Free Russian Magic Tales from Pushkin to Platonov (Penguin Classics) by Unknown

catch up with us this time. I have a steed that flies like a bird – a steed fit for a warrior.’ They mounted and set off. As Koshchey the Deathless made his way back in the evening, his steed stumbled beneath him. ‘Why are you stumbling, you old nag? Is something the matter at home?’ ‘Ivan Tsarevich has come and taken Marya Morevna away with him.’ ‘Can we catch up with them?’ ‘I don’t know. Ivan Tsarevich has a steed fit for a warrior. It gallops faster than I do.’ ‘No,’ said Koshchey the Deathless. ‘I won’t stand for it.’ After a long time, or maybe a short time, he caught up with Ivan Tsarevich, leapt to the ground and was about to slash at Ivan with his sharp sabre when Ivan’s steed kicked him with all his might and smashed his skull into splinters. The tsarevich then finished him off with his cudgel. After that Ivan Tsarevich gathered a great heap of wood, lit a bonfire, burned the body of Koshchey the Deathless and scattered the ashes to the four winds.
    Marya Morevna mounted Koshchey’s steed, Ivan Tsarevich mounted his own, and off they rode. They went first to the raven, then to the eagle, then to the falcon. In each palace they were greeted with joy: ‘Ivan Tsarevich! We thought we’d never set eyes on you again. Well, now we know why you had to go on all those journeys. There can’t be another such beauty as your wife in the whole world.’
    They stayed for a while in each palace, enjoyed many feasts, then set off for their own tsardom. And there they lived, in health and good cheer and free of all fear. There they lived for many a year, free of need and drinking good mead.

The Little White Duck
    Once there lived a prince who married a beautiful princess. But before he had had time to feast his eyes on her, before he had had time to talk and listen to her to his heart’s content, he had to part from her. He had to go on a journey and leave his wife in the hands of people who barely knew her. What else could he do? As they say, a man and woman can’t spend their whole life in embraces. The princess cried and cried. The prince gave her wise advice. He told her not to come down from her tower, not to talk with strangers and not to listen to evil words. The princess promised to do as he said. The prince left. The princess locked herself up in her chamber and never came out.
    After a long time, or maybe only a short time, an old woman appeared down below. No one could have looked kinder or more honest. ‘It must be boring and lonely for you up there,’ she said to the princess. ‘Why don’t you come down and have a look at God’s world? At least you could go for a walk in the garden. A breath of fresh air blows away every care!’
    For a long time the princess made excuses. She really didn’t want to go down. But then she thought again: what harm, after all, could come to her in the garden? And so down she went – and there in the garden was a crystal spring. ‘It’s a hot day,’ said the woman. ‘The sun’s blazing down and the water’s cool and fresh. Look at it splashing. Why don’t we bathe in it?’ ‘No, no,’ said the princess, ‘I don’t want to!’ But then she thought again: what harm, after all, could come to her in the water? She took off her dress and jumped in. Once she was in the water, the woman struck her on the back. ‘Swim on,’ she said, ‘as a little white duck.’ And the princess swam on as a little white duck.The witch put on the princess’s dress and jewels, painted her face and sat down to wait for the prince. As soon as the little dog barked and the little bell tinkled, there she was – running towards the prince, throwing herself into his arms, kissing him and saying all kinds of tender words to him. The prince was overjoyed. He embraced the witch and never saw her for who she was.
    As for the little white duck, she laid three eggs and hatched out three little children. Two were strong and healthy, but the third was weak and