University of Virginia Library

Sweet Mikailo Ivanovich the Rover

FAIR Sun Vladimir made a great and notable
feast to his nobles and heroes. And when
all had eaten and drunk their fill, Prince
Vladimir paced the banquet hall, waved his right
hand, and distributed service to his knights, to
Ilya of Murom, Dobrynya Nikitich, and sweet
Mikailo Ivanovich.[1] He poured out a cup of
green wine, and gave to each sweet mead, saying:

"Taste now a cup of green wine, and serve me,
your Prince, with perfect loyalty. Do thou, Old
Kazák, Ilya of Murom, the chiefest of our Russian
heroes, render a great service. Go thou to the
Golden Horde, slay all infidels, both great and
small, sparing none. Thou, young Dobrynya,
must go to the glorious blue sea, and conquer it,
and add territory to Holy Russia. Sweet Mikailo
the Rover shall be intrusted with a great mission—
he shall go to the black halls in Podolia the crafty,
and collect the gifts and tribute for the years that
are past, and for this year—for twelve years and
for half a year."

So these three heroes rode forth to the Levanidof
oak, and swore brotherhood. Ilya was the eldest
brother, Mikailo the next, and young Dobrynya the
youngest. Then they made a covenant, that he
who should first return should await the other two

at that oak. With that they parted, riding different
ways.

When Mikailo was come to the famous black
horde, he demanded the gifts and tribute due,—
twelve swans, twelve white falcons, and a writing
of submission.

But the men of Podolia assembled, and would
not surrender the gifts and tribute. Then Mikailo
the Rover waxed very wroth, threw back his heroic
shoulders, and began to kill and to destroy, so that
the men of Podolia yielded and fetched the tribute.

So Mikailo departed thence, and wandered by
the blue sea, past warm and peaceful bays, shooting
swans and geese. As he turned to leave the
precipitous shore, he gazed out upon the quiet bay,
and beheld a white swan floating there. Through
her feathers she was all gold, and her head was
covered with red gold, studded with fair round
pearls.

Then Mikailo drew from his bow-case his stout
bow, from his quiver a burning arrow, grasped his
bow in his left hand, the arrow in his right, and
laid the arrow to the silken cord. As he drew the
stout bow to his ear, with the burning arrow of
seven ells, the cord twanged, the horns of the great
bow creaked, and he would have let fly. But the
white swan besought him:

"Aï, Mikailo Ivanovich the Rover, shoot not the
white swan, else shalt thou have no luck for evermore!"

Then the swan rose over the blue sea upon her
white wings, flew to the shore, and turned into a
beauteous maiden. Mikailo went to her, took her
by her little white hands, by her golden ring, and
would fain have kissed her upon her sugar mouth.

But the fair maid said: "Kiss me not, Mikailo
Rover, for I am of infidel race, Marya, Princess of

Podolia, and unbaptized. If thou wilt take me to
glorious Holy Russia, to famous Kief town the
royal, I will go to mother church of God, and
receive the Christian faith. Then will we take
the golden crowns, and then also shalt thou kiss
me if thou wilt." So they set out.

Ilya of Murom was come first to the Levanidof
oak, and had brought with him gold in bulk like
to a rick of hay. Next came young Dobrynya, and
his gold was likewise like unto a hay-rick. The
last to come was sweet Mikailo the Rover, and
not one copper coin brought he, but only sweet
Marya, the White Swan of Podolia. Then spoke
his brothers in arms:

"Hast thou been led astray by woman's wiles,
Mikailo Rover, that thou bringest hither no treasure?
With what face wilt thou present thyself in
Kief?" But Mikailo answered them that he would
go straightway to Kief with his White Swan, and
without red gold.

When they were come to Kief town, Ilya and
Dobrynya flung down their vast heaps of treasure,
but Mikailo led sweet Marya by the hand.

"How may I reward thee for this thy service?"
quoth Vladimir of royal Kief. "Shall I give thee
villages with their hamlets, cities with their suburbs
or countless golden treasure?"

"None of these do I require," said Mikailo;
"for whatsoever thou mightest bestow upon me,
that should I squander in drink. Better will it be
to give me an ukase with thy royal red seal, that I
may go to all the pot-houses and drinking-houses,
and drink green wine without payment,—that
money be never required of me." Then Prince
Vladimir gave Mikailo that ukase with his fair seal
gladly, and said:

"I sent them forth to find brides, but these two

youths understood me not,—they coveted gold and
silver. In our Holy Russian land, a race of young
heroes is more precious than either silver or
gold."

Then spoke sweet Mikailo the Rover to Mariushka
the White Swan: "Let us wed."

"Nay, not so, Mikailo Rover," she replied, "but
under one condition. Let us take a great and
solemn oath that when either one of us shall die,
the other shall go, living, into the grave with the
dead, and there abide for the space of three
months."

This oath they took, and were married in God's
church. Then they began to live, and take their
pleasure; and sweet Mikailo went about from pot-house
to pot-house, drinking green wine,—here a
cup, there half a bucket, and again a bucket and
a half.

—Again spoke Prince Vladimir to Mikailo the
Rover: "Lo! Bukar, king of the land beyond
the sea, hath sent to demand tribute and gifts for
twelve years, and if I give them not, he will come
and destroy our royal Kief."

Quoth Mikailo: "Write thou a scroll to that
king beyond the sea: write that thou hast despatched
the gifts and tribute by Mikailo Ivanovich
the Rover. But I will go without tribute."

So he went to Tzar Bukar in the kingdom
beyond the sea, and saluted him. And Bukar
inquired:

"Whence comest thou, good youth, from what
land or horde?"

"From Kief town I come, young Mikailo Ivanovich
the Rover. I bring thee gifts and tribute for
twelve years from that Fair Sun, Prince Vladimir."

"Where are these gifts and tribute?"

"All were sent in copper coin, and the carts

broke down upon the road; the men are even now
mending them."

"How divert ye yourselves with such joy in
Russia?" asked Tzar Bukar.

"We play with ashen checkers upon boards of
oak."

"Let us play at ashen checkers," quoth Bukar.

So they began to play. Tzar Bukar staked the
gifts and tribute, and Mikailo Rover staked his
good steed and his turbulent head—and lost.
Then they played another bout, and again Tzar
Bukar staked the tribute, adding the good steed
and the turbulent head. Mikailo staked Marya
the White Swan and his own mother—and won.
Then Bukar waxed wroth, and staked the half of
his kingdom, and Mikailo staked the tribute. As
Mikailo won this game, the oaken doors were
opened wide, and Ilya of Murom the Old Kazák
strode in and spoke:

"My brother in arms, thou knowest not the evil
fortune that hath befallen thee. Thou sittest here
gaming and taking thy pleasure, while Marya the
White Swan, thy young wife, lieth dead in Kief
town."

When sweet Mikailo heard that, he sprang up,
and hurled the chess-board full at the oaken door,
so that the door and its framework flew outward.

"Take thou half the goods and kingdom of Tzar
Bukar in this land beyond the sea, my brother in
arms," said he, "and rule thou whilst I go home to
Kief." Then quickly, quickly, very, very quickly,
with speed, he rode to Kief town, to his palace of
white stone. There he hired craftsmen, and they
made him a spacious coffin of oak, wherein two
might stand, or sit, or lie.

When this was done, he made provision of food
and green wine for three months. And he fashioned

for himself three pair of pincers and three rods of
iron, and took his seat in the coffin with the dead
body.

"Why take ye the rods and pincers?" asked
Vladimir.

"That the dragons of the under-world may not
crawl into the coffin and gnaw my white body."

They drew the White Swan's body to the grave
on a sledge, with sweet Mikailo alive beside it.

Then they lowered the coffin into the deep
mound, and also his good steed with his rich trappings,
and covered them with ruddy yellow sand.
Three months did Mikailo the Rover sit therein.

After that, a Dragon of the under-world crawled
to the white oak coffin with her brood, pressed
upon it, and the hoops began to burst asunder.
Mikailo sprang to his nimble feet. A second and
yet a third time did the Dragon press, and thereupon
the coffin yawned widely.

When that beast espied sweet Mikailo, she
rejoiced that she should have a living man to
satisfy her hunger, as well as the dead body.

But Mikailo seized the Dragon with his iron
pincers, and began to smite her with the iron rods,
and to cry: "Aï, thou Dragon of the under-world!
Fetch me the waters of life and death[2] to revive
my young wife."

"Loose me, sweet Mikailo Rover," the Dragon
made answer, "and I will fly to the blue sea, and
fetch thee those waters, to revive thy Russian
beauty, in three years."

But he ceased not to belabour her stoutly, and
without mercy; and she promised to fetch the
waters in two years. Yet ceased he not until she
had sworn to fetch them within three hours.

Then said he: "Give me as hostage, one of thy
little Dragons." And when she gave it, he set his
heel upon the little serpent, and crushed it to dust.

"Why hast thou destroyed my child?" the
Dragon asked.

"Fetch me the waters," answered Mikailo, "and
I will revive thy child together with my young
wife."

Then she made haste and fetched the waters,
and sweet Mikailo essayed them first upon the
little dragon;—the first time he sprinkled it, the
dragon flew together, at the second sprinkling it
moved, at the third, it crawled forth from the
coffin.

Then he sprinkled his Russian beauty, Marya
the White Swan. First her blood played, then
she moved, and at last sat upright in the coffin,
and spoke: "Long have I slept, and suddenly
arisen."

—It was on Sunday, when the nobles, princes,
and mighty heroes were coming from the mass.
Mikailo shouted with full strength of his head, so
that damp mother earth quaked, the waters were
troubled with sand, Prince Vladimir's lofty palace
rocked to and fro with the shout, and the nobles
and heroes spoke among themselves: "Is not this
a marvel, brothers, on land and sea?"

But Ilya of Murom made answer: "No marvel
is it, nor monster issuing from the waters, or from
some distant land. But the hero within the bosom
of the earth is wearied of the dead body. Take,
therefore, implements of iron, remove the yellow
sands, and reach the coffin of white oak."

So they delved, and sweet Mikailo the Rover
came forth leading his young wife by the sleeve.

Great fame of this heroic young woman went
abroad throughout all lands and hordes. Never

had such a beauty dwelt under the fair red sun.
At the fame of her beauty came forty Tzars, Kings
and Princes to the Sorochinsky mountains, and
wrote a cartel in haste: "If the Fair Sun Prince
Vladimir yield not that young heroic woman without
conflict or great battle, and in good will, then
will we destroy all Kief town."

Thereupon came Prince Vladimir to Mikailo:
"Sweet Mikailo Rover," he said, "destroy not my
whole kingdom, I pray thee, for the sake of one
woman. Deliver up thy young heroic wife, without
conflict or great battle."

"Nay, Fair Sun Prince Vladimir," sweet Mikailo
made answer. "Deliver up thine own fair Princess
Apraxia. But my wife I will not give with my
own good will."

Then he disguised himself in woman's apparel,
laid on his good steed his great battle-sword, his
sharp blade, and rode forth to the Sorochinsky
mountains. When he was come near to those
Tzars and Kings, he pitched a tent of fair linen,
shook down fine white Turkish wheat before his
good steed, and lay down to sleep.

The Tzars and Princes sent an ambassador to
inquire who had adventured so near them, and
Mikailo made answer:

"Marya the White Swan hath come to wed with
the forty Tzars, Kings and Princes."

Then all those royal suitors donned their richest
raiment, mounted their best steeds, and rode to the
pavilion of linen.

"Foolish are ye, ye forty Tzars, Kings and
Princes," quoth sweet Mikailo. "I cannot marry
all. Grant me therefore to shoot arrows, and he
who first returneth with one shall have me."

To this they all agreed, and Mikailo shot forty
arrows,—some into the brushwood, some into

the water:—and was it a light task to find
them?

When the first Tzar fetched an arrow, Mikailo
struck off his head, and hid it in the pavilion, and
so he did likewise with the second and the third,
until all were slain, and not one of the forty royal
suitors was left alive.

Then sweet Mikailo rode back to Kief town, and
his brothers in arms met him there, but not his
young heroic wife. Mikailo inquired of them
where she was, and they replied: "Tzar Vakramey
Vakrameevich came hither, and carried off thy
young wife to the Volhynian land."

Forthwith rode sweet Mikailo in pursuit, eating
not, drinking not, dismounting not from his good
steed. When he came to Volhynia town, Marya
espied him, and came forth to greet him with a
kovsh[3] of the liquor of forgetfulness.

"Aï, sweet Mikailo Rover," said she: "I can
neither eat nor drink nor live without thee. But
woman's hair is long, her wits are short. Whither
they lead us, there we must needs go, and Prince
Vladimir gave me against my will. But now drain
a bowl of the liquor of health, and thou shalt be
yet stronger than of yore, Rover." So Mikailo
drained that bowl of the wine of oblivion, and fell
unconscious there.

Then the White Swan went to Vakramey
Vakrameevich, and spoke this word: "Aï, Tzar
Vakramey, do what thou wilt with this man who
is as dead."

But he spat in her eye: "One tree doth not
make a dark forest, nor is one man a host on the
open plain!"

Nevertheless she was distrustful, and took
Mikailo by his yellow curls, dragged him forth
upon the open plain, swung him about her head,
and flung him over her shoulder.

"Where stood sweet Rover Mikailo, there henceforth
let a white stone stand," she said. "Let it
fly over the earth for the space of three years, and
after that let it sink through the damp earth!"
And sweet Mikailo was turned into a stone straightway.

His brothers in arms, remembering sweet Mikailo,
grew weary with longing for him, and said:
"Let us go, brothers, to the Volhynian land, to
inquire whether our brother be slain or captive
there." So they put on the weeds of wandering
psalm-singers, threw pouches over their shoulders,
took staves of forty poods, and set out.

As they journeyed to the Volhynian land, an
aged man came to meet them in the way, and said:

"Take me with you as your comrade." And
they did so, and came to the land of Volhynia, to
Tzar Vakramey.

There they beat upon the earth with their staves,
and begged alms. The White Swan looked forth
from the little lattice window, and perceived that
the psalm-singers were come from Kief town,
and that the third was a strange man, and said:
"Aï, Tzar Vakramey! summon these pilgrims
into thy palace, feed them well, and give them
wine until they are well drunken, and gold at
thy desire."

So Tzar Vakramey called them in; and the
Russian heroes inquired of Marya the White Swan,
where their brother in arms might be, sweet Rover
Mikailo.

"I grieve sore for sweet Mikailo the Rover," she
made answer; "but I know not where he is."

Then she gave them great alms, and much food
and drink, so that they were intoxicated, and lay
upon the floor. But the aged man ate not, drank
not; and when Marya the White Swan sent twelve
knights to kill the psalm-singers, that aged pilgrim
brandished his staff, and slew them all, leaving not
one alive.

When Tzar Vakramey saw that his whole kingdom
could not stand against that one pilgrim, he
pondered what might chance when the other two
should wake. So he went in haste to his deep
vaults, took gold, silver, and fair round pearls, and
gave to those psalm-singers; and the next morning
they set out for Kief town.

As they journeyed, they came to a stone; and
the aged pilgrim said: "I must leave you, brothers.
Let us divide our possessions on this stone." Then
he began to part the alms into four lots, whereat
Ilya could not restrain his restive heart, but spoke:
"For whom is that fourth lot, thou stranger
pilgrim?"

Said the wandering psalm-singer, the stranger:
"It shall belong to him who shall raise this stone,
and cast it over his shoulder, so that, falling upon
the damp earth, it shall burst asunder."

Ilya of Murom sprang forward, grasped the
stone, and raised it to his knees,—and sank to
his knees in the damp earth. "Is this the devil
or God's might, that is in this stone?" quoth
he.

Then Dobrynya essayed to lift it, and could not
so much as make a space for the air to pass beneath
it. But the aged psalm-singer put his little
hand beneath the stone, raised it to his shoulder,
and as he flung it, he conjured it: "Break, stone!
and let sweet Mikailo the Rover appear in thy
stead!"

Out sprang Mikailo, crying, "Fy, fee, brothers!
how long I have slept!"

Then spoke the aged pilgrim: "Mikailo, when
thou art come to Kief town, burn a candle to
Saint Mikola. And fare ye well now, ye mighty
Russian heroes! pray to Mikola of Mozhaisk, and
he will raise you from the blue sea!" Therewith
he vanished, leaving the money with them, and
they saw not whither he went.

Rover Mikailo took leave straightway of his
brothers in arms, and returned to the land of Volhynia,
and entered the spacious court of Tzar
Vakramey's palace, and shouted in a heroic voice.

White Swan Marya heard that cry, and spoke
to Tzar Vakramey: "My former husband is
come," then ran out to Mikailo with a bowl of
wine.

"Aï, sweet Mikailo Rover!" she said, "without
my hero I cannot live. It was not I, but Tzar
Vakramey, who imprisoned thee within that white
and burning stone. But take now this bowl of
wine in one hand, and empty it at a draught, and
we will go to Kief town to courteous Prince
Vladimir."

Now Mikailo was susceptible to wine and
woman's charms. He took the bowl, and quaffed
the liquor, and where he drank, there he fell down
in a stupor.

Then Marya the White Swan seized him by his
yellow curls, and dragged him to a deep dungeon,
and there made him fast to the wall with nails
through his hands and feet. Yet a fifth nail for
his heroic heart was lacking, and Marya ran to the
bazaar to buy one.

While she was gone, Anna the Fair, sister to
Tzar Vakramey, took a little serving-maid, and
went to view the Russian hero; and as she looked

she loved. Mikailo's stupor was already passed,
and he began to entreat her to set him free.

"Take me for thy wife," she made answer,
"and I will save thee from vain death."

And he swore to her, "If thou wilt but save me,
I will sever the turbulent head of Marya the White
Swan, and take the golden crown with thee."

Then she drew out the spikes with her fingernails,
took in haste a Tatar chosen for his stature,
hair and beauty, and fastened him to the wall in
Mikailo's stead, took sweet Mikailo under her cloak
of black sables, and led him across the spacious
court. Tzar Vakramey espied her, and inquired:

"What hast thou there beneath thy cloak?"

"I took a little maid with me," she answered,
"to view the Russian hero, and she is frightened.
I have her beneath my cloak, and am leading her
to mine own chamber, to comfort her."

Marya the Swan returned with her nail, and
perceived not that it was a Tatar in the dungeon,
and not her husband.

When fair Anna had brought sweet Mikailo to
her lofty tower, she dressed his bleeding wounds
with herbs for three months, and healed them,
then asked: "Hast thou thy strength as of yore?"

And sweet Mikailo made answer: "If I had
but my suit of chain mail, my great battle-sword,
and my good steed, I should not fear your Tzar
Vakramey."

"There was once a hero among us in past
years," quoth Anna the Fair, "and to this day
none in our kingdom can wear his armour, nor
wield his brand, nor guide his good steed."

Then Mikailo told her what she must do; and
she lay as though ailing, and sent word to Tzar
Vakramey that some one should be sent to heal
her. When the leech came she said:

"I slept, and dreamed that if I might but don a
coat of mail, and ride a heroic steed over the open
plain, it would be well with me once more."

So the good steed of that hero of past years was
led forth; and Rover Mikailo arrayed himself in
woman's garb, laid the coat of mail upon the horse,
grasped the bridle, and led him forth behind the
city wall. There he put on the coat of mail, armed
himself, and mounting, leaped the wall, and came
to Tzar Vakramey's palace.

When White Swan Marya saw him, she said to
Tzar Vakramey: "Lo! my former husband is
alive again: pour him a cup of green wine, and
mingle the herb of sleep therein."

This Vakramey did; and when Marya presented
it to Rover Mikailo, beseeching him to drink it,
and return with her to Kief, he would have done
her bidding. But Anna the Fair thrust herself
out of the lattice window to the girdle, and shrieked
in a piercing voice: "Drink not, sweet Rover
Mikailo! Remember thine oath. If thou drink
that wine, thou hast lost thyself for ever."

Thereupon he dashed aside the cup, drew his
sword of damascened steel, and cut off the head of
Marya the White Swan.

Vakramey also he would have slain, but that his
sister begged for his life. So he left Vakramey in
possession of his kingdom, took the Princess Anna
the Most Fair, and went to Kief town, to courteous
Prince Vladimir. There they were married, and
lived in happiness. And sweet Mikailo Ivanovich
the Rover built a church to Saint Mikola of
Mozhaisk.