🧚 Opening, part 19 · page 2

“Farewell,” said the Tsar.87 “Thank you for the service you have done me; come and see me, and I will make you a happy man.”88

“Very well; but that’s a fine tale!89 I am a runaway soldier: if I show my head in the town I shall be seized on the spot.”90

“Have no fear, soldier: the Tsar is very fond of me; and, if I ask him for a favour on your behalf and tell him of your bravery, he will forgive you and have pity on you.”91

“Where can I find you?”92

“Go into the palace.”93

“Very well; I will go there to-morrow.”94

So the Tsar and the soldier said good-bye.95 And the Tsar went on the broad road into his capital, and without delay he ordered all the staffs and the watches and the sentries to keep their eyes open, and as soon as a certain soldier came to give him the honour due to a general.96

Next day, as soon as ever the soldier had appeared at the barriers, a sentry ran out and gave him a generous honour.97 So the soldier wondered, “What does this mean?”98 And he asked, “To whom are you showing these honours?”99

“To you, soldier.”100

So he took a handful of gold out of his wallet and gave it to the sentry as a tip.101 Then he entered the town.102 Wherever he went all the sentries gave him honours, and he always paid them back in tips.103 “What a wretched dolt was this servant of the Tsar’s: he has given a hint to everybody that I have plenty of money on me!”104 So he came up to the palace, and the entire army was assembled there, and the Tsar met him in the same dress in which he had gone hunting.105

Then the soldier at last saw with whom he had passed the night in the wood, and he was terribly frightened.106 “This was the Tsar,” he said, “and I threatened him with my cutlass, just as though he had been my brother!”107 But the Tsar took him by the hand and rewarded him with a generalship, and degraded the brother into the ranks, telling him he must not disown his own kin.108

THE TALE OF ALEXANDER OF MACEDON109

Once upon a time there lived a king on the earth whose name was Alexander of Macedon: this was in the old days very long ago.110 So long ago that neither our grandfathers, nor great-grandfathers, nor our great-great-grandfathers, nor our great-great-great-grandfathers recollect it.111 This Tsar was one of the greatest knights of all knights that ever were.112 No champion of earth could ever conquer him.113 He loved warfare, and all his army consisted entirely of knights.114 Whomsoever Tsar Alexander of Macedon might go to combat, he would conquer, and he numbered under his sway all the kings of the earth.115

He went to the edge of the world, and he discovered such peoples that he, however bold he was himself, felt afraid of them; ferocious folk, fiercer than wild beasts, who ate men; live folks who had but one eye; and that eye was on the forehead; folks who had three eyes, folks who had only a single leg; others who had three, and they ran as fast as an arrow darts from the bow.116 The names of these peoples were the Gogs and Magogs.117 Tsar Alexander of Macedon never lost courage at seeing these strange folk, but he set to and waged warfare on them.118 It may be long, it may be short, the war he waged—we do not know.119 Only the wild peoples became dispersed and ran away from him.120 He began to hunt and to chase after them, and he chased them into such thickets, precipices and mountains as no tale can tell and no pen can describe.121

So at last they were able to hide themselves from Tsar Alexander of Macedon.122 What then did Tsar Alexander of Macedon do with them?123 He rolled one mountain over them, and then another roof-wise on top; on the arch he put trumpets, and he went back to his own land.124 The winds blew into the trumpets, and a fearsome roar was then raised to the skies, and the Gogs and Magogs sitting there cried out, “Oh, evidently Alexander of Macedon must still be alive!”125 The Gogs and Magogs are still alive and to this day are afraid of Alexander.126 But, before the end of the world, they shall escape.127

THE BROTHER OF CHRIST128

An old man was dying, and he was enjoining on his son not to forget the poor.129

So on Easter Day he went into the church, and he took some fine eggs with him with which to greet his poor brothers, although his mother was very angry with him for so doing—for she was an evil-minded woman and merciless to the poor.130

When he reached the church there was only one egg left, and there was one dirty old man.131 And the lad took him home to break his fast with him.132

When the mother saw the poor man, she was very wroth.133 “It would be better,” she said, “to break your fast with a dog than with such a filthy old beggar.”134 And she would not break the fast.135

So the son and the old man broke their fast together, and went out for a walk.136 Then the son looked and saw that the dress of the old man was very shabby, but the cross on him burnt like fire.137

“Come,” said the old man, “we will change crosses; you become my brother by the cross.”138

“No, brother,” the lad replied, “however much I may wish it; for I should get such a fine cross as you are carrying, and can give you nothing in return.”139

But the old man overbore the youth, and they exchanged.140 And he asked him to come as his guest on Tuesday in Easter week.141 “And if you want to find your way,” he said, “follow the path yonder.142 You need only say, ‘The Lord bless me!’ and you will find me.”143

That very Tuesday the youth set out on the footpath, and said: “The Lord bless me!” and set out on his way journeying forth.144 He went a little way, and he heard children crying: “Brother of Christ, speak of us to Christ, whether we must be long in pain?”145 And he went on a few steps farther; and he saw maidens ladling water out of one well into another.146 “Brother of Christ!” they said to him, “speak of us to Christ, how long we must remain in torture?”147 And he went on still farther, and saw a hedge, and beneath that hedge there became visible old men, and they were all covered with slime.148 And they said to him: “Brother of Christ, speak of us to Christ, how long shall we remain in pain?”149

And so he went on and on.150 Then he saw the very old man with whom he had broken his fast.151 And the old man asked him: “What did you see on the way?”152

And the youth recounted all that he had met.153

“Well, do you recognise me?” said the old man.154 And it was only at this moment that the peasant boy understood that he was speaking to Jesus Christ Himself.155