The Firebird

Every year, robins build a nest on my porch and hatch out their babies. The day arrives when the birds are ready to fly. This year, I was lucky to see the routine again. It started in the morning when the small robins appeared overcrowded in their nest and jumped out to stretch their legs and ruffle their feathers. Mama still fed them, but as she flew away and settled on a branch, she called her children to fly.

The bold one flew out first. The second stretched out and made the flight to the goat area, landing in the grass. Number three took a longer time, but eventually found the courage to dive and with a smattering of little wings, departed.

Birds are fascinating creatures and as a result they’re written about in folktales world wide. Chickens, golden roosters, swans, and geese appear in Russian fairytales, but it is the firebird that is Russia’s bird of fame, called the “zhar ptitsa,” zhar meaning hot and ptitsa, bird. The firebird is the subject of Igor Stravinsky’s music, a ballet and folk art that portrays the magical creature in all its colorful glory. Russia is sometimes referred to as “The Land of the Firebird.”

My Papa told me the tale many times; I was enchanted by the firebird and wouldn’t tire of it. The tale starts off by something pilfering golden apples from the orchard of the king. The king orders his three sons to stand guard at night to discover who is stealing his apples.

While on guard, the first son falls asleep and fails to catch the thief. The second son does the same the following night. The king is not pleased.

Finally, on the third night, the third and youngest son, Prince Ivan is determined to catch the thief. He manages to stay awake, and to his surprise, he sees a light, as bright as the sun, glowing in the orchard on the golden apple tree. In fact, the light was so bright, that it lit up all the trees.

It was the firebird, sitting on a branch and pecking at the golden apples! Ivan crept up slowly, hoping to catch the bird. He grabbed its tail, but the firebird managed to fly away, leaving only a beautiful feather in Ivan’s hand.

Ivan gives the feather to his father in the morning, and the king proclaims that the firebird must be caught. The three sons are sent off into different directions on their horses in the quest for the firebird.

Ivan meets up with a wolf, who eats his horse because he disobeys his sign in the woods. The wolf befriends him after hearing about his quest for the firebird and decides to help him.

The wolf is a clever one and magical himself: he knows the castle where the firebird lives in a golden cage.

He tells Ivan, “I’ll take you there. Climb over the wall, up to the attic, through the small window and there you will find the firebird. Take the firebird, put her under your jacket, but don’t touch the cage.”

So what does Ivan do? He touches the cage which sounds the alarm. He’s captured and taken to the king of the castle. Ivan explains his plight, but the second king demands that Ivan bring him a horse with a golden mane in exchange for the firebird.

The wolf helps Ivan find the golden horse, but when Ivan tries to take the horse’s golden bridle, the alarm sounds and he is captured and brought to yet another king.

The third king instructs Ivan to bring him the beautiful Helen from another kingdom.

Well, you know what happens with young princes and beautiful princesses: Prince Ivan falls in love with Helen. Eventually, after some drama and with the help of the wolf, Ivan returns to his country on the horse with the golden mane, firebird under his arm, and marries Helen.

They live happily ever after with the beautiful firebird and her glowing light.