Folk Tale

Alyosha Popovich

Translated From

Алеша Попович

AuthorАлександр Афанасьев
Book TitleНародные Русские Сказки
Publication Date1855
LanguageRussian
LanguageEnglish
OriginRussia

IN the sky the young bright moon was being born, and on the earth, of the old prebendary, the old pope Leon, a son was born, a mighty knight, and he was called by name Alyosha Popovich, a fair name for him.

When they began to feed Alyosha, what was a week's food for any other babe was a day's food for him, what was a year's food for others was a week's food for him.

Alyosha began going about the streets and playing with the young boys. If he touched the little hand of anyone, that hand was gone : if he touched the little nose of anyone, that nose was done for : his play was insatiate and terrible. Anyone he grappled with by the waist, he slew.

And Alyosha began to grow up, so he asked his mother and father for their blessing, for he wished to go and to fare into the open field.

His father said to him, " Alyosha Popovich, you are faring into the open field, but we have yet one who is even mightier than you : do you take into your service Maryshko, the son of Paran."

So the two youths mounted their good horses and they fared forth into the open field. The dust rose behind them like a column, such doughty youths were they to behold.

So the two doughty youths went on to the court of Prince Vladimir. And Alyosha Popovich went straight to the white stone palace, to Prince Vladimir, crossed himself as is befitting, bowed down in learned-wise in all four directions, and especially low to Prince Vladimir. Prince Vladimir came to meet the doughty youths and set them down at an oaken table, gave the doughty youths good food and drink, and then asked their news. And the doughty youths sat down to eat baked ginger- bread and to drink strong wines.

Then Prince Vladimir asked the doughty youths, " Who are ye, doughty youths ? Are ye mighty knights of prowess or wandering wayfarers bearing your burdens ? I do not know either your name or your companion's name."

So Alyosha Popovich answered, " I am the son of the old prebendary Leon, his young son Alyosha Popovich, and my comrade and servant is Maryshko, the son of Paran."

And when Alyosha had eaten and drunk he went and sat on the brick stove to rest from the midday heat, whilst Maryshko sat at the table.

Just at that time the knight, the Snake's son, was making a raid and was ravaging all the kingdom of Prince Vladimir. Tugarin Zmyeyevich 1 came to the white stone palace, came to Prince Vladimir. With his left leg he stepped on the threshold and with his right leg on the oaken table. He drank and ate and had conversa- tion with ^ the princess, and he mocked Prince Vladimir and reviled him. He put one round of bread to his cheek and piled one on another ; on his tongue he put an entire swan, and he thrust off all the pastry and swallowed it all at a gulp.

Alyosha Popovich was lying on the brick stove, and spake in this wise to Tugarin Zmyeyevich : " My old father, Leon the pope, had a little cow which was a great glutton : it used to eat up all the beer vats with all the lees ; and then the little cow, the glutton, came to the lake, and it drank and lapped all the water out of the lake, took it all up and it burst, and so it would also have torn Tugarin to bits after his feed."

Then Tugarin was wroth with Alyosha Popovich and burst on him with his steel knife. Alyosha turned aside and stood behind an oaken column. Then Alyosha spoke in this wise : "I thank you, Tugarin Zmyeyevich ; you have given me a steel knife : I will break your white breast, I will put out your clear eyes, and I will behold your mettlesome heart."

Just at that time Maryshko Paranov leapt out from behind the table, the oaken table, on to his swift feet, seized Tugarin, and fell on his back and threw him over ; lifted up one of the chairs and hurled in the white stone palace, and the glass windows were shattered.

Then Alyosha Popovich said from the brick stove, " O Maryshko, son of Paran, thou hast been a faithful servant ! "

And Maryshko the son of Paran answered, " Do you give me, Alyosha Popovich, your steel knife, and I will break open the white breast of Tugarin Zmyeyevich, I will close his clear eyes, and I will gaze on his mettlesome heart."

But Alyosha answered, " Hail, Maryshko Paranov, do you not sully the white stone palace ; let him go into the open field wherever he may, and we will meet him to-morrow in the open field."

So, in the morning early, very early, Maryshko the son of Paran arose, together with the little sun, and he led out the stout horses to water them in the swift stream. Tugarin Zmyeyevich flew into the open and challenged Alyosha Popovich to fight him in the open field. And Maryshko Paranov came to Alyosha Popovich and said : " God must be your judge, Alyosha Popovich : you would not give me your steel knife ; I should have carved out the white breast from that pagan thie If, should have gouged out his bright eyes, and I should have taken out his mettlesome heart and gazed on it. Now, what will you make of Tugarin ? He is flying about in the open."

Then Alyosha Popovich spake in this wise : " That was no service, but treachery."

So Alyosha led out his horse, saddled it with a Circas- sian saddle, fastened it on with twelve silken girths, not for the sake of decoration, but for the sake of strength. And Alyosha set out into the open field. Alyosha set out into the open field, and he saw Tugarin Zmyeyevich, who was flying in the open.

Then Alyosha made a prayer : " Holy Mother of God, do thou punish the black traitor, and grant out of the black cloud a thick gritty rain that shall damp Tugarin's light wings, and he may fall on the grey earth and stand on the open field ! "

It was like two mountains falling on each other when Tugarin and Alyosha met. They fought with their clubs, and their clubs were shattered at the hilts. Their lances met, and their lances broke into shreds. Then Alyosha Popovich got down from his saddle like a sheaf of oats, and Tugarin Zmyeyevich was almost striking Alyosha down. But Alyosha Popovich was cautious. He stood between his horse's feet and, turning round to the other side from there, smote Tugarin with his steel knife under his right breast, and threw Tugarin from his good horse. And then Alyosha Popovich cried out, "Tugarin, I thank you, Tugarin Zmyeyevich, for the steel knife : I will tear out your white breast, I will gouge out your bright eyes, and I will gaze on your mettlesome heart."

Then Alyosha cut off his turbulent head, and he took the turbulent head to Prince Vladimir. And as he went on he began playing with that little head, flinging it high up in the air and catching it again on his sharp lance.

But Vladimir was dismayed. " I see Tugarin bringing me the turbulent head of Alyosha Popovich : he will now take captive all of our Christian kingdom."

But Maryshko Paranov gave him answer : " Do not be distressed, oh bright little sun, Vladimir, in thy capital of Kiev. If Tugarin is coming on earth and is not flying in the skies he is putting his turbulent head on my steel lance. Do not be afraid, Prince Vladimir ; whatever comes I will make friends with him."

Then Maryshko the son of Paran looked out into the open field, and he recognised Alyosha Popovich, and he said, " I can see the knightly gait and youthful step of Alyosha Popovich. He is guiding his horse uphill and he is playing with a little head : he is throwing the little head sky-high, and is catching the little head on the point of his sharp lance. He who is riding is not the pagan Tugarin, but Alyosha Popovich, the son of the old prebendary, the pope Leon, who is bringing the head of the pagan Tugarin Zmyeyevich."


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