--- title: Opening, part 38 — Russian Folk-Tales · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 38, «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: In a certain kingdom in a certain land a Tsar and his Tsarítsa lived. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/38/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 38 # Opening, part 38 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/38/) **2** Iván Tsarévich went up to the horse, laid his hand on its back, put his foot into the stirrup, and the magical horse stood there as though he were made of stone, and never pricked an ear.[73](../../73/ "tree and pragmatics") The Tsarévich mounted it, and the horse bowed deep to the earth.[74](../../74/ "tree and pragmatics") Then his twelve chains were taken off.[75](../../75/ "tree and pragmatics") And he stood with a heavy even tread, whilst the sweat ran down his back in streams.[76](../../76/ "tree and pragmatics") “What a hero he is\![77](../../77/ "tree and pragmatics") What enormous strength!” all the people said as Iván Tsarévich paced by.[78](../../78/ "tree and pragmatics") So the bride and the bridegroom were betrothed, and went hand-in-hand out of the church.[79](../../79/ "tree and pragmatics") The Tsarévna still wanted to test her husband’s strength, and squeezed his hand, but she squeezed so hard that he could not stand it, and his blood mounted to his head, and his eyes almost fell out of their sockets.[80](../../80/ "tree and pragmatics") “That’s the manner of hero \_you\_ are!” she thought.[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") “Your man, Katomá Oaken-cap, has deceived me finely.[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") But I shall soon be even with him.”[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") Anna Tsarévna the Fair lived with her God-sent husband as a good wife should, and always listened to his words.[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") But she was ever thinking how she might destroy Katomá.[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") If she knew that, she could very easily dispose of the Tsarévich.[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") But, however many slanders she might think of to tell him, Iván Tsarévich never believed her, but held Katomá fast.[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") One year later he said to his wife: “Dear wife, beautiful Tsarévna, I should like to go home with you.”[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, we will go together.[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") I have long wished to see your kingdom.”[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") So they set out, and Katomá sat behind the coachman.[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") As they drove out Iván Tsarévich dozed off.[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Anna the Fair suddenly roused him from his sleep and complained.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") “Listen, Iván Tsarévich: you are always asleep and notice nothing.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") Katomá will not obey me, but is purposely taking the horses over all the cobbles and into all the ditches, as if he wanted to destroy us.[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") I spoke to him very gently, but he only laughs at me.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") I will not go on living if you do not punish him!”[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") Iván Tsarévich was drowsy, and very angry with Katomá, and said to the king’s daughter: “Do with him as you will.”[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") So the king’s daughter at once made her servants cut off Katomá’s legs.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") He submitted to his torturers and thought: “If I must suffer, still the Tsarévich will soon learn something of what trouble is.”[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") His two legs were cut off: the Tsarévna looked round and noticed a lofty stump at the edge of the road.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") She bade her servants set Katomá on it.[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") And as to the Tsarévich, she tied him to a rope behind the carriage, and so returned to her own kingdom.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") Katomá sat on his tree stem and wept bitter tears.[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") “Farewell, Iván Tsarévich: forget me not!”[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") Iván Tsarévich had to leap behind the carriage, and knew very well that he had made a mistake, but it could not be cured.[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") When Anna the Fair had again reached her kingdom the Tsarévich had to mind the cows.[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") Every morning he drove them into the open field, and every evening drove them back into the royal courtyard; and the Tsarévna sat on the balcony and saw that none of the cows was missing.[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") Iván Tsarévich had to count the cows and to stable them all, and to give the last one a kiss under its tail.[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") The cow knew what was expected of her, and remained standing at the door and lifted her tail up.[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") Katomá all day long sat on his tree-stump without meat or drink, but could not descend, and he thought: “I must die of hunger.”[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") But near by there was a thick forest, and there a knight lived who was blind but very strong.[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") This knight used to scent the animals which ran by, run after them and catch them, not minding whether it were a rabbit, or fox, or a bear.[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") He could roast them for lunch.[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") And he could run so fast, faster than any animal that leaps.[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") One day a fox came by, and the knight heard him and ran after him.[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") The fox ran up to the tree on which Katomá sat, and turned round there.[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") In his haste the blind man struck the tree so hard with his forehead that it fell out with its roots.[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") Katomá tumbled down and asked: “Who are you?”[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") “I am the blind knight, and for three years I have lived in the wood, feeding myself on the animals I can catch and bake on my fire; otherwise I should have died of hunger.”[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") “Were you blind from birth?”[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") “No; Anna the Fair put my eyes out.”[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") “Brother!” said Katomá, “she also cut off my legs, both of them.”[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") So the two knights decided they would live together and aid each other.[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") The blind man said to Katomá, “Sit on my back and show me the way: I will serve you with my feet and you me with your eyes.”[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") The blind man lifted Katomá up, and the legless man cried out, “Left; right; straight on!”[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") So for a long while they lived in the wood and used to catch rabbits, foxes and bears for their food.[127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") One day Katomá said: “Why should we live alone here?[128](../../128/ "tree and pragmatics") I am told that there is in the town a rich merchant and his daughter.[129](../../129/ "tree and pragmatics") She, they say, is indescribably kind towards the poor men and cripples, and gives them alms with her own hands.[130](../../130/ "tree and pragmatics") Brother, we must carry her off.[131](../../131/ "tree and pragmatics") She shall live with us as the mistress of the house.”[132](../../132/ "tree and pragmatics") So the blind man took a barrow, put the legless knight into it, and ran him into the town, up to the merchant’s house.[133](../../133/ "tree and pragmatics") When the daughter looked out of the window she instantly rushed out in order to give them alms.[134](../../134/ "tree and pragmatics") She came to Katomá and said, “Take this as God’s blessing!”[135](../../135/ "tree and pragmatics") He accepted her gift and laid hold of her hand, dragged her into the barrow, and cried out to the blind man, who ran away so fast, faster than any horses could overtake him.[136](../../136/ "tree and pragmatics") It was all in vain for the merchant to try to overtake the two knights.[137](../../137/ "tree and pragmatics") The knights brought the merchant’s daughter to their \_izbá\_\[60\] in the wood and said: “Stay with us as our sister, and become the mistress of the house.[138](../../138/ "tree and pragmatics") We poor folk have no one to cook our food or to do the washing.[139](../../139/ "tree and pragmatics") God will not desert you therefor.”[140](../../140/ "tree and pragmatics") So the merchant’s daughter remained with them, and the two knights honoured and loved her as though she were their own sister.[141](../../141/ "tree and pragmatics") Sometimes they went a-hunting, and then the sister remained alone in the house looking after the domestic service, cooking the food and doing the washing.[142](../../142/ "tree and pragmatics") But one day Bába Yagá with the bony legs came into the hut and sucked the blood out of the fair maiden’s breast.[143](../../143/ "tree and pragmatics") And whenever the two knights went away on the chase, Bába Yagá came back, so that very soon the merchant’s fair daughter became thin and feeble.[144](../../144/ "tree and pragmatics") But the blind man did not notice: only Katomá noticed that something had gone wrong, so he told his companion, and both asked their sister what was the cause.[145](../../145/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/38/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/38/) - next →: [Opening, part 39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/39/) - ↑ back to [Russian Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/)