--- title: Opening, part 19 — Russian Folk-Tales · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 19, «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: THE SOLDIER AND THE TSAR IN THE FOREST --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/19/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 19 # Opening, part 19 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/19/) **2** “Farewell,” said the Tsar.[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") “Thank you for the service you have done me; come and see me, and I will make you a happy man.”[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") “Very well; but that’s a fine tale\![89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") I am a runaway soldier: if I show my head in the town I shall be seized on the spot.”[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") “Have no fear, soldier: the Tsar is very fond of me; and, if I ask him for a favour on your behalf and tell him of your bravery, he will forgive you and have pity on you.”[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") “Where can I find you?”[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") “Go into the palace.”[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") “Very well; I will go there to-morrow.”[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") So the Tsar and the soldier said good-bye.[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") And the Tsar went on the broad road into his capital, and without delay he ordered all the staffs and the watches and the sentries to keep their eyes open, and as soon as a certain soldier came to give him the honour due to a general.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") Next day, as soon as ever the soldier had appeared at the barriers, a sentry ran out and gave him a generous honour.[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") So the soldier wondered, “What does this mean?”[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") And he asked, “To whom are you showing these honours?”[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") “To you, soldier.”[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") So he took a handful of gold out of his wallet and gave it to the sentry as a tip.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he entered the town.[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") Wherever he went all the sentries gave him honours, and he always paid them back in tips.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") “What a wretched dolt was this servant of the Tsar’s: he has given a hint to everybody that I have plenty of money on me!”[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") So he came up to the palace, and the entire army was assembled there, and the Tsar met him in the same dress in which he had gone hunting.[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the soldier at last saw with whom he had passed the night in the wood, and he was terribly frightened.[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") “This was the Tsar,” he said, “and I threatened him with my cutlass, just as though he had been my brother!”[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") But the Tsar took him by the hand and rewarded him with a generalship, and degraded the brother into the ranks, telling him he must not disown his own kin.[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") THE TALE OF ALEXANDER OF MACEDON[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") Once upon a time there lived a king on the earth whose name was Alexander of Macedon: this was in the old days very long ago.[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") So long ago that neither our grandfathers, nor great-grandfathers, nor our great-great-grandfathers, nor our great-great-great-grandfathers recollect it.[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") This Tsar was one of the greatest knights of all knights that ever were.[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") No champion of earth could ever conquer him.[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") He loved warfare, and all his army consisted entirely of knights.[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") Whomsoever Tsar Alexander of Macedon might go to combat, he would conquer, and he numbered under his sway all the kings of the earth.[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") He went to the edge of the world, and he discovered such peoples that he, however bold he was himself, felt afraid of them; ferocious folk, fiercer than wild beasts, who ate men; live folks who had but one eye; and that eye was on the forehead; folks who had three eyes, folks who had only a single leg; others who had three, and they ran as fast as an arrow darts from the bow.[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") The names of these peoples were the Gogs and Magogs.[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") Tsar Alexander of Macedon never lost courage at seeing these strange folk, but he set to and waged warfare on them.[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") It may be long, it may be short, the war he waged—we do not know.[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") Only the wild peoples became dispersed and ran away from him.[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") He began to hunt and to chase after them, and he chased them into such thickets, precipices and mountains as no tale can tell and no pen can describe.[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") So at last they were able to hide themselves from Tsar Alexander of Macedon.[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") What then did Tsar Alexander of Macedon do with them?[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") He rolled one mountain over them, and then another roof-wise on top; on the arch he put trumpets, and he went back to his own land.[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") The winds blew into the trumpets, and a fearsome roar was then raised to the skies, and the Gogs and Magogs sitting there cried out, “Oh, evidently Alexander of Macedon must still be alive!”[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") The Gogs and Magogs are still alive and to this day are afraid of Alexander.[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") But, before the end of the world, they shall escape.[127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") THE BROTHER OF CHRIST[128](../../128/ "tree and pragmatics") An old man was dying, and he was enjoining on his son not to forget the poor.[129](../../129/ "tree and pragmatics") So on Easter Day he went into the church, and he took some fine eggs with him with which to greet his poor brothers, although his mother was very angry with him for so doing—for she was an evil-minded woman and merciless to the poor.[130](../../130/ "tree and pragmatics") When he reached the church there was only one egg left, and there was one dirty old man.[131](../../131/ "tree and pragmatics") And the lad took him home to break his fast with him.[132](../../132/ "tree and pragmatics") When the mother saw the poor man, she was very wroth.[133](../../133/ "tree and pragmatics") “It would be better,” she said, “to break your fast with a dog than with such a filthy old beggar.”[134](../../134/ "tree and pragmatics") And she would not break the fast.[135](../../135/ "tree and pragmatics") So the son and the old man broke their fast together, and went out for a walk.[136](../../136/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the son looked and saw that the dress of the old man was very shabby, but the cross on him burnt like fire.[137](../../137/ "tree and pragmatics") “Come,” said the old man, “we will change crosses; you become my brother by the cross.”[138](../../138/ "tree and pragmatics") “No, brother,” the lad replied, “however much I may wish it; for I should get such a fine cross as you are carrying, and can give you nothing in return.”[139](../../139/ "tree and pragmatics") But the old man overbore the youth, and they exchanged.[140](../../140/ "tree and pragmatics") And he asked him to come as his guest on Tuesday in Easter week.[141](../../141/ "tree and pragmatics") “And if you want to find your way,” he said, “follow the path yonder.[142](../../142/ "tree and pragmatics") You need only say, ‘The Lord bless me!’ and you will find me.”[143](../../143/ "tree and pragmatics") That very Tuesday the youth set out on the footpath, and said: “The Lord bless me!” and set out on his way journeying forth.[144](../../144/ "tree and pragmatics") He went a little way, and he heard children crying: “Brother of Christ, speak of us to Christ, whether we must be long in pain?”[145](../../145/ "tree and pragmatics") And he went on a few steps farther; and he saw maidens ladling water out of one well into another.[146](../../146/ "tree and pragmatics") “Brother of Christ!” they said to him, “speak of us to Christ, how long we must remain in torture?”[147](../../147/ "tree and pragmatics") And he went on still farther, and saw a hedge, and beneath that hedge there became visible old men, and they were all covered with slime.[148](../../148/ "tree and pragmatics") And they said to him: “Brother of Christ, speak of us to Christ, how long shall we remain in pain?”[149](../../149/ "tree and pragmatics") And so he went on and on.[150](../../150/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he saw the very old man with whom he had broken his fast.[151](../../151/ "tree and pragmatics") And the old man asked him: “What did you see on the way?”[152](../../152/ "tree and pragmatics") And the youth recounted all that he had met.[153](../../153/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well, do you recognise me?” said the old man.[154](../../154/ "tree and pragmatics") And it was only at this moment that the peasant boy understood that he was speaking to Jesus Christ Himself.[155](../../155/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/19/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/19/) - next →: [Opening, part 20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/20/) - ↑ back to [Russian Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/)