Svyatogór then called to him:
“My little brother, bend down to this small chink in the tomb, and I will breathe upon thee the spirit of a hero.”
Ilyá bent down to the chink and Svyatogór the hero breathed upon him his hero’s spirit. Ilyá felt that his former strength had become three times as great as before. He took the sword of steel and struck a blow across the lid of the tomb. By this blow sparks were struck, but on the place where he struck the lid there grew a band of iron.
The hero Svyatogór called to him again, saying: [[29]]
“My young brother, I am suffocating; try again to strike the lid lengthwise.”
Ilyá struck the cover lengthwise with the great sword, but again where he struck there grew a band of iron.
Then the hero Svyatogór spoke to him, saying:
“My young brother, I am suffocating. Stoop down to the chink and I will breathe upon thee and will give thee all my great strength.”
But Ilyá answered:
“If I had all thy strength, O, my big brother, Earth would not bear me.”