BEAR'S EAR***


Transcribed from the 1913 Thomas J. Wise pamphlet by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org.  Many thanks to Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library,
UK, for kindly supplying the images from which this transcription was
made.

           [Picture: Manuscript of Yvashka with the Bear’s ear]





                                THE STORY
                                    OF
                       YVASHKA WITH THE BEAR’S EAR


                      _Translated from the Russian_
                                    BY
                              GEORGE BORROW

                                 LONDON:
                     PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION
                                   1913




INTRODUCTION


The tale of _Yvashka_; _or_, _Jack with the Bear’s Ear_, is a great
favourite in Russia.  Its main interest depends not so much on him of the
Bear’s Ear, or even his comrade, Moustacho, who angles for trout with his
moustaches, as on Baba Yaga.  This personage is the grand mythological
demon of the Russians, and frequently makes her appearance in their
popular tales, but perhaps in none plays so remarkable a part as in the
story of Yvashka.  A little information with respect to her will perhaps
not be unacceptable to the reader before entering upon the story.  She is
said to be a huge female who goes driving about the steppes in a mortar,
which she forces onward by pounding lustily with a pestle, though of
course, being in a mortar, she cannot wield the pestle without hurting
herself.  As she hurries along she draws with her tongue, which is at
least three yards long, a mark upon the dust, and with it seizes every
living thing coming within her reach, which she swallows for the
gratification of her ever-raging appetite.  She has several young and
handsome daughters whom she keeps in a deep well beneath her izbushka or
cabin, which has neither door nor window, and stands upon the wildest
part of the steppe upon crow’s feet and is continually turning round.
Whenever Baba Yaga meets a person she is in the habit of screaming out:—

          “_Oho_, _Oho_!
    _I ne’er saw Russian wight till now_;
    _But now the flesh of a Russian wight_
    _I smell with nose and see with sight_.”

Such is the Russian tradition about Baba Yaga, who is unlike in every
respect any of the goblins and mythological monsters of Western Europe,
except perhaps in her cry, which puts one in mind of the exclamation of
the giant in the English nursery tale of Jack the Giant killer:—

          “_Fee_, _Fi_, _Fo_, _Fum_,
    _I smell the blood of an Englishman_.”

In the demon lore of the Turks, however, there is a ghostly being with
which she seems to have considerable affinity.  This goblin is called
Kara Conjulos.  Kara Conjulos is a female, and lives at the bottom of a
well in a certain part of Constantinople, from which she emerges every
night and drives about the city in a cart drawn by two buffaloes.  She is
much in the habit of stopping at caravansaries, going into the stables
and breeding a confusion and a panic amongst the horses.  She has several
daughters, who occasionally accompany her in her expeditions and assist
her in the commission of her pranks.  A certain learned effendi, in a
most curious Turkish book which he wrote about Constantinople, has a
great deal to say concerning this goblin and her daughters, and amongst
other things gives an account of a very bad night which he passed in a
caravansary at some little distance from the city owing to the intrusion
of Kara Conjulos and her bevy.

Now for the story of Yvashka, or Jack.

                                                            GEORGE BORROW.




THE STORY OF YVASHKA WITH THE BEAR’S EAR


In a certain kingdom, in a certain government, there lived a peasant
whose wife bore him a son who had the ear of a bear, on which account he
was called Yvashka, or Jack with the Bear’s Ear.

Now when Jack with the Bear’s Ear was beginning to attain his full growth
he used to walk in the street and endeavour to play with the children;
and the child whom he seized by the hand, off he was sure to tear his
hand, and whom he seized by the head, off he would tear his head.  The
other peasants, not being able to put up with such outrages, told Jack’s
father that he must either cause his son to mend his manners or not
permit him to go out into the street to play with the children.  The
father for a long time struggled to reform Jack, but perceiving that his
son did not improve he resolved to turn him out of doors, and said to
him: “Depart from me and go wheresoever you please.  I will keep you no
longer in my house, for I am much afraid lest some misfortune should
happen to me on your account.”

So Jack with the Bear’s Ear, having taken leave of his father and mother,
departed on his way.  He journeyed for a long time until he arrived at a
forest, where he beheld a man cutting oaken billets.  He went up to him
and said, “Good fellow, what may be your name?”

“Quercillo,” replied the other, whereupon they became sworn brothers and
proceeded farther.  Arriving at a rocky mountain they perceived a man
hewing the rock, to whom they said, “God help you, honest lad; and what
may your name be?”

“My name is Montano,” replied he.

Whereupon they called him their brother, and proposed to him that he
should leave off digging the mountain and should consent to go with them
forthwith.  He agreed to their proposal, and all three forthwith
proceeded on their way, and journeyed for some time.  Arriving at the
bank of a river they saw a man sitting, who had a pair of enormous
moustaches with which he angled for fish for his subsistence.  They all
three said to him, “God help you brother in your fish-catching.”

“Thank you, brothers,” he replied.

“What may your name be?” they inquired.

“Moustacho,” he answered.  Whereupon they called him also their brother
and invited him to join their company, which he did not refuse.  And so
these four journeyed on, and whether they journeyed long or short, far or
near, my tale will be soon told, though the deed was a long time in
doing.  At last they arrived at a forest, where they saw a cabin standing
on crow’s feet, which kept turning here and there.  They went up to it,
and said, “Cabin, cabin, stand with your rear to the wood and your front
to us.”

The cabin instantly obeyed them, and they having entered it began to
consult how they should contrive to live there.  After that they all went
into the forest, killed some game, and prepared food for themselves.  On
the second day they left Quercillo at home to cook the dinner, whilst
they themselves went into the forest to hunt.  Quercillo having got ready
the dinner took his seat by the window and awaited the return of his
brethren.  At that moment came Baba Yaga riding on an iron mortar, which
she urged on with the pestle, whilst with her tongue lolling out of her
mouth she drew a mark on the earth as she went, and entering into the
cabin she said:

    “’_Till now ne’er a Russian wight_
    _I’ve heard with ear_, _or seen with sight_,
    _Now full clear I see and hear_.”

Then turning to Quercillo she inquired, “Wherefore did you come hither,
Quercillo?”  Thereupon she began to beat him, and continued beating him
until he was half dead, after which she devoured all the food which had
been got ready, and then rode off.

Upon the return of Quercillo’s comrades from the chase they asked him for
their dinner, and he, not informing them that Baba Yaga had been there,
said that he had fallen into a swoon, and had got nothing ready.

In the very same manner did Baba Yaga treat Montano and Moustacho.  At
last, it coming to the turn of Jack with the Bear’s Ear to sit at home,
he remained whilst his comrades went forth in quest of game.  Jack cooked
and roasted everything, and having found in Baba Yaga’s cabin a pot of
honey he placed a post by the perch, and having split it at the top he
thrust in a wedge and emptied the honey upon the post.  He himself sat on
the perch, concealing behind him the post whilst he prepared three iron
rods.  After the lapse of a little time arrived Baba Yaga and screamed
forth:

    “’_Till now ne’er a Russian true_
    _I’ve heard with ear_, _or seen with view_,
    _Now I do both hear and view_.”

“Wherefore have you come hither, Jack with the Bear’s Ear, and why dost
thou thus waste my property?”  Whereupon she began to lick with her
tongue about the post, and no sooner did her tongue arrive at the fissure
than Jack snatched the wedge from out of the post, and having entrapped
her tongue he leaped up from the perch, and scourged her with the iron
rods until she begged that he would let her go, promising that he should
be in peace from her and that she would never more come to him.

Jack consented to her prayer, and having set her tongue at liberty he
placed Baba Yaga in a corner whilst he himself sat by the window awaiting
his companions, who soon returned and imagined that Baba Yaga had acted
with him in the same manner as with themselves.  But perceiving that he
had the food all ready prepared they were much astonished thereat.  After
dinner he related how he had dealt with Baba Yaga, and laughed at them
that they were unable to manage her.  At last, wishing to show them the
drubbed and beaten Baba Yaga he led them to the corner, but there she was
no longer.  So they resolved to go in pursuit of her, and having arrived
at a stone they lifted it up and perceived a deep abyss, down which they
thought of descending.  But as none of his companions had courage enough
to do this, Jack with the Bear’s Ear consented to go.  So they began to
construct a cable, and having made a canoe for him to sit in they let him
down into the gulf.

Meanwhile Jack commanded them to wait for him a whole week, and provided
during this time they received no intelligence of him to await no longer.
“If I be alive and pull the rope draw up the canoe provided it be light;
but if it be heavy cut the rope in order that you may not draw up Baba
Yaga instead of me.”  Then having bid them farewell he descended into the
deep subterranean abyss.

He remained there for a long time.  At length he arrived at a cabin,
which having entered he beheld three beautiful damsels sitting at their
needle and embroidering with gold, and these were the daughters of Baba
Yaga.  As soon as they perceived Jack with the Bear’s Ear they said,
“Good youth, what has brought you hither?  Here lives Baba Yaga, our
mother, and as soon as she arrives you are a dead man, for she will slay
you to a certainty; but if you will deliver us from this place we will
give you information how you may save your life.”

He promised to conduct them out of that abyss, and they said to him, “As
soon as our mother shall arrive she will cast herself upon you and begin
to fight with you, but after that she will desist and will run into the
cellar, where she has two pitchers standing filled with water; in the
blue pitcher is the water of strength and in the white that of weakness.”

Scarcely had the daughters of Baba Yaga concluded their discourse when
they heard their mother coming on the iron mortar driving with the
pestle, whilst with her tongue lolling out of her mouth she drew a mark
as she went, whereupon they acquainted Jack.  Baba Yaga having arrived
screamed out:

    “’_Till now ne’er a Russ have I_
    _Heard with ear or seen with eye_,
    _Now do I both hear and spy_.”

“For what are you come hither, Jack with the Bear’s Ear?  Do you imagine
to disturb me here also?”

Then casting herself suddenly upon him she began to fight.  Both combated
for a considerable time, and at length they fell upon the earth.  Baba
Yaga jumped up and ran into the cellar, whither Jack likewise rushed
after her, and she without examining seized the white pitcher and Jack
the blue one, and both drank; after that they went out of the cellar and
recommenced their combat.  Jack having overpowered her seized her by the
hair and beat Baba Yaga with her own pestle.  She began to entreat Jack
to take pity upon her, promised to live at peace with him, and that very
moment to depart from the place.  Jack with the Bear’s Ear consented
thereto, and ceased beating Baba Yaga.

As soon as she was departed he went to her daughters, thanked them for
their information, and told them to prepare to leave the place.  Whilst
they were packing up their things he went to the rope, and having pulled
at it his companions instantly let down the canoe, in which he placed the
eldest sister, and by her sent word to them to draw them all up.  Jack’s
comrades having drawn up the damsel were much astonished at the sight of
her, but having learned from her the whole affair they hoisted up her
other sisters.  At last they let down the canoe for Jack, but he having
this time stowed into the canoe many clothes and a great deal of money,
and having likewise seated himself therein, his comrades feeling the
weight imagined that it was Baba Yaga who sat there, and cutting the rope
left poor Jack in the abyss.  Thereupon they agreed to marry the damsels,
and lost no time in so doing.

In the meantime Jack with the Bear’s Ear walked for a long time about
this abyss seeking for an outlet.  At last by good fortune he found in
the gloomy place an iron door, which having broke open he proceeded for a
long time in the same darkness; he then beheld a light at a distance, and
directing his course straight towards it he emerged from the cavern.
After this he determined to seek his comrades, whom he soon found, and
the whole three were already married.  Upon seeing them he began to ask
them why they had left him in the hole.  His comrades in great terror
told Jack that it was Moustacho who had cut the rope, and him Jack
immediately slew, and took his wife to be his own.  Then they all lived
together, and acquired great riches.

                                * * * * *

                                 LONDON:
               Printed for THOMAS J. WISE, Hampstead, N.W.
                   _Edition limited to Thirty Copies_.