Mistreated by his brother, who is a successful general but who refuses to recognize him as kin, a common soldier runs away and seeks shelter in the forest in this Russian folktale. The Tsar, meanwhile, becomes lost in this forest after chasing a stag, and the two meet up. The soldier, more wise to the ways of both forest and robbers, finds them shelter for the night and defends them both against a band of cutthroats. Eventually, when the two men are reunited in the capital, the soldier discovers that his erstwhile companion is the Tsar, and he is rewarded...

Although no credit is given on the cover of this picture-book from 1972, the colophon here lists this as tale #340 in Alexander Afanasyev's three-volume collection of Russian tales, and gives the further information that the story was translated by Richard Lourie. The tale itself is a fairly entertaining adventure story, one that is engaged both with a moral theme—although the soldier isn't depicted as being particularly virtuous here, he is certainly kind, in helping a stranger—and with the idea of luck. Events fall out the way they do, and fortunately the man the soldier helps is both a powerful Tsar and a person capable of gratitude, despite the soldier's sometimes rough treatment of him. I enjoyed Uri Shulevitz' illustrations here, which have a lovely palette, and a nice folk-art feeling to it. Recommended to young folklore lovers. ( )

Two brothers join the army and one becomes a general and denounces his brother.