The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang (e novels for free .txt) 📖
- Author: Andrew Lang
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of the third day he saw a palace still grander than the former one
and hard by the palace stood an oak, and on the oak sat an eagle.
Down flew the Eagle from the oak, smote upon the ground, turned
into a brave youth, and cried aloud:
`Rise up, Princess Olga! Hither comes our brother dear!’
The Princess Olga immediately ran to meet him, and began
kissing him and embracing him, asking after his health, and telling
him all about herself. With them Prince Ivan stopped three days;
then he said:
`I cannot stay here any longer. I am going to look for my
wife, the fair Princess Marya Morevna.’
`Hard will it be for you to find her,’ replied the Eagle. `Leave
with us a silver fork. We will look at it and remember you.’
He left a silver fork behind, and went his way. He travelled
one day, he travelled two days; at daybreak on the third day he
saw a palace grander than the first two, and near the palace stood
an oak, and on the oak sat a raven. Down flew the Raven from
the oak, smote upon the ground, turned into a brave youth, and
cried aloud:
`Princess Anna, come forth quickly I our brother is coming.’
Out ran the Princess Anna, greeted him joyfully, and began
kissing and embracing him, asking after his health and telling him
all about herself. Prince Ivan stayed with them three days; then
he said:
`Farewell! I am going to look for my wife, the fair Princess
Marya Morevna.’
`Hard will it be for you to find her,’ replied the Raven.
`Anyhow, leave your silver snuff-box with us. We will look at it and
remember you.’
The Prince handed over his silver snuff-box, took his leave, and
went his way. One day he went, another day he went, and on the
third day he came to where Marya Morevna was. She caught
sight of her love, flung her arms around his neck, burst into tears,
and exclaimed:
`Oh, Prince Ivan! why did you disobey me and go looking into
the closet and letting out Koshchei the Deathless?’
`Forgive me, Marya Morevna! Remember not the past; much
better fly with me while Koshchei the Deathless is out of sight.
Perhaps he won’t catch us.’
So they got ready and fled. Now Koshchei was out hunting.
Towards evening he was returning home, when his good steed
stumbled beneath him.
`Why stumblest thou, sorry jade? Scentest thou some ill?’
The steed replied:
`Prince Ivan has come and carried off Marya Morevna.’
`Is it possible to catch them?’
`It is possible to sow wheat, to wait till it grows up, to reap it
and thresh it, to grind it to flour, to make five pies of it, to eat
those pies, and then to start in pursuit—and even then to be in time.’
Koshchei galloped off and caught up Prince Ivan.
`Now,’ says he, `this time I will forgive you, in return for your
kindness in giving me water to drink. And a second time I will
forgive you; but the third time beware! I will cut you to bits.’
Then he took Marya Morevna from him, and carried her off.
But Prince Ivan sat down on a stone and burst into tears. He
wept and wept—and then returned back again to Marya Morevna.
Now Koshchei the Deathless happened not to be at home.
`Let us fly, Marya Morevna!’
`Ah, Prince Ivan! he will catch us.’
`Suppose he does catch us. At all events we shall have spent
an hour or two together.’
So they got ready and fled. As Koshchei the Deathless was
returning home, his good steed stumbled beneath him.
`Why stumblest thou, sorry jade? Scentest thou some ill?’
`Prince Ivan has come and carried off Marya Morevna.’
`Is it possible to catch them?’
`It is possible to sow barley, to wait till it grows up, to reap it
and thresh it, to brew beer, to drink ourselves drunk on it, to sleep
our fill, and then to set off in pursuit—and yet to be in time.’
Koshchei galloped off, caught up Prince Ivan:
`Didn’t I tell you that you should not see Marya Morevna any
more than your own ears?’
And he took her away and carried her off home with him.
Prince Ivan was left there alone. He wept and wept; then he
went back again after Marya Morevna. Koshchei happened to be
away from home at that moment.
`Let us fly, Marya Morevna!’
`Ah, Prince Ivan! he is sure to catch us and hew you in
pieces.’
`Let him hew away! I cannot live without you.
So they got ready and fled.
Koshchei the Deathless was returning home when his good
steed stumbled beneath him.
`Why stumblest thou? Scentest thou any ill?’
`Prince Ivan has come and has carried off Marya Morevna.’
Koshchei galloped off, caught Prince Ivan, chopped him into
little pieces, put them into a barrel, smeared it with pitch and bound
it with iron hoops, and flung it into the blue sea. But Marya
Morevna he carried off home.
At that very time the silver articles turned black which Prince
Ivan had left with his brothers-in-law.
`Ah!’ said they, `the evil is accomplished sure enough!’
Then the Eagle hurried to the blue sea, caught hold of the
barrel, and dragged it ashore; the Falcon flew away for the Water
of Life, and the Raven for the Water of Death.
Afterwards they all three met, broke open the barrel, took out
the remains of Prince Ivan, washed them, and put them together
in fitting order. The Raven sprinkled them with the Water of
Death—the pieces joined together, the body became whole. The
Falcon sprinkled it with the Water of Life—Prince Ivan shuddered,
stood up, and said:
`Ah! what a time I’ve been sleeping!’
`You’d have gone on sleeping a good deal longer if it hadn’t been for us,’
replied his brothers-in-law. `Now come and pay us a visit.’
`Not so, brothers; I shall go and look for Marya Morevna.’
And when he had found her, he said to her:
`Find out from Koshchei the Deathless whence he got so good a steed.’
So Marya Morevna chose a favourable moment, and began
asking Koshchei about it. Koshchei replied:
`Beyond thrice nine lands, in the thirtieth kingdom, on the
other side of the fiery river, there lives a Baba Yaga. She has so
good a mare that she flies right round the world on it every day.
And she has many other splendid mares. I watched her herds for
three days without losing a single mare, and in return for that the
Baba Yaga gave me a foal.’
`But how did you get across the fiery river?’
`Why, I’ve a handkerchief of this kind—when I wave it thrice
on the right hand, there springs up a very lofty bridge, and the fire
cannot reach it.’
Marya Morevna listened to all this, and repeated it to Prince
Ivan, and she carried off the handkerchief and gave it to him. So
he managed to get across the fiery river, and then went on to the
Baba Yaga’s. Long went he on without getting anything either to
eat or to drink. At last he came across an outlandish bird and its
young ones. Says Prince Ivan:
`I’ll eat one of these chickens.’
`Don’t eat it, Prince Ivan!’ begs the outlandish bird; `some
time or other I’ll do you a good turn.’
He went on farther and saw a hive of bees in the forest.
`I’ll get a bit of honeycomb,’ says he.
`Don’t disturb my honey, Prince Ivan!’ exclaims the queen-bee; `some time or other I’ll do you a good turn.’
So he didn’t disturb it, but went on. Presently there met him
a lioness with her cub.
`Anyhow, I’ll eat this lion cub,’ says he; `I’m so hungry I feel
quite unwell!’
`Please let us alone, Prince Ivan!’ begs the lioness; `some
time or other I’ll do you a good turn.’
`Very well; have it your own way,’ says he.
Hungry and faint he wandered on, walked farther and farther,
and at last came to where stood the house of the Baba Yaga.
Round the house were set twelve poles in a circle, and on each of
eleven of these poles was stuck a human head; the twelfth alone
remained unoccupied.
`Hail, granny!’
`Hail, Prince Ivan! wherefore have yon come? Is it of your
own accord, or on compulsion?’
`I have come to earn from you an heroic steed.’
`So be it, Prince! You won’t have to serve a year with me, but
just three days. If you take good care of my mares, I’ll give you
an heroic steed. But if you don’t—why, then you mustn’t be annoyed
at finding your head stuck on top of the last pole up there.’
Prince Ivan agreed to these terms. The Baba Yaga gave him
food and drink, and bade him set about his business. But the
moment he had driven the mares afield, they cocked up their tails,
and away they tore across the meadows in all directions. Before
the Prince had time to look round they were all out of sight.
Thereupon he began to weep and to disquiet himself, and then he
sat down upon a stone and went to sleep. But when the sun was
near its setting the outlandish bird came flying up to him, and
awakened him, saying:
`Arise, Prince Ivan! The mares are at home now.’
The Prince arose and returned home. There the Baba Yaga
was storming and raging at her mares, and shrieking:
`Whatever did ye come home for?’
`How could we help coming home?’ said they. `There came
flying birds from every part of the world, and all but pecked our
eyes out.’
`Well, well! to-morrow don’t go galloping over the meadows,
but disperse amid the thick forests.’
Prince Ivan slept all night. In the morning the Baba Yaga says
to him:
`Mind, Prince! if you don’t take good care of the mares, if
you lose merely one of them—your bold head will be stuck on
that pole!’
He drove the mares afield. Immediately they cocked up their
tails and dispersed among the thick forests. Again did the Prince
sit down on the stone, weep and weep, and then go to sleep. The
sun went down behind the forest. Up came running the lioness.
`Arise, Prince Ivan! The mares are all collected.’
Prince Ivan arose and went home. More than ever did the
Baba Yaga storm at her mares and shriek:
`Whatever did ye come back home for?’
`How could we help coming back? Beasts of prey came
running at us from all parts of the world, and all but tore us utterly
to pieces.’
`Well, to-morrow run off into the blue sea.’
Again did Prince Ivan sleep through the night. Next morning
the Baba Yaga sent him forth to watch the mares.
`If you don’t take good care of them,’ says she, `your bold head
will be stuck on that pole!’
He drove the mares afield. Immediately they cocked up their
tails, disappeared from sight, and fled into the blue sea. There
they stood, up to their necks in water. Prince Ivan sat down on
the stone, wept, and fell asleep. But when the sun had set behind
the forest, up came flying a bee, and said:
`Arise, Prince! The
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