Russian Magic Tales from Pushkin to Platonov (Penguin Classics) by Unknown

and have a good sleep. Mornings are wiser than evenings.’
    She put the tsarevich to bed, shook off her frog skin and turned into a fair maiden – Vasilisa the Wise. She stepped out onto the fine porch, clapped her hands and called out in a loud voice, ‘Women! Servants! Weavers! Make me a silk carpet by tomorrow morning – one like I used to sit on in the home of my dear father!’
    Ivan Tsarevich awoke in the morning and found the carpet already finished. It was the most sumptuous carpet you’ve everset eyes on, more beautiful than in any dream, more beautiful than pen can portray or anyone but a storyteller can say. It was flecked with silver and gold and on it could be seen the entire tsardom – every city and village, every mountain and forest, every river and lake. Ivan Tsarevich was overjoyed. He took the carpet to his father. And along came his two brothers with the carpets that their own wives had woven.
    First the tsar looked at the carpet brought by his eldest son. He had it spread out on the floor, looked at it carefully and said, ‘Thank you! This is a carpet to lay on the threshold.’ Then he looked at the carpet brought by his second son. He felt it between his fingers and said, ‘Thank you! This is a carpet to wipe one’s boots on.’
    Then he had Ivan’s carpet spread out on the floor. Everyone gasped. The tsar took it in his hands and gazed at it. He turned to his servants and said, ‘And I want this carpet beneath my royal throne.’ And then the tsar ordered his three sons to bring their wives to a banquet that evening.
    Ivan walked gloomily back, his bold head below his broad shoulders. ‘Kva, kva, Ivan Tsarevich! Why are you looking so sad? Has your father said something cross or cruel?’ ‘How can I not look sad? My father’s asked me to bring you to a banquet this evening. What can I do? How can I show you to so many people?’
    ‘Don’t grieve, Ivan Tsarevich. You go first and I’ll follow. When you hear loud cracks of thunder, say, “That’s my little frog, riding along in her little box”.’
    Ivan went to the palace. And along came his two brothers; their wives were arrayed in all their finest clothes and jewels. The brothers looked at Ivan and began to laugh. ‘Why haven’t you brought your own wife along then?’ they asked. ‘You could have wrapped her up in a silk handkerchief and carried her here in your hands. Where did you find such a beauty anyway? You must have had to search every bog in the tsardom.’
    Suddenly there were cracks of thunder. The palace shook. Everyone jumped to their feet in fear, but Ivan said, ‘Don’t be afraid, honest guests. That’s my little frog, riding along in her little box.’
    Drawn by six white horses, a gilded carriage drew up to the palace gate – and out stepped Vasilisa the Wise, more beautiful than pen can portray or anyone but a storyteller can say. She took Ivan Tsarevich by the hand and sat down with him at the oak table.
    The guests began to eat, drink and be merry. Vasilisa drank her glass of wine and poured the dregs into her left sleeve. She ate some roast swan and dropped the bones into her right sleeve. The elder brothers’ wives watched what she did, then did the same themselves. 1
    When everyone had eaten and drunk, it was time to dance. Vasilisa the Wise took Ivan Tsarevich by the hand and got up. As she danced, she waved her left arm in the air – and out of nowhere appeared a beautiful lake. She waved her right arm in the air – and there, swimming across this lake, were seven white swans. The tsar and his guests were filled with wonder. Then the wives of the two elder brothers began to dance. They waved their left arms in the air – and sprayed wine over the guests. They waved their right arms in the air – and the bone of a swan flew into the tsar’s eye. The tsar was furious, and he had the two women thrown out of the palace.
    After that Ivan Tsarevich slipped out and rode back home. He found the frog