Who Can Be Happy and Free in Russia?

"Release my poor child, 
  I will pay a great ransom." 
"And what is your offer?"
"A loaf each a day 
  And a bucket of vodka, 
Salt cucumbers also, 320 
  Each morning a dozen. 
At mid-day sour qwass 
  And hot tea in the evening."

"And where, little bird," 
  Asked the two brothers Goóbin, 
"And where will you find 
  Food and drink for all seven?"

"Yourselves you will find it, 
  But I will direct you 
To where you will find it." 330 
  "Well, speak. We will listen."

"Go straight down the road, 
  Count the poles until thirty: 
Then enter the forest 
And walk for a verst.

  By then you'll have come 
To a smooth little lawn 
  With two pine-trees upon it. 
Beneath these two pine-trees 
  Lies buried a casket 340

Which you must discover. 
  The casket is magic, 
And in it there lies 
  An enchanted white napkin. 
Whenever you wish it 
  This napkin will serve you 
With food and with vodka: 
  You need but say softly, 
'O napkin enchanted, 
  Give food to the peasants!' 350 
At once, at your bidding, 
  Through my intercession 
The napkin will serve you. 
  And now, free my child."

"But wait. We are poor, 
  And we're thinking of making 
A very long journey," 
  Pakhóm said. "I notice 
That you are a bird 
  Of remarkable talent. 360 
So charm our old clothing 
  To keep it upon us."

"Our coats, that they fall not 
  In tatters," Román said.

"Our laputs,[6] that they too 
  May last the whole journey," 
Demyan next demanded. 

"Our shirts, that the fleas 
  May not breed and annoy us," 
Luká added lastly. 370

The little bird answered, 
  "The magic white napkin 
Will mend, wash, and dry for you. 
  Now free my child."

Pakhóm then spread open 
  His palm, wide and spacious, 
Releasing the fledgeling, 
  Which fluttered away 
To a hole in a pine-tree.

  The mother who followed it 380 
Added, departing:

  "But one thing remember: 
Food, summon at pleasure 
  As much as you fancy, 
But vodka, no more 
  Than a bucket a day.

If once, even twice 
  You neglect my injunction 
Your wish shall be granted; 
  The third time, take warning: 390 
Misfortune will follow."

The peasants set off 
  In a file, down the road, 
Count the poles until thirty 
  And enter the forest, 
And, silently counting 
Each footstep, they measure 
  A verst as directed.

They find the smooth lawn 
  With the pine-trees upon it, 400 
They dig all together 
  And soon reach the casket; 
They open it—there lies 
  The magic white napkin!

They cry in a chorus, 
  "O napkin enchanted, 
Give food to the peasants!"

Look, look! It's unfolding! 
  Two hands have come floating 
From no one sees where; 410 
  Place a bucket of vodka, 
A large pile of bread 
  On the magic white napkin, 
And dwindle away.

"The cucumbers, tea, 
  And sour qwass—where are they then?"

At once they appear! 
The peasants unloosen 
  Their waistbelts, and gather 
Around the white napkin 420 
  To hold a great banquet.

In joy, they embrace 
  One another, and promise 
That never again 
  Will they beat one another 
Without sound reflection, 
  But settle their quarrels 
In reason and honour 
  As God has commanded;

That nought shall persuade them 430 
To turn their steps homewards 
  To kiss wives and children, 
To see the old people, 
  Until they have settled 
For once and forever 
  The subject of discord: 
Until they've discovered 
  The man who, in Russia, 
Is happy and free.

They swear to each other 440 
  To keep this, their promise, 
And daybreak beholds them 
  Embosomed in slumber 
As deep and as dreamless 
  As that of the dead.