Folk-lore and Legends: Russian and Polish 20

Folk-lore and Legends: Russian and Polish 20

Sila, however, wished very much to see the strange countries, and so

wearied his father with his prayers, that at last he gave him his

permission to go, and let him have a vessel also. As soon as the three

brothers were on board their ships they set sail. When they came to the

open sea, however, the eldest brother’s vessel went on first, the second

brother’s next, and Sila’s came last.

 

As they sailed, the third day there came floating past them a coffin

with iron bands. The two eldest brothers saw it, but did not pick it up.

When Sila, however, saw it, he gave orders to his sailors to secure it,

bring it on board, and bury it when they came to a suitable spot. On the

following day a great storm came on, and Sila’s ship, being driven out

of its proper course, drifted to the steep shores of an unknown land.

When they arrived there, Sila ordered the sailors to carry the coffin on

shore, and he followed it himself and saw it buried in the earth.

 

Sila then told the ship’s master to stop where the vessel was for three

years, waiting for him. If he did not come back at the end of that time,

he told the man he was to sail away. Then Sila took leave of his captain

and his men, and went away following his eyes. For a long time he went

on and met no one. On the third day, however, he heard a man running

after him, clothed in white. When he saw that the man was coming up to

him, he drew his sword, fearing that the stranger might intend to do him

some hurt. But when the man came up to him, he fell down at his feet,

and began to thank him for having rescued him. Sila, not understanding

what he meant, asked him why he thanked him, and what good service he

had done him. The unknown sprang to his feet, and said—

 

“Sila Czarovitch, how can I ever repay you? There I lay in my coffin,

which you took on board and buried on the land, and so was I rescued

from the sea.”

 

“How came you in the coffin?” asked Sila.

 

“I will tell you all,” said the man. “I was once a great magician, and

my mother, fearing that I did a great deal of harm to folk by my magic,

confined me in the coffin, and turned me out upon the sea. I have been

floating for over a hundred years, and no one ever picked me up. You I

have to thank for my deliverance, and in return for it I will aid you in

any way I can. Tell me, do you not wish to marry? If you do, I know the

beautiful Queen Truda, who would make you a worthy wife.”

 

Sila told him that if the queen were beautiful he would be content to

marry her. Ivaschka, in the white grave-clothes, assured him that she

was the most beautiful woman in all the world, and Sila, when he heard

that, asked his companion to go with him to her country. So they went on

together.

 

Now Queen Truda’s kingdom was surrounded by a fence with posts, and on

every post, save one, was a man’s head. When Sila saw that he was

alarmed, and asked Ivaschka what it meant.

 

“Those,” said Ivaschka, “are the heads of the warriors who came to ask

the Queen Truda to marry them.”

 

Sila was afraid when he heard that, and wished himself back again in his

own kingdom. He did not wish to go on and see the father of the queen,

but Ivaschka told him he had nothing to fear if he went on boldly with

him. So Sila and he went on together.

 

When they had entered the kingdom, Ivaschka said to him—

 

“Listen, Sila Czarovitch, I will live with you as your servant. When you

come to the royal apartments, behave humbly to King Salom. He will ask

you where you come from, what country you belong to, who your father is,

what is your name, and on what errand you have come. Tell him all, and

do not try to conceal anything. Tell him that you have come to ask for

his daughter’s hand, and he will give her to you with the greatest joy.”

 

Sila went into the palace, and when King Salom saw him he came to meet

him, took him by the white hands, led him into the white marble room,

and said to him—

 

“Young man, who are you? From what kingdom do you come? Who is your

father? What is your name? and why are you come?”

 

“I have come,” replied Sila, “from the kingdom of the Czar Chotei; I am

known as Sila Czarovitch, and I have come here to ask for your daughter,

the beautiful Queen Truda, for my wife.”

 

Then King Salom was very pleased when he heard that the son of so famous

a Czar desired to wed his daughter, and he at once sent to her, to tell

her to get ready for the wedding. When the day came, the king commanded

all the princes and nobles to come to the palace. From there they went

to the church, and Sila Czarovitch married the beautiful Queen Truda.

The company went back to the palace, seated themselves at table, and ate

and drank with great joy.

 

When evening was come Ivaschka came near to Sila, and said to him

softly—

 

“Listen, Sila Czarovitch. When you retire with your wife, take care you

do not say a word to her, or you are a dead man, and your head will find

a place on the last post. She will do all she can to make you speak, but

do not you say a word to her.”

 

Sila asked him why he gave him this warning.

 

“She is,” said Ivaschka, “acquainted with a spirit which flies through

the air in the shape of a dragon with six heads. Your wife will lay her

hand upon your breast. When she does so, spring up and beat her with a

stick till she has no strength left in her. I will myself watch at the

door of the room.”

 

The queen did, as Ivaschka foretold, do all she could to make Sila

speak, but he would not utter a word. Then Truda put her hand on his

breast, and pressed him, so that he could hardly breathe. Sila jumped

up, seized a stick, which Ivaschka had put there for the occasion, and

commenced to beat her as if he would kill her. Immediately there came on

a terrible storm, and there flew into the room a six-headed dragon who

commenced to attack Sila. Then Ivaschka came in with a sharp sword in

his hand, and he and the dragon fought together for three hours, when

Ivaschka managed to cut off two of the dragon’s heads, and the monster

flew away. Ivaschka then told Sila he might go to sleep and fear

nothing. So Sila laid him down and slept till morning.

 

King Salom was anxious respecting his son-in-law, and he sent early in

the morning to ask if all was well with him. When he heard that it was,

he was delighted, for he remembered the fate of the others who had come

to marry his daughter. He summoned Sila to him, and they spent the whole

day in merriment.

 

The next night Ivaschka warned Sila that he must not speak to his wife,

and he himself took up his station outside the door of the room. Sila’s

wife again tried to make him speak, and again put her hand upon his

breast, and Sila leaped up and thrashed her. The dragon flew in and

attacked him, but Ivaschka sprang in from the door with the sword in his

hand, and after he and the dragon had fought for three hours Ivaschka

cut off two more of its heads. Then the dragon flew off and Sila lay

down to sleep. The king again sent for Sila to come to him, and they

spent the day together very pleasantly.

 

The third night Ivaschka warned Sila as before, and Sila did as he was

bid. Ivaschka again fought with the monster, and, cutting off the two

last heads, he burnt them and the carcass, and scattered the ashes over

the fields.

 

So Sila Czarovitch stayed with his father-in-law for a whole year, and

then Ivaschka, coming to him one day, told him to ask the king to give

him permission to return home. Sila went to King Salom and obtained his

leave to go, and the king sent two divisions of his army with him as an

escort. So Sila parted with his father-in-law, and set off with his wife

for his own land.

 

When they were half-way home Ivaschka told Sila to stop and camp there.

Sila did as he advised, and ordered his tent to be put up. On the next

day Ivaschka took some pieces of stick and burnt them in front of the

Czarovitch’s tent. Then he came to the tent, led Queen Truda outside,

and unsheathing his sword he cut her in two. Sila was greatly terrified,

and commenced to weep when he saw that.

 

“Do not weep,” said Ivaschka, “she will come to life again.”

 

As soon as the Queen was cut in two there came out of her all manner of

evil spirits, and all of these Ivaschka threw into the fire. Then said

he to Sila—

 

“Do you see the evil things which possessed your wife? They are all evil

spirits which had entered her.”

 

When all the evil spirits were destroyed in the fire, he placed the two

parts of Truda’s body together, sprinkled them with water from a running

brook, and the queen became alive again. She was now also as good as she

had before been evil.

 

Then said Ivaschka to Sila—

 

“Good-bye, Sila Czarovitch, you will see me no more;” and as soon as he

had spoken those words he disappeared.

 

Sila struck his tent and went on homewards, and when he came to the spot

where he had left his ship, he dismissed the troops that accompanied

him, went on board with his queen, and set sail. He soon came to his own

land, and his arrival there was greeted with the sound of cannon. Czar

Chotei came to meet him, and taking him and his wife by their white

hands he led them into the white marble room. Then there was a feast

prepared, and they ate and drank and were merry. Sila lived with his

father two years, and then he went back to the country of his

father-in-law, King Salom. He succeeded him on the throne, and reigned

with his beautiful Queen Truda, during many years, with much love and

happiness.

 

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THE STOLEN HEART.

 

 

ONCE upon a time there stood, on an island in the Vistula, a great

castle surrounded by a strong rampart. At each corner was a tower, and

from these there waved in the wind many a flag, while the soldiers stood

on guard upon them. A bridge connected the island with the banks of the

river.

 

In this castle lived a knight, a brave and famous warrior. When the

trumpets sounded from the battlements of the castle, their notes

announced that he had returned from victory loaded with booty.

 

In the deep dungeons of the castle many a prisoner was confined, and

they were led out daily to work. They had to keep the ramparts in

repair, and to see to the garden. Now among these prisoners was an old

woman, who was a sorceress. She swore that she would be revenged upon

the knight for his ill-treatment of her, and patiently awaited an opportunity to effect her purpose