Russian Folk Tales about Vasilisa

The main character in the Russian fairy tale "The Frog Princess" is called Vasilisa Premudraya

"The Frog Princess"

In ancient times, there was a king who had three sons. When they were grown up, the king called them together and said to them:

"My beloved sons, while I am not yet old, I would like to marry you and to see your children, my grandchildren."

The three sons answered their father in unison:

"Yes, father. But who do you want to marry us?"

"Here's the deal, boys, take an arrow from each of you, go out into the open field and shoot the arrow out, and where it falls

that's where your destiny lies."

The three sons bowed y to their father, each took an arrow, went out into the open field, drew their bows tightly, and shot their arrows. The eldest son's arrow went into a nobleman's yard. The nobleman's daughter picked up the arrow. The second son's arrow fell into a merchant's yard, and the merchant's daughter picked up the arrow.

And the arrow of the youngest son, Prince Ivan, rose up in the air and flew away to nowhere. So he walked, and walked, and came to a swamp. And he saw a frog crouching there, holding his arrow. Prince Ivan said to it:

"Frog, frog, please give me back my arrow!"

But the frog answered him:

"Take me for your wife!"

"What are you saying! How can I take a frog for a wife?"

"Take me, and know that it is your destiny."

Prince Ivan grew sad, but there was no way out, so he took the frog and brought it home. The king organized three weddings: a nobleman's daughter for his first son, a merchant's daughter for his second son, but a frog for the unfortunate Prince Ivan.

One day the king called his three sons together again and said to them:

"I want to see whose wives do the best needlework. Have them each sew me a shirt early tomorrow morning."

All three sons bowed to their father and walked away.

Prince Ivan returned home and sat down, his head drooping.

"Prince Ivan, why are you drooping your head? Why are you moping?"

"Father has asked you to sew him a shirt by early tomorrow morning."

The frog replied:

"Don't fret, Prince Ivan. It is better to go to bed. A day is a day."

Prince Ivan went to sleep. Instead, the frog hopped up on the steps, took off his frog skin, and became the beautiful Vasilisa Premudraya. She was so beautiful that even fairy tales had never heard of her.

Vasilisa clapped her hands and called out:

"Nannies, nannies, pack up and get dressed! Please sew me a shirt-lining before dawn, exactly like the one I saw at my father's."

In the morning, Prince Ivan woke up, and the frogs were hopping around on the floor again, and the shirt was already on the table, wrapped in a towel. Prince Ivan was so happy that he picked up the shirt and went to his father's place. At that moment,

The king was accepting gifts from his oldest and second sons. The eldest son opened the shirt, and the king took it and said,

"This shirt is to be worn only in the dark hut."

The second son opened the shirt and the king said:

"This shirt can only be worn in the bathhouse."

Prince Ivan opened his shirt, which was trimmed with gold and silver and embroidered with all kinds of delicate patterns. The king took one look and exclaimed:

"Hey, this shirt is for the holidays."

The three brothers went their separate ways home. The two older brothers discussed:

"Looks like we were wrong to make fun of Ivan's wife, she's not a frog at all, she seems to be a leprechaun?"

The king called his three sons again:

"Tomorrow, before dawn, have each of your wives bake me a loaf of bread. I want to know who can cook best."

Prince Ivan returned home with his head hanging.

The frog asked him:

"Why are you moping again?"

He replied:

"To bake a loaf of bread for the king before dawn."

"Don't fret. Prince Ivan, it is best to go to bed. A day's work is a day's work."

At first the sisters-in-law sneered at the frog, but now they sent one of the harem stewardesses to go and see how the frog baked the bread.

The frog was smart enough to see this coming. She began to knead the dough. She made a hole in the oven from the top and poured the whole ball of dough right into the hole. The harem maid rushed back to the king's two eldest daughters-in-law and reported what she had seen. These two daughters-in-law followed the frog's example.

Then the frog hopped back up on the steps and became Vasilisa. She clapped her hands and said,

"Nannies, nannies, pack up and get ready! Please bake me a big, soft loaf of bread before dawn, like the kind I had at my father's."

Prince Ivan awoke early in the morning to a loaf of bread on the table, with several castles with gates, decorated with all manner of elaborate and chic patterns around them, and flanked by floral patterns carved out of engraved molds.

Prince Ivan was so pleased that he wrapped the bread in a towel and took it to his father. By this time, the king was receiving bread from his two oldest sons. Their wives had done what the old harem maid had told them to do, and had thrown the risen dough into the oven, where it had all baked. The king took the first son's bread, looked at it, and had it taken to the lower room. And he took the second son's bread, and sent it likewise to the lower room.

And when Prince Ivan presented the bread, the king said,

"This is bread for the feast."

The king ordered his three sons to bring their wives with them to him tomorrow for the feast.

Prince Ivan returned home again with his head hanging down below his shoulders. The frog bounced on the floor:

"Croak, croak, Prince Ivan, why are you sad again? Did you hear your father say something unpleasant again?"

"Frog, frog, how can I not fret! Father wants me to take you to the feast tomorrow, so how can I let you see anyone?"

The frog replied:

"Don't fret, Prince Ivan, you go to the feast alone first, and I will follow. When you hear the pounding and the thunder, do not be afraid. When people ask you, say, 'It is my little frog coming in a carriage.'"

So Prince Ivan went ahead alone. Two brothers with their wives had long since arrived. They were sultryly dressed, richly decorated, powdered, and their black hair shone. They stood on the steps and made fun of Prince Ivan:

"Why didn't you bring your wife? Why didn't you bring your wife? Why didn't you bring her wrapped in a little handkerchief? Where did you find such a beauty? Probably all the marshes."

The king, his three sons, his two daughters-in-law, and all the guests were seated. The table was made of quercus wood, and the tablecloth was embroidered with beautiful flowers. Suddenly, there was a loud noise and thunder, and the whole palace shook. The guests were stunned and jumped up from their seats. But Prince Ivan said:

"Don't be afraid, my honored guests! It is my little frog coming in a carriage."

A golden sedan drawn by six white horses sped up and stopped in front of the steps. Out of it stepped Vasilisa Premudraya: she was dressed in a blue dress, with stars twinkling on her bodice, and a bright moon shining above her head, and she was so beautiful that it could not be imagined, could not be guessed at, and was told only in fairy tales. She took Prince Ivan's hand. Walking over to the Quercus table, she stopped at the beautifully patterned tablecloth.

The guests began to eat and drink, very happily. Vasilisa took a sip of wine and poured the rest into her left sleeve. She ate some more swan meat and threw the bones into her right sleeve.

The wives of the two great princes saw her do this and followed her example.

Everyone was drunk and full, and it was time for the dance. Vasilisa danced past Prince Ivan. She danced, and danced, and twirled, and twirled - it was almost too good to be true. She waved her left sleeve and suddenly a lake appeared. She waved her right sleeve again, and a flock of white swans swam into the lake. The king and his guests were amazed.

The two eldest daughters-in-law began to dance, too, and they waved their sleeves, splashing wine all over the guests;

and then she waved her other sleeve, and bones flew in all directions. One bone fell right into the king's eye. The king was furious and drove away his two eldest daughters-in-law.

Then, however, Prince Ivan left quietly and ran home, where he found the frog's skin, threw it into the stove, and burned it.

Vasilisa returned home and immediately searched for it - but the frog skin was gone. She sat down on a stool, agonized and chagrined, and said to Prince Ivan:

"Alas, O Prince Ivan, what have you done? If only you had waited three days longer for me, I would have been yours forever. But now, it is only goodbye forever. Why don't you look for me in that far, far away place, in that very far away land, to that fierce old man Besmirnei, who lives forever?"

Vasilisa changed me into a gray cuckoo bird and flew away through the window. Prince Ivan cried and cried and cried sadly, bowed in all directions, and went on his way - to his wife Vasilisa? Premudraya went.

He walked for I don't know how far, for I don't know how long, his boots were worn out, his tunic was torn, and the rain flowed out of his torn hat. At that moment, an old man with white hair came up to him.

"Hello, kind lad! What are you looking for? Where are you going?"

Prince Ivan told the old man of his misfortune. The old man said to him:

"Alas, Prince Ivan, why did you burn the frog's skin? It was not for you to put it on her, and it was not for you to take it off. Vasilisa? Vasilisa Prymudraya was born cleverer and wiser than her father, and therefore her father was jealous of her, and made her a frog for three years. This is no good. Now, I will give you a ball of thread: wherever it rolls, you will bravely follow it."

Prince Ivan thanked the old man and followed the ball of thread. The ball of thread rolled on and on, and he followed close behind. When he came upon a bear in an open field, Prince Ivan drew his arrow and took aim, trying to kill the beast. But then the bear spoke to him in human language:

"Prince Ivan, do not kill me, for I may be of use to you at some time."

Prince Ivan took pity on the bear and did not shoot it. And went on again. At a glance, a mallard flew over his head. He took aim, and then the duck spoke to him in human language:

"Prince Ivan, do not shoot me! I will be useful to you in the future."

He also took pity on the mallard and did not shoot it. As he went on, a rabbit ran by, and Prince Ivan tried to shoot it again, and the rabbit said to him in human language:

"Prince Ivan, don't shoot me! I will be useful to you."

He took pity on the rabbit and went on his way. He came to the blue sea and saw a dogfish lying on the sand on the shore. The dogfish was breathing hard and said to him:

"Ah, Prince Ivan, have pity on me! Please throw me into the great blue sea!"

He threw the dogfish into the great blue sea and went on walking along the sea again. I don't know how long he walked, but the threads rolled next to a forest, where a small house, propped up on chicken legs, was whirling around.

The prince called out:

"Hut, hut, stop, please! Stand as you are, as your mother used to set you:

with your back to the wood and your face to me."

The hut turned to him, with its back to the woods, and stopped. Prince Ivan went in, and he saw lying on the ninth brick of the hearth a horrible-looking banshee: with long, bony legs, and a tooth hitching

up to the partition, but her nose sticking up into the ceiling.

"Kind young man, why have you come to visit?" The demoness asked, "Is there something you need to do? Or

something to hide from?"

Evan, however, answered her,

"Hey, old man, you'd better get me something to eat and drink, and give me a nice steamy bath,

before you ask!"

The banshee gave him a steamy bath, fed him and gave him a good drink, and told him to lie down on the bed and rest. It was then that Prince Ivan told her that he had come to see his wife, Vasilisa Premudraya.

"Ah, I know, I know." The banshee said to him, "Your wife is now with the fierce old man Kashei Besmirne. It will be hard to get her out. Kasher is not to be dealt with, for his life is tied to the point of a needle

which is hidden in a duck's egg, which is in the belly of a mother duck, which is in the belly of a rabbit, which is crouching in a large stone chest, which rests on a high oak tree. The demon Cashel protected this chest as he would have protected his own eyes."

Prince Ivan stayed overnight at the banshee's house. In the morning the banshee pointed toward the place where a tall oak tree grew. Prince Ivan walked for I don't know how long again, and finally arrived there. At first glance, the tall oak tree loomed large, the leaves clattered. Sure enough, at the top of the tree was a large stone chest, and it was very difficult to remove it.

Suddenly, a bear came out of nowhere, uprooted the oak tree, and the box fell to pieces. Out of the box popped a rabbit, trying desperately to escape. At that moment there was another rabbit close behind it, which caught up with it and tore it to pieces. Out of the rabbit's belly flew a mother duck, which took to the air and flew into the sky. At another glance, a mallard swooped down at it, and just as it hit it, the egg fell out of the mare's belly and into the blue sea.

Prince Ivan wept with grief. The sea was vast, and he could not find the egg! Suddenly, to the shore to swim a dogfish, its mouth holding an egg, Prince Ivan immediately broke the egg shell, take out the needle, and began to break the needle. While he was breaking the tip of the needle, Kasheh was trembling, struggling, and rolling about.

But no matter how he struggled, the needle was finally broken by Prince Ivan. Kaschei was dead. Prince Ivan ran toward Cashel's white stone house. Vasilisa ran towards him and kissed him sweetly on the lips. Prince Ivan and Vasilisa went back to their home together, and they lived long and happily ever after, until they grew old.

I don't know if that's what you want Vasilisa.