Eagle of the Water King’s Gift-Coffers

Overview

The opening eagle begs a hunting king three times not to shoot him. The king takes him home, but two years of feeding consume all his cattle, and the bird still cannot fly. A third year, supplied with borrowed livestock, enables flight. He carries the king over three seas and deliberately drops him to increasing depths, always catching him again. He explains these scares as repayment for the three times he faced the hunter’s threatened shot. The story gives extraordinary carrying strength and appetite without measuring his wingspan.

He visits three sisters and his mother with the king. The two younger sisters welcome their brother but set greyhounds on his guest; after each departure the king sees the inhospitable sister’s house burning, which the eagle identifies as the consequence of her conduct. His mother and eldest sister receive both respectfully. He gives the king a ship and red and green coffers to repay his food, with instructions to open them only at home. The red releases cattle and the green a splendid garden. Opening the red one prematurely creates the difficulty through which the Water King secures the prince. The eagle belongs to this initial gift episode and does not personally rescue the prince in the later court trials.

Origins & earliest records

Ralston translates a collected Russian narrative and identifies its source in a footnote. The hosted New York Hurst title page is undated; its physical edition is not dated from Gutenberg’s 1872 header.

Records & interpretation

pp. 130–135 within the complete tale pp. 130–141; footnote 143 identifies Afanasief V, no. 23, Voroneje Government. The complete English narrative preserves a particular collected version; the earlier Russian text has not been independently collated.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Russian Fairy Tales: The Water King and Vasilissa the Wise

   W. R. S. Ralston, translator and commentator · Undated hosted Hurst edition; London edition catalogued 1873

   pp. 130–135 within the complete tale pp. 130–141; footnote 143 identifies Afanasief V, no. 23, Voroneje Government.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Primary translated narrativeRalston’s complete translated collected narrativeResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.