The Three Kingdoms - Copper, Silver, and Golden

In that ancient time when the world was filled with forest spirits, witches, and mermaids, when rivers flowed with milk, banks were made of jelly, and roasted partridges flew across the fields, there lived a king named Gorokh (Pea) with his queen, Anastasia the Beautiful. They had three prince sons.

A great calamity struck—the queen was kidnapped by an unclean spirit. The eldest son said to the king:

"Father, bless me. I will go to search for our mother."

He set off and disappeared; for three years, there was no word or trace of him.

Then the second son begged:

"Father, bless me for the journey. Perhaps I will be lucky enough to find both my brother and our mother."

The king blessed him, and he too set off, vanishing without a trace—as if he had sunk into water.

Finally, the youngest son, Ivan Tsarevich, came to the king:

"Dear father, bless me for the journey. Perhaps I will find both my brothers and our mother."

"Go, my son!"

Ivan Tsarevich set off to a distant land. He traveled and traveled until he came to the blue sea. He stopped on the shore and thought, "Where should I go now?"

Suddenly, thirty-three spoonbills flew to the sea, struck the ground, and turned into red maidens—all beautiful, but one was the most beautiful of all. They undressed and jumped into the water.

After they had bathed for some time, Ivan Tsarevich crept up, took the sash of the most beautiful maiden, and hid it in his bosom.

The maidens finished bathing, came ashore, and began to dress—but one sash was missing.

"Ah, Ivan Tsarevich," said the beauty, "give me back my sash."

"First, tell me where my mother is."

"Your mother lives with my father—Voron Voronovich (Raven, son of Raven). Go up along the sea, and you will meet a silver bird with a golden crest. Follow where it flies."

Ivan Tsarevich returned her sash and went up along the sea. There he met his brothers, greeted them, and took them with him.

They walked along the shore together and saw the silver bird with the golden crest. They ran after it. The bird flew and flew, then dived under an iron slab into an underground pit.

"Well, brothers," said Ivan Tsarevich, "bless me in place of our father and mother. I will descend into this pit and see what the foreign land is like—perhaps our mother is there."

His brothers blessed him. He sat on a rope, climbed into the deep pit, and descended for exactly three years. When he reached the bottom, he set off on his journey.

He walked and walked until he saw the Copper Kingdom. In the palace sat thirty-three spoonbill maidens, embroidering towels with intricate patterns—towns and suburbs.

"Greetings, Ivan Tsarevich!" said the princess of the Copper Kingdom. "Where are you going? What path do you follow?"

"I am searching for my mother."

"Your mother is with my father, Voron Voronovich. He is cunning and wise—he has flown over mountains, valleys, caves, and clouds! He will kill you, good fellow! Here is a ball of thread. Go to my middle sister—she will tell you what to do. And when you return, do not forget me."

Ivan Tsarevich rolled the ball and followed it. He came to the Silver Kingdom, where thirty-three spoonbill maidens sat. The princess of the Silver Kingdom said:

"Until now, the Russian spirit was neither seen nor heard, but today it appears before our eyes! What brings you here, Ivan Tsarevich? Are you seeking trouble or business?"

"Ah, fair maiden, I am searching for my mother."

"Your mother is with my father, Voron Voronovich. He is cunning and wise—he has flown over mountains, valleys, caves, and clouds! Oh, Tsarevich, he will kill you! Here is a ball of thread. Go to my youngest sister—she will tell you whether to go forward or turn back."

Ivan Tsarevich came to the Golden Kingdom, where thirty-three spoonbill maidens sat, embroidering towels. The princess of the Golden Kingdom was the tallest and most beautiful—so lovely that no tale could describe her, no pen could write of her. She said:

"Greetings, Ivan Tsarevich! Where are you going? What path do you follow?"

"I am searching for my mother."

"Your mother is with my father, Voron Voronovich. He is cunning and wise—he has flown over mountains, valleys, caves, and clouds! Oh, Tsarevich, he will kill you! Here is a ball of thread. Go to the Pearl Kingdom—your mother lives there. When she sees you, she will rejoice and immediately order: 'Nannies and nurses, bring my son some green wine.' But do not take it. Ask for the three-year-old wine that stands in the cabinet, and a burnt crust for a snack. Do not forget this: in my father's courtyard, there are two vats of water—one is strong, the other weak. Switch their places and drink the strong water."

The prince and princess talked for a long time and grew so fond of each other that they did not want to part. But there was no choice—Ivan Tsarevich bid her farewell and set off on his journey.

He walked and walked until he came to the Pearl Kingdom. His mother saw him, rejoiced, and cried:

"Nannies and nurses! Bring my son some green wine."

"I do not drink ordinary wine. Bring me the three-year-old wine, and a burnt crust for a snack."

He drank the three-year-old wine, ate the burnt crust, went out to the wide courtyard, switched the vats, and began drinking the strong water.

Suddenly, Voron Voronovich flew in. He was as bright as a clear day, but when he saw Ivan Tsarevich, he turned darker than the darkest night. He landed by the vat and began drinking the weak water.

Meanwhile, Ivan Tsarevich leaped onto his wings. Voron Voronovich soared high into the sky, carrying him over valleys, mountains, caves, and clouds, and began to ask:

"What do you need, Ivan Tsarevich? Do you want me to give you treasure?"

"I need nothing. Just give me your little staff-feather."

"No, Ivan Tsarevich! You are sitting too comfortably in my wide sleigh." And again, Voron carried him over mountains and valleys, caves and clouds. Ivan Tsarevich held on tightly, pressing down with all his weight and nearly breaking Voron's wings. Then Voron Voronovich cried out:

"Do not break my wings! Take the little staff-feather!"
He gave the prince a small staff with a feather; he himself turned into a simple raven and flew to the steep mountains.

And Ivan the prince came to the pearl kingdom, took his mother, and set off on his return journey; he looked back and saw that the pearl kingdom had rolled itself into a ball and was rolling after him.

He came to the golden kingdom, then to the silver kingdom, and finally to the copper kingdom. He took with him the three beautiful princesses, and those kingdoms rolled themselves into balls and followed them. He approached the ropes and blew the golden trumpet.

"Brothers! If you are alive, do not betray me."

The brothers heard the trumpet, grabbed the ropes, and pulled up the soul of the fair maiden, the princess of the copper kingdom. When they saw her, they began to quarrel among themselves, each unwilling to yield her to the other.

"Why are you fighting, good fellows? There is a maiden fairer than me."

The princes lowered the ropes and pulled up the princess of the silver kingdom. Again they began to argue and fight; one said:

"Let her be mine!" And the other:

"No! She shall be mine!"

"Do not quarrel, good fellows, there is a maiden fairer than me."

The princes stopped fighting, lowered the ropes, and pulled up the princess of the golden kingdom. They were about to start quarreling again, but the beautiful princess stopped them at once:

"Your mother is waiting there!"

They pulled up their mother and lowered the ropes for Ivan the prince. They raised him halfway and then cut the ropes. Ivan the prince fell into the abyss, was badly hurt, and lay unconscious for six months. When he came to, he looked around, remembered all that had happened, took the small staff with a feather from his pocket, and struck it against the ground. At that very moment, twelve young men appeared.

"What do you command, Ivan the prince?"

"Take me to the free world."

The young men took him by the arms and carried him to the free world. Ivan the prince began to inquire about his brothers and learned that they had long since married: the princess from the copper kingdom had married the middle brother, the princess from the silver kingdom had married the eldest brother, and his own betrothed had refused to marry anyone. And the old father himself decided to marry her; he called a council, accused his wife of conspiring with evil spirits, and ordered her head to be cut off. After the execution, he asked the princess from the golden kingdom:

"Will you marry me?"

"I will marry you when you make me shoes without a measure." The king ordered a proclamation to be made, asking everyone if anyone could make the princess shoes without a measure.

At that time, Ivan the prince returned to his kingdom, hired himself out as a worker to an old man, and sent him to the king:

"Go, grandfather, take on this task. I will make the shoes for you, but do not tell anyone about me." The old man went to the king:

"I am ready to take on this work."

The king gave him the materials for a pair of shoes and asked:

"Will you be able to do it, old man?"

"Do not worry, sire, my son is a shoemaker."

Returning home, the old man gave the materials to Ivan the prince; he cut the materials into pieces, threw them out the window, then opened the golden kingdom and took out the finished shoes:

"Here, grandfather, take them to the king." The king was delighted and pressed the bride:

"How soon shall we go to the wedding?" She replied:

"I will marry you when you make me a dress without a measure." The king again bustled about, gathered all the craftsmen, gave them large sums of money, just to have a dress made without a measure. Ivan the prince said to the old man:

"Grandfather, go to the king, take the fabric, I will make the dress for you, but do not tell anyone about me."

The old man trudged to the palace, took the satins and velvets, returned home, and gave them to the prince. Ivan the prince immediately took the scissors, cut all the satins and velvets into shreds, and threw them out the window; he opened the golden kingdom, took the finest dress from there, and gave it to the old man:

"Take it to the palace!" The king was overjoyed:

"What, my beloved bride, is it not time for us to go to the wedding?" The princess replied:

"I will marry you when you take the old man's son and have him boiled in milk."

The king did not hesitate, gave the order, and on the same day, they collected a bucket of milk from every household, poured it into a large cauldron, and boiled it over a strong fire.

They brought Ivan the prince; he began to say goodbye to everyone, bowing to the ground; they threw him into the cauldron: he dived once, dived again, jumped out, and became such a handsome man that no words could describe him. The princess said:

"Look, king! Whom should I marry: you, an old man, or him, a fine young man?"

The king thought: "If I bathe in the milk, I will become just as handsome!"

He threw himself into the cauldron and was boiled in the milk.

And Ivan the prince went with the princess from the golden kingdom to get married; they were wed and began to live happily, prospering and gaining wealth.

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The Three Kingdoms - Copper, Silver, and Golden

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