In a certain city, in a certain state, there once lived a merchant
Nicholas with his wife. From the beginning they lived happily and were
wealthy. But their chief joy was in this: that the Lord had presented
them with a son, and such a beautiful son too! Sensible and wise—and the
only prayer which the mother and father addressed to God and to his holy
godfather St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker, was that they should endow him
with happiness and long life.
But, as old age crept on, they, for some reason, began to become poor;
and they became so poor that Nicholas, from a famous merchant, became a
mere tradesman, and they only had one little shop, and in the shop there
was a chest of tobacco, a few nails, and a little iron. And either from
the fact that they were growing poorer, or that they were becoming
older, the mother and father of Iván—for this was the name of Nicholas’s
son—had become feeble.
One day the father called Iván to him, and said: “Now, our beloved son,
we, it seems, shall soon die; but do you not weep for us, but rather
pray God. For we have already lived out our life; and this is as it must
be. But you bury us properly, for I have saved up money for you for this
purpose. One third of the money you are to spend on the funeral, the
second on the Requiem Mass, and with the third buy a shop and go into
trade. And I will give you my blessing. Do not give any one false
measure or cheat; and if you shall grow rich, do not forget God, and to
give alms to the poor, as I did time agone. Now, my son, farewell. May
the Divine mercy guard you and our guilty souls.”
Seven days passed, and Iván buried his father, and his mother soon
afterwards, and began to trade. Soon he began to overlook the stock, and
in the corner he found an image of the holy St. Nicholas the
Wonder-Worker. So he brought the image into the _izbá_[27] and he poured
water into a vessel, washed it out, cleaned it in front of the image,
and soon after went to market, bought a little lamp, and lighted it in
front of the image.
On the first Sunday he called the Pope in, had a Mass said for his
parents, chanted a prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker, and took
the image into the shop, so that he might gaze at it constantly; and
thereafter, whenever he went into the shop, he used first of all to pray
before the image, and afterwards he began to trade.
And his trade went so well that it seemed as if the Lord Himself had
been sending customers. Later on he built a second shop, and every day
he gave much money in alms, and amongst others, to one old man who every
day repaired to him. Iván was very fond of him, and when a new clerk had
to be engaged for the new shop, he said to this old man: “Grandfather, I
do not know thy hallowed name; I do not know, father, how to call thee;
only do not be angry with me, for I have built a new shop, and I have no
clerk. Come with me as my clerk, and I will obey you as I would have
obeyed my own father. Do be kind and do not refuse.”
The old man at the beginning would very gladly have refused; but
afterwards they agreed, and began to live and dwell together, and Iván,
in all things, obeyed the old man, and called him _Bátyushka_.
The old man carried on trade prosperously and profitably; and one day he
said: “Ivánushka, your trade does not altogether suit me; for you trade
in tobacco, and God loves not smoking, nor does He love tobacconists. So
buy some small goods, and you will have more purchasers, and will not
incur sin.”
Iván obeyed, and purchased many goods of all sorts, and set up shop
anew. When all the goods were sold out, Iván went into the
counting-house, and he saw threefold his money wherever he looked. Iván
was extremely joyous at so big a profit, and he called in the Pope, and
he recited the prayer to Nicholas the Wonder-Worker. And as to the old
man, he was so happy, and he prayed so heartily to God.
So they traded on for three years more, and Iván became so rich that the
old man advised him to sell out and cross the seas with his goods. And
Iván obeyed the old man, bought a ship, loaded it with wares, and gave
his house to the poor, setting one of them in as the master until he
should come back himself. And they prayed to God, and he and the old man
set sail.
Soon they arrived: it may be near, it may be far—the tale is soon told,
but the deed is not soon done—and suddenly robbers came upon them and
plundered them of all their goods: and only left themselves alive and
unscathed. It was a bitter shock to Iván. But the old man quieted him,
and said that all of this was for the best. So they sailed on for three
days after this; and on the third day they landed on an island, and they
saw a great mass of bricks. The old man said to Iván: “Get ready,
Ivánushka, and load these bricks on your ship.” Iván said: “What shall I
do with these bricks? I would sooner die than do trade in them.” But the
old man answered and said: “Oh, Ivánushka, Ivánushka, you have had
little experience; and I tell you that any single one of these bricks is
worth more than all the wares of which the robbers plundered you!” And
he threw one of the bricks on the ground, and under the clay there was a
splendid jewel.
So Iván was glad, and began loading the ship with the bricks. And when
they had loaded it to the full, the old man said: “Now, Ivánushka, you
must also make some plain bricks in order that buccaneers may not steal
the valuable ones.” So they loaded plain bricks as well. But on their
way the wind arose and they sailed farther, and the robbers fell on them
again and began to search for the goods. So the old man said to them:
“Have mercy, good folk! Leave us alive; for robbers some time ago took
away all we had, and now we only carry bricks, such bricks as we made on
the island.” The pirates looked and were persuaded and sailed farther
on, and so did Iván and the old man, and very soon arrived at a haven
and stayed there.
In that kingdom there was a custom that all merchants who arrived should
bring some of all their wares as a homage to the king. So the old man
said to Iván: “Ivánushka, pray to the Lord God, and go and buy a golden
vessel and a _fatá_, and to-morrow go and make your homage to the king.”
Iván obeyed the old man, and the next day went to make his homage to the
king. They told the king that a merchant had come to do allegiance, and
the king sat on his throne and gave audience to Iván.
Iván came up to the king, and in his hands there was a golden vessel
covered by a _fatá_, and in the golden vessel there was a brick. So the
king asked Iván from what realm he came, and how his father and mother
were named. And then he uncovered the _fatá_, and when he saw the brick
he was very wroth, and said: “I suppose you think I have very few
bricks, and you have come to trade in them in my kingdom!” And then he
rushed at Iván. But Iván turned aside and the brick fell to the ground
and split in two.
Then the king saw that he had behaved unseemlywise, and began to ask
Iván for forgiveness. And he forthwith bought the entire ship off Iván.
And when Iván saw this, he said: “You may take all my goods, but I will
not sell my vessel, for therein do I have an old man who is my clerk,
and we should not be able to live in the town.” “Oh,” said the king,
“are there two of you?” And the king, on hearing this, became very
angry, and said: “I will not let you go, but I must have the ship.” And
Iván went down on his knees and besought him that he would let them go.
Then the king said: “If one of you will read some psalms for three
nights to my daughter who is now in the church, you may keep the ship.”
For his daughter was a witch, and every night turned into a human being.
Iván returned to his ship, and he was sad and disheartened. He did not
wish to go himself, for he did not wish to die; and if he dismissed the
old man, it was very hard to part.
The old man said to Iván: “Why, Ivánushka, why are you so miserable and
hang your head?” And Iván told him all that had happened, and what the
king had said. So the old man answered him: “Never mind, Ivánushka,
cheer up! Pray to the Saviour, and lie down and sleep, and I will think
out some means of getting out of the danger.”
Soon it began to grow dark, and the old man roused Iván and said: “Here
are three tapers. As long as the first burns, pray to God; when the
second is burnt out, light the third, and then enter by the right-hand
side of the Holy Gates by the altar-screen and say nothing; only mutter
a prayer all the time. Go, and God bless you.”
So Iván landed, and the king’s attendants took Iván into the church and
locked it, and he began to read the Psalter. One candle went out and
then another, and he lighted the third, and lay down at the right-hand
side of the Holy Gates. Then the flooring suddenly jumped up, and the
witch began to search for Iván: “Where are you? I want to eat you.” And
she looked, and she looked, and she could not find him, and then the
cock crew, and she went once more into the grave. Then Iván got up,
covered up the grave, and began to read once more.
In the morning they went there to collect his bones; but there Iván was,
as large as life. And they went and told the king. And he bade him for
the second time go and read prayers.
And Iván went to the old man and told him what had happened in the
church by night.
Next night the old man told Iván to lie down on the left-hand side of
the Holy Gates. And once more the witch could not find him.
On the third night the old man gave him three tapers and a ball of
pitch; and the pitch was rolled round with hair. He said: “To-night,
Ivánushka, is the last night. When you have burned out the last taper,
lie down beside the grave, and when the witch rises out of it, go and
lie in the grave in her place, and do not let her in until she shall
read out the prayers ‘_Maiden Mother of God, rejoice!_’ and ‘_Our Father
Which art in Heaven_.’”
Iván went into the church and began to read the Psalter, and after
lighting the third candle, lay down on the right-hand side of the grave.
The witch broke out of the coffin and passed over Iván and began to look
for him all over the church. When the time came for her to lie down,
there was Iván in her place. “Ah! there art thou!” the witch cried. “For
thrice twenty-four hours I have been hungry. Come out; I want to eat
you.” And Iván threw the ball covered with hair at her, and she nibbled
and gnawed at it. And she at last said: “Let me go!” “No,” said Iván, “I
will not let you go.” “Let me go!” the witch repeated. “Then do you,”
said Iván, “recite the prayer ‘_Maiden Mother of God, rejoice!_’ after
me, and then I will let you go.” And the witch read out the prayer and
then said: “Let me go!” And Iván said: “Now read the _Our Father_, then
I will let you go.” And the witch read it out. Then Iván came out and
said: “Lie down.” But the witch said: “Now I cannot lie down.” Then she
and Iván began to pray.
In the morning two men came in, and they not only saw Iván, but also
Olyóna, the king’s daughter—for this was the witch’s name. And they went
to the king, and recounted all they had beheld.
And the king assembled all the spiritual hierarchy and went into the
church. And he thought it must be that Iván had turned into a wizard,
but when he saw how things really were, he embraced Iván and called him
his son. And the witch said to Iván: “Now, Iván, the merchant’s son, if
you have been able to pray to God and to bring me to life again, now
learn how to master me, and I will never depart one step from you.”
So Iván went to the ship, and he told the old man all that had happened,
and the old man said: “Ivánushka, fear nothing, take Olyóna
Korólyevna[28] as your wife, only for the first three nights do not go
to sleep until the cock has crowed three times, and then she will never
more oppress you.”
There was no loitering at the king’s court; very soon all was got ready,
and Iván was affianced to Princess Olyóna. And for two weeks he lived
quite happily. Then he said to his father-in-law: “Good father, let me
go home and have a Mass said for my father and mother, and once more see
my home.” And the king said: “My beloved son, Iván, the merchant’s son,
I will not withstand your wish, but do return hither. You see yourself I
am no longer young, and I have no heir. When you return I will give you
my kingdom, and you will live happily and merrily.”
So they set out on their journey, and arrived at their own kingdom, to
their native land. And Iván took Olyóna with him. When they arrived at
the island of the bricks, they loaded all the vessels, and there were
many ships, and they excavated the entire island.
One day the old man began to cut firewood, took them to the opposite
side of the island and said: “Ivánushka, my well-doer, I must now speak
with you.” And he bade them come where the firewood was stacked. He lit
the firewood; and when it was in flame he took Olyóna, threw her down,
trod on one leg, and pulled her apart into two halves, taking hold of
the other leg. Iván did not know what to say! And the old man put both
halves on the fire, and out of the fire there then crept snakes, frogs,
and all sorts of reptiles. Then he took the two parts out of the fire,
rinsed them thoroughly in the sea, sprinkled them over with water, made
the sign of the cross, and Olyóna arose such a beauty as no tale can
tell and no pen can write. Then he said: “Now, my well-doer, Ivánushka,
you are to be a mighty king; Iván, the merchant’s son, you are now rich
and famous and happy, so see to it that you do not forget God and the
poor. I shall see you no more.”
Iván and Olyóna knelt down and began to beseech him, but the old man
said: “Beg no more of me, but rather thank God for sending me to you. I
loved you and your father, Iván, and you even more, because you kindly
gave me alms; and now you are rich and famous, do not forget to give
alms to the poor.” Then he vanished.
Iván and Olyóna praised God, went back to the ships, and sailed farther
on.
When the poor saw that Iván had arrived with untold wealth, they crowded
to the shore and began to kiss Iván’s hands, his feet, and the hem of
his garment; and all present were so joyous that the tears flowed from
their eyes.
Iván put up crosses on his parents’ grave, clothed the poor, gave them
his house, and returned to his father-in-law, and for many years
governed his kingdom. And he lived so long that he saw in his old age
his sons, his grandsons, and his great-grandsons. And he ever prayed and
blessed God and Nicholas the Wonder-Worker for the mercy they had
manifested to him.
In that kingdom where he was king, to this very day King Iván and his
wife Olyóna the Fair are remembered.[29]