“The tomb is just made for me,” said the hero. “Take the lid of the tomb, Ilyá, and cover me.”
Ilyá answered: [[28]]
“I will not take up the lid of the tomb, O, my big brother. I will not cover thee. This is a foolish jest of thine—thou wilt bury thyself.”
And Svyatogór took the lid and covered himself up in the tomb, but when he tried to lift the lid off again he could not move it. He struggled and strove to lift it, but could do nothing. Then he called to Ilyá:
“O, my young brother! It seems that my fate has found me. I cannot raise the lid. Try thou to lift it.”
Ilyá of Múrom tried hard to raise the cover, but what could he do?
Then said Svyatogór the hero:
“Take my sword of steel and strike across the lid of the tomb.”
Ilyá tried to lift Svyatogór’s great sword, but could not—it was too heavy for him—and he had to say:
“I cannot lift thy sword, O, my brother!”