Kyrylo the Tanner

Kyrylo the Tanner

Long ago, ancient Kyiv stood above the Dnipro, surrounded by wide meadows, forests, and high hills. A fearsome dragon lived nearby. He was so large and strong, and so accustomed to being feared, that he began telling the people of Kyiv how to live. Every year he demanded that someone from the city be sent to serve him in his stone dwelling. The people endured it because they did not know who could stand against such strength. One year the demand fell upon the prince's household. The dragon took the prince's daughter to his home beyond the forests. The princess was clever as well as beautiful. She did not weep before the dragon or show her fear. Instead, she watched, listened, and thought about escape. One day, when he was in a good mood, she asked casually: “You must be the strongest creature in the whole world.” The dragon drew himself up proudly. “Almost.” “Almost? Is there someone you're afraid of?” He laughed at first, then muttered: “There is a man in Kyiv beside the Dnipro. Kyrylo the Tanner. He works hides. He carries twelve at once to soak in the river, not just one. Once they are full of water, even I'm not sure I could pull them from his hands.” The princess remembered every word. She had a little dove she had raised at home. That evening she wrote her father a short letter, fastened it beneath the dove's wing, and whispered: “Fly home. Find Father.” The dove rose above the forest, crossed the Dnipro, and landed in the prince's courtyard. Children saw it first. “My lord! The princess's dove has returned!” The prince read the letter and immediately summoned the elders. “Does a man called Kyrylo the Tanner truly live in Kyiv?” “He does. He lives beside the Dnipro. A strong man, but independent. Orders will not persuade him.” The oldest and most respected citizens went to see him. They quietly opened his workshop door. Kyrylo sat with his back to them, kneading twelve wet hides at once. His shoulders were broad, his hands powerful, and the work seemed as easy to him as kneading dough. One messenger coughed. Kyrylo started, turned sharply, and all twelve hides tore in his hands. “What a disaster!” he cried angrily. “All that work wasted!” The elders explained about the princess, the dragon, and the city's fear. But Kyrylo was so upset about his ruined work that he said nothing. They left without an answer. Younger messengers were sent next. They spoke eloquently and at length, but again he did not reply. The prince no longer knew what to do. Then someone suggested: “Let the children go. Not to command him. Let them simply tell him how frightened they are.” Boys and girls went to the workshop. They gave no speeches and promised no gold. They stood quietly by the door. The smallest girl said: “Uncle Kyrylo, we want to live in Kyiv without being afraid again. Please help us.” Kyrylo looked at them. They were trying so hard to be brave, though tears filled their eyes. He sighed deeply. “Very well. For you, I'll go.” At the prince's courtyard, Kyrylo asked for twelve barrels of pitch and twelve wagonloads of hemp. “Why so much?” people wondered. “The dragon has sharp teeth and hot breath. To face great strength, you need a head as well as muscles.” He made thick protective armor from hemp fiber, soaked it in pitch, took a heavy mace, and set out. The dragon was waiting. “Well, Kyrylo,” he rumbled, “have you come to make peace or to fight?” “I've come for you to free the princess and stop frightening people.” “And if I refuse?” Kyrylo raised his mace. “Then I'll have to persuade you another way.” The dragon charged. The earth shook. He tried to seize Kyrylo, but his teeth caught in the thick hemp and pitch. Kyrylo stepped back only as far as necessary, then struck the ground before the dragon with his mace, forcing him to leap away. They struggled for a long time. The dragon breathed scorching heat, but Kyrylo held firm. Whenever his protective covering was damaged, he repaired it with the pitch and fiber he had brought. From the hills, people could see only clouds of dust and hear a dull thunder. “Hold on, Kyrylo!” they called. At last the dragon tired. He made one final rush, but the tanner stood his ground and struck the earth so forcefully that a wall of dust rose before them. The dragon retreated. “Enough!” he rasped. “What do you want?” “Free the princess and everyone else you hold. Promise never to return to Kyiv demanding tribute.” The dragon understood that this man could not be frightened. “Very well. I'll go.” He opened the stone gates. The princess stepped into freedom, along with all the others he had kept captive. Then the monster crawled away beyond the distant hills and never returned to Kyiv. When Kyrylo and the princess entered the city, bells rang joyfully. The prince offered the tanner gold, horses, and a great house. Kyrylo shook his head. “I don't need a palace. I have my workshop, the Dnipro, and my work. Instead, make sure no one in the city ever faces danger alone.” Then he returned to his hides. They say the district where the famous craftsman lived came to be called Kozhumiaky, after the tanners. For a long time children ran past his workshop and peered through the door. Sometimes he pretended to be stern. “Well? What are you standing there for?” They laughed. “We're just looking to see whether you really carry twelve hides at once!” Kyrylo smiled too. He knew that true strength was not meant to make everyone afraid of you. It was meant to help those beside you feel safe.

May this story leave a little light in your heart ✨