 THE FIREBIRD, THE HORSE OF POWER, AND THE PRINCESS VASALISA OF OLD PEDERS RUSSIAN TAILS. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Jenny Lundak. OLD PEDERS RUSSIAN TAILS by Arthur Ransom. THE FIREBIRD, THE HORSE OF POWER, AND THE PRINCESS VASALISA. Once upon a time a strong and powerful Tsar ruled in a country far away, and among his servants was a young archer, and this archer had a horse. A horse of power, such a horse as belonged to the wonderful men of long ago, a great horse with a broad chest, eyes like fire and hooves of iron. There are no such horses nowadays. They sleep with the strong men who rode them, the bogateers until the time comes when Russia has need of them. Then the great horses will thunder up from under the ground, and the valiant men leap from the graves in the armor they have worn so long. The strong men will sit those horses of power, and there will be swinging of clubs and thunder of hooves, and the earth will be swept clean from the enemies of God and the Tsar. So my grandfather used to say, and he was as much older than I, as I am older than you, little ones, so he should know. Well, one day, long ago in the green time of the year, the young archer rode through the forest on his horse of power. The trees were green. There were little blue flowers on the ground under the trees. The squirrels ran in the branches, and the hares in the undergrowth. But no birds sang. The young archer rode along the forest path and listened for the singing of the birds. But there was no singing. The forest was silent, and the only noises in it were the scratching of four-footed beasts, the dropping of fur cones, and the heavy stamping of the horse of power in the soft path. What has come to the birds, said the young archer. He had scarcely said this before he saw a big, curving feather lying in the path before him. The feather was larger than a swan's. Larger than an eagle's. It lay in the path, glittering like a flame, for the sun was on it, and it was a feather of pure gold. Then he knew why there was no singing in the forest, for he knew that the firebird had flown that way and that the feather in the path before him was a feather from its burning breast. The horse of power spoke and said, Leave the golden feather where it lies. If you take it, you will be sorry for it and know the meaning of fear. But the brave young archer sat on the horse of power and looked at the golden feather and wondered whether to take it or not. He had no wish to learn what it was to be afraid, but he thought, If I take it and bring it to the Tsar, my master, he will be pleased. And he will not send me away with empty hands, for no Tsar in the world has a feather from the burning breast of the firebird, and the more he thought, the more he wanted to carry the feather to the Tsar. And in the end he did not listen to the words of the horse of power. He leapt from the saddle, picked up the golden feather of the firebird, mounted his horse again, and galloped back through the green forest till he came to the palace of the Tsar. He went into the palace and bowed before the Tsar and said, Oh, Tsar, I have brought you a feather of the firebird. The Tsar looked gladly at the feather and then at the young archer. Thank you, says he. But if you have brought me a feather of the firebird, you will be able to bring me the bird itself. I should like to see it. A feather is not a fit gift to bring the Tsar. Bring the bird itself, or I swear by my sword your head shall no longer sit between your shoulders. The young archer bowed his head and went out. Bitterly he wept, for he knew now what it was to be afraid. He went out into the courtyard where the horse of power was waiting for him, tossing its head and stamping on the ground. Master, says the horse of power, Why do you weep? The Tsar has told me to bring him the firebird and no man on earth can do that, says the young archer, and he bowed his head on his breast. I told you, said the horse of power, that if you took the feather you would learn the meaning of fear. Well, do not be frightened yet and do not weep. The trouble is not now, the trouble lies before you. Go to the Tsar and ask him to have a hundred sacks of maize scattered over the open field and let this be done at midnight. The young archer went back into the palace and begged the Tsar for this, and the Tsar ordered that at midnight a hundred sacks of maize should be scattered in the open field. Next morning at the first redness in the sky the young archer rode out on the horse of power and came to the open field. The ground was scattered all over with maize. In the middle of the field stood a great oak with spreading boughs. The young archer leapt to the ground, took off the saddle, and let the horse of power loose to wander as he pleased about the field. Then he climbed up into the oak and hid himself among the green boughs. The sky grew red and gold and the sun rose. Suddenly there was a noise in the forest around the field. The trees shook and swayed and almost fell. There was a mighty wind. The sea piled itself into waves with crests of foam and the firebird came flying from the other side of the world. Huge and golden and flaming in the sun it flew, dropped down with open wings into the field and began to eat the maize. The horse of power wandered in the field. This way he went and that, but always he came a little nearer to the firebird. Nearer and nearer came the horse. He came close up to the firebird and then suddenly stepped on one of its spreading fiery wings and pressed it heavily to the ground. The bird struggled, flapping mightily with its fiery wings, but it could not get away. The young archer slipped down from the tree, bound the firebird with three strong ropes, swung it on his back, meddled the horse and rode to the palace of the Tsar. The young archer stood before the Tsar and his back was bent under the great weight of the firebird and the broad wings of the bird hung on either side of him like fiery shields and there was a trail of golden feathers on the floor. The young archer swung the magic bird to the foot of the throne before the Tsar and the Tsar was glad because since the beginning of the world no Tsar had seen the firebird flung before him like a wild duck caught in a snare. The Tsar looked at the firebird and laughed with pride. He lifted his eyes and looked at the young archer and says he, as you have known how to take the firebird, you will know how to bring me my bride for whom I have long been waiting in the land of never on the very edge of the world where the sun rises in flame from behind the sea lives the princess Vasilisa. I will marry none but her. Bring her to me and I will reward you with silver and gold. But if you do not bring her then by my sword your head will no longer sit between your shoulders. The young archer wept bitter tears and went out into the courtyard where the horse of power was stamping the ground with its hooves of iron and tossing its thick mane. Master, why do you weep? asked the horse of power. The Tsar has ordered me to go to the land of never and bring back the princess Vasilisa. Do not weep. Do not grieve. The trouble is not yet. The trouble is to come. Go to the Tsar and ask him for a silver tent with a golden roof and for all kinds of food and drink to take with us on the journey. The young archer went in and asked the Tsar for this and the Tsar gave him a silver tent with silver hangings and a gold embroidered roof and every kind of rich wine and the tastiest of foods. Then the young archer mounted the horse of power and rode off to the land of never. On and on he rode, many days and nights and came at last to the edge of the world where the red sun rises in flame from behind the deep blue sea. On the shore of the sea the young archer reigned in the horse of power and the heavy hooves of the horse sank in the sand. He lifted his eyes and looked out over the blue water and there was the Princess Vasa Lisa in a little silver boat rowing with golden oars. The young archer rode back a little way to where the sand ended and the green world began. There he loosened the horse to wander where he pleased and to feed on the green grass. Then on the edge of the shore where the green grass ended and grew thin and the sand began he set up the shining tent with its silver hangings and its gold embroidered roof. In the tent he set out the tastiest dishes and the rich floggins of wine which the Tsar had given him and he set himself down in the tent and began to regal himself while he waited for the Princess Vasa Lisa. The Princess Vasa Lisa dipped her golden oars in the blue water and the little silver boat moved lightly through the dancing waves. She sat in the little boat and looked over the blue sea to the edge of the world and there between the golden sand and the green earth she saw the tent standing, silver and gold in the sun. She dipped her oars and came nearer to see it better. The nearer she came, the fairer, seemed the tent and at last she rode to the shore and grounded her little boat on the golden sand and stepped out daintily and came up to the tent. She was a little frightened and now and again she stopped and looked back to where the silver boat lay on the sand with the blue sea beyond it. The young archer said not a word but went on regaling himself on the pleasant dishes. He had set out there in the tent. At last the Princess Vasa Lisa came up to the tent and looked in. The young archer rose and bowed before her, says he, Good day to you, Princess. Be so kind as to come in and take bread and salt with me and taste my foreign wines. And the Princess Vasa Lisa came into the tent and sat down with the young archer and ate sweet meats with him and drank his health in a golden goblet of wine. The czar had given him. Now this wine was heavy and the last drop from the goblet had no sooner trickled down her little slender throat than her eyes closed against her will once, twice, and again. Ah, me, says the Princess. It is as if the night itself had perched on my eyelids and yet it is but noon. And the golden goblet dropped to the ground from her little fingers and she leaned back on a cushion and fell instantly asleep if she had been beautiful before. She was lovely or still when she lay in that deep sleep in the shadow of the tent. Quickly the young archer called to the horse of power. Lightly he lifted the Princess in his strong young arms. Swiftly he leapt with her into the saddle. Like a feather she lay in the hollow of his left arm and slept while the iron hooves of the great horse thundered over the ground. They came to the czar's palace and the young archer leapt from the horse of power and carried the Princess into the palace. Great was the joy of the czar but it did not last for long. Go sound the trumpets for our wedding, he said to his servants. Let all the bells be wrong. The bells rang out and the trumpet sounded and at the noise of the horns and the ringing of the bells the Princess Vasa Lisa woke up and looked about her. What is this ringing of bells, says she, and this noise of trumpets? Where? Oh, where is the blue sea and my little silver boat with its golden oars? And the Princess put her hand to her eyes. The blue sea is far away, says the czar, and for your little silver boat I give you a golden throne. The trumpets sound for our wedding and the bells are ringing for our joy but the Princess turned her face away from the czar and there was no wonder in that for he was old and his eyes were not kind and she looked with love at the young archer and there was no wonder in that either for he was a young man fit to ride the horse of power. The czar was angry with the Princess Vasa Lisa but his anger was as useless as his joy. My Princess, says he, will you not marry me and forget your blue sea and your silver boat? In the middle of the deep blue sea lies a great stone, says the Princess and under that stone is hidden my wedding dress. If I cannot wear that dress I will marry nobody at all. Instantly the czar turned to the young archer who was waiting before the throne. Rides swiftly back, says he, to the land of Never where the red sun rises in flame. There, do you hear what the Princess says? A great stone lies in the middle of the sea. Under that stone is hidden her wedding dress. Rides swiftly, bring back that dress or buy my sword. Your head shall no longer sit between your shoulders. The young archer wept bitter tears and went out into the courtyard where the horse of power was waiting for him, chomping its golden bit. There is no way of escaping death this time, he said. Master, why do you weep? asked the horse of power. The czar has ordered me to ride to the land of Never to fetch the wedding dress of the Princess Basilisa from the bottom of the deep blue sea. Besides, the dress is wanted for the czar's wedding and I love the Princess myself. What did I tell you? says the horse of power. I told you that there would be trouble if you picked up the golden feather from the firebird's burning breast. Well, do not be afraid. The trouble is not yet. The trouble is to come up into the saddle with you and away for the wedding dress of the Princess Basilisa. The young archer leapt into the saddle and the horse of power with its thundering hooves carried him swiftly through the green forest and over the bare plains till they came to the edge of the world to the land of Never where the red sun rises in flame from behind the deep blue sea. There they rested at the very edge of the sea. The young archer looked sadly over the wide waters but the horse of power tossed its mane and did not look at the sea but on the shore. This way and that it looked and saw at last a huge lobster moving slowly sideways along the golden sand. Nearer and nearer came the lobster and it was a giant among lobsters, the czar of all the lobsters and it moved slowly along the shore while the horse of power moved carefully and as if by accident it stood between the lobster and the sea. Then when the lobster came close by the horse of power lifted an iron hoof and set it firmly on the lobster's tail. You will be the death of me! screamed the lobster as well he might with the heavy foot of the horse of power pressing his tail into the sand. Let me live and I will do whatever you asked of me. Very well says the horse of power. We will let you live and he slowly lifted his foot but this is what you shall do for us. In the middle of the blue sea lies a great stone and under that stone is hidden the wedding dress of the princess Vasalisa. Bring it here. The lobster groaned with the pain in his tail then he cried out in a voice that could be heard all over the deep blue sea and the sea was disturbed and from all sides lobsters in thousands made their way towards the bank. The huge lobster that was the oldest of them all and the czar of all the lobsters that lived between the rising and the setting of the sun gave them the order and sent them back into the sea and the young archer sat on the horse of power and waited. After a little time the sea was disturbed again and the lobsters in their thousands came to the shore and with them they brought a golden casket in which was the wedding dress of the princess Vasalisa. They had taken it from under the great stone that lay in the middle of the sea. The czar of all the lobsters raised himself painfully on his bruised tail and gave the casket into the hands of the young archer and instantly the horse of power turned himself about and galloped back to the palace of the czar far, far away at the other side of the green forest and beyond the treeless plains. The young archer went into the palace and gave the casket into the hands of the princess and looked at her with sadness in his eyes and she looked at him with love. Then she went away into an inner chamber and came back in her wedding dress fairer than the spring itself. Once the joy of the czar, the wedding feast was made ready and the bells rang and the flags waved above the palace. The czar held out his hand to the princess and looked at her with his old eyes but she would not take his hand. No, says she, I will marry nobody until the man who brought me here has done penance in boiling water instantly. The czar turned to his servants and ordered them to make a great fire and to fill a cauldron with water and set it on the fire and when the water should be at its hottest to take away the young archer and throw him into it to do penance for having taken the princess Vasalisa away from the land of Never. There was no gratitude in the mind of that czar. Swiftly the servants brought wood and made a mighty fire and on it they laid a huge cauldron of water and built the fire round the walls of the mighty cauldron. The fire burned hot and the water steamed. The fire burned hotter and the water bubbled and seathed. They made ready to take the young archer to throw him into the cauldron. Oh, misery, thought the young archer, why did I ever take the golden feather that had fallen from the firebird's burning breast? Why did I not listen to the wise words of the horse of power? And he remembered the horse of power and he begged the czar. Oh, Lord czar, I do not complain. I shall presently die in the heat of the water on the fire. Suffer me before I die. Once more to see my horse. Let him see his horse, says the princess. Very well, says the czar. Say goodbye to your horse, for you will not ride him again. But let your farewells be short, for we are waiting. The young archer crossed the courtyard and came to the horse of power who was scraping the ground with his iron hooves. Farewell, my horse of power, says the young archer. I should have listened to your words of wisdom, for now the end is come and we shall nevermore see the green trees pass above us and the ground disappear beneath us as we race the wind between the earth and the sky. Why so, says the horse of power? The czar has ordered that I am to be boiled to death, thrown into that cauldron that is seething on the great fire. Fear not, says the horse of power, for the princess Vasalisa has made him do this and the end of these things is better than I thought. Go back, and when they are ready to throw you in the cauldron, do you run boldly and leap yourself into the boiling water. The young archer went back across the courtyard and the servants made ready to throw him into the cauldron. Are you sure that the water is boiling? says the princess Vasalisa. It bubbles and seethes, said the servants. Let me see for myself, says the princess, and she went to the fire and waved her hand above the cauldron and some say there was something in her hand and some say there was not. It is boiling, says she, and the servants laid hands on the young archer, but he threw them from him and ran and leapt boldly before them all into the very middle of the cauldron. Twice he sank below the surface, born round with the bubbles and foam of the boiling water. Then he leapt from the cauldron and stood before the Tsar and the princess. He had become so beautiful a youth that all who saw cried aloud in wonder, This is a miracle, says the Tsar, and the Tsar looked at the beautiful young archer and thought of himself, of his age, of his bent back and his grey beard and his toothless gums. I too will become beautiful, thinks he, and he rose from his throne and clambered into the cauldron and was boiled to death in a moment. And the end of the story, they buried the Tsar and made the young archer Tsar in his place. He married the princess Vasa Lisa and lived many years with her in love and good fellowship, and he built the golden stable for the horse of power and never forgot what he owed to him. End of the Firebird, The Horse of Power and the Princess Vasa Lisa Recording by Jenny Lundack South Padre Island, Texas The Hunter and his wife of old Peter's Russian Tales This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Jenny Lundack Old Peter's Russian Tales by Arthur Ransom The Hunter and his wife It sometimes happened that the two children asked too many questions even for old Peter though he was the kindest old Russian peasant who ever was a grandfather. Sometimes he was busy, sometimes he was tired and really could not think of the right answer. Sometimes he did not know the right answer and once when Vanya asked him why the sun was hot and his sister Marusha went on and on asking if the sun was a fire who lit it and if it was burning why didn't it burn out old Peter grumbled that he would not answer any more. For a moment the two children were quiet and then Marusha asked one more question. Old Peter looked up from the net he was mending Marusha my dear he said you had better watch the tip of your tongue or perhaps when you are grown up and have a husband the same thing will happen to you that happened to the wife of the huntsman who saw a snake burning in a wood pile. Oh, tell us what happened to her said Marusha. That is another question said old Peter but I'll tell you and then perhaps you won't ask any more and will give my old head a rest. And then he told them the story of the hunter and his wife. Once upon a time there was a hunter who went out into the forest to shoot game he had a wife and two dogs his wife was forever asking questions so that he was glad to get away from her into the forest and she did not like dogs and said they were always bringing dirt into the house with their muddy paws so that the dogs were glad to get away into the forest with the hunter. One day the hunter and the two dogs wandered all day through the deep woods and never got sight of a bird No, they never even saw a hare all day long they wandered on and saw nothing. The hunter had not fired a cartridge he did not want to go home and have to answer his wife's questions about why he had an empty bag so he went deeper and deeper into the thick forest and suddenly as it grew towards evening the sharp smell of burning wood floated through the trees and the hunter looking about him saw the flickering of a fire he made his way towards it and found a clearing in the forest and a wood pile in the middle of it and it was burning so fiercely that he could scarcely come near it and this was the marvel in the middle of the blazing timbers was sitting a great snake he hurled round and round upon itself and waving its head above the flames as soon as it saw the hunter it called out in a loud hissing voice to come near he went as near as he could shading his face from the heat my good man says the snake pull me out of the fire and you shall understand the talk of the beasts and the songs of the birds I'll be happy to help you says the hunter but how? for the flames are so hot that I cannot reach you put the barrel of your gun into the fire and I'll crawl out along it the hunter put the barrel of his long gun into the flames and instantly the snake wound itself about it and so escaped out of the fire thank you my good man says the snake you shall know hence forward the language of all living things but one thing you must remember you must not tell anyone of this for if you tell you will die the death and a man only dies once and that will be the end of your life and your knowledge then the snake went off across the ground and almost before the hunter knew it was going it was gone and he never saw it again well he went on with the two dogs looking for something to shoot at and when the dark night fell he was still far from home away in the deep forest I am tired he thought and perhaps there will be birds stirring in the early morning I will sleep the night here in my locket sunrise he made a fire of twigs and broken branches and lay down beside it together with his dogs he had scarcely laid down to sleep when he heard the dogs talking together and calling each other brother he understood every word they said well brother says the first you sleep here and look after our master while I run home to look after the house and yard it will soon be one o'clock and when the master is away that is the time for thieves off with you brother and God be with you says the second and the hunter heard the first dog go bounding away through the undergrowth while the second lay still with its head between its paws watching its master blinking at the fire early in the morning the hunter was awakened by the noise of the dog pushing through the brushwood on its way back he heard how the dogs greeted each other well how are you brother says the first finally says the second and how's yourself finally too did the night pass well well enough thanks be to God but with you brother how was it at home oh badly I ran home and the mistress when she sees me sings out what the devil are you doing here without your master well there's your supper and she threw me across the bread burnt to a black cinder I snuffed it and snuffed it but as for eating it it was burnt through no dog alive could have made a meal of it and with that she ups with a poker and beats me brother she counted all my ribs and nearly broke each one of them but at night later on just as I thought these came into the yard and were going to clear out the barn and the larder but I let loose such a howl and leaped upon them so vicious and angry that they had little thought to spare for other people's goods and had all they could do to get away whole themselves and so I spent the night the hunter heard all the dog said and kept it in mind wait a bit my good woman says he and see what I have to say to you when I get home that morning his luck was good and he came home with a couple of hairs and three or four woodcock good day mistress says he to his wife who was standing in the doorway good day master says she last night one of the dogs came home it did said she and how did you feed it feed it my love says she I gave it a whole basin of milk and crumbled a loaf of bread for it you lie you old witch says the hunter you gave it nothing but a burnt crust and you beat it with the poker the woman was so surprised that she let the truth out of her mouth before she knew she says to her husband how on earth did you know all that I won't tell you says the hunter tell me tell me begs the old woman just like Marusha when she wants to know too much I can't tell you says the hunter it's forbidden me to tell tell me dear one says she truly I can't tell me my little pigeon if I tell you I shall die the death rubbish my dearest only tell me but I shall die just tell me that one little thing you won't die for that and so she bothered him and bothered him until he thought there's nothing to be done if a woman sets her mind on a thing I'd better die and get it over at once so he put on a clean white shirt and lay down on the bench in the corner under the sacred images and made all ready for his death he was just going to tell his wife the whole truth about the snake and the woodpile and how he knew the language of all living things but just then there was a great clucking in the yard and some hens ran into the cottage and after them came the cock scolding first one and then another and boasting that's the way to deal with you says the cock and the hunter lying there in his white shirt ready to die heard and understood every word yes says the cock as he drove the hens about the room you see I am not such a fool as our master here who does not know how to keep a single wife in order why I have 30 of you and more and the whole lot here for me sharp enough if they do not do as I say as soon as the hunter heard this he made up his mind to be a fool no longer he jumped up from the bench and took his whip and gave his wife such a beating that she never asked him another question to this day and she has never yet learnt how it was that he knew what she did in the hut while he was away in the forest yes said Marusha but then she was a bad woman and besides my husband would never call me an old witch old witch said Vanya and bolted out of the hut with Marusha after him and so old Peter was left in peace and of the hunter and his wife recording by Jenny Lundack South Padre Island, Texas Chapter 18 of Old Peter's Russian Tales This is a LibraVox recording All LibraVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibraVox.org Recording by Darla Ely Old Peter's Russian Tales by Arthur Ransom Chapter 18 The Three Men of Power Evening, Midnight, and Sunrise Long ago there lived a king and he had three daughters the loveliest in all the world and he loved them so well that he built a palace for them underground lest the rough winds should blow on them or the red sun scorched their delicate faces a wonderful palace it was down there underground with fountains and quartz and lamps burning and precious stones glittering in the light of the lamps and the three lovely princesses grew up in that palace underground and knew no other light but that of the colored lanterns never seen the broad world that lies open under the sun by day and under the stars by night indeed they did not know that there was a world outside those glittering walls above that shining ceiling carved and gilded and set with precious stones but it so happened that among the books that were given them to read was one in which was written of the world how the sun shines in the sky how trees grow green how the grass waves in the wind and the leaves whisper together how the rivers flow between their green banks and through the flowery meadows until they come to the blue sea that joins the earth and the sky they read in that book of white-walled towns of churches with gilded and painted domes of the brown wooden huts of the peasants of the great forests of the ships on the rivers and of the long roads with folk moving on them this way and that about the world and when the king came to see them as he was used to do they asked him Father, is it true that there is a garden in the world? Yes, said the king and green grass? Yes, said the king and little shining flowers? Why, yes, said the king wondering and stroking his silver beard and the three lovely princesses all begged him at once Oh, Your Majesty, our own little father, whom we love let us out to see this world let us out just so that we may see this garden and walk in it on the green grass and see the shining flowers the king turned his head away and tried not to listen to them but what could he do? They were the loveliest princesses in the world and when they begged him just to let them walk in the garden he could see the tears in their eyes and after all, he thought there were high walls to the garden so he called up his army and set soldiers all around the garden and a hundred soldiers to each gate so that no one should come in and then he let the princesses come up from their underground palace and step out into the sunshine in the garden with ten nurses and maids to each princess to see that no harm came to her the princesses stepped out into the garden under the blue sky shading their eyes at first because they had never before been in the golden sunlight soon they were taking hands and running this way and that along the garden paths and over the green grass and gathering posies of shining flowers to set in their girdles and to shame their golden crowns and the king sat and watched them with love in his eyes and was glad to see how happy they were and after all, he thought what with the high walls and the soldiers standing to arms nothing could get in to hurt them but just as he had quieted his old heart a strong whirlwind came down out of the blue sky tearing up trees and throwing them aside and lifting the roofs from the houses but it did not touch the palace roofs shining green in the sunlight and it plucked no trees from the garden it raged this way and that and then with its swift whirling arms it caught up the three lovely princesses and carried them up into the air over the high walls and over the heads of the guarding soldiers for a moment the king saw them his daughters the three lovely princesses spinning round and round as if they were dancing in the sky a moment later they were no more than little whirling specks like dust in the sunlight and then they were out of sight and the king and all the maids and nurses were all alone in the empty garden the noise of the wind had gone the soldiers did not dare to speak the only sound in the king's ears was the sobbing of the weeping of the maids and nurses the king called his generals and made them send the soldiers in all directions over the country to bring back the princesses if the whirlwind should tire and set them again upon the ground the soldiers went to the very boundaries of the kingdom as they went now one of them had seen the three lovely princesses then the king called together all his faithful servants and promised a great reward to anyone who should bring news of the three princesses it was the same with the servants as with the soldiers far and wide they galloped out slowly one by one they rode back with bent heads untired horses now one of them had seen the king's daughters then the king called a grand council of his wise boyars and men of state they all sat round and listened as the king told his tale and asked if one of them would not undertake the task of finding and rescuing the three princesses the wind has not set them down within the borders of my kingdom and now, god knows they may be in the power of wicked men or worse he said he would give one of the princesses to anyone who could follow where the wind went and bring his daughters back yes and besides he would make him the richest man in the kingdom but the boyars and the wise men of state sat around in silence he asked them one by one they were all silent and afraid for they were boyars and wise men of state and not one of them would undertake to follow the whirlwind and rescue the three princesses the king wept bitter tears I see, he said I have no friends about me in the palace my soldiers cannot my servants cannot and my boyars and wise men will not bring back my three sweet maids whom I love better than my kingdom and with that he sent heralds throughout the kingdom to announce the news and to ask if there were none among the common folk the mougiques the simple folk like us who would put his hand to the work of rescuing the three lovely princesses since not one of the boyars and wise men was willing to do it now at that time in a certain village lived a poor widow and she had three sons strong men true bogey tears and men of power all three had been born in a single night the eldest at evening the middle one at midnight and the youngest just as the sky was lightning with a dawn for this reason they were called evening, midnight and sunrise evening was dusky with brown eyes and hair midnight was dark with eyes and hair as black as charcoal while sunrise had hair golden as the sun and eyes blue as morning sky and all three were as strong as any of the strong men and mighty bogey tears who have shaken this land of Russia with their tread as soon as the king's word had been proclaimed in the village the three brothers asked for their mother's blessing which she gave them kissing them on the forehead and on both cheeks then they made ready for the journey and rode off to the capital evening on his horse of dusky brown midnight on his black horse and sunrise on his horse that was as white as clouds and summer they came to the capital and as they rode through the streets everybody stopped to look at them and all the pretty young women waved handkerchiefs at the windows but the three brothers looked neither to right nor left but straight before them and they rode to the palace of the king they came to the king bowed low before him and said may you live for many years, oh king we have come to you not for feasting but for service let us, oh king ride out to rescue your three princesses God give you success, my good young men says the king what are your names we are three brothers evening, midnight and sunrise what will you have to take with you on the road for ourselves, oh king we want nothing only do not leave our mother in poverty for she is old the king sent for the old woman their mother and gave her a home in his palace and made her eat and drink at his table and gave her new boots made by his own cobblers and new clothes sewn by the very seamstress who were used to make dresses for the three daughters of the king who were the loveliest princesses in the world and had been carried away by the whirlwind no old woman in Russia was better looked after than the mother of the three young bogatiers and men of power evening, midnight and sunrise while they were away on their adventure seeking the king's daughters the young men rode out on their journey a month they rode together two months and in the third month they came to a broad desert plain where there were no towns no villages no farms and not a human being to be seen they rode on over the sand through the rank grass over the stony wastes at last on the other side of that desolate plain they came to a thick forest they found a path through the thick undergrowth and rode along that path together into the very heart of the forest and there alone in the heart of the forest they came to a hut with a railed yard and a shed full of cattle and sheep they called out with their strong young voices and were answered by the lowing of the cattle the bleeding of the sheep and the strong wind in the tops of the great trees they rode through the rail yard and came to the hut evening lent from his brown horse and knocked on the window there was no answer they forced open the door and found no one at all well, brothers, says evening let us make ourselves at home let us stay here a while we have been riding three months let us rest and then ride farther we shall deal better with our adventure let us come to it as freshmen and not dusty and weary from the long road the others agreed they tied up their horses, fed them drew water from the well and gave them to drink and then, tired out, they went into the hut said their prayers to God and lay down to sleep with their weapons close to their hands like trubogatiers and men of power in the morning the youngest brother, sunrise said to the eldest brother, evening midnight and I are going hunting today and you shall rest here and see what sort of dinner you can give us when we come back very well, says evening but tomorrow I shall go hunting and one of you shall stay here and cook the dinner nobody made bones about that and so evening stood at the door of the hut while the others rode off midnight on his black horse and sunrise on his horse white as a summer cloud they rode off into the forest and disappeared among the green trees evening watched them out of sight and then, without thinking twice about what he was doing went out into the yard picked out the finest sheep he could see caught it, killed it skinned it, cleaned it and set it in a cauldron on the stove so as to be ready and hot whenever his brothers should come riding back from the forest as soon as that was done he saw a broad bench to rest himself he had scarcely laying down before there was a knocking and a rattling and a stumbling and the door opened and then walked a little man a yard high with a beard seven yards long flowing out behind him over both his shoulders he looked round angrily and saw evening who yawn and set up on the bench and began chuckling at the sight of him the little man screamed out what are you chuckling about my house how dare you kill my best sheep evening answered him laughing grow a little bigger and I won't be so hard to see you down there till then it will be better for you to keep a civil tongue in your head the little man was angry before but now he was angrier what? he screamed I am little am I well see what little does and with that he grabbed an old crust of bread and began beating him over the head yes and the little fellow was so strong that he beat evening till he was half dead and was blind in one eye and could not see out of the other then when he was tired he threw evening under the bench took the sheep out of the cauldron gobbled it up in a few mouthfuls and when he had done went off again into the forest when evening came to his senses again he bound up his head with the dishcloth and lay on the ground and groaned midnight and sunrise rode back on the black horse and the white and came to the hut where they found their brother groaning on the ground unable to see out of his eyes and with a dishcloth round his head what are you tied up like that for? they asked and where is our dinner evening was a shame to tell them the truth how he had been thumped about with a crust of bread by a little fellow only a yard high groaned and said oh my brothers I made a fire in the stove and fell ill from the great heat in this little hut my head ached all day I lay senseless and neither could boil nor roast I thought my head would burst with the heat and my brains fly beyond the seventh world next day sunrise went hunting with evening whose head was still bound up in a dishcloth and hurting so sorely that he could hardly see midnight stayed at home it was his turn to see to the dinner sunrise rode out on his cloud white horse an evening on his dusky brown midnight stood in the doorway of the hut watched them disappear among the green trees and then set about getting the dinner he lit the fire but was careful not to make it too hot then he went into the yard caught the very fattest of the sheep killed it skinned it cleaned it cut it up and set it on the stove then when all was ready he lay down on the bench and rested himself but before he had lain there long there were a knocking a stamping a rattling a grumbling an in came the little old man one yard high with a beard seven yards long and without wasting words the little fellow leapt on the shoulders of the bogatier and set to beating him and thumping him first on one side of his head and then on the other he gave him such a banging that he very nearly made an end of him altogether then the little fellow ate up the whole of the sheep in a few mouthfuls and went off angrily into the forest with his long white beard flowing behind him midnight tied up his head with a handkerchief and lay down under the bench groaning and groaning unable to put his head to the ground or even to lay it in the crook of his arm it was so bruised by the beating given hit by the little old man in the evening the brothers rode back and found midnight groaning under the bench with his head bound up in a handkerchief evening looked at him and said nothing perhaps he was thinking of his own bruised head which was still tied up in a dishcloth what's the matter with you says sunrise there never was such another stove is this says midnight I'd no sooner lit it than it seemed as if the whole hut were on fire my head nearly burst it's aching now and as for your dinner why I've not been able to put a hand to anything all day evening chuckled to himself but sunrise only said that's bad brother but you shall go hunting tomorrow and I'll stay at home and see what I can do with the stove and so on the third day the two elder brothers went hunting midnight on his black horse and evening on his horse of dusky brown sunrise stood in the doorway of the hut and saw them disappear under the green trees the sun shone on his golden curls and his blue eyes were like the sky itself there never was such another bogatier as he he went into the hut and lit the stove then he went out into the yard chose the best sheep he could find killed it skinned it cleaned it cut it up and set it on the stove put everything ready and then lay down on the bench before he had lain there very long he heard a stumping a thumping a knocking a rattling a grumbling a rumbling sunrise leaped up from the bench and looked out through the window of the hut there in the yard was a little old man one yard high with a beard seven yards long he was carrying a whole haystack on his head and a great tub of water in his arms he came into the middle of the yard and sat down his tub to water all the beasts he sat down the haystack and scattered the hay about all the cattle and the sheep came together to eat and to drink and the little man stood and counted them he counted the oxen he counted the goats then he counted the sheep he counted them once and his eyes began to flash he counted them twice and he began to grind his teeth he counted them a third time made sure that one was missing and then he flew into a violent rage rushed across the yard and into the hut and gave sunrise a terrific blow on the head sunrise shook his head as if a fly had settled on it then he jumped subtly and caught the end of the long beard of the little old man and set to pulling him this way and that round and round the hut as if his beard was a rope phew how the little man roared sunrise laughed and tugged him this way and that mocked him crying out if you do not know the Ford it is better not to go into the water meaning that the little fellow had begun to beat him without finding out who was the stronger the little old man one yard high with a beard seven yards long began to pray and to beg oh man of power oh great and mighty bogatier have mercy upon me do not kill me leave me my soul to repent with sunrise laughed and dragged the little fellow out into the yard and rolled him round at the end of his beard and brought him to a great oak tree that lay on the ground then with a heavy iron wedge he fixed the end of the little man's beard firmly in the oak and trunk and leaving the little man howling and lamenting went back to the hut set it in order again saw that the sheep was cooking as it should and then lay down in peace to wait for the coming of his brothers evening and midnight rode home left from their horses and came into the hut to see how the little man had dealt with their brother they could hardly believe their eyes when they saw him alive and well without a bruise lying comfortably on the bench he sat up and laughed in their faces well brothers says he come along with me into the yard and I think I can show you that headache of yours it's a good deal stronger than it is big but for the time being you need not be afraid of it for it's fastened to an oak timber the three of us together could not lift he got up and went into the yard evening and midnight followed him with shamed faces but when they came to the oak and timber the little man was not there long ago he had torn himself free and run away into the forest but half his beard was left wedged in the trunk and sunrise pointed to that and said tell me brothers was it the heat of the stove that gave you your headaches long beard something to do with it the brothers grew red and laughed and told him the whole truth meanwhile sunrise had been looking at the end of the beard the end of the half beard that was left and he saw that it had been torn out by the roots and that drops of blood from the little man's chin showed the way he had gone quickly the brothers went back to the hut and ate up the sheep then they leapt on their horses and rode off into the green forest the red drops of blood that had fallen from the little man's chin for three days they rode through the green forest until at last the red drops of the trail led them to a deep pit a black hole in the earth hidden by thick bushes and going far down into the underworld sunrise left his brothers to guard the hole while he went off into the forest and gathered bast and twisted it and made a strong rope and brought it to the mouth of the pit and asked his brothers to lure him down he made a loop in the rope his brothers kissed him on both cheeks and he kissed them back then he sat in the loop and evening and midnight lowered him down into the darkness down and down he went swinging in the dark till he came into a world under the world with a light that was neither that of the sun nor of the moon nor of the stars he stepped from the loop in the rope of twisted bast and set out walking through the underworld going wither his eyes led him where he found no more drops of blood nor any other traces of the little old man he walked and walked and came at last to a palace of copper green and ruddy in a strange light he went into that palace and there came to meet him in the copper halls a maiden whose cheeks were redder than the aloe and whiter than the snow she was the youngest daughter of the king and the loveliest of the three princesses who were the loveliest in all the world sweetly she curtsied to sunrise as he stood there with his golden hair and his eyes blue as the sky at morning and sweetly she asked him how have you come hither, my brave young man of your own will or against it your father has sent me to rescue you and your sisters she bathed him, sat at the table and gave him food and brought him a little flask of the water of strength you are, says she but not strong enough for what is before you drink this and your strength will be better than it is for you will need all the strength you have and can win if you are to rescue us and live sunrise looked in her sweet eyes and drank the water of strength in a single drought and felt gigantic power forcing its way throughout his body now, thought he let come what may recently a violent wind rushed through the copper palace and the princess trembled the snake that holds me here is coming, says she his flying hither on his strong wings she took the great hand of the bogatier and her little fingers and drew him to another room and hid him there the copper palace rocked in the wind and there flew into the great hall a huge snake with three heads the snake hissed loudly and called out in a whistling voice I smell the smell of a Russian soul what visitor have you here how could anyone come here, said the princess you have been flying over Russia there you smelt Russian souls and the smell is still in your nostrils so that you think you smell them here it is true, said the snake I have been flying over Russia I have flown far let me eat and drink for I am both hungry and thirsty all this time sunrise was watching from the other room the princess brought meat and drink to the snake and in the drink she put a filter of sleep the snake ate and drank and began to feel sleepy he coiled himself up in rings laid his three heads in the lap of the princess told her to scratch them for him and dropped into a deep sleep the princess called sunrise and the bogatier rushed in swung his glittering sword three times round his golden head and cut off all three heads of the snake it was like felling three oak trees at a single blow then he made a great fire of wood and threw upon at the body of the snake and when it was burned up scattered the ashes over the open country and now fair you well says the sunrise to the princess before she threw her arms about his neck fair you well, says he I go to seek your sisters as soon as I have found them I will come back and at that she let him go he walked on further through the underworld and came at last to a palace of silver gleaming in the strange light he went in there and was met with sweet words and kindness by the second of three lovely princesses in that palace he killed a snake with six heads the princess begged him to stay but he told her he had yet to find her eldest sister at that she wished him the help of God and he left her and went on further he walked and walked and came at last to a palace of gold glittering in the light of the underworld all happened as in the other palaces the eldest of the three daughters of the king met him with courtesy and kindness and he killed a snake with twelve heads and freed the princess from her imprisonment the princess rejoiced and thanked sunrise and said about her packing to go home and this was the way of her packing she went out into the broad courtyard and waved a scarlet handkerchief and instantly the whole palace golden and glittering and the kingdom belonging to it became little little little till it went into a little golden egg the princess tied the egg in a corner of her handkerchief and set out with sunrise to join her sisters and go home to her father her sisters did their packing in the same way the silver palace and its kingdom were packed by the second sister into a little silver egg and when they came to the copper palace the youngest of the three lovely princesses clapped her hands and kissed sunrise on both his cheeks and waved a scarlet handkerchief and instantly the copper palace and its kingdom were packed into a little copper egg shining ruddy and green and so sunrise and the three daughters of the king came to the foot of the deep hole down which he had come into the underworld and there was the rope hanging with the loop at its end and they sat in the loop and evening and midnight pulled them up one by one rejoicing together then the three brothers took each of them a princess with him on his horse and they all rode together back to the old king telling tales and singing songs as they went the princess from the golden palace rode with evening on his horse of dusky brown the princess from the silver palace rode with midnight on his horse of black as charcoal but the princess from the copper palace the youngest of them all rode with sunrise on his horse white as a summer cloud Mary was the journey through the green forest and gladly they rode over the open plain till they came at last to the palace of their father there was the old king sitting melancholy alone when the three brothers with the princesses rode into the courtyard of his palace the old king was so glad that he laughed and cried at the same time and his tears ran down his beard ah me says the old king I am old and you young men have brought my daughters back from the very world under the world safer they will be if they have you to guard them even then they were in the palace I had built for them underground but I have only one kingdom and three daughters I had trouble about that laughed at the three princesses and they all rode out together into the open country and there the princesses broke their eggs one after the other and there were the palaces of silver, copper and gold with the kingdoms belonging to them and the cattle and the sheep and the goats there was a kingdom for each of the brothers then they made a great feast and had three weddings all together and the old king sat with the mother of the three strong men and men of power the noble bogey tears evening, midnight and sunrise sitting at his side great was the feasting, loud were the songs and the king made sunrise his heir so that someday he would wear his crown but little did sunrise think of that he thought of nothing but the youngest princess and little she thought of it for she had no eyes but for sunrise and merrily they lived together in the copper palace and happily they rode together on the horse that was as white as clouds in summer End of Chapter 18 Old Peter's Russian Tales by Arthur Ransom Salt of Old Peter's Russian Tales This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Jenny Lundek Old Peter's Russian Tales by Arthur Ransom Salt One evening when they were sitting round the table after their supper Old Peter asked the children what story they would like to hear Vanya asked whether there were any stories left which they had not already heard Why? says Old Peter You have scarcely heard any of the stories for there is a story to be told about everything in the world About everything, Grandfather? Ask Vanya About everything, said Old Peter About the sky and the thunder and the dogs and the flies and the birds and the trees and the milk There is a story about every one of those things I know something there isn't a story about, said Vanya And what's that? asked Old Peter Smiling in his beard Salt Said Vanya, there can't be a story about salt He put the tip of his finger into the little box of salt on the table and then he touched his tongue with his finger to taste But of course there is a story about salt said Old Peter Tell it us, said Marusia and presently when his pipe had been lit twice and gone out Old Peter began Once upon a time there were three brothers and their father was a great merchant who sent his ships far over the sea and traded here and there in the countries the names of which I, being an old man can never rightly call to mind Well, the names of the two elder brothers do not matter but the youngest was called Ivan the Ninny because he was always playing and never working and if there was a silly thing to do why? off he went and did it and so when the brothers grew up the father sent the two elder ones off each with a fine ship laden with gold and jewels and rings and bracelets and laces and silks and sticks with little bits of silver hammered into their handles and spoons with patterns of blue and red and everything else you can think of that cost too much to buy but he made Ivan the Ninny stay at home and did not give him a ship at all Ivan saw his brothers go sailing off over the sea on a summer morning to make their fortunes and come back rich men and then for the first time in his life he wanted to work and do something useful he went to his father and kissed his hand and he kissed the hand of his little old mother and he begged his father to give him a ship so that he could try his fortune like his brothers but you have never done a wise thing in your life and no one could count all the silly things you've done if he spent a hundred days in the counting said his father through said Ivan but now I am going to be wise and sail the sea and come back with something in my pockets to show that I am not a Ninny any longer give me just a little ship father mine just a little ship for myself give him a little ship said the mother he may not be a Ninny after all very well said the father I will give him a little ship but I am not going to waste good ruffles by giving him a rich cargo give me any cargo you like said Ivan so his father gave him a little ship a little old ship and a cargo of rags and scraps and things that were not fit for anything but to be thrown away and he gave him a crew of ancient old sailor men who were past work and Ivan went on board and sailed away at sunset like the Ninny he was and the feeble ancient old sailor men pulled up the ragged dirty sails and away they went over the sea to learn what fortune, good or bad God had in mind for a crew of old men with a Ninny for a master the fourth day after they set sail there came a great wind over the sea the feeble old men did the best they could with the ship but the old torn sails tore from the mass and the wind did what it pleased and threw the little ship on an unknown island away in the middle of the sea then the wind dropped and left the little ship on the beach and Ivan the Ninny and his ancient old men like good Russians praising God that they were still alive well children said Ivan for he knew how to talk to sailors do you stay here and mend the sails and make new ones out of the rags we carry as cargo while I go inland and see if there is anything that could be of use to us so the ancient old sailor men sat on deck with their legs crossed and made sails out of rags of torn scraps of old brocades of soiled embroidered shawls of all the rubbish that they had with them for a cargo you never saw such sails the tide came up and floated the ship and they threw out anchors at bow and stern and sat there in the sunlight making sails and patching them and talking of the days when they were young all this while Ivan the Ninny went walking off into the island now in the middle of that island was a high mountain a high mountain it was and so white that when he came near it Ivan the Ninny began thinking of sheepskin coats although it was mid-summer and the sun was hot in the sky the trees were green round about but there was nothing growing on the mountain at all it was just a great white mountain piled up into the sky in the middle of a green island Ivan walked a little way up the white slopes of the mountain and then because he felt thirsty he thought he would let a little snow melt in his mouth he took some in his fingers and stuffed it in quickly enough it came out again I can tell you for the mountain was not made of snow but of good Russian salt and if you want to try what a mouthful of salt is like you may no thank you grandfather the children said hurriedly together old Peter went on with his tail Ivan the Ninny did not stop to think twice the salt was so clean and shone so brightly in the sunlight he just turned round and ran back to the shore and called out to his ancient old sailor men and told them to empty everything they had on board over into the sea over it all went rags and tags and rotten timbers till the little ship was as empty as a soup bowl after supper and then those ancient old men were sent to work carrying salt from the mountain and taking it on board the little ship and stowing it away below deck till there was not room for another grain Ivan the Ninny would have liked to take the whole mountain but there was not room in their little ship and for that the ancient old sailor men thanked God because their backs ached and their old legs were weak and they said they would have died if they had to carry any more then they hoisted up the new sails they had patched together out of the rags and scraps of shawls and old brocades and they sailed away once more over the blue sea and the wind stood fair and they sailed before it and the ancient old sailors rested their backs and told old tales and took turn and turn about the rudder after many days sailing they came to a town with towers and churches and painted roofs all set on the side of a hill that sloped down into the sea at the foot of the hill was a quiet harbor and they sailed in there and moored the ship and hauled down their patchwork sails Ivan the Ninny went ashore and took with him a little bag of clean white salt to show what kind of goods he had for sail and he asked his way to the palace of the Tsar of that town he came to the palace and went in and bowed to the ground before the Tsar Who are you? says the Tsar I, great Lord, am a Russian merchant and here in a bag is some of my merchandise and I beg your leave to trade with your subjects in this town Let me see what is in the bag says the Tsar Ivan the Ninny took a handful from the bag and showed it to the Tsar Is this? says the Tsar Good Russian salt says Ivan the Ninny Now in that country they had never heard of salt and the Tsar looked at the salt and he looked at Ivan and he laughed Why this? says he is nothing but white dust and that we can pick up for nothing The men of my town have no need to trade with you you must be a Ninny Ivan grew very red for he knew what his father used to call him he was ashamed to say anything so he bowed to the ground and went away out of the palace but when he was outside he thought to himself I wonder what sort of salt they use in these parts if they do not know good Russian salt when they see it I will go to the kitchen so he went round to the back door of the palace and put his head into the kitchen and said I am very tired may I sit down here and rest a little while come in says one of the cooks but you must sit just there and not put even your little finger in the way of us for we are the Tsar's cooks and we are in the middle of making ready his dinner and the cook put a stool in the corner out of the way and Ivan slipped in round the door and sat down in the corner and looked about him there were seven cooks at least boiling and baking and stewing and toasting and roasting and frying and as for the Skullian they were as thick as cockroaches dozens of them running to and fro tumbling over each other and helping the cooks Ivan the Ninny sat on his stool with his legs tucked under him and the bag of salt on his knees he watched the cooks and the Skullians but he did not see them put anything in the dishes which he thought could take the place of salt no, the meat was without salt the kasha was without salt and there was no salt in the potatoes Ivan nearly turned sick at the thought of the tastelessness of all that food there came the moment when all the cooks and Skullians ran out of the kitchen to fetch the silver platters on which to lay the dishes Ivan slipped down from his stool and running from stove to stove from saucepan to frying pan he dropped a pinch of salt just what was wanted no more, no less in every one of the dishes then he ran back to the stool in the corner and sat there and watched the dishes being put on the silver platters and carried off in gold embroidered napkins to be the dinner of the czar the czar sat at table and took his first spoonful of soup the soup is very good today says he and he finishes the soup to the last drop I've never known the soup so good says the czarica and she finishes hers this is the best soup I ever tasted says the princess and down goes hers and she you know was the prettiest princess who ever had dinner in this world it was the same with the kasha and the same with the meat the czar and the czarica and the princess wondered why they had never had so good a dinner in all their lives before called the cooks says the czar and they called the cooks and the cooks all came in and bowed to the ground and stood in a row before the czar what did you put in the dishes today that you never put before says the czar we put nothing unusual your greatness say the cooks and bowed to the ground again then why do the dishes taste better we do not know your greatness say the cooks call the scullions says the czar and the scullions were called and they too bowed to the ground and stood in a row before the czar what was done in the kitchen today that has not been done there before says the czar nothing your greatness say all the scullions except one and that one scullion bowed again and kept on bowing and then he said please your greatness please great lord there is usually none in the kitchen but ourselves but today there was a young Russian merchant who sat on a stool in the corner and said he was tired call the merchant says the czar so they brought in Ivan the ninny and he bowed before the czar and stood there with his little bag of salt in his hand did you do anything to my dinner says the czar I did your greatness says Ivan what did you do I put a pinch of Russian salt in every dish that white dust says the czar nothing but that have you got any more of it I have a little ship in the harbor laden with nothing else says Ivan it is the most wonderful dust in the world says the czar and I will buy every grain of it you have what do you want for it Ivan the ninny scratched his head and thought he thought that if the czar liked it as much as all that it must be worth a fair price so he said we will put the salt into bags and for every bag of salt you must give me three bags of the same weight one of gold, one of silver and one of precious stones cheaper than that your greatness I could not possibly sell a green says the czar and a cheap price too for a dust so full of magic that it makes dull dishes tasty and tasty dishes so good that there is no looking away from them so all that day long and far into the night the ancient old sailor men bent their backs under sacks of salt and bent them again under sacks of gold and silver and precious stones when all the salt had been put in the czar's treasury yes with twenty soldiers guarding it with great swords shining in the moonlight and when the little ship was loaded with and when the little ship was loaded with riches so that even the deck was piled high with precious stones the old men lay down among the jewels and slept till morning when Ivan the nanny went to bid goodbye to the czar and with her shall you sail now as the czar I shall sail away to Russia in my little ship says Ivan and the princess who was very beautiful said a little Russian ship yes says Ivan I have never seen a Russian ship and she begs her father to let her go to the harbor with her nurses and maids to see the little Russian ship before Ivan set sail she came with Ivan to the harbor and the ancient old sailor men took them on board she ran all over the ship looking now at this and now at that and Ivan told her the names of everything deck mast and rudder may I see the sails she asked and the ancient old men hoisted the ragged sails and the wind filled the sails and tugged why doesn't the ship move when the sails are up asked the princess the anchor holds her said Ivan please let me see the anchor says the princess haul up the anchor my children and show it to the princess says Ivan to the ancient old sailor men and the old men hauled up the anchor and showed it to the princess and she said it was a very good little anchor but of course as soon as the anchor was up the ship began to move one of the ancient old men bent over the tiller and with a fair wind behind her the little ship slipped out of the harbor and away to the blue sea when the princess looked around to go home the little ship was far from land and away in the distance she could only see the gold towers of her father's palace glittering like pinpoints in the sunlight her nurses and maids wrung their hands and made an outcry and the princess sat down on a heap of jewels and put a handkerchief to her eyes and cried and cried and cried Ivan the nanny and comforted her and told her of the wonders of the sea that he would show her and the wonders of the land and she looked up at him while he talked and his eyes were kind and hers were sweet and at the end of it was that they were both very well content and agreed to have a marriage feast as soon as the little ship should bring them to the home of Ivan's father Mary was that voyage and she sang Ivan and the princess sat on deck and said sweet things to each other and at twilight they sang songs and drank tea and told stories as for the nurses and maids the princess told them to be glad and so they danced and clapped their hands and ran about the ship and teased the ancient old sailorman when they had been sailing many days the princess was looking out over the sea see, over there far away are two big ships with white sails not like our sails of brocade and bits of silk Ivan looked shading his eyes with his hands why, those are the ships of my elder brothers says he we shall all sail home together and he made the ancient old sailorman give a hail in their cracked old voices and the brothers heard them to greet Ivan and his bride and when they saw that she was Azar's daughter and that the buried decks were heaped with precious stones because there was no room below they said one thing to Ivan and something else to each other to Ivan they said thanks be to God he has given you good trading but to each other how can this be says one Ivan the Ninny bringing back such a cargo while we and our fine ships have only a bag or two of gold and what is Ivan the Ninny doing with the princess says the other and they ground their teeth and waited their time and came up suddenly when Ivan was alone in the twilight and picked him up by his head and his heels and hove him overboard not one of the old men had seen them and the princess was not on deck in the morning they said that Ivan the Ninny must have walked overboard in his sleep and they drew lots the eldest brother took the princess and the second brother took the little ship laden with gold and silver and precious stones and so the brothers sailed home very well content but the princess sat very long looking down into the blue water the elder brother could not comfort her and the second brother did not try and the ancient old sailor men muttered in their beards and were sorry and prayed to God to give rest to Ivan's soul for although he had been a Ninny and although he had made them carry a lot of salt and other things yet they loved him and knew how to talk to ancient old sailor men but Ivan was not dead as soon as he splashed into the water he crammed his fur hat a little tighter on his head and began swimming in the sea he swam about until the sun rose and then not far away he saw a floating timber log and he swam to the log and got astride of it and thanked God and sat there on the log in the middle of the sea twiddling his thumbs for want of something to do there was a strong current in the sea that carried him along and at last after floating for many days without ever a bite for his teeth or a drop for his gullet his feet touched land now that was at night and he left the log and walked up out of the sea and lay down on the shore and waited for morning when the sun rose he stood up and saw that he was on a bare island and he saw nothing at all on the island except a huge house as big as a mountain and as he was looking at the house the great door creaked with a noise like that of a hurricane among the pine forests and opened and the giant came walking out and came to the shore and stood there looking down at Ivan what are you doing here little one? says the giant Ivan told him the whole story just as I have told it to you the giant listened to the very end pulling at his monstrous whiskers then he said listen little one I know more of the story than you for I can tell you that tomorrow morning your eldest brother is going to marry your princess but there is no need for you to take on about it if you want to be there I will carry you and set you down before the house in time for the wedding and a fine wedding it is like to be for your father thinks well of those brothers of yours bringing back all those precious stones and silver and gold enough to buy a kingdom and with that he picked up Ivan the Ninny and set him on his great shoulders and set off striding through the sea he went so fast that the wind of his going blew off Ivan's hat stop a moment shouts Ivan my hat has blown off we can't turn back for that says the giant we have already left your hat five hundred bursts behind us and he rushed on splashing through the sea the sea was up to his armpits he rushed on and the sea was up to his waist he rushed on and before the sun had climbed to the top of the blue sky he was splashing up out of the sea with the water about his ankles he lifted Ivan from his shoulders and set him on the ground now says he little man off you run and you'll be in time for the feast but don't you dare to boast about riding on my shoulders if you open up your mouth about that you'll smart for it if I have to come ten thousand thousand bursts Ivan the Ninny thanked the giant for carrying him through the sea promised that he would not boast and then ran off to his father's house long before he got there he heard the musicians in the courtyard playing as if they wanted to wear out their instruments for the night the wedding feast had begun and when Ivan ran in there at the high board was sitting the princess and beside her his eldest brother and there were his father and mother his second brother and all the guests and every one of them was as merry as could be except the princess and she was as white as the salt sold to her father suddenly the blood flushed to her cheeks she saw Ivan in the doorway up she jumped at the high board and cried out there there is my true love and not this man who sits beside me at the table what is this says Ivan's father and in a few minutes knew the whole story he turned the two elder brothers out of doors gave their ships to Ivan married him to the princess and made him his heir and the wedding feast began again and they sent for the ancient old sailorman to take part in it and the ancient old sailorman wept with joy when they saw Ivan and the princess like two sweet pigeons sitting side by side yes and they lifted their flagans and their old shaking hands and cheered with their old cracked voices and poured the wine down their dry old throats there was wine enough and to spare beer too and mead enough to drown a herd of cattle and as the guests drank and grew merry and proud they set to boasting this one bragged of his riches that one of his wife another boasted of his cunning another of his new house another of his strength and this one was angry because they would not let him show how he could lift the table on one hand they all drank Ivan's health and he drank theirs and in the end he could not bear to listen to their proud boasts that is all very well says he but I am the only man in the world who rode on the shoulders of a giant to come to his wedding feast the words were scarcely out of his mouth before there were a tremendous trampling and a roar like a great wind the house shook with the footsteps of the giant as he strode up the giant bent down over the courtyard and looked in at the feast little man little man says he you promised not to boast of me I told you what would come if you did and here you are and have boasted already forgive me says Ivan it was the drink that boasted not I what sort of drink is it that knows how to boast says the giant you shall taste it says Ivan and he made his ancient old sailorman roll a great barrel of wine into the yard more than enough for a hundred men and after that a barrel of beer that was as big and then a barrel of mead that was no smaller try the taste of that says Ivan the Ninny well the giant did not wait to be asked twice he lifted the barrel of wine as if it had been a little glass and emptied it down his throat he lifted the barrel of beer as if it had been an acorn and emptied it after the wine then he lifted the barrel of mead as if it had been a very small pea and swallowed every drop of mead that was in it and after that he began stamping about and breaking things houses fell to pieces this way and that and trees were swept flat like grass every step the giant took was followed by the crash of breaking timbers then suddenly he fell flat on his back and slept for three days and nights he slept without waking at last he opened his eyes just look about you says Ivan and see the damage that you've done and did that little drop of drink make me do all that says the giant well well I can well understand that a drink like that can do a bit of bragging and after that says he looking at the wrecks of houses and all the broken things scattered about after that says he you can boast of me for a thousand years and I'll have nothing against you and he tugged at his great whiskers and wrinkled his eyes and went striding off into the sea that is the story about salt and how it made a rich man of Ivan the Ninny and besides gave him the prettiest wife in the world and she bazaar's bathroom and of salt recording by Jenny Lundack South Padre Island, Texas