Tales of Folk and Fairies Part 15

The Princess carried the carpet back into the chamber and put on her frog-skin again, and then she went back and lay down quietly beside the Prince.

The next morning when the Prince was ready to set out, the frog brought the roll of carpet to him.

"Here," said she; "carry this to your father, but do not open it upon the way lest the dust spoil its beauty."

The Prince took the carpet and rode away. When he reached the Tsar's palace his two brothers were already there, and each had brought with him a piece of carpet so fine and rich that it was difficult to say which of the two was the more beautiful.

When the older brothers saw Ivan they began to laugh. "Come!" said they. "Let us see what kind of a carpet he has brought from his swamp home. No doubt it is very wonderful."

The Prince laid the roll of carpet upon the floor and opened it out and when they saw it every one was struck with wonder. The elder Princes had not a word to say. Never before had they seen such a carpet. Not only was it as thick and soft as eiderdown, but it shone with wondrous colors that changed as one looked at them, and it was embroidered with gold in strange designs.

The Tsar was filled with admiration. All the same he still was unwilling to have a frog reign in his kingdom.

"This is all very well," said he, "and never before have I seen such a beautiful carpet. But now I wish you all to appear before me to-morrow with your wives. Let the Princesses wear their most beautiful dresses and their finest jewels, and whichever of you has the wife best fitted to be Queen, to him will I leave the kingdom."

When the Prince Ivan heard this he was in despair. How could he ever bring the frog to court and present her to the Tsar as though she were a beautiful Princess?

When he went home the frog at once asked him why he was so sad and woebegone. "Is not the kingdom to be yours?" she asked.

"No," answered the Prince, "for now my father, the Tsar, has demanded something else of us." He then told her how the Tsar had bidden him and his brothers bring their wives to court, and had said that whichever of the Princesses was the finest and most beautiful should reign as Queen, and her husband should be the Tsar.

"Do not trouble over that," said the frog. "Only go to bed and sleep quietly. The kingdom shall still be yours."

Then the Prince went to bed, but he only closed his eyes and pretended to go to sleep, for he had grown very curious as to how the frog had been able to provide him with the wonderful loaf and the carpet.

The frog kept very still until she thought the Prince was asleep. Then she arose quietly from his side and slipped away, but the Prince also arose and followed her without her being aware of it. She went to the far-off chamber, and there she laid aside her frog-skin; and when the prince saw her in her human form he was amazed at her beauty, and his heart melted within him for love of her, for her hair was like spun gold, her eyes as blue as the sky, and her skin as white as milk.

Never had he seen such a beauty.

The Princess went out on a balcony as she had before, and cried aloud three times, "Nurses dear, nurses true, bring me fine clothes and jewels to wear, richer than ever were seen before."

At once the three crows appeared, carrying with them jewels and fine robes all encrusted with gems and embroidery. These they laid at the Princess's feet and bowed three times, croaking hoa.r.s.ely, and then they flew away.

The Princess took the robes and jewels back into the chamber to hide them, and while she was doing this Prince Ivan returned to his bed and lay down and closed his eyes as though he were asleep. When the frog came back she looked at him carefully, but he kept so still she never guessed that he had stirred from where he lay.

The next morning the frog bade Ivan ride away alone to the palace of the Tsar. "I will follow you," she said, "and when you hear a great noise, say, 'That is my little Froggie, driving up in her basket made of rushes.'"

The Prince promised to do this and then he rode away to the palace of the Tsar.

His brothers were already there, and their two wives were with them, both so handsome and so magnificently dressed that each looked finer than the other.

When Ivan came in they all began to laugh. "Where is thy dear frog?"

they asked. "Is she still asleep among her reeds and rushes, or is she too hoa.r.s.e to come?"

Even as they spoke there was a great noise outside,--a roaring and rumbling like thunder.

The palace shook until it seemed as though it would fall about their ears. Every one was terrified. Only Prince Ivan was calm.

"There is my little Froggie now," he said; "she is driving up in her little basket of rushes."

At once the noise ceased, the doors were flung open, and a magnificent Princess swept into the room. Never was such a beauty seen before. Her golden hair fell almost to the floor and was bound about with jewels.

Her robes were stiff with embroidery and gems. The other Princesses paled before her as stars pale before the rising moon.

Prince Ivan took her by the hand and led her to the Tsar. "This is my dear Princess," said he, "and surely it is she and she only who should reign over this land."

Well, there were no two ways to that. The Tsar could hardly contain himself for joy over the beauty of Prince Ivan's bride. A great feast was spread, and the Tsar himself led the Princess to the table. She sat at his right hand and drank from his jewelled cup, and all was joy and merriment. Only the older brothers and their wives were sad, for they knew they had missed all chance of gaining the kingdom.

Now while they were still at the table, all eating and drinking, Prince Ivan arose and made some excuse for leaving the room. He went quietly and mounted his horse and rode back to his own castle.

There he made haste to the room where his wife had left her frog-skin.

He hunted about until he found it, and then he threw it into the fire, for he did not intend that she should ever hide herself away in it again.

At once a clap of thunder sounded, and the Princess stood before him.

Her eyes were streaming with tears, and she wrung her hands in grief.

"Alas and woe is me!" she cried. "Why did you burn my frog-skin? A little longer, and I would have been free. Now I must go away and leave you forever."

"But where are you going?" cried the Prince in despair. "Wherever it is I will follow and find you."

"Seek me beyond the seven mountains, beyond the seven seas, in the kingdom of Koshchei the Deathless, for it is in his house I will be,"

answered the Princess. Then she turned into a great white swan and flew out through the window and far, far away; so far the Prince could no longer see her.

Then Prince Ivan was filled with grief; and he neither stayed nor tarried but set out at once in search of his Princess.

He journeyed on and journeyed on a short way and a long way, and then he met an old man with a grey beard that hung down far below his belt.

"Good day, good youth," said the old man.

"Good day, grandfather," answered Ivan.

"Whither do you journey with so sad a face?" asked the stranger.

"I journey over land and over sea in search of the kingdom of Koshchei the Deathless," answered Ivan.

"Then you have a long journey before you," said the old man. "But why do you seek the kingdom of Koshchei the Deathless, that terrible man?"

"I seek it that I may find what is lost." Then Ivan told the old man his story, all about his frog bride and how she had turned into a Princess,--how he had burned the frog-skin and how she had flown away as a swan, and that now life would be nothing but a burden to him until he could find her again.

The old man shook his head. "Alas! alas! You should never have burned the frog-skin!" he said. He then told Ivan that the name of the Princess was Vasilisa the Fair. "Her mother was the sister of Koshchei the Deathless," said the stranger, "and when she was born it was foretold that before she was eighteen Koshchei should lose his life because of her. It was for this reason that he changed her into a frog and set her in the midst of the lonely swamp. In a month and a day from now the Princess would have been eighteen, and the danger to Koshchei would have been over. Then he would have allowed her to lay aside her frog-skin and take back her human shape. But now he is angry and has carried her away to his castle, and only by the grace of Heaven will you be able to find her and set her free."

The old man then gave Prince Ivan a little ball. "Take this," he said, "and roll it before you as you go. It will show you which way to travel, and with its help you may reach the kingdom of Koshchei."

Ivan took the ball and thanked the old man and journeyed on. He rolled the ball before him, and in whichever direction it rolled he followed.

He went along and went along, until after a while he came to a forest, and there he saw a bear.

Prince Ivan would have shot it, but the bear cried to him, "Do not shoot me, Prince. Take me with you as a servant, and the time may come when I can help you."

"Very well," said the Prince. "Come with me"; so he journeyed on with the bear at his heels.