Long ago there was a poor musician named Sadko. Sadko had a beautiful voice and would play his gusli (dulcimer) and sing at the local feasts and celebrations. One day, as he was playing by the shore of Lake Ilmen, the Water Elf rose out of the lake and rewarded Sadko by telling him a secret.

The next day there was a big feast at a merchant's house. The guests started to boast about their wealth. They asked Sadko to join them. He modestly replied that he was not a wealthy man, but he knew one secret - there was a magic golden fish in Lake Ilmen which would restore youth to anyone who ate it. Not believing Sadko, the merchants told him that if he could catch that fish then they would give him all their worldly riches.

Much to everyone's surprise, he caught the golden fish and became one of the richest men in Novgorod. He built a beautiful palace, married a lovely maiden named Lubava and became a prosperous merchant.

Years later on one of his return voyages, in which his ships were loaded with exotic goods, his fleet came upon a calmness and could make no progress. Sadko realized that the Tsar of the Sea, Tsar Morskoy, wanted him to make an offering. Sadko jumped into the water and went down to the Tsar's palace, where he played for the Tsar's feast. When the guests danced to his music, a terrible storm began and many ships sank. Sadko stopped playing when he realized that there was a storm above him.