The Norka: A Russian Fairy Tale

A kingdom is troubled by a mysterious beast that enters the royal deer park at night and devours its animals. The king promises half his kingdom to whichever of his three sons can destroy the creature. His two elder sons consider themselves capable of the task, but their confidence disappears when they choose pleasure over duty.

The youngest prince, Ivan, is different. His family regards him as a simpleton, and his brothers expect little from him. Yet Ivan is the only one who takes the danger seriously enough to confront the beast. His pursuit eventually carries him beneath the earth, where enchanted palaces, extraordinary women and unexpected dangers await him.

The Norka follows Ivan’s struggle to prove himself. His courage and kindness bring him powerful allies, but his greatest challenge comes when his own brothers betray him. To survive, he must rely on his intelligence as well as his strength.

The Beast in the King’s Deer Park

Once upon a time, a king and queen had three sons. The two eldest were regarded as sensible young men, while the youngest, Ivan, was considered a simpleton.

The king owned an extensive deer park filled with wild animals of many kinds. It should have been a place of pleasure and royal pride, but a terrible creature had made it dangerous. The beast, known as the Norka, entered the park at night and devoured the animals. The king tried every means he could think of to destroy it, yet none of his efforts succeeded.

The losses continued, and the king grew increasingly troubled. He could not allow the creature to destroy the animals in his care without attempting another solution. At last, he summoned his sons and offered a reward that would change their lives.

Whoever succeeded in killing the Norka would receive half the kingdom.

The eldest son immediately undertook the task. He collected his weapons and set out after nightfall, apparently ready to prove his worth. However, before reaching the deer park, he stopped at a tavern. Instead of keeping watch for the beast, he spent the night drinking and making merry.

By the time he recovered his senses, morning had arrived. The opportunity to confront the Norka had passed, and he returned without even seeing the creature.

His failure embarrassed him, but the king gave his second son an opportunity to succeed. The younger brother also took his weapons and set out, promising to accomplish what the eldest had failed to do.

Unfortunately, he made the same mistake. He stopped at a tavern and spent the night in revelry. When daylight came, he too had accomplished nothing.

The king was furious. Both elder sons had accepted the challenge, yet neither had made a serious attempt to fulfil it. He scolded them soundly, and they had to accept the consequences of their carelessness.

Ivan Takes Up the Challenge

After his brothers failed, the youngest prince offered to undertake the task.

His family and brothers did not expect much from him. They considered him foolish and doubted that he could accomplish what two supposedly sensible princes had failed to do. Their laughter and scorn might have discouraged someone who depended on other people’s approval, but Ivan remained determined.

He took his weapons and went directly to the deer park. Rather than wasting the night at a tavern, he settled on the grass and arranged himself so that his weapons would prick him if he began to fall asleep. This would wake him and prevent him from missing the beast’s arrival.

Ivan knew that keeping watch required patience. The Norka appeared at night, so he had to remain alert until it came.

As midnight approached, the earth began to shake. The Norka rushed into the park, bursting through the fence with such force that its enormous size became unmistakable.

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Ivan sprang to his feet, crossed himself and charged towards the creature.

The Norka retreated, and Ivan pursued it. He soon realised that he could not keep pace with the beast on foot, so he hurried to the royal stable, took the best horse he could find and rode after it.

When he caught up, the prince and the monster fought fiercely. Ivan managed to inflict three wounds upon the creature, but the struggle exhausted them both. At last, they stopped to rest.

Ivan closed his eyes for only a moment. The Norka immediately sprang up and fled.

His horse woke him, and Ivan resumed the chase. Once more, he caught up with the creature and fought it. Once more, he wounded it three times. And once more, the exhausted opponents stopped to rest.

Again, the Norka took advantage of the pause and escaped.

Ivan pursued it a third time. He was determined not to abandon his task simply because the beast was difficult to defeat. He caught up with it and delivered another three wounds.

But as he began chasing it for the fourth time, the Norka reached a great white stone. It lifted the stone, disappeared beneath it and escaped into another world.

Before vanishing, the creature called out that Ivan would defeat it only when he entered that world himself.

The prince had finally discovered where the beast went, but the path led somewhere beyond the ordinary kingdom.

The Road Beneath the Earth

Ivan returned home and told his father everything that had happened. He explained that he had fought the Norka repeatedly and wounded it, but the creature had escaped beneath a great white stone.

He asked the king to have a long leather rope made, long enough to reach the world beneath the earth.

The king agreed to the request. When the rope was ready, Ivan called his brothers and gathered servants and provisions for a journey that might last a year. Together, they travelled to the place where the Norka had disappeared.

They built a palace above the stone and lived there for some time while preparing for the next stage of the expedition.

Eventually, Ivan asked his brothers who would lift the enormous stone and descend into the other world to face the Norka.

Neither elder brother could move it. They had once laughed at Ivan for being a simpleton, but neither could accomplish the physical feat he performed without difficulty. Ivan lifted the stone and threw it aside.

He then asked who would descend into the unknown world.

Again, his brothers remained silent. Neither wished to take the risk.

Ivan laughed at their cowardice and told them to lower him by the rope. He instructed them to remain where they were and pull him back up when he gave the signal.

His brothers agreed.

They lowered Ivan beneath the earth until he reached the other world. Once he was safely down, he began walking, uncertain of what he would find.

The Copper Palace

Ivan travelled a considerable distance until he came upon a horse with rich trappings. To his surprise, the horse greeted him by name and declared that it had been waiting for him.

Ivan mounted the horse and continued his journey.

Before long, he saw a magnificent palace made of copper. He entered the courtyard, tied up his horse and went inside. In one room, he discovered a table prepared with food. He sat down to eat, then went into a bedroom and lay down to rest.

While he was there, a beautiful woman entered.

She asked the stranger to identify himself. According to her curious rule, an old man would be treated as her father, a middle-aged man as her brother, and a young man as her husband. She applied a similar rule to women, whom she would welcome as grandmother, mother or sister according to their age.

Ivan came forward and introduced himself.

The woman was delighted to see him and welcomed him as her future husband. She asked why he had travelled to her home, and he explained the trouble caused by the Norka.

The princess listened carefully. She revealed that the beast he wanted to destroy was her brother.

She also explained that the Norka had recently been staying with her second sister, who lived in a silver palace. She herself had treated three of the wounds Ivan had inflicted upon the creature.

Ivan now understood that the monster’s repeated escapes had taken it through a world inhabited by extraordinary beings. The women in these palaces were not ordinary residents of a distant country; they were enchantresses, and they knew the creature’s movements.

He spent some time with the princess, sharing food and conversation, before continuing his pursuit.

The Silver and Golden Palaces

The princess directed Ivan towards her second sister’s home. He rode on until he reached the silver palace.

There, the second princess welcomed him. She confirmed what the first sister had told him and explained that the Norka had moved on to their youngest sister.

Ivan did not remain indefinitely. He had travelled beneath the earth to complete a task, and he continued towards the golden palace where the youngest sister lived.

The third princess received him and listened to his account. She knew where the Norka could be found and offered Ivan the means to defeat it.

The beast was sleeping on the blue sea, she explained. She gave Ivan a sword of steel and a draught of the Water of Strength. She instructed him to strike the Norka once and cut off its head with a single blow.

Ivan accepted the gifts and set out towards the sea.

The journey brought him to a strange sight. Far out on the blue water, the enormous Norka slept upon a stone. Its breathing was so powerful that when it snored, the sea was disturbed for miles around.

Ivan knew that he had finally reached his enemy’s hiding place.

The Final Battle with the Norka

The prince crossed himself, approached the sleeping beast and raised his sword.

He struck the Norka on the head with all the strength he could command. The blow was decisive. The creature’s head flew off and rolled far away into the sea.

As it died, the Norka cried out that it was finished.

Ivan had accomplished what the king’s other sons had failed even to attempt. He had pursued the beast through repeated battles, followed it into another world and finally defeated it at the place where it believed itself safe.

The task that had seemed impossible was complete.

But Ivan’s journey was not yet over. He had met three enchantresses who had helped him, and all three wished to leave the world beneath the earth with him. He decided to bring them back to the upper world.

Each princess possessed the power to transform her palace into an egg and change it back again. The women showed Ivan how the enchantment worked and gave him the eggs containing their palaces.

Together, they returned to the place where Ivan’s brothers were waiting beside the rope.

The Brothers’ Betrayal

Ivan fastened the three princesses to the rope and gave the signal for his brothers to pull them up. The brothers hauled the rope, bringing the women safely into the upper world.

When they saw the princesses, they were astonished by their beauty. Their admiration soon became greed. Instead of being pleased that Ivan had succeeded in his mission, they began to plot against him.

They agreed to lower the rope again and pull Ivan part of the way up. Once he was high above the ground, they would cut the rope, hoping that he would fall to his death. They believed that if Ivan disappeared, they could claim the three princesses for themselves.

Their plan depended on Ivan trusting them completely.

But Ivan was no fool. Although his brothers had always treated him as a simpleton, he recognised their intentions. When they lowered the rope, he did not attach himself to it. Instead, he fastened it to a stone and gave the signal.

His brothers began hauling the rope, believing that they were bringing Ivan back towards them. They pulled the stone high into the air, then cut the rope as they had planned.

The stone fell and broke into pieces.

The brothers had destroyed the object they thought was Ivan, but their treachery had left the prince stranded in the world beneath the earth.

Ivan wept when he realised what had happened. He had fought the Norka, survived the dangers of the journey and rescued the three princesses, only to be betrayed by his own family.

He could not return home by the same route. The rope was gone, and his brothers had abandoned him.

Nevertheless, he continued walking, hoping to discover another way back.

Kindness to the Nestlings

Ivan travelled through the strange world until a storm broke overhead. Lightning flashed, thunder roared and rain fell heavily.

Seeking shelter, he approached a tree. As he looked up, he noticed a nest containing young birds that were being soaked by the rain.

Ivan felt sorry for them. He removed his coat and used it to cover the nestlings, protecting them from the storm. He then sat beneath the tree himself.

Before long, an enormous bird came flying towards the tree. Its body was so large that it blocked the light and made the surroundings darker than before.

The bird was the mother of the nestlings.

When she saw that someone had covered her young, she asked who had done it. On discovering Ivan beneath the tree, she thanked him and offered to repay his kindness. She promised to do whatever he asked.

Ivan immediately explained his predicament. His brothers had betrayed him, and he needed to return to the upper world.

The great bird agreed to carry him there.

She instructed him to prepare a large vessel divided into two sections. One part was to contain meat, while the other held water. The provisions would sustain her during the flight.

Ivan followed her directions, gathering different kinds of game for the food compartment and filling the other section with water.

When everything was ready, the bird took the vessel onto her back, with Ivan sitting in the middle. She spread her enormous wings and began the journey upwards.

The flight carried them through the distance separating the two worlds. Eventually, she brought Ivan to his destination and took her leave, returning to her own home.

Ivan had reached safety, not through strength or a battle, but because he had protected creatures that could not protect themselves.

A Prince in Disguise

Although Ivan had returned to the upper world, he was far from home. His appearance had changed during his adventures, and nobody would have recognised him as a prince.

He went to the house of a tailor and offered to work as his servant. The tailor accepted him, unaware of the young man’s true identity.

While working there, Ivan asked what was happening in the country. His master told him that the two elder princes had returned from the other world with three brides. The women, however, refused to marry until their wedding clothes had been made to match the garments they had worn in their enchanted palaces.

The difficulty was that nobody could measure them or inspect their clothes. The king had summoned the country’s workmen, but none could promise to complete such an extraordinary task.

Ivan understood the problem immediately. The three princesses possessed enchanted palaces that could be transformed into eggs. They had taught him how to use these magical objects, and he still had the means to reach the garments they had left behind.

He encouraged the tailor to offer his services to the king. The tailor protested that he could not make clothes without measurements, but Ivan assured him that everything would be ready.

The tailor went to the palace and accepted the commission.

That night, Ivan took the enchanted eggs into the fields. He transformed them into the three palaces and entered each one to collect the princesses’ wedding clothes. After gathering the garments, he turned the palaces back into eggs and returned to the tailor’s house.

In the morning, the tailor discovered magnificent robes shining with gold, silver and precious stones. He was delighted and took them to the king.

When the princesses saw their garments, they recognised that Ivan must have returned to the upper world. They exchanged glances but remained silent, because the elder princes had threatened them.

Ivan continued helping other craftsmen by finding the garments and objects required for the wedding celebrations. Each time, he arranged for the work to be completed through the enchanted palaces. The craftsmen received their payment and thanked their mysterious helper.

At last, the wedding preparations were finished.

The Princess Recognises Ivan

The three princesses were deeply unhappy because Ivan had not appeared. They knew that he had brought them out of the other world, and they feared that something terrible had happened to him.

As the wedding day approached, the youngest princess asked her father for permission to give alms to the poor.

The king agreed, and she went among the people who had gathered to receive assistance. While distributing money, she examined their faces, hoping to find the man she remembered.

At last, she noticed a ring that she had given Ivan during their time in the other world.

She recognised it immediately.

The person wearing it was Ivan himself, disguised among the beggars. She seized his hand and led him into the royal hall.

There, she told the king that Ivan was the man who had brought the three princesses out of the world beneath the earth. She also explained that his brothers had forbidden them to reveal that he was alive, threatening to kill them if they disobeyed.

The truth came out at last. Ivan had not abandoned the princesses, nor had he failed to return. His brothers had deliberately attempted to kill him so that they could take the women for themselves.

The king was furious and punished the elder sons as he thought appropriate.

Ivan’s identity was restored, and his courage and kindness were finally recognised. The princesses were free to marry the men they had chosen, and three weddings were celebrated.

The prince who had once been dismissed as a simpleton had defeated the Norka, survived betrayal and returned from a world few could reach. His brothers had relied on their status and assumed that he was foolish, but Ivan’s actions revealed his true character.

His victory was not simply the destruction of a terrible beast. It was also the triumph of perseverance, compassion and good judgement over arrogance and envy.

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Moral of the Story

The Norka teaches that courage is measured by actions rather than reputation. Ivan’s brothers appear sensible but repeatedly fail because they lack discipline and honesty. Ivan, whom they dismiss as a simpleton, succeeds through persistence, courage and kindness.

The tale also warns against betrayal and greed. Ivan helps others without demanding a reward, and his kindness saves him when he is stranded in the underworld. His brothers, by contrast, seek personal gain at the cost of their own family.

Knowledge Check

1. What was the Norka doing in the king’s deer park?
It entered the park at night and devoured the wild animals.

2. Why did the two elder princes fail to defeat the Norka?
Both stopped at a tavern and spent the night in revelry instead of keeping watch for the beast.

3. How did Ivan finally kill the Norka?
He followed it into the world beneath the earth, received a sword and the Water of Strength from the youngest enchantress, and cut off the beast’s head with one blow.

4. Why did Ivan’s brothers betray him?
They wanted to get rid of him so they could claim the three beautiful princesses for themselves.

5. How did Ivan return to the upper world?
He protected the nestlings of a giant bird during a storm, and their grateful mother carried him back to the upper world.

6. How was Ivan’s identity revealed?
The youngest princess recognised the ring she had given him and brought him before the king, exposing the elder brothers’ betrayal.

Source

The Red Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang and first published in 1890. “The Norka,” a Russian-derived fairy tale included among the collection’s translated stories.

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