Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar/Foma Berennekoff
FOMA BERENNEKOFF
There lived once an old woman who had an only son, called Foma Berennekoff. One day Foma went out ploughing; his horse was a poor, lean creature, and was not of much use. Foma generally left it by the dung-hill to rest, and went on with his work by himself. On this occasion the unfortunate animal was being greatly tormented by a number of flies, which would persist in buzzing round him and tickling his nose.
Foma rushed forward, and taking a dry branch began switching it on the dung-heap where the flies were in great numbers, and then set to work to count how many he had killed. He counted up to five hundred; but seeing that there were still many hundreds more lying dead, he came to the conclusion that it would be impossible to count them all.
He then turned to his horse, and saw twelve gadflies sitting on it; he killed them, and, mounting the animal, rode off home to his mother, and asked her for her blessing.
"I have killed a number of small giants," he said, "so many that I could not count them all, and twelve mighty heroes. And now, mother dear, I want you to let me go and become a soldier, for ploughing is no business of mine, it is only fit for a mujik!"
His mother gave him her blessing, and then he sloped a sickle over his shoulders like a sword, and, tying the blunt blade of an old scythe to his wrist, mounted his old horse and rode away.
Foma went on and on until he came to an unknown part, where, in the middle of a broad road, stood a sign-post with nothing on it. He rode up; he had neither gold nor silver, but he happened to have some chalk in his pocket, so he wrote with this chalk,—
"The mighty Foma Berennekoff, who with one blow killed twelve powerful heroes, and an endless number of small giants, rode by here."
When he had finished writing this, he rode on farther.
Riding along the very same road came a handsome young fellow, Elie Muromitch by name, and stopping at the sign-post read what was written on it, and said to himself,—
"That, certainly, was a very heroic action; but whoever this wonderful man is he did not waste his gold and silver to write with, but only used plain chalk!"
And he wrote underneath in silver,—
"After Foma Berennekoff rode the valiant Elie Muromitch!"
He then overtook Foma, and addressed him thus,—
"Powerful hero, Foma Berennekoff! tell me where I am to ride. Shall I pass in front of you or keep behind?"
"Better keep behind!" said Foma.
A little later there came riding along the road a rich and handsome youth, called Aleyosha Papovitch, junior. He rode up to the post, and reading the inscriptions on it, took out some pure gold, and wrote,—
"After Elie Muromitch rode Aleyosha Papovitch, junior."
He then galloped up to Elie Muromitch.
"Tell me, Elie Muromitch," he asked, "where I had better ride, in front of you, or behind you?"
"Ask my elder brother, Foma Berennekoff, and not me."
So Aleyosha Papovitch, junior, rode up to Foma Berennekoff, and asked with great politeness,—
"Brave champion, Foma Berennekoff! Where do you command Areyosha Papovitch to ride?"
"Ride on behind!" Foma returned
On they went, these three young fellows, through various unknown parts, until at last they came to some beautiful gardens. Elie Maromitch and Aleyosha Papovitch both pitched their white tents, while Foma Berennekoff stretched his smock-frock.
Now these gardens belonged to a king—the White King, as he was called—who was just then going to war with a false king and his six wonderfully powerful warriors, whom no one had yet been able to withstand.
When the white king heard of the arrival of Foma and his companions, he sent him (Foma Berennekoff) a note, in which was written as follows,—
"The false king has declared war against me. May I hope for your valuable assistance?"
Foma was not very good at reading. However after shaking his head, and turning the note over a great many times, he at last made it out, and looking at the messenger, said,—
"All right!"
A few days later the false king drew nearer, and encamped quite close to the town.
"The king and his army are going off to the war," said both Elie Muromitch and Aleyosha Papovitch, coming up to Foma Berennekoff, "and he must be protected. Will you go yourself, or shall one of us go?"
"Go you, Elie Muromitch!" said Foma.
Away galloped Elie Muromitch, and killed all the six powerful warriors in a very short time. Still the false king was not to be subdued, so he brought out six other warriors, more powerful than the last, and a large army besides.
Elie Muromitch and Aleyosha Papovitch came up to Foma Berennekoff and said,—
"Tell us, great Foma! Will you go yourself this time, or send us?"
"Go you, brother Aleyosha Papovitch, junior!"
Away went Aleyosha Papovitch, junior, and in a very short time killed the whole of the large army, and the six powerful warriors besides, and then rode back to his tent.
"Well!" said the false king, "I have fortunately still another warrior left, and he is more powerful than all the others put together. I have hitherto kept him with his people; but now, I shall allow him to go and fight!"
So he sent a large army and his one powerful warrior, to whom he said secretly,—
"These Russian warriors do not defeat us with strength, but only by cunning; so whatever you see the Russian warriors do, you must at once imitate!"
Elie Muromitch and Aleyosha Papovitch, junior, again came to Foma Berennekoff, and asked as before,—
"Are you yourself going to fight this time, or will you send us?"
"I shall go myself; bring me my horse."
The three horses were in the fields grazing. Elie Muromitch went up to Foma's horse, which was kicking and biting itself. Elie Muromitch felt vexed when he saw the wretched animal. So taking it by its tail, he threw the creature over his shoulder.
"Suppose Foma Berennekoff had seen you," whispered Aleyosha Papovitch, junior; "wouldn't he have given it you?"
"I don't think he cares so very much for his old horse," replied Elie Muromitch. "The animal is not of much use to him. All the power lies in the man, and not in the horse!"
So saying he led the sorry beast to Foma Berennekoff, who at once seated himself on the animal, and rode away. Suddenly he stopped.
"I think I had better tie up my eyes!" he thought; "things will not seem half so dreadful and cruel then!"
He tied up his eyes with his handkerchief, and lay forward on his horse.
When the enemy's powerful warrior saw Foma with his eyes tied up, he thought,—
"Ah, that shows that he has perfect confidence in himself! Well, I will do the same! I am no worse than you, my friend! I will show that I have just as much confidence in myself!"
So he tied up his eyes, and jumped on his splendid horse.
Meanwhile, Foma Berennekoff grew very tired of waiting. He lifted up his handkerchief to look, and smiled to himself. Then galloping up to the warrior, he seized his steel sword, and with one blow cut his head off. Then catching hold of the warrior's horse, he tried to jump on its back, but in vain; every time he endeavoured to do so the animal threw him over and commenced kicking in all directions. At last Foma tied the creature to an old oak, and climbing up the tree sprang from it on to the horse's back. As soon as the animal scented the rider on him, he wrenched himself, and tearing the old oak out, roots and all, galloped away as hard as he possibly could, dragging the heavy old tree after him.
Foma Berennekoff meanwhile was in a dreadful fright as he sat on the horse's back, crying,—
"Help me! help me!"
The enemy trembled and ran about frightened in all directions; while the splendid horse trampled them under his feet, and beat them all round with the tree, and very soon killed every man there, not leaving a single one alive. When the animal at last quieted down, he allowed Foma to ride him properly, and do as he pleased with him.
The false king then sent one of his messengers with a note to Foma Berennekoff, in which it was said,—
"I shall never more attempt to make war with you!"
Foma was quite agreeable to this, for he had no desire to be in any more battles.
When Elie Muromitch and Aleyosha Papovitch, junior, heard all that had happened they marvelled greatly.
Foma Berennekoff then returned to the white king,
"How can I reward you?" asked the white king. "Take from the royal treasury as much gold as you please, or you may have half of my kingdom, or if you like you may marry the beautiful princess, my daughter."
"I think I would rather marry the princess, if she would care to have me; and I should also like my two younger brothers, Elie Muromitch and Aleyosha Papovitch, junior, to be asked to the wedding."
So Foma Berennekoff married the beautiful princess, and lived with her in the palace very happily, and was lucky all his life, and until his death he was always known and spoken of as the great and powerful warrior, Foma Berennekoff.