A Story of Saint Nicholas

A Story of Saint Nicholas

In a certain city, in a certain state, there once lived a merchant

Nicholas with his wife. From the beginning they lived happily and were

wealthy. But their chief joy was in this: that the Lord had presented

them with a son, and such a beautiful son too! Sensible and wise—and the

only prayer which the mother and father addressed to God and to his holy

godfather St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker, was that they should endow him

with happiness and long life.

But, as old age crept on, they, for some reason, began to become poor;

and they became so poor that Nicholas, from a famous merchant, became a

mere tradesman, and they only had one little shop, and in the shop there

was a chest of tobacco, a few nails, and a little iron. And either from

the fact that they were growing poorer, or that they were becoming

older, the mother and father of Iván—for this was the name of Nicholas’s

son—had become feeble.

One day the father called Iván to him, and said: “Now, our beloved son,

we, it seems, shall soon die; but do you not weep for us, but rather

pray God. For we have already lived out our life; and this is as it must

be. But you bury us properly, for I have saved up money for you for this

purpose. One third of the money you are to spend on the funeral, the

second on the Requiem Mass, and with the third buy a shop and go into

trade. And I will give you my blessing. Do not give any one false

measure or cheat; and if you shall grow rich, do not forget God, and to

give alms to the poor, as I did time agone. Now, my son, farewell. May

the Divine mercy guard you and our guilty souls.”

Seven days passed, and Iván buried his father, and his mother soon

afterwards, and began to trade. Soon he began to overlook the stock, and

in the corner he found an image of the holy St. Nicholas the

Wonder-Worker. So he brought the image into the izbá[27] and he poured

water into a vessel, washed it out, cleaned it in front of the image,

and soon after went to market, bought a little lamp, and lighted it in

front of the image.

On the first Sunday he called the Pope in, had a Mass said for his

parents, chanted a prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker, and took

the image into the shop, so that he might gaze at it constantly; and

thereafter, whenever he went into the shop, he used first of all to pray

before the image, and afterwards he began to trade.

And his trade went so well that it seemed as if the Lord Himself had

been sending customers. Later on he built a second shop, and every day

he gave much money in alms, and amongst others, to one old man who every

day repaired to him. Iván was very fond of him, and when a new clerk had

to be engaged for the new shop, he said to this old man: “Grandfather, I

do not know thy hallowed name; I do not know, father, how to call thee;

only do not be angry with me, for I have built a new shop, and I have no

clerk. Come with me as my clerk, and I will obey you as I would have

obeyed my own father. Do be kind and do not refuse.”

The old man at the beginning would very gladly have refused; but

afterwards they agreed, and began to live and dwell together, and Iván,

in all things, obeyed the old man, and called him Bátyushka.

The old man carried on trade prosperously and profitably; and one day he

said: “Ivánushka, your trade does not altogether suit me; for you trade

in tobacco, and God loves not smoking, nor does He love tobacconists. So

buy some small goods, and you will have more purchasers, and will not

incur sin.”

Iván obeyed, and purchased many goods of all sorts, and set up shop

anew. When all the goods were sold out, Iván went into the

counting-house, and he saw threefold his money wherever he looked. Iván

was extremely joyous at so big a profit, and he called in the Pope, and

he recited the prayer to Nicholas the Wonder-Worker. And as to the old

man, he was so happy, and he prayed so heartily to God.

So they traded on for three years more, and Iván became so rich that the

old man advised him to sell out and cross the seas with his goods. And

Iván obeyed the old man, bought a ship, loaded it with wares, and gave

his house to the poor, setting one of them in as the master until he

should come back himself. And they prayed to God, and he and the old man

set sail.

Soon they arrived: it may be near, it may be far—the tale is soon told,

but the deed is not soon done—and suddenly robbers came upon them and

plundered them of all their goods: and only left themselves alive and

unscathed. It was a bitter shock to Iván. But the old man quieted him,

and said that all of this was for the best. So they sailed on for three

days after this; and on the third day they landed on an island, and they

saw a great mass of bricks. The old man said to Iván: “Get ready,

Ivánushka, and load these bricks on your ship.” Iván said: “What shall I

do with these bricks? I would sooner die than do trade in them.” But the

old man answered and said: “Oh, Ivánushka, Ivánushka, you have had

little experience; and I tell you that any single one of these bricks is

worth more than all the wares of which the robbers plundered you!” And

he threw one of the bricks on the ground, and under the clay there was a

splendid jewel.

So Iván was glad, and began loading the ship with the bricks. And when

they had loaded it to the full, the old man said: “Now, Ivánushka, you

must also make some plain bricks in order that buccaneers may not steal

the valuable ones.” So they loaded plain bricks as well. But on their

way the wind arose and they sailed farther, and the robbers fell on them

again and began to search for the goods. So the old man said to them:

“Have mercy, good folk! Leave us alive; for robbers some time ago took

away all we had, and now we only carry bricks, such bricks as we made on

the island.” The pirates looked and were persuaded and sailed farther

on, and so did Iván and the old man, and very soon arrived at a haven

and stayed there.

In that kingdom there was a custom that all merchants who arrived should

bring some of all their wares as a homage to the king. So the old man

said to Iván: “Ivánushka, pray to the Lord God, and go and buy a golden

vessel and a fatá, and to-morrow go and make your homage to the king.”

Iván obeyed the old man, and the next day went to make his homage to the

king. They told the king that a merchant had come to do allegiance, and

the king sat on his throne and gave audience to Iván.

Iván came up to the king, and in his hands there was a golden vessel

covered by a fatá, and in the golden vessel there was a brick. So the

king asked Iván from what realm he came, and how his father and mother

were named. And then he uncovered the fatá, and when he saw the brick

he was very wroth, and said: “I suppose you think I have very few

bricks, and you have come to trade in them in my kingdom!” And then he

rushed at Iván. But Iván turned aside and the brick fell to the ground

and split in two.

Then the king saw that he had behaved unseemlywise, and began to ask

Iván for forgiveness. And he forthwith bought the entire ship off Iván.

And when Iván saw this, he said: “You may take all my goods, but I will

not sell my vessel, for therein do I have an old man who is my clerk,

and we should not be able to live in the town.” “Oh,” said the king,

“are there two of you?” And the king, on hearing this, became very

angry, and said: “I will not let you go, but I must have the ship.” And

Iván went down on his knees and besought him that he would let them go.

Then the king said: “If one of you will read some psalms for three

nights to my daughter who is now in the church, you may keep the ship.”

For his daughter was a witch, and every night turned into a human being.

Iván returned to his ship, and he was sad and disheartened. He did not

wish to go himself, for he did not wish to die; and if he dismissed the

old man, it was very hard to part.

The old man said to Iván: “Why, Ivánushka, why are you so miserable and

hang your head?” And Iván told him all that had happened, and what the

king had said. So the old man answered him: “Never mind, Ivánushka,

cheer up! Pray to the Saviour, and lie down and sleep, and I will think

out some means of getting out of the danger.”

Soon it began to grow dark, and the old man roused Iván and said: “Here

are three tapers. As long as the first burns, pray to God; when the

second is burnt out, light the third, and then enter by the right-hand

side of the Holy Gates by the altar-screen and say nothing; only mutter

a prayer all the time. Go, and God bless you.”

So Iván landed, and the king’s attendants took Iván into the church and

locked it, and he began to read the Psalter. One candle went out and

then another, and he lighted the third, and lay down at the right-hand

side of the Holy Gates. Then the flooring suddenly jumped up, and the

witch began to search for Iván: “Where are you? I want to eat you.” And

she looked, and she looked, and she could not find him, and then the

cock crew, and she went once more into the grave. Then Iván got up,

covered up the grave, and began to read once more.

In the morning they went there to collect his bones; but there Iván was,

as large as life. And they went and told the king. And he bade him for

the second time go and read prayers.

And Iván went to the old man and told him what had happened in the

church by night.

Next night the old man told Iván to lie down on the left-hand side of

the Holy Gates. And once more the witch could not find him.

On the third night the old man gave him three tapers and a ball of

pitch; and the pitch was rolled round with hair. He said: “To-night,

Ivánushka, is the last night. When you have burned out the last taper,

lie down beside the grave, and when the witch rises out of it, go and

lie in the grave in her place, and do not let her in until she shall

read out the prayers ‘Maiden Mother of God, rejoice!’ and ‘_Our Father

Which art in Heaven_.’”

Iván went into the church and began to read the Psalter, and after

lighting the third candle, lay down on the right-hand side of the grave.

The witch broke out of the coffin and passed over Iván and began to look

for him all over the church. When the time came for her to lie down,

there was Iván in her place. “Ah! there art thou!” the witch cried. “For

thrice twenty-four hours I have been hungry. Come out; I want to eat

you.” And Iván threw the ball covered with hair at her, and she nibbled

and gnawed at it. And she at last said: “Let me go!” “No,” said Iván, “I

will not let you go.” “Let me go!” the witch repeated. “Then do you,”

said Iván, “recite the prayer ‘Maiden Mother of God, rejoice!’ after

me, and then I will let you go.” And the witch read out the prayer and

then said: “Let me go!” And Iván said: “Now read the Our Father, then

I will let you go.” And the witch read it out. Then Iván came out and

said: “Lie down.” But the witch said: “Now I cannot lie down.” Then she

and Iván began to pray.

In the morning two men came in, and they not only saw Iván, but also

Olyóna, the king’s daughter—for this was the witch’s name. And they went

to the king, and recounted all they had beheld.

And the king assembled all the spiritual hierarchy and went into the

church. And he thought it must be that Iván had turned into a wizard,

but when he saw how things really were, he embraced Iván and called him

his son. And the witch said to Iván: “Now, Iván, the merchant’s son, if

you have been able to pray to God and to bring me to life again, now

learn how to master me, and I will never depart one step from you.”

So Iván went to the ship, and he told the old man all that had happened,

and the old man said: “Ivánushka, fear nothing, take Olyóna

Korólyevna[28] as your wife, only for the first three nights do not go

to sleep until the cock has crowed three times, and then she will never

more oppress you.”

There was no loitering at the king’s court; very soon all was got ready,

and Iván was affianced to Princess Olyóna. And for two weeks he lived

quite happily. Then he said to his father-in-law: “Good father, let me

go home and have a Mass said for my father and mother, and once more see

my home.” And the king said: “My beloved son, Iván, the merchant’s son,

I will not withstand your wish, but do return hither. You see yourself I

am no longer young, and I have no heir. When you return I will give you

my kingdom, and you will live happily and merrily.”

So they set out on their journey, and arrived at their own kingdom, to

their native land. And Iván took Olyóna with him. When they arrived at

the island of the bricks, they loaded all the vessels, and there were

many ships, and they excavated the entire island.

One day the old man began to cut firewood, took them to the opposite

side of the island and said: “Ivánushka, my well-doer, I must now speak

with you.” And he bade them come where the firewood was stacked. He lit

the firewood; and when it was in flame he took Olyóna, threw her down,

trod on one leg, and pulled her apart into two halves, taking hold of

the other leg. Iván did not know what to say! And the old man put both

halves on the fire, and out of the fire there then crept snakes, frogs,

and all sorts of reptiles. Then he took the two parts out of the fire,

rinsed them thoroughly in the sea, sprinkled them over with water, made

the sign of the cross, and Olyóna arose such a beauty as no tale can

tell and no pen can write. Then he said: “Now, my well-doer, Ivánushka,

you are to be a mighty king; Iván, the merchant’s son, you are now rich

and famous and happy, so see to it that you do not forget God and the

poor. I shall see you no more.”

Iván and Olyóna knelt down and began to beseech him, but the old man

said: “Beg no more of me, but rather thank God for sending me to you. I

loved you and your father, Iván, and you even more, because you kindly

gave me alms; and now you are rich and famous, do not forget to give

alms to the poor.” Then he vanished.

Iván and Olyóna praised God, went back to the ships, and sailed farther

on.

When the poor saw that Iván had arrived with untold wealth, they crowded

to the shore and began to kiss Iván’s hands, his feet, and the hem of

his garment; and all present were so joyous that the tears flowed from

their eyes.

Iván put up crosses on his parents’ grave, clothed the poor, gave them

his house, and returned to his father-in-law, and for many years

governed his kingdom. And he lived so long that he saw in his old age

his sons, his grandsons, and his great-grandsons. And he ever prayed and

blessed God and Nicholas the Wonder-Worker for the mercy they had

manifested to him.

In that kingdom where he was king, to this very day King Iván and his

wife Olyóna the Fair are remembered.[29]