Once, there was an old man named Abrosim. He lived with his old wife Fetinia and a son, Ivanushka. They were very poor and could barely survive. One day, the old man brought home a crust of bread for his wife and son. Hardly had they begun to cut it when Krutchina (Sorrow) came from behind the stove, took away the bread and ran back. The old man begged her to give it back as they had nothing else to eat. Krutchina answered, “I will not give back the bread to you but I will give you a duck, which will lay a golden egg every day.” “Where will I find this duck?” asked the old man. “Early in the morning go to the town and there you will see a duck in a pond; catch it and bring it home,” replied Krutchina, The next morning, the old man got up early and went to the town. He was delighted to see a duck in the pond. He caught the duck and took it home.
The Shopkeeper
The old man and his wife were very happy. They kept the duck in a bowl and covered it with a sieve. After a few hours, the duck had laid a golden egg. Abrosim took the egg to town and sold it for hundred rubles. With this money, he bought all kinds of vegetables, and came back home. The next day, the duck laid another egg, and the old man sold this egg as well. This way, the duck went on laying a golden egg every day. Abrosim became a rich merchant. In the meantime, Fetinia had secretly befriended a young shopkeeper. One day, he caught sight of the duck; he saw written under her wing in golden letters, “Whoever eats this duck will become a Tsar.” The shopkeeper forced Fetinia to roast the duck. At last, she killed the duck and popped her into the stove. The shopkeeper went away and promised to come back.
Ivanushka Leaves Home
As soon as the shopkeeper went away, Ivanushka returned home. He ate the roasted duck and then returned to his work. The shopkeeper came back and asked Fetinia, to serve him the roasted duck. But the duck was not there. Angrily, he left the house. At night Abrosim and Ivanushka came home and looking for the duck, the old man asked his wife about the duck. Fetinia replied that she knew nothing about the duck. At once Ivanushka said, “I saw a roasted duck and ate it up.” Abrosim was very angry and drove his son out of the house. Walking aimlessly on the road, Ivan came to a great city. As he entered the gates, he saw a large number of people gathered. They all were in mourning. Their Tsar had died and they could not decide upon the next Tsar. Finally, they came to an agreement that whoever first passed through the city gates would be the next Tsar.
The Tsar
At that very instant, Ivan entered through the city gates. Seeing him, all the people yelled with one voice, “Here comes our new Tsar!” The elders in the crowd took Ivanushka by the arms, and brought him into the royal apartments. They dressed him in the Tsar’s robes and made him sit on the Tsar’s throne. Ivanushka, the new Tsar, ordered one of his servants, Luga, “Travel to my native country, go to the King and beg him to deliver up to me merchant Abrosim and his wife. If he refuses, tell him that I will destroy his kingdom.” When Luga arrived at Ivanushka’s native country, he went to the King, and asked him to give up Abrosim and Fetinia. Scared to offend Ivanushka, he handed over Abrosim and Fetinia. They were happy that their son had become a great Tsar. All of them lived happily together.
