And he let go the silken bowstring and sent off that sharp arrow, and that sharp arrow whistled into that hero’s white tent. It took the roof off the white tent and fell upon the white breast of Samson. It crept into his white breast and made but a small prick, and Samson, the renowned hero of Holy Russia, woke up from his deep sleep and opened his bright eyes. Quickly he stood upon his nimble feet and cried:
“Ho! my renowned heroes of Holy Russia! Quickly saddle your good horses and mount them. From my beloved godson has flown a sharp arrow through my glorious white tent. From my tent it took the roof, [[69]]and the arrow crept into my white breast, made a small prick, not a large one. The cross at my neck preserved me, Samson, the cross at my neck weighing forty stone. Had that cross not been upon my breast, my tempestuous head would have been torn off.”
Then all those heroes of Holy Russia quickly saddled their good horses and rode through the open plain, towards Kiev town, to the Tartar army.
And from the high hill the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom, saw them, as they rode their good horses. He came down from the high hill and rode to meet the Russian heroes. Twelve in number were the heroes and Ilyá was the thirteenth.
They rode up to the Tartar host and pushed on their heroic steeds and began to fight the Tartar army. And they were trampling on the great army, and they came to the linen tent.
And in the tent that dog, King Kálin was sitting, and the heroes said:
“We will cut off the turbulent head of that dog, King Kálin.”
“Why should we cut off his turbulent head?” said the old Cossack, Ilyá of Múrom. “We will take him to royal Kiev town, to the glorious Prince Vladímir.”
So to the glorious Prince Vladímir at the royal town of Kiev they took the dog, King Kálin. To the white stone palace they took him, and Vladímir, Prince of royal Kiev, took that dog by his white hands and [[70]]made him sit at the oaken table, gave him sugar sweetmeats to eat and honey drink to drink.
And to Vladímir the Prince spoke King Kálin these words: