The Russian Story Book 32

The Russian Story Book 32

"Go back," cried Nikita to the first hero, who had kept well out of

reach of that terrible staff. "Go back to Yelena the Haughty Beauty

and tell her not to resist us further. See how I have dealt with your

men alone and all by myself! What will it be when the Terrible Tsar

and his young men awake from sleep? We shall not leave one stone of

your castle upon another. You would do well to go back and tell the

bride to prepare for her wedding."

 

So the hero went back and told his mistress all that had happened.

 

"What is to be, must be," she said with outward graciousness. "I will

go to meet this heroic bridegroom in a manner fitting to his warlike

ways." So she summoned her heroic bodyguard, and, surrounded by these

youths, who carried battle-bows in their hands, she walked proudly

from the front door of the castle towards the tents of white linen

standing upon her own green lawn.

 

Nikita saw them coming, and knew without instruction that the kiss

of the bride would be sharp and stinging. So he put on the Cap of

Darkness, bent his own bow, shot off a flaming shaft, and knocked

off the top story of the castle. Yelena the Haughty Beauty bowed

to her fate, advanced with stately step towards the Terrible Tsar,

took him by the hand, and led him within the banquet-hall, where he

and his company were feasted on the best. When his master had eaten

well and drunk just as well, Nikita said in his ear, "Does the bride

please you, or shall we set out to seek a better?"

 

"No, Nikita," said the Terrible Tsar with a smile of satisfaction,

"let us not go on any more, for the whole white world cannot contain

better fortune than is granted to us here."

 

"Well, then," said Nikita, "haste to your wedding, but beware of your

bride." So the wedding was hastened, and when the feast was over the

bride came to the bridegroom and laid her hand in affection upon

his shoulder. But if this were affection it was heavy affection,

for at the weight of her hand the Terrible Tsar felt as if he were

being pushed down bodily into the lap of moist Mother Earth.

 

"Is my hand heavy, my lord and master?" asked the bride sweetly.

 

"It is as heavy as a feather on the bosom of the summer lake," was

the polite reply. "But, stay, my bride. I have to give an order to

my brave troops." Then with a great effort he freed himself, and went

out into the next room where Nikita was awaiting him.

 

"Ah, Nikita," said the Terrible Tsar in great distress, "what shall

I do? The hand of my bride is heavier than the staff of Ilya of Murom."

 

Then Nikita put on his Cap of Darkness and went back into the room

with the Terrible Tsar, and as often as Yelena laid her hand upon

his master in affection, he stepped in the way and bore the weight of

it. So they went on all the time that the Terrible Tsar stayed in the

castle for the wedding festivity, which lasted for a week. But before

the week was over Yelena the Haughty Beauty knew that her people were

laughing at her because she had married a man whose strength was as

nothing but who relied always upon Nikita; and she planned in her

heart a terrible revenge.

 

"We have feasted enough," said the Terrible Tsar at the end of the

festival week. "It is time for us to go homeward and we shall go

by water."

 

So a glorious ship was prepared, and the bridal party went on

board. The sails were set, and the ship put out from the harbour with

a fair wind and a bright sun. The Terrible Tsar was very happy in

his good fortune, but the haughty bride made merry to his face and

plotted behind his back. As for Nikita he fell into a heroic sleep

and slept for twelve whole days and nights.

 

When Yelena saw him sleeping she summoned her trusty bodyguard and

ordered them to cut off his legs to the knee, put him all maimed into

a boat, and cast it out upon the open sea. They did so; and on the

thirteenth day Nikita awoke from his heroic sleep to find himself

lying footless in an open boat far out upon the sea with no ship in

sight anywhere.

 

Meanwhile the bridal ship sailed on its way with a fair wind and

a bright sun, and at last it entered the harbour of the royal city

of the Terrible Tsar. Then the cannon gave the sign, and the people

ran down to the wharves, where the nobles and the chief merchants,

with the Elder at their head, offered bread and salt to their royal

master, and greeted him with compliments on his marriage with a bride

so beautiful and so stately. And the Terrible Tsar was so busy for a

long time in feasting and smiling, giving presents and receiving them,

that he forgot all about Nikita.

 

But when the feast was over the haughty bride took the rule of the

kingdom upon herself, and forced the Terrible Tsar to go out into the

fields to herd the pigs! Then she gave orders that all the relatives of

Nikita should be brought before her at the royal palace. Her soldiers

found only one, Timothy, the brother of Nikita, and by order of the

Terrible Tsaritza his eyes were put out and he was driven from the

town into the green fields.

 

The blind man went on with his hands spread out before him, onward and

ever onward until he came to the seashore and found the water beneath

his feet. Then he halted and stood still, fearing to go forward. But

as he stood there with his sightless eyes turned towards the heaving

waters of the deep blue sea a boat was quickly borne towards the

beach and a cheery voice called out: "Ho, good fellow! Help me to

land in your fine country."

 

"I would gladly do so, friend," was the sad reply, "but, truth to tell,

I am without sight and see nothing."

 

"But who are you and whence do you come?" asked Nikita.

 

"I am Timothy, the brother of Nikita," said the blind man, "whose

eyes have been darkened by Yelena the Haughty Beauty."

 

"My own and very true brother," said Nikita cheerily. "Turn, Timothy,

to the right hand where you will find a tall oak growing. Pull out

the oak, bring it here, and stretch it from the shore across the

water. Then I will mount upon it and so come to you in safety."

 

Timothy did as his brother directed and made a bridge of the tall

oak so that Nikita could creep on shore, where he took Timothy in

his arms and kissed him heartily.

 

"Ah, brother," he said, "how is it now with the Terrible Tsar?"

 

"He found his bride," said Timothy, "and she is indeed ruddier than

the sun, fairer than the moon, and whiter than snow, but her heart

is as black as night. The Terrible Tsar is now in great misfortune

for he is herding his own pigs in the field! Each morning he has for

breakfast a pound of sour bread, a jug of frozen water, and three

stripes upon his back!"

 

"Alas," said Nikita. "We now have indeed a Terrible Tsaritza."

 

Then the two brothers began to discuss their present condition and

their future plans, and of course Nikita was full of ideas. "Brother

of mine," he said brightly, "you cannot see my condition so I must

tell you that I am footless. Now as you are blind it seems to me that

there is only one sound man between us. My plan is that you should

carry me upon your back while I will tell you where to go."

 

"It is well," said the blind man, kneeling down at once so that

his brother could get upon his back. Then he walked onward with his

new burden, onward and ever onward, turning to the right hand or to

the left as his brother directed him. After a long time they came

to a dense forest in which stood the pine-wood cabin of the wicked

Baba-Yaga.

 

Nikita directed his brother towards this hut, and the two in

one entered the home of the wicked Baba-Yaga, but found no one

inside. "Feel in the oven, brother," said Nikita, "perhaps there is

some food there." Sure enough they found hot savoury food in the oven

and they sat down to the table and had a good meal, for the sea air had

made them both very hungry. When they were fully satisfied Nikita asked

his brother to carry him round the cabin in order that he might examine

everything that was to be found in it. On the window-sill he found

a small whistle, and, putting this to his lips, began to blow. The

shrill sound had a marvellous effect, for, whether he would or would

not, Timothy began to dance, the cabin also began to dance, the table

danced, the chairs danced, and even the stove took to its nimble feet.

 

"Stop, Nikita," cried Timothy at last, for he was utterly exhausted,

"I can no longer dance with such a burden upon my back." So Nikita

stopped whistling, and as the last note died away everything settled

down in quiet once again. Then when all was still the door was suddenly

opened and the wicked Baba-Yaga entered her cottage.

 

When she saw the two in one she screamed out with a loud voice:

 

"You beggars and thieves! Up to this time not even a bird or a beast

had come to my lonely dwelling, and now you have come to devour my

food and loosen the very props of my little cottage. But very soon,

and indeed sooner than that, I will settle with you."

 

"Hold the wicked old witch, Timothy," cried Nikita, and the blind

man caught her in his arms and squeezed her very hard. Then Nikita

seized her by the hair, and she was ready enough to make all kinds

of promises to win her freedom.

 

"We want nothing," said Nikita, who had still more ideas in his head,

"but your whistle and healing and living water. I have the whistle

already, and if you will give us the water, you shall go free once

more into the white world."

 

"That I can, and will since I must," said the Baba-Yaga.

 

"That you shall and are obliged to," replied Nikita.

 

Then the old witch led them to two springs and said:

 

"Here for your benefit is healing and living water." Nikita took of

the healing water and sprinkled his stumps, whereupon his feet grew

out as they had been before, but they would not move. So he sprinkled

them next with living water, and they were made sound and whole as they had been before.