🧚 Opening, part 30

“Good-day, Tsarévich,” said Bába Yagá:1

“Is it work on your way, Or for sloth do you stray?”2

“Hey, _bábushka_, give me food and drink, and ask me afterwards.”3

So she then gave him food and drink, and the Tsarévich told her all his sorrow without any concealment—whither he was going and why.4

Then Bába Yagá said to him, “Go, my child, to the sea; there you will find twelve spoonbills flying in the air, they will turn into fair maidens, who will bathe.5 You go and hide yourself, and seize the shirt of the eldest maiden.6 When you have made friends with her, go to the Sea Tsar.”7

The Tsarévich bade farewell to Bába Yagá, went to the spot she named on the seashore, and he hid himself behind the bushes.8 Then twelve spoonbills flew along, struck the grey earth, and turned into fair maidens, who began bathing.9 The Tsarévich stole the maiden’s shirt, sat behind the bush, and never stirred.10 The maidens came out of the sea and went on shore: eleven of them struck the earth, turned into birds and flew home: one was left alone, the eldest—Vasilísa the Wise.11 And when she saw that her sisters flew away she said, “Do not seek me, my dear sisters, but fly home.12 I am myself to blame; it is all my own fault; I did not look, and I must pay the cost.”13 So the sisters, the fair maidens, struck the grey earth and turned into spoonbills, spread their wings, and flew far away.14 Vasilísa the Wise was left by herself, and she looked round and said: “Whoever he be who now has my shirt, let him come here: if he be an old man, he shall be as my own father; if he be a middle-aged man, he shall be as my beloved brother; if he be of my age, he shall be my lover.”15

As soon as he heard this, Iván Tsarévich came out of his lurking-place.16 So she gave him a golden ring and said, “Iván Tsarévich, how long you have been in coming!17 The Sea Tsar is wroth with you.18 That is the road which leads to the kingdom under the sea; come on it boldly.19 There you will find me as well, for I am Vasilísa the Wise, the daughter of the Sea Tsar.”20 Then Vasilísa the Wise, the eldest, struck the earth, turned into a spoonbill, and flew away from the Tsarévich.21

Then Iván went into the under-seas, and he saw light there as it is above, fields and meadows and green arbours; and the sun was hot.22 Then he came to the Sea Tsar, and the Sea Tsar shrieked out at him: “Why have you been so long?23 You have been guilty, and you must do me this service: I have a piece of waste ground thirty versts long and broad, and there is nothing on it except ditches, ravines and sharp stones.24 By to-morrow morning all this must be as smooth as the palm of my hand; rye must be sown and grow so high that a jackdaw might be hidden in it.25 But if you fail, your head shall roll off your shoulders.”26

Iván Tsarévich left the Sea Tsar and wept a sea of tears.27 Out of the window of her room, from a lofty turret, Vasilísa the Wise saw him and asked, “Hail, Iván Tsarévich! why are you weeping?”28

“How should I not weep?” answered Iván.29 “The Sea Tsar has bidden me in a single night level the ravines and clear the stones from a piece of land thirty versts long and broad, and grow rye on it so high that a jackdaw might hide in it.”30

“That is easy enough: this is no trouble—trouble is still ahead.31 Come and lie down in peace; the morning is wiser than the evening.32 All shall be ready.”33

So Iván Tsarévich went and lay down, and Vasilísa the Wise went to a little window and cried in a thunderous voice, “Hail, my faithful servants, go and level the deep ravines, take away the sharp stones, sow the ground with full-eared rye, so that in the morning it shall grow so high that a jackdaw might hide in it.”34

In the morning Iván Tsarévich awoke, and when he looked out it was all done: there were no ravines and no crevasses, and the field was as flat as the palm of his hand, and the rye on it was red and so lofty that a jackdaw might hide in it.35 And he went to report his prowess to the Sea Tsar.36

“Thank you,” said the Sea Tsar.37 “You have been able to fulfil me this service.38 Here is your second work.39 I have thirty hayricks, and each hayrick contains as much as thirty piles of white-eared barley.40 Thresh me all the barley clean, quite clean to the last grain, and do not destroy the hayricks nor beat down the sheaves.41 If you do not do this, your shoulders and your head will part company.”42

“I will obey your Majesty,” said Iván Tsarévich, and again he went to the courtyard and was lost in tears.43

“Why are you weeping, Iván Tsarévich, so bitterly?”44 Vasilísa the Wise asked him.45

“Why should I not weep?46 The Sea Tsar has bidden me thresh clean thirty hayricks of barley without destroying a hayrick or a single sheaf, and all in a single night.”47

“That is an easy task.48 Harder tasks are to come.49 Sleep in peace, for the morning is wiser than the evening.”50

So Iván Tsarévich went and lay down.51

Vasilísa went to her window and cried out in a threatening voice, “Hail, ye creeping ants, as many as there be of you in the white world, all creep here and pick out all the corn of my father’s hayricks quite cleanly.”52

In the morning the Sea Tsar asked Iván Tsarévich if he had done this service.53

“I have, your Majesty.”54

“Let us go and see.”55

So they went to the barn floor, and there all the hayricks stood untouched; and they went to the granary, and all the lofts were filled to the top with corn.56

“Thank you, brother,” said the Sea Tsar.57 “Now you must make me a church out of white wax, to be ready to-night, and this shall be your last task.”58

Once again Iván Tsarévich went to the courtyard and began to weep.59

“Why are you weeping, Iván Tsarévich?”60

“Why should I not weep?61 The Sea Tsar has bidden me in a single night build a church of white wax.”62

“That is an easy task: harder tasks are near at hand.63 Lie down in peace, for the morning is wiser than the evening.”64

So Iván Tsarévich went to sleep.65

Then she went to her window and called to her all the bees in the white world, “Hail, ye bees my servants, do ye build me a church of your white wax, and let it be finished before the morning.”66

In the morning Iván got up, looked, and saw the church stood there made of clean wax, and he went to the Sea Tsar and reported.67

“Thank you, Iván Tsarévich: of all the servants I have had, none of them have been able to do as well as you.68 Now be my heir and the preserver of my kingdom.69 Now select yourself a bride out of my twelve daughters.70 They are all alike, face for face, hair with hair, clothing with clothing.71 If you guess three times the same one, she shall be your bride; if you do not, you shall suffer.”72