AN: Oh my god it's been three years since I updated. Anyway, this story is based on the Russian fairy tale Ivan, the firebird, and the gray wolf. Just in case you couldn't tell, the wolf is Germany, and Ivan's sisters are Ukraine and Belarus. The crow isn't anyone in particular. Also, I'm sorry that this one is kinda long and out of character, but I hope you still Enjoy :-).
Once upon a time in a far away land, there lived the mighty General Winter. The pride of the General's kingdom was a magnificent orchard, second to none. However every night a firebird, with golden feathers and eyes like crystal, would swoop down on the General Winter's favorite apple tree, and fly off with a few golden apples. General Winter was very distressed at this and called in his three children to help.
"My dear children," he said, "to whichever one of you is able to catch this firebird and bring it back alive, I will give half of my kingdom now, and the other half when I die."
The three children promised to do their best to catch the bird. The older daughter stood watch the first night, but he fell asleep and the firebird made off with a number of apples. The next night, the younger daughter camped out by the apple tree in hope of catching the bird but he, too, fell asleep, and the firebird stole a few more apples.
The third night the only son, Ivan Braginski, guarded the tree. One hour went by, then a second, and a third ... Ivan was sleepy but took his job seriously and managed to stay awake. Suddenly the whole orchard lit up, as if a thousand lights were shining on it - the firebird was making his entrance! As the bird began to pluck golden apples off the tree one-by-one, Ivan sneaked up and grabbed it by the tail. But the bird managed to wriggle out of Ivan's grasp, leaving the youth with only a bright red tail feather. The feather was so luminescent that if it were brought into a dark room, the room would glow, as if illuminated by the setting sun.
The firebird never came back to the orchard after this, but the General was so enchanted by the glowing feather that he sent his children out again to find the bird and bring it back alive. The two daughters, filled with envy that their brother was able to bring back a feather from the bird, went off together on their search. Ivan left on his horse alone.
Ivan rode on and on until he reached a pillar standing in the middle of an open field. On the pillar were the following words: "He who goes straight will be hungry and cold. He who passes to the right will be safe, but his horse shall die. He who passes to the left will be killed, but his horse will be safe." Choosing the lesser of three evils, Ivan decided to go to the right and rode for three days.
Suddenly a blonde wolf appeared out of nowhere and devoured the horse. For a long time, Ivan wept and eventually continued his journey on foot. He walked for an entire day and became very tired. The blonde wolf suddenly appeared again. "I'm sorry I killed your horse," the wolf said, "and making you go all this way by foot. But it vas Gott's vill. Jump on my back, though, and I'll take you vhere you vant to go!" Ivan, for some reason, began to trust the wolf now and told the animal that he needed to find the firebird. He climbed on the wolf's back and they sped off like a flash.
After a short while, they reached a stone wall. "Climb over that vall, Ivan, and you vill find the firebird sitting in a golden cage in a garden. Take the bird, but don't touch the cage or you vill be caught."
Ivan did as the wolf instructed and had the bird in his hand, when he thought, 'Vhere am I going to put the bird if I don't take his cage?' So he went back to get the golden cage and the minute he touched it, alarms went off and guards seized the lad. He was immediately taken to King Feliks, who was furious and demanded an explanation. "I'm the son of General Winter" Ivan said, "and the firebird had been taking apples from my father's orchard every night. So he sent me to get the bird."
"Well, if you had just come and asked me, I would have given the bird to you," the tsar said. "But now you have disgraced yourself by thievery. However, there is something that you can do for me to redeem yourself. Go to the kingdom of King Gilbert and bring back the pony with the golden mane. If you do this, I will forgive you and you can have the firebird."
Ivan left the King and told the wolf everything that had happened. He said he was very sorry that he had not listened to the wolf about not touching the golden cage.
"Vell, vhat's done is done. Get up on my back and I vill take you vhere you need to go," the wolf said.
Ivan got up on his back and the wolf took off like a bullet. It was hard to say whether it was a long time or a short time, but eventually they reached the kingdom of King Gilbert. When they stood before the royal stables, the wolf told Ivan to take the horse with the golden mane, but not to touch the golden bridle hanging on the wall. Ivan went in and started leading the horse out. Then all of a sudden he saw the magnificent golden bridle. He was so attracted to it that he simply could not resist taking it. But the second he touched it, alarms went off and stable boys came running to seize the young man. They took him to King Gilbert, who was furious and demanded an explanation. Ivan told him the whole story.
"Vell, if you had just come and asked me, I vould have given the horse to you! But now how vill it look vhen I tell the whole kingdom vhat you've done? However, to get your honor back, there is something that you can do for me. Go to the Thrice Tenth Kingdom and bring back the princess Elizabeta the Fair. I vant her, but I have not found a vay to get her back here. If you do this, I vill pardon you and vill give you the golden bridle."
Ivan left the palace in tears and told the blonde wolf everything. He apologized for again disobeying the wolf's instructions.
"Vell, vhat's done is done. Get on my back and I'll take you vhere you need to go," the wolf said. Ivan jumped on the wolf's back and off they went.
When they reached Elizabeta's kingdom, the wolf told Ivan to wait by a green oak tree. This time the wolf was going to do the job himself! When the princess was walking in her garden, the wolf grabbed her and they hurried back to the tree, where Ivan was waiting. Ivan climbed onto the wolf's back next to the beautiful princess and they headed back to the kingdom of King Gilbert.
As fate would have it, Ivan and the princess fell in love on the wolf's back. Approaching the kingdom, Ivan was in tears. "My dear friend, the volf, how can I not grieve? Elizabeta and I are in love and now I have to return her to Tsar Gilbert, or else I vill be held in disrepute throughout the kingdom."
"I have served you vell," the wolf answered, "and I vill help you again. This is vhat I vill do: I vill transform myself into the princess and you can take me to the King. He vill think that I am Elizabeta. Then, vhen you are riding back in the open field on the horse with the golden mane, and vhen I am allowed to go outside to valk with my ladies-in-vaiting, think of me and I vill appear."
Ivan liked the idea and, like magic, the wolf turned into the princess! Ivan led him to the King, who was overjoyed at seeing who he thought was the princess. Ivan was immediately given the horse with the golden mane and rode toward the kingdom of King Feliks (secretly picking up the real princess where he had left her). For several days, the two were so enchanted with each other that they completely forgot about the gray wolf. Then, on the fourth day, Ivan thought "Vhat happened to my friend, the volf?" It just so happened that this was the first day that the wolf was permitted to leave the King's palace so he could escape. And just as thoughts about the wolf entered Ivan's head, the wolf appeared there!
So the Ivan, the princess, the wolf and the golden-maned horse began their journey to the kingdom King Feliks. When they approached its border, Ivan said to the wolf, "Listen, my dear friend, you have done much for me, but could you do one more thing? I vould love to have this golden-maned horse to bring back to my own kingdom. Could you turn yourself into a horse, and ve'll do the same thing we did with the last King?"
Poof! The wolf turned into a golden-maned horse. Ivan presented him to the King, who was quite jubilant and they all sat down for a large feast which lasted two full days! On the third day, the King gave the firebird to Ivan. Ivan then left for the trip back home, picking up Elizabeta and the real golden-maned horse along the way. It wasn't long before the King went out riding with his new horse (who, of course, was really the wolf). At an opportune time, the King was thrown off his mount and all he saw after that was tail end of the wolf running off into the distance!
With his speed, it didn't take the wolf long to catch Ivan and Elizabeta the Fair. They traveled together until they reached the place where the wolf had eaten Ivan's first horse. "Now it's time to part," the wolf said. "You have a horse again and I can't be of any more service to you." The wolf ran off and Ivan shed many tears over the parting of his good friend and companion.
Ivan, the princess, the firebird and golden-maned horse headed home. They were still many miles away from the kingdom when they stopped to rest. They tied the horse to a tree and kept the bird beside them. If you remember, the General's two daughters, Katyusha and Natasha, had also been looking for the firebird. They were returning to the kingdom themselves when they stumbled upon the sleeping Ivan and Elizabeta. They were quite charmed by the golden-maned horse, the firebird, and Elizabeta. Filled with envy, they decided to kill their brother. Katyusha took out her sword and thrust it into the body of Ivan. Then they woke Elizabeta, who saw the motionless body of her sweetheart and burst into tears. "You might have been called honorable knights if you fought and won a battle in an open field. But as it is, you killed someone who was sleeping and defenseless. What kind of respect could you possibly deserve?"
The brothers paid no attention and rode back to their kingdom with their treasures, including the lovely Elizabeta. "One word of this to the General," they warned, "and you won't live to see another day!"
The slain Ivan lay for exactly thirty days on the spot where his brothers had left him. Then the blonde wolf found him, recognizing the lad by his scent. He wanted to help his friend, but he didn't know what to do. When he saw a mother crow and her two babies circling and hungrily looking at Ivan, he waited until they landed and grabbed one of the babies.
"Please don't harm my child," the crow pleaded. "He's done nothing to you."
"Then go to the Thrice Tenth Kingdom and bring me back some magical life-and-death water. Your child will be safe if you do this," the wolf said. The crow agreed and flew off.
On the third day, the mother crow returned and brought two vials of water. Without warning, the wolf ripped into the flesh of the young crow he was holding, and tore it in two. Then he sprinkled some "water of death" on the young crow and the crow's wounds were healed. Next he sprinkled some "water of life" on him, and the young crow came to life, fluttered his wings, and flew off to his nest!
The wolf repeated the procedure with Ivan. Miraculously, the boy came to life, saying, "Oh, how long I've slept!" "Yes," the wolf said, "and you would have slept much longer had I not found you!" He told Ivan everything that had happened and that today Ivan's sister Natasha was about to marry Elizabeta the Fair. The wolf told Ivan to climb on and in a flash they were off for the city.
Ivan arrived as the wedding feast was already in progress. Elizabeta saw Ivan and jumped up from the table. "There is my dear fiance, not this coward sitting next to me!"
The General, confused at this turn of events, asked for an explanation and Elizabeta gladly told him everything. The General, quite naturally, was furious with the sisters Katyusba and Natasha and threw them in prison.
Ivan and Elizabeta got married themselves and were so happy with each other that they never parted.
