Russian Magic Tales from Pushkin to Platonov (Penguin Classics) (8 page)

Ivan Tsarevich lived on his own for a whole year and he began to feel bored and lonely. ‘I’ll go and look for my sisters,’ he decided. He made ready and set off. He rode and rode. One day he came to a field covered by a whole army of dead. He called out, ‘If there is one of you left alive, answer me! Who was it defeated this great army?’ The one man still alive replied, ‘We were defeated by Marya Morevna, the beautiful tsarevna.’ Ivan Tsarevich went on until he came to a camp of white tents. Marya Morevna walked out to meet him: ‘Good day, Ivan Tsarevich! Where is God taking you? Is it your will that you travel, or is your will not free?’ ‘A young warrior,’ replied Ivan Tsarevich, ‘journeys only as he wills.’ ‘Well then,’ said Marya Morevna, ‘if you’re in no hurry, be my guest for a while.’ Ivan Tsarevich gladly agreed. He stayed two nights, and Marya Morevna found him pleasing. They married.

Marya Morevna, the beautiful tsarevna, took him with her to her own land. They lived together for some time, but then the tsarevna took it into her head to go to war. She left everything in the hands of Ivan Tsarevich. All she said to him was, ‘Go wherever you like. Look at whatever you like. Only mind you never look into this storeroom.’ This was more than Ivan Tsarevich could bear. As soon as Marya Morevna was gone, he
rushed straight into the storeroom, opened the door and looked in. There hung Koshchey the Deathless. He was bound by twelve iron chains. ‘Have pity on me!’ Koshchey begged. ‘Give me something to drink. I’ve been in torment here for ten years. I’ve had no food and no water. My throat is parched.’ Ivan Tsarevich gave him a whole bucket of water. Koshchey drank it down and said, ‘My thirst needs more than one bucket. Bring me another.’ Ivan Tsarevich gave him a second bucket. Koshchey drank it down and asked for a third. As he swallowed the last drop, all his old strength came back to him. With one shake he snapped the twelve iron chains. ‘Thank you, Ivan Tsarevich!’ said Koshchey the Deathless. ‘But you won’t be seeing Marya Morevna again. No, you’re as likely to see her again as you are to see your own ears!’ He turned into a terrible whirlwind and flew out of the window. He overtook Marya Morevna, the beautiful tsarevna, snatched her up and carried her back to his home.

Ivan Tsarevich wept bitter tears. Then he made ready and set off on his way. ‘Come what may,’ he said to himself, ‘I shall find Marya Morevna.’ He walked for a day. He walked for a second day. On the dawn of the third day he saw a wonderful palace. Beside it stood an oak, and perched on the oak was a bright falcon. The falcon flew down from the tree, struck against the ground, turned into a handsome young warrior and called out, ‘Ah, my dear brother-in-law! How is God treating you?’ Marya Tsarevna ran out, threw her arms round Ivan Tsarevich, and asked him how was he keeping and how had he been living. Ivan stayed for three days as their guest and then said, ‘I cannot stay as your guest for long. I’m looking for my wife, Marya Morevna, the beautiful tsarevna.’ ‘She’ll be hard to find,’ said the falcon. ‘You must at least leave us a keepsake. Leave us your silver spoon.’ So Ivan Tsarevich left his silver spoon with the falcon and set off.

He walked for a day. He walked for a second day. On the dawn of the third day he saw a second palace. It was even finer than the first. Nearby stood an oak, and perched on the oak was an eagle. The eagle flew down from the tree, struck against the ground, turned into a handsome young warrior and called
out, ‘Olga Tsarevna! Quick! It’s our dear brother!’ Olga Tsarevna ran out to meet him. She embraced him and kissed him. She asked him how was he keeping and how had he been living. Ivan stayed for three days as their guest and then said, ‘I cannot stay as your guest any longer. I’m looking for my wife, Marya Morevna, the beautiful tsarevna.’ ‘She’ll be hard to find,’ said the eagle. ‘You must at least leave us a keepsake. Leave us your silver fork.’ So Ivan Tsarevich left his silver fork with the eagle and set off.

He walked for a day. He walked for a second day. On the dawn of the third day he saw a palace that was still finer than either of the first two. Nearby stood an oak, and perched on the oak was a raven. The raven flew down from the tree, struck against the ground, turned into a handsome young warrior and called out, ‘Anna Tsarevna! Come out at once! Our brother’s come!’ Anna Tsarevna ran out to meet him. She greeted him joyfully. She embraced him and kissed him and asked him how was he keeping and how had he been living. Ivan stayed for three days as their guest and then said, ‘Goodbye. I’m going to look for my wife, Marya Morevna, the beautiful tsarevna.’ ‘She’ll be hard to find,’ said the raven. ‘You must at least leave us a keepsake. Leave us your silver snuffbox.’ So Ivan Tsarevich left his silver snuffbox with the raven and set off.

He walked for a day. He walked for a second day. On the third day he found Marya Morevna. The moment she saw him, she threw herself into his arms, burst into tears and said, ‘Ivan Tsarevich! Why, why didn’t you listen to me? Why did you look into the storeroom and let out Koshchey the Deathless?’ ‘Forgive me, Marya Morevna. But let’s not talk of the past. We must set off at once! Quick – otherwise Koshchey will catch up with us!’ They made ready and set off. As for Koshchey, he was out hunting. In the evening, as he made his way back, his fine steed stumbled beneath him. ‘Why are you stumbling, you old nag? Is something the matter at home?’ ‘Ivan Tsarevich has come and taken Marya Morevna away with him,’ answered the horse. ‘Can we catch up with them?’ ‘If you were to sow a field of wheat, wait for it to grow, reap it and thresh it, winnow it, grind it into flour, bake five ovenfuls of bread and not set out
until you had eaten the last crumb of that bread – even then we could catch up with them!’ Koshchey galloped off. He caught up with Ivan Tsarevich. ‘Well,’ he said. ‘I’ll pardon you once for your kindness in giving me water. I’ll even pardon you a second time. But after that, take care – or I’ll cut you to pieces.’ He took Marya Morevna and carried her back. Ivan Tsarevich sat on a stone and began to weep.

He wept and wept. Then he went back again for Marya Morevna. Koshchey the Deathless was out. ‘Let’s go, Marya Morevna!’ ‘But Ivan Tsarevich, he’ll catch up with us!’ ‘Let him. At least we’ll have a little while together.’ In the evening, as Koshchey made his way back, his fine steed stumbled beneath him. ‘Why are you stumbling, you old nag? Is something the matter at home?’ ‘Ivan Tsarevich has come and taken Marya Morevna away with him.’ ‘Can we catch up with them?’ ‘If you were to sow a field of barley, wait for it to grow, reap it and thresh it, winnow it, make beer from it, get dead drunk on it, and not set out till you’ve slept it off – even then we could catch up with them!’ Koshchey galloped off. He caught up with Ivan Tsarevich. ‘I told you before. You’re as likely to see Marya Morevna again as you are to see your own ears!’ He took Marya Morevna and carried her back.

Ivan Tsarevich was left on his own again. He wept and wept. Once more he went back for Marya Morevna. Once more Koshchey was out hunting. ‘Let’s go, Marya Morevna!’ ‘But he’ll catch up with us, Ivan Tsarevich! And this time he’ll cut you to pieces!’ ‘Let him cut me to pieces. I can’t live without you.’ They made ready and set off. In the evening, as Koshchey made his way back, his fine steed stumbled beneath him. ‘Why are you stumbling, you old nag? Is something the matter at home?’ ‘Ivan Tsarevich has come and taken Marya Morevna away with him.’ Koshchey the Deathless galloped off, caught up with Ivan Tsarevich, hacked him into tiny pieces, stuffed the pieces into a barrel, sealed the barrel with pitch, bound it with iron hoops and threw it into the blue sea. And he took Marya Morevna back home with him.

Just then the pieces of silver Ivan Tsarevich had left with his three brothers-in-law all went black. ‘Oh!’ they all cried.
‘Something bad must have happened!’ The eagle flew straight to the blue sea, snatched up the barrel and carried it back to the shore. The falcon flew off to fetch the water of life. The raven flew off to fetch the water of death. The three birds met together, smashed open the barrel, took out the pieces of Ivan Tsarevich, gave them a good wash and put them in the right order. The raven sprinkled the pieces with the water of death, and they all joined together. The falcon sprinkled the body with the water of life – Ivan Tsarevich gasped, got to his feet and said, ‘Goodness me! I must have been sleeping for days!’ ‘You’d have slept even longer if it weren’t for us,’ answered the brothers. ‘Now you must come and stay with us for a while.’ ‘No, brothers, I must go and look for Marya Morevna.’

He found Marya Morevna and said, ‘Get Koshchey the Deathless to tell you where he found such a fine steed.’ Marya Morevna waited till the time was right and asked Koshchey. He replied, ‘Beyond thrice-nine lands, in the thrice-tenth tsardom, on the other side of a river of fire, lives a baba yaga. She has a mare on which she flies once round the world every day. And she has many other fine horses. I worked for her for three days as a herdsman. I didn’t lose a single mare, so she paid me with one of her foals.’ ‘But how did you cross the river of fire?’ ‘I have a handkerchief. I only have to wave it three times over my right shoulder and it becomes a high bridge – too high for any fire to reach.’ Marya Morevna remembered all he said and repeated it to Ivan Tsarevich. And she took the handkerchief and gave it to him too.

Ivan Tsarevich crossed the river of fire and set off to find the baba yaga. He walked a long way with nothing to eat and nothing to drink. Then he saw a strange bird from over the seas. With her was a family of chicks. ‘I’ll have one of those chicks to eat,’ he said. ‘No, Ivan Tsarevich! Don’t!’ said the bird from over the seas. ‘Don’t eat him. One day I’ll do you a service.’ He went on further. Deep in a forest he saw a hive of bees. ‘Well,’ he said. ‘I’ll help myself to a little honey.’ ‘No, Ivan Tsarevich!’ answered the queen bee. ‘Don’t touch my honey! One day I’ll do you a service.’ So he left the honey alone. Further on he saw a lioness with a cub. ‘Well,’ he said. ‘At least I
can eat that little cub. Otherwise I’ll die of hunger.’ ‘No, Ivan Tsarevich!’ answered the lioness. ‘Don’t touch him. One day I’ll do you a service.’ ‘All right then. I’ll do as you say.’

He walked hungrily on. He walked and walked. After a long time he came to the baba yaga’s hut. Around it was a circle of twelve stakes. Eleven of them were topped with a human head; only one stake was empty. ‘Good day, grandmother.’ ‘Good day, Ivan Tsarevich. Why have you come? Is it of your own free will or from need?’ ‘I’ve come to work for you. I’ve come to earn a steed fit for a warrior.’ ‘As you wish, Ivan Tsarevich. You won’t have to work for a year, only for three days. If you look after my mares well, I’ll give you a steed fit for a warrior. But if you fail – don’t be angry. Your head will go on that last stake.’ Ivan Tsarevich agreed. The baba yaga gave him some food and drink and set him to work. Ivan let the mares out of the stable. They flicked up their tails and galloped far away over the meadows. Before he could even look round, they were out of sight. He wept and wept. Then he sat on a stone and fell asleep. The sun was already setting when the bird from over the seas awoke him: ‘Get up, Ivan Tsarevich. The mares have all gone back home now.’ Ivan Tsarevich got to his feet and walked back. The baba yaga was cursing and yelling at her mares: ‘Why did you all come back?’ ‘What else could we do? Flocks of birds flew down from every corner of the world. They nearly pecked out our eyes.’ ‘All right, don’t run about the meadows tomorrow. Scatter deep into the forest instead.’

Ivan Tsarevich slept all night. In the morning the baba yaga said to him, ‘Take care, Ivan Tsarevich. If you don’t look after my mares well, if you lose even one mare, then tomorrow your bold head will be stuck up on that stake.’ Ivan let the mares out of the stables. They flicked up their tails and ran deep into the forest. Once again Ivan Tsarevich sat on a stone. He wept and wept. And then he fell asleep. The sun set beyond the forest. Then the lion came up to him and said, ‘Get up, Ivan Tsarevich. The mares have all been rounded up now.’ Ivan Tsarevich got to his feet and walked back. The baba yaga was cursing and yelling at her mares more wildly than ever: ‘Why did you all come home?’ ‘What else could we do? Wild beasts came after
us from every corner of the world. They nearly tore us to pieces.’ ‘All right. Tomorrow you must go to the blue sea.’

Once again Ivan Tsarevich slept all through the night. In the morning the baba yaga sent him out again with her mares. ‘Remember,’ she said. ‘If you lose even one mare, then tomorrow your bold head will be stuck up on that stake.’ Ivan let the mares out of the stables. They flicked up their tails and vanished from sight into the blue sea. And there they stood up to their necks in the water. Ivan Tsarevich sat on a stone, wept and fell asleep. He slept all day. At sunset a bee flew up to him and said, ‘Get up, Tsarevich. The mares have all been rounded up. Go back now, but don’t let the baba yaga see you. Hide in the stables behind the manger. You’ll see a sickly colt that lies about all day in the dung. That’s the one you must steal. Wait until midnight – and then go!’

Ivan Tsarevich stole into the stables and hid behind the manger. The baba yaga was cursing and swearing at her mares again: ‘Why did you all come back?’ ‘What else could we do? There were more bees than you’ve ever seen in your life. They must have come from every corner of the world. They flew at us from all sides and began stinging us right to the bone.’

The baba yaga fell asleep. At midnight Ivan Tsarevich took the sickly colt, saddled it and galloped off towards the river of fire. He waved the handkerchief three times in the air to his right – and there stood a tall, splendid bridge. Ivan Tsarevich crossed the bridge and waved the handkerchief to his left, but only twice. The bridge was still there over the river, but it was now thin and narrow. The baba yaga awoke in the morning and found that her colt had gone. She galloped off furiously on her iron mortar, spurring it on with her pestle, sweeping away her tracks with a broom. Up she galloped to the river of fire. ‘What a fine bridge!’ she said to herself. But when the baba yaga was halfway across, the bridge broke in half. She was flung headfirst into the river – and there she died a terrible death. Ivan Tsarevich pastured his colt in green meadows, and it grew into a handsome steed.