Like a mother eagle, she
Guarded him most jealously;
Sent the news of God's glad gift
To the tsar, by rider swift.
But the royal cook, and weaver,
And their mother, sly deceiver,
Sought to ruin her, so they
Had him kidnapped on the way,
Sent another in his stead.
Word for word, his message read:
"Your tsaritsa, sire, last night
Was delivered of a fright–
Neither son nor daughter, nor
Have we seen its like before."
At these words, the royal sire
Raved and raged in furious ire,
"Hang that messenger!" roared he,
"Hang him on the nearest tree!"
But, relenting, spared him, and
Sent him back with this command:
"From all hasty steps refrain
Till the tsar comes home again."
Back the messenger rode fast,
Reached the city gates at last.
But the royal cook, and weaver,
With their mother, sly deceiver,
Made him drunk; and in his sleep
Stole the message from his keep
And, before he could recover,
They replaced it by another.
So, with feet unsteady, he
Reached the court with this decree:
"Have the queen and have her spawn Drowned in secret ere the dawn."
Grieving for their monarch's heir,
For the mother young and fair,
Solemnly the tsar's boyards
Told the queen of this ukaz,
Of the cruel doom which fate
So unkindly had in wait. This unpleasant duty done,
Put the queen and put her son
In a cask, and sealed it fast;
Tarred it well, and then they cast
Cask and burden in the sea–
Such, forsooth, the tsar's decree.
Stars gleam in the dark blue sky,
Dark blue billows heave and sigh.
Storm clouds o'er the blue sky creep,
While the cask rides o'erthe deep.
Like a widowed bride distressed,
Sobbed the queen and beat her breast,