--- title: The Story of the Unlucky Days, part 2 — Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales · full text with trees · page 2 description: The Story of the Unlucky Days, part 2, «Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales»: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Next morning the prince came to seek Ivan, and marvelled to find that everything had been done as the serpent had commanded. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/) / The Story of the Unlucky Days, part 2 # The Story of the Unlucky Days, part 2 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/) **2** - [101](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/101/) — And ye would have had me mount such a mare!" - [102](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/102/) — At this the serpent was full of shame, but there was nothing to be said or done. - [103](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/103/) — So they went into the garden and sat them down to dinner. - [104](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/104/) — The youngest daughter met them there, and they greeted her. - [105](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/105/) — The prince could not refrain from looking at her, so fair was she, and now she seemed fairer than ever. - [106](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/106/) — Then they sat down and ate, and when the meal was over the serpent said, "Well, prince, after dinner I'll bring all my daughters into the courtyard, and if you can find out the youngest, you may be happy together." - [107](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/107/) — So after dinner the serpent bade his daughters go and dress themselves, but the prince took counsel of Ivan Golik. - [108](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/108/) — Ivan whistled, and immediately the gnat came flying up. - [109](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/109/) — He told the gnat all about it, and the gnat said, "Thou didst help me, so now I will help thee. - [110](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/110/) — When the serpent brings out his daughters, let the prince keep his eyes open, for I will fly on her head. - [111](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/111/) — Let him walk round them once, and I will fly round them too. - [112](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/112/) — Let him walk round them a second time, and I will fly round them twice also. — checked by a teacher - [113](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/113/) — Let him walk round them a third time, and then I'll settle on her nose, and she will not be able to endure my bite, but will strike at me with her right hand." - [114](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/114/) — And with these words the gnat flew off into the house. - [115](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/115/) — Soon afterward the serpent sent for the prince. - [116](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/116/) — He went, and there in the courtyard stood the twenty-one daughters. - [117](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/117/) — They were as like as peas, their faces, their hair, and their raiment were exactly the same. - [118](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/118/) — He looked and looked, but could not tell one from the other. - [119](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/119/) — He walked round them the first time, but there was no sign of the gnat. - [120](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/120/) — He walked round them the second time, and the gnat came and lit upon her head. - [121](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/121/) — Henceforth he never took his eyes off the gnat, and when he had begun to walk round the twenty-one daughters for the third time, the gnat sat on the nose of the youngest, and began to bite her. - [122](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/122/) — She brushed it off with her right hand, whereupon the prince said, "She is mine!" and led her to the serpent. - [123](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/123/) — The serpent was amazed, but said, "Since thou hast found out thy bride, we'll wed thee to-day, and all be merry together." - [124](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/124/) — So they made them merry, and that very evening the young couple got their bridal crowns. - [125](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/125/) — And they feasted and fired guns, and what else did they not do? - [126](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/126/) — But at night, Ivan Golik took the prince aside, and said to him, "Now, prince, see that we go home to-morrow, for they mean us no good here. - [127](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/127/) — And now, listen to me! - [128](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/128/) — I beg thee tell not thy wife the truth of the matter for seven years. - [129](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/129/) — However caressing she may be, thou shalt not let her ears know the truth, for if thou \_dost\_ tell her the truth, both thou and I shall perish!" - [130](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/130/) — "Good!" said he. " - [131](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/131/) — I will not tell my wife the truth." - [132](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/132/) — Next morning the young men arose and went to the serpent, and the prince took leave of his father-in-law, and said he must be going home. - [133](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/133/) — "But why off so soon?" said the serpent. - [134](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/134/) — "Nay, but I must go," said he. - [135](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/135/) — Then the serpent gave the youth a banquet, and they sat down and ate and made merry, and after that he departed to his own tsardom. — checked by a teacher - [136](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/136/) — And the prince thanked Ivan Golik for all that he had done for him, and made him the first of his counsellors. - [137](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/137/) — Whatever Ivan Golik said was performed throughout the realm, while the Tsar had only to sit on his throne and do nothing. - [138](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/138/) — So the young prince dwelt with his wife for a year or two, and in the third year a son was added to them, and the heart of the prince was glad. - [139](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/139/) — Now one day he took his little son in his arms, and said, "Is there anything in the wide world that I like better than this child?" - [140](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/140/) — When the princess saw that the heart of her spouse was tender, she fell a-kissing and caressing him, and began asking him all about the time when they were first married, and how he had been able to do her father's commands. - [141](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/141/) — And the prince said to her, "My head would long ago have been mouldering on the posts of thy father's palace had it not been for Ivan Golik. ' - [142](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/142/) — Twas he who did it all and not I." - [143](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/143/) — Then she was very wrath. - [144](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/144/) — But she never changed countenance, and shortly afterward she went out. - [145](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/145/) — Ivan Golik was sitting in his own house at his ease, when the princess came flying in to him. - [146](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/146/) — And immediately she drew out of the ground a handkerchief with gold borders, and no sooner had she waved this serpentine handkerchief, than Ivan fell asunder into two pieces. - [147](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/147/) — His legs remained where they were, but his trunk with his head disappeared through the roof, and fell seven miles away from the house. - [148](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/148/) — And as he fell he cried, "Oh, accursed one! did I not charge thee not to confess! - [149](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/149/) — Did I not implore thee not to tell thy wife the truth for seven years! - [150](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/150/) — And now I perish and thou also!" [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/26/) **2** - ← previous: [The Story of the Unlucky Days, part 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/25/) - next →: [The Story of the Unlucky Days, part 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/27/) - ↑ back to [Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29672/)