Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 2 · page 21 2 3101Go and see him off."102So she went to see him off.103They passed out into the street.104"Tell me, Marusia," says he, "were you in the church?"105"No."106"Did you see what I was doing?"107"No."108"Very well!109To-morrow your mother will die."110He spoke and disappeared.111Marusia returned home sadder than ever.112The night went by; next morning, when she awoke, her mother lay dead!113She cried all day long; but when the sun set, and it grew dark around, Marusia became afraid of being left alone; so she went to her companions.114"Why, whatever's the matter with you? you're clean out of countenance!"115[21] say the girls.116"How am I likely to be cheerful?117Yesterday my father died, and to-day my mother."118"Poor thing!119Poor unhappy girl!" they all exclaim sympathizingly.120Well, the time came to say good-bye. "121See me off, Marusia," says the Fiend.122So she went out to see him off.123"Tell me; were you in the church?"124"No."125"And saw what I was doing?"126"No."127"Very well!128To-morrow evening you will die yourself!"129Marusia spent the night with her friends; in the morning she got up and considered what she should do.130She bethought herself that she had a grandmother--an old, very old woman, who had become blind from length of years. "131Suppose I go and ask her advice," she said, and then went off to her grandmother's.132"Good-day, granny!" says she.133"Good-day, granddaughter!134What news is there with you?135How are your father and mother?"136"They are dead, granny," replied the girl, and then told her all that had happened.137The old woman listened, and said:--138"Oh dear me! my poor unhappy child!139Go quickly to the priest, and ask him this favor--that if you die, your body shall not be taken out of the house through the doorway, but that the ground shall be dug away from under the threshold, and that you shall be dragged out through that opening.140And also beg that you may be buried at a crossway, at a spot where four roads meet."141Marusia went to the priest, wept bitterly, and made him promise to do everything according to her grandmother's instructions.142Then she returned home, bought a coffin, lay down in it, and straightway expired.143Well, they told the priest, and he buried, first her father and mother, and then Marusia herself.144Her body was passed underneath the threshold and buried at a crossway.145Soon afterwards a seigneur's son happened to drive past Marusia's grave.146On that grave he saw growing a wondrous flower, such a one as he had never seen before.147Said the young seigneur to his servant:--148"Go and pluck up that flower by the roots.149We'll take it home and put it in a flower-pot.150Perhaps it will blossom there."151Well, they dug up the flower, took it home, put it in a glazed flower-pot, and set it in a window.152The flower began to grow larger and more beautiful.153One night the servant hadn't gone to sleep somehow, and he happened to be looking at the window, when he saw a wondrous thing take place.154All of a sudden the flower began to tremble, then it fell from its stem to the ground, and turned into a lovely maiden.155The flower was beautiful, but the maiden was more beautiful still.156She wandered from room to room, got herself various things to eat and drink, ate and drank, then stamped upon the ground and became a flower as before, mounted to the window, and resumed her place upon the stem.157Next day the servant told the young seigneur of the wonders which he had seen during the night.158"Ah, brother!" said the youth, "why didn't you wake me?159To-night we'll both keep watch together."160The night came; they slept not, but watched.161Exactly at twelve o'clock the blossom began to shake, flew from place to place, and then fell to the ground, and the beautiful maiden appeared, got herself things to eat and drink, and sat down to supper.162The young seigneur rushed forward and seized her by her white hands.163Impossible was it for him sufficiently to look at her, to gaze on her beauty!164Next morning he said to his father and mother, "Please allow me to get married.165I've found myself a bride."166His parents gave their consent.167As for Marusia, she said:168"Only on this condition will I marry you--that for four years I need not go to church."169"Very good," said he.170Well, they were married, and they lived together one year, two years, and had a son.171But one day they had visitors at their house, who enjoyed themselves, and drank, and began bragging about their wives.172This one's wife was handsome; that one's was handsomer still.173"You may say what you like," says the host, "but a handsomer wife than mine does not exist in the whole world!"174"Handsome, yes!" reply the guests, "but a heathen."175"How so?"176"Why, she never goes to church."177Her husband found these observations distasteful.178He waited till Sunday, and then told his wife to get dressed for church.179"I don't care what you may say," says he. "180Go and get ready directly."181Well, they got ready, and went to church.182The husband went in--didn't see anything particular.183But when she looked round--there was the Fiend sitting at a window.184"Ha! here you are, at last!" he cried. "185Remember old times.186Were you in the church that night?"187"No."188"And did you see what I was doing there?"189"No."190"Very well!191To-morrow both your husband and your son will die."192Marusia rushed straight out of the church and away to her grandmother.193The old woman gave her two phials, the one full of holy water, the other of the water of life, and told her what she was to do.194Next day both Marusia's husband and her son died.195Then the Fiend came flying to her and asked:--196"Tell me; were you in the church?"197"I was."198"And did you see what I was doing?"199"You were eating a corpse."200She spoke, and splashed the holy water over him; in a moment he turned into mere dust and ashes, which blew to the winds.1 2 3← previousChapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 1next →Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 3↑ back to Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-loreThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/12/page/2/