Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf

## Characters

1. **the firebird** - a Zhar-Ptitsa
2. ***Ivan Tsarevich*** - the main character
3. *Helen the Beautiful* -
4. **The Grey Wolf** - a grey vargr

## Tail

A king's apple tree bore golden apples, but every night, one was stolen. Guards reported that **the Firebird** stole them. The king told his two oldest sons that the one who caught the bird would receive half his kingdom and be his heir. They drew lots to see who would be first, but both fell asleep; they tried to claim it had not come, but it had stolen an apple. Finally ***Ivan Tsarevich***, the youngest son, asked to try; his father was reluctant because of his youth but consented. ***Ivan*** remained awake the entire time, and upon seeing the bird, tried to catch it by the tail. Unfortunately, ***Ivan*** only managed to grasp one feather. **The Firebird** did not return, but the king longed for the bird. He said that still, whoever caught it would have half his kingdom and be his heir.

The older brothers set out. They came to a stone that said whoever took one road would know hunger and cold; whoever took the second would live, though his horse would die; and whoever took the third would die, though his horse would live. They did not know which way to take, and so took up an idle life.

***Ivan*** begged to be allowed to go until his father yielded. He took the second road, and a **Wolf** ate his horse. He walked until he was exhausted, and the **Wolf** offered to carry him. It brought him to the garden where **the firebird** was and told him to take it out without touching its golden cage. The prince went in, but thought it was a great pity not to take the cage, but when he touched it, bells rang, waking everyone, and he was captured. He told his story, and the First King said he could have had it for the asking, but he could be spared now only if he could present the king with the Horse with the Golden Mane.

He met the **Wolf** and admitted to his disobedience. It carried him to the kingdom and stables where he could get the horse and warned him against the golden bridle. Its beauty tempted him, and he touched it, and instruments of brass sounded. He was captured, and the Second King told him that if he had come with the word, he would have given him the horse, but now he would be spared only if he brought him *Helen the Beautiful* to be his wife.

***Ivan*** went back to the **Wolf**, confessed, and was brought to her castle. The **Wolf** carried her off, but ***Ivan*** was able to assuage her fears. ***Ivan*** brought her back to the Second King, but wept because they had come to love each other. The **Wolf** turned itself into the form of the princess and had ***Ivan*** exchange it for the Horse with the Golden Mane. ***Ivan*** and *Helen* rode off on the Horse. The **Wolf** escaped the king. It reached ***Ivan*** and *Helen*, and *Helen* rode the horse and ***Ivan*** the **Wolf**. ***Ivan*** asked the **Wolf** to become like the horse and let him exchange it for **the Firebird**, so that he could keep the horse as well. The **Wolf** agreed, the exchange was done, and ***Ivan*** returned to his own kingdom with *Helen*, the horse, and **the Firebird**.

The **Wolf** said its service was done when they returned to where it had eaten ***Ivan's*** horse. ***Ivan*** dismounted and lamented their parting. They went on for a time and slept. His older brothers found them, killed ***Ivan***, sliced his body to pieces, and told *Helen* that they would kill her if she would not say that they had fairly won the horse, **the firebird**, and her. They brought them to their father, and the second son received half the kingdom, and the oldest was to marry *Helen*.

**The Grey Wolf** found ***Ivan's*** body and caught two fledgling crows that would have eaten it. Their mother pleaded for them, and the **Wolf** sent her to fetch the water of death, which restored the body, and the water of life, which revived him. The **Wolf** carried him to the wedding in time to stop it; the older brothers were made servants or killed by the **Wolf**, but ***Ivan*** married *Helen* and lived happily with her.