The elder sisters went to church, and the youngest sat at the window
in an old dress and looked at the orthodox people going to church. She
bided her time, went out on the porch, waved her colored feather on
the right; and from wherever they came there appeared before her a
crystal carriage, blooded horses, servants in gold, robes, and every
ornament of precious stones. In one moment the beautiful maiden was
dressed, sat in the carriage, and dashed off to church. The people
look, admire her beauty. "It is clear that some Tsar's daughter has
come," said they among themselves.
As soon as "Dostoino" was sung, she went out of the church, sat in the
carriage, and was whirled back home. The orthodox people went out to
look at her, to see where she would go; but nothing of the sort,--her
trace had grown cold long ago.
Our beauty had barely come to the court when she waved her bright
feather on the left side; in a moment the maidens undressed her and
the carriage vanished. She was sitting as if nothing had happened,
looking out through the window to see how the orthodox people go home
from church.
The sisters too came home. "Well, sister," said they, "what a beauty
was at church to-day! Just a sight, neither to be told in a tale nor
described with a pen. It must be that she is some Tsar's daughter from
another land, so splendidly dressed, wonderfully!"
The second and third Sundays came; the beautiful maiden mystified the
orthodox people, and her sisters, her father, and her mother. But the
last time when she undressed she forgot to take out of her hair the
diamond pin. The elder sisters came from the church and told her of
the Tsar's daughter; but when they looked at the youngest sister the
diamonds were blazing in her hair.
"Oh, sister, what is this?" cried they; "why just such a pin was in
the hair of the Tsar's daughter to-day. Where didst thou get it?"
The beautiful maiden was confused, and ran to her chamber. There was
no end of guesses and whispers, but the youngest sister said nothing
and laughed in secret. The elder sisters began to watch her and to
listen in the night at her chamber; and they overheard one time her
conversation with Bright Finist the Falcon, and saw with their own
eyes at daybreak how he sprang from the window and flew off beyond the
dark forest.
The elder sisters were clearly malicious. They planned to put hidden
knives for the evening on the window of their sister's room, so that
Bright Finist the Falcon might cut his colored wings. They did this
straightway; the youngest sister knew nothing of the matter. She put
her red flower on the window, lay down on the couch, and fell asleep
soundly. Bright Finist the Falcon flew to the window, and as he was
springing in cut his left foot; but the beautiful maiden knew nothing
of this; she was sleeping so sweetly, so calmly. Angrily did Bright
Finist the Falcon rise to the sky and fly beyond the dark forest.
In the morning the maiden woke up. She looked on every side; it was
daylight already, and the good youth was not there. She looked at the
window, and on the window were two sharp knives across each other, and
red blood was dripping from them to the flower. Long did the maiden
shed bitter tears, many sleepless nights did she pass by the window of
her chamber. She waved the bright feather in vain; Bright Finist the
Falcon flies no longer himself, and sends not his servants.
At last she went to her father with tears in her eyes and begged his
blessing, gave orders to forge three pairs of iron shoes, three iron
staves, three iron caps, and three iron Easter cakes; she put a pair
of shoes on her feet, the cap on her head, took a staff in her hand,
and went toward that point from which Bright Finist the Falcon had
flown to her. She goes through slumbering forests, she goes over
stumps, over logs. One pair of iron shoes are trodden out, one iron
cap is worn off, one staff is breaking up, one cake is gnawed away,
and the beautiful maiden walks on, walks all the time, and the forest
grows darker, grows denser.
All at once she sees standing before her an iron hut on hen's legs,
and it turns without ceasing.
"Hut, hut!" said she, "stand with thy back to the forest, thy front
to me."
The hut turned its front to her. She entered the hut, and in it was
lying a Baba-Yaga from corner to corner, her lips on the crosspiece,
her nose in the loft.
"Tfu-tfu-tfu! in former days nothing of Russia was seen with sight nor
heard with hearing; but now the odor of Russia goes through the wide
world in visible seeming, runs to one's nose. Where dost thou hold thy
way, beautiful maiden? Art flying from labor, or seekest labor?"
"Oh, grandmother dear, I had Bright Finist the Falcon of Flowery
Feathers; my sisters did harm him! Now I am seeking for Bright Finist
the Falcon."
"Oh, my child, thou hast far to go; thrice nine lands must yet be
passed! Bright Finist the Falcon of Flowery Feathers lives in the
fiftieth kingdom in the eightieth land, and is now betrothed to the
daughter of a Tsar."
The Baba-Yaga nourished and fed the maiden with what God had sent, and
put her to bed. Next morning, when the light was just coming, she
roused her, gave her a present for the road,--a small golden hammer
and ten little diamond nails,--and said: "When thou comest to the blue
sea, the bride of Bright Finist the Falcon will come out on the shore
to walk; take the golden hammer and drive the diamond nails. She will
try to buy them of thee; but, beautiful maiden, take no pay, only ask
to see Bright Finist the Falcon. Now go, with God, to my second
sister."
Again the fair maiden goes through the dark forest, goes farther and
farther; the forest is darker and deeper, the tree-tops wind up to the
sky. Now almost the second pair of shoes are trodden out, the second
cap worn away, the second iron staff breaking, the iron cake gnawed
away; before the maiden is an iron hut on hen's legs, and it turns
without ceasing.
"Hut, oh, hut!" said she, "stop with thy back to the trees and thy
front to me, so that I may creep in and eat."
The hut turned its back to the trees and its front to the maiden. She
entered. In the hut lay a Baba-Yaga from corner to corner, her lips on
the crosspiece, her nose in the loft.
"Tfu-tfu-tfu! in former days nothing of Russia was seen with sight or
heard with hearing; but now the odor of Russia goes through the wide
world. Whither dost hold thy way, fair maiden?"
"Grandmother, dear, I am seeking Bright Finist the Falcon."
"Oh! he is going to marry; they have the maiden's party to-night,"
said the Baba-Yaga.
She gave her to eat and drink, and put the maiden to sleep. At
daybreak next morning she roused her, gave her a golden plate with a
diamond ball, and enjoined on her most firmly, "When thou comest to
the shore of the blue sea, roll the diamond ball on the golden plate.
The bride of Bright Finist the Falcon of Flowery Feathers will try to
buy the plate and ball; but take nothing for it, only ask to see
Bright Finist the Falcon. Now go, with God, to my eldest sister."
Again the fair maiden goes through the dark forest, goes farther and
farther; the forest grows darker and deeper. Now are the third pair of
shoes almost trodden out, the third cap is wearing off, the third
staff is breaking, and the last cake is gnawed away. On hen's legs
stands an iron hut and turns about.
"Hut, oh, hut!" cried she, "stand with thy back to the trees and thy
face to me; I must creep in and eat bread."
The hut turned. In the hut lay another Baba-Yaga from corner to
corner, her lips on the crosspiece, her nose in the loft.
"Tfu-tfu-tfu! in former times nothing of Russia was seen with sight
nor heard with hearing; but now the odor of Russia goes through the
wide world. Where, beautiful maiden, dost thou hold thy way?"
"Grandmother, dear, I am seeking Bright Finist the Falcon."
"Oh, fair maiden, he has married a Tsar's daughter! Here is my swift
steed; sit on him, and go, with God."
The maiden sat on the steed and shot away farther. The forest grew
thinner and thinner.
Behold, the blue sea is before her; broad and roomy is it spread, and
there in the distance, like fire, burn the golden summits above the
lofty, white-walled chambers. That is the kingdom of Bright Finist the
Falcon. She sat then on the movable sand of the shore, and hammered
with hammer the diamond nails. All at once the Tsar's daughter goes
with her nurses and maidens and trusty serving-women along the shore;
she stops, and wants to buy the diamond nails and the golden hammer.
"Tsar's daughter, let me but look at Bright Finist the Falcon, I will
give them for nothing," answered the maiden.
"Bright Finist the Falcon is sleeping at present, and has ordered that
none be admitted; but give me thy beautiful nails and hammer, I will
show him to thee."
She took the hammer and nails, ran to the palace, stuck into the
clothes of Bright Finist the Falcon a magic pin, so that he should
sleep more soundly and not wake; then she commanded her nurses to
conduct the beautiful maiden through the palace to her husband, and
went herself to walk.
Long did the maiden struggle, long did she weep over her dear one; she
could not wake him in any way. When she had walked to her pleasure,
the Tsar's daughter came home, drove her away, and pulled out the pin.
Bright Finist the Falcon woke. "Oh, how long I have slept! Some one
was here," said he, "and wept over me all the time, talking the while;
but I could not open my eyes, I felt so heavy."
"Thou wast only dreaming," said the Tsar's daughter; "no one was
here."
Next day the beautiful maiden sat again on the shore of the blue sea,
and was rolling a diamond ball on a golden plate.
The Tsar's daughter went out to walk; she saw them, and said, "Sell
them to me."
"Let me look at Bright Finist the Falcon, and I will give them for
nothing."
The Tsar's daughter agreed, and again she pierced the clothes of
Bright Finist the Falcon with a magic pin. Again the fair maiden wept
bitterly over her dear one, but could not rouse him.
The third day she sat on the shore of the blue sea, so sad and
sorrowful, she was feeding her steed with glowing coals. The Tsar's
daughter, seeing that the steed was eating fire, wanted to buy him.
"Let me look on Bright Finist the Falcon, and I'll give the steed for
nothing."
The Tsar's daughter agreed, ran to the palace, and said to her
husband, "Let me look in thy head." She sat down to look in his head,
and stuck the pin in his hair; straightway he was in a deep sleep.
Then she sent her nurses for the beautiful maiden.
The fair maiden came, tried to wake her dear, embraced him and kissed
him, crying bitterly, bitterly herself; he wakes not. Then she began
to look in his head, and out fell the magic pin.
Bright Finist the Falcon woke all at once; he saw the fair maiden and
was glad. She told him everything as it was,--how her malicious
sisters had envied her, how she had wandered, and how she had
exchanged with the Tsar's daughter. He loved her more than before,
kissed her on the sweet lips, and gave command to call without delay
boyars, princes, and people of every degree. Then he asked: "What is
your judgment: with which wife should I spend my life,--with her who
sold me, or her who bought me?"
All the boyars, princes, and people of each degree decided in one
voice to take the woman who had bought him; but the one who had sold
him, to hang on the gate and shoot her. Bright Finist the Falcon of
Flowery Feathers did this.
THE PIG WITH GOLD BRISTLES, THE DEER WITH GOLDEN HORNS, AND THE
GOLDEN-MANED STEED WITH GOLDEN TAIL.
There lived a Tsar, and he had a daughter, Tsarevna, Priceless Beauty,
not to be told of in a tale nor described with a pen. The Tsar issued
a call throughout all towns that whoever would kiss the Tsarevna
through twelve windows, no matter of what stock he might be, he would
get the Tsarevna for wife, and receive half the kingdom.
In this kingdom lived a merchant, and he had three sons; the two elder
were crafty, and the third, the youngest, was a simpleton. Well, the
elder brothers said, "Father, we will go to get the Tsarevna."
"Go, with God," said the merchant.
They took the very best horses and began to make ready for the road.
The fool also was preparing.
"Where art thou going, fool? How couldst thou kiss the Tsarevna?" and
they laughed at him in every manner.
They went away, and the simpleton dragged along after them on a poor
mangy little horse. He went into the field, and he cried with a shrill
voice: "Oh, blue-brown, cunning bay, stand before me as leaf before
stem!"
Wherever he came from, a splendid steed rushed up; the ground
trembled. The simpleton crept into one ear of the steed and out of the
other, and became such a beauty as had never been seen nor heard of.
He sat on the horse, and rode to the Tsar's palace; and when he rushed
up he broke six panes of glass.