Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich the Villager's Son

Courteous Prince Vladimir, of royal Kief town, gave to his beloved nephew Volgá, three cities, Kurtzóvetz, Oryekóvetz, and a third, Krestyánovetz. For Volgá had traversed many lands, many hordes; he had collected gifts in tribute from all Tzars and kings, and had brought them to glorious Kief town, to his uncle. Prince Vladimir. Much gold had he collected and silver and great pearls, and yet more of Arabian bronze, which darkeneth never, nor corrodeth, and is more precious than gold or pearls or silver.

Now, in those three glorious cities given him by his uncle Vladimir, dwelt stiff-necked people, who obeyed no man, neither gave gifts nor tribute to any. Then young Volgá Vseslávich assembled his good body-guard, and set out to take possession of his towns. — As they rode over the open plain, Volgá heard a husbandman ploughing. The plough screamed, the share grated against the stones. Volgá rode in quest of the husbandman. A whole day he rode until evening, and heard the plough grate ever through the plain; but dark night o'ertook him on the way, and he found not the man. A second day he rode toward that husbandman until dusk, and yet a third; and on the third day he came upon the man driving his plough, and casting the clods of earth from side to side of the furrow. The husbandman ploughed up damp oaks, stumps and great stones; and his nightingale mare was named "Raise-her-head;" for she could lift it to the clouds. His plough was of maple-wood, his reins of silk, the share of damascened steel with fittings of silver, and the handles of pure gold. His curls waved over his brows of blackest sable, his eyes were falcon clear; his shoes were of green morocco with pointed toes; and under the hollow of his foot, sparrows might fly. His hat was downy, and his caftan was of black velvet.

Lord Volgá spoke these words: "God aid thee, husbandman, in thy ploughing and tilling!"

"Art thou come, Volgá Vseslávich, with thy troop?" answered the husbandman. "Eldest thou far, Volgá? Whither leadeth thy course, with thy good guard?"

"I go to take possession of three towns which courteous Prince Vladimir, my uncle, hath given to me. Kurtzóvetz, Oryekóvetz, and Krestyánovetz."

"Ho, Volgá Vseslávich! Robbers dwell there. Two days ago I was in that town, bearing two sacks of salt, of a hundred poods each, upon my nightingale mare, and they demanded toll; and for all I gave them they would still have more. Then I began to thrust them back by thousands; he who was standing is now sitting, he who was sitting now lieth, and he who then lay will stand no more forever."

Then spoke Volgá: "Husbandman! come thou with me as my comrade."

The husbandman at that, loosed the silken reins, turned his mare from the plough and mounted the good steed, and they rode forth.

But the husbandman soon paused in thought.

"Ho, there, Volgá!" quoth he; "I have left my plough in the furrow. Command now thy men to turn it from the furrow, scrape the soil from the share, and cast it into a willow bush, that robbers find it not, — that none discover it save those to whom it will yield service, — my brother peasants."

So Volgá despatched five of his mighty youths, and they twisted the handles all about, but could not draw that plough of maple-wood from the furrow.

Then Volgá sent thither ten men, and again his whole body-guard; but the strength of them all was not enough to loose the share, shake off the earth and toss it into the willow bush.

Then the husbandman rode up on his nightingale mare, grasped the plough of maple-wood with one hand, shook the soil from the share, tossed it to the clouds, saying:

"Farewell my plough! Never more shall I till with thee."

Then they mounted their good steeds and rode, and came to the famous town of Kurtzóvetz, to Oryekóvetz, and to the little burgh of Krestyánovetz.

Thereupon the common folk assembled in throngs and gave them great battle. And those peasants were very cunning rogues. They reared a treacherous bridge. But the youthful heroes were yet more cunning, and first sent forward their great force upon that bridge of staffwood. Then the bridge broke, and all that host fell into the little river, and began to drown and to be in sorry plight. Volgá and the husbandman urged their good steeds across that little stream, the Vólkof, and the brave chargers leaped it. Then they began to do honor to the peasants, to give them due guerdon and to lash them with their whips. And when they had chastised these peasants at their good pleasure, they rode back whence they came.

And the peasants began to be submissive from that hour, and to pay their just tribute.

The husbandman rode in front, and Volgá essayed to overtake him; yet spur on as he would, he could barely keep in sight. Raise-her-head's tail spread far abroad, her mane waved in the breeze, and she went at a walk; but Volgá's horse galloped at full speed. Raise-her-head paced, and Volgá's steed was left far behind. Then Volgá waved his cap and shouted. When the husbandman perceived it, he restrained his nightingale mare, the while Volgá spoke thus:

"Halt, thou husbandman! If that mare were but a stallion, I would give for her five hundred rubles."

"Thou art but foolish, Volgá," the husbandman made answer: "I bought this mare as a foal from her mother's side for five hundred rubles; and were she a stallion she would be priceless."

"By what name art thou called, husbandman, and what is thy patronymic?" asked Volgá.

"Now ho, thou Volgá Vseslávich!" the husbandman made answer; "I will plough for rye and stack it in ricks, I will draw it home and thresh it, brew beer and give the peasants to drink: — and the peasants shall call me Young Mikúla Selyaninovich, the Villager's Son."