The Sorry Drunkard
by Alexander Afanasyev · from Russian Fairy Tales
Original Story
The Sorry Drunkard
Once there lived an old man, and he was such a sorry drunkard as words
cannot describe. He used to go to the drinking-booth, drink green wine,
and crawl away home through the hops. And his road lay across a river.
When he came to the river, he did not dally to think; but slipped off
his boots, hung them on his head, and wandered at ease till he came into
the middle, stumbled and fell into the water, and was heard of no more.
But he had a son, Ugly Peter, Petrúsha. When Petrúsha saw that his
father had vanished utterly, he became melancholy, and wept, had a
Requiem Mass sung for his soul, and began to administer the property.
One day, on a Sunday, he went to church to pray to God. As he was going
on his way, in front of him there was a woman crawling along, going
slowly, slowly, stumbling on the reeds, and scolding hard: “What the
devil knocks you against me!”
Petrúsha heard her ugly language, and said: “Good-day, Auntie; where are
you going?”
“I am off to church, Gossip, to pray to God.”
“But is not it very sinful of you, going to church to pray to God, and
then invoking the Unholy Spirit? You stumbled, and then invoked the
devil!”
Well, he went on, and he heard Mass, and went on and on; and suddenly,
from somewhere or other, there stood in front of him a fine youth who
bowed down to him and said: “Thank you, Petrúsha, for your good word.”
“What are you? Why do you thank me?” Petrúsha asked.
“Oh, I am the Devil, and I am thanking you because when the old woman
was stumbling along and barking at me uselessly, you put in a good word
for me.” And he began to beseech him: “Do come, Petrúsha, and be my
guest, and I will give you a reward—gold and silver—all you wish.”
“All right!” said Petrúsha; “I will come.”
And the Devil gave him his directions, and instantly vanished, and
Petrúsha went back home.
Next day Petrúsha went to pay a visit to the Devil—went on and went on
for three whole days; and he got into a deep wood—into the dreary and
darksome forest where he could not see the sky. And in that forest there
stood a rich palace; and when he came to the palace, a fair maiden saw
him. She had been stolen from a village by the Unholy Spirit. She saw
him and asked: “Why have you come here, doughty youth? Here the devils
live, and they will tear you to tatters.”
Petrúsha told her how and why he had come to this palace.
“Well, look you to it,” the fair maiden said; “the devils are going to
give you gold and silver—do not take any of it. Only ask them to give
you the sorry horse on which the unholy spirits load their fuel and
water. This horse is your father. When he got drunk and fell into the
water, the devils instantly got hold of him, turned him into a horse,
and now he serves as the beast of burden to carry their wood and water
for them.”
Then that same youth came forward who had invited Petrúsha to pay him a
visit, and he began to entertain him with all sorts of sweetmeats and
drinks. Then the time came for Petrúsha’s departure home.
“As a parting gift,” the Devil said to him, “I will give you money, and
a splendid horse, and you shall ride home royally.”
“This is of no use to me,” Petrúsha answered. “But if you will give me
anything, give me that sorry jade—that battered jade which carries your
wood and water.”
“Whatever use is that sorry nag to you? Why, you will hardly get home on
it! Why, it tumbles down if you look at it!”
“I don’t mind about that; give it to me; it is the only thing I will
take.”
So the devils gave him the sorry jade. Petrúsha took it and led it out
to the entrance. As soon as he was at the outside, he met the fair
maiden, who asked: “Have you got the horse?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Then, fair youth, when you arrive at your village, take the cross off
from your neck and pass it round the horse three times, and then hang
the cross on its head.”
Petrúsha bowed down to her, and set on his way; and he arrived at his
village, and did all the maiden had commanded: took his copper cross
from his neck, passed it three times round the horse, and hung the cross
on its head. And all at once it was the horse no longer; but, instead,
became his own father.
The son looked at the father, shed hot tears, and took him into his own
izbá.[11] The old man lived for three days without speaking, and could
not unseal his tongue. After that, they lived on in all good luck and
happiness.
The old man altogether forsook being drunk; and to his last day not a
drop of wine passed his lips.
Story DNA
Moral
Even the most lost can be redeemed through love and faith, and good deeds can lead to unexpected rewards.
Plot Summary
A notorious drunkard drowns, leaving his son, Petrúsha, to mourn. Petrúsha's good deed earns him an invitation from a devil, where he learns his father was transformed into a horse by the devils. Guided by a captive maiden, Petrúsha refuses all riches and instead demands the 'sorry jade' (his father). Upon returning home, he performs a ritual with his cross, transforming the horse back into his father, who then lives a sober and happy life.
Themes
Emotional Arc
melancholy to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Afanas'ev collected Russian folk tales in the 19th century. The story reflects common folk beliefs about the devil, consequences of sin (drunkenness), and the power of Christian symbols.
Plot Beats (15)
- An old man, a notorious drunkard, drowns in a river on his way home from the drinking-booth.
- His son, Ugly Peter (Petrúsha), mourns him, performs a Requiem Mass, and takes over the property.
- On a Sunday, Petrúsha encounters an old woman cursing the devil and gently admonishes her for her language while going to church.
- A devil appears to Petrúsha, thanking him for his 'good word' and inviting him to his palace for a reward.
- Petrúsha accepts the invitation and journeys for three days into a dark forest.
- He arrives at a rich palace and is warned by a fair maiden, stolen by devils, about the dangers.
- The maiden reveals that Petrúsha's father was turned into a horse by the devils and now serves as their beast of burden.
- She instructs Petrúsha to refuse all gold and silver and instead ask for the 'sorry jade' that carries wood and water.
- The devil offers Petrúsha money and a splendid horse, but Petrúsha insists on taking only the sorry jade.
- The devils reluctantly give Petrúsha the sorry jade, questioning its usefulness.
- The maiden meets Petrúsha outside and gives him specific instructions for a ritual with his cross once he reaches his village.
- Petrúsha returns home and performs the ritual: passing his copper cross three times around the horse and hanging it on its head.
- The horse instantly transforms back into his father.
- Petrúsha weeps, takes his father into his home, and the old man, after three days, regains his speech.
- The father lives out his days sober and happy with his son.
Characters
The Sorry Drunkard ○ minor
None explicitly given, but implied to be frail or unkempt due to his alcoholism.
Attire: None explicitly given, but he wears boots which he removes and hangs on his head before crossing the river.
Irresponsible, alcoholic, easily manipulated (by drink).
Image Prompt & Upload
A teenage boy, around sixteen, slumped against a brick wall in a dimly lit alley at night. He has messy, straw-colored hair falling over his forehead and a pale, tear-streaked face with a deeply remorseful expression. His clothes are worn and dirty: a too-large tweed jacket with frayed elbows, a stained white shirt untucked, and patched trousers. One hand loosely grips an empty brown glass bottle lying on the cobblestones beside him. His posture is utterly dejected, shoulders hunched, knees drawn up to his chest, head bowed in shame. The scene is illuminated by the cold, distant glow of a single streetlamp. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Ugly Peter ★ protagonist
None explicitly given, but his name suggests he is not conventionally handsome.
Attire: Implied to wear a copper cross around his neck, typical of the period and culture.
Melancholy, pious, observant, clever, compassionate, determined.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young man in his late teens with a large, lumpy nose, uneven teeth, and small, squinting eyes. He has messy, straw-colored hair and a patchy, sparse beard. He wears a tattered, oversized brown tunic cinched with a rope belt, patched trousers, and worn-out leather boots. He stands with a slightly hunched, awkward posture, looking cautiously to one side as if listening for danger. He holds a simple wooden staff in one hand. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Old Woman ○ minor
Crawling along, stumbling on reeds.
Attire: None explicitly given, but implied to be peasant attire suitable for walking to church.
Grumpy, superstitious, prone to cursing.
Image Prompt & Upload
Elderly woman, late seventies, with deep wrinkles and kind, tired eyes. Long, silver-white hair pulled back in a loose bun. Wearing a simple, faded grey-blue woolen dress with a patched, beige apron. She stands slightly stooped, holding a small wooden basket in one hand. Expression is gentle and weary. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Devil ⚔ antagonist
A fine youth.
Attire: None explicitly given, but likely fine clothing befitting a 'fine youth' and host of a rich palace.
Deceptive, manipulative, appreciative of flattery, powerful.
Image Prompt & Upload
A tall, slender male figure with sharp, angular features and pale crimson skin. He has slicked-back obsidian hair, two short, polished black horns curving from his temples, and glowing amber eyes with slit pupils. He wears a tailored black velvet doublet with subtle flame-like embroidery in dark gold, over a high-collared crimson shirt. His posture is rigid and arrogant, one hand resting on the pommel of an ornate, obsidian cane. A thin, cruel smile plays on his lips. Faint wisps of dark smoke curl around his polished black boots. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Fair Maiden ◆ supporting
Fair.
Attire: None explicitly given, but likely simple attire as she was 'stolen from a village'.
Wise, helpful, empathetic, knowledgeable about the devils' ways.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young woman in her late teens with long, flowing chestnut hair adorned with small wildflowers. She wears a soft green gown with delicate floral embroidery along the neckline and sleeves. Her expression is gentle and kind, with a soft, encouraging smile. She stands in a relaxed, graceful pose, one hand lightly holding a basket of freshly picked herbs. The setting is a sun-dappled forest clearing. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
River Crossing
A river that the old man's road lay across, where he stumbled and fell into the water.
Mood: dangerous, final, tragic
The old man's death and transformation.
Image Prompt & Upload
A dusky, mist-shrouded river winds through an ancient forest, its dark waters swirling around a worn, mossy stone ford where a narrow dirt road meets the bank. Gnarled willows and weeping birches droop over the water, their leaves shimmering with a faint, silvery-blue glow in the fading twilight. The air is thick with a cool, damp haze, and the last rays of a golden sunset pierce through the canopy, casting long, dramatic shadows across the scene. The water's surface reflects the deep indigo and violet of the twilight sky, disturbed only by gentle ripples. The overall atmosphere is quiet, mysterious, and slightly melancholic, with a sense of timeless passage. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration
Dreary and Darksome Forest
A deep, dark forest where Petrúsha could not see the sky, leading to the Devil's palace.
Mood: eerie, mysterious, foreboding
Petrúsha's journey to the Devil's realm.
Image Prompt & Upload
Deep, dark forest at twilight, impenetrable canopy blocking the sky, gnarled ancient trees with twisted branches forming a dense ceiling, eerie blue-green moss clinging to bark, a faint mist hovering over the forest floor, a narrow winding path disappearing into the gloom, in the far distance a looming silhouette of a gothic palace with sharp spires and glowing red windows, oppressive atmosphere, muted colors of deep greens, blacks, and dark purples, no visible stars or moon, dense undergrowth of ferns and fungi, sense of overwhelming dread and mystery, no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Devil's Palace
A rich palace standing within the dark forest, where devils live.
Mood: opulent, dangerous, magical
Petrúsha's encounter with the Devil and the fair maiden, and his retrieval of his father.
Image Prompt & Upload
Twilight descends upon a monstrous gothic palace of jagged black stone and sharp spires, looming within a suffocating ancient forest. The architecture is a chaotic fusion of cruel angles and gargoyles, with tall, narrow windows glowing with a malevolent amber light from within. The surrounding woods are a tangle of gnarled, leafless trees with bark like charred bone, their branches clawing at the bruised purple and orange sky. A thick, low-lying mist curls around the palace's foundation and between the twisted roots, catching the faint, unnatural luminescence. The air feels heavy and still, with an eerie, deep crimson glow emanating from some unseen source below, casting long, distorted shadows across the courtyard. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration
Petrúsha's Village
The village where Petrúsha lives, where he performs the ritual to transform his father back.
Mood: familiar, hopeful, transformative
The transformation of the horse back into Petrúsha's father.
Image Prompt & Upload
Twilight descends upon Petrúsha's Village, a cluster of ancient Slavic wooden houses with thatched roofs nestled in a misty valley. The air is cool and still, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine. A soft, ethereal glow emanates from lanterns hung on porches and from a central stone circle where a faint, magical blue light pulses gently. The cobblestone paths are slick with recent rain, reflecting the deep indigo sky and the warm, amber light from shuttered windows. In the distance, a dark, enchanted forest looms, its edges softened by low-hanging fog. A large, gnarled oak tree stands sentinel near the village well, its branches adorned with faded ribbons. The overall atmosphere is one of hushed anticipation and ancient, quiet magic. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
