A short time after their departure Vladimir returned from his hunting, and sat down to appease his mighty hunger. Then he called for his silver loving-cup, and the stewards searched for it in all corners of the palace, but were not able to find it. The Prince was very angry, and looking round upon his household he asked sternly, “Which of you hath taken the royal cup?”
None spoke for a moment, and then the clear, cold voice of the Princess was heard. “My Prince and Lord,” she said, “we feasted yesterday a band of one-and-forty pilgrims, in accordance with your own desires. It may be that they have stolen the royal cup.” Thereupon Prince Vladimir gave the word, and a company of heroes sprang to their feet, eager to ride after the pilgrim band. But as they prepared themselves the voice of Ilya of Murom was heard from the great corner:
“These were no psalm-singers,” he said, “but heroes of the boldest. Whom have we worthy to go and outface them.”
“I will send Alyosha alone,” said Vladimir, and it was done in accordance with his word, the messenger being commanded to speak gently to the pilgrims. But when he overtook them he called out in an angry voice:
“Ho, there, ye thieves and robbers. Restore to me now without dispute the royal cup which you have stolen.”
At this discourteous speech young Kasyan sprang to his nimble feet, grasped his travelling staff of walrus ivory as if it were his heroic mace and flourished it about his head.
“Think you,” he cried in righteous anger, “that we went to Kiev town for the royal cup? Come nigh to me and I will punish you as you richly deserve.”
But Alyosha did not dare to come within the whirling circle of that ivory cudgel. He wheeled his horse about and returning in haste to Kiev told how the robbers had set upon him when he asked for the cup, and how he had escaped with difficulty from their heroic turbulence.
“Alyosha is a fool of an ambassador,” said Ilya of Murom, “send Nikitich. He knows how to sweeten valour with courtesy.”
So Nikitich mounted his horse at once, and when he came to the pilgrims, who were seated in a ring on the open plain, he said: