The Russian Story Book 30
But the merriment at the bottom of the Water Tsar's kingdom made
sad havoc at the top. For the upper waters of the sea were churned
into yeasty foam, heaving into great billows, breaking ships
asunder, drowning many mariners, and swallowing up rich stores of
merchandise. For three hours did Sadko play, and then the quiet-eyed
Water Tsaritza said to him in a compelling voice:
"Break thy harp of maple-wood, Sadko the Rich Guest, for though the
Water Tsar makes merry in his palace below, in the upper borders of
his realm there is trouble enough and to spare."
All at once Sadko stopped playing, broke his harp and snapped its
golden strings, and when the Water Tsar commanded him to play for
two hours more, he told him boldly that the instrument was broken.
"But I have sea-smiths here," said His Watery Majesty, "who can mend
a broken pearl, so that it would be an easy thing for them to restore
a harp-string."
"All the sea-smiths of your ocean realm," said Sadko, "could not
revive music that is lost. That can only be done in Holy Russia,
when the maker of the music comes once more to his own home."
"Talk not of land kingdoms," said the Tsar, whirling round Sadko
in the hope of regaining the step which he had lost, but finding it
impossible to dance without music. "Stay with me and wed some beautiful
sea-maiden. Take your choice from the maids in the train of my queen."
Seeing that he was in the power of the Water Tsar, Sadko promised
to do so, and asked the advice of the quiet-eyed Water Tsaritza,
who gave it in her own compelling voice, so that Sadko felt that it
was a command. "Do not choose," she said, "any sea-maid from the first
three hundred which the Tsar will marshal before you, but let them pass
by in all their beauty. Do not choose from the second three hundred,
but let them pass in all their loveliness. But from the third three
hundred choose the Princess who shall come last of all, and who is
smaller and blacker than all the rest. But when you have chosen her
do not kiss her, for if you do, you shall never more dwell in Holy
Russia, nor see the fair white world and the round and ruddy sun."
Therefore Sadko allowed the first three hundred maidens to pass him
by in all their beauty; and he let the second three hundred pass him
by in all their loveliness; but from the third three hundred he chose
the Princess who came last of all, and who was smaller and blacker
than all the rest. But when he chose her he did not kiss her, for
he longed once more to dwell in Holy Russia, to see the fair white
world and the round and ruddy sun.
At the wedding feast the Water Tsar made a great banquet, after which
Sadko lay down and fell into a heavy sleep; and when he awoke he
found himself on the steep banks of a river near Novgorod. He sat up,
rubbing his eyes, and saw far away on the Volkof river his fleet of
bright-red ships with their sails of fair white linen on the decks
of which his men were standing thoughtful, thinking of Sadko in the
depths of the deep-blue sea. But when they saw their master standing
upon the steep bank, they rubbed their eyes in astonishment. Then they
hailed him, and took him on board with great rejoicing. He carried
with him a broken harp, and lo, as he entered his palace and saw his
young wife again the harp-strings were suddenly restored to all their
strength and flexibility, and the body of maple-wood rang as sound
as the great bell of St. Sophia.
Thenceforth Sadko sailed no more upon seas, either blue or grey,
but lived at home in Novgorod the Great, and delighted all with the
golden tones of his harp of maple-wood.
The stove was growing cold, the black-browed maiden rose to her feet,
and stretching herself to ease her limbs stooped tenderly to wrap
the great mantle of sables more closely about the widow mother of
Vasily the Turbulent, who murmured gently but not complainingly,
"Yet Sadko came home again."
"We thank you for your tale, maiden," said the brave bodyguard of
Vasily. Then they went to their rest; and on the next day they sought
out the men of Novgorod, and the Sea Trader told them of new routes
for rich merchandise which their turbulent lord had opened out for
their enrichment; and they equipped the brave bodyguard with more
scarlet ships to go out again upon those routes and win more glory
for Novgorod the Great.
As for Vasily, they made a great image of him, and set it up in their
market, telling all men how his valour had earned for him the praise
of all his townsmen.
But the black-browed maiden smiled with upturned scarlet lip when
she saw it, and shrugged her white shoulders as she turned away to
wait upon the mother of Vasily the Turbulent.
NIKITA THE FOOTLESS AND THE TERRIBLE TSAR
In a certain kingdom of Holy Russia there reigned a ruler so fierce
that he was known as the Terrible Tsar, and the way in which he won
his title was this. One day he frowned such an angry frown at his
body-servant, who had brought him diamond shoes instead of those
set with fine seed pearls, that the man ran out of the room in great
terror; and he told the chambermaid, who told the butler, who told
the cook, who told the soldiers of the guard, who told the generals,
who told the people that their master was indeed the Terrible Tsar. So
this ruler became the terror of all the neighbouring princes; and
when he heard of his reputation he took great care not to lose it
for it proved very useful to him.
By-and-by the Terrible Tsar made up his mind to marry, and he wrote
a proclamation in golden ink on a large piece of crimson velvet, and
sent a herald into every town and village to read the announcement,
which was to this effect--that whoever should find for him a bride
who was ruddier than the sun, fairer than the moon, and whiter than
snow should be given a reward so great that he would be forced to
spend most of his time in computing its value. This was a prize worth
trying for, and before long the people of all the cities with their
suburbs and towns with their villages, as well as the goose-herds,
swan-herds, cow-herds, and keepers of downy ducks on the open steppe,
were wagging their heads over the matter and counting up enormous
numbers upon their finger-tips.
Now not far from the Tsar's palace there was a large brewery, and when
the workers in this place met together to eat their food they began
to talk of the matter which was exercising the minds of the people
throughout the kingdom. "Well, my brothers," said a certain man among
them, who was known as Nikita Koltoma, "I am quite certain of this. No
one can find such a bride as the Terrible Tsar desires without my help;
and if I promise to find her, found she shall be, though whether the
Tsar enjoys his good fortune when he finds her is another matter."
"You are a fool and a boaster," said the other workmen. "How can
one of us do such a great deed as this? Why all the bravest heroes
of Holy Russia will attempt it, and even they have small chance of
success. Let us go back to make more beer. Why, Nikita, you could
not do it in a dream, to say nothing of your waking hours."
"Well, brothers," said Nikita firmly and cheerfully, "say what it
may please you to say; but I have faith in myself, and if any man
can find the bride I can do so."
"Hush, Nikita," said the others in warning voices. "Have you not heard
how terrible our Tsar really is? Why if he hears of your boasting he
will surely put you to death."
"Not so," said Nikita quite cheerfully, "he will not put me to
death. He will give me much money, and some day, indeed, he may make
me his first minister."
The workmen looked at him in dismay and terror, for over the wall they
saw the head of one of the Tsar's soldiers, and they could tell quite
plainly from the tilt of his headgear that the man had heard all the
boastful speeches of Nikita. Before long a strong guard came to take
the boaster away to the Tsar's palace. "That is the last of him,"
said one of the workmen as the poor fellow was marched off. And so
it was, at least as far as the brewery was concerned.
For the Terrible Tsar received Nikita with great delight. "Are you the
man," he asked, "who boasted that you could find me a bride ruddier
than the sun, fairer than the moon, and whiter than snow?"
"I am, Your Majesty," said Nikita firmly.
"That is well," said the Terrible Tsar. "If you can do this, I will
give you such and such a reward and make you first minister. But if,
after boasting, you cannot do it, I will cut off your head."
"I am honoured by Your Majesty's august commands," said Nikita;
"but I beg of you that you will first give orders that I should be
given a holiday for a month."
The Terrible Tsar consented to this, and ordered his steward to
give Nikita a paper commanding all keepers of inns and eating-houses
to place before him food and drink of their best without stint and
without charge. Then Nikita went out, and for three complete weeks he
enjoyed himself as he had never done before. Meanwhile the Terrible
Tsar waited patiently, and when Nikita presented himself at the
palace he scarcely knew him he was so well favoured, so vigorous,
and so cheerful and confident of success. To him even the Terrible
Tsar seemed to have lost his terror.
"May it please Your Majesty," said Nikita, "to choose for me twelve
brave youths exactly the same in height, in breadth, in the colour
of their hair and the pitch of their voice; and let your workmen make
thirteen tents of fair white linen embroidered with gold." In a very
short space of time the youths and the tents were ready, and Nikita
said to his royal employer:
"Now Great Tsar, prepare yourself, and we will go to find a bride
ruddier than the sun, fairer than the moon, and whiter than snow."
Without further delay they saddled their good steeds and packed the
white linen tents on horseback. Then after saying a prayer in the
cathedral they gave the rein to their chargers. So fast they rode
that it was only a pillar of dust on the open plain and they were
gone. For three days they travelled onward, and then they came to a
smith's forge.
"Go ahead now," said Nikita, "and may good go with you. I will go
into this forge to smoke a pipe with the blacksmiths." Then he went
in and found fifteen smiths making the anvils ring.
"Good-day to you, brothers," he bellowed, and at the sound of his
great voice they ceased their hammering and returned his greeting with proper courtesy.
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