Basil the Green and the Tsar's Daughter

In a certain kingdom, there once lived a very poor woman. To all the misfortunes that had befallen her, she was also childless. One day, a wise woman told her that if she drank an infusion of herbs gathered on the night of Ivan Kupala, she would bear a child.

No sooner said than done. And so, in her old age, the woman gave birth to a child so beautiful that one could not take their eyes off him. Since the herb gathered on the night of Ivan Kupala was basil, she named the boy Basil the Green. The child grew not by the day, but by the hour, as he was protected by a magical force. And wherever his foot stepped, basil would grow.

Thus he lived, not in abundance, but in poverty. And he might have continued to endure hardship for a long time, had a calamity not struck the kingdom where he lived with his mother. A cruel twenty-four-headed dragon began to haunt their lands and stole the keys to all the sources of drinking water. People and livestock were dying of thirst, falling like flies. The king tried everything to defeat the dragon, but you can't fight a dragon with bare hands. When the king learned that the dragon would not return the keys unless he gave his daughter in marriage, he fell ill from grief and took to his bed. Reluctantly, he had to give his daughter away to save the water sources and avoid dying of thirst himself. As the saying goes, "Charity begins at home." Such was the misfortune that befell the kingdom.

One day, Basil the Green was busy in the cattle yard when he suddenly heard loud announcements in the village square. These were heralds sent by the king to all corners of the kingdom to proclaim that whoever saved his daughter from the dragon would receive her hand in marriage and half the kingdom as a dowry. Young and old listened, some shrugging their shoulders, others deep in thought, but no one dared to try their luck, for there was nothing more fearsome in the world than this dragon. And people who cannot overcome their own fear certainly cannot defeat a dragon. Only Basil the Green, upon hearing the news, rushed to his mother and said:

"So, mother, I am going to rescue the king's daughter."

His mother burst into tears and said to him:

"Where are you going, my dear son, and why are you leaving me in my old age at the mercy of fate? You see, even the brave young men dare not go, and you...?"

But Basil the Green had no intention of changing his mind and immediately began to choose a weapon suited to his strength.

For two years he wandered the world until he found a blacksmith who agreed to forge a weapon to his liking. He ordered a double-edged sword so large that a hundred young men could not move it. He returned home, fell asleep, and slept for three whole days—after all, it's no joke to wander for two years! Upon waking, he packed some food for the long journey, bid farewell to his mother, and set off. For six months he traveled through untrodden paths, deserts, and forests. His food ran out, and he lived on nothing but water. Many days and nights passed. One fine day, he reached a forest, but, exhausted from walking, he didn't make it to the edge and decided to sit and rest wherever he could. So great was his hunger that he began to chew on leaves. Suddenly, it occurred to him to climb to the top of a tree and see how far the edge of the forest was. In an instant, he climbed a tall tree and saw a flickering light in the distance. He quickly descended and headed toward the light. He walked and walked until he finally found himself before the dragon's castle, where the king's daughter was held captive.

Basil the Green pondered how to fight the dragon. He didn't think long and knocked on the gates. Hearing the knock, the princess—who happened to be alone at home—became very frightened and asked in a trembling voice:

"Who is there?"

Hearing the soft, silvery voice of a woman, Basil the Green cheered up and replied:

"Open up, it's me, Basil the Green. I heard about you from your father's heralds. They also said that whoever saves you from the dragon will receive your hand in marriage and half the kingdom as a dowry, but no one dared to come for you. Only I decided to try. For two years I wandered, forged a weapon, and came to rescue you."

The girl then slid back the bolts, and the brave young man entered the house. Seeing how handsome and stately he was, the princess was struck dumb with joy; but soon she came to her senses and began to cry bitterly. She was terribly afraid that the dragons would return and kill Basil the Green, and then there would be no one left to save her.

Basil the Green began to comfort her:

"Don't cry. Instead, give me something to eat. I'm so hungry and tired that I can barely speak."

The girl quickly fed him and said:

"Lie down and rest. When the dragons return, I will wake you, and you can fight them."

No sooner had Basil the Green touched the pillow than he was overcome by a deep, sweet sleep. The girl stood by his side, unable to take her eyes off his beauty.

The only thing that worried her was that the dragons would soon return.

Meanwhile, the dragons were flying home, and the earth trembled from the beating of their wings, the doors creaked—everything shook. They approached the threshold and immediately sensed the presence of a stranger... When the girl saw them, she lost her voice from fear and couldn't utter a word, only tears streaming from her eyes. A hot tear fell on Basil the Green's face, and he woke up immediately, asking softly:

"Have they arrived?"

The girl couldn't answer, as she was unable to speak, but she nodded her head and waved her hands: yes, the dragons had arrived and were standing at the door. Basil the Green grabbed his sword and rushed to the door, where the dragons awaited him. The twenty-four-headed dragon, to whom all the others were subordinate, ordered the six-headed dragon to go and see who the stranger in their house was. The six-headed dragon hesitated at the door and finally decided to enter and see who was inside, while the other dragons stepped aside, waiting for his answer.
The six-headed dragon sensed that his hour of death was near, but since the elder had commanded him, there was no escape.

He pushed halfway into the room, his jaws wide open, tongues lolling out. Thick smoke poured from his mouths. When Basil the Green saw him, without a hint of fear, he drew his sword and began to hack away. He swung his sword once—and lopped off the dragon's heads; he swung it again—and cleaved its body in two. Then he tossed the heads and the pieces of the body out the window and stood by the door again, waiting to see what would happen next.

The dragons in the courtyard waited and waited for the six-headed one to return, but when they saw that he was taking too long to bring an answer, the elder ordered the twelve-headed dragon to go and see what was happening in the house. As soon as the dragon reached the door, he sensed that his hour of death was near, but he dared not disobey the elder. He pushed the door open, jaws agape, tongues hanging out, and thick smoke billowed from his mouths like from a chimney. The moment he opened the door, Basil the Green swung his sword, cut him into pieces, and threw his body to the same place where he had tossed the six-headed dragon's remains. Then he moved closer to the door and waited for the twenty-four-headed dragon. Though the latter was the terror of the land, Basil no longer feared him.

Seeing that the dragons he had sent were not returning, the elder realized that something was amiss in the house. So he decided to push twelve of his heads into the house first, leaving the other twelve outside. Thick smoke poured from his mouths, and sparks flew throughout the house. Basil the Green looked at him and thought that this one would not be easy to deal with, but his spirit did not falter.

As soon as the dragon pushed his twelve heads through the door, Basil the Green struck them with all his might, severing them in one blow. The serpent, still possessing twelve more heads, felt something hot wrap around his neck but did not realize that his twelve heads had been cut off. So he kept crawling into the house until he was fully inside. Basil the Green raised his sword again and, with great effort, cut off the remaining twelve heads. But even without its heads, the dragon's body continued to thrash, causing the earth to tremble.

It was not until morning that the body finally stilled. Overjoyed, the maiden began to sing praises of Basil the Green and his battle with the dragons. Basil said to her:

"You start preparing lunch, and I'll lie down to rest. I'm terribly tired from the fight."

Cheerfully, the princess cooked a magnificent meal, preparing all sorts of delicacies. She was beside herself with happiness, for Basil the Green had destroyed all the dragons and freed her from their clutches, and soon she would become the wife of a handsome and brave knight. When the food was ready, she woke Basil, and they ate together. Then they began to prepare for their journey to the royal palace.

Somehow, the Half-Man learned of all that had happened. He was one-legged, one-armed, half-headed, one-eyed, and one-eared. Upon hearing the news, he rushed to the dragons' castle. Basil the Green and the princess were preparing to leave when the Half-Man shouted:

"Hey, Basil the Green, come out and fight me! Let's wrestle, and the princess shall go to the victor."

The princess had heard of this Half-Man before, as the dragons had spoken of him many times. She wept bitterly, saying:

"Basil the Green, if you defeat him, it means you are destined to live. And then we shall live in happiness and harmony."

Basil the Green took his sword and went out into the yard. He swung his sword and cut off a piece of the Half-Man's head. But the creature ran to the side and began shouting again:

"Come out and fight me, Basil the Green!"

Basil the Green grew frightened upon hearing the Half-Man's challenge again. He ran up to the monster and, with one blow, cut off the remaining piece of its head, chopped its body into pieces, and piled them under the threshold of the house. Then he went inside and said to the girl:

"I've cut him into pieces; now he won't come back to life."

But the Half-Man revived and began shouting again:

"Basil the Green, come out and fight!"

This time, Basil the Green was terrified to death. Yet he took his sword and went out to fight. The Half-Man hid behind the door, and as soon as Basil stepped out, he lunged at him, snatched the sword, and cut off Basil's head. Basil the Green fell dead to the ground.

After killing Basil the Green, the Half-Man threw the sword beside him, entered the house, and said to the princess:

"Let's go to your father."

The princess bitterly mourned the death of Basil the Green, but there was nothing she could do. She had to set off on the journey with the monster. They walked and walked until they reached the royal palace. They arrived in the dark of night, and the princess called out to her father:

"Father, let me in."

As soon as the king heard her voice, he recognized it, ran out to meet her, and embraced her tightly. Many years had passed since he had last seen her. Overjoyed, he invited guests into the house and began asking about the battle with the dragons. The Half-Man joined the conversation, but he was so ugly and repulsive that the king felt a chill just looking at him. But what could be done? A promise was a promise. They quickly agreed that the betrothal would take place the next day, and the wedding would be held a year later. After the betrothal, the bride and groom were separated. The Half-Man was cheerful, but the princess was sad—she could not forget Basil the Green.

Meanwhile, Basil the Green's mother, longing for her son, abandoned her small and poor homestead and set out on the road to follow his trail. The path she walked was strewn with basil plants, and on the very day the princess and the Half-Man left for the royal palace, Basil's mother found her son's lifeless body.

She began to mourn him. But at that moment, ants passed by, gathering food for the winter. Suddenly, one ant attacked another and tore off its head. A third ant, seeing this, approached the dead ant, placed the head back on its neck, and rubbed the wound three times with a basil leaf. The ant came back to life. Seeing this, Basil's mother decided to do the same. Basil the Green woke from his slumber and was overjoyed to see his mother. Then he told her about his battles with the dragons and the Half-Man, showed her the corpses of the slain dragons, and said:
- Go home, to our small and poor household that you left unattended. And I will go in search of the Half-Human who killed me, and I will measure my strength against him once again. His mother went home, and Basil the Green headed west. He walked day after day from dawn till dusk until he reached a small hut where a light was burning. As soon as he approached the hut, a dog barked at the threshold, and immediately a woman's voice was heard from inside:

- If you are a good man, come in, but if not, pass by. My house is guarded by a dog with iron claws and steel fangs, and it will tear you to pieces. Basil the Green, being an honest man with a pure soul, decided to enter the hut. He bowed to the woman who lived there alone and told her all about his adventures from beginning to end. And she said to him:

- Stay the night with me, and in the morning I will tell you where the Half-Human's strength lies and how to defeat him.

This woman was Saint Friday. The next morning, Saint Friday woke up and summoned all the birds from every corner of the world. She fed them and asked if they knew where the Half-Human was. The birds replied that they had heard nothing about him.

Saint Friday then woke Basil the Green and said to him:

- Keep going west until you find my sister. Maybe she knows something about the Half-Human, but I cannot help you.

And so Basil the Green set off again. He walked for two days until he reached the house of Saint Friday's sister, Saint Trinity, and told her all about his trials. She also told him to wait until morning. The next day, she rose at dawn, summoned all the birds from around the world, and asked them if they knew where the Half-Human was.

- We know nothing, but the dove is not here with us; perhaps he knows.

Soon the dove arrived. Saint Trinity's sister asked him the same question, and the dove replied:

- The Half-Human is at the royal court. He is engaged to the king's daughter, and the wedding will take place in a year. The king has decided to find musicians whose playing will make both the old and the young dance... And I have brought with me a magical flute that I found in a dragon's lair: it might be useful to someone. I learned about the Half-Human's strength from his own words. He told me that his strength lies to the east of the royal palace. You must cross nine boundaries, and in the first village beyond the ninth boundary, there is a high mountain where sheep graze. In this mountain, there is a deep crevice where a lame hare lives. In the hare's stomach lies a golden apple, and inside the apple are nine worms. It is in these nine worms that the Half-Human's strength lies, and whoever reaches them and kills the worms will kill the Half-Human. Having said this, the dove flew away, and Saint Trinity entered the hut, woke the weary Basil the Green, and said to him:

- Take the magical flute and go to the royal palace, where the Half-Human, who killed you, resides. When you get there, inform the king through his bodyguard that you wish to play at his daughter's wedding. You see, the king is looking for musicians whose playing will make both the old and the young, and even the mountains and rivers, dance. Play the flute for him. After you agree on a price with the king, leave the royal court, head east, and cross nine boundaries. In the first village beyond the ninth boundary, hire yourself out as a shepherd. Then take the sheep and climb the high mountain, and when you reach the top, you will see a deep crevice. Then play the flute. As soon as you play, a lame hare will come out of the crevice and begin to dance to your music; kill it quickly. Inside it, you will find a golden apple, and inside the apple are nine worms. It is in these nine worms that the Half-Human's strength lies. As soon as you kill the worms, he will die immediately, and the princess, whom you saved from death, will be yours. But know that your path will be difficult; terrible storms and raging streams block the way to the Half-Human's strength. Only if you can overcome all these obstacles will you find what you seek.

Basil the Green thanked her, kissed her hand, and went to the royal palace. He walked and walked until he reached the palace, and through the gatekeeper, he informed the king that he wished to play at the wedding.

Hearing this, the king ordered the traveler to be let into the courtyard, and when he saw him, he asked what instrument he played. Basil the Green replied:

- I play not some divine instrument, but a flute. Yet when I play for you, the grass and leaves of the trees, and the whole world, will dance. The king laughed:

- Musicians like you can only play for sheep, not at my daughter's wedding, but... go ahead, play, let's see what you can do.

Basil the Green took out the magical flute and began to play. Such sounds poured forth that not only the king and his courtiers began to dance, but also the trees and the stones of the pavement. The king was very pleased; he gave the musician a good price and ordered him to come and play at the wedding.
Basil the Green then asked for permission to see the bride, and the king replied:

"You will see the bride when you come to play."

Basil the Green left the royal court and headed east, toward a high mountain where the power of the Half-Man was hidden.

He walked for a long time, overcoming all the hardships of the journey, but when he reached the ninth boundary, a hurricane of unprecedented strength arose. Suddenly, a wall of water rose before him, and in the water swam enormous black snakes, so terrifying that Basil the Green trembled. Nevertheless, he plunged into the water to cross this boundary, just as he had crossed the others. As he struggled against the waves, the hurricane broke the dam of a pond belonging to a wealthy nobleman. In this pond, there were many fish, and one large fish rushed at Basil the Green to devour him. In the struggle with the fish, he lost the reed pipe he had tucked into his belt, but he only noticed its absence when he reached the shore. Angry and disheartened, he said:

"Well, now go on if you can!" He took a deep breath and dove back into the water to search for his magical reed pipe. As he dove in search of the pipe, the snakes swam closer and attacked him en masse, almost killing him.

But Basil the Green knew that snakes do not open their mouths in water, so he paid them no attention and continued searching for the magical reed pipe. He searched for a long time and finally found it under a large rock. He began to make his way out of the water to continue toward the great mountain. But the snakes coiled around his body, arms, and legs, waiting for him to emerge from the water so they could sink their venomous fangs into him... Basil the Green did not panic, and as soon as he stepped out of the water, he began to play the magical reed pipe. The snakes started to dance, and in this way, he freed himself from them. Then he headed to the first village of the ninth boundary, where the power of the Half-Man was located. Upon arriving in the village, he asked a man for shelter to rest from the journey. The man took him in. After Basil the Green had rested, the host asked him where he was headed and what he was seeking. Basil the Green replied:

"I am looking for a master to hire me as a shepherd to tend his sheep."

The host promised to find him a position and took him to the village priest. The priest agreed to hire him and said:

"I will hire you, but know that you are responsible for the sheep with your head. Make sure none of them stray from the flock."

But Basil the Green was least concerned about the sheep. He bowed to the priest and went to the great mountain where the sheep grazed. When he arrived, he took out his reed pipe and began to play, continuing until a hare appeared and started to dance. Basil the Green rushed at it, grabbed it by the ears, struck it with the reed pipe, and crushed its skull. Then he split its body in half and found a golden apple containing nine worms. Overjoyed, Basil the Green killed two of the worms on the spot. Immediately, the Half-Man fell ill. Basil the Green hid the golden apple in his pocket, and such joy overcame him that he played the reed pipe without stopping until half the sheep dropped dead from exhaustion.

Then he turned westward, from where he had come, and set off on the return journey to the royal court, where the girl he loved lived, now betrothed to the vile Half-Man. The princess sat in her tower, thinking bitterly about her fate, for she had no desire to marry the monster.

As Basil the Green approached the royal palace, he passed by a fair and bought himself a silk robe, the kind only doctors wore at the time. Meanwhile, the king, seeing that the Half-Man was ill, summoned the best doctors from across the land. He feared that if his son-in-law died, other kings would accuse him of murder. But none of the doctors who examined the patient could determine what ailment had befallen him. At that moment, Basil the Green arrived at the royal palace and entered under the guise of a doctor, claiming he had come to examine and heal the Half-Man. The king ordered the doctor to be admitted to the Half-Man's chamber. While Basil the Green waited for the king's command, he took out the apple and killed five more worms. Then he quickly entered the Half-Man's room, where the creature lay in bed with his head bandaged, barely breathing. The doctor approached him, and the Half-Man, as soon as he looked at the healer—that is, Basil the Green—immediately recognized him and shouted:

"Where did you come from? I killed you and threw your body under the threshold!" But Basil the Green did not mince words:

"I have risen and learned the art of healing, and now I have come here to heal you as you once healed me. You coveted another's labor and took the girl, disregarding the fact that I defeated the dragons. You shirked the battle but desired the glory, boasting that it was you who defeated the dragons and that the princess should be yours. Know this: human labor is never in vain. I have learned the art of healing and found the source of your power. If you wish to see it, look—it is in my pocket."

Basil the Green took out the remaining worms from the apple, placed them on the table, and crushed them. At that moment, the Half-Man breathed his last. The king and queen were overjoyed and quickly called for the princess. She entered the room, and when she saw Basil the Green, she nearly fainted.

"Is it you, Basil the Green, the one who saved me from death?" she cried.

Soon they held a wedding, dancing for a whole year and one more night, while the people rejoiced and celebrated, for they were freed from the dragon and the evil Half-Man.

And I was at that wedding,
I could have feasted there forever,
Ate an ox in one breath—
Almost burst my belly.

Then I mounted a stallion
And brought the tale to its conclusion.

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Basil the Green and the Tsar's Daughter

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