The Russian Story Book 31

The Russian Story Book 31

"Make me a staff of wrought iron," he said, "of five hundred pounds

in weight."

 

"We are willing enough to make such a staff," said the master smith,

"but who will turn the iron? Five hundred pounds is no light weight

even for a hero."

 

"Beat away, my merry men," said Nikita, "and I will turn the iron." So

they beat away and Nikita turned the iron; and when the staff was ready

Nikita took it out into the open field. There he threw it skyward to

a height of ninety feet and let it fall into his hand. As he grasped

it with his heroic strength, it bent and broke. Then Nikita went back

to the forge, paid the men for their work, threw the broken pieces of

rod away, and rode off with a pleased look upon his face. Before long

he caught up again with his companions, and they rode onward for three

days longer, when once more they came to a forge in the open field.

 

"Go ahead again," 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 twenty-five 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.

 

"Make me a staff of wrought iron," he said, "of a thousand pounds

in weight."

 

"We are willing enough," said the master smith, "to make such a staff,

but who will turn the iron?"

 

"Beat away, my merry men," said Nikita, "and I will turn the iron." So

they beat away and Nikita turned the iron; and when the staff was

ready, Nikita took it out into the open field. There he threw it

skyward to a height of one hundred and fifty feet and let it fall

into his hand. As he grasped it with his heroic strength, it bent and

broke. Then Nikita went back to the forge, paid the men for their

work, threw the broken pieces of the rod away, and rode off with a

pleased look upon his face. Before long he caught up again with his

companions, and they rode onward for three days longer, whence once

more they came to a forge in the open field.

 

"Go ahead a third time," said Nikita, "and may good go with you. I

will go into this forge to smoke a pipe with the blacksmiths."

 

Within the third forge he found fifty blacksmiths tormenting an old

man whom they had stretched out upon a large anvil. Ten of these great

fellows were holding him by the beard with pincers and the forty were

pounding him on his body with hammers.

 

"Have mercy, have mercy, good brothers," the old man was

screaming. "Leave some life in me to allow me to show how sorry I am."

 

"Good-day to you all," roared Nikita above the din.

 

"Good-day to you, brother," replied the blacksmiths, pausing in

their work.

 

"Why do you use this old man in such a cruel manner?" asked Nikita.

 

"Because he owes each one of us a rouble," was the answer, "and he

will not pay. Why should he not be beaten?"

 

"It is a great deal to suffer for fifty roubles," said Nikita. "Here

is the money. Let the old fellow go in peace."

 

"Very good, brother," said the blacksmiths. "We do not care who pays

the money so long as we get it somewhere, somehow." Then they let

the old man free, and as soon as they stood aside from the anvil he

vanished from their sight.

 

Nikita rubbed his eyes and looked round in blank amazement. "Why,

where is the old man?" he asked.

 

"Oh," replied one of the blacksmiths, "you may look for him in vain

now. He is a wizard, and can wriggle out of anything."

 

Nikita laughed, and then ordered the blacksmiths to make him a staff

of iron weighing two thousand pounds. When it was ready he went

out into the field and threw it upward to a height of three hundred

feet. The staff fell into his outstretched hand, which never shook,

and remained there firmly held.

 

"This will do," said Nikita. Thereupon he paid the men for their work,

and rode off quickly after his companions. But as he rode onward he

heard some one behind him lustily calling out his name, and turning

in his saddle he saw the old man running quickly after him.

 

"Thanks, thanks, many thanks and more thanks again for your help,"

said the old man. "For thirty years I lay upon that anvil and

was tortured by those fifty fiends. Now will you accept a present

from me in return? Here is a wonderful cap for you. When you put

it on your head no man will be able to see you, for it is a cap of

darkness." Nikita thanked the old man warmly, took the cap, and once

more galloped on after his companions, whom he overtook after a short

space of time. By-and-by they came to a castle which was surrounded

by a stout iron paling through which there was no gateway.

 

"Well," said the Terrible Tsar, "what shall we do now? It is very

plain, Nikita, that the people of this castle do not intend that any

one should enter."

 

"Why not?" asked Nikita. "That is surely a small difficulty--with

all due respect to Your Majesty. Now, boys, tear down the paling and

let us through." So the good fellows got down from their horses and

began to tug and push at the railings with all their heroic strength;

but they could not make them budge an inch.

 

"Oh, brothers," said Nikita. "I find I am a deep-sea captain of

a crew of river sailors. What I wish to have done I must do for

myself. No matter; after all it was I myself who promised to find

for the Terrible Tsar a bride who is ruddier than the sun, fairer

than the moon, and whiter than snow." Nikita leapt from his horse,

put his heroic hand to the paling and a full length of it lay upon

the ground. Through the opening thus made the company rode boldly

forward. On the green lawn before the great door of the castle they

quietly set up their white gold-embroidered tents, ate a good meal,

and then, lying down, slept soundly. But Nikita did not enter one of

the tents. He took three old mats, made a little shelter for himself,

and lay down on the cold hard ground; and Nikita did not sleep,

but waited watchfully for what might turn out.

 

Now when morning dawned, Yelena the Haughty Beauty woke with a sigh

and looked out through the lattice-window of her room which was

decked with ruddy gold, white silver, and fine seed pearls. There

she saw upon the lawn the thirteen white tents of the Terrible Tsar,

and in front of them all a small shelter made of old mats, from which

a pair of very sharp eyes were looking out.

 

"Whatever can have happened?" said Yelena to herself. "Who are my new

guests and whence have they come? Why the strong iron paling which

was better than a whole army of guards is broken and thrown to the

ground." Then she put her haughty head out of the window and cried

in a voice of heroic rage:

 

"Ho, there, guards and protectors! To my rescue! Put these intruders to

a speedy and cruel death while I watch you at your work. Throw their

carcases over the iron paling and bring their white gold-embroidered

tents to me."

 

Then the hero who lived in the castle as the special protector of

Yelena the Haughty Beauty, saddled his great steed and put on his

battle armour, on which the morning sun shone brightly, and rode

towards the unbidden guests, while the Princess watched from her

lattice-window to see that her orders were strictly carried out.

 

Nikita sprang from his little shelter and stood boldly in the path

of the horseman.

 

"Who goes?" he asked.

 

"Who asks?" was the angry reply.

 

Then Nikita sprang forward, and seizing the hero by the foot,

dragged him from his horse. Raising his iron staff he gave him one

all-sufficient blow and said, "Go now to Yelena the Haughty Beauty;

tell her to hide her haughtiness and prepare to marry my master the

Terrible Tsar without further delay."

 

Meanwhile the would-be bridegroom and his young men slept on.

 

The bold hero was glad enough to obey the brave wooer, and rode up

to the castle, where he saluted his mistress with reverence and said:

 

"These are men whose might cannot be measured, O Princess. Their

leader is plainly a man of great weight, and told me to bid you

hide your haughtiness and prepare to marry the Terrible Tsar without

further delay."

 

The lady looked down from the window, and as she looked her scorn

seemed to wither up the hero, horse and all. Then she turned haughtily

from the window, attired herself in her most beautiful garments, and

went down to the great hall, where she summoned a band of generals

and leaders.

 

"My brave men," she cried in tones of passionate anger, "get together

a great array and sweep these intruders out of my lawn as the serving

maids sweep the court before the great door."

 

Then quickly, very quickly, and with lightning speed, the horsemen rode

forth from the castle and swept down with a sound of rushing water

upon the tents of the Terrible Tsar. But they drew rein when Nikita

stood before them waving his mighty staff; and quickly, very quickly, and with lightning speed, they fell and lay dead upon the green lawn.Meanwhile the would-be bridegroom and his young men slept on.