Nightingale Budimirovich the Sailor Hero

Lofty are the heights of heaven, and deep the Ocean-sea, broad are the steppes o'er all the South, fathomless the Dniepr's reefs. Swamps and mosses lie over the sea, and frosts afar in the North. Barren are the shores about the White sea, and dark the forests that hem in Smolensk. Lofty hills stand about Chigunsk; wide stand the gates, and sarafans are fair on the Móshy river; round Opskof town spread the open plains.

From beneath the oak, oak, the damp oak, the willow-bush, from the white curling bush, the crimson elm, and the jacinth stone, flowed Mother Volgá river: past Kazán, Ryazán, and Astrakhan she flowed, and fell through her seventy mouths into the blue sea, the Turkish sea!

'Twas not the storm-clouds gathering, nor blue clouds 'rolling up, but thirty dark-red ships and three, sailing from out the glorious sea. From Kadórs Isle in the land of Ledenótz they ran, o'er the many-bayed sea, with green curving lines of shore, towards Mother Dniepr river.

One ship, the fairest, sailed before, as flies the falcon clear, and proudly she bore her head on high. Like a dragon fierce her prow was fashioned, her sides like the aurochs of Litv. In place of ears were two sharp spears, — little white ermines hung thereon. Her brows were rare black sables from Siberia, from Yaktitsk, and her eyes fair jacinth stones; rare gems, self-luminous, were they, not for beauty, but for guidance in the dark autumn nights. Her mane was two red foxes, her tail, two white sea-bears. The sails and pennons on that dark-red ship were of the silk of Samarcand; the cables and cordage likewise of that silk, that weareth not, teareth not; and the masts of gold, and the anchors from Siberia, of damascened steel. For oh! my brothers, our ship was fair adorned!

— Amid the ship stood a green tiled bower, its ceiling hung with black cut velvet, its walls with sables black. Its covering was foxes and martins, long and downy, from Siberian caves.

In that green tiled bower, on carven seats of precious fishes' teeth, sat Nightingale Budimirovich: on his right sat his lady mother, young Ulyána Vasilievna, on his left his body-guard of three hundred youths, none better. Shoes of green morocco were on their feet, and golden buckles with silver tongues; their garments were of fine scarlet cloth; on their heads were Norman caps.

On his sounding gúsly played Nightingale, and solaced his lady mother. String after string he touched and blended his voice therewith in tones from Nóvgorod and Jerusalem, in ditties from over the sea blue and glorious, from Kadól's Isle and the green-bayed shore.

Then quickly he went forth, and began to pace the ship, to shake back his yellow curls, and speak this word:

"Brothers, and brave guards of mine! Hearken to your chief, and do the deed commanded: take rods of iron, sound the reefs, scan the blue sea, that we run not into the shallows, but sail securely past."

So they sounded the depths, and ran in safety past the perilous reefs. But Nightingale still paced the deck, shook back his curls, and gave further command to his good youths: —

"Listen to your chieftain, and do the thing commanded: climb now the mast, and from the topmost yard look toward famous Kief town, and see if it be far."

They answered from the yard:

"Ai, young Nightingale Budimirovich! Kief town standeth close at hand."

Then he gave commandment that they should run into the harbor, and cast out steel anchors upon the steep shores, and throw out three landing stages; one of red gold for Nightingale himself, one of silver for his good body-guard, and one of bronze for his lady mother, the honorable widow, Ulyána Vasilievna.

Then young Nightingale took his golden keys, and from his treasure-chests, iron bound, he drew great store of treasure: forty forties of black sables, fox and martin skins without number, countless geese and swans, fine damask on which the red gold corrodeth not, the fair silver breaketh not. Not dear was the red gold, the pure silver upon that damask fair; that which was beyond price was the pattern from beyond the sea, of Nightingale's own devising. All these things he laid on a"dish of gold, and went to Prince Vladimir's palace of white stone, to the banquet-hall. There he crossed himself as prescribed, did reverence as enjoined, to all, to two, to three, to four sides, and to the royal Prince in particular, greeting him and his Princess.

"Hail, thou bold and goodly youth!" spoke Vladimir then. "I know neither thy name nor country, whether thou be a Tzar or Tzaróvich, a King or Crown Prince, or a fierce Cossack from the peaceful Don."

"None of these am I," quoth the youth; "but young Nightingale Budimir's son, from the blue sea, from the Isle of Kadól in the land of Ledenótz." Then he offered his gifts to Vladimir and his Princess. The Princess was greatly pleased thereat, accepting and praising them all; and in particular the damask, the like of which for richness, and cunningness of device, was not in Kief nor ever had been. And the Princess Apráxia entreated Vladimir that he would give Nightingale sweet viands, green wine, and sweet mead.

So Vladimir feasted him, and spake in pleasure:

"Ai, young Nightingale, what guerdon shall I bestow upon thee in return for all these great gifts? Wilt thou have cities with their villages, or golden treasure?"

And Nightingale made answer, as he paced the banquet-hall: "None of these do I need, for I have all these things at my desire. But grant me now a little plat, whereon to build three golden-crowned towers, within the green garden of fair Love, where they bake pepper-cakes and little tarts; where pancakes are sold, and children barter wares."

"As thou knowest, so do," answered courteous Prince Vladimir: "build where thou wilt, in my green royal gardens."

"Thanks, royal Vladimir, for thy princely gift," quoth Nightingale, and went straightway to his men.

"Brothers, my brave, stout guards, do now the thing commanded: put off your caftans of scarlet cloth, and your fair green shoes; don raiment fit for labor, of elkskin-, and heavy foot-gear. Take sharp steel axes, go to Love's garden, root up the oaks and elms, hew oaken beams, and build me there this night, three golden-crowned towers, with roofs o'erlapping and rich halls, so that I may dwell there at to-morrow's dawn."

Then late, right late at even, his good youths labored like woodpeckers tapping trees, and at midnight the palace was complete. Three-towered it stood, with golden domes which merged, three latticed halls, and in the midst a guest-chamber. Full richly were the towers adorned. In the heavens stood, a sun — and in the towers a sun; in heaven a moon — a moon in the towers likewise; stars and dawns in heaven and in the towers, and all.beauty under heaven.

— Early chimed the bells for matins, when Love the Fair awoke from sleep, washed herself very white, and gazed from her latticed casement upon her garden green. And lo! a marvel presented itself to her — three gold-domed towers stood in her garden fair.

"Ho there, nurses and handmaidens mine!" Love cried, "come hither and view this marvel. But yestere'en that hillock was bare, and now 'tis fully crowned."

"Prithee, dear Love," they answered, "look thyself! For thy fate hath come to thy court."

Then Love put her shoes in haste upon her naked feet, flung her robe upon one shoulder, and ran out to walk in her garden fair. When she came to the first, the grated tower, she heard a clashing and a clinking, and listened there: 'twas Nightingale's brave body-guard telling over his countless treasures of gold. As she listened at the second tower of glass, she caught a whispering

— the honorable young widow Ulyána Vasilievna praying God for her dear son. And at the third tower of red gold was again clashing and great noise; for fair young Nightingale sat therein, on a stool of precious fishes' teeth, playing on his harp, and singing. String after string he plucked, accompanying his voice in songs from Nóvgorod and Jerusalem, and all the little ballads from beyond the blue Turkish sea, and Kadól's Isle, with its many bays and green incurving shores.

The maiden rejoiced greatly, and was likewise greatly terrified, and listened all that day until the eventide. Then she entered the lofty tower, prayed God, and bowed to Nightingale. Nightingale returned her greeting, and she spoke:

"Young Nightingale Budimir's son! thou art unwedded; take me, a fair maid, to wife."

To this Nightingale made answer: "Thou art pleasing to me, maiden, in all things save this one;

— that I like not, — thou hast wooed a husband for thyself. This should not be, fair damsel. Better were it for thee to be at home, drawing water, milking the cows, feeding the calves."

Upon that, with great shame she turned and ran to her home.

Then young Nightingale Budimirovich donned with speed his richest apparel, and went to Prince Vladimir of royal Kief, in state, to woo, seated himself in the great place, and spoke this word:

"Ai, thou Prince of royal Kief town! Thou hast a much-loved niece, young Love. Give her to me now for my wife."

So Prince Vladimir betrothed the fair maiden, his niece, and the young people went to God's church to take the golden crowns.

Then in haste did young Nightingale remove from Love's garden his golden-crowned towers, made all things as they were at the first, and betook himself to his dark-red ship with his lady mother, his good body-guard, and his fair young wife, and sailed away to his own land. There he dwelt thenceforth, and his wife, in joy and peace.