The Sea King and Vasilisa the Wise

In a faraway land, in the thirtieth kingdom, there once lived a tsar and tsaritsa. They had no children. The tsar traveled to foreign lands, to distant places, and for a long time did not return home. During that time, the tsaritsa gave birth to a son, Ivan Tsarevich, but the tsar knew nothing of it.

When he finally set off for his own kingdom, as he approached his land, the day was scorching hot, and the sun burned fiercely! A great thirst came over him; he would give anything just to drink some water! He looked around and saw a large lake not far away. He rode up to the lake, dismounted from his horse, lay down on the ground, and began to gulp down the cold water. He drank and did not sense any danger; but the Sea Tsar grabbed him by the beard.

"Let me go!" begged the tsar.

"I won't let you go! How dare you drink without my permission!"

"Take whatever ransom you want—just let me go!"

"Give me what you do not know at home."

The tsar thought and thought... What did he not know at home? It seemed he knew everything, everything was familiar to him—and so he agreed. He tried to move—no one was holding his beard anymore; he got up from the ground, mounted his horse, and rode home.

When he arrived home, the tsaritsa greeted him with the tsarevich, full of joy; but when he learned of his dear child, he burst into bitter tears. He told the tsaritsa what had happened, and they wept together, but there was nothing to be done—tears would not fix the matter.

They continued to live as before, and the tsarevich grew and grew, like dough on yeast—not by the day, but by the hour—until he became a young man.

"No matter how long I keep him with me," thought the tsar, "I must give him up: it is inevitable!" He took Ivan Tsarevich by the hand and led him straight to the lake.

"Look for my ring here," he said. "I accidentally dropped it yesterday."

He left the tsarevich alone and turned back home.

The tsarevich began to search for the ring, walking along the shore, when he met an old woman.

"Where are you going, Ivan Tsarevich?"

"Leave me alone, don't bother me, old witch! I'm already upset enough without you."

"Well, farewell then!"

And the old woman went on her way.

But Ivan Tsarevich thought to himself, "Why did I scold the old woman? I should call her back; old people are clever and wise! Maybe she'll say something helpful." So he called out to her:

"Come back, grandmother, and forgive my foolish words! I spoke out of frustration: my father made me search for a ring, and I keep looking, but there's no sign of it!"

"You're not here for a ring: your father has given you to the Sea Tsar. The Sea Tsar will come and take you to his underwater kingdom."

The tsarevich wept bitterly.

"Don't grieve, Ivan Tsarevich! Your time of joy will come; just listen to me, an old woman. Hide behind that currant bush and stay very quiet. Twelve doves will fly here—all maidens—and after them, a thirteenth. They will bathe in the lake; meanwhile, you must take the shift of the last one and not give it back until she gives you her ring. If you fail to do this, you will perish forever. Around the Sea Tsar's palace stands a high fence, stretching for miles, with a head on each spike; only one spike is empty—don't let it be yours!"

Ivan Tsarevich thanked the old woman, hid behind the currant bush, and waited for the right moment.

Suddenly, twelve doves flew in; they struck the damp earth and turned into maidens, each more beautiful than the last—beyond imagination or description! They threw off their clothes and jumped into the lake: they played, splashed, laughed, and sang songs.

After them, the thirteenth dove flew in; she struck the damp earth, turned into a beautiful maiden, shed her shift, and went to bathe; she was the loveliest of them all!

For a long time, Ivan Tsarevich could not take his eyes off her, gazing at her and remembering what the old woman had told him. He crept up quietly and took her shift.

The maiden came out of the water and realized her shift was gone—someone had taken it. They all began to search, but it was nowhere to be found.

"Don't look, dear sisters! Fly home; it's my fault—I wasn't careful, and I will answer for it."

The sisters—the maidens—struck the damp earth, turned back into doves, flapped their wings, and flew away. Only one maiden remained. She looked around and said:

"Whoever has my shift, come out here; if you are an old man, you will be my dear father; if you are middle-aged, you will be my beloved brother; if you are my equal, you will be my dear friend!"

As soon as she spoke the last word, Ivan Tsarevich appeared. She gave him a golden ring and said:

"Ah, Ivan Tsarevich! Why did you take so long to come? The Sea Tsar is angry with you. Here is the road that leads to the underwater kingdom; go boldly! You will find me there; for I am the daughter of the Sea Tsar, Vasilisa the Wise."

Vasilisa the Wise turned into a dove and flew away from the tsarevich.

And Ivan Tsarevich set off for the underwater kingdom. He saw that there, too, the light was the same as in our world; there were fields, meadows, green groves, and the sun shone warmly.

He came to the Sea Tsar. The Sea Tsar shouted at him:

"Why have you been gone so long? For your fault, here is your task: I have a wasteland thirty miles long and wide—full of ditches, ravines, and sharp stones! By tomorrow, it must be as smooth as the palm of your hand, sown with rye, and by early morning, it must grow so tall that a crow could hide in it. If you fail—your head will roll!"

Ivan Tsarevich walked away from the Sea Tsar, weeping. Vasilisa the Wise saw him from the window of her high tower and asked:

"Greetings, Ivan Tsarevich! Why are you weeping?"

"How can I not weep?" replied the tsarevich. "The Sea Tsar has ordered me to level the ditches, ravines, and sharp stones in one night, sow rye, and have it grow so tall by morning that a crow could hide in it."

"That's no trouble; the real trouble lies ahead. Go to sleep with God's blessing; the morning is wiser than the evening—everything will be ready!"

Ivan Tsarevich went to sleep, and Vasilisa the Wise stepped out onto the porch and called out in a loud voice:

"Hey, my faithful servants! Level the deep ditches, remove the sharp stones, sow the rye thickly, so that it ripens by morning."
Ivan Tsarevich woke at dawn, looked around, and saw that everything was ready: there were no ditches or gullies, the field stood smooth as a palm, and rye swayed upon it—so tall that a crow could hide in it.

He went to report to the Sea King.

"Thank you," said the Sea King, "for serving me well. Here is another task: I have three hundred stacks, each containing three hundred sheaves—all of white wheat. Thresh all the wheat cleanly by tomorrow, not a single grain lost, and do not break the stacks or the sheaves. If you fail, your head will roll!"

"At your command, Your Majesty!" said Ivan Tsarevich. He walked across the courtyard, weeping bitterly.

"Why are you crying so bitterly?" asked Vasilisa the Wise.

"How can I not cry? The Sea King has ordered me to thresh all the stacks in one night, not lose a single grain, and not break the stacks or the sheaves."

"That’s no trouble; the real trouble lies ahead. Go to sleep with God’s blessing; the morning is wiser than the evening."

The prince lay down to sleep, while Vasilisa the Wise stepped onto the porch and called out in a loud voice:

"Hey, you crawling ants! All of you in the wide world, come here and pick the grain from my father’s stacks, cleanly and thoroughly!"

In the morning, the Sea King summoned Ivan Tsarevich:

"Have you done your task?"

"I have, Your Majesty!"

"Let us see."

They went to the threshing floor—all the stacks stood untouched. They entered the granary—all the bins were full to the brim with grain.

"Thank you, brother!" said the Sea King. "Now, build me a church of pure wax, ready by dawn. This will be your final task."

Again, Ivan Tsarevich walked across the courtyard, washing his face with tears.

"Why are you crying so bitterly?" asked Vasilisa the Wise from her high tower.

"How can I not cry, good fellow? The Sea King has ordered me to build a church of pure wax in one night."

"Well, that’s no trouble; the real trouble lies ahead. Go to sleep; the morning is wiser than the evening."

The prince lay down to sleep, while Vasilisa the Wise stepped onto the porch and called out in a loud voice:

"Hey, you hardworking bees! All of you in the wide world, come here and build a church of pure wax for God, ready by morning!"

In the morning, Ivan Tsarevich woke, looked around, and saw a church of pure wax standing there. He went to report to the Sea King.

"Thank you, Ivan Tsarevich! None of my servants have ever pleased me as you have. Be my heir and protector of the entire kingdom. Choose any of my thirteen daughters as your wife."

Ivan Tsarevich chose Vasilisa the Wise. They were wed at once and feasted joyfully for three full days.

Time passed, and Ivan Tsarevich grew homesick for his parents and longed to return to Holy Rus'.

"Why so sad, Ivan Tsarevich?"

"Ah, Vasilisa the Wise, I miss my father and mother. I long to return to Holy Rus'."

"Now the real trouble has come! If we leave, the Sea King will send a great chase after us; he will grow angry and put us to death. We must be cunning!"

Vasilisa the Wise spat in three corners, locked the doors of her tower, and ran with Ivan Tsarevich to Holy Rus'.

The next morning, early, messengers from the Sea King came to wake the young couple and summon them to the palace. They knocked on the door:

"Wake up, rise! Your father calls you."

"It’s still early; we haven’t slept enough. Come back later!" replied one of the spit marks.

The messengers left, waited an hour or two, and knocked again:

"It’s no time to sleep; it’s time to rise!"

"Wait a little; we’ll get up and dress!" replied the second spit mark.

The messengers came a third time:

"The Sea King is angry; why are they taking so long?"

"We’ll be right there!" replied the third spit mark.

The messengers waited and knocked again: there was no reply, no answer! They broke down the door, but the tower was empty.

They reported to the king that the young couple had fled. Enraged, he sent a great chase after them.

But Vasilisa the Wise and Ivan Tsarevich were already far, far away! They rode swift horses without stopping, without rest.

"Now, Ivan Tsarevich, press your ear to the damp earth and listen: is there any chase from the Sea King?"
Ivan Tsarevich leaped off his horse, pressed his ear to the damp earth, and said:

"I hear the murmur of people and the clatter of horses' hooves!"

"That's a chase after us!" said Vasilisa the Wise, and immediately she turned the horses into a green meadow, Ivan Tsarevich into an old shepherd, and herself into a meek little sheep.

The pursuers arrived:

"Hey, old man! Have you seen a brave young man and a fair maiden passing by here?"

"No, good people, I haven’t seen them," replied Ivan Tsarevich. "For forty years I’ve been grazing here—not a single bird has flown by, not a single beast has scurried past!"

The pursuers turned back:

"Your Royal Majesty! We found no one on the road, only saw a shepherd tending a sheep."

"Why didn’t you seize them? That was them!" shouted the Sea King, and he sent a new pursuit.

Meanwhile, Ivan Tsarevich and Vasilisa the Wise were already galloping far away on swift horses.

"Now, Ivan Tsarevich, press your ear to the damp earth and listen—is there any pursuit from the Sea King?"

Ivan Tsarevich dismounted, pressed his ear to the damp earth, and said:

"I hear the murmur of people and the clatter of horses' hooves."

"That’s a chase after us!" said Vasilisa the Wise. She turned herself into a church, Ivan Tsarevich into an old priest, and the horses into trees.

The pursuers arrived:

"Hey, father! Have you seen a shepherd with a sheep passing by here?"

"No, good people, I haven’t seen them. For forty years I’ve been serving in this church—not a single bird has flown by, not a single beast has scurried past!"

The pursuers turned back:

"Your Royal Majesty! We found no shepherd or sheep anywhere; all we saw was a church and an old priest."

"Why didn’t you tear down the church and seize the priest? That was them!" shouted the Sea King, and he himself galloped in pursuit of Ivan Tsarevich and Vasilisa the Wise.

But they were already far ahead.

Again Vasilisa the Wise said:

"Ivan Tsarevich! Press your ear to the damp earth—do you hear any pursuit?"

Ivan Tsarevich dismounted, pressed his ear to the damp earth, and said:

"I hear the murmur of people and the clatter of horses' hooves, louder than before."

"That’s the King himself chasing us."

Vasilisa the Wise turned the horses into a lake, Ivan Tsarevich into a drake, and herself into a duck.

The Sea King galloped to the lake and immediately guessed who the duck and drake were. He struck the damp earth and turned into an eagle. The eagle tried to kill them, but it was no use: every time he swooped down to strike the drake, the drake dived into the water; every time he swooped down to strike the duck, the duck dived into the water! He struggled and struggled but couldn’t do anything. The Sea King galloped back to his underwater kingdom, while Vasilisa the Wise and Ivan Tsarevich waited for the right moment and then rode off to Holy Rus'.

After a long or short time, they arrived in the thrice-tenth kingdom.

"Wait for me in this little forest," said Ivan Tsarevich to Vasilisa the Wise. "I’ll go and report to my father and mother first."

"You’ll forget me, Ivan Tsarevich!"

"No, I won’t forget."

"No, Ivan Tsarevich, don’t say that—you’ll forget! Remember me when two doves start beating against the windows!"

Ivan Tsarevich entered the palace. His parents saw him, threw themselves on his neck, and began to kiss and embrace him. In his joy, Ivan Tsarevich forgot about Vasilisa the Wise.

He lived a day or two with his father and mother, and on the third day, he decided to propose to some princess.

Vasilisa the Wise went to the city and hired herself out to a baker as a worker. They began to prepare the bread. She took two pieces of dough, shaped them into doves, and put them in the oven.

"Guess, mistress, what will become of these doves?"

"What will become of them? We’ll eat them—that’s all!"

"No, you didn’t guess!"

Vasilisa the Wise opened the oven, opened the window—and at that very moment, the doves fluttered up, flew straight to the palace, and began beating against the windows. No matter how hard the royal servants tried, they couldn’t drive them away.

Only then did Ivan Tsarevich remember Vasilisa the Wise. He sent messengers to all corners to inquire and search for her, and they found her at the baker’s. He took her white hands, kissed her sugar lips, brought her to his father and mother, and they all began to live together happily, prospering and accumulating wealth.

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The Sea King and Vasilisa the Wise

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