Basil Făt-Frumos and Ileana Cosânzeana, the Sister of the Sun

A tale is a tale, a true story is a true story.
If none of this had happened, the rumor would not have spread far and wide.

Once upon a time, there lived a man and a woman, and they had a daughter as beautiful as a clear morning, skilled in all kinds of work, and as lively as a spring breeze. Anyone who saw her hands at work, her eyes shining, and her cheeks glowing would remember her for the rest of their life; and those who were younger felt their hearts beat faster.

One fine day, she took two jugs and went to the well to fetch water. After filling the jugs, she decided to rest on the edge of the well. Suddenly, she noticed a sprig of basil. Without thinking twice, she plucked it, smelled it, and from the scent of the basil, she became pregnant.

Her parents scolded and berated her so much that she could no longer bear to live, and she decided to run away wherever her eyes would take her. She quietly gathered her things, left, and vanished without a trace.

Terrified and heartbroken, she walked and walked without rest until she reached a dense forest and stumbled upon a cave. She thought to rest in the cave, but as soon as she crossed the threshold, an old, very old man came out, coughing and groaning.

"Who are you, and how did you end up here?" the old man asked, lifting his bushy eyebrows with his cane.

The girl wept, sighed, and then told him everything that had happened and why she had come to his cave.

The old man listened to her story, comforted her with kind words, and persuaded her to stay in his cave.

And so they lived, the girl easing her sorrow, and the old man easing his old age. Every morning, three goats would come to the cave. The old man milked them, and that’s how they survived. Time passed, and the girl gave birth to a boy. They bathed him in the morning dew to protect him from evil, passed fire and iron over him so that he could endure any hardship unharmed and remain pure and bright as the red sun. Then the mother recited a spell to make him brave, and the old man rummaged through the dark corners of the cave, found a sword and a mace from his youth, and gifted them to the infant, so they would serve him well. They didn’t feast much at the christening, but there was plenty of joy and laughter, and they wished the boy happiness in life. The old man named him Basil, after the sprig of basil, and the mother added the name Fat-Frumos, for her precious son seemed so beautiful to her.

Basil Fat-Frumos grew up and began to go on long hunts, venturing deeper and deeper into the forests and groves—as far as the eye could see. One day, Basil reached a valley, and as he looked into the distance, it seemed to him as if he saw a vast green sea where the sun bathed. As he approached, he saw a palace made of pure gold and pearls, shining above an endless green forest, thick as a brush. For the first time in his life, he saw such beauty, and adjusting his sword and mace at his belt, he headed straight for the palace. He didn’t walk long before he crossed the palace’s threshold. The windows and doors were open, but no living soul was seen inside or around it. He walked through the palace from room to room, went out into the courtyard, looked around again—no one. Suddenly, Basil heard the forest roar and the trees crack. Then, seven terrifying dragons emerged from the forest:

They had goat heads, donkey hooves, wolf mouths, and eyes full of bile. As soon as they saw Basil Fat-Frumos, they rushed at him. But Basil drew his sword, and as soon as one of them stepped over the threshold, he struck—thunk!—and off went the head. Heads rolled across the floor like chopped cabbages. One by one, he beheaded six dragons. But when the seventh came, his sword couldn’t harm it.

Basil struck the dragon with the blade and the flat of his sword on its neck, head, and even stabbed it in the heart—nothing worked. Then Basil Fat-Frumos grabbed his mace. The dragon spun around and began to retreat, bumping its head against the walls. It ran to the ninety-ninth room and hid in a stone mortar. Basil locked it in, put the key in his pocket, and, pleased with his good deed, went home.

He returned to the cave with great joy and said to his mother:

"From now on, mother, we’ll live somewhere else. I’ve found a large and beautiful palace."

His mother was delighted and went with Basil to the palace made of gold and pearls, and they began to live there as its masters.

"Here," said Basil Fat-Frumos, "all of this is ours. But remember, never open the door to the last room; there’s still one dragon left."

"Don’t worry, son! If it wanted to eat you, I’ll keep the door locked."

The mother took the key, tied it in a scarf with ten knots, and hid it so well that no one could ever find it.

Now their lives were filled with goodness and blessings, as if from a cornucopia. Their home was magnificent, the hunting was bountiful, and the beauty around them was unparalleled.

They lived like this for years. But just as spring sometimes brings unexpected warmth, so too can storms suddenly descend, ready to tear the earth to shreds.

The seven dragons were from another kingdom. They had been raised by an old witch named Kloantsa, black as tar and so wicked that the earth burned at her gaze. She waited and waited for the dragons, and when she saw they were late, an evil premonition burned in her heart. Kloantsa writhed like a snake on a fire and, in a furious rage, rushed to their palace to see what had happened.

There, the witch learned of the dragons’ fate and clutched her head in despair.

In a fit of rage, she attacked Basil’s mother, snatched the key from her, grabbed her by the arm, and threw her into the dungeon with all her might. Then she freed the dragon and began to plot revenge on Basil, deciding his fate.

"Challenge him to a fight."

"I’m afraid," said the dragon. "His strike is much stronger than mine. I think it’s better for us to leave quietly and avoid him, or else neither of us will survive."

"If that’s the case, leave it to me. I’ll drive him to such despair that he’ll crawl into a snake’s den, seeking death himself."

With that, she hid the dragon, spun around like a whirlwind, and took on the appearance of Basil Fat-Frumos’s mother. Then she pretended to suffer from a terrible illness and began to wait for him.

---

This is the continuation of the story, but let me know if you'd like me to translate the rest!
A day passed, then two, and Basil Fat-Frumos returned from the hunt. As soon as he crossed the threshold, the witch began to moan and lament:

"Woe is me, my boy! You left, and it was as if you had vanished into thin water, not giving a thought to returning home sooner. I fell gravely ill, and there was no one to help me. If only I had a drop of bird's milk, I would have driven away this sickness and risen to my feet at once."

With great sorrow, Basil Fat-Frumos listened to the news of his mother's grave illness. He took a jug and, reassuring his mother that he would return soon, set off to search for bird's milk.

He walked and walked through mountains and valleys until he finally reached a palace. He knocked on the gates, and a maiden's voice called out from behind them:

"If you are a good man, come in; if you are wicked, pass by, for I have a dog with iron fur and steel teeth. If you enter carelessly, it will tear you to shreds."

"I am a good man," replied Basil Fat-Frumos.

The gates opened before him, and he saw a house with wide-open doors and windows. He entered and inside beheld a maiden of unparalleled beauty.

"What brings you to our land, good youth?" asked the maiden.

"I am searching for bird's milk," replied the youth.

"In all my years, I have never heard of such food or remedy. But since you are a good man, I will do you a kindness and find out. A little later, I will go to my brother, Red Sun, for he knows where everything in the world can be found."

And so, Basil Fat-Frumos came to Ileana Cosânzeana, the sister of the Sun. Later, when weariness overcame the traveler, Ileana Cosânzeana went to her brother and asked him:

"Do you know, dear brother, where one might find bird's milk in the world?"

"Far, far away, sister, is the bird's milk. Many weeks' journey lies to the east, toward the Copper Mountain. But it is impossible to obtain, for the bird is a monstrous creature. Each of its wings is like a cloud, and if it catches anyone near, it drags them to its nest and feeds them to its chicks."

Pity and fear gripped the Sun's sister at the thought of the traveler's fate, for he was walking to certain death. She resolved to help him. The next morning, she brought out a twelve-winged horse from the stable and gave it to Basil.

"Take this horse, good man. It will serve you well and save you from trouble. Whether fortune favors you or not, stop by on your way back. I would like to see you again."

Basil Fat-Frumos longed to lay his heart at the feet of this kind and beautiful maiden. He thanked her warmly, mounted the horse, and set off on his journey. He rode through mountains and valleys, along hidden paths and through endless forests, until he saw something like a copper wall in the distance. As he approached, the wall grew taller and taller, turning into a hill, then into an enormous mountain. When Basil reached the foot of the Copper Mountain, he saw that its peak touched the sky. Such a mountain is rarely seen! Basil Fat-Frumos surveyed the mountain, measuring it with his gaze from base to summit, and only then noticed a huge bird with wings like clouds high in the sky.

Then Basil Fat-Frumos tightened the reins and urged the horse upward. In an instant, he was at the mountain's peak. He looked and saw a wonder: in copper nests sat unfeathered chicks, each the size of a buffalo, howling with hunger. Basil Fat-Frumos looked around, found a crevice in the copper rock, and hid there with his horse. After a short time, the bird arrived and began circling the nests, feeding the chicks with bird's milk. The bird approached the nest near which Basil was hiding, and he, summoning his courage, held out the jug. The bird filled it with milk. At that moment, he leaped onto his horse and galloped away as fast as he could. The chick howled again from hunger, and the bird turned and saw Basil. It chased after him like an evil spirit but could not catch him. The bird had only one pair of wings, while Basil's horse had six, so it flew much faster. On his way back, he rode again through mountains and valleys, along hidden paths and through endless forests, until he reached Ileana Cosânzeana. She welcomed him warmly and invited him to rest. Basil Fat-Frumos ate, drank, and lay down to sleep, while Cosânzeana, knowing the situation, hid the bird's milk and replaced it with cow's milk in the jug.

When Basil Fat-Frumos awoke and took his jug, he said:

"You have been kind to me, sister. It was good to rest in your home, but it is better to be on the road. My ailing mother awaits me eagerly."

Cosânzeana replied:

"Very well, brave one. May your journey be safe, and do not forget to visit us again sometime."

Basil Fat-Frumos bowed to her, bid her farewell, and rode off. As he approached the palace, the witch spun around like a top, as if struck by fiery arrows—she had sensed him. She threw herself into bed, moaning and groaning as if truly at death's door:

"It is good that you have returned, my dear son. Oh, how long I have waited for you! Did you bring me the remedy?"

"I did," replied Basil Fat-Frumos, handing her the jug. The witch pressed the jug to her lips and lapped up all the milk.

"Thank you, my dear son. I feel better now." Then she lay down to sleep, but she did not close her eyes, instead plotting how to send him away so that no trace of him would remain. After much thought, she pretended to wake up even more afflicted, tossing and groaning:

"Oh, my dear son, the sickness has gripped me again. I dreamed that I would recover if I ate the meat of a wild boar."

"Very well, mother. I will go and fetch such meat, if only you will recover."
He mounted his horse and set off on his journey. He rode and rode until he once again arrived at Ilyana Kosynzyana's place.

"Are you glad to see guests?" he asked.

"Glad indeed, and I welcome you with all my heart," she replied.

He sat down to rest and began telling Kosynzyana about the new misfortune that had befallen him.

"Do you happen to know where I might find a wild boar? My mother has fallen ill again, and she says that only the meat of a wild boar can save her."

"I don't know myself, but rest for now, and this evening I'll ask my brother, the Sun. He surely knows—up there, he sees and knows everything." Basil Fat-Frumos stayed the night, and in the evening, after the Sun had laid its rays to rest, Ilyana's brother came to rest as well.

Kosynzyana went to the Sun, began to fawn over him, and started probing:

"I overheard a conversation about wild boars; do you know in which part of the world they live?"

"Far, sister, far from here. The path lies to the north, beyond the blooming field, in the great shadowy forest."

"And how can one get a boar there to roast?"

"That cannot be done, sister. Even my rays cannot penetrate those woods where they live, let alone a human foot. I only see them at noon, when they come out to the edge of the swamp to wallow. Their tusks are sharp—anyone who approaches will be torn to shreds."

Ilyana Kosynzyana relayed these words to Basil, and he, now knowing where to go and what awaited him, mounted his horse and rode off. He rode through mountains, valleys, rivers, and ravines, crossed the open field, and finally reached the shadowy forest. He entered the forest, where the darkness was so thick it felt like the underworld. His horse leaped, lifting him above the tallest trees, and there Basil saw the swamp Kosynzyana had told him about.

The Sun was just approaching noon, and a loud grunting echoed through the forest as the boars came out to wallow in the mud. Basil spotted a fine boar, caught it, hoisted it onto his horse, and spurred his horse to flee. The boars gave chase, trying to catch him, devouring the ground beneath them. If not for Basil Fat-Frumos's swift horse, he would have met his end there. The horse's speed saved him from the sharp tusks of the fierce beasts. Now the horse pranced beneath him, and Basil Fat-Frumos sang songs, rejoicing that he had brought this task to a successful end.

On his way back, he stopped again at Ilyana Kosynzyana's place and, as before, rested there. The Sun's sister replaced his boar with a simple, domestic piglet, and then, without letting on, kindly sent him on his way.

Basil Fat-Frumos returned home. The witch saw him and gnashed her teeth so hard that sparks flew, but she quickly composed herself and greeted him, pretending to be gravely ill:

"Oh, my dear son, thank you for letting me see you one more time. If you had delayed any longer, you wouldn't have found me alive. Quickly, slaughter the boar and let me taste its meat."

Basil Fat-Frumos slaughtered the boar, roasted it over the coals until it was nicely browned, and gave her some to taste.

"Ah, now I feel better, and my vision has cleared," the witch pretended, as if she were recovering. But after she ate everything, she groaned again, even louder than before:

"Oh, my dear son, my poor boy, you've suffered so much on your long journeys, but if you want me to truly recover from this illness, go one more time. I've gotten worse again, and if you don't bring me the water of life and death, you won't be able to pull me from the claws of death."

"Then I will go, Mother," replied Basil Fat-Frumos, and he set off on his journey once more.

He rode and rode until he arrived at Ilyana Kosynzyana's place and began to lament bitterly:

"No remedy helps my mother, and she has ordered me to bring her the water of life and death. Do you know where to find this water and how to obtain it?"

"Wait a little, rest, perhaps I can help you this time as well." She went to her brother in the evening, just as he had settled down from his journey.

"Brother Sun, you see the whole earth from the sky. Do you know where the water of life and death flows?"

"Far, sister, far from here, beyond thrice nine lands, beyond thrice nine seas, near the Mistress of the Fields. But many have sought this water, and none have returned alive, for a fierce dragon guards the border. It allows people to enter the realm but never lets them leave. Not only does it drink the water, but it also takes the lives of the brave."

Basil Fat-Frumos learned where to go and what awaited him, but he did not succumb to fear. He only adjusted his sword and mace at his belt, bid farewell to his hostess, mounted his horse, and rode off. The journey was long, and he rode without stopping, circling seas and counting borders. He crossed thrice nine seas, thrice nine lands, and finally reached the wondrous realm. The beauty of this land was three times more magnificent. Not a single dry twig or fallen blade of grass was to be seen. Everything grew vigorously, bloomed luxuriantly, and bore abundant fruit. As he walked through the realm, his soul rejoiced at all he saw, and he came upon two cliffs from which two springs flowed. "Here are the springs I need," thought Basil Fat-Frumos, and to confirm, he caught a moth, tore it to pieces, then dipped it into the water of one spring, and the moth was restored. He dipped it into the water of the other spring, and the moth came back to life. The hero rejoiced, filled two flasks with water from the springs, and turned back. But just as he reached the border of the realm, the trees around him creaked as if in a storm, the sky darkened, and a ten-headed dragon appeared before him, menacingly lashing its tail.

Basil Fat-Frumos grabbed his mace in one hand and his sword in the other, and as the dragon reached out one of its heads, he struck it with both the mace and the sword.
He chopped. He did the same with the second head, and the third… The dragon saw that its end was near and soared into the sky, but the hero's horse flew even higher. Basil Fat-Frumos cut off all ten heads and brought the dragon down to the ground. Now he rode on unhindered and arrived at Ilyana Cosânzeana's place. After the grueling battle and the long journey, Basil Fat-Frumos lay down to rest, and Ilyana Cosânzeana replaced his flasks with identical ones, only filled with spring water.

It never crossed Basil Fat-Frumos's mind to suspect Ilyana Cosânzeana, who had helped him so many times. After resting well, he saddled his horse and rode home.

When the witch saw him, her face turned black and ashen. Her heart filled with venom from rage and frustration. She drank some water, regained her composure, and began to ponder all the ways she could rid the world of Basil Fat-Frumos.

After giving him some time to rest from his journey, the witch called him and, with feigned affection, said:

"My dear son Basil, you must have spent much of your strength wandering the roads. Let's see if you can break this silk rope." And she tied him with the silk rope.

"Come on, dear, show us if you've scattered your strength across the wide world and the untrodden paths."

Basil Fat-Frumos strained and tore the rope to shreds.

"Now let's see if you can break two ropes." Basil broke two ropes as well.

"You still have some of your youthful strength. Let's see if it's all still there." And with that, she bound him with three silk ropes. Basil Fat-Frumos strained, pulled—nothing happened. He strained again—the ropes tightened around his muscles painfully. The third time, he gathered all his strength and pulled—the silk ropes cut into his flesh to the bone, but they remained intact.

Overjoyed, the old witch Cloanța shouted:

"Hey, dragon, wherever you're hiding, come here and finish off Basil Fat-Frumos!"

The dragon neighed with joy, left its hiding place, and, grabbing a saber, chopped Basil Fat-Frumos into pieces like cabbage. Then it gathered all the pieces into a torn sack, threw it over the saddle, whipped the horse, and, exulting, cried:

"Hey, foolish horse, where you carried the living, now carry the dead!"

The horse galloped like a ghost, the ground thundering beneath its hooves, and it ran straight to where it had grown up, where it had been fed and cared for: it stopped right in front of Ilyana Cosânzeana's palace.

Cosânzeana came out to the doorstep, but instead of a traveler wishing to rest after a journey, she saw her horse covered in sweat and bloodstains. In grief, she rushed to the horse, took down the sack, and recognized the remains of Basil Fat-Frumos.

"Oh, poor soul, this is how they killed you," she lamented and began piecing him together, bit by bit, until Basil Fat-Frumos was whole again.

After doing this, she ran to the storeroom, brought dead and living water, a wild boar's flesh, and bird's milk. Where pieces of Basil's body were missing, she replaced them with boar meat, then sprinkled the dead water, and all the pieces fused together. She washed him with the living water, and the hero came back to life. Basil Fat-Frumos sighed deeply:

"Oh, how long I've slept."

"My dear, you would have slept forever if I hadn't been here," replied Ilyana Cosânzeana and brought a jug of bird's milk to his lips.

Basil Fat-Frumos drank the milk, and with each sip, his strength returned. By the time he finished, he was mightier than ever before. He could crush a flint rock into powder with a single blow of his mace. Rising from the ground and shaking off his weakness, Basil Fat-Frumos remembered how the dragon had mocked him, grabbed his saber, and rushed to the palace.

He reached the palace and saw the witch and the dragon sitting at the table, feasting merrily, while his mother stood to the side with a napkin, serving them. When Basil Fat-Frumos entered the dining hall, it was as if the ground had opened beneath the villains. The hero stoked a copper furnace and burned them to ashes, leaving no trace on land or water, under black clouds or steep mountains.

Then Basil Fat-Frumos embraced his mother and comforted her with his filial love. Soon after, an even greater joy came to them: Basil Fat-Frumos asked for Ilyana Cosânzeana's hand in marriage. A great crowd gathered, and they celebrated a merry wedding. At the head of the table sat Brother Sun himself, drinking barrels dry, wishing happiness to all, giving joy, and singing with the cheer of spring.

After the wedding, they lived in love and harmony, and perhaps they still live to this day, if they have not passed away.

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