The old farmer Iván blessed Ilyá and said:
“I give thee my blessing for the good work, but for evil work no blessing I give. Go thou on the right road, and do no harm to any woman whether she be Christian or Tartar.”
Ilyá of Múrom bowed to the earth before his father, and said farewell to his mother and his sisters and brothers, and then he mounted his good horse and rode [[31]]through the open plain. With his whip he struck his horse on the curved hind quarter and his restive steed was wroth and suddenly sprang from the earth and bounded higher than an upright tree, almost as high as a moving cloud. At the first bound he passed twelve miles, at the second bound he came to a well. By the well Ilyá cut down a green oak tree, and beside the well he built a small chapel, and upon the chapel he wrote his name,
ILYÁ OF MÚROM, SON OF IVÁN,
so that if some strong and mighty hero should ride that way, he should know the name of the builder of that chapel.
At the third bound Ilyá’s horse brought him to the town of Chérnigov. Near Chérnigov there stood a countless host of Tartars, and at their head were three Princes, each with the strength of forty thousand. On seeing this vast horde the hero’s heart grew hot within him, and he could not control his longing to fight. His heart was filled with fires, and it burned too as if scorched by frost. Then he spoke and said:
“I desire not to go against my father’s wish, or knowingly to disregard his command.”
Then he took in his hand his battle-sword and taught it to take a walk through the army. Where he turned, it opened out a street, and when he turned round there was a great open space. Ilyá made his way to the three princes, and spoke thus to them: [[32]]
“Come, my three king’s sons! Shall I take you away as prisoners, or shall I cut off your warlike heads? If I take you away as prisoners, I must travel over roads that I know not and must carry bread, but if I take off your heads the kingly race will be destroyed. If you will go home to your own country, you will spread such report of me that it will be known all over Russia, and you will tell it everywhere that in Holy Russia there are strong and mighty heroes.”
The Governor of Chérnigov saw Ilyá and said: