The Firebird

Now, I don't know if you've heard this story before. Forgive me if you have. But this is a tale that's worth repeating. A tale of wanting and desire, and maybe even unsatisfactory endings. But there you have it, this is the tale of the Firebird.

My babushka told me this story a long time ago, and this is a story from a long time ago. Once upon a time, when the world was young, in a dark forest of green pine and white snow, there lived a tsar and his three sons.

Now remember, this was when the world was young, and when you are young, anything is possible. So it was that the tsar and his sons lived in a castle, enchanted for sure, because the tsar had a beautiful orchard and a tree that grew golden apples. And they all lived as happily as they could together.

One day, however, the tsar who used to count the number of golden apples on his tree every morning, found that a few were missing, and he was very upset. So he set guards at the orchard gate, but every night, they fell into a deep sleep and the next morning, the golden apples would be missing.

At first he was angry, but because nothing could be done to stop the apples from going missing, and the thief was never found, the tsar soon became depressed. He stayed in his castle all day, and all night, and refused to go into the orchard he loved anymore. Meanwhile, the pine nuts ripened and the snow fell softly, and his sons became ever more worried.

Finally, because they loved him, they went to the tsar and said, "Father, we will guard the orchard for you and tell you who takes your golden apples every night."

"My sons," he said, "I admire your strength, and am grateful for your concern, but it is hopeless." They looked at each other and shrugged.

So the first son took his place at the orchard gate with a warm cloak, a leg of ham, sticky cinnamon buns, and cider to wash it all down. He prepared to watch through the night. Soon, he had finished the whole leg of ham, the cider, and the sticky buns, and then he was drowsy. It was a cool night, his cloak was warm. "No one is coming" he thought to himself, and he fell into a deep sleep.

When he woke up the next morning, two golden apples were missing. He said to the tsar, "My liege, I was awake the whole night, but I never saw anything disturb the apple tree."

So then the second son took his place at the orchard gate and prepared to watch through the night. He had a warm cloak, cider, a lantern, and a good book. But all too soon, the lantern guttered, the cider was finished and he began to snore.

When he woke up the next morning, two more golden apples were missing. He said to the tsar, "My liege, I kept my eyes open the whole night, but I never saw anything disturb the apple tree."

Finally, the third and youngest son took his place at the orchard gate. Unlike his brothers, all he brought was a thin cloak and cold water. And when he found himself falling asleep, he splashed his face with the water, and freezing in the dark, he watched for intruders.

Sure enough, halfway through the night, Prince Ivan, for that was his name, saw a bright light in the orchard, and it grew brighter and brighter until it seemed like it was morning. But if he looked to the east, half the trees were still in shadow and the sky was dark.

So he crept into the orchard towards the tree with golden apples, where the light was the brightest and there he found the Firebird eating a golden apple.

Now, I don't know about you, but I've never seen a firebird, nor would I care to see one. According to my babushka, one glowing, heart-breaking look and you will always dream of catching it. And so it was with Ivan—one look and he was overcome with such a longing for it. So he stretched out his hands to catch the Firebird but it flew away leaving a half-eaten golden apple on the tree and a bright tail feather in his hand.

"Well, Ivan," said the tsar the next morning, "did you catch the thief?"

"Not quite," said Ivan. "But I did find out who's been eating our apples." And he took out the bright feather from his pocket as proof. "It is the Firebird."

Then the tsar took the feather in his hand, and looked thoughtfully at it. He wasn't as depressed now that he knew he had someone to blame. "Alright," he said, "you can go." The three brothers looked at each other and shrugged. Meanwhile, the tsar carried the feather in his pocket for a week and brooded over the Firebird until it became a fiery madness, a glowing secret in his pocket. Then he called his sons together again.

"My children," he said, "I have been thinking. It is high time you saw more of the world. I want you to saddle good horses and ride forth into the world to see if you can find and bring back the Firebird."

So like good children, they listened to their elderly parent, saddled their fine horses and set out. The eldest went in one direction, the second to another, and Ivan in the third direction.

Now, Ivan's two brothers had not seen the Firebird, and for all they knew, they were off on a wild goose chase. And so they went their separate directions and enjoyed themselves with much feasting and merry-making, and before long, each found beautiful girls to be their wives, and the tsar gave them their own kingdoms to rule.

Ivan didn't know all of this, of course. He did wonder how they hadn't seen the Firebird, but he also knew that chasing it was his destiny. And so he rode his horse through the gloom of the forest, over highways and by-ways and rutted roads, until he reached a green meadow.

There was a stone pillar in the meadow, and it read:

"Whosoever goes from this pillar on the road straight before him will be cold and hungry.
"Whosoever goes to the right side will be safe and sound, but his horse will be killed.
And whosoever goes to the left side will be killed himself, but his horse will be safe and sound."

"I'd rather be alive than dead," said Ivan, and so he led his horse to the right. He rode through the first day, he rode a second day, and on the third day, he met an enormous grey wolf, bigger than his fine stallion, and taller than a man.

"So Ivan, you read the inscription and chose to go to the right," said the wolf, "there are consequences." Then the wolf leapt up and snapped the horse into two. Ivan fell to the ground and ran away, grieving for his horse.

Then the prince walked the third day, and he walked the fourth day, and when it came to the fifth, his boots were worn through.

He was utterly exhausted and was about to sit on an old oak stump to rest, when the grey wolf came running up to him.

"Ho Ivan," said the grey wolf, "why do you look so sad?"

"You ate my horse," said Ivan.

"It's true," said the wolf, "and I enjoyed it. But tell me, why have you travelled so far, and where are you going ?"

"My father has sent me to ride through the world until I find the Firebird," said Ivan, and told him the rest of the story.

And when he had listened to the tale in full, the grey wolf said, "You're in luck, tsarevich, why, you could have ridden on your horse for three years and never found the Firebird. Only I know where it lives. I ate your horse, so now I will serve you faithfully and well. Get on my back and hold on tight."

And if Ivan thought all this was strange, he said not a word, but clambered on the wolf's back, and they loped past too many blue streams and green fields to count.

They came to a fortress on a hill where something thrilled a sweet, bright melody that made Ivan want to weep. The fortress walls were very high.

"Now listen to me, and remember what I say," said the wolf, "Climb over the wall and do not be afraid; all the guards are asleep. In the attic you will see a small window; in the window hangs a golden cage, and in that cage is the Firebird. Take the bird and hide it under your coat; but be sure not to touch the cage."

So Ivan climbed and climbed until he reached the attic. And just as the wolf had said, there was a golden cage and the Firebird was in it.

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Now, at this point the story spins into many different directions as tales are wont to do. I could tell you of Prince Ivan and the efforts he undertook to win the Firebird and the Horse with the Golden Mane and the Princess, but it's time to change to a different thread.