"In a broom thrown around at the threshold."
"No, he lies with design; thou must ask him more cunningly."
Vassilissa Kirbítyevna formed a plan. She took the broom, gilded it,
adorned it with various ribbons, and placed it on the table. When
Koshchéi Without-Death flew home, he saw the broom on the table, and
asked why that was done.
"How was it possible," answered Vassilissa Kirbítyevna, "that thy
death should roll around at the threshold? Better let it lie on the
table."
"Ha, ha, ha! The woman is simple; her hair is long, but her wit is
short! Could my death be here?"
"Where is it, then?"
"My death is hidden in the goat."
As soon as Koshchéi went off to the hunt, Vassilissa Kirbítyevna took
the goat and adorned it with ribbons and bells, and gilded its horns.
Koshchéi saw the goat; again he laughed. "Oh, the woman is simple; her
hair is long, but her wit is short!"
"My death is far from here. On the sea, on the ocean, is an island; on
that island stands an oak; under the oak is buried a chest; in the
chest is a hare, in the hare a duck, in the duck an egg, and in the
egg my death," said he, and flew away.
Vassilissa Kirbítyevna told all this to Ivan Tsarevich. They took
supplies and went to find Koshchéi's death. Whether they travelled
long or short, they ate all their provisions and began to be hungry.
A dog with her whelps happened in their way. "I will kill her," said
Bulat the hero; "there is nothing else to eat."
"Do not kill me," said the dog, "do not make my children orphans, and
I will serve thee myself."
"Well, God be with thee."
They went farther. On an oak was an eagle with eaglets. Said Bulat the
hero: "I will kill the eagle."
"Kill me not," said the eagle, "make not my children orphans; I will
serve thee myself."
"Let it be so; live to thy health."
They came to the ocean sea wide; on the shore a lobster was crawling.
Said Bulat the hero: "I will kill it with a blow."
"Strike me not, good hero; there is not much good in me. Wilt eat me,
thou'lt not be satisfied. The time will come when I will serve thee
myself."
"Well, crawl off with God," said Bulat the hero. He looked on the sea,
saw a fisherman in a boat, and shouted, "Come to shore." The fisherman
brought the boat. Ivan Tsarevich and Bulat the hero sat in it and went
to the island; they landed, and came to the oak. Bulat the hero caught
the oak with his mighty hands and tore it out with the roots. They
took the chest from under the oak, opened it; out of the chest sprang
a hare, and ran with all its breath.
"Ah!" said Ivan Tsarevich, "if the dog were here now, she would catch
the hare."
Behold, the dog is bringing the hare. Bulat the hero tore it open;
out of the hare flew the duck and rose high in the air.
"Ah!" said Ivan Tsarevich, "if the eagle were here, she would catch
the duck." And already the eagle was bringing the duck.
Bulat the hero tore open the duck; an egg rolled out and fell into the
sea.
"Ah!" said Ivan Tsarevich, "if the lobster would pull it out." The
lobster was crawling and bringing the egg. They took the egg, went to
Koshchéi Without-Death, struck him with the egg on the forehead; that
moment he stretched out and died.
Ivan Tsarevich took Vassilissa Kirbítyevna, and they went their way.
They travelled and travelled; dark night overtook them; they pitched
their tent. Vassilissa Kirbítyevna lay down to rest. Said Bulat the
hero, "Lie down too, Tsarevich, and I will stand guard."
At dark midnight twelve doves appeared, struck wing against wing, and
became maidens.
"Well, Bulat the hero and Ivan Tsarevich, ye killed our brother,
Koshchéi Without-Death, ye carried away our sister-in-law, Vassilissa
Kirbítyevna; but no good will come to you either. When Ivan Tsarevich
comes home, he will give command to bring out his favorite dog, the
dog will break away from the keeper and tear the Tsarevich into small
pieces; but whoso hears this and tells Ivan what we have said will
become stone to the knees."
In the morning Bulat the hero roused the Tsarevich and Vassilissa
Kirbítyevna; they made ready and went their road and way. A second
night overtook them; they pitched their tent in the open field. Again
Bulat said: "Lie down to sleep, Ivan Tsarevich; I will stand guard."
In the dark midnight twelve doves came flying, they struck wing
against wing, and became maidens.
"Well, Bulat and Ivan Tsarevich, ye killed our brother, Koshchéi
Without-Death, ye carried away our sister-in-law; but no good will
come to you, for when Ivan Tsarevich comes home he will give command
to bring out his favorite horse, on which he has ridden since
childhood. The horse will tear away from the groom and beat the
Tsarevich to death; and whoso hears this and tells him will become
stone to the girdle."
Morning came, again they travelled on. A third night overtook them.
They pitched their tent and stopped in the open field. Bulat said:
"Lie down to sleep, Ivan Tsarevich; I will stand watch." Again at
midnight twelve doves came flying, struck wing against wing, and
became maidens.
"Well, Bulat and Ivan Tsarevich, ye killed our brother, Koshchéi
Without-Death, and carried away our sister-in-law; but no good will
come to you. When Ivan Tsarevich comes home he will give command to
lead out his favorite cow, on whose milk he has been nourished since
childhood. She will tear away from the herder and raise the Tsarevich
on her horns. But whoso sees and hears us, and tells him this, will
become altogether stone." They finished the sentence, turned into
doves, and flew home.
In the morning Ivan Tsarevich and Vassilissa set out on the road. The
Tsarevich came home, married Vassilissa Kirbítyevna; and in a day or
two he said to her, "I will show thee my favorite dog, with which I
played all the time when I was little."
Bulat the hero took his sword, ground it sharp, sharp, and stood at
the porch. They were bringing the dog. It tore away from the keeper
and ran straight to the porch; but Bulat drew his sword and cut the
dog in two. Ivan Tsarevich was angry, but for Bulat's former service
he was silent.
The next day he ordered them to bring out his favorite horse. The
horse broke his halter, tore away from the groom, and galloped
straight at Ivan Tsarevich. Bulat the hero cut off the horse's head.
Ivan Tsarevich was still more in anger, and gave command to seize
Bulat and hang him; but Vassilissa Kirbítyevna interceded. "Had it not
been for him," said she, "thou wouldst never have won me."
On the third day the Tsarevich gave command to lead out his favorite
cow. She tore away from the herder and ran straight at the Tsarevich.
Bulat cut off her head too.
Now Ivan Tsarevich was so enraged that he would listen to no one,
gave orders to call the headsman to put Bulat to death on the spot.
"Oh, Ivan Tsarevich, if 'tis thy wish to put me to death by the
executioner, better let me die of myself; only let me speak three
speeches."
Bulat told about the first night, how twelve doves flew to them in the
open field, and what they said. That moment he was stone to the knees;
he told of the second night, and was stone to the girdle. Now Ivan
Tsarevich begged him not to speak to the end. Bulat answered: "'Tis
all the same now, I am stone to the girdle; it is not worth while to
live." He told of the third night, and was all stone.
Ivan Tsarevich put him in a chamber apart, went there each day with
Vassilissa, and wept bitterly.
Years passed on. Once Ivan Tsarevich was weeping over the stone hero
Bulat, and heard a voice coming out of the stone: "Why dost thou weep?
It is hard for me even as I am."
"Why should I not weep? How can I help it? Thou knowest I destroyed
thee."
"If thou wishest, thou canst save me. Thou hast two children,--a son
and a daughter. Kill them, pour their blood into a vessel, and rub
this stone with the blood."
Ivan Tsarevich told this to Vassilissa Kirbítyevna. They grieved and
mourned; decided to kill their children. They killed them, gathered
the blood, and rubbed the stone.
When Bulat the hero came to life he asked the Tsarevich and his wife,
"Were ye grieved for the children?"
"We were grieved, Bulat."
"Well, let us go to their room."
They went, and behold, the children were alive! The father and mother
were delighted, and in their delight gave a feast to all.