In a city, a merchant named Nicholas and his wife were blessed with a beautiful son, Iván. As they aged, their wealth diminished, and they became poor. Before dying, Nicholas advised Iván to honor God, trade honestly, and care for the poor. After their deaths, Iván found an image of St. Nicholas in their shop, prayed before it, and began to prosper in trade. With the help of an old man who became his clerk, Iván shifted his business focus and grew wealthy. They decided to sail with goods, but were robbed. The old man suggested they load bricks from an island, which turned out to be valuable. They cleverly deceived pirates by mixing valuable bricks with plain ones. Upon reaching a kingdom, Iván presented a brick to the king as tribute, which angered the king until the brick revealed its worth. The king offered to buy Iván's ship but demanded a reading of psalms for his witch daughter, Olyóna. Iván, fearing for his life, was guided by the old man to survive the witch's attempts to find him in the church over three nights. After successfully outsmarting the witch, Iván was rewarded with Olyóna's hand in marriage. They returned to Iván's homeland, where the old man transformed Olyóna into a beautiful woman. He advised Iván to remember God and the poor. The old man vanished, leaving Iván and Olyóna to prosper. Iván shared his wealth with the needy, honored his parents, and ruled wisely. He lived a long life, witnessing generations of his family, always grateful to God and St. Nicholas for their blessings. The tale of Iván and Olyóna endures in the kingdom, celebrated for their kindness and faith.
By Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev · First published 1890 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Folklore, Religious Fiction