---
title: Opening, part 20 — Russian Folk-Tales · full text with trees
description: Opening, part 20, «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: “Why, O Lord, are the children tortured?”
---

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# Opening, part 20

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Opening, part 20 of «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole text, 141 sentences and 2623 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself.

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**1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/20/page/2/)

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“Why, O Lord, are the children tortured?”[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics")

“Their mother cursed them in the womb, and they can never enter Paradise.”[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics")

“And the maidens?”[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics")

“They traded in milk, and they mixed water with their milk; and now for all eternity they must ladle out water.”[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics")

“And the old men?”[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics")

“They lived in the white world, and they used to say: ‘How pleasant it really might be to live in this world\![6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") But, as it is, there is nothing worth caring about!’[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") So they must bear up against the mire.”[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") \[24\][9](9/ "tree and pragmatics")

Then Christ led the boy into Paradise, and told him his place was ready for him there, and you may be sure the boy was none too anxious to leave it on that day.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") And afterwards He led him into Hell, and there the peasant’s mother was sitting.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics")

So the peasant boy began to beseech Christ to have mercy on her.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") “Have mercy on her, Lord!”[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics")

And Christ bade the lad plait a rope of brome-grass.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") The peasant plaited the rope of brome-grass, and the Lord must have supervised.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics")

And he brought it to Christ, Who said: “Now you have been weaving this rope for thirty years and have laboured sufficiently for your mother, rescue her out of Hell.”[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics")

And the son dangled the rope down to the mother who was sitting in the boiling pitch.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") And the rope never burned nor singed: so did God provide.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") And the son tried and tried to drag his mother up, and caught hold of her head, and she cried out to him: “You savage dog\![19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") Why, you are almost choking me!”[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the rope broke off, and the guilty soul once more flew down into the burning pitch.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics")

“She had not desired to escape,” said Christ, “and all of her heart is down there, and she must stay there for all eternity.”[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics")

ALYÓSHA POPÓVICH\[25\][23](23/ "tree and pragmatics")

In the sky the young bright moon was being born, and on the earth, of the old prebendary, the old pope León, a son was born, a mighty knight, and he was called by name Alyósha Popóvich, a fair name for him.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics")

When they began to feed Alyósha, what was a week’s food for any other babe was a day’s food for him, what was a year’s food for others was a week’s food for him.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics")

Alyósha began going about the streets and playing with the young boys.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") If he touched the little hand of anyone, that hand was gone: if he touched the little nose of anyone, that nose was done for: his play was insatiate and terrible.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") Anyone he grappled with by the waist, he slew.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics")

And Alyósha began to grow up, so he asked his mother and father for their blessing, for he wished to go and to fare into the open field.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics")

His father said to him, “Alyósha Popóvich, you are faring into the open field, but we have yet one who is even mightier than you: do you take into your service Marýshko, the son of Parán.”[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics")

So the two youths mounted their good horses and they fared forth into the open field.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") The dust rose behind them like a column, such doughty youths were they to behold.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics")

So the two doughty youths went on to the court of Prince Vladímir.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") And Alyósha Popóvich went straight to the white stone palace, to Prince Vladímir, crossed himself as is befitting, bowed down in learned-wise in all four directions, and especially low to Prince Vladímir.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Prince Vladímir came to meet the doughty youths and set them down at an oaken table, gave the doughty youths good food and drink, and then asked their news.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") And the doughty youths sat down to eat baked gingerbread and to drink strong wines.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics")

Then Prince Vladímir asked the doughty youths, “Who are ye, doughty youths?[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") Are ye mighty knights of prowess or wandering wayfarers bearing your burdens?[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") I do not know either your name or your companion’s name.”[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics")

So Alyósha Popóvich answered, “I am the son of the old prebendary León, his young son Alyósha Popóvich, and my comrade and servant is Marýshko, the son of Parán.”[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics")

And when Alyósha had eaten and drunk he went and sat on the brick stove to rest from the midday heat, whilst Marýshko sat at the table.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics")

Just at that time the knight, the Snake’s son, was making a raid and was ravaging all the kingdom of Prince Vladímir.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") Túgarin Zmyéyevich\[26\] came to the white stone palace, came to Prince Vladímir.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") With his left leg he stepped on the threshold and with his right leg on the oaken table.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") He drank and ate and had conversation with the princess, and he mocked Prince Vladímir and reviled him.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") He put one round of bread to his cheek and piled one on another; on his tongue he put an entire swan, and he thrust off all the pastry and swallowed it all at a gulp.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics")

Alyósha Popóvich was lying on the brick stove, and spake in this wise to Túgarin Zmyéyevich: “My old father, León the pope, had a little cow which was a great glutton: it used to eat up all the beer vats with all the lees; and then the little cow, the glutton, came to the lake, and it drank and lapped all the water out of the lake, took it all up and it burst, and so it would also have torn Túgarin to bits after his feed.”[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics")

Then Túgarin was wroth with Alyósha Popóvich and burst on him with his steel knife.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") Alyósha turned aside and stood behind an oaken column.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Alyósha spoke in this wise: “I thank you, Túgarin Zmyéyevich; you have given me a steel knife: I will break your white breast, I will put out your clear eyes, and I will behold your mettlesome heart.”[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics")

Just at that time Marýshko Paránov leapt out from behind the table, the oaken table, on to his swift feet, seized Túgarin, and fell on his back and threw him over; lifted up one of the chairs and hurled in the white stone palace, and the glass windows were shattered.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics")

Then Alyósha Popóvich said from the brick stove, “O Marýshko, son of Parán, thou hast been a faithful servant!”[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics")

And Marýshko the son of Parán answered, “Do you give me, Alyósha Popóvich, your steel knife, and I will break open the white breast of Túgarin Zmyéyevich, I will close his clear eyes, and I will gaze on his mettlesome heart.”[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics")

But Alyósha answered, “Hail, Marýshko Paránov, do you not sully the white stone palace; let him go into the open field wherever he may, and we will meet him to-morrow in the open field.”[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics")

So, in the morning early, very early, Marýshko the son of Parán arose, together with the little sun, and he led out the stout horses to water them in the swift stream.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") Túgarin Zmyéyevich flew into the open and challenged Alyósha Popóvich to fight him in the open field.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") And Marýshko Paránov came to Alyósha Popóvich and said: “God must be your judge, Alyósha Popóvich: you would not give me your steel knife; I should have carved out the white breast from that pagan thief, should have gouged out his bright eyes, and I should have taken out his mettlesome heart and gazed on it.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") Now, what will you make of Túgarin?[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") He is flying about in the open.”[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics")

Then Alyósha Popóvich spake in this wise: “That was no service, but treachery.”[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics")

So Alyósha led out his horse, saddled it with a Circassian saddle, fastened it on with twelve silken girths, not for the sake of decoration, but for the sake of strength.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") Alyósha set out into the open field, and he saw Túgarin Zmyéyevich, who was flying in the open.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics")

Then Alyósha made a prayer: “Holy Mother of God, do thou punish the black traitor, and grant out of the black cloud a thick gritty rain that shall damp Túgarin’s light wings, and he may fall on the grey earth and stand on the open field!”[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics")

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