The Self-Playing Gusli

In a certain kingdom, in a certain land, there lived a peasant who had a son. The peasant was called Alexey, and his son Vanka. Summer came. Alexey ploughed the…

In a certain kingdom, in a certain land, there lived a peasant who had a son. The peasant was called Alexey, and his son Vanka. Summer came. Alexey ploughed the ground and sowed turnips. Such fine turnips grew, so big and so plump—good heavens! The peasant was delighted. Every morning he went to the field, admired the turnips and thanked God. One day he noticed that someone was stealing them, and began keeping watch. He watched and watched, but no one came. Then he sent Vanka:

“Go and watch the turnips.”

Vanka came to the field and saw a boy digging up turnips. He had filled two sacks, enormous ones. The poor fellow had hoisted them onto his back and could barely drag them along: his knees buckled and his back fairly creaked. The boy struggled on until he could go no farther, dropped the sacks on the ground, looked up—and there stood Vanka before him.

“Please, good man, help me carry these sacks home. My grandfather will give you a present and reward you.”

The moment Vanka saw the boy, he stood stock-still, staring at him with wide eyes, staring and staring. At last he came to himself and said:

“All right, then!”

Vanka heaved the two sacks of turnips onto his shoulders and followed the boy, who ran ahead, skipping and saying:

“Grandfather sends me for turnips every day. If you carry them for him, he will give you plenty of silver and gold. But don’t take it: ask for the self-playing gusli instead.”

Well, they came to a cottage, and in the corner sat a grey-haired old man with horns. Vanka bowed to him. The old man offered him a lump of gold for his work. Vanka’s eyes lit up, but the boy whispered:

“Don’t take it!”

“I don’t need it,” Vanka said. “Give me the self-playing gusli, and all the turnips are yours.”

At the mention of the self-playing gusli, the old man’s eyes bulged out a whole vershok, his mouth opened from ear to ear, and the horns on his forehead began twitching. Vanka was frightened, but the boy said:

“Give them to him, Grandfather!”

“You ask a great deal! Well, so be it: take the gusli, but give me whatever is dearest to you at home.”

Vanka thought: our little house has almost sunk into the earth—what could there be of value in it?

“Agreed!” he said. He took the self-playing gusli and went home.

When he arrived, his father was sitting dead on the threshold. Vanka grieved and wept, buried his father and went off to seek his fortune.

He reached a great city where a mighty sovereign lived. Opposite the palace was a field where pigs grazed. Vanka went to the herdsman, bought the pigs from him and began tending them. As soon as he played the self-playing gusli, the whole herd began to dance! One day, while the tsar was away, the princess sat by the window and saw Vanka sitting on a stump, playing the gusli, with the pigs dancing before him. She sent her maid to ask the herdsman to sell her at least one little pig. Vanka said:

“Let her come herself!”

The princess came:

“Herdsman, herdsman! Sell me a little pig.”

“My pigs are not for sale. They can only be had on a condition.”

“And what is the condition?”

“If you wish to have a little pig, princess, show me your fair skin up to your knees.”

The princess thought for a while, looked all around—there was no one there—and lifted her dress to her knees. There was a small birthmark on her right leg. The herdsman gave her a pig. The princess had it brought to the palace, gathered the musicians and told them to play. She wanted to see the pig dance, but it only hid in the corners, squealed and grunted…

The tsar returned and decided to marry off his daughter. He summoned all the boyars, noblemen, merchants and peasants. Kings, princes and all sorts of people came to him from foreign lands.

“Whoever can tell me my daughter’s distinguishing mark,” said the tsar, “shall have her for his wife.”

No one could discover it. However hard they tried, however much they sought to find out, they learned nothing. At last Vanka stepped forward: he could tell them, he said. And he said that the princess had a small birthmark on her right leg.

“You have guessed it!” said the tsar. He married Vanka to his daughter and gave a feast for the whole world. Vanka became the tsar’s son-in-law and lived in comfort and good cheer.