Ilya and the Adventure of the Three Roads

The old man rode over the open plain. From youth to old age he had ridden, and he marvelled at himself. "Oh age, old age!" he cried: "oh deep old age of three hundred years! Thou hast overtaken the Cossack in the open plain, thou hast caught me like a black raven, thou hast alighted upon my turbulent head. — And youth, thou youth, my early youth! Thou hast flown away, youth, over the open plain, like the falcon clear!"

In the open plain the light snows gleamed not white, little clouds darkled not, the blades of the steppe grass waved not. — But over the open plain stil rode the Old Cossack of the Don, on his heroic steed. The horse under him was fiery as a wild beast, and Ilyá as he sat was like the falcon bright. No ferriage asked the Cossack, for good Cloudfall leaped lake and river, wide morass, and floating swamp.

As he rode, he came to a place where three ways met; and there stood a burning white stone, Alátyr, whereon was written: "Whoso rideth to the right shall gain great wealth, whoso goeth to the left a wife, he that fareth straight on, his death."

The Old Cossack halted, marvelled, and shook his gray head in thought.

"Wherefore should I, an old man, crave wealth? I have countless store of golden treasure. And why should the old man win a wife? There is no joy in an ugly wife, and a fair one is taken for the envy of other men. A young wife is coveted of others; an old wife would lie on the oven, and eat kisál,' she would sit by the oven, and order the old husband about. Nay; but I will ride that way where I may win death."

Then the good youth, the Old Cossack, rode on. Hardly had he passed Korela the Accursed, not yet had he attained to India the Rich, when he entered a gloomy forest. There stood a band of forty thousand robbers, and they coveted Ilyá's good steed.

"In all our lives," said they, "we have beheld no such horse. Halt then, good youth, halt, thou Russian hero!" And they would have robbed him; but Ilyá said:

"Ho, ye robber horde! Ye may not kill the old man, nor rob him. I have no treasure with me, save five hundred rubles. The cross on my breast is worth but five hundred, my cloak of sables three thousand; my cap of forty poods, and my sandals of the seven silks, five hundred each; my fine caftán of orange-tawny taffeta is valued at but little, my braided bridle rimmed with precious stones, but a thousand rubles. My Cherkéssian saddle bordered with eagle's feathers — that eagle which flew not over lofty mountains, but over the blue sea — is priceless. Between my Cloudfall's eyes, and under his ears, are jewels fair, clear jacinth stones, — not for youthful vanity, but because of the autumn nights. Wheresoever my good steed goeth, he can see thirty versts on all sides, thirty versts well told; for they gleam like the bright moon. — And my good steed Cloudfall is worth nothing at all."

The robbers jeered as they answered: "Thou art old and garrulous, Cossack! Since we have roamed this white world, never saw we such a fool. The aged fool hath told the truth as though we had demanded it! Seize the old fellow, children!" And they would have dragged the Old Cossack from his horse.

But young Ilyá of Múrom drew a fiery dart from his quiver, and sped it forth from his stout bow, and struck the damp mother of oaks. The ringbarked oak was shivered in fragments, and the earth was ploughed up round about.

The robbers were greatly terrified thereat, and lay senseless for the space of five hours. Then they entreated him:

"Good youth, great Russian hero! Enter thou into comradeship with us. Take what thou wilt of golden treasure, flowered garments, horses and herds."

Ilyá laughed: "Eh, brothers, mine enemies," quoth he, "I have no wish to feed your sheep."

Then he turned back to the white and burning stone Alátyr, erased the old inscription, and wrote anew:

"I have ridden this road, and have not been slain." So ended the adventure of the first road.

Again Ilyá of Múrom the Old Cossack sallied forth into the open plain. He rode three hundred versts, and lo! before him in a green meadow, stood a marvel of marvels, a wonder of wonders. Too small was it to be called a city, too large to be a village. It was, in truth, but a fair palace of white stone, with golden roofs, lofty walls, and three-cornered towers.

When Ilyá came to that palace, there issued forth from it forty damsels, and with them came also the Princess Zenira the Most Fair. The beautiful Princess took the old man by his white hands, by his golden ring, kissed his sugar mouth, and bade him enter the palace of white stone to feast with her.

"Long have I journeyed in Holy Russia, but such a marvel I have never yet beheld," said Ilyá. Then she led him in. The good youth crossed himself as prescribed, made salutation as enjoined, to all sides, and lowest of all to the fair Princess, who placed him at the table of white oak, and fetched him sugar viands and sweet mead.

"Eat not to satiety, good youth," said she, "and drink not to drunkenness, for there is more to come."

But Ilyá said: "I have journeyed three hundred versts, and my hunger is great," and ate and drank his fill.

Then Zenira the Fair led him to a rich warm chamber, to a bed of yew wood and ivory, with soft cushions of down.

"Lie thou next yon brick wall, thou bold and goodly youth," spake the Princess.

"Nay," said Ilyá, "I will lie upon the outer edge, for I often rise in the night to visit my good steed."

Thereupon he seized her by her white breast, and flung her upon the bed of yew wood, against the wall.

Now that bed of yew was false; it turned, and the fair Princess was hurled down into her dungeons, forty fathoms deep.

Then the good old youth went forth into the spacious courtyard, and spoke to the nurses, women and faithful servitors: "Give me the golden keys which undo the dungeon doors. Show me the way to those deep vaults."

So they showed him; and he found the way choked with yellow sand, and barred with vast logs of wood.

He had no need of the golden keys; he tore the locks asunder with his hands, forced the doors back with his heels, until they flew from their frames. Then from the dungeons forty Tzars and Tzaróviches, forty Kings and Princes, their heirs, together with Dobrynya Nikitich, Alyósha Popóvich, and many more, an innumerable host, sprang to their nimble feet, and came forth.

All bowed before the Old Cossack, and thanked him for showing them once more the white world.

"Go hence, ye Tzars, to your empires," spake Ilyá, "ye Kings, to your kingdoms, to your wives and children, and pray God for the Old Cossack, for Ilyá of Múrom."

But when the fair Princess came forth, Ilyá took her by her white hands, bound her to three untamed horses, and drove them apart, so that they scattered over the open plain, here a hand, there a foot, and everywhere her white body. All her estates and treasure he divided among those bold and goodly youths, the strong and mighty heroes; and her palace of white stone he gave over to the flames.

Again the Old Cossack returned to the white stone, crossed out the old inscription, and wrote a new one:

"This legend is falsely written; I have ridden that way, yet am I still unwed!"

"I will go now," quoth he, "where wealth is to be won."

Then the old man rode over the plain; three hours, three hundred versts he rode, and came at length to a green meadow where deep pits were dug, and to a gloomy forest where was a vault filled with treasure, fair gold, pure silver, and fine seed-pearls; and on the vault was an inscription: "This treasure shall fall to Ilyá of Múrom."

Ilyá reflected; and having hired wise and cunning craftsmen, he built on that spot a monastery and a cathedral church. And he instituted there church singing, and the sound of bells. "Let him whose that treasure was come for it now," quoth Ilyá of Múrom, and returned to famous Kief town, to courteous Prince Vladimir the Fair Sun.

Vladimir inquired of him: "Where bast thou tarried so long, thou bold and goodly youth, thou Old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom?"

And Ilyá related his Adventure of the Three Ways, and all that he had done, to Fair Sun Prince Vladimir.