The Iron Wolf

: Cossack Fairy Tales And Folk Tales

There was once upon a time a parson who had a servant, and when this

servant had served him faithfully for twelve years and upward, he came

to the parson and said, "Let us now settle our accounts, master, and

pay me what thou owest me. I have now served long enough, and would

fain have a little place in the wide world all to myself."--"Good!"

said the parson. "I'll tell thee now what wage I'll give thee for thy

faithfu service. I'll give thee this egg. Take it home, and when thou

gettest there, make to thyself a cattle-pen, and make it strong; then

break the egg in the middle of thy cattle-pen, and thou shalt see

something. But whatever thou doest, don't break it on thy way home, or

all thy luck will leave thee."



So the servant departed on his homeward way. He went on and on, and at

last he thought to himself, "Come now, I'll see what is inside this

egg of mine!" So he broke it, and out of it came all sorts of cattle

in such numbers that the open steppe became like a fair. The servant

stood there in amazement, and he thought to himself, "However in God's

world shall I be able to drive all these cattle back again?" He had

scarcely uttered the words when the Iron Wolf came running up, and

said to him, "I'll collect and drive back all these cattle into the

egg again, and I'll patch the egg up so that it will become quite

whole. But in return for that," continued the Iron Wolf, "whenever

thou dost sit down on the bridal bench,[17] I'll come and eat

thee."--"Well," thought the servant to himself, "a lot of things may

happen before I sit down on the bridal bench and he comes to eat me,

and in the meantime I shall get all these cattle. Agreed, then," said

he. So the Iron Wolf immediately collected all the cattle, and drove

them back into the egg, and patched up the egg and made it whole just

as it was before.



[17] Posad, or posag, a bench covered with white cloth on which the

bride and bridegroom sat down together.



The servant went home to the village where he lived, made him a

cattle-pen stronger than strong, went inside it and broke the egg, and

immediately that cattle-pen was as full of cattle as it could hold.

Then he took to farming and cattle-breeding, and he became so rich

that in the whole wide world there was none richer than he. He kept to

himself, and his goods increased and multiplied exceedingly; the only

thing wanting to his happiness was a wife, but a wife he was afraid to

take. Now near to where he lived was a General who had a lovely

daughter, and this daughter fell in love with the rich man. So the

General went and said to him, "Come, why don't you marry? I'll give

you my daughter and lots of money with her."--"How is it possible for

me to marry?" replied the man; "as soon as ever I sit down on the

bridal bench, the Iron Wolf will come and eat me up." And he told the

General all that had happened.--"Oh, nonsense!" said the General,

"don't be afraid. I have a mighty host, and when the time comes for

you to sit down on the bridal bench, we'll surround your house with

three strong rows of soldiers, and they won't let the Iron Wolf get

at you, I can tell you." So they talked the matter over till he let

himself be persuaded, and then they began to make great preparations

for the bridal banquet. Everything went off excellently well, and they

made merry till the time came when bride and bridegroom were to sit

down together on the bridal bench. Then the General placed his men in

three strong rows all round the house so as not to let the Iron Wolf

get in; and no sooner had the young people sat down upon the bridal

bench, than, sure enough, the Iron Wolf came running up. He saw the

host standing round the house in three strong rows, but through all

three rows he leaped and made straight for the house. But the man, as

soon as he saw the Iron Wolf, leaped out of the window, mounted his

horse, and galloped off with the wolf after him.



Away and away he galloped, and after him came the wolf, but try as it

would, it could not catch him up anyhow. At last, toward evening, the

man stopped and looked about him, and saw that he was in a lone

forest, and before him stood a hut. He went up to this hut, and saw an

old man and an old woman sitting in front of it, and said to them,

"Would you let me rest a little while with you, good people?"--"By all

means!" said they.--"There is one thing, however, good people!" said

he, "don't let the Iron Wolf catch me while I am resting with

you."--"Have no fear of that!" replied the old couple. "We have a dog

called Chutko,[18] who can hear a wolf coming a mile off, and he'll be

sure to let us know." So he laid him down to sleep, and was just

dropping off when Chutko began to bark. Then the old people awoke him,

and said, "Be off! be off! for the Iron Wolf is coming." And they

gave him the dog, and a wheaten hearth-cake as provision by the way.



[18] Hearkener.



So he went on and on, and the dog followed after him till it began to

grow dark, and then he perceived another hut in another forest. He

went up to that hut, and in front of it were sitting an old man and an

old woman. He asked them for a night's lodging. "Only," said he, "take

care that the Iron Wolf doesn't catch me!"--"Have no fear of that,"

said they. "We have a dog here called Vazhko,[19] who can hear a wolf

nine miles off." So he laid him down and slept. Just before dawn

Vazhko began to bark. Immediately they awoke him. "Run!" cried they,

"the Iron Wolf is coming!" And they gave him the dog, and a barley

hearth-cake as provision by the way. So he took the hearth-cake, sat

him on his horse, and off he went, and his two dogs followed after

him.



[19] Heavysides.



He went on and on. On and on he went till evening, when again he

stopped and looked about him, and he saw that he was in another

forest, and another little hut stood before him. He went into the hut,

and there were sitting an old man and an old woman. "Will you let me

pass the night here, good people?" said he; "only take care that the

Iron Wolf does not get hold of me!"--"Have no fear!" said they, "we

have a dog called Bary, who can hear a wolf coming twelve miles off.

He'll let us know." So he lay down to sleep, and early in the morning

Bary let them know that the Iron Wolf was drawing nigh. Immediately

they awoke him. "'Tis high time for you to be off!" said they. Then

they gave him the dog, and a buckwheat hearth-cake as provision by the

way. He took the hearth-cake, sat him on his horse, and off he went.

So now he had three dogs, and they all three followed him.



He went on and on, and toward evening he found himself in front of

another hut. He went into it, and there was nobody there. He went and

lay down, and his dogs lay down also, Chutko on the threshold of the

room door, Vazhko at the threshold of the house door, and Bary at the

threshold of the outer gate. Presently the Iron Wolf came trotting up.

Immediately Chutko gave the alarm, Vazhko nailed him to the earth, and

Bary tore him to pieces.



Then the man gathered his faithful dogs around him, mounted his horse,

and went back to his own home.