The Two Friends
by W. R. S. Ralston · from Russian Folk Tales
Original Story
The Two Friends
THE TWO FRIENDS.[402]
In the days of old there lived in a certain village two young
men. They were great friends, went to besyedas[403] together, in
fact, regarded each other as brothers. And they made this
mutual agreement. Whichever of the two should marry first
was to invite his comrade to his wedding. And it was not to
make any difference whether he was alive or dead.
About a year after this one of the young men fell ill and
died. A few months later his comrade took it into his head to
get married. So he collected all his kinsmen, and set off to
fetch his bride. Now it happened that they drove past the
graveyard, and the bridegroom recalled his friend to mind, and
remembered his old agreement. So he had the horses stopped,
saying:
"I'm going to my comrade's grave. I shall ask him to come
and enjoy himself at my wedding. A right trusty friend was
he to me."
So he went to the grave and began to call aloud:
"Comrade dear! I invite thee to my wedding."
Suddenly the grave yawned, the dead man arose, and said:
"Thanks be to thee, brother, that thou hast fulfilled thy
promise. And now, that we may profit by this happy chance,
enter my abode. Let us quaff a glass apiece of grateful drink."
"I'd have gone, only the marriage procession is stopping
outside; all the folks are waiting for me."
"Eh, brother!" replied the dead man, "surely it won't take
long to toss off a glass!"
The bridegroom jumped into the grave. The dead man
poured him out a cup of liquor. He drank it off--and a hundred
years passed away.
"Quaff another cup, dear friend!" said the dead man.
He drank a second cup--two hundred years passed away.
"Now, comrade dear, quaff a third cup!" said the dead
man, "and then go, in God's name, and celebrate thy marriage!"
He drank the third cup--three hundred years passed away.
The dead man took leave of his comrade. The coffin lid fell;
the grave closed.
The bridegroom looked around. Where the graveyard had
been, was now a piece of waste ground. No road was to be
seen, no kinsmen, no horses. All around grew nettles and tall
grass.
He ran to the village--but the village was not what it used
to be. The houses were different; the people were all strangers
to him. He went to the priest's--but the priest was not the one
who used to be there--and told him about everything that had
happened. The priest searched through the church-books, and
found that, three hundred years before, this occurrence had
taken place: a bridegroom had gone to the graveyard on his
wedding-day, and had disappeared. And his bride, after some
time had passed by, had married another man.
[The "Rip van Winkle" story is too well known to
require more than a passing allusion. It was doubtless
founded on one of the numerous folk-tales which
correspond to the Christian legend of "The Seven
Sleepers of Ephesus"--itself an echo of an older tale
(see Baring Gould, "Curious Myths," 1872, pp. 93-112,
and Cox, "Mythology of the Aryan Nations," i.
413)--and to that of the monk who listens to a bird
singing in the convent garden, and remains entranced
for the space of many years: of which latter legend a
Russian version occurs in Chudinsky's collection (No.
17, pp. 92-4). Very close indeed is the resemblance
between the Russian story of "The Two Friends," and
the Norse "Friends in Life and Death" (Asbjörnsen's
New Series, No. 62, pp. 5-7). In the latter the
bridegroom knocks hard and long on his dead friend's
grave. At length its occupant appears, and accounts
for his delay by saying he had been far away when the
first knocks came, and so had not heard them. Then he
follows the bridegroom to church and from church, and
afterwards the bridegroom sees him back to his tomb.
On the way the living man expresses a desire to see
something of the world beyond the grave, and the
corpse fulfils his wish, having first placed on his
head a sod cut in the graveyard. After witnessing many
strange sights, the bridegroom is told to sit down and
wait till his guide returns. When he rises to his
feet, he is all overgrown with mosses and shrub (var
han overvoxen med Mose og Busker), and when he reaches
the outer world he finds all things changed.]
But from these dim sketches of a life beyond, or rather within the
grave, in which memories of old days and old friendships are preserved
by ghosts of an almost genial and entirely harmless disposition, we
will now turn to those more elaborate pictures in which the dead are
represented under an altogether terrific aspect. It is not as an
incorporeal being that the visitor from the other world is represented
in the Skazkas. He comes not as a mere phantom, intangible,
impalpable, incapable of physical exertion, haunting the dwelling
which once was his home, or the spot to which he is drawn by the
memory of some unexpiated crime. It is as a vitalized corpse that he
comes to trouble mankind, often subject to human appetites, constantly
endowed with more than human strength and malignity. His apparel is
generally that of the grave, and he cannot endure to part with it, as
may be seen from the following story--
Story DNA
Moral
Be wary of promises made lightly, especially those involving the dead, as the consequences can be profound and irreversible.
Plot Summary
Two close friends make a pact to invite each other to their weddings, even if one dies. When one friend dies, the surviving friend, on his wedding day, stops at the grave to fulfill his promise. The dead friend emerges and invites him into the grave for three cups of liquor, each causing 100 years to pass. Upon emerging, the bridegroom finds his village and all he knew transformed by 300 years, his bride long married to another, leaving him a man lost in time.
Themes
Emotional Arc
innocence to bewilderment to profound loss
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story is presented as a Russian folk tale, part of a broader tradition of 'Rip van Winkle' type narratives found across cultures, often linked to Christian legends like 'The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus' or monastic tales of time distortion.
Plot Beats (15)
- Two young men, close friends, make a pact to invite each other to their weddings, even if one is deceased.
- One friend falls ill and dies a year later.
- Months later, the surviving friend is on his way to his wedding with his kinsmen.
- Passing the graveyard, the bridegroom remembers his pact and stops the procession to invite his dead friend.
- The grave opens, and the dead friend emerges, thanking him for fulfilling the promise and inviting him into the grave for a drink.
- The bridegroom hesitates due to his waiting wedding party, but the dead friend insists it will be quick.
- The bridegroom enters the grave and drinks one cup of liquor, causing 100 years to pass.
- He drinks a second cup, and 200 years pass.
- He drinks a third cup, and 300 years pass.
- The dead friend takes leave, the coffin lid falls, and the grave closes.
- The bridegroom emerges to find the graveyard replaced by waste ground, no road, no kinsmen, and no horses.
- He runs to the village, which is completely changed with different houses and unfamiliar people.
- He goes to the priest, who is also a stranger, and recounts his story.
- The priest searches church books and finds a record from 300 years prior about a bridegroom who disappeared from the graveyard on his wedding day.
- The books also reveal that the bride eventually married another man.
Characters
The Bridegroom ★ protagonist
None explicitly given, but implied to be a healthy young man before his disappearance.
Attire: Wedding attire, appropriate for a Russian village wedding of the period, likely including a festive shirt and trousers.
Loyal, traditional, somewhat naive, respectful of old agreements.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young man in his mid-20s, the central hero of the tale. He wears a formal, slightly worn, forest-green velvet tunic with silver embroidery over a white linen shirt, dark trousers, and tall leather boots. His chestnut hair is neatly combed, and he has a determined yet hopeful expression. He stands tall in a confident posture, one hand resting on the hilt of a simple sword at his belt, the other holding a single white rose. He is in a sun-dappled forest clearing. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Dead Friend ◆ supporting
A reanimated corpse, capable of speech and movement.
Attire: Grave clothes, likely a simple shroud or burial attire.
Loyal, hospitable (in a macabre way), powerful, deceptive.
Image Prompt & Upload
A translucent, ethereal figure of a young adult with a gentle, supportive expression. They have flowing, pale silver hair that seems to drift in a nonexistent breeze. Their form is slightly luminous, dressed in simple, layered robes of misty gray and white that blend with their ghostly appearance. They stand with a posture of quiet readiness, one hand slightly extended as if offering help or guidance. The lighting is soft and diffuse, casting no shadows. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Bride ○ minor
None explicitly given.
Attire: Wedding attire, appropriate for a Russian village wedding of the period, likely including a festive dress and head covering.
Patient (initially), practical (marrying another after the groom's disappearance).
Image Prompt & Upload
A young woman in her early twenties with a gentle, wistful expression. She wears an elaborate, flowing white gown with lace sleeves and a long train. Her dark hair is partially pinned up with delicate white flowers, with loose curls framing her face. She holds a small bouquet of pale pink roses and baby's breath. She stands in a soft, poised posture, looking slightly off to the side with a thoughtful gaze. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Priest ○ minor
None explicitly given, but implied to be an old man.
Attire: Clerical attire, likely a cassock.
Wise, knowledgeable (of church records), helpful.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young man in his late teens or early twenties with a solemn, contemplative expression. He has short, neat brown hair and clean-shaven, youthful features. He is dressed in a simple, ankle-length black cassock with a white clerical collar at the throat. He stands straight with a humble posture, holding a small, worn leather-bound prayer book close to his chest with both hands. His gaze is directed slightly downward and to the side, as if in quiet thought. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
The Graveyard
A graveyard where the dead friend is buried. Initially, it is a place of remembrance, but later transforms into a piece of waste ground.
Mood: Somber, respectful, then eerie and transformative
The bridegroom visits his friend's grave, and the dead friend arises, inviting him into the grave. This is where the time distortion occurs.
Image Prompt & Upload
A sprawling graveyard at twilight, bathed in the soft, fading glow of a peach and lavender sunset. In the foreground, a single, well-tended grave with a fresh bouquet of white lilies contrasts with the encroaching wilderness. Weathered, moss-covered headstones tilt at angles, half-swallowed by tall, untamed grass and creeping ivy. Ancient, gnarled oak trees cast long, dramatic shadows. In the distance, a crumbling wrought-iron fence leans precariously, its gates missing, opening to a field of wildflowers and weeds reclaiming the land. The atmosphere is serene yet melancholic, with a gentle mist hovering close to the ground. Colors transition from warm sunset hues to cool, desaturated greens and grays in the overgrown sections. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Inside the Grave
The interior of the dead friend's grave, described as an 'abode'.
Mood: Mysterious, otherworldly, disorienting
The bridegroom drinks three cups of liquor, each causing a hundred years to pass, leading to his Rip Van Winkle-like experience.
Image Prompt & Upload
Twilight filters through a crack in the earth above, casting a soft, blue-gray glow into the subterranean chamber. This is a cozy, forgotten abode nestled within a hollowed grave. A worn, moss-covered armchair sits beside a small, root-entangled table holding a cold teacup. Ancient, leather-bound books spill from a makeshift shelf of stacked stones. The walls are curved earth, lined with creeping ivy and faintly glowing, pale fungi. A single, gnarled root descends from the ceiling like a twisted chandelier. The air is still, cool, and heavy with the scent of damp soil and old paper. Ethereal, diffused light creates long, soft shadows. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Village
The village where the two friends lived. After 300 years, it is completely changed with different houses and unfamiliar people.
Mood: Familiar (initially), then alien and bewildering
The bridegroom returns to find his village utterly transformed, realizing the vast amount of time that has passed.
Image Prompt & Upload
Golden hour bathes a transformed village in warm, amber light. Ancient, moss-covered stone foundations support new, unfamiliar timber and thatch houses with steep, dark roofs. Cobblestone paths wind between structures of unknown design. A central well, old but functional, sits beside a vibrant, newly planted garden. Towering, unfamiliar trees with silver bark and deep emerald leaves cast long shadows. The air is still, carrying a sense of quiet history and profound change. No border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
