1. THE PRINCESS FROG
PART 1
Long, long ago, there lived a king who had three sons. One day the king called them to
him and said, "My sons. Let each of you make a bow for himself and shoot an arrow. The girl
who brings your arrow back will be your bride; and he whose arrow is not returned will stay
unmarried." The eldest son shot an arrow and a prince's daughter brought it back. The middle
son shot an arrow and a general's daughter brought it back. But young Prince Ivan's arrow fell
into a marsh and was brought back by a frog holding it between her teeth. The first two
brothers were joyful and happy, but Prince Ivan was downcast and cried: "How can I live with
a frog?" He cried and cried but there was nothing for it: he had to marry the frog. All three
couples were married together according to the custom—the frog sitting
on a plate.
Some time passed. One day the king wished to see which bride
was the best needle-woman. So he ordered them to make him a shirt.
Poor Prince Ivan was again downcast and cried: "How can my frog sew?
I'll be a laughing stock." The frog only jumped across the floor croaking.
But no sooner was Prince Ivan asleep than she went outside, cast off her
frog skin and turned into a beautiful girl, calling "Maids and matrons,
sew me a shirt!" The maids and matrons straightway brought beautiful shirt: she took it,
folded it and placed it alongside Prince Ivan.
After this she turned back into a frog as if nothing had happened. In the morning
Prince Ivan awoke and was overjoyed to find the shirt, which he took to the king. The king
looked at it and said: "Now there's a shirt for you, fit to wear on holy days!" Then the middle
brother brought a shirt, at which the king said, "This shirt is fit only for the bath-house!" And
taking the eldest brother's shirt, he said, "And this one is fit only for a smoky peasant hut!"
a bow and an arrow a marsh
a needle-woman is sewing
Downcast = sad, very upset
2. PART 2
The king now wanted to see which bride was the best cook, so he asked the
daughters-in-law to bake a loaf of bread, and bring it to him. The other two brides had made
fun of the frog, but now they sent a chambermaid to see how the frog would bake her loaf. The
frog noticed the woman, so she kneaded some dough, rolled it out, made a hole in the stove and
put the dough straight into the fire. The chambermaid ran to tell the royal brides, and they did
the same. But the crafty frog had tricked them; as soon as .the woman had gone, she took the
dough out, cleaned the stove as if nothing had happened, then went out on to the porch, cast off
her frog skin and called, "Maids and matrons, bake me a loaf of bread such as my dear father
used to eat on Sundays and holidays." In an instant the maids and matrons brought the bread.
She took it, placed it beside Prince Ivan, and turned into a frog again.
In the morning Prince Ivan awoke, took the loaf of bread and gave it
to his father. His father was receiving the bread brought by the elder
brothers: their bread was black and lumpy. First the king took the
eldest son's bread, looked at it and threw it away. Then he took the
middle son's bread and threw it away too. Then came Prince Ivan's
turn: he presented his loaf of bread to his father, who looked at it and
said, "Now this is bread fit to grace a holy day. It is not at all like the
burnt offerings of my elder daughters-in-law!"
to knead dough a chambermaid = A woman who cleans the
house
3. PART 3
After that the king thought to hold a ball to see which of his sons' wives was the best
dancer. All the guests and daughters-in-law arrived; everyone was there except Prince Ivan,
who thought: "How can I go to the ball with a frog?" And the poor prince began to weep bitterly.
"Do not cry, Prince Ivan," said the frog. "Go to the ball. I shall follow in an hour." Prince Ivan
was somewhat cheered at the frog's words, and left for the ball. Then the frog cast off her frog
skin and turned into a lovely girl. When she arrived at the ball, Prince Ivan was overjoyed, and
the guests clapped their hands at the sight of such beauty. They began to eat and drink. But
the frog-princess would eat and slip the bones into her sleeve, then drink and pour the drink
into her other sleeve. The elder brothers' wives saw this and did the same,
slipping bones into one sleeve and drink into the other. When the time
came for dancing, the king called his elder sons' wives but they insisted
on the frog-princess dancing first. And she took Prince Ivan's arm and
came forward to dance. She danced and danced, whirling round and
round, to the delight of all. When she shook her right sleeve, woods and
lakes appeared; when she shook her left sleeve, all kinds of birds flew
about. The guests were filled with wonder. When she finished dancing,
everything disappeared. Then the wives of the two elder sons began to
dance. They wished to do as the frog-princess had done, so they shook
their right sleeves and bones flew out hitting people around them; and
when they shook their left sleeves, water splashed all over the guests.
The king was so angry and soon called an end to the dancing.
The ball was over. Prince Ivan rode home ahead of his wife, found
the frog skin and burnt it. So when his wife returned and looked for the skin, she couldn’t find
it. She lay down to sleep with Prince Ivan, but just before daybreak she said to him, "Oh,
Prince Ivan, if only you had waited a little longer I would have been yours. Now God alone
knows when we shall meet again. Farewell. If you wish to find me you must go beyond the
Thrice-Nine Land to the Thrice-Ten Kingdom." And the frog-princess disappeared.
to weep = cry sadly and unhappily
4. PART 4
A year went by, and Prince Ivan still cried for his wife. As a second year began, he was
ready to leave. He rode for a long way and finally found a little hut facing the trees, with its
back to him. "Little hut, little hut," he called. 'Turn your face to me, please, and your back to
the trees." The little hut did as he said and Prince Ivan entered. There before him sat an old
woman, who cried, "Fie, Fooh! There was neither sight nor sound of Russian bones, and now
they come marching in of their own free will! Where do go you, Prince Ivan?"
"First give me food and drink and put me to bed, old woman, then ask your questions."
So the old woman gave food and drink and put him to bed. Then Prince Ivan said to her,
"Grannie, I have set out to rescue Yelena the Fair."
"Oh, my child," the old woman said, "you've waited too long! At first she spoke of you
often, but now she no longer remembers you. I haven't seen her for a long time. Go now to my
middle sister, she knows more than me."
In the morning Prince Ivan set out, came to
another little hut, and cried, "Little hut, little hut,
turn your face to me, please, and your back to the
trees." The little hut did as he said and Prince Ivan
entered. There before him sat an old woman, who
cried, "Fie, Fooh! There was neither sight nor sound
of Russian bones, and now they come marching in of
their own free will! Where do go you. Prince Ivan?"
"I look for Yelena the Fair, Grannie-," he
replied.
"Oh, Prince Ivan," the old woman said, "you've waited too long! She has begun to forget
you and will soon marry another. She is now living with my eldest sister; go there now, but be
careful: as you approach they will know it is you. Yelena will turn into a spindle, her dress will
turn to gold. My sister will wind the gold thread around the spindle and put it into a box which
she will lock. But you must find the key, open the box, break the spindle, throw the top over
your shoulder and the bottom before you. Then she will appear."
5. Off went Prince Ivan, came to the old woman's hut, entered and saw her winding gold
thread around a spindle; she then locked it in a box and hid the key. But Prince Ivan quickly
found the key, opened the box, took out the spindle, broke it as he had been told, threw the top
over his shoulder and the bottom before him. All of a sudden, there was Yelena the Fair
standing in front of him. "Oh, Prince Ivan,'' she sighed, "how long you were coming! I almost
married another." And she told him that the other man would soon arrive. But, taking a magic
carpet from the old woman, Yelena the Fair sat on it and they soared up and away like birds.
Prince Ivan and Yelena the Fair flew home to the happiness of all; and lived happily ever after.
a spindle = a tool for sewing in the old times
