Finist the Falcon

Once upon a time, there lived a peasant. His wife passed away, leaving him with three daughters. The old man wanted to hire a maid to help with the household chores. But the youngest daughter, Maryushka, said:

"No need, father, to hire a maid. I will manage the household myself."

And so it was. Maryushka began to manage the household. She was skilled at everything, and everything she did turned out well. Her father loved her dearly, happy that such a clever and hardworking daughter was growing up. Maryushka was a beauty, as if painted. But her sisters were envious and greedy. They were not pretty, yet they were obsessed with fashion—they spent their days powdering their faces, rouging their cheeks, and dressing up in new clothes. Nothing ever satisfied them—no dress, no boots, no scarf.

One day, the father went to the market and asked his daughters:

"What shall I buy for you, my daughters, to make you happy?"

The eldest and middle daughters said:

"Buy us each a shawl, one with large flowers painted in gold."

But Maryushka stood silent. Her father asked her:

"And what about you, my dear daughter? What shall I buy for you?"
"Buy me, father, a feather from Finist, the Bright Falcon."

When the father returned, he brought shawls for his elder daughters, but he couldn’t find the feather.

The father went to the market again.

"Well," he said, "daughters, tell me what gifts you want."

The eldest and middle daughters were delighted:

"Buy us boots with silver heels."

But Maryushka again asked:

"Buy me, father, a feather from Finist, the Bright Falcon."

The father searched all day, bought the boots, but couldn’t find the feather. He returned without it.

So it went. The old man went to the market a third time, and the eldest and middle daughters said:

"Buy us each a dress."

And Maryushka again requested:

"Father, buy me a feather from Finist, the Bright Falcon."

The father searched all day but couldn’t find the feather. As he was leaving the city, he met an old man:

"Greetings, grandfather!"
"Hello, dear one! Where are you headed?"
"Home, grandfather, to the village. But I have a sorrow: my youngest daughter asked me to buy a feather from Finist, the Bright Falcon, and I couldn’t find it."
"I have such a feather, but it is a cherished one. Still, for a good person, I will part with it."

The old man took out the feather and handed it over, though it looked quite ordinary. The peasant thought to himself: "What did Maryushka see in it that’s so special?"

When the old man brought the gifts to his daughters, the eldest and middle daughters dressed up and mocked Maryushka:

"You were a fool, and you still are. Stick your feather in your hair and show off!"

Maryushka said nothing and stepped aside. When everyone went to bed, she threw the feather on the floor and said:

"Dear Finist, the Bright Falcon, appear to me, my awaited groom!"

And there appeared before her a young man of indescribable beauty. By morning, the young man struck the floor and turned into a falcon. Maryushka opened the window for him, and the falcon flew into the blue sky.

For three days, Maryushka welcomed the young man. During the day, he flew as a falcon in the sky, and at night, he returned to Maryushka as a handsome young man.

On the fourth day, the jealous sisters noticed and told their father about their sister.

"Dear daughters," the father said, "mind your own business!"

"Alright," thought the sisters, "we’ll see how this unfolds."

They stuck sharp knives into the window frame and hid, watching. Soon, the bright falcon flew in. He reached the window but couldn’t enter Maryushka’s room. He struggled and struggled, cutting his chest on the knives, but Maryushka was asleep and didn’t hear. Then the falcon said:

"Whoever needs me will find me. But it won’t be easy. You will find me when you wear out three pairs of iron shoes, break three iron staffs, and tear three iron caps."

Maryushka heard this, jumped out of bed, looked out the window, but the falcon was gone, leaving only a bloody trace on the windowsill. Maryushka wept bitter tears—she washed away the bloody trace with her tears and became even more beautiful.

She went to her father and said:

"Do not scold me, father. Let me go on a long journey. If I live, we will meet again; if I die, then it is my fate."

Though it pained him, the father let his beloved daughter go.

Maryushka ordered three pairs of iron shoes, three iron staffs, and three iron caps, and set off on her long journey to find her beloved Finist, the Bright Falcon. She walked through open fields, dark forests, and high mountains. The birds cheered her heart with their songs, the streams washed her fair face, and the dark forests welcomed her. No one dared harm her—gray wolves, bears, and foxes all gathered around her. She wore out her iron shoes, broke her iron staff, and tore her iron cap.

Finally, Maryushka came to a clearing and saw a hut on chicken legs, spinning around. She said:

"Hut, hut, turn your back to the forest and your front to me! I need to enter and eat bread."

The hut turned its back to the forest and its front to Maryushka. She entered and saw Baba Yaga—the bony-legged witch, with legs stretching from corner to corner, lips on the shelf, and her nose grown into the ceiling.

Baba Yaga saw Maryushka and hissed:

"Ugh, ugh, I smell Russian spirit! Fair maiden, are you here on business or just wandering?"
"I seek, grandmother, Finist, the Bright Falcon."
"Ah, beauty, you have a long search ahead! Your bright falcon is beyond thrice-nine lands, in the thrice-ninth kingdom. A sorceress queen has enchanted him with a potion and married him. But I will help you. Here is a silver saucer and a golden egg. When you reach the thrice-ninth kingdom, hire yourself as a maid to the queen. When you finish your work, take the saucer, place the golden egg on it, and it will roll by itself. If they try to buy it, do not sell it. Ask to see Finist, the Bright Falcon."

Maryushka thanked Baba Yaga and set off. The forest grew darker, and Maryushka grew afraid, unable to take a step. But then a cat appeared, jumped to her, and purred:

"Do not fear, Maryushka, go forward. It will get even scarier, but keep going and do not look back."

The cat rubbed against her and disappeared, and Maryushka continued on her way. The forest grew even darker.

Maryushka walked and walked, wearing out her iron shoes, breaking her iron staff, and tearing her iron cap. She came to another hut on chicken legs. Around it was a fence with skulls on stakes, and each skull glowed with fire.

Maryushka said:

"Hut, hut, turn your back to the forest and your front to me! I need to enter and eat bread."

The hut turned its back to the forest and its front to Maryushka. She entered and saw Baba Yaga—the bony-legged witch, with legs stretching from corner to corner, lips on the shelf, and her nose grown into the ceiling.

Baba Yaga saw Maryushka and hissed:

"Ugh, ugh, I smell Russian spirit! Fair maiden, are you here on business or just wandering?"
"I seek, grandmother, Finist, the Bright Falcon."
"Have you been to my sister?"
"Yes, grandmother."
"Very well, beauty, I will help you. Take these silver embroidery hoops and a golden needle. The needle will embroider silver and gold on crimson velvet. If they try to buy it, do not sell it. Ask to see Finist, the Bright Falcon."

Maryushka thanked Baba Yaga and set off. In the forest, there was noise, thunder, whistling, and the skulls illuminated the woods. Maryushka grew frightened. Suddenly, a dog appeared...
— Woof, woof, Maryushka, don’t be afraid, dear, go on. It will get even scarier, don’t look back.

She said it and was gone. Maryushka walked on, and the forest grew even darker. It grabbed at her feet, clutched at her sleeves... Maryushka walked and walked, never looking back.

Whether she walked for a long time or a short time—she wore out her iron shoes, broke her iron staff, and tore her iron cap. She came out into a clearing, and in the clearing stood a hut on chicken legs, surrounded by a fence, with horse skulls on the stakes, and each skull burned with fire.

Maryushka said:

— Hut, hut, turn your back to the forest and your front to me!

The hut turned its back to the forest and its front to Maryushka. Maryushka entered the hut and saw: there sat Baba Yaga—the bony-legged witch, her legs stretching from corner to corner, her lips on the shelf, and her nose grown into the ceiling. She was black all over, with only one fang sticking out of her mouth.

Baba Yaga saw Maryushka and hissed:

— Ugh, ugh, it smells of Russian spirit! Red maiden, are you here on business or running from it?
— I’m looking for Finist—the bright falcon, grandmother.
— It will be hard for you, beauty, to find him, but I’ll help. Here’s a silver distaff and a golden spindle. Take them in your hands, and they’ll spin by themselves, pulling out not an ordinary thread, but a golden one.
— Thank you, grandmother.
— Fine, you can thank me later, but now listen to what I tell you: if they try to buy the golden spindle, don’t sell it, but ask to see Finist—the bright falcon.

Maryushka thanked Baba Yaga and left, and the forest roared and howled: a whistle rose, owls circled, mice crawled out of their holes—all heading for Maryushka. And Maryushka saw a gray wolf running toward her.

— Don’t despair, — he said, — but climb onto my back and don’t look back.

Maryushka climbed onto the gray wolf, and they were gone in an instant. Ahead lay wide steppes, velvet meadows, honey rivers, jelly banks, and mountains reaching into the clouds. And Maryushka rode and rode. And then before her appeared a crystal palace. Its porch was carved, its windows patterned, and in the window, a queen was looking out.

— Well, — said the wolf, — dismount, Maryushka, and go offer yourself as a servant.

Maryushka dismounted, took her bundle, thanked the wolf, and went to the crystal palace. She bowed to the queen and said:

— I don’t know how to address you, but might you need a worker?

The queen replied:

— I’ve long been looking for a worker, but one who can spin, weave, and embroider.

— I can do all of that.
— Then come in and get to work.

And so Maryushka became a servant. She worked all day, and when night fell, she would take a silver plate and a golden egg and say:

— Roll, roll, golden egg, on the silver plate, show me my beloved.

The egg would roll on the silver plate, and Finist—the bright falcon—would appear. Maryushka would look at him and weep:

— Finist, my Finist—the bright falcon, why did you leave me alone, bitter and weeping for you?

The queen overheard her words and said:

— Sell me, Maryushka, the silver plate and the golden egg.
— No, — said Maryushka, — they’re not for sale. I’ll give them to you if you let me see Finist—the bright falcon.

The queen thought and thought.

— Fine, — she said, — so be it. At night, when he’s asleep, I’ll show him to you.

Night came, and Maryushka went to the bedroom of Finist—the bright falcon. She saw her beloved sleeping a deep, unbreakable sleep. Maryushka couldn’t take her eyes off him, kissed his sweet lips, pressed him to her white breast—but her beloved didn’t wake.

Morning came, and Maryushka couldn’t wake her dear one...

She worked all day, and in the evening, she took a silver embroidery hoop and a golden needle. She sat embroidering, murmuring to herself:

— Embroider, embroider, pattern, for Finist—the bright falcon. Let him have something to wipe his face with in the morning.

The queen overheard and said:

— Sell me, Maryushka, the silver hoop and the golden needle.
— I won’t sell them, — said Maryushka, — but I’ll give them to you if you let me meet Finist—the bright falcon.

The queen thought and thought.

— Fine, — she said, — so be it, come at night.

Night came. Maryushka entered the bedroom of Finist—the bright falcon, but he slept a deep, unbreakable sleep.

— Finist, my bright falcon, wake up, rise!

But Finist—the bright falcon slept on. Maryushka tried to wake him—but couldn’t.

Morning came.

Maryushka sat at work, holding the silver distaff and the golden spindle. The queen saw them and demanded: sell them!

— I won’t sell them, but I’ll give them to you if you let me spend an hour with Finist—the bright falcon.
— Fine, — said the queen.

But she thought to herself: "She won’t wake him anyway."

Night came. Maryushka entered the bedroom of Finist—the bright falcon, but he slept a deep, unbreakable sleep.

— Finist, my bright falcon, wake up, rise!

But Finist slept on, not waking.

Maryushka tried and tried—but couldn’t wake him, and dawn was near.

She wept:

— My dear Finist—the bright falcon, wake up, rise, look at your Maryushka, hold her to your heart!

Maryushka’s tear fell on Finist’s bare shoulder and burned him. Finist—the bright falcon stirred, looked around, and saw Maryushka. He embraced her, kissed her:

— Can it really be you, Maryushka! You’ve worn out three pairs of shoes, broken three iron staffs, torn three iron caps, and found me? Let’s go home now.

They began to gather their things, but the queen saw and ordered the trumpets to sound, announcing the betrayal of her husband.

Princes and merchants gathered, holding council on how to punish Finist—the bright falcon.

Then Finist—the bright falcon said:

— Which, in your opinion, is the true wife: the one who loves deeply, or the one who sells and deceives?

All agreed that Finist’s true wife was Maryushka.

And so they lived happily ever after. They returned to their kingdom, held a feast, blew the trumpets, fired the cannons, and the feast was so grand that it’s remembered to this day.
Fairy girl