--- title: Opening, part 17 — Russian Folk-Tales · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 17, «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Then again the labourer thought how he should not offend God, how he should not take too much for his work. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/17/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 17 # Opening, part 17 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/17/) **2** “I will not go.”[78](../../78/ "tree and pragmatics") Then they went on until they came to a third well.[79](../../79/ "tree and pragmatics") And the servant again would not fetch any water.[80](../../80/ "tree and pragmatics") And the Tsarévich had to do it himself.[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") When the Tsarévich had gone down into the well the servant shut down the lid, and said: “You be my servant, and I will be the Tsarévich; or I will never let you come out!”[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") The Tsarévich could not help himself, and was forced to give way; and signed the bond to his servant in his own blood.[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") Then they changed clothes and rode on, and came to another land, where they went to the Tsar’s court, the servant-man first, and the King’s son after.[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") The servant-man sat as a guest with the Tsar, ate and drank at his table.[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") One day he said: “Mighty Tsar, send my servant into the kitchen!”[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") So they took the Tsarévich as scullion, let him draw water and hew wood.[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") But very soon the Tsarévich was a far finer cook than all the royal chefs.[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the Tsar noticed and began to like his young scullion, and gave him gold.[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") So all the cooks became envious and sought some opportunity of getting rid of the Tsarévich.[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") One day he made a cake and put it into the oven, so the cooks put poison in and spread it over the cake.[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") And the Tsar sat at table, and the cake was taken up.[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") When the Tsar was going to take it, the cook came running up, and cried out: “Your Majesty, do not eat it!”[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") And he told all imaginable lies of Iván Tsarévich.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the King summoned his favourite hound and gave him a bit of the cake.[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") The dog ate it and died on the spot.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") So the Tsar summoned the Prince and cried out to him in a thundering voice: “How dared you bake me a poisoned cake\![97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") You shall be instantly tortured to death!”[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") “I know nothing about it; I had no idea of it, your Majesty!” the Tsarévich answered.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") “The other cooks were jealous of your rewarding me, and so they have deliberately contrived the plot.”[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the Tsar pardoned him, and he made him a horseherd.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") One day, as the Tsarévich was taking his drove to drink, he met the Woodsprite with the iron hands, the cast-iron head, and the body of bronze.[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") “Good-day, Tsarévich; come with me, visit me.”[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") “I am frightened that the horses will run away.”[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") “Fear nothing.[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") Only come.”[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") His hut was quite near.[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") The Woodsprite had three daughters, and he asked the eldest: “What will you give Iván Tsarévich for saving me out of the iron tower?”[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") “I will give him this table-cloth.”[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") With the table-cloth Iván Tsarévich went back to his horses, which were all gathered together, turned it round and asked for any food that he liked, and he was served, and meat and drink appeared at once.[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") Next day he was again driving his horses to the river, and the Woodsprite appeared once more.[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") “Come into my hut!”[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") So he went with him.[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") And the Woodsprite asked his second daughter, “What will you give Iván Tsarévich for saving me out of the iron tower?”[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") “I will give him this mirror, in which he can see all he will.”[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") And on the third day the third daughter gave him a pipe, which he need only put to his lips, and music, and singers, and musicians would appear before him.[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") And it was a merry life that Iván Tsarévich now led.[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") He had good food and good meat, knew whatever was going on, saw everything, and he had music all day long: no man was better.[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") And the horses\![119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") They—it was really wonderful—were always well fed, well set-up, and shapely.[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") Now, the fair Tsarévna had been noticing the horseherd for a long time, for a very long time, for how could so fair a maiden overlook the beautiful boy?[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") She wanted to know why the horses he kept were always so much shapelier and statelier than those which the other herds looked after.[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") “I will one day go into his room,” she said, “and see where the poor devil lives.”[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") As every one knows, a woman’s wish is soon her deed.[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") So one day she went into his room, when Iván Tsarévich was giving his horses drink.[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") And there she saw the mirror, and looking into that she knew everything.[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") She took the magical cloth, the mirror, and the pipe.[127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") Just about then there was a great disaster threatening the Tsar.[128](../../128/ "tree and pragmatics") The seven-headed monster, Ídolishche, was invading his land and demanding his daughter as his wife.[129](../../129/ "tree and pragmatics") “If you will not give her to me willy, I will take her nilly!” he said.[130](../../130/ "tree and pragmatics") And he got ready all his immense army, and the Tsar fared ill.[131](../../131/ "tree and pragmatics") And he issued a decree throughout his land, summoned the \_boyárs\_ and knights together, and promised any who would slay the seven-headed monster half of his wealth and half his realm, and also his daughter as his wife.[132](../../132/ "tree and pragmatics") Then all the princes and knights and the \_boyárs\_ assembled together to fight the monster, and amongst them Dyád’ka.[133](../../133/ "tree and pragmatics") The horseherd sat on a pony and rode behind.[134](../../134/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the Woodsprite came and met him, and said: “Where are you going, Iván Tsarévich?”[135](../../135/ "tree and pragmatics") “To the war.”[136](../../136/ "tree and pragmatics") “On this sorry nag you will not do much, and still less if you go in your present guise.[137](../../137/ "tree and pragmatics") Just come and visit me.”[138](../../138/ "tree and pragmatics") He took him into his hut and gave him a glass of \_vódka\_.[139](../../139/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the King’s son drank it.[140](../../140/ "tree and pragmatics") “Do you feel strong?” asked the Woodsprite.[141](../../141/ "tree and pragmatics") “If there were a log there fifty \_puds\_, I could throw it up and allow it to fall on my head without feeling the blow.”[142](../../142/ "tree and pragmatics") So he was given a second glass of \_vódka\_.[143](../../143/ "tree and pragmatics") “How strong do you feel now?”[144](../../144/ "tree and pragmatics") “If there were a log here one hundred \_puds\_, I could throw it higher than the clouds on high.”[145](../../145/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he was given a third glass of \_vódka\_.[146](../../146/ "tree and pragmatics") “How strong are you now?”[147](../../147/ "tree and pragmatics") “If there were a column stretching from heaven to earth, I should turn the entire universe round.”[148](../../148/ "tree and pragmatics") So the Woodsprite took \_vódka\_ out of another bottle and gave the King’s son yet more drink, and his strength was increased sevenfold.[149](../../149/ "tree and pragmatics") They went in front of the house; and he whistled loud, and a black horse rose out of the earth, and the earth trembled under its hoofs.[150](../../150/ "tree and pragmatics") Out of its nostrils it breathed flames, columns of smoke rose from its ears, and as its hoofs struck the ground sparks arose.[151](../../151/ "tree and pragmatics") It ran up to the hut and fell on its knees.[152](../../152/ "tree and pragmatics") “There is a horse!” said the Woodsprite.[153](../../153/ "tree and pragmatics") And he gave Iván Tsarévich a sword and a silken whip.[154](../../154/ "tree and pragmatics") So Iván Tsarévich rode out on his black steed against the enemy.[155](../../155/ "tree and pragmatics") On the way he met his servant, who had climbed a birch-tree and was trembling for fear.[156](../../156/ "tree and pragmatics") Iván Tsarévich gave him a couple of blows with his whip, and started out against the hostile host.[157](../../157/ "tree and pragmatics") He slew many people with the sword, and yet more did his horse trample down.[158](../../158/ "tree and pragmatics") And he cut off the seven heads of the monster.[159](../../159/ "tree and pragmatics") Now Marfa Tsarévna was seeing all this, because she kept looking in the glass, and so learned all that was going on.[160](../../160/ "tree and pragmatics") After the battle she rode out to meet Iván Tsarévich, and asked him: “How can I thank you?”[161](../../161/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/17/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/17/) - next →: [Opening, part 18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/18/) - ↑ back to [Russian Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/)