Slavonic Fairy Tales. John Theophilus Naaké

Ivan gave orders that the people should let him know when the iron staff was seen falling again to the ground, and then went quietly into the palace. The terrified people fled away from the principal square. Some looked from their doors and windows to see whether the iron beam was about to descend. They waited one, they waited two hours; at the end of the third, word was sent to the palace that the staff was coming down. Ivan the Pea ran into the square, stretched out his hand and caught the staff as it fell. It came down with such force that it bent in his hand. The ​prince straightened it on his knee, and then returned to the castle.

      Suddenly a dreadful hissing noise was heard; the Dragon was coming. His horse, the wind, flew with the swiftness of an arrow, vomiting forth flames. At a first glance the Dragon looked like a knight; but his head was that of a dragon. Usually at his approach, even if he were miles away, the palace would tremble, and move from place to place; now the Dragon observed, for the first time, that it did not stir. There must be a stranger within. The Dragon paused an instant—hissed and roared; his horse, the wind, shook his black mane and spread out his monstrous wings. The Dragon rushed to the palace, and the palace did not stir an inch.

      "O-ho!" roared the Dragon, "I have to do with an enemy; perhaps it is the Pea."

      Prince Ivan soon appeared.

      "I will put you in the palm of one hand, clap my other hand upon you, and crush you to atoms!" cried the Dragon.

      "We shall see," said Ivan, approaching with the staff.

      "Begone from my castle!" roared the Dragon in a fury.

      "Begone, you!" answered Ivan, lifting up his staff.

      ​The Dragon flew up in the air that he might strike Prince Ivan and pierce him with his lance; but he missed his aim. The prince sprang aside, and exclaiming, "It is now my turn!" threw the staff at the Dragon with such force that the blow broke and scattered him into a thousand fragments. The staff pierced the earth, and passed through two kingdoms into a third.

      The people threw up their caps with joy, and chose Ivan to be their czar. But Ivan, as a reward for the sage smith, who in so short a time had made him such a staff, ordered the old man to be called before him, and said to the people—

      "This is your czar; obey him for good as you once obeyed the Dragon for evil."

      Then Ivan took some of the water of death and of the water of life, and sprinkled them over the bodies of his brothers. The young men rose up, and rubbing their eyes, exclaimed—

      "Heaven knows how long we have slept!"

      "My dear brothers" said Ivan, embracing them tenderly, "without my help you would have slept for ages."

      Then Ivan took some of the water of the Dragon, ordered a ship to be built, and sailing on the river Swan, with the beautiful Vasilisa with the Golden Tress, he passed through three kingdoms into a fourth—his own ​country. He remembered the old woman in the hut, and gave her some of the water. When the old woman had washed herself in it she became young again; she sang and danced with joy, and accompanied Prince Ivan on his journey.

      The czar and czarina received their son Ivan with great joy and honour. They sent messengers to all parts of the world, announcing that their daughter, the beautiful Vasilisa with the Golden Tress, had safely returned home. There were great rejoicings: bells rang merrily, trumpets sounded, drums were beaten, guns were fired. Vasilisa obtained a husband and Prince Ivan a wife. At the marriage feast there were mountains of meat and rivers of mead. They ordered four crowns to be made, and celebrated two weddings at once.

      The great-grandfathers of our great-grandfathers were there; they drank of the mead and left some of it for us, but we have never tasted it. This, however, we heard: that after the death of the czar, Ivan the Pea ascended the throne; ruled the people with great glory; and the fame of Czar the Pea has been remembered from generation to generation.

      1 ↑ A pud is a weight of forty pounds.