Vazuza and Volga

A Russian Fairy Tale Story

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.

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: --

SOZH AND DNIEPER.

A Russian Fairy Tale Story

There was once a blind old man called Dvina. He had
two sons--the elder called Sozh, and the younger Dnieper.
Sozh was of a boisterous turn, and went roving about the forests,
the hills, and the plains; but Dnieper was remarkably
sweet-tempered, and he spent all his time at home, and was his
mother's favorite. Once, when Sozh was away from home, the
old father was deceived by his wife into giving the elder son's
blessing to the younger son. Thus spake Dvina while blessing
him: --

" Dissolve, my son, into a wide and deep river. Flow past
towns, and bathe villages without number as far as the blue sea.
Thy brother shall be thy servant. Be rich and prosperous to
the end of time! "

Dnieper turned into a river, and flowed through fertile meadows
and dreamy woods. But after three days, Sozh returned
home and began to complain.

" If thou dost desire to become superior to thy brother, "
said his father, " speed swiftly by hidden ways, through dark
untrodden forests, and if thou canst outstrip thy brother, he will
have to be thy servant! "

Away sped Sozh on the chase, through untrodden places,
washing away swamps, cutting out gullies, tearing up oaks by
the roots. The Vulture told Dnieper of this, and he put on
extra speed, tearing his way through high hills rather than turn
on one side. Meanwhile Sozh persuaded the Raven to fly
straight to Dnieper, and, as soon as it had come up with him
to croak three times; he himself was to burrow under the earth,
intending to leap to the surface at the cry of the Raven, and by
that means to get before his brother. But the Vulture fell on
the Raven; the Raven began to croak before it had caught up
the river Dnieper. Up burst Sozh from underground, and fell
straight into the waves of the Dnieper.