A soldier returns home after being discharged and visits an old friend, a miller. The miller warns him about a sorcerer who has died and now haunts the village at night. Undeterred, the soldier continues his journey and encounters the sorcerer in a graveyard, who invites him to a wedding. At the wedding, the sorcerer causes chaos, injuring the bride and groom and filling bladders with their blood, claiming it will ensure their death. He reveals that he can only be defeated by burning him in a specific manner, ensuring no part of him escapes. After a struggle, the soldier defeats the sorcerer, retrieves the bladders, and returns to his family, who mourn the dead couple. He offers to revive them for a reward, which the grieving family agrees to. Using the sorcerer's instructions, he successfully revives the bride and groom, turning sorrow into joy. The soldier then organizes the villagers to gather aspen wood to burn the sorcerer’s remains, ensuring that all parts of him are destroyed. With the sorcerer defeated, peace returns to the village. The grateful villagers honor the soldier, who eventually returns to military service, later retiring to live a contented life, enjoying prosperity and avoiding misfortune.
By Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev · First published 1833 · Genre: Fantasy, Folklore, Adventure