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“Moon and Star”
- University Press of Mississippi
- Chapter
- Additional Information
60 Moon and Star In a certain kingdom, in a certain state there lived a tsar, and he had no children. So he and his wife begged God to give them a child for consolation. After a certain time the tsar’s wife grew heavy with child, and they rejoiced greatly. They had a daughter , and they gave her the name Moon. And how glad the tsar was! They hired all kinds of courtiers to teach her . . . After a certain time the tsar’s wife grew heavy again, and everyone was glad that God had given her such a gift. They had another daughter, and they gave her the name Star.37 And what beauties they both were, so beautiful that it’s impossible to describe. It was more than the mind could grasp! And as those beautiful girls grew, people kept coming to visit to marvel at them . . . When they were about twelve years old, one of the daughters had a birthday. The tsar arranged a magnificent ball. People came from every city and province to offer their congratulations, and everyone wanted to admire their beauty. At one point the girls went out into the garden to take a walk, and they left their papa and mama inside. Suddenly a Whirlwind came rushing up, snatched both sisters, and carried them off . . . All the guests shouted; there was a great commotion. But the Whirlwind carried them higher and higher. All the guests were shouting, so the tsar ran outside: “What is it, what is it?” “Oh, father tsar! Your children are up there!” When the tsar heard this, he fell right over in a faint . . . The senators immediately sent all the soldiers to search for the girls: perhaps they had fallen somewhere. They searched and searched, but they didn’t find them anywhere. They looked for them; they looked into a special mirror: could they be seen anywhere? No, they couldn’t be seen. They asked the sorcerers; the sorcerers searched for a day, and two, and three, for a week and more. A month passed, and no, there was no sign . . . They searched in the forest but didn’t find them.“It must be,” they said,“that they fell into the sea!” Moon and Star 61 A year passed, and another . . . Then after several years the tsaritsa grew heavy with child and gave birth to Prince Ivan. And he grew not by the day but by the hour, and so smart, so clever! But the tsaritsa kept on crying, she cried inconsolably for her daughters, for Moon and Star. Prince Ivan came in and asked,“Mama, dear one, why are you crying?” “It’s nothing,” she said. “Mama, dear one, tell me!” “Oh, my dear friend Vanechka, I had two daughters before you . . .”38 “Where are they?” She told him the story . . .“And there’s been neither sight nor sound nor any word of them!” “Mama,” he said,“permit me to go search for my sisters.” “No,” she said,“don’t go! You won’t find them . . . We lost our daughters,” she said,“and we’ll lose you too!” She begged him in every possible way. His father found out about this, asked about it, and then summoned his ministers.“Gentlemen,” he said,“my son cries day and night, he wants to go search for his sisters!” The senators said,“Why not give him your blessing, if he has such a wish?” “How can he do this,” said the king,“at such a youthful age? How can he have such ideas?” Then he grew angry at his wife,“Why did you suggest it to him?” They thought and thought about it,and then they gave him their blessing. Prince Ivan said, “I could do without anything, but I would never go without your blessing!”He set off, saying,“Mama! Don’t cry, don’t grieve, I’ll find my sisters!” He walked for a week and for two through a forest, and suddenly he saw two forest spirits, ever so tall, who were fighting. “Oh,” they said,“Prince Ivan, please be a judge for us.” These forest spirits had three things: a self-setting tablecloth, a pair of seven-league boots, and an invisible hat. Prince Ivan agreed and said,“Here’s a milepost. Whoever reaches it first will get two of the things, and the one who comes after will get one of them.” They ran off, overtaking each other, reached the milepost and turned around...