University of Virginia Library

Ilya and Idol

MIGHTY Ivaniusho arrayed himself and set
out for Jerusalem, to pray to the Lord, to
bathe in Jordan, to kiss the cypress tree,
and to visit the grave of the Lord.

Mighty Ivaniusho's foot-gear was of the seven
silks, his hooked staff weighed forty poods; into
his foot-gear precious stones were woven. On
summer days his course was lighted by the fair
red sun; in winter, by a precious jewel.

As he returned from Jerusalem he passed Tzargrad,
and found that the accursed Idol was come
thither, that the holy ikóns had been shattered
and trodden in the mire, and horses were fed in
the temple of God. Then mighty Ivaniusho
caught a Tatar by the breast, dragged him forth
into the open plain, and began to inquire of him:

"Tell me now, thou faithless Tatar! Conceal
nothing: what manner of man is yon accursed
Idol? Is he great of stature?"

Said the Tatar: "Our Idol is three fathoms,
well measured, in height, and three in breadth; his
head is like a beer-kettle, his eyes like drinking-cups.
His nose is an ell long from its root, and he
cheweth the cud like an aurochs."

Ivaniusho caught the accursed Tatar by the
hand, and hurled him upon the open plain; and
the bones of the Tatar flew asunder. Then Ivaniusho

pursued his journey, and met Ilya of Murom
in the way.

"Hail, Ilya of Murom, thou Old Kazák!" said
Ivaniusho; and they greeted each other there.

"Whence wanderest thou, mighty Ivaniusho?"
inquired Ilya. "Whither lieth thy road?"

Then Ivaniusho told him how he had been to
Jerusalem, and had passed Tzargrad; and Ilya
began to inquire of him:

"Is all in Tzargrad as of old? Is all as it was
wont to be?"

"Nay," said Ivaniusho; and he told Ilya of the
conquest, and how God's temples were defiled.

"A fool thou art, stout and mighty Ivaniusho!"
cried the Old Kazák. "Thy strength is as twice
my strength, but thy boldness and daring are not
as the half of mine. For thy first speech I could
have pitied thee, but for this last I could have
chastised thee upon thy naked body! Why hast
thou not delivered Tzar Constantine?[1] But now,
undo quickly thy foot-gear of the seven silks from
thy feet, and put on my morocco shoes, for I will
go sadly as a wandering psalm-singer."—And it
grieved him to give his good horse to the pilgrim.—
"Ride softly as water floweth," he said; "remain
in some place of easy access, and wait for me, for
I shall soon return. And give hither thy staff of
forty poods."

Then Ilya strode on quickly, and each stride was
a verst and a half in length:—and when he came
to Tzargrad, he shouted with full might:

"Ho there, Tzar Constantine! Give gold, give
saving alms to a wandering psalm-singer."

Tzar Constantine rejoiced, and at the singer's
shout, the forty towers rocked, the liquor on the
tables splashed over, damp mother earth quivered,
and the palace of white stone heaved from corner
to corner. At the third shout the accursed Idol was
greatly terrified, and spoke to Tzar Constantine.

"Your Russian psalm-singers are loud-voiced
fellows," quoth Idol. "Receive this pilgrim, feed
him, give him drink and gold at thy pleasure."

Constantine went forth upon the railed balcony,
and bade the pilgrim enter. And when the pilgrim
had eaten and drunk, the Idol took him to himself
to question:

"Tell me truly, thou Russian pilgrim, and conceal
nothing. What manner of heroes have ye
in Russia? And your Old Kazák, Ilya of Murom,
—is he great of stature? Can he devour much
bread, drink much green wine?"

And that Russian pilgrim made answer: "Yea,
thou accursed Idol. We have Ilya of Murom in
Kief, and his stature differeth not from mine by so
much as a hair's breadth. We have been brothers
in arms. His beard is gray but handsome. Of
bread he eateth three consecrated loaves, and his
drink is two cups of green wine."

"A fine hero, in sooth, for Kief!" quoth Idol.
"If I had but that hero in this place, I would
set him on the palm of one hand, and with the
other I would press him until he became a pancake.
And I would blow him away into the open plain!
For lo! I am Idol, three fathoms in height, and
my breadth is three fathoms well told. I can put
a loaf in one cheek, and the same in the other, and
a white swan is but a mouthful for me. I eat
seven poods of bread and three oxen at a meal,

with wine in due proportion,—a cask of forty
buckets."

"The pope of Rostof had a greedy cow," said
Ilya. "She ate and ate, and drank until she
burst."

This speech pleased not Idol the Accursed. He
seized his poniard from the oaken table, and hurled
it at Ilya of Murom, that wandering psalm-singer.
But Ilya was nimble of foot, and leaped quickly
aside upon the oven, and turning, caught the
weapon in its flight, upon his staff. The poniard
glanced off, struck the white oak door; the door
flew from its fastenings; the poniard bounded into
the ante-room, slew twelve Tatars, and wounded
yet another twelve. Ilya snatched his little cap
of nine poods from his head, and flung it at Idol
the Accursed, and Idol flew through the wall into
the open plain. Then Ilya sprang into the great
courtyard, waved his staff, slew all the accursed
Tatars, cleared the city of Tzargrad, and delivered
Tzar Constantine.