Fairy Tales of the Slav Peasants and Herdsmen
Yet the return home did not make the queen happy, for always before
her eyes she saw the Horseman of the Steppes. This displeased the
king, who became gloomy and ill-tempered.
One day while the king was on his throne in the council chamber he
suddenly heard the sweetest warblings, like unto those produced by a
bird of paradise; these were answered by the songs of many
nightingales. Wondering, he sent to find out what it was. The
messenger returned saying that the queen and her twelve maids of
honour had each been presented with a girl baby, and that the sweet
warblings were but the crying of the children. The king was greatly
astonished, and while he was engaged in deep thought about the matter
the palace was suddenly lit up by lights of dazzling brightness. On
inquiring into the cause he learnt that the little princess had opened
her eyes, and that they shone with matchless brilliancy.
At first the king could not speak, so amazed was he. He laughed and he
cried, he sorrowed and he rejoiced, and in the midst of it all a
deputation of ministers and senators was announced. When these were
shown into his presence they fell on their knees, and striking the
ground with their foreheads, said, "Sire, save your people and your
royal person. The queen and her twelve maids of honour have been
presented by the Spirit of the Steppes with thirteen girl babies. We
beseech you to have these children killed, or we shall all be
destroyed."
The king, roused to anger, gave orders that all the babies should be
thrown into the sea. The courtiers were already on their way to obey
this cruel command when the queen entered, weeping, and pale as death.
She threw herself at the king's feet and begged him to spare the lives
of these helpless and innocent children, and instead to let them be
placed on a desert island and there left in the hands of God.
The king granted her wish. The baby princess was placed in a golden
cradle, her little companions in copper cradles, and the thirteen were
taken to a desert island and left quite alone. Every one at court
thought that they had perished, and said one to another, "They will
die from cold and hunger; they will be devoured by wild beasts, or
birds of prey; they are sure to die; perchance they will be buried
under dead leaves or covered with snow." But happily nothing of the
kind happened, for God takes care of little children.
The small princess grew bigger day by day. Every morning she was
awakened by the rising sun, and bathed by the dew. Soft breezes
refreshed her, and twisted into plaits her luxuriant hair. The trees
sang her to sleep with their rustling lullabies, the stars watched
over her at night. The swans clothed her in their soft raiment, and
the bees fed her with their honey. The beauty of the little maiden
increased with her growth. Her brow was calm and pure as the moon, her
lips red as a rosebud, and so eloquent that her voice sounded like a
shower of pearls. But wonderful beyond compare was the expressive
beauty of her eyes, for if she looked at you kindly you seemed to
float in a sea of joy, if angrily it made you numb with fear, and you
were instantly changed into a block of ice. She was waited upon by her
twelve companions, who were almost as charming as their mistress, to
whom they were devotedly attached. Rumours of the loveliness of
Princess Sudolisu spread far and wide. People came to see her from all
parts of the world, so that it was soon no longer a desert island, but
a thickly populated and magnificent city.
Many a prince came from afar and entered the lists as suitor for the
hand of Sudolisu, but none succeeded in winning her love. Those who
bore with good temper and resignation the disappointment of being
refused returned home safe and sound, but woe to the unlucky wretch
who rebelled against her will and attempted to use an armed force; his
soldiers perished miserably, while he, frozen to the heart by her
angry glance, was turned into a block of ice.
Now it happened that the famous ogre, Kostey, who lived underground,
was a great admirer of beauty. And he took it into his head to see
what the creatures above ground were doing. By the help of his
telescope he was able to observe all the kings and queens, princes and
princesses, gentlemen and ladies, living on the earth. As he was
looking his eye fell upon a beautiful island, where, bright as many
stars, stood twelve maidens; while in their midst, upon a couch of
swan's-down, slept a young princess lovely as the dawn of day.
Sudolisu was dreaming of a young knight who rode a spirited horse; on
his breast was a golden cuirass, and in his hand an invisible club.
And in her dream she admired this knight, and loved him more than life
itself. The wicked Kostey longed to have her for his own, and
determined to carry her off. He reached the earth by striking it from
underground three times with his forehead. The princess called her
army together, and putting herself at its head, led her soldiers
against him. But he merely breathed upon the soldiers and they fell
down in an overpowering sleep. Then he stretched out his bony hands to
take the princess, but she, throwing a glance full of anger and
disdain at him, changed him into a block of ice. Then she shut herself
up in her palace. Kostey did not remain frozen long; when the princess
had departed he came to life again, and started off in pursuit of her.
On reaching the town where she dwelt, he put all the inhabitants into
a charmed sleep, and laid the same spell upon the twelve maids of
honour. Fearing the power of her eyes, he dared not attack Sudolisu
herself; so he surrounded her palace with an iron wall, and left it in
charge of a monster dragon with twelve heads. Then he waited, in hope
that the princess would give in.
Days passed, weeks grew into months, and still Princess Sudolisu's
kingdom looked like one large bedchamber. The people snored in the
streets, the brave army lying in the fields slept soundly, hidden in
the long grass under the shadow of nettle, wormwood, and thistle, rust
and dust marring the brightness of their armour. Inside the palace
everything was the same. The twelve maids of honour lay motionless.
The princess alone kept watch, silent amid this reign of sleep. She
walked up and down her narrow prison, sighing and weeping bitter
tears, but no other sound broke the silence; only Kostey, avoiding her
glance, still called through the doors and begged her to refuse him no
longer. Then he promised she should be Queen of the Nether World, but
she answered him not.
Lonely and miserable, she thought of the prince of her dreams. She saw
him in his golden armour, mounted on his spirited steed, looking at
her with eyes full of love. So she imagined him day and night.
Looking out of window one day, and seeing a cloud floating on the
horizon, she cried:
"Floating Cloudlet soft and white,
Pilgrim of the sky,
I pray you for one moment, light
On me your pitying eye.
Where my love is can you tell?
Thinks he of me ill or well?"
"I know not," answered the cloud, "ask the wind."
Then she saw a tiny breeze playing among the field flowers, and called
out:
"Gentle Breezelet, soul of air,
Look not lightly on my pain;
Kindly lift me from despair,
Help me freedom to regain.
Where my love is can you tell?
Thinks he of me ill or well?"
"Ask that little star yonder," answered the breeze, "she knows more
than I."
Sudolisu raised her beautiful eyes to the twinkling stars and said:
"Shining Star, God's light on high,
Look down and prithee see;
Behold me weep and hear me sigh,
Then help and pity me.
Where my love is canst thou tell?
Thinks he of me ill or well?"
"You will learn more from the moon," answered the star; "she lives
nearer the earth than I, and sees everything that goes on there."
The moon was just rising from her silver bed when Sudolisu called to
her:
"Pearl of the Sky, thou radiant Moon,
Thy watch o'er the stars pray leave,
Throw thy soft glance o'er the earth ere I swoon,
O'ercome by my sorrows I weep and I grieve.
I pine for my friend, oh ease thou my heart,
And say, am I loved? In his thoughts have I part?"
"Princess," replied the moon, "I know nothing of your friend. But wait
a few hours, the sun will have then risen; he knows everything, and
will surely be able to tell you."
So the princess kept her eyes fixed upon that part of the sky where
the sun first appears, chasing away the darkness like a flock of
birds. When he came forth in all his glory she said:
"Soul of the World, thou deep fountain of life,
Eye of all-powerful God,
Visit my prison, dark scene of sad strife,
Raise up my soul from the sod,
With hope that my friend whom I pine for and love
May come to my rescue. Say, where does he rove?"
"Sweet Sudolisu," answered the sun, "dry the tears that like pearls
roll down your sad and lovely face. Let your troubled heart be at
peace, for your friend the prince is now on his way to rescue you. He
has recovered the magic ring from the Nether World, and many armies
from those countries have assembled to follow him. He is now moving
towards Kostey's palace, and intends to punish him. But all this will
be of no avail, and Kostey will gain the victory, if the prince does
not make use of other means which I am now on my way to provide him
with. Farewell; be brave, he whom you love will come to your aid and
save you from Kostey and his sorceries; happiness is in store for you
both."
The sun then rose upon a distant land where Prince Junak, mounted on a
powerful steed and clad in golden armour, assembled his forces to
fight against the giant Kostey. Thrice he had dreamt of the beautiful
princess shut up in the Sleeping Palace, for the fame of her
loveliness had reached him, and he loved without having seen.
"Leave your army where it is," said the sun, "it will not be of the
slightest use in fighting against Kostey, he is proof against all
weapons. The only way to rescue the princess is to kill him, and there
is but one who can tell you how to do it, and that is the witch, old
Yaga. I will show you how to find the horse that will carry you
straight to her. First take the road to the east, and walk on till you
come to a wide plain: there, right in the middle of the plain, are
three oaks, and in the centre of these, lying close to the ground, is
an iron door with a copper handle. Behind the door is the horse, also
an invisible club; both are necessary for the work you have to do. You
will learn the rest afterwards. Farewell."
This advice astonished the prince greatly; he hardly knew what to do.
After deep reflection he crossed himself, took the magic ring from his
finger and cast it into the sea. Instantly the army vanished like mist
before the wind, and when not a trace of it was left he took the road
to the east. After walking straight on for eight days he reached a
large green plain, in the middle of which grew the three oaks, and in
the centre of these, close to the ground, was the iron door with the
copper handle. Opening the door, he found a winding staircase which
led to a second door bound with iron, and shut by means of a huge
padlock sixty pounds in weight. At this moment he heard the neighing
of a horse, the sound being followed by the opening of eleven other
iron doors. There he saw the war-horse which centuries ago had been
bewitched by a magician. The prince whistled; the horse immediately
bounded towards him, at the same time breaking the twelve iron chains
that fastened him to the manger. He was a beautiful creature, strong,
light, handsome, full of fire and grace; his eyes flashed lightnings,
from his nostrils came flames of fire, his mane was like a cloud of