--- title: Opening, part 5 — Russian Folk-Tales · full text with trees description: Opening, part 5, «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: I myself then should have liked to see the Prince and Princess; and they were just poking their heads out of the door, but, whilst it was opening, I slipped --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/5/) [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 5 # Opening, part 5 Opening, part 5 of «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole text, 147 sentences and 2588 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/5/page/2/) I myself then should have liked to see the Prince and Princess; and they were just poking their heads out of the door, but, whilst it was opening, I slipped and fell down flat.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") THE SORRY DRUNKARD[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") Once there lived an old man, and he was such a sorry drunkard as words cannot describe.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") He used to go to the drinking-booth, drink green wine, and crawl away home through the hops.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") And his road lay across a river.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") When he came to the river, he did not dally to think; but slipped off his boots, hung them on his head, and wandered at ease till he came into the middle, stumbled and fell into the water, and was heard of no more.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") But he had a son, Ugly Peter, Petrúsha.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") When Petrúsha saw that his father had vanished utterly, he became melancholy, and wept, had a Requiem Mass sung for his soul, and began to administer the property.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") One day, on a Sunday, he went to church to pray to God.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") As he was going on his way, in front of him there was a woman crawling along, going slowly, slowly, stumbling on the reeds, and scolding hard: “What the devil knocks you against me!”[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") Petrúsha heard her ugly language, and said: “Good-day, Auntie; where are you going?”[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") “I am off to church, Gossip, to pray to God.”[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") “But is not it very sinful of you, going to church to pray to God, and then invoking the Unholy Spirit?[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") You stumbled, and then invoked the devil!”[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") Well, he went on, and he heard Mass, and went on and on; and suddenly, from somewhere or other, there stood in front of him a fine youth who bowed down to him and said: “Thank you, Petrúsha, for your good word.”[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") “What are you?[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") Why do you thank me?”[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Petrúsha asked.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, I am the Devil, and I am thanking you because when the old woman was stumbling along and barking at me uselessly, you put in a good word for me.”[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") And he began to beseech him: “Do come, Petrúsha, and be my guest, and I will give you a reward—gold and silver—all you wish.”[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") “All right!” said Petrúsha; “I will come.”[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") And the Devil gave him his directions, and instantly vanished, and Petrúsha went back home.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") Next day Petrúsha went to pay a visit to the Devil—went on and went on for three whole days; and he got into a deep wood—into the dreary and darksome forest where he could not see the sky.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") And in that forest there stood a rich palace; and when he came to the palace, a fair maiden saw him.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") She had been stolen from a village by the Unholy Spirit.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") She saw him and asked: “Why have you come here, doughty youth?[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") Here the devils live, and they will tear you to tatters.”[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") Petrúsha told her how and why he had come to this palace.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well, look you to it,” the fair maiden said; “the devils are going to give you gold and silver—do not take any of it.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") Only ask them to give you the sorry horse on which the unholy spirits load their fuel and water.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") This horse is your father.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") When he got drunk and fell into the water, the devils instantly got hold of him, turned him into a horse, and now he serves as the beast of burden to carry their wood and water for them.”[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") Then that same youth came forward who had invited Petrúsha to pay him a visit, and he began to entertain him with all sorts of sweetmeats and drinks.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the time came for Petrúsha’s departure home.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") “As a parting gift,” the Devil said to him, “I will give you money, and a splendid horse, and you shall ride home royally.”[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") “This is of no use to me,” Petrúsha answered.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") “But if you will give me anything, give me that sorry jade—that battered jade which carries your wood and water.”[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") “Whatever use is that sorry nag to you?[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") Why, you will hardly get home on it\![39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") Why, it tumbles down if you look at it!”[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") “I don’t mind about that; give it to me; it is the only thing I will take.”[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") So the devils gave him the sorry jade.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") Petrúsha took it and led it out to the entrance.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") As soon as he was at the outside, he met the fair maiden, who asked: “Have you got the horse?”[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, I have.”[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") “Then, fair youth, when you arrive at your village, take the cross off from your neck and pass it round the horse three times, and then hang the cross on its head.”[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") Petrúsha bowed down to her, and set on his way; and he arrived at his village, and did all the maiden had commanded: took his copper cross from his neck, passed it three times round the horse, and hung the cross on its head.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") And all at once it was the horse no longer; but, instead, became his own father.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") The son looked at the father, shed hot tears, and took him into his own \_izbá\_.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") \[11\] The old man lived for three days without speaking, and could not unseal his tongue.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") After that, they lived on in all good luck and happiness.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") The old man altogether forsook being drunk; and to his last day not a drop of wine passed his lips.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") THE WOLF AND THE TAILOR[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") This story is a story of the past—of the days when Christ and the Twelve Apostles still walked on earth.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") \[12\][55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") One day they were still on their road, going on a long, long road, and a wolf met them and said: “Lord, I am feeling hungry.”[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") “Go,” Christ said to him, “and eat a mare.”[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") So the wolf went to look for a mare.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") And he saw her going up and down, and said: “Mare, the Lord has bidden me eat you!”[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") So she answered: “Well, please do not eat me—it is not the proper thing.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") But I have a passport on me; only it is driven in very hard.”[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well, show it me.”[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") “Just come near my hind feet!”[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") So the wolf went up, and she kicked him with her hoofs, and knocked out his front teeth, so that the wolf was thrown, at a blow, three \_sazhéns\_\[13\] away, and the mare ran off.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") Back the wolf came with a petition, met Christ, and said: “Lord, the mare almost killed me!”[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well, go on and eat the ram.”[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") So the wolf ran up to the ram—ran up and said: “Ram, I am going to eat you—it is the command of the Lord.”[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well, come and eat me up if you will.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") I will stand on the hill, and will jump up into your mouth all ready.”[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") So the wolf stood on the hill, and the ram told him to open his mouth.[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") So the wolf went and stood on the hill and opened his mouth for the food, and the ram ran down and hit him hard with the horns on his forehead—\_whack\_\![71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") The wolf was knocked off his feet, and the ram went away.[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") And the wolf got up, looked all round, and there was never a sign of the ram.[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") So he went up with another complaint.[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") And he found Christ and said: “Lord, even the ram has deceived me.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") Why, it almost knocked me to bits.”[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") “All right!” said Christ, “go and eat the tailor.”[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") So the wolf ran up, and he met a tailor on the way.[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") “Tailor,” he said, “I am going to eat you, by command of the Lord.”[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") “All right.[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") Let me say good-bye—I should like to greet my kin.”[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/5/page/2/) - ← previous: [Opening, part 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/4/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/5/page/2/) - ↑ back to [Russian Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/)