The Russian Fairy Book/The Frog-Queen

THE FROG-QUEEN

NCE upon a time a king and queen lived in a certain kingdom, in a certain realm, beyond blue seas, beyond high mountains. Long had the king lived in the white world, and as he lived he grew old, and to aid him he had three sons, three princes—all young men and so gallant that neither tongue could describe nor pen depict them. They used to go flying about the whole day long on their splendid steeds, like bright hawks through the sky. All three brothers were handsome and brave, but the best of them, the finest of them, was the youngest brother, and his name was Prince Ivan.

One day the king called his sons to him and said: "My dear children, you are now grown up. It is time for you to think of getting married. You shall have wives and I daughters-in-law. Let each choose a well-tempered arrow and go down into the forbidden meadow. Bend your stiff bows and shoot your arrows, and into whatever courtyard your arrows fall, there will you find your brides."

The oldest brother shot his arrow, and it fell into the yard of a rich noble, right over against the room occupied by the daughter of the house.

The second son shot his arrow, and it flew into the courtyard of a rich merchant, and remained sticking in the red stairway, and on the stairway stood the merchant's daughter.

Prince Ivan shot his arrow. It soared high, it fell out of sight, and though he hunted for it long he could not find it. So his heart grew heavy, and he was sad. For two whole days he wandered over the meadows and through the forests, but on the third day he made his way into a miry swamp, and he saw there a Frog, and the Frog had his arrow.

Prince Ivan was on the point of running away and leaving his arrow, but the Frog cried out:

"Kwa! kwa! Prince Ivan! Come to me and take your arrow, else you will never escape from the bog!"

There was no choice. Prince Ivan took the Frog, put her in the folds of his coat, and wended his way home. He went to his father and said:

"How can I marry a Frog? A Frog isn't my equal."

The Frog had his arrow

"There! there!" exclaimed the king, "this is only your fortune!"

Prince Ivan was very sad, and he shed many tears, but you see there is no resisting one's fate.

So the young princes were provided with wives. The oldest had the noble's daughter; the second had the merchant's daughter; while the youngest had to take for his wife the little Frog, and he kept her in a dish after they were married. And so they lived for some time.

But one day the king summoned his sons and give them this order: "Let your wives bake for my breakfast to-morrow some fresh white bread."

Prince Ivan went home to his palace in no happy frame of mind, and his proud head hung down below his shoulders.

"Kwa! kwa! Prince Ivan, why so troubled?" asked his Frog. "Did you hear a disagreeable word from your father?"

"How can I help being troubled? The sovereign, my father, has commanded that you furnish him with some fresh white bread for to-morrow."

"Do not be distressed, Prince Ivan; do not disturb yourself for nothing, but go to bed. Morning is cleverer than Evening."

She got the prince off to sleep, and then she laid aside her frogskin. In her place stood the Soul-maiden, Vasilisa the All- wise, and so beautiful that neither tongue could describe nor pen depict her. She went to the stairway and called out in a loud voice:

"Maidies! maidies! come get the materials and make some fresh white bread, such as I used to eat when I lived in my own father's house!"

In the morning Prince Ivan woke up and found that the Frog had the bread all ready for him, and such fine bread as could not be imagined or conceived, but only described in a story. The loaf was adorned with different kinds of devices: on the sides were to be seen the king's cities and the gates.

Prince Ivan took the bread and carried it to his father, who had just received the loaves from the older brothers. Their wives had put them into the oven, and so they came out mere lumps of dough. First the king took the oldest son's loaf, glanced at it, and sent it to the kitchen; then he took the second son's bread and sent it there also. When it came Prince Ivan's turn he presented his bread. His father took it, looked at it, and exclaimed:

"Here is bread to eat on Easter—not half dough like that of my other daughters-in-law!"

Again the king gave this order to his three sons: "Let your wives make me a shirt in one night."

Prince Ivan went home in no happy frame of mind; his proud head hung down below his shoulders.

"Kwa kwa! Prince Ivan, why are you so troubled?" asked his Frog. "Can you have heard some sharp disagreeable word from your father?"

Prince Ivan replied: "How can I help being troubled? The sovereign, my father, has ordered me to provide him a new shirt in a single night."

"Do not be distressed, Prince Ivan. Do not disturb yourself for nothing: Morning is cleverer than Evening."

She got the prince off to sleep, and then she laid aside her frogskin and once more became the Soulmaiden, Vasilisa the All- wise, and so beautiful that neither tongue could describe nor pen depict her beauty. She went to the stairway and called out in a loud voice:

"Maidies! maidies! come and get the material and embroider a shirt such as my own father used to have made for him!"

No sooner said than done. In the morning when Prince Ivan woke up, his Frog had the shirt all ready, and such a wonderful shirt as could not be imagined or conceived, but only described in a story. It was decorated with gold and silver and clever designs. Prince Ivan took the shirt and carried it to his father. The king took it and looked at it: "Well, now, this is a shirt to wear on Easter Sunday!"

The second brother brought his shirt, when the king said: "I'd only go to the bath in that!" But when he took the elder brother's shirt, he said: "Take it to the kitchen!"

The king's sons departed, and the two elder ones said to each other: "It is plain we mustn't laugh at Prince Ivan's wife; she is not a Frog, but some kind of a witch."

Again the king gave orders that all his three sons should appear at a ball with their wives. Prince Ivan went home to his palace in no happy frame of mind; his proud head hung down below his shoulders.

His Frog asked him: "Kwa! kwa! Prince Ivan, why so troubled? Did you hear a discourteous word from your father?"

Prince Ivan replied: "How can I help being troubled? The sovereign, my father, has commanded that I come with you to a ball at his palace. How can I show you to people?"

"Here is bread to eat on Easter"

"Don't be distressed, prince! Go alone and mingle with the guests, and I will follow after. When you hear a knocking and a commotion, say: 'That is my Froggie come in her little box.'"

Well, then, the elder brothers went to the ball with their wives, in their very best clothes and all their ornaments, and they stood around and made sport of Prince Ivan.

"How is it with you, brother? Did you come without your wife? Or did you bring her in your handkerchief? And where did you find such a beauty? Say, did you search through all the bogs?"

Suddenly a great knocking and commotion was heard—the whole palace shook. The guests were frightened to death; they jumped from their places and did not know what to do. But Prince Ivan said: "Don't be afraid, friends! That is my Froggie come in her little box."

Up to the king's front steps came flying a golden coach drawn by six horses, and out of it stepped Vasilisa the All-wise—so beautiful that she could not be imagined or conceived, nor even described in a story. She took Prince Ivan by the hand and led him behind the oaken tables, behind the checked linen tablecloths.

The guests began to eat, drink, and be merry. Vasilisa the All-Wise drank from a glass and poured the dregs up her left sleeve. She ate some swan flesh and thrust some of the bones up her right sleeve. The wives of the two elder princes marvelled at her cleverness, and lo! they had to do the same thing!

Afterwards when Vasilisa the All- Wise went out to dance with Prince Ivan she shook her left sleeve—a lake was formed; she shook her right sleeve, and over the water flew white swans. The king and the guests were mightily astonished.

Now the two elder daughters-in-law started to dance. They shook their left sleeves—all they succeeded in doing was to spatter the other guests; they shook their right sleeves—a bone flew out and hit the king directly in the eye. The king was angry and sent them home in disgrace.

Meantime Prince Ivan seized his opportunity, ran home, found the frogskin, and burnt it up in a great fire. When Vasilisa the All-Wise came and discovered that her frogskin was gone, she grew sad and said to the prince:

"Oh, Prince Ivan, what have you done? If you had only waited a little I should have been yours forever. But now good-bye! You will find me beyond the thrice-nine lands, in the thirtieth kingdom, at the ends of the earth, with Koshchei the Deathless."

So saying, she turned into a white swan and flew out of the window.

Prince Ivan wept bitterly, but you see there was no help for it. For a whole year Prince Ivan longed for his wife. The next year he made up his mind, asked his father's permission and his mother's blessing, said his prayers to God, bowing to all four sides, and started forth whither eyes look. He travelled far and near, he wandered up and down. At last he chanced to fall in with a little old man who accosted him:

"Your health, my dear lad! and what are you seeking for, and whither are you going?"

The prince told him about his misfortune. "Eh! Prince Ivan, why did you burn up the frogskin? You didn't have to put it on, and you didn't have to take it off. Yasilisa the All- Wise was born cleverer and keener witted than her father. That was why he was angry with her and commanded her to be a frog for three years. Here is a little ball for you; wherever it rolls, follow it boldly."

Prince Ivan thanked the old man and started after the little ball. He went along an open field and met with a bear.

"Hold on!" said he. "I will kill the beast."

But the Bear said to him: "Do not kill me, Prince Ivan; I may be useful to you some time."

So he went farther, and lo! a wild drake flew up. The prince aimed his arrow at him and was going to shoot the bird, when suddenly he said in a human voice:

"Do not kill me, Prince Ivan! Even I may be of use to you."

He heeded his request and went on his way. A squint-eyed hare ran out. The prince was again about to shoot his bow at him, but the Hare said in a human voice:

"Do not kill me, Prince Ivan. Even I may be useful to you."

Prince Ivan heeded his request and went on his way, till at last he came to the blue sea, and there he saw a sturgeon gasping on the beach.

"Ah! Prince Ivan," besought the Sturgeon, "have pity on me and put me back into the sea."

He threw her into the sea and then proceeded along the shore. As he went and went, the little ball rolled up to a small hut which stood on a hen's legs and turned round and round.

He chanced to fall in with a little old man

Prince Ivan said: "Little hut! little hut! stand as you used to—with your face to me and your back to the sea."

The little hut turned round with its back to the sea and faced him. Prince Ivan went in and saw on the stove, on the thrice-ninth brick, the Baba Yaga lying with her nose through the ceiling and grinding her teeth.

"Hello, you, young man! why have you come to me?" demanded the Baba Yaga of Prince Ivan.

"Oh you old hag!" he replied boldly, "you had better first give me something to eat and drink, and a good warm bath, before you ask questions of this young man!"

The Baba Yaga gave him food and drink and a warm bath, and then the prince told her that he was going in search of his wife Vasilisa the All-Wise.

"Oh, I know!" exclaimed the Baba Yaga. "She is now with Koshchei the Deathless. It is hard to reach her; it is not easy to overcome the immortal one: his death is on the end of a needle; the needle is in an egg; the egg is in a duck; the duck is in a hare; the hare is in a box; the box stands on a tall oak; and the tree is guarded by Koshchei like the apple of his eye."

The Baba Yaga showed him in what place that oak was growing. Prince Ivan went there and did not know what he should do or how to reach the box. Suddenly, coming from somewhere, appeared a bear and he uprooted the tree. The box fell out and broke to pieces; the hare ran out of the box and scampered away with all its might and main. But behold! a second hare darted after it, overtook it, and tore it into bits. Out of the hare flew a duck and went high, high into the air. She flew away, but behind her in full pursuit darted a drake, and as soon as he overtook her the duck dropped an egg, and the egg fell into the sea.

Prince Ivan, seeing misfortune, wept bitter tears; but suddenly a sturgeon swam up to the shore holding the egg in her teeth. Prince Ivan took it, broke it, took out the needle, and broke off the point. How Koshchei struggled, and how he struck out in all directions—but he had to die!

Prince Ivan went to Koshchei's house, took Vasilisa the All-Wise, and went home. After this they lived together and were happy ever after.