horse, and good folk are not used to meet strangers with uncivil
speech, but rather to treat them with hospitality. If you have a glass
of water, give it to me, for I am your guest." "You are young," said
Ivan, "and it befits me not to fetch your water; bring it to me
rather." "You pluck the bird before you have caught it," replied the
other, "and blame a youth ere you have tried him." Then said Prince
Ivan: "I am the prince of princes, and the knight of knights, and you
are a cossack." "Ay, indeed!" replied Yaroslav, "you are prince in
your tent; but let us meet in the open field and we are equals."
Prince Ivan saw that he had no coward to deal with: he took a golden
flask, fetched some cold water, and gave it to Yaroslav to drink. Then
they mounted their horses and rode into the open country. And when
they began to fight, Yaroslav struck Prince Ivan with the butt of his
lance and hurled him to the ground: then he whirled round his horse,
put the point of his lance to Ivan's breast, and said: "Prince Ivan,
wilt thou live or die?" And Ivan answered: "Yaroslav Lasarevich, be to
me my elder brother--spare my life!"
Then Yaroslav dismounted, took Prince Ivan, the Russian knight, by
his hand and embraced him, calling him his younger brother; whereupon
they mounted their steeds, rode off to the tent, and fell to feasting
and making merry. And Yaroslav said: "My lord brother, Prince Ivan, as
I was wandering in the open country I came upon two slain armies." To
which Ivan replied: "Brother Yaroslav, the first army, of the Tsar
Feodul, I slew when he refused to give me his daughter Kandaula in
marriage; and I am resolved to carry her off by force, for I hear
there is no such beauty in the world. To-morrow I shall fight the last
battle with him, and thou shall be witness of my valour." The next
morning Prince Ivan rose early, saddled his steed, and rode to the
kingdom of Feodul, the Dragon Tsar; and Yaroslav went on foot, and
concealed himself under an oak tree to witness the fight. Then Prince
Ivan called upon the Tsar with a loud voice, and Feodul ordered the
trumpets to sound, and an army of a hundred thousand men to assemble.
The Tsar Feodul rode against Prince Ivan, and before and behind him
rode an innumerable host of squires and knights. Ivan grasped his
shield with one hand and his lance with the other. As the falcon
swoops upon the geese, swans, and ducks, even so did Prince Ivan fall
upon that terrible army; and his steed trod to the ground twice as
many as he himself slew. He destroyed the whole host, sparing only the
lives of the old men and boys, who could not resist; and he took the
Tsar Feodul prisoner, and put him to death. Then he hastened to his
kingdom and carried off the Princess Kandaula. He took her by her
white hands, kissed her on her soft lips, and led her into his tent.
Soon after Yaroslav Lasarevich also arrived, and they all fell to
feasting and making merry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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