University of Virginia Library

Ilya and the Adventure of the
Three Roads

THE old man rode over the open plain.
From youth to old age he had ridden,
and he marvelled at himself. "Oh age,
old age!" he cried: "oh deep old age of three
hundred years! Thou hast overtaken the Kazák
in the open plain, thou hast caught me like a black
raven, thou hast alighted upon my turbulent head.
—And youth, thou youth, my early youth! Thou
hast flown away, youth, over the open plain, like
the falcon clear!"

In the open plain the light snows gleamed not
white, little clouds darkled not, the blades of the
steppe grass waved not.—But over the open plain
still rode the old Kazák of the Don, on his heroic
steed. The horse under him was fiery as a wild
beast, and Ilya as he sat was like the falcon bright.
No ferriage asked the Kazák, for good Cloudfall
leaped lake and river, wide morass, and floating
swamp.

As he rode, he came to a place where three
ways met; and there stood a burning white stone,
Alatyr,[1] whereon was written: "Whoso rideth to
the right shall gain great wealth, whoso goeth to the
left a wife, he that fareth straight on, his death."

The old Kazák halted, marvelled, and shook
his gray head in thought.

"Wherefore should I, an old man, crave wealth?
I have countless store of golden treasure. And
why should the old man win a wife? There is no
joy in an ugly wife, and a fair one is taken for the
envy of other men. A young wife is coveted of
others; an old wife would lie on the oven, and eat
kisel,[2] she would sit by the oven, and order the old
husband about. Nay; but I will ride that way
where I may win death."

Then the good youth, the Old Kazák, rode on.
Hardly had he passed Korela the Accursed, not
yet had he attained to India the Rich, when he
entered a gloomy forest. There stood a band of
forty thousand robbers, and they coveted Ilya's
good steed.

"In all our lives," said they, "we have beheld
no such horse. Halt then, good youth, halt, thou
Russian hero!" And they would have robbed
him; but Ilya said:

"Ho, ye robber horde! Ye may not kill the old
man, nor rob him. I have no treasure with me,
save five hundred roubles. The cross on my breast
is worth but five hundred, my cloak of sables three
thousand; my cap of forty poods, and my sandals
of the seven silks, five hundred each; my fine
kaftan of orange-tawny taffeta is valued at but
little, my braided bridle rimmed with precious
stones, but a thousand roubles. My Cherkessian
saddle bordered with eagle's feathers—that eagle
which flew not over lofty mountains, but over the
blue sea—is priceless. Between my Cloudfall's
eyes, and under his ears, are jewels fair, clear
jacinth stones,—not for youthful vanity, but because
of the autumn nights. Wheresoever my
good steed goeth, he can see thirty versts on all

sides, thirty versts well told; for they gleam like
the bright moon.—And my good steed Cloudfall
is worth nothing at all."

The robbers jeered as they answered: "Thou
art old and garrulous, Kazák! Since we have
roamed this white world, never saw we such a fool.
The aged fool hath told the truth as though we
had demanded it! Seize the old fellow, children!"
And they would have dragged the Old Kazák from
his horse.

But young Ilya of Murom drew a fiery dart
from his quiver, and sped it forth from his stout
bow, and struck the damp mother of oaks. The
ringbarked oak was shivered in fragments, and the
earth was ploughed up round about.

The robbers were greatly terrified thereat, and
lay senseless for the space of five hours. Then
they entreated him:

"Good youth, great Russian hero! Enter thou
into comradeship with us. Take what thou wilt
of golden treasure, flowered garments, horses and
herds."

Ilya laughed: "Eh, brothers, mine enemies,"
quoth he, "I have no wish to feed your sheep."

Then he turned back to the white and burning
stone Alatyr, erased the old inscription, and wrote
anew:

"I have ridden this road and have not been
slain." So ended the adventure of the first road.

Again Ilya of Murom the Old Kazák sallied
forth into the open plain. He rode three hundred
versts, and lo! before him in a green meadow,
stood a marvel of marvels, a wonder of wonders.
Too small was it to be called a city, too large
to be a village. It was, in truth, but a fair palace
of white stone, with golden roofs, lofty walls, and
three-cornered towers.

When Ilya came to that palace, there issued
forth from it forty damsels, and with them came
also the Princess Zenira the Most Fair. The
beautiful Princess took the old man by his white
hands, by his golden ring, kissed his sugar mouth,
and bade him enter the palace of white stone to
feast with her.

"Long have I journeyed in Holy Russia, but
such a marvel I have never yet beheld," said Ilya.
Then she led him in. The good youth crossed
himself as prescribed, made salutation as enjoined,
to all sides, and lowest of all to the fair Princess,
who placed him at the table of white oak, and
fetched him sugar viands and sweet mead.

"Eat not to satiety, good youth," said she, "and
drink not to drunkenness, for there is more to
come."

But Ilya said: "I have journeyed three hundred
versts, and my hunger is great," and ate and drank
his fill.

Then Zenira the Fair led him to a rich warm
chamber, to a bed of yew wood and ivory, with
soft cushions of down.

"Lie thou next yon brick wall, thou bold and
goodly youth," spake the Princess.

"Nay," said Ilya, "I will lie upon the outer
edge, for I often rise in the night to visit my good
steed."

Thereupon he seized her by her white breast,
and flung her upon the bed of yew wood, against
the wall.

Now that bed of yew was false; it turned, and
the fair Princess was hurled down into her
dungeons, forty fathoms deep.

Then the good old youth went forth into the
spacious courtyard, and spoke to the nurses, women
and faithful servitors: "Give me the golden keys

which undo the dungeon doors. Show me the way
to those deep vaults."

So they showed him; and he found the way
choked with yellow sand, and barred with vast
logs of wood.

He had no need of the golden keys; he tore the
locks asunder with his hands, forced the doors
back with his heels, until they flew from their
frames. Then from the dungeons forty Tzars and
Tzareviches, forty Kings and Princes, their heirs,
together with Dobrynya Nikitich, Alyosha Popovich,
and many more, an innumerable host, sprang
to their nimble feet, and came forth.

All bowed before the Old Kazák, and thanked
him for showing them once more the white world."

"Go hence, ye Tzars, to your empires," spake
Ilya, "ye Kings, to your kingdoms, to your wives,
and children, and pray God for the Old Kazák, for
Ilya of Murom."

But when the fair Princess came forth, Ilya took
her by her white hands, bound her to three untamed
horses, and drove them apart, so that they
scattered over the open plain, here a hand, there
a foot, and everywhere her white body. All her
estates and treasure he divided among those bold
and goodly youths, the strong and mighty heroes;
and her palace of white stone he gave over to the
flames.

Again the Old Kazák returned to the white
stone, crossed out the old inscription, and wrote
a new one:

"This legend is falsely written; I have ridden
that way, yet am I still unwed!"

"I will go now," quoth he, "where wealth is to
be won."

Then the old man rode over the plain; three
hours, three hundred versts he rode, and came at

length to a green meadow where deep pits were
dug, and to a gloomy forest where was a vault
filled with treasure, fair gold, pure silver, and fine
seed-pearls; and on the vault was an inscription:
"This treasure shall fall to Ilya of Murom."

Ilya reflected; and having hired wise and
cunning craftsmen, he built on that spot a monastery
and a cathedral church. And he instituted
there church singing, and the sound of bells.
"Let him whose that treasure was come for it
now," quoth Ilya of Murom, and returned to
famous Kief town, to courteous Prince Vladimir
the Fair Sun.

Vladimir inquired of him: "Where hast thou
tarried so long, thou bold and goodly youth, thou
Old Kazák, Ilya of Murom?"

And Ilya related his Adventure of the Three
Ways, and all that he had done, to Fair Sun
Prince Vladimir.