Folk Tales from the Russian Part 13

When the young girl put it on she became such a beautiful maiden that even the sun smiled at her.

The stepmother was in the kitchen busy baking pancakes for the meal which it is the custom to give to the priests and friends after the usual service for the dead.

"Now, old man," said the wife to the husband, "go down to the wide fields and bring the body of thy daughter; we will bury her."

The old man went off. And the little dog in the corner wagged his tail and said:

"Bow-wow! bow-wow! the old man's daughter is on her way home, beautiful and happy as never before, and the old woman's daughter is wicked as ever before."

"Keep still, stupid beast!" shouted the stepmother, and struck the little dog.

"Here, take this pancake, eat it and say, 'The old woman's daughter will be married soon and the old man's daughter shall be buried soon.'"

The dog ate the pancake and began anew:

"Bow-wow! bow-wow! the old man's daughter is coming home wealthy and happy as never before, and the old woman's daughter is somewhere around as homely and wicked as ever before."

The old woman was furious at the dog, but in spite of pancakes and whipping, the dog repeated the same words over and over again.

Somebody opened the gate, voices were heard laughing and talking outside. The old woman looked out and sat down in amazement. The stepdaughter was there like a princess, bright and happy in the most beautiful garments, and behind her the old father had hardly strength enough to carry the heavy, heavy trunk with the rich outfit.

"Old man!" called the stepmother, impatiently; "hitch our best horses to our best sleigh, and drive _my_ daughter to the very same place in the wide, wide fields."

The old man obeyed as usual and took his stepdaughter to the same place and left her alone.

Old Frost was there; he looked at his new guest.

"Art thou comfortable, fair maiden?" asked the red-nosed sovereign.

"Let me alone," harshly answered the girl; "canst thou not see that my feet and my hands are about stiff from the cold?"

The Frost kept crackling and asking questions for quite a while, but obtaining no polite answer became angry and froze the girl to death.

"Old man, go for my daughter; take the best horses; be careful; do not upset the sleigh; do not lose the trunk."

And the little dog in the corner said:

"Bow-wow! bow-wow! the old man's daughter will marry soon; the old woman's daughter shall be buried soon."

"Do not lie. Here is a cake; eat it and say, 'The old woman's daughter is clad in silver and gold.'"

The gate opened, the old woman ran out and kissed the stiff frozen lips of her daughter. She wept and wept, but there was no help, and she understood at last that through her own wickedness and envy her child had perished.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE END]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

NOTES

The Tsarevna Frog

A _tsarstvo_ is the domain of a _tsar_ (czar), which is the t.i.tle of an absolute monarch in Russia. The word _tsar_, derived from the Roman name and t.i.tle, Caesar, may be translated emperor, king, or prince. A number of words are formed from it by adding different syllables: Tsarevitch, the tsar's son, prince; Tsarevna, the tsar's daughter, princess; Tsaritza, the tsar's wife, queen or empress.

_Boyar_ was the word formerly used to mean a Russian n.o.bleman; so a _boyar-house_ is a lord's house; _boyarishnia_, a lord's daughter. The _terem_ was that part of the boyar-house in which the women's rooms were situated.

In Russia there is a fatherly relation existing between the ruler and his subjects which is shown in such phrases as "the tsar father," "their father sovereign," etc. The Russian language has many diminutives, or terms of endearment. For instance, the Tzar is often affectionately called "the little father" by his subjects.

"_Once said, quickly done_." This is the Russian idiom.

Observe how much more lively it is than our own "No sooner said than done."

Seven Simeons

_The holy icons_ are pictures or mosaics of Christ, or the Virgin Mary, or of some saint or martyr of the Russian church. In every Russian house there is one or more, hung in a prominent place.

Every one who enters the house at once bows and utters a prayer before the icons before he does anything else. This is an old Russian custom which is still kept up by peasants.

_Strong green wine_. This is the phrase still used by Russian story-tellers to describe the drink which it was an honor to receive from the royal hand. Its strength was magical in that it was not acquired by keeping, but was always the same.

_For a cloudy day_ is the Russian idiom very similar to our own.

_It is a peasant's trade_ is a Russian saying which means, "It doesn't amount to much."

_Moujik_, a peasant: his duties are those of a farm laborer, yet this phrase would not be a fair translation. This word, which is rendered "tiller of the soil," has no exact equivalent in English.

_Korolevitch_, from _korol_: king. The endings _evitch_ and _evna_ show descent, korolevitch meaning son of a king; korolevna meaning daughter of a king.

_Dutch trumpet_, i.e., an imported trumpet. Anything foreign is "Dutch" to the Russian peasant.

_Honey drink_, a drink made by fermenting honey and water. It is quite common in Russia, and is about the same as our mead.

Russian and other Slavonic tales often have queer endings, similar to the one here given by the story-teller at the end of the story, which is no part of the tale. To the Russian they give a poetic touch, a little sense of confusion and mystery which is certainly delightful.

The Language of the Birds

_Holy Russia_. To the Russian his country is sacred; everything outside is profane by comparison. The phrase suggests the _Holy Roman Empire_ of history, or the _Celestial Kingdom_ of the Chinese.

Ivanoushka the Simpleton

In the peasant's house there is often a large stove of brick or tile on which the family sleep in cold weather.

_A day in and an equal day out_, the Russian idiom. Observe how very like our own.