Scarlet Sails (novel)

Plot line 1: As a little girl, Assol lived with her widowed father, sailor Longren, who made his living by making toys. One day Assol was sent to a city with a batch of toys, including a yacht with scarlet sails. Assol let it sail along a stream, and as she followed it she met a stranger, old Egl, who prophesied that many years in the future a prince will carry her away on a ship with scarlet sails. Since then Assol has dreamt of this prophecy and the locals consider her crazy.[3]

Plot line 2: The second protagonist, Arthur Gray, a rich heir. Inspired by a seascape painting, he ran away from home and joined the crew of the schooner Anselm. When it sailed to the place where Assol lived, Gray saw a sleeping girl, fancied her, and put his ring on her finger. In the local tavern he learned that the girl was a local crazy dreaming of a prince with scarlet sails. Later when Gray becomes a captain of his own ship, he makes sails of purple silk and sails to Assol's village.[3]

Finale: Assol sees a white ship with purple sails, its captain takes Assol in a boat to the ship, and the prophecy is fulfilled.[3]

"Scarlet Sail", a monument at Slobodskoy, Grin's birthplace

The prophecy is the only fantastic element of the novel. The first version had a bit more of it: the "Scarlet Sails" was supposed to be a story within a story, with the frame story involving the narrator and a flying man Mas-Tuel.[2]

Scarlet Sails had a tremendous impact on Russian culture.[3]

• Scarlet Sails (tradition)