ENG0_139_Ivan_Suchenko.txt

In a far-away kingdom, in a far province, there once lived a king on a flat plain, smooth as a

tablecloth, and who had never had children of his own. A beggar once approached him. The king 

asked him: "Would you happen to know what I would have to do to have children?" The beggar 

answered him, "Gather together some boys and girls, seven-year-olds, so that the girls would give 

their hair and the boys weave it into a net in a single night. With that net, have them fish in the sea 

for a golden bream and give it to the queen to eat. 

So, they caught a golden bream and took it to the kitchen to be cooked. The cook cleaned and 

washed the bream, threw the innards to the dog, gave the washwater to three mares to drink, 

gnawed on the fish bones herself, and the queen had the fish for a meal. Then, shortly afterwards, 

were born: a son to the queen, a son to the cook, a son to the dog, while the three mares foaled a 

trio of young stallions. The king named all three boys Ivan, as 'the queen's Ivan', 'the cook's Ivan', 

and 'the dog's Ivan'.

They grew, good youngsters, not by days, not by hours, but minute to minute so that they soon grew 

up. Then, Dog's Ivan sent Queen's Ivan to the king: "Go ask that the king permit us to saddle those 

three horses which the mares bore for us to go to town to ride around and have fun. The king 

permitted them: they saddled the horses, rode out for town and started to talk amongst themselves. 

"The way we live with our father the king, better it would be to ride off to foreign lands." So they 

went and bought some iron, made themselves each a mace, each mace weighing 300 lbs., and 

spurred up the horses.

A little while later, Ivan-Dog said, "How then, brothers, are we going to keep to our way when 

there is no older or younger? We have to figure out which of us is to be the older in charge." Ivan-
Queen said that his father made him the first, but Ivan-Dog for his part said that what was needed 

was at strength test, by throwing an arrow. They threw arrows, one after the other: first Ivan-
Queen, then Ivan-Cook, then Ivan-Dog. They rode out a little way, not too near, not too far, to where 

lay Ivan-Queen's arrow, and a little farther on, had fallen Ivan-Cook's arrow, but Ivan-Dog's was 

nowhere to be seen! They all rode onwards, and further on -- into a far other world, into another 

kingdom, a farther province -- and there lay Ivan-Dog's arrow! 1

At that, they decided: Queen would be the little brother, Cook would be the middle-one and Dog 

would be the eldest, and then they got back ito their travels. They looked around - there ahead 

stretched out the steppe. On that steppe was a broken-down tent, and by the tent, there stood a 

horse eating wild wheat and drinking honied-water. Ivan-Dog sent Ivan-Queen: "Go find out who's in 

the tent."

So, Ivan-Queen went into the tent and there, lying on a bed was White Fielder. And White Fielder 

struck him on the forehead with his little finger -- and Queen fell: he took him and stuffed him under 

the bed.. Ivan-Dog sent Cook: White Fielder hit him, too, in the forehead with his little finger and 

tossed him under the bed. Dog waited, waited, and then tired of waiting, ran over himself and hit 

White Fielder once - in the eye, under the forehead! Then he hauled him out of the tent, and with a 

little fresh air, White Fielder woke up and begged, "Don't kill me! Take me as the youngest brother.

Ivan-Dog pardoned him.

So, now, all four brothers saddled their horses and rode through thick forests and thin forests, 

sometimes long streches, sometimes short, and came upon a two-storied house under a golden 

roof. They went into the house. Everything was clean, every thing taken care of. There were hors 

d'oeuvres and snacks provided, but no live people, nobody: they thought about it, talked it over. and 

determined to stay there a while. The daylight faded. In the mornng, three brothers rode out 

hunting while Ivan-Queen was left home to take care of the housekeeping. He boiled and roasted 

and made all kinds of things for supper, then sat down a bench to smoke a pipe. Suddenly, there 

came riding in a grandfather in a mortar, propped up on the pestle, under him a seven by seven 

sleeping rack, and begged for alms. Queen gave him a loaf of bread, but the grandfather didn't go 

for the bread, but grabbed him with a hook into the mortar, pound-pound, took from his back a strip 

right down to the shoulders, grated some chaff on it and tossed it underneath the floor... When the 

brothers returned from hunting, they asked Queen, "Nobody showed up by you?"

-- "I saw nobody. What about you?" -- "We didn't see any body either." 

On the next day, Ivan-Cook stayed home while the others went hunting. He cooked up supper, sat 

on a benche and smoked a pipe, and then there arrived the grandfather in the mortar, propped up 

on the pestle, under him a seven by seven sleeping rack, and begged for alms. Cook gave him a 

bun, but the grandfather didn't go for the bun, but grabbed him with a hook into the mortar, pound-
pound, took from his back a strip right down to the shoulders, grated some chaff on it and tossed it 

underneath the floor... The brothers came back from hunting and asked, "Nobody showed up by 

you?" -- "I saw nobody. What about you?" -- "We didn't see any body either." 

The third day White Fielder stayed home. He cooked up supper, sat on a bench, and smoked a 

pipe.. then there arrived the grandfather in the mortar, propped up on the pestle, under him a seven 

by seven sleeping rack ,and begged for alms. White Fielder gave him a bun, but the grandfather 

didn't go for the bun, but grabbed him with a hook into the mortar, pound-pound, took from his back 

a strip right down to the shoulders, grated some chaff on it and tossed it underneath the floor... The 

brothers arrived back from hunting: -- "You saw no-one?" -- "No, no-one. And you?" -- "Us, too."

The fourth day, Ivan-Dog stayed home. He cooked up supper, sat on a bench, and smoked a pipe..

and then came riding in the grandfather in a mortar, propped up on the pestle, under him a seven by 

seven sleeping rack, and begged for alms. Dog gave him a bun, but the grandfather didn't go for the 

bun, but grabbed him with by the hook into the mortar -- and the mortar shattered. Ivan-Dog 

grabbed the grandfather behind the head, dragged him to a pussy-willow stump, split the stump in 

two and bound the grandfather's beard into the crevice -- and took himself back into the kitchen.

And, there, his brothers were riding, conversing among themselves.

-- "What, brothers, did nothing happen to you-all?, asked Queen. -- "Well, for me my shirt is 

completely glued to my body!" -- "And for us the same! It must not be pulled away from the back. 

Damned grandfather! Probably he fought with Dog." They rode homeward. -- "And, so, Ivan-Dog, 

nobody was here with you?" -- "There was on impudent visitor, so I gave him his own what-for!" 

-- "What did you do to him?"

-- "I split a stump and stuffed his beard into the crevice!"

-- "Let's go take a look.!" They went to look at the grandfather, but there was no trace of him.

When he fell into the vise, he started to struggle, to tear out the stump by the root and in that way 

took it with him, and thus, got to his own home under the golden roof.

The boys followed his tracks, went on and on, came to a forest, and in that forest, there lay a barred 

door-cover. The got it open to discover a hole. They tied a stone to a rope and dropped it into the 

hole. When the stone hit bottom, they pulled it back up and tied Ivan-Dog to the rope. Dog said, --

"Three days from now I lwill pull on the rope -- Now, let me down!" So, in that light, the let him 

down. He remembered about the princess, and that three dragon-snakes crawled there.

-- "I'm going to go looking for them!"

He started off and was walking on when he came to a two-story house, and out of it came a girl:

-- "What, you Russian person, are you doing, walking around our house? 

-- "And who are you to ask for permission? First, how about giving me some water, let me wash my 

face, feed me, give me something to drink, and then start asking. She brought him some water, 

something to eat and drink, and then took him to the tsarevna. 

-- "Greetings!, beautiful tsarevna!."

-- "Greetings, good young man. What brings you here?"

-- "I came for you: I want to do battle with your husband."

-- "Oh, you won't take me away. My man is unusually strong, with six heads."

-- "And me with only one, I'm going to fight, as God will help me."

The tsarevna put him behind the door, -- and there lay the dragon-snake.

-- "Foo-oo! Russian bone stinks!"

-- "You, dear one, you flew at the Russians. You blew the Russian bones away!", said the tsarevna, 

then gave him supper, but sighed deeply.

-- "Why, sweet one, are you sighing so deeply?"

-- "How can I not sigh? It's the fourth year since I came to you, and I have seen neither my father 

nor my mother. Well, so, if someone of my family came here, what would you do to him?"

-- "What would I do? I'd drink and then swallow him.."

On those words, Ivan-Dog came from behind the doors.

-- "Well! Little Dog! Greetings: Why are you here, to fight or make peace?"

-- "Let's battle! Blow out your smoke!"

The dragon-snake blew. From him came an iron-hot stream with silver rings, and then Ivan-Dog 

blew and from him came silver with golden rings. He hit the dragon-snake once and killed him dead, 

scorched him into ashes which the wind blew away. The tsarevna gave the ring to him. He took it 

and then went on his way.

On and on, and then to another two-storey house. A young woman came out to meet him and 

asked, -- "Why, you Russian, why are you walking around our yard?"

-- "And who are you to be asking? First, give me some water -- let me wash my face -- something to 

eat, to drink, and then ask." She brought him some water, things to eat and drink, and then took him 

to the tsarevna. 

--"Why have you come?" said the tsarevna.

-- "For you. I want to do battle with your husband."

-- "What gives you to do battle with my husband? My man is extremely strong, with nine heads."

-- "And me with only one, I'm going to fight, as God will help me."

The tsarevna put the guest behind the door, -- and there lay the dragon-snake.

-- "Foo-oo! How the Russian bone stinks!"

-- "You flew at the Russians. You blew the Russian bones away!", said the tsarevna, then got to 

giving him supper, but sighed deeply.

-- "Why, dear one, are you sighing so deeply?"

-- "How can I not sigh when I don't see either my father or my mother. What would you do if 

someone from my relatives were to come here?"

-- "I would drink and then swallow him."

Ivan-Dog came out from behind the door.

-- "Ah! Little Dog! Greetings: Why have you come here, to fight or make peace?"

-- "Let's battle! Blow out your smoke!"

The dragon-snake blew out -- from him flowed a red-hot with silver rings, and then Ivan-Dog blew. 

From him was a silver-hot flow with golden rings. He hit the dragon-snake and killed him dead, 

scorched him into ashes which the wind blew away. The tsarevna gave him a ring. He took it and 

went on his way.

On and on, and again such a house with two stories. A young woman came out to meet him.

-- "Why are you walking around our yard, Russian?"

-- "First, you give me water -- to wash my face -- then food and drink, and then ask your question."

She brought him water, some food and drink, and then took him to the tsarevna.

-- "Greetings, Ivan-Dog! Why have you come?"

-- "For you; I want to take you away from the dragon-snake."

-- "What gives you to take away?" My husband is extremely strong, with twelve heads.!"

-- "And I with one, I will beat him, if God helps."

He entered the chamber and there the twelve-headed dragon-snake was sleeping. As the dragon-
snake woke up, so all twelve were walking around the ceiling. And his 900 lb. mace made the 

thirteenth in the crowd. Ivan-Dog added his mace to the crowd and took that of the dragon-snake. 

He brandished it around to hit the dragon-snakes. Ivan-Dog hit the twelve-headed dragon-snake. A 

din spread through the entire courtyard. The roof was flung off the house. Ivan-Dog killed the 

twelve-headed dragon-snake, scorched it into ashes, and the wind blew them away. The tsarevna 

gave him the ring and said, -- "Let's live together!" And he called her to himself. 

-- "How the heck am I going to abandon my wealth?" She took all her wealth, wound it into a golden 

egg and gave it to Ivan-Dog. He put the golden egg into his pocket, and together with her, went 

back to her sister. The younger tsarevna wound her wealth into a silver egg, and the youngest, into 

a copper one, and they gave them to him.

The four of them arrived at the hole. Ivan-Dog tied on the youngest tsarevna shook the rope.

-- "When they pull you up," he said, "Cry out <Ivan-Queen!>. He will answer <Ya!>! And you say to 

him, "I am yours!". Next he tied on the second tsarevna and again pulled the rope, so that they 

would pull her up. 

-- "When they pull you up, you cry <Ivan-Cook>I He will answer <Ya!>. And you say, "I am yours!>" 

He started to tie the third tsarevna to the rope and said to her, "When they pull you up, you be silent-

- you will be mine!" They pulled up this tsarevna, she was silent. So White Fielder got angry and, 

as they were pulling up Ivan-Dog, he took and cut the rope.

Dog fell, picked himself up and went to the old grandfather. Grandfather asked him, "Why did you 

come?" -- "To fight!" They started to fight, fought and fought, got tired and threw themselves into the 

water. Grandfather mistook himself, gave Dog strong water to drink and he himself simply drank. 

Ivan-Dog began to recover; grandfather said to him, 

-- "Don't kill me. In the cellar, get yourself a sharp flint, cut three sorts of wool; in trouble, they'll 

come in handy." Ivan-Dog took the flint, cut three sorts of wool; he hacked out a fire and scorched 

the gray wool and came running to him a gray horse with clods flying from under its hooves, with 

vapor steaming from its mouth and a column of smoke from its ears.

-- "Will it take much time for you to carry me out of this world?"

-- "Only as much time as people need to prepare dinner." 

Dog scorched the blackish wool -- a dark horse came running, clods flying from under its hooves, 

steam blazing from its nostrils, smoke streaming from its ears.

-- "Can you carry me quickly out of this world?"

-- "People won't have time to finish their meal."

He scorched the chestnut wool -- a chestnut horse came running, clods flying from under its hooves, 

steam blazing from its nostrils, smoke streaming from its ears.

-- "Can you carry me quickly out of this world?"

-- "You won't have time to spit." He hopped on that horse and found himself in his homeland.

He went to the goldsmith. "I", he said, "will be your assistant!" The youngest tsarevna passed an 

order to the goldsmith: "Make for me for my wedding a golden ring set with a stone!" He put 

himself to that order, but Ivan-Dog said, "Wait a minute! I will make such a ring for you, while you 

will give me a sack of walnuts." The goldsmith brought him the sack of walnuts: Ivan-Dog ate the 

walnuts, broke the gold with a hammer, dug out the tsarevna's small ring, cleaned it, and gave it to 

the master. On Saturday, the tsarevna came for the ring, looked at it and said, "Ah! What a beautiful 

little ring. I gave such a one to Ivan-Dog, but he is no longer in this world!." And she invited the 

goldsmith to the wedding. On the next day, the goldsmith went to the wedding while Ivan-Dog 

remained home, scorched the gray wool -- and the gray horse came running to him. 

-- "What do you require of me?"

-- "The chimney has to be broken off the celebratory house!"

-- "Climb onto my back, look into my left ear and look out of my right!"

He looked into the left ear, and out from the right, and became such a heroic figure that it would be 

impossible to describe either in a fairy tale or drawn by pen. He jumped up and tore the chimney 

from the house and in there, everybody started to scream and get frightened; the wedding broke off.

The second tsarevna brought gold and asked to have a ring made. Ivan-Dog said to the goldsmith, 

"Give me two sacks of walnuts and I will make a ring for you."

-- "Well, why not? Go ahead." Dog ate the walnuts, broke the gold with a hammer, dug out the 

tsarevna's ring, cleaned it and gave it to him. The tsarevna saw the ring: "Ah! How marvelous! I 

gave just such a ring to Ivan-Dog, but he is not now in this world!" She took the ring and invited the 

goldsmith to the wedding. He went to the wedding, while Ivan-Dog scorched the blackish wool -- the 

dark horse came running. 

-- "What do you require of me?"

-- "The roof has to be taken off the celebratory house."

-- "Climb on my back, look into my left ear and look out of my right!" He looked into the left ear, and 

out from the right, and became the hero of heroes! The horse carried him so fast that he tore the 

roof off the house. Everyone screamed, they started to shoot at the horse, only they all missed; the 

wedding broke off.

And then the eldest tsarevna asked that a ring be made for her.

-- "I didn't want," she said, "to marry White Fielder, but it looks like God has ordained it.!"

Ivan-Dog said to the goldsmith, "Give me three sacks of walnuts and I will make the ring for you."

Again, he ate the walnuts, broke the gold with a hammer, took out the tsarevna's ring, cleaned it and 

gave it to him. On Saturday, the tsarevna came for the ring, looked at it, "Ah! What a glorious ring! 

My god! Where did you get this ring? I gave just such a one to the one that I loved!" And she 

invited the goldsmith, "Come to my place to the wedding tomorrow!"

On the next day, the goldsmith went to the wedding while Ivan-Dog remained home, scorched the 

little chestnut wool -- the chestnut horse came running.

-- "What do you require of me?"

-- "Take me however you want, only take us forward -- to rip off the ceiling of the celebratory house, 

and then come back -- Grab White Fielder by the forelock."

-- "Climb on my back, look into my left ear and look out of my right!" The chestnut horse caried him 

fast-fast. Going there -- Dog ripped the ceiling from the house, and going back -- he grabbed White 

Fielder by the forelock, lifted him high up and then threw him to the ground: White Fielder broke up 

into pieces. Ivan-Dog dropped down, hugged and then kissed his bride. Ivan-Queen and Ivan-Cook 

rejoiced with him. They all got married to their beautiful tsarevnas and took to living together, rich 

and happy!