The Rite of Spring a young girl dance herself to death. They were sacrificing her to propitiate the god of Spring. Such was the theme of the Sacre du Printemps". By May 1910 Stravinsky was discussing his idea with Nicholas Roerich, the foremost Russian expert on folk art and ancient rituals. Roerich had a reputation as an artist and mystic, and had provided the stage designs for Diaghilev's 1909 production of the "Polovtsian Dances". The pair quickly agreed on a working title, "The Great Sacrifice" (Russian: "Velikaia zhertva"); Diaghilev gave his blessing to the work, although the collaboration was put on hold for a
Tsarevitch Ivan, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf the kingdom, and the oldest was to marry Helen. The Grey Wolf found Ivan's body and caught two fledgling crows that would have eaten it. Their mother pleaded for them, and the wolf sent her to fetch the water of death, which restored the body, and the water of life, which revived him. The wolf carried him to the wedding in time to stop it; the older brothers were made servants or killed by the wolf, but Ivan married Helen and lived happily with her. Tsarevitch Ivan, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf "Tsarevich Ivan, the Firebird and the Gray