THERE lived a Tsar, and he had a daughter, Tsarevna, Priceless Beauty, not to be told of in a tale nor described with a pen. The Tsar issued a call throughout all towns that whoever would kiss the Tsarevna through twelve windows, no matter of what stock he might be, he would get the Tsarevna for wife, and receive half the kingdom.
In this kingdom lived a merchant, and he had three sons; the two elder were crafty, and the third, the youngest, was a simpleton. Well, the elder brothers said, "Father, we will go to get the Tsarevna."
"Go, with God," said the merchant.
They took the very best horses and began to make ready for the road. The fool also was preparing.
"Where art thou going, fool? How couldst thou kiss the Tsarevna?" and they laughed at him in every manner.
They went away, and the simpleton dragged along after them on a poor mangy little horse. He went into the field, and he cried with a shrill voice: "Oh, blue-brown, cunning bay, stand before me as leaf before stem!"
Wherever he came from, a splendid steed rushed up; the ground trembled. The simpleton crept into one ear of the steed and out of the other, and became such a beauty as had never been seen nor heard of. He sat on the horse, and rode to the Tsar's palace; and when he rushed up he broke six panes of glass.
All were astonished, and cried, "Who is that? Seize him, hold him!"
But his trace was cold. He rode away into the field, crept into one ear of his steed, out of the other, and became just such a simpleton as before; he sat on his wretched horse, rode home, and lay on the stove.
His brothers came back and said: "Well, father, there was a hero,--such a hero! He broke through six glasses at once."
The simpleton from the stove cried out: "Ah, brothers, was not that I?"
"Thou dunce! how couldst thou do it; how couldst thou get the Tsarevna? Thou art not worth her finger nail."
Next day the brothers prepared again to go to the Tsar's palace; the simpleton also prepared. "What art thou going for, thou dunce?" laughed the brothers; "thou art needed there, I suppose!"
The simpleton went again on his mangy, wretched little horse to the field, and cried in a shrill voice: "Oh, blue-brown, cunning bay, stand before me as leaf before stem!"
The steed rushed, the ground trembled, the simpleton crept into one ear of the steed and out of the other, and became such a beauty as had never been seen or heard of before. He rushed through the Tsar's court, broke all the twelve windows, and kissed the Tsarevna, Priceless Beauty. She put a mark straight on his forehead.
All were astonished, and cried: "Stop him, hold him! Who is he?"
But his trace was cold. He rode out to the field, crept into one ear and out of the other, became just such a simpleton as before, came home, tied a rag around his forehead, pretended that his head was aching, and lay down on the stove.
His brothers returned and said: "Oh, father, there was a hero, such a hero! At once he broke all twelve windows and kissed the Tsarevna."
The simpleton cried out from the stove: "Ah, brothers, was it not I?"
"Oh, thou dunce, how could it be?"
Meanwhile the Tsarevna was thinking who her bridegroom could be. She went to the Tsar and said: "Father, let me bring together all the Tsars' sons, kings' sons, nobles, merchants, and peasants to a feast, to a talk, and find out who kissed me." The Tsar permitted her.
Well, the whole Christian world met. The Tsarevna herself went among them all, entertained all with wine, examined to see if she could find the mark on any man's forehead. She went to each; at last she brought wine to the simpleton.
"What hast thou bound up there?" asked the Tsarevna.
"So, nothing; my head aches," said the simpleton.
"Well, then, untie it." The Tsarevna unbound his head, recognized the mark, and grew faint.
The Tsar said to her, "It is impossible to change the word now; it has to be so,--be his wife."
They married the simpleton and the Tsarevna. She was weeping bitterly; her two sisters, who had married Tsars' sons, were laughing at her, and said: "There it is; she has married a fool!"
Once the Tsar called all his sons-in-law and said: "I have heard that in such a state, in such a kingdom, there is a wonder,--a pig with gold bristles. Is it not possible in some way to get this pig? Try."
Well, the two crafty sons-in-law saddled the very best horses, sat on them, and rode away.
The fool took from the stable the very last miserable horse, and followed his brothers. He came out into an open field, and cried with a shrill voice: "Come, blue-brown, cunning bay, stand before me as leaf before stem!" Wherever he came from, the wondrous horse was snorting and tearing the ground with his hoof. The simpleton crawled into one ear and out of the other.
Wherever they came from, there stood before him two youths, and they asked, "What dost thou wish, what is thy pleasure?"
"To have a tent here, and in the tent a bed; beside the tent to have the pig with gold bristles walking."
All was done in a moment. The tent was there, in the tent a bed; on the bed lay the simpleton, but such a hero that no one could know him. The pig with gold bristles was walking by the side of the tent in the meadow.
The other brothers-in-law travelled and travelled; nowhere could they see a pig with gold bristles. On their way home they approached the tent and saw the wonder. "Oh! here is where the pig with gold bristles is walking; let us go," said they, "and whatever must be given we will give, we will buy the pig and please our father-in-law."
They went to the tent and saluted the owner. The simpleton asked: "Where are ye travelling? what are ye looking for?"
"Wilt thou sell us the pig with gold bristles? we are looking for this pig a long time."
"No, I want it myself."
"Ask what will please thee, but sell."
They offered him a thousand for the pig, and two and three and more; but the simpleton would not consent. "I will not take a hundred thousand," said he.
"Oh, let us have him, please; take what seems good to thee!"
"Well, ye need him so greatly, I will give him, and will not take much,--the middle toe of each man's foot."
They thought and thought, took off their boots, and each man cut off the middle toe of his foot. The simpleton took the toes, hid them, and gave the pig with gold bristles. The brothers-in-law went home, taking the pig with them.
The Tsar was so glad that he knew not what to call them, where to seat them, or what to give them to eat.
"Have ye seen the fool?" asked the Tsar.
"With seeing we have not seen him, with hearing we have not heard."
The simpleton crept into one ear of his horse, out of the other, and became just such a fool as before. He killed his horse, took off his skin, and put it on; then he caught magpies, crows, jackdaws, and sparrows, tied them around himself, and went home. He came into the palace and let all his birds loose; they flew around on every side, and broke nearly all the windows of the palace.
The Tsarevna, Priceless Beauty, covered herself with tears, and her sisters were screaming with laughter. "Our husbands," said they, "brought home the pig with gold bristles, and thy fool--look, if it please thee, how he has dressed himself as a monster!"
The Tsar shouted: "What a clown! I'll fix him."
Again the Tsar called his sons-in-law. "My dear sons-in-law, I have heard that in such a kingdom, in such a land, there is a wonder,--a deer with golden horns and a golden tail. Can ye not get him in any way?"
"We can, your Majesty."
Now the two crafty sons-in-law saddled the very best horses and set out.
"Well," said the Tsar to the simpleton, "go thou with the others."
The simpleton took from the stable the very last miserable horse and followed his brothers. He went out in the open field and cried with a shrill voice: "Oh, blue-brown, cunning bay, stand before me as leaf before stem." Wherever he came from, the wonderful horse was there, snorting and tearing the ground with his hoofs. The simpleton crept in one of his ears and out of the other. Wherever they came from, two young men stood before him and asked: "What dost thou want?"
"I want a tent here, in the tent a bed, and at the side of the tent a deer with golden horns and a golden tail."
That moment the tent was there, in the tent a bed, on the bed the simpleton stretched himself,--such a beauty that no man could know him; at the side of the tent walked a deer with golden horns and a golden tail.
The crafty brothers travelled and travelled. Nowhere did they see such a deer, and they turned to come home. They came near the tent and saw the wonder. "Oh, this is where the deer with golden horns and a golden tail is! Let us go," said they; "whatever must be given we'll give, buy that deer, and please our father-in-law."
They came up and saluted. The simpleton asked: "Why are ye travelling; what are ye seeking?"
"Wilt thou sell us the deer with golden horns and a golden tail?"
"No, it is not for sale; I want it myself."
"Ask what will please thee, but sell." They offered one, two, three thousand, and more. The simpleton wouldn't listen to the offers, would not take money.
"But if my deer has pleased you, I'll sell him, if ye like, at a cheap price,--the middle finger of each man's hand."
They thought and thought, and agreed. They took off their gloves and cut off the middle finger. The simpleton put the fingers away and gave the deer.
The sons-in-law came home, and brought the deer with golden horns and a golden tail. The Tsar from joy knew not what to call them, where to seat them, or with what to entertain them.
"Have ye seen the fool anywhere?" asked the Tsar.
"With seeing we have not seen him, with hearing we have not heard."
The simpleton crept into one ear of the horse and out of the other, and became just such a simpleton as he had been before. He killed his wretched horse, skinned him, and put on the skin; then caught a lot of jackdaws, crows, magpies, and sparrows, tied them around himself, and went home. He came again to the palace, and let out the birds in different directions; his wife was sobbing, and her sisters were laughing. "Our husbands," said they, "brought home the deer with golden horns and a golden tail, and thy fool--look at him!"
The Tsar shouted at the fool: "What an ignorant lout!" and he gave half the kingdom to his crafty sons-in-law.
The third time the Tsar called his crafty sons-in-law, and said: "My dear sons-in-law, I will give you the whole kingdom if ye will get for me the golden-maned steed with golden tail; I have heard that he is in such a kingdom and such a land."
The crafty sons-in-law saddled the very best horses and went on their journey.
The Tsar sent also the fool. "Well, go thou too."
The simpleton took the very last wretched horse from the stable and followed his crafty brothers. He came to the open field and cried with a shrill voice: "Oh, blue-brown, cunning bay, stand before me as leaf before stem!" Wherever he came from, the marvellous steed was snorting, and tearing the earth with his hoof. Behold, the simpleton crept into one ear and out of the other, and became such a beauty that it was not in the power of man to recognize him. Then, wherever they came from, there stood before him two youths, and they asked, "What dost thou wish; what dost thou want?"
"I want a tent here, in the tent a bed, and at the side of the tent the golden-maned steed with golden tail."
That minute the tent was made, in the tent a bed. The simpleton stretched himself on the bed; at the side of the tent the golden-maned steed with golden tail was walking.
The crafty sons-in-law travelled and travelled; nowhere did they see that kind of steed, and were on their way home. They drew near the tent, and saw the wonder.
"Oh, here is the place where the golden-maned steed with golden tail is walking. Let us go in," said they; "we will give whatever they ask, and buy him to please our father-in-law."
The simpleton asked: "Whither are ye travelling; what are ye seeking?"
"Sell us the golden-maned steed with golden tail."
"He is not for sale; I want him myself."
"Ask what may please thee, only sell him;" and they offered one, two, three thousand and more.
"I would not take a hundred thousand," said the simpleton.
"Sell him to us; take what will please thee."
"Well, if ye need him greatly, I will give him to you; I will not take a high price. Let me cut a strap from the back of each one of you."
They thought and thought, struggled and struggled, wanted the horse very badly, were sorry for themselves, but decided at last, undressed, and took off their shirts. The simpleton cut from the back of each one of them a strap, took the straps, put them away, and delivered the steed.
The sons-in-law came home bringing the golden-maned steed with golden tail. The Tsar from delight knew not what to call them, where to seat them, or how to entertain them, and gave them the remaining half of the kingdom. The simpleton crept into one ear of the steed and out of the other, and became what he had been before. He killed his wretched horse, took off the skin, put it on himself, caught magpies, crows, jackdaws, and sparrows, tied them around himself, came to the palace, and let out the birds; they flew in different directions, and broke nearly all the windows. The Tsarevna, his wife, was crying, and her sisters were laughing at her. "Our husbands have brought the golden-maned steed with golden tail; but look at thy fool going around such a fright!"
The Tsar shouted at the fool: "What an ignorant lout! I'll have thee shot."
And the simpleton asked: "With what wilt thou reward me?"
"What reward shouldst thou have?" asked the Tsar.
"If the truth must be told, I got for thee the pig with gold bristles, the deer with golden horns and a golden tail, and the golden-maned steed with golden tail."
"How canst thou prove that?" asked the Tsar.
"Command thy sons-in-law, Gosudár, to take off their boots."
The sons-in-law began to make excuses; they didn't want to take off their boots.
"Take off your boots," urged the Tsar; "there is no harm in that."
They took off their boots. The Tsar looks: one toe is missing.
"Here are their toes," said the simpleton. "Order them now to take off their gloves."
They removed their gloves, and the Tsar saw there was a finger missing.
"Here are their fingers," said the simpleton. "Order them now to take off their shirts."
The Tsar saw that the affair was coming true, and ordered them to undress. They took off their shirts, and the Tsar saw that each one of them had a strap cut from his back the width of two fingers.
"Here are the straps," said the simpleton; and told the whole story as it was.
The Tsar didn't know how to entertain him, nor how to reward him. He gave him the whole kingdom, and the other sons-in-law, because they had deceived him, he had shot.
The simpleton went to the open field and cried with a shrill voice: "Oh, blue-brown, cunning bay, stand before me as leaf before stem!" The horse ran, the ground trembled, the simpleton crept into one ear of the steed and out of the other, and became a hero and a beauty.
He came home, began to live with his Tsarevna and win wealth.
