Storytelling Week 14: The Leshy and the Soldier

Alexei was returning home from his time as a soldier to see his family for a brief time. As he traveled to his people, he remembered an old man whom he had befriended that lived nearby. So Alexei detoured to the old man's house. When he arrived, he found the man to be alone. Alexei thought this odd as the man had a wife and a daughter and many servants last Alexei saw him. This old man was lavishly wealthy, but still Alexei found him to be all by himself. When Alexei asked about it, the old man told him that his daughter vanished away three years ago, and his wife had died of a broken heart. The old man scarce himself believed he would live to see the coming winter, for his sorrow was so much he wished to die. 

Alexei comforted his friend, and told him that by the grace of God, one day he would return the old man's daughter. After sharing a meal and staying the night, Alexei venture out once more. He walked by a silently running stream with water that seemed still as it flowed. By the stream, he happened upon a strange creature carving a small statue. It had appeared human, as like a child, but with silver hair of an elder. Alexei silently thought of this oddity as he approached. The being ceased its whittling, and replied as if Alexei had spoken out loud, "Why shan't I have grey hair, for I am old indeed. I'm the man of the pines!"

Alexei became very frightened by this and asked, "What riddle is this?"

The creature sprung to his feet, and jumped behind a tree. Suddenly, he was behind Alexei and said with a chuckle, "Riddle? That is no riddle! It is I, the Leshy of the woods! I was born from the pine and from the pine is where I came. But should you want a riddle, of those I am no short supply."

"Why would I challenge you?" Alexei asked nervously as he spun to meet the creature's gaze. "I have heard the stories of you. Leading travelers astray and stealing children. I should have no dealings with devils!"

The Leshy again vanished and reappeared across the way. "Oh, I shall give thee a prize should you win. The daughter of the old man. She had been my betrothed for some time, but refuses to wed me. should you solve my riddles, she may be yours."

As he said this, he snapped his fingers and there appeared the young woman. Her face was pale and cold. She seemed like one who was dead yet she stood. Alexei saw that she was quite beautiful even in her dreadful state. Alexei puzzled for a moment. He spoke, "And what shall become of me should I fail your challenge?"

The Leshy began to laugh and bounce about, and he said, "Then I'll take you home and share you with the Chort. I will eat your flesh, and he will devour your soul!"

Alexei wished to flee, but he had given his word to bring his friend's daughter to safety. He agreed to the challenge.

The Leshy's face twisted into a vile grin as he muttered the words of his riddle, "I die every season, yet time makes me stronger. What am I?"

Alexei looked about, it took him only a moment to know the answer. He said with great confidence, "The answer is simple. A tree!"

The Leshy was unfazed and began his second riddle as he vanished into the trees. His voice echoed through the wood, "Your turn. Speak your riddle."

"What is it that belongs to you, but others use it more?" Alexei asked.

The wind blew through the trees as the Leshy thought. "Hm," he said at last, "Your name, Alexei."

He laughed a grim laugh and began his riddle. "To all things and men I appertain, and yet by some am shunned and disdained. Fondle me and ogle me til you’re insane, but no blow can harm me, cause me pain. Children delight in me, elders take fright. Fair maids rejoice and spin. Cry and I weep, yawn and I sleep. Smile, and I too shall grin. Come find me.”

Alexei puzzled at this. He looked about hoping to see a clue. Frantically he ran about, as the Leshy's laughter grew louder and darker. "The Chort and I will be quite pleased!" The Leshy teased.

Suddenly the answer came to Alexei. A reflection! He pulled out a small mirror he had in his bag, but it shattered! The Leshy was cheating. But then he remembered the stream! He ran over and looked deep into it. There he saw the Leshy hiding in the water. He grabbed him and threw him to the ground.

"Enough of these games! What begins and has no end? What is the ending of all that begins?"

Alexei knew he would stump the demon with this one. For as a man, Alexei knew the answer. Death. But because the Leshy is immortal, neither living nor dead, it knew not the answer. It became angry and transformed its shape into a frightful image. Alexei drew his sword to fight it. As he advanced to stab it, the Leshy hit him with its monstrous claw and sent him tumbling down. His sword flew from his hand. The horror turned to him and slowly advanced. But before it could end him, Alexei's sword poked through its neck. Alexei saw behind it that the daughter had awoken and stabbed the Leshy. It flailed and swung at her, but she ducked away. Alexei took the opportunity to jump up and grab the hilt of his sword still protruding from the demon's neck. With all his might he ripped the sword to the side and the Leshy's head came clean off. The body fell to the ground and sank into the dirt. The body was destroyed and the soul sent back to the pines.

Alexei returned the girl to her father, and later married her. For the rest of their days, they lived at peace and prayed the lord protect them from the evil forest spirits.

Author's Note: The original story was about a hunter going out and finding the Leshy in the woods and shooting it dead. Afterwards he found a woman it held captive and returned her to her family. I modified that story, so that Alexei was a returning soldier. I also drew out the scene between him and the Leshy, adding the riddles. In Russian folklore, Leshy are forest gods or demons (depending on who you ask) that go about kidnapping people and feeding them to the Chort (another demon). I wanted my Leshy to convey a more devilish behavior, offering a prize for playing a game of wits, only to cheat in the end.

Image: a picture of a Leshy, by P. Dobrinin. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Source: Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston (1887).