Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar/Ivan and the Chestnut Horse
IVAN AND THE CHESTNUT HORSE.
Once upon a time there lived an old peasant, who had three sons. Two of these were supposed to be very clever, while the third, the youngest of the three, was said to be so dreadfully stupid that people nicknamed him Ivan the Stupid, or just simply the Stupid; while others, less polite, and not so choice in their language, called him the "Fool." Whether it was to keep up his reputation among his friends or not, I cannot say, but Ivan would spend all his time when at home lying on the stove doing nothing.
A very great feast was to be held at the king's palace, and was to last for three days; to this feast everybody was invited, the rich and poor, great and small; and among them were Ivan's brothers.
When the first great day arrived, the two brothers began putting on their Sunday's best, and making themselves generally smart.
"I wish you would take me with you," said Ivan from the stove, as he looked at his brothers dressing.
"Take you with us!" they cried. "What next? Do you wish to frighten the people? Where can you go to? You are only fit to lie on that stove and growl!"
Ivan sighed, and when his brothers had gone he went out into the fields and wept bitterly, for he longed to be at the feast. Suddenly, to his surprise, he saw a beautiful chestnut horse galloping towards him; and the earth beneath the creature trembled. From his ears came fire, and from his nostrils issued forth smoke.
"Do not grieve, Ivan," said the horse in a voice that sounded like thunder. "I know what it is you want, and shall try to help you; but first get in at my right ear, and then out at my left."
Ivan obeyed, wondering all the time what it all meant, it was such an extraordinary animal this horse. When Ivan climbed out of the horse's left ear, he found himself dressed in such beautiful clothes that he hardly knew himself again; had he only seen his face he would have been still more astonished: he looked so clean and so handsome. After this the horse ordered him to get on his back, and away they rode over stock and stone, up hill and down dale, till at last they reached the palace, where at one of the windows sat the king's daughter, as beautiful as the day, and on her finger was a diamond ring, which shone like fire in the sunshine. It so happened that a wicked fairy, who had had a spite against the princess, came to the palace one day, and cast a spell upon this beautiful girl, in consequence of which she could never marry until some handsome youth should be able to leap from the ground to the high window, or rather balcony, on which she sat night and day without moving, and take from her finger the diamond ring. But somehow no one seemed to see the use of jumping so high and breaking their necks, though they would not have minded having the princess. So when Ivan arrived he put spurs to his horse and tried to jump to where the beautiful creature sat, and had he only leapt an inch or two higher he would certainly have reached her. All the people stared in amazement, and applauded the daring young stranger. As Ivan turned his horse homewards he saw his brothers standing near the entrance looking at him, but of course they did not recognize him. How could they? As he galloped past he touched them lightly on their shoulders with his whip and rode home. When he arrived in the field where he had met this wonderful horse, he got into the animal's left ear and came out at the right, and was once more Ivan the Stupid, dirty and in rags. He asked the creature how he might be able to find him, if he should want him again.
"I am determined to get the ring off the princess's finger," he said to the horse; "and marry her afterwards. But of course I can do nothing without you."
"Well," replied the horse, "I am willing to help you, Ivan; and I think we shall succeed in getting that ring, if not to-morrow, on the following day. When you require me again, all you have to do is to come into this field and cry out in a loud voice, 'Chestnut horse, chestnut horse, stand before me like a leaf before a tree;' then will I appear."
Ivan thanked him, and went home with a basketful of poisonous mushrooms, which he gathered on his way, and brought them to his mother, who laughed at him.
"Look at the mushrooms you have brought," she said; "they are fit for nobody but you, you stupid!"
Ivan laughed also, and climbed into his old resting-place, the top of the big stove, where he waited for the return of his brothers. When they at last arrived they were full of news, and told their parents all that they had heard and seen,—how a handsome young prince had been there, and how he had touched them with his whip, and a good deal more; while Ivan laughed himself to sleep.
Next day the two elder brothers again went to the feast, but Ivan went into the fields and called out just as the horse had told him,—
"Chestnut horse! chestnut horse! stand before me like a leaf before a tree!"
And immediately there was a great sound like approaching thunder, and the horse galloped up to him. Ivan did exactly as he had done the day before, climbed into the right ear and out of the left, jumped on to the animal's back, looking just as handsome as on the first occasion, and rode off to the palace, where everybody made way for him, and welcomed him with the shouts of "Hoorah!" But he looked at no one, and riding straight to where the princess sat, tried to jump up to the window, but no; he did not get any farther than the last time, so he turned his horse round in disgust, touched his brothers lightly on the shoulders as before, and rode away.
When the brothers returned that night Ivan was lying on the stove as usual. They told their parents all the news, and said that the handsome young prince was there, and that he had evidently taken a great fancy to them, as he had again touched them with his whip. Ivan chuckled, but said not a word.
On the third day the brothers set off as before to the king's palace, while Ivan went to meet the chestnut horse. He looked far handsomer than ever as he sat his steed proudly, and rode off to the palace, determined to be successful this time, come what might, and putting spurs to the horse he jumped to the balcony, and actually seized the ring from the princess's finger, and even kissed the beautiful face!
Another shout of applause arose from the crowd, who had been watching him eagerly. Away rode Ivan with the ring on his finger, touching his brothers again as he passed. But when the assembled crowd saw him depart, they tried to stop him, crying, "Hold him! hold him! stop him! stop him!" But in vain. Ivan was too quick for them, thanks to the chestnut horse.
Before he returned home he wrapped a piece of rag round the finger on which the ring was.
"What is the matter with your finger?" asked his mother, when he came home.
"Oh, I went out to get you some more mushrooms, and hurt my finger. That's all."
His parents laughed, and told him that he was the greatest donkey they had ever come across; but he did not mind them. He crept up on to the stove, and waited for his brothers, who had more than usual to tell this time. At last Ivan, wishing very much to look at the ring, untied the rag round his finger. Hardly had he done this, when the ring sent forth such a brilliant lustre that it lighted up the hut as if by lightning, greatly to Ivan's alarm; the parents and brothers not seeing the ring, only the sudden light, thought Ivan was playing with matches.
"Leave off, you donkey," said one of the brothers, "or you are sure to set the place on fire! It is high time for such as you to be asleep!"
Three or four days after this the king commanded all the people in his kingdom to come to a grand feast in the palace. Not a soul should stay away, and if by chance any persons dared to disobey his orders, they were to be executed at once! The reason of this sudden invitation to every one all round was that the king wanted to find the youth who had taken the ring from the princesses finger. He had already searched everywhere where he thought it likely to find the young man, but all in vain; so he determined to give a grand feast, and invite every one to it. In that way he felt sure that the person he was in want of would be found. He also intended to reward this stranger, and give him the princess for his wife.
Of course the peasant and his family had to go to this feast whether they liked it or not, and were obliged to take Ivan with them. When all the people were seated at the various tables, eating and drinking to their hearts' content, the beautiful princess arose and began serving round the mead with her own fair hands. Suddenly she came upon Ivan, who was sitting with his finger tied up. He had his best clothes on, but these were not much to boast of. He had intended going to call his horse, and asking him to help him and dress him up before he went to the feast; but there had been no time for that, so he was obliged to appear in an ordinary dress. Yet he looked wonderfully handsome all the same.
"Why is your finger tied up?" asked the princess, stopping before him. "Have you hurt it? Untie it; perhaps I may be able to cure it for you?"
After a great deal of hesitation he obeyed, and behold the diamond ring glittered on his finger. The whole palace was illuminated as if by magic.
The princess looked at him, and then taking him by the hand led him to the king, her father, and greatly to the astonishment of all present said,—
"Behold my bridegroom!"
Ivan was then made to tell his story, and how it was that he managed to reach the balcony and get the ring, when no one else could do so. After he had explained all, the king ordered him to be taken and dressed in rich and princely garments, and he was once more the handsome stranger who had stolen the ring. What a change, what a difference between his usual get-up and his present costume! Everybody stared at him in astonishment. He walked, and talked, and looked so noble, that no one would have believed that he was the same person whom people called Ivan the Stupid! In fact, all present were charmed with him.
As for his parents and brothers, they could not make out what it was all about, and wondered whether they were dreaming.
The marriage took place in a very short time. It was a wonderfully grand affair, and all the grandest people in the kingdom were invited to it.
And from that day forth no one ever dreamt of calling that noble-looking young prince, Ivan the Stupid!