text: [Themes: Fantasy, male protagonist, bear, Russia, silly, fantasy, fairy tale, Mythology, maze, violence]
  
  GlkTADS - A text-only TADS 2.5.3 Interpreter.
  
  Maintained by Stephen Granade <sgranade@phy.duke.edu>
  
  You are the tsar's son, Prince Ivan: young and handsome, but with
  the dark, brooding nature of a Russian. You're the most eligible bachelor in the realm, but also the most reticent around the opposite sex. To escape the endless procession of beautiful women vying for your attention, you retreat alone to the forest to hunt and to brood. Although it is the middle of the afternoon, little light penetrates
  the thick canopy of leaves above you. You have stopped on a north-south path to contemplate this thought: "The soul of another is a dark forest."
  You carry a bow and a quiver slung over one shoulder. There is a
  huge chip on the other shoulder.
  
  Copyright (C) 1998; all rights reserved.
  
  November 2, 1998
  Developed with the loving technical support of Chris Nebel using
  
  Type "instructions" for general help in playing text adventures.
  Type "about" for special information about "Firebird."
  
  Deep in a Russian Forest, Under a Large Tree
  You are standing under a large tree.
  
  [Author's Note: Based on the Old Russian folk tales that inspired the Stravinsky piece of the same name. You are Prince Ivan, and have been charged by your father, the tsar, to find the Firebird that has been stealing your father's golden apples. Your two older brothers have already tried and failed -- can you triumph over the many obstacles in your quest? Remember, your mission is not as simple as it first seems...]
  
  > look at the chip
  It's just a figure of speech! Must you examine everything?
  
  > examine the tree
  Which tree do you mean, the large tree, or the forest?
  
  > Large
  Some animal is making its presence known in the branches of this tree. Is it your prey? You might be able to climb up the tree to get a better look.
  
  > Brood
  You lose yourself momentarily in moody and morbid meditation.
  
  > climb the tree
  There really is nothing to grab onto. The bark breaks off in your hands and you tumble to the ground. It was not, however, an entirely fruitless effort: you have disturbed the animal in the tree. A bird flutters down and lights in a more visible spot.
  
  > look at the bird
  Voila! Your prey du jour. The flicker is identifiable by its red head and black and white body. This species is common to North America but unknown to Russia, except, oddly, in this isolated forest. It would fit in the palm of your hand. Shooting it with an arrow is challenging sport, but don't expect it to make much of a meal. Good thing the caterers are waiting with dinner at the edge of the forest.
  
  > check your inventory
  You have a bow and a quiver. The quiver seems to contain an arrow.
  
  The flicker suddenly takes wing and disappears into the forest. Quick, follow it!
  
  > follow the flicker
  The forest primeval. The north-south path branches off to the east.
  A flicker is here.
  
  > take the arrow
  You return the arrow to its quiver.
  
  > put the arrow in bow
  Done.
  
  > Shoot flicker
  What do you want to shoot it with?
  
  > Arrow
  You really ought to aim at something first.
  
  The flicker suddenly takes wing and disappears into the forest. Quick, follow it!
  
  > follow the flicker
  east. You pick out the outlines of a hut just beyond it. Return to the forest path by walking west.
  A flicker is here.
  
  > aim the arrow at the flicker
  You carefully take aim at the flicker.
  
  > shoot the arrow at the flicker
  The hapless bird collapses with a surprised "Awk!", and falls dead to the ground, impaled on your arrow.
  
  *** Your score just went up by 3 points. ***
  
  > take the arrow
  You return the arrow to its quiver.
  
  > take the bird
  Taken.
  
  > look at the bird
  Poor, defenseless, dead flicker. You never wanted to kill it. You were just responding to societal pressures.
  
  > examine the fire
  It's a gently flickering pinpoint of light. Probably a campfire, but who knows?
  
  > look at the hut
  You can see a small thatched roof, but that's all the evidence you have that you are seeing a hut ahead.
  
  > Go east
  You have stepped into a clearing from a path to the west. A fire
  burns steadily outside of a small thatched hut.
  An old woman is sitting by the fire. Her back is turned, and you do not think she has noticed that you are here. You stand silently behind her, watching in fascination as she places a crumb into an empty bag that she holds in her lap. A moment later, she pulls a loaf of bread from the bag! She repeats the process a second time and then a third. She must be a witch, known to you from your Russian upbringing as a baba yaga.
  
  > talk to the woman
  What do you want to ask her about?
  
  > ask the yaga about the bag
  "Put what you will in the bag. If it will be useful to you in another form, it will be given to you."
  
  > ask the woman about the woman
  "What you see is what I am. A crone with a bag."
  
  > put the bird in the bag
  The baba yaga warns you off that course of action. "The bag does not have the power to bring back the dead."
  
  > Inventory
  You have a bow, a quiver, and a dead flicker. The quiver seems to contain an arrow.
  
  > put the quiver in the bag
  The baba yaga yawns. "I think you would find that a rather boring and unproductive transformation."
  
  > put the fire in the bag
  Stop fooling around trying to put the fire.
  
  > Exit
  You can't go that way. You can leave by going west.
  
  > Go west
  The forest primeval. The path continues north and south. To the
  east you spy a light shining through the trees.
  
  > go to the north
  The forest primeval. The north-south path branches off to the east.
  
  > Go east
  The forest primeval. A mulched path leads northeast. Return to the north-south path by walking west.
  A wizened old man is here, his long beard flowing onto the ground.
  He is sitting on a stone counting the leaves covering the forest floor. He looks up at you and says, "Greetings, young man. Are you here to shirk a task or to find one?"
  Shirking a task sounds more like your preferred activity, but you
  are loath to admit it to this stranger. "Neither really," you answer, "I'm just here."
  "There's very little I have to say to a young man who is 'just
  here.'" He casts you a dubious glance and shoos you off. "Perhaps there are some other dark recesses of the forest you have not explored fully, hmmm?"
  
  > examine man
  He looks as old as God and probably about as wise.
  
  > Go northeast
  The old man knows best. You're not ready to go this way yet. Run off and explore the rest of the forest first.
  
  > go north
  You can't go that way. The old man redirects you. "Go west," he says.
  
  > Go west
  The forest primeval. The north-south path branches off to the east.
  
  You can't go that way. Travel by walking north, south, or east.
  
  > go north
  The forest primeval. Branching off from the main north-south path
  is a small trail to the southwest.
  
  > go to the south-west
  Scores of ancient trees with massive trunks and numberless gnarled branches prevent any light from reaching the forest floor. A chill runs through you as you imagine every creature hidden in the shadows, one more threatening than the next. You feel your way on a mulched path leading west. You can return to the main path by walking northeast.
  The path is lined with a neatly trimmed boxwood shrubbery. You
  think, "What threat could come from someone who cares so much about landscaping?" Your mind quickly serves up the memory of an unstable gardener in your father's employ during your childhood who considered children and moles equal nuisances in the garden. You remember a near escape when the gardener attempted to whack you with a sledgehammer. Suddenly the path and boxwood shrubbery seem hardly any comfort at all.
  
  > look at the shrubbery
  It's a low shrubbery, about a foot off the ground. Dense, small, waxy leaves cover the surface. The shrubbery has been trimmed square. How you identified it as boxwood I'll never know. You're pretty unschooled in horticulture.
  
  > search it
  Stop fooling around trying to search the boxwood shrubbery.
  
  > go west
  You are lost in the memory of that hammer-wielding maniac. All you can think of is running from him in terror screaming, "Stop it, stop it!"
  
  > climb the shrubbery
  Stop fooling around trying to climb the boxwood shrubbery.
  
  > go to the west
  You start to take a step, repeating to yourself over and over, "I must not brood, I must not brood." Seems to be helping, but who knows? It is statistically possible for there to be another murderous maniac waiting for you along the path.
  
  > Brood
  You lose yourself momentarily in moody and morbid meditation.
  
  > go west
  "I must not brood" has become your mantra. You repeat it over and over. Your legs make giant strides over the path, mulch scattering in all directions under your footsteps. The adrenaline courses through every cell of your body as with some relief you enter a clearing and encounter...
  
  The east-west path terminates at a large stone wall, which curves
  away to the northwest and southwest.
  You see a bronze plaque here.
  
  > read the plaque
  Hard to read, very stylized, but you make out "So wide, you can't get around it. So high, you can't get over it. So ..." The rest is illegible.
  
  > examine the wall
  It is a gleaming white monstrosity. The walls are stuccoed and quite sheer. You look up and can barely see the top.
  
  > go northwest
  Trudging around the wall, which reveals itself to be a large but unbroken circle, you arrive at the only interesting locale to be found in this vicinity.
  
  Someone seems to have been preparing a flower bed here, flush
  against the wall. The planting has yet to be done. It must have been a Herculean effort to dig: all around you the ground is hard and quite rocky. The wall curves around to the northeast and northwest.
  
  > Go northwest
  You almost completely circumnavigate the circular stone wall to find yourself at...
  
  The east-west path terminates at a large stone wall, which curves
  away to the northwest and southwest.
  You see a bronze plaque here.
  
  > climb the wall
  It is so high you can't get over it. In fact, you can't get ON it much at all either. There is nothing to grab onto, sending you tumbling to the ground for the second time today.
  
  > Go east
  Scores of ancient trees with massive trunks and numberless gnarled branches prevent any light from reaching the forest floor. A chill runs through you as you imagine every creature hidden in the shadows, one more threatening than the next. You feel your way on a mulched path leading west. You can return to the main path by walking northeast.
  
  > go north
  Deep in a Russian Forest, Under a Large Tree
  You are standing under a large tree.
  
  > Go north
  You trudge out of the forest. Whether it is a long time or a short time, it matters not. Speedily a tale is spun, with much less speed a deed is done.
  
  You've reached the edge of this grand, untamed forest. A short walk
  to the north are a collection of fawning underlings, waiting to make their daily petitions to you for your continued patronage. In a glade an even shorter walk to the north, however, lurks a far more horrible threat: a dozen young noble women, each eager to plant a kiss on your cheek. You notice that they are all wearing lipstick. Ack! You know you'll break out in hives if that waxy mess touches your regal skin. The path leads south back into the forest.
  
  > go west
  You can't go that way. You can go north out of the forest, south deeper into the forest, or up the tree.
  
  > climb the tree
  The bark breaks off in your hands and you tumble to the ground. This time it truly was a fruitless effort. You pick yourself up and brush off the dirt from your clothes.
  
  > examine the tree
  Which tree do you mean, the large tree, or the forest?
  
  > examine large
  Which large do you mean, the chip, or the large tree?
  
  > examine the large chip
  It's just a figure of speech! Must you examine everything?
  
  > Go south
  The forest primeval. Branching off from the main north-south path
  is a small trail to the southwest.
  
  > go to the south
  The forest primeval. The north-south path branches off to the east.
  
  > go to the south
  The forest primeval. The path continues north and south. To the
  east you spy a light shining through the trees.
  
  > Go south
  Sigh! Everyday existence is so tiresome. The regal catering
  service has readied a sumptuous feast for you here at the edge of the forest. Dozens of gleaming silver chafing dishes await your inspection, but the smell of hot food sickens you. A massive copper samovar holds freshly brewed coffee. Golden serving pieces have been splendidly arrayed before you, but you know you could never be allowed to pick them up and serve yourself. If only your station in life allowed you to pack a lunch. A roast beef sandwich and a cup of coffee eaten alone in the woods would be ideal. Ugh, those peasant serving girls. So crass. Always cracking their gum and calling you "Hon."
  You can turn north back into the forest.
  The head caterer approaches you, bows low, and says, "Master, how
  good to see you. I trust you had a successful outing in the forest? What do you have to give me?"
  You ignore the caterer's obsequious greeting and attempt to push
  past him. Gently but firmly, he grabs you by the shoulders and looks sternly into your eyes. "Master, as you remember, your father's instructions were not to serve you dinner until you brought back your kill." You silently recall the circumstances under which these instructions were given. Your father has found you insufficiently motivated to improve your hunting skills and would prefer your starvation if you do not start landing some game.
  
  > give the flicker to the caterer
  bloody mass of feathers.
  "Congratulations on your successful hunt, sir," he cries. "Your
  father will be pleased. He wanted me to tell you that he has left an urgent message for you just north of the forest. But first, by all means, eat something. I will prepare this flicker for you immediately."
  You tell the caterer not to bother. "Just get me a roast beef
  sandwich and coffee quickly. And don't assign Flo as my server." The caterer obliges and ushers you to...
  
  It's you, the food-service peasants, and a long wooden table.
  Sitting on the long wooden table is a mask.
  A strangely familiar busboy is here, busily cleaning the table.
  A strangely unfamiliar serving wench is here, awaiting your
  inspection.
  
  *** Your score just went up by 3 points. ***
  
  > examine wench
  Who is she? Why haven't you noticed her before? This young woman is beautiful! Her loveliness is unmarred by any make-up. Her hair falls in natural waves around her shoulders. She approaches quietly and respectfully, lays out a place setting, and sets a sandwich and coffee before you. She withdraws from your presence before you can even speak or look into her eyes.
  
  > look at busboy
  No wonder he looks familiar. It's your older brother, Vasilii. Your father sent him in search of the Firebird after your brother Dimitri had failed. The Firebird eluded him as well. You thought your father had banished Vasilii to a distant tsardom, but you imagine that being reduced to the status of busboy is a very real exile for your ambitious, princely brother.
  
  > get the mask
  Taken.
  
  > look at it
  The mask caricatures your eldest brother Dimitri. Your father sent him three years ago to retrieve the magical Firebird from a nearby forest. Said Firebird had been stealing apples from one of your dad's rare 24K gold apple trees. Since this was causing a considerable financial setback, your father said that if Dimitri brought back the Firebird, the tsardom would be his. Dimitri came back empty-handed, lost his chance at the big promotion, and hasn't been able to get a date since.
  
  > look at the table
  On the long wooden table you see a cup of coffee, a plate, a spoon, a fork, a knife, a napkin, and an ambiguous utensil.
  
  > look at the utensil
  Fork? Spoon? Melon baller? Difficult to say really. Its markings only reveal that it is made of silver. You figure that it must be good for something.
  
  > get all from the table
  cup of coffee: Taken.
  plate: Taken.
  spoon: Taken.
  fork: Taken.
  knife: Taken.
  napkin: Taken.
  ambiguous utensil: Taken.
  
  > ask Vasilii about Dimitri
  "Such a shame about Dimitri. The whole tsardom is laughing at him. At least I live in anonymity. If he enters the monastery, as I expect he shall, he will at last have some peace."
  
  > examine plate
  A china plate decorated with little bunnies and chipmunks. A childhood relic. On the plate you see a roast beef sandwich.
  
  > Examine sandwich
  It's a roast beef sandwich, prepared, of course, just as you prefer: seeded rye bread, horseradish, and raw onions. That should help keep the babes at bay.
  
  > eat the sandwich
  That was delicious!
  
  > go north
  Sigh! Everyday existence is so tiresome. The regal catering
  service has readied a sumptuous feast for you here at the edge of the forest. Dozens of gleaming silver chafing dishes await your inspection, but the smell of hot food sickens you. A massive copper samovar holds freshly brewed coffee. Golden serving pieces have been splendidly arrayed before you, but you know you could never be allowed to pick them up and serve yourself. If only your station in life allowed you to pack a lunch. A roast beef sandwich and a cup of coffee eaten alone in the woods would be ideal. Ugh, those peasant serving girls. So crass. Always cracking their gum and calling you "Hon."
  You can turn north back into the forest.
  The head caterer is directing his staff through another
  pass-the-plate drill.
  
  > Go east
  east. You pick out the outlines of a hut just beyond it. Return to the forest path by walking west.
  
  > Go east
  You have stepped into a clearing from a path to the west. A fire
  burns steadily outside of a small thatched hut.
  A baba yaga is sitting by the fire, a magical bag in her lap.
  
  > put the sandwich in the bag
  The baba yaga yawns. "I think you would find that a rather boring and unproductive transformation."
  
  > put the napkin in the bag
  You drop the napkin into the bag and pull out a comfy blanket!
  
  > put the utensil in the bag
  "What IS that thing?" the baba yaga exclaims as you bring out the unknown utensil. Since you can give her no definite answer, the baba yaga convinces you that it is best not to put it into the bag. The bag cannot transform something it does not recognize.
  
  > look at the blanket
  It's very comfy, very large, and very warm. There's nothing in the comfy blanket.
  
  > put the fork in the bag
  You drop the fork into the bag and pull out what seems to be the same fork. The witch, noticing the look of confusion on your face explains, "It may look unchanged, but do not believe appearances. Perhaps you will discover its special use some day."
  
  > examine the fork
  It looks like an ordinary mysteriously transformed fork to me.
  
  > check your inventory
  You have a bow, a quiver, a mask, a cup of coffee, a plate, a spoon, a knife, a comfy blanket, an ambiguous utensil, and a mysteriously transformed fork. The quiver seems to contain an arrow. Sitting on the plate is a roast beef sandwich.
  
  > put the spoon in the bag
  You drop the spoon into the bag and pull out a shovel!
  
  > get the sandwich
  Taken.
  
  > put the plate in the bag
  The plate with the bunnies and the chipmunks? Life won't be the same without it, but you bravely drop the plate into the bag. You are surprised to pull out a shield!
  
  > put the cup in the bag
  The baba yaga moves the bag away from you. "That cup still has some coffee in it!"
  
  > drink coffee
  Good to the last drop!
  
  > eat the sandwich
  That was delicious!
  
  > put the cup in the bag
  You consider your course of action for a split second. You've had this cup since you were a baby! How will you ever do without it? You bravely drop the cup into the bag and pull out a bucket!
  
  > look at the blanket
  It's very comfy, very large, and very warm. There's nothing in the comfy blanket.
  
  > put the blanket in the bag
  The baba yaga yawns. "I think you would find that a rather boring and unproductive transformation."
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You have a bow, a quiver, a mask, a comfy blanket, an ambiguous utensil, a mysteriously transformed fork, a shovel, a shield, a bucket, and a sword. The quiver seems to contain an arrow.
  
  > examine the shield
  It looks like an ordinary shield to me.
  
  > Go north
  You can't go that way. You can leave by going east or west.
  
  > Go west
  The forest primeval. The path continues north and south. To the
  east you spy a light shining through the trees.
  
  > wear the mask
  Okay, you're now wearing the mask. Boy, do you look like a loser.
  
  > go north
  of groupies. Although they are all attractive and of good families, you would rather impale yourself on a pike than marry one of them. They're swarming everywhere, their constant chattering an irritating drone to your ears.
  
  The women, mistaking you for your brother Dimitri, stop short, groan loudly, and immediately beat a path back to town. Taking off the mask, you marvel at the blissful privacy your brother must enjoy.
  
  *** Your score just went up by 3 points. ***
  
  To the north you can see an encampment of underlings; to the south, the primeval forest beckons.
  
  > look at fellow
  Just as you suspected. Your brother Dimitri is incognito, posing as your masseur. He's wearing a fake mustache and a floppy hat. If you thought his caricature looked peculiar, he looks like a complete goofball now.
  
  > look at allergist
  You have been plagued by allergies all your life. As a child your list of sensitivities was quite long, including feathers, fur, and eggs. Because this man has patiently administered to you an endless series of treatments, you can handle all of these things and live relatively normally. You are still extremely sensitive to beeswax and to bee venom, facts you were perhaps reacquainted with recently. [1] Your allergist is assuring you that you will soon notice a decrease in your symptoms.
  
  > ask the allergist about the treatment
  "The 'sting of the bee' is a treatment of my own devise," the allergist patiently explains. "You've received this treatment nine times three times already. I'm surprised you need it explained again."
  
  > Note 1
  [1]: Beeswax is a compound commonly used in the manufacture of lipstick available in this area. This kept you at quite a distance from your mother, who, being rather vain, insisted on wearing lipstick even after she was told that you were violently allergic to it.
  
  > show the mask to Dimitri
  "Very funny!" Dimitri looks a little embarrassed to see the mask.
  
  > give the treatment
  What do you want the allergist to give it to?
  
  > Yourself
  Your allergist prepares your arm and deftly pricks the needle in the proper place. You think about how well he has cared for you over the years but do not bother to thank him once the procedure is over.
  
  > look at the hat
  It looks like an ordinary floppy hat to me.
  
  > Go south
  of groupies. Although they are all attractive and of good families, you would rather impale yourself on a pike than marry one of them. Fortunately, none of them seem to be around at the moment. The sight of "Dimitri" must have scared them away from this spot for a while. To the north you can see an encampment of underlings; to the south, the primeval forest beckons.
  
  > go south
  You've reached the edge of this grand, untamed forest. A short walk
  to the north are a collection of fawning underlings, waiting to make their daily petitions to you for your continued patronage. The path leads south back into the forest.
  
  > go south
  Deep in a Russian Forest, Under a Large Tree
  You are standing under a large tree.
  
  > go west
  The east-west path terminates at a large stone wall, which curves
  away to the northwest and southwest.
  You see a bronze plaque here.
  
  > Dig
  (the newly dug bed)
  (with the shovel)
  With amazing ease, you burrow through the loose earth and create a tunnel to the other side of the wall! You find yourself in...
  
  You've made it under the immense stone wall. Its walls surround you
  on all sides. You can explore the garden by walking to the north or east. Go down the tunnel to leave.
  
  > Go north
  Once upon a time there was a fountain. Its bubbling flow splashed
  onto the surface of the water below, creating little ripples that sparkled gaily in the sunlight. Floating beneath the fountain were some lily pads...
  And sitting on a lily pad you find a frog. You can't be sure, but
  you think you see something written on the frog's chest.
  
  > read frog
  It says KISS ME.
  
  > Kiss frog
  Blech! You've got to be kidding!
  
  > get the frog
  The frog's chest says KISS ME. Maybe you should try a little tenderness first.
  
  > Examine pad
  Much flatter than a frog, but just as green.
  
  > look at the fountain
  The sound of the burbling water is most intriguing.
  
  > Drink water
  Better not. Do you think a frog would drink out of your bath water?
  
  > kiss yourself
  You plant a big wet one on yourself. Smack!
  
  > ask frog about yourself
  The frog looks at you blankly. Doctor Dolittle you're not.
  
  > wear the mask
  Okay, you're now wearing the mask. Boy, do you look like a loser.
  
  > Kiss frog
  Ugh! You won't kiss a girl, but you'll kiss this frog?
  
  > Kiss frog
  Fine, fine, kiss the frog.
  
  You grasp the frog in your hands and bring it to your lips. Gak!
  You even use your tongue! You are shocked to discover that your kiss has transformed the frog into a heavily breathing man with a dangerous glint in his eye.
  
  Run! It's a sledgehammer-wielding maniac!
  
  You feel the sweet, hot breath of your attacker on the back of your neck.
  
  > Go south
  You've made it under the immense stone wall. Its walls surround you
  on all sides. You can explore the garden by walking to the north or east. Go down the tunnel to leave.
  
  Keep moving! Your head is within inches of a sledgehammer's blow!
  
  > go east
  Finally, trees that are easy to climb! The bark is sturdy, the
  limbs low, the angle of ascent easy. The blossoming trees are just past full bloom and the fruit is starting to emerge from the bud.
  
  Keep moving! Your head is within inches of a sledgehammer's blow!
  
  > climb the tree
  First one branch, then another. You're doing great. Oops, lost your footing! You tumble to the ground with a regal thud for the fourth time today.
  
  You feel the sweet, hot breath of your attacker on the back of your neck.
  
  > go to the north
  You can't go that way. Either walk west or climb up the tree.
  
  The sledgehammer comes down on your head. Your last wish is that you would have had time to contemplate the irony of your fate.
  
  > look at maniac
  No time for close examination. Just run, man!
  
  The sledgehammer comes down on your head. Your last wish is that you would have had time to contemplate the irony of your fate.