University of Virginia Library

Dobrynya the Dragon-Slayer,
and Marina

FROM far, very far in the open plain, and
farther yet in the valley, fled the herd of
beasts, of wild beasts and serpents: at their
head ran the Skiper-beast, with woolly hide, crumpled
horns, and little hoofs of steel. The Skiper-beast
fled to the Dnyepr river, and all the Dnyepr's waters
were troubled. Its fair steep banks quaked, the
delicate tree-tops fell to the earth in concert,
brothers, when they heard of that birth.—For in
Holy Russia the Rich, young Dobrynya[1] Nikitich
was born that day.

When Dobrynya grew to man's estate, three
years he feasted, three years he served as steward,
three more he stood as keeper at the gate. Yet
no fair word did he win of Vladimir, or soft bread,
but only a good steed.

In the tenth year, courteous Prince Vladimir
made a great feast in royal Kief town, whereat
many heroes and bold warrior-maidens were assembled,
eating and drinking merrily. Young
Dobrynya Nikitich sat at the end of the oaken
board, and spoke:

"Fair Sun Vladimir of royal Kief! I have
served thee long in thy princely court: grant me
leave now to wander about Kief, through its narrow
lanes."

"Fly not forth, young sparrow," answered
Prince Vladimir, "young Dobrynya, gallop not
away."

But all the mighty Russian heroes said: "Go
crave permission of the honourable widow, Afimya
Alexandrevna, thy mother, to prowl about the
narrow lanes of Kief."

This Dobrynya did, and his mother counselled
him: "Walk through all the streets of Kief town,
roam the little alleys at thy will; only, go not to
the vile Princess Marina Ignatievna, who dwelleth
in a certain little lane. She is a witch, she hath
murdered Prince on Prince, many Kings and Crown
Princes, nine Russian heroes, clear falcons all, and
common folk without number. If thou goest to
that Marina, thou wilt lose thy life, Dobrynya."

The next day Dobrynya rose right early, washed
himself very white in spring water, took his stout
bow, his quiver of fiery arrows, and set out. As he
wandered through the streets and many narrow
lanes, he shot small sparrows on the halls, blue
doves upon the chambers, and so wandering, came
at length to Marina's lane. Her palace was richly
adorned. In her window sat a dark-blue dove and
his mate cooing, yellow bill to bill, and mouth to
mouth, with wing enfolding wing; and it pleased
not Dobrynya that they should sit thus. He
strung a silken cord to his bow, and fitted thereto
a flaming arrow, and shot at the dove and his
mate. The cord sang on the stout bow, but his
left foot slipped, his right hand trembled—the
arrow struck not the dove and mate, but flew
straight to the lofty palace, through the lattice
window to Marinushka the Vile, and slew Tugarin
Dragon's Son her dear friend who was with her
there.

Dobrynya reflected:—"If I enter that palace

I shall lose my head; if I enter not—my arrow."
Then he sent his trusty servant, his page, for the
arrow. "Thou miscreant, Marina! give back our
burning arrow," quoth the page. But Marina
said: "Nay, let him who shot the arrow come
himself." Thereupon Dobrynya entered with haste
the spacious court, and with courtesy the new
halls: fairly came he into the new chamber, and
took his fiery arrow.

Marina lay upon a couch; in her right hand
was a fiery dragon; on her left, two little serpents.
She took Dobrynya by his white hand, by his silver
ring, kissed his sugar mouth, and said:

"Ah, sweet Dobrynya Nikitich, give me thy
love!" Dobrynya made answer: "Sweet Marinushka
Ignatievna, I will not! Thou hast slain
nine mighty Russian heroes, and art minded to
slay me likewise." Then he turned from the new
chamber, and went forth into the spacious court,
and so home to his mother.

Up sprang Marinushka then, seized her dagger,
and hacked Dobrynya's footsteps, flung them into
the oven painted with many devices, and conjured
them with a powerful incantation: "Burn, ye footsteps
of Dobrynya, burn, in this oven of many
hues; and may his spirit likewise burn within him
for me! As I cut these footsteps, may Dobrynya's
dear little heart cut for me!"[2]

Then worse than a sharp knife cut Dobrynya's
heroic heart. That evening he ate nothing, at
midnight he slumbered not, and waited only for
the white dawn.

Early rang the matin bells, and very early he
arose, girt on his sharp sword, and went to the

cathedral to the service; and thence to Marina's
dwelling.

When he came to the Princess, he bowed low
before her; but she rose not, sat in discourteous
wise, and returned not his salutation.

"Ah, sweet Marinushka, give me thy love!" he
said.

"What need is there for thee, young Dobrynya,
to jest and make merry over me? Long since I
sought thy love, and thou lovedst me not:—and
now thou cravest it of me! Now thou art in my
hands! If I will, I can turn thee into a magpie,
a raven, a pig, or an aurochs with golden horns,
silver hoofs and velvet hide, or into a frog of the
under world;—and from that last estate there is
no return for ever."

Then she transformed him into a brown aurochs,
and sent him forth into the open plain, to drink
swamp water and to eat marsh grass, to be chief
over the nine brown aurochs who roamed there—
the mighty heroes her bridegrooms.

And as Dobrynya roamed there, a golden-horned
aurochs, he espied a flock of geese, which belonged
to Avdotya Ivanovna, his beloved aunt. All these
did he trample under foot to the last gosling, not
one did he leave. Then the goose-herds came and
made complaint.

"Aï, young Avdotya Ivanovna! an aurochs with
golden horns hath trampled under foot all our
geese; not one hath he left us." After them
followed the keepers of the swans, the shepherds
and herdsmen, with the same complaint. Not a
living creature of all their flocks and herds had
the golden aurochs spared. Then Avdotya Ivanovna
spoke:

"That aurochs of the golden horns is my well-beloved
nephew, young Dobrynya, whom Marina

the Vile hath transformed." But when the guardians
of the horses came and told how the aurochs
had dispersed their charge over all the plain, sparing
none, Avdotya rose in wrath. She turned herself
into a magpie, and flew to Marina the Vile,
perched in her little lattice window, and began to
scold, and say: "Vile Princess Marinushka! why
hast thou transformed Dobrynya into a golden-horned
aurochs, and loosed him to roam the open
plain? Turn back Dobrynya from his aurochs
form, else will I turn thee into a long-tailed dog,
and the children shall pursue thee;—into a magpie,
and thou shalt hover evermore above the open
plain in semblance of a pie."

Then Marina perceived that there was no help,
and so transformed herself into a gray swallow,
flew to the open plain, and alighting upon the
aurochs' golden horns chattered and said: "Swear
to me, Dobrynya Nikitich—for thou hast roamed
the field and art weary, the bubbling marshes and
art tired—swear now a great oath to take the
golden crown with me, with Marinushka, and I
will turn thee back from a golden-horned aurochs
to thine own shape again."

"Ah, sweet Marinushka!" Dobrynya answered,
"only turn me from this form, and I will take that
great oath. I will wed thee, Marina, and will even
give thee the little lessons wherewith a husband
instructeth his wife."

Then Marina believed him, and turned him into
a goodly youth as of old.

"Now I must wed thee about a bush, Marinushka,"
he said, "about a willow bush in the
open plain." So three times about the willow bush
they paced, and Dobrynya called Marina his wife,[3]
and set out with her for royal Kief town.

When they were come to Marina's lofty palace,
Dobrynya commanded the servant:

"Aï, my trusty servant! prithee a cup of green
wine; yet give me first a sharp sword."

Then Marina turned him into a little ermine,
and began to frighten him; but the ermine escaped
her snares. Then she turned him into a falcon,
and began to alarm and to tease the falcon, which
waved his wings, and besought the Princess Marina:

"I cannot fly as a falcon should, I can only
wave my wings; grant me to drain a cup of green
wine."

The young Princess thereupon transformed him
into a goodly youth, and Dobrynya shouted:

"Ho there, my trusty servant! a cup of green
wine!"

But the trusty servant gave him very quickly
a sharp sword. The cup of wine he quaffed not,
but brandished his sword, and cut off Marina's
turbulent head for her ungentle deeds.

In the morning he went to his warm steam
bath, and thither came princes and nobles.

"Hail, Dobrynya Nikitich, with thy bride!"
they said.

"Hail, ye princes and nobles and all the Court
of Vladimir! Last night I was wedded, brothers,
and no longer alone, but now I am single and no
longer wedded. I have cut off Marina's turbulent
head for her ruthless deeds; for she had slain
many Russian people, Princes and their heirs,
Kings and Crown Princes, nine mighty Russian
heroes, and of common folk an innumerable host!"