The Ring with Twelve Screws

Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived a son with his mother. The mother was very old and poor, and her son was called Ivan the Fool. They lived in a tiny, run-down cottage with only one window, and they were so poor that they often had nothing to eat but dry bread. Sometimes even that was scarce. The mother spent her days spinning, while Ivan lay on the stove, rolling in the ashes, and never wiping his nose.

His mother would often say to him, "Ivanushka, you sit there with your nose dirty. Why don't you go out, even to the tavern? Maybe a kind man will see you and hire you to work. You might earn a piece of bread, while here at home we have nothing to keep us alive."

"All right, I'll go," said Ivan. He got up and went to the tavern. On the way, a man met him.

"Where are you going, Ivan?" asked the man.

"I'm going to hire myself out to work," replied Ivan.

"Come work for me," said the man. "I'll pay you such and such wages."

Ivan agreed and went to work for him.

The man had a dog with puppies, and one of the puppies pleased Ivan greatly, so he trained it. A year passed, and it was time for Ivan to be paid. The man offered him money, but Ivan said, "I don't need your money; just give me that puppy I trained."

The man was glad he didn't have to pay, so he gave Ivan the puppy.

Ivan went home, and when his mother found out what he had done, she began to cry. "All people are people, but you are a fool! We have nothing to eat, and now we have another mouth to feed!"

Ivan said nothing. He sat on the stove with his nose unwiped, rolling in the ashes, and the puppy stayed with him.

Some time passed, and his mother said again, "Why do you sit there like that? Go back to the tavern. Maybe someone will hire you."

"Very well, I'll go," said Ivan.

He took his dog and started out. On the road, another man met him.

"Where are you going, Ivan?" asked the man.

"To find work," said Ivan.

"Come work for me," said the man.

They agreed, and Ivan went to work for him. This man had a cat with kittens, and one of the kittens pleased Ivan, and he trained it. When it was time for payment, Ivan said, "I don't need your money; just give me that kitten."

The man agreed and gave him the kitten.

Ivan went home, and his mother cried even more. "All people are people, but you were born a fool! We have nothing to eat, and now we must support two useless lives!"

It was bitter for Ivan to hear this, so he took his dog and cat and went out into the fields. There, in the middle of the field, he saw a fire burning in a huge pile of wood. It was an awful, blazing fire! When he came closer, he saw a snake squirming in the flames, burning on the hot coals.

The snake screamed in a human voice, "Oh, Ivan the Fool, save me! I will give you a great ransom for my life."

Ivan took a stick and lifted the snake out of the fire. When he threw it out, there stood before him not a snake, but a beautiful maiden. She said, "Thank you, Ivanushka. You have done me great service, and I will do you even greater. Let us go to my mother. She will offer you copper money, but do not take it, for it is only coals. She will offer you silver coins, but do not take them, for they are only chips. She will bring you gold, but do not take that either, for it is only potsherds and broken bricks. Instead, ask her for the ring with twelve screws. It will be hard for her to give it, but be firm, and she will give it for my sake."

And so it happened, just as she had said. Even though the old woman grew very angry, she gave Ivan the ring.

Ivan was walking through the field, looking at the ring and thinking, "What shall I do with this ring?"

Then the same maiden caught up with him and said, "Ivan, whatever you wish, you will have. Just stand on the threshold of your house in the evening, unscrew all the twelve screws, and twelve thousand men will appear before you. Whatever you command, they will do."

Ivan went home, said nothing to his mother, sat on the stove, rolled in the ashes, and didn't wipe his nose. In the evening, after his mother had gone to sleep, Ivan waited for the right moment. He went to the threshold, unscrewed the twelve screws, and twelve thousand men stood before him. "You are our master, and we are your men. Tell us your heart's desire."

Ivan said to them, "Build me a castle here, such as the world has never seen, and let me sleep in a golden bed with swan's down. Let my mother sleep in the same way. And let me have coachmen, outriders, servants, and all kinds of fine people in my court, ready to serve me."

"Lie down and sleep," said the men. "All will be done as you command."

When Ivan woke up the next morning, he was frightened by what he saw. He was lying in a golden bed with swan's down, and the room was so rich and grand that even the Tsar did not have such luxury. In the courtyard, there were coachmen, outriders, servants, and all kinds of important people, all ready to serve him. Ivan was amazed and thought, "This is good." He looked in a mirror and did not recognize himself, for he had become so handsome that he could not be described with a pen or in a tale.

When the Tsar, who lived in that town, woke up at the same hour, he looked out of his window and saw a castle gleaming with gold opposite his palace.

The Tsar sent a servant to find out whose castle it was and to tell the owner to come and present himself. The servant went to Ivan's castle and delivered the message. Ivan said, "Tell the Tsar that this is the castle of Ivan Tsarevich. If he wants to see me, he is not so great a lord; let him come himself."

The Tsar had no choice but to go to Ivan's castle. They became acquainted, and after that, Ivan went to visit the Tsar. The Tsar had a very beautiful daughter, the Tsarevna, and she brought refreshments to Ivan. He was immediately taken with her, and he asked the Tsar for her hand in marriage.

The Tsar, however, began to put on airs. "Give her? Why not? But first, Ivan Tsarevich, perform a service for me. My daughter is not of common stock; she must marry only the very best among all people. Arrange this for me: from your castle to mine, build a golden road, and over the river build a bridge—not a common one, but such that one side is gold and the other silver. Let all kinds of rare birds, geese and swans, swim on the river. And on the other side of the river, build a church—not a simple one, but one of white wax—and around it let wax apple trees grow, bearing ripe apples. If you do this, my daughter shall be yours. If not, blame yourself." The Tsar thought he had joked enough, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

Ivan agreed. "Very well," he said. "Now prepare the wedding for tomorrow." And he left.

That evening, after everyone had gone to sleep, Ivan stood on the threshold, unscrewed all the screws, and twelve thousand men appeared.

"You are our master, we are your men. Command what your heart desires."

Ivan told them what he wanted. "All right," they said. "Lie down and sleep."

In the morning, the Tsar woke up and went to the window, but his eyes were dazzled. He sprang back six paces. There was the bridge, one side silver, the other gold, blazing and shining. On the river swam geese and swans and every rare bird. On the opposite bank stood a church of white wax, with apple trees around it, but without leaves, the naked branches sticking up.

The Tsar realized his trick had failed. "We must prepare our daughter for the wedding," he said.

They dressed the Tsarevna and drove to the church. As they left the palace, buds began to appear on the apple trees. As they crossed the bridge, the trees came into leaf. As they approached the church, white blossoms burst forth, and when they returned from the wedding ceremony, servants and all kinds of people met them, offering ripe apples on a golden platter.

Then they began to celebrate the wedding, with feasts and balls lasting three days and three nights.

After a while, the Tsarevna began to pester Ivan. "Tell me, my dear husband, how do you do all this? How do you build a bridge in one night and a wax church?"

Ivan did not want to tell her for a long time, but because he loved her very much and she begged so hard, he said, "I have a ring with twelve screws, and it must be handled in such and such a way."

They lived on, but the trouble was that one of the servants pleased the Tsarevna—he was a fine, handsome, strong fellow. She conspired with him to steal the ring, take it, and run away with him beyond the sea.

As soon as evening came, she took the ring quietly, stood on the threshold, and unscrewed the twelve screws. Twelve thousand men stood before her.

"You are our mistress, we are your men. Command what your heart desires."

She said, "Take this castle and bear it beyond the sea, with everything in it. And on this spot let the old cabin stand again, with my ragged husband, Ivan the Fool, inside."

"Lie down and sleep," said the men. "All will be done as you command."

The next morning, Ivan woke up and looked around. He was lying on a bark mat, covered with a ragged coat, and there was no sign of his castle. He began to cry bitterly and went to the Tsar, his father-in-law. He came to the palace and asked to be announced. When the Tsar saw him, he said, "Oh, you insolent fellow without breeches, what son-in-law are you to me? My sons-in-law live in golden chambers and ride in silver carriages. Take him and wall him up in a stone pillar."

So they took Ivan and walled him up in a stone pillar. But the cat and the dog did not leave him. They were there too, and they dug a hole for themselves, through which they brought food to Ivan.

One day, the cat and dog thought, "Why are we sitting here with folded hands? Let's run beyond the sea and get the ring back."

So they set off. They swam across the sea and found the castle. The Tsarevna was walking in the garden with the servant, laughing at her husband.

The cat said to the dog, "Stay here a while; I'll go to the chamber and get the ring." She went in, meowing under the door. The Tsarevna heard her and said, "Ah, that scoundrel's cat is here! Let her in and feed her." They let her in and fed her. The cat walked through the chambers, looking for the ring. She saw on the stove a glass box, and in the box was the ring.

The cat was overjoyed. "Glory be to God!" she thought. "Now I just wait for night, I'll get the ring, and then home!"

When everyone had gone to bed, the cat jumped onto the stove and knocked down the glass box. It fell and broke. She grabbed the ring in her mouth and hid under the door. The noise roused the household; the Tsarevna got up and saw the broken box.

"Oh!" she cried. "It must be that scoundrel's cat that broke it. Drive her out!"

They chased the cat out, and she was glad. She ran to the dog.

"Well, brother dog," she said, "I have the ring. Now if only we can get home quickly!"

They swam through the sea, taking turns carrying each other when tired. When they were not far from land, the dog was growing weak, and the cat said, "Sit on me; you are tired." But as soon as she said that, the ring fell out of her mouth into the water. What were they to do? They swam to shore and wept tears.

Then they grew hungry. The dog ran through the field and caught sparrows for himself, and the cat ran along the shore catching small fish thrown up by the waves.

But suddenly the cat cried out, "Oh, dog, come here quickly! I have found the ring! I caught a fish, began to eat it, and inside the fish was the ring!"

They were both overjoyed and ran to Ivan, bringing him the ring.

Ivan waited till evening, unscrewed all twelve screws, and twelve thousand men stood before him.

"You are our master, we are your men. Tell us what your heart desires."

"Break this stone pillar in a minute, so that not even dust remains," said Ivan. "And bring my castle from beyond the sea, with all who are in it, as they are sleeping now, and put it back in its old place."

Straightaway, all was done. In the morning, Ivan went to his father-in-law. The Tsar met him, seated him in the place of honor, and said, "Where have you been, my dear son-in-law?"

"I was beyond the sea," said Ivan.

"Ah, beyond the sea," said the Tsar. "It's clear you had pressing business, for you didn't come to bid farewell. But while you were gone, some bare-legged fellow came and called himself my son-in-law. I ordered him to be walled up in a stone pillar; he has surely perished. Well, my beloved son-in-law, where did you spend your time, and what sights did you see?"

"I saw various sights," said Ivan. "And beyond the sea, there was an affair of such kind that no man knew how to settle it."

"What affair was that?" asked the Tsar.

"Well, it was this kind of affair," said Ivan. "And if you are a wise man, decide it according to your royal wisdom. A husband had a wife, and while he was living, she found a sweetheart. She robbed her husband and ran away with the sweetheart beyond the sea. Now she is with that man. What should be done with that wife, in your opinion?"

"According to my royal wisdom," said the Tsar, "I would tie them both to the tails of horses, and let the horses loose in the open field. That would be their punishment."

"If that is your judgment, very well," said Ivan. "Come with me as my guest, and I will show you other sights and another wonder."

They went to Ivan's castle, and there they found the Tsar's daughter and the servant. As Ivan had commanded, they were still asleep.

There was no help for it. According to the Tsar's word, they tied them both to the tails of horses and sent the horses into the open field. That was their punishment.

But Ivan afterwards married the beautiful, most beautiful maiden whom he had saved from the fire, and they began to live and prosper.

And they lived happily ever after.