trl: [If you don't talk to Feanor for a long time, she offers to have a baby, and if you refuse, she turns into a frog. After the first refusal to have a child, he simply turns into a frog in the case of a long absence of communication; in both cases, he is enchanted by a kiss]
Paladin: So… Are you offended again?
Feanora: ...
Feanora: no.
[starting with Vasnetsov painting of course, other illustrations are by Bilibin]
In one kingdom lived a tsar, and he had three sons. Youngest one was prince Ivan.
Once tsar called for his sons and told them:
- My dear children, you're of age now, it's time to think about getting married!
- But how do we choose who to marry, father?
- Take each an arrow, draw your bows and shoot to the different sides. Where the store falls, go look for your bride.
Brothers went to the castle square, drew their bows and shot.
First the oldest brother shot, arrow feel into boyar's court and boyar's daughter picked it up.
Then the second brother shot, any his arrow flew into merchant's yard, and merchant's daughter picked it up.
Prince Ivan shot an arrow and it fell into the mire and the frog picked it up.
Older brothers went looking for their arrows and found them soon - one in the boyar's chambers, another - in the merchant's house. But prince Ivan could find his arrow. For two days he was walking through forests and mountains and on the third day came to the mire. Looks - little frog sits there holding his arrow.
Prince Ivan wanted to run and pretend he haven't find anything but frog said:
- Croak-croak, prince Ivan! Come here, take your arrow and marry me.
Prince got very sad and answered:
- How can I marry you? People will laugh at me!
- Take it, prince Ivan, you don't regret it.
Prince Ivan thought for a while, took a frog, wrapped it into a napkin and brought it home.
Older brothers returned and told where their arrows fell.
Prince Ivan told as well. Brothers started laughing but father said:
- Well, there's nothing to do, marry a frog!
The marriage y were celebrated, three princess got married: older prince married the boyar's daughter, middle prince married three merchant's daughter and prince Ivan married... A frog.
Next day tsar called for his sons and said:
- Well, my dear sons, you all married now. I want to know if your wives know how to cook. Let them bake each a loaf of bread for the tomorrow morning.
Princes bowed deeply and went away. Prince Ivan returned to his chambers devastated, almost in tears.
- Croak-croak, prince Ivan, - said the frog, - why are you so sad? Did your father tell you something hurtful?
- How can't I be sad! - answered prince Ivan, - My father ordered you to bake a bread for tomorrow morning! Yourself!
- Don't worry, prince Ivan! Go sleep, morning is wiser than evening!
Frog waited till prince fell asleep, threw frog skin off and turned into beautiful princess Vasilisa the Wise - so beautiful it can't be described by words in any tale.
She took a sieve, sifted wheat flour, kneaded the white dough, baked a loaf - loose and soft, decorated the loaf with different intricate patterns: on the sides - towns with palaces, gardens and towers, above them - flying birds, on the bottom - prowling animals.
In the morning frog woke prince up:
- It's time, prince Ivan, get up, take the bread to your father!
She's put the loaf onto the golden plate and Ivan went to the tsar.
Older brothers also came, brought their breads, but there were nothing to look at: boyar's daughter's bread for burnt, merchant's daughter's - undercooked and saggy.
At first tsar took the older brother's bread, looked at it and ordered to throw it to the dogs.
Took the one from the second son, looked at it and said:
- A bread like this one could eat only out of great hunger.
Ivan's turn came. Tsar took a bread from him and said:
- A bread like this can be served at the grand celebrations!
And immediately gave his sons another order:
- I want to know how good your wives at needlework. Take silk, gold and silver, and let them weave a carpet for me with their own hands overnight!
Older princes returned to their wives and gave them their father's order. Wives started to call their matrons and maids to help them weave carpets. Matrons and maids gathered and started weave and embroider - some with silver, some with gold, some with silk.
Prince Ivan returned home sad, unable to raise his eyes.
- Croak-croak, prince Ivan, - said the frog, - why are you so sad? Did your father tell you something hurtful?
- How can't I be sad! - answered prince Ivan, - father ordered to make him an embroidered carpet overnight!
- Don't worry, prince Ivan! You better go sleep, morning is wiser than evening.
Frog waited till he fell asleep, then took off her frog skin, turned into beautiful girl Vasilisa the Wise and started to weave the carpet. Pokes with a needle once - flower blooms, pokes another time - complicated patterns appear, pokes third - birds fly...
Sun was still asleep when carpet were finished.
Three brothers came to the tsar in the morning, each brought a carpet. Tsar took the first one and said:
- This carpet's only use to cover horses from the rain!
Took from the second brother, liked and said:
- This carpet's only place is under the gates!
Took from prince Ivan, looked and said:
- And this carpet should be layed in my chambers for big celebrations!
And immediately gave another order, for all three princes to come to his feast next day with their wives: he wants to see which princess is a better dancer.
Princes went to their wives.
Prince Ivan goes sad, thinking to himself: "How can I bring the frog to the royal feast?"
When he came home, frog asked;
- Why are you sad again, prince Ivan? What bothers you?
- How can't I be sad! - said prince Ivan, - father ordered me to bring you with me for the royal feast...
- Don't worry, prince Ivan! Go sleep, morning is wiser than evening!
Next day, when time came for the feast, frog said:
- Well, prince Ivan, go to the feast by yourself, and I will come after you. When you'll hear rumble and thunder - don't be scared, say: "It's my frog rides in her box".
Prince Ivan went to the tsar's feast alone.
And older brothers came with their wives dressed like queens, beautiful. They're standing and laughing at Ivan:
- Why did you, brother, come without your wife? Could've at least brought her in some napkin, let us all listen how she's croaking!
Suddenly loud rumble and thunder arose - whole castle started shaking. All the guests for scared, jumped off their seats. And prince Ivan said:
- Don't be afraid, dear guests! It's my frog coming in her box!
Everyone ran to the windows and saw: runners run, messengers galloping, and behind them a gilded carriage harnessed by three bay horses.
Carriage came right to the threshold and stepping out of it is Vasilisa the Wise - shining bright like the sun.
Everyone is looking at her, stunned by surprise and beauty, unable to say anything.
Vasilisa the Wise took Ivan by the hand and led him to the oak tables, to the embroidered tablecloths...
Guests started to eat, drink and have fun.
Vasilisa the Wise drinks from the goblet - doesn't drink all, spills the rest into her left sleeve. Eats roasted swan - puts bones into her right sleeve.
Older princes wives noticed that and started mimicking: what left from the drinks - into left sleeve, what food not finished - into the right one. But why, for what purpose - don't know themselves.
When guests got up from the tables, music started, dances began. Vasilisa the Wise went dancing with prince Ivan. Waved with her left sleeve - lake appeared, waved with right - white swans swimming in the lake. The tsar and all his guests were amazed. And when she's stopped dancing, all disappeared - both lake and swans.
Older princes' wives went dancing.
They waved with their left sleeves - and just spattered all the guests with wine, waved right sleeves - showered them with bones, one barely missed tsar's eye. Tsar got mad and ordered to kick them out of the ballroom.
Near the end of the feast prince Ivan found a minute and ran to his chambers. Found frog's skin and burned it with fire.
Vasilisa the Wise returned home, looks - there's no frog skin! She rushed to look for it. She's searched, searched, couldn't find and told prince Ivan:
- Ah, prince Ivan, what have you done! If you've waited for three more days, I would've been forever yours. And now - good bye, look for me far away from the lands, far away from the seas, in the land being the edge, in the sunless kingdom of Koshchey the Undying. As you wear out three pairs of iron boots, as you gnaw out three iron breads - only then you'll find me...
She said so, turned into a white swan and flew out of the window.
Prince Ivan was mortified. He equipped himself, took his bow and arrows, put on iron boots, put three iron breads into his shoulderbag and went to look for his wife, Vasilisa the Wise.
He was walking for long or for short, far or close - tale told fast, life is not, - two pairs of iron boots worn out, two iron breads gnawed, started the third one. And then he's meet an old man.
- Hello, grandpa! - said prince Ivan.
- Hello, good fellow! What are you looking for, where are you going?
Prince Ivan told him about his grief.
- Oh, prince Ivan! - said the old man, - Why did you burn the frog skin? You didn't put it on, you didn't have to take it off! Vasilisa the Wise was born more cunning and wise than her father, Koshchey the Undying, he's got angry and ordered her to live as a frog for three years! Well, there's nothing to do, words can't fix the trouble. Here's a ball for you: where it rolls, you go there.
Prince Ivan thanked the old man and went after the ball.
The ball rolls through the high mountains, told through dark forests, told through the green meadows, told through the swampy mires, rolls through the abandoned places, and prince Ivan goes on and on after it - he won't stop even for an hour of rest.
He went on and on, worn out the third pair of iron boots, gnawed the third iron bread, and came to the dense coniferous forest. A bear comes across him.
"Let me kill the bear! - thinks prince Ivan, - I don't have any food left".
He took aim but the bear suddenly told him in a human voice:
- Don't kill me, prince Ivan! You'll need me someday.
Prince Ivan didn't shoot the bear and went on.
He went through an open field and noticed a large drake flying over him.
Prince Ivan drew his bow and was about to shoot a sharp arrow at the drake, but the drake spoke to him in a human voice:
- Don't kill me, prince Ivan! The time will come - you'll need me.
Prince Ivan listened to the drake and didn't shoot him, went on hungry.
Suddenly a hare find towards him.
"I'll kill this hare! - thinks the prince, - I'm very hungry..."
He drew his tight bow, began to aim, and the hare said in a human voice:
- Don't kill me, prince Ivan! The time will come - you'll need me.
And the prince pitied him too and went on.
He came to the blue sea and saw: on the shore, on the yellow sand, lies a pike. Prince Ivan said:
- Well, now I'll eat this pike! I can't hold on any longer, I'm so hungry!
- Ah, prince Ivan! - said the pike, - Have mercy, do not eat me, but rather throw me back into the blue sea!
Prince Ivan pitied the pike, threw out into the sea and went on form the shore after his ball.
He was walking for long or for short, the ball rolls to the forest, to the hut. The hut standing on it's chicken legs, turning around itself.
Prince Ivan said:
- Hut, hut, turn your back to the forest, turn your front to me!
As he said, the hut turned its back to the forest and it's going to him. Prince Ivan entered the hut and saw: on the furnace lays Baba Yaga - bone leg. She saw the price and said:
- Why did you come to me, good fellow? By your will or by force?
- Ah, Baba Yaga, bone leg, why won't you feed me first, give me some water, site me the steam-bath, then ask questions?
- True, - answered Baba Yaga.
She fed prince Ivan, have him water and showed him the steam-bath, and then prince told her that he's looking for his wife, Vasilisa the Wise.
- I know, I know! - said Baba Yaga, - She's now with the evil Koshchey the Undying. It'll be difficult to get her, it don't be easy to deal with Koshchey: you can't kill him with an arrow or a sword. That's why he's not afraid of anyone.
- Is his death hidden somewhere?
- His death is on the end of a needle, that needle is in an egg, that egg is in a duck, duck in a hare, hare is in an iron casket, and that casket is on the top of an old oak. And that oak is in the dense forest, and Koshchey guards in like his own eye.
Baba Yaga told Ivan how to find the oak. Prince thanked her and went away. He was walking through the dense forests and swamps, and finally reached the oak. He looks at it and doesn't know what to do,how to get the chest. He's tried to shake the oak or climb it but nothing worked.
Suddenly bear showed up and uprooted the oak, the chest fell from the top and broke into pieces. Hare jumped out of it and took to its heels.
Look - another hare already running after it, catching up. He caught it and tore in pieces.
Duck flew out of the hate and rose high into the skies. But the drake chased it and hit it so hard the egg fell out and dropped right into the blue sea. Seeing this prince Ivan sat on the shore and started crying.
But then the pike swims to him holding the egg in her teeth.
Prince took the egg and went to the Koshchey's castle. As soon as Koshchey saw the egg in Ivan's hands, he's started shaking. And prince Ivan was throwing the egg from hand to hand, playing. He's throwing and Koshchey is panicking. But whatever needs tried to do, when Ivan broke the egg and broke off the tip of the needle, Koshchey the Undying turned to dust.
Then Ivan went to Koshchey's chambers, let Vasilisa the Wise out and they've returned to his kingdom and since lived together happily in love and harmony.
