Magic and Witchcraft., part 2 · page 21 2101The bride and bridegroom came out from the white stone halls.102The Princess got into the carriage and waited to see what would become of Prince Ivan; whether the magic horse would fling his curls to the wind, and scatter his bones across the open plain.103Prince Ivan approached the horse, laid his hand upon its back, placed his foot in the stirrup--the horse stood just as if petrified, didn't so much as wag an ear!104The Prince got on its back, the magic horse sank into the earth up to its fetlocks.105The twelve chains were taken off the horse, it began to move with an even heavy pace, while the sweat poured off it just like hail.106"What a hero!107What immeasurable strength!" cried the people as they gazed upon the Prince.108So the bride and bridegroom were married, and then they began to move out of the church, holding each other by the hand.109The Princess took it into her head to make one more trial of Prince Ivan, so she squeezed his hand so hard that he could not bear the pain.110His face became suffused with blood, his eyes disappeared beneath his brows.111"A fine sort of hero you are!" thought the Princess. "112Your tutor has tricked me splendidly; but you sha'n't get off for nothing!"113Princess Anna the Fair lived for some time with Prince Ivan as a wife ought to live with a god-given[320] husband, flattered him in every way in words, but in reality never thought of anything except by what means she might get rid of Katoma.114With the Prince, without the tutor, there'd be no difficulty in settling matters! she said to herself.115But whatever slanders she might invent, Prince Ivan never would allow himself to be influenced by what she said, but always felt sorry for his tutor.116At the end of a year he said to his wife one day--117"Beauteous Princess, my beloved spouse!118I should like to go with you to my own kingdom."119"By all means," replied she, "let us go.120I myself have long been wishing to see your kingdom."121Well they got ready and went off; Katoma was allotted the post of coachman.122They drove and drove, and as they drove along Prince Ivan went to sleep.123Suddenly the Princess Anna the Fair awoke him, uttering loud complaints--124"Listen, Prince, you're always sleeping, you hear nothing!125But your tutor doesn't obey me a bit, drives the horses on purpose over hill and dale, just as if he wanted to put an end to us both.126I tried speaking him fair, but he jeered at me.127I won't go on living any longer if you don't punish him!"128Prince Ivan, 'twixt sleeping and waking, waxed very wroth with his tutor, and handed him over entirely to the Princess, saying--129"Deal with him as you please!"130The Princess ordered his feet to be cut off.131Katoma submitted patiently to the outrage.132"Very good," he thinks; "I shall suffer, it's true; but the Prince also will know what to lead a wretched life is like!"133When both of Katoma's feet had been cut off, the Princess glanced around, and saw that a tall tree-stump stood on one side; so she called her servants and ordered them to set him on that stump.134But as for Prince Ivan, she tied him to the carriage by a cord, turned the horses round, and drove back to her own kingdom.135Katoma was left sitting on the stump, weeping bitter tears.136"Farewell, Prince Ivan!" he cries; "you won't forget me!"137Meanwhile Prince Ivan was running and bounding behind the carriage.138He knew well enough by this time what a blunder he had made, but there was no turning back for him.139When the Princess Anna the Fair arrived in her kingdom, she set Prince Ivan to take care of the cows.140Every day he went afield with the herd at early morn, and in the evening he drove them back to the royal yard.141At that hour the Princess was always sitting on the balcony, and looking out to see that the number of the cows were all right.142[321]143Katoma remained sitting on the stump one day, two days, three days, without anything to eat or drink.144To get down was utterly impossible, it seemed as if he must die of starvation.145But not far away from that place there was a dense forest.146In that forest was living a mighty hero who was quite blind.147The only way by which he could get himself food was this: whenever he perceived by the sense of smell that any animal was running past him, whether a hare, or a fox, or a bear, he immediately started in chase of it, caught it--and dinner was ready for him.148The hero was exceedingly swift-footed, and there was not a single wild beast which could run away from him.149Well, one day it fell out thus.150A fox slunk past; the hero heard it, and was after it directly.151It ran up to the tall stump, and turned sharp off on one-side; but the blind hero hurried on, took a spring, and thumped his forehead against the stump so hard that he knocked the stump out by the roots.152Katoma fell to the ground, and asked:1 2← previousMagic and Witchcraft., part 1next →Magic and Witchcraft., 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/pg22373/43/page/2/