“The old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom, lives no longer, none is there to defend the Faith and Country; none to defend the Church of God and Kiev town; none to protect Vladímir the Prince and the Princess Apráxia!”
Then came to him his dear daughter, and spoke to him these words:
“O my dear father, Prince Vladímir of royal Kiev, the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom, is yet alive, he is alive in the cold dungeon.”
Then Prince Vladímir quickly brought the golden keys and went to the cold dungeon, and soon unlocked the doors and opened the iron grating. And there was the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom, sitting there in the dungeon, reading the Holy Gospels.
And there were down pillows and feather beds, and warm coverlets had been brought there, and changes of apparel and delicate food provided.
And the Prince took Ilyá by his white hands and by his golden ring, and led him from the cold dungeon, brought him to his white stone palace, and placed him near himself. He kissed Ilyá and welcomed him, and invited him to the oaken table, and gave him sugar sweetmeats to eat and drink made from honey. Then spoke the Prince to Ilyá these words:
“Old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom! Taken is our town of Kiev. The dog, King Kálin, has surrounded Kiev [[60]]town with his great army. Do thou defend our Faith and Country and glorious Kiev town, and defend the Church of the Mother of God, and Vladímir thy Prince and the Princess Apráxia.”
Then the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom, went out from the palace of white stone, and walked through the town of Kiev to his dwelling of white stone. He asked for his beloved steed, and went to the broad yard and into the stable, and looked at his good war horse. And Ilyá said:
“My beloved steed! My trusty and unchanging servant! Well hast thou been looked to, my hero horse.”
He kissed him on his sweet mouth, led the good horse from the stable stall and into the fine broad courtyard; and then the old Cossack began to saddle his good horse there. Upon the horse he put a saddle-cloth, and upon the saddle-cloth he laid a cloth of felt; now the saddle-cloth was of silk, and upon the saddle-cloth he laid another cloth, and then the Circassian saddle. But the Circassian saddle did not hold firmly, and Ilyá fastened it by twelve girths of silk, and he drew them up with steel pins. And he fixed on stirrups of steel and buckles of red gold—not for show, but for heroic strength. Drawn up are the girths of silk, and they break not; steel and iron bend, but break not; and the buckles of red gold may get wet, but they rust not.