In a far-away kingdom in a distant empire lived a Tsar and his
Tsaritsa and they had three sons. All three sons were young,
unwed and valiant, the like of which no tale can tell, and no quill
write.
The Tsar called his three sons to him and said, “ My dear
children, take each of you an arrow, stretch taut the cords of your
bows, and shoot in different directions. Wherever your arrows
fall, that is where you will find your destined brides.”
The elder brother shot his arrow, and it fell in the courtyard of
a boyar, a mighty lord, right in front of the lord’s daughter’s
chamber. The middle brother shot his arrow, and it flew into a
courtyard, falling in front of a magnificent balcony, where there
stood a lovely young maiden, the daughter of a merchant. The
youngest brother, Ivan Tsarévich, or Prince Ivan, shot his arrow,
and it fell into a muddy marsh, where a quacking-frog caught
hold of it in its mouth.
Prince Ivan said to his father, the Tsar: “How can I take this
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All time my favourite story.