In a distant kingdom, a Tsar and Tsaritsa have a son, Iván Tsarévich, who is mute from birth. Upon learning from a groom that his future sister will be a witch who threatens their family, Iván Tsarévich requests the best horse from his father and rides away to escape the impending doom. He encounters various beings, including old seamstresses and tree spirits, all of whom are nearing death. They express their sorrow, but Iván Tsarévich continues his journey until he reaches the Sister of the Sun, who adopts him and provides him with care. Despite his newfound happiness, Iván Tsarévich is troubled by the fate of his family. He climbs a mountain to look back at his home and discovers it has been destroyed, prompting him to weep. The Sister of the Sun, noticing his distress, eventually allows him to return home, giving him magical items: a brush, a comb, and two apples that can restore youth. On his journey back, Iván Tsarévich uses the magical items to help the beings he met earlier, restoring their vitality and strength. He returns home to find his sister, who has transformed into a witch. A mouse warns him of her intentions, and he narrowly escapes her grasp. As she pursues him, he uses the handkerchief given by the seamstresses to create a lake, slowing her down. The witch continues to chase him, overcoming obstacles created by the beings he helped. Eventually, Iván Tsarévich reaches the palace of the Sister of the Sun, seeking refuge. The witch demands to have her brother back, but the Sun refuses. They agree to a contest of weight in scales, where Iván Tsarévich is thrown into the sky, while the witch remains on earth, defeated. The story concludes with the triumph of Iván Tsarévich and the protection of the Sister of the Sun against the witch's malevolence.
By Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev · First published 1820 · Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Adventure