There was once upon a time a Tsar named Chodor, who had an only son,
Ivan Tsarevich. Chodor gave him in his youth various masters to teach
him the different knightly exercises; and when Ivan was grown up, he
begged leave of his father to travel in other countries, in order to
see the world. Tsar Chodor consented, and bade him show his skill and
valour in foreign lands, and bring renown on his father.
Then Ivan Tsarevich went into the royal stables to choose a good
steed; and he thought that if he could find one on whose back he could
lay his hand, without the horse's going on his knees, it would be just
the one to suit him. So he looked in all the stalls, but found no
horse to his mind, and he went his way with a heavy heart. Then he
took his crossbow and arrows and roved about in the open fields to
drive away his sadness. As he was walking thus along, he saw high in
the air a swan, and he drew his bow and shot; but he missed the swan,
and his arrow vanished from his sight. Then Ivan was sad at losing a
favourite arrow, and with tears in his eyes he sought for it the
whole field over. At last he came to a little hill, and heard a man's
voice calling to him: "Come hither, Ivan Tsarevich!" Ivan wondered to
himself not a little at hearing a voice and seeing no one. But the
voice called again; and Ivan went toward the spot whence it came, and
remarked in the hill a little window, with an iron lattice; and at the
window he saw a man, who beckoned to him with the hand. Ivan came up,
and the man said to him: "Why are you so sad, my good lad, Ivan
Tsarevich?"
"How can I help grieving?" replied Ivan; "I have lost my favourite
arrow, and can find it nowhere, and my sorrow is the greater because I
can not discover a steed to please me."
"That is no great matter to grieve for," said the man; "I will get you
a good horse, and give you back your arrow since it flew down to me
here; but what will you give me for it?"
"Anything you ask," replied Ivan, "if you will give me what you
promise."
"Nay," said the man, "I want nothing more than that you will free me
from this place."
"And how and by whom were you caged up thus?"
"Your father imprisoned me here," replied the man. "I was a famous
robber, and was called Bulat the Brave Companion. He was enraged
against me, and ordered me to be taken and imprisoned; and here I have
been confined for three-and-thirty years."
"Hark ye, Bulat, brave Companion," said Ivan, "I cannot set you free
without my father's consent; were he to hear of it he would be wroth."
"Fear not," replied Bulat; "your father will hear nothing; for as soon
as you set me at liberty I shall go into other lands and not live
here."
"Well then," said Ivan Tsarevich, "I consent, only on condition that
you give me back my arrow and tell me where I can find a trusty
steed."
"Go into the open fields," said Bulat the Brave Companion, "and there
you will see three green oaks; and, on the ground under these oaks, an
iron door, with a copper ring. Under the door is a stable, in which
stands a good steed, shut in by twelve iron doors with twelve steel
locks. Heave up this door, strike off the twelve steel locks, and open
the twelve doors; there you will find a horse; mount him and come to
me; I will give you back your arrow, and then you will let me out of
this prison."
When Ivan Tsarevich heard this he went into the open fields, saw the
three green oaks, and found the iron door with the copper ring. So he
hove up the door, knocked off the twelve locks, and opened the twelve
doors, and entered a stable, where he beheld a knightly steed and a
suit of armour. Then Ivan Tsarevich laid his hand upon the horse, and
the horse fell not upon his knees, but merely bent himself a little.
And as soon as the horse saw a knight standing before him, he neighed
loudly, and let Ivan saddle and bridle him. Ivan Tsarevich took the
steed, the battle-axe, and sword, led the horse out of the stable,
leaped into the Tcherkess saddle, and took the silken bridle in his
white hand. Then Ivan wished to try his steed, and struck him on the
flank: the horse chafed his bit, and rose from the ground, and away he
went over the tall forests and under the flying clouds, left hill and
dale beneath his feet, covered small streams with his tail, bounded
over wide rivers and marshes; and so at last Ivan came to Bulat the
Brave Companion, and said with a loud voice: "Now give me back my
arrow, Bulat my brave fellow, and I will let you out of your cage." So
Bulat instantly gave him back his arrow, and Ivan set him free.
"I thank you, Ivan Tsarevich," said Bulat, "for giving me freedom. I
will, in return, render you good service; whenever you are in any
difficulty, and want me, only say: 'Where is my Bulat, the Brave
Companion?' and I will instantly come to you and serve you faithfully
in your need."
So saying, Bulat cried with a loud voice:
"Sivka Burka! he!
Fox of Spring! Appear!
Like a grass blade, here
Stand before me!"
Instantly a steed stood before Bulat the Brave, who crept into his
ear, ate and drank his fill, and then crept out at the other ear; and
he became such a handsome youth as no one can imagine, no pen can
describe, nor story tell. Then Bulat mounted his horse and galloped
off, exclaiming: "Farewell, then, for the present, Ivan Tsarevich!"
Ivan now mounted his good steed and rode to his father, and with tears
in his eyes, took leave of him; then, taking with him his squire, he
rode forth into foreign lands. And after they had ridden for some time
they came to a wood; the day was bright and hot, and Ivan Tsarevich
grew thirsty. So they wandered all about the wood, seeking water, but
could find none. At length they found a deep well, in which there was
some water; and Ivan said to his squire: "Go down the well and fetch
me up some water; I will hold you by a rope to prevent you being
drowned."
"Nay, Ivan Tsarevich," said the squire, "I am heavier than you, and
you cannot hold me up; you had better descend, for I can support you."
So Ivan followed his squire's advice, and let himself down into the
well. And when Ivan had drunk enough, he told the squire to draw him
up; but the squire answered: "Nay, I will not draw you out until you
give me your word in writing that you are my servant and I am your
master, and that my name is Ivan Tsarevich; if you refuse this I will
drown you in the well."
"My dear squire," cried Ivan, "do not drown me, but draw me up, and I
will do all you desire." "No, I don't believe you," said the squire;
"swear me an oath." So Ivan swore that he would be true.
Thereupon the squire drew him out, and Ivan Tsarevich took a piece of
paper, wrote the writing, and gave it to the squire. Then he took off
his own cloak, and exchanged it for the squire's, and they went on
their way. After some days they came to the kingdom of the Tsar
Panthui. And when the Tsar heard of the arrival of Ivan Tsarevich he
went out to meet him; and, greeting the false Tsarevich, he took him
by the white hands, conducted him into his marble halls, seated him at
his oaken table, and they feasted and made merry. Then Tsar Panthui
asked the false Tsarevich what had brought him to his kingdom, and he
answered: "My gracious lord, I am come to sue for the hand of your
daughter, the fair Princess Tseria."
"Gladly will I give you my daughter to wife," replied Panthui.
In the course of their talk the false Ivan said to the Tsar Panthui:
"Let my servant, I pray, do the lowest work in the kitchen, for he has
greatly annoyed me on my journey." So the Tsar immediately commanded
Ivan to be set to do the most menial work, whilst his squire feasted
and made merry with the Tsar.
A few days after this an army was seen marching against the kingdom of
Panthui, threatening to lay it waste and take the Tsar prisoner.
Thereupon Panthui called the false Ivan and said: "My dear future
son-in-law, a hostile army has come to attack my dominions: drive the
enemy back and I will give you my daughter, but only on this
condition." And the squire answered; "Well and good, I will do as you
desire; but only by night--in the day I have no luck in fight."
As soon as night drew on and everyone in the castle had gone to rest,
the false Ivan went out into the open court, called to him the true
Tsarevich, and said: "Ivan Tsarevich, be not angry with me for taking
your place; forget it all, do me one service, and drive the enemy from
this kingdom." And Ivan answered: "Go and lie down to sleep--all shall
be accomplished." Then the squire went and lay down to sleep, and Ivan
cried with a loud voice: "Where is my Bulat, the Brave Companion?" In
an instant Bulat stood before him, and asked: "What service do you
require now? What is your need? Tell me forthwith." Then Ivan
Tsarevich told him his need, and Bulat desired him to saddle his horse
and put on his armour; and then cried with a loud voice:
"Sivka Burka! he!
Fox of Spring! Appear!
Like a grass blade, here
Stand before me!"
The horse bounded till the ground shook; from his ears rose a column
of steam, and from his nostrils issued flames; but when he came up to
Bulat he stood still. Then Bulat the Brave Companion mounted the
horse, and Ivan Tsarevich seated himself upon his steed, and so they
rode forth from the courtyard. Meanwhile the Princess Tseria, who was
not yet asleep, was sitting at the window, and overheard all that Ivan
Tsarevich had spoken with the squire and Bulat the Brave Companion.
As soon as they reached the hostile army, Bulat said to Ivan: "Fall
thou upon the enemy on the right, I will attack them on the left." And
so they began to mow down this mighty army with the sword, and to
trample them down with their horses' hoofs; and in an hour's time they
had stretched on the earth a hundred thousand men. Then the hostile
King fled with the small remains of his army back into his own
kingdom, and Ivan Tsarevich returned with Bulat the Brave Companion to
the castle of the Tsar Panthui, unsaddled his steed, led him into the
stable, and gave him white wheat to eat. After that he took leave of
Bulat the Brave Companion, went back into the kitchen, and lay down to
sleep.
Early the next morning the Tsar went out on to his balcony, and looked
forth over the country where the hostile army lay; and when he saw
that it was all cut down and destroyed, he called to him the false
Ivan, and thanked him for having saved his kingdom; he rewarded him
with a rich present and promised soon to give him his daughter to
wife.
After a fortnight the same Tsar marched again with a fresh army and
besieged the city. And the Tsar Panthui in terror called again upon
the false Ivan and said: "My dear friend, Ivan Tsarevich, save me once
more from the enemy, and drive them from my kingdom, and I will
immediately give you my daughter to wife." And so it all fell out
again exactly as before, and the enemy were quite driven away by Ivan
and Bulat the Brave.
The hostile King, however, soon returned to attack Tsar Panthui a
third time, and over and over again he was driven back, until at last
he was himself killed. Then Ivan and Bulat the Brave Companion went
back, unsaddled their steeds, and put them into the stable. Thereupon
Bulat took leave of Ivan Tsarevich, and said: "You will never see me
more." With this he mounted his horse and rode forth; and Ivan went
into the kitchen and lay down to sleep.
Early the next morning the Tsar went again on to his balcony, and
looked forth over the country where the hostile army had been; and
when he saw that it was all destroyed, he sent for his future
son-in-law and said: "Now I will give you my daughter to wife." Then
all the preparations were made for the wedding; and a few days after,
the squire married the fair Princess Tseria; and when they had
returned from church, and were sitting at table, Ivan Tsarevich begged
the head cook to let him go into the banquet-hall and see his master
and his bride seated at the table. So the cook consented, and gave him
a change of dress. When Ivan entered the royal hall he stationed
himself behind the other guests and gazed at his squire and the fair
Tseria. But the Princess espied Ivan, and recognised him instantly;
then she jumped up from the table, took him by the hand, led him to
the Tsar, and said: "This is the true bridegroom and the saviour of
your kingdom, and not yon man who was betrothed to me."
Then the Tsar Panthui asked his daughter what it all meant, and begged
her to explain the mystery. And when the Princess Tseria had related
to him all that had passed, Ivan Tsarevich was placed at the table
beside her, and his squire was shot at the gate for his treacherous
conduct. Ivan married the Princess, and returned with her to his
father's kingdom. Tsar Chodor placed the crown upon his head, and Ivan
mounted the throne, and ruled over the kingdom.