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Olga was informed that the Derevlians had arrived, and summoned them to her presence with a gracious welcome.... The Derevlians then announced that their tribe had sent them to report that they had slain her husband, because he was like a wolf, crafty and ravening, but that their princes, who had thus preserved the land of Dereva, were good, and that Olga should come and marry their Prince Mal. For the name of the Prince of Dereva was Mal.
Olga made this reply:
"Your proposal is pleasing to me; indeed, my husband cannot rise again from the dead. But I desire to honor you tomorrow in the presence of my people. Return now to your boat, and remain there with an aspect of arrogance. I shall send for you on the morrow, and you shall say, 'We will not ride on horses nor go on foot; carry us [on your shoulders] in our boat.' And You shall be carried in your boat."Thus she dismissed them to their vessel.
Now Olga gave command that a large deep ditch should be dug in the castle. Thus on the morrow, Olga as she sat in the hall sent for the strangers, and her messengers approached them and said,
"Olga summons you to great honor."But they replied,
"We will not ride on horseback nor in wagons, nor go on foot; carry us in our boat"The people of Kiev then lamented:
"Slavery is our lot. Our prince is killed, and our princess intends to marry their prince"So they carried the Derevlians in their boat. The latter sat on the cross-benches in great robes, puffed up with pride. They thus were borne into the court before Olga, and when the men had brought the Derevlians in, they dropped them into the trench along with the boat. Olga bent over and inquired whether they found the honor to their taste. They answered that it was worse than the death of Igor. She then commanded that they should be buried alive, and they were thus buried.
Olga then sent to the Derevlians the following message:
"I am now coming to you, so prepare great quantities of mead in the city where you killed my husband, that I may weep over his grave and hold a funeral feast for him"When they heard these words, they gathered great quantities of honey, and brewed mead. Taking a small escort, Olga made the journey with ease, and upon her arrival at Igor's tomb, she wept for her husband. She bade her followers pile up a great mound, and when they had piled it up, she also gave command that a funeral feast should be held. Thereupon the Derevlians sat down to drink, and Olga bade her followers wait upon them.
The Derevlians inquired of Olga where the retinue was which they had sent to meet her. She replied that they were following with her husband's bodyguard. When the Derevlians were drunk, she bade her followers fall upon them, and event about herself egging on her retinue to the Massacre of the Derevlians. So they cut down five thousand of them; but Olga returned to Kiev and prepared an army to attack the survivors.
Adapted from Medieval Russia's Epics. (Chronicles and Tales edited and translated by Serge A. Zenkovsky Copyright) 1963 by Serge A. Zenkovsky in Source Readings for History and Life . Scott. Foresman and Company