Churilo Plenkovich, the Fop

In royal Kief town, courteous Prince Vladimir held a great feast. The day declined, the feast waxed merry, and Prince Vladimir solaced himself greatly. Then strange people thrust themselves into his presence, — one hundred young men, and a second hundred and yet a third of bold youths. All were beaten and wounded, their turbulent heads all bruised with cudgels and bound about with their girdles. They touched their foreheads to the earth, and made complaint:

"Our light, our lord. Prince Vladimir! As we rode upon the plain, beside Soróga river, across the royal fens, we found no living thing: neither fierce roving beast nor flying bird. We found but three hundred youths; their steeds were Latinsky, their caftáns of damask, their surcoats of scarlet, their caps had golden crowns. They set snares of silk in thy pine forests for the black sables and the martens, drove the foxes and the white foreign hares from their burrows: they shot the aurochs and stag, and us they beat and wounded. And thou, lord, hast no booty and we no guerdon, and our wives and children are deprived of their protectors; — for we must wander through the world, for lack of food."

Vladimir, prince of royal Kief town, ate, drank, and made merry, and heeded not their petition. And this host had not departed from the court when another host arrived, three hundred youths, five hundred youths, all fishermen, all beaten and wounded sore, their tempestuous heads bound with girdles, for the cudgel blows. They also did lowly reverence to bright Prince Vladimir, and made complaint, in like fashion to the first. They had traversed the lakes and rivers and royal ponds, and had taken nothing, but had espied five hundred youths catching white-fish, pikes, carps, and lesser fishes, so that the Prince could get nothing. They, receiving therefore no payment save a cudgelling from those bold youths, would be forced to roam the world for a livelihood.

To this complaint Vladimir paid no more heed than to the first, but continued to eat, drink, and make merry. This company had not quitted the courtyard when two more appeared, the royal falconers and hawkers, with their turbulent heads all broken and bound up. These made complaint that in all the open plains, royal fens and pleasure isles, they could espy neither hawk nor falcon, nor aught but a thousand men, who rode hither and thither, catching bright sparrow-hawks and white noble falcons. And these men, who had assaulted and wounded the royal falconers, were called Churilo's body-guard.

While the falconers still stood in the royal presence, came merchants and gardeners, and told how Churilo's wild guards had plucked up all their garlic and onions, broken all their white cabbages, and insulted all the young damsels and the young men of Kief.

This word touched Prince Vladimir, and he inquired of them: "Who is this Churilo?" Old Bermyág Vasilievich stepped forth.

"Lord, I have known Churilo this long while; he dwelleth not in Kief, but in Little Kief. His palace covereth seven versts; about it standeth an iron fence; upon each paling thereof is a knob, and that knob is a pure, round pearl. In the midst of the courtyard stand halls, chambers of white oak, hung with gray beaver skins; and the ceilings thereof are hung with black sables, and the centre beam is covered with leather. The floor of his own bower, the space about the oven, is of pure silver, the hooks and hasps of damascened gold. His first gates are of carven oak, the second all crystal, the third of tin. AU his thresholds are of precious fishes' teeth, and all his ovens of tiles."

When Vladimir heard that, he arrayed himself in haste, and commanded a journey. With him he took his Princess, his nobles and mighty heroes, Dobrynya Nikitich, and old Bermyág Vasilievich, summoned five hundred men, and set out for Churilo Plenkóvich's court.

Old Plenkó came to meet them. For the Prince and Princess he opened his gates of carved work, for the princes and nobles those of crystal, for the common folk the tin. Then old Plenkó the silk-merchant led Vladimir and the Princess Apráxia to a richly patterned chamber, to another of crystal, and a third of lattice work, and so to the golden-domed tower where all was heavenly with sun and moon, stars innumerable and white dawns.

In the fair hall he seated them at tables richly decked, and assigned fitting places to the princes and nobles. Then the cunning cooks fetched sweet viands and mead, and all sorts of liquors from beyond the sea, to give mirth to the princes. Joyful was their converse, and cheerful the day.

Prince Vladimir pulled aside the little lattice window by which he sat with his princess; and as they gazed forth upon the open plain, they saw a hundred good youths come riding from afar, from mother Soróga river.

The youths' good steeds were all of one matched color, their bits alike of bronze, their caftáns all of scarlet cloth with streaming girdles. The shoes upon their feet were of green morocco, the tips awl-like, the heels sharp (under the heels small sparrows might hop and flutter, over the insteps, an egg might roll).

Then Prince Vladimir inquired of Plenkó whether it were his son thus riding, and the old silk-merchant made answer, smiling:

"Nay, these be Churilo's cooks, who make his green wine."

When that throng had entered the court, another of five hundred came riding from the plain, all mounted alike and apparelled.

Again Vladimir inquired of Plenkó whether this might be Churilo and his guard; and old Plenkó made answer that these were but Churilo's stewards who served his table. When this troop had entered, a third a thousand strong came from afar, and in their midst a goodly youth, fairer than they all. His locks were like a field of gold with silvery sheen, his neck like the white snows; his cheeks outdid the poppy in hue; like the clear falcon's gleamed his eyes, his brows were like black sables, his Little feet were wondrous small: — their traces on fresh fallen snow could not be told from those of the white ermine or the hare. Beneath his mantle of rich sables, he was clad in green samite, with carven buttons of red gold, in fashion like to apples of Siberia.

Lightly rode that host; beneath them the soft grass bent not, the azure flowerets broke not.

From horse to horse sprang that fair youth, from the third horse and past the fourth, hurling high his spear to heaven, as it had been a swan's feather, and catching it hand over hand: as he leaped also, he snatched the good youths' shápkas from their heads, and placed them upon others.

"A misfortune hath come upon me for my sins!" cried Prince Vladimir. "Lo! I am far from home, and there rideth hither to me, a King from the horde, or some threatening ambassador, to sue for my fair niece Beauty.

But old Plenkó poured him a cup of wine, saying: "Fear not, Prince Vladimir! 'Tis but my son Churilo with his guard. When he shall stand before thee, lord, this feast will be but half a feast, this banquet will seem but poor."

Then all began again to eat and drink and make merry, sitting without thought or care. In the court the white day had drawn to even, the fair red sun was sunk in the west, ere Churilo arrived. Yet before him was borne a canopy, that the sun might not scorch his white face.

Old Plenkó went forth upon the railed balcony behind the hall, and cried: "Ai, Churilo Plenkóvich! thou hast here in thy hall, a much -loved guest. Fair Sun Vladimir of royal Kief. What wilt thou now set before him, what gifts bestow upon him?"

Now Churilo. was quick-witted and crafty. He took his golden keys, went to his iron-bound coffers, and drew thence great treasure of black sables, and a mantle of precious sables, soft and feathery beneath rich samite from beyond the sea, for Prince Vladimir, fine white damask, in value a hundred thousand rubles, for the Princess Apráxia. To each noble he gave Little foxes of the cavern, to every merchant, marten skins, and to the common folk, much gold.

Vladimir accepted these gifts, and said:

"Though the complaints against Churilo were many, yet are his offerings still greater. And now I will not give judgment against him."

And to Churilo he said: "Young Churilo Plenkóvich, it is not fitting that thou shouldst dwell in the country. Wilt thou not come to Kief, and serve me as seneschal and cupbearer?"

Though some buy off misfortune, Churilo purchased ill-luck at great cost. Yet he rebelled not, but ordered them to saddle his steed in haste, and all rode back to Kief, so that all maids and wives gazed and marvelled as they passed through the streets.

Then that bright lord. Prince Vladimir, made a great feast for his new steward. Churilo laid the oaken tables, and as he shook back his golden curls, they fell apart as fair round pearls do roll asunder; and as young Princess Apráxia was carving the swan, she cut her right hand, and said:

"Marvel not at this, ye gentlewomen, for I gaze upon Churilo's beauty, upon his yellow curls, his golden ring, and my clear eyes are troubled! Fair my lord. Prince Vladimir, make Churilo thy groom of the chambers. Let him spread the downy feather-bed, place the high cushion, and sit by thy pillow to play upon his gúsly of maple-wood, and solace thee."

Then Vladimir told Churilo that thus it must be; for some buy off misfortune, but Churilo purchased his. So he performed the varied service of groom of the chambers, to the great solace of Prince Vladimir and his Princess, young Apráxia.

When Vladimir made a feast, he sent young Churilo to bid the princes and nobles, and from each guest he commanded him to take ten rubles for himself. And as the goodly youth passed through the streets upon his errand, shaking back his yellow curls like fair round pearls, nuns turned in their cells to gaze upon his beauty, young maids tore off their kokóshniks in admiration.

Then the Princess Apráxia spoke to courteous Prince Vladimir: "Fair lord, this service befitteth Churilo not."

Vladimir perceived that misfortune was come upon him, and spoke this word then to Churilo:

"Dwell thou in a cell, Churilo Plenkóvich, or depart now to thine own house, for in my palace I have no longer need of thee."

Then Churilo bowed low in reverence, and went forth from the palace, from Kief town, and came to the Púchai river, where he began again to dwell in mirth and pleasure.