Ilya of Murom and Nightingale the Robber

Young Ilyá of Múrom, Ivan's son, went to matins on Easter morn. And as he stood there in church, he vowed a great vow: "To sing at high mass that same Easter day in Kief town, and to go thither by the straight way." And yet another vow he took: "As he fared to that royal town by the straight way, not to stain his hand with blood, nor yet his sharp sword with the blood of the accursed Tatars." His thhd vow he swore upon his mace of steel: "That though he should go the straight way, he would not shoot his fiery darts."

Then he departed from the cathedral church, entered the spacious courtyard and began to saddle good Cloudfall, his shaggy bay steed, to arm himself and prepare for his journey to the famous town of Kief, to the worshipful feast, and the Fair Sun Prince Vladimir of royal Kief, Good Cloudfall's mane was three ells in length, his tail three fathoms, and his hair of three colors. Ilyá put on him first the plaited bridle, next twelve saddlecloths, twelve felts, and upon them a metal bound Cherkéssian saddle. The silken girths were twelve in number — not for youthful vanity but for heroic strength; the stirrups were of damascened steel from beyond the seas, the buckles of bronze which rusteth not, weareth not, the silk from Samarcand, which chafeth not, teareth not.

They saw the good youth as he mounted, — as he rode they saw him not; so swift was his flight, there seemed but a smoke-wreath on the open plain, as when wild winds of winter whirl about the snow. Good Cloudfall skimmed over the grass, and above the waters; high over the standing trees he soared, the primeval oaks, yet lower than the drifting clouds. From mountain to mountain he sprang, from hill to hil he galloped; little rivers and lakes dropped between his feet; where his hoofs fell, founts of water gushed forth; in the open plain smoke eddied, and rose aloft in a pillar. At each leap Cloudfall compassed a verst and a half

In the open steppe, young Ilyá hewed down a forest and raised a godly cross, and wrote thereon:

"Ilyá of Múrom, the Old Cossack, rideth to royal Kief town, on his first heroic quest."

When he drew near to Chérnigof, there stood a great host of Tatars, — three Tzareviches, each with forty thousand men. The cloud of steam from the horses was so great, that the fair red sun was not seen by day, nor the bright moon by night. The gray hare could not course, nor the clear falcon fly, about that host, so vast was it.

When Ilyá saw that, he dismounted, and falling down before good Cloudfall's right foot, he entreated him:

"Help me, my shaggy bay!" So Cloudfall soared like a falcon clear, and Ilyá plucked up a damp, ringbarked oak from the damp earth, from amid the stones and roots, and bound it to his left stirrup, grasped another in his right hand, and began to brandish it. "Every man may take a tow," quoth he, "but not every man can fulfil it."

Where he waved the damp oak, a street appeared; where he drew it back, a lane. Great as was the number that he slew, yet twice that number did his good steed trample under foot: not one was spared to continue their race.

The gates of Chérnigof were strongly barred, a great watch was kept, and the stout and mighty heroes stood in council. Therefore Ilyá flew on his good steed over the city wall (the height of the wall was twelve fathoms), and entered the church where all the people were assembled, praying God, repenting and receiving the sacrament against sure approaching death. Ilyá crossed himself as prescribed, did reverence as enjoined, and cried:

"Hall, ye merchants of Chérnigof, warrior-maidens and mighty heroes all! Why repent ye now, and receive the sacrament? Why do ye bid farewell thus, to the white world?"

Then they told him how they were besieged by accursed Tatars, and Ilyá said: "Go ye upon the famous wall of your city, and look toward the open plain."

They did as he commanded, and lo! where had stood the many, very many foreign standards, like a dark, dry forest, the accursed Tatars were now cut down and heaped up, like a field of grain which hath been reaped.

Then the men of Chérnigof did lowly reverence to the good youth, and besought him that he would reveal his name, and abide in Chérnigof to serve them as their Tzar, King, Voevóda, — what he would; and that he would likewise accept at their hands, a bowl of pure red gold, a bowl of fair silver, and one of fine seed pearls.

"These I will not take," Ilyá made answer, "though I have earned them, neither will I dwell with you either as Tzar or peasant. Live ye as of old, my brothers, and show me the straight road to Kief town."

Then they told him: "By the straight road it is five hundred versts, and by the way about, a thousand. Yet take not the straight road, for therein lie three great barriers: the gray wolf trotteth not that way, the black raven flieth not overhead. The first barrier is the lofty mountains; the second is the Smoródina river, six versts in width, and the Black Morass; and beside that river, the third barrier is Nightingale the Robber.

"He hath built his nest on seven oaks, that magic bird. When he whistleth like a nightingale, the dark forest boweth to the earth, the green leaves wither, horse and rider fall as dead. For that cause the road is lost, and no man hath travelled it these thirty years."

When Ilyá the Old Cossack heard that, he mounted his good steed, and rode forthwith that straight way. When he came to the lofty mountains, his good steed, rose from the damp earth, and soared like a bright falcon over them and the tall dreaming forests. When he came to the Black Morass, he plucked great oaks with one hand, and flung them across the shaking bog for thirty versts, while he led good Cloudfall with the other. When he came to Mother Smoródina, he beat his steed's fat sides, so that the horse cleared the river at a bound.

There sat Nightingale the Robber (surnamed the Magic Bird), and thrust his turbulent head out from his nest upon the seven oaks; sparks and flame poured from his mouth and nostrils. Then he began to pipe like a nightingale, to roar like an aurochs, and to hiss like a dragon. Thereat good Cloudfall, that heroic steed, fell upon his knees, and Ilyá began to beat him upon his flanks and between his ears.

"Thou wolf's food!" cried Ilyá, "thou grassbag! Hast never been in the gloomy forest, nor heard the song of nightingale, the roar of wild beast, nor serpent's hiss"? "

Then Ilyá brake a twig from a willow that grew near by, that he might keep his vow not to stain his weapons with blood, fitted it to his stout bow, and conjured it: "Fly, little dart! Enter the Nightingale's left eye, come forth at his right ear!"

The good heroic steed rose to his feet, and the Robber Nightingale fell to the damp earth hke a rick of grain.

Then the Old Cossack raised up that mighty robber, bound him to his stirrup by his yellow curls, and went his way. Ere long they came to the Nightingale's house, built upon seven pillars over seven versts of ground. About the courtyard was an iron paling, upon each stake thereof a spike, and on each spike the head of a hero. In the centre was the strangers' court; and there stood three towers with golden crests, spur joined to spur, beam merged in beam, roof wedded to roof. Green gardens were planted round about, all blossoming and blooming with azure flowers, and a fair orchard encircled all.

When the Magic Bird's children looked from the latticed casements, and beheld a hero riding with one at his stirrup, they cried: "Ai, lady mother! Our father cometh, and leadeth a man at his stirrup for us to eat."

But Elóna, the one-eyed, Nightingale's witch daughter, looked forth and said: "Nay, it is the Old Cossack Ilyá of Múrom who rideth, and leadeth our father in bonds."

Then spoke Nightingale's nine sons: "We will transform ourselves into ravens, and rend that peasant with our iron beaks, and scatter his white body over the plain." But their father shouted to them that they should not harm the hero.

Nevertheless, Elena the witch ran into the wide courtyard, tore a steel beam of a hundred and fifty poods weight from the threshold, and hurled it at Ilyá. The good youth wavered in his saddle, yet being nimble, he escaped the full force of the blow. Then he leaped from his horse, and took the witch on his foot: higher flew the witch then than God's temple, higher than the life-giving cross thereon, and fell against the rear wall of the court, where her skin burst.

"Foolish are ye, my children!" cried the Nightingale. "Fetch from the vaults a cart-load of fair gold, another of pure silver and a third of fine seed pearls, and give to the Old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom, that he may set me free."

Quoth Ilyá: "If I should plant my sharp spear in the earth, and if thou shouldst heap treasure about it until it was covered, yet would I not release thee, Nightingale, lest thou shouldst resume thy thieving. But follow me now to glorious Kief town, that thou mayest receive forgiveness there."

Then his good Cloudfall began to prance, and the Magic Bird at his stirrup to dance, and in this wise came the good youth, the Old Cossack, to Kief, to glorious Prince Vladimir.

Now, fair Prince Vladimir of royal Kief was not at home; he had gone to God's temple. Therefore Ilyá entered the court without leave or announcement, bound his horse to the golden ring in the carven pillar, and laid his commands upon that good heroic steed: "Guard thou the Nightingale, my charger, that he depart not from my stirrup of steel."

And to Nightingale he said: "Look to it. Nightingale, that thou depart not from my good steed; for there is no place in all the white world where thou mayest securely hide thyself from me!"

Then he betook himself to the Easter mass. There he crossed himself and did reverence as prescribed, on all four sides, and to the Fair Sun Prince Vladimir in particular. And after the mass was over. Prince Vladimir sent to bid the strange hero to the feast, and there inquired of him from what horde and land he came, and what was his parentage. So Ilyá told him that he was the only son of honorable parents. "I stood at my home in Múrom, at matins," quoth he, "and mass was but just ended when I came hither by the straight way."

When the heroes that sat at the prince's table heard that, they looked askance at him.

"Nay, good youth, liest thou not? boastest thou not?" said Fair Sun Vladimir. "That way hath been lost these thirty years, for there stand great barriers therein; accursed Tatars in the fields, black morasses; and beside the famed Smoródina, amid the bending birches, is the nest of the Nightingale on seven oaks; and that Magic Bird hath nine sons and eight daughters, and one is a witch. He hath permitted neither horse nor man to pass him these many years."

"Nay, thou Fair Sun Prince Vladimir," Ilyá answered; "I did come the straight way, and the Nightingale Robber now sitteth bound within thy court."

Then all left the tables of white oak, and each outran the other to view the Nightingale, as he sat bound to the steel stirrup, with one eye fixed on Kief town and the other on Chérnigof from force of habit. And Princess Apráxia came forth upon the railed balcony to look.

Prince Vladimir spoke: "Whistle, thou Nightingale, roar like an aurochs, hiss like a dragon."

But the Nightingale replied: "Not thy captive am I, Vladimir. 'Tis not thy bread I eat. But give me wine."

"Give him a cup of green wine," spake Ilyá, "a cup of a bucket and a half, in weight a pood and a half, and a cake of fine wheat flour, for his mouth is now filled with blood from my dart."

Vladimir fetched a cup of green wine, and one of the liquor of drunkenness, and yet a third of sweet mead; and the Nightingale drained each at a draught. Then the Old Cossack commanded the Magic Bird to whistle, roar and hiss, but under his breath, lest harm might come to any.

But the Nightingale, out of malice, did all with his full strength. And at that cry, all the ancient palaces in Kief fell in ruins, the new castles rocked, the roofs through all the city fell to the ground, damp mother earth quivered, the heroic steeds fled from the court, the young damsels hid themselves, the good youths dispersed through the streets, and as many as remained to listen died. Ilyá caught up Prince Vladimir under one arm and his Princess under the other, to shield them; yet was Vladimir as though dead for the space of three hours.

"For this deed of thine thou shalt die," spake Ilyá in his wrath, and Vladimir prayed that at least a remnant of his people might be spared.

The Nightingale began to entreat forgiveness, and that he might be allowed to build a great monastery with his ill-gotten gold. "Nay," said Ilyá, "this kind buildeth never, but destroyeth With that he took Nightingale the Robber by his white hands, led him far out upon the open plain, fitted a burning arrow to his stout bow, and shot it into the black breast of that Magic Bird. Then he struck off his turbulent hea,d, and scattered his bones to the winds, and mounting his good Cloudfall, came again to Prince Vladimir.

Again they sat at the oaken board, eating savory viands and white swans, and quaffing sweet mead. Great gifts and much worship did Ilyá receive, and Vladimir gave command that he should be called evermore Ilyá of Múrom the Old Cossack, after his native town.