Falcon the Hunter
Illustrated by Frank C Papé
This particular illustration depicts a meeting between the legendary medieval Russian bogatyr
(Knight-errant), Dobrynya Nikitich, and Falcon the Hunter - as described in the following text
from the tale of ''Falcon the Hunter" within the 1916 Edition of The Russian Story Book:
Then Nikitich sprang to his nimble feet, saddled and mounted his good
steed, and rode forth to the place where a great river met the dark-grey
sea. As he looked along the straight road he saw a rider before him who
sat upon his horse with the assurance of youth and victory. His black
steed was full of mettle and fresh from the untamed steppe. At each
leap he covered a furlong, and the marks which the hoofs of his horse
made upon the bosom of moist Mother Earth were as large as a ram or
a full-grown sheep. Flames flashed from the mouth of the steed, lighting
up the heavy clouds which hung over the dark-grey sea, sparks of blue
fire showered from his nostrils, and from his erected ears smoke curled
in tiny wreaths which quivered and then vanished in mid-air. The helmet
on the head of the hero glowed like fire, and blue rays of light darted
from ornaments on his doublet, from his pointed spurs and his stirrups
of bright steel. At his left stirrup ran a swift greyhound, and a fire-eating
dragon was chained to the right which sang and whistled with a strange
music as the horse and its rider passed on towards the dark-grey sea.
From shoulder to shoulder hopped the clear-eyed bird from which
Falcon the Hunter took his name, and as it passed it plucked at the long
yellow locks of the rider, which streamed upon his shoulders like
tongues of living flame.
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