Long ago in Russia, in a green valley far from the sea, a king and queen called had two daughters called Loveliness that Shines and Jewel without a Price.

The king worried so much about protecting his daughters that he built a high wall around the palace, and then a higher one, and a higher one still. And yet the king worried so much that he hired seventy-seven indoor nurses, seventy-seven outdoor nurses, and seventy-seven guards to guard the walls.

One day, when Loveliness that Shines and Jewel without a Price went out to pick flowers, a whirling cloud of shadow and light swept down onto the garden, the princesses, the nurses, and guards. When the whirlwind vanished, so had the princesses. Queen and the king grieved day and night. Fiddle and flute were silent. Every day felt like winter.

In time, another child was born. The king rejoiced and called the boy Ivan, but he was wiser than before and built no more high walls. Ivan amazed everyone with his wit and wisdom, but his greatest delight was to play upon the harp. Ivan played so well that when they heard his music, people forgot their cares and woes and danced for joy, whether they wanted to or not.

One day, the king called Ivan before him. "My son, you are good and strong, wise and kind. I am pleased with you, except for one thing. When I am dead and gone, and you are king, how will you defend our land? You have no skills of a soldier."

"Father, I trust wisdom more than the sword. Try me today. Call your soldiers together. If any one of them offers to rescue my sisters from the whirlwind that carried them away, I'll wash his pots and pans for a year."

So the king called his soldiers together. Each man hid behind the other and no one spoke. Who knew how to find or fight a whirlwind?

Ivan stepped forward. "Give me your blessing, father. I'll go."

"My blessing goes with you, and so do all my horses, soldiers, and spears.”

"All I need is my harp, and my wits. Give me a year and a day to be gone and back."

So Ivan went on his way, near and far, high and low, always playing on his harp. At night he slept beneath the stars, and when the sun rose, he traveled on.

One evening, Ivan came to a clearing in the forest. In the clearing stood a little house which twirled about on large long chicken legs. Though he was very frightened, Ivan called out,

Turn round, little house, turn round.

and let your door be found.

Let your door open wide.

I want to come inside.

The little house stood still, the door opened, and Ivan stepped to a room hung all about with dried flowers and herbs. There sat Baba Yaga, the bony little witch of the woods. "Fie! Fie! Fie! How dare you to come where no Russian soul dares enter?”

Ivan yawned. "Ask me no questions tonight, little granny. Morning is wiser than evening. I need food and sleep."

Ivan's fearless answer surprised Baba Yaga so much that she leapt up, cooked a turnip stew, and made a soft bed for him.

In the morning, Ivan asked Baba Yaga if she knew where his sisters were.

"I know. They're prisoners of a nasty fellow – the Little Man No Bigger than Your Thumb with Mustaches Seven Miles Long. A fierce little fellow he is! He can uproot an oak tree with his bare hands!"

"Be he ten times stronger than a man, he'll not keep my sisters!"

"The way to his cave is long and difficult. But not far from here is a farmer's cottage he carried off. If you catch him there, you'll be saved a long journey."

Ivan thanked Baba Yaga and set off. When he came to the cottage, he knocked at the door and, having no answer, went in and sat down. The little man didn't come and didn't come, so Ivan went into the garden and picked the biggest cabbage and began to cook cabbage soup. All at once, there came a thundering and a rumbling, and down from the sky came a whirling cloud of shadow and light.

There stood the Little-Man-No-Bigger-Than- Your-Thumb-with-Mustaches-Seven-Miles-Long.

“HOW DARE YOU COME INTO MY COTTAGE AS IF YOU WERE ITS LORD AND MASTER? HOW DARE YOU COOK MY CABBAGE?"

Ivan looked at him calmly. "You ought to grow a little bigger before you shriek so."

With that the Little Man seized the doorposts and shook the whole cottage. Ivan grabbed the Little Man's long mustaches and began to swing him about. Writhing like a serpent and with a terrible wrench, the Little Man pulled loose- leaving the ends of his mustaches in Ivan's fists. Then he vanished in a whirling cloud of shadow and light.

Ivan went to a wide river, got a boat, and began to ferry people across. Ivan asked everyone who crossed if they knew where the Little Man might live. No one could tell him.

One day three old men offered to pay Ivan for the crossing in gold and pearls.

"I will take nothing, but can you tell me how to find the Little Man?"

"It is well that you ask, for whatever wish you wish we can grant."

“Then let me be where the Little Man holds my sisters!" Before he could wink, he found himself on a rocky shore below a huge gloomy cave on a cliff where the Little Man was standing guard.

"I've come for my sisters!"

The Little Man rushed into the cave, and brought out the two princesses. "I'LL HEAVE THEM INTO THE SEA!" He grabbed the girls and moved towards the cliffs.

Ivan began playing a lively tune on his harp. Instantly, the Little Man began to dance, arms akimbo. Though he did not want to, the Little Man had to let go of the girls and start dancing.

The princesses ran straight into their brother's arms.

The Little Man stamped his feet, howling and dancing, howling and dancing, and he could not leave off dancing.

At the sound of the music, fish came up out of the sea, whales and sharks, lobster and crab, dolphins and eel. They all began to dance in a circle around the Little Man. They danced and they danced, and they could not leave off dancing.

Ivan put down his harp and bid it go on harping. And the harp went on harping without a harper.

`Hand in hand, Ivan and the princesses fled that dreary shore.

The queen and king welcomed their three children with joy, and built no more walls around them. And for all we know, Ivan's harp still goes on harping without a harper, somewhere in Russia beside the ice blue sea.