Danilo the Huntsman and His Wife

In Kief town the Fair Sun Prince Vladimir held a feast, great, honorable, and merry. And when the throng of princely nobles and mighty heroes had eaten half their fill, and were half drunken with wine, they began to boast among themselves. One vaunted his wealth, another his foreign merchandise, another his style of living or his estates, his prowess or his young wife.

Then spoke our father Prince Vladimir:

"Ai, all ye my princely nobles, and heroes mighty! ye are all married, while I alone go unwed. Know ye not where I may find a bride with whom to hold sweet converse, of whom I may make boast in banquet-hall and bower, to whom ye may pay homage?"

Putyatin Putyatovich made answer: "Prince Vladimir, little father! take to thyself the bride of Danilo the Huntsman. For I have journeyed much in foreign lands, have viewed many princesses, and proved their understandings. One was fair of face, but lacked wit; the wit of another exceeded her beauty. Yet never found I so fair a woman, and so fitting, as the bride of Danilo the Huntsman, Vasilisa Mikúlichna. She is fair of face, and of good understanding: she knoweth well how to read and write the Russian tongue, and is learned likewise in the legends of saints and in church-singing. None is more meet to be our Princess and our mother."

This word displeased Vladimir greatly, and he said: "Where was it ever seen or heard that a woman should be taken from a living husband?" And he commanded that Putyátin should be executed.

But the man was crafty, and slipped aside: "Ho, little father. Prince Vladimir," he cried; "wait! hang me not in haste; command me to speak yet a word." So Vladimir commanded him.

"Let us send Danilo on some distant service, from which there is no return, to the Island of Buyán. Command him to slay the fierce beast with blue feathers and bristly hide, and to take out its heart. — Let us send him afar on the open plain, to the Levanídof meadow, to the thundering spring: command him to take the white-throated bird, and fetch it hither to thy royal banquet, to slay the fierce lion, and bear him hither."

Prince Vladimir liked this counsel well; but Ilyá of Múrom, the Old Cossack, spoke up, and said: "Little father. Prince Vladimir! if thou slay the bright falcon, yet shalt thou not capture the white swan!"

But this speech angered Prince Vladimir, and he set Ilyá in a deep dungeon.

Then he called Danilo, and commanded him to go upon this quest. And Danilo went forth from the richly spread tables of oak, the sweet viands and honeyed drinks, mounted his good steed in the spacious court, and rode homeward.

His young wife Vasilisa in her lofty castle watched him as he came, and saw that he went not merrily: his turbulent head drooped low, his clear eyes were bent upon damp mother earth. When she had inquired of him whether Prince Vladimir had duly honored him with cup and seat at the feast, he answered that he had had the highest seat at the board, and the cup had come to him first of all.

"But woman's intrigues have wrought my ruin," he said. "Fetch me now my little quiver with a hundred and fifty darts." Nevertheless she gave him the great quiver with full three hundred, whereat he reproved her: "Thou art ill-taught. Why art thou thus disobedient? Fearest thou me not?"

But Vasilisa was not angry, and said: "My hope, my heart's friend, young Danilo the Huntsman! a spare dart may prove of service to thee."

So the good youth journeyed to the Isle of Buyán. When he espied the fierce beast, he grasped his stout bow firmly, fitted a gilded arrow to the silken cord, slew the beast, and took out his heart and liver. Then he sat down to eat bread, and carve the white swan. And as he looked toward Kief town, he beheld not white snows gleaming nor black clouds gathering fast, but a Russian host flashing black and white against Danilo. Then shed he burning tears, and said: "Of a truth, I am greatly out of favor with Prince Vladimir! and my service he requireth not."

With that Danilo seized his sharp sword, and cut down the Russian host to a man. And after a little space, he looked again towards Kief town: — 'twas not two fierce beasts coursing o'er the open plain, nor yet two damp oaks quivering; but two great heroes riding, Nikíta, Danilo's own brother, and Dobrynya, his brother in arms.

When Danilo saw that, he wept bitterly, and spoke: "Of a truth, the Lord is wroth with me, and Prince Vladimir greatly displeased: for when was it ever heard or seen that brother should be sent to contend against brother?"

Thereupon he caught up his sharp spear, thrust the butt-end into the damp earth, and fell upon the point; and as it pierced his white breast, Danilo closed his clear eyes forever.

When the heroes came to him, they wept sore, and turned back, and told Prince Vladimir: "Bold Danilo is dead."

Then Vladimir collected a great following, seated himself in a golden chariot, and went to Danilo's dwelling. When he was come thither, he entered the lofty tower, and kissed Vasilisa's sugar mouth.

But Vasilisa said: "Little father. Prince Vladimir, kiss not my red mouth, without my friend Danilo."

But Vladimir commanded her: "Don thy fairest apparel, thy wedding robes."

This she did, then took a sharp knife, and said:

"Grant me now. Prince Vladimir, to look upon my dear friend, and to take leave of his white body."

So Vladimir permitted her, and sent with her two heroes. And, when she went to look, lo! they were making the coffin.

"Make it wide, ye master carpenters," quoth Vasilisa, "that his heroic bones may have space to turn!"

And to the two heroes she said:

"Go now, ye heroes, and say to Prince Vladimir, that he must not leave my body upon the open plain, but must lay it with the body of my dear friend Danilo the Huntsman."

Upon that, she took her sharp knife, pierced her white breast, and closed her clear eyes.

The two heroes wept, and returning, told all to Prince Vladimir.

Then Vladimir released Ilyá of Múrom from the dungeon, and kissed him on the temple. "Well hast thou spoken, thou Old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom!" he said, and graciously bestowed upon him a mantle of sables. But to Putyatin he gave a kettle of pitch.