University of Virginia Library

XXII.—LITTLE ROLLING-PEA.

In a certain empire and a certain province, on the ocean
sea, on the island of Bujan, stood a green oak, and under

the oak a roasted ox, and by its side a whetted knife; suddenly
the knife was seized. Be so good as to eat! This
isn't a story (kazka), but only a preface to a story (prikazka):
whoever shall listen to my story, may he have a sableskin
cloak, and a horseskin cloak, and a very beautiful damsel, a
hundred roubles for the wedding, and fifty for a jollification!

There was a husband and wife. The wife went for water,
took a bucket, and after drawing water, went home, and all
at once she saw a pea rolling along. She thought to herself:
`This is the gift of God.' She took it up and ate it, and in
course of time became the mother of a baby boy, who grew
not by years, but by hours, like millet dough when leavened.
They nursed and petted him in a way that couldn't be improved
upon, and put him to school. What others learnt in
three or four years he understood in a single year, and the
book was not sufficient for him. He came from the school to
his father and mother: `Now, then, daddy and mammy,
thank my teachers, for already many come to school to me.
Thank God, I know more than they.' Well, he went into
the street to amuse himself, and found a pin, which he
brought to his father and mother. He said to his father:
`Here's this piece of iron; take it to a smith, and let him
make me a mace of seven poods weight.' His father didn't
say a single word to him, but only thought in his own mind:
`The Lord has given me a child different from other people;
I think he has a middling understanding, but he is now
making a fool of me. Can it possibly be that a seven-pood[1]
mace can be made out of a pin?' His father, having a considerable
sum of money in gold, silver, and paper, drove to
the town, bought seven poods of iron, and gave them to a
smith to make a mace of. They made him a seven-pood
mace, and he brought it home. Little Rolling-pea came out
from the attic, took his seven-pood mace, and, hearing a

storm in the sky, threw it into the clouds. He went up into
his attic: `Mother, look in my head before I start; a nasty
thing is biting me, for I am a young lad.' . . . Well, rising
from his mother's knees, he went out into the yard and saw
the clouds. He fell down with his right ear to the broad
ground, and on rising up called his father: `Father, come
here: see what is whizzing and humming; my mace is coming
to the ground.' He placed his knee in the way of his mace;
the mace struck him on the knee and broke in halves. He
became angry with his father: `Well, father, why did you
not have a mace made for me out of the iron that I gave
you? If you had done so, it would not have broken, but
only bent. Here is the same iron for you, go and get it
made; don't add any of your own.' The smiths put the
iron in the fire and began to beat it with hammers and pull
it, and made a seven-pood mace.

Little Rolling-pea took his seven-pood mace and got ready
to go on a journey, a long journey; he went and went, and
Overturn-hill met him. `I salute you, brother Little Rolling-pea!
whither are you going? whither are you journeying?'
Little Rolling-pea also asked him a question: `Who
are you?' `I am the mighty hero Overturn-hill.' `Will
you be my comrade?' said Little Rolling-pea. He replied:
`Possibly I will be at your service.' They went on together.
They went and went, and the mighty hero Overturn-oak
met them. `God bless you, brothers! Good health to
you! What manner of men are you?' inquired Overturn-oak.
`Little Rolling-pea and Overturn-hill.' `Whither are
you going?' `To such a city. A dragon devours people
there, so we are going to smite him.' `Is it not possible
for me to join your company?' `It is possible,' said Little
Rolling-pea. They went to the city, and made themselves
known to the emperor. `What manner of men are you?'
`We are mighty heroes!' `Is it in your power to deliver this

city? A dragon is ravenous and destroys much people.
He must be slain.' `Why do we call ourselves mighty
heroes, if we do not slay him?' Midnight came, and they
went up to a bridge of guelder-rose-wood over a river of fire.
Lo! up came a six-headed dragon, and posted himself upon
the bridge, and immediately his horse neighed, his falcon
chattered, and his hound howled. He gave his horse a
blow on the head: `Don't neigh, devil's carrion![2] Don't
chatter, falcon! And you, hound, don't howl! For here
is Little Rolling-pea. Well now,' said he, `come forth,
Little Rolling-pea! shall we fight or shall we try our strength?'
Little Rolling-pea answered: `Not to try their strength do
good youths travel, but only to fight.' They began the
combat. Little Rolling-pea and his comrades struck the
dragon three blows at a time on three heads. The dragon,
seeing that he could not escape destruction, said: `Well,
brothers, it is only little Rolling-pea that troubles me. I'd
settle matters with you two.' They began to fight again,
smashed the dragon's remaining heads, took the dragon's
horse to the stable, his falcon to the mews, and his hound
to the kennel; and Little Rolling-pea cut out the tongues
from all six heads, took and placed them in his knapsack,
and the headless trunk they cast into the river of fire. They
came to the emperor, and brought him the tongues as
certain proof. The emperor thanked them. `I see that
you are mighty heroes and deliverers of the city, and all
the people. If you wish to drink and eat, take all manner
of beverages and eatables without money and without tax.'
And from joy he issued a proclamation throughout the whole
town, that all the eating-houses, inns, and small public-houses
were to be open for the mighty heroes. Well, they went
everywhere, drank, amused themselves, refreshed themselves,
and enjoyed various honours.

Night came, and exactly at midnight they went under the
guelder-rose bridge to the river of fire, and speedily up came
a seven-headed dragon. Immediately his horse neighed, his
falcon chattered, and his hound howled. The dragon immediately
struck his horse on the head. `Neigh not, devil's
carrion! chatter not, falcon! howl not, hound! for here is
Little Rolling-pea. Now then,' said he, `come forth, Little
Rolling-pea! Shall we fight or try our strength?' `Good
youths travel not to try their strength, but only to fight.'
And they began the combat, and the heroes beat off six of
the dragon's heads; the seventh remained. The dragon
said: `Give me breathing time!' But Little Rolling-pea said:
`Don't expect me to give you breathing time.' They began
the combat again. He beat off the last head also, cut out
the tongues, and placed them in his knapsack, but threw the
trunk into the river of fire. They came to the emperor, and
brought the tongues for certain proof.

The third time they went at midnight to the bridge of
guelder-rose and the river of fire; speedily up came to them
a nine-headed dragon. Immediately his horse neighed, his
falcon chattered, and his hound howled. The dragon struck
his horse on the head. `Neigh not, devil's carrion! falcon,
chatter not! hound, howl not! for here is Little Rolling-pea.
And now come forth, Little Rolling-pea! Shall we fight or
try our strength?' Little Rolling-pea said: `Not to try their
strength do good youths travel, but only to fight.' They
began the combat, and the heroes beat off eight heads; the
ninth remained. Little Rolling-pea said: `Give us breathing
time, unclean power!' It answered: `Take breathing time
or not, you will not overcome me; you slew my brothers by
craft, not by strength.' Little Rolling-pea not only fought,
but thought how to delude the dragon. All at once he
thought of a plan, and said: `Yes, there's still much of your
brother behind—I'll take you all.' Hastily the dragon

looked round, and he cut off the ninth head also, cut out
the tongues, put them into his knapsack, and threw the
trunk into the river of fire. They went to the emperor.
The emperor said: `I thank you, mighty heroes! live with
God, and with joy and courage, and take as much gold,
silver, and paper money as you want.'

After this the wives of the three dragons met together and
took counsel together. `Whence did those men come who
slew our husbands? Well, we shall be women if we don't
get rid of them out of the world.' The youngest said: `Now
then, sisters! let us go by the highroad, where they will go.
I will make myself into a very beautiful wayside seat, and if,
when wearied, they sit down upon it, it will be death to
them all.' The second said to her: `If you do nothing to
them, I will make myself into an apple-tree beside the highroad,
and when they begin to come up to me, the agreeable
odour will attract them; and if they taste the apples, it will
be death to them all.' Well, the heroes came up to the
beautiful wayside seat. Little Rolling-pea thrust his sword
into it up to the hilt—blood poured forth! They went on
to the apple-tree. `Brother Little Rolling-pea,' said the
heroes, `let us each eat an apple.' But he said: `If it is
possible, let us eat; if it is not possible, let us go on further.
He drew his sword and thrust it into the apple-tree up to
the hilt, and blood poured forth immediately. The third
she-dragon hastened after them, and extended her jaws from
the earth to the sky. Little Rolling-pea saw that there was
not room for them to pass by. How were they to save
themselves? He looked about and saw that she specially
aimed at him, and threw the three horses into her mouth.
The she-dragon flew off to the blue sea to drink water, and
they proceeded further. She pursued them again. He saw
that she was near, and threw the three falcons into her
mouth. Again the she-dragon flew to the blue sea to drink

water, and they proceeded further. Little Rolling-pea looked
round; the she-dragon was again pursuing him, and seeing
his danger, he took and threw the three hounds into her
mouth. Again she flew off to the blue sea to drink water;
while she drank her fill, they proceeded still further. He
looked round and saw that she was catching them up again.
Little Rolling-pea took his two comrades and threw them
into her mouth. The she-dragon flew to the blue sea to
drink water, and he went on. Again she overtook him; he
looked round, saw that she was not far off, and said: `Lord,
protect me and save my soul!' He saw before him an iron
workshop, and fled into the smithy. The smith said to him:
`Why, stranger, are you so cowardly?' `Honourable gentlemen!
protect me from an unclean power, and save my
soul!' They took and shut the smithy completely up.
`Give up to me what is mine!' said the she-dragon. Then
the smiths said to her: `Lick the iron door through, and we
will place him on your tongue.' She licked the door through,
and placed her tongue in the centre. The smiths seized her
tongue three at a time with red-hot pincers, and said: `Come,
stranger, do with her what you will!' He went out into the
yard, and began to pound the she-dragon, and pounded her
skin to the bones, and her bones to the marrow; then took
her with her whole carcase and buried her seven fathoms
deep. Then, and not till then, did he live and eat morsels;
but we ate bread, for he had none. I was there, too, and
drank honey-wine; it flowed over my beard, but didn't get
into my mouth.