ABSTRACT
In a certain tsardom, in a certain land, there was a merchant; his wife had died. He was left with just a son, Ivan. He appointed an uncle and mentor for his son, and then after a little while he got married for a second time. Since Ivan the merchant’s son was already of an age and was very handsome, his stepmother fell in love with him. Once Ivan the merchant’s son set off on a raft with his uncle to go hunting in the sea. Suddenly they saw thirty ships sailing toward them. On these thirty ships was a maiden tsar with thirty other maids, all her sworn sisters. When the little raft came up next to the ships, all thirty of the ships dropped anchor. Ivan the merchant’s son and his uncle were summoned on board the very best ship. There the tsar maiden welcomed them with thirty maids, her sworn sisters, and she said to Ivan the merchant’s son that she loved him madly and had come to see him from afar. Right there they were engaged.
