Fenist The Bright Falcon

Fenist The Bright
Falcon

Once upon a time there lived a
peasant. His wife died and left him three daughters. The old man wanted to hire
a servant-girl to help about the house, but his youngest daughter Maryushka
said:

"Don't hire a servant, Father,
I shall keep house alone."

And so his daughter Maryushka began
keeping house, and a fine housekeeper she made. There was nothing she could not
do, and all she did she did splendidly. Her father loved Maryushka dearly and
was glad to have such a clever and hard-working daughter. And how lovely she
was! But her two sisters were ugly creatures, full of envy and greed, always
paint-ed and powdered and dressed in their best. They spent all day putting on
new gowns and trying to look better than they really were. But nothing ever
pleased them long -- neither gowns, nor shawls, nor high-heeled boots.

Now, one day the old man set out to
market and he asked his daughters:

"What shall I buy you, dear
daughters, what shall I please you with?"

"Buy us each a kerchief,"
said the two elder daughters. "And mind it has big flowers on it done in
gold."

But his youngest daughter Maryushka
stood silent, so the father asked her:

"And what would you like,
Maryushka?"

"Dear Father, buy me a feather
of Fenist the Bright Falcon."

By and by the father came back with
the kerchiefs, but the feather he had not found.

After a while the man went to market
again.

"Well, daughters, make your
orders," said he.

And the two elder daughters replied
eagerly: "Buy each of us a pair of silver-studded boots."

But Maryushka said again: "Dear
Father, buy me a feather of Fenist the Bright Falcon."

All that day the father walked about
the market and bought the boots, but the feather he could not find. And so he
came back without it.

Very well, then. He set out on his
way to the market for the third time and his elder daughters asked him:
"Buy us each a new gown."

But Maryushka said again: "Dear
Father, buy me a feather of Fenist the Bright Falcon."

All that day the father walked about
the market, but still no feather. So he drove out of town, and who should he
meet on the way but a little old man.

"Good day, Grandfather!"

"Good day to you, my dear man.
Where are you bound for?"

"Back to my village,
Grandfather. And I don't know what to do. My youngest daughter asked me to buy
her a feather of Fenist the Bright Falcon, but I haven't found it."

"I have the feather you need;
it is a charmed one, but I see you are a good man, so you shall have it, come
what may."

The little old man took out the
feather and gave it to the girl's father, but it looked quite ordinary, so the
peasant rode home and he thought: "What good can it be to my
Maryushka?"

In a while the old man came home and
gave the presents to his daughters. And the two elder ones tried on their new
gowns and kept laughing at Maryushka:

"Silly you were, and silly you
are! Stick it in your hair now -- won't you look fine with it!"

But Maryushka made no answer, she
just kept away from them. And when the whole house was asleep, she cast the
feather on the floor and said softly: "Come to me, dear Fenist, Bright
Falcon, my cherished bridegroom!"

And there came to her a youth of
wondrous beauty. Towards morning he struck the floor and became a falcon. And
Maryushka opened the window and the falcon soared up into the blue sky.

And so for three nights she made him
welcome. By day he flew about in the blue heavens as a falcon; at nightfall he
came back to Maryushka and turned into a handsome youth.

But on the fourth day the wicked
sisters caught sight of them and went and told their father.

"Dear daughters," said he,
"better mind your own business."

"All right," thought the
sisters, "we shall see what comes next." And they stuck a row of
sharp knives into the window-sill and hid by watching.

And after a while the Bright Falcon appeared.
He flew up to the window, but could not get into Maryushka's room. So he
fluttered and fluttered there, beating against the pane, till all his breast
was cut by the blades. But Maryushka slept fast and heard nothing. So at last
the falcon said:

"Who needs me, will find me,
but not without pains. You shall not find me till you wear out three pairs of
iron shoes, and break three iron staffs, and tear three iron caps."

Maryushka heard this and she sprang
from her bed to the window. But the falcon was gone, and all he left on the
window was a trace of red blood. Maryushka burst into bitter tears, and the
little tear-drops washed off the trace of red blood and made her still
prettier.

And then she went to her father and
said to him: "Do not chide me, Father, but let me go on my weary way. If I
live to see you, I shall, but if I do not, then so must it be."

The man was sorry to part with his
sweet daughter, but at last he let her go.

So Maryushka went and ordered three
pairs of iron shoes, three iron staffs, and three iron caps. And off she set on
her long weary way to seek her heart's desire Fenist the Bright Falcon. She
walked through open fields, she went through dark forests and s he climbed tall
mountains. The little birds cheered her heart with merry songs, the brooks
washed her white face, and the dark woods made her welcome. And no one could do
harm to Maryushka, for all the wild beasts -- grey wolves, brown bears and red
foxes -- would come running out towards her. At last one pair of iron shoes
wore out, one iron staff broke and one iron cap was torn.

And Maryushka came to a glade in the
woods and she saw a little hut on hen's feet spinning round and round.

"Little hut, little hut,"
said Maryushka, "turn your back to the trees and your face to me, please.
Let me in to eat bread within."

The little hut turned its back to
the trees and its face to Maryushka, and in she went. And there she saw
Baba-Yaga, the witch with a broom and a switch, a bony hag with a nose like a
snag.

Baba-Yaga caught sight of Maryushka
and growled: "Ugh, ugh, Russian blood, never met by me before, now I smell
it at my door. Who comes here? Where from? Where to?"

"Granny dear, I am looking for
Fenist the Bright Falcon."

"It's a long way off, pretty
maid! You will have to pass through the Thrice-Nine Lands to the Thrice-Ten
Kingdom to find him. A wicked sorceress, the queen there, has charmed him with
a magic drink and made him marry her. But I shall help you. Here, take this
silver saucer and golden egg. When you come to the Thrice-Ten Kingdom get hired
as a servant to the Queen. After the day's work is done, take the silver saucer
and put the golden egg on it. It will start to roll about all by itself. Should
they want to buy it, do not sell it - ask them to let you see Fenist the Bright
Falcon."

Maryushka thanked Baba-Yaga and went
off. The woods became darker, and she got too frightened to move, when all of a
sudden there came a Cat. It jumped up to Maryushka and it purred: "Have no
fear, Maryushka, it will be still worse farther on, but g o on and on and do
not look back."

And the Cat rubbed against her feet
and was gone, while Maryushka went farther. And the deeper she went into the
woods the darker it grew. She walked and she walked, till her second pair of
iron shoes wore out, her second iron staff broke and her second iron cap got
torn. And soon she came to a little hut on hen's feet with a strong fence all
round and terrible glowing skulls on the pales.

Maryushka said: "Little hut,
little hut, turn your back to the trees and your face to me, please. Let me in
to eat bread within."

The little hut turned its back to
the trees and its face to Maryushka, and Maryushka went in. And there she saw
Baba-Yaga, the witch with a broom and a switch, a bony hag with a nose like a
snag.

Baba-Yaga caught sight of Maryushka
and she growled:

"Ugh, ugh, Russian blood, never
met by me before, now I smell it at my door. Who comes here? Where from? Where
to?"

"I want to find Fenist the
Bright Falcon."

"And have you been to my sister?"


"Yes, Granny dear, I
have."

"All right, then, my beauty, I
shall help you. Take this gold needle and silver frame. The needle works all by
itself and embroiders red velvet with silver and gold. Should they want to buy
it, do not sell it - ask them to let you see Fenist the Bright Falcon."

Maryushka thanked Baba-Yaga and went
on her way. It crashed and it banged and it whistled in the forest, and a weird
light shone from the skull, hanging round. How terrible it was! But suddenly up
ran a Dog:

"Bow-wow, Maryushka, have no
fear, darling, it will be still worse, but you go on and never look back."


So it spoke and was gone. Maryushka
went on and on, and the woods got darker, scratching her knees and catching at
her sleeves. But Maryushka walked and walked and never looked back.

How long she walked is hard to say,
but the third pair of iron shoes wore out, the third iron staff broke and the
third iron cap was torn. And she came to a glade in the forest and saw a little
hut on hen's feet with a tall paling all round and glowing horse skulls on the
pales.

Then said Maryushka: "Little
hut, little hut, turn your back to the trees and your face to me, please."


The hut turned its back to the trees
and its face to Maryushka, and in she stepped. And there she saw Baba-Yaga, the
witch with a broom and a switch, a bony hag with a nose like a snag.

Baba-Yaga saw Maryushka and she
growled: "Ugh, ugh, Russian blood, never met by me before, now I smell it
at my door. Who comes here? Where from? Where to?"

"I'm looking for Fenist the
Bright Falcon, Granny!"

"It is no easy task to find
him, my beauty, but I shall help you. Here, take this silver distaff and this
gold spindle. Hold the spindle in your hands and it will spin all by itself and
the thread will come out all gold."

"Thank you, Granny."

"All right, save your thanks
until afterwards, and now listen to me. Should they want to buy the gold
spindle, don't sell it, but ask them to let you see Fenist the Bright
Falcon."

Maryushka thanked Baba-Yaga and went
on her way. And it roared and rumbled and whistled in the forest. The owls
wheeled round, the mice crawled out of their holes and rushed straight to
Maryushka. Then all of a sudden a Grey Wolf ran up to her and said:

"Have no fear, Maryushka. Get
on my back and never look behind."

So she sat on the Wolf's back and
off they flashed out of sight. They passed wide steppes and velvet meadows,
they crossed honey rivers with custard banks and they climbed tall mountains
that touched the clouds. On and on raced Maryushka till she reached a crystal
palace with a carved porch and fancy windows. And there was the Queen herself
looking out of a window.

"Well," said the Wolf,
"we've come, Maryushka. Climb down from my back and get hired as a servant
at the palace."

Maryushka climbed off, took her
bundle and thanked the Wolf. Then she went up to the Queen and bowed.

"I beg your pardon," she
said, "I don't know your name; aren't you in need of a servant-girl?"


"Yes," said the Queen,
"it is long I have looked for a servant, but the one I need must be able
to spin, weave and embroider."

"All that I can do," said
Maryushka.

"Then come in and set to
work."

And so Maryushka became a
servant-girl. She worked all the day until night-time, and then she took out
her golden egg and silver saucer and said:

"Roll about, golden egg, on
your silver saucer, show me my Fenist dear."

And the golden egg rolled about till
Fenist the Bright Falcon appeared before her. Maryushka gazed and gazed at him
and her tears ran fast.

"Fenist, my Fenist, why have
you left poor me to shed tears without you?"

And the Queen overheard her and
said: "Maryushka, sell me your silver saucer and golden egg."

"No," replied Maryushka,
"they are not to be sold, but you may have them free if you let me see
Fenist the Bright Falcon."

The Queen thought for a while and
then she said:

"All right, let it be so.
To-night, when he falls asleep, I will let you see him."

So when night came, Maryushka went
to his bedroom and saw Fenist the Bright Falcon. Her darling lay fast asleep
and could not be awakened. She looked and she looked and she could not look
enough, and she kissed him on his sweet mouth, and she pressed him to her white
bosom, but her darling slept on and did not awaken. Morning set in, but still Maryushka
could not rouse her beloved.

All that day she worked and in the
evening took her silver frame and gold needle. And as it sewed, Maryushka kept
saying:

"Get embroidered, little towel,
get embroidered, little towel, let my Fenist the Bright Falcon wipe his
face."

The Queen overheard her and asked:

"Maryushka, sell me your silver
frame and gold needle."

"Sell I will not," replied
Maryushka, "but you may have them free if you let me see Fenist the Bright
Falcon."

The Queen thought hard, but at last
she said: "All right, let it be so. Come and see him to-night."

Night came on, and Maryushka entered
the bedroom and she saw her Fenist the Bright Falcon lying fast asleep.

"O my Fenist, Bright Falcon,
arise, wake up!"

But her Fenist slept on as fast as
ever, and Maryushka could not wake him up, try as she might.

At daybreak Maryushka set to work
and took out her silver distaff and golden spindle. And the Queen saw her and
began asking her to sell them. But Maryushka replied:

"Sell them I will not, but you
may have them for nothing if only you let me see Fenist the Bright
Falcon."

"All right," said the
other and she thought to herself: "She won't wake him up anyhow."

Night drew on and Maryushka entered
the bedroom, but Fenist lay as fast asleep as ever.

"O my Fenist, Bright Falcon,
arise, wake up!"

But Fenist slept on and would not
awaken.

Maryushka tried and tried again to
wake him, but she could not. And soon it would be morning. So Maryushka burst
out weeping and she said:

"Dearest Fenist, arise and open
your eyes, look at your Maryushka, press her close!"

And a hot tear fell from Maryushka's
eyes on the bare shoulder of Fenist and burnt it. Fenist the Bright Falcon
stirred and he opened his eyes and saw Maryushka. And then he took her in his
arms and kissed her.

"Can it be you, my Maryushka?
So you have worn out three pairs of iron shoes and broken three iron staffs and
torn three iron caps? Cry no more. Let us go home, now."

And they started getting ready for
the homeward journey. But the Queen noticed it and she bade her trumpeters
spread the news of her husband's betrayal through all the towns of the land.

And the princes and merchants of her
land came together to hold council and decide how to punish Fenist the Bright
Falcon.

And then Fenist the Bright Falcon
stood up and said: "Who do you think is the real wife, the one who loves
me truly or the one that sells and betrays me?"

Everyone had to agree that only
Maryushka was fit to be his wife.

After that they went back to their
own land. And they had a grand feast there, and all the guns fired and all the
trumpets blew at their wedding. And the feast they had was so grand, it is
still remembered. And they both lived happily ever afterwards.
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