Magic and Witchcraft., part 1 · page 21 2101"Why now, if I wanted, I could give the whole world a jolt."102"Oh that's plenty then!103Now make these tubs change places--that which stands on the right, set on the left: and that which is on the left, change to the right."104Prince Ivan took the tubs and made them change places.105Says the Queen--106"See now, my dear son; in one of these tubs is the 'Water of Strength,' in the other is the 'Water of Weakness.'107[313] He who drinks of the former becomes a mighty hero, but he who drinks of the second loses all his vigor.108Vikhor always quaffs the Strong Water, and places it on the right-hand side; therefore you must deceive him, or you will never be able to hold out against him."109The Queen proceeds to tell her son that, when Vikhor comes home, he must hide beneath her purple cloak, and watch for an opportunity of seizing her gaoler's magic mace.110[314] Vikhor will fly about till he is tired, and will then have recourse to what he supposes is the "Strong Water;" this will render him so feeble that the Prince will be able to kill him.111Having received these instructions, and having been warned not to strike Vikhor after he is dead, the Prince conceals himself.112Suddenly the day becomes darkened, the palace quivers, and Vikhor arrives; stamping on the ground, he becomes a noble gallant, who enters the palace, "holding in his hands a battle mace."113This Prince Ivan seizes, and a long struggle takes place between him and Vikhor, who flies away with him over seas and into the clouds.114At last, Vikhor becomes exhausted and seeks the place where he expects to find the invigorating draught on which he is accustomed to rely.115The result is as follows:116Dropping right into his cellar, Vikhor ran to the tub which stood on the right, and began drinking the Water of Weakness.117But Prince Ivan rushed to the left, quaffed a deep draught of the Water of Strength, and became the mightiest hero in the whole world.118Then seeing that Vikhor was perfectly enfeebled, he snatched from him his keen faulchion, and with a single blow struck off his head.119Behind him voices began to cry:1 2← previousChapter III. MYTHOLOGICAL, part 7next →Magic and Witchcraft., part 2↑ back to Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-loreThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/42/page/2/