Chapter II. MYTHOLOGICAL, part 2 · page 21 2101She told him that her brother Norka was then at her youngest sister's.102So he went on to the youngest sister, who lived in a golden palace.103She told him that her brother was at that time asleep on the blue sea, and she gave him a sword of steel and a draught of the Water of Strength, and she told him to cut off her brother's head at a single stroke.104And when he had heard these things, he went his way.105And when the Prince came to the blue sea, he looked--there slept Norka on a stone in the middle of the sea; and when it snored, the water was agitated for seven versts around.106The Prince crossed himself, went up to it and smote it on the head with his sword.107The head jumped off, saying the while, "Well, I'm done for now!" and rolled far away into the sea.108After killing the Beast, the Prince went back again, picking up all the three sisters by the way, with the intention of taking them out into the upper world: for they all loved him and would not be separated from him.109Each of them turned her palace into an egg--for they were all enchantresses--and they taught him how to turn the eggs into palaces, and back again, and they handed over the eggs to him.110And then they all went to the place from which they had to be hoisted into the upper world.111And when they came to where the rope was, the Prince took hold of it and made the maidens fast to it.112[88] Then he jerked away at the rope, and his brothers began to haul it up.113And when they had hauled it up, and had set eyes on the wondrous maidens, they went aside and said: "Let's lower the rope, pull our brother part of the way up, and then cut the rope.114Perhaps he'll be killed; but then if he isn't, he'll never give us these beauties as wives."115So when they had agreed on this, they lowered the rope.116But their brother was no fool; he guessed what they were at, so he fastened the rope to a stone, and then gave it a pull.117His brothers hoisted the stone to a great height, and then cut the rope.118Down fell the stone and broke in pieces; the Prince poured forth tears and went away.119Well, he walked and walked.120Presently a storm arose; the lightning flashed, the thunder roared, the rain fell in torrents.121He went up to a tree in order to take shelter under it, and on that tree he saw some young birds which were being thoroughly drenched.122So he took off his coat and covered them over with it, and he himself sat down under the tree.123Presently there came flying a bird--such a big one, that the light was blotted out by it.124It had been dark there before, but now it became darker still.125Now this was the mother of those small birds which the Prince had covered up.126And when the bird had come flying up, she perceived that her little ones were covered over, and she said, "Who has wrapped up my nestlings?" and presently, seeing the Prince, she added: "Didst thou do that?127Thanks!128In return, ask of me any thing thou desirest.129I will do anything for thee."130"Then carry me into the other world," he replied.131"Make me a large _zasyek_[89] with a partition in the middle," she said; "catch all sorts of game, and put them into one half of it, and into the other half pour water; so that there may be meat and drink for me."132All this the Prince did.133Then the bird--having taken the _zasyek_ on her back, with the Prince sitting in the middle of it--began to fly.134And after flying some distance she brought him to his journey's end, took leave of him, and flew away back.135But he went to the house of a certain tailor, and engaged himself as his servant.136So much the worse for wear was he, so thoroughly had he altered in appearance, that nobody would have suspected him of being a Prince.1 2← previousChapter II. MYTHOLOGICAL, part 1next →Chapter II. MYTHOLOGICAL, 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/pg22373/20/page/2/