The Tale of Ivan and the Wonderful Book

Once upon a time, or perhaps not, there lived a poor man with three sons. When the children grew up, the eldest son said:

"Father, there's not enough for all of us to live at home. It seems I'll have to go look for work elsewhere."

"Well then," said the father, "go ahead." So the eldest brother set off first. He walked and walked until he saw a small hut. He opened the door and saw an old woman sitting inside. The young man bowed:

"Good day, granny."

"Good day, my boy."

"I'm looking for work. Maybe I can be of use to you?" he asked.

"You can be useful," the old woman replied.

"Well, what kind of work will it be? What do I need to do?"

"You'll tend the sheep."

"Alright!"

The next morning, the old woman woke the young man early, gave him some bread and an axe, and said:

"Make sure you don't pen the sheep anywhere. Just follow them. And if you see something unusual, something you've never seen before, whatever it is, chop off a piece of it and bring it to me."

The young man drove the sheep out. He followed them: wherever the sheep went, he went too. When noon came, he circled the flock, and the sheep lay down and slept until evening. In the evening, he brought the sheep home. But as soon as the old woman looked at the sheep, she grabbed a knife and cut a strip of skin from the young man's back:

"Here's your payment for your service! Go wherever you know!"

After the eldest brother, the middle one went to look for work. He ended up with the same old woman, and she also cut a strip of skin from his back. With that, the middle son returned home. Then the youngest began to plead:

"Father, let me go too. I'll go look for work."

His parents tried to dissuade him:

"If the older ones couldn't earn anything, what can you possibly earn?"

"Don't worry, don't be sad. I'll earn something, just let me go," the young man insisted.

Well, what could they do? His father let him go. The youngest brother left and, as luck would have it, ended up with the same old woman.

"Good day, granny," the young man greeted.

"Good day, my boy."

"I'm looking for work. Do you have any work for me, granny?"

"Why not? There's work to be done!" the old woman replied.

"What kind of work? What do I need to do?"

"You'll tend the sheep, that's all your work."

The next morning, the old woman gave the young man a sack and an axe and said:

"Don't pen the sheep anywhere, but wherever they go, you follow. And if you see something strange, whatever it is, chop off a piece of it and bring it to me."

The sheep grazed and wandered, and the young man followed them. They came to a river. And then a lame ram spoke:

"Get on my back, shepherd, I'll carry you across the river."

They crossed to the other side. What was this? On that shore grew lush, silky grass, thick and juicy, but the cattle grazing there were skinny and weak, barely standing on their legs.

The young man marveled and cut a bundle of that grass, stuffing it into his sack.

The sheep wandered further and came to a place where the ground was completely bare, like the floor in a hut, but the cattle grazing there were fat, like pillows.

"What's going on here?" thought the young man.

He cut a piece of that earth and put it in his sack. The sheep kept going, and Ivan followed them. The flock turned back toward home. The lame ram said:

"Listen, Ivan. When the old woman asks what you want for tending the sheep so well and offers you silver and gold, don't take it. Ask for the book that lies in the chest... She won't want to give you the book, but insist on it and take nothing else. That book is no ordinary book—it's magical: open it, and you'll have whatever you wish for."

The young man drove the flock home. The old woman looked at the sheep and was overjoyed: they had grazed well, plump and shining like stars. She asked Ivan:

"Well, what did you see there?"

"I saw lush meadows. The grass there is silky, thick, and juicy, but the cattle grazing there are skinny, barely standing... why is that?"

"Because," the old woman replied, "the shepherd is no good."

"And why are the cattle fat on bare ground?"

"Because the shepherd is good! Now, my boy, ask for whatever you want for your good service..."

"I don't want anything, granny, just give me that book that lies in your chest."

"What do you need that book for? I'll give you four carts of gold and four pairs of horses!"

"I don't want anything except the book."

"Alright, I'll give you the book, but don't open it or look inside on the way home. When you get home, build stables for the horses, cows, and all the livestock in the world. Once you've built them, open all the doors, stand in front of the stables, and open the book. You'll see what happens."

Ivan took the book and headed home. He walked and walked, grew tired, sat down to rest, and thought:

"What if I take a peek at what's inside the book?"

And as soon as he opened it... oh my! Out of nowhere, herds of cattle, flocks of sheep, and all sorts of livestock came pouring out. They ran off in all directions.

The young man jumped to his feet and ran to round up the animals. But how could he manage? Then he saw the old woman running toward him, furious, fire blazing from her eyes.
"Well," thinks the lad to himself, "I'm done for!"

A woman came running and shouted:

- What did I tell you, you disobedient one! Don't open the book until you get home and set up the barns. You didn't listen to me, now blame yourself. I'll gather all your livestock, everything will be as it was. But for your disobedience, you'll remain a bachelor forever—never married. If you disobey again, you'll bring misery upon yourself: as soon as you marry, you'll die that very hour.

The woman ran around the herds, flocks, and droves, and all the livestock vanished from sight, as if it had never existed. She handed Ivan the book:

- Go now, and remember what I told you!

The lad came home. They asked him:

- Well, what did you earn? Show us!

- This book here, - said Ivan. His brothers started laughing at him. But Ivan asked his father:

- Father, set up new barns for all kinds of livestock.

- How can I set up new barns for you? - said the father. - That would take a lot of money, and where would we get it, with these pennies?

- Don't worry, don't fret, father, we have enough to set up the barns, - said the son, - here's the money. - And with that, he removed the golden cover from the book: - Will this gold be enough?

The father hired craftsmen, and soon all kinds of barns and sheds were built. When everything was ready, the lad opened the wondrous book, and out of nowhere, horses, cows, sheep, and all sorts of livestock came pouring into the barns and sheds. The father and his sons grew rich, and the father started urging Ivan:

- It's time for you to marry, son!

- I can't marry, - he replied. - If I try to marry, I'll die right at the wedding.

Whether much or little time passed after that, the father and mother finally persuaded Ivan to marry. They found him a beautiful girl from a wealthy family.

And as soon as they left the church, the lad saw that very woman. He jumped on his horse and fled wherever his eyes took him.

He rode and rode until he reached Friday. Friday said to him:

- Don't be afraid, brave lad, it's nothing. Take these three apples, they'll come in handy someday. And here's a scarf for you. When you reach the sea and death starts catching up to you, wave this scarf, and the sea will part. Once you cross to the other side, wave the scarf again, and the sea will close. Death won't be able to follow you. There's no way for her to cross the sea.

The lad thanked Friday and rode on. He reached the sea. He let his horse graze and lay down to rest, not noticing how deeply he fell asleep. At that moment, the witch caught up with him. She first attacked Ivan's horse. She tore the horse apart, then turned to Ivan—what was this? Three dogs named Tyazhigora, Dalekovid, and Dalekochuy were guarding the lad. Those dogs had transformed from the three apples Friday had given Ivan.

The brave lad woke up, saw the witch, and remembered the scarf. He waved the scarf, and the water parted. He crossed to the other side. There, he waved the scarf again, and the sea closed. The witch was left on the other shore.

The lad built himself a hut and started hunting with Tyazhigora, Dalekovid, and Dalekochuy.

That's how he made his living. Whether he lived long or short, he saw no other people.

Then one day, he met a beautiful girl. The girl caught the lad's eye, and soon they got married.

Ivan continued to hunt, while his wife managed the household.

One day, while Ivan was out hunting, his wife went to the sea and looked across to the other shore. The witch had transformed into a handsome lad and started speaking sweet words from the other side. The wife took a liking to the lad, especially his flattering words, and she started going to the shore every day to talk with the handsome lad. Time passed day by day. Then the lad started urging her:

- How about you help me cross to your side?

- I'd gladly help you cross, but I don't know how...

- I'll teach you, - the lad said. - Ivan has a magical scarf at the head of his bed. Take that scarf, wave it three times, the water will part, and I'll cross over to you.

The wife did exactly that: she waved the scarf three times, and the sea parted. The witch, disguised as the handsome lad, crossed the sea and said:

- Now, let's get rid of Ivan, and then I'll marry you. Where do your dogs sleep?

- In the hallway, - the wife replied.

- Then dig a hole under the table in the house and hide me there.

The wife hid the shape-shifting lad in the hole, covering it with dirt.

Ivan returned home. They had dinner and went to bed, but the dogs wouldn't go to the hallway. They lay down in the house under the table, right over the hole where the witch was hidden.

The next morning, Ivan called the dogs and went hunting. The witch barely crawled out of the hole and said:

- Ask your husband to leave the dogs at home tomorrow, then I'll finish him off in the forest alone.

Before Ivan returned, the wife fed and watered the shape-shifting lad and hid him in the hole again. Ivan came home. They sat down to eat.

- Don't take the dogs hunting tomorrow, dear husband: I'm afraid to stay alone.

In the morning, Ivan left alone, and the wife locked the dogs in the shed and shut the door tightly. The witch crawled out of the hole and rushed after Ivan. She started catching up and shouted:

- This time, you won't escape me!

Ivan climbed a sturdy oak tree, and the witch started gnawing at the tree with her terrifying teeth.

Dalekochuy heard all this and said:

- Trouble! The witch will kill our master. We must hurry to help him!

The dogs broke down the door and ran as fast as they could. When they arrived, the tree was already swaying—it was about to fall.

The dogs grabbed the witch and tore her to pieces.

Ivan returned home, took the magical scarf, went to the shore, and waved it three times. The sea parted, and he crossed to his side with his faithful Tyazhigora, Dalekovid, and Dalekochuy. He waved the scarf again: the sea closed, forever separating him from his wicked wife.

And that's the end of the tale.

More fairy tales

• The Goat and the Ram
• Cold, Hunger, and Drought
• The Wolf, the Dog, and the Cat
• The Lad and the Flying Chest
• The Wobbly Peasant