“Go,” replied the Saviour, “and on this road you will find a well. There take your fill.” So the Apostles went on and on and on, and they saw a well. When they looked into it there was filth and dirt, toads, snakes and frogs, and everything vile, and the Apostles would not drink of it, and swiftly returned to the Saviour. “Why did you not drink the water?” Christ asked them. “As you, Lord, told us, the well was there, but it was so horrible that we could hardly look into it.” Christ answered never a word. And they went forward on their road. They went on and on and on, and the Apostles again said to the Saviour: “We are thirsty.” So the Saviour sent them in another direction. “There you will see a well. Go and drink your fill.” The Apostles went to the other well, and there it was, beautiful—oh, so delightful! Enchanted trees were there and birds of paradise. They did not ever want to leave it, and they drank of it, and the water was so pure, so chilled, and so sweet. And they came back. “Why have you been so long?” the Saviour asked them. “Why, we only took a short drink,” the Apostles answered, “and we were only away three little minutes.” “You were not there three little minutes, but three whole years,” the Lord answered. “As it was in the first well, so ill shall in the next world deal by the rich peasant; and as it was in the second well, so good shall be the poor widow’s fare.” ILYÁ MÚROMETS[20] AND SVYATOGÓR THE KNIGHT 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. 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. So he set his horse to browse and himself mounted a thick grey oak to avoid Svyatogór the knight. Svyatogór the knight arrived under that same stout oak, put up his white linen tent, and took his wife out of his pocket. She spread out the chequered table-cloths and put sugary food and honeyed drink for him to eat. Svyatogór ate until he was sated, and drank until he was satisfied, and lay down to repose. 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. 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.” So Ilyá Múromets was afraid of Svyatogór, and slid down from the grey oak. And again she spoke in this wise: “Come and do fornication with me, good youth. If you do not, I will arouse Svyatogór the knight, and he will give you to a speedy death.”