The Russian story book : $b containing tales from the song-cycles of Kiev and Novgorod and other early sourcesWilson, Richard
General
The Russian story book : $b containing tales from the song-cycles of Kiev and Novgorod and other early sources
Wilson, Richard
Mythology, Slavic -- Juvenile literature
When they came to the top of the precipice they tore the sheets into
broad strips, knotted them together, and made a long linen rope of
them; and by means of this stout rope, one end of which they fastened
to the trunk of a lofty pine which had seen the dawn of history, they
let themselves down to the plain below, first the Copper Tsaritza, then
the Silver Tsaritza, then the Golden Tsaritza, Elena the Beautiful,
and last of all Golden Tress, the Tsaritza of the Great White Tsar.
Now the two elder brothers of Ivan were standing below, waiting and
watching, and when they saw the lovely ladies step daintily one after
the other upon the earth they said to each other:
"Let us leave Ivan up there and let us take the three lovely maidens
and our mother to our father, and tell him that we rescued them from
Whirlwind the Whistler."
"Right and just," said Peter quickly, "I will take the Golden Tsaritza,
Elena the Beautiful, for myself, and you, Vasily, take the Silver
Tsaritza for yourself, and we will give the Copper Tsaritza to some
general."
Meanwhile Golden Tress was looking steadily up the face of the
precipice, waiting impatiently for Ivan to come down by the ladder of
linen. But the two brothers ran forward, seized the linen, pulled it
and tore it away. And when Ivan heard it snap near the trunk of the
great pine, he sat down and in spite of his strength and manliness
wept so sorely, and for such a long time, that his tears made a
cascade down the face of the precipice, where the ladder of linen
had wavered in the breeze.
Then he arose somewhat refreshed and relieved, and turning back
walked aimlessly through the Copper Kingdom, the Silver Kingdom, and
the Golden Kingdom, but he met no living person. Then he came to the
Diamond Kingdom, but even here he met no living person. He was now
weary almost to death, and in the midst of wealth untold yearned for
the sound of a human voice. In the Diamond Palace, from which he had
rescued his mother, he wandered disconsolate not knowing what to do
when, all at once, he saw a whistle lying on the window ledge. He took
it up, and, being a good musician, began to play a tune, but as soon
as he had sounded only one note Lame and Crooked stood before him,
who seemed to be bowing all the time.
"What is your pleasure?" he asked.
"Get a bed ready," said Ivan, and as soon as the words were spoken
the bed stood near him with the pillows smoothed and the quilt turned
down a little, so as to show the sheets of the finest linen. Ivan
crept into the bed, in which he found a warming pan, settled down
cosily and was soon in a deep sleep. After a time, the exact length of
which does not matter, he awoke refreshed and whistled again. Before
he could say Elena, Lame and Crooked stood before him.
"What is your pleasure?" he asked.
"Can everything be done, then?" asked Ivan.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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