Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka
To main
All authors
Home → Russian folk tales → Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka
two orphans are walking along a long path, across a wide field. Their father and mother died, leaving their daughter Alyonushka and son Ivanushka orphans. So they went to wander around the world.
The sun is high, the well is far away, the heat is oppressive, the sweat is protruding. Ivanushka felt thirsty.
- Sister Alyonushka, I’m so thirsty!
“Be patient, brother, we’ll get to the well.” They walked and walked and came to a pond, and a herd of cows was grazing nearby.
- Sister Alyonushka, I’ll drink from the pond.
“Don’t drink, brother, you’ll become a calf.”
The brother obeyed, and they moved on. The sun is high, the well is far away, the heat is oppressive, the sweat is protruding. They see a river, and a herd of horses walks nearby.
- Sister Alyonushka, I’m so thirsty! I'll take a sip of river water!
“Don’t drink, brother, you’ll become a foal.” Ivanushka sighed, and they moved on.
The sun is high, the well is far away, the heat is oppressive, the sweat is protruding. They walked and walked and saw a lake, and a herd of goats was grazing near it.
- Sister Alyonushka, I have no urine, I’m thirsty. I'll drink some water from the lake!
“Don’t drink, brother, you’ll become a little goat.”
Ivanushka did not listen to his sister, drank some water and became a little goat.
Alyonushka sat down under a haystack and burst into burning tears, and the little goat next to her was jumping on the grass. Having cried, she tied him with a silk belt and led him with her.
One day, a little goat was running without a leash and ran into the king’s garden, and Alyonushka, looking for him, went there too. The servants saw and told the king that a little goat had wandered into the garden, and a maiden came after him, such a beauty that neither a fairy tale nor a pen could describe it. The king ordered to ask who she was. Alyonushka said:
“We had a father and mother, but they died.” We were left orphans, my name is Alyonushka, and my brother’s is Ivanushka. We were walking along a long path, across a wide field, and we saw a herd of goats grazing by a lake. The brother could not resist, drank some water from the lake and became a little goat.
The servants reported all this to the king. The king ordered the girl with the little goat to be brought in, and he himself asked her about everything. He liked Alyonushka and wanted to marry her.
“Come,” he says, “for me, I’ll dress you up in gold and silver and I won’t leave the little goat.” Wherever you are, there he will be.
Alyonushka agreed. The tsar had neither brewing beer nor smoking wine - they soon had a wedding and began to live and get on with their lives. And the little goat lives with them. He walks around the garden, and eats and drinks with the king and queen. Good people, looking at them, rejoiced, and bad people were jealous.
One day the king went hunting. Out of nowhere, an evil witch came to Alyonushka, spoke to her with gentle speeches, lured her to the blue sea, tied a stone around her neck and threw her into the water. And she herself turned into a queen, dressed up in her dress and moved into the royal chambers. Nobody noticed anything. Even the king himself, when he arrived from hunting, did not recognize her. Only the flowers in the garden began to fade, the trees to dry out, the grass to fade. Only the little goat knew everything, he was the only one who was sad, did not drink, did not eat, but kept walking near the sea and screaming pitifully.
The witch didn't like it. As soon as the king left to hunt again, she began to beat and pound the little goat, and then threatened him:
- When the king returns, I will ask you to be slaughtered. The king has arrived, the witch pesters him:
“Order, and order the little goat to be slaughtered, I’m tired of him, completely disgusted!”
The king was surprised - his wife loved the little goat so much, she gave him water and food, and then suddenly he ordered him to be slaughtered. There was nothing to be done, she begged so much that the king finally agreed and allowed him to be slaughtered.
The witch ordered to build high fires, hang cast iron cauldrons, and sharpen damask knives.
The little goat learned that he did not have long to live, began to cry, ran up to the king and asked:
- Tsar! Let me go to the sea, drink some water, rinse my intestines. The king let him in.
So the little goat ran to the sea, stood on the shore and cried pitifully:
Alyonushka, my sister! Swim out, swim out onto the shore. The fires are burning flammable, the cauldrons are boiling, the knives are sharpening damask knives, they want to stab me to death!
She answers him from the water:
Oh, my brother Ivanushka! The heavy stone pulls to the bottom, the silken grass has entangled its legs, the fierce snake has sucked out the heart!
The little goat cried and went back. In the middle of the day he again asks the king:
- Tsar! Let me go to the sea, drink some water, rinse my intestines.
The king let him in.
So the little goat ran to the sea and cried pitifully:
Alyonushka, my sister! Swim out, swim out onto the shore. The fires are burning flammable, the cauldrons are boiling, the knives are sharpening damask knives, they want to stab me to death!
She answers him from the water:
Oh, my brother Ivanushka! The heavy stone pulls to the bottom, the silken grass has entangled its legs, the fierce snake has sucked out the heart!
The little goat cried and returned home. The little goat asked for the third time:
- Tsar! Let me go to the sea, drink some water, rinse my intestines. The king thinks: “What does this mean, the little goat keeps running around the sea.”
He let him go and followed him. He comes to the sea and hears the little goat calling his sister:
Alyonushka, my sister! Swim out, swim out onto the shore. The fires are burning flammable, the cauldrons are boiling, the knives are sharpening damask knives, they want to stab me to death!
She answers him from the water:
Oh, my brother Ivanushka! The heavy stone pulls to the bottom, the silken grass has entangled its legs, the fierce snake has sucked out the heart!
The little goat again began to call his sister even more pitifully. Alyonushka floated up and appeared above the water.
The king grabbed her, tore the stone from her neck, dragged Alyonushka to the shore and asked how this happened? She told him everything.
The king was delighted. They all went to the garden together, and everything in the garden turned green and bloomed. And the little goat just jumps and jumps. Then, with joy, he threw himself over his head three times and again turned into the boy Ivanushka.
And the king ordered the witch to be executed. And they burned her on the same high fires that she ordered to be laid out for the little goat. Her ashes were collected and scattered to the wind, so that no memory of her remained.
And the Tsar and the Tsarina and brother Ivanushka began to live and prosper and make good things.
Next →
Thank you for reading the fairy tale “Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka”!
Read all Russian folk tales To the main page (full list of works)
© “Online-Read.RF”, 2017-2022 Feedback
Brief summary of the tale
Children were left without father and mother. The older sister took care of her younger brother as best she could. Only the brother was disobedient, he broke Alyonushka’s ban, drank some water from the hoof and turned into a kid. The merchant saw a girl crying with grief, he liked the orphan, and he invited her to marry. Alyonushka agreed. They took the kid with them. The evil witch drowned the girl in the river and took her place. No one in the merchant’s house suspected anything, only the little goat ran to visit his sister on the bank, but could not say anything. The witch decided to get rid of the kid. But the servant overheard the little goat talking to his sister on the shore, and told the merchant about everything. The merchant understood how the witch Alyonushka escaped the world and came to his house. He saved his Alyonushka, but destroyed the witch. You can read the fairy tale online in full on our website.
On the river
- Before I die, let me go to the river, drink some water, rinse my intestines. - Well, go. The little goat ran to the river, stood on the bank and cried out pitifully: “Alyonushka, my sister!” Swim out, swim out to the shore. The fires are burning high, the cast iron cauldrons are boiling, the damask knives are sharpening, they want to stab me to death! Alyonushka from the river answers him: “Oh, my brother Ivanushka!” The stone is dragging heavy to the bottom, the silk grass has tangled its legs,
Yellow sands lay on my chest. And the witch is looking for the little goat, cannot find it, and sends a servant: “Go find the little goat, bring him to me.”
or there was an old man and an old woman, they had a daughter Alyonushka and a son Ivanushka. The old man and the old woman died. Alyonushka and Ivanushka were left alone. Alyonushka went to work and took her brother with her. They are walking along a long path, across a wide field, and Ivanushka wants to drink. - Sister Alyonushka, I’m thirsty! - Wait, brother, let's get to the well. As they walked and walked, the sun was high, the well was far away, the heat was oppressive, and sweat appeared. A cow's hoof is full of water. - Sister Alyonushka, I’ll take some bread from the hoof! - Don’t drink, brother, you’ll become a little calf! The brother obeyed, let's move on. The sun is high, the well is far away, the heat is oppressive, the sweat is protruding. The horse's hoof is full of water. - Sister Alyonushka, I’ll drink from the hoof! - Don’t drink, brother, you’ll become a foal! Ivanushka sighed, and we moved on again. They walk and walk, the sun is high, the well is far away, the heat is oppressive, sweat appears. A goat's hoof is full of water. Ivanushka says: “Sister Alyonushka, there’s no urine: I’ll drink from the hoof!” - Don’t drink, brother, you’ll become a little goat! Ivanushka did not listen and drank from a goat's hoof. He got drunk and became a little goat... Alyonushka calls her brother, and instead of Ivanushka, a little white goat runs after her.
Alyonushka burst into tears, sat down on a haystack, crying, and the little goat was jumping around next to her. At that time, a merchant was driving past: “What are you crying about, red maiden?” Alyonushka told him about her misfortune. The merchant says to her: “Come and marry me.” I will dress you in gold and silver, and the little goat will live with us.
Alyonushka thought, thought and married the merchant. They began to live and get along, and the little goat lives with them, eats and drinks from the same cup with Alyonushka. One day the merchant was not at home. Out of nowhere, a witch comes: she stood under Alyonushka’s window and so affectionately began to call her to swim in the river.
The witch brought Alyonushka to the river.
She rushed at her, tied a stone around Alyonushka’s neck and threw her into the water. And she herself turned into Alyonushka, dressed up in her dress and came to her mansion. No one recognized the witch. The merchant returned - and he did not recognize him. One little goat knew everything. He hangs his head, doesn't drink, doesn't eat. In the morning and evening he walks along the bank near the water and calls: “Alyonushka, my sister!” Swim out, swim out to the shore... The witch found out about this and began to ask her husband to slaughter and slaughter the kid. The merchant felt sorry for the little goat, he got used to him. But the witch pestered him so much, begged him so much - there was nothing to do, the merchant agreed: - Well, kill him... The witch ordered to build high fires, heat cast iron cauldrons, sharpen damask knives.
The little goat found out that he did not have long to live, and said to the named father: “Before I die, let me go to the river, drink some water, rinse my intestines.” - Well, go. The little goat ran to the river, stood on the bank and cried out pitifully:
- Alyonushka, my sister! Swim out, swim out to the shore. The fires are burning high, the cast iron cauldrons are boiling, the damask knives are sharpening, they want to stab me to death! Alyonushka from the river answers him: “Oh, my brother Ivanushka!” The heavy stone pulls to the bottom, the silken grass entangles my legs, the yellow sand lies on my chest.
And the witch is looking for the little goat, cannot find it, and sends a servant: - Go find the little goat, bring him to me.
The servant went to the river and saw a little goat running along the bank and calling pitifully:
- Alyonushka, my sister! Swim out, swim out to the shore. The fires are burning high, the cast iron cauldrons are boiling, the damask knives are sharpening, they want to stab me to death! And from the river they answer him: “Ah, my brother Ivanushka!” The stone weighs heavily on the bottom, the silken grass has entangled my legs, the yellow sands lie on my chest.
The servant ran home and told the merchant about what he had heard on the river. They gathered the people, went to the river, threw silk nets and pulled Alyonushka to the shore. They took the stone from her neck, dipped her in spring water, and dressed her in an elegant dress. Alyonushka came to life and became more beautiful than she was. And the little goat threw himself over his head three times with joy and turned into the boy Ivanushka. The witch was tied to a horse's tail and released into an open field.
END
Witch
One day the merchant was not at home. Out of nowhere the witch comes: she stood under Alyonushka’s window and so affectionately began to call her to swim in the river.
The witch brought Alyonushka to the river. She rushed at her, tied a stone around Alyonushka’s neck and threw her into the water.
And she herself turned into Alyonushka, dressed up in her dress and came to her mansion. No one recognized the witch. The merchant returned - and he did not recognize him.
One little goat knew everything. He hangs his head, doesn't drink, doesn't eat. In the morning and evening she walks along the bank near the water and calls: “Alyonushka, my sister!.. Swim out, swim out to the bank... she began to ask for her husband.” The witch found out about this and slaughtered the kid...
The merchant felt sorry for the little goat, he got used to him. But the witch pestered him so much, begged him so much - there was nothing to do, the merchant agreed: - Well, kill him...
The witch ordered to build high fires, heat cast iron cauldrons, and sharpen damask knives. The little goat found out that he did not have long to live, and said to his named father:
Brother disobeyed
He got drunk and became a little goat... Alyonushka calls her brother, and instead of Ivanushka, a little white goat runs after her.
Alyonushka burst into tears, sat down on a haystack, crying, and the little goat was jumping around next to her. At that time, a merchant was driving past: “What are you crying about, red maiden?” Alyonushka told him about her misfortune. The merchant says to her:
- Come marry me. I will dress you in gold and silver, and the little goat will live with us. Alyonushka thought, thought and married the merchant.
They began to live and get along, and the little goat lives with them, eats and drinks from the same cup with Alyonushka.
