--- title: Opening, part 13 — Russian Folk-Tales · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 13, «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: “We’ll see who’ll have the last word if it comes to eating,” said the soldier, shook the nosebag open, and asked, “What is this?” --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/13/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/) / [Russian Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/) / Opening, part 13 # Opening, part 13 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/13/) **2** From that day forward nobody died in that kingdom: they were born, and they kept on being born, and they never died.[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") And very many years went by, and the soldier never took his nosebag down.[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") One day he happened to go into the town.[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") He went, and on his way he met such an old, old lady, so old that on whichever side the wind blew, she inclined.[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, what an old lady!” the soldier said.[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") “Why, it is almost time she died.”[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, father,” the old dame replied.[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") “The time has come and gone long since.[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") At the time when you put Death into the nosebag I had only one hour left in which to live in the white world.[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") I should be very glad to have some rest; but unless I die, earth will not take me up; and you, discharged soldier, are guilty of an unforgivable sin in God’s eyes.[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") For there is no single soul left on earth who is tortured as I am.”[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the soldier stayed and began to think.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, yes; it would be better to let Death out; perhaps I, too, might die.[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") And beyond this, too, I have many sins on my conscience.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus it is better now whilst I am still strong and I bear pain on this earth; for when I shall become very old then it will be all the worse for me to suffer anything.”[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") So he got up and he went up into the Bryánski Woods, and he went up to the aspen, and saw there the nosebag was hanging very high, shaking in the winds to all sides.[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, you Death,” he says, “are you still alive?”[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") A faint voice came out of the nosebag: “Yes, father, I am alive.”[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") So the soldier took the nosebag, opened it, and he let out Death.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") And he himself lay down on his bed, bade farewell to his wife and son, and he begged Death that he might die.[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") And she\[19\] ran outside the door with all the strength in her feet.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") “Go!” she cried.[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is the devils who shall slay you—I shall not slay you!”[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") So the soldier remained alive and healthy.[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") And he thought: “Shall I go straight into the burning pitch, for then the devils will throw me into the seething sulphur until such time as my sins shall have been melted from off me.”[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") And he bade farewell from all, and he went with the knapsack in his hand straight into the burning pitch.[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") And he went on: may-be near, may-be far, may-be downhill, may-be uphill, may-be short, may-be long; and he at last arrived in the abyss, and he looked, and all round the burning cauldron there stood watchmen.[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") As soon as he stopped at the gate a devil asked who was coming.[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") “A guilty soul to be tortured.”[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") “Why do you come?[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") What are you carrying with you?”[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, a nosebag.”[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") And the devil shrieked out of his full throat and made a tremendous stir.[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") All the infernal powers roused themselves and looked out of the gates and windows with their unbreakable bolts.[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") And the soldier went all round the cauldron, and he called out to the master of the cauldron: “Let me in, please; do let me into the cauldron.[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") I have come to you to be tortured for my sins.”[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") “No, I will not let you in.[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") Go away wherever you will—there is no room for you here.”[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well, if you will not let me in to be tortured, at least give me two hundred souls.[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") I will take them up to God, and perhaps the Lord will pardon my faults.”[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") And the master of the cauldron answered: “I will add fifty more souls to the lot; only do go away!”[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") So he instantly ordered two hundred and fifty souls to be counted out and to be taken to the rear gates in order that the soldier might not see him.[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") So the soldier gathered up the guilty souls, and he went up to the gates of Paradise.[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") The Apostles saw him, and said to the Lord: “Some soldier or other has come up here with two hundred and fifty souls from hell!”[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") “Take them into Paradise, but do not let the soldier in.”[127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") But the soldier had given up his nosebag to one guilty soul, and had told it: “Just look here.[128](../../128/ "tree and pragmatics") When you enter the gates of Paradise, say at once: ‘Soldier, jump into the nosebag!’”[129](../../129/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the gates of Paradise opened, and the souls began to go in; and this guilty soul also went in, and for sheer joy forgot all about the soldier.[130](../../130/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus the soldier was left behind, and could not find any home in either place, and for long after that he still had to live and go on living in the white world.[131](../../131/ "tree and pragmatics") And after very many days he died.[132](../../132/ "tree and pragmatics") THE MIDNIGHT DANCE[133](../../133/ "tree and pragmatics") Once upon a time there was a king who was a widower.[134](../../134/ "tree and pragmatics") He had twelve daughters: each was fairer than the others.[135](../../135/ "tree and pragmatics") Every night these princesses went where nobody knew: it was only for twenty-four hours, and they always wore out a new pair of shoes.[136](../../136/ "tree and pragmatics") Now the king had no shoes ready for them, and he wanted to know where they went at night and what they did.[137](../../137/ "tree and pragmatics") So he made a feast ready, and he summoned all the kings and \_korolévichi\_, all the \_boyárs\_, and the merchants and the simple folk, to it, and he asked them, “Can any of you guess this riddle?[138](../../138/ "tree and pragmatics") Whoever guesses it I will give him my beloved daughter as a wife and a half of my kingdom as a dowry.”[139](../../139/ "tree and pragmatics") No one was able to find out where the princesses went at night.[140](../../140/ "tree and pragmatics") Only one poor nobleman cried out, “Your kingly Majesty, I will find out!”[141](../../141/ "tree and pragmatics") “Very well; go and find out.”[142](../../142/ "tree and pragmatics") So then the poor nobleman began pondering and saying to himself, “What have I done?[143](../../143/ "tree and pragmatics") I have undertaken to find out, and I don’t know myself.[144](../../144/ "tree and pragmatics") If I don’t find out now, possibly the king will put me under arrest.”[145](../../145/ "tree and pragmatics") So he went out of the palace beyond the city, and went on and on, and at last he met an old woman on the road who asked him, “What are you thinking of, doughty youth?”[146](../../146/ "tree and pragmatics") And he answered, “How should I, Bábushka, not become thoughtful?[147](../../147/ "tree and pragmatics") I have undertaken to discover for the king where his daughters go by night.”[148](../../148/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, this is a difficult task, but it can be done.[149](../../149/ "tree and pragmatics") Here, I will give you the cap of invisibility; with that you cannot be seen.[150](../../150/ "tree and pragmatics") Now, remember, when you go to sleep the princesses will pour a sleeping-draught out for you: you turn to the wall and pour it into the bed and do not drink it.”[151](../../151/ "tree and pragmatics") So the poor nobleman thanked the old woman and returned to the palace.[152](../../152/ "tree and pragmatics") Night-time approached and they gave him a room next to that in which the princesses slept.[153](../../153/ "tree and pragmatics") So he lay on the bed and began to keep watch.[154](../../154/ "tree and pragmatics") Then one of the princesses brought sleeping-drugs in wine and asked him to drink her health.[155](../../155/ "tree and pragmatics") He could not refuse, and so he took the goblet, turned to the wall, and poured it into the bed.[156](../../156/ "tree and pragmatics") At midnight the princesses went to look whether he was asleep or not.[157](../../157/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the poor nobleman pretended to be as sound asleep as a log, and himself kept a keen look out for every noise.[158](../../158/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/13/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/13/) - next →: [Opening, part 14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/14/) - ↑ back to [Russian Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/)