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ong ago there was an old man who had three sons. The two elder
sons looked after the farm, and they liked fine clothes. But
the youngest, Ivan the Fool, liked to go off into the forest
to collect mushrooms, and when at home he spent most of his
time sitting on the great kitchen stove. The father became ill,
and he ordered his sons:
"When I am dead, bring me bread to my grave three nights in
succession."
Then he died, and was buried. That same night the eldest son
should have gone to the grave as his father ordered. But either
he was lazy or he was afraid, for he said to his youngest brother:
"Ivan, take my place tonight; you go to father's grave. And
I will buy you a gingerbread."
Ivan agreed, packed some bread, and went to his father's grave.
There he sat down and waited. At midnight the grave opened,
his father rose out of it and said:
"Who is there ? Is it you, my eldest son ? Tell me what is happening
in the world. Are the dogs barking or the wolves howling?"
"Yes, it is I, your son," Ivan answered. "But all is quiet in
the world."
His father ate the bread Ivan had brought and lay down again
in the grave. Ivan made his way home, gathering mushrooms as
he went. His eldest brother asked him:
"Did you see father?"
"Yes."
"Did he eat the bread?"
"Yes. He ate all he wanted."
The following night the second brother should have gone to the
grave. But either he was lazy or he was afraid, for he said:
"Ivan, you go to father in my place. I will make you a pair
of shoes if you will."
"All right," said Ivan.
So Ivan packed some bread, went to his father's grave, and sat
down and waited. At midnight the grave opened, his father rose
from it, and asked:
"Who is there? Is it you, my second son? Tell me what is happening
in the world. Are the dogs barking or the wolves howling?"
"Yes, it is I, your son," Ivan answered. "But all is quiet in
the world."
His father ate as much of the bread as he wanted and lay down
again in the grave. Then Ivan went home, gathering mushrooms
on the way. When he reached home the second brother asked him:
"Did father eat the bread?"
"Yes, he ate all he wanted."
The next night it was Ivan's turn to go to the grave. But he
said to his brothers:
"I have been the last two nights. Now one of you go, while I
rest."
But his brothers answered:
"Why, Ivan, you know the spot now; it would be better for you
to go."
"Oh, all right," said Ivan.
He packed some bread, and went. At midnight the grave opened,
and his father rose from it.
"Who is there?" he asked. "Is it you, my youngest son ? Tell
me what is happening in the world. Are the dogs barking, or
the wolves howling?"
"Yes, it is Ivan. But all is quiet in the world."
his youngest son told him.
The father ate the bread, and then said:
"You are the only son who has done as I asked. You were not
afraid to come to me in my grave three nights running. Now go
out into the open field and call: "Sivka-Burka, dun horse,
magic horse, come when I call you." A horse will come galloping
up to you. Crawl into its right ear and out of its left, and you will be
turned into a handsome young man. Mount the horse and ride it."
P.Zaets "Sivka-Burka"
Box. 1998 Mstera |
Ivan thanked
his father and went home, gathering mushrooms as he
went. When he arrived home his brothers asked him:
"Did you see father?"
"Yes."
"Did he eat the bread?"
"He ate all he could, and did not order us to go any
more."
But Ivan said nothing about
the horse. Just about that time the tsar issued a proclamation:
all the fine young men who were not married were to
assemble in the tsar's courtyard. His daughter, a girl
of matchless beauty, had ordered a tower twelve logs
high, and raised on twelve pillars, to be built for
herself. She was going to sit at a small window in the
top of the tower, and wait there until a young man riding
a horse jumped right up to her and kissed her on the
lips as he passed. Then, no matter what his birth or
origin, the tsar would marry his beautiful daughter
to this horseman, and would give half his kingdom as
dowry. Ivan's brothers heard of the tsar's proclamation,
and said to each other:
"Let us go and try our luck."
So they gave their horses a
good feed of oats, dressed themselves in their finest
clothes, and combed their hair. Ivan, who was sitting
on the stove, said to them:
"Brothers, take me with you to try my luck."
"You dolt, you go on sitting on the stove, or else go
off into the forest to gather mushrooms," they answered.
'And do not get in our way."
The two elder brothers mounted
their good horses, cocked their hats jauntily, whistled
and whooped, and rode off, making the dust fly up in
clouds. But Ivan picked up a bridle and went out into
the open field. There he called as his father had instructed
him:
"Sivka-Burka, dun horse, magic horse! Come when I call."
At once a horse galloped up.
The earth trembled under its hoofs, flames streamed
from its nostrils, smoke rose in columns from its ears.
It stood as though rooted to the ground and asked:
"What are your commands?"
Ivan stroked the horse, bridled
it, climbed into its right ear and out of its left,
and was turned into the most dashing young man one could
imagine. Then he mounted the horse and rode off to the
tsar's palace. As the dun horse galloped along the earth
trembled; it flew over hills and valleys, through woods
and forests till they arrived.
When Ivan rode into the tsar's
courtyard he found a great number of young men already
gathered. In the centre of the courtyard a high tower,
twelve logs high, was raised on twelve pillars, and
at the very top the princess of matchless beauty was
sitting at a little window.
The tsar came out to the courtyard
and said:
"If any one of you young men can jump on his horse right
up to that little window and kiss my daughter on her
lips I will give her to him as his wife with half my
kingdom as the marriage dowry."
So the fine young men began
to jump, one after another. But the window was very
high, and not one succeeded in reaching it. Ivan's brothers
tried too, but they did not even get halfway. At last
it was Ivan's turn to make the attempt.
Whooping and whistling, he urged
the dun horse into a jump, and failed by only the height
of two logs. He turned his horse, flew up a second time,
and failed by only one log. So he turned his horse again,
circled round the courtyard, urged it on and took the
jump at full gallop. Like a flame he flew up to the
little window and kissed the princess on her lips as
he went past. The princess struck him on his forehead
with the ring on her finger, leaving her mark. Seeing
that Ivan had succeeded, everybody shouted: 'Hold him!'
But Ivan had already galloped
away, and was nowhere to be found. He galloped into
the open field, slipped into the dun horse's left ear
and out of its right, and turned back into Ivan the
Fool. He let the horse go, and returned home, gathering
mushrooms on the way. He bound his forehead with a rag
to hide the princess's mark, climbed on to the stove
and stretched himself out. When his brothers rode home
they told him where they had been and all they had seen.
"There were some splendid young men there," they said.
"But one outshone all the rest. In full gallop he jumped
up and kissed the princess on her lips. We saw the direction
he had come from, but no one knows where he went."
From the stove Ivan called down:
"But was not I that handsome young man?"
"Ivan, you are a fool, and you talk like a fool. Sit
on the stove and eat your mushrooms," his brothers answered
angrily.
A. and N.Arapov "Sivka-Burka"
Box. 1993 Palech |
Then Ivan
unbound the rag and laid bare the spot on his forehead
where the princess had struck him. At once the room
was filled with light. His brothers were alarmed, and
they shouted at him:
"What are you playing at, you fool? You will set the
house on fire."
So he bound the rag over his forehead again.
Next day the tsar summoned all his princes and noblemen,
and even ordinary people, whether rich or poor, old
or young, to a banquet. Ivan's brothers also made ready
to attend the banquet. So Ivan asked them:
"Take me with you."
"You would only make the people laugh, stupid!v' they
answered. "Sit on the stove and eat your mushrooms."
The two brothers got on their horses and rode off, but
Ivan set out on foot after them. He arrived at the tsar's
palace in time for the banquet and seated himself in
a distant corner. The princess began to go from one
guest to another, offering each a bowl of mead and looking
to see if anyone had her mark on his forehead. She passed
round all the guests, and finally came to Ivan sitting
in the corner. As she approached him her own heart suddenly
beat faster. She looked at him; he was smothered in
dirt, and his hair was standing on end untidily. None
the less the beautiful princess asked him:
"Whose son are you? Where are you from? Why is your
forehead bandaged?"
"I knocked it," he answered.
She took the rag off his forehead, and at once all the
palace was lit up. And she cried out:
"That is my mark. Here is my destined husband."
The tsar came up, looked at Ivan, and said:
"How can he be your destined husband? He is covered
with soot."
But Ivan said to him:
"Let me go out and wash."
The tsar gave his permission. Ivan went out into the
courtyard and called as his father had instructed him:
"Sivka-burka, dun horse, magic horse! Come when I call."
At once the Sivka-Burka came galloping up, making the
ground tremble under its hoofs. Flame streamed from
its nostrils, smoke rose in columns from its ears. Ivan
crawled into its right ear, crawled out of its left
ear, and was turned into the handsomest young fellow
one ever saw. All the people cried out in astonishment.
The tsar gave a banquet and everybody went to the wedding.
E.Zavarichina. "Sivka-Bourka"
Box. 1999 Palech
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