Kotygoroshko

There lived an old man and an old woman. They had six sons and one daughter. One day, the father sent his sons to plow the field. The sons gathered and said:

— Let our sister bring us lunch to the field so we don’t have to return home in the middle of the day. The sister asked:
— But where will you be plowing?

The brothers replied:

— We’ll plow a furrow from our house straight to the field. You can follow that furrow.

The brothers got ready and set off.

As they went, they plowed the furrow with their plow.

In the forest near that field lived a serpent. He saw the brothers plowing the furrow and guessed that it was a path for someone. The serpent trampled that furrow and made a new one leading to his own yard.

Meanwhile, the mother prepared lunch for her sons and said:

— Take it, daughter!

So the daughter took the lunch to her brothers. She left the house and walked along the serpent’s furrow. She walked until she reached the serpent’s yard. There, the serpent grabbed her and said:

— From now on, you’ll live with me forever, and forget your family: you’ll never return to them!

At noon, the brothers unhitched the oxen and sat down—they waited and waited for lunch, but their sister never came. They worked hungry until evening.

When they returned home in the evening, they asked their mother:

— Why didn’t our sister bring us lunch? The mother said:
— Alyonka took your lunch long ago, but she hasn’t come back yet. I thought she’d return with you. Could she have gotten lost somewhere?

The brothers grew worried:
Maybe that cursed serpent who lives in the forest took Alyonka? We must go and find her!

And all six of them set off along the furrow. They walked and walked, talking among themselves. They saw a shepherd herding a flock of pigs.

— Hello, shepherd!
— Hello, lads! Where are you going? The brothers said:
— We’re going to look for our sister. It seems the cursed serpent took her!
— If you want to take your sister back from the serpent, roast and eat the biggest boar from my herd!

The brothers didn’t understand why this was necessary, but they didn’t argue. They slaughtered the biggest boar, roasted it, and started eating. They ate and ate—but couldn’t finish even a quarter of it.

— Well, — said the shepherd, — if you all together couldn’t eat one boar, you’d better not go to the serpent. Go back home! If you go, you won’t survive!

The brothers didn’t listen to him and went on. They walked and walked, and saw a shepherd herding a herd of cows and oxen. The brothers stopped and greeted the shepherd:

— Hello, shepherd!
— Hello, lads! Where are you going?
— We’re going to the serpent to rescue our sister.
— If you want to rescue her, — said the shepherd, — catch the biggest ox from my herd, roast it, and eat it all!

The brothers caught the biggest ox, slaughtered it, roasted it, and started eating. They each had a bite, but couldn’t eat more.

The shepherd said:

— If six of you couldn’t eat one ox, it seems your strength isn’t enough to rescue your sister. You’d better go back safe and sound.

The brothers didn’t listen to him. They went on. They walked and walked, and saw a shepherd herding a herd of horses by the road.

— Hello, shepherd! — said the brothers.
— Hello, lads! Where are you going? We’re going to that serpent who lives in the dark forest. He, the cursed one, took our sister. We’ll rescue her!

The shepherd pointed to a black stallion and said:

— Whoever catches that black stallion and mounts it will kill the serpent and rescue your sister. Whoever doesn’t catch it—better go back home!

The brothers tried to catch the stallion. They tried and tried, but couldn’t catch it.

— Go back home! — said the shepherd.
— No, we’ll go rescue our sister!

They went on. They walked and walked and came to the serpent’s yard. They entered the yard, looked around, and called for their sister.

Alyonka, their sister, came out and said:

— My dear brothers! Why did you come here? You can’t defeat this serpent. When he flies home, he’ll kill you all. Where can I hide you? Sit in this barn.

As soon as the brothers hid in the barn, the ground rumbled and shook. The serpent flew in, looked around, sniffed, and said:

— Ugh! Ugh! It smells like humans! But Alyonka replied:
— What humans? There’s no one here but me. You’ve been flying around the world and smelled human scent.
— Maybe so! — said the serpent. Alyonka asked him:
— What would you do if my brothers came here? Would you kill them?
— No, — replied the serpent, — I wouldn’t kill them. I’d welcome them as dear guests!

Alyonka was overjoyed. She ran to the yard, opened the barn, and said:

— Come out, brothers! They came out. The serpent asked:
— Well, how are you, dear guests?
— We’re fine.
— Alyonka, prepare a feast for our dear guests. Set the table!
The sister served lunch. The serpent swallowed a whole ox carcass, while the brothers ate just a piece each—they couldn’t eat more. The serpent said:

"Now bring some nuts for dessert." Alyonka brought a sack of iron nuts. And each nut was the size of a fist. The serpent said to the brothers:

"Well, dear guests, let’s crack some nuts!" The serpent kept cracking the nuts one after another. But the brothers each took one nut, tried to crack it, and couldn’t. The serpent laughed and said:

"Well, lads, shall we fight or make peace?"
"We’ll fight!"
"Then let’s go to a flat, open space!" They came to a smooth, open area. The serpent blew—and the ground turned to cast iron. The serpent struck the brothers—and all six of them were driven into the cast-iron ground. Then he pulled them all out, threw them into a deep pit, and covered the pit with a heavy stone...

The old man and the old woman waited and waited for their sons, but they never returned.

"Well," they said, "it seems they’ve perished, vanished, and will never return to us... We’re left alone, miserable, in this wide world..."

One day, the old woman washed some laundry and went to the river to rinse it. As she rinsed the laundry, she saw a pea rolling along the riverbank. She picked up the pea, swallowed it, and went home.

After some time, a son was born to her. The old couple began to think about what to name him. The old woman remembered the pea she had found by the river and swallowed, and said:

"Let’s call him Pokatigoroshok (Rolling Pea)!"

And so they named him.

Pokatigoroshok grew not by years, not by days—but by hours and minutes. He grew so big, so strong, and so handsome! He was a helper to his father and mother in everything, never refusing any work.

One day, the old man decided to dig a well near the house. He started digging, and Pokatigoroshok dug with him. They dug and dug until they reached a huge stone. The old man said:

"We need to call for help; we can’t lift this stone alone!"

He went to call for help. While the old man was gone, Pokatigoroshok lifted the stone himself. He stood there, tossing the stone as if it were a small pebble. When the people arrived, they were amazed—they couldn’t believe their eyes: they had never seen such a strongman!

The old man and Pokatigoroshok kept digging. They dug and dug until they found an iron pin.

"Father," said Pokatigoroshok, "I’ll go to the blacksmith and have him forge me a mace from this pin!"

He went to the blacksmith and brought the pin. The blacksmith was surprised and thought:

"Can a mace really be made from this pin?" But he forged a mace from his own iron. Pokatigoroshok returned and asked:

"Well, did you forge the mace?"
"Yes, I did."
"And is it made from my pin?"
"Yes, from yours."

Pokatigoroshok took the mace, returned home, and said to his father:

"I’ll throw my mace into the sky and go to sleep. Wake me up in twelve days. When the mace falls, I’ll catch it!"

He went outside, threw the mace into the sky, then returned to the house, lay down, and fell asleep. After twelve days, the mace came flying down, roaring loudly! The father woke Pokatigoroshok. He went outside, held out his little finger, and when the mace struck it, it shattered into tiny pieces.

"No," said Pokatigoroshok, "the blacksmith didn’t forge this mace from my pin!"

He went back to the blacksmith and ordered him to forge another mace—this time, from his own pin.

"And if you deceive me, I’ll smash you on the anvil with a hammer!"

The blacksmith shouted to his assistants:

"Clean the forge quickly! Sift through the debris and find the pin—I threw it on the floor!"

The assistants cleaned the forge, gathered the debris into a pile, and began sifting. They sifted and found the pin.

The blacksmith took the pin, placed it in the fire—and it began to grow before their eyes. He started forging. And he forged such a mace that even twenty strongmen couldn’t lift it. But Pokatigoroshok took the mace with one hand, brought it to the yard, and tossed it into the sky. He then lay down to sleep for another twelve days. On the thirteenth day, the mace came flying down, roaring terribly.

The father woke Pokatigoroshok. He went outside, held out his little finger, and when the mace struck it, it only bent slightly.

"Well," said Pokatigoroshok, "with such a mace, I can go anywhere!"

He went into the house, sat down with his father and mother to have lunch. After lunch, he started a conversation:

"Did you have children before me?"
"We had six sons and a daughter, Alyonka."
"Where are they now?"

The old couple cried:

"They all perished, vanished... The cursed serpent must have destroyed them..."
"Well," said Pokatigoroshok, "if that’s the case, I’ll go and find them, rescue them."

His father and mother tried to dissuade him:

"Don’t go, son! They went in six, and didn’t return, and you’ll perish alone!"
"No," said Pokatigoroshok, "I won’t perish. How can I not rescue my own brothers and sister from trouble? It can’t be! Sew me a bag and dry some bread for the road!"

There was nothing else to do: his mother sewed him a travel bag and dried some bread. Pokatigoroshok took the bag, took his mace, said goodbye to his father and mother, and went to search for his sister and brothers.

He walked and walked, and saw a shepherd tending a herd of pigs. Pokatigoroshok greeted the shepherd. The shepherd asked him:

"Where are you going, lad?"
"I’m going to the serpent—to rescue my sister and brothers."
"The serpent took them, and he’ll take you too! But if you catch the biggest boar in my herd and eat it, you’ll defeat the serpent! If you can’t eat it, you’d better return home safe and sound!"
Kotigoroshko immediately caught the biggest boar, slaughtered it, roasted it, and ate it all. He thanked the shepherd and went on his way. He walked and walked, and saw a shepherd tending a herd of cows and oxen.

"Greetings, shepherd uncle!"
"Greetings, lad! Where are you headed?"
"I’m going to the serpent—to rescue my brothers and sister!"
"Oh, but do you have the strength for it? If you can eat the biggest ox from my herd, then maybe you’ll succeed. If not, you’d better not go to the serpent—you’ll perish yourself!"

Kotigoroshko slaughtered the biggest ox, roasted it, and ate it whole, leaving only the bones. He thanked the shepherd and went on his way.

He walked and walked, and saw a shepherd guarding a herd of horses. He stopped and greeted him:

"Greetings, shepherd uncle!"
"Greetings, lad! Where are you headed?" Kotigoroshko told the shepherd where and why he was going. The shepherd said:

"Well, if you can catch that black stallion and mount it—then you have the strength to kill the serpent. But if you can’t catch it, the serpent will kill you!"

Kotigoroshko caught the black stallion, grabbed its mane, and as soon as he mounted it, the stallion sank to the ground.

"Eh!" said Kotigoroshko. "You won’t get far on a horse like this!"

He bid farewell to the shepherd and went on his way. He walked through the forest for a long time and saw a very large courtyard. He entered the courtyard—it was quiet. He peeked into the house—it was quiet, no one was there (the serpent was flying around the world at that time, attacking good people).

A girl came out and asked him:

"Why have you come here, lad? Who are you?"
"Ah, girl, girl! How slow-witted you are! I’m your brother Kotigoroshko, come to kill the serpent and take you and our brothers home!"
"What kind of brother are you? I don’t know you."
"Well, I was born after you and our brothers disappeared!"

Kotigoroshko told his sister about their father and mother. Then he asked:

"And where are our brothers?" The girl wept:
"Our brothers came here to rescue me, but they all perished... The cursed serpent beat them half to death and threw them into a pit, covering it with a heavy stone... The same will happen to you... You’d better run while he’s not here..."

"Well," replied Kotigoroshko, "I didn’t come here to run away. I came to kill the serpent and free you all from this evil captivity."

As soon as he said this, the ground shook and rumbled.

"Oh, dear brother!" said Alyonka. "Hide quickly—the serpent is coming!"
"No," replied Kotigoroshko, "I won’t hide. I didn’t come here to play hide-and-seek!"

The serpent flew in and shouted:

"Ugh! Ugh! I smell human flesh!"
"How could you not smell it," replied Kotigoroshko, "when I’ve come to you!"
"Well, lad, what do you want here? Have you come to fight or make peace?"
"With a destroyer like you, there’s no peace—only a fight!" said Kotigoroshko.
"Ho-ho! So that’s how it is! Well, alright, it’ll be as you wish. But first, we must have lunch!"
"Fine by me!"

The serpent ordered lunch to be served. Alyonka brought it.

"Let’s see how strong you are," said the serpent. "Can you eat a whole boar?"
"Just watch!" replied Kotigoroshko. And he ate the boar. The serpent didn’t even have time to blink.

"Can you eat a whole ox?"
"That’s no trouble either." He ate the ox.
"Well done!" said the serpent. "Now let’s see how you handle another treat."

He ordered a sack of iron nuts to be brought, each nut the size of a fist. The nuts were brought. The serpent cracked two nuts at a time, while Kotigoroshko cracked four.

When they had eaten all the nuts, the serpent said:

"Well then, shall we fight or make peace?"
"Fight!"
"Then let’s go to a flat, open area."
"Let’s go."

They came to the open area. The serpent blew, and the ground turned to copper. The serpent said:

"You strike first."
"No," replied Kotigoroshko, "you strike first: you’re the host here, not me!"

So the serpent struck Kotigoroshko on the head, driving him into the copper ground up to his ankles.

Kotigoroshko pulled his legs out, swung his club, and struck the serpent, driving him into the copper up to his knees.

The serpent broke free, swung, and struck Kotigoroshko with all his might—driving him into the copper up to his knees... The serpent rejoiced, but too soon: Kotigoroshko immediately pulled his legs out, steadied himself, and struck the serpent with his club—driving him into the copper up to his waist. The serpent tried to break free, but it was no use: Kotigoroshko struck him again with his club. Without giving him a chance to recover, he struck a third time and killed him...

After that, he went to his sister and asked:

"Where did the serpent hide our brothers?" Alyonka led him to a stone—a huge stone that a hundred Cossacks couldn’t move. Kotigoroshko pushed it, and the stone rolled aside, crumbling into small pieces.

"Are you alive, my dear brothers?" asked Kotigoroshko.

But the brothers were so weak they couldn’t even answer.

Kotigoroshko pulled his brothers out of the pit, gave them time to gather their strength, and led them all back to their father and mother. He burned the serpent’s courtyard to ashes, so that no memory of the serpent remained.

When their father and mother saw all their children alive and well, they were overjoyed! They kissed them, hugged them, and held them close to their hearts.

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Kotygoroshko

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