Myths and Folk-tales of the Russians, Western Slavs, and Magyars. Jeremiah Curtin

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СКАЧАТЬ Yelena looked at them she said, “What does this mean? They make shoes like these only in the mountains.” She paid the shoemaker a large price and said, “Make me without measure another pair wonderfully sewed, ornamented with precious stones, and studded with diamonds. They must be ready by to-morrow; if not, to the gallows with thee.”

       The shoemaker took the precious stones and money and went home—such a gloomy man! “Misery,” said he, “what am I to do now? How can I make shoes by to-morrow, and besides without measure? It is clear that they will hang me to-morrow; let me have at least a last frolic with my friends.”

      He went to the inn. These friends of his were numerous; they asked, “Why art thou so gloomy, brother?”

      “Oh, my dear friends,” answered he, “they are going to hang me to-morrow!”

      “Why so?”

      The shoemaker told his trouble. “How think of work in such a position? Better I’ll frolic to-night for the last time.”

      So they drank and drank, frolicked and frolicked; the shoemaker was staggering already.

      “Well,” said he, “I’ll take home a keg of spirits, lie down to sleep; and to-morrow when they come to hang me, I’ll drink a gallon and a half right away. Let them hang me without my senses.”

      He came home. “Well, thou reprobate!” said he to Ivan Tsarevich, “see what thy shoes have done … so and so. … When they come in the morning for me, wake me up.”

      In the night Ivan Tsarevich took out the whistle and blew. Lame and Crooked appeared. “What is thy pleasure, Ivan Tsarevich?”

      “That shoes of such a kind be ready.”

       “We obey!”

      Ivan lay down to sleep. Next morning he woke up; the shoes were on the table shining like fire. He went to rouse his master.

      “It is time to rise, master.”

      “What! have they come for me? Bring the keg quickly! Here is a cup, pour the spirits in; let them hang me drunk.”

      “But the shoes are made.”

      “How made? Where are they?”

      The master ran and saw them. “But when did we make them?”

      “In the night. Is it possible that thou dost not remember when we cut and sewed?”

      “Oh, I’ve slept so long, brother! I barely, barely remember.”

      He took the shoes, wrapped them up, and ran to the palace.

      Yelena the Beautiful saw the shoes and knew what had happened. “Surely,” she thought, “the spirits made these for Ivan Tsarevich.—How didst thou make these?” asked she of the shoemaker.

      “Oh! I know how to do everything.”

      “If that is the case, make me a wedding robe embroidered with gold, ornamented with diamonds and precious stones; let it be ready to-morrow morning: if not, off with thy head!”

      The shoemaker went home again gloomy, and his friends were long waiting for him. “Well, what is it?”

       “Nothing but cursedness. The destroyer of Christian people has come; she commanded me to make her a robe with gold and precious stones by to-morrow morning: and what sort of a tailor am I? They will take my head surely to-morrow.”

      “Ah! brother, the morning is wiser than the evening; let us go and frolic.”

      They went to the inn, they drank and frolicked; the shoemaker got tipsy again, brought home a whole keg of spirits, and said to Ivan Tsarevich: “Now, young fellow, when thou wilt rouse me in the morning I’ll toss off three gallons; let them cut the head off me drunk. I couldn’t make such a robe in a lifetime.” The shoemaker lay down to sleep and snored.

      Ivan Tsarevich blew on the whistle, and Lame and Crooked appeared. “What is thy pleasure, Tsarevich?”

      “That a robe be ready by to-morrow morning exactly such as Yelena the Beautiful wore in Whirlwind’s house.”

      “We obey; it will be ready.”

      Ivan Tsarevich woke at daylight; the robe was on the table, shining like fire, so that the whole chamber was lighted up. Then he roused his master, who rubbed his eyes and asked, “What! have they come to cut my head off? Give the spirits here this minute.”

      “But the robe is ready.”

      “Is that true? When did we make it?”

       “In the night, of course; dost thou not remember cutting it thyself?”

      “Ah, brother, I just remember—see it as in a dream!”

      The shoemaker took the robe and ran to the palace.

      Yelena the Beautiful gave him much money and the command, “See that to-morrow by daylight the Golden Kingdom be on the sea, seven versts from shore, and from it to our palace let there be a golden bridge with costly velvet spread upon it, and at the railings on both sides let wonderful trees be growing, and let there be wonderful song-birds singing, with various voices. If thou wilt not have it done by morning, I’ll give orders to quarter thee.”

      The shoemaker went from Yelena the Beautiful with drooping head. His friends met him. “Well, brother?”

      “What well! I am lost; to-morrow I shall be quartered. She gave me such a task that no devil could do it.”

      “Oh, never mind! the morning is wiser than the evening; let us go to the inn.”

      “Well, let us go; at the last parting we must have a carousal at least.”

      They drank and drank; and towards evening the shoemaker drank so much they had to lead him home. “Farewell, young fellow,” said he to Ivan; “to-morrow they will put me to death.”

      “But has a new task been given?”

       “Yes, so and so, so and so.” He lay down and snored; but Ivan Tsarevich went straight to his room, and blew on the whistle. Lame and Crooked appeared.

      “What is thy pleasure, Ivan Tsarevich?”

      “Can ye do me such a work as this?”

      “Ivan Tsarevich, this is a work indeed. But there is no avoiding it; toward morning all will be ready.”

      When daylight began to come, Ivan woke up, looked out of the window. Fathers! everything was ready as asked for. A golden castle was gleaming like fire. He roused his master, who sprang up. “Well, have they come for me? Give the keg here this minute!”

      “But the palace is ready.”

      “What dost thou say?”

      The shoemaker looked through the window and said, “Ah!” in astonishment, “how was that done?”

      “Dost СКАЧАТЬ