🧚 Opening, part 16

ILYÁ MÚROMETS[20] AND SVYATOGÓR THE KNIGHT1

From the famous city of Múrom, out of the village of Karachárovo, the valiant, doughty youth Ilyá Múromets, the son of Iván, set out far into the open fields.2 The valiant champion met on his way the mighty knight Svyatogór; and the good youth was afraid of him; the old Cossack, Ilyá Múromets, was afraid of Svyatogór the knight.3 So he set his horse to browse and himself mounted a thick grey oak to avoid Svyatogór the knight.4 Svyatogór the knight arrived under that same stout oak, put up his white linen tent, and took his wife out of his pocket.5 She spread out the chequered table-cloths and put sugary food and honeyed drink for him to eat.6 Svyatogór ate until he was sated, and drank until he was satisfied, and lay down to repose.7

Then the wife of the knight observed Ilyá up in the grey oak, and spoke to him in this wise: “Hail, valiant and brave youth; climb down from the grey oak.8 If you do not climb down from the grey oak, you will arouse Svyatogór the knight, and he will give you to a speedy death.”9

So Ilyá Múromets was afraid of Svyatogór, and slid down from the grey oak.10

And again she spoke in this wise: “Come and do fornication with me, good youth.11 If you do not, I will arouse Svyatogór the knight, and he will give you to a speedy death.”12

So he did as he was bidden and went with her into the pocket of Svyatogór.13 Svyatogór arose from a sound sleep, saddled his horse, and went to the Holy Mountains.14 Then his horse began to sink fast into the earth, until the knight dug his spurs into his horse’s fat haunches.15

Then the horse spoke with a human voice: “I have carried you Svyatogór the knight and your young wife, but I cannot carry two knights and your young wife as well.”16

So then Svyatogór put his hand into the depths of his pocket, took his young wife out, and discovered Ilyá Múromets.17

“How did you get into the depths of my pocket?”18

“Your young wife forced me in there; she threatened my life.”19 And Ilyá Múromets told Svyatogór the knight how he had fallen into the depths of the pocket.20

So Svyatogór took his young wife, cut off her unruly head, broke up her white body into four parts, and scattered them on the bare fields.21

Then Ilyá and Svyatogór made themselves sworn brothers, and they set out to the Holy Mountains.22 They came to a deep tomb, and the tomb was decked with red-gold.23 Svyatogór the knight lay down in that tomb as if it had been built for him.24

“Cover me over with boards, my sworn brother,” he said.25 And, as Ilyá covered him over with boards, the boards by Divine grace grew as they were required.26 “Uncover me, my sworn brother!”27

But Ilyá Múromets had not the strength to uncover him; so he began to break the boards with his sword, and wherever he brandished his sword, hoops arose in his way.28

“Take my sword, my sworn brother!”29

And Ilyá took the sword, but had not the strength to lift it up.30

“Come, my sworn brother, I will give you strength.”31

Ilyá then went into the pit and Svyatogór breathed on him with his knightly breath.32 Then Ilyá took that sword, and wherever he made a stroke, iron hoops arose around.33

“Come to me a second time, my sworn brother; I will give you more strength.”34

Ilyá Múromets said at once: “If I come down to you again, then our mother the grey earth will not be able to bear it: I have enough strength.”35

But Svyatogór answered: “If you had come down again I should have breathed on you with a fatal breath, and you would have lain down to sleep beside me.”36

So there Svyatogór the knight remains to this day.37

THE SMITH AND THE DEVIL38

Once upon a time there was a smith who had a son six years old—a sturdy and sensible lad.39 One day the old man was going into the church, and stood in front of a picture of the Last Judgment.40 And he saw there was a devil painted there so terrible, so black, with horns and tail!41 “What a fine devil!” he thought.42 “I will go and paint such a devil for myself in the smithy.”43 So he sent for a painter and told him to paint on the doors of the smithy a devil who should be exactly the same as the one he had seen in the church.44 This was done.45

From this time forward, the old man, whenever he went into the smithy, always looked at the devil and said, “Hail, fellow-countryman!”46 And soon after he would go up to the forge, light the fire, and set to work.47 So he went on living for some ten years on most excellent terms with the devil.48 Then he fell ill and died.49 His son succeeded him and took over the smithy.50 But he had no such respect for the devil as his father had had.51 Whether he went early to the smithy or not, nothing prospered; and, instead of greeting the devil kindly, he went and took his very biggest hammer and knocked the devil three times on his forehead, and then set to work.52 When a holy feast-day came by, he went into the church and lit a taper in front of the saints; but, as he approached the devil he spat on him.53 For three whole years this went on; and every day he greeted the unclean spirit with a hammer and spat on him.54

The devil was very patient, and endured all this maltreatment.55 At last it became beyond bearing, and he would stand it no longer.56 “Time is up!” he thought.57 “I must put an end to such contemptuous treatment.”58 So the devil turned himself into a fine lad and came into the smithy.59

“How do you do, uncle?” he said.60

“Very well, thank you!”61

“Will you take me into the smithy as an apprentice?62 I will heat your coals and will blow the bellows.”63

Well, the smith was very glad.64 “I certainly will!” he said.65 “Two heads are better than one.”66

So the devil turned apprentice, and he lived a month with him, and soon got to know all of the smith’s work better than the master himself; and, whatever the master could not do, he instantly carried out.67 Oh, it was a fine sight, and the smith so grew to love him, and was so content with him—I cannot tell you how much!68

One day he did not come into the smithy, and left his underling to do the work; and it was all done.69

Once when the master was not at home, and only the workman was left in the smithy, he saw an old rich lady passing by.70 He bobbed out his head, and cried: “Hail there!71 There is new work to be done—old folks to be turned into young!”72

Out skipped the old lady from her barouche and into the smithy.73 “What are you saying you can do?74 Is that really true?75 Do you mean it?76 Are you mad?” she asked the boy.77

“No reason to start lecturing me,” the Evil Spirit answered.78 “If I didn’t know how I should not have summoned you.”79

“What would it cost?” the rich woman asked.80

“It would cost five hundred roubles.”81

“Well, there is the money.82 Turn me into a young woman!”83

The Evil Spirit took the money, and sent the coachman into the village to get two buckets of milk.84 And he seized the lady by the legs with the pinchers, threw her into the forge, and burned her all up.85 Nothing but her bones were left.86 When the two tubs of milk came, he emptied them into a pail, collected all the bones, and threw them into the milk.87 Lo and behold! in three minutes out the lady came, young—yes, alive and young, and so beautiful!88