Aleksandr AfanasEv - Russian Fairy Tales

Copyright 1945 by Pantheon Books, Inc.
Copyright renewed 1973 by Random House, Inc.

All rights reserved. Hardcover edition originally published in the United States by Pantheon Books, Inc., in 1945. Second hardcover edition published in the United States by Pantheon Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto, in 1975.

www.pantheonbooks.com

eISBN: 978-0-307-82976-4
LC : 45-37884

v3.1

THE WONDROUS WONDER, THE MARVELOUS MARVEL

O NCE THERE WAS a wealthy merchant who traded in rare and precious goods, traveling with his wares every year to foreign lands. One day he fitted out a ship, made ready for his voyage, and said to his wife: Tell me, my joy, what shall I bring you as a gift from foreign lands? The merchants wife answered: In your house I have all I want and enough of everything! But if you want to gladden my heart, buy me a wondrous wonder, a marvelous marvel. Very well. If I find one, I shall buy it.

The merchant traveled beyond thrice nine lands, to the thrice tenth kingdom, sailed into a great and wealthy port, sold all of his cargo, bought a new one, and loaded his ship. Then he walked through the city and thought: Where shall I find a wondrous wonder, a marvelous marvel? He met an old man, who asked him: What are you pondering about, what makes you so sad, my good young man? How can I help being sad? answered the merchant. I am looking for a wondrous wonder, a marvelous marvel to buy for my wife, but I do not know where to find one. Eh, you should have told me that in the first place! Come with me. I have a wondrous wonder, a marvelous marvel, and since you must have it, I will sell it to you.

The old man led the merchant to his house and said: Do you see that goose walking in my yard? I do. Now see whats going to happen to it. Hey, goose, come here! And the goose came into the room. The old man took a roasting pan and again spoke to the goose: Hey, goose, lie down in the roasting pan. And the goose lay down in the roasting pan. The old man put it in the oven, roasted the goose, took it out, and set it on the table. Now, merchant, said the old man, let us sit down and eat. Only do not throw the bones under the table; instead, gather them all into one pile. So they sat at the table and between them ate the whole goose. Then the old man took the picked bones, wrapped them in the tablecloth, threw them on the floor, and said: Hey, goose! Get up, shake your wings, and go out into the yard! The goose got up, shook its wings, and went into the yard as though it had never been in the oven! Indeed, my host, yours is a wondrous wonder, a marvelous marvel, said the merchant, and began to bargain with him for the goose, which he finally bought for a high price. Then he took the goose with him aboard ship and sailed back to his native land.

He returned home, greeted his wife, gave her the goose, and told her that with this bird she could have a roast every day without spending a pennyJust roast it, and it will come to life again! Next day the merchant went to his stall in the bazaar and in his absence his wifes lover came to see her. She welcomed him with great joy, and offered to prepare a roast goose for him. She leaned out of the window and called: Goose, come here! And the goose came into the room. Goose, lie down in the roasting pan! But the goose refused. The merchants wife grew angry and struck it with the roasting pan. As she did so, one end of the pan stuck to the goose and the other to her. It stuck so fast that she could not in any way pull herself loose from it. Oh, sweetheart, cried the merchants wife, wrench me loose from this roasting pan! That accursed goose must be bewitched! The lover grasped the merchants wife with his two hands to wrench her loose from the roasting pan, but he himself stuck to her.

The goose ran out into the yard, then into the street, and dragged them both to the bazaar. The clerks saw their plight and rushed forward to separate them, but whoever touched them stuck to them. A crowd gathered to look at this wonder, and the merchant too came out of his stall. He saw that something was wrong. Who were all these new friends of his wifes? Confess everything, he said, otherwise you will stay stuck together like this forever. There was no way out of it, so the merchants wife confessed her guilt. Then the merchant pulled them apart, soundly thrashed the lover, took his wife home and gave her a good hiding too, repeating with each blow: Here is your wondrous wonder, your marvelous marvel!

O NCE UPON A TIME there was an old man who lived with his old wife. The husband planted a head of cabbage in the cellar and the wife planted one in an ash bin. The old womans cabbage withered away completely, but the old mans grew and grew till it reached the floor above the cellar. Then the old man took an ax and cut a hole right over the cabbage. Again the cabbage grew and grew until it reached the ceiling; again the old man took an ax and cut a hole right above the cabbage. Again the cabbage grew and grew until it reached the sky. How could the old man look at the top of his cabbage now? He climbed and climbed up the stalk until he reached the sky, cut a hole in the sky, and climbed out there. He looked about him. Millstones were standing all around; whenever they gave a turn, a cake and a slice of bread with sour cream and butter appeared, and on top of these a pot of gruel. The old man ate and drank his fill and lay down to sleep.

When he had slept enough, he climbed down to the ground and said: Old woman, old woman! What a good life one leads in heaven! There are millstones there; each time they turn, one finds a cake, a slice of bread with sour cream and butter, and on top a pot of gruel. How can I get there, old man? Sit in the bag, old woman; I will carry you there. The old woman thought for a while, then seated herself in the bag. The old man took the bag in his teeth and began to climb to heaven. He climbed and climbedhe climbed for a long time. The old woman grew weary, and asked: Is it still far, old man? Its still far, old woman. Again he climbed and climbed, and climbed and climbed. Is it still far, old man? Still half way to go! And again he climbed and climbed, and climbed and climbed. The old woman asked a third time: Is it still far, old man? He was about to say Not far, when the bag dropped out of his teeth. The old woman fell to the ground and was smashed to bits. The old man climbed down the stalk and picked up the bag, but in it there were only bones, and even they were broken into little pieces.

The old man set out for home, weeping bitterly. On his way he met a fox, and she asked him: Why are you weeping, old man? How can I help weeping? My old woman has been smashed to pieces. Be quiet, I will heal her. The old man threw himself at the foxs feet: Heal her, I will give you anything you ask in return. Well, heat up a bath, put out a bag of oatmeal, and a crock of butter, and put the old woman beside it, and stand behind the door, but dont look in.

The old man heated a bath, brought what was called for, and stood behind the door. The fox entered the bathhouse, latched the door, and began to wash the old womans bones. Actually she did not wash them so much as lick them clean. From behind the door the old man called: How is the old woman? She is stirring! answered the fox. She finished eating the old woman, gathered the bones together, piled them up in a corner, and began to prepare a hasty pudding. The old man waited and waited, and finally called: How is the old woman? She is sitting up, answered the fox, and spooned up the rest of the pudding. When she had finished eating she said: Old man, open the door wide. He opened it and the fox leaped out of the bathhouse and ran home. The old man entered the bathhouse and looked around. All he found of his old wife were her bones under the bench, and even they were licked clean; the oatmeal and the butter were gone. The old man remained alone in his misery.