--- title: Opening, part 22 — Russian Folk-Tales · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 22, «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: In the morning they went there to collect his bones; but there Iván was, as large as life. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/22/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 22 # Opening, part 22 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/22/) **2** “The first is an evil neighbour, the second an evil wife, and the third a weak understanding.”[78](../../78/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yet now, tell me which is the worst of these evils?”[79](../../79/ "tree and pragmatics") “The evil neighbour can be escaped; so can the evil wife if one has children enough, but the weak intellect can never be got rid of.”[80](../../80/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, that is true, potter; you are a sensible fellow.[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") Listen\![82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") You suit me and I suit you.[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") When there are geese flying over Russia, will you pluck a feather out of them or let them fly by in peace?”[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") “If it suit me, I should let them fly by as they should; otherwise I should pluck them bald.”[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") “Potter, hold in your horse a little while I look at your stock.”[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") The potter stopped and displayed his goods.[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") “Can you make any such for me?”[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") “How many?”[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") “Ten cartloads.”[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") “How long will you require?”[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") “One month.”[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") “In a fortnight I can bring them into the town.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") I suit you and you suit me.”[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") “Thank you, potter.”[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") “Will you be in the city when I bring the goods?”[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, I shall be there as the merchant’s guest.”[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") So the Tsar drove into the city and ordered that at all his feasts the plates should be neither of silver nor of pewter, nor of copper nor of wood, but only of clay.[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") The potter carried out the Tsar’s orders and brought his goods into the city.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") A \_boyár\_ rode up to the potter and said to him: “God be with you, potter.”[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") “Thank you, your honour.”[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") “Sell me all your goods.”[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") “I cannot; they are already sold.”[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") “What does that matter?[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") Take my money for it; you will be doing no wrong, as long as you have received no orders for the work.[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") What do you want?”[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") “I want every plate filled with money.”[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") “Listen, potter—that is too much.”[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") “Very well, then: one filled with money and two empty.[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") Do you agree?”[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") So they agreed at that: “You suit me and I suit you.”[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") They filled up the plates and again emptied them, and they went on filling plates until there was not any money left: but there were ever so many plates over.[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") The \_boyár\_ saw he was getting the worst of the bargain and sent for more money from the house.[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") So they piled the plates higher still, but all the money vanished, and still all the goods had not been used up.[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") “What is to be done, potter?[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") Why are you so greedy?”[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") “There is nothing to be done.”[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") “I have a very high esteem for you, potter, but do you know what?”[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") “Do you carry me in to the courtyard, and I will give you the goods and the money back as well.”[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") So the \_boyár\_ hesitated: he was very sorry to lose his money and for himself, but he could not help himself, and so they agreed.[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") They unharnessed the horse, and the peasant sat in the carriage and the \_boyár\_ walked on.[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") The potter sang a song, and the \_boyár\_ drew it along, drew it along.[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") “How far must I take you in front of that courtyard?”[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") The potter went on singing joyously and said, “In front of the house, at the very top of the carriage.”[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") When he reached the palace he stood up erect and sang, joyously.[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") The Tsar heard him singing and ran to the flight of steps, and recognised the potter.[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") “Ha! welcome, potter!”[127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") “Thank you, your honour.”[128](../../128/ "tree and pragmatics") “What are you travelling with?”[129](../../129/ "tree and pragmatics") “With folly.”[130](../../130/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now, you fine potter, you have known how to sell your goods; \_boyár\_, take off your gay costume and your boots; and you, potter, take off your \_kaftán\_ and your bast shoes.[131](../../131/ "tree and pragmatics") Put the peasant’s smock on, \_boyár\_, and you, potter, put on the \_boyár’s\_ robes.[132](../../132/ "tree and pragmatics") You have sold your goods very finely, potter; you have done very little, and you have won much.[133](../../133/ "tree and pragmatics") But as for you, \_boyár\_, you were not able to keep your rank.[134](../../134/ "tree and pragmatics") Now, potter, were there any geese flying over Russia?[135](../../135/ "tree and pragmatics") Did you pluck a feather out of them, or did you leave them in peace?”[136](../../136/ "tree and pragmatics") “No, I plucked them bald.”[137](../../137/ "tree and pragmatics") THE WITCH AND THE SISTER OF THE SUN[138](../../138/ "tree and pragmatics") In a distant country, a country far away, once there lived a Tsar and Tsarítsa, who had a son, Iván Tsarévich, who was dumb from his birth.[139](../../139/ "tree and pragmatics") When he was twelve years old he went to the stable to the groom whom he loved, who always told him stories.[140](../../140/ "tree and pragmatics") But this time he was not to be told any.[141](../../141/ "tree and pragmatics") “Iván Tsarévich,” said the groom, “your mother will soon have a daughter, and you will have a sister.[142](../../142/ "tree and pragmatics") She will be a dreadful witch and will eat up your father and your mother and all their subjects.[143](../../143/ "tree and pragmatics") Go back home and ask your father to give you his best horse; mount that and ride away and follow your eyes if you would escape misfortune.”[144](../../144/ "tree and pragmatics") Iván Tsarévich ran up to his father and spoke for the first time in his life.[145](../../145/ "tree and pragmatics") The Tsar was so glad at this that he never asked what the Tsarévich wanted the horse for, but ordered the very best of his \_Tabún\_ to be saddled for him.[146](../../146/ "tree and pragmatics") Iván Tsarévich mounted the horse and rode away, following his eyes.[147](../../147/ "tree and pragmatics") He rode far, to a very great distance, and he came to two old seamstresses, and asked them if they would not let him live with them.[148](../../148/ "tree and pragmatics") “We should be very glad to accept you, Iván Tsarévich,” they replied, “but we shall not live much longer.[149](../../149/ "tree and pragmatics") We are breaking up this box and with our needles sewing it together again, and as soon as we have done that Death will come to us.”[150](../../150/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Iván Tsarévich wept and rode on farther.[151](../../151/ "tree and pragmatics") And he rode on, very very far, and came to Vertodúb.[152](../../152/ "tree and pragmatics") And he begged him, “Will you take me as your son?”[153](../../153/ "tree and pragmatics") “I should be very glad to take you,” Vertodúb replied, “but, as soon as I have turned round all these oaks with all their roots, the hour will have come for me to die.”[154](../../154/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the Tsarévich wept yet more, and he rode farther on, and he came to Vertogór, and he made him the same request.[155](../../155/ "tree and pragmatics") “I should be very glad to take you, Iván Tsarévich, but I too shall not live much longer,” was the answer he received.[156](../../156/ "tree and pragmatics") “You see, I am placed here in order to turn these mountains round; and when I have done with the last of them then I must die.”[157](../../157/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Iván Tsarévich wept bitter tears, and he rode yet farther.[158](../../158/ "tree and pragmatics") And at last he came to the Sister of the Sun. She gave him meat and drink and adopted him as a son.[159](../../159/ "tree and pragmatics") The Tsarévich had a fine time there.[160](../../160/ "tree and pragmatics") But still he was always dissatisfied, because he did not know what was going on at home.[161](../../161/ "tree and pragmatics") And so he clomb a lofty mountain, looked out to his own house, and saw that everything there had been eaten up, and only the walls were standing.[162](../../162/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he sighed and wept.[163](../../163/ "tree and pragmatics") And when he came down from the mountain, the Sister of the Sun met him and asked, “Iván Tsarévich, why hast thou wept?”[164](../../164/ "tree and pragmatics") “It was the wind which was blowing something in my eye!”[165](../../165/ "tree and pragmatics") And once again he began to weep.[166](../../166/ "tree and pragmatics") And he went a second time into the mountain, and saw that only the walls of his house remained standing—everything had been eaten up.[167](../../167/ "tree and pragmatics") And he wept and returned home.[168](../../168/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/22/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/22/) - next →: [Opening, part 23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/23/) - ↑ back to [Russian Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/)