"Marry her," said the King. "It means that such is your fate."
So the sons of the King were married. The eldest married the
nobleman's daughter; the second one, the merchant's daughter; and
Ivan-the-King's-Son married a frog. And the King called them to him and
gave the following command:--
"Each of your wives must bake me a soft white loaf of bread for
breakfast to-morrow."
Ivan-the-King's-Son went to his room with a heavy heart and hung his
head.
"Ivan-the-King's-Son, why are you so sad?" the frog asked. "Has your
father spoken an angry or an unkind word to you?"
"How can I not be sad? The King, my father, has ordered you to get ready
a loaf of soft white bread for his breakfast to-morrow."
"Do not worry, Ivan-the-King's-Son, go to bed and sleep. In the morning
you will be wiser than in the evening."
She sent him to bed, and no sooner had she done so than she threw off
her frog's skin and turned into a most beautiful girl, for she was none
other than the Wise Princess. She went out on to the steps and called
out in a loud voice: "Oh you, my nurses, get ready, get ready! Provide
yourselves with what is necessary, and make me a white loaf such as I
used to eat in my father's house."
In the morning, when Ivan-the-King's-Son got up, the frog's loaf had
been ready for some time, and it was so excellent that the like of it
had never been seen. The loaf of bread was ornamented with various
devices: on the sides of it were kings' palaces, and stately towers with
their gardens and their walls. The King thanked Ivan-the-King's-Son for
the loaf, and at the same time he gave the following order to his three
sons:--
"Your wives shall each of them weave me a carpet by to-night."
Ivan-the-King's-Son came home with a heavy heart and hung his head.
"Croak, croak," said the frog, "why are you so sad? Has your father
spoken a cruel or an unkind word to you?"
"How can I not be sad?" answered Ivan-the-King's-Son. "The King, my
father, has ordered a silken carpet to be woven for him by to-night."
"Do not worry, Ivan-the-King's-Son, lie down and sleep. In the morning
you will be wiser."
She put him to bed, and threw off her frog's skin, and turned into a
beautiful maiden. She went out on to the steps and called out in a loud
voice: "Oh, you boisterous winds, bring hither that same carpet on which
I used to sit in the house of my father."
No sooner said than done. In the morning, when Ivan-the-King's-Son
awoke, the carpet had been ready for some time, and it was so beautiful
that the like of it had never been seen before. It was adorned with
gold, silver, and cunning devices. The King thanked his son for the
carpet, and at the same time he issued a new command, namely, that his
sons were to be present, each with his wife, at the grand review.
Ivan-the-King's-Son returned home with a heavy heart and hung his head.
"Croak, croak, Ivan-the-King's-Son," said the frog, "why are you so
sad? Have you heard from your father anything cruel or unpleasant?"
[Illustration: SHE WENT OUT ON TO THE STEP AND CALLED OUT IN A LOUD
VOICE]
"How can I not be sad? The King, my father, has ordered that I should be
present at the review with you. And how can I show _you_ to the people?"
"Do not worry, Ivan-the-King's-Son! Go by yourself, and pay your
respects to the King. I will follow; and as soon as you hear a noise
like thunder, say, 'My little frog is coming hither in a basket.'"
The two elder brothers appeared at the review with their wives, all in
beautiful clothes; they stood there and laughed at Ivan-the-King's-Son,
and said: "Why have you come here, brother, without your wife? You might
have brought her in your pocket. And where did you find such a beautiful
lady?"
Suddenly a loud noise like thunder was heard, and the whole palace
shook. The guests were frightened to death, and jumped up from their
places and did not know what to do. But Ivan-the-King's-Son said: "Do
not be afraid, gentlemen, this is my little frog who has come here in a
basket."
A golden coach drove up to the palace, drawn by six horses, and out of
it came the Wise Princess, so beautiful that it is impossible to
describe her. She took Ivan-the-King's-Son by the hand, and led him to
the oaken chairs and the spread tables. The guests began to eat and
drink, and to make merry. The Wise Princess, as she drank from a glass,
let a drop fall on to her left sleeve; and as she ate a piece of roast
swan, she hid one of the bones in her right sleeve. The wives of the
elder sons noticed this, and did the same. Afterwards, when the Wise
Princess was dancing with Ivan-the-King's-Son, she shook her left
sleeve, and at once a lake appeared. She shook her right sleeve, and
white swans swam about on the lake.
The King and his guests were astonished, and when the elder sons' wives
began to dance they shook their left sleeves, but the only result of it
was to splash the guests. Then they shook their right sleeves, and in
so doing a swan's bone hit the King in the face. The King was angry, and
drove them away in disgrace. During that time Ivan-the-King's-Son took
the opportunity of going home. He found the frog's skin, and threw it
into a big fire.
The Wise Princess arrived and asked where her frog's skin was. Then not
finding it, she grew sad and said: "Oh, Ivan-the-King's-Son,
Ivan-the-King's-Son, what have you done? If you had waited a moment I
would have been yours for ever. But now good-bye. Seek me at the end of
the world, in the Kingdom of Nowhere. Wear out three pairs of iron
boots."
So saying, she turned herself into a white swan, and flew away out of
the window.
Ivan-the-King's-Son wept bitterly, and prayed to God with all his might.
He put on iron boots, and walked on straight in front of him. He walked
and walked, and after a time he met an old man.
"Good morrow, young man," said the old man; "what are you looking for
and where are you going to?"
Ivan-the-King's-Son told him all his misfortunes.
"Ah, Ivan-the-King's-Son, why did you burn the frog's skin? You did not
put it on, and it was not for you to take it off. The Wise Princess was
so far more cunning and wise than her father, that he clothed her in a
frog's skin and bade her be a frog for three years. Here is a ball for
you. Wherever it rolls, you must boldly follow."
Ivan-the-King's-Son thanked the old man, and followed where the ball
rolled. Whether it rolled far or near, for a short time or a long time,
the story does not say; but it stopped at a cottage. This cottage stood
on chicken's legs and wobbled about. Ivan-the-King's-Son said--
"Cottage, cottage, stand as you used to stand--still, as your mother
placed you, back to the wood and front to me."
The cottage turned round, with its back to the wood and its front to
him. Ivan-the-King's-Son went into the cottage, and there lay an old
woman, all bony, with a nose which grew to the ceiling. She said to him
in an angry voice: "Fie, fie, fie! Why have you come here,
Ivan-the-King's-Son?"
"Oh, you old woman," he answered, "before asking me questions you should
give me something to eat and to drink, and you should prepare me a hot
steam bath; and then you can ask me questions."
The old woman gave him food and drink, and a steam bath, and then the
King's son told her he was looking for his wife, the Wise Princess.
"My child," said the old woman, "it is a pity you did not come before.
In the first years, after her flight, she remembered you, but now she
has ceased thinking of you. Go at once to my second sister; she knows
more than I do."
Ivan-the-King's-Son set out on his journey, and followed the ball. He
walked and walked, and again there stood before him a cottage with
chickens' legs.
"Cottage, cottage, stand still, as your mother placed you, with your
back to the wood and your front to me."
The cottage turned round. Ivan-the-King's-Son went into it, and there
stood an old woman with bony legs. She saw the Prince and she said:
"Fie, fie! Ivan-the-King's Son, have you come here of your own accord or
because you were obliged to?"
Ivan-the-King's-Son answered: "I have come here of my own accord, and
also because I can't help it. I am looking for the Wise Princess."
"I am sorry for you, Ivan-the-King's-Son. You should have come before.
The Wise Princess has quite forgotten you. She wants to marry another
husband. At this moment she is living with my eldest sister. Go thither
quickly, but remember one thing, that as soon as you have entered the
cottage, the Wise Princess will turn into a spindle and my sister will
begin to spin golden threads, and to turn her wheel. Mind that you lose
no time in taking away the spindle from her and breaking it in two;
throw half of it behind you and the other half in front of you. Then the
Wise Princess will appear."
Ivan-the-King's-Son set out on his journey. He walked and walked, but
whether the way was long, or whether it was short, whether it was near
or far, the story doesn't say. He wore out three pairs of iron boots,
and at last he reached a cottage with chickens' legs.
"Cottage, cottage, stand still, as your mother placed you, with your
front to me, and your back to the wood."
The cottage turned round, the King's Son went into it, and there an old
woman all bony was sitting and spinning gold. She took her spindle, shut
it up in a cupboard, and locked the door with a key. But
Ivan-the-King's-Son managed to snatch the key and to open the cupboard.
He took the spindle and broke it in two pieces; he threw one piece
behind him and one piece in front of him. At the same moment the Wise
Princess appeared before him.
"Ah, Ivan-the-King's-Son, what a long time you have been coming! I had
nearly married some one else." Then she took him by the hand, and they
sat down on a magic carpet, and flew back to Ivan-the-King's-Son's
house.
On the fourth day the carpet stopped at the royal palace. The King met
his son with great joy and gave a large feast. When it was over, he
appointed Ivan-the-King's-Son to be his heir.