Once a Week (magazine)/Series 1/Volume 6/The story of Yvashka with the bear's ear
RUSSIAN POPULAR TALES.
Translated from the Russian.
THE STORY OF YVASHKA WITH THE BEAR'S EAR.
The tale of "Yvashka with the Bear's Ear," though not so popular in Russia as that of "Emelian the Fool," is yet a great favourite. Its main interest depends not so much on him of the bear's ear, or even his comrade Usünia, who angles for trout with his moustaches, as on Baba Yagá. This personage is the grand mythological demon of the Russians, and frequently makes her appearance in their popular tales; but perhaps in none plays so remarkable a part as in the story of Yvashka. A little information with respect to her will perhaps not be unacceptable to the reader before entering upon the story. She is said to be a huge female, who goes driving about the steppes in a mortar, which she forces onward by pounding lustily with a pestle, though, of course, being in the mortar, she cannot wield the pestle without hurting herself. As she hurries along, she draws with her tongue—which is, at least, three yards long—a mark upon the dust, and with it seizes every living thing coming within her reach, which she swallows for the gratification of her ever-raging appetite. She has several young and handsome daughters, whom she keeps in a deep well beneath her izbushka, or cabin, which has neither door nor window, and stands upon the wildest part of the steppe, upon hen's feet, and is continually turning round. Whenever Baba Yagá meets a person, she is in the habit of screaming out:
I ne'er saw "Oho! Oho!
I ne'er saw Russian wight till now;
But now the flesh of a Russian wight
I smell with nose and see with sight."
Such is the Russian tradition about Baba Yagá, unlike, in every respect, any of the goblins and mythological monsters of western Europe, except, perhaps, in her cry, which puts one in mind of the exclamation of the giant in the English nursery tale of "Jack the Giant-Killer:"
I smell thFi, fee, fo, fum!
I smell the blood of an Englishman.
In the demon lore of the Turks, however, there a ghostly being with which she seems to have considerable affinity. This goblin is called Kara Conjulos. The Kara Conjulos is a female, and lives at the bottom of a well, in a certain part of Constantinople, from which she emerges every night, and drives about the city in a cart drawn by two buffaloes. She is much in the habit of stopping at caravansaries, going into the stables and breeding a confusion and a panic amongst the horses. She has several daughters, who occasionally accompany her on her expeditions, and assist her in the commission of her pranks. A certain learned Efendy, in a most curious Turkish book which he wrote about Constantinople, has a great deal to say concerning this goblin and her daughters, and, amongst other things, gives an account of a very bad night which he passed in a caravansary at some little distance from the city owing to the intrusion of the Kara Conjulos and her bevy. Now for the story of Yvashka!
In a certain kingdom, in a certain government, there lived a mujik, whose wife bore him a son who had the ear of a bear, on which account he was called Yvashka with the Bear's Ear. Now when Yvashka with the Bear's Ear was beginning to attain his full growth he used to go about the streets and play with the children; but he played so roughly that if he seized a child by the hand he was sure to tear its hand off, and if he seized one by the head he was sure to tear its head off. The other peasants, not being able to put up with such outrages, told Yvashka's father that he must either make his son mend his manners or not let him go out into the street to play with the children. The father for a long time endeavoured to reform Yvashka, but, perceiving that his son did not improve, he determined to turn him out of doors, and said to him:
"Depart from me, and go wheresoever you please. I will keep you no longer in my house, for I dread lest some misfortune should befall me on your account."
So Yvashka with the Bear's Ear took leave of his father and mother, and departed on his way. After journeying for a long time he arrived at a forest, where he saw a man cutting oaken billets. He went up to him, and said:
"Good fellow! what may be your name?"
"Dubünia," (Oakman), replied the other.
Whereupon they became sworn brothers, and went on together. Arriving at a rocky mountain, they saw a man hewing the rock, to whom they said:
"God help you, honest lad! what may your name be?"
"Gorünia," (Rockman), he replied.
Whereupon they called him their brother, and proposed to him to leave off hewing the mountain and to go along with them. He agreed to their proposal, and all three forthwith proceeded on their way, and journeyed for some time. Arriving at the bank of a river, they saw a man sitting, who had a pair of enormous moustachios, with which he angled for fish in order to support himself. They all three said to him:
"God speed you, brother, in your fishing!"
"Thank you kindly, brothers," he replied.
"What may your name be?" they inquired.
"Usünia," (Moustachio), he answered.
Whereupon they called him their brother also, and invited him to join their company, and he agreed to do so.
So these four journeyed on, and whether their journey was long or short, far or near, my tale will soon be told, though their adventures were not soon over. At last they arrived at a forest, where they saw an izbushka, or cabin, standing on hen's feet, which kept turning here and there. They went up to it, and said:
"Izbushka, izbushka! stand with your rear to the wood, and your front to us."
The izbushka instantly obeyed: and, going into it, they began to consult how they should contrive to live there. After a little time they all went into the forest, killed some game, and prepared food for themselves. On the second day they left Oakman at home to cook the dinner, whilst they themselves went into the forest to hunt. Oakman having got ready the dinner, took his seat by the window and awaited the return of his brethren. At that moment came Baba Yagá, riding in an iron mortar which she urged on with the pestle, whilst with her tongue lolling out of her month she drew a mark on the earth as she went. Entering into the cabin, she said:
I ne'er saw "Oho! Oho!
I ne'er saw Russian wight till now;
But now the flesh of a Russian wight
I smell with nose and see with sight."
Then, turning to Oakman, she inquired:
"Wherefore did you come hither, Oakman?"
And without waiting for his answer, she began to beat him, and continued belabouring him until he was half dead; after which she devoured all the food which had been got ready, and then rode away.
Upon the return of Oakman's comrades from the chase they asked him for their dinner, and he, without informing them that Baba Yaga had been there, said that he had fallen into a swoon, and had got nothing ready.
In the very same manner did Baba Yagá beat Rockman and Moustachio, who, however, told their comrades of the matter.
At last it came to the turn of Yvashka with the Bear's Ear to remain at home whilst the others went forth in pursuit of game. Jack cooked and roasted everything, and having found in Babs Yagá's cabin a pot of honey, he split a post which stood by the petsch at the top, and thrust in a wedge to keep it open, pouring out the honey into the fissure and about it. He then sat down on the petsch, and prepared three iron rods. After a little time Baba Yagá arrived, screaming out:
I ne'er saw "Oho! Oho!
I ne'er saw Russian wight till now;
But now the flesh of a Russian wight
I smell with nose and see with sight."
"Wherefore hast thou come hither, Yvashka with the Bear's Ear, and wherefore dost thou waste my property?"
Thereupon she began to lick with her tongue about the post, and no sooner did her tongue arrive at the fissure than Yvashka snatched the wedge out of the post, and having thus entrapped her tongue, he leaped up from the petsch and scourged her with the iron rods till she begged him to let her go, promising to let him be in peace, and never more to come to him.
Yvuhka consented to her prayer, and having set her tongue at liberty he placed Baba Yagá in a nook and took his seat by the window, awaiting his companions. They soon returned, making quite sure that Baba Yagá had dealt with him in the same manner as with themselves, and were not a little astonished when they perceived that he had the food all ready prepared. After dinner he related how he had served Baba Yagá, and laughed at them for not being able to manage her. At last, wishing to show them how he had drubbed and beaten Baba Yagá, he led them to the nook, but she was no longer there; so they resolved to go in pursuit of her, and presently finding a stone slab, they lifted it up and perceived a deep abyss, into which they thought of descending; but as none of his companions had courage enough to do so, Yvashka with the Bear's ear consented to go, so they began to twist a rope, and having made a canoe for him to sit in, they let him down into the gulf. Meanwhile Yvashka commanded them to wait for him a whole week, and provided they received no intelligence of him during that time to wait no longer.
"When I pull the rope," said he, "draw up the canoe, provided it be light; but if it be heavy, cut the rope, in order that you may not draw up Baba Yagá instead of me."
Then bidding them farewell, he descended into the deep subterranean abyss.
He proceeded there for a long time. At length he arrived at a cabin, and entering it he beheld three beautiful damsels sitting at their needles and embroidering with gold. These were the daughters of Baba Yagá. As soon as they perceived Yvashka with the Bear's Ear, they said:
"Good youth, what has brought you hither? Here lives Baba Yagá, our mother, and as soon as she comes home you are a dead man, for she will certainly kill you. However, if you will deliver us from this place we will inform you how you may save your life."
On his promising to conduct them out of that abyss, they said to him:
"As soon as our mother arrives, she will rush at you and begin to fight you; but after a while she will desist and will run into the cellar, where she has two pitchers standing filled with water; in the blue pitcher is the water of strength, and in the white that of weakness."
Scarcely had the daughters of Baba Yagá. concluded their discourse when they told Yvashka that they heard their mother coming; and presently she appeared riding in the iron mortar, driving with the pestle, whilst with her tongue lolling out of her mouth she drew a mark as she went. Baba Yagá on arriving screamed out:
I ne'er saw "What's this? Oho!
I ne'er saw Russian wight till now;
But now the flesh of a Russian wight
I smell with nose and see with sight."
"For what are you come hither, Yvashka with the Bear's Ear? Do you think to disturb me here also?"
Then, casting herself suddenly upon him, she began to fight. They fought together for a considerable time, and at length they fell upon the earth. Baba Yagá, after lying for some time, jumped up and ran into the cellar, and Yvashka rushed after her. Babs Yagá, without examination, seized the white pitcher, and Yvashka the blue one. Both having drunk, they left the cellar and renewed their combat. Yvashka, however, presently overpowered Baba Yagá. He then seized her by the hair and beat her with her own pestle till she entreated him to take pity upon her, promising never to do him any injury, and to leave the place that very moment. Whereupon Yvashka with the Bear's Ear took pity on Baba Yagá, and left off beating her.
As soon as she was gone he went to her daughters, thanked them for the information they had given him, and told them to prepare to leave the place. Whilst they were packing up their things he went to the rope, and having pulled it his comrades instantly let down the canoe, in which he placed the eldest sister, and by her sent word to them to draw them all up. Yvashka's comrades having drawn up the damsel were much astonished at the sight of her, but having learnt from her the whole affair, they hoisted up her other sisters. At last they let down the canoe for Yvashka, but he having this time stowed into the canoe many clothes and a great deal of money, as well as put himself therein, his comrades, feeling the weight, imagined that Baba Yagá must have got into the canoe, so they cut the rope, and left poor Yvashka in the abyss. They then agreed to marry the damsels, and lost no time in doing so.
Meanwhile Yvashka with the Bear's Ear walked for a long time about the abyss seeking for an outlet. At last by good fortune he found an iron door in that gloomy place, and having broken it open, he proceeded for a long time in the same darkness; he then beheld a light in the distance, and directing his course straight towards it, he emerged from the cavern. He then determined to seek his comrades, whom he soon found, but not until all three were married. On seeing them he began to ask why they had left him in the hole. His comrades, in great terror, told him that Moustachio had cut the rope; whereupon Yvashka immediately slew him, and took his wife to be his own. They then all lived together in the greatest comfort and prosperity.