Ivan and Iron

I wrote this story at the end of my sophomore year. It is a Russian (faux)parable, written after i had studied the genre and mythology of the place for a class. I just found it again, sitting here at 2 in the morning, in the Fakoury's third floor bedroom waiting for sleep to over take me. It is quite a fun little story that i dreamed up on the second floor of the library annex during finals week, and dashed off in quite a hurry. I think that it is a very important thing to look back on now, both for its social importance in my life at the time (it was 367 days late, a wonderful little wrinkle in the SLU incomplete policy and earned me early admission into the slacker hall of fame from Joel Bahr, something that i quite valued at the time) and for the value that it espouses. I wouldn't necessarily consider it a good value, but shockingly accurate as to my current mindset, and those moments of panic when one realizes something must be done often reach deepest into the subconscious to pull out an idea. This is turning into quite the lengthy intro, so without further ado, here is "Ivan and Iron" a short story in the Russian Folk Myth style by John Warmuth.

Ivan was the young son of a blacksmith. He was an odd boy, but no one could ever figure out what was wrong with him. One day, Ivan went to his father, “Father, father,” said Ivan, “teach me how to become a blacksmith.” So the old man taught Ivan everything he knew about being a blacksmith.

After four summers, Ivan had learned all that his father had to teach, so he exclaimed, “Father, father, teach me more about becoming a blacksmith” but the father did not know anymore about being a blacksmith, so he sent his son to the blacksmith in the big city who had a reputation as being very knowledgeable, but wrote him a letter warning him of his son’s voracious need for learning.

When Ivan got to the big city, he was shocked to see all of the buildings, but he quelled his wonder and sought out the blacksmith. When he found the smith, he gave him the letter his father had written, and said, “Sir, sir, teach me how to become a blacksmith.”

After three summers, the blacksmith had taught Ivan all he knew about crafting iron. Ivan exclaimed, “Sir, sir, teach me more about becoming a blacksmith” but the smith had nothing more to teach, so he sent him the Tsar’s personal smithy, but with a letter warning him of Ivan’s voracious need for learning.

When Ivan got to the castle, he was shocked to see all of the splendor, but he quelled his wonder and sought out the Master Smithy. When he found the Master Smithy, he gave him the letter that the smithy had written, and said, “Master, Master, teach me how to become a blacksmith.”

The Master Smithy was a wise and clever man, and could see that Ivan would soon gobble up all of the knowledge he could give, but taught him anyway, worried what would happen when he exhausted his teaching. In two summers, Ivan had learned all the Master Smithy had to teach, and said, “Master, master, teach me more about becoming a blacksmith.”

The Master Smithy had a problem though. No man would need to know this much about being a blacksmith. Ivan had never showed any desire to actually go into business as a blacksmith, but only sought the knowledge and ability to work.

He said, “Ivan, I worry for you. Over these last two years, you have become like a son to me, at the shop everyday before I arrive and not leaving until after I have left. You show great love for learning the art of being a blacksmith, but do not want to seem to go out on your own.”

Ivan replied, “Master, master, I desire to know more about becoming a blacksmith.” The Master Smithy realized that it was no use, and could not help the boy, for Ivan had become his equal. He said, “Ivan, no one knows more than I the ways of metal, there is no where for me to send you. I am an old man, and have learned much in my life that has nothing to do with becoming a blacksmith, go out and learn about life.”

Ivan thought about the buildings in the city, and the splendor in the castle. He thought of all the things he had wondered about while becoming a smithy. But he did not know what to do, because he desired to learn more about the ways of iron.

While out wandering the forest, wondering what to do, a swan came out of the great lake and asked Ivan if he wanted to learn more about the ways of iron. “Of course” said Ivan, greatly pleased with the swan’s sudden appearance. The swan told him of the wonderful things of the world that Ivan could see, and the wonderful work he could do now that he was peerless in his ability to work iron, but Ivan did not care. “Swan, swan, I desire to know more about becoming a blacksmith.

The swan dropped a large stone on Ivan’s head, making him forget everything he had learned in the last nine years, and brought Ivan back to his father’s house.

Ivan’s father was overjoyed to see him, but when he went to Ivan, his son said to him, “Father, father, teach me how to become a Blacksmith.”