There once lived a tsar and a tsarina who had no children when they were young but who were made very happy in their later years by the birth of a son. The son grew to manhood, and they decided that it was time to find him a wife, but the son said:
"I will not marry until you give me a horse that eats fire and drinks flame and makes the earth rumble and quake and the oak trees shed their leaves when it runs!"
The tsar summoned the best and bravest of his men-at-arms and asked them if they had ever seen or heard of such a horse, but they all said that they had not. He then had a message sent to all the corners of his realm in which anyone who had ever heard of such a horse or thought he could find it was asked to come to the palace.
The message reached a far-off village and was read by the peasants, one of whom later told his wife about it.
"Just think!" said he to her. "The man who says he knows where the horse is to be found will be going to the palace to see the tsar himself!"
Now, the peasant had a son named Ivan who said:
"I know where the horse is to be found!"
"Don't be a fool!" said the father. "Why boast of such things when you know very well that you have only to walk out of the gate for the neighbors' boys to beat you up!"
But he could not stop Ivan who said:
"Come out into the yard with me, Father, there's something I Want to show you!"
They went outside, and the son took hold of an oak tree with one hand and bent it to the ground. The father stood there white with fear, his eyes fairly popping out of his head.
"I believe you now, son!" he said.
They went to the house of the village elder, and the father left Ivan in the yard and himself went inside and asked to be allowed to speak to the head and his aids.
"My son can get the tsar the horse he wants," he said.
At this they all began shouting at him and saying that he and his son deserved to be thrown in jail for spreading such lies.
"Your son is a silly braggart!" they cried. "Why, everyone knows that he is far from being strong and that he need only go out of the gate for the neighbors' boys to beat him up!"
The father and son were thrown in jail and kept there till the district head, who had thought the matter over, said:
"Let those two lie all they want, it's nothing to us. They will be made to pay for it, not we!"
The father and son were released, and a message was sent to the tsar informing him of the son's boast. The tsar read the message and though he found it hard to believe that the son of a common peasant could do what his betters could not he decided to send for him just the same.
No sooner had the tsar's servants brought Ivan to the palace than he was summoned into the tsar's presence.
"Can you really fetch me the horse I want?" the tsar asked him.
"I can!" Ivan replied.
"Is there anything you need to make your task easier?"
"I need a good horse and a good club."
The tsar wrote a note to his chief herder, and, giving it to Ivan, said:
"Take this note to my herder, you will find him in the field, and he will pick a good horse for you."
Ivan found the herder and gave him the note, and the herder read it and said:
"Wait till I drive the horses to water, you'll choose the one you want from among them."
The herder drove the horses to water, and Ivan began looking them over. But the moment he caught a horse by the tail or mane, the tail or mane would come off and he would be left holding it. He ruined many a horse in this way and had to kill and skin them, but, not seeing one to suit him, decided to go home. He set out on his way and soon came upon a poor hut with a roof full of holes. Now, the sky had become overcast just then and it looked like rain, and an old woman, who was sitting beside the hut, saw Ivan and said:
"Do help a poor woman, my lad! No one wants to be bothered with me, and I'm afraid the rain will come in through the holes in the roof!"
Ivan put the horse skins he had with him over the roof of the hut to keep out the rain, said goodbye to the old woman who could not thank him enough for helping her, and went on.
He came back to the palace and was met by the tsar who was much surprised to learn that he had not seen a horse he wanted.
"Go to my stables and perhaps you will find one there to your liking!" he said.
Ivan went to the tsar's stables, but he had only to touch a horse, and down it would drop to the floor. So in the end he had to give up all hope of getting himself a horse there.
Night came, Ivan went out into the steppe and gave a loud whistle, and lo and behold! — a horse came running toward him.
"Did you call me, master?" he asked.
"Yes, for it is time for us to be on our way."
"I am ready if you are!"
Ivan led the horse into the tsar's stables, and so big was the horse that the doors and the walls came crashing down. But he got him in all the same and tethered him, and, after filling his feed bag with the best and choicest of wheat, went to bed.
The tsar rose early and sent his servants to wake Ivan the Peasant's Son and ask him if he had not seen the kind of horse he wanted in his dreams.
The servants did as the tsar bade, and Ivan said:
"I already have a horse, he's in the stable now."
They went to the stables and looked and wondered and told the tsar about the horse, and when the tsar saw him he was frightened, for never had he seen so huge a horse before.
" And now I want a club so large made for me that two pairs of bullocks will be needed to bring it from the forest," Ivan said
The club was brought, and he hurled it up into the air and himself went to bed. For a day and a night he slept and then for another day, and he woke to see the club flying toward him, making a whishing sound as it flew. He raised a finger, and the club struck it and broke to pieces.
"A bad club!" said Ivan. "Make me another, one so large that four pairs of bullocks will be needed to bring it from the forest."
So then they cut down an old oak tree and made a huge club out of it, and four pairs of bullocks brought it from the forest. And Ivan hurled it up into the air and went to bed. For three days and nights he slept and he woke to see the club flying toward him, making a whishing sound as it flew. He raised a finger, and the club struck it and fell, plunging a full five feet into the ground.
"This one will do," said Ivan.
He prepared to set out on his journey, and the tsar said:
"Bring back the horse I want my son to have, Ivan, and whatever you ask for will be yours. And you have ply word that never will I harm you by word or deed."
Ivan rode away, but the tsar could not believe that the son of a peasant could do what he had set out to do, so he sent two of his men-at-arms, nobles both, after him.
"Overtake Ivan the Peasant's Son and go wherever he goes with him!" said he to them.
Away they rode after Ivan, and Ivan felt the earth quaking and trembling under him and said to himself:
"That must either be a dragon or bohatyrs in chain mail following me."
The tsar's two men-at-arms rode up to Ivan and greeted him, and Ivan asked them who they were.
"The tsar sent us, we are to go wherever you go!" said they.
"Well, then, if there's to be order among us one of us has to take command and the rest must do as he says!" Ivan said.
"I'll take command!" cried the first man-at-arms.
"No, I will!" cried the other.
But Ivan the Peasant's Son said:
"No, my friends, that won't do! Why don't we take turns throwing our clubs and let the one among us take command whose club flies the farthest?"
This was agreed on, and the first of the two men-at-arms stepped forward and hurled his club as far as he could. It vanished from sight, and the third of them rode after it along the road. They rode for a day and another and it was only after the third day had passed that they came upon it lying on the road.
Then the second man-at-arms hurled his club, and they rode after it for a day, and another, and a third, and it was only after they had been riding for a week that they at last came upon it.
After that it was the turn of Ivan the Peasant's Son to hurl his club, and when he had done so, the three of them rode after it. They rode for a week and another and a third, and there was still no trace of it.
"We must have ridden past it and missed seeing it," said the two men-at-arms.
"It can't be!" said Ivan. "Someone must have found it and taken it away."
They rode on and were on the way for yet another week when they came to a huge house with a copper wall around it and a copper bridge leading to it. And lo! — there was Ivan's club resting on the ground beside the house. It had flown over the wall and had brought down a corner of the house as it fell.
Now, the house belonged to a family of dragons, and terrible dragons they were, but the dragons were away at war and when Ivan and the two others arrived it stood empty.
Seeing that there was no one there, Ivan the Peasant's Son ordered the first man-at-arms to keep guard over the bridge, told the other to stay with the horses and said that he himself would sleep in the house.
They all went to their appointed places, and the man guarding the bridge walked up and down for a while, but, feeling tired after his long journey, lay down for a rest. And when Ivan woke and came out onto the bridge at midnight he found him sound asleep.
All of a sudden the earth began to quake and to tremble, and a six-headed dragon came riding toward the house. Ivan listened and he heard him say to his horse:
"Stand still and do not neigh, for there is no one here to stand up against us. Ivan the Peasant's Son alone could do it, but he is only a lad still and lives so far away from here, that not even a raven could span the distance and bring his bones here."
"What a raven cannot do, a man of stout heart can, aye, and more. And here I am, Dragon!" said Ivan the Peasant's Son.
"Are you here to fight me or to make peace with me?" the dragon asked.
"To fight you! Do you think I would make peace with the likes of you?"
"Well, then, you strike first!"
"No, you do! Are you not older than anyone in the realm?"
The six-headed dragon pounced on Ivan and struck him, but he no more than made him move aside. And now it was Ivan's turn, and he struck the dragon with his club, and lo!—all six of the dragon's heads rolled to the ground. Then he cut up the dragon into pieces, burnt his bones, and, casting the ashes into the wind, went back to the house.
Morning came, and he asked the man who had been left to guard the bridge how well he had guarded it.
"So well that not even a bird could fly past me," the man replied.
Day passed and night arrived, and Ivan the Peasant's Son sent the first man-at-arms to the stables and ordered the second one to guard the bridge.
The second man too fell asleep, but Ivan woke in time and went and stood beside the bridge. All of a sudden the earth began to quake and to rumble, and a nine-headed dragon came riding up.
"Stand still and do not snort!" said the dragon to his horse. "There is no one here to stand up against us. Ivan the Peasant's Son alone could do it, but he is only a lad and lives so far from here that not even a raven could span the distance and bring his bones here."
"What a raven cannot do a man of stout heart can—aye, and more!" Ivan cried. "Here am I, Dragon!"
"Are you here to fight me or to make peace with me, Ivan?"
"What do you think! Never would I make peace with the likes of you!"
"Well, then, you strike first!"
"No, you do! You are older than anyone in this part of the world."
The nine-headed dragon waited no more. He pounced on Ivan, and struck him so hard that he drove him ankle-deep into the ground. But Ivan fought back. He struck the dragon once and smote off seven of his heads, he struck him a second time and he smote off his two remaining heads. Then he cut him up into pieces, burnt his bones, and, casting the ashes into the wind, went back to the house for a sleep.
Morning came, and he asked the man who had been left to guard the bridge how well he had been guarding it.
"So well that not even a mouse could run past me," the man replied.
On the third night Ivan asked the two men-at-arms to come into the house, and, hanging his gauntlet on the wall, said:
"I am off to guard the bridge myself this time, and you must watch my gauntlet. If you see sweat running from it, drink and make merry; if you see blood flowing from it, set my horse free and let it go where it will."
He stood under the bridge and waited, and just before midnight the earth began to quake and to rumble, the oak leaves fell off the trees, and the oldest of the dragons came riding up. He was mounted on the horse that ate fire and drank flame, and as he neared the bridge he said to him:
"Stand still and do not stumble, there is no one on earth who can stand up against us save Ivan the Peasant's Son. And Ivan is only a lad still, fit for nothing more than to loaf on the stove. And he lives so far away that not even a raven could span the distance and bring his bones here."
Said Ivan the Peasant's Son:
"What a raven cannot do a man of stout heart can — aye, and more. Here am I, Dragon!"
"Are you here to fight me or to make peace with me?" the dragon asked.
"What do you think? Never would I make peace with the likes of you!"
"Well, then, you strike first!"
"No, you do! Are you not stronger than anyone on earth!"
The dragon did not wait to hear any more. He rushed at Ivan and struck him so hard that Ivan turned white. But he did not falter and went on fighting, and at last only three, of the dragon's twelve heads were left on his shoulders. But the dragon drove Ivan waist-deep into the ground, and the youth's strength ebbed and all but left him.
"Had you a father?" the dragon asked.
"I had."
"Had your father any bullocks?"
"He had."
"Did he make them pull a plough?"
"He did."
"Did he let them rest?"
"He did."
"Well, let's rest then."
This Ivan was willing to do and he threw down his club, but it flew farther than he had meant it to. It crashed into the stable and brought down one of its walls, and his horse broke the rope that held him, and, running up to Ivan, began scraping away the earth with his hooves.
The two men-at-arms woke and saw blood flowing from Ivan's gauntlet, but they were frightened and did not want to come to his aid.
"Why should we risk our lives!" they said.
In the meantime his horse had scraped away all of the earth and freed Ivan who said to the dragon:
"This is the end of you, Dragon, for I will kill you!"
"I know," said the dragon. "But before I die I have this to say to you, Ivan. Know that even if you take the magic horse you are after from me you will not succeed in getting him to the tsar. For my mother, Tsar Herod my father and my three sisters will do away with you."
Ivan cut off the dragon's three remaining heads and then he stood there thinking over what the dragon had said and did not know what to do. But the old woman whose hut he had once covered with horse skins to keep out the rain and who knew everything that went on in the world felt that Ivan was in danger and sent her little dog to him.
Said the dog to Ivan:
"You will soon set out for the tsar's palace and on the way there, on the right-hand side of the road, will see a spring with water as clear as glass. Now, even if you feel so thirsty that your tongue cleaves to your palate you must not drink it. Strike it crosswise with your club instead, and you shall see what you shall see. Then, as you ride farther, you will come to a sycamore tree with a table under it laden with food and drink. Do not touch anything no matter how hungry you are. Strike the table crosswise with your club, and you shall see what you shall see! There will be another sycamore tree with a bed under it farther on, but even if you are very sleepy do not lie down on it. Strike it with your club instead, and you shall see what you shall see!"
Ivan heard out the old woman's dog, and, taking the dragon's magic horse, set out for the tsar's palace together with the tsar's two men-at-arms. On and on they rode and after a while began to feel very thirsty. They saw a spring on the right-hand, side of the road, and the two men-at-arms wanted to have a drink of water, but Ivan said:
"Wait, let me take a look at the spring first!"
He struck the water with his club, and lo! — it turned red with blood, and he saw that the spring was not a spring at all but the dragon's sister in its shape.
They rode on, and Ivan killed the dragon's two remaining sisters, one of whom had taken the shape of a food-laden table and the other of a bed. All of a sudden the sky grew dark and they saw a cloud creeping over it. But when they looked again they knew that it was not a cloud at all but the dragon's old mother, her upper lip touching the sky and her lower lip the earth.
Said Ivan the Peasant's Son:
"Come, brothers, let us fight the she-dragon together, for I won't be able to get the better of her alone!"
But the tsar's two men-at-arms were frightened and ran away.
"This is the end of me," thought Ivan, but, recalling that there was a blacksmith's shop nearby, he spurred his horse and made for it at a gallop. And the two men-at-arms came back and followed him, for there was nowhere they could hide.
They rode up to the shop and called to the blacksmiths to let them in, and the blacksmiths threw open the shop's twelve iron doors. They passed through them, and the doors closed of themselves behind them. But the she-dragon crawled up to the shop and began licking at the doors with her fiery tongue.
Ivan the Peasant's Son saw that this was no joking matter and said to the blacksmiths:
"Be quick and forge me a plough and a pair of tongs as big as this shop!"
The blacksmiths set to work, and little enough time did they have, for the she-dragon had already burnt down most of the doors. But they were quick, and the plough and the tongs were ready by the time she had begun on the tenth door.
The she-dragon burnt down the last of the doors and thrust her head inside, and Ivan caught her lip with the red-hot tongs and squeezed it with all his strength. Then he harnessed her to the plough, and, forcing her out into the field, set to work turning up clods of earth as big as houses. And as he ploughed he lashed the she-dragon's sides and squeezed her lip even harder with the tongs. For hours on end he ploughed till at last the she-dragon burst from the effort and dropped dead to the ground. He cast her into the sea then, set his horse free in a meadow and drove away the two men-at-arms.
"Begone, you cowards!" he cried. "You may be of noble blood, but you have vexed me sorely, I've had nothing but trouble with you!"
And away he rode on the dragon's magic horse!
By and by he met an old man and he passed him without greeting him, but thought better of it and turned back.
"I am young and should have shown the old man the respect he deserves," said he to himself.
He caught up with the old man and said:
"Do forgive me, Grandpa, I should have greeted you and didn't." "A young man must always greet one older than he is first, and don't you ever forget it," said the old man. "And now listen to me. As you ride on you will meet an old man with a peg leg who will stop you and say: "That's a fine horse you have, my lad. but you'll not get ahead of me!' Well, mind, first, that you are on no account to race with him, and, second, that if you meet anyone else on the way you are not to refuse to take them with you."
Ivan rode on, and whom should he see come limping toward him but a puny old peg leg.
"That's a fine horse you have, my lad!" he said. "But though I am only a sick old man you will never get-ahead of me!"
"Oh, but I'm not going to race with you!" Ivan returned.
But hardly were the words out of his mouth than the puny old man thrust his peg leg into Ivan's stirrup, sent an arrow through Ivan's arm, knocked him from the saddle, and, jumping on his horse's back, was off in a flash! And Ivan never even saw how it happened. For the old man was none other than Tsar Herod, the dragon's father.
Ivan was beside himself with rage.
"A plague on you, Tsar Herod!" he cried. "You wait, I'll find you wherever you are even if I have to walk all the way there!"
And picking up his club, he set out after him. But his wound burnt like fire and he felt his strength leaving him.
"Tsar Herod's arrow must have been tipped with poison!" he said to himself.
He walked on a little farther and felt that his strength had left him altogether.
"I'll never get the better of Tsar Herod now," thought he. "He'll squeeze the life out of me with one finger."
On walked Ivan the Peasant's Son with hanging head and he met an old man with a beard so long that it reached to the ground. They greeted one another, and, learning where Ivan was going, the old man said that he would come with him.
"Who are you?" Ivan asked.
"My name is Dog Hunter, and all dogs fear me," said the old man.
Ivan looked at him in wonder, but, recalling the first old man's advice, said nothing.
The two of them went on together and were soon joined by another old man who said that his name was Frost.
On they went, the three of them now, and they met yet another old man, and when he learnt where they were going he offered to come with them.
"My name is Mow-Sea and I can mow the sea and bind the waves into sheaves,'-he said.
They walked on, the four of them now, and were joined by five more old men whose names were Eats-His-Fill-And-Wants-More, Drinks-His-Fill-And-Wants-More, Runs-And-Won't-Stop, Long Whip and See-Far.
Now there were nine of them and they set out together for the realm of Tsar Herod and soon crossed its borders.
Tsar Herod saw them and was much surprised, for no one had ever ventured to come near his realm before let alone to trample its soil. He called his servants and had them send out against Ivan and his friends seven thousand of his two-headed dogs who were known throughout for their ferocity. Like a dark cloud the dogs came after them, and Ivan the Peasant's Son said:
"The dogs will tear us apart, for I am so weak that I can hardly move!"
"You forget that I am he whom all dogs fear!" said Dog Hunter.
And he went at the dogs and killed them all.
Ivan and his friends were now free to go on and they made their way to Tsar Herod's castle. They opened the gate, which was made of iron and very big, and came into the courtyard, but the gate closed behind them and they found themselves caged in by walls of iron. And Tsar Herod ordered his servants to make up fires and burn them alive.
But the old man who called himself Frost blew his cold breath at the walls, and though the servants heaped great mounds of firewood under them and started huge fires they were soon covered with white frost from within.
Now, Tsar Herod had no suspicion of this, and when the firewood had been used up he said to his servants:
"You may now open the gate and rake out the ashes of Ivan the Peasant's Son."
The servants opened the gate, and lo! — there before them were Ivan and his friends^ alive and well.
"You have shown us little kindness, Tsar Herod. You put us in a room so cold that we almost froze to death," Ivan said.
"It hardly matters to you one way or another," said Tsar Herod, "for I am going to cut off your head, Ivan the Peasant's Son! The poison my arrow was tipped with has sapped your strength and you can do nothing." But, saying to himself, "I can always kill him, why shouldn't I have a little fun with him first!" he added:
"I'm going to set you and your men a task. If you cope with it I'll set you free; if you don't, I'll have your heads cut off. Now, here it is. You must mow the sea and bind the waves into sheaves, and it is all to be done within the space of one night!"
The Tsar went to bed and the old man who called himself Mow-Sea set to work at once, and by morning the sea was all mown and the waves bound into sheaves. Tsar Herod woke, and lo! — where the sea had been not a drop of water was left. He was much surprised at this, but said:
"Don't think that you can rest easy, for I am going to set you another task. Many are the heads of cattle I own, but I will have them all slaughtered and the meat roasted and you will be asked to eat it all. If you do it I will set you free; if you don't, I will put you to death!"
And Ivan the Peasant's Son stood there and thought:
"If only I weren't so ill I would show Tsar Herod how to mock at us!"
Now, among Tsar Herod's captives was a young and beautiful girl who had a knowledge of herbs and grasses, and this girl undertook to cure Ivan. But before she could do it Tsar Herod had a thousand barrels of liquor rolled out into the yard and more pots of meat cooked than there was room for.
Ivan and his friends sat down at a table and began to eat, but one roast bull proved more than enough for them, and they could eat no more. They sat there and were sad and woebegone.
"We couldn't eat all this food in three years!” Ivan said.
But then they recalled the two who had not yet joined them, Eats-His-Fill-And-Wants-More and Drinks-His-Fill-And-Wants-More, and called them. The two set to work with good appetite and gulped down the food and drink so fast that soon there was not so much as a scrap left. But they said that it had not been enough for them and they could have done with more.
Tsar Herod saw that it was hard to think of something Ivan and his friends could not do and was about to kill them, but then decided to prolong the fun a little.
"I have yet another task for you," said he. "You will go to the seashore tomorrow and bring back some sea water for me. If you can do it faster than my daughter Fleet-Feet I will set you free; if not, I will have you put to death!."
And all the while Ivan the Peasant's Son stood there and kept wishing his wound would heal so that he could fight wily Tsar Herod and overcome him. And the tsar's lovely young captive, knowing what he wanted, said:
"Don't be sad, Ivan, you will soon bewell!"
The night passed and day dawned, and Tsar Herod's daughter Fleet-Feet put on her seven-league boots and her vanishing cap, and, taking a pail, was off at a run for the seashore. Ivan and his friends sat there and were unable to think of anyone they could send for the water. Then one of them remembered that they had Runs-And-Won't-Stop with them, so they called him, and Runs-And-Won't-Stop jumped up at once and made for the seashore. And he was there and running back with a pailful of sea water long before Fleet-Feet! But Fleet-Feet saw him and threw a handful of sleeping powder under his feet, and he dropped to the ground and fell fast asleep.
Ivan the Peasant's Son an.d his friends saw Fleet-Feet running toward them and stood stunned, for Runs-And-Won't-Stop was nowhere in sight. But See-Far peered into the distance, and, seeing that he was asleep, called Long Whip who waved his whip and struck Runs-And-Won't-Stop with it. And Runs-And-Won't-Stop sprang to his feet, snatched up his pail and was back with it long before Fleet-Feet.
Tsar Herod saw that there was nothing Ivan and his friends could not do, so he pulled out his sword and told his servants to take them to the threshing floor. But just as they were leading out Ivan the Peasant's Son, he heard the young girl who had been treating him whisper that he was healed. And when Tsar Herod made to chop off his head, Ivan seized him and hurled him onto the castle spire. Its point passed through his body, and the tsar breathed his last.
Ivan then brought out the horse Tsar Herod had taken from him and prepared to set out for his own kingdom together with the girl who had saved his life. He wanted the old men to join them, but the old men said:
"We came to your help when you needed us, Ivan, but now that you don't, we will go and help other good people."
And they embraced Ivan and left him.
Ivan and the girl came to his kingdom, and Ivan took the horse that ate fire and drank flame to the tsar. But the tsar's two men-at-arms, whom he had sent after Ivan, saw the girl he had brought back with him and hurried to the palace after him.
"What is Ivan but the son of a common peasant," said they. "It is not for such as he to marry so lovely a girl! Only a man of noble blood can make her a fitting husband."
Ivan turned white.
"I freed the girl from captivity, and she and I love one another. Never will I give her up to anyone!" he cried.
"You will if I tell you to!" the tsar said.
Ivan flew into a temper.
"Have you forgotten, O tsar, that you promised to give me whatever I asked for in reward and never to harm me by word or deed?" he said. "I slew three dragons and their whole family, and if this is the way you keep your promises I will kill you and all who are dear to you with one blow of my club!"
He waved his club, and the trees all bent to the ground, and the tsar's palace swayed and shook.
The tsar was frightened and did not say another word, and Ivan the Peasant's Son married the girl he loved and lived happily ever after. But never again did he trust the word of a tsar or of a lord, either.