CONTENTS
PAGE
ILYA AND CLOUDFALL 11
ILYA MEETS SVYATOGOR AND PARTS WITH HIM 19
ILYA AND NIGHTINGALE THE ROBBER 33
ILYA AND FALCON THE HUNTER 51
THE ADVENTURE OF THE BURNING WHITE STONE 73
HOW QUIET DUNAI HAD BROUGHT THE PRINCESS APRAXIA TO KIEV 83
THE STORY OF NIKITICH AND MARINA 103
HOW THE COURT OF VLADIMIR RECEIVED A VISITOR FROM INDIA THE
GLORIOUS 119
THE STORY OF KASYAN AND THE DREAM MAIDEN 149
HOW STAVR THE NOBLE WAS SAVED BY A WOMAN’S WILES 161
THE GOLDEN HORDE 175
WHIRLWIND THE WHISTLER, OR THE KINGDOMS OF COPPER, SILVER, AND
GOLD 195
VASILY THE TURBULENT 231
NIKITA THE FOOTLESS AND THE TERRIBLE TSAR 267
PEERLESS BEAUTY THE CAKE-BAKER 28
ILLUSTRATIONS
IN COLOUR
Falcon the Hunter (p. 64) Frontispiece
FACE
PAGE
“Come down,” cried the hero’s wife 24
Nightingale the Robber fell from his nest in the old oaks 42
It was clear that her fascination still worked upon the hearts of the
prisoners 81
Then the Princess ran with her feet all bare out into the open corridor 87
Marina lay upon a couch ... and fondled a fiery dragon with her right
hand 108
Diuk stooped and caught Churilo by his yellow curls 142
There passed over the boundless plain an aged saint with flowing beard,
and eyes which shone with laughter 159
She put her good steed to the walls and leapt lightly over them 167
A mountain cave which no man has ever seen 192
Whirlwind the Whistler carries away Golden Tress 198
“Oh,” said the man, “I am able to do everything” 222
The black-browed maid stood upon the bank as the red ship ... sailed
away from Novgorod 249
The Water Tsar dances 263
Timothy began to dance, the cabin also began to dance, the table danced 285
“Bless me, Little Father, for I am going to my wedding” 292
러시아 이야기책.The Russian Story Book,by Richard Wilson and Frank C. Pape
PREFACE
I have gone right into the heart of “Holy Russia,” to Kiev and Novgorod and the borders of
the Caspian, in an endeavour to show by means of some of the early legends the ideals and
point of view of the Russian nation while it was in the process of being made. The stories of
the song-cycles of Kiev and Novgorod tell of a barbaric, though not a barbarian, world, full
of high colour and spirited action, of the knock-down blow followed quickly by the hand of
friendship freely extended to pick up the fallen foeman―if indeed he has had the hardihood
to survive.
The land of Vladimir and Ilya of Murom the Old Coss？ck is a Christian land, with the
Christianity of the Greek Church, and it is before all else an Easter land, where the Christian
Festival of the Resurrection means infinitely more than it can ever do in countries which are
not ice-bound for several winter months. The country is, moreover, an outpost of Christianity
towards the East―uninfluenced by Renaissance or Reformation―and must therefore have
developed interesting characteristics entirely different from those of Western lands. I think
that such characteristics are clearly shown in these stories, but I must leave those of my older
readers who are interested in this matter to find them out and to discover the Arthur,
Guinevere and Galahad of Russia; for my first concern is to tell a tale [vi]which will please
healthy-minded boys and girls in their early teens.
This book might have been written by a Russian who thoroughly understands our language,
or by an English author who has spent the best part of a lifetime in studying Russia and the
Russians, illustrated by a native artist, and decorated by a Russian designer. When such a
volume does appear, it will have a great interest for me. Meanwhile, I submit that there is
some artistic unity, also, in a volume of Russian stories, written by an Englishman, illustrated
by an English artist, and decorated by an English designer, the whole production being for an
English child.
One cannot delve far into these folk-lore records without becoming indebted to Miss I. F.
Hapgood’s English renderings from the collections of Kirsh？ Danil？v, P. B. Kir？eevsky, A. T.
Gillferding, Rybnikof, P. A. Bezs？nof and others, published in New York in 1885; to J.
Curtin’s literal translations from the Nar？dniya R？ssyika Shazki of A. N. Afan？sieva; to W. R.
S. Ralston’s books on Russian folk-song and fable; and to the writings of the Hon. Maurice
Baring and Mr. Stephen Graham. To all of these I desire to express my indebtedness for help
and guidance, though the responsibility for the telling and interpretation of the tales is
entirely my own. If this little collection makes the British child more sympathetic towards
Russia and helps it to understand the Russian people to a small degree its purpose will have
been achieved.
R. W.
HAMPSTEAD, 1915.
