Russian Fairy Tales

rkness," of "seven-leagued boots," of "magic cudgels," of "Fortunatus's purses," and the like[296]-it is unnecessary, for the present, to say more than that they are of as common occur

ention has already been made, and the Waters of

c is to be found,[299] a knowledge which it shares with various supernatural beings as well as with some human adepts in magic, and sometimes with the Snake. In all these matters the Russian and the Western tales agree, but the Skazka differs from most stories of its kind in this respect, that it almost invariably speaks of two kinds of magic waters as being employed

the Rámáyana, Hanuman fetches four different kinds of herbs in order to resuscitate his dead monkeys: "the first restore the dead to life, the second drive away all pain, the third join broken parts, the fourth cure all wounds, &c." Talboys Wheeler, "History of India,

le it with water from a neighboring well. The well is very deep, but she induces the murderer to allow her to lower him into it by means of her remarkably long hair. He descends and hands up to her a cup of water. Having received it, she cuts off her hair, and lets the murderer drop and be drowned. Then she sprinkle

gin which stand (or used to stand) near the Ayaguza, a river falling into Lake Balkhash. A somewhat s

ty. But the silence of death still possesses him. Then she entreats the Bee to bring vivifying honey. After two fruitless journeys, the Bee succeeds in bringing back honey

version,[303] the life-giving charm consists in a spell taken from a book of magic. But in the Tamil version, the process is described as being of a different and double nature. According to it, the mother of the murdered child "by the charm called sisupàbam re-created the body, and, by the incantation called sanjìvi, restored it to life." The suitor, having learnt the charm and the inca

agic draughts of two kinds, the one of which strengthens him who quaffs it, while the other produces the opposite effect. Such liquors as these are known as the "Waters of Strength and Weakness," and are usually described as being stowed away in the cellar of some many-headed Snake. For the Snake is often mentioned as the possessor, or at least the guardian, of magic fluids. Thus one of the Skazkas[305] speaks of a wondrou

dventures, the youngest is directed to the golden castle in which lives the "fair maiden," whom his father has seen in his vision. He has been told that when she is awake her custom is to divert herself in the green fields with her Amazon host-"for nine days she rambles about, and then for nine days she sleeps a heroic slumber." The Prince hides himself among the bushes near the castle, and sees a fair maiden come out of it surrounded by an armed band, "and all the band consists of maidens, each one more beautiful than the other. And the most beautiful, t

attached to it, and the spell is broken which maintains the magic sleep in which the realm is locked. The Tsar Maiden pursues the thief, but does not succeed in catching him. He is killed, however, by his elder brothers, who "cut him into small pieces," and then take the flask of magic water to their father. The murdered

her, except during "two or three minutes" of each day. He follows his instructions, rides to a certain spot, and there awaits the hour at which the mountains fly apart. "Suddenly a terrible hurricane arose, a mighty thunder smote, and the two mountains were torn asunder. Prince Ivan spurred his heroic ste

latter the Water of Death.[310] In a similar story from the Ukraine, mention is made of two springs of healing and life-giving water, which are guarded by iron-beaked ravens, and the way to which lies between grinding hills. The Fox and the H

lwind from her husband "Tsar Byel Byelyanin" [the White King]. As in the variant of the story already quoted,[312] her sons go in search of her, and the youngest of them, after finding three palaces-the first of copper, the second of silver, the third of gold, each conta

two tubs of water, the one on the right h

that stands on the right ha

strong do you f

upset the whole palace w

w, drink

e drank o

o you feel no

d, I could give the

aces-that which stands on the right, set on the left:

bs and made them change

inks of the former becomes a mighty hero, but he who drinks of the second loses all his vigor. Vikhor always quaffs the Strong

Prince will be able to kill him. Having received these instructions, and having been warned not to strike Vikhor after he is dead, the Prince conceals himself. Suddenly the day becomes darkened, the palace quivers, and Vikhor arrives; stamping on the ground, he becomes a noble gallant, who enters the palace, "holding in h

shed to the left, quaffed a deep draught of the Water of Strength, and became the mightiest hero in the whole world. Then seeing that Vikhor

ike again! or he w

ishes its work with a single blow." And straightway he lighted a fire,

e of the Soma-plant assumes in bracing Indra for his conflict with the hostile powers in the atmosphere," and Vikhor's sudde

e stories in which there is introduced a true Water of Death-one of those deadly springs which bear the same relation to the healing and vivifying founts that the enfeebli

an and the

at son was appointed a tutor named Katoma.[319] The king and queen lived to a great age, but then th

y Katoma. If you obey him, you will prosper; but if you

parents, and took to living according to their instructions.

's estate, and began to think about getting mar

d of living alone

o into the great hall. There's a collection there of the portraits of all the princesses in the wor

t pleased him best was that of the Princess Anna the Fair-such a beauty! the like of her

guess it, him shall she marry; but he whose ridd

tion, became greatly afflicte

picked out for my bride Anna the Fair; only I

win her anyhow. But if you will take me with you, and if you

h him, and gave his word of honor t

nd of the Princess Anna the Fair. They travelled for one year, two

we're approaching the country of Princess Anna the

arther. Katoma was looking down on the road, and on it lay a purse full of money. He

we saw Good lying on the road, and we took up the Good with Good, and placed it in our own Good!' That riddle she won't guess in a lifetime; but any othe

ir Princess. At that moment she happened to be out on the balcony, and when she saw the n

ingdom, and I wish to sue for the h

Prince should enter the palace, and there in the presence of all

riddle I cannot guess, him I must marry. But anyon

As we came along, we saw Good lying on the road, and we t

. Thereupon the princes and boyars of her council decided that the Princess must marry Prince Ivan. She wasn't at all pleased, but there was no help for it, and so she began to get ready for th

Prince Ivan an

ay do me this small service. On such and such a spot of my kingdom there stands a lofty iron pil

I came here? Is that the proper sort of employment for me? I have a

mall chunks by way of fuel for the cook. Katoma went to the spot indicated by the Princess, seized the pillar in his arms, b

ove useful

rincess says t

wedding. I will drive in a carriage, but you should ride on a heroi

n myself! I keep a

called Katom

orth the heroic steed; sit upon him and break him

up to him. No sooner had he managed to seat himself than the magic horse leaped up from the ground and soared higher than the forest-higher than the standing forest, lower than the flitting cloud. Firm sat Katoma, with one hand grasping the mane; with the other he took from his pocket an iron chunk, and began tamin

e in the white world! Whatever you wish, that do y

tyard, and the Prince goes up to you and lays his hand on you, do you stand quietly, not moving so much as an ear. And when he is seated on your back, do y

to earth scarcely alive. Katoma seized him by th

grooms; carry off this d

The Princess got into the carriage and waited to see what would become of Prince Ivan; whether the magic horse would fling his curls to the wind, and scatter his bones across the open plain. Prince Ivan approached the horse, laid his hand upon its back, placed his foot in the stirru

e strength!" cried the people

he hand. The Princess took it into her head to make one more trial of Prince Ivan, so she squeezed his hand so h

Princess. "Your tutor has tricked me splend

of anything except by what means she might get rid of Katoma. With the Prince, without the tutor, there'd be no difficulty in settling matters! she said to herself. But whatever sla

ed spouse! I should like to g

et us go. I myself have long be

n. They drove and drove, and as they drove along Prince Ivan went to slee

ives the horses on purpose over hill and dale, just as if he wanted to put an end to us both. I tri

axed very wroth with his tutor, and handed

him as yo

to be cut off. Katoma submit

it's true; but the Prince also will kno

o she called her servants and ordered them to set him on that stump. But as for Prince Ivan, she tied him to the carriage by

van!" he cries; "yo

n the Princess Anna the Fair arrived in her kingdom, she set Prince Ivan to take care of the cows. Every day he went afield with the herd at early morn, and in the evening

t himself food was this: whenever he perceived by the sense of smell that any animal was running past him, whether a hare, or a fox, or a bear, he immediately started in chase of it, caught it-and dinner was ready for him. The hero was exceedingly swift-footed, and there was not a single wild beast which could run away from him. Wel

are

I can get my food is this: to catch some game or other, and cook it at a wood f

been blind al

but Princess Anna the

anks to her, too, that I'm left here without an

o live together, and join in getting th

way; I will serve you with my

t on his back, kept a look out all round, and cried out fr

that way, and caught hares, foxes, and bears

town lives a rich merchant who has a daughter; and that merchant's daughter is exceedingly kind to the poor and cri

ight into the rich merchant's courtyard. The merchant's daughter saw them out of window

Christ's name

rt, and called to the blind man, who ran off with it at such a pace that no one could catch him

hant's daughter into their

r us; otherwise we poor sufferers will have no one to cook our

dged her as a sister. They used to be out hunting all day, but their adopted sister was a

fall away, and she grew weak and thin. The blind man could see nothing, but Katoma remarked that things weren't going well. He spoke about it to the blind man, and they went together to their adopted sister, and began questioning her. But t

s in the cottage a very old woman with a most evil face, and long grey hai

must treat her after her own fashion. To-morrow we won't go to

the heroes didn'

tand under the window. And as for you, sister, when the Baba Yaga comes, sit down just here, close by the window; and as you dress her

nd man laid hold of the Baba Ya

nder the bench, and lay hold of this vip

her head free. (Where are you off to? That's no go, sure en

ntain of stone, took to strangling her until the heaven seemed to her to disa

od, and consume this accursed one with

ga began im

gs! forgive me. I will

us the fountain of healing and li

me, and I'll show

k the Baba Yaga by her back hair, and she led them into the

ter that cures

man; "don't make a blunder. If she tricks

it into the well. The bough hadn't so much as re

with the intention of flinging her, the accursed one, into the fiery fount. More than ever did

l bring you to goo

her one more trial, and she

to the fount. The spray had not yet reached the water whe

t's good water

h rejoiced greatly, and said to one another, "Now the time has come for us to get all right! We'll get everything back again we used to have! Onl

y fount, and flung the Baba Yaga into

to the kingdom of Anna the Fair in order to rescue Prince Ivan. When they drew

Katoma; "where are yo

" replied the Prince. "The Princess always see

s and put them on, and I will p

done. If the Princess found i

ill happen! Katoma wil

an sighed

een alive, I should not have b

o he was. Prince Ivan warmly em

even to see you

he balcony, looked to see if all the cows were there, and ordered them to be driven into the sheds. All th

waiting for,

hard that he pulled the cow's hide right off! Th

a cowherd doing? Seize

. He went with them, making no excuses, relying on himself. T

? Where do y

nd whom you set on a stump. My na

's got his feet back again, I must act st

nd to obey him in all things. Prince Ivan forgave her, and began to live with her in peace and concord. The hero who had been blind re

parallels, may be worth comparing with that part of this Skazka which refer

es with him to kill her husband. For this purpose she boils a snake, intending to poison her husband with it. But he stirs the snake-broth as it is cooking, and the steam which rises from it cures his blindness. Seeing the snake in the pot, he guesses what has occurred, so he pretends to be still blind, and watches his wife and his friend. They, not knowing he can see, embrace in his presence, whereupon he catches up the "cripple" by the legs, and dashes him against his wife. So violent is the blow that her third

n the way, Nikita enters several forges, desiring to have a war mace cast for him, and in one of them he finds fifty smiths tormenting an old man. Ten of them are holding him by the beard with pincers, the others are thundering away at his ribs with their hammers. Finding that the cause of this punishment is an unpaid debt of fifty roubles, Nikita ransoms the

his mace, and leaves scarce one alive. Then she invites the king and his suite to the palace, having prepared in the mean time a gigantic bow fitted with a fiery arrow, wherewith to annihilate her guests. Guessing this, Nikita

ast and pressing it hard-so hard that he will not be able to bear the pressure. When that happens, he must slip out of the

hand

. The queen renews the experiment, presses with one hand, presses with both, and with all her might. Nikita catches her up, and then flings her down on the floor. The room shakes beneath the blow, the bride "arises, l

thers obtain from a Baba Yaga the healing and vivifying waters, and so recover the eyes and feet they had lost. The Witch-Queen is put to death, and Nikita lives happily as the King's Prime Minister. The specific actions of the two waters are described with great precision in this story. When the lame man sprinkles his legs with the Healing Water, they become whole

princess who is suffering from some mysterious disease, and take her to their forest home. She tells them that her illness is due to a Snake, which comes to her every night, entering by the chimney, and sucks away her strength. The heroes seizes the Snake, which takes them to the healing lake, and th

is killed by the hero. She had put out his eyes, and had cut off the feet of another compa

ine race which often figures in the Skazkas. A good account

elena the

"No, no, we were wiser than you are." But skazkas tell that, before our gra

d who instructed his three sons in reading and writi

die, mind you come and r

her, very good,

tidings from the King, that his daughter, the Princess Helena the Fair, had ordered a shrine to be built for her with twelve columns, with twelve rows of beams. In that shrine she was sitting upon a high throne, and awaiting her bridegroom, the bold youth who

our father is dead; which of us i

ned, let him go!" an

they did nothing but exercise their horses,

ond nig

ne my share of reading. It's you

read. We've business to lo

and whooped, and flew this way, and shot

rs this time also-and

their mustaches, and prepared to go next morning to

o. What would be the good of him? He'd make folks l

he Fair. He cried, cried bitterly; and went out to his father's grave. And his father he

nya. I'll help yo

traightened himself, and called aloud and whistle

t, a flame rushing from its ears and nostrils. To and fro it flew, and t

e thy co

falcon, straight to the home of the Princess Helena. With a wave of his hand, with a bound aloft, he only failed by the breadth of two rows of beams. Back again he turned, galloped up, leapt aloft, a

m! Stop him!" was the cry. Not

free, prostrated himself on the earth, and besought his

. His brothers talked away, describing where they had bee

ust as if he hadn't kissed the Princess, and seated himself in a distant corner. The Princess Helena asked for her bridegroom, wanted to show him to the world at large, wanted to give him half her kingdom; but the bridegroom did not put i

appeared as a gay gallant; now let her

y her side, and speedily was wedded to him. And he-good heavens! how clever he turned out, and how brave, and what a handsome fellow! Only see him mount hi

t are of frequent occurrence in the songs still sung by the Russian peasantry at funerals or over graves; especially in those in which orphans express their grief, calling upon the grave to open, and the dead to appear and listen and help.[336] So in the Indian story of Punchkin, the seven hungry stepmother-persecuted princesses go out every day a

performed, all her difficulties removed. When it is killed, there springs from its bones a tree which befriends the girl, and gains her a lordly husband. In a Servian va

ough twelve sheets of glass."[342] The usual youngest brother is carried towards her so forcibly by his magic steed that, at the first trial, he breaks through six of the sheets of glass; at the second, says the story, "he smashed all twelve of the sheets of glass, and he kissed the Princess Priceless-Beauty, and she immediately stamped a mark upon his forehead." By this mark, after he has disappeared for some time, he is eventually recognized, and the princess is obliged to marry him.[34

ceeds, and the youth carries off the princess, who ultimately becomes his wife. Another Norse story still more closely resembles the Russian tales. In "The Princess on the Glass Hill"[347] the hero gains a Princess as his wife by riding up a hill of gla

top of four carraghan towers." The hero Conall kicks "one of the posts that was keeping the turret aloft," the post breaks, and the turret falls, but

a little sea," with high spiked walls all around it, that she vows she will marry no one who cannot jump across it on horseback. Another princess determines to marry him only who can leap into the glass palace in which she dwells, surrounded by a wide river; and many kings and princes perish miserably in attempting to perform the feat. A third king's daught

g of Brynhild by Sigurd, in the first of which he awakens her from her magic sleep, while in the second he gains her hand (for Gunnar) by a daring and difficult ride-for "him only would she have who should ride through the flaming fire that was drawn about her hall." Gunnar

Russia, and which will serve as another illustration

the Fo

but the third was a fool. The elder brothers set off to sell th

pect as if they were your own mothers. We'll buy

l said

I will pay t

ream towns; but the fool stretched himself on top of the st

eturn for that each of them was going to bring you a present, but there you lie

fetch the water. As he scooped it up, a pike

will eat it all myself; I won't give a bit of

to him with

put me back again into the wa

sort of good luck s

l be done. Say, for instance, 'By the Pike's command, at

tely went home of their own accord and became set in

's so knowing, you see, that his pails have come

on the stove. Again did his brot

e for, fool? there's no wood fo

got into a sledge, but with

says, "at my request, drive,

had to pass by a town, and the people he met were jammed into corners by his

im! Cat

fool drove into the forest, got out of

trees, while the other c

ut up and piled on the s

o and cut me a cudgel,[353] a

cudgel, and the cudgel came

had met together and had been looking out for him for ever so long. So they st

at my request, go, O cud

of people. There they lay on the ground, strewed about like so many sheaves of corn. The

p a petition against him, and de

] we must entice him by cunning, and the best way of all will b

runners came

he will give you red boots, a

the fo

at my request, do thou,

the time. The stove went; th

an begging her father to give her in marriage to the fool. Her father flew into a passion. He had them married, and the

out on the sea. His wife

to get us ca

equest," said the fool, "cast t

Then she again began imploring him to bu

a marble palace be built, and let it stan

s that lived in it. As soon as he learnt that his daughter lived there, that very minute he summoned her a

Russian fish with that Scandinavian pike which was a shape assumed by Andvari-the dwarf-guardian of the famous treasure, from which sprang the woes recounted in the V?lsunga Saga and the Nibelungenlied. According to a Lithuanian tradition,[356] there is a certain lake which is ruled by the monstrous pike Strukis. It sleeps only once a year, and then o

f the stories relating to the supernatural Witch, who evidently belongs to the demon world, have already been given. In those which I am about to quote, the wizard or witch who is mentioned is a human being, but one who has made a compact with evil spirits, and has thereby become endowed with strange powers. Such monsters as these are, throughout their lives, a terror to the district they inhabit; nor does their evil influence die with them, for after they have been laid in the earth, they assume their direst aspect, and as Vampires bent on blood, night after ni

tch Gi

de into a village, pulled up a

ll you let me spen

f you don't

ven it its food he went into the cottage. There he saw its inmates, men and women and little children, all

rying about?" a

. Into whatsoever cottage she looks, there, next morning, one has to put all the people w

'Without God's will,

. She took a sprinkler, passed her arm into the cottage, and was just on the point of sprinkling-when the Cossack suddenly gave his sabre a sweep, and cut her arm off close to the should

that everyone, without a single exception, was alive

together all the Sotniks and Desyatniks[359] as quickly as p

from house to house. In this one there's nothing, in that one ther

mily present?"

aughters is ill. She's l

told the whole story of what had taken place, and he brought out and showed the arm which had been

which is attacked by the Plague, embodied in the form of a woman, who roams from house to house in search of victims. One night, as she goes her rounds, all doors and windows have been barred against her except one casement. This has been left open by a nobleman who is ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of others. The Pest Maiden arrives, and thrusts her arm

of the grotesque-but this may arise from a mere accident, and be due to

ess Princ

earn reading and writing. Now it happened one day that he came away from his lessons late in the evening, and as he passed by the palace he looked in at one of the windows. At that window the Princess happened to be sitt

ture!" thinks he. "

elling every one how he had see

grievously ill, and she sent for her fa

's son read the psalter ov

coffin, and carried it to church. Then

ou got

, your

t him read the psalter over my

eady. In the morning the priest's son went to his l

happy about?" as

ng unhappy, when I'

e matter? Spea

read psalms over the princess, a

rcle round you; then read away from your psalter and don't look behind you. Whatever happens there, whatever horrors m

th the knife, and betook himself to the psalter. Twelve o'clock struck.

ping through my windows, and

up all sorts of horrors. But in spite of all that she did, he went on reading and reading, and never gave a lo

wasn't a bit afraid, went on reading without a stop right up to

e you seen

, gr

d four nails. Knock them into the four corners of the coffin, and whe

g from side to side, and threatening the youth. Then she conjured up horrors, this time worse than before. It seemed to him as if a fire had broken out in the church; all the walls were wrapped in flames!

and saw that the coffin was open, and in t

aning of all t

take should be driven into his daughter's breast, and that her body should be thrust into a

the works of Gogol, the great Russian novelist, who was a native of that part of the country, will observe how closely he has kept to popular trad

's Midnight

too, got leave to go, and set off to pay a visit to his home in the government of Kief. After a time he reached Kief, visited the Lavra, prayed to God, bowed down before the holy relics, and then started again for his birthplace, a provincial town not far off. Well, he walked and walked. Suddenly there happens to meet him a fai

msel! not broken

in whom," replies the girl. "I

ldier arrived at home, greeted his family, and rejoi

lun, who had lived a hundred years and a bit.

d to meet an uncommonly fine girl, and, sinne

er you'll break me in to ha

hter of our merchant here, an awful witch! She's sent

s, either! You won't frighten me in a hur

dfather. "If you don't listen to

ce fix!" say

never known anything half so

I do then,

eed!' you will straightway turn into a horse. Then she will jump upon your back, and will make you gallop about until she has ridden you to death. But if you manage to say before she speaks, 'Tprru! stand still, jade!' she will be tu

ith a bridle and an aspen cudgel, took his seat in a corner, and waited to see what would happen. At the midnight hour the passage door c

tand stil

ould to try and throw her rider. But no! the Soldier stuck on tight, and thumped her over the head like anything with the aspen cudgel, and went on treating her with a taste

eak he g

w have you got on?"

randfather! I've be

w lie down and

into a deep slumber. Towards

p, gra

got

ead, you see, her father will come after you, and will

ather, am I t

; and if you don't go, there'll be an

happens, how shal

s lying in her coffin, and will lock you in there. You will read out from the psalter all the evening, and up to midnight. Exactly at midnight a strong wind will suddenly begin to blow, the coffin will be

the merchant, and beso

ghter of mine dead; come an

him at his table, and began offering him brandy to drink. The Soldier drank, but only moderately, and decl

ays, "read away

n to rock, its lid flew off. The Soldier jumped quickly on to the stove, hid himself in a corner, guarded himself by a sign of the cross, and began whispering prayers. Meanwhile the witc

u looking fo

ing here a moment ago,

or the Soldier, the cocks began to crow. In the twinkling of an eye all the devils had vanished, and the witch lay all of a heap on the floor. The Soldier got down from the stov

, Sol

od health, mas

nt the night

be to G

r you, but come again, frie

ood, I'

own on the bench, and slept till

me go and read the psalter anot

er go. Don't drink much brandy, drink just what is right; and when the wind blows, and

im at table, and began plying him with brandy. Afterwards he t

ck, the coffin lid fell afar off on the ground. He was into the stove in a moment. Out jum

u looking fo

ment ago, and now he's vanished

ung themselve

they cried, "where

that they rushed. Suddenly the cocks began to crow, the

the merchant's daughter back in her coffin, and took to reading the psalter a

oldier!"

od health, mas

ght passed

be to G

ong here

of the room, gave him a h

here a third night; I

I'll

ier retu

t has God sent you?"

The merchant told me to come

, and if you don't go, you won't r

ng happens whe

a lot of brandy on you. You look out, don't drink much, drink just what you can stand. At midnight, as soon as the wind begins to roar, and the

and towards evening went to the merchant's house. The merchant seated him at table and t

at will do. I've had my wha

n't drink, come along

dead daughter, left him alone

vered himself with the frying-pan, protected himself with a sign of the cross, and awaited what was going to happen. Out jumped the witch and began rus

they cried, "where

place, but he

e him anywhere. Presently there steppe

you look

ding here a moment ago,

o's that sitting on

like anything; he all but

vils, "but how are we to settle him. Sur

s on a candle-end which has been lighted wit

under the stove-pipe, and set it alight. The flame leapt high into the air, th

s he, "my de

ing out the fire. When he had put it out he set every thing to rights, placed the merchant's daughter in her coffin, covered it up with the lid, and betook himself to readin

, Sol

od health, mas

sed the night

God, I've see

m a hundred and fift

do a little more. Come here to-night a

I'll

nd, what ha

erchant has asked me to be at his house to-night, to ca

f you don't go, you won't be alive. B

must I do?

e it on the funeral car; and at eleven o'clock they will tell you to take it to the graveyard. Do you drive off with the coffin, but keep a sharp look-out. One of the hoops will snap. Never fear, keep your seat bravely; a second

o'clock the relations began taking leave of the deceased; then they set to work to fasten iro

er! drive off, a

ut of sight he let the horse go full split. Away he galloped, but all the while he kept an

a'n't escape! I shall eat

crown property; no one

it, saw the soldier wasn't there, and set off again in pursuit of him. She ran and ran, lighted again on his footsteps, and again came back to the horse. Utterly at her wit's end, she did the same thing some ten times over. Suddenly the cocks began crowing. There lay t

" says he; "catch

he Soldier he stared at

o my daughter, we needn't speak of her. She was awfully

r merchant! pay

oubles. The soldier took them, thanked him, a

seen from No. iii.), and to corpses thus possessed have been attributed by the storytellers the terrible deeds which Indian tales relate of Rákshasas and other evil spirits. Thus in the story of Nischayadatta, in the seventh book of the "Kathásaritságara," the hero and the four pilgrims, his companions, have to pass a night in a deserted temple of Siva. It is haunted by a Yakshini, a female demon, who turns men by spells into brutes, and then eats them; so they sit watching and praying beside a fire round which they have traced a circle of ashes. At midnight the demon-enchantress arrives, dancing and "blowing on a flute made of a dead man's bone." Fixing her eye

re away. As she went roaming about the palace she came to a cage "in which a Zhar-Ptitsa,[369] lay [as if] dead." This bird, her guardians told her, slept soundly all day, but at night her papa flew about on it. Farther on she came to a veiled portrait. When the veil was lifted, she cried in astonishment "Can such beauty be?" and determined to fly on the Zhar-Ptitsa to the original of the picture. So at night she sought the Zhar-Ptitsa, which was sitting up and flapping its wings, and asked whether she might fly abroad on its back. The bird consented and bore her far away. Three times it carried her to the ro

twelve the prince, who is laden with chains, makes a rush at her; but the wings of the Zhar-Ptitsa rustle around her, and he sits down again. This takes place three times, after which the light goes out. She leaves the room in search of the means of rekindling it, sees a glimmer in the

oks into the cauldron, and there, in truth, she sees the Prince's heart. When she returns to his room he has recovered his senses. "Thank you for bri

golden cage. In the depth of the night it flies into a garden, and lights it up as brightly as could a thousand burning fires. A single feather from its tail illuminates a dark room. It feeds upon golden apples which have the power of bestowing youth and beauty, or according to a Croatian version, on magic-grasses. Its song, acco

eathers. After a time he leaves his home and goes forth in search of the bird. Aided by a wolf, he reaches the garden in which the Zhar-Ptitsa lives, and succeeds in taking it out of its golden cage. But trying, in spite of the wolf's warning, to carry off the cage itself, an alarm is sounded, and he is taken prisoner. After various other adventures he is killed by his envious brothers, but of course all comes right in the end. In a version of the story which comes from the Bukovina, one of the incidents is detailed at gr

he has wheat scattered on the ground, and at dawn he hides behind a tree near it. "Presently the forest begins to roar, the sea rises in waves, and the Zhar-Ptitsa flies up, lights upon the ground and begins to peck the wheat." Then the "heroic steed" gallops up, s

kazkas, but it will be sufficient for the present to refer to the notices of them which occur in Prof. de Gube

arloc

ders that his sons' wives should keep watch over him [after his death] for three nights, taking one night apiece; that his body should be placed in the outer chamber,[376] and

seat beside him with some grey wool, and began spinning.

n-law, art

rt thou sitting?" "I sit." "Dost thou spin?" "I spin.

ards her. Then a secon

n-law, art

ost thou spin?" "I spin." "Grey wool?"

. He moved again, came a c

ffered up no prayer. He strangled her,

behest, they sent another of his daughters-in-law to keep watch. To her ju

had taken off her cross, but in reality she kept it on. She too

ays her father-in-l

n-law, art

sit." "Dost thou spin?" "I spin." "Grey wo

on him. He fell down and died. She looked into the coffin; there lay ever so much money. The father-in-law wanted

to watch the dead man, and she was sewing; in the middle of night he rose up, and screwed up a grin. 'If thou dost not lie down properly, I will give thee the one leathering with a stick.' He lay down. At the end of a while, he rose on one elbow, and screwed up a grin; and the third time h

ic. The Russian peasant likes a clear statement of facts; the Highlander seems, like Col

TNO

9, with Dr. Rost's reference to L. Deslongchamps, "Essai sur les Fables Indiennes," Paris, 1838, p. 35 and Gr?sse, "Sag

ht of the fairy-story appears to be closely connected with t

se tale (Asbj?rnsen and Moe, No. 35, Dasent, No. 3). A balsam in Gaelic tales, in which a "Vessel of Balsam" often occurs. According to Mr. Campbell ("West Highland Tales," i. p. 218)

h the Amrita. See the story of Garuda and the Nágas in Brockhaus's translation of the "Kathásaritságara," ii. pp.

l, "Otechestvennuiya Zapiski,"

's translation,

and in the "Kathásaritságara," chap. lxxvi. See Brockhaus's summary in the "Berichte der phil

ranslated by Ghulam Mohammad

. 32. contained in the "Miscellaneous Translations" of the O

asief, P.V

asief, vii

asief, vii

o. 5 a. For the Zhar-Pt

quoting three mythic descriptions found among the Karens, the Algonquins, and the Aztecs, Mr. Tylor remarks, "On the suggestion of this group of solar conceptions and that of Maui's death, we may perhaps explain as deriv

ds the water of life (???νατο νερ?) which flows within a rock; in another (ii. p. 280) a mountain opens at midday, and several

enzig,

asief, P.V

e above,

ter, and bezsilnaya voda, or im

section the prince seized Vikhor by the right little finger, mizinets. Palets mea

sief, vii.

p. 258 and p. 94. See, also Mann

he poison which was created dur

nasief, v

dubovaya shàpka, "Katòma-governor, oaken-hat." Not being able to p

ivalents for our hideous "father-in-law" is "god-given father" (bogodanny o

bernatis, "Zool. Mythology," i. 181, where a so

lations belong to

"Seemed to her as

d connected with kol

asief, vii

and finally binds him hand and foot, and suspends him from a nail till daybreak. The next night Siegfried takes his place, and wrestles with the mighty maiden. After a long struggle he flings her

kof, i. No.

5-7. For a Little-Russian vers

i. No. 26. From th

Prashc

ics is a good specimen of

nce comes gràmotey, able to

s of Ivan (John), answering to our John

y means a nightingale, but it was also the name of a mythical hero, a ro

moknuel,

l poetry, entitled "Prichitaniya Syevernago Kraya," Moscow

e's "Old Deccan

imm, KM.

nasief, v

p. 158. In the German translation (p. 188) Wie dies

nasief, i

stekol. Steklo means a g

nasief, i

udyakof,

nasief, i

s," No. 40. Asbj?rnsen and

j?rnsen and Moe, No. 51.

est-Highland Tales,

"Old Deccan Days,"

ranslated by E. Magnússo

ersion of this story will be found in Dietrich's collection (pp. 152-68 of

ny Novgorod is the lower (dow

dgel, one end of which is b

k de ego

he first word of God and the second of the fish shall such and such a thing be done!" (2) The Neapolitan story of "Pervonto" (Basile's "Pentamerone," No. 3) who obtains his magic power from three youths whom he screens from the sun as they lie asleep one hot day, and who turn out to be sons of a fairy. Afanasief compares the story also with the German tale of "The Lit

f from Siemienski's "Pod

the Russian Peop

36 a. This story has no sp

urion, from sto = 100. Desyatnik is a

ar is a kind

" Stuttgart, 1862. For Russian ideas on the subj

kssagen" (translated

rchensammlung des Soma

36 b. This story, also,

swell's collection of

i. No. 36 c. Also w

is a sort of stew-pan, of

erichte der phil. hist. Classe der K?nigl. S?chs.

bird, see the note on next page. Ornitholo

o. 110. From the N

vaks is Ptak Ohnivák. The heathens Slavonians are said to have worshipped Ogon or Agon, Fire, the counterp

o. 11. See also the not

No. 57. See the not

nasief, v

No. 104. From the

"cold izba," as opposed to t

money in the warlock's coffin seems an improbable incident. In the original version of the st

l, No. 13, vo