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Main > Russia folktales > Fairy tale "Story of Prince Malandrach and the Princess Salikalla"

Story of Prince Malandrach and the Princess Salikalla

At length he descried in the distance a small island; so he flew towards it, and alighting, he took off his wings and took them under his arms. Thereupon he set out rambling about the island in search of food, for he was sorely pinched by hunger; and he found by chance a tree with sweet fruit upon it, of which he ate his fill. Then he lay down to sleep upon the grass, under a spreading tree, and slept there until daybreak.

In the morning Malandrach arose and was about to fasten on his wings; but his arms ached so much that he could not move them; so he was obliged to stay there ten long days. On the eleventh day, however, he fastened on the wings, blessed himself, mounted high into the air, and looked around on all sides to seek for his father’s kingdom; he could not, however, discover it, but toward evening he espied a shore, upon which was a thick forest; so he alighted, took off his wings, and following a path, he came at last to the gates of a city. Then he concealed his wings under a bush, and going into the city, enquired for the market. And when they showed him the way, he went to it, and bought a long cloak. Then he returned to the forest, put his wings under his arm, and betook himself again to the city, where he met a man whom he asked: “Know you, friend, of any dwelling that is to be let?” The stranger replied: “You are doubtless a foreigner?”

“As you say,” replied the Tsarevich Malandrach; “I am a merchant from India, and have come hither in a ship with my wares. Our vessel was wrecked in a storm, and I was cast upon the shore of this kingdom upon a raft, to which I had made myself fast.”

“My friend,” said the stranger, “if you like, come and live with me; I will maintain you like my own son.” So Malandrach willingly consented, and went home with the stranger, and lived in his house more than a month, never going outside the courtyard. His host, observing this, asked him: “Why do you never take a walk in the city and see the noble buildings and the old ruins?

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