Fairy Tales of the Slav Peasants and Herdsmen
giving one half to the beggar, who said, "I see you have been weeping,
good wife, and I know the reason of your tears; but cheer up, by God's
grace you shall be comforted. Though poor and childless to-day,
to-morrow you shall have family and fortune."
When the old woman heard this she was overjoyed, and fetching her
husband they both went to the door to invite the old man in. But he
was gone, and though they searched for him in every direction they
found nothing but his stick lying on the ground. For it was not a poor
old beggar, but an angel of God who had knocked. Our good friends did
not know this, so they picked up the stick and hurried off to find the
old man, with the purpose of returning it. But it seemed as if the
stick, like its master, were endowed with some marvellous power, for
whenever the old man or the old woman tried to pick it up it slipped
out of their hands and rolled along the ground. Thus they followed it
into a forest, and at the foot of a shrub which stood close by a
stream it disappeared. They hunted all round the shrub thinking to
find the stick there, but instead of the stick they came upon a bird's
nest containing twelve eggs, and from the shape of the shells it
seemed as if the young ones were ready to come forth.
"Pick up the eggs," said the old man, "they will make us an omelette
for our wedding feast."
The old woman grumbled a little, but she took the nest and carried it
home in the skirt of her gown. Fancy their astonishment when at the
end of twelve hours there came out, not unfledged birdlings, but
twelve pretty little boys. Then the shells broke into tiny fragments
which were changed into as many gold pieces. Thus, as had been
foretold, the old man and his wife found both family and fortune.
Now these twelve boys were most extraordinary children. Directly they
came out of the shells they seemed to be at least three months old,
such a noise did they make, crying and kicking about. The youngest of
all was a very big baby with black eyes, red cheeks, and curly hair,
and so lively and active that the old woman could hardly keep him in
his cradle at all. In twelve hours' time the children seemed to be a
year old, and could walk about and eat anything.
Then the old woman made up her mind that they should be baptized, and
thereupon sent her husband to fetch priest and organist without delay;
and the diamond wedding was celebrated at the same time as the
christening. For a short time their joy was clouded over by the
disappearance of the youngest boy, who was also the best-looking, and
his parents' favourite. They had begun to weep and mourn for him as if
he were lost, when suddenly he was seen to come from out of the
sleeves of the priest's cassock, and was heard to speak these words:
"Never fear, dear parents, your beloved son will not perish."
The old woman kissed him fondly and handed him to his godfather, who
presented him to the priest. So they had named him _Niezguinek_, that
is, _Imperishable_. The twelve boys went on growing at the rate of six
weeks every hour, and at the end of two years were fine strong young
men. Niezguinek, especially, was of extraordinary size and strength.
The good old people lived happily and peacefully at home while their
sons worked in the fields. On one occasion the latter went ploughing;
and while the eleven eldest used the ordinary plough and team of oxen,
Niezguinek made his own plough, and it had twelve ploughshares and
twelve handles, and to it were harnessed twelve team of the strongest
working oxen. The others laughed at him, but he did not mind, and
turned up as much ground as his eleven brothers together.
Another time when they went haymaking and his brothers used the
ordinary scythes, he carried one with twelve blades, and managed it so
cleverly, in spite of the jests of his companions, that he cut as much
grass as all of them together. And again, when they went to turn over
the hay, Niezguinek used a rake with twelve teeth, and so cleared
twelve plots of ground with every stroke. His haycock, too, was as
large as a hill in comparison with those of his brothers. Now, the day
after the making of the haycocks the old man and his wife happened to
be in the fields, and they noticed that one haycock had disappeared;
so thinking wild horses had made off with it, they advised their sons
to take turns in watching the place.
The eldest took his turn first, but after having watched all night
fell asleep towards morning, when he awoke to find another haycock
missing. The second son was not more fortunate in preventing the
disappearance of the hay, while the others succeeded no better; in
fact, of all the twelve haycocks, there only remained the largest,
Niezguinek's, and even that had been meddled with.
When it was the youngest's turn to watch, he went to the village
blacksmith and got him to make an iron club weighing two hundred and
sixty pounds; so heavy was it that the blacksmith and his assistants
could hardly turn it on the anvil. In order to test it, Niezguinek
whirled it round his head and threw it up in the air, and when it had
nearly reached the ground he caught it on his knee, upon which it was
smashed to atoms. He then ordered another weighing four hundred and
eighty pounds, and this the blacksmith and his men could not even
move. Niezguinek had helped them to make it, and when finished he
tested it in the same manner as the first. Finding it did not break he
kept it, and had in addition a noose plaited with twelve strong ropes.
Towards nightfall he went to the field, crouched down behind his
haycock, crossed himself, and waited to see what would happen. At
midnight there was a tremendous noise which seemed to come from the
east, while in that direction appeared a bright light. Then a white
mare, with twelve colts as white as herself, trotted up to the haycock
and began to eat it. Niezguinek came out of his hiding-place, and
throwing the noose over the mare's neck, jumped on her back and struck
her with his heavy club. The terrified creature gave the signal to the
colts to escape, but she herself, hindered by the noose, out of
breath, and wounded by the club, could not follow, but sank down on
the earth saying, "Do not choke me, Niezguinek."
He marvelled to hear her speak human language, and loosened the noose.
When she had taken breath she said, "Knight, if you give me my liberty
you shall never repent it. My husband, the Dappled Horse with Golden
Mane, will cruelly revenge himself upon you when he knows I am your
prisoner; his strength and swiftness are so great you could not escape
him. In exchange for my freedom I will give you my twelve colts, who
will serve you and your brothers faithfully."
On hearing their mother neigh the colts returned and stood with bent
heads before the young man, who released the mare, and led them home.
The brothers were delighted to see Niezguinek return with twelve
beautiful white horses, and each took the one that pleased his fancy
most, while the thinnest and weakest-looking was left for the
youngest.
The old couple were happy in the thought that their son was brave as
well as strong. One day it occurred to the old woman that she would
like to see them all married, and to have the house merry with her
daughters-in-law and their children. So she called upon her gossips
and friends to talk the matter over, and finally persuaded her husband
to be of the same opinion. He called his sons around him and addressed
them thus: "Listen to me, my sons: in a certain country lives a
celebrated witch known as old Yaga. She is lame, and travels about in
an oaken trough. She supports herself on iron crutches, and when she
goes abroad carefully removes all traces of her steps with a broom.
This old witch has twelve beautiful daughters who have large dowries;
do your best to win them for your wives. Do not return without
bringing them with you."
Both parents blessed their sons, who, mounting their horses, were soon
out of sight. All but Niezguinek, who, left alone, went to the stable
and began to shed tears.
"Why do you weep?" asked his horse.
"Don't you think I have good reason?" replied he. "Here I have to go a
long long way in search of a wife, and you, my friend, are so thin and
weak that were I to depend upon your strength I should never be able
to join my brothers."
"Do not despair, Niezguinek," said the horse, "not only will you
overtake your brothers, but you will leave them far behind. I am the
son of the Dappled Horse with the Golden Mane, and if you will do
exactly as I tell you I shall be given the same power as he. You must
kill me and bury me under a layer of earth and manure, then sow some
wheat over me, and when the corn is ripe it must be gathered and some
of it placed near my body."
Niezguinek threw his arms round his horse's neck and kissed him
fondly, then led him into a yard and killed him with one blow of his
club. The horse staggered a moment and then fell dead. His master
covered him with a layer of manure and earth, upon which he sowed
wheat, as had been directed. It was immediately watered by a gentle
rain, and warmed by the heat of the sun's rays. The corn took root and
ripened so quickly that on the twelfth day Niezguinek set to work to
cut, thresh, and winnow it. So abundant was it that he was able to
give eleven measures to his parents, and keeping one for himself,
spread it before his horse's bones. In a very short time the horse
moved his head, sniffed the air, and began to devour the wheat. As
soon as it was finished he sprang up, and was so full of life that he
wanted to jump over the fence in one bound: but Niezguinek held him by
the mane, and getting lightly on his back, said: "Halt there, my
spirited steed, I do not want others to have the benefit of all the
trouble I have had with you. Carry me to old Yaga's house."
He was of a truth a most magnificent horse, big and strong, with eyes
that flashed like lightning. He leapt up into the air as high as the
clouds, and the next moment descended in the middle of a field, saying
to his master: "As we have first to see old Yaga, from whom we are
still a great way off, we can stop here for a short time: take food
and rest, I will do the same. Your brothers will be obliged to pass
us, for we are a good way in front of them. When they come you can go
on together to visit the old witch: remember, though it is difficult
to get into her house, it is much more difficult still to get out. But
if you would be perfectly safe, take from under my saddle a brush, a
scarf, and a handkerchief. They will be of use in helping you to
escape; for when you unroll the scarf, a river will flow between you
and your enemy; if you shake the brush it will become a thick forest;
and by waving the handkerchief it will be changed into a lake. After
you have been received into Yaga's house, and your brothers have
stabled their horses and gone to bed, I will tell you how to act."
For twelve days Niezguinek and his horse rested and gained strength,
and at the end of the time the eleven brothers came up. They wondered
greatly to see the youngest, and said, "Where on earth did you come
from? And whose horse is that?"
"I have come from home. The horse is the same I chose at first. We
have been waiting here twelve days; let us go on together now."
Within a short time they came to a house surrounded by a high oaken
paling, at the gate of which they knocked. Old Yaga peeped out through
a chink in the fence and cried, "Who are you? What do you want?"
"We are twelve brothers come to ask the twelve daughters of Yaga in
marriage. If she is willing to be our mother-in-law, let her open the
door."
The door was opened and Yaga appeared. She was a frightful-looking