quiet at home.
When they reached the merchants' ship the korolevna Helena came down,
and at once the crystal bridge was placed and the korolevna with all
her nurses and maidens went on board the foreign ship, such a ship
as they had never seen before, never even dreamed of. Meanwhile the
guards kept watch.
The seventh Simeon showed the lovely guests everywhere. He was talking
smoothly while leisurely unfolding his precious goods. The korolevna
listened attentively, looked around curiously, and seemed well
pleased.
At the same moment the fourth Simeon, watching the proper moment,
snapped the prow and down to mysterious depths went the ship where no
one could see her. The people on the king's vessel screamed in terror,
the warriors looked like drunken fools, and the guards only opened
their eyes wider than before. What should they do? They directed the
vessel back to the island and appeared before the king with their
terrible tale.
"Oh, my daughter, my darling princess Helena! It is God who punishes
me for my pride. I never wanted thee to marry. No king, no prince,
would I consider worthy of thee; and now--oh! now I know that thou art
wedded to the deep sea! As for me, I am left alone for the rest of my
sorrowful days."
Then all at once he looked around and shouted to his men:
"You fools! what were you thinking about? You shall all lose your
heads! Guards, throw them into dungeons! The most cruel death shall
be theirs, such a death that the children of their great-grandchildren
shall shiver to hear the tale!"
Now, while the king of Buzan raved and grieved, the ship of the
brothers Simeon, like a golden fish, swam under the blue waters, and
when the island was lost from sight the fourth Simeon brought her to
the surface and she rose upon the waters like a white-winged gull. By
this time the princess was becoming anxious about the long time they
were away from home, and she exclaimed:
"Nurses and maidens, we are leisurely looking around, but I fancy my
father the king finds the time sadly long." She hastily walked to the
deck of the ship, and behold!--only the wide sea was around her like a
mirror! Where was her native island, where the royal vessel? There was
nothing visible but the blue sea. The princess screamed, struck her
white bosom with both hands, transformed herself into a white swan and
flew high into the sky. But the fifth Simeon, watching closely,
lost no time, snapped his lucky gun and the white swan was shot. His
brother, the sixth Simeon, caught the white swan, but lo! instead of
the white swan there was a silvery fish, which slipped away from him.
Simeon caught the fish, but the pretty, silvery fish turned into a
small mouse running around the ship. Simeon did not let it reach
a hole, but swifter than a cat caught the mouse,--and the princess
Helena, as beautiful and natural as before, appeared before them,
fair-faced, bright-eyed.
On a lovely morning a week later the Tsar Archidei was sitting by the
window of his palace lost in thought. His eyes were turned toward the
sea, the wide, blue sea. He was sad at heart and could not eat; feasts
had no interest for him, the costly dishes had no taste, the honey
drink seemed weak. All his thoughts and longings were for the princess
Helena, the beautiful one, the only one.
What is that far away upon the waters? Is it a white gull? Or are
those white wings not wings, but sails? No, it is not a gull, but the
ship of the brothers Simeon, and she approaches as rapidly as the wind
which blows her sails. The cannon boom, native melodies are played on
the cords of the masts. Soon the ship is anchored, the crystal bridge
prepared, and the korolevna Helena, the beautiful princess, appears
like a never-setting sun, her eyes like bright stars, and oh! how
happy is the Tsar Archidei!
"Run quick, my faithful servants, you brave officers of state, and
you, too, my bodyguard, and all you useful and ornamental fellows of
my palace, run and prepare, shoot off rockets and ring the bells in
order to give a joyful welcome to korolevna Helena, the beautiful."
All hastened to their tasks, to shoot, to ring the bells, to open the
gates, to honorably receive the korolevna. The Tsar himself came out
to meet the beautiful princess, took her white hands and helped her
into the palace.
"Welcome! welcome!" said the Tsar Archidei. "Thy fame, korolevna
Helena, reached me, but never could I imagine such beauty as is thine.
Yet, though I admire thee, I do not want to separate thee from thy
father. Say the word and my faithful servants will take thee back
to him. If thou choosest, however, to remain in my tzarstvo, be the
tsaritza over my country and rule over me, the Tsar Archidei, also."
At these words of the Tsar the korolevna Helena threw such a glance at
the Tsar that it seemed to him the sun was laughing, the moon singing,
and the stars dancing all around.
Well, what more is there to be said? You certainly can imagine the
rest. The courtship was not long and the wedding feast was soon
ready, for you know kings always have everything at their command. The
brothers Simeon were at once dispatched to the king of Buzan with a
message from the korolevna, his daughter, and this is what she wrote:
"Dear father, mighty king and sovereign: I have found a husband
according to my heart's wish and I am asking thy fatherly blessing.
My bridegroom, the Tsar Archidei Aggeivitch, sends his counselors to
thee, begging thee to come to our wedding."
At the very moment when the merchant ship was to land at the island of
Buzan, crowds of people had gathered to witness the execution of the
unfortunate guards and brave warriors whose ill-luck it was to have
allowed the princess to disappear.