Diuk Stepanovich

Beyond the sea, the blue sea, from Glorious Volhynia town, from Galicia the Fair, from Koróla the Perverse, from India the Rich, came young Lord Diuk Stepánovich. Like a white gerfalcon fluttering, like a small white ermine coursing, hke a small, clear goshawk flying, rode Lord Diuk forth. Like the bright falcon he sat his dapple-bay; his bow-case and his quiver beat his hips, and like a wild beast was his good steed Shaggy beneath him.

The young lord's casque and armor were of pure silver, in value three thousand rubles; his shirt of mail was of fair red gold, in value forty thousand. His good steed was worth five hundred rubles; — for at rivers he required no fords, but leaped a stream of five hundred versts, from shore to shore, at a bound. His stout bow was prized at three thousand; for its stem was of pure silver, the tips of red gold, the cord of white silk of Samarcand. Each burning arrow in his quiver was valued at ten rubles.

Lord Diuk rode a-hunting, beside the broad blue Ocean-sea, and peaceful bays, shooting foxes, martens, blue-gray eagles, geese, white swans and small gray, downy ducks. By day he shot, by night gathered up his arrows. Where his arrows flew, a flame seemed to bum; where they fell and lay, rays streamed as from the bright, clear moon. Three hundred arrows he shot and three: the three hundred he found again, but not the three; and he marvelled thereat.

"I know the value of the three hundred, but of the three which are lost, I know not the value — for they are priceless. They were made of the reed tree, smoothed upon twelve sides and gilded, the shafts set with precious jacinth stones, so that they darted rays like the fair red sun. They were feathered with the plumes of the blue-gray eagle, fast set with sturgeon glue: — not the plumes of the eagle which flieth over the meadows, but of that eagle which hovereth over the blue sea, and reareth his young thereon, and alighteth upon the white Alátyr stone. When he ruffleth his feathers the sea is tossed, the cocks crow in the hamlets; and as he plumeth himself, he droppeth his feathers. Ships came on a day with sailor guests, and gathered up three feathers, the eagle plumes, more precious than satin or cut velvet, and brought them as gifts to kings and princes and Diuk Stepánovich."

Then young Diuk mounted his good steed, and rode towards home. On the broad highway he met one and thirty wandering psalm-singers, and shouted in piercing tones: "Are ye thieves, highwaymen, midnight prowlers or church robbers?"

The psalm-singers made answer: "Young Lord Diuk! we are no robbers; we go as pilgrims from Kief the famous to Volhynia town in broad India."

"Tell me, ye pilgrims, is the way long from Kief to Volhynia; to India the Rich?"

"Great is the way. Lord Diuk, from India to Kief town. A whole year mayest thou journey on foot, and three months must thou ride."

Then said Diuk: "I thank ye, pilgrims;" and so rode back to Volhynia.

It was the solemn Easter Even, and young Diuk went to vespers. 'Twas not the silken plume-grass waving, nor the white birch bending low, but the goodly youth, Diuk Stepánovich, bowing there before his mother, the most honorable widow Amélfya Timoféevna.

"Fair my lady mother! Must I live long thus at home, roaming the wide streets and solacing myself with childishness? 'Tis time for me to ride far, far across the open plain, to throw back my heroic shoulders, urge on Shaggy, my dapple-bay, and prove my youthful prowess and daring; to see people and to show myself. Many fair towns have I seen, but never have I been in Kief the glorious, nor beheld Prince Vladimir and his fair Princess Apráxia. Give me thy leave and blessing now, my lady-mother, to journey to Kief town, to view it and them."

Amélfya Timoféevna made answer: "Ai, my dear child! Thou hast never been on the open plain, nor heard the roar of wild beast, the shriek and yell of Tatar; thou hast essayed no heroic quests. Thou wilt not be able to bring back thy head in safety from the plain. — And go not to Kief, my fair child, thou lordly young scion, Diuk Stepánovich! There dwell evil people, who will squeeze thee as though thou wert a fine, juicy apple. — I will not give thee my blessing to go to Kief, to courteous Prince Vladimir. Moreover, there stand three great barriers on the straight road. The first is the clashing mountains. Each second time they clash, — each second time they part: thou mayest not pass these, Diuk, and remain alive. The second barrier is the pecking birds: they will tear thee from thy good steed, Diuk, and them thou mayest not escape. And the third barrier is the Dragon of the Mountain with twelve tails. He will devour thee: — thou canst not escape."

But young Lord Diuk heeded not his mother's words. He went to the stall and curried his good steed with a fine comb of fishes' teeth. Winged Shaggy's mane swept the damp earth, on the left side; his flowing tail wiped out traces of hoofs as he passed over. On him Diuk put his braided bit, his metal-bound Cherkéssian saddle, with felt on felt, saddle-cloth on saddle-cloth beneath; and one of these was striped of red gold, pure silver, and bronze of Kazán, more precious than either of the first. These he made fast with twelve stout girths, and a thirteenth — not for beauty or for youthful vanity, but for heroic strength, that the heroic steed might not leap from under the saddle, and overturn the good youth in the open plain. The girths were all of the silk of Samarcand which teareth not, weareth not; the buckles of fair gold, the tongues thereof of silver, which corrodeth not; the stirrups of damascened steel from beyond the sea, which cannot be destroyed.

When Diuk had caparisoned his heroic steed, and plaited fair jewels in his mane, he went off a little from him and gazed upon him. "Art thou a horse, my good steed, or a wild beast? For under the trappings the good horse cannot be seen."

Then the horse answered him with human voice: "Tear not my sides with thy spurs, Diuk Stepánovich; lash me not with thy silken whip, tighten not my plaited bridle: but cling thou to my sacred mane; bind handfuls of damp mother earth under thy two arms, that thou may est not fear to ride with me; for I shall leap from mountain to mountain, lakes and rivers I shall clear at a bound; and so shall I serve thee well."

Then Diuk took off his armor, and put on garments fitting for a journey, took his stout bow and a quiver full of burning arrows on his hip, and touched the earth with his brow in reverence before his mother.

His mother instructed him: "Ai, my dear child! when thou shalt come to famous Kief town and to Prince Vladimir the Fair Sun, and he shall make a banquet and an honorable feast for thee, then boast not of thy orphan possessions, of thy wealth, or of me, thy mother." Therewith she gave him her leave and blessing, and kissed him. And he mounted and rode.

They saw the good youth as he mounted, but saw him not as he rode — 'twas but a pillar of dust afar in the plain, — a little darkening of the heavens, and he was gone.

And as he rode, he came to the first barrier, the clashing rocks; but his good dapple-bay sprang between, and they crushed him not. And at the second barrier likewise, his good steed leaped past ere the pecking birds of prey could spread their wings; and past the third barrier, the dragon of the mountain, ere he could uncoil his tail, faithful Shaggy bore him.

So the good youth came forth in safety, and rode farther over the open plain until he came to a damp, ring-barked oak, whereon sat a black raven cawing, and spoke this word: "Ai, thou cawing raven, thou bird of omen! I will bend my stout bow, I will lay a fiery arrow to the silken cord, I will scatter thy feathers over the open plain; I will spill thy blood on the damp oak, and give thee over to vain death."

Then spoke the raven with human tongue: "Shed not my hot blood, young Lord Diuk, but ride onward over the open plain, and thou shalt find an adversary, — one befitting thy stature."

Diuk rejoiced greatly that he should prove his heroic might, and so rode on, and came upon the traces of a horse. A hero had passed that way, and damp mother earth was furrowed with horse's hoof-marks like to a mighty grating. After that the bold youth came to where the hero had pitched a pavilion of white linen; and beside it stood a white, heroic steed, before whom was spread fine white Turkish wheat.

The bold youth reflected, and began to weep. "Now may I not pursue my way," he said, "and to enter that pavilion the courage faileth me. The hero will kill me in that white pavilion, and my head will fall. — But I will place my good steed beside this steed at the white wheat; if the horses eat the wheat in peace together, then will I enter the tent, and the hero shall not touch me. But if the horses begin to fight, I will go my way, for so I may."

When he beheld the good steeds feed in peace.

side by side, he entered the linen pavilion, crossed himself as enjoined, did reverence as prescribed; and behold! in one corner, slumbered a hero and snored until the threshold rang. Then he saw by the heroic inscription that this was the Old Cossack of the Don, Ilyá of Múrom the Son of Ivan. He essayed to wake the hero, shouting with all his might:

"Rouse thee, Old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom! 'Tis time to fare to glorious Kief town, to royal Prince Vladimir", to matins on Easter morn."But the hero slept on, and woke not. At Diuk's third shout, the warrior woke from his deep sleep, and spoke:

"Ai, good youth! tell me' thy land and horde, and how thou art called." And Diuk told him all this.

"And why hast thou wakened me from my deep heroic sleep"? Wilt thou fight the accursed Tatars in the plain? Or wilt thou come with me thyself, good youth, to the plain, and prove thy youthful might and valor — which of us shall bear away his head, and which joyful news? "

Then Diuk wept and humbled himself before him. "Why should I go to the open plain with thee, Ilyá of Múrom, thou Old Cossack? For thy death is not decreed in battle. Nay, there is but one sun in heaven, and one moon — and but one Cossack of the Don in Holy Russia, Ilyá of Múrom, son of Ivan."

This speech pleased Ilyá: he sprang to his nimble feet, caught Diuk by his white hands, his golden ring, kissed him on his sugar mouth, and swore brotherhood with him, exchanging crosses. Then they sat down to eat, drink, and make merry. And when they had had their fill, Ilyá said: "Go now young Lord Diuk, to royal Kief town, and if any there shall offend thee, send me word of it, and I will defend thee. But make no boasts."

So Diuk rode forth; and when he was come to Kief, he leaped the walls, past the three-cornered towers, and came to the royal palace of white stone. In the spacious court he sprang from his good steed, struck the butt of his far-reaching lance into the earth, and flung his good steed's bridle over the point.

The Princess Apráxia was there, looking out. "Lo! the washerwoman," quoth Diuk, and bowed. "And where is courteous Prince Vladimir, the Fair Sun?"

Then was Princess Apráxia very wroth, and the serving-men made answer: "Royal Vladimir is at the Easter mass."

So Diuk, that good youth, vaulted quickly into his saddle, and rode to the cathedral church. There he dismounted, and left Shaggy, his little dapple-bay, unbound and without orders. In the cathedral, he took his stand in the place of the ambassadors, — the left porch. While the mass was sung, he prayed not so much as gazed about: — he gazed at the church and gulped, at Prince Vladimir and shook his head, at the Princess Apráxia and dropped his hand.

When the Easter mass was at an end, Prince Vladimir sent to bid the strange and goodly youth to his honorable feast. "Eh, brothers!" Diuk made answer to the messengers: "Ye have had spring weather. I have ridden far over swamps and mosses, and my flowered garments are bemired." Nevertheless he followed them, and bowed before Prince Vladimir until his yellow curls swept the damp earth.

As they came from the cathedral, they found a great throng of people gathered about Diuk's Shaggy, marvelling much at the good steed's rich trappings. Diuk followed Prince Vladimir to his princely dwelling, and the good steed came after his master.

Now great rains had fallen on the black earth with which the way was covered, and the road was heavy with mud to the knee. Diuk looked upon his little shoes of green morocco, and then upon Prince Vladimir, and shook his head. But Prince Vladimir heeded not, and began to inquire of him his name and country, This Diuk told him, and how he was come to view royal Kief of which he had heard great marvels, to greet the Fair Sun Vladimir, and to pray to God in his temples.

Then Vladimir took him by his white hands, kissed him on his sweet mouth, and led him to the palace. When Diuk beheld the palace, he shook his head, and said to his good steed: "They will starve thee here, good Shaggy; they will give thee frozen oats to eat; and at home thou wouldst not touch the finest of white wheat."

And when Diuk beheld the banquet-hall, with its tables of oak, and cloths patterned with drawn-work, he shook his head yet more. — As they sat about the board, Vladimir inquired of Diuk if it were far from India to Kief town.

"I set out after vespers on Holy Saturday," Diuk made answer, "and lo! I was in Kief at early mass on Easter Day!"

"And are such steeds as thine dear in thy country?"

"We have them for a ruble, and for two rubles, and for six rubles; but my good steed is priceless."

Then spoke up Vladimir's heroes and nobles.

"Nay, lord, that may not be! For by the straight road it is a three-months journey, and by the way about six months, and that when a man hath relays, and springeth from horse to horse, from saddle to saddle, tarrying not."

But Vladimir said nothing.

Then all began to make great brags, some of one thing and some of another; and Diuk alone sat sad and silent, eating not nor drinking nor carving the white swan. And courteous Prince Vladimir spoke:

"Ai, thou bold and goodly youth! is the feast not to thy liking? Or art thou poor, perchance, with nothing whereof thou mayest vaunt thyself?"

"Fair Sun Vladimir, Prince of royal Kief," said Diuk, "I have far greater possessions than thou. My father left me a little lad and rich, and I am not used to eat black bread." Yet courteous Prince Vladimir was not affronted by his speech.

Then green wine was brought, and liquors, and kalachi of fine wheaten flour. Diuk drank but the half of his wine — the other half he poured under the table. The top crust of the cakes he laid upon the table, the middle he ate, and cast the under crust to the dogs beneath the board.

Seeing this, Vladimir's princes and nobles sprang to their nimble feet, and cried: "What discourteous churl is this? He is not Lord Diuk Stepánovich; never before this day hath he quaffed noble liquors, or tasted wheaten cakes; he knoweth not royal courtesy. He is a herdsman, the fugitive serf of some noble, who hath murdered his master or a merchant, stolen his flowered garments, and driven off his good steed! He is come hither that thou mightest make an honorable feast for him, royal Vladimir, and give him golden treasure, as is thy usage. He mocketh thee, Prince Vladimir; he is not noble, for he looked upon his shoes as he walked; and his mantle of sables, he never earned."

"I want not thy treasure," quoth Diuk. "I possess inexhaustible store of golden treasure, and bread and salt in abundance. I heard great marvels of glorious Kief town, and so came hither. But things are not with you as they are with us in India."

"Why didst thou gaze about thee at mass, noble Diuk," said Prince Vladimir then, "in place of praying God?"

"I gazed, royal Vladimir," Diuk made reply, "because thy churches here are not the tenth part of the churches with us. Thy raiment is like the raiment of the very poorest among us, and the Princess Apráxia, Likewise, is apparelled like our poorer women. Thy churches are of wood with domes of aspen wood: ours are of stone with roofs of purest gold. Our meanest huts exceed thy fairest palace of white stone. Thy streets are foul: ours are cleaned, tawny yellow sand is strewn upon them, with rugs spread thereon. The steps of thy palace are of black stone, with railings of turned wood fastened with wooden pegs which catch the garments: our steps are of ivory spread with silken rugs, and the railings are carved of pure gold. The floor of thy banquet-hall is of pine planks, and uneven, the walls and ceiling unpainted, the tables of oak, the cloths patterned with drawn threads. But the floors of our halls are of ash, the walls and ceilings all painted, the tables of gold and ivory; our cloths are of silk, and at their corners hang tassels of gold. Over my mother's gate are seventy ikóns, and you have not even ten. From our churches to the palace, pavements of arrow-wood are laid, spread with fine crimson cloth."

"Why dost thou throw away my wine and cakes?" asked courteous Prince Vladimir. And Diuk replied:

— "I cannot eat thy wheaten cakes. The upper crust tasteth of pine, and the lower crust of clay. For your ovens here are of brick, your oven-brooms of pine. But my mother's ovens in India the Rich are of glazed tiles, and her oven-brooms are of silk dipped in honey-dew. He who hath eaten one of my lady mother's cakes longeth for another; when he hath eaten that, his soul burneth for a third; and having devoured the third, the fourth will not depart from his mind. — Thy wines and sweet liquors I cannot drink, for they are musty and ill-flavored. But in India the Rich, my mother's sweet mead and old liquors are kept in silver casks of forty buckets hooped with gold, and hung by brazen chains in caverns forty fathoms deep. From these vaulted caverns, pipes run to the fresh air of the open plain; and when tempestuous breezes blow, they enter the caverns, and the silver casks rock in their chains, and murmur like swans at play upon the bosom of quiet bays. Our fair liquors never grow musty. Having drunk one cup, the soul burneth evermore for another, and the merit of those liquors no words can equal. The store of my lady mother's flowered garments is never exhausted; for the sewing-women are ever at work, — when one throng quitteth the court, another throng arriveth. My mother's under-garments are of precious stones, the upper of gold brocade; her cap is of fair round pearls, with jewels of great price in the front; and I wear a different dress each day. Our horses are fed only on fine Turkish wheat, and sport upon the plain. And we have twelve deep vaults strewn full of gold and silver and fair pearls. One vault alone would purchase royal Kief, and even Chérnigof beside."

Then spake royal Vladimir in displeasure:

"I would that Churilo Plenkóvich the Fop were here; for he would know how to answer thee as thou deservest."

Thereupon the oaken doors of the banquet-hall were opened wide, and Churilo entered, clad in a fine white blouse without a girdle; he crossed himself, and bowed to all save to Diuk Stepánovich.

Then said Diuk: "The fame of Churilo's beauty was not false, — for his neck is like the driven snow, his face red as the poppy. But the fame of Churilo's courtesy was false, — he knoweth not how to do homage nor to salute."

Quoth Churilo: "Dost thou boast, thou nobleman's serf, of thy wealth and possessions? Lay a wager, now, with me, a great wager of thirty thousand rubles. For three years we shall go about Kief; each day we shall wear fresh apparel; — each day ride a horse of different color. And he that hath the fairest shall be adjudged the victor."

"Thou dwellest here in Kief, Churilo Fop," said Diuk; "and thy presses are full to overflowing with raiment, while I have but my travelling garb; and it is well worn."

Nevertheless, Diuk made that great wager, for three years and three days. Then he sat down at the oaken table, in a folding-chair% wrote in haste a scroll to his mother, and went forth with it to the court, where stood his dapple-bay. He laid the scroll in the saddle-bags beneath the rich Cherkéssian saddle, and spoke: "Speed home, my Shaggy, to India the Rich; and when thou comest to my lady mother's palace, neigh loudly."

So the good bay flew swiftly to India the Rich. And when the honorable widow Amélfya Timoféevna beheld the empty saddle, she wept sore; for she thought her dear child had lain down his bold head upon the open plain, in Holy Mother Russia.

But when the grooms unsaddled good Shaggy, they found the scroll, and gave it to Diuk's lady mother, who rejoiced greatly that her son stil lived.

"Alas! the foolish chid hath boasted," she said, when she had read the scroll: "yet I must save his honor and his head."

Then she took her golden keys, and packed up changes of raiment for three years and three days, — three changes for each day, — and bound them on the good steed's back. Over all she put an old and much-worn garment.

"Spring forth, good steed, to thy young lord!" she cried: "and apprise him of thy coming with a neigh."

— Then Churilo Fop and young Lord Diuk began to ride about Kief town with new garments and horses every day. Churilo had great herds of horses driven in from Chérnigof; but Diuk anointed his Shaggy each morning with dew, and so changed the color of his hair. Three years they rode thus through Kief. The last day was Easter, and they went to mass, and stood in the porch on either hand.

The raiment of Churilo Fop was rayed with gold and silver; his clasps were figures of stately youths, his loops in semblance of fair maidens. Beneath the high heels of his slippers of green morocco, nightingales might fly — from their awl-sharp tips curving to the instep, eggs might roll. His black murman cap drooped soft and downy, so that his clear eyes might not be seen in front nor his white neck behind. His mantle was of black sables from over the sea.

But young Lord Diuk went all unadorned through Kief town that day; — save that the points of his foot-gear, woven of the seven silks, and the insteps thereof, were studded thick with precious stones, in value above all that city save only the settings of the Virgin and the Saints. — For over all, concealing utterly his egg-shell raiment, he had put that worn garment sent by his lady mother.

Churilo took his stand upon Vladimir's right, and fingered his carven clasps: — when he touched the clasps, the fair maids poured green wine and gave to the comely youths; when he pulled the loops, the good youths plucked their little gúslys solacing the maidens fair.

Then spake Prince Vladimir: "In sooth the young Lord Diuk hath forfeited his wager! For such devices, Diuk, thou surely canst not show to us, how fair soever thy garb may be."

"I care not for the thirty thousand of coin," quoth Diuk, "but for my own good fame I have a care. The gold I now bestow upon thy town of Kief." And therewith he cast aside his mean garment, and his apparel beneath gleamed fair, so that all the people fell to the earth in wonder at its beauty. In the front of his cap sat the fair red sun; on its back, the radiant moon; on his crest a flame seemed ever burning.

Then he touched his clasps in semblance of small singing birds — they straightway hopped and twittered. He pulled his loops — dragons and fierce lion-beasts were they, that crawled and leaped, and hissed and roared. Then all the folk were terrified, and fell to the damp earth, and with them Churilo the Fop. Lord Diuk alone stood firm.

"Thou hast won, good youth," spake Vladimir; and besought him: "spare me at least a remnant of my people. Call back thy beasts and birds."

This Diuk did, and all Kief gave him thanks for having outshone Churilo in foppery. And with the thirty thousand, Churilo's wager, he bought green wine, and gave to all the people freely.

But Churilo Plenkóvich was out of measure wroth, and said: "Ai, young Lord Diuk Stepánovich! let us make yet another great wager. Let us prove now whose horse shall leap the Dniepr river (for Mother Dniepr is three versts in breadth), and our turbulent heads shall be the stakes. He whose horse leapeth not over shall yield his turbulent head to be hewn off by the other."

"I have but my poor travelling nag," young Diuk made answer. Yet did he accept the challenge; and going forth to his good steed in the stall, he wept.

"Ai, my Shaggy, my good dapple-bay! Knowest thou not of my great misfortune? If thou leap not fairly over Mother Dniepr river, they will cut off my tempestuous head: — and the breadth of Mother Dniepr is three versts. But if thou canst not leap the Dniepr flood, then will I go seek my cross-brother, Ilyá of Múrom, the Old Cossack. He will aid us."

Good Shaggy replied in human speech: "Weep not, pathetic master mine! Not over Mother Dniepr's flood alone will I leap, but yet three versts upon the further shore will I bear thee on my outstretched pinions. If I yield not to my elder brothers, much less will I give way before the younger. For my eldest brother is with Ilyá of Múrom, my second with Dobrynya Nikitich: I am the third, and Churilo's steed is but the fourth of us."

Then Diuk saddled his good steed with his own hands, and rode far out over the open plain, with Churilo Fop to Mother Dniepr river. Many mighty heroes, princes, nobles, and of the common folk of Kief not a few, went also to view that contest.

"Do thou leap first," said Churilo Fop.

"Nay," quoth Diuk; "leap thou the first. And when we leap together in India, then will I take the lead."

So Churilo made ready to leap. His good steed reared upon his hind legs on the bank, and essayed the flight, but floundered in mid-stream.

Then Diuk essayed. His good steed bore him in safety past the flood, and turning leaped back whence he came. As he flew, Diuk grasped Churilo by his yellow curls, and dragged him to the shore, and so to Prince Vladimir's presence, where he would have cut off his turbulent head.

But all the old women, young wives, and lovely, maids of Kief began to beseech Diuk urgently that he would spare the life of Churilo the handsome Fop; and royal Vladimir spoke also in his behalf.

Then Diuk gave Churilo a mighty kick: "Go, Fop, bewept of women, since Prince Vladimir entreateth; go sit among the women, and dally with the maids. But come thou never more into the company of heroes, weak dangler after women, and beloved of ancient crones!"

But Churilo spoke with malice: "Fair lord. Prince Vladimir, if this child boasteth with reason, let us send talesmen to the splendid Indian land, to take lists of all his cattle and possessions."

"Whom shall we send?" said courteous Prince Vladimir.

"Let Alyósha Popóvich go."

"Nay! Alyósha shall not go to my India," quoth Diuk: "for he hath pope's eyes, greedy eyes, and pope's pilfering hands. He will never return."

Then he sat down in a folding-chair at the oaken table, and wrote a billet with haste. And, having fastened it to an arrow, he shot it, bidding it fly forth to Old Cossack Ilyá in the open plain, and crave his aid.

Then Ilyá sent Dobrynya to inquire what aid Lord Diuk required; and if Dobrynya might not render it, then would he come himself.

"Ho, Dobrynya Nikitich! Thou shalt go to my India" said Diuk then; "but not Alyósha with his greedy pope's eyes and thieving fingers."

So Vladimir appointed Dobrynya and two more to make the lists. If Diuk had the greater possessions, then should Vladimir become his vassal, and contrariwise: if Diuk's brags were not established, then should he serve Vladimir loyally so long as he lived.

"Take paper for three years and for three days," quoth Diuk, "for six scribes may not write the tale of my possessions in twenty years. And of a surety, ye shall do homage to my serving-maids, mistaking them for my lady mother."

Then the talesmen set out, and with them went three great carts of paper. When, after long wanderings, they came to India the Rich, they climbed a lofty mountain, and beheld the land glowing before them. And one said: "Of a surety, Lord Diuk hath sent warning to his native land, that they should set on fire great India the Rich, for lo! it burneth!"

But when they drew near they saw that it was but the golden roofs of the dwellings flaming, and the temples' precious domes which glowed, and the ways strewn with tawny-yellow sand and spread with fair cloth of scarlet. Diuk's palace of white stone had three and thirty towers which flowed together at one point; their domes all were sheathed with green copper, more precious than red gold. About the palace lay a garden of seventy versts, set with all manner of pleasant fruit-trees and of shrubs, walled about with a lofty railing of carven pillars of gold, surmounted by knobs of copper, and the gates were of fair brass. In the court, maids richly apparelled walked with the serving-men, or played at chess.

Within, the palace was reared upon three hundred pillars of silver, four hundred of gold, and others innumerable of precious copper and of iron. In all Kief was nothing like it, and all Kief town would not suffice to purchase that palace alone; and through the town flowed a river of gold.

The talesmen feared to enter; but when at length they did so, and came to the first tower, they found an aged woman of motherly aspect:.her garments were of pure silver, with but small admixture of silk, and they bowed to the earth before her.

"Hail, most honorable widow, Amélfya Timoféevna, mother to Lord Diuk Stepánovich!" they said.

"I am not the Lord Diuk's mother," said the woman. "I am his cowherd."

Then the talesmen were sore vexed and shamed, that they should have done reverence to Diuk's cowherd because of her rich array, and inquired no further that day, but went and pitched a tent without the town, and there abode that night.

The next day they came again to the lordly palace, and essayed the second tower. There they found an aged woman of reverend mien, clad in silver and gold; and to her they did homage. But she refused it, saying, "I am the Lord Diuk's washerwoman.

And in like manner, to their exceeding shame and great amaze, they bowed before Diuk's cook, his chamber-women, his baker of cakes, his nurse, and others, — all women of stately mien and venerable aspect, and more richly arrayed than the Princess Apráxia on festal days.

At length the nurse told them that the honorable widow was gone to the long mass, and that they might know her as she came thence by these signs: Before her would come a host with shovels, and then a.host of sweepers, to make all clean, and sprinkle orange-tawny sand, and others still spreading cloth of scarlet. Then would follow the most honorable widow, Amélfya Timoféevna, supported on either hand by scores of maidens.

"Ye must not salute all the women in rich raiment like this of mine, whom you shall meet," spoke the nurse; "for of such there are very many in this town, and ye would never make an end."

So they went forth to meet the honorable lady, and when she cam,e, attended as had been described to them, they were dazzled, and bowed to the earth. The red sun glowed upon her brow, the bright moon and thick-clustering stars gleamed fair behind, and her attire was rich beyond compare.

The lady returned their greeting courteously, and inquired why they were come thither.

"Lord Diuk sent us," they made answer, "to take rate of his cattle and goods."

"That ye cannot do," quoth she; "yet come first and eat bread and salt with me, and feast: then will I show you what ye list."

— At that feast were white swans, and great abundance of all choice viands, green wine and sweet liquors, and cakes of fine wheaten flour, such as Diuk had spoken of in Kief, for which their souls burned. After they had eaten and drunken all they would, the honorable widow showed them first, Diuk's horses; and they would have counted them — but could not. Then she showed them Diuk's foot-gear; this also they would have reckoned — and could not. After that, she led them to the deep vaults with vents to the open plain, where swung the gold-hooped casks of silver in their chains of brass, and murmured like white swans in sweet converse on the bosom of tranquil bays; and to the treasury of trappings for the horses. Three years they sat and reckoned what might be the value of the Lord Diuk's saddle of state, incrusted with jewels, and of exceeding rich workmanship — and could not so much as begin to compute it.

Then they sent word to Kief, to royal Vladimir: "Sell Kief for paper, and Chérnigof for ink, and then, mayhap, we may make a beginning of reckoning Diuk's great possessions."

When courteous Prince Vladimir heard that, he spoke: "I pray thee. Lord Diuk, be my guest in the lofty palace, taste of my bread and salt, and carve the white swan; and trade thou evermore in Kief without tax."

"Nay, Prince Vladimir," young Diuk made answer; "the Fair Sun gave forth no warmth in the morning, and at eventide he will give no heat. No courtesy hast thou used with the youth when he came, and thou shalt have no profit of him now."

A little space thereafter, went Prince Vladimir and Churilo Fop, and all the princes, nobles, and scribes, to Volhynia town in India the Rich, to view and compute Diuk's possessions. When they came to Diuk's dwelling, they marvelled greatly.

for such a palace even royal Vladimir himself had never yet beheld, — and they feared to enter.

So young Lord Diuk took the Fair Sun by the hand, and led him in. One half the floor was of crystal; beneath flowed limpid water, and in the water swam fishes of many hues, and sported. When they lashed the water with their tails, the crystal floor resounded. Prince Vladimir held back, fearing to tread thereon, but Diuk led him still forward, for so they must needs go; and at the golden tables they feasted on viands such as they had never so much as heard of, and drank liquors which they had never seen, no whit worse than Lord Diuk had bragged.

Then Prince Vladimir inquired for his talesmen, and they were led to him; and lo! they were all withered up like shavings, for grief that they could not compute the value of so much as one saddle.

But Vladimir looked on the saddle, and said: "Of a truth, he who wrought that may alone compute its worth."

So Prince Vladimir acknowledged himself vassal to Lord Diuk, as they had agreed; but Diuk said:

"I need thy service not. Go home, and look to it that henceforth the unknown man and stranger suffer no offence in thy house."