Vazuza And Volga
by W. R. S. Ralston
Vazuza And Volga VAZUZA AND VOLGA.[268] Volga and Vazuza had a long dispute as to which was the wiser, the stronger, and the more worthy of high respect. They wrangled and wrangled, but neither could gain the mastery in the dispute, so they decided upon the following course:-- "Let us lie down together to sleep," they said, "and whichever of us is the first to rise, and the quickest to reach the Caspian Sea, she shall be held to be the wiser of us two, and the stronger and the worthier of respect." So Volga lay down to sleep; down lay Vazuza also. But during the night Vazuza rose silently, fled away from Volga, chose the nearest and the straightest line, and flowed away. When Volga awoke, she set off neither slowly nor hurriedly, but with just befitting speed. At Zubtsof she came up with Vazuza. So threatening was her mien, that Vazuza was frightened, declared herself to be Volga's younger sister, and besought Volga to take her in her arms and bear her to the Caspian Sea. And so to this day Vazuza is the first to awake in the Spring, and then she arouses Volga from her wintry sleep. In the Government of Tula a similar tradition is current about the Don and the Shat, both of which flow out of Lake Ivan. Lake Ivan had two sons, Shat and Don. Shat, contrary to his father's wishes, wanted to roam abroad, so he set out on his travels, but go whither he would, he could get received nowhere. So, after fruitless wanderings, he returned home. But Don, in return for his constant quietness (the river is known as "the quiet Don"), obtained his father's blessing, and he boldly set out on a long journey. On the way, he met a raven, and asked it where it was flying. "To the blue sea," answered the raven. "Let's go together!" Well, they reached the sea. Don thought to himself, "If I dive right through the sea, I shall carry it away with me." "Raven!" he said, "do me a service. I am going to plunge into the sea, but do you fly over to the other side and as soon as you reach the opposite shore, give a croak." Don plunged into the sea. The raven flew and croaked--but too soon. Don remained just as he appears at the present day.[269] In White-Russia there is a legend about two rivers, the beginning of which has evidently been taken from the story of Jacob and Esau:--
Moral of the Story
While cunning might offer a temporary advantage, true strength and wisdom often prevail through steady and rightful means.
Characters
Volga ★ protagonist
Implied to be a powerful and imposing river, capable of a threatening mien.
Attire: Flowing, river-like form, likely depicted in shades of blue or grey, perhaps with foamy white accents.
Proud, determined, patient, powerful, forgiving (eventually).
Vazuza ⚔ antagonist
Implied to be a smaller, swifter river than Volga.
Attire: Flowing, river-like form, likely depicted in shades of blue or grey, perhaps with foamy white accents.
Cunning, impatient, deceitful, fearful, subservient (after being caught).
Shat ○ minor
A river, implied to be restless and unable to settle.
Attire: Flowing, river-like form, likely depicted in shades of blue or grey.
Rebellious, restless, adventurous, ultimately unsuccessful.
Don ★ protagonist
A river, known as 'the quiet Don'.
Attire: Flowing, river-like form, likely depicted in shades of blue or grey.
Quiet, blessed, bold, ambitious, but ultimately limited by circumstance.
Lake Ivan ◆ supporting
A lake, father to Shat and Don.
Attire: A still, deep body of water, likely depicted in deep blues and greens.
Traditional, wise, capable of giving blessings.
The Raven ◆ supporting
A black bird, capable of flight and speech.
Attire: Natural black plumage.
Helpful, but prone to error or impatience.
Locations
The Sleeping Place
An unspecified outdoor location where Volga and Vazuza lay down to sleep, likely near their origins.
Mood: Quiet, expectant, still.
Volga and Vazuza begin their race to the Caspian Sea.
Zubtsof
A specific location where Volga catches up to Vazuza, implying a confluence or meeting point of the rivers.
Mood: Tense, confrontational, intimidating.
Volga confronts Vazuza, leading to Vazuza's submission and their merging.
The Caspian Sea
The ultimate destination for Volga and Vazuza, a large body of water.
Mood: Goal-oriented, distant, significant.
The intended end point of the rivers' journey and the resolution of their dispute.
Lake Ivan
The origin point of the rivers Shat and Don, a lake in the Government of Tula.
Mood: Home, origin, a place of departure.
The starting point for the journeys of Shat and Don.
The Blue Sea (Don's Destination)
A large, blue body of water that Don reaches after his journey, where he attempts to dive through.
Mood: Vast, mysterious, a place of ambition and challenge.
Don attempts to carry away the sea, leading to his current form.
Story DNA
Moral
While cunning might offer a temporary advantage, true strength and wisdom often prevail through steady and rightful means.
Plot Summary
Two rivers, Volga and Vazuza, argue over who is superior and agree to race to the Caspian Sea after sleeping. Vazuza secretly wakes early and takes a direct path, but Volga, waking later, proceeds steadily and eventually overtakes her. Frightened by Volga's imposing presence, Vazuza submits, declares herself the younger sister, and asks Volga to carry her. To this day, Vazuza awakens first in spring to rouse Volga, symbolizing their enduring relationship.
Themes
Emotional Arc
rivalry to submission
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story explains the geographical relationship between the Vazuza and Volga rivers, where the Vazuza is a tributary of the Volga, joining it at Zubtsov. The mention of the Don and Shat in Tula indicates a common folk tradition of personifying rivers and explaining their courses.
Plot Beats (10)
- Volga and Vazuza, two rivers, argue about who is superior in wisdom, strength, and respect.
- Unable to resolve their dispute, they agree to a race to the Caspian Sea: whoever wakes first and arrives quickest wins.
- They both lie down to sleep.
- During the night, Vazuza secretly wakes up, takes the most direct route, and flows away.
- Volga wakes up later and proceeds at a measured, steady pace.
- Volga catches up to Vazuza at Zubtsof.
- Volga's imposing presence frightens Vazuza.
- Vazuza admits defeat, declares herself Volga's younger sister, and asks Volga to carry her to the Caspian Sea.
- Volga accepts, and they continue together.
- The story concludes by explaining that Vazuza still wakes first in spring to awaken Volga.
