So saying, Lyubim Tsarevich parted from his fair Princess, and went
forth to seek his brothers' remains. He found them at last among some
trees; and after sprinkling them with the water of death, they grew
together; then he sprinkled them with the water of life, and his two
brothers became alive, and stood up on their feet. Then Aksof and Hut
Tsarevich exclaimed: "Ah! brother! how long have we been sleeping
here?" And Lyubim Tsarevich said: "Ay, indeed, and you might have
still slept on for ever, had it not been for me." Then he related to
them all his adventures--how he had conquered the Wolf, and won the
beautiful Princess, and had brought them the waters of life and death.
Thereupon they repaired to the tent, where the fair Tsarevna was
waiting for them; and they all rejoiced and feasted together.
When they had retired to rest, Aksof Tsarevich said to his brother Hut
Tsarevich: "How shall we go to our father Elidar and our mother
Militissa, and what shall we say to them? Our youngest brother can
boast that he won the beautiful Princess and awakened us from death.
Is it not disgraceful for us to live with him? Had we not better kill
him at once?" So they agreed, and took the battle-sword and cut Lyubim
Tsarevich to pieces, and cast his remains to the winds. Then they
threatened the Princess with the same fate if she betrayed the secret
to anyone; and, drawing lots, the waters of life and death fell to
Hut, and the beautiful Princess to Aksof Tsarevich.
So they journeyed on to their father's kingdom; and when they reached
the forbidden meadows, and had pitched their tents, the Tsar Elidar
sent messengers to demand who had encamped there. Then Hut replied:
"Aksof and Hut Tsarevich are come, with a beautiful Princess; and tell
our father, the Tsar, that we have brought with us the waters of life
and death."
The messenger immediately returned to the Court and told this to the
Tsar, who inquired whether all his three sons were come; but the
messenger replied: "Only the two eldest, your Majesty; the youngest is
not with them." The Tsar, nevertheless, rejoiced greatly, and hastened
to tell the Tsarina, his wife, of the return of their two eldest sons.
Then Tsar Elidar and Tsarina Militissa arose and went to meet their
sons in the way, and unarmed them, and embraced them tenderly. And
when they returned to the palace a great banquet was made, and they
feasted seven days and seven nights. At the end of this time they
began to think of the wedding, and to make preparations, and invite
the guests, boyars, and brave warriors and knights.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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