Ilya and Idol

Mighty Ivaniusho arrayed himself and set out for Jerusalem, to pray to the Lord, to bathe in Jordan, to kiss the cypress tree, and to visit the grave of the Lord.

Mighty Ivaniusho's foot-gear was of the seven silks, his hooked staff weighed forty poods; into his foot-gear precious stones were woven. On summer days his course was lighted by the fair red sun; in winter, by a precious jewel.

As he returned from Jerusalem he passed Tzargrád,d, and found that the accursed Idol was come thither, that the holy ikóns had been shattered and trodden in the mire, and horses were fed in the temple of God. Then mighty Ivaniusho caught a Tatar by the breast, dragged him forth into the open plain, and began to inquire of him:,

"Tell me now, thou faithless Tatar! Conceal nothing: what manner of man is yon accursed Idol? Is he great of stature?"

Said the Tatar: "Our Idol is three fathoms, well measured, in height, and three in breadth; his head is like a beer-kettle, his eyes like drinking-cups. His nose is an ell long from its root, and he cheweth the cud like an aurochs."

Ivaniusho caught the accursed Tatar by the hand, and hurled him upon the open plain; and the bones of the Tatar flew asunder. Then Ivaniusho pursued his journey, and met Ilyá of Múrom in the way.

"Hail, Ilyá of Múrom, thou Old Cossack!" said Ivaniusho; and they greeted each other there.

"Whence wanderest thou, mighty Ivaniusho?" inquired Ilyá. "Whither lieth thy road?"

Then Ivaniusho told him how he had been to Jerusalem, and had passed Tzargrád; and Ilyá began to inquire of him:

"Is all in Tzargrád as of old? Is all as it was wont to be?"

"Nay," said Ivaniusho; and he told Ilyá of the conquest, and how God's temples were defiled.

"A fool art thou, stout and mighty Ivaniusho!" cried the Old Cossack. "Thy strength is as twice my strength, but thy boldness and daring are not as the half of mine. For thy first speech I could have pitied thee, but for this last, I could have chastised thee upon thy naked body! Why hast thou not delivered Tzar Constantino? But now, undo quickly thy foot-gear of the seven silks from thy feet, and put on my morocco shoes, for I will go sadly as a wandering psalm-singer." — And it grieved him to give his good horse to the pilgrim. — "Ride softly as water floweth," he said; "remain in some place of easy access, and wait for me, for I shall soon return. And give hither thy staff of forty poods."

Then Ilyá strode on quickly, and each stride was a verst and a half in length: — and when he came to Tzargrád, he shouted with full might:

"Ho there. Tzar Constantino! Give gold, give saving alms to a wandering psalm-singer."

Tzar Constantine rejoiced, and at the singer's shout, the forty towers rocked, the liquor on the tables splashed over, damp mother earth quivered, and the palace of white stone heaved from corner to corner. At the third shout the accursed Idol was greatly terrified, and spoke to Tzar Constantine.

"Your Russian psalm-singers are loud-voiced fellows," quoth Idol. "Receive this pilgrim, feed him, give him drink and gold at thy pleasure."

Constantine went forth upon the railed balcony, and bade the pilgrim enter. And when the pilgrim had eaten and drunk, the Idol took him to himself to question:

"Tell me truly, thou Russian pilgrim, and conceal nothing. What manner of heroes have ye in Russia And your Old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom, — is he great of stature? Can he devour much bread, drink much green wine?"

And that Russian pilgrim made answer: "Yea, thou accursed Idol. We have Ilyá of Múrom in Kief, and his stature differeth not from mine by so much as a hair's breadth. We have been brothers in arms. His beard is gray but handsome. Of bread he eateth three consecrated loaves, and his drink is two cups of green wine."

"A fine hero, in sooth, for Kief!" quoth Idol. "If I had but that hero in this place, I would set him on the palm of one hand, and with the other I would press him until he became a pancake. And I would blow him away into the open plain! For lo! I am Idol, three fathoms in height, and my breadth is three fathoms well told. I can put a loaf in one cheek, and the same in the other, and a white swan is but a mouthful for me. I eat seven poods of bread and three oxen at a meal, with wine in due proportion, — a cask of forty buckets."

"The pope of Rostóf had a greedy cow," said Ilyá. "She ate and ate, and drank until she burst."

This speech pleased not Idol the Accursed. He seized his poniard from the oaken table, and hurled it at Ilyá of Múrom, that wandering psalm-singer. But Ilyá was nimble of foot, and leaped quickly aside upon the oven, and turning, caught the weapon in its flight, upon his staff. The poniard glanced off, struck the white oak door; the door flew from its fastenings; the poniard bounded into the ante-room, slew twelve Tatars, and wounded yet another twelve. Ilyá snatched his little cap of nine poods from his head, and flung it at Idol the Accursed, and Idol flew through the wall into the open plain. Then Ilyá sprang into the great courtyard, waved his staff, slew all the accursed Tatars, cleared the city of Tzargrád, and delivered Tzar Constantine.