🧚 Opening, part 18

“Give me a kiss, fair maiden!”1

The Tsarévna was not ashamed, pressed him to her very heart, and kissed him so loud that the entire host heard it!2

Then the King’s son struck his horse one blow and vanished.3 Then he returned to his room, and sat there as though nothing had happened, whilst his servant boasted that he had gone to the battle and slain the foe.4 So the Tsar awarded him great honours, promised him his daughter, and set a great feast.5 But the Tsarévna was not so stupid, and said she had a severe headache.6

What was the future son-in-law to do?7 “Father,” he said to the Tsar, “give me a ship, I will go and get drugs for my bride; and see that your herdsman comes with me, as I am so well accustomed to him.”8

The Tsar consented; gave him the ship and the herdsman.9

So they sailed away, may be far or near.10 Then the servant had a sack sewn, and the Prince put into it, and cast him into the water.11 But the Tsarévna saw the evil thing that had been done, through her magic mirror; and she quickly summoned her carriage and drove to the sea, and on the shore there the Woodsprite sat weaving a great net.12

“Woodsprite, help me on my way, for Dyád’ka the servant has drowned the King’s son!”13

“Here, maiden, look, the net is ready.14 Help me with your white hands.”15

Then the Tsarévna threw the net into the deep; fished the King’s son up, took him home, and told her father the whole story.16

So they celebrated a merry wedding and held a great feast.17 In a Tsar’s palace mead has not to be brewed or any wine to be drawn; there is always enough ready.18

Then the servant in the meantime was buying all sorts of drugs, and came back.19 He came to the palace, was seized, but prayed for mercy.20 But he was too late, and he was shot in front of the castle gate.21

The wedding of the King’s son was very jolly, and all the inns and all the beer-houses were opened for an entire week, for everybody, without any charge.22

I was there.23 I drank honey and mead, which came up to my moustache, but never entered my mouth.24

PRINCE EVSTÁFI25

In a certain kingdom once there lived a Tsar who had a young son—Tsarévich Evstáfi—who did not love visiting or dances, nor promenades, but only liked going in the streets and walking among the poor, the simple folk, and the beggars, and bestowing alms on them.26 And the Tsar was very angry with him for this, and commanded him to be taken up to the gallows and to be delivered to a cruel death.27

So the attendants took the Tsarévich, and were on the point of hanging him, when the Tsarévich fell on his knees before his father and began to ask for three hours’ interval.28 And the Tsar agreed, and gave him the three hours’ respite.29

And the Tsarévich went to the silversmith’s and ordered him to make three chests—one of gold, one of silver, and for the third he was simply to divide a stump into two, to mortise out a trough, and to attach a lock.30 So the smith made the three cases, and took them up to the gallows.31

The Tsar with all his _boyárs_ looked on to see what was going to happen.32 And the Tsarévich opened the cases and showed them.33 On the gold one, very much gold had been poured, on the silver, very much silver had been poured, and the wooden one was buried in dirt.34 He showed them, and once more opened the cases, and then banged them tight.35

And the Tsar was even more angry, and he asked Prince Evstáfi: “What is this new insolence of yours?”36

“My king and my father,” said the Tsarévich Evstáfi, “you are here with the _boyárs_ to value these cases, what they are worth.”37

Then the _boyárs_ valued the silver case at a high price, and the golden one at a higher price still, and did not deign to look at the wooden one.38

And Evstáfi Tsarévich said: “Now open the cases and see what is in them.”39

And they opened the golden case and there were snakes and frogs and all sorts of dirt in it; and looked into the silver one, and they saw the same; and looked into the wooden one, and there trees with leaves and fruit were growing, which emitted sweet odours, and in the middle there was a church and an orchard.40

And the Tsar was humbled; and did not bid Evstáfi be punished.41

VASILÍSA POPÓVNA42

In a certain kingdom, in a certain country, once there lived Vasíli the pope and his daughter, Vasilísa Vasílyevna.43 She used to dress in male fashion, used to sit astride on horseback; shot with her gun, and did nothing like other girls; and there were very few who knew that she was a maiden.44 It was always thought that she was a man, and they called her Vasíli Vasílyevich.45 And the main reason that they so called her was because Vasilísa Vasílyevna loved _vódka_—a custom ill-befitting a maid.46

Once Tsar Bárkhat[22] (this was the name of the King) was travelling through this same country hunting deer, and Vasilísa Vasílyevna met him: she was riding out to hounds in a man’s clothes.47 When Tsar Bárkhat saw her, he asked: “Who is this young man?”48

And an attendant answered him: “Tsar, this is no young man, but a maiden.49 I am certain of it; she is the daughter of Pope Vasíli, and her name is Vasilísa Vasílyevna.”50

The Tsar had hardly reached home before he sent a note to Pope Vasíli, bidding his son Vasíli Vasílyevich come and dine with him at the imperial table.51 And he, in the meantime, went to his old evil-tempered housekeeper and bade her devise some means of eliciting whether Vasíli Vasílyevich were a maiden.52

The old evil housekeeper said: “Hang an embroidery-frame in your palace, at the right hand, and a gun on the left; if she is really Vasilísa Vasílyevna, she will, as soon as ever she enters the palace, first take hold of the frame; but, if it is Vasíli Vasílyevich he will lay hands on the gun.”53

Tsar Bárkhat obeyed the counsel of his ancient evil housekeeper and ordered his attendants to hang an embroidery-frame and a flint-lock up in the palace.54

As soon as ever her father Vasíli received the Tsar’s message he communicated it to his daughter, Vasilísa Vasílyevna, who at once went into the stable and saddled the grey horse with the silver mane, and rode straight out to the courtyard of Tsar Bárkhat.55

Tsar Bárkhat came to meet her.56 She humbly prayed God, crossed herself as is ordained, bowed to all four sides, and greeted Tsar Bárkhat friendlywise, and with him entered the palace.57 They sat down to table together, ate sweetmeats, and drank strong wine.58 After the dinner Vasilísa Vasílyevna went for a walk with the Tsar through the palace.59 As soon as ever she saw the embroidery-frame she began to scold Tsar Bárkhat: “Whatever nonsense have you hanging up there, Tsar Bárkhat?60 I never saw such girlish trash in my father’s house, and I have never heard of it, and yet you find it hanging in Tsar Bárkhat’s palace!”61 And she promptly bade a courteous farewell to the Tsar and rode home.62

And the Tsar was still in a quandary whether she were a maiden or not.63 Two days later Tsar Bárkhat sent another message to Pope Vasíli, begging him send his son Vasíli Vasílyevich.64 As soon as Vasilísa Vasílyevna heard that she went into the stable and saddled the grey horse with the silver mane, and galloped away to Tsar Bárkhat’s courtyard.65 Tsar Bárkhat came to meet her, and she greeted him friendlily, modestly prayed to God, crossed herself, as is becoming, and bowed to the four quarters of the wind.66 At the advice of the old and evil housekeeper he had commanded a sweet pie to be made for supper and pearls to be mixed in it, for the old hag said: “If it is only Vasilísa Vasílyevna, she will take up the pearls; but, if it is Vasíli Vasílyevich, he will throw them under the table.”67