{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_25555/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_25555","id":"gutenberg_25555","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25555","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Short Stories","Children's Myths, Fairy Tales, etc.","Fairy tales -- Slavic countries","Folklore"],"text":"Produced by Barbara Tozier, Bill Tozier and the Online\nDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net\n\n\n\n\n\nSLAV TALES\n\n[Illustration]\n\n[Illustration: _From \"The Plentiful Tablecloth,\" p. 351._]\n\n\n\n\nFairy Tales of the Slav Peasants and Herdsmen\n\nFrom the French of Alex. Chodsko\n\nTranslated and Illustrated by Emily J. Harding\n\n\nLondon: George Allen\n156 Charing Cross Road\n\n1896\n\n\nPrinted by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.\nAt the Ballantyne Press\n\n\n\n\nNOTE BY THE PUBLISHER\n\n\nVery few of the twenty fairy tales included in this volume have been\npresented before in an English dress; this will doubtless enhance\ntheir value in the eyes of the young folk, for whom, principally, they\nare intended. It is hoped that older readers will find some additional\ninterest in tracing throughout the many evidences of kinship between\nthese stories and those of more pronounced Eastern origin.\n\nThe translation has been carefully revised by a well-known writer, who\nhas interfered as little as possible with the original text, except in\nthose instances where slight alterations were necessary.\n\nThe illustrations speak for themselves, and are what might have been\nexpected from the artist who designed those for the \"Lullabies of Many\nLands,\" issued last Christmas.\n\n_November 1895._\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\n  THE ABODE OF THE GODS--\n      I. THE TWO BROTHERS\n     II. TIME AND THE KINGS OF THE ELEMENTS\n    III. THE TWELVE MONTHS\n\n  THE SUN; OR, THE THREE GOLDEN HAIRS OF THE OLD MAN VSEVEDE\n\n  KOVLAD--\n      I. THE SOVEREIGN OF THE MINERAL KINGDOM\n     II. THE LOST CHILD\n\n  THE MAID WITH HAIR OF GOLD\n\n  THE JOURNEY TO THE SUN AND THE MOON\n\n  THE DWARF WITH THE LONG BEARD\n\n  THE FLYING CARPET, THE INVISIBLE CAP, THE GOLD-GIVING RING,\n        AND THE SMITING CLUB\n\n  THE BROAD MAN, THE TALL MAN, AND THE MAN WITH EYES OF FLAME\n\n  THE HISTORY OF PRINCE SLUGOBYL; OR, THE INVISIBLE KNIGHT\n\n  THE SPIRIT OF THE STEPPES\n\n  THE PRINCE WITH THE GOLDEN HAND\n\n  IMPERISHABLE\n\n  OHNIVAK\n\n  TEARS OF PEARLS\n\n  THE SLUGGARD\n\n  KINKACH MARTINKO\n\n  THE STORY OF THE PLENTIFUL TABLECLOTH, THE AVENGING WAND,\n        THE SASH THAT BECOMES A LAKE, AND THE TERRIBLE HELMET\n\n\n\n\nLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS\n\n\n  FRONTISPIECE\n\n  THE ABODE OF THE GODS--\n      I. THE TWO BROTHERS.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n     II. TIME AND THE KINGS OF THE ELEMENTS.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n    III. THE TWELVE MONTHS.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n\n  THE SUN; OR, THE THREE GOLDEN HAIRS OF THE OLD MAN VSEVEDE.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n          _Full-page design_\n\n  KOVLAD--\n      I. THE SOVEREIGN OF THE MINERAL KINGDOM.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n     II. THE LOST CHILD.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n          _Full-page design_\n\n  THE MAID WITH HAIR OF GOLD.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n          _Full-page design_\n\n  THE JOURNEY TO THE SUN AND THE MOON.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n\n  THE DWARF WITH THE LONG BEARD.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n          _Full-page design_\n\n  THE FLYING CARPET, THE INVISIBLE CAP, THE GOLD-GIVING RING,\n        AND THE SMITING CLUB.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n          _Full-page design_\n          _Full-page design_\n\n  THE BROAD MAN, THE TALL MAN, AND THE MAN WITH EYES OF FLAME.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n          _Full-page design_\n\n  THE HISTORY OF PRINCE SLUGOBYL; OR, THE INVISIBLE KNIGHT.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n\n  THE SPIRIT OF THE STEPPES.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n          _Full-page design_\n\n  THE PRINCE WITH THE GOLDEN HAND.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n          _Full-page design_\n  IMPERISHABLE.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n          _Full-page design_\n          _Half-page design_\n          _Full-page design_\n\n  OHNIVAK.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n          _Full-page design_\n          _Full-page design_\n\n  TEARS OF PEARLS.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n          _Full-page design_\n\n  THE SLUGGARD.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n\n  KINKACH MARTINKO.\n          _Heading_\n          _Full-page design_\n\n  THE STORY OF THE PLENTIFUL TABLECLOTH, THE AVENGING WAND,\n        THE SASH THAT BECOMES A LAKE, AND THE TERRIBLE HELMET.\n          _Heading_\n          _Half-page design_\n\n\n\n\nTHE ABODE OF THE GODS\n\n    I. THE TWO BROTHERS\n   II. TIME AND THE KINGS OF THE ELEMENTS\n  III. THE TWELVE MONTHS\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: The Two Brothers]\n\nOnce upon a time there were two brothers whose father had left them\nbut a small fortune. The eldest grew very rich, but at the same time\ncruel and wicked, whereas there was nowhere a more honest or kinder\nman than the younger. But he remained poor, and had many children, so\nthat at times they could scarcely get bread to eat. At last, one day\nthere was not even this in the house, so he went to his rich brother\nand asked him for a loaf of bread. Waste of time! His rich brother\nonly called him beggar and vagabond, and slammed the door in his face.\n\nThe poor fellow, after this brutal reception, did not know which way\nto turn. Hungry, scantily clad, shivering with cold, his legs could\nscarcely carry him along. He had not the heart to go home, with\nnothing for the children, so he went towards the mountain forest. But\nall he found there were some wild pears that had fallen to the ground.\nHe had to content himself with eating these, though they set his teeth\non edge. But what was he to do to warm himself, for the east wind with\nits chill blast pierced him through and through. \"Where shall I go?\"\nhe said; \"what will become of us in the cottage? There is neither food\nnor fire, and my brother has driven me from his door.\" It was just\nthen he remembered having heard that the top of the mountain in front\nof him was made of crystal, and had a fire for ever burning upon it.\n\"I will try and find it,\" he said, \"and then I may be able to warm\nmyself a little.\" So he went on climbing higher and higher till he\nreached the top, when he was startled to see twelve strange beings\nsitting round a huge fire. He stopped for a moment, but then said to\nhimself, \"What have I to lose? Why should I fear? God is with me.\nCourage!\"\n\nSo he advanced towards the fire, and bowing respectfully, said: \"Good\npeople, take pity on my distress. I am very poor, no one cares for me,\nI have not even a fire in my cottage; will you let me warm myself at\nyours?\" They all looked kindly at him, and one of them said: \"My son,\ncome sit down with us and warm yourself.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nSo he sat down, and felt warm directly he was near them. But he dared\nnot speak while they were silent. What astonished him most was that\nthey changed seats one after another, and in such a way that each one\npassed round the fire and came back to his own place. When he drew\nnear the fire an old man with long white beard and bald head arose\nfrom the flames and spoke to him thus:\n\n\"Man, waste not thy life here; return to thy cottage, work, and live\nhonestly. Take as many embers as thou wilt, we have more than we\nneed.\"\n\nAnd having said this he disappeared. Then the twelve filled a large\nsack with embers, and, putting it on the poor man's shoulders, advised\nhim to hasten home.\n\nHumbly thanking them, he set off. As he went he wondered why the\nembers did not feel hot, and why they should weigh no more than a sack\nof paper. He was thankful that he should be able to have a fire, but\nimagine his astonishment when on arriving home he found the sack to\ncontain as many gold pieces as there had been embers; he almost went\nout of his mind with joy at the possession of so much money. With all\nhis heart he thanked those who had been so ready to help him in his\nneed.\n\nHe was now rich, and rejoiced to be able to provide for his family.\nBeing curious to find out how many gold pieces there were, and not\nknowing how to count, he sent his wife to his rich brother for the\nloan of a quart measure.\n\nThis time the brother was in a better temper, so he lent what was\nasked of him, but said mockingly, \"What can such beggars as you have\nto measure?\"\n\nThe wife replied, \"Our neighbour owes us some wheat; we want to be\nsure he returns us the right quantity.\"\n\nThe rich brother was puzzled, and suspecting something he, unknown to\nhis sister-in-law, put some grease inside the measure. The trick\nsucceeded, for on getting it back he found a piece of gold sticking to\nit. Filled with astonishment, he could only suppose his brother had\njoined a band of robbers: so he hurried to his brother's cottage, and\nthreatened to bring him before the Justice of the Peace if he did not\nconfess where the gold came from. The poor man was troubled, and,\ndreading to offend his brother, told the story of his journey to the\nCrystal Mountain.\n\nNow the elder brother had plenty of money for himself, yet he was\nenvious of the brother's good fortune, and became greatly displeased\nwhen he found that his brother won every one's esteem by the good use\nhe made of his wealth. At last he determined to visit the Crystal\nMountain himself.\n\n\"I may meet with as good luck as my brother,\" said he to himself.\n\nUpon reaching the Crystal Mountain he found the twelve seated round\nthe fire as before, and thus addressed them:\n\n\"I beg of you, good people, to let me warm myself, for it is bitterly\ncold, and I am poor and homeless.\"\n\nBut one of them replied, \"My son, the hour of thy birth was\nfavourable; thou art rich, but a miser; thou art wicked, for thou hast\ndared to lie to us. Well dost thou deserve thy punishment.\"\n\nAmazed and terrified he stood silent, not daring to speak. Meanwhile\nthe twelve changed places one after another, each at last returning to\nhis own seat. Then from the midst of the flames arose the\nwhite-bearded old man and spoke thus sternly to the rich man:\n\n\"Woe unto the wilful! Thy brother is virtuous, therefore have I\nblessed him. As for thee, thou art wicked, and so shalt not escape our\nvengeance.\"\n\nAt these words the twelve arose. The first seized the unfortunate man,\nstruck him, and passed him on to the second; the second also struck\nhim and passed him on to the third; and so did they all in their turn,\nuntil he was given up to the old man, who disappeared with him into\nthe fire.\n\nDays, weeks, months went by, but the rich man never returned, and none\nknew what had become of him. I think, between you and me, the younger\nbrother had his suspicions but he very wisely kept them to himself.\n\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nII\n\nTIME AND THE KINGS OF THE ELEMENTS\n\n\nThere was once a married pair who loved each other tenderly. The\nhusband would not have given up his wife for all the riches in the\nworld, while her first thought was how best to please him. So they\nwere very happy, and lived like two grains in one ear of corn.\n\nOne day while working in the fields, a great longing came over him to\nsee her: so without waiting for the hour of sunset he ran home. Alas!\nshe was not there. He looked high and low, he ran here, there, and\neverywhere, he wept, he called to her; in vain! his dear wife was not\nto be found.\n\nSo heartbroken was he that he no longer cared to live. He could think\nof nothing but the loss of his dear wife and how to find her again. At\nlast he determined to travel all over the world in search of her. So\nhe began to walk straight on, trusting God to direct his steps. Sad\nand thoughtful, he wandered for many days, until he reached a cottage\nclose by the shores of a large lake. Here he stopped, hoping to find\nout news. On entering the cottage he was met by a woman, who tried to\nprevent him entering.\n\n\"What do you want here, unlucky wretch?\" said she. \"If my husband sees\nyou, he will kill you instantly.\"\n\n\"Who is your husband then?\" asked the traveller.\n\n\"What! you do not know him? My husband is the Water-King; everything\nunder water obeys him. Depart quickly, for if he finds you here he\nwill certainly devour you.\"\n\n\"Perhaps after all he would take pity on me. But hide me somewhere,\nfor I am worn and weary, and without shelter for the night.\"\n\nSo the Water-Queen was persuaded, and hid him behind the stove. Almost\nimmediately after the Water-King entered. He had barely crossed the\nthreshold when he called out, \"Wife, I smell human flesh; give it me\nquickly, for I am hungry.\" She dared not disobey him, and so she had\nto tell him of the traveller's hiding-place. The poor man became\nterribly frightened, and trembled in every limb, and began to stammer\nout excuses.\n\n\"I assure you I have done no harm. I came here in search of news of my\npoor wife. Oh, do help me to find her; I cannot live without her.\"\n\n\"Well,\" replied the Water-King, \"as you love your wife so tenderly I\nwill forgive you for coming here, but I cannot help you to find her,\nfor I do not know where she is. Yet I remember seeing two ducks on the\nlake yesterday, perchance she is one of them. But I should advise you\nto ask my brother the Fire-King; he may be able to tell you more.\"\n\nHappy to have escaped so easily, he thanked the Water-King and set out\nto find the Fire-King. But the latter was unable to help him, and\ncould only advise him to consult his other brother, the Air-King. But\nthe Air-King, though he had travelled all over the earth, could only\nsay he thought he had seen a woman at the foot of the Crystal\nMountain.\n\nBut the traveller was cheered at the news, and went to seek his wife\nat the foot of the Crystal Mountain, which was close to their cottage.\nOn reaching it he began at once to climb the mountain by making his\nway up the bed of the torrent that came rushing down there. Several\nducks that were in the pools near the waterfall called out, \"My good\nman, don't go up there; you'll be killed.\"\n\nBut he walked fearlessly on till he came to some thatched cottages, at\nthe largest of which he stopped. Here a crowd of wizards and witches\nsurrounded him, screaming at the top of their voices, \"What are you\nlooking for?\"\n\n\"My wife,\" said he.\n\n\"She is here,\" they cried, \"but you cannot take her away unless you\nrecognise her among two hundred women all exactly like her.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\"What! Not know my own wife? Why, here she is,\" said he, as he clasped\nher in his arms. And she, delighted to be with him again, kissed him\nfondly. Then she whispered:\n\n\"Dearest, though you knew me to-day I doubt whether you will\nto-morrow, for there will be so many of us all alike. Now I will tell\nyou what to do. At nightfall go to the top of the Crystal Mountain,\nwhere live the King of Time and his court. Ask him how you may know\nme. If you are good and honest he will help you; if not, he will\ndevour you whole at one mouthful.\"\n\n\"I will do what you advise, dear one,\" he replied, \"but tell me, why\ndid you leave me so suddenly? If you only knew what I have suffered! I\nhave sought you all over the world.\"\n\n\"I did not leave you willingly,\" said she. \"A countryman asked me to\ncome and look at the mountain torrent. When we got there he sprinkled\nsome water over himself, and at once I saw wings growing out of his\nshoulders, and he soon changed his shape entirely into that of a\ndrake; and I too became a duck at the same time, and whether I would\nor no I was obliged to follow him. Here I was allowed to resume my own\nform; and now there is but the one difficulty of being recognised by\nyou.\"\n\nSo they parted, she to join the other women, he to continue his way to\nthe Crystal Mountain. At the top he found twelve strange beings\nsitting round a large fire: they were the attendants of the King of\nTime. He saluted them respectfully.\n\n\"What dost thou want?\" said they.\n\n\"I have lost my dear wife. Can you tell me how to recognise her among\ntwo hundred other women all exactly alike?\"\n\n\"No,\" said they, \"but perhaps our King can.\"\n\nThen arose from the midst of the flames an old man with bald head and\nlong white beard, who, on hearing his request, replied: \"Though all\nthese women be exactly alike, thy wife will have a black thread in the\nshoe of her right foot.\"\n\nSo saying he vanished, and the traveller, thanking the twelve,\ndescended the mountain.\n\nSure it is that without the black thread he would never have\nrecognised her. And though the Magician tried to hide her, the spell\nwas broken; and the two returned rejoicing to their home, where they\nlived happily ever after.\n\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nIII\n\nTHE TWELVE MONTHS\n\n\nThere was once a widow who had two daughters, Helen, her own child by\nher dead husband, and Marouckla, his daughter by his first wife. She\nloved Helen, but hated the poor orphan, because she was far prettier\nthan her own daughter. Marouckla did not think about her good looks,\nand could not understand why her stepmother should be angry at the\nsight of her. The hardest work fell to her share; she cleaned out the\nrooms, cooked, washed, sewed, spun, wove, brought in the hay, milked\nthe cow, and all this without any help. Helen, meanwhile, did nothing\nbut dress herself in her best clothes and go to one amusement after\nanother. But Marouckla never complained; she bore the scoldings and\nbad temper of mother and sister with a smile on her lips, and the\npatience of a lamb. But this angelic behaviour did not soften them.\nThey became even more tyrannical and grumpy, for Marouckla grew daily\nmore beautiful, while Helen's ugliness increased. So the stepmother\ndetermined to get rid of Marouckla, for she knew that while she\nremained her own daughter would have no suitors. Hunger, every kind of\nprivation, abuse, every means was used to make the girl's life\nmiserable. The most wicked of men could not have been more mercilessly\ncruel than these two vixens. But in spite of it all Marouckla grew\never sweeter and more charming.\n\nOne day in the middle of winter Helen wanted some wood-violets.\n\n\"Listen,\" cried she to Marouckla; \"you must go up the mountain and\nfind me some violets, I want some to put in my gown; they must be\nfresh and sweet-scented--do you hear?\"\n\n\"But, my dear sister, who ever heard of violets blooming in the snow?\"\nsaid the poor orphan.\n\n\"You wretched creature! Do you dare to disobey me?\" said Helen. \"Not\nanother word; off with you. If you do not bring me some violets from\nthe mountain forest, I will kill you.\"\n\nThe stepmother also added her threats to those of Helen, and with\nvigorous blows they pushed Marouckla outside and shut the door upon\nher. The weeping girl made her way to the mountain. The snow lay deep,\nand there was no trace of any human being. Long she wandered hither\nand thither, and lost herself in the wood. She was hungry, and\nshivered with cold, and prayed to die. Suddenly she saw a light in the\ndistance, and climbed towards it, till she reached the top of the\nmountain. Upon the highest peak burnt a large fire, surrounded by\ntwelve blocks of stone, on which sat twelve strange beings. Of these\nthe first three had white hair, three were not quite so old, three\nwere young and handsome, and the rest still younger.\n\nThere they all sate silently looking at the fire. They were the twelve\nmonths of the year. The great Setchene (January) was placed higher\nthan the others; his hair and moustache were white as snow, and in his\nhand he held a wand. At first Marouckla was afraid, but after a while\nher courage returned, and drawing near she said:\n\n\"Men of God, may I warm myself at your fire? I am chilled by the\nwinter cold.\"\n\nThe great Setchene raised his head and answered:\n\n\"What brings thee here, my daughter? What dost thou seek?\"\n\n\"I am looking for violets,\" replied the maiden.\n\n\"This is not the season for violets; dost thou not see the snow\neverywhere?\" said Setchene.\n\n\"I know well, but my sister Helen and my stepmother have ordered me to\nbring them violets from your mountain: if I return without them they\nwill kill me. I pray you, good shepherds, tell me where they may be\nfound?\"\n\nHere the great Setchene arose and went over to the youngest of the\nmonths, and placing his wand in his hand, said:\n\n\"Brother Brezene (March), do thou take the highest place.\"\n\nBrezene obeyed, at the same time waving his wand over the fire.\nImmediately the flames rose towards the sky, the snow began to melt\nand the trees and shrubs to bud; the grass became green, and from\nbetween its blades peeped the pale primrose. It was Spring, and the\nmeadows were blue with violets.\n\n\"Gather them quickly, Marouckla,\" said Brezene.\n\nJoyfully she hastened to pick the flowers, and having soon a large\nbunch she thanked them and ran home. Helen and the stepmother were\namazed at the sight of the flowers, the scent of which filled the\nhouse.\n\n\"Where did you find them?\" asked Helen.\n\n\"Under the trees on the mountain slope,\" said Marouckla.\n\nHelen kept the flowers for herself and her mother; she did not even\nthank her step-sister for the trouble she had taken. The next day she\ndesired Marouckla to fetch her strawberries.\n\n\"Run,\" said she, \"and fetch me strawberries from the mountain: they\nmust be very sweet and ripe.\"\n\n\"But who ever heard of strawberries ripening in the snow?\" exclaimed\nMarouckla.\n\n\"Hold your tongue, worm; don't answer me; if I don't have my\nstrawberries I will kill you.\"\n\nThen the stepmother pushed her into the yard and bolted the door. The\nunhappy girl made her way towards the mountain and to the large fire\nround which sat the twelve months. The great Setchene occupied the\nhighest place.\n\n\"Men of God, may I warm myself at your fire? The winter cold chills\nme,\" said she, drawing near.\n\nThe great Setchene raised his head and asked:\n\n\"Why comest thou here? What dost thou seek?\"\n\n\"I am looking for strawberries,\" said she.\n\n\"We are in the midst of winter,\" replied Setchene; \"strawberries do\nnot grow in the snow.\"\n\n\"I know,\" said the girl sadly, \"but my sister and stepmother have\nordered me to bring them strawberries; if I do not they will kill me.\nPray, good shepherds, tell me where to find them.\"\n\nThe great Setchene arose, crossed over to the month opposite him, and\nputting the wand into his hand, said:\n\n\"Brother Tchervene (June), do thou take the highest place.\"\n\nTchervene obeyed, and as he waved his wand over the fire the flames\nleapt towards the sky. Instantly the snow melted, the earth was\ncovered with verdure, trees were clothed with leaves, birds began to\nsing, and various flowers blossomed in the forest. It was summer.\nUnder the bushes masses of star-shaped flowers changed into ripening\nstrawberries. Before Marouckla had time to cross herself they covered\nthe glade, making it look like a sea of blood.\n\n\"Gather them quickly, Marouckla,\" said Tchervene.\n\nJoyfully she thanked the months, and having filled her apron ran\nhappily home. Helen and her mother wondered at seeing the\nstrawberries, which filled the house with their delicious fragrance.\n\n\"Wherever did you find them?\" asked Helen crossly.\n\n\"Right up among the mountains; those from under the beech trees are\nnot bad.\"\n\nHelen gave a few to her mother and ate the rest herself; not one did\nshe offer to her step-sister. Being tired of strawberries, on the\nthird day she took a fancy for some fresh red apples.\n\n\"Run, Marouckla,\" said she, \"and fetch me fresh red apples from the\nmountain.\"\n\n\"Apples in winter, sister? why, the trees have neither leaves nor\nfruit.\"\n\n\"Idle slut, go this minute,\" said Helen; \"unless you bring back apples\nwe will kill you.\"\n\nAs before, the stepmother seized her roughly and turned her out of the\nhouse. The poor girl went weeping up the mountain, across the deep\nsnow upon which lay no human footprint, and on towards the fire round\nwhich were the twelve months. Motionless sat they, and on the highest\nstone was the great Setchene.\n\n\"Men of God, may I warm myself at your fire? The winter cold chills\nme,\" said she, drawing near.\n\nThe great Setchene raised his head.\n\n\"Why com'st thou here? What dost thou seek?\" asked he.\n\n\"I am come to look for red apples,\" replied Marouckla.\n\n\"But this is winter, and not the season for red apples,\" observed the\ngreat Setchene.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\"I know,\" answered the girl, \"but my sister and stepmother sent me to\nfetch red apples from the mountain; if I return without them they will\nkill me.\"\n\nThereupon the great Setchene arose and went over to one of the elderly\nmonths, to whom he handed the wand, saying:\n\n\"Brother Zare (September), do thou take the highest place.\"\n\nZare moved to the highest stone and waved his wand over the fire.\nThere was a flare of red flames, the snow disappeared, but the fading\nleaves which trembled on the trees were sent by a cold north-east wind\nin yellow masses to the glade. Only a few flowers of autumn were\nvisible, such as the fleabane and red gillyflower, autumn colchicums\nin the ravine, and under the beeches bracken and tufts of northern\nheather. At first Marouckla looked in vain for red apples. Then she\nespied a tree which grew at a great height, and from the branches of\nthis hung the bright red fruit. Zare ordered her to gather some\nquickly. The girl was delighted and shook the tree. First one apple\nfell, then another.\n\n\"That is enough,\" said Zare, \"hurry home.\"\n\nThanking the months, she returned joyfully. Helen marvelled and the\nstepmother wondered at seeing the fruit.\n\n\"Where did you gather them?\" asked the step-sister.\n\n\"There are more on the mountain top,\" answered Marouckla.\n\n\"Then why did you not bring more?\" said Helen angrily; \"you must have\neaten them on your way back, you wicked girl.\"\n\n\"No, dear sister, I have not even tasted them,\" said Marouckla. \"I\nshook the tree twice; one apple fell each time. I was not allowed to\nshake it again, but was told to return home.\"\n\n\"May Perum smite you with his thunderbolt,\" said Helen, striking her.\n\nMarouckla prayed to die rather than suffer such ill-treatment. Weeping\nbitterly, she took refuge in the kitchen. Helen and her mother found\nthe apples more delicious than any they had ever tasted, and when they\nhad eaten both longed for more.\n\n\"Listen, mother,\" said Helen. \"Give me my cloak; I will fetch some\nmore apples myself, or else that good-for-nothing wretch will eat them\nall on the way. I shall be able to find the mountain and the tree. The\nshepherds may cry 'Stop,' but I shall not leave go till I have shaken\ndown all the apples.\"\n\nIn spite of her mother's advice she put on her pelisse, covered her\nhead with a warm hood, and took the road to the mountain. The mother\nstood and watched her till she was lost in the distance.\n\nSnow covered everything, not a human footprint was to be seen on its\nsurface. Helen lost herself and wandered hither and thither. After a\nwhile she saw a light above her, and following in its direction\nreached the mountain top. There was the flaming fire, the twelve\nblocks of stone, and the twelve months. At first she was frightened\nand hesitated; then she came nearer and warmed her hands. She did not\nask permission, nor did she speak one polite word.\n\n\"What has brought thee here? What dost thou seek?\" said the great\nSetchene severely.\n\n\"I am not obliged to tell you, old greybeard; what business is it of\nyours?\" she replied disdainfully, turning her back on the fire and\ngoing towards the forest.\n\nThe great Setchene frowned, and waved his wand over his head.\nInstantly the sky became covered with clouds, the fire went down, snow\nfell in large flakes, an icy wind howled round the mountain. Amid the\nfury of the storm Helen added curses against her step-sister. The\npelisse failed to warm her benumbed limbs. The mother kept on waiting\nfor her; she looked from the window, she watched from the doorstep,\nbut her daughter came not. The hours passed slowly, but Helen did not\nreturn.\n\n\"Can it be that the apples have charmed her from her home?\" thought\nthe mother. Then she clad herself in hood and pelisse and went in\nsearch of her daughter. Snow fell in huge masses; it covered all\nthings, it lay untouched by human footsteps. For long she wandered\nhither and thither; the icy north-east wind whistled in the mountain,\nbut no voice answered her cries.\n\nDay after day Marouckla worked and prayed, and waited; but neither\nstepmother nor sister returned, they had been frozen to death on the\nmountain. The inheritance of a small house, a field, and a cow fell to\nMarouckla. In course of time an honest farmer came to share them with\nher, and their lives were happy and peaceful.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SUN OR THE THREE GOLDEN HAIRS OF THE OLD MAN VSEVEDE\n\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTHE SUN; OR, THE THREE GOLDEN HAIRS OF THE OLD MAN VSEVEDE\n\n\nCan this be a true story? It is said that once there was a king who\nwas exceedingly fond of hunting the wild beasts in his forests. One\nday he followed a stag so far and so long that he lost his way. Alone\nand overtaken by night, he was glad to find himself near a small\nthatched cottage in which lived a charcoal-burner.\n\n\"Will you kindly show me the way to the high-road? You shall be\nhandsomely rewarded.\"\n\n\"I would willingly,\" said the charcoal-burner, \"but God is going to\nsend my wife a little child, and I cannot leave her alone. Will you\npass the night under our roof? There is a truss of sweet hay in the\nloft where you may rest, and to-morrow morning I will be your guide.\"\n\nThe king accepted the invitation and went to bed in the loft. Shortly\nafter a son was born to the charcoal-burner's wife. But the king could\nnot sleep. At midnight he heard noises in the house, and looking\nthrough a crack in the flooring he saw the charcoal-burner asleep, his\nwife almost in a faint, and by the side of the newly-born babe three\nold women dressed in white, each holding a lighted taper in her hand,\nand all talking together. Now these were the three Soudiche or Fates,\nyou must know.\n\nThe first said, \"On this boy I bestow the gift of confronting great\ndangers.\"\n\nThe second said, \"I bestow the power of happily escaping all these\ndangers, and of living to a good old age.\"\n\nThe third said, \"I bestow upon him for wife the princess born at the\nselfsame hour as he, and daughter of the very king sleeping above in\nthe loft.\"\n\nAt these words the lights went out and silence reigned around.\n\nNow the king was greatly troubled, and wondered exceedingly; he felt\nas if he had received a sword-thrust in the chest. He lay awake all\nnight thinking how to prevent the words of the Fates from coming true.\n\nWith the first glimmer of morning light the baby began to cry. The\ncharcoal-burner, on going over to it, found that his wife was dead.\n\n\"Poor little orphan,\" he said sadly, \"what will become of thee without\na mother's care?\"\n\n\"Confide this child to me,\" said the king, \"I will look after it. He\nshall be well provided for. You shall be given a sum of money large\nenough to keep you without having to burn charcoal.\"\n\nThe poor man gladly agreed, and the king went away promising to send\nsome one for the child. The queen and courtiers thought it would be an\nagreeable surprise for the king to hear that a charming little\nprincess had been born on the night he was away. But instead of being\npleased he frowned, and calling one of his servants, said to him, \"Go\nto the charcoal-burner's cottage in the forest, and give the man this\npurse in exchange for a new-born infant. On your way back drown the\nchild. See well that he is drowned, for if he should in any way\nescape, you yourself shall suffer in his place.\"\n\nThe servant was given the child in a basket, and on reaching the\ncentre of a narrow bridge that stretched across a wide and deep river,\nhe threw both basket and baby into the water.\n\n\"A prosperous journey to you, Mr. Son-in-Law,\" said the king, on\nhearing the servant's story: for he fully believed the child was\ndrowned. But it was far from being the case; the little one was\nfloating happily along in its basket cradle, and slumbering as sweetly\nas if his mother had sung him to sleep. Now it happened that a\nfisherman, who was mending his nets before his cottage door, saw the\nbasket floating down the river. He jumped at once into his boat,\npicked it up, and ran to tell his wife the good news.\n\n\"Look,\" said he, \"you have always longed for a son; here is a\nbeautiful little boy the river has sent us.\"\n\nThe woman was delighted, and took the infant and loved it as her own\nchild. They named him _Plavacek_ (the floater), because he had come to\nthem floating on the water.\n\nThe river flowed on. Years passed away. The little baby grew into a\nhandsome youth; in all the villages round there were none to compare\nwith him. Now it happened that one summer day the king was riding\nunattended. And the heat being very great he reined in his horse\nbefore the fisherman's door to ask for a drink of water. Plavacek\nbrought the water. The king looked at him attentively, then turning to\nthe fisherman, said, \"That is a good-looking lad; is he your son?\"\n\n\"He is and he isn't,\" replied the fisherman. \"I found him, when he was\nquite a tiny baby, floating down the stream in a basket. So we adopted\nhim and brought him up as our own son.\"\n\nThe king turned as pale as death, for he guessed that he was the same\nchild he had ordered to be drowned. Then recovering himself he got\ndown from his horse and said: \"I want a trusty messenger to take a\nletter to the palace, could you send him with it?\"\n\n\"With pleasure! Your majesty may be sure of its safe delivery.\"\n\nThereupon the king wrote to the queen as follows--\n\n    \"The man who brings you this letter is the most dangerous of all\n    my enemies. Have his head cut off at once; no delay, no pity, he\n    must be executed before my return. Such is my will and\n    pleasure.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThis he carefully folded and sealed with the royal seal.\n\nPlavacek took the letter and set off immediately. But the forest\nthrough which he had to pass was so large, and the trees so thick,\nthat he missed the path and was overtaken by the darkness before the\njourney was nearly over. In the midst of his trouble he met an old\nwoman who said, \"Where are you going, Plavacek? Where are you going?\"\n\n\"I am the bearer of a letter from the king to the queen, but have\nmissed the path to the palace. Could you, good mother, put me on the\nright road?\"\n\n\"Impossible to-day, my child; it is getting dark, and you would not\nhave time to get there. Stay with me to-night. You will not be with\nstrangers, for I am your godmother.\"\n\nPlavacek agreed. Thereupon they entered a pretty little cottage that\nseemed suddenly to sink into the earth. Now while he slept the old\nwoman changed his letter for another, which ran thus:--\n\n    \"Immediately upon the receipt of this letter introduce the\n    bearer to the princess our daughter. I have chosen this young\n    man for my son-in-law, and it is my wish they should be married\n    before my return to the palace. Such is my pleasure.\"\n\nThe letter was duly delivered, and when the queen had read it, she\nordered everything to be prepared for the wedding. Both she and her\ndaughter greatly enjoyed Plavacek's society, and nothing disturbed the\nhappiness of the newly married pair.\n\nWithin a few days the king returned, and on hearing what had taken\nplace was very angry with the queen.\n\n\"But you expressly bade me have the wedding before your return. Come,\nread your letter again, here it is,\" said she.\n\nHe closely examined the letter; the paper, handwriting, seal--all were\nundoubtedly his. He then called his son-in-law, and questioned him\nabout his journey. Plavacek hid nothing: he told how he had lost his\nway, and how he had passed the night in a cottage in the forest.\n\n\"What was the old woman like?\" asked the king.\n\nFrom Plavacek's description the king knew it was the very same who,\ntwenty years before, had foretold the marriage of the princess with\nthe charcoal-burner's son. After some moments' thought the king said,\n\"What is done is done. But you will not become my son-in-law so\neasily. No, i' faith! As a wedding present you must bring me three\ngolden hairs from the head of Dede-Vsevede.\"\n\nIn this way he thought to get rid of his son-in-law, whose very\npresence was distasteful to him. The young fellow took leave of his\nwife and set off. \"I know not which way to go,\" said he to himself,\n\"but my godmother the witch will surely help me.\"\n\nBut he found the way easily enough. He walked on and on and on for a\nlong time over mountain, valley, and river, until he reached the\nshores of the Black Sea. There he found a boat and boatman.\n\n\"May God bless you, old boatman,\" said he.\n\n\"And you, too, my young traveller. Where are you going?\"\n\n\"To Dede-Vsevede's castle for three of his golden hairs.\"\n\n\"Ah, then you are very welcome. For a long weary while I have been\nwaiting for such a messenger as you. I have been ferrying passengers\nacross for these twenty years, and not one of them has done anything\nto help me. If you will promise to ask Dede-Vsevede when I shall be\nreleased from my toil I will row you across.\"\n\nPlavacek promised, and was rowed to the opposite bank. He continued\nhis journey on foot until he came in sight of a large town half in\nruins, near which was passing a funeral procession. The king of that\ncountry was following his father's coffin, and with the tears running\ndown his cheeks.\n\n\"May God comfort you in your distress,\" said Plavacek.\n\n\"Thank you, good traveller. Where are you going?\"\n\n\"To the house of Dede-Vsevede in quest of three of his golden hairs.\"\n\n\"To the house of Dede-Vsevede? indeed! What a pity you did not come\nsooner, we have long been expecting such a messenger as you. Come and\nsee me by and bye.\"\n\nWhen Plavacek presented himself at court the king said to him:\n\n\"We understand you are on your way to the house of Dede-Vsevede? Now\nwe have an apple-tree here that bears the fruit of everlasting youth.\nOne of these apples eaten by a man, even though he be dying, will cure\nhim and make him young again. For the last twenty years neither fruit\nnor flower has been found on this tree. Will you ask Dede-Vsevede the\ncause of it?\"\n\n\"That I will, with pleasure.\"\n\nThen Plavacek continued his journey, and as he went he came to a large\nand beautiful city where all was sad and silent. Near the gate was an\nold man who leant on a stick and walked with difficulty.\n\n\"May God bless you, good old man.\"\n\n\"And you, too, my handsome young traveller. Where are you going?\"\n\n\"To Dede-Vsevede's palace in search of three of his golden hairs.\"\n\n\"Ah, you are the very messenger I have so long waited for. Allow me to\ntake you to my master the king.\"\n\nOn their arrival at the palace, the king said, \"I hear you are an\nambassador to Dede-Vsevede. We have here a well, the water of which\nrenews itself. So wonderful are its effects that invalids are\nimmediately cured on drinking it, while a few drops sprinkled on a\ncorpse will bring it to life again. For the past twenty years this\nwell has remained dry: if you will ask old Dede-Vsevede how the flow\nof water may be restored I will reward you royally.\"\n\nPlavacek promised to do so, and was dismissed with good wishes. He\nthen travelled through deep dark forests, in the midst of which might\nbe seen a large meadow; out of it grew lovely flowers, and in the\ncentre stood a castle built of gold. It was the home of Dede-Vsevede.\nSo brilliant with light was it that it seemed to be built of fire.\nWhen he entered there was no one there but an old woman spinning.\n\n\"Greeting, Plavacek, I am well pleased to see you.\"\n\nShe was his godmother, who had given him shelter in her cottage when\nhe was the bearer of the king's letter.\n\n\"Tell me what brings you here from such a distance,\" she went on.\n\n\"The king would not have me for his son-in-law, unless I first got him\nthree golden hairs from the head of Dede-Vsevede. So he sent me here\nto fetch them.\"\n\nThe Fate laughed. \"Dede-Vsevede indeed! Why, I am his mother, it is\nthe shining sun himself. He is a child at morning time, a grown man at\nmidday, a decrepit old man, looking as if he had lived a hundred\nyears, at eventide. But I will see that you have the three hairs from\nhis head; I am not your godmother for nothing. All the same you must\nnot remain here. My son is a good lad, but when he comes home he is\nhungry, and would very probably order you to be roasted for his\nsupper. Now I will turn this empty bucket upside down, and you shall\nhide underneath it.\"\n\nPlavacek begged the Fate to obtain from Dede-Vsevede the answers to\nthe three questions he had been asked.\n\n\"I will do so certainly, but you must listen to what he says.\"\n\nSuddenly a blast of wind howled round the palace, and the Sun entered\nby a western window. He was an old man with golden hair.\n\n\"I smell human flesh,\" cried he, \"I am sure of it. Mother, you have\nsome one here.\"\n\n\"Star of day,\" she replied, \"whom could I have here that you would not\nsee sooner than I? The fact is that in your daily journeys the scent\nof human flesh is always with you, so when you come home at evening it\nclings to you still.\"\n\nThe old man said nothing, and sat down to supper. When he had finished\nhe laid his golden head on the Fate's lap and went to sleep. Then she\npulled out a hair and threw it on the ground. It fell with a metallic\nsound like the vibration of a guitar string.\n\n\"What do you want, mother?\" asked he.\n\n\"Nothing, my son; I was sleeping, and had a strange dream.\"\n\n\"What was it, mother?\"\n\n\"I thought I was in a place where there was a well, and the well was\nfed from a spring, the water of which cured all diseases. Even the\ndying were restored to health on drinking that water, and the dead who\nwere sprinkled with it came to life again. For the last twenty years\nthe well has run dry. What must be done to restore the flow of water?\"\n\n\"That is very simple. A frog has lodged itself in the opening of the\nspring, this prevents the flow of water. Kill the frog, and the water\nwill return to the well.\"\n\nHe slept again, and the old woman pulled out another golden hair, and\nthrew it on the ground.\n\n\"Mother, what do you want?\"\n\n\"Nothing, my son, nothing; I was dreaming. In my dream I saw a large\ntown, the name of which I have forgotten. And there grew an apple-tree\nthe fruit of which had the power to make the old young again. A single\napple eaten by an old man would restore to him the vigour and\nfreshness of youth. For twenty years this tree has not borne fruit.\nWhat can be done to make it fruitful?\"\n\n\"The means are not difficult. A snake hidden among the roots destroys\nthe sap. Kill the snake, transplant the tree, and the fruit will grow\nas before.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nHe again fell asleep, and the old woman pulled out another golden\nhair.\n\n\"Now look here, mother, why will you not let me sleep?\" said the old\nman, really vexed; and he would have got up.\n\n\"Lie down, my darling son, do not disturb yourself. I am sorry I awoke\nyou, but I have had a very strange dream. It seemed that I saw a\nboatman on the shores of the Black Sea, and he complained that he had\nbeen toiling at the ferry for twenty years without any one having come\nto take his place. For how much longer must this poor old man continue\nto row?\"\n\n\"He is a silly fellow. He has but to place his oars in the hands of\nthe first comer and jump ashore. Whoever receives the oars will\nreplace him as ferryman. But leave me in peace now, mother, and do not\nwake me again. I have to rise very early, and must first dry the eyes\nof a princess. The poor thing spends all night weeping for her husband\nwho has been sent by the king to get three of my golden hairs.\"\n\nNext morning the wind whistled round Dede-Vsevede's palace, and\ninstead of an old man, a beautiful child with golden hair awoke on the\nold woman's lap. It was the glorious sun. He bade her good-bye, and\nflew out of the eastern window. The old woman turned up the bucket and\nsaid to Plavacek, \"Look, here are the three golden hairs. You now know\nthe answers to your questions. May God direct you and send you a\nprosperous journey. You will not see me again, for you will have no\nfurther need of me.\"\n\nHe thanked her gratefully and left her. On arriving at the town with\nthe dried-up well, he was questioned by the king as to what news he\nhad brought.\n\n\"Have the well carefully cleaned out,\" said he, \"kill the frog that\nobstructs the spring, and the wonderful water will flow again.\"\n\nThe king did as he was advised, and rejoiced to see the water return.\nHe gave Plavacek twelve swan-white horses, and as much gold and silver\nas they could carry.\n\nOn reaching the second town and being asked by the king what news he\nhad brought, he replied, \"Excellent; one could not wish for better.\nDig up your apple-tree, kill the snake that lies among the roots,\ntransplant the tree, and it will produce apples like those of former\ntimes.\"\n\nAnd all turned out as he had said, for no sooner was the tree\nreplanted than it was covered with blossoms that gave it the\nappearance of a sea of roses. The delighted king gave him twelve\nraven-black horses, laden with as much wealth as they could carry. He\nthen journeyed to the shores of the Black Sea. There the boatman\nquestioned him as to what news he had brought respecting his release.\nPlavacek first crossed with his twenty-four horses to the opposite\nbank, and then replied that the boatman might gain his freedom by\nplacing the oars in the hands of the first traveller who wished to be\nferried over.\n\nPlavacek's royal father-in-law could not believe his eyes when he saw\nDede-Vsevede's three golden hairs. As for the princess, his young\nwife, she wept tears, but of joy, not sadness, to see her dear one\nagain, and she said to him, \"How did you get such splendid horses and\nso much wealth, dear husband?\"\n\nAnd he answered her, \"All this represents the price paid for the\nweariness of spirit I have felt; it is the ready money for hardships\nendured and services given. Thus, I showed one king how to regain\npossession of the Apples of Youth: to another I told the secret of\nreopening the spring of water that gives health and life.\"\n\n\"Apples of Youth! Water of Life!\" interrupted the king. \"I will\ncertainly go and find these treasures for myself. Ah, what joy! having\neaten of these apples I shall become young again; having drunk of the\nWater of Immortality, I shall live for ever.\"\n\nAnd he started off in search of these treasures. But he has not yet\nreturned from his search.\n\n\n\n\nKOVLAD\n\n    I. THE SOVEREIGN OF THE MINERAL KINGDOM\n   II. THE LOST CHILD\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nI\n\nTHE SOVEREIGN OF THE MINERAL KINGDOM\n\n\nOnce upon a time, and a long long time ago it was, there lived a widow\nwho had a very pretty daughter. The mother, good honest woman, was\nquite content with her station in life. But with the daughter it was\notherwise; she, like a spoilt beauty, looked contemptuously upon her\nmany admirers, her mind was full of proud and ambitious thoughts, and\nthe more lovers she had, the prouder she became.\n\nOne beautiful moonlight night the mother awoke, and being unable to\nsleep, began to pray God for the happiness of her only child, though\nshe often made her mother's life miserable. The fond woman looked\nlovingly at the beautiful daughter sleeping by her side, and she\nwondered, as she saw her smile, what happy dream had visited her. Then\nshe finished her prayer, and laying her head on the girl's pillow,\nfell asleep. Next day she said, \"Come, darling child, tell me what you\nwere dreaming about last night, you looked so happy smiling in your\nsleep.\"\n\n\"Oh yes, mother, I remember. I had a very beautiful dream. I thought a\nrich nobleman came to our house, in a splendid carriage of brass, and\ngave me a ring set with stones, that sparkled like the stars of\nheaven. When I entered the church with him, it was full of people, and\nthey all thought me divine and adorable, like the Blessed Virgin.\"\n\n\"Ah! my child, what sin! May God keep you from such dreams.\"\n\nBut the daughter ran away singing, and busied herself about the house.\nThe same day a handsome young farmer drove into the village in his\ncart and begged them to come and share his country bread. He was a\nkind fellow, and the mother liked him much. But the daughter refused\nhis invitation, and insulted him into the bargain.\n\n\"Even if you had driven in a carriage of brass,\" she said, \"and had\noffered me a ring set with stones shining as the stars in heaven, I\nwould never have married you--you, a mere peasant!\"\n\nThe young farmer was terribly upset at her words, and with a prayer\nfor her soul, returned home a saddened man. But her mother scolded and\nreproached her.\n\nThe next night the woman again awoke, and taking her rosary prayed\nwith still greater fervour, that God would bless her child. This time\nthe girl laughed as she slept.\n\n\"What can the poor child be dreaming about?\" she said to herself: and\nsighing she prayed for her again. Then she laid her head upon her\npillow and tried in vain to sleep. In the morning, when her daughter\nwas dressing, she said: \"Well, my dear, you were dreaming again last\nnight, and laughing like a maniac.\"\n\n\"Was I? Listen, I dreamt a nobleman came for me in a silver carriage,\nand gave me a golden diadem. When I entered the church with him, the\npeople admired and worshipped me more than the Blessed Virgin.\"\n\n\"Ay me, what a terrible dream! what a wicked dream! Pray God not to\nlead you into temptation.\"\n\nThen she scolded her daughter severely and went out, slamming the door\nafter her. That same day a carriage drove into the village, and some\ngentlemen invited mother and daughter to share the bread of the lord\nof the manor. The mother considered such an offer a great honour, but\nthe daughter refused it and replied to the gentlemen scornfully: \"Even\nif you had come to fetch me in a carriage of solid silver and had\npresented me with a golden diadem, I would never have consented to be\nthe wife of your lord.\"\n\nThe gentlemen turned away in disgust and returned home; the mother\nrebuked her severely for so much pride.\n\n\"Miserable, foolish girl!\" she cried, \"pride is a breath from hell. It\nis your duty to be humble, honest, and sweet-tempered.\"\n\nThe daughter replied by a laugh.\n\nThe third night she slept soundly, but the poor woman at her side\ncould not close her eyes. Tormented with dark forebodings, she feared\nsome misfortune was about to happen, and counted her beads, praying\nfervently. All at once the young sleeper began to sneer and laugh.\n\n\"Merciful God! ah me!\" cried the poor woman, \"what are these dreams\nthat worry her poor brain!\"\n\nIn the morning she said, \"What made you sneer so frightfully last\nnight? You must have had bad dreams again, my poor child.\"\n\n\"Now, mother, you look as if you were going to preach again.\"\n\n\"No, no; but I want to know what you were dreaming about.\"\n\n\"Well, I dreamt some one drove up in a golden carriage and asked me to\nmarry him, and he brought me a mantle of cloth of pure gold. When we\ncame into church, the crowd pressed forward to kneel before me.\"\n\nThe mother wrung her hands piteously, and the girl left the room to\navoid hearing her lamentations. That same day three carriages entered\nthe yard, one of brass, one of silver, and one of gold. The first was\ndrawn by two, the second by three, the third by four magnificent\nhorses. Gentlemen wearing scarlet gloves and green mantles got out of\nthe brass and silver carriages, while from the golden carriage\nalighted a prince who, as the sun shone on him, looked as if he were\ndressed in gold. They all made their way to the widow and asked for\nher daughter's hand.\n\n\"I fear we are not worthy of so much honour,\" replied the widow\nmeekly, but when the daughter's eyes fell upon her suitor she\nrecognised in him the lover of her dreams, and withdrew to weave an\naigrette of many-coloured feathers. In exchange for this aigrette\nwhich she offered her bridegroom, he placed upon her finger a ring set\nwith stones that shone like the stars in heaven, and over her\nshoulders a mantle of cloth of gold. The young bride, beside herself\nwith joy, retired to complete her toilette. Meanwhile the anxious\nmother, a prey to the blackest forebodings, said to her son-in-law,\n\"My daughter has consented to share your bread, tell me of what sort\nof flour it is made?\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\"In our house we have bread of brass, of silver, and of gold; my wife\nwill be free to choose.\"\n\nSuch a reply astonished her more than ever, and made her still more\nunhappy. The daughter asked no questions, was in fact content to know\nnothing, not even what her mother suffered. She looked magnificent in\nher bridal attire and golden mantle, but she left her home with the\nprince without saying good-bye either to her mother or to her youthful\ncompanions. Neither did she ask her mother's blessing, though the\nlatter wept and prayed for her safety.\n\nAfter the marriage ceremony they mounted the golden carriage and set\noff, followed by the attendants of silver and brass. The procession\nmoved slowly along the road without stopping until it reached the foot\nof a high rock. Here, instead of a carriage entrance, was a large\ncavern which led out into a steep slope down which the horses went\nlower and lower. The giant _Zemo-tras_ (he who makes the earthquakes)\nclosed the opening with a huge stone. They made their way in darkness\nfor some time, the terrified bride being reassured by her husband.\n\n\"Fear nothing,\" said he, \"in a little while it will be clear and\nbeautiful.\"\n\nGrotesque dwarfs, carrying lighted torches, appeared on all sides,\nsaluted and welcomed their King Kovlad as they illumined the road for\nhim and his attendants. Then for the first time the girl knew she had\nmarried Kovlad, but this mattered little to her. On coming out from\nthese gloomy passages into the open they found themselves surrounded\nby large forests and mountains, mountains that seemed to touch the\nsky. And, strange to relate, all the trees of whatsoever kind, and\neven the mountains that seemed to touch the sky, were of solid lead.\nWhen they had crossed these marvellous mountains the giant Zemo-tras\nclosed all the openings in the road they had passed. They then drove\nout upon vast and beautiful plains, in the centre of which was a\ngolden palace covered with precious stones. The bride was weary with\nlooking at so many wonders, and gladly sat down to the feast prepared\nby the dwarfs. Meats of many kinds were served, roast and boiled, but\nlo! they were of metal--brass, silver, and gold. Every one ate\nheartily and enjoyed the food, but the young wife, with tears in her\neyes, begged for a piece of bread.\n\n\"Certainly, madam, with pleasure,\" answered Kovlad. But she could not\neat the bread which was brought, for it was of brass. Then the king\nsent for a piece of silver bread, still she could not eat it; and\nagain for a slice of golden bread, that too she was unable to bite.\nThe servants did all they could to get something to their mistress's\ntaste, but she found it impossible to eat anything.\n\n\"I should be most happy to gratify you,\" said Kovlad \"but we have no\nother kind of food.\"\n\nThen she realised for the first time in whose power she had placed\nherself, and she began to weep bitterly and wish she had taken her\nmother's advice.\n\n\"It is of no use to weep and regret,\" said Kovlad, \"you must have\nknown the kind of bread you would have to break here; your wish has\nbeen fulfilled.\"\n\nAnd so it was, for nothing can recall the past. The wretched girl was\nobliged henceforth to live underground with her husband Kovlad, the\nGod of Metals, in his golden palace. And this because she had set her\nheart upon nothing but the possession of gold, and had never wished\nfor anything better.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nII\n\nTHE LOST CHILD\n\n\nLong long ago there lived a very rich nobleman. But though he was so\nrich he was not happy, for he had no children to whom he could leave\nhis wealth. He was, besides, no longer young. Every day he and his\nwife went to church to pray for a son. At last, after long waiting,\nGod sent them what they desired. Now the evening before its arrival\nthe father dreamed that its chance of living would depend upon one\ncondition, namely, that its feet never touched the earth until it was\ntwelve years old. Great care was taken that this should be avoided,\nand when the little stranger came, only trustworthy nurses were\nemployed to look after him. As the years passed on the child was\ndiligently guarded, sometimes he was carried in his nurses' arms,\nsometimes rocked in his golden cradle, but his feet never touched the\nground.\n\nNow when the end of the time drew near the father began preparations\nfor a magnificent feast which should be given to celebrate his son's\nrelease. One day while these were in progress a frightful noise,\nfollowed by most unearthly yells, shook the castle. The nurse dropped\nthe child in her terror and ran to the window: that instant the noises\nceased. On turning to take up the boy, imagine her dismay when she\nfound him no longer there, and remembered that she had disobeyed her\nmaster's orders.\n\nHearing her screams and lamentations, all the servants of the castle\nran to her. The father soon followed, asking, \"What is the matter?\nWhat has happened? Where is my child?\" The nurse, trembling and\nweeping, told of the disappearance of his son, his only child. No\nwords can tell the anguish of the father's heart. He sent servants in\nevery direction to hunt for his boy, he gave orders, he begged and\nprayed, he threw away money right and left, he promised everything if\nonly his son might be restored to him. Search was made without loss of\ntime, but no trace of him could be discovered; he had vanished as\ncompletely as if he had never existed.\n\nMany years later the unhappy nobleman learnt that in one of the most\nbeautiful rooms of the castle, footsteps, as of some one walking up\nand down, and dismal groans, were heard every midnight. Anxious to\nfollow the matter up, for he thought it might in some way concern his\nlost son, he made known that a reward of three hundred gold pieces\nwould be given to any one who would watch for one whole night in the\nhaunted room. Many were willing, but had not the courage to stay till\nthe end; for at midnight, when the dismal groans were heard, they\nwould run away rather than risk their lives for three hundred gold\npieces. The poor father was in despair, and knew not how to discover\nthe truth of this dark mystery.\n\nNow close to the castle dwelt a widow, a miller by trade, who had\nthree daughters. They were very poor, and hardly earned enough for\ntheir daily needs. When they heard of the midnight noises in the\ncastle and the promised reward, the eldest daughter said, \"As we are\nso very poor we have nothing to lose; surely we might try to earn\nthese three hundred gold pieces by remaining in the room one night. I\nshould like to try, mother, if you will let me.\"\n\nThe mother shrugged her shoulders, she hardly knew what to say; but\nwhen she thought of their poverty and the difficulty they had to earn\na living she gave permission for her eldest daughter to remain one\nnight in the haunted room. Then the daughter went to ask the\nnobleman's consent.\n\n\"Have you really the courage to watch for a whole night in a room\nhaunted by ghosts? Are you sure you are not afraid, my good girl?\"\n\n\"I am willing to try this very night,\" she replied. \"I would only ask\nyou to give me some food to cook for my supper, for I am very hungry.\"\n\nOrders were given that she should be supplied with everything she\nwanted, and indeed enough food was given her, not for one supper only,\nbut for three. With the food, some dry firewood and a candle, she\nentered the room. Like a good housewife, she first lit the fire and\nput on her saucepans, then she laid the table and made the bed. This\nfilled up the early part of the evening. The time passed so quickly\nthat she was surprised to hear the clock strike twelve, while at the\nlast stroke, footsteps, as of some one walking, shook the room, and\ndismal groans filled the air. The frightened girl ran from one corner\nto the other, but could not see any one. But the footsteps and the\ngroans did not cease. Suddenly a young man approached her and asked,\n\"For whom is this food cooked?\"\n\n\"For myself,\" she said.\n\nThe gentle face of the stranger saddened, and after a short silence he\nasked again, \"And this table, for whom is it laid?\"\n\n\"For myself,\" she replied.\n\nThe brow of the young man clouded over, and the beautiful blue eyes\nfilled with tears as he asked once more, \"And this bed, for whom have\nyou made it?\"\n\n\"For myself,\" replied she in the same selfish and indifferent tone.\n\nTears fell from his eyes as he waved his arms and vanished.\n\nNext morning she told the nobleman all that had happened, but without\nmentioning the painful impression her answers had made upon the\nstranger. The three hundred golden crowns were paid, and the father\nwas thankful to have at last heard something that might possibly lead\nto the discovery of his son.\n\nOn the following day the second daughter, having been told by her\nsister what to do and how to answer the stranger, went to the castle\nto offer her services. The nobleman willingly agreed, and orders were\ngiven that she should be provided with everything she might want.\nWithout loss of time she entered the room, lit the fire, put on the\nsaucepans, spread a white cloth upon the table, made the bed, and\nawaited the hour of midnight. When the young stranger appeared and\nasked, \"For whom is this food prepared? for whom is the table laid?\nfor whom is the bed made?\" she answered as her sister had bidden her,\n\"For me, for myself only.\"\n\nAs on the night before, he burst into tears, waved his arms, and\nsuddenly disappeared.\n\nNext morning she told the nobleman all that had happened except the\nsad impression her answers had made upon the stranger. The three\nhundred gold pieces were given her, and she went home.\n\nOn the third day the youngest daughter wanted to try her fortune.\n\n\"Sisters,\" said she, \"as you have succeeded in earning three hundred\ngold crowns each, and so helping our dear mother, I too should like to\ndo my part and remain a night in the haunted room.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nNow the widow loved her youngest daughter more dearly than the others,\nand dreaded to expose her to any danger; but as the elder ones had\nbeen successful, she allowed her to take her chance. So with the\ninstructions from her sisters as to what she should do and say, and\nwith the nobleman's consent and abundant provisions, she entered the\nhaunted room. Having lit the fire, put on the saucepans, laid the\ntable and made the bed, she awaited with hope and fear the hour of\nmidnight.\n\nAs twelve o'clock struck, the room was shaken by the footsteps of some\none who walked up and down, and the air was filled with cries and\ngroans. The girl looked everywhere, but no living being could she see.\nSuddenly there stood before her a young man who asked in a sweet\nvoice, \"For whom have you prepared this food?\"\n\nNow her sisters had told her how to answer and how to act, but when\nshe looked into the sad eyes of the stranger she resolved to treat him\nmore kindly.\n\n\"Well, you do not answer me; for whom is the food prepared?\" he asked\nagain impatiently, as she made no reply. Somewhat confused, she said,\n\"I prepared it for myself, but you too are welcome to it.\"\n\nAt these words his brow grew more serene.\n\n\"And this table, for whom is it spread?\"\n\n\"For myself, unless you will honour me by being my guest.\"\n\nA bright smile illumined his face.\n\n\"And this bed, for whom have you made it?\"\n\n\"For myself, but if you have need of rest it is for you.\"\n\nHe clapped his hands for joy and replied, \"Ah, that's right; I accept\nthe invitation with pleasure, and all that you have been so kind as to\noffer me. But wait, I pray you wait for me; I must first thank my kind\nfriends for the care they have taken of me.\"\n\nA fresh warm breath of spring filled the air, while at the same moment\na deep precipice opened in the middle of the floor. He descended\nlightly, and she, anxious to see what would happen, followed him,\nholding on to his mantle. Thus they both reached the bottom of the\nprecipice. Down there a new world opened itself before her eyes. To\nthe right flowed a river of liquid gold, to the left rose high\nmountains of solid gold, in the centre lay a large meadow covered with\nmillions of flowers. The stranger went on, the girl followed\nunnoticed. And as he went he saluted the field flowers as old friends,\ncaressing them and leaving them with regret. Then they came to a\nforest where the trees were of gold. Many birds of different kinds\nbegan to sing, and flying round the young stranger perched familiarly\non his head and shoulders. He spoke to and petted each one. While thus\nengaged, the girl broke off a branch from one of the golden trees and\nhid it in remembrance of this strange land.\n\nLeaving the forest of gold, they reached a wood where all the trees\nwere of silver. Their arrival was greeted by an immense number of\nanimals of various kinds. These crowded together and pushed one\nagainst another to get close to their friend. He spoke to each one and\nstroked and petted them. Meanwhile the girl broke off a branch of\nsilver from one of the trees, saying to herself, \"These will serve me\nas tokens of this wonderful land, for my sisters would not believe me\nif I only told them of it.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nWhen the young stranger had taken leave of all his friends he returned\nby the paths he had come, and the girl followed without being seen.\nArrived at the foot of the precipice, he began to ascend, she coming\nsilently after, holding on to his mantle. Up they went higher and\nhigher, until they reached the room in the castle. The floor closed up\nwithout trace of the opening. The girl returned to her place by the\nfire, where she was standing when the young man approached.\n\n\"All my farewells have been spoken,\" said he, \"now we can have\nsupper.\"\n\nShe hastened to place upon the table the food so hurriedly prepared,\nand sitting side by side they supped together. When they had made a\ngood meal he said, \"Now it is time to rest.\"\n\nHe lay down on the carefully-made bed, and the girl placed by his side\nthe gold and silver branches she had picked in the Mineral Land. In a\nfew moments he was sleeping peacefully.\n\nNext day the sun was already high in the sky, and yet the girl had not\ncome to give an account of herself. The nobleman became impatient; he\nwaited and waited, becoming more and more uneasy. At last he\ndetermined to go and see for himself what had happened. Picture to\nyourself his surprise and joy, when on entering the haunted chamber he\nsaw his long-lost son sleeping on the bed, while beside him sat the\nwidow's beautiful daughter. At that moment the son awoke. The father,\noverwhelmed with joy, summoned the attendants of the castle to rejoice\nwith him in his new-found happiness.\n\nThen the young man saw the two branches of metal, and said with\nastonishment, \"What do I see? Did you then follow me down there? Know\nthat by this act you have broken the spell and released me from the\nenchantment. These two branches will make two palaces for our future\ndwelling.\"\n\nThereupon he took the branches and threw them out of the window.\nImmediately there were seen two magnificent palaces, one of gold, the\nother of silver. And there they lived happily as man and wife, the\nnobleman's son and the miller's daughter. And if not dead they live\nthere still.\n\n\n\n\nTHE MAID WITH HAIR OF GOLD\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTHE MAID WITH HAIR OF GOLD\n\n\nThere was once a king so wise and clever that he understood the\nlanguage of all animals. You shall hear how he gained this power.\n\nOne day an old woman came to the palace and said, \"I wish to speak to\nhis majesty, for I have something of great importance to tell him.\"\nWhen admitted to his presence she presented him with a curious fish,\nsaying, \"Have it cooked for yourself, and when you have eaten it you\nwill understand all that is said by the birds of the air, the animals\nthat walk the earth, and the fishes that live under the waters.\"\n\nThe king was delighted to know that which every one else was ignorant\nof, so he rewarded the old woman generously, and told a servant to\ncook the fish very carefully.\n\n\"But take care,\" said the monarch, \"that you do not taste it yourself,\nfor if you do you will be killed.\"\n\nGeorge, the servant, was astonished at such a threat, and wondered why\nhis master was so anxious that no one else should eat any of the fish.\nThen examining it curiously he said, \"Never in all my life have I seen\nsuch an odd-looking fish; it seems more like a reptile. Now where\nwould be the harm if I did take some? Every cook tastes of the dishes\nhe prepares.\"\n\nWhen it was fried he tasted a small piece, and while taking some of\nthe sauce heard a buzzing in the air and a voice speaking in his ear.\n\n\"Let us taste a crumb: let us taste a little,\" it said.\n\nHe looked round to see where the words came from, but there were only\na few flies buzzing about in the kitchen. At the same moment some one\nout in the yard said in a harsh jerky voice, \"Where are we going to\nsettle? Where?\"\n\nAnd another answered, \"In the miller's barley-field; ho! for the\nmiller's field of barley.\"\n\nWhen George looked towards where this strange talk came he saw a\ngander flying at the head of a flock of geese.\n\n\"How lucky,\" thought he; \"now I know why my master set so much value\non this fish and wished to eat it all himself.\"\n\nGeorge had now no doubt that by tasting the fish he had learnt the\nlanguage of animals, so after having taken a little more he served the\nking with the remainder as if nothing had happened.\n\nWhen his majesty had dined he ordered George to saddle two horses and\naccompany him for a ride. They were soon off, the master in front, the\nservant behind.\n\nWhile crossing a meadow George's horse began to prance and caper,\nneighing out these words, \"I say, brother, I feel so light and in such\ngood spirits to-day that in one single bound I could leap over those\nmountains yonder.\"\n\n\"I could do the same,\" answered the king's horse, \"but I carry a\nfeeble old man on my back; he would fall like a log and break his\nskull.\"\n\n\"What does that matter to you? So much the better if he should break\nhis head, for then, instead of being ridden by an old man you would\nprobably be mounted by a young one.\"\n\nThe servant laughed a good deal upon hearing this conversation between\nthe horses, but he took care to do so on the quiet, lest the king\nshould hear him. At that moment his majesty turned round, and, seeing\na smile on the man's face, asked the cause of it.\n\n\"Oh nothing, your majesty, only some nonsense that came into my head.\"\n\nThe king said nothing, and asked no more questions, but he was\nsuspicious, and distrusted both servant and horses; so he hastened\nback to the palace.\n\nWhen there he said to George, \"Give me some wine, but mind you only\npour out enough to fill the glass, for if you put in one drop too\nmuch, so that it overflows, I shall certainly order my executioner to\ncut off your head.\"\n\nWhile he was speaking two birds flew near the window, one chasing the\nother, who carried three golden hairs in his beak.\n\n\"Give them me,\" said one, \"you know they are mine.\"\n\n\"Not at all, I picked them up myself.\"\n\n\"No matter, I saw them fall while the Maid with Locks of Gold was\ncombing out her hair. At least, give me two, then you can keep the\nthird for yourself.\"\n\n\"No, not a single one.\"\n\nThereupon one of the birds succeeded in seizing the hairs from the\nother bird's beak, but in the struggle he let one fall, and it made a\nsound as if a piece of metal had struck the ground. As for George, he\nwas completely taken off his guard, and the wine overflowed the glass.\n\nThe king was furious, and feeling convinced that his servant had\ndisobeyed him and had learnt the language of animals, he said, \"You\nscoundrel, you deserve death for having failed to do my bidding,\nnevertheless, I will show you mercy upon one condition, that you bring\nme the Maid with the Golden Locks, for I intend to marry her.\"\n\nAlas, what was to be done? Poor fellow, he was willing to do anything\nto save his life, even run the risk of losing it on a long journey. He\ntherefore promised to search for the Maid with the Golden Locks: but\nhe knew not where or how to find her.\n\nWhen he had saddled and mounted his horse he allowed it to go its own\nway, and it carried him to the outskirts of a dark forest, where some\nshepherds had left a bush burning. The sparks of fire from the bush\nendangered the lives of a large number of ants which had built their\nnest close by, and the poor little things were hurrying away in all\ndirections, carrying their small white eggs with them.\n\n\"Help us in our distress, good George,\" they cried in a plaintive\nvoice; \"do not leave us to perish, together with our children whom we\ncarry in these eggs.\"\n\nGeorge immediately dismounted, cut down the bush, and put out the\nfire.\n\n\"Thank you, brave man: and remember, when you are in trouble you have\nonly to call upon us, and we will help you in our turn.\" The young\nfellow went on his way far into the forest until he came to a very\ntall fir tree. At the top of the tree was a raven's nest, while at the\nfoot, on the ground, lay two young ones who were calling out to their\nparents and saying, \"Alas, father and mother, where have you gone? You\nhave flown away, and we have to seek our food, weak and helpless as we\nare. Our wings are as yet without feathers, how then shall we be able\nto get anything to eat? Good George,\" said they, turning to the young\nman, \"do not leave us to starve.\"\n\nWithout stopping to think, the young man dismounted, and with his\nsword slew his horse to provide food for the young birds. They thanked\nhim heartily, and said, \"If ever you should be in distress, call to us\nand we will help you at once.\"\n\nAfter this George was obliged to travel on foot, and he walked on for\na long time, ever getting further and further into the forest. On\nreaching the end of it, he saw stretching before him an immense sea\nthat seemed to mingle with the horizon. Close by stood two men\ndisputing the possession of a large fish with golden scales that had\nfallen into their net.\n\n\"The net belongs to me,\" said one, \"therefore the fish must be mine.\"\n\n\"Your net would not have been of the slightest use, for it would have\nbeen lost in the sea, had I not come with my boat just in the nick of\ntime.\"\n\n\"Well, you shall have the next haul I make.\"\n\n\"And suppose you should catch nothing? No; give me this one and keep\nthe next haul for yourself.\"\n\n\"I am going to put an end to your quarrel,\" said George, addressing\nthem. \"Sell me the fish: I will pay you well, and you can divide the\nmoney between you.\"\n\nThereupon he put into their hands all the money the king had given him\nfor the journey, without keeping a single coin for himself. The\nfishermen rejoiced at the good fortune which had befallen them, but\nGeorge put the fish back into the water. The fish, thankful for this\nunexpected freedom, dived and disappeared, but returning to the\nsurface, said, \"Whenever you may need my help you have but to call me,\nI shall not fail to show my gratitude.\"\n\n\"Where are you going?\" asked the fisherman.\n\n\"I am in search of a wife for my old master; she is known as the Maid\nwith the Golden Locks: but I am at a loss where to find her.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\"If that be all, we can easily give you information,\" answered they.\n\"She is Princess Zlato Vlaska, and daughter of the king whose crystal\npalace is built on that island yonder. The golden light from the\nprincess's hair is reflected on sea and sky every morning when she\ncombs it. If you would like to go to the island we will take you there\nfor nothing, in return for the clever and generous way by which you\nmade us stop quarrelling. But beware of one thing: when in the palace\ndo not make a mistake as to which is the princess, for there are\ntwelve of them, but only Zlato Vlaska has hair of gold.\"\n\nWhen George reached the island he lost no time in making his way to\nthe palace, and demanded from the king the hand of his daughter,\nPrincess Zlato Vlaska, in marriage to the king his master.\n\n\"I will grant the request with pleasure,\" said his majesty, \"but only\non one condition, namely, that you perform certain tasks which I will\nset you. These will be three in number, and must be done in three\ndays, just as I order you. For the present you had better rest and\nrefresh yourself after your journey.\"\n\nOn the next day the king said, \"My daughter, the Maid with the Golden\nHair, had a string of fine pearls, and the thread having broken, the\npearls were scattered far and wide among the long grass of this field.\nGo and pick up every one of the pearls, for they must all be found.\"\n\nGeorge went into the meadow, which was of great length and stretched\naway far out of sight. He went down on his knees and hunted between\nthe tufts of grass and bramble from morning until noon, but not a\nsingle pearl could he find.\n\n\"Ah, if I only had my good little ants here,\" he cried, \"they would be\nable to help me.\"\n\n\"Here we are, young man, at your service,\" answered the ants, suddenly\nappearing. Then they all ran round him, crying out, \"What is the\nmatter? What do you want?\"\n\n\"I have to find all the pearls lost in this field, and cannot see a\nsingle one: can you help me?\"\n\n\"Wait a little, we will soon get them for you.\"\n\nHe had not to wait very long, for they brought him a heap of pearls,\nand all he had to do was to thread them on the string. Just as he was\nabout to make a knot he saw a lame ant coming slowly towards him, for\none of her feet had been burned in the bush fire.\n\n\"Wait a moment, George,\" she called out; \"do not tie the knot before\nthreading this last pearl I am bringing you.\"\n\nWhen George took his pearls to the king, his majesty first counted\nthem to make sure they were all there, and then said, \"You have done\nvery well in this test, to-morrow I will give you another.\"\n\nEarly next morning the king summoned George to him and said, \"My\ndaughter, the Princess with the Golden Hair, dropped her gold ring\ninto the sea while bathing. You must find the jewel and bring it me\nto-day.\"\n\nThe young fellow walked thoughtfully up and down the beach. The water\nwas pure and transparent, but he could not see beyond a certain\ndistance into its depths, and therefore could not tell where the ring\nwas lying beneath the water.\n\n\"Ah, my golden fishling, why are you not here now? You would surely be\nable to help me,\" he said to himself, speaking aloud.\n\n\"Here I am,\" answered the fish's voice from the sea, \"what can I do\nfor you?\"\n\n\"I have to find a gold ring which has been dropped in the sea, but as\nI cannot see to the bottom there is no use looking.\"\n\nThe fish said, \"Fortunately I have just met a pike, wearing a gold\nring on his fin. Just wait a moment, will you?\"\n\nIn a very short time he reappeared with the pike and the ring. The\npike willingly gave up the jewel.\n\nThe king thanked George for his cleverness, and then told him the\nthird task. \"If you really wish me to give the hand of my daughter\nwith the golden hair to the monarch who has sent you here, you must\nbring me two things that I want above everything: the Water of Death\nand the Water of Life.\"\n\nGeorge had not the least idea where to find these waters, so he\ndetermined to trust to chance and \"follow his nose,\" as the saying is.\nHe went first in one direction and then in another, until he reached a\ndark forest.\n\n\"Ah, if my little ravens were but here, perhaps they would help me,\"\nhe said aloud.\n\nSuddenly there was heard a rushing noise, as of wings overhead, and\nthen down came the ravens calling \"Krak, krak, here we are, ready and\nwilling to help you. What are you looking for?\"\n\n\"I want some of the Water of Death and the Water of Life: it is\nimpossible for me to find them, for I don't know where to look.\"\n\n\"Krak, krak, we know very well where to find some. Wait a moment.\"\n\nOff they went immediately, but soon returned, each with a small gourd\nin his beak. One gourd contained the Water of Life, the other the\nWater of Death.\n\nGeorge was delighted with his success, and went back on his way to the\npalace. When nearly out of the forest, he saw a spider's web hanging\nbetween two fir trees, while in the centre was a large spider\ndevouring a fly he had just killed. George sprinkled a few drops of\nthe Water of Death on the spider; it immediately left the fly, which\nrolled to the ground like a ripe cherry, but on being touched with the\nWater of Life she began to move, and stretching out first one limb and\nthen another, gradually freed herself from the spider's web. Then she\nspread her wings and took flight, having first buzzed these words in\nthe ears of her deliverer: \"George, you have assured your own\nhappiness by restoring mine, for without my help you would never have\nsucceeded in recognising the Princess with the Golden Hair when you\nchoose her to-morrow from among her twelve sisters.\"\n\nAnd the fly was right, for though the king, on finding that George had\naccomplished the third task, agreed to give him his daughter Zlato\nVlaska, he yet added that he would have to find her himself.\n\nHe then led him to a large room and bade him choose from among the\ntwelve charming girls who sat at a round table. Each wore a kind of\nlinen head-dress that completely hid the upper part of the head, and\nin such a way that the keenest eye could not discover the colour of\nthe hair.\n\n\"Here are my daughters,\" said the king, \"but only one among them has\ngolden hair. If you find her you may take her with you; but if you\nmake a mistake she will remain with us, and you will have to return\nempty-handed.\"\n\nGeorge felt much embarrassed, not knowing what course to take.\n\n\"Buzz, Buzz, come walk round these young girls, and I will tell you\nwhich is yours.\"\n\nThus spoke the fly whose life George had saved.\n\nThus reassured he walked boldly round, pointing at them one after the\nother and saying, \"This one has not the golden hair, nor this one\neither, nor this....\"\n\nSuddenly, having been told by the fly, he cried, \"Here we are: this is\nZlato Vlaska, even she herself. I take her for my own, she whom I have\nwon, and for whom I have paid the price with many cares. You will not\nrefuse her me this time.\"\n\n\"Indeed, you have guessed aright,\" replied the king.\n\nThe princess rose from her seat, and letting fall her head-dress,\nexposed to full view all the splendour of her wonderful hair, which\nseemed like a waterfall of golden rays, and covered her from head to\nfoot. The glorious light that shone from it dazzled the young man's\neyes, and he immediately fell in love with her.\n\nThe king provided his daughter with gifts worthy of a queen, and she\nleft her father's palace in a manner befitting a royal bride. The\njourney back was accomplished without any mishaps.\n\nOn their arrival the old king was delighted at the sight of Zlato\nVlaska, and danced with joy. Splendid and costly preparations were\nmade for the wedding. His majesty then said to George, \"You robbed me\nof the secret of animal language. For this I intended to have your\nhead cut off and your body thrown to birds of prey. But as you have\nserved me so faithfully and won the princess for my bride I will\nlessen the punishment--that is, although you will be executed, yet you\nshall be buried with all the honours worthy of a superior officer.\"\n\nSo the sentence was carried out, cruelly and unjustly. After the\nexecution the Princess with the Golden Hair begged the king to make\nher a present of George's body, and the monarch was so much in love\nthat he could not refuse his intended bride anything.\n\nZlato Vlaska with her own hands replaced the head on the body, and\nsprinkled it with the Water of Death. Immediately the separated parts\nbecame one again. Upon this she poured the Water of Life, and George\nreturned to life, fresh as a young roebuck, his face radiant with\nhealth and youth.\n\n\"Ah me! How well I have slept,\" said he, rubbing his eyes.\n\n\"Yes; no one could have slept better,\" answered the princess, smiling,\n\"but without me you would have slept through eternity.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nWhen the old king saw George restored to life, and looking younger,\nhandsomer, and more vigorous than ever, he too wanted to be made young\nagain. He therefore ordered his servants to cut off his head and\nsprinkle it with the Life-Giving Water. They cut it off, but he did\nnot come to life again, although they sprinkled his body with all the\nwater that was left. Perhaps they made some mistake in using the wrong\nwater, for the head and body were joined, but life itself never\nreturned, there being no Water of Life left for that purpose. No one\nknew where to get any, and none understood the language of animals.\n\nSo, to make a long story short, George was proclaimed king, and the\nPrincess with Hair of Gold, who really loved him, became his queen.\n\n\n\n\nTHE JOURNEY TO THE SUN AND THE MOON\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTHE JOURNEY TO THE SUN AND THE MOON\n\n\nThere were once two young people who loved each other dearly. The\nyoung man was called Jean, the girl, Annette. In her sweetness she was\nlike unto a dove, in her strength and bravery she resembled an eagle.\n\nHer father was a rich farmer, and owned a large estate, but Jean's\nfather was only a poor mountain shepherd. Annette did not in the least\nmind her lover being poor, for he was rich in goodness: nor did she\nthink her father would object to their marrying.\n\nOne day Jean put on his best clothes, and went to ask the farmer for\nhis daughter's hand. The farmer listened without interrupting him, and\nthen replied, \"If you would marry Annette, go and ask of the Sun why\nhe does not warm the night as well as the day. Then inquire of the\nMoon why she does not shine by day as well as by night. When you\nreturn with these answers you shall not only have my daughter but all\nmy wealth.\"\n\nThese conditions in no way daunted Jean, who placed his hat on the\nside of his head, and taking a loving farewell of Annette, set out in\nsearch of the Sun. On reaching a small town at the close of day, he\nlooked about for a place wherein to pass the night. Some kind people\noffered him shelter and invited him to sup with them, inquiring as to\nthe object of his journey. When they heard that he was on his way to\nvisit the Sun and Moon, the master of the house begged him to ask the\nSun why the finest pear-tree they had in the town had, for several\nyears, ceased to bear fruit, for it used to produce the most delicious\npears in the world.\n\nJean willingly promised to make this inquiry, and the next day\ncontinued his journey.\n\nHe walked on and on, over mountain and moor, through valley and dense\nforest, until he came to a land where there was no drinking water. The\ninhabitants, when they heard the object of Jean's journey, begged him\nto ask the Sun and Moon why a well, that was the chief water supply of\nthe district, no longer gave good water. Jean promised to do so, and\nresumed his journey.\n\nAfter long and weary wanderings he reached the Sun's abode, and found\nhim about to start on his travels.\n\n\"O Sun,\" said he, \"stop one moment, do not depart without first\nanswering a few questions.\"\n\n\"Be quick then and speak, for I have to go all round the world\nto-day.\"\n\n\"Pray tell me why you do not warm or light the earth by night as well\nas day?\"\n\n\"For this simple reason, that if I did, the world and everything upon\nit would be very soon burnt up.\"\n\nJean then put his questions concerning the pear-tree and the well. But\nthe Sun replied that his sister, the Moon, would be able to answer him\non those points.\n\nHardly had the Sun finished speaking before he was obliged to hurry\noff, and Jean travelled far and fast to meet the Moon. On coming up to\nher he said, \"Would you kindly stop one moment? there are a few\nquestions I should like to ask you.\"\n\n\"Very well, be quick, for the earth is waiting for me,\" answered she,\nand stood still at once.\n\n\"Tell me, dear Moon, why you do not light the world by day as well as\nby night? And why you never warm it?\"\n\n\"Because if I lit up the world by day as well as by night the plants\nwould produce neither fruit nor flower. And though I do not warm the\nearth, I supply it with dew, which makes it fertile and fruitful.\"\n\nShe was then about to continue her course, but Jean, begging her to\nstop one moment longer, questioned her about the pear-tree which had\nceased to bear fruit.\n\nAnd she answered him thus: \"While the king's eldest daughter remained\nunmarried the tree bore fruit every year. After her wedding she had a\nlittle child who died and was buried under this tree. Since then there\nhas been neither fruit nor flower on its branches: if the child be\ngiven Christian burial the tree will produce blossom and fruit as in\nthe past.\"\n\nThe Moon was just moving off when Jean begged her to stop and answer\none more question, which was, why the inhabitants of a certain land\nwere unable to obtain from their well the clear and wholesome water it\nhad formerly poured forth.\n\nShe replied: \"Under the mouth of the well, just where the water should\nflow, lies an enormous toad which poisons it continually: the brim of\nthe well must be broken and the toad killed, then the water will be as\npure and wholesome as formerly.\"\n\nThe Moon then resumed her journey, for Jean had no more questions to\nask her.\n\nHe joyfully went back to claim his Annette, but forgot not to stop on\ncoming to the land where they were short of water. The inhabitants ran\nout to meet him, anxious to know what he had found out.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nJean led them to the well and there explained the instructions he had\nreceived from the Moon, at the same time showing them what to do. Sure\nenough, right underneath the brim of the well they found a horrible\ntoad which poisoned everything. When they had killed it, the water\nimmediately became pure and transparent, and sweet to the taste as\nbefore.\n\nAll the people brought Jean presents, and thus laden with riches he\nagain set out. On arriving at the town where grew the unfruitful\npear-tree, he was warmly welcomed by the prince, who at once asked if\nhe had forgotten to question the stars about the tree.\n\n\"I never forget a promise once made,\" replied Jean, \"but I doubt\nwhether it will be agreeable to your majesty to know the cause of the\nevil.\"\n\nHe then related all the Moon had said, and when his directions had\nbeen carried out they were rewarded by seeing the tree blossom\nimmediately. Jean was loaded with rich gifts, and the king presented\nhim with a most valuable horse, by means of which he reached home very\nquickly.\n\nLittle Annette was wild with joy on hearing of her lover's safe\nreturn, for she had wept and suffered much during his absence. But her\nfather's feelings were very different; he wished never to see Jean\nagain, and had, indeed, sent him in search of the Sun with the hope\nthat he might be burnt up by the heat. True it is that \"Man proposes\nand God disposes.\" Our young shepherd returned, not only safe and\nsound, but with more knowledge than any of his evil-wishers. For he\nhad learnt why the Sun neither lights nor warms the earth by night as\nin the day; also why the Moon does not give warmth, and only lights up\nduring the night. Besides all this he had brought with him riches\nwhich far exceeded those of his father-in-law, and a steed full of\nfire and vigour.\n\nSo Annette's father could find no fault, and the wedding was\ncelebrated with joy and feasting. Large quantities of roasted crane\nwere eaten, and glasses overflowing with mead were emptied. So\nbeautiful, too, was the music, that for long, long after it was heard\nto echo among the mountains, and even now its sweet sounds are heard\nat times by travellers among those regions.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DWARF WITH THE LONG BEARD\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: THE DWARF.]\n\nTHE DWARF WITH THE LONG BEARD\n\n\nIn a far distant land there reigned a king, and he had an only\ndaughter who was so very beautiful that no one in the whole kingdom\ncould be compared to her. She was known as Princess Pietnotka, and the\nfame of her beauty spread far and wide. There were many princes among\nher suitors, but her choice fell upon Prince Dobrotek. She obtained\nher father's consent to their marriage, and then, attended by a\nnumerous suite, set off with her lover for the church, having first,\nas was the custom, received her royal parent's blessing. Most of the\nprinces who had been unsuccessful in their wooing of Pietnotka\nreturned disappointed to their own kingdoms: but one of them, a dwarf\nonly seven inches high, with an enormous hump on his back and a beard\nseven feet long, who was a powerful prince and magician, was so\nenraged that he determined to have his revenge. So he changed himself\ninto a whirlwind and lay in wait to receive the princess. When the\nwedding procession was about to enter the church the air was suddenly\nfilled with a blinding cloud of dust, and Pietnotka was borne up high\nas the highest clouds, and then right down to an underground palace.\nThere the dwarf, for it was he who had worked this spell, disappeared,\nleaving her in a lifeless condition.\n\nWhen she opened her eyes she found herself in such a magnificent\napartment that she imagined some king must have run away with her. She\ngot up and began to walk about, when lo! as if by some unseen hand the\ntable was laden with gold and silver dishes, filled with cakes of\nevery kind. They looked so tempting, that in spite of her grief she\ncould not resist tasting, and she continued to eat until she was more\nthan satisfied. She returned to the sofa and lay down to rest, but\nbeing unable to sleep, she looked first at the door, and then at the\nlamp burning on the table, then at the door again, and then back to\nthe lamp. Suddenly the door opened of itself, giving entrance to four\nnegroes fully armed, and bearing a golden throne, upon which was\nseated the Dwarf with the Long Beard. He came close up to the sofa and\nattempted to kiss the princess, but she struck him such a blow in the\nface that a thousand stars swam before his eyes, and a thousand bells\nrang in his ears; upon which he gave such a shout, that the palace\nwalls trembled. Yet his love for her was so great that he did his best\nnot to show his anger, and turned away as if to leave her. But his\nfeet became entangled in his long beard, and he fell down, dropping a\ncap he was carrying in his hand. Now this cap had the power of making\nits wearer invisible. The negroes hastened up to their master, and\nplacing him on his throne bore him out.\n\nDirectly the princess found herself alone she jumped off the sofa,\nlocked the door, and picking up the cap ran to a mirror to try it on\nand see how it suited her. Imagine her amazement when looking in the\nglass she saw--nothing at all! She took off the cap, and behold, she\nwas there again as large as life. She soon found out what sort of cap\nit was, and rejoicing in the possession of such a marvel, put it on\nher head again and began to walk about the room. Soon the door was\nburst violently open, and the dwarf entered with his beard tied up.\nBut he found neither the princess nor the cap, and so came to the\nconclusion that she had taken it. In a great rage he began to search\nhigh and low; he looked under all the furniture, behind the curtains,\nand even beneath the carpets, but it was all in vain. Meanwhile the\nprincess, still invisible, had left the palace and run into the\ngarden, which was very large and beautiful. There she lived at her\nease, eating the delicious fruit, drinking water from the fountain,\nand enjoying the helpless fury of the dwarf, who sought her\nuntiringly. Sometimes she would throw the fruit-stones in his face, or\ntake off the cap and show herself for an instant: then she would put\nit on again, and laugh merrily at his rage.\n\nOne day, while playing this game, the cap caught in the branches of a\ngooseberry bush. The dwarf seeing this at once ran up, seized the\nprincess in one hand and the cap in the other, and was about to carry\nboth off when the sound of a war-trumpet was heard.\n\nThe dwarf trembled with rage and muttered a thousand curses. He\nbreathed on the princess to send her to sleep, covered her with the\ninvisible cap, and seizing a double-bladed sword, rose up in the air\nas high as the clouds, so that he might fall upon his assailant and\nkill him at one stroke. We shall now see with whom he had to deal.\n\nAfter the hurricane had upset the wedding procession and carried off\nthe princess, there arose a great tumult among those at court. The\nking, the princess's attendants, and Prince Dobrotek sought her in\nevery direction, calling her by name, and making inquiries of every\none they met. At last, the king in despair declared that if Prince\nDobrotek did not bring back his daughter, he would destroy his kingdom\nand have him killed. And to the other princes present he promised that\nwhosoever among them should bring Pietnotka back to him should have\nher for his wife and receive half of the kingdom. Whereupon they all\nmounted their horses without loss of time and dispersed in every\ndirection.\n\nPrince Dobrotek, overpowered with grief and dismay, travelled three\ndays without eating, drinking, or sleeping. On the evening of the\nthird day he was quite worn-out with fatigue, and stopping his horse\nin a field, got down to rest for a short time. Suddenly he heard\ncries, as of something in pain, and looking round saw an enormous owl\ntearing a hare with its claws. The prince laid hold of the first hard\nthing that came to his hand; he imagined it to be a stone, but it was\nreally a skull, and aiming it at the owl, killed the bird with the\nfirst blow. The rescued hare ran up to him and gratefully licked his\nhands, after which it ran away: but the human skull spoke to him and\nsaid, \"Prince Dobrotek, accept my grateful thanks for the good turn\nyou have done me. I belonged to an unhappy man who took his own life,\nand for this crime of suicide I have been condemned to roll in the mud\nuntil I was the means of saving the life of one of God's creatures. I\nhave been kicked about for seven hundred and seventy years, crumbling\nmiserably on the earth, and without exciting the compassion of a\nsingle individual. You have been the means of setting me free by\nmaking use of me to save the life of that poor hare. In return for\nthis kindness I will teach you how to call to your aid a most\nmarvellous horse, who during my life belonged to me. He will be able\nto help you in a thousand ways, and when in need of him you have only\nto walk out on the moorland without once looking behind you, and to\nsay:\n\n  'Dappled Horse with Mane of Gold,\n  Horse of Wonder! Come to me.\n  Walk not the earth, for I am told\n  You fly like birds o'er land and sea.'\n\nFinish your work of mercy by burying me here, so that I may be at rest\nuntil the day of judgment. Then depart in peace and be of good cheer.\"\n\nThe prince dug a hole at the foot of a tree, and reverently buried the\nskull, repeating over it the prayers for the dead. Just as he finished\nhe saw a small blue flame come out of the skull and fly towards\nheaven: it was the soul of the dead man on its way to the angels.\n\nThe prince made the sign of the cross and resumed his journey. When he\nhad gone some way along the moorland he stopped, and without looking\nback tried the effect of the magic words, saying:\n\n  \"Dappled Horse with Mane of Gold,\n  Horse of Wonder! Come to me.\n  Walk not the earth, for I am told\n  You fly like birds o'er land and sea.\"\n\nThen amid flash of lightning and roll of thunder appeared the horse. A\nhorse, do I say? Why, he was a miracle of wonder. He was light as air,\nwith dappled coat and golden mane. Flames came from his nostrils and\nsparks from his eyes. Volumes of steam rolled from his mouth and\nclouds of smoke issued from his ears. He stopped before the prince,\nand said in a human voice, \"What are your orders, Prince Dobrotek?\"\n\n\"I am in great trouble,\" answered the prince, \"and shall be glad if\nyou can help me.\" Then he told all that had happened.\n\nAnd the horse said, \"Enter in at my left ear, and come out at my\nright.\"\n\nThe prince obeyed, and came out at the right ear clad in a suit of\nsplendid armour. His gilded cuirass, his steel helmet inlaid with\ngold, and his sword and club made of him a complete warrior. Still\nmore, he felt himself endowed with superhuman strength and bravery.\nWhen he stamped his foot and shouted the earth trembled and gave forth\na sound like thunder, the very leaves fell from the trees.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\"What must we do? Where are we to go?\" he asked.\n\nThe horse replied, \"Your bride, Princess Pietnotka, has been carried\noff by the Dwarf with the Long Beard, whose hump weighs two hundred\nand eighty pounds. This powerful magician must be defeated, but he\nlives a long way from here, and nothing can touch or wound him except\nthe sharp smiting sword that belongs to his own brother, a monster\nwith the head and eyes of a basilisk. We must first attack the\nbrother.\"\n\nPrince Dobrotek leaped on to the dappled horse, which was covered with\ngolden trappings, and they set off immediately, clearing mountains,\npenetrating forests, crossing rivers; and so light was the steed's\nstep that he galloped over the grass without bending a single blade,\nand along sandy roads without raising a grain of dust. At last they\nreached a vast plain, strewn with human bones. They stopped in front\nof a huge moving mountain, and the horse said:\n\n\"Prince, this moving mountain that you see before you is the head of\nthe Monster with Basilisk Eyes, and the bones that whiten the ground\nare the skeletons of his victims, so beware of the eyes that deal\ndeath. The heat of the midday sun has made the giant sleep, and the\nsword with the never-failing blade lies there before him. Bend down\nand lie along my neck until we are near enough, then seize the sword\nand you have nothing more to fear. For, without the sword, not only\nwill the monster be unable to harm you, but he himself will be\ncompletely at your mercy.\"\n\nThe horse then noiselessly approached the huge creature, upon which\nthe prince bent down, and quickly picked up the sword. Then, raising\nhimself on his steed's back, he gave a \"Hurrah!\" loud enough to wake\nthe dead. The giant lifted his head, yawned, and turned his\nbloodthirsty eyes upon the prince; but seeing the sword in his hand he\nbecame quiet, and said, \"Knight, is it weariness of life that brings\nyou here?\"\n\n\"Boast not,\" replied the prince, \"you are in my power. Your glance has\nalready lost its magic charm, and you will soon have to die by this\nsword. But first tell me who you are.\"\n\n\"It is true, prince, I am in your hands, but be generous, I deserve\nyour pity. I am a knight of the race of giants, and if it were not for\nthe wickedness of my brother I should have lived in peace. He is the\nhorrible dwarf with the great hump and the beard seven feet long. He\nwas jealous of my fine figure, and tried to do me an injury. You must\nknow that all his strength, which is extraordinary, lies in his beard,\nand it can only be cut off by the sword you hold in your hand. One day\nhe came to me and said, 'Dear brother, I pray you help me to discover\nthe sharp smiting sword that has been hidden in the earth by a\nmagician. He is our enemy, and he alone can destroy us both.' Fool\nthat I was, I believed him, and by means of a large oak tree, raked up\nthe mountain and found the sword. Then we disputed as to which of us\nshould have it, and at last my brother suggested that we should cease\nquarrelling and decide by lot. 'Let us each put an ear to the ground,\nand the sword shall belong to him who first hears the bells of yonder\nchurch,' said he. I placed my ear to the ground at once, and my\nbrother treacherously cut off my head with the sword. My body, left\nunburied, became a great mountain, which is now overgrown with\nforests. As for my head, it is full of a life and strength proof\nagainst all dangers, and has remained here ever since to frighten all\nwho attempt to take away the sword. Now, prince, I beg of you, use the\nsword to cut off the beard of my wicked brother; kill him, and return\nhere to put an end to me: I shall die happy if I die avenged.\"\n\n\"That you shall be, and very soon, I promise you,\" replied his\nlistener.\n\nThe prince bade the Dappled Horse with Golden Mane carry him to the\nkingdom of the Dwarf with the Long Beard. They reached the garden gate\nat the very moment when the dwarf had caught sight of Princess\nPietnotka and was running after her. The war-trumpet, challenging him\nto fight, had obliged him to leave her, which he did, having first put\non her head the invisible cap.\n\nWhile the prince was awaiting the answer to his challenge he heard a\ngreat noise in the clouds, and looking up saw the dwarf preparing to\naim at him from a great height. But he missed his aim and fell to the\nground so heavily that his body was half buried in the earth. The\nprince seized him by the beard, which he at once cut off with the\nsharp smiting sword.\n\nThen he fastened the dwarf to the saddle, put the beard in his helmet,\nand entered the palace. When the servants saw that he had really got\npossession of the terrible beard, they opened all the doors to give\nhim entrance. Without losing a moment he began his search for Princess\nPietnotka. For a long time he was unsuccessful, and was almost in\ndespair when he came across her accidentally, and, without knowing it,\nknocked off the invisible cap. He saw his lovely bride sound asleep,\nand being unable to wake her he put the cap in his pocket, took her in\nhis arms, and, mounting his steed, set off to return to the Monster\nwith the Basilisk Eyes. The giant swallowed the dwarf at one mouthful,\nand the prince cut the monster's head up into a thousand pieces, which\nhe scattered all over the plain.\n\nHe then resumed his journey, and on coming to the moorland the dappled\nhorse stopped short and said, \"Prince, here for the present we must\ntake leave of each other. You are not far from home, your own horse\nawaits you; but before leaving, enter in at my right ear and come out\nat my left.\"\n\nThe prince did so, and came out without his armour, and clad as when\nPietnotka left him.\n\nThe dappled horse vanished, and Dobrotek whistled to his own horse,\nwho ran up, quite pleased to see him again. They immediately set off\nfor the king's palace.\n\nBut night came on before they reached the end of their journey.\n\nThe prince laid the sleeping maiden on the grass, and, covering her up\ncarefully to keep her warm, he himself fell fast asleep. By chance, a\nknight, one of her suitors, passed that way. Seeing Dobrotek asleep he\ndrew his sword and stabbed him; then he lifted the princess on his\nhorse and soon reached the king's palace, where he addressed\nPietnotka's father in these words: \"Here is your daughter, whom I now\nclaim as my wife, for it is I who have restored her to you. She was\ncarried off by a terrible sorcerer who fought with me three days and\nthree nights. But I conquered him, and I have brought you the princess\nsafely back.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe king was overjoyed at seeing her again, but finding that his\ntenderest efforts were powerless to awake her, he wanted to know the\nreason of it.\n\n\"That I cannot tell you,\" replied the impostor; \"you see her as I\nfound her myself.\"\n\nMeanwhile, poor Prince Dobrotek, seriously wounded, was slowly\nrecovering consciousness, but he felt so weak that he could hardly\nutter these words:\n\n  \"Come, Magic Horse with Mane of Gold,\n  Come, Dappled Horse, O come to me.\n  Fly like the birds as you did of old,\n  As flashes of lightning o'er land and sea.\"\n\nInstantly a bright cloud appeared, and from the midst thereof stepped\nthe magic horse. As he already knew all that had happened, he dashed\noff immediately to the Mountain of Eternal Life. Thence he drew the\nthree kinds of water: the Water that gives Life, the Water that Cures,\nand the Water that Strengthens. Returning to the prince, he sprinkled\nhim first with the Life-giving Water, and instantly the body, which\nhad become cold, was warm again and the blood began to circulate. The\nWater that Cures healed the wound, and the Strength-giving Water had\nsuch an effect upon him that he opened his eyes and cried out, \"Oh,\nhow well I have slept.\"\n\n\"You were already sleeping the eternal sleep,\" replied the dappled\nhorse. \"One of your rivals stabbed you mortally, and carried off\nPietnotka, whom he pretends to have rescued. But do not worry\nyourself, she still sleeps, and none can arouse her but you, and this\nyou must do by touching her with the dwarf's beard. Go now, and be\nhappy.\"\n\nThe brave steed disappeared in a whirlwind, and Prince Dobrotek\nproceeded on his way. On drawing near the capital he saw it surrounded\nby a large foreign army; part of it was already taken, and the\ninhabitants seemed to be begging for mercy. The prince put on his\ninvisible cap, and began to strike right and left with the sharp\nsmiting sword. With such fury did he attack the enemy that they fell\ndead on all sides, like felled trees. When he had thus destroyed the\nwhole army he went, still invisible, into the palace, where he heard\nthe king express the utmost astonishment that the enemy had retired\nwithout fighting.\n\n\"Where then is the brave warrior who has saved us?\" said his majesty\naloud.\n\nEvery one was silent, when Dobrotek took off his magic cap, and\nfalling on his knees before the monarch, said: \"It is I, my king and\nfather, who have routed and destroyed the enemy. It is I who saved the\nprincess, my bride. While on my way back with her I was treacherously\nkilled by my rival, who has represented himself to you as her rescuer,\nbut he has deceived you. Lead me to the princess, that I may awaken\nher.\"\n\nOn hearing these words the impostor ran away as quickly as possible,\nand Dobrotek approached the sleeping maiden. He just touched her brow\nwith the dwarf's beard, upon which she opened her eyes, smiled, and\nseemed to ask where she was.\n\nThe king, overcome with joy, kissed her fondly, and the same evening\nshe was married to the devoted Prince Dobrotek. The king himself led\nher to the altar, and to his son-in-law he gave half his kingdom. So\nsplendid was the wedding banquet, that eye has never seen, nor ear\never heard of its equal.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FLYING CARPET, THE INVISIBLE CAP, THE GOLD-GIVING RING, AND THE\nSMITING CLUB\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTHE FLYING CARPET, THE INVISIBLE CAP, THE GOLD-GIVING RING, AND THE\nSMITING CLUB\n\n\nIn a cottage near the high-road, and close to the shores of a large\nlake, there once lived a widow, poor and old. She was very very poor,\nbut her mother's heart was rich in pride in her son, who was the joy\nof her life. He was a handsome lad with an honest soul. He earned his\nliving by fishing in the lake, and succeeded so well that neither he\nnor his mother were ever in want of their daily bread. Every one\ncalled him \"the fisherman.\"\n\nOne evening at dusk he went down to the lake to throw in his nets, and\nstanding on the shore with a new bucket in his hand, waited to put\ninto it whatever fish it might please God to send him. In about a\nquarter of an hour or so he drew in his nets and took out two bream.\nThese he threw into the bucket, and humming a merry song turned to go\nhome. At that moment a traveller, poorly clad, with hair and beard\nwhite as the wings of a dove, spoke to him, saying, \"Have pity on a\nfeeble old man, obliged to lean on his stick, hungry and ragged. I beg\nyou, in Heaven's name, to give me either money or bread. The sun will\nsoon set, and I who have eaten nothing to-day shall have to pass the\nnight fasting, with the bare earth for a bed.\"\n\n\"My good old friend, I am sorry I have nothing about me to give you,\nbut you see the black smoke curling up in the distance? That is our\ncottage, where my old mother is waiting for me to bring her some fish\nto cook for our supper. Now take these two bream to her, meanwhile I\nwill return to the lake and throw in my nets again to see if I can\ncatch something more. Thus, with God's help, we shall all three have\nenough for supper to-night and breakfast to-morrow morning.\"\n\nWhile speaking the fisherman handed the fish to the old man, when,\nmarvel of marvels! he melted into the rays of the setting sun and\nvanished, both he and the fish.\n\nThe fisherman, much astonished, rubbed his eyes and looked about on\nall sides. For a moment he felt afraid, but when he had crossed\nhimself all terror left him and he went to draw in his nets by the\nlight of the moon. And what do you think he found in them? It was\nneither a pike nor a trout, but a small fish with eyes of diamonds,\nfins of rainbow colour, and golden scales that shone and flashed like\nlightning.\n\nWhen he had spread his nets on the beach the fish began to talk to him\nin the language of men.\n\n\"Do not kill me, young fisherman,\" it said, \"but accept in exchange\nfor my life this golden ring. Every time you put it on your finger\nrepeat these words:\n\n  'I conjure thee, O ring, who gold can give,\n  In the name of the little fishling of gold,\n  For the good of man, that man may live,\n  And the honour of heaven, send, new or old,\n  Little or much, as may be my need,\n  Coins of the realm, let them fall like seed.'\n\nAfter uttering each of these words, a shower of gold pieces will\nfall.\"\n\nThe fisherman gladly accepted the ring, and freeing the miraculous\nfish from the net he threw it back into the water. As it fell, it\nshone in the air like a shooting star and then disappeared beneath the\nwaves.\n\nOn his way back he said to himself, \"My mother and I will go to bed\nhungry to-night, without our fried fish, but to-morrow, when I have\nmade the golden coins gleam in our humble cottage, all sorts of good\nthings will find their way there, and we shall live like lords.\"\n\nBut things turned out very differently, for the first thing he saw on\nopening the door was the table covered with a white cloth, and upon it\na china soup-tureen in which lay the two bream freshly cooked.\n\n\"Where did you get those fish from, dear mother?\"\n\n\"I do not know myself,\" replied she, \"for I have neither cleaned them\nnor cooked them. Our table spread itself, the fish placed themselves\nupon it, and although they have been there an hour they do not get\ncold; any one might think they had just been taken off the fire. Come,\nlet us eat them.\"\n\nThe widow and her son sat down, said grace, and after eating as much\nas they wanted went to bed.\n\nNext morning, at breakfast time, the fisherman made the sign of the\ncross, and then put on the gold ring, at the same time repeating the\nwords the fish had taught him:\n\n  \"I conjure thee, O ring, who gold can give,\n  In the name of the little fishling of gold,\n  For the good of man, that man may live,\n  And the honour of heaven, send, new or old,\n  Little or much, as may be my need,\n  Coins of the realm, let them fall like seed.\"\n\nWhen he had ceased speaking the room was filled with a blast of wind\nfollowed by flashes of lightning, then a hailstorm of gold pieces\nshowered down and quite covered the table.\n\nThe chink of the money aroused his mother, who sat up in bed perfectly\namazed.\n\n\"What is the meaning of this, my son? Am I awake or dreaming? or is it\nthe work of the Evil One? Where did all that money come from?\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\"Fear not, mother, I wear a cross that charms away evil spirits. I\nhave my work, so that you shall never want, and I have your heart,\nwhere for me there will ever be love to sweeten the disappointments\nand troubles of life. This gold that you see will drive poverty far\naway, and enable us to help others. Take these pieces, lock them up\nsafely, and use them when in need. As for me, kiss me, and wish me\ngood luck on my journey.\"\n\n\"What! Is it possible that you want to leave me already? Why? and\nwhither are you going?\"\n\n\"I want to go, mother mine, to see the great city. When there, I mean\nto enrol myself in the national army. Thus the fisherman turned\nsoldier will become the defender of his king, for the glory of his\ncountry and his mother.\"\n\n\"Of a truth, my son, I have heard some talk about the king being in\ndanger, and that our enemies are trying to take his crown from him.\nBut why should you go? Stay at home rather, for alone and unnoticed\namong so many troops you will neither be able to help nor to hinder.\"\n\n\"You are right, one man alone is a small thing, but by adding one\ngrain to another the measure overflows. If all those who are capable\nof bearing arms will help the king, there is no doubt that he will\nsoon overcome his enemies.\"\n\n\"But a harmless fisherman like you! Of what use can you be in a\nbattle?\"\n\n\"The fisherman has, doubtless, a peaceable disposition, and he never\nboasts of his strength. But when the right moment comes he knows how\nto handle a sword, and how to water the land with the enemy's blood.\nAnd the victorious king will, perhaps, reward me for my bravery by\ngiving me some splendid castle, or a few acres of forest land, a suit\nof armour and a horse, or even the hand of his daughter in marriage.\"\n\n\"If you feel like this,\" answered she, \"go, and may God bless you. May\nHe cover you, dear child, with His grace as with a buckler, so that\nneither guns nor sabres shall do you harm. May He take you under His\nprotection, so that you may return safe and sound to be a comfort to\nme; and at the end of my days may I rejoice in your happiness, and\nlive near you as long as God in His wisdom shall allow.\"\n\nThen she gave him her blessing and kissed him tenderly, making the\nsign of the cross in the direction he was about to take.\n\nSo he departed, and after a few days' march reached the capital,\nthinking within himself how he might help the king most effectually.\n\nThe town was surrounded by a countless host who threatened to utterly\ndestroy it unless the king would agree to pay a very large ransom.\n\nThe people crowded into the square, and stood before the palace gates\nlistening to the herald's proclamation.\n\n\"Hear the king's will,\" said the herald; \"listen, all ye faithful\nsubjects, to the words he speaks to you by my mouth. Here are our\ndeadly enemies, who have scattered our troops, and have come to\nbesiege the capital of our kingdom. If we do not send them, by\ndaybreak to-morrow, twenty-four waggons, each drawn by six horses and\nloaded with gold, they threaten to take the town and destroy it by\nfire and sword, and to deliver our land to the soldiers. It is certain\nthat we cannot hold out any longer, and our royal treasure-house does\nnot contain one-half the amount demanded. Therefore, through me our\nsovereign announces, that whosoever among you shall succeed, either in\ndefeating our foes, or in providing the money needed for the ransom,\nhim will he appoint his heir to the crown, and to him will he give his\nonly daughter in marriage, a princess of marvellous beauty. Further,\nhe shall receive half the kingdom in his own right.\"\n\nWhen the fisherman heard these words he went to the king and said, \"My\nsovereign and father, command that twenty-four waggons, each harnessed\nwith twenty-four horses and provided with leathern bags, be brought\ninto the courtyard; I will engage to fill them with gold, and that at\nonce, before your eyes.\"\n\nThen he left the palace, and standing in the middle of the large\nsquare, recited the words the fish had taught him.\n\nThese were followed by rumblings of thunder and flashes of lightning,\nand then by a perfect hurricane which sent down masses and showers of\ngold. In a few minutes the square was covered with a layer of gold so\nthick that, after loading the twenty-four waggons and filling a large\nhalf of the royal treasure-house, there was enough left to make\nhandsome presents to all the king's officers and servants.\n\nNext day the enemy returned to their own country laden with the heavy\nransom they had demanded.\n\nThe king sent for the fisherman, and inviting him to partake of\nhydromel wine and sweetmeats, said, \"You have to-day been the means of\nsaving our capital from a great calamity, and shall, therefore,\nreceive the reward which you have earned. My only daughter, a princess\nof great beauty, shall be your wife, and I will give you the half of\nmy kingdom for a wedding present. I also appoint you my heir to the\nthrone. But tell me, to whom am I indebted? What kingdom or land\nbelongs to you? How is it that by a mere movement of the hand you were\nable to supply my enemies with such a quantity of gold?\"\n\nAnd the fisherman, simple-hearted and straightforward as a child,\nignorant of the deceptions practised in court, answered frankly,\n\"Sire, I belong to no royal or princely family, I am a simple\nfisherman and your loyal subject. I procure my gold by means of this\nmagic ring, and at any time I can have as much as I want.\"\n\nThen he told how his good fortune had come to him.\n\nThe king made no answer, but it hurt his royal dignity to think that\nhe owed his safety to one of his own peasants, and that he had\npromised to make him his son-in-law.\n\nThat evening, after a luxurious supper, the fisherman, having taken a\nlittle more wine than usual, ventured to ask the king to present him\nto his bride. The king whispered a few words in the ear of the\nchamberlain of the court, and then went out.\n\nThe chamberlain took the fisherman to the top of the castle tower, and\nthere said to him, \"According to the customs of the court you should,\nbefore being introduced to the princess, send her by my hands some\nvaluable jewel as a wedding gift.\"\n\n\"But I have nothing of value or beauty about me,\" replied he, \"unless\nyou offer the princess this golden ring, to which I owe all my good\nfortune, the princess herself, and the safety of her father.\"\n\nThe chamberlain took the ring, and opening the window of the tower,\nasked, \"Fisherman, do you see the moon in the heavens?\"\n\n\"I do.\"\n\n\"Very well, she shall be the witness of your betrothal. Now look down;\ndo you see that precipice, and the deep river shining in its depths.\"\n\n\"I do.\"\n\n\"Very well, it shall be your bridal couch.\"\n\nSo saying the chamberlain threw him into the deep abyss, shut the\nwindow, and ran to tell the king that there was no longer a suitor for\nthe hand of his daughter.\n\nThe fisherman, stunned by the force of his fall, reached the water\nquite senseless. When he came to himself and opened his eyes, he lay\nin a boat which at that moment was leaving the mouth of the river and\nentering the open sea.\n\nThe very old man, to whom he had given the bream, was guiding the\nvessel with an oar.\n\n\"My good old man, is it you? How did you manage to save me?\" asked the\nastonished fisherman.\n\n\"I came to your assistance,\" replied the old man, \"because he who\nshows pity to others deserves their help when in need of it. But take\nthe oar and row to whatever place you wish.\"\n\nAnd having thus spoken the mysterious old man disappeared. The\nfisherman crossed himself, and having looked round upon the royal\npalace sparkling with light he sighed deeply, and chanting the hymn\n\"Under Thy Help,\" put out to sea.\n\nWhen the sun rose he saw some nets in the boat, and throwing them into\nthe water caught some pike, which he sold in a town near the shore,\nand then continued his journey on foot.\n\nTwo or three months later, when crossing some open country, he heard\ncries for help which came from a hill near the forest. There he saw\ntwo little demons pulling each other's hair. By the cut of their short\nwaistcoats, by their tight pantaloons and three-cornered hats, he knew\nthat they were inhabitants of the nether world, from which they must\nhave escaped. He had no doubt about it, but being a good Christian he\nwas not afraid, and accosted them boldly, saying, \"Why do you\nill-treat each other in this way? What is the meaning of it?\"\n\n\"It means, that for many a long year we have both been working hard to\nentice a silly fellow down below. He was first tempted by the desire\nto learn something of sorcery, and he ended by becoming an\naccomplished scoundrel. After giving him time to commit a great many\ncrimes and thus forfeit his soul, we handed him over to safe keeping.\nNow we want to divide his property between us. He has left three\nthings, which by every right belong to us. The first is a wonderful\ncarpet. Whoever sits down upon it, and pronounces certain magic words,\nwill be carried off at once, over forests and under clouds, never\nstopping until his destination is reached. The magic words are as\nfollows:\n\n  'Carpet, that of thyself through space takes flight,\n  O travel, thou airy car, both day and night\n  Till my desired haven comes in sight.'\n\nThe second piece of property is that club lying on the grass. After\nuttering some magic words, the club will immediately begin to hit so\nvigorously that a whole army may be crushed to pieces or dispersed.\nThe words run thus:\n\n  'Club, thou marvellous club, who knows\n  How to strike and smite my foes,\n  By thine own strength and in God's name\n  O strike well home and strike again.'\n\nThe third piece of property is a cap that renders its wearer\ninvisible. Now, my good man, you see our difficulty: there are but two\nof us, and we are fighting to decide how these three lots may be\ndivided into two equal parts.\"\n\n\"I can help you,\" said the fisherman, \"provided you will do as I tell\nyou. Leave the three lots here just as they are--the carpet, the club,\nand the magic cap. I will roll a stone from the top of this hill to\nthe bottom--whoever catches it first shall have two lots for his\nshare. What do you say?\"\n\n\"Agreed!\" cried the demons, racing after the stone that rolled and\nbounded on its way down.\n\nIn the meantime the fisherman hastily put on the cap, seized the club,\nand sitting down on the carpet, repeated the magic formula without\nforgetting a single word.\n\nHe was already high up in the air when the demons returned carrying\nthe stone and calling out to him to come and reward the winner.\n\n\"Come down and divide those things between us,\" they cried after him.\n\nThe fisherman's only answer was the magic address to his club. This\nenchanted weapon then fell upon them and struck so hard that the\ncountry round echoed to the sound thereof. In the midst of screams and\ncries and clouds of dust they escaped at last, and the club, of its\nown accord, came back and placed itself at the fisherman's orders. He,\nin spite of the rapid motion, sat comfortably on the carpet with the\ncap under his arm and the club in his hand. Thus they flew over\nforests, under clouds, and so high that seen from the earth they\nlooked like a tiny white cloud.\n\nWithin two or three days they stopped at the king's capital. The\nfisherman, with his cap on, descended into the middle of the\ncourtyard.\n\nThe whole place was in confusion and trouble, for the commander of the\nforeign army, encouraged by having so easily received such a large sum\nof money, had returned to the attack and again held the town in siege,\ndeclaring that he would destroy every house and slay all the\ninhabitants, not sparing even the king himself, unless he agreed to\ngive him his only daughter in marriage.\n\nThe terrified citizens crowded to the palace and besought his majesty\nto do as they asked him, and so save them from such a fate. The king,\nstanding on the balcony, addressed them thus: \"Faithful and devoted\npeople, listen to me. Nothing but a miracle can save us from this\nfearful calamity; yet it has happened that the most powerful\nassailants have been forced to ask mercy of the most feeble. I will\nnever consent to the marriage of my only daughter with my most hated\nand cruel foe. Within a few moments my guards will be ready for\ncombat, and I myself will lead them against the enemy. If there be any\namong you who can win the victory, to him will I give my only daughter\nin marriage, the half of my kingdom for her dowry, and the heirship to\nthe throne.\"\n\nWhen he had finished speaking the fisherman ordered his club to fall\non the foe, while the country round echoed and re-echoed to the blows\nby means of which it destroyed the besieging army. It was in vain that\nthe brave commander shouted to his soldiers not to run away, for when\nhe himself received three blows from the club he was obliged to make\noff as fast as possible.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nWhen the club had destroyed or driven away into the desert all the\ntroops it came back to its master; he, still wearing the magic cap,\nand with his carpet folded up under his arm and his club in his hand,\nmade his way to the king's apartment.\n\nIn the palace shouts of joy had succeeded the cries of fear which had\nbeen heard but a short while ago. Every one was happy, and every one\ncongratulated the king upon his victory, as sudden and complete as it\nwas unexpected. But the monarch, turning to his warriors, addressed\nthem thus: \"Victory! Let us rather return thanks to God. He who has\nwon for us the victory has but to present himself and receive the\nreward he so richly deserves, that is, my beautiful daughter in\nmarriage, the half of my kingdom, and the right of succession to my\nthrone. These are the gifts that await this victorious hero. Where is\nhe?\"\n\nThey all stood silent and looked from one to the other. Then the\nfisherman, who had taken off his cap, appeared before the assembly and\nsaid, \"Behold, it was I who destroyed your enemies, O king. This is\nthe second time that I have been promised the hand of the princess in\nmarriage, the half of the kingdom, and the right of succession to the\nthrone.\"\n\nThe king, struck dumb with amazement, looked inquiringly at his\nchamberlain, then recovering his presence of mind he shook hands with\nthe fisherman.\n\n\"Your good health, my friend. By what happy fortune do you return safe\nand sound to my court? The chamberlain told me that through your own\ncarelessness you had fallen out of the tower window; in truth, we\nmourned you as dead.\"\n\n\"I should not have fallen out of the window if I had not been thrown\ndown by your chamberlain; there is the traitor. I only escaped death\nthrough God's help, and I have just come to the palace in my air-car.\"\n\nThe king made a pretence of being angry with the guilty chamberlain,\nand ordered his guards to take him away to the donjon cell; then, with\npretended friendship, he embraced the fisherman and led him to his own\napartments. All the while he was thinking and thinking what he could\ndo to get rid of him. The idea of having him, a mere peasant and one\nof his own subjects, for a son-in-law was most repugnant to him, and\nhurt his kingly pride. At last he said, \"The chamberlain will most\ncertainly be punished for his crime. As for you, who have twice been\nmy saviour, you shall be my son-in-law. Now the customs observed at\ncourt demand that you should send your bride a wedding gift, a jewel,\nor some other trifle of value. When this has been observed I promise\nto give my blessing on the marriage, and may you both be happy and\nlive long.\"\n\n\"I have no jewel worthy of the princess's acceptance. I might have\ngiven her as much gold as she wished, but your chamberlain took my\nmagic golden ring from me.\"\n\n\"Before insisting upon its return something else might be done. I\nthoroughly appreciate the value of your marvellous flying carpet--why\nshould not we both sit on it and make an excursion to the Valley of\nDiamonds? There we can obtain stones of the finest water, such as no\none in the world has ever possessed. Afterwards we will return here\nwith your wedding present for my daughter.\"\n\nThe king then opened the window, and the fisherman, spreading out his\ncarpet, repeated the magic words.\n\nThus they took flight into the air, and after travelling one or two\nhours began to descend at their destination. It was a valley\nsurrounded on all sides by rocks so steep and so difficult of access,\nthat, except by God's special grace, no mortal man imprisoned there\ncould possibly escape. The ground was strewn with diamonds of the\nfinest quality. The king and fisherman found it easy to make a large\ncollection, picking and choosing, gathering and arranging them upon\nthe carpet. When they had put together all there was room for, the\nking sat down, and pointing to a large diamond shining at a little\ndistance, said to the fisherman, \"There is yet a more splendid one by\nthe stream yonder; run, my son-in-law, and bring it here, it would be\na pity to leave it.\"\n\nThe man went for it, while the king, taking advantage of his absence\nto pronounce the magic words, seated himself on the carpet, which\nlifted itself up, and floating like an air-car above the forest and\nunder the clouds, descended by one of the palace windows.\n\nHis joy knew no bounds, for he now found himself not only free from\nhis enemies and rid of the embarrassing presence of the fisherman, but\nalso the possessor of the richest and most beautiful collection of\ndiamonds in the world;--by his orders they were put away in the caves\nof the royal treasure-house, and with them the magic ring and the\nflying carpet.\n\nMeantime the fisherman had returned with the diamond, and had stood\naghast to see the carpet vanishing away in the distance.\n\nWounded at the ingratitude and indignant at the perversity of a prince\nfor whom he had done so much, he burst into tears.\n\nAnd, indeed, he had good reason to weep. For he had but to look at the\nenormous height of the polished rocks to be convinced of the\nimpossibility of climbing them. The vegetation, too, was so scanty\nthat it could only provide him with food for a very short time. He saw\nbut two courses open to him: either to die from starvation, or to be\ndevoured by the monstrous serpents that crawled about in great\nnumbers. Night was now coming on, and the poor fellow was obliged to\nplan some way of escaping the frightful reptiles which were leaving\ntheir hiding-places. At last he climbed up a tree, the highest he\ncould find, and there, with his magic cap on and his club in his hand,\npassed the night without even closing his eyes.\n\nNext morning when the sun rose the serpents went back to their holes,\nand the fisherman got down from his tree feeling stiff with cold and\nvery hungry. For some time he walked about the valley in search of\nfood, turning over the diamonds now so useless to him. There he found\na few worthless mushrooms, and with such poor food as berries and\nsorrel leaves, and the water of the valley stream for drink, he lived\nfor some days.\n\nOne night when he went to sleep it happened that his cap came off and\nfell to the ground, whereupon all the reptiles of the place\nimmediately gathered round him. Aroused by their hisses, he awoke to\nfind himself surrounded on all sides and almost in reach of their\nstings. He immediately seized his club, and had scarcely begun to\nrepeat the magic formula before the weapon set to work to destroy the\nsnakes, while the rocks resounded right and left with the blows. It\nwas as if the monsters were being covered with boiling water, and the\nnoise they made was like that produced by a flock of birds overtaken\nby a storm. They roared and hissed and twisted themselves into a\nthousand knots, gradually disappearing one by one. Then the club\nreturned of its own accord to the fisherman's hands, while he returned\nthanks to God for having delivered him from such a horrible death. At\nthat moment there appeared upon the top of a steep rock his friend,\nthe old man. Overcome with joy at the sight of him, the fisherman\ncalled out, \"Save me! come to me, my divine protector.\"\n\nThe old man spread out his arms towards him, and having blessed him\ndrew him up, saying, \"Now you are free again, hasten to save your\nking, his daughter your bride, and their kingdom. After he had left\nyou in the valley as food for serpents he was punished for his great\ncrimes by the return of the enemy, who again laid siege to the\ncapital. This happened at the very moment when he was surrounded by\nhis guests, and was boasting of his possession of the air-car, the\nmagic golden ring, and the rest of his evilly acquired riches.\n\n\"His foes had consulted Yaga, a wicked sorceress; she advised them to\nobtain the help of Kostey the magician, who promised his aid in\ncarrying off the princess. When he came he fell in love with the\nbeautiful maiden at first sight, and determined to marry her himself.\nIn order to bring this about he threw the king, the courtiers, and all\nthe inhabitants of the land into a heavy sleep. Then he bore off the\nprincess to his own palace, where she has been shut up and ill-treated\nbecause she refuses to have anything to do with him. His castle is\nsituated at the very end of the world, to the west. There is nothing\nto hinder you from taking possession of your carpet and ring, they are\nhidden in the king's treasure-house. Then go with your cap and club\nand conquer Kostey, rescue the princess, and deliver the king and his\nsubjects.\"\n\nThe fisherman would have thrown himself at the old man's feet to pour\nout his gratitude, but he suddenly vanished. So he thanked God for all\nHis mercies, put on his invisible cap, and taking his club, made his\nway towards the capital.\n\nAt the end of three days he entered the royal city. All the\ninhabitants were sleeping the enchanted sleep, from which they were\npowerless to rouse themselves. The fisherman went straight to the\nroyal treasure-house, took the magic ring and carpet, then seating\nhimself upon the latter and repeating the magic words, away he went\nlike a bird, over rustling forests and under clouds, floating across\nthe blue sky.\n\nAfter some days of travel he alighted in Kostey's courtyard. Without a\nmoment's delay he folded up his carpet, put the magic cap on his head,\nand with club in hand entered Kostey's room. There, to his\nastonishment, stood the magician himself, admiring the wondrous beauty\nof the princess. For she was perfectly beautiful; eye had never seen\nnor ear heard of such loveliness. With a low bow full of pride and an\nironical smile he was saying to her: \"Beauteous princess, you have\nsworn a most solemn oath to marry none but that man who can solve your\nsix riddles. It is in vain that I strive to guess them. Now there are\nonly two courses open to you: either to release yourself from your\nvow, putting the riddles aside and consenting to be my wife; or to\npersist in your vow and thus deliver yourself up to my anger, which\nyou will bitterly regret. I give you three minutes to decide.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nUpon hearing these threats the fisherman trembled with rage, and in a\nlow voice whispered the magic words to his club.\n\nThis good weapon did not wait for the order to be repeated, but with\none bound came down full upon Kostey's forehead. Stunned for a moment\nby the violence of the blow, the terrible creature rolled upon the\nground. Sparks like fireworks sprang from his eyes, and the noise as\nof a hundred mills seemed to go through his head. Any ordinary mortal\nwould never have opened his eyes again, but Kostey was immortal.\n\nGetting on his feet he pulled himself together, and tried to find out\nwho had thus attacked him. Then the club began to hit him again, and\nthe sound thereof was like unto blows on an empty vault. It seemed to\nthe magician as if showers of boiling water were being poured upon\nhim. He twisted himself about in awful convulsions, and would have\nliked to bury himself in his palace walls and be turned to stone.\n\nAt last, crippled with wounds, he began to hiss like a serpent, and\nspringing forwards breathed upon the princess, filling the air with\nthe poisonous blast.\n\nThe maiden tottered and fell, as if dead. Kostey changed himself into\na wreath of smoke, and floating out of the window, disappeared in a\nhurricane.\n\nThe fisherman, still invisible, carried the princess into the\ncourtyard of the castle, hoping that the fresh air might restore her\nto consciousness. He laid her upon the grass, his heart throbbing with\nhope and fear, and waited anxiously. Suddenly a raven and his\nnestlings, attracted by the sight of a dead body, and not being able\nto see the fisherman, came by croaking. The parent bird said to his\nyoung ones:\n\n  \"Come, children, sharpen claws and beak, krak, krak,\n  For here's a feast not far to seek, krak, krak,\n  This young girl's corse so white and sleek, krak, krak.\"\n\nOne small bird at once settled down on the princess, but the fisherman\nseized it and took off his cap, so that he could be seen.\n\n\"Fisherman,\" said the father raven, \"let go my dear birdling and I\nwill give you anything you want.\"\n\n\"Then bring me some of the Life-Giving Water.\"\n\nThe raven flew away and returned in about an hour, carrying in his\nbeak a tiny bottle of the water. Then he again begged to have his\nnestling back.\n\n\"You shall have it as soon as I have proved that the water is of the\nright sort.\"\n\nSo saying, he sprinkled the pale face of the princess. She sighed,\nopened her eyes, and blushing at the sight of a stranger, got up and\nsaid, \"Where am I? Why, how soundly I have slept!\"\n\n\"Lovely princess, your sleep might have lasted for ever.\"\n\nThen he told her his story, how he had been thrown into the river,\nabandoned in the Valley of Diamonds, and so on, relating at full\nlength all the marvellous events that had taken place.\n\nShe listened attentively, then, thanking him for all he had done for\nher, placed her hand in his and said, \"In the garden behind the palace\nis an apple-tree that bears golden fruit. A guzla that plays of its\nown accord hangs on its branches, and is guarded day and night by four\nnegroes. Now the music from this guzla has the wonderful power of\nrestoring health to invalids who listen to it, and happiness to those\nwho are sad. That which is ugly becomes beautiful, and charms and\nenchantments of all kinds are broken and destroyed for ever.\"\n\nThe fisherman put on his invisible cap and went into the garden in\nsearch of the negroes. Before going up to them he addressed the magic\nwords to his golden ring, and after a short thunderstorm a shower of\ngold covered the ground. The negroes, greedy of wealth, threw\nthemselves upon it, snatching from each other handfuls of the golden\nrain. While thus engaged the fisherman unhooked the guzla from the\nbranches and hurried off into the courtyard with it. There he unfolded\nhis carpet, and sitting down upon it with the princess at his side,\nflew high up into the air. He had not forgotten to bring with him the\ncap, the club, and the ring; the princess took care of the guzla.\n\nThey floated across the blue sky, above the rustling forests and under\nthe clouds, and in a few days arrived at the palace. There they\ndescended, but the people still lay wrapped in the enchanted sleep,\nfrom which they seemed to have no power of awakening.\n\nThe silence of the tomb reigned around. Some of the officers were\nsitting, others standing, all motionless and rigid, and each one in\nthe position he occupied when last awake. The king held a goblet\nfilled with wine, for he had been giving a toast. The chamberlain had\nhis throat half filled with a lying tale, which there had been no time\nto finish. One had the end of a joke upon his lips, another a dainty\nmorsel between his teeth, or a tale ready cooked upon his tongue.\n\nAnd it was the same in all the villages throughout the length and\nbreadth of the land. All the inhabitants lay under the enchanted\nspell. The labourer held his whip in the air, for he had been about to\nstrike his oxen. The harvesters with their sickles had stopped short\nin their work. The shepherds slept by their sheep in the middle of the\nroad. The huntsman stood with the powder still alight on the pan of\nhis gun. The birds, arrested in their flight, hung in mid-air. The\nanimals in the woods were motionless. The water in the streams was\nstill. Even the wind slept. Everywhere men had been overtaken in their\noccupations or amusements. It was a soundless land, without voice or\nmovement; on all sides calm, death, sleep.\n\nThe fisherman stood with the princess at his side in the\nbanqueting-hall where slept the king and his guests. Taking the magic\nguzla from the maid, he pronounced these words:\n\n  \"O guzla, play, and let thy sweetest harmonies resound\n  Through hall and cot, o'er hill and dale, and all the country round;\n  That by the power and beauty of thy heavenly tones and song\n  Awakened may these sleepers be who sleep too well, too long.\"\n\nWhen the first tones of music burst forth everything began to move and\nlive again. The king finished proposing his toast. The chamberlain\nended his tale. The guests continued to feast and enjoy themselves.\nThe servants waited at their posts. In short, everything went on just\nas before, and as if nothing had happened to interrupt it.\n\nAnd it was just the same in all the country round. Everything suddenly\nawoke to life. The labourer finished ploughing his furrow. The\nhaymakers built up the hay in ricks. The reapers cut down the golden\ngrain. The hunter's gun went off and shot the duck. The trees rustled.\nThe gardener went on with his work and his song. The rich, who thought\nonly of enjoyment, entertained one another in luxury and splendour.\n\nNow when the king caught sight of his daughter leaning on the\nfisherman's arm he could hardly believe his own eyes, and it made him\nvery angry. But the princess ran to him, and throwing herself in his\narms, related all that he had accomplished. The monarch's heart was\nsoftened, and he felt ashamed. With tears in his eyes he drew the\nfisherman towards him, and before the assembled company thanked him\nfor having the third time saved his life.\n\n\"God has punished me for my ill-treatment of you,\" said he. \"Yet He is\ngenerous and forgives; I will fulfil all your wishes.\"\n\nHe then added that the wedding feast should be held that very day, and\nthat his only daughter would be married to the fisherman.\n\nThe princess was filled with gladness, and standing with her father's\narms round her, said, \"I cannot, however, break my word. When in\nKostey's palace I made a vow to bestow my hand only on that man who\nshould guess the six riddles I put to him. I am sure the heroic man,\nwho has done so much, will not refuse to submit to this last trial for\nmy sake.\"\n\nTo this the fisherman bowed a willing assent.\n\nThe first riddle was: \"Without legs it walks. Without arms it strikes.\nWithout life it moves continually.\"\n\n\"A clock,\" he answered promptly, and to the great satisfaction of the\nprincess, to whom this good beginning seemed to presage a happy\nending.\n\nThe second riddle ran thus: \"Without being either bird, reptile,\ninsect, or any animal whatsoever, it ensures the safety of the whole\nhouse.\"\n\n\"A bolt,\" said her lover.\n\n\"Good! Now this is the third: 'Who is that pedestrian who walks fully\narmed, seasons dishes, and in his sides has two darts? He swims across\nthe water without the help of a boatman.'\"\n\n\"A lobster.\"\n\nThe princess clapped her hands and begged him to guess the fourth.\n\n\"It runs, it moves along on two sides, it has but one eye, an overcoat\nof polished steel, and a tail of thread.\"\n\n\"A needle.\"\n\n\"Well guessed. Now listen to the fifth: 'It walks without feet,\nbeckons without hands, and moves without a body.'\"\n\n\"It must be a shadow.\"\n\n\"Exactly,\" said she, well pleased. \"Now you have succeeded so well\nwith these five you will soon guess the sixth: 'It has four feet, but\nis not an animal. It is provided with feathers and down, but is no\nbird. It has a body, and gives warmth, but is not alive.'\"\n\n\"It is certainly a bed,\" exclaimed the fisherman.\n\nThe princess gave him her hand. They both knelt at the king's feet and\nreceived his fatherly blessing, after which he with a large wedding\nparty accompanied them to the church. At the same time messengers were\nsent to bring the fisherman's mother to the palace.\n\nThe marvellous guzla played the sweetest music at the marriage feast,\nwhile the old king ate and drank and enjoyed himself, and danced like\na madman. He treated his guests with so much kindness and generosity\nthat to this very hour the happiness of those who were present is a\nthing to be talked about and envied.\n\nNow you see what it is to love virtue and pursue it with energy and\ncourage. For by so doing a mere peasant, a poor simple fisherman,\nmarried the most lovely and enchanting princess in the whole world. He\nreceived, besides, half the kingdom on his wedding day, and the right\nof succession to the throne after the old king's death.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BROAD MAN, THE TALL MAN, AND THE MAN WITH EYES OF FLAME\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTHE BROAD MAN, THE TALL MAN, AND THE MAN WITH EYES OF FLAME\n\n\nIt was in those days when cats wore shoes, when frogs croaked in\ngrandmothers' chairs, when donkeys clanked their spurs on the\npavements like brave knights, and when hares chased dogs. So you see\nit must have been a very very long time ago.\n\nIn those days the king of a certain country had a daughter, who was\nnot only exceedingly beautiful but also remarkably clever. Many kings\nand princes travelled from far distant lands, each one with the hope\nof making her his wife. But she would have nothing to do with any one\nof them. Finally, it was proclaimed that she would marry that man who\nfor three successive nights should keep such strict watch upon her\nthat she could not escape unnoticed. Those who failed were to have\ntheir heads cut off.\n\nThe news of this offer was noised about in all parts of the world. A\ngreat many kings and princes hastened to make the trial, taking their\nturn and keeping watch. But each one lost his life in the attempt, for\nthey could not prevent, indeed they were not even able to see, the\nprincess take her flight.\n\nNow it happened that Matthias, prince of a royal city, heard of what\nwas going on and resolved to watch through the three nights. He was\nyoung, handsome as a deer, and brave as a falcon. His father did all\nhe could to turn him from his purpose: he used entreaties, prayers,\nthreats, in fact he forbade him to go, but in vain, nothing could\nprevent him. What could the poor father do? Worn-out with contention,\nhe was at last obliged to consent. Matthias filled his purse with\ngold, girded a well-tried sword to his side, and quite alone started\noff to seek the fortune of the brave.\n\nWalking along next day, he met a man who seemed hardly able to drag\none leg after the other.\n\n\"Whither are you going?\" asked Matthias.\n\n\"I am travelling all over the world in search of happiness.\"\n\n\"What is your profession?\"\n\n\"I have no profession, but I can do what no one else can. I am called\n_Broad_, because I have the power of swelling myself out to such a\nsize that there is room for a whole regiment of soldiers inside me.\"\n\nSo saying he puffed himself out till he formed a barricade from one\nside of the road to the other.\n\n\"Bravo!\" cried Matthias, delighted at this proof of his capacities.\n\"By the way, would you mind coming with me? I, too, am travelling\nacross the world in search of happiness.\"\n\n\"If there is nothing bad in it I am quite willing,\" answered Broad.\nAnd they continued their journey together.\n\nA little further on they met a very slender man, frightfully thin, and\ntall and straight as a portico.\n\n\"Whither are you going, good man?\" asked Matthias, filled with\ncuriosity at his strange appearance.\n\n\"I am travelling about the world.\"\n\n\"To what profession do you belong?\"\n\n\"To no profession, but I know something every one else is ignorant of.\nI am called _Tall_, and with good reason. For without leaving the\nearth I can stretch out and reach up to the clouds. When I walk I\nclear a mile at each step.\"\n\nWithout more ado he lengthened himself out until his head was lost in\nthe clouds, while he really cleared a mile at each step.\n\n\"I like that, my fine fellow,\" said Matthias. \"Come, would you not\nlike to travel with us?\"'\n\n\"Why not?\" replied he. \"I'll come.\"\n\nSo they proceeded on their way together. While passing through a\nforest they saw a man placing trunks of trees one upon another.\n\n\"What are you trying to do there?\" asked Matthias, addressing him.\n\n\"I have _Eyes of Flame_,\" said he, \"and I am building a pile here.\" So\nsaying he fixed his flaming eyes upon the wood, and the whole was\ninstantly set alight.\n\n\"You are a very clever and powerful man,\" said Matthias, \"would you\nlike to join our party?\"\n\n\"All right, I am willing.\"\n\nSo the four travelled along together. Matthias was overjoyed to have\nmet with such gifted companions, and paid their expenses generously,\nwithout complaining of the enormous sum of money he had to spend on\nthe amount of food Broad consumed.\n\nAfter some days they reached the princess's palace. Matthias had told\nthem the object of his journey, and had promised each a large reward\nif he was successful. They gave him their word to work with a will at\nthe task which every one up till then had failed to accomplish. The\nprince bought them each a handsome suit of clothes, and when they were\nall presentable sent them to tell the king, the princess's father,\nthat he had come with his attendants to watch three nights in the\nlady's boudoir. But he took very good care not to say who he was, nor\nwhence he had come.\n\nThe king received them kindly, and after hearing their request said:\n\"Reflect well before engaging yourselves in this, for if the princess\nshould escape you will have to die.\"\n\n\"We very much doubt her escaping from us,\" they replied, \"but come\nwhat will, we intend to make the attempt and to begin at once.\"\n\n\"My duty was to warn you,\" replied the monarch, smiling, \"but if you\nstill persist in your resolution I myself will take you to the lady's\napartments.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nMatthias was dazzled at the loveliness of the royal maiden, while she,\non her side, received the brilliant and handsome young man most\ngraciously, not trying to hide how much she liked his good looks and\ngentle manner. Hardly had the king retired when Broad lay down across\nthe threshold; Tall and the Man with Eyes of Flame placed themselves\nnear the window; while Matthias talked with the princess, and watched\nher every movement attentively.\n\nSuddenly she ceased to speak, then after a few moments said, \"I feel\nas if a shower of poppies were falling on my eyelids.\"\n\nAnd she lay down on the couch, pretending to sleep.\n\nMatthias did not breathe a word. Seeing her asleep he sat down at a\ntable near the sofa, leaned his elbows upon it, and rested his chin in\nthe hollow of his hands. Gradually he felt drowsy and his eyes closed,\nas did those of his companions.\n\nNow this was the moment the princess was waiting for. Quickly changing\nherself into a dove, she flew towards the window. If it had not\nhappened that one of her wings touched Tall's hair he would not have\nawakened, and he would certainly never have succeeded in catching her\nif it had not been for the Man with Eyes of Flame, for he, as soon as\nhe knew which direction she had taken, sent such a glance after her,\nthat is, a flame of fire, that in the twinkling of an eye her wings\nwere burnt, and having been thus stopped, she was obliged to perch on\nthe top of a tree. From thence Tall reached her easily, and placed her\nin Matthias' hands, where she became a princess again. Matthias had\nhardly awakened out of his sleep.\n\nNext morning and the morning after the king was greatly astonished to\nfind his daughter sitting by the prince's side, but he was obliged to\nkeep silent and accept facts as they were, at the same time\nentertaining his guests royally. At the approach of the third night he\nspoke with his daughter, and begged her to practise all the magic of\nwhich she was capable, and to act in such a way as to free him from\nthe presence of intruders of whom he knew neither the rank nor the\nfortune.\n\nAs for Matthias, he used every means in his power to bring about a\nhappy ending to such a hitherto successful undertaking. Before\nentering the princess's apartments he took his comrades aside and\nsaid, \"There is but one more stroke of luck, dear friends, and then we\nhave succeeded. If we fail, do not forget that our four heads will\nroll on the scaffold.\"\n\n\"Come along,\" replied the three; \"never fear, we shall be able to keep\ngood watch.\"\n\nWhen they came into the princess's room they hastened to take up their\npositions, and Matthias sat down facing the lady. He would have much\npreferred to remain with her without being obliged to keep watch all\nthe time for fear of losing her for ever. Resolving not to sleep this\ntime, he said to himself, \"Now I will keep watch upon you, but when\nyou are my wife I will rest.\"\n\nAt midnight, when sleep was beginning to overpower her watchers, the\nprincess kept silence, and, stretching herself on the couch, shut her\nbeautiful eyes as if she were really asleep.\n\nMatthias, his elbows on the table, his chin in the palms of his hand,\nhis eyes fixed upon her, admired her silently. But as sleep closes\neven the eyes of the eagle, so it shut those of the prince and his\ncompanions.\n\nThe princess, who all this time had been watching them narrowly and\nonly waiting for this moment, got up from her seat, and changing\nherself into a little fly, flew out of the window. Once free, she\nagain changed herself into a fish, and falling into the palace well,\nplunged and hid herself in the depths of the water.\n\nShe would certainly have made her escape if, as a fly, she had not\njust touched the tip of the nose of the Man with Eyes of Flame. He\nsneezed, and opened his eyes in time to notice the direction in which\nshe had disappeared. Without losing an instant he gave the alarm, and\nall four ran into the courtyard. The well was very deep, but that did\nnot matter. Tall soon stretched himself to the required depth, and\nsearched in all the corners: but he was unable to find the little\nfish, and it seemed impossible that it could ever have been there.\n\n\"Now then, get out of that, I will take your place,\" said Broad.\n\nAnd getting in at the top by the rim, he filled up all the inside of\nthe well, stopping it so completely with his huge body that the water\nsprang out: but nothing was seen of the little fish.\n\n\"Now it is my turn,\" said the Man with Eyes of Flame, \"I warrant I'll\ndislodge this clever magician.\"\n\nWhen Broad had cleared the well of his enormous person the water\nreturned to its place, but it soon began to boil from the heat of the\neyes of flame. It boiled and boiled, till it boiled over the rim;\nthen, as it went on boiling and rising ever higher and higher, a\nlittle fish was seen to throw itself out on the grass half cooked. As\nit touched the ground it again took the form of the princess.\n\nMatthias went to her and kissed her tenderly.\n\n\"You have conquered, my master and husband,\" she said, \"you have\nsucceeded in preventing my escape. Henceforth I am yours, both by\nright of conquest and of my own free will.\"\n\nThe young man's courtesy, strength, and gentleness, as well as his\nbeauty, were very pleasing to the princess; but her father, the king,\nwas not so ready to approve of her choice, and he resolved not to let\nher go with them. But this did not trouble Matthias, who determined to\ncarry her off, aided by his three comrades. They soon all left the\npalace.\n\nThe king was furious, and ordered his guards to follow them and bring\nthem back under pain of death. Meanwhile Matthias, the princess, and\nthe three comrades had already travelled a distance of some miles.\nWhen she heard the steps of the pursuers she begged the Man with Eyes\nof Flame to see who they were. Having turned to look, he told her that\na large army of men on horseback were advancing at a gallop.\n\n\"They are my father's guards,\" said she, \"we shall have some\ndifficulty in escaping them.\"\n\nThen, seeing the horsemen draw nearer she took the veil from her face,\nand throwing it behind her in the direction of the wind, said, \"I\ncommand as many trees to spring up as there are threads in this veil.\"\n\nInstantly, in the twinkling of an eye, a high thick forest rose up\nbetween them. Before the soldiers had time to clear for themselves a\npathway through this dense mass, Matthias and his party had been able\nto get far ahead, and even to take a little rest.\n\n\"Look,\" said the princess, \"and see if they are still coming after\nus.\"\n\nThe Man with Eyes of Flame looked back, and replied that the king's\nguards were out of the forest and coming towards them with all speed.\n\n\"They will not be able to reach us,\" cried she. And she let fall a\ntear from her eyes, saying as she did so, \"Tear, become a river.\"\n\nAt the same moment a wide river flowed between them and their\npursuers, and before the latter had found means of crossing it,\nMatthias and his party were far on in front.\n\n\"Man with Eyes of Flame,\" said the princess, \"look behind and tell me\nhow closely we are followed.\"\n\n\"They are quite near to us again,\" he replied, \"they are almost upon\nour heels.\"\n\n\"Darkness, cover them,\" said she.\n\nAt these words Tall drew himself up. He stretched and stretched and\nstretched until he reached the clouds, and there, with his hat he half\ncovered the face of the sun. The side towards the soldiers was black\nas night, while Matthias and his party, lit up by the shining half,\nwent a good way without hindrance.\n\nWhen they had travelled some distance, Tall uncovered the sun, and\nsoon joined his companions by taking a mile at each step. They were\nalready in sight of Matthias' home, when they noticed that the royal\nguards were again following them closely.\n\n\"Now it is my turn,\" said Broad; \"go on your way in safety, I will\nremain here. I shall be ready for them.\"\n\nHe quietly awaited their arrival, standing motionless, with his large\nmouth open from ear to ear. The royal army, who were determined not to\nturn back without having taken the princess, advanced towards the town\nat a gallop. They had decided among themselves that if it resisted\nthey would lay siege to it.\n\nMistaking Broad's open mouth for one of the city gates, they all\ndashed through and disappeared.\n\nBroad closed his mouth, and having swallowed them, ran to rejoin his\ncomrades in the palace of Matthias' father. He felt somewhat disturbed\nwith a whole army inside him, and the earth groaned and trembled\nbeneath him as he ran. He could hear the shouts of the people\nassembled round Matthias, as they rejoiced at his safe return.\n\n\"Ah, here you are at last, brother Broad,\" cried Matthias, directly he\ncaught sight of him. \"But what have you done with the army? Where have\nyou left it?\"\n\n\"The army is here, quite safe,\" answered he, patting his enormous\nperson. \"I shall be very pleased to return them as they are, for the\nmorsel is not very easy to digest.\"\n\n\"Come then, let them out of their prison,\" said Matthias, enjoying the\njoke, and at the same time calling all the inhabitants to assist at\nthe entertainment.\n\nBroad, who looked upon it as a common occurrence, stood in the middle\nof the palace square, and putting his hands to his sides, began to\ncough. Then--it was really a sight worth seeing--at each cough\nhorsemen and horses fell out of his mouth, one over the other,\nplunging, hopping, jumping, trying who could get out of the way the\nquickest. The last one had a little difficulty in getting free, for he\nsomehow got into one of Broad's nostrils and was unable to move. It\nwas only by giving a good sneeze that Broad could release him, the\nlast of the royal cavaliers, and he lost no time in following his\ncompanions at the top of his speed.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nA few days later a splendid feast was given at the wedding of Prince\nMatthias and the princess. The king, her father, was also present.\nTall had been sent to invite him. Owing to his knowledge of the road\nand the length of his limbs, he accomplished the journey so quickly\nthat he was there before the royal horsemen had time to get back. It\nwas well for them that it was so, for, had he not pleaded that their\nlives might be saved, their heads would certainly have been cut off\nfor returning empty-handed.\n\nEverything was now arranged to everybody's satisfaction. The\nprincess's father was delighted to know that his daughter was married\nto a rich and noble prince, and Matthias generously rewarded his brave\ntravelling companions, who remained with him to the end of their days.\n\n\n\n\nTHE HISTORY OF PRINCE SLUGOBYL OR THE INVISIBLE KNIGHT\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTHE HISTORY OF PRINCE SLUGOBYL; OR, THE INVISIBLE KNIGHT\n\n\nThere was once a king who had an only son, called Prince Slugobyl. Now\nthis young prince loved nothing better than travelling; so fond of it\nwas he that when he was twenty years old he gave his father no rest\nuntil he allowed him to go on a long journey, in short, to travel all\nover the world. Thus he hoped to see many beautiful and strange\nthings, to meet with marvellous adventures, to gain happiness,\nknowledge, and wisdom, and to return a better man in every way than\nwhen he left. Fearing his youth and want of experience might lead him\nastray, his father sent with him a valued and faithful servant. When\nall was ready, Slugobyl bade the king adieu and set off to visit the\nland of his dreams.\n\nAs he was jogging along, allowing his horse to go at its own pace, he\nsaw a beautiful white swan pursued by an eagle about to pounce down\nupon it. Seizing his crossbow, he took such good aim that the eagle\nfell dead at his feet. The rescued swan stopped in its flight, and\nturning round said to him, \"Valiant Prince Slugobyl, it is not a mere\nswan who thanks you for your most timely help, but the daughter of the\nInvisible Knight, who, to escape the pursuit of the giant Kostey, has\nchanged herself into a swan. My father will gladly be of service to\nyou in return for this kindness to me. When in need of his help, you\nonly have to say three times, 'Invisible Knight, come to me.'\"\n\nHaving thus spoken the swan flew away. The prince looked after her for\na long time, and then continued his journey. He travelled on and on\nand on, over high mountains, through dark forests, across barren\ndeserts, and so to the middle of a vast plain where every green thing\nhad been burnt up by the rays of the sun. Not a single tree, not even\na bush or a plant of any kind was to be seen. No bird was heard to\nsing, no insect to hum, no breath of air to stir the stillness of this\nland of desolation. Having ridden for some hours, the prince began to\nsuffer terribly from thirst; so, sending his servant in one direction,\nhe himself went in another, in search of some well or spring. They\nsoon found a well full of cool fresh water, but unluckily without\neither rope or bucket to draw it up. After a few moments' thought the\nprince said to his servant, \"Take the leathern strap used for\ntethering our horses, put it round your body, and I will then let you\ndown into the well; I cannot endure this thirst any longer.\"\n\n\"Your highness,\" answered the servant, \"I am heavier than you, and you\nare not as strong as I, so you will not be able to pull me out of the\nwater. If you, therefore, will go down first, I shall be able to pull\nyou up when you have quenched your thirst.\"\n\nThe prince took his advice, and fastening an end of the strap under\nhis arms, was lowered into the well. When he had enjoyed a deep\ndraught of the clear water and filled a bottle of the same for his\nservant, he gave the signal that he wished to be pulled up. But\ninstead of obeying the servant said, \"Listen, prince; from the day you\nwere born up to the present moment you have never known anything but\nluxury, pleasure, and happiness, while I have suffered poverty and\nslaved all my life. Now we will change places, and you shall be my\nservant. If you refuse you had better make your peace with God, for I\nshall drown you.\"\n\n\"Stop, faithful servant,\" cried the prince, \"you will not be so wicked\nas to do that. What good will it do you? You will never be so happy as\nyou have been with me, and you know what dreadful tortures are in\nstore for murderers in the other world; their hands are plunged into\nboiling pitch, their shoulders bruised with blows from red-hot iron\nclubs, and their necks sawn with wooden saws.\"\n\n\"You may cut and saw me as much as you like in the other world,\" said\nthe servant, \"but I shall drown you in this.\" And he began to let the\nstrap slide through his fingers.\n\n\"Very well,\" said the prince, \"I agree to accept your terms. You shall\nbe the prince and I will be your servant, I give you my word.\"\n\n\"I have no faith in words that are carried away by the first wind that\nblows. Swear to confirm your promise in writing.\"\n\n\"I swear.\"\n\nThe servant then let down paper and pencil, and dictated\nthe following:\n\n    \"I hereby declare that I renounce my name and rights in\n    favour of the bearer of this writing, and that I acknowledge\n    him to be my prince, and that I am his servant. Written in\n    the well.\n                                        (Signed) PRINCE SLUGOBYL.\"\n\nThe man having taken this document, which he was quite unable to read,\ndrew out the prince, took off the clothes in which he was dressed, and\nmade him wear those he himself had just taken off. Thus disguised they\ntravelled for a week, and arriving at a large city, went straight to\nthe king's palace. There the false prince dismissed his pretended\nservant to the stables, and presenting himself before the king,\naddressed him thus in a very haughty manner:\n\n\"King, I am come to demand the hand of your wise and beautiful\ndaughter, whose fame has reached my father's court. In exchange I\noffer our alliance, and in case of refusal, war.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\"Prayers and threats are equally out of place,\" answered the king;\n\"nevertheless, prince, as proof of the esteem in which I hold the\nking, your father, I grant your request: but only on one condition,\nthat you deliver us from a large army that now besets our town. Do\nthis, and my daughter shall be yours.\"\n\n\"Certainly,\" said the impostor, \"I can soon get rid of them, however\nnear they may be. I undertake by to-morrow morning to have freed the\nland entirely of them.\"\n\nIn the evening he went to the stables, and calling his pretended\nservant, saluted him respectfully and said, \"Listen, my dear friend, I\nwant you to go immediately outside the town and destroy the besieging\narmy that surrounds it. But do it in such a way that every one will\nbelieve that I have done it. In exchange for this favour I promise to\nreturn the writing in which you renounced your title of prince and\nengaged to serve me.\"\n\nThe prince put on his armour, mounted his horse, and rode outside the\ncity gates. There he stopped and called three times to the Invisible\nKnight.\n\n\"Behold me, prince, at your service,\" said a voice close to him. \"I\nwill do anything you wish, for you saved my only daughter from the\nhands of the giant Kostey; I shall always be grateful.\"\n\nSlugobyl showed him the army he had to destroy before morning, and the\nInvisible Knight whistled and sang:\n\n  \"Magu, Horse with Golden Mane,\n  I want your help yet once again,\n  Walk not the earth but fly through space\n  As lightnings flash or thunders race.\n  Swift as the arrow from the bow,\n  Come quick, yet so that none can know.\"\n\nAt that instant a magnificent grey horse appeared out of a whirlwind\nof smoke, and from his head there hung a golden mane. Swift as the\nwind was he, flames of fire blazed forth from his nostrils, lightnings\nflashed from his eyes, and volumes of smoke came from his ears. The\nInvisible Knight leapt upon his back, saying to the prince, \"Take my\nsword and destroy the left wing of the army, while I attack the right\nwing and the centre.\"\n\nThe two heroes rushed forward and attacked the invaders with such fury\nthat on all sides men fell like chopped wood or dried grass. A\nfrightful massacre followed, but it was in vain that the enemy fled,\nfor the two knights seemed to be everywhere. Within a short time only\nthe dead and dying remained on the battle-field, and the two\nconquerors quietly returned to the town. On reaching the palace steps,\nthe Invisible Knight melted into the morning mist, and the serving-man\nprince returned to the stables.\n\nThat same night it happened that the king's daughter, not being able\nto sleep, had remained on her balcony and seen and heard all that had\ntaken place. She had overheard the conversation between the impostor\nand the real prince, had seen the latter call to his assistance the\nInvisible Knight, and then doff his royal armour in favour of the\nfalse prince; she had seen and understood everything, but she\ndetermined to keep silence for a little longer.\n\nBut when on the next day the king, her father, celebrated the victory\nof the false prince with great rejoicings, loaded him with honours and\npresents, and calling his daughter expressed a wish that she should\nmarry him--the princess could be silent no longer. She walked up to\nthe real prince, who was waiting at table with the other servants,\ntook his arm, and leading him to the king, said:\n\n\"Father, and all good people, this is the man who has saved our\ncountry from the enemy, and whom God has destined to be my husband. He\nto whom you pay these honours is but a vile impostor, who has robbed\nhis master of name and rights. Last night I witnessed such deeds as\neye has never seen nor ear heard, but which shall be told afterwards.\nBid this traitor show the writing which proves the truth of what I\nsay.\"\n\nWhen the false prince had delivered up the paper signed by the\nserving-man prince, it was found to contain the following words:\n\n    \"The bearer of this document, the false and wicked servant\n    of the serving-man prince, shall receive the punishment his\n    sin deserves.\n                                        (Signed) PRINCE SLUGOBYL.\"\n\n\"What? Is that the real meaning of that writing?\" asked the traitor,\nwho could not read.\n\n\"Most assuredly,\" was the reply.\n\nThen he threw himself at the king's feet and begged for mercy. But he\nreceived his punishment, for he was tied to the tails of four wild\nhorses and torn to pieces.\n\nPrince Slugobyl married the princess. It was a magnificent wedding. I\nmyself was there, and drank of the mead and wine; but they only\ntouched my beard, they did not enter my mouth.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SPIRIT OF THE STEPPES\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTHE SPIRIT OF THE STEPPES\n\n\nIn ancient days there lived a king and queen; the former was old but\nthe latter young. Although they loved one another dearly they were\nvery unhappy, for God had not given them any children. They fretted\nand grieved about this so deeply that the queen became ill with\nmelancholy. The doctors advised her to travel. The king was obliged to\nremain at home, so she went without him, accompanied by twelve maids\nof honour, all beautiful and fresh as flowers in May. When they had\ntravelled for some days, they reached a vast uninhabited plain which\nstretched so far away it seemed to touch the sky. After driving hither\nand thither for some time the driver was quite bewildered, and stopped\nbefore a large stone column. At its foot stood a warrior on horseback,\nclad in steel armour.\n\n\"Brave knight, can you direct me to the high-road?\" said the driver;\n\"we are lost, and know not which way to go.\"\n\n\"I will show you the way,\" said the warrior, \"but only on one\ncondition, that each of you gives me a kiss.\"\n\nThe queen looked at the warrior in wrath, and ordered the coachman to\ndrive on. The carriage continued moving nearly all day, but as if\nbewitched, for it always returned to the stone column. This time the\nqueen addressed the warrior.\n\n\"Knight,\" said she, \"show us the road, and I will reward you richly.\"\n\n\"I am the Master Spirit of the Steppes,\" answered he. \"I demand\npayment for showing the way, and my payment is always in kisses.\"\n\n\"Very well, my twelve maids of honour shall pay you.\"\n\n\"Thirteen kisses are due to me; the first must be given by the lady\nwho addresses me.\"\n\nThe queen was very angry, and again the attempt was made to find their\nway. But the carriage, though during the whole time it moved in an\nopposite direction, still returned to the stone column. It was now\ndark, and they were obliged to think of finding shelter for the night,\nso the queen was obliged to give the warrior his strange payment.\nGetting out of her carriage she walked up to the knight, and looking\nmodestly down allowed him to kiss her; her twelve maids of honour who\nfollowed did the same. A moment later stone column and horseman had\nvanished, and they found themselves on the high-road, while a perfumed\ncloud seemed to float over the steppes. The queen stepped into her\ncarriage with her ladies, and so the journey was continued.\n\nBut from that day the beautiful queen and her maids became thoughtful\nand sad; and, losing all pleasure in travel, went back to the capital.\nYet the return home did not make the queen happy, for always before\nher eyes she saw the Horseman of the Steppes. This displeased the\nking, who became gloomy and ill-tempered.\n\nOne day while the king was on his throne in the council chamber he\nsuddenly heard the sweetest warblings, like unto those produced by a\nbird of paradise; these were answered by the songs of many\nnightingales. Wondering, he sent to find out what it was. The\nmessenger returned saying that the queen and her twelve maids of\nhonour had each been presented with a girl baby, and that the sweet\nwarblings were but the crying of the children. The king was greatly\nastonished, and while he was engaged in deep thought about the matter\nthe palace was suddenly lit up by lights of dazzling brightness. On\ninquiring into the cause he learnt that the little princess had opened\nher eyes, and that they shone with matchless brilliancy.\n\nAt first the king could not speak, so amazed was he. He laughed and he\ncried, he sorrowed and he rejoiced, and in the midst of it all a\ndeputation of ministers and senators was announced. When these were\nshown into his presence they fell on their knees, and striking the\nground with their foreheads, said, \"Sire, save your people and your\nroyal person. The queen and her twelve maids of honour have been\npresented by the Spirit of the Steppes with thirteen girl babies. We\nbeseech you to have these children killed, or we shall all be\ndestroyed.\"\n\nThe king, roused to anger, gave orders that all the babies should be\nthrown into the sea. The courtiers were already on their way to obey\nthis cruel command when the queen entered, weeping, and pale as death.\nShe threw herself at the king's feet and begged him to spare the lives\nof these helpless and innocent children, and instead to let them be\nplaced on a desert island and there left in the hands of God.\n\nThe king granted her wish. The baby princess was placed in a golden\ncradle, her little companions in copper cradles, and the thirteen were\ntaken to a desert island and left quite alone. Every one at court\nthought that they had perished, and said one to another, \"They will\ndie from cold and hunger; they will be devoured by wild beasts, or\nbirds of prey; they are sure to die; perchance they will be buried\nunder dead leaves or covered with snow.\" But happily nothing of the\nkind happened, for God takes care of little children.\n\nThe small princess grew bigger day by day. Every morning she was\nawakened by the rising sun, and bathed by the dew. Soft breezes\nrefreshed her, and twisted into plaits her luxuriant hair. The trees\nsang her to sleep with their rustling lullabies, the stars watched\nover her at night. The swans clothed her in their soft raiment, and\nthe bees fed her with their honey. The beauty of the little maiden\nincreased with her growth. Her brow was calm and pure as the moon, her\nlips red as a rosebud, and so eloquent that her voice sounded like a\nshower of pearls. But wonderful beyond compare was the expressive\nbeauty of her eyes, for if she looked at you kindly you seemed to\nfloat in a sea of joy, if angrily it made you numb with fear, and you\nwere instantly changed into a block of ice. She was waited upon by her\ntwelve companions, who were almost as charming as their mistress, to\nwhom they were devotedly attached. Rumours of the loveliness of\nPrincess Sudolisu spread far and wide. People came to see her from all\nparts of the world, so that it was soon no longer a desert island, but\na thickly populated and magnificent city.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nMany a prince came from afar and entered the lists as suitor for the\nhand of Sudolisu, but none succeeded in winning her love. Those who\nbore with good temper and resignation the disappointment of being\nrefused returned home safe and sound, but woe to the unlucky wretch\nwho rebelled against her will and attempted to use an armed force; his\nsoldiers perished miserably, while he, frozen to the heart by her\nangry glance, was turned into a block of ice.\n\nNow it happened that the famous ogre, Kostey, who lived underground,\nwas a great admirer of beauty. And he took it into his head to see\nwhat the creatures above ground were doing. By the help of his\ntelescope he was able to observe all the kings and queens, princes and\nprincesses, gentlemen and ladies, living on the earth. As he was\nlooking his eye fell upon a beautiful island, where, bright as many\nstars, stood twelve maidens; while in their midst, upon a couch of\nswan's-down, slept a young princess lovely as the dawn of day.\nSudolisu was dreaming of a young knight who rode a spirited horse; on\nhis breast was a golden cuirass, and in his hand an invisible club.\nAnd in her dream she admired this knight, and loved him more than life\nitself. The wicked Kostey longed to have her for his own, and\ndetermined to carry her off. He reached the earth by striking it from\nunderground three times with his forehead. The princess called her\narmy together, and putting herself at its head, led her soldiers\nagainst him. But he merely breathed upon the soldiers and they fell\ndown in an overpowering sleep. Then he stretched out his bony hands to\ntake the princess, but she, throwing a glance full of anger and\ndisdain at him, changed him into a block of ice. Then she shut herself\nup in her palace. Kostey did not remain frozen long; when the princess\nhad departed he came to life again, and started off in pursuit of her.\nOn reaching the town where she dwelt, he put all the inhabitants into\na charmed sleep, and laid the same spell upon the twelve maids of\nhonour. Fearing the power of her eyes, he dared not attack Sudolisu\nherself; so he surrounded her palace with an iron wall, and left it in\ncharge of a monster dragon with twelve heads. Then he waited, in hope\nthat the princess would give in.\n\nDays passed, weeks grew into months, and still Princess Sudolisu's\nkingdom looked like one large bedchamber. The people snored in the\nstreets, the brave army lying in the fields slept soundly, hidden in\nthe long grass under the shadow of nettle, wormwood, and thistle, rust\nand dust marring the brightness of their armour. Inside the palace\neverything was the same. The twelve maids of honour lay motionless.\nThe princess alone kept watch, silent amid this reign of sleep. She\nwalked up and down her narrow prison, sighing and weeping bitter\ntears, but no other sound broke the silence; only Kostey, avoiding her\nglance, still called through the doors and begged her to refuse him no\nlonger. Then he promised she should be Queen of the Nether World, but\nshe answered him not.\n\nLonely and miserable, she thought of the prince of her dreams. She saw\nhim in his golden armour, mounted on his spirited steed, looking at\nher with eyes full of love. So she imagined him day and night.\n\nLooking out of window one day, and seeing a cloud floating on the\nhorizon, she cried:\n\n  \"Floating Cloudlet soft and white,\n    Pilgrim of the sky,\n  I pray you for one moment, light\n    On me your pitying eye.\n  Where my love is can you tell?\n  Thinks he of me ill or well?\"\n\n\"I know not,\" answered the cloud, \"ask the wind.\"\n\nThen she saw a tiny breeze playing among the field flowers, and called\nout:\n\n  \"Gentle Breezelet, soul of air,\n    Look not lightly on my pain;\n  Kindly lift me from despair,\n    Help me freedom to regain.\n  Where my love is can you tell?\n  Thinks he of me ill or well?\"\n\n\"Ask that little star yonder,\" answered the breeze, \"she knows more\nthan I.\"\n\nSudolisu raised her beautiful eyes to the twinkling stars and said:\n\n  \"Shining Star, God's light on high,\n    Look down and prithee see;\n  Behold me weep and hear me sigh,\n    Then help and pity me.\n  Where my love is canst thou tell?\n  Thinks he of me ill or well?\"\n\n\"You will learn more from the moon,\" answered the star; \"she lives\nnearer the earth than I, and sees everything that goes on there.\"\n\nThe moon was just rising from her silver bed when Sudolisu called to\nher:\n\n  \"Pearl of the Sky, thou radiant Moon,\n    Thy watch o'er the stars pray leave,\n  Throw thy soft glance o'er the earth ere I swoon,\n    O'ercome by my sorrows I weep and I grieve.\n  I pine for my friend, oh ease thou my heart,\n  And say, am I loved? In his thoughts have I part?\"\n\n\"Princess,\" replied the moon, \"I know nothing of your friend. But wait\na few hours, the sun will have then risen; he knows everything, and\nwill surely be able to tell you.\"\n\nSo the princess kept her eyes fixed upon that part of the sky where\nthe sun first appears, chasing away the darkness like a flock of\nbirds. When he came forth in all his glory she said:\n\n  \"Soul of the World, thou deep fountain of life,\n    Eye of all-powerful God,\n  Visit my prison, dark scene of sad strife,\n    Raise up my soul from the sod,\n  With hope that my friend whom I pine for and love\n  May come to my rescue. Say, where does he rove?\"\n\n\"Sweet Sudolisu,\" answered the sun, \"dry the tears that like pearls\nroll down your sad and lovely face. Let your troubled heart be at\npeace, for your friend the prince is now on his way to rescue you. He\nhas recovered the magic ring from the Nether World, and many armies\nfrom those countries have assembled to follow him. He is now moving\ntowards Kostey's palace, and intends to punish him. But all this will\nbe of no avail, and Kostey will gain the victory, if the prince does\nnot make use of other means which I am now on my way to provide him\nwith. Farewell; be brave, he whom you love will come to your aid and\nsave you from Kostey and his sorceries; happiness is in store for you\nboth.\"\n\nThe sun then rose upon a distant land where Prince Junak, mounted on a\npowerful steed and clad in golden armour, assembled his forces to\nfight against the giant Kostey. Thrice he had dreamt of the beautiful\nprincess shut up in the Sleeping Palace, for the fame of her\nloveliness had reached him, and he loved without having seen.\n\n\"Leave your army where it is,\" said the sun, \"it will not be of the\nslightest use in fighting against Kostey, he is proof against all\nweapons. The only way to rescue the princess is to kill him, and there\nis but one who can tell you how to do it, and that is the witch, old\nYaga. I will show you how to find the horse that will carry you\nstraight to her. First take the road to the east, and walk on till you\ncome to a wide plain: there, right in the middle of the plain, are\nthree oaks, and in the centre of these, lying close to the ground, is\nan iron door with a copper handle. Behind the door is the horse, also\nan invisible club; both are necessary for the work you have to do. You\nwill learn the rest afterwards. Farewell.\"\n\nThis advice astonished the prince greatly; he hardly knew what to do.\nAfter deep reflection he crossed himself, took the magic ring from his\nfinger and cast it into the sea. Instantly the army vanished like mist\nbefore the wind, and when not a trace of it was left he took the road\nto the east. After walking straight on for eight days he reached a\nlarge green plain, in the middle of which grew the three oaks, and in\nthe centre of these, close to the ground, was the iron door with the\ncopper handle. Opening the door, he found a winding staircase which\nled to a second door bound with iron, and shut by means of a huge\npadlock sixty pounds in weight. At this moment he heard the neighing\nof a horse, the sound being followed by the opening of eleven other\niron doors. There he saw the war-horse which centuries ago had been\nbewitched by a magician. The prince whistled; the horse immediately\nbounded towards him, at the same time breaking the twelve iron chains\nthat fastened him to the manger. He was a beautiful creature, strong,\nlight, handsome, full of fire and grace; his eyes flashed lightnings,\nfrom his nostrils came flames of fire, his mane was like a cloud of\ngold, he was certainly a marvel of a horse.\n\n\"Prince Junak,\" said the steed, \"I have waited centuries for such a\nknight as you; here I am, ready to carry you and serve you faithfully.\nMount upon my back, and take hold of the invisible club that hangs at\nthe pommel of the saddle. You yourself will not need to use it; give\nit your orders, it will carry them out and do the fighting itself. Now\nwe will start; may God look after us! Tell me where you wish to go,\nand you shall be there directly.\"\n\nThe prince quickly told the horse his history, mounted, seized the\nclub, and set off. The creature capered, galloped, flew, and swam in\nthe air higher than the highest forests but lower than the clouds; he\ncrossed mountains, rivers, and precipices; he barely touched the\nblades of grass in passing over them, and went so lightly along the\nroads that he did not raise one grain of dust.\n\nTowards sunset Junak found himself close to an immense forest, in the\ncentre of which stood Yaga's house. All around were oaks and pines\nhundreds of years old, untouched by the axe of man. These enormous\ntrees, lit up by the rays of the setting sun, seemed to look with\nastonishment at their strange guest. The silence was absolute; not a\nbird sang in the branches, not an insect hummed in the air, not a worm\ncrawled upon the ground. The only sound was that made by the horse as\nhe broke through the underwood. Then they came in sight of a small\nhouse supported by a cock's foot, round which it turned as on a\nmovable pivot. Prince Junak cried:\n\n  \"Turn round, little house, turn round,\n    I want to come inside;\n  Let thy back to the forest be found,\n    Thy door to me open wide.\"\n\nThe little house turned round, and the prince entering saw old Yaga,\nwho immediately cried out, \"What, Prince Junak! How have you come\nhere, where no one ever enters?\"\n\n\"You are a silly old witch, to worry me with questions instead of\nmaking me welcome,\" said the prince.\n\nAt these words old Yaga jumped up and hastened to attend to his needs.\nShe prepared food and drink, made him a soft bed where he could sleep\ncomfortably, and then leaving the house passed the night out of doors.\nOn her return in the morning the prince related all his adventures and\nconfided his plans.\n\n\"Prince Junak,\" said she, \"you have undertaken a very difficult task,\nbut your courage will enable you to accomplish it successfully. I will\ntell you how to kill Kostey, for without that you can do nothing. Now,\nin the very midst of the ocean lies the Island of Eternal Life. Upon\nthis island is an oak tree, and at the foot of it, hidden in the\nearth, a coffer bound with iron. A hare is shut up in this coffer, and\nunder her sits a grey duck whose body contains an egg. Within this egg\nis Kostey's life--if it be broken he dies. Good-bye, Prince Junak,\nstart without loss of time. Your horse will carry you to the island.\"\n\nJunak mounted his horse, spoke a few words to him, and the brave\ncreature fled through space with the swiftness of an arrow. Leaving\nthe forest and its enormous trees behind, they soon reached the shores\nof the ocean. Fishermen's nets lay on the beach, and in one of them\nwas a large sea fish who, struggling to free itself, spoke to the\nprince in a human voice.\n\n\"Prince Junak,\" he said sadly, \"free me from my prison; I assure you\nyou will lose nothing by doing me this service.\"\n\nJunak did what was required of him, and threw the fish back into the\nwater. It plunged and disappeared, but he paid little attention to it,\nso occupied was he with his own thoughts. In the far distance could be\nseen the rocks of the Island of Eternal Life, but there seemed no way\nof reaching it. Leaning on his club he thought and thought, and ever\nas he thought he grew sadder and sadder.\n\n\"What is the matter, Prince Junak? Has anything vexed you?\" asked his\nhorse.\n\n\"How can I help grieving when, while in sight of the island, I can go\nno further? How can we cross the sea?\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\"Get on my back, prince, I will be your bridge; only take care to hold\non tight.\"\n\nThe prince held firmly to its mane, and the horse leapt into the sea.\nAt first they were plunged right beneath the waves, but rising again\nto the surface swam easily across. The sun was about to set when the\nprince dismounted on the Island of Eternal Life. He first took off his\nhorse's harness, and leaving him to browse on the green grass, hurried\nto the top of a distant hill, whence he could see a large oak. Without\nlosing a moment he hastened towards it, seized the tree with both\nhands, pulled at it with all his might, and after the most violent\nefforts tore it up by the roots from the place it had filled for\ncenturies. The tree groaned and fell, and the hole in which it had\nbeen planted appeared like an immense case. Right at the bottom of\nthis case was a coffer bound with iron. The prince took it up, broke\nthe lock by striking it with a stone, opened it and seized the hare\nthat was trying to make its escape. The grey duck that had lain\nunderneath flew off towards the sea: the prince fired, struck the\nbird, the latter dropped its egg into the sea, and both were swallowed\nby the waves. Junak gave a cry of despair and rushed to the beach. At\nfirst he could see nothing. After a few minutes there was a slight\nmovement of the waves, while upon the surface swam the fish whose life\nhe had saved. It came towards him, right on to the sand, and dropping\nthe lost egg at his feet, said: \"You see, prince, I have not forgotten\nyour kindness, and now I have found it in my power to be of service to\nyou.\"\n\nHaving thus spoken it disappeared in the water. The prince took the\negg, mounted his horse, and crossing the sea with his heart full of\nhope, journeyed towards the island where Princess Sudolisu kept watch\nover her sleeping subjects in the Enchanted Palace. The latter was\nsurrounded by a wall, and guarded by the Dragon with Twelve Heads. Now\nthese heads went to sleep in turn, six at a time, so it was impossible\nto take him unawares or to kill him, for that could be done only by\nhis own blows.\n\nOn reaching the palace gates Junak sent his invisible club forward to\nclear the way, whereupon it threw itself upon the dragon, and began to\nbeat all the heads unmercifully. The blows came so thick and fast that\nthe body was soon crushed to pieces. Still the dragon lived and beat\nthe air with its claws. Then it opened its twelve jaws from which\ndarted pointed tongues, but it could not lay hold of the invisible\nclub. At last, tormented on all sides and filled with rage, it buried\nits sharp claws in its own body and died. The prince then entered the\npalace gates, and having put his faithful horse in the stables and\narmed himself with his invisible club, made his way for the tower in\nwhich the princess was shut up. On seeing him she cried out, \"Prince,\nI rejoiced to see your victory over the dragon. There is yet a more\nterrible foe to conquer, and he is my jailor, the cruel Kostey. Beware\nof him, for if he should kill you, I shall throw myself out of window\ninto the precipice beneath.\"\n\n\"Be comforted, my princess: for in this egg I hold the life or death\nof Kostey.\"\n\nThen turning to the invisible club, he said, \"Press forward, my\ninvisible club; strike your best, and rid the earth of this wicked\ngiant.\"\n\nThe club began by breaking down the iron doors, and thus reached\nKostey. The giant was soon so crippled with blows that his teeth were\nsmashed, lightnings flashed from his eyes, and he rolled round and\nround like a pin-cushion. Had he been a man he must have died under\nsuch treatment. But he was no man, this master of sorcery. So he\nmanaged to get on his feet and look for his tormentor. The blows from\nthe club rained hard upon him all the time, and with such effect that\nhis groans could be heard all over the island. On approaching the\nwindow he saw Prince Junak.\n\n\"Ah, wretch!\" cried the ogre, \"it is you, is it, who torments me in\nthis way!\" and he prepared to blow upon him with his poisonous breath.\nBut the prince instantly crushed the egg between his hands, the shell\nbroke, the white and yellow mingled and flowed to the ground, and\nKostey died.\n\nAs the sorcerer breathed his last, the enchantments vanished and the\nsleeping islanders awoke. The army, once more afoot, advanced with\nbeating drums to the palace, and everything fell into its accustomed\nplace. As soon as Princess Sudolisu was freed from her prison she held\nout her white hand to her deliverer, and thanking him in the most\ntouching words, led him to the throne and placed him at her side. The\ntwelve maids of honour having chosen young and brave warriors, ranged\nthemselves with their lovers round the queen. Then the doors were\nthrown open, and the priests in their robes entered, bearing a golden\ntray of wedding rings. Thereupon the marriage ceremony was gone\nthrough, and the lovers united in God's name.\n\nAfter the wedding there were feasting and music and dancing, as is\nusual on such occasions, and they all enjoyed themselves. It makes one\nglad to think how happy they were, and what a glorious time they had\nafter their misfortunes.\n\n\n\n\nTHE PRINCE WITH THE GOLDEN HAND\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTHE PRINCE WITH THE GOLDEN HAND\n\n\nThere once lived a king and queen who had an only daughter. And the\nbeauty of this princess surpassed everything seen or heard of. Her\nforehead was brilliant as the moon, her lips like the rose, her\ncomplexion had the delicacy of the lily, and her breath the sweetness\nof jessamine. Her hair was golden, and in her voice and glance there\nwas something so enchanting that none could help listening to her or\nlooking at her.\n\nThe princess lived for seventeen years in her own rooms, rejoicing the\nheart of her parents, teachers, and servants. No one else ever saw\nher, for the sons of the king and all other princes were forbidden to\nenter her rooms. She never went anywhere, never looked upon the\noutside world, and never breathed the outer air, but she was perfectly\nhappy.\n\nWhen she was eighteen it happened, either by chance or by the will of\nfate, that she heard the cry of the cuckoo. This sound made her\nstrangely uneasy; her golden head drooped, and covering her eyes with\nher hands, she fell into thought so deep as not to hear her mother\nenter. The queen looked at her anxiously, and after comforting her\nwent to tell the king about it.\n\nFor many years past the sons of kings and neighbouring princes had,\neither personally or by their ambassadors, presented themselves at\ncourt to ask the king for the hand of his daughter in marriage. But he\nhad always bidden them wait until another time. Now, after a long\nconsultation with the queen, he sent messengers to foreign courts and\nelsewhere to proclaim that the princess, in accordance with the wishes\nof her parents, was about to choose a husband, and that the man of her\nchoice would also have the right of succession to the throne.\n\nWhen the princess heard of this decision her joy was very great, and\nfor days she would dream about it. Then she looked out into the garden\nthrough the golden lattice of her window, and longed with an\nirresistible longing to walk in the open air upon the smooth lawn.\nWith great difficulty she at last persuaded her governesses to allow\nher to do so, they agreeing on condition that she should keep with\nthem. So the crystal doors were thrown open, the oaken gates that shut\nin the orchard turned on their hinges, and the princess found herself\non the green grass. She ran about, picking the sweet-scented flowers\nand chasing the many-coloured butterflies. But she could not have been\na very prudent maiden, for she wandered away from her governesses,\nwith her face uncovered.\n\nJust at that moment a raging hurricane, such as had never been seen or\nheard before, passed by and fell upon the garden. It roared and\nwhistled round and round, then seizing the princess carried her far\naway. The terrified governesses wrung their hands, and were for a time\nspeechless with grief. At last they rushed into the palace, and\nthrowing themselves on their knees before the king and queen, told\nthem with sobs and tears what had happened. They were overwhelmed with\nsorrow and knew not what to do.\n\nBy this time quite a crowd of princes had arrived at the palace, and\nseeing the king in such bitter grief, inquired the reason of it.\n\n\"Sorrow has touched my white hairs,\" said the king. \"The hurricane has\ncarried off my dearly beloved child, the sweet Princess with the\nGolden Hair, and I know not where it has taken her. Whoever finds this\nout, and brings her back to me, shall have her for his wife, and with\nher half my kingdom for a wedding present, and the remainder of my\nwealth and titles after my death.\"\n\nAfter hearing these words, princes and knights mounted their horses\nand set off to search throughout the world for the beautiful Princess\nwith the Golden Hair, who had been carried away by Vikher.\n\nNow among the seekers were two brothers, sons of a king, and they\ntravelled together through many countries asking for news of the\nprincess, but no one knew anything about her. But they continued their\nsearch, and at the end of two years arrived in a country that lies in\nthe centre of the earth, and has summer and winter at the same time.\n\nThe princes determined to find out whether this was the place where\nthe hurricane had hidden the Princess with the Golden Hair. So they\nbegan to ascend one of the mountains on foot, leaving their horses\nbehind them to feed on the grass. On reaching the top, they came in\nsight of a silver palace supported on a cock's foot, while at one of\nthe windows the sun's rays shone upon a head of golden hair; surely it\ncould only belong to the princess. Suddenly the north wind blew so\nviolently, and the cold became so intense, that the leaves of the\ntrees withered and the breath froze. The two princes tried to keep\ntheir footing, and battled manfully against the storm, but they were\novercome by its fierceness and fell together, frozen to death.\n\nTheir broken-hearted parents waited for them in vain. Masses were\nsaid, charities distributed, and prayers sent up to God to pity them\nin their sorrow.\n\nOne day when the queen, the mother of the princes, was giving a poor\nold man some money she said to him, \"My good old friend, pray God to\nguard our sons and soon bring them back in good health.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\"Ah, noble lady,\" answered he, \"that prayer would be useless.\nEverlasting rest is all one may ask for the dead, but in return for\nthe love you have shown and the money you have given the poor and\nneedy, I am charged with this message--that God has taken pity on your\nsorrow, and that ere long you will be the mother of a son, the like of\nwhom has never yet been seen.\"\n\nThe old man, having spoken thus, vanished.\n\nThe queen, whose tears were falling, felt a strange joy enter her\nheart and a feeling of happiness steal over her, as she went to the\nking and repeated the old man's words. And so it came to pass, for a\nweek or two later God sent her a son, and he was in no way like an\nordinary child. His eyes resembled those of a falcon, and his eyebrows\nthe sable's fur. His right hand was of pure gold, and his manner and\nappearance were so full of an indescribable majesty, that he was\nlooked upon by every one with a feeling of awe.\n\nHis growth, too, was not like that of other children. When but three\ndays old, he stepped out of his swaddling-clothes and left his cradle.\nAnd he was so strong that when his parents entered the room he ran\ntowards them, crying out, \"Good morning, dear parents, why are you so\nsad? Are you not happy at the sight of me?\"\n\n\"We are indeed happy, dear child, and we thank God for having sent us\nyou in our great grief. But we cannot forget your two brothers; they\nwere so handsome and brave, and worthy of a great destiny. And our\nsadness is increased when we remember that, instead of resting in\ntheir own country in the tomb of their forefathers, they sleep in an\nunknown land, perhaps without burial. Alas! it is three years since we\nhad news of them.\"\n\nAt these words the child's tears fell, and he embraced his parents and\nsaid, \"Weep no more, dear parents, you shall soon be comforted: for\nbefore next spring I shall be a strong young man, and will look for my\nbrothers all over the world. And I will bring them back to you, if not\nalive, yet dead: ay, though I have to seek them in the very centre of\nthe earth.\"\n\nAt these words and at that which followed the king and queen were\namazed. For the strange child, guided as it were by an invisible hand,\nrushed into the garden, and in spite of the cold, for it was not yet\ndaylight, bathed in the early dew. When the sun had risen he threw\nhimself down near a little wood on the fine sand, rubbed and rolled\nhimself in it, and returned home, no longer a child but a youth.\n\nIt was pleasant to the king to see his son thrive in this way, and\nindeed the young prince was the handsomest in the whole land. He grew\nfrom hour to hour. At the end of a month he could wield a sword, in\ntwo months he rode on horseback, in three months he had grown a\nbeautiful moustache of pure gold. Then he put on a helmet, and\npresenting himself before the king and queen, said: \"My much honoured\nparents, your son asks your blessing. I am no longer a child, and now\ngo to seek my brothers. In order to find them I will, if necessary, go\nto the furthest ends of the world.\"\n\n\"Ah, do not venture. Stay rather with us, dear son, you are still too\nyoung to be exposed to the risks of such an undertaking.\"\n\n\"Adventures have no terrors for me,\" replied the young hero, \"I trust\nin God. Why should I for a moment hesitate to face these dangers?\nWhatever Destiny has in store for us will happen, whatever we may do\nto try to prevent it.\"\n\nSo they agreed to let him go. Weeping they bade him farewell, blessing\nhim and the road he was to travel.\n\nA pleasant tale is soon told, but events do not pass so quickly.\n\nThe young prince crossed deep rivers and climbed high mountains, till\nhe came to a dark forest. In the distance he saw a cottage supported\non a cock's foot, and standing in the midst of a field full of\npoppies. As he made his ways towards it he was suddenly seized by an\noverpowering longing to sleep, but he urged on his horse, and breaking\noff the poppy heads as he galloped through the field, came up close to\nthe house. Then he called out:\n\n  \"Little cot, turn around, on thy foot turn thou free;\n  To the forest set thy back, let thy door be wide to me.\"\n\nThe cottage turned round with a great creaking noise, the door facing\nthe prince. He entered, and found an old woman with thin white hair\nand a face covered with wrinkles, truly frightful to look upon. She\nwas sitting at a table, her head resting on her hands, her eyes fixed\non the ceiling, lost in deep thought. Near her were two beautiful\ngirls, their complexions like lilies and roses, and in every way sweet\nto the eye.\n\n\"Ah, how do you do, Prince with Moustache of Gold, Hero with the\nGolden Fist?\" said old Yaga; \"what has brought you here?\"\n\nHaving told her the object of his journey, she replied, \"Your elder\nbrothers perished on the mountain that touches the clouds, while in\nsearch of the Princess with the Golden Hair, who was carried off by\nVikher, the hurricane.\"\n\n\"And how is this thief Vikher to be got at?\" asked the prince.\n\n\"Ah, my dear child, he would swallow you like a fly. It is now a\nhundred years since I went outside this cottage, for fear Vikher\nshould seize me and carry me off to his palace near the sky.\"\n\n\"I am not afraid of his carrying me off, I am not handsome enough for\nthat; and he will not swallow me either, for my golden hand can smash\nanything.\"\n\n\"Then if you are not afraid, my dove, I will help you to the best of\nmy power. But give me your word of honour that you will bring me some\nof the Water of Youth, for it restores even to the most aged the\nbeauty and freshness of youth.\"\n\n\"I give you my word of honour that I will bring you some.\"\n\n\"This then is what you must do. I will give you a pin-cushion for a\nguide; this you throw in front of you, and follow whithersoever it\ngoes. It will lead you to the mountain that touches the clouds, and\nwhich is guarded in Vikher's absence by his father and mother, the\nnorthern blast and the south wind. On no account lose sight of the\npin-cushion. If attacked by the father, the northern blast, and\nsuddenly seized with cold, then put on this heat-giving hood: if\noverpowered by burning heat of the south wind, then drink from this\ncooling flagon. Thus by means of the pin-cushion, the hood, and the\nflagon, you will reach the top of the mountain where the Princess with\nthe Golden Hair is imprisoned. Deal with Vikher as you will, only\nremember to bring me some of the Water of Youth.\"\n\nOur young hero took the heat-giving hood, the cooling flagon, and the\npin-cushion, and, after bidding farewell to old Yaga and her two\npretty daughters, mounted his steed and rode off, following the\npin-cushion, which rolled before him at a great rate.\n\nNow a beautiful story is soon told, but the events of which it\nconsists do not in real life take place so rapidly.\n\nWhen the prince had travelled through two kingdoms, he came to a land\nin which lay a very beautiful valley that stretched into the far\ndistance, and above it towered the mountain that touches the sky. The\nsummit was so high above the earth you might almost fancy it reached\nthe moon.\n\nThe prince dismounted, left his horse to graze, and having crossed\nhimself began to follow the pin-cushion up steep and rocky paths. When\nhe had got half-way there the north wind began to blow, and the cold\nwas so intense that the wood of the trees split up and the breath\nfroze: he felt chilled to the heart. But he quickly put on the\nheat-giving hood, and cried:\n\n  \"O Heat-Giving Hood, see I fly now to thee,\n    Lend me quickly thine aid;\n  O hasten to warm ere the cold has killed me,\n    With thee I'm not afraid.\"\n\nThe northern blast blew with redoubled fury, but to no purpose. For\nthe prince was so hot that he streamed with perspiration, and indeed\nwas obliged to unbutton his coat and fan himself.\n\nHere the pin-cushion stopped upon a small snow-covered mound. The\nprince cleared away the snow, beneath which lay the frozen bodies of\ntwo young men, and he knew them to be those of his lost brothers.\nHaving knelt beside them and prayed he turned to follow the\npin-cushion, which had already started, and was rolling ever higher\nand higher. On reaching the top of the mountain he saw a silver palace\nsupported on a cock's foot, and at one of the windows, shining in the\nsun's rays, a head of golden hair which could belong to no one but the\nprincess. Suddenly a hot wind began to blow from the south, and the\nheat became so intense that leaves withered and dropped from the\ntrees, the grass dried up, and large cracks appeared in several places\nof the earth's surface. Thirst, heat, and weariness began to tell upon\nthe young prince, so he took the cooling flagon from his pocket and\ncried:\n\n  \"Flagon, bring me quick relief\n    From this parching heat;\n  In thy draught I have belief,\n    Coolness it will mete.\"\n\nAfter drinking deeply he felt stronger than ever, and so continued to\nascend. Not only was he relieved from the great heat, but was even\nobliged to button up his coat to keep himself warm.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe pin-cushion still led the way, ever climbing higher and higher,\nwhile the prince followed close behind. After crossing the region of\nclouds they came to the topmost peak of the mountain. Here the prince\ncame close to the palace, which can only be likened to a dream of\nperfect beauty. It was supported on a cock's foot, and was built\nentirely of silver, except for its steel gates and roof of solid gold.\nBefore the entrance was a deep precipice over which none but the birds\ncould pass. As the prince gazed upon the splendid building the\nprincess leaned out of one of the windows, and seeing him light shone\nfrom her sparkling eyes, her lovely hair floated in the wind, and the\nscent of her sweet breath filled the air. The prince sprang forward\nand cried out:\n\n  \"Silver Palace, oh turn, on thy foot turn thou free,\n  To the steep rocks thy back, but thy doors wide to me.\"\n\nAt these words it revolved creaking, the doorway facing the prince. As\nhe entered it returned to its original position. The prince went\nthrough the palace till he came to a room bright as the sun itself,\nand the walls, floor, and ceiling of which consisted of mirrors. He\nwas filled with wonder, for instead of one princess he saw twelve, all\nequally beautiful, with the same graceful movements and golden hair.\nBut eleven were only reflections of the one real princess. She gave a\ncry of joy on seeing him, and running to meet him, said: \"Ah, noble\nsir, you look like a delivering angel. Surely you bring me good news.\nFrom what family, city, or country have you come? Perhaps my dear\nfather and mother sent you in search of me?\"\n\n\"No one has sent me, I have come of my own free will to rescue you and\nrestore you to your parents.\"\n\nWhen he had told her all that had passed she said, \"Your devotion,\nprince, is very great; may God bless your attempt. But Vikher the\nhurricane is unconquerable, so, if life be dear to you, fly. Leave\nthis place before his return, which I expect every minute; he will\nkill you with one glance of his eyes.\"\n\n\"If I should not succeed in saving you, sweet princess, life can be no\nlonger dear to me. But I am full of hope, and I beg you first to give\nme some of the Strength-Giving Water from the Heroic Well, for this is\ndrunk by the hurricane.\"\n\nThe princess drew a bucketful of water, which the young man emptied at\none draught and then asked for another. This astonished her somewhat,\nbut she gave it him, and when he had drunk it he said, \"Allow me,\nprincess, to sit down for a moment to take breath.\"\n\nShe gave him an iron chair, but directly he sat down it broke into a\nthousand pieces. She then brought him the chair used by Vikher\nhimself, but although it was made of the strongest steel, it bent and\ncreaked beneath the prince's weight.\n\n\"Now you see,\" said he, \"that I have grown heavier than your\nunconquerable hurricane: so take courage, with God's help and your\ngood wishes I shall overcome him. In the meantime tell me how you pass\nyour time here.\"\n\n\"Alas! in bitter tears and sad reflections. My only consolation is\nthat I have been able to keep my persecutor at a distance, for he\nvainly implores me to marry him. Two years have now passed away, and\nyet none of his efforts to win my consent have been successful. Last\ntime he went away he told me that if on his return he had not guessed\nthe riddles I set him (the correct explanation of these being the\ncondition I have made for his marrying me), he would set them aside,\nand marry me in spite of my objections.\"\n\n\"Ah, then I am just in time. I will be the priest on that occasion,\nand give him Death for a bride.\"\n\nAt that moment a horrible whistling was heard.\n\n\"Be on your guard, prince,\" cried she, \"here comes the hurricane.\"\n\nThe palace spun rapidly round, fearful sounds filled the building,\nthousands of ravens and birds of ill omen croaked loudly and flapped\ntheir wings, and all the doors opened with a tremendous noise.\n\nVikher, mounted on his winged horse that breathed fire, leapt into the\nmirrored room, then stopped amazed at the sight before him. He was\nindeed the hurricane, with the body of a giant and the head of a\ndragon, and as he gazed his horse pranced and beat his wings.\n\n\"What is your business here, stranger?\" he shouted: and the sound of\nhis voice was like unto a lion's roar.\n\n\"I am your enemy, and I want your blood,\" replied the prince calmly.\n\n\"Your boldness amuses me. At the same time, if you do not depart at\nonce I will take you in my left hand and crush every bone in your body\nwith my right.\"\n\n\"Try, if you dare, woman-stealer,\" he answered.\n\nVikher roared, breathing fire in his rage, and with his mouth wide\nopen threw himself upon the prince, intending to swallow him. But the\nlatter stepped lightly aside, and putting his golden hand down his\nenemy's throat, seized him by the tongue and dashed him against the\nwall with such force that the monster bounded against it like a ball,\nand died within a few moments, shedding torrents of blood.\n\nThe prince then drew from different springs the water that _restores_,\nthat _revives_, and that _makes young_, and taking the unconscious\ngirl in his arms he led the winged horse to the door and said:\n\n  \"Silver Palace, oh turn, on thy foot turn thou free,\n  To the steep rocks thy back, the courtyard may I see.\"\n\nWhereupon the palace creaked round on the cock's foot, and the door\nopened on the courtyard. Mounting the horse he placed the princess\nbefore him, for she had by this time recovered from her swoon, and\ncried:\n\n  \"Fiery Horse with strength of wing,\n    I am now your lord;\n  Do my will in everything,\n    Be your law my word.\n  Where I point there you must go\n  At once, at once. The way you know.\"\n\nAnd he pointed to the place where his brothers lay frozen in death.\nThe horse rose, pranced, beat the air with his wings, then, lifting\nhimself high in the air, came down gently where the two princes were\nlying. The Prince with the Golden Hand sprinkled their bodies with the\nLife-Restoring Water, and instantly the pallor of death disappeared,\nleaving in its place the natural colour. He then sprinkled them with\nthe Water that Revives, after which they opened their eyes, got up,\nand looking round said, \"How well we have slept: but what has\nhappened? And how is it we see the lovely princess we sought in the\nsociety of a young man, a perfect stranger to us?\"\n\nThe Prince with the Golden Hand explained everything, embraced his\nbrothers tenderly, and taking them with him on his horse, showed the\nlatter that he wished to go in the direction of Yaga's cottage. The\nhorse rose up, pranced, lifted himself in the air, then, beating his\nwings far above the highest forests, descended close by the cottage.\nThe prince said:\n\n  \"Little cot, turn around, on thy foot turn thou free,\n  To the forest thy back, but thy door wide to me.\"\n\nThe cottage began to creak without delay, and turned round with the\nfloor facing the travellers. Old Yaga was on the look-out, and came to\nmeet them. As soon as she got the Water of Youth she sprinkled herself\nwith it, and instantly everything about her that was old and ugly\nbecame young and charming. So pleased was she to be young again that\nshe kissed the prince's hands and said, \"Ask of me anything you like,\nI will refuse you nothing.\"\n\nAt that moment her two beautiful young daughters happened to look out\nof the window, upon which the two elder princes, who were admiring\nthem, said, \"Will you give us your daughters for wives?\"\n\n\"That I will, with pleasure,\" said she, and beckoned them to her. Then\ncurtseying to her future sons-in-law, she laughed merrily and\nvanished. They placed their brides before them on the same horse,\nwhile the Prince with the Golden Hand, pointing to where he wished to\ngo, said:\n\n  \"Fiery Horse with strength of wing,\n    I am now your lord;\n  Do my will in everything,\n    Be your law my word.\n  Where I point there you must go\n  At once, at once. The way you know.\"\n\nThe horse rose up, pranced, flapped his wings, and flew far above the\nforest. An hour or two later he descended before the palace of the\nGolden-Haired Princess's parents. When the king and queen saw their\nonly daughter who had so long been lost to them, they ran to meet her\nwith exclamations of joy and kissed her gratefully and lovingly, at\nthe same time thanking the prince who had restored her to them. And\nwhen they heard the story of his adventures they said: \"You, Prince\nwith the Golden Hand, shall receive our beloved daughter in marriage,\nwith the half of our kingdom, and the right of succession to the\nremainder after us. Let us, too, add to the joy of this day by\ncelebrating the weddings of your two brothers.\"\n\nThe Princess with the Golden Hair kissed her father lovingly and said,\n\"My much honoured and noble sire and lord, the prince my bridegroom\nknows of the vow I made when carried off by the hurricane, that I\nwould only give my hand to him who could answer aright my six enigmas:\nit would be impossible for the Princess with the Golden Hair to break\nher word.\"\n\nThe king was silent, but the prince said, \"Speak, sweet princess, I am\nlistening.\"\n\n\"This is my first riddle: 'Two of my extremities form a sharp point,\nthe two others a ring, in my centre is a screw.'\"\n\n\"A pair of scissors,\" answered he.\n\n\"Well guessed. This is the second: 'I make the round of the table on\nonly one foot, but if I am wounded the evil is beyond repair.'\"\n\n\"A glass of wine.\"\n\n\"Right. This is the third: 'I have no tongue, and yet I answer\nfaithfully; I am not seen, yet every one hears me.'\"\n\n\"An echo.\"\n\n\"True. This is the fourth: 'Fire cannot light me; brush cannot sweep\nme; no painter can paint me; no hiding-place secure me.'\"\n\n\"Sunshine.\"\n\n\"The very thing. This is the fifth: 'I existed before the creation of\nAdam. I am always changing in succession the two colours of my dress.\nThousands of years have gone by, but I have remained unaltered both in\ncolour and form.'\"\n\n\"It must be time, including day and night.\"\n\n\"You have succeeded in guessing the five most difficult, the last is\nthe easiest of all. 'By day a ring, by night a serpent; he who guesses\nthis shall be my bridegroom.'\"\n\n\"It is a girdle.\"\n\n\"Now they are all guessed,\" said she, and gave her hand to the young\nprince.\n\nThey knelt before the king and queen to receive their blessing. The\nthree weddings were celebrated that same evening, and a messenger\nmounted the winged horse to carry the good news to the parents of the\nyoung princes and to bring them back as guests. Meanwhile a\nmagnificent feast was prepared, and invitations were sent to all their\nfriends and acquaintances. And from that evening until the next\nmorning they ceased not to feast and drink and dance. I too was a\nguest, and feasted with the rest; but though I ate and drank, the wine\nonly ran down my beard, and my throat remained dry.\n\n\n\n\nIMPERISHABLE\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: Imperishable.]\n\n\nOnce upon a time, ever so many years ago, there lived a little old man\nand a little old woman. Very old indeed were they, for they had lived\nnearly a hundred years. But they took neither joy nor pleasure in\nanything, and this because they had no children. They were now about\nto keep the seventy-fifth anniversary of their wedding day, known as\nthe Diamond Wedding, but no guests were invited to share their simple\nfeast.\n\nAs they sat side by side they went over in memory the years of their\nlong life, and as they did so they felt sure that it was to punish\nthem for their sins that God had denied them the sweet happiness of\nhaving children about them, and as they thought their tears fell fast.\nAt that moment some one knocked.\n\n\"Who is there?\" cried the old woman, and ran to open the door. There\nstood a little old man leaning on a stick, and white as a dove.\n\n\"What do you want?\" asked the old woman.\n\n\"Charity,\" answered he.\n\nThe good old woman was kind-hearted, and she cut her last loaf in two,\ngiving one half to the beggar, who said, \"I see you have been weeping,\ngood wife, and I know the reason of your tears; but cheer up, by God's\ngrace you shall be comforted. Though poor and childless to-day,\nto-morrow you shall have family and fortune.\"\n\nWhen the old woman heard this she was overjoyed, and fetching her\nhusband they both went to the door to invite the old man in. But he\nwas gone, and though they searched for him in every direction they\nfound nothing but his stick lying on the ground. For it was not a poor\nold beggar, but an angel of God who had knocked. Our good friends did\nnot know this, so they picked up the stick and hurried off to find the\nold man, with the purpose of returning it. But it seemed as if the\nstick, like its master, were endowed with some marvellous power, for\nwhenever the old man or the old woman tried to pick it up it slipped\nout of their hands and rolled along the ground. Thus they followed it\ninto a forest, and at the foot of a shrub which stood close by a\nstream it disappeared. They hunted all round the shrub thinking to\nfind the stick there, but instead of the stick they came upon a bird's\nnest containing twelve eggs, and from the shape of the shells it\nseemed as if the young ones were ready to come forth.\n\n\"Pick up the eggs,\" said the old man, \"they will make us an omelette\nfor our wedding feast.\"\n\nThe old woman grumbled a little, but she took the nest and carried it\nhome in the skirt of her gown. Fancy their astonishment when at the\nend of twelve hours there came out, not unfledged birdlings, but\ntwelve pretty little boys. Then the shells broke into tiny fragments\nwhich were changed into as many gold pieces. Thus, as had been\nforetold, the old man and his wife found both family and fortune.\n\nNow these twelve boys were most extraordinary children. Directly they\ncame out of the shells they seemed to be at least three months old,\nsuch a noise did they make, crying and kicking about. The youngest of\nall was a very big baby with black eyes, red cheeks, and curly hair,\nand so lively and active that the old woman could hardly keep him in\nhis cradle at all. In twelve hours' time the children seemed to be a\nyear old, and could walk about and eat anything.\n\nThen the old woman made up her mind that they should be baptized, and\nthereupon sent her husband to fetch priest and organist without delay;\nand the diamond wedding was celebrated at the same time as the\nchristening. For a short time their joy was clouded over by the\ndisappearance of the youngest boy, who was also the best-looking, and\nhis parents' favourite. They had begun to weep and mourn for him as if\nhe were lost, when suddenly he was seen to come from out of the\nsleeves of the priest's cassock, and was heard to speak these words:\n\"Never fear, dear parents, your beloved son will not perish.\"\n\nThe old woman kissed him fondly and handed him to his godfather, who\npresented him to the priest. So they had named him _Niezguinek_, that\nis, _Imperishable_. The twelve boys went on growing at the rate of six\nweeks every hour, and at the end of two years were fine strong young\nmen. Niezguinek, especially, was of extraordinary size and strength.\nThe good old people lived happily and peacefully at home while their\nsons worked in the fields. On one occasion the latter went ploughing;\nand while the eleven eldest used the ordinary plough and team of oxen,\nNiezguinek made his own plough, and it had twelve ploughshares and\ntwelve handles, and to it were harnessed twelve team of the strongest\nworking oxen. The others laughed at him, but he did not mind, and\nturned up as much ground as his eleven brothers together.\n\nAnother time when they went haymaking and his brothers used the\nordinary scythes, he carried one with twelve blades, and managed it so\ncleverly, in spite of the jests of his companions, that he cut as much\ngrass as all of them together. And again, when they went to turn over\nthe hay, Niezguinek used a rake with twelve teeth, and so cleared\ntwelve plots of ground with every stroke. His haycock, too, was as\nlarge as a hill in comparison with those of his brothers. Now, the day\nafter the making of the haycocks the old man and his wife happened to\nbe in the fields, and they noticed that one haycock had disappeared;\nso thinking wild horses had made off with it, they advised their sons\nto take turns in watching the place.\n\nThe eldest took his turn first, but after having watched all night\nfell asleep towards morning, when he awoke to find another haycock\nmissing. The second son was not more fortunate in preventing the\ndisappearance of the hay, while the others succeeded no better; in\nfact, of all the twelve haycocks, there only remained the largest,\nNiezguinek's, and even that had been meddled with.\n\nWhen it was the youngest's turn to watch, he went to the village\nblacksmith and got him to make an iron club weighing two hundred and\nsixty pounds; so heavy was it that the blacksmith and his assistants\ncould hardly turn it on the anvil. In order to test it, Niezguinek\nwhirled it round his head and threw it up in the air, and when it had\nnearly reached the ground he caught it on his knee, upon which it was\nsmashed to atoms. He then ordered another weighing four hundred and\neighty pounds, and this the blacksmith and his men could not even\nmove. Niezguinek had helped them to make it, and when finished he\ntested it in the same manner as the first. Finding it did not break he\nkept it, and had in addition a noose plaited with twelve strong ropes.\nTowards nightfall he went to the field, crouched down behind his\nhaycock, crossed himself, and waited to see what would happen. At\nmidnight there was a tremendous noise which seemed to come from the\neast, while in that direction appeared a bright light. Then a white\nmare, with twelve colts as white as herself, trotted up to the haycock\nand began to eat it. Niezguinek came out of his hiding-place, and\nthrowing the noose over the mare's neck, jumped on her back and struck\nher with his heavy club. The terrified creature gave the signal to the\ncolts to escape, but she herself, hindered by the noose, out of\nbreath, and wounded by the club, could not follow, but sank down on\nthe earth saying, \"Do not choke me, Niezguinek.\"\n\nHe marvelled to hear her speak human language, and loosened the noose.\nWhen she had taken breath she said, \"Knight, if you give me my liberty\nyou shall never repent it. My husband, the Dappled Horse with Golden\nMane, will cruelly revenge himself upon you when he knows I am your\nprisoner; his strength and swiftness are so great you could not escape\nhim. In exchange for my freedom I will give you my twelve colts, who\nwill serve you and your brothers faithfully.\"\n\nOn hearing their mother neigh the colts returned and stood with bent\nheads before the young man, who released the mare, and led them home.\nThe brothers were delighted to see Niezguinek return with twelve\nbeautiful white horses, and each took the one that pleased his fancy\nmost, while the thinnest and weakest-looking was left for the\nyoungest.\n\nThe old couple were happy in the thought that their son was brave as\nwell as strong. One day it occurred to the old woman that she would\nlike to see them all married, and to have the house merry with her\ndaughters-in-law and their children. So she called upon her gossips\nand friends to talk the matter over, and finally persuaded her husband\nto be of the same opinion. He called his sons around him and addressed\nthem thus: \"Listen to me, my sons: in a certain country lives a\ncelebrated witch known as old Yaga. She is lame, and travels about in\nan oaken trough. She supports herself on iron crutches, and when she\ngoes abroad carefully removes all traces of her steps with a broom.\nThis old witch has twelve beautiful daughters who have large dowries;\ndo your best to win them for your wives. Do not return without\nbringing them with you.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nBoth parents blessed their sons, who, mounting their horses, were soon\nout of sight. All but Niezguinek, who, left alone, went to the stable\nand began to shed tears.\n\n\"Why do you weep?\" asked his horse.\n\n\"Don't you think I have good reason?\" replied he. \"Here I have to go a\nlong long way in search of a wife, and you, my friend, are so thin and\nweak that were I to depend upon your strength I should never be able\nto join my brothers.\"\n\n\"Do not despair, Niezguinek,\" said the horse, \"not only will you\novertake your brothers, but you will leave them far behind. I am the\nson of the Dappled Horse with the Golden Mane, and if you will do\nexactly as I tell you I shall be given the same power as he. You must\nkill me and bury me under a layer of earth and manure, then sow some\nwheat over me, and when the corn is ripe it must be gathered and some\nof it placed near my body.\"\n\nNiezguinek threw his arms round his horse's neck and kissed him\nfondly, then led him into a yard and killed him with one blow of his\nclub. The horse staggered a moment and then fell dead. His master\ncovered him with a layer of manure and earth, upon which he sowed\nwheat, as had been directed. It was immediately watered by a gentle\nrain, and warmed by the heat of the sun's rays. The corn took root and\nripened so quickly that on the twelfth day Niezguinek set to work to\ncut, thresh, and winnow it. So abundant was it that he was able to\ngive eleven measures to his parents, and keeping one for himself,\nspread it before his horse's bones. In a very short time the horse\nmoved his head, sniffed the air, and began to devour the wheat. As\nsoon as it was finished he sprang up, and was so full of life that he\nwanted to jump over the fence in one bound: but Niezguinek held him by\nthe mane, and getting lightly on his back, said: \"Halt there, my\nspirited steed, I do not want others to have the benefit of all the\ntrouble I have had with you. Carry me to old Yaga's house.\"\n\nHe was of a truth a most magnificent horse, big and strong, with eyes\nthat flashed like lightning. He leapt up into the air as high as the\nclouds, and the next moment descended in the middle of a field, saying\nto his master: \"As we have first to see old Yaga, from whom we are\nstill a great way off, we can stop here for a short time: take food\nand rest, I will do the same. Your brothers will be obliged to pass\nus, for we are a good way in front of them. When they come you can go\non together to visit the old witch: remember, though it is difficult\nto get into her house, it is much more difficult still to get out. But\nif you would be perfectly safe, take from under my saddle a brush, a\nscarf, and a handkerchief. They will be of use in helping you to\nescape; for when you unroll the scarf, a river will flow between you\nand your enemy; if you shake the brush it will become a thick forest;\nand by waving the handkerchief it will be changed into a lake. After\nyou have been received into Yaga's house, and your brothers have\nstabled their horses and gone to bed, I will tell you how to act.\"\n\nFor twelve days Niezguinek and his horse rested and gained strength,\nand at the end of the time the eleven brothers came up. They wondered\ngreatly to see the youngest, and said, \"Where on earth did you come\nfrom? And whose horse is that?\"\n\n\"I have come from home. The horse is the same I chose at first. We\nhave been waiting here twelve days; let us go on together now.\"\n\nWithin a short time they came to a house surrounded by a high oaken\npaling, at the gate of which they knocked. Old Yaga peeped out through\na chink in the fence and cried, \"Who are you? What do you want?\"\n\n\"We are twelve brothers come to ask the twelve daughters of Yaga in\nmarriage. If she is willing to be our mother-in-law, let her open the\ndoor.\"\n\nThe door was opened and Yaga appeared. She was a frightful-looking\ncreature, old as the hills; and being one of those monsters who feed\non human flesh, the unfortunate wretches who once entered her house\nnever came out again. She had a lame leg, and because of this she\nleaned on a great iron crutch, and when she went out removed all\ntraces of her steps with a broom.\n\nShe received the young travellers very graciously, shut the gate of\nthe courtyard behind them, and led them into the house. Niezguinek's\nbrothers dismounted, and taking their horses to the stables, tied them\nup to rings made of silver; the youngest fastened his to a copper\nring. The old witch served her guests with a good supper, and gave\nthem wine and hydromel to drink. Then she made up twelve beds on the\nright side of the room for the travellers, and on the left side twelve\nbeds for her daughters.\n\nAll were soon asleep except Niezguinek. He had been warned beforehand\nby his horse of the danger that threatened them, and now he got up\nquietly and changed the positions of the twenty-four beds, so that the\nbrothers lay to the left side of the room, and Yaga's daughters to the\nright. At midnight, old Yaga cried out in a hoarse voice, \"Guzla,\nplay. Sword, strike.\"\n\nThen were heard strains of sweet music, to which the old woman beat\ntime from her oaken trough. At the same moment a slender sword\ndescended into the room, and passing over to the beds on the right,\ncut off the heads of the girls one by one: after which it danced about\nand flashed in the darkness.\n\nWhen the dawn broke the guzla ceased playing, the sword disappeared,\nand silence reigned. Then Niezguinek softly aroused his brothers, and\nthey all went out without making any noise. Each mounted his horse,\nand when they had broken open the yard gate they made their escape at\nfull speed. Old Yaga, thinking she heard footsteps, got up and ran\ninto the room where her daughters lay dead. At the dreadful sight she\ngnashed her teeth, barked like a dog, tore out her hair by handfuls,\nand seating herself in her trough as in a car, set off after the\nfugitives. She had nearly reached them, and was already stretching out\nher hand to seize them, when Niezguinek unrolled his magic scarf, and\ninstantly a deep river flowed between her and the horsemen. Not being\nable to cross it she stopped on the banks, and howling savagely began\nto drink it up.\n\n\"Before you have swallowed all that river you will burst, you wicked\nold witch,\" cried Niezguinek. Then he rejoined his brothers.\n\nBut the old woman drank all the water, crossed the bed of the river in\nher trough, and soon came near the young people. Niezguinek shook his\nhandkerchief, and a lake immediately spread out between them. So she\nwas again obliged to stop, and shrieking with rage began to drink up\nthe water.\n\n\"Before you have drunk that lake dry you will have burst yourself,\"\nsaid Niezguinek, and rode after his brothers.\n\nThe old vixen drank up part of the water, and turning the remainder\ninto a thick fog, hastened along in her trough. She was once more\nclose upon the young men when Niezguinek, without a moment's delay,\nseized his brush, and as he waved it in the air a thick forest rose\nbetween them. For a time the witch was at a loss to know what to do.\nOn one side she saw Niezguinek and his brothers rapidly disappearing,\nwhile she stood on the other hindered by the branches and torn by the\nthorns of the thick bushes, unable either to advance or retreat.\nFoaming with rage, with fire flashing from her eyes, she struck right\nand left with her crutches, crashing trees on all sides, but before\nshe could clear a way those she was in pursuit of had got more than a\nhundred miles ahead.\n\nSo she was forced to give up, and grinding her teeth, howling, and\ntearing out her hair, she threw after the fugitives such flaming\nglances from her eyes that she set the forest on fire, and taking the\nroad home was soon lost to sight.\n\nThe travellers, seeing the flames, guessed what had happened, and\nthanked God for having preserved them from such great dangers. They\ncontinued their journey, and by eventide arrived at the top of a steep\nhill. There they saw a town besieged by foreign troops, who had\nalready destroyed the outer part, and only awaited daylight to take it\nby storm.\n\nThe twelve brothers kept out of sight behind the enemy; and when they\nhad rested and turned out their horses to graze all went to sleep\nexcept Niezguinek, who kept watch without closing an eye. When\neverything was perfectly still he got up, and calling his horse, said,\n\"Listen; yonder in that tent sleeps the king of this besieging army,\nand he dreams of the victory he hopes for on the morrow: how could we\nsend all the soldiers to sleep and get possession of his person?\"\n\nThe horse replied, \"You will find some dried leaves of the herb of\nSleep in the pocket of the saddle. Mount upon my back and hover round\nthe camp, spreading fragments of the plant. That will cause all the\nsoldiers to fall into a sound sleep, after which you can carry out\nyour plans.\"\n\nNiezguinek mounted his horse, pronouncing these magic words:\n\n  \"Marvel of strength and of beauty so white,\n    Horse of my heart, let us go;\n  Rise in the air, like a bird take thy flight,\n    Haste to the camp of the foe.\"\n\nThe horse glanced upwards as if he saw some one beckoning to him from\nthe clouds, then rose rapidly as a bird on the wing and hovered over\nthe camp. Niezguinek took handfuls of the herb of Sleep from the\nsaddle-pockets and sprinkled it all about. Upon which all in the camp,\nincluding the sentinels, fell at once into a heavy sleep. Niezguinek\nalighted, entered the tent, and carried off the sleeping king without\nany difficulty. He then returned to his brothers, unharnessed his\nhorse and lay down to rest, placing the royal prisoner near him. His\nmajesty slept on as if nothing unusual had taken place.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAt daybreak the soldiers of the besieging army awoke, and not being\nable to find their king, were seized with such a panic of terror that\nthey retreated in great disorder. The ruler of the besieged city would\nnot at first believe that the enemy had really disappeared, and indeed\nwent himself to see if it was true: of a truth there remained nothing\nof the enemy's camp but a few deserted tents whitening on the plain.\nAt that moment Niezguinek came up with his brothers, and said, \"Sire,\nthe enemy has fled, and we were unable to detain them, but here is\ntheir king whom we have made prisoner, and whom I deliver up to you.\"\n\nThe ruler replied, \"I see, indeed, that you are a brave man among\nbrave men, and I will reward you. This royal prisoner is worth a large\nransom to me; so speak,--what would you like me to do for you?\"\n\n\"I should wish, sire, that my brothers and I might enter the service\nof your majesty.\"\n\n\"I am quite willing,\" answered the king. Then, having placed his\nprisoner in charge of his guards, he made Niezguinek general, and\nplaced him at the head of a division of his army; the eleven brothers\nwere given the rank of officers.\n\nWhen Niezguinek appeared in uniform, and with sabre in hand mounted\nhis splendid charger, he looked so handsome and conducted the\nmanoeuvres so well that he surpassed all the other chiefs in the\ncountry, thus causing much jealousy, even among his own brothers, for\nthey were vexed that the youngest should outshine them, and so\ndetermined to ruin him.\n\nIn order to accomplish this they imitated his handwriting, and placed\nsuch a note before the king's door while Niezguinek was engaged\nelsewhere. When the king went out he found the letter, and calling\nNiezguinek to him, said, \"I should very much like to have the phonic\nguzla you mention in your letter.\"\n\n\"But, sire, I have not written anything about a guzla,\" said he.\n\n\"Read the note then. Is it not in your handwriting?\"\n\nNiezguinek read:\n\n    \"In a certain country, within the house of old Yaga, is a\n    marvellous guzla: if the king wish I will fetch it for him.\n\n                                            \"(Signed) NIEZGUINEK.\"\n\n\"It is true,\" said he, \"that this writing resembles mine, but it is a\nforgery, for I never wrote it.\"\n\n\"Never mind,\" said the king, \"as you were able to take my enemy\nprisoner you will certainly be able to succeed in getting old Yaga's\nguzla: go then, and do not return without it, or you will be\nexecuted.\"\n\nNiezguinek bowed and went out. He went straight to the stable, where\nhe found his charger looking very sad and thin, his head drooping\nbefore the trough, the hay untouched.\n\n\"What is the matter with you, my good steed? What grieves you?\"\n\n\"I grieve for us both, for I foresee a long and perilous journey.\"\n\n\"You are right, old fellow, but we have to go. And what is more, we\nhave to take away and bring here old Yaga's guzla; and how shall we do\nit, seeing that she knows us?\"\n\n\"We shall certainly succeed if you do as I tell you.\"\n\nThen the horse gave him certain instructions, and when Niezguinek had\nled him out of the stable and mounted he said:\n\n  \"Marvel of strength and of beauty so white,\n    Horse of my heart, do not wait on the road;\n  Rise in the air, like a bird take thy flight,\n    Haste to the wicked old Yaga's abode.\"\n\nThe horse arose in the air as if he heard some one calling to him from\nthe clouds, and flitting rapidly along passed over several kingdoms\nwithin a few hours, thus reaching old Yaga's dwelling before midnight.\nNiezguinek threw the leaves of Sleep in at the window, and by means of\nanother wonderful herb caused all the doors of the house to open. On\nentering he found old Yaga fast asleep, with her trough and iron\ncrutches beside her, while above her head hung the magic sword and\nguzla.\n\nWhile the old witch lay snoring with all her might, Niezguinek took\nthe guzla and leapt on his horse, crying:\n\n  \"Marvel of strength and of beauty so white,\n    Horse of my heart, while I sing,\n  Rise in the air, like a bird take thy flight,\n    Haste to the court of my king.\"\n\nJust as if the horse had seen something in the clouds, he rose swift\nas an arrow, and flew through the air, above the fogs. The same day\nabout noon he neighed before his own manger in the royal stable, and\nNiezguinek went in to the king and presented him with the guzla. On\npronouncing the two words, \"Guzla, play,\" strains of music so gay and\ninspiriting were heard that all the courtiers began dancing with one\nanother. The sick who listened were cured of their diseases, those who\nwere in trouble and grief forgot their sorrows, and all living\ncreatures were thrilled with a gladness such as they had never felt\nbefore. The king was beside himself with joy; he loaded Niezguinek\nwith honours and presents, and, in order to have him always at court,\nraised him to a higher rank in the army. In this new post he had many\nunder him, and he showed much exactitude in drill and other matters,\npunishing somewhat severely when necessary. He made, too, no\ndifference in the treatment of his brothers, which angered them\ngreatly, and caused them to be still more jealous and to plot against\nhim. So they again imitated his handwriting and composed another\nletter, which they left at the king's door. When his majesty had read\nit he called Niezguinek to him and said, \"I should much like to have\nthe marvellous sword you speak of in your letter.\"\n\n\"Sire, I have not written anything about a sword,\" said Niezguinek.\n\n\"Well, read it for yourself.\" And he read:\n\n    \"In a certain country within the house of old Yaga is a\n    sword that strikes of its own accord: if the king would like\n    to have it, I will engage to bring it him.\n\n                                            \"(Signed) NIEZGUINEK.\"\n\n\"Certainly,\" said Niezguinek, \"this writing resembles mine, but I\nnever wrote those words.\"\n\n\"Never mind, as you succeeded in bringing me the guzla you will find\nno difficulty in obtaining the sword. Start without delay, and do not\nreturn without it at your peril.\"\n\nNiezguinek bowed and went to the stable, where he found his horse\nlooking very thin and miserable, with his head drooping.\n\n\"What is the matter, my horse? Do you want anything?\"\n\n\"I am unhappy because I foresee a long and dangerous journey.\"\n\n\"You are right, for we are ordered to return to Yaga's house for the\nsword: but how can we get hold of it? doubtless she guards it as the\napple of her eye.\"\n\nThe horse answered, \"Do as I tell you and all will be right.\" And he\ngave him certain instructions. Niezguinek came out of the stable,\nsaddled his friend, and mounting him said:\n\n  \"Marvel of strength and of beauty so white;\n    Horse of my heart, do not wait on the road;\n  Rise in the air, like a bird take thy flight,\n    Haste to the wicked old witch's abode.\"\n\nThe horse rose immediately as if he had been beckoned to by some one\nin the clouds, and passing swiftly through the air, crossed rivers and\nmountains, till at midnight he stopped before old Yaga's house.\n\nSince the disappearance of the guzla the sword had been placed on\nguard before the house, and whoever came near it was cut to pieces.\n\nNiezguinek traced a circle with holy chalk, and placing himself on\nhorseback in the centre of it, said:\n\n  \"Sword who of thyself can smite,\n    I come to brave thy ire;\n  Peace or war upon this site\n    Of thee I do require.\n  If thou canst conquer, thine my life;\n  Should I beat thee, then ends this strife.\"\n\nThe sword clinked, leapt into the air, and fell to the ground divided\ninto a thousand other swords, which ranged themselves in battle array\nand began to attack Niezguinek. But in vain; they were powerless to\ntouch him; for on reaching the chalk-traced circle they broke like\nwisps of straw. Then the sword-in-chief, seeing how useless it was to\ngo on trying to wound him, submitted itself to Niezguinek and promised\nhim obedience. Taking the magic weapon in his hand, he mounted his\nhorse and said:\n\n  \"Marvel of strength and of beauty so white,\n    Horse of my heart, while I sing,\n  Rise in the air, like a bird take thy flight,\n    Back to the court of my king.\"\n\nThe horse started with renewed courage, and by noon was eating his hay\nin the royal stables. Niezguinek went in to the king and presented him\nwith the sword. While he was rejoicing over it one of his servants\nrushed in quite out of breath and said, \"Sire, your enemies who\nattacked us last year, and whose king is your prisoner, surround our\ntown. Being unable to redeem their sovereign, they have come with an\nimmense army, and threaten to destroy us if their king is not released\nwithout ransom.\"\n\nThe king armed himself with the magic sword, and going outside the\ncity walls, said to it, as he pointed to the enemy's camp, \"Magic\nSword, smite the foe.\"\n\nImmediately the sword clinked, leapt flashing in the air, and fell in\na thousand blades that threw themselves on the camp. One regiment was\ndestroyed during the first attack, another was defeated in the same\nway, while the rest of the terrified soldiers fled and completely\ndisappeared. Then the king said, \"Sword, return to me.\"\n\nThe thousand swords again became one, and so it returned to its\nmaster's hand.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe victorious king came home filled with joy. He called Niezguinek to\nhim, loaded him with gifts, and assuring him of his favour, made him\nthe highest general of his forces. In carrying out the duties of this\nnew post Niezguinek was often obliged to punish his brothers, who\nbecame more and more enraged against him, and took counsel together\nhow they might bring about his downfall.\n\nOne day the king found a letter by his door, and after reading it he\ncalled Niezguinek to him and said, \"I should very much like to see\nPrincess Sudolisu, whom you wish to bring me.\"\n\n\"Sire, I do not know the lady, and have never spoken to her.\"\n\n\"Here, look at your letter.\"\n\nNiezguinek read:\n\n    \"Beyond the nine kingdoms, far beyond the ocean, within a\n    silver vessel with golden masts lives Princess Sudolisu. If\n    the king wishes it, I will seek her for him.\n\n                                             (Signed) NIEZGUINEK.\"\n\n\"It is true the writing is like unto mine; nevertheless, I neither\ncomposed the letter nor wrote it.\"\n\n\"No matter,\" answered the king. \"You will be able to get this\nprincess, as you did the guzla and the sword: if not, I will have you\nkilled.\"\n\nNiezguinek bowed and went out. He entered the stable where stood his\nhorse looking very weak and sad, with his head bent down.\n\n\"What is the matter, dear horse? Are you in want of anything?\"\n\n\"I am sorrowful,\" answered the horse, \"because I foresee a long and\ndifficult journey.\"\n\n\"You are right, for we have to go beyond the nine kingdoms, and far\nbeyond the ocean, to find Princess Sudolisu. Can you tell me what to\ndo?\"\n\n\"I will do my best, and if it is God's will we shall succeed. Bring\nyour club of four hundred and eighty pounds weight, and let us be\noff.\"\n\nNiezguinek saddled his horse, took his club, and mounting said:\n\n  \"Marvel of strength and of beauty so white,\n    Horse of my heart, do not lag on the road;\n  Rise in the air, through the clouds take thy flight,\n    Haste to Princess Sudolisu's abode.\"\n\nThen the horse looked up as if there were something he wanted in the\nclouds, and with a spring flew through the air, swift as an arrow; and\nso by the second day they had passed over ten kingdoms, and finding\nthemselves beyond the ocean, halted on the shore. Here the horse said\nto Niezguinek, \"Do you see that silver ship with golden masts that\nrides on the waves yonder? That beautiful vessel is the home of\nPrincess Sudolisu, youngest daughter of old Yaga. For after the witch\nhad lost the guzla and magic sword she feared to lose her daughter\ntoo: so she shut her up in that vessel, and having thrown the key\nthereof into the ocean, sat herself in her oaken trough, where with\nthe help of the iron crutches she rows round and round the silver\nship, warding off tempests, and keeping at a distance all other ships\nthat would approach it.\n\n\"The first thing to be done is to get the diamond key that opens the\nship. In order to procure this you must kill me, and then throw into\nthe water one end of my entrails, by which bait you will trap the King\nof the Lobsters. Do not set him free until he has promised to get you\nthe key, for it is this key that draws the vessel to you of its own\naccord.\"\n\n\"Ah, my beloved steed,\" cried Niezguinek, \"how can I kill you when I\nlove you as my own brother, and when my fate depends upon you\nentirely?\"\n\n\"Do as I tell you; you can bring me to life again, as you did before.\"\n\nNiezguinek caressed his horse, kissed him and wept over him; then,\nraising his mighty club, struck him full on the forehead. The poor\ncreature staggered and fell down dead. Niezguinek cut him open, and\nputting an end of his entrails in the water, he kept hold of it and\nhid himself in the water-rushes. Soon there came a crowd of crawfish,\nand amongst them a gigantic lobster as large as a year-old calf.\nNiezguinek seized him and threw him on the beach. The lobster said, \"I\nam king of all the crawfish tribe. Let me go, and I will give you\ngreat riches for my ransom.\"\n\n\"I do not want your riches,\" answered Niezguinek, \"but in exchange for\nyour freedom give me the diamond key which belongs to the silver ship\nwith the golden masts, for in that vessel dwells Princess Sudolisu.\"\n\nThe King of the Crawfish whistled, upon which myriads of his subjects\nappeared. He spoke to them in their own language, and dismissed one,\nwho soon returned with the magic diamond key in his claws.\n\nNiezguinek loosed the King of the Crawfish; and hiding himself inside\nhis horse's body as he had been instructed, lay in wait. At that\nmoment an old raven, followed by all his nestlings, happened to pass,\nand attracted by the horse's carcase, he called to his young ones to\ncome and feast with him. Niezguinek seized the smallest of the birds\nand held it firmly.\n\n\"Let my birdling go,\" said the old raven, \"I will give you in return\nanything you like to ask.\"\n\n\"Fetch me then three kinds of water, the Life-giving, the Curing, and\nthe Strengthening.\"\n\nThe old raven started off, and while awaiting his return Niezguinek,\nwho still held the ravenling, questioned him as to where he had come\nfrom and what he had seen on his travels, and in this way heard news\nof his brothers.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nWhen the father bird returned, carrying with him the bottles filled\nwith the marvellous waters, he wanted to have his nestling back.\n\n\"One moment more,\" said Niezguinek, \"I want to be sure that they are\nof the right sort.\"\n\nThen he replaced the entrails in the body of his horse and sprinkled\nhim first with the Life-giving, then with the Curing, and finally with\nthe Strengthening Water; after which his beloved steed leapt to his\nfeet full of strength and cried, \"Ah! how very soundly I have slept.\"\n\nNiezguinek released the young raven and said to his horse, \"For sure,\nyou would have slept to all eternity, and have never seen the sun\nagain, if I had not revived you as you taught me.\"\n\nWhile speaking he saw the marvellous ship sparkling white in the sun.\nShe was made entirely of pure silver, with golden masts. The rigging\nwas of silk, the sails of velvet, and the whole was enclosed in a\ncasing of inpenetrable steel network. Niezguinek sprang down to the\nwater's edge armed with his club, and rubbing his forehead with the\ndiamond key, said:\n\n  \"Riding on the ocean waves a magic ship I see;\n  Stop and change thy course, O ship, here I hold the key.\n  Obey the signal known to thee,\n  And come at once direct to me.\"\n\nThe vessel turned right round and came at full speed towards land, and\nright on to the bank, where it remained motionless.\n\nNiezguinek smashed in the steel network with his club; and opening the\ndoors with the diamond key, there found Princess Sudolisu. He made her\nunconscious with the herb Sleep, and lifting her before him on his\nhorse, said:\n\n  \"Marvel of strength and of beauty so white,\n    Horse of my heart, while I sing,\n  Swift as an arrow through space take thy flight\n    Straight to the court of my king.\"\n\nThen the horse, as if he saw some strange thing in the clouds, lifted\nhimself in the air and began to fly through space so rapidly that in\nabout two hours he had crossed rivers, mountains, and forests, and had\nreached his journey's end.\n\nAlthough Niezguinek had fallen violently in love with the princess\nhimself, he took her straight to the royal palace and introduced her\nto the king.\n\nNow she was so exquisitely beautiful that the monarch was quite\ndazzled by looking at her, and being thus carried away by his\nadmiration, he put his arm round her as if to caress her: but she\nrebuked him severely.\n\n\"What have I done to offend you, princess? Why do you treat me so\nharshly?\"\n\n\"Because in spite of your rank you are ill-bred. You neither ask my\nname nor that of my parents, and you think to take possession of me as\nif I were but a dog or a falcon. You must understand that he who would\nbe my husband must have triple youth, that of heart, soul, and body.\"\n\n\"Charming princess, if I could become young again we would be married\ndirectly.\"\n\nShe replied, \"But I have the means of making you so, and by help of\nthis sword in my hand. For with it I will pierce you to the heart,\nthen cut up your body into small pieces, wash them carefully, and join\nthem together again. And if I breathe upon them you will return to\nlife young and handsome, just as if you were only twenty years of\nage.\"\n\n\"Oh indeed! I should like to know who would submit to that; first make\ntrial of Sir Niezguinek here.\"\n\nThe princess looked at him, whereupon he bowed and said, \"Lovely\nprincess, I willingly submit, although I am young enough without it.\nIn any case life without you would be valueless.\"\n\nThen the princess took a step towards him and killed him with her\nsword. She cut him up in pieces and washed these in pure water, after\nwhich she joined them together again and breathed upon them. Instantly\nNiezguinek sprang up full of life and health, and looked so handsome\nand bright that the old king, who was dreadfully jealous, exclaimed,\n\"Make me, too, young again, princess; do not lose a moment.\"\n\nThe princess pierced him to the heart with her sword, cut him up into\nlittle pieces, and, opening the window, threw them out, at the same\ntime calling the king's dogs, who quickly ate them up. Then she turned\nto Niezguinek and said, \"Proclaim yourself king, and I will be your\nqueen.\"\n\nHe followed her advice, and within a short time they were married; his\nbrothers, whom he had pardoned, and his parents having been invited to\nthe wedding. On their way back from the church the magic sword\nsuddenly clinked, and, flashing in the air, divided itself into a\nthousand swords that placed themselves on guard as sentinels all round\nthe palace. The guzla, too, began to play so sweetly and gaily that\nevery living thing began to dance for joy.\n\nThe festival was magnificent. I myself was there, and drank freely of\nwine and mead; and although not a drop went into my mouth, my chin was\nquite wet.\n\n\n\n\nOHNIVAK\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: OHNIVAK]\n\n\nA certain king had a beautiful garden which contained a number of very\nrare trees, but the most rare of all was an apple tree. It stood in\nthe middle of the garden, and produced one golden apple every day. In\nthe morning the blossom unfolded, during the day you might watch the\nfruit grow, and before nightfall the apple was fully ripe. The next\nday the same thing occurred--indeed, it happened regularly every\ntwenty-four hours. Nevertheless, no ripe fruit ever remained on the\ntree on the following day; the apple disappeared, no one knew how or\nwhen, and this deeply grieved the king.\n\nAt last he could bear it no longer, and calling his eldest son to him,\nsaid: \"My child, I wish you to keep watch in the garden to-night, and\nsee if you can find out what becomes of my golden apples. I will\nreward you with the choice of all my treasures; if you should be lucky\nenough to get hold of the thief, and bring him to me, I would gladly\ngive you half my kingdom.\"\n\nThe young prince girded his trusty sword to his side, and with his\ncrossbow on his shoulder and a good stock of well-tempered arrows,\nwent into the garden to mount guard. And as he sat under the apple\ntree a great drowsiness came over him which he could not resist; his\narms dropped, his eyes closed, and stretching himself on the grass he\nslept as soundly as if he had been in his own bed at home, nor did he\nawake until day dawn, and then he saw that the apple had disappeared.\n\nWhen questioned by his father, he said that no thieves had come, but\nthat the apple had vanished all the same. The king shook his head, for\nhe did not believe a word of it. Then, turning to his second son, he\nbade him keep watch, and promised him a handsome reward if he should\ncatch the thief.\n\nSo the second son armed himself with everything necessary and went\ninto the garden. But he succeeded no better than his brother, for he\ncould not resist the desire to sleep, and when he awoke the apple was\nno longer there.\n\nWhen his father asked him how it disappeared, he replied, \"No one took\nit, it vanished of itself.\"\n\n\"Now, my dearest one, take your turn,\" said the king to his youngest\nson; \"although you are young, and have less experience than your\nbrothers, let us see if you cannot succeed where they have failed. If\nyou are willing, go, and may God help you.\"\n\nTowards evening, when it began to be dusk, the youngest son went into\nthe garden to keep watch. He took with him a sword and crossbow, a few\nwell-tempered arrows, and a hedgehog's skin as a sort of apron, for he\nthought that while sitting under the tree, if he spread the skin over\nhis knees, the pricking of the bristles on his hands might keep him\nawake. And so it did, for by this means he was able to resist the\ndrowsiness that came over him.\n\nAt midnight Ohnivak, the bird of fire, flew down and alighted upon the\ntree, and was just going off with the apple when the prince fixed an\narrow to his bow, and letting it fly, struck the bird under the wing.\nAlthough wounded, it flew away, dropping one of its feathers upon the\nground. That night for the first time the apple remained untouched\nupon the tree.\n\n\"Have you caught the thief?\" asked the king next day.\n\n\"Not altogether, but no doubt we shall have him in time. I have a bit\nof his trappings.\" And he gave the king the feather, and told him all\nthat had taken place.\n\nThe king was charmed with the feather; so lovely and bright was it\nthat it illumined all the galleries of the palace, and they needed no\nother light.\n\nThe courtiers told the king that the feather could only belong to\nOhnivak, the bird of fire, and that it was worth all the rest of the\nroyal treasures put together.\n\nFrom that time Ohnivak came no more to the garden, and the apples\nremained untouched. Yet the king could think of nothing else but how\nto possess this marvellous bird. At last, beginning to despair of ever\nseeing it, he was filled with melancholy, and would remain for hours\nin deep thought; thus he became really ill, and every day continued to\ngrow worse.\n\nOne day he summoned his three sons before him and said, \"My dear\nchildren, you see the sad state I am in. If I could but hear the bird\nOhnivak sing just once I should be cured of this disease of the heart;\notherwise it will be my death. Whichever of you shall succeed in\ncatching Ohnivak alive and inducing him to sing to me, to him I will\ngive half of my kingdom and the heirship to the throne.\"\n\nHaving taken leave of their father the brothers set off. They\ntravelled together until they came to a part of the forest where the\nroad branched off in three directions.\n\n\"Which turning shall we take?\" asked the eldest.\n\nThe second brother answered, \"We are three, and three roads lie before\nus; let us each choose one, thus we shall treble our chances of\nfinding the bird, for we shall seek it in three different countries.\"\n\n\"That is a good idea, but how shall each one decide which way to\nchoose?\"\n\nThe youngest brother said, \"I will leave the choice to you two, and\nwill take whichever road you leave me.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nSo each took the road that chance decided for him, agreeing that when\ntheir mission was over they would return to the point of departure. In\norder to recognise the place again each one planted the branch of a\ntree at the cross roads, and they believed that he whose branch should\ntake root and grow into a big tree would be successful in the quest.\n\nWhen each one had planted his branch at the chosen road they started\noff. The eldest rode on, and never stopped until he reached the top of\na high mountain; there he dismounted, and let his horse graze while he\nate his breakfast. Suddenly a red fox came up, and speaking in the\nlanguage of men, said: \"Pray, my handsome prince, give me a little of\nwhat you are eating; I am very hungry.\"\n\nFor answer the prince let fly an arrow from his crossbow, but it is\nimpossible to say whether he hit the fox for it vanished and did not\nappear again.\n\nThe second brother, without meeting with any adventure, reached a\nwide-stretching moor, where he stopped for his meal. The red fox\nappeared to him and begged for food; but he also refused food to the\nfamished fox, and shot at him. The creature disappeared as before.\n\nThe youngest travelled on till he came to the banks of a river.\nFeeling tired and hungry, he got down from his horse and began his\nbreakfast; while he was eating, up came the red fox.\n\n\"Please, young sir,\" said the fox, \"give me a morsel to satisfy my\nhunger.\"\n\nThe prince threw him a piece of meat, and spoke kindly to him.\n\n\"Come near, do not be afraid, my red fox; I see you are more hungry\nthan I, but there is enough for us both.\"\n\nAnd he divided all his provisions into two equal parts, one for\nhimself, and one for the poor red fox.\n\nWhen the latter had eaten to his heart's content, he said: \"You have\nfed me well, in return I will serve you well; mount your horse and\nfollow me. If you do everything I tell you, the Bird of Fire shall be\nyours.\"\n\nThen he set off at a run before the horseman, clearing the road for\nhim with his bushy tail. By means of this marvellous broom, mountains\nwere cut down, ravines filled up, and rivers bridged over.\n\nThe young prince followed at a gallop, without the slightest wish to\nstop, until they came to a castle built of copper.\n\n\"The Bird of Fire is in this castle,\" said the fox; \"you must enter\nexactly at midday, for then the guards will be asleep, and you will\npass unnoticed. Above all, beware of stopping anywhere. In the first\napartment you will find twelve birds black as night, in golden cages;\nin the second, twelve golden birds in wooden cages; in the third,\nOhnivak, the bird of fire, roosting on his perch. Near him are two\ncages, one of wood and the other of gold; be sure you put him in the\nwooden cage--you would be sorry for it if he were put into the golden\none.\"\n\nThe prince entered the castle, and found everything just as the fox\nhad told him. Having passed through the two rooms he came to the\nthird, and there saw the fire-bird on his perch, apparently asleep. It\nwas indeed a beautiful creature, so beautiful that the prince's heart\nbeat high with joy. He handled him without difficulty, and put him\ninto the wooden cage, thinking at the same time to himself that it\ncould hardly be right for so lovely a bird to be in such an ugly cage,\na golden cage could be the only right place for him. So he took him\nout of the wooden cage and placed him in the golden one. Hardly had he\nshut the door when the bird opened his eyes and gave a piercing\nscream; so shrill was it that it awoke the other birds, who began to\nsing as loud as they could, and gave the alarm to the guards at the\npalace door. These rushed in, seized the prince, and dragged him\nbefore the king. The latter was very angry, and said: \"Infamous thief,\nwho are you to have dared to force an entrance, and pass through my\nsentinels, to steal my bird Ohnivak?\"\n\n\"I am not a thief,\" answered the young prince indignantly, \"I have\ncome to reclaim a thief whom you protect. I am the son of a king, and\nin my father's gardens is an apple tree that bears golden fruit. It\nblossoms at morning-time, while during the day the flower develops\ninto an apple that grows and ripens after sunset. Now in the night\nyour bird robbed us of our golden apples, and though I watched and\nwounded him I could not catch him. My father is dying with grief\nbecause of this, and the only remedy that can save and restore him to\nhealth, is that he may listen to the fire-bird's song. This is why I\nbeg your majesty to give him me.\"\n\n\"You may have him,\" said the king, \"but on one condition, that you\nbring me Zlato-Nrivak, the horse with the golden mane.\"\n\nSo the prince had to go away empty-handed.\n\n\"Why did you not do as I told you? Why must you go and take the golden\ncage?\" said the fox, in despair at the failure of the expedition.\n\n\"I admit it was my own fault,\" said the prince, \"but do not punish me\nby being angry. I want your advice: tell me how I am to get\nZlato-Nrivak?\"\n\n\"I know how it can be done,\" answered the red fox, \"and I will help\nyou once more. Get on your horse, follow me, and do as I tell you.\"\n\nThe fox ran on in front, clearing the road with his bushy tail. The\nprince followed at a gallop, until they came to a castle built\nentirely of silver.\n\n\"In that castle lives the Horse with the Golden Mane,\" said the fox.\n\"You will have to go exactly at midday, when the sentinels are asleep;\nthus you will get past safe and sound. But mind, do not stop anywhere.\nYou must pass through three stables. In the first are twelve black\nhorses with golden bridles; in the second, twelve white horses with\nblack bridles; in the third stands Zlato-Nrivak in front of his\nmanger, while near him are two bridles, one of gold, the other of\nblack leather. Whatever you do, beware of using the first, for you\nwill surely repent it.\"\n\nThe prince waited until the appointed time and then entered the\ncastle, finding everything exactly as the fox had said. In the third\nstable stood Zlato-Nrivak, eating fire that flared up out of his\nsilver trough.\n\nThe Horse with the Golden Mane was so beautiful that the prince could\nnot take his eyes off him. Quickly unhooking the black leather bridle,\nhe put it over the horse's head. The animal made no resistance, but\nwas gentle and quiet as a lamb. Then the prince looked covetously at\nthe golden bridle sparkling with gems, and said to himself, \"It is a\nshame that such a splendid creature should be guided by these ugly\nblack reins while there is a bridle here far more suited to him, and\nthat is indeed his by right.\" So, forgetting his late experience and\nthe warnings of the red fox, he tore off the black bridle and put in\nits place that of gold set with precious stones. No sooner did the\nhorse feel the change than he began to neigh and caper about, while\nall the other horses answered with a perfect storm of neighings. The\nsentinels, aroused by the noise, ran in, and seizing the prince, led\nhim before the king.\n\n\"Insolent thief,\" cried the enraged monarch, \"how is it that you have\nescaped the vigilance of the guards and have dared to lay hands upon\nmy horse with the golden mane? It is really disgraceful.\"\n\n\"True, I am nothing better,\" replied the prince proudly, \"but I was\nforced to do it against my will.\" And he related all his misadventures\nat the copper castle, adding that it was impossible to obtain the\nfire-bird except in exchange for Zlato-Nrivak, and that he hoped his\nmajesty would make him a present of the horse.\n\n\"Most willingly,\" answered the king, \"but on one condition, that you\nbring me the Maiden with the Golden Locks: she lives in the golden\ncastle on the shores of the Black Sea.\"\n\nThe fox was waiting in the forest the prince's return, and when he saw\nhim come back without the horse he was very angry indeed.\n\n\"Did I not warn you,\" said he, \"to be content with the black leather\nbridle? It is really a loss of time to try and help such an ungrateful\nfellow, for it seems impossible to make you hear reason.\"\n\n\"Don't be cross,\" said the prince, \"I confess that I am in fault; I\nought to have obeyed your orders. But have a little more patience with\nme and help me out of this difficulty.\"\n\n\"Very well; but this will certainly be the last time. If you do just\nas you are told we may yet repair all that has been spoilt by your\nimprudence. Mount your horse and follow--off!\"\n\nThe fox ran on in front, clearing the road with his bushy tail, until\nthey reached the shores of the Black Sea.\n\n\"That palace yonder,\" said the fox, \"is the residence of the Queen of\nthe Ocean Kingdom. She has three daughters; it is the youngest who has\nthe golden hair, and is called Zlato-Vlaska. Now you must first go to\nthe queen and ask her to give you one of her daughters in marriage. If\nshe takes kindly to your proposal she will bid you choose, and mind\nyou take that princess who is the most plainly dressed.\"\n\nThe queen received him most graciously, and when he explained the\nobject of his visit she led him into a room where the three daughters\nwere spinning.\n\nThey were so much alike that no one could possibly distinguish one\nfrom the other, and they were all so marvellously lovely that when the\nyoung prince looked upon them he dared hardly breathe. Their hair was\ncarefully covered by a veil through which one could not distinguish\nthe colour of it, but their dresses were different. The first wore a\ngown and veil embroidered with gold, and used a golden distaff; the\nsecond had on a gown embroidered with silver and held a distaff of the\nsame metal; the third wore a gown and veil of dazzling whiteness, and\nher distaff was made of wood.\n\nThe mother bade the prince choose, whereupon he pointed to the maiden\nclothed in white, saying, \"Give me this one to wife.\"\n\n\"Ah,\" said the queen, \"some one has been letting you into the secret:\nbut wait a little, we shall meet again to-morrow.\"\n\nAll that night the prince lay awake, wondering how he should manage\nnot to make a mistake on the morrow. At dawn he was already at the\npalace gates, which he had hardly entered when the princess clothed in\nwhite chanced to pass: it was Zlato-Vlaska, and she had come to meet\nhim.\n\n\"If it is your wish to choose me again to-day,\" she said, \"observe\ncarefully, and take the maiden around whose head buzzes a small fly.\"\n\nIn the afternoon the queen took the prince into a room where her three\ndaughters sat, and said: \"If among these princesses you recognise the\none you chose yesterday she shall be yours; if not, you must die.\"\n\nThe young girls stood side by side, dressed alike in costly robes, and\nall had golden hair. The prince was puzzled, and their beauty and\nsplendour dazzled him. For some time he could hardly see distinctly;\nthen, all of a sudden, a small fly buzzed over the head of one of the\nprincesses.\n\n\"This is the maiden who belongs to me,\" cried he, \"and whom I chose\nyesterday.\"\n\nThe queen, astonished that he should have guessed correctly, said,\n\"Quite right, but I cannot let you have her until you have submitted\nto another trial, which shall be explained to you to-morrow.\"\n\nOn the morrow she pointed out to him a large fish-pond which lay in\nthe forest, and giving him a small golden sieve, said: \"If with this\nsieve you can, before sunset, empty that fish-pond yonder, I will give\nyou my daughter with the golden hair, but if you fail you will lose\nyour life.\"\n\nThe prince took the sieve, and, going down to the pond, plunged it in\nto try his luck; but no sooner had he lifted it up than all the water\nran out through the holes--not a drop was left behind. Not knowing\nwhat to do, he sat down on the bank with the sieve in his hand,\nwondering in what possible way the difficulty might be overcome.\n\n\"Why are you so sad?\" asked the maiden in white, as she came towards\nhim.\n\n\"Because I fear you will never be mine,\" sighed he; \"your mother has\ngiven me an impossible task.\"\n\n\"Come, cheer up, away with fear; it will all be right in the end.\"\n\nThereupon she took the sieve and threw it into the fishpond. Instantly\nthe water turned to foam on the surface, and a thick vapour rose up,\nwhich fell in a fog so dense that nothing could be seen through it.\nThen the prince heard footsteps, and turning round saw his horse\ncoming towards him, with his bridle down and the red fox at his side.\n\n\"Mount quickly,\" said the horse, \"there is not a moment to lose; lift\nthe maiden in front of you.\"\n\nThe faithful steed flew like an arrow, and sped rapidly along over the\nroad that had been recently cleared by the bushy tail of the red fox.\nBut this time, instead of leading, the red fox followed, his tail\nworking marvels as he went: it destroyed the bridges, reopened the\nravines, raised high mountains, and in fact put back everything as it\nused to be.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe prince felt very happy as he rode along, holding the Princess with\nthe Golden Hair, but it saddened him much to think he would have to\ngive up all thought of marrying her himself, and that within a few\nshort hours he must leave her with the king of the silver palace: the\nnearer he came to it, the more wretched he grew. The red fox, who\nnoticed this, said: \"It appears to me that you do not want to exchange\nthe lovely Zlato-Vlaska for the Horse with the Golden Mane: is it not\nso? Well, I have helped you so far, I will see what I can do for you\nnow.\"\n\nAnd having thus spoken he turned a somersault over the stump of a\nfallen tree which lay in the forest: while, to the prince's amazement,\nhe was immediately transformed into a young girl exactly resembling\nthe Princess with the Golden Hair.\n\n\"Now, leave your real bride in the forest,\" said the transformed fox,\n\"and take me with you to offer to the king of the silver palace in\nexchange for his horse Zlato-Nrivak. Mount the horse, return here, and\nescape with the maid you love; I will manage the rest.\"\n\nThe king of the silver castle received the maiden without the least\nsuspicion, and handed over in exchange the Horse with the Golden Mane,\nover whose back lay the bejewelled bridle. The prince left at once.\n\nAt the palace all were busy preparing the wedding feast, for the\nmarriage was to take place immediately, and everything was to be of\nthe most costly description. Invitations had been out to all the\ngrandees of the land.\n\nTowards the end of the feast, when every one had drunk his fill of\nwine and pleasure, the king asked his guests their opinions on the\ncharms of his bride.\n\n\"She is most beautiful,\" said one, \"in fact, it would be impossible\nfor her to be more lovely; only, it seems to me that her eyes are\nsomewhat like those of a fox.\"\n\nThe words were hardly out of his mouth when the royal bride vanished,\nwhile in her place sat a red fox, who with one vigorous bound sprang\nthrough the door and disappeared to rejoin the prince, who had\nhastened on in front. With sweeping strokes of his bushy tail he\noverthrew bridges, reopened precipices, and heaped up mountains; but\nit was very hard work for the poor thing, and he did not come up with\nthe runaways until they had almost reached the copper castle. Here\nthey all had a rest, while the red fox turned a somersault and\ntransformed himself into a horse resembling the one with the golden\nmane. Then the prince entered the copper castle and exchanged the\ntransformed fox for the fire-bird Ohnivak, the king having no\nsuspicions whatever. The red fox, having thus deceived the monarch,\nreassumed his own shape and hurried after the departing prince, whom\nhe did not overtake until they had reached the banks of the river\nwhere they had first become acquainted.\n\n\"Now here you are, prince,\" said the red fox, \"in possession of\nOhnivak, of the lovely Zlato-Vlaska, and of the Horse with the Golden\nMane. Henceforth you can manage without my help, so return to your\nfather's house in peace and joy; but, take warning, do not stop\nanywhere on the way, for if you do some misfortune will overtake you.\"\n\nWith these words the red fox vanished, while the prince continued his\njourney unhindered. In his hand he held the golden cage that contained\nthe fire-bird, and at his side the lovely Zlato-Vlaska rode the Horse\nwith the Golden Mane; truly, he was the happiest of men.\n\nWhen he reached the cross roads where he had parted from his brothers,\nhe hastened to look for the branches they had planted. His alone had\nbecome a spreading tree, theirs were both withered. Delighted with\nthis proof of divine favour, he felt a strong desire to rest for a\nwhile under the shadow of his own tree; he therefore dismounted, and\nassisting the princess to do the same, fastened their horses to one of\nthe branches and hung up the cage containing Ohnivak on another:\nwithin a few moments they were all sound asleep.\n\nMeanwhile the two elder brothers arrived at the same place by\ndifferent roads, and both with empty hands. There they found their two\nbranches withered, that of their brother having grown into a splendid\ntree. Under the shade of the latter he lay sleeping; by his side was\nthe Maid with the Golden Locks; the horse, Zlato-Nrivak, was fastened\nto a tree, and the fire-bird roosted in his golden cage.\n\nThe hearts of the two brothers were filled with envious and wicked\nthoughts, and they whispered thus to one another, \"Just think what\nwill become of us--the youngest will receive half of the kingdom\nduring our father's life and succeed to the throne at his death; why\nnot cut his throat at once? One of us will take the Maid with the\nGolden Locks, the other can carry the bird to our father and keep the\nHorse with the Golden Mane; as for the kingdom, we will divide it\nbetween us.\"\n\nAfter this debate they killed their youngest brother and cut up his\nbody into small pieces, while they threatened to treat Zlato-Vlaska in\nthe same way if she attempted to disobey them.\n\nOn reaching home they sent the Horse with the Golden Mane to the\nmarble stables, the cage containing Ohnivak was placed in the room\nwhere their father lay sick, and the princess was allowed a beautiful\nsuite of apartments and maids of honour to attend her.\n\nWhen the king, who was much weakened by suffering, had looked at the\nbird, he asked after his youngest son. To which the brothers replied:\n\"We have not seen or heard anything of him, it is very likely that he\nhas been killed.\"\n\nThe poor old man was much affected--it seemed, indeed, as if his last\nhour had come. The fire-bird moped and refused to sing; the Horse with\nthe Golden Mane stood with his head bent down before his manger, and\nwould eat no food; while Princess Zlato-Vlaska remained as silent as\nif she had been born dumb, her beautiful hair was neglected and\nuncombed, and she wept--her tears fell fast.\n\nNow as the red fox chanced to pass through the forest he came upon the\nmangled body of the youngest brother, and he at once set to work to\nput the scattered pieces together, but was unable to restore them to\nlife. At that moment a raven, accompanied by two young ones, came\nhovering overhead. The fox crouched behind a bramble bush; and when\none of the young birds alighted upon the body to feed, he seized it\nand made a pretence of strangling it. Upon which the parent bird, full\nof anxious love and fear, perched upon a branch close by and croaked\nas if to say, \"Let my poor little nestling go. I have done you no\nharm, neither have I worried you; let him free, and I will take the\nfirst opportunity of returning your kindness.\"\n\n\"Just so,\" replied the red fox, \"for I am greatly in need of some\nkindness. Now if you will fetch me some of the Water of Death, and\nsome of the Water of Life, from the Red Sea, I will let your nestling\ngo safe and sound.\"\n\nThe old raven promised to fetch the water, and went off at once.\n\nWithin three days he returned, carrying in his beak two small bottles,\none full of the Water of Death, the other of the Water of Life. When\nthe red fox received them he wished first to try their effect upon\nsome living creature, so he cut the small raven up, and joining the\npieces together, watered them with the Water of Death. Instantly they\nbecame a living bird, without mark or join anywhere. This he sprinkled\nwith the Water of Life, upon which the young raven spread its wings\nand flew off to its family.\n\nThe red fox then performed the same operation on the body of the young\nprince, and with the same happy result, for he rose again perfect in\nform, and having about him no wound scars. On coming to life again,\nall he said was, \"Dear me! What a pleasant sleep I have had.\"\n\n\"I believe you,\" replied the red fox, \"you would have gone on sleeping\nfor ever if I had not awakened you. And what a foolish young man you\nare: did I not particularly order you not to stop anywhere, but to go\nstraight back to your father's house?\"\n\nHe then related all that his brothers had done, and having obtained a\npeasant's dress for him, led him to the outskirts of the forest, close\nto the royal palace, where he left him.\n\nThe young prince then entered the palace grounds, unrecognised by the\nservants, and on representing that he was in need of employment, was\nappointed stable-boy to the royal stables. Some little time after he\nheard the grooms lamenting that the Horse with the Golden Mane would\neat no food.\n\n\"What a pity it is,\" said they, \"that this splendid steed should\nstarve to death; he droops his head and will take nothing.\"\n\n\"Give him,\" said the disguised prince, \"some pea-straw; I bet you\nanything he will eat that.\"\n\n\"But do you really think so? Why, our rough draught horses would\nrefuse such coarse food.\"\n\nThe prince's only answer was to fetch a bundle of pea-straw, which he\nput into Zlato-Nrivak's marble trough: then, passing his hand gently\nover his neck and mane, he said to him, \"Grieve no more, my horse with\nthe golden mane.\"\n\nThe beautiful creature recognised his master's voice, and neighing\nwith joy, greedily devoured the pea-straw.\n\nThe news was noised about from one end of the palace to the other, and\nthe sick king summoned the boy to his presence.\n\n\"I hear you have made Zlato-Nrivak eat,\" said his majesty; \"do you\nthink you could make my fire-bird sing? Go and examine him closely: he\nis very sad, he droops his wings, and will neither eat nor drink. Ah\nme! if he dies I shall certainly die too.\"\n\n\"Your majesty may rest assured, the bird will not die. Let him have\nsome husks of barley to eat, then he will soon be all right and begin\nto sing.\"\n\nThe king ordered them to be brought, and the disguised prince put a\nhandful into Ohnivak's cage, saying, \"Cheer up, my fire-bird.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAs soon as Ohnivak heard his master's voice he shook himself, and made\nhis feathers shine with more than their usual brightness. Then he\nbegan to dance about his cage, and pecking up the husks, sang so\nexquisitely that the king immediately felt better, and it was as if a\ngreat weight had been lifted off his heart. The fire-bird again burst\ninto song, and this so affected the king that he sat up quite well,\nand embraced the disguised prince out of very gratitude.\n\n\"Now,\" said he, \"teach me how to restore to health this beautiful\nmaiden with the golden hair whom my sons brought back with them; for\nshe will not speak a word, her beautiful hair remains uncared for, and\nher tears fall night and day.\"\n\n\"If your majesty will allow me to speak a few words to her, it may be\nthe means of making her bright and happy.\"\n\nThe king himself led the way to her apartments, and the disguised\nprince, taking her hand, said: \"Look up a moment, sweetheart; why\nthese tears? And why grieve thus, dear bride?\"\n\nThe maiden knew him at once, and with a cry of joy threw herself into\nhis arms. This astonished the king mightily, and he could not for the\nlife of him think how a stable-boy dare address such a princess as his\n\"dear bride.\"\n\nThe prince then addressed the king thus: \"And are you indeed the only\none who does not know me? How is it, my father and sovereign, that you\nhave not recognised your youngest son? I alone have succeeded in\nobtaining the Fire-Bird, the Horse with the Golden Mane, and the Maid\nwith the Golden Hair.\"\n\nThereupon he related all his adventures, and Zlato-Vlaska in her turn\ntold how the wicked brothers had threatened to kill her if she\nbetrayed them. As for these bad men, they shook from head to foot, and\ntrembled like leaves in the wind. The indignant king ordered them to\nbe executed then and there.\n\nNot very long after these events the youngest prince married the\nbeautiful Zlato-Vlaska, and the king gave him half of his kingdom as a\nwedding present. When the old king died he reigned in his stead, and\nlived happily with the princess ever after.\n\n\n\n\nTEARS OF PEARLS\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTEARS OF PEARLS\n\n\nOnce upon a time there lived a very rich widow, with whom lived three\nchildren--a handsome stepson; his sister, who was marvellously\nbeautiful; and her own daughter, passably good-looking.\n\nAll three children lived under the same roof, but, as is often the\ncase where there are step-parents, they were treated very differently.\nThe lady's own daughter was bad-tempered, disobedient, vain, and of a\ntell-tale disposition: yet she was made much of, praised, and\ncaressed. The step-children were treated very harshly: the boy,\nkind-hearted and obliging, was made to do all sorts of hard unpleasant\nwork, was constantly scolded, and looked upon as a good-for-nothing.\nThe step-daughter, who was not only exceedingly pretty but was as\nsweet as an angel, was found fault with on all occasions, and her life\nmade utterly miserable.\n\nIt is, after all, but natural to love one's own children better than\nthose of others, but the feeling of love should be governed by the\nlaws of fairness. Now this wicked woman was blind to the faults of the\nchild she loved, and to the good qualities of her husband's children,\nwhom she hated.\n\nWhen in a bad temper she was fond of boasting of the handsome fortune\nshe intended securing for her own daughter, even though the\nstep-children should be unprovided for. But, as the old proverb says,\n\"Man proposes, but God disposes.\" We shall therefore see how things\nturned out.\n\nOne Sunday morning, before going to church, the step-daughter went\ninto the garden to pick some flowers for decorating the altar. She had\nonly gathered a few roses when, looking up, she saw quite close to her\nthree young men robed in dazzling white garments. They sat on a bench\nshaded by shrubs, while near them was an old man who asked her for\nalms.\n\nShe felt rather nervous before the strangers, but when she saw the old\nman she took her last penny from her purse and gave it him. He thanked\nher, and raising his hand over the girl's head, said to the men: \"This\norphan girl is pious, patient under misfortune, and kind to the poor,\nwith whom she shares the little she has. Tell me what you wish for\nher.\"\n\nThe first said, \"I wish that when she weeps her tears may be changed\ninto so many pearls.\"\n\n\"And I,\" replied the second, \"that when she smiles sweet roses may\nfall from her lips.\"\n\n\"My wish,\" said the third, \"is that whenever she dips her hands into\nwater there shall appear in it shining gold-fish.\"\n\n\"All these gifts shall be hers,\" added the old man. And with these\nwords they vanished.\n\nThe maiden was filled with awe, and fell on her knees in prayer. Then\nher heart was filled with joy and peace, and she went back into the\nhouse. She had scarcely crossed the threshold when her stepmother came\nforward, and looking at her sternly, said, \"Well, where have you\nbeen?\"\n\nThe poor child began to cry, when--marvel of marvels--instead of\ntears, pearls fell from her eyes.\n\nNotwithstanding her rage, the stepmother picked them up as quickly as\npossible, while the girl smiled as she watched her. And as she smiled\nroses fell from her lips, and her stepmother was beside herself with\ndelight.\n\nThe girl then went to put the flowers she had gathered in water; and\nas she dipped her fingers in it while arranging them, pretty little\ngold-fish appeared in the bowl.\n\nFrom that day these marvels were constantly occurring; the tears were\nchanged into pearls, the smiles scattered roses, and the water, even\nif she dipped but the tips of her fingers in, was filled with\ngold-fish.\n\nThe stepmother softened and became more gentle, while little by little\nshe managed to draw from her step-child the secret of these gifts.\n\nSo next Sunday morning she sent her own daughter into the garden to\ngather flowers, under pretence of their being for the altar. When she\nhad picked a few, she raised her eyes and saw the three young men\nsitting on a low seat, while near them stood the little old man with\nwhite hair, begging for alms. She pretended to be shy before the young\nmen, but at the beggar's request drew from her pocket a gold piece,\nand gave it him, evidently much against her will. He put it in his\npocket, and turning to his companions, said: \"This girl is the spoilt\nchild of her mother; she is bad-tempered and naughty, while her heart\nis hardened against the poor. It is easy to understand why, for the\nfirst time in her life, she has been so generous to-day. Tell me what\ngifts you would wish me to bestow upon her.\"\n\nThe first said, \"May her tears be changed into lizards.\"\n\n\"And her smile produce hideous toads,\" added the second.\n\n\"And when her hands touch the water may it be filled with serpents,\"\nsaid the third.\n\n\"So let it be,\" cried the old man. And they all vanished.\n\nThe poor girl was terrified, and went back to tell her mother what had\nhappened. And it was even so; for if she smiled hideous toads fell\nfrom her mouth, her tears were changed into lizards, and the water in\nwhich she dipped but the tips of her fingers was filled with serpents.\n\nThe stepmother was in despair, but she only loved her child the more,\nand hated the orphans with a yet more bitter hatred. Indeed, she\nworried them to such an extent that the boy determined to put up with\nit no longer, but to seek his fortune elsewhere. So he tied up his\nbelongings in a handkerchief, took a loving farewell of his sister,\ncommending her to God's care, and left his home. The great world lay\nbefore him, but which path to take he knew not. Turning to the\ncemetery where his parents lay side by side, he wept and prayed,\nkissed the earth that covered them three times, and set off on his\ntravels.\n\nAt that moment he felt something hard in the folds of his tunic, and\npressing on his heart. Wondering what it could be, he put in his hand\nand drew thence a charming portrait of his dearly loved sister,\nsurrounded with pearls, roses, and gold-fish. So great was his\nastonishment he could hardly believe his eyes. But he was very happy,\nand kissed the picture over and over again; then, with one more look\nat the cemetery, he made the sign of the cross and departed.\n\nNow a beautiful story is soon told, but the acts of which it is the\nsum pass more slowly.\n\nAfter many adventures of little importance he reached the capital of a\nkingdom by the sea, and there obtained the post of under-gardener at\nthe royal palace, with good food and wages.\n\nIn his prosperity he did not forget his unhappy sister, for he felt\nvery uneasy about her. When he had a few moments to himself he would\nsit down in some retired spot and gaze upon her portrait with a sad\nheart and eyes filled with tears. For the picture was a faithful\nlikeness of her, and he looked upon it as a gift from his parents.\n\nNow the king had noticed this habit of his, and one day while he sat\nby a stream looking at the picture he came quietly behind him, and\nglanced over his shoulder to see what he was so attentively regarding.\n\n\"Give me that portrait,\" said the monarch.\n\nThe boy handed it him. The king examined it closely, and admiring it\ngreatly, said: \"I have never seen such a beautiful face in all my\nlife, never even dreamed of such loveliness. Come, tell me, is the\noriginal of the picture living?\"\n\nThe lad burst into tears, and told him it was the living image of his\nsister, who a short time since had received as a special mark of\nfavour from God, that her tears should be changed into pearls, her\nsmiles into roses, and the touch of her hands in water should produce\nbeautiful gold-fish.\n\nThe king commanded him to write to his stepmother at once and bid her\nsend her lovely step-daughter to the chapel of the palace, where the\nking would be waiting to marry her. The letter also contained promises\nof special royal favours.\n\nThe lad wrote the letter, which the king sent by a special messenger.\n\nNow a good story is soon told, but the deeds of which it is the sum\nare not performed so quickly.\n\nWhen the stepmother received the letter she determined to say nothing\nabout it to her step-child, but she showed it to her own daughter, and\ntalked the matter over with her. Then she went to learn the art of\nsorcery from a witch, and having found out all it was necessary to\nknow, set off with both of the girls. On approaching the capital, the\nwicked woman pushed her step-child out of the carriage and repeated\nsome magic words over her. After this she became very small and\ncovered with feathers, then in a moment she was changed into a\nwild-duck. She began to quack, and made for the water, as ducks do,\nand swam to a far distance. The stepmother bade her farewell in the\nfollowing words: \"By the strength of my hate may my will be fulfilled.\nSwim about the banks in the form of a duck, and rejoice in thy\nliberty. During that time my daughter shall take thy form, shall marry\nthe king, and shall enjoy the good fortune fate destined for thee.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAt the conclusion of these words her own child became endowed with all\nthe graces and beauty of her unfortunate step-sister. The two then\ncontinued their journey, arriving at the royal chapel at the appointed\nhour. The king received them with all honours, while the deceitful\nwoman gave away her own daughter, whom the bridegroom believed to be\nthe original of the beautiful picture. After the ceremony the mother\nwent away loaded with presents. The king, as he looked at his young\nwife, could not understand why he did not feel for her the sympathy\nand admiration he had felt for the portrait she so much resembled. But\nit could not be altered now; what is done is done. So he admired her\nbeauty and looked forward to the pleasure of seeing pearls fall from\nher eyes, roses from her lips, and gold-fish at the touch of her\nfingers.\n\nDuring the wedding feast the newly-made bride forgot herself and\nsmiled at her husband; immediately a number of hideous toads escaped\nfrom her lips. The king, overcome with horror and disgust, rushed away\nfrom her, upon which she began to cry, but instead of pearls, lizards\nfell from her eyes. The majordomo ordered water to be brought for her\nto wash her hands, but no sooner had she dipped the tips of her\nfingers in the bowl than it was filled with serpents that hissed and\ntwisted and threw themselves among the wedding guests. The panic was\ngeneral, and a scene of great confusion followed. The guard was called\nin, and had the greatest trouble to clear the hall of the disgusting\nreptiles.\n\nThe bridegroom had taken refuge in the garden, and when he saw the\nyoung man coming towards him, whom he thought had deceived him, his\nanger overcame him, and he struck the poor lad with so much force that\nhe fell down dead.\n\nThe queen ran forward sobbing, and taking the king by the hand, said:\n\"What have you done? You have killed my innocent brother. It is\nneither my fault, nor was it his, that since the wedding I have by\nsome enchantment lost the marvellous power I possessed before. This\nevil will pass away in time, but time can never restore to me my dear\nbrother, my own mother's son.\"\n\n\"Forgive me, dear wife; in a moment of irritation I thought he had\ndeceived me, and I wanted to punish him, but did not mean to kill. I\nregret it deeply, but it cannot be helped now. Forgive me my fault as\nI forgive yours, with all my heart.\"\n\n\"You have my forgiveness, but I beg you to see that your wife's\nbrother has an honourable burial.\"\n\nHer wishes were carried out, and the orphan lad, who had passed as her\nbrother, was laid in a handsome coffin. The chapel was hung with\nblack, and at night a guard was placed both inside and out.\n\nTowards midnight the church doors silently opened, and while the\nguards were overcome by sleep a pretty little duck entered unnoticed.\nShe stopped in the middle of the aisle, shook herself, and pulled out\nher feathers one by one. Then it took the form of the beautiful\nstep-daughter, for it was she. She went up to her brother's coffin and\nstood gazing at him, and as she looked she wept sorrowfully. Then she\nput on her feathers again and went out a duck. When the guards awoke\nthey were astonished to find a quantity of fine pearls in the coffin.\nNext day they told the king that the doors had opened of themselves\ntowards midnight, that they had been overcome by sleep, and that on\nawakening they had found a large number of pearls in the coffin, but\nknew not how they got there. The king was very much surprised,\nespecially at the appearance of the pearls, that ought to have been\nproduced by his wife's tears. On the second night he doubled the\nguard, and impressed upon them the necessity for watchfulness.\n\nAt midnight the doors again opened silently as before, the soldiers\nwent to sleep, and the same little duck entered, and, taking out her\nfeathers, appeared as a lovely maiden. She could not help smiling as\nshe looked upon the sleeping soldiers, the number of which had been\ndoubled on her account; and as she smiled a number of roses fell from\nher lips. As she drew near her brother her tears fell in torrents,\nleaving a profusion of fine pearls. After some time she put on her\nfeathers and went out a duck. When the guards awoke they took the\nroses and the pearls to the king. He was still more surprised to see\nroses with the pearls, for these roses should have fallen from his\nwife's lips. He again increased the number of the guard, and\nthreatened them with the most severe punishment if they failed to\nwatch all night. They did their best to obey, but in vain; they could\nonly sleep. When they awoke they found, not only roses and pearls, but\nlittle gold-fish swimming in the holy water.\n\nThe amazed king could only conclude that their sleep was caused by\nmagic. On the fourth night he not only increased the number of\nsoldiers, but, unknown to every one, hid himself behind the altar,\nwhere he hung a mirror, through which he could see everything that\npassed without being seen.\n\nAt midnight the doors opened. The soldiers, under the influence of\nsleep, had let fall their arms and lay on the ground. The king kept\nhis eyes fixed on the mirror, through which he saw a little wild-duck\nenter. It looked timidly round on all sides, then, reassured at the\nsight of the sleeping guards, advanced to the centre of the nave and\ntook off its feathers, thus appearing as a young maiden of exquisite\nbeauty.\n\nThe king, overwhelmed with joy and admiration, had a presentiment that\nthis was his true bride. So when she drew near the coffin he crept\nnoiselessly out of his hiding-place, and with a lighted taper set fire\nto the feathers. They flared up immediately, and with such a bright\nlight that the soldiers were aroused. The girl ran towards the\nmonarch, wringing her hands and weeping tears of pearl.\n\n\"What have you done?\" cried she. \"How can I now escape my stepmother's\nvengeance? For it is by her magic that I have been changed into a\nwild-duck.\"\n\nWhen the king had heard all, he ordered some of his soldiers to seize\nthe wife he had married and to take her right out of the country. He\nsent others to take the wicked stepmother prisoner, and to burn her as\na witch. Both commands were instantly carried out. Meanwhile the girl\ndrew from the folds of her gown three small bottles, filled with three\ndifferent kinds of water, which she had brought from the sea.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe first possessed the virtue of restoring life. This she sprinkled\nover her brother, whereupon the chill and rigidity of death\ndisappeared, the colour came to his face, and warm red blood flowed\nfrom his wound. Upon the wound she poured water from the second\nbottle, and it was immediately healed. When she had made use of the\nthird kind of water he opened his eyes, looked at her with\nastonishment, and threw himself joyfully into her arms.\n\nThe king, enraptured at this sight, conducted the two back to the\npalace.\n\nSo instead of a funeral there was a wedding, to which a large number\nof guests were immediately invited. Thus the orphan maid was married\nto the king, while her brother became one of his majesty's nobles. And\nthe magnificence of the wedding feast was greater than anything seen\nor heard of.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SLUGGARD\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTHE SLUGGARD\n\n\nOn the banks of a certain river, where there was always good fishing,\nlived an old man and his three sons. The two eldest were sharp-witted,\nactive young men, already married; the youngest was stupid and idle,\nand a bachelor. When the father was dying, he called his children to\nhim and told them how he had left his property. The house was for his\ntwo married sons, with a sum of three hundred florins each. After his\ndeath he was buried with great pomp, and after the funeral there was a\nsplendid feast. All these honours were supposed to be for the benefit\nof the man's soul.\n\nWhen the elder brothers took possession of their inheritance, they\nsaid to the youngest: \"Listen, brother; let us take charge of your\nshare of the money, for we intend going out into the world as\nmerchants, and when we have made a great deal of money we will buy you\na hat, a sash, and a pair of red boots. You will be better at home;\nand mind you do as your sisters-in-law tell you.\"\n\nFor a long time this silly fellow had been wanting a cap, a sash, and\na pair of red boots, so he was easily persuaded to give up all his\nmoney.\n\nThe brothers set out on their travels, and crossed the sea in search\nof fortune. The \"fool\" of the family remained at home; and, as he was\nan out-and-out sluggard, he would lie whole days at a time on the warm\nstove without doing a stroke of work, and only obeying his\nsisters-in-law with the greatest reluctance. He liked fried onions,\npotato soup, and cider, better than anything else in the world.\n\nOne day his sisters-in-law asked him to fetch them some water.\n\nIt was winter, and a hard frost; moreover, the sluggard did not feel\nat all inclined to go out. So he said, \"Go yourselves, I prefer to\nstay here by the fire.\"\n\n\"Stupid boy, go at once. We will have some onions, potato soup, and\ncider ready for you when you come back. If you refuse to do what we\nask you we shall tell our husbands, and then there will be neither\ncap, sash, nor red boots for you.\"\n\nAt these words the sluggard thought he had better go. So he rolled off\nthe stove, took a hatchet and a couple of pails, and went down to the\nriver. On the surface of the water, where the ice had been broken, was\na large pike. The sluggard seized him by the fins and pulled him out.\n\n\"If you will let me go,\" said the pike, \"I promise to give you\neverything you wish for.\"\n\n\"Well then, I should like all my desires to be fulfilled the moment I\nutter them.\"\n\n\"You shall have everything you want the moment you pronounce these\nwords:\n\n  'At my behest, and by the orders of the pike,\n  May such and such things happen, as I like.'\"\n\n\"Just wait one moment while I try the effect,\" said the\nsluggard, and began at once to say:\n\n  \"At my behest, and by the orders of the pike,\n  Bring onions, cider, soup, just as I like.\"\n\nThat very moment his favourite dishes were before him. Having eaten a\nlarge quantity, he said, \"Very good, very good indeed; but will it\nalways be the same?\"\n\n\"Always,\" replied the pike.\n\nThe sluggard put the pike back into the river, and turning towards his\nbuckets, said:\n\n  \"At my behest, and by the orders of the pike,\n  Walk home yourselves, my pails--that I should like.\"\n\nThe pails, and the strong rod to which they were fastened, immediately\nset off and walked solemnly along, the sluggard following them with\nhis hands in his pockets. When they reached the house he put them in\ntheir places, and again stretched himself out to enjoy the warmth of\nthe stove. Presently the sisters-in-law said, \"Come and chop some wood\nfor us.\"\n\n\"Bother! do it yourselves.\"\n\n\"It is not fit work for women. Besides, if you don't do it the stove\nwill be cold, and then you will be the chief sufferer. Moreover, pay\nattention to what we say, for if you do not obey us, there will be no\nred boots, nor any other pretty things.\"\n\nThe sluggard then just sat up and said:\n\n  \"At my behest, and by the orders of the pike,\n  Let what my sisters want be done--that's what I like.\"\n\nInstantly the hatchet came out from behind a stool and chopped up a\nlarge heap of wood, put a part of it on the stove, and retired to its\ncorner. All this time the sluggard was eating and drinking at his\nease.\n\nAnother day some wood had to be brought from the forest. Our sluggard\nnow thought he would like to show off before the villagers, so he\npulled a sledge out of the shed, loaded it with onions and soup, after\nwhich he pronounced the magic words.\n\nThe sledge started off, and passing through the village at a rattling\npace, ran over several people, and frightened the women and children.\n\nWhen the forest was reached, our friend looked on while the blocks of\nwood and faggots cut, tied, and laid themselves on the sledge, after\nwhich they set off home again. But when they got to the middle of the\nvillage the men, who had been hurt and frightened in the morning,\nseized hold of the sluggard and pulled him off the sledge, dragging\nhim along by the hair to give him a sound thrashing.\n\nAt first he thought it was only a joke, but when the blows hurt his\nshoulders, he said:\n\n  \"At my behest, and by the orders of the pike,\n  Come, faggots, haste, and my assailants strike.\"\n\nIn a moment all the blocks of wood and faggots jumped off the sledge\nand began to hit right and left, and they hit so well that the men\nwere glad to get out of the way as best they could.\n\nThe sluggard laughed at them till his sides ached; then he remounted\nhis sledge, and was soon lying on the stove again.\n\nFrom that day he became famous, and his doings were talked about all\nthrough the country.\n\nAt last even the king heard of him, and, his curiosity being aroused,\nhe sent some of his soldiers to fetch him.\n\n\"Now then, booby,\" said the soldier, \"come down off that stove and\nfollow me to the king's palace.\"\n\n\"Why should I? There is as much cider, onions, and soup as I want at\nhome.\"\n\nThe man, indignant at his want of respect, struck him.\n\nUpon which the sluggard said:\n\n  \"At my behest, and by the orders of the pike,\n  May this man get a taste of what a broom is like.\"\n\nA large broom, and not particularly clean, immediately hopped up, and\nfirst dipping itself in a pail of water, beat the soldier so\nmercilessly that he was obliged to escape through the window, whence\nhe returned to the king. His majesty, amazed at the sluggard's\nrefusal, sent another messenger. This man was 'cuter than his comrade,\nand first made inquiries as to the sluggard's tastes. Then he went up\nto him and said, \"Good-day, my friend; will you come with me to see\nthe king? He wishes to present you with a cap, a waistband, and a pair\nof red boots.\"\n\n\"With the greatest pleasure; you go on, I will soon overtake you.\"\n\nThen he ate as much as he could of his favourite dishes and went to\nsleep on the stove. He slept so long that at last his sisters-in-law\nwoke him up and told him he would be late if he did not at once go to\nsee the king. The lazy fellow said nothing but these words:\n\n  \"At my behest, and by the orders of the pike,\n  This stove to carry me before the king I'd like.\"\n\nAt the very same instant the stove moved from its place and carried\nhim right up to the palace door. The king was filled with amazement,\nand running out, followed by the whole court, asked the sluggard what\nhe would like to have.\n\n\"I have merely come to fetch the hat, waistband, and red boots you\npromised me.\"\n\nJust then the charming princess Gapiomila came to find out what was\ngoing on. Directly the sluggard saw her, he thought her so enchanting\nthat he whispered to himself:\n\n  \"At my behest, and by the orders of the pike,\n  That this princess so fair may love me, I should like.\"\n\nThen he ordered his stove to take him back home, and when there he\ncontinued to eat onions and soup and to drink cider.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nMeanwhile the princess had fallen in love with him, and begged her\nfather to send for him again. As the sluggard would not consent, the\nking had him bound when asleep, and thus brought to the palace. Then\nhe summoned a celebrated magician, who at his orders shut the princess\nand sluggard up in a crystal cask, to which was fastened a balloon\nwell filled with gas, and sent it up in the air among the clouds. The\nprincess wept bitterly, but the fool sat still and said he felt very\ncomfortable. At last she persuaded him to exert his powers, so he\nsaid:\n\n  \"At my behest, and by the orders of the pike,\n  This cask of crystal earth at once must strike\n  Upon the friendly island I should like.\"\n\nThe crystal cask immediately descended, and opened upon a hospitable\nisland where travellers could have all they wanted by simply wishing\nfor it. The princess and her companion walked about, eating when\nhungry, and drinking when athirst. The sluggard was very happy and\ncontented, but the lady begged him to wish for a palace. Instantly the\npalace made its appearance. It was built of white marble, with crystal\nwindows, roof of yellow amber, and golden furniture. She was delighted\nwith it. Next day she wanted a good road made, along which she could\ngo to see her father. Immediately there stretched before them a\nfairy-like bridge made of crystal, having golden balustrades set with\ndiamonds, and leading right up to the king's palace. The sluggard was\njust about to accompany the princess when he began to think of his own\nappearance, and to feel ashamed that such an awkward, stupid fellow as\nhe should walk by the side of such a lovely and graceful creature. So\nhe said:\n\n  \"At my behest, and by the orders of the pike,\n  To be both handsome, wise, and clever I should like.\"\n\nSuddenly he became as handsome, wise, and clever as it was possible to\nbe. Then he got into a gorgeous carriage with Gapiomila, and they\ndrove across the bridge that led to the king's palace.\n\nThere they were received with every mark of joy and affection. The\nking gave them his blessing, and they were married the same evening.\nAn immense number of guests were invited to the wedding feast; I, too,\nwas there, and drank freely of wine and hydromel. And this is the\nstory I have done my best to tell you as faithfully as possible.\n\n\n\n\nKINKACH MARTINKO\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nKINKACH MARTINKO\n\n\nOnce upon a time there was a poor woman who had an only daughter,\nnamed Helen, a very lazy girl. One day when she had refused to do a\nsingle thing, her mother took her down to the banks of a stream and\nbegan to strike her fingers with a flat stone, just as you do in\nbeating linen to wash it.\n\nThe girl cried a good deal. A prince, Lord of the Red Castle, happened\nat that moment to pass by, and inquired as to the cause of such\ntreatment, for it horrified him that a mother should so ill-use her\nchild.\n\n\"Why should I not punish her?\" answered the woman. \"The idle girl can\ndo nothing but spin hemp into gold thread.\"\n\n\"Really?\" cried he. \"Does she really know how to spin gold thread out\nof hemp? If that be so, sell her to me.\"\n\n\"Willingly; how much will you give me for her?\"\n\n\"Half a measure of gold.\"\n\n\"Take her,\" said the mother; and she gave him her daughter as soon as\nthe money was paid.\n\nThe prince placed the girl behind him on the saddle, put spurs to his\nhorse, and took her home.\n\nOn reaching the Red Castle, the prince led Helen into a room filled\nfrom floor to ceiling with hemp, and having supplied her with distaff\nand spinning-wheel, said, \"When you have spun all this hemp into gold\nthread I will make you my wife.\"\n\nThen he went out, locking the door after him.\n\nOn finding herself a prisoner, the poor girl wept as if her heart\nwould break. Suddenly she saw a very odd-looking little man seated on\nthe window-sill. He wore a red cap, and his boots were made of some\nstrange sort of material.\n\n\"Why do you weep so?\" he asked.\n\n\"I cannot help it,\" she replied, \"I am but a miserable slave. I have\nbeen ordered to spin all this hemp into gold thread, but it is\nimpossible, I can never do it, and I know not what will become of me.\"\n\n\"I will do it for you in three days, on condition that at the end of\nthat time you guess my right name, and tell me what the boots I am\nwearing now are made of.\"\n\nWithout for one moment reflecting as to whether she would be able to\nguess aright she consented. The uncanny little man burst out laughing,\nand taking her distaff set to work at once.\n\nAll day as the distaff moved the hemp grew visibly less, while the\nskein of gold thread became larger and larger.\n\nThe little man spun all the time, and, without stopping an instant,\nexplained to Helen how to make thread of pure gold. As night drew on\nhe tied up the skein, saying to the girl, \"Well, do you know my name\nyet? Can you tell me what my boots are made of?\"\n\nHelen replied that she could not, upon which he grinned and\ndisappeared through the window. She then sat and looked at the sky,\nand thought, and thought, and thought, and lost herself in\nconjecturing as to what the little man's name might be, and in trying\nto guess what was the stuff his boots were made of. Were they of\nleather? or perhaps plaited rushes? or straw? or cast iron? No, they\ndid not look like anything of that sort. And as to his name--that was\na still more difficult problem to solve.\n\n\"What shall I call him?\" said she to herself--\"John? Or Henry? Who\nknows? perhaps it is Paul or Joseph.\"\n\nThese thoughts so filled her mind that she forgot to eat her dinner.\nHer meditations were interrupted by cries and groans from outside,\nwhere she saw an old man with white hair sitting under the castle\nwall.\n\n\"Miserable old man that I am,\" cried he; \"I die of hunger and thirst,\nbut no one pities my sufferings.\"\n\nHelen hastened to give him her dinner, and told him to come next day,\nwhich he promised to do.\n\nAfter again thinking for some time what answers she should give the\nlittle old man, she fell asleep on the hemp.\n\nThe little old man did not fail to make his appearance the first thing\nnext morning, and remained all day spinning the gold thread. The work\nprogressed before their eyes, and it was only when evening came that\nhe repeated his questions. Not receiving a satisfactory answer, he\nvanished in a fit of mocking laughter. Helen sat down by the window to\nthink; but think as she might, no answer to these puzzling questions\noccurred to her.\n\nWhile thus wondering the hungry old man again came by, and she gave\nhim her dinner. She was heart-sick and her eyes were full of tears,\nfor she thought she would never guess the spinner's name, nor of what\nstuff his boots were made, unless perhaps God would help her.\n\n\"Why are you so sad?\" asked the old man when he had eaten and drunk;\n\"tell me the cause of your grief, dear lady.\"\n\nFor a long time she would not tell him, thinking it would be useless;\nbut at last, yielding to his entreaties, she gave a full account of\nthe conditions under which the gold thread was made, explaining that\nunless she could answer the little old man's questions satisfactorily\nshe feared some great misfortune would befall her. The old man\nlistened attentively, then, nodding his head, he said:\n\n\"In coming through the forest to-day I passed close to a large pile of\nburning wood, round which were placed nine iron pots. A little man in\na red cap was running round and jumping over them, singing these\nwords:\n\n  \"My sweet friend, fair Helen, at the Red Castle near,\n    Two days and two nights seeks my name to divine.\n  She'll never find out, so the third night 'tis clear\n    My sweet friend, fair Helen, can't fail to be mine.\n  Hurrah! for my name is KINKACH MARTINKO,\n  Hurrah! for my boots are of doggies' skin O!\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\"Now that is exactly what you want to know, my dear girl; so do not\nforget, and you are saved.\"\n\nAnd with these words the old man vanished.\n\nHelen was greatly astonished, but she took care to fix in her memory\nall that the good fellow had told her, and then went to sleep, feeling\nthat she could face to-morrow without fear.\n\nOn the third day, very early in the morning, the little old man\nappeared and set busily to work, for he knew that all the hemp must be\nspun before sunset, and that then he should be able to claim his\nrights. When evening came all the hemp was gone, and the room shone\nwith the brightness of the golden thread.\n\nAs soon as his work was done, the queer little old man with the red\ncap drew himself up with a great deal of assurance, and with his hands\nin his pockets strutted up and down before Helen, ordering her to tell\nhim his right name and to say of what stuff the boots were made: but\nhe felt certain that she would not be able to answer aright.\n\n\"Your name is KINKACH MARTINKO, and your boots are made of dogskin,\"\nshe replied without the slightest hesitation.\n\nAt these words he spun round on the floor like a bobbin, tore out his\nhair and beat his breast with rage, roaring so that the very walls\ntrembled.\n\n\"It is lucky for you that you have guessed. If you had not, I should\nhave torn you to pieces on this very spot:\" so saying he rushed out of\nthe window like a whirlwind.\n\nHelen felt deeply grateful towards the old man who had told her the\nanswers, and hoped to be able to thank him in person. But he never\nappeared again.\n\nThe Prince of the Red Castle was very pleased with her for having\naccomplished her task so punctually and perfectly, and he married her\nas he had promised.\n\nHelen was truly thankful to have escaped the dangers that had\nthreatened her, and her happiness as a princess was greater than she\nhad dared hope. She had, too, such a good stock of gold thread that\nshe never had occasion to spin any more all her life long.\n\n\n\n\nTHE STORY OF THE PLENTIFUL TABLECLOTH, THE AVENGING WAND, THE SASH\nTHAT BECOMES A LAKE, AND THE TERRIBLE HELMET\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTHE STORY OF THE PLENTIFUL TABLECLOTH, THE AVENGING WAND, THE SASH\nTHAT BECOMES A LAKE, AND THE TERRIBLE HELMET\n\n\nNow it once happened that one of the king's herdsmen had three sons.\nTwo of these lads were supposed to be very sharp-witted, while the\nyoungest was thought to be very stupid indeed. The elder sons helped\ntheir father to look after the flocks and herds, while the fool, so\nthey called him, was good for nothing but sleeping and amusing\nhimself.\n\nHe would pass whole days and nights slumbering peacefully on the\nstove, only getting off when forced to by others, or when he was too\nwarm and wished to lie on the other side, or when, hungry and thirsty,\nhe wanted food and drink.\n\nHis father had no love for him, and called him a ne'er-do-well. His\nbrothers often tormented him by dragging him off the stove, and taking\naway his food--indeed, he would many a time have gone hungry if his\nmother had not been good to him and fed him on the quiet. She caressed\nhim fondly, for why should he suffer, thought she, if he does happen\nto have been born a fool? Besides, who can understand the ways of God?\nIt sometimes happens that the wisest men are not happy, while the\nfoolish, when harmless and gentle, lead contented lives.\n\nOne day, on their return from the fields, the fool's two brothers\ndragged him off the stove, and taking him into the yard, where they\ngave him a sound thrashing, they turned him out of the house, saying,\n\"Go, fool, and lose no time, for you shall have neither food nor\nlodging until you bring us a basket of mushrooms from the wood.\"\n\nThe poor lad was so taken by surprise he hardly understood what his\nbrothers wanted him to do. After pondering for a while he made his way\ntowards a small oak forest, where everything seemed to have a strange\nand marvellous appearance, so strange that he did not recognise the\nplace. As he walked he came to a small dead tree-stump, on the top of\nwhich he placed his cap, saying, \"Every tree here raises its head to\nthe skies and wears a good cap of leaves, but you, my poor friend, are\nbare-headed; you will die of cold. You must be among your brothers, as\nI am among mine--a born fool. Take then my cap.\" And, throwing his\narms round the dead stump, he wept and embraced it tenderly. At that\nmoment an oak which stood near began to walk towards him as if it were\nalive. The poor fellow was frightened, and about to run away, but the\noak spake like a human being and said, \"Do not fly; stop a moment and\nlisten to me. This withered tree is my son, and up to this time no one\nhas grieved for his dead youth but me. You have now watered him with\nyour tears, and in return for your sympathy you shall henceforward\nhave anything you ask of me, on pronouncing these words:\n\n  \"'O Oak Tree so green, and with acorns of gold,\n    Your friendship to prove I will try;\n  In Heaven's good name now to beg I'll make bold,\n    My needs, then, oh kindly supply.'\"\n\nAt the same moment a shower of golden acorns fell. The fool filled his\npockets, thanked the oak, and bowing to her returned home.\n\n\"Well, stupid, where are the mushrooms?\" cried one of his brothers.\n\n\"I have some mushrooms off the oak in my pockets.\"\n\n\"Eat them yourself then, for you will get nothing else, you\ngood-for-nothing. What have you done with your cap?\"\n\n\"I put it on a poor stump of a tree that stood by the wayside, for its\nhead was uncovered, and I was afraid it might freeze.\"\n\nHe then scrambled on to the top of the stove, and as he lay down some\nof the golden acorns fell out of his pocket. So bright were they, they\nshone like sunbeams in the room. In spite of the fool's entreaties the\nbrothers picked them up and gave them to their father, who hastened to\npresent them to the king, telling him that his idiot son had gathered\nthem in the wood. The king immediately sent a detachment of his guards\nto the forest to find the oak which bore golden acorns. But their\nefforts were fruitless, for, though they hunted in every nook and\ncorner of the forest, they found not a single oak that bore acorns of\ngold.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAt first the king was very angry, but when he grew calmer he sent for\nhis herdsman and said to him, \"Tell your son, the fool, that he must\nbring me, by this evening, a cask filled to the brim with these\nprecious golden acorns. If he obeys my commands you shall never lack\nbread and salt, and you may rest assured that my royal favour will not\nfail you in time of need.\"\n\nThe herdsman gave his youngest son the king's message.\n\n\"The king, I see,\" he replied, \"is fond of a good bargain; he does not\nask, he commands--and insists upon a fool fetching him acorns of solid\ngold in return for promises made of air. No, I shall not go.\"\n\nAnd neither prayers nor threats were of the slightest avail to make\nhim change his mind. At last his brothers pulled him forcibly off the\nstove, put his coat on him and a new cap, and dragged him into the\nyard, where they gave him a good beating and drove him away, saying,\n\"Now, you stupid, lose no time; be off, and be quick. If you return\nwithout the golden acorns you shall have neither supper nor bed.\"\n\nWhat was the poor fellow to do? For a long time he wept, then crossing\nhimself he went in the direction of the forest. He soon reached the\ndead stump, upon which his cap still rested, and going up to the\nmother oak, said to her:\n\n  \"O Oak Tree so green, and with acorns of gold,\n    In my helplessness I to thee cry;\n  In Heaven's great name now to beg I make bold,\n    My pressing needs pray satisfy.\"\n\nThe oak moved, and shook its branches: but instead of golden acorns, a\ntablecloth fell into the fool's hands. And the tree said, \"Keep this\ncloth always in your possession, and for your own use. When you want a\nbenefit by it, you need only say:\n\n  \"'O Tablecloth, who for the poor,\n    The hungry, and thirsty, makes cheer,\n  May he who begs from door to door\n    Feed off you without stint or fear.'\"\n\nWhen it had uttered these words the oak ceased to speak, and the fool,\nthanking her, bowed, and turned towards home. On his way he wondered\nto himself how he should tell his brothers, and what they would say,\nbut above all he thought how his good mother would rejoice to see the\nfeast-giving tablecloth. When he had walked about half the distance he\nmet an old beggar who said to him, \"See what a sick and ragged old man\nI am: for the love of God give me a little money or some bread.\"\n\nThe fool spread his tablecloth on the grass, and inviting the beggar\nto sit down, said:\n\n  \"O Tablecloth, who for the poor,\n    The hungry, and thirsty, makes cheer,\n  May he who begs from door to door\n    Feed off you without stint or fear.\"\n\nThen a whistling was heard in the air, and overhead something shone\nbrightly. At the same instant a table, spread as for a royal banquet,\nappeared before them. Upon it were many different kinds of food,\nflasks of mead, and glasses of the choicest wine. The plate was of\ngold and silver.\n\nThe fool and the beggar man crossed themselves and began to feast.\nWhen they had finished the whistling was again heard, and everything\nvanished. The fool folded up his tablecloth and went on his way. But\nthe old man said, \"If you will give me your tablecloth you shall have\nthis wand in exchange. When you say certain words to it, it will set\nupon the person or persons pointed out, and give them such a\nthrashing, that to get rid of it they will give you anything they\npossess.\"\n\nThe fool thought of his brothers and exchanged the tablecloth for the\nwand, after which they both went on their respective ways.\n\nSuddenly the fool remembered that the oak had ordered him to keep the\ntablecloth for his own use, and that by parting with it he had lost\nthe power of giving his mother an agreeable surprise. So he said to\nthe wand:\n\n  \"Thou self-propelling, ever willing, fighting Wand,\n      Run quick and bring\n  My feast-providing tablecloth back to my hand,\n      Thy praise I'll sing.\"\n\nThe wand went off like an arrow after the old man, quickly overtook\nhim, and throwing itself upon him began to beat him dreadfully, crying\nout in a loud voice:\n\n  \"For others' goods you seem to have a liking,\n  Stop, thief, or sure your back I'll keep on striking.\"\n\nThe poor beggar tried to run away, but it was of no use, for the wand\nfollowed him, striking all the time and repeating the same words over\nand over again. So in spite of his anxiety to keep the tablecloth he\nwas forced to throw it away and flee.\n\nThe wand brought the cloth back to the fool, who again went on his way\ntowards home, thinking of the surprise in store for his mother and\nbrothers. He had not gone very far when a traveller, carrying an empty\nwallet, accosted him, saying, \"For the love of God, give me a small\ncoin or a morsel of food, for my bag is empty and I am very hungry. I\nhave, too, a long journey before me.\"\n\nThe fool again spread his tablecloth on the grass and said:\n\n  \"O Tablecloth, who for the poor,\n    The hungry, and thirsty, makes cheer,\n  May he who begs from door to door\n    Feed off you without stint or fear.\"\n\nA whistling was heard in the air, something shone brightly overhead,\nand a table, spread as for a royal feast, placed itself before them.\nIt was laid with a numerous variety of dishes, hydromel and costly\nwines. The fool and his guest sat down, crossed themselves, and ate to\ntheir hearts' content. When they had finished whistling was again\nheard, and everything vanished. The fool folded the cloth up\ncarefully, and was about to continue his journey when the traveller\nsaid, \"Will you exchange your tablecloth for my waistband? When you\nsay to it certain words it will turn into a deep lake, upon which you\nmay float at will. The words run thus:\n\n  \"'O marvellous, wonderful, lake-forming Band,\n    For my safety, and not for my fun,\n  Bear me in a boat on thy waves far from land,\n    So that I from my foes need not run.'\"\n\nThe fool thought his father would find it very convenient always to\nhave water at hand for the king's flocks, so he gave his tablecloth in\nexchange for the belt, which he wound round his loins, and taking the\nwand in his hand, they went off in opposite directions. After a little\nwhile the fool began to reflect on what the oak had told him about\nkeeping the tablecloth for his own use, and he remembered, too, that\nhe was depriving himself of the power of giving his mother a pleasant\nsurprise. Thereupon he said the magic words to his wand:\n\n  \"Thou self-propelling, ever willing, fighting Wand,\n      Run quick and bring\n  My feast-providing tablecloth back to my hand,\n      Thy praise I'll sing.\"\n\nThe wand at once started in pursuit of the poor traveller, whom it\nbegan to beat, at the same time crying out:\n\n  \"For others' goods you seem to have a liking,\n  Stop, thief, or sure your back I'll keep on striking.\"\n\nThe man was scared out of his wits, and tried to escape the wand's\nblows, but it was of no use, so he was forced to throw the tablecloth\naway and run at the top of his speed. The wand brought the tablecloth\nback to his master. The latter hid it under his coat, rearranged the\nwaistband, and taking the faithful wand in his hand, again went\ntowards home. As he walked he rejoiced to think of the pleasure he\nshould have in exercising the wand on his wicked brothers, of his\nfather's satisfaction when, by the help of the waistband, he could\nalways have water for the king's flocks, even in the driest weather,\nand of his mother's joy on witnessing the wonders of the feast-giving\ntablecloth. These pleasant thoughts were interrupted by a soldier,\nlame, clothed in rags, and covered with wounds. He had once been a\nfamous warrior.\n\n\"I am pursued by misfortunes,\" said he to the fool. \"I was once a\nbrave soldier, and fought valiantly in my youth. Now I am lamed for\nlife, and on this lonely road have found no one to give me a morsel of\nfood. Have pity on me and give me a little bread.\"\n\nThe fool sat down on the grass, and spreading out his tablecloth,\nsaid:\n\n  \"O Tablecloth, who for the poor,\n    The hungry, and thirsty, makes cheer,\n  May he who begs from door to door\n    Feed off you without stint or fear.\"\n\nA whistling was heard in the air, something bright shone overhead, and\nthen before them stood a table, spread as for a royal feast, loaded\nwith dainty dishes, mead, and costly wines. When they had eaten and\ndrunk as much as they wanted the whistling was again heard, and then\neverything vanished.\n\nThe fool was folding up his tablecloth, when the soldier said:\n\n\"Will you give me your tablecloth in exchange for this six-horned\nhelmet? It will fire itself off and instantly destroy the object\npointed out. You have but to turn it round on your head and repeat\nthese words:\n\n  \"'O Magic Helmet, never thou\n    Dost want for powder nor shot;\n  Allay my fears and fire now\n    Just where I point. Fail not.'\n\nYou will see that it fires off immediately: and even if your enemy\nwere a mile away he would fall.\"\n\nThe fool was delighted with the idea, and thought how useful such a\nhat would be in any sudden danger; it would even serve him to defend\nhis country, the king, or himself. So he handed the tablecloth to the\nsoldier, put the helmet on his head, took his wand in his hand, and\nagain set his face towards home.\n\nWhen he had gone some distance, and the soldier was almost out of\nsight, he began to think of what the oak had said about not parting\nwith the tablecloth, and of how his dear mother could not now enjoy\nthe pleasant surprise he had been dreaming about. So he said to the\nwand:\n\n  \"Thou self-propelling, ever willing, fighting Wand,\n      Run quick, and bring\n  My feast-providing tablecloth back to my hand,\n      Thy praise I'll sing.\"\n\nThe wand dashed after the soldier, and having reached him began to\nbeat him, crying out:\n\n  \"For others' goods you seem to have a liking,\n  Stop, thief, or sure your back I'll keep on striking.\"\n\n\nThe soldier was still a powerful man, and in spite of his wound turned\nright about face, intending to give blow for blow. But the wand was\ntoo much for him, and he soon found resistance useless. So, overcome\nby pain rather than fear, he threw away the tablecloth and took to his\nheels.\n\nThe faithful wand brought the tablecloth back to his master, who, glad\nto have it again, once more turned towards home.\n\nHe soon left the forest, crossed the fields, and came in sight of his\nfather's house. At a little distance therefrom his brothers met him,\nand said crossly, \"Well, stupid, where are the golden acorns?\"\n\nThe fool looked at them and laughed in their faces. Then he said to\nhis wand:\n\n  \"O self-propelling, ever willing, fighting Wand\n      Strike with thy usual fire\n  My ever-scolding, teasing, worrying brother band,\n      For they have roused my ire.\"\n\nThe wand needed no second bidding, and darting out of his hand began\nto thrash the brothers soundly, crying out like a reasoning creature:\n\n  \"Your brother has often your blows felt, alack!\n  Now taste it yourselves; hope you like it, whack, whack.\"\n\nThe brothers were overpowered, and felt all the while as if boiling\nwater were being poured over their heads. Yelling with pain they began\nto run at full speed, and soon disappeared with clouds of dust flying\nround them.\n\nThe wand then came back to the fool's hand. He went into the house,\nclimbed on the stove, and told his mother all that had happened. Then\nhe cried:\n\n  \"O Tablecloth, who for the poor,\n    The hungry, and thirsty, makes cheer,\n  Let us within our cottage door\n    Feed off you without stint or fear.\"\n\nA whistling was heard in the air, something bright shone overhead, and\nthen a table, laid as for a royal banquet, was placed before them,\ncovered with dainty meats, glasses, and bottles of mead and wine. The\nwhole service was of gold and silver. As the fool and his mother were\nabout to begin the feast the herdsman entered. He stopped, dumb with\namazement, but when invited to partake, began to eat and drink with\ngreat enjoyment.\n\nAt the end of the meal the whistling was again heard, and everything\nvanished completely.\n\nThe herdsman set off in hot haste to the court, to tell the king of\nthis new marvel. Thereupon his majesty sent one of his heroes in\nsearch of the fool, whom he found stretched on the stove.\n\n\"If you value your life, listen, and obey the king's orders,\" said the\npaladin. \"He commands you to send him by me your tablecloth, then you\nshall have your share of his royal favour. But if not you will always\nremain a poor fool, and will, moreover, be treated as a refractory\nprisoner. We teach them how to behave; you understand?\"\n\n\"Oh yes, I understand.\" And then he pronounced the magic words:\n\n  \"O self-propelling, ever willing, fighting Wand,\n      Go, soundly thrash that man--\n  The most deceiving, dangerous wretch in all the land,\n      So hurt him all you can.\"\n\nThe wand sprang from the fool's hand with the speed of lightning and\nstruck the paladin three times in the face. He immediately fled, but\nthe wand was after him, hitting him all the time, and crying out:\n\n  \"Mere promises are children's play,\n  So do not throw your breath away,\n  But think of something true to say,\n  You rogue, when next you come our way.\"\n\nDefeated and filled with consternation, the paladin returned to the\nking and told him about the wand, and how badly he had been beaten.\nWhen the king heard that the fool possessed a wand that struck of\nitself, he wanted it so much that for a time he forgot all about the\ntablecloth, and sent some of his soldiers with orders to bring him\nback the wand.\n\nWhen they entered the cottage, the fool, as usual, was lying on the\nstove.\n\n\"Deliver up the wand to us instantly,\" said they; \"the king is willing\nto pay any price you ask, but if you refuse he will take it from you\nby force.\"\n\nInstead of replying the fool unwound the waistband, saying to it as he\ndid so:\n\n  \"O marvellous, wonderful, lake-forming Band,\n    For my safety, and not for my fun,\n  Bear me in a boat on thy waves far from land,\n    So that I from my foes need not run.\"\n\nThere was a shimmering in the air, while at the same moment everything\naround them disappeared, and a beautiful lake, long, wide, and deep,\nwas seen, surrounded by green fields. Fish with golden scales and eyes\nof pearls played in the clear water. In the centre, in a small silver\nskiff, rowed a man, whom the soldiers recognised as the fool.\n\nThey remained some time looking at this miracle, and then ran off to\ntell the king. Now when the king heard thereof he was so anxious to\npossess the lake, or rather the waistband that produced the lake, that\nhe sent a whole battalion of soldiers to take the fool prisoner.\n\nThis time they managed to get hold of him while he was asleep, but as\nthey were about to tie his hands he turned his hat round and said:\n\n  \"O Magic Helmet, never thou\n    Dost want for powder nor shot,\n  Allay my fears and fire now\n    Just where I point. Fail not.\"\n\nInstantly a hundred bullets whistled through the air, amid clouds of\nsmoke and loud reports. Many of the soldiers fell dead, others took\nrefuge in the wood, whence they returned to the king to give an\naccount of what had taken place.\n\nWhereupon the king flew into a violent rage, furious that he had as\nyet failed to take the fool. But his wish to possess the feast-giving\ntablecloth, the magic wand, the lake-forming sash, and above all the\nhelmet with twenty-four horns, was stronger than ever.\n\nHaving reflected for some days on the best ways and means to attain\nhis object, he resolved to try the effect of kindness, and sent for\nthe fool's mother.\n\n\"Tell your son, the fool,\" said his majesty to the woman, \"that my\ncharming daughter and I send greeting, and that we shall consider it\nan honour if he will come here and show us the marvellous things he\npossesses. Should he feel inclined to make me a present of them, I\nwill give him half my kingdom and will make him my heir. You may also\nsay that the princess, my daughter, will choose him for her husband.\"\n\nThe good woman hastened home to her son, whom she advised to accept\nthe king's invitation and show him his treasures. The fool wound the\nwaistband round his loins, put the helmet on his head, hid the\ntablecloth in his breast, took his magic wand in his hand, and started\noff to go to the court.\n\nThe king was not there on his arrival, but he was received by the\npaladin, who saluted him courteously. Music played, and the troops did\nhim military honours--in fact, he was treated far better than he had\nexpected. On being presented to the king he took off his helmet, and\nbowing low, said: \"O king, I am come to lay at the foot of your throne\nmy tablecloth, waistband, wand, and helmet. In return for these gifts\nI beg that your favour may be shown to the most humble of your\nsubjects.\"\n\n\"Tell me then, fool, what price you want for these goods?\"\n\n\"Not money, sire, a fool of my sort cares very little about money. Has\nnot the king promised my mother that he will give me in exchange the\nhalf of his kingdom, and the hand of his daughter in marriage? These\nare the gifts I claim.\"\n\nAfter these words the paladin was filled with envy at the good fortune\nof the fool, and made a sign for the guards to enter. The soldiers\nseized the poor fellow, dragged him out into the courtyard, and they\nkilled him treacherously to the sound of drums and trumpets, after\nwhich they covered him over with earth.\n\nNow it happened that when the soldiers stabbed him his blood spurted\nout, and some of the drops fell beneath the princess's window. The\nmaiden wept bitterly at the sight, watering the blood-stained ground\nwith her tears. And lo! marvellous to relate, an apple-tree grew out\nof the blood-sprinkled earth. And it grew so rapidly that its branches\nsoon touched the windows of her rooms; by noon it was covered with\nblossom, while at eventide ripe red apples hung thereon. As the\nprincess was admiring them she noticed that one of the apples\ntrembled, and when she touched it, it fell into the bosom of her\ndress. This took her fancy, and she held it in her hand.\n\nMeanwhile the sun had set, night had fallen, and every one in the\npalace was asleep, except the guard, the paladin, and the princess.\nThe guard, sword in hand, patrolled up and down, for it was his duty.\nThe princess toyed with her pretty little apple, and could not sleep.\nThe paladin, who had gone to bed, was aroused by a sound that made his\nblood run cold, for the avenging wand stood before him and began to\nbeat him soundly. And although he rushed from the room trying to\nescape from it, it followed him, crying out:\n\n  \"False paladin, you worthless man,\n    Do not so envious be;\n  Why act unjustly, when you can\n    Both just and honest be?\n  For others' goods why have you such a liking?\n  You rogue, you thief, be sure I'll keep on striking.\"\n\nThe unhappy man wept and cried for mercy, but the wand still continued\nto strike.\n\nThe princess was distressed on hearing these cries of distress, and\nshe watered her much-cherished apple with her tears. And, strange to\ntell, the apple grew and changed its shape. Thus continuing to change,\nit suddenly turned into a handsome young man, even the very same who\nhad been killed that morning.\n\n\"Lovely princess, I salute you,\" said the fool. \"The cunning of the\npaladin caused my death, but with your tears you have restored me to\nlife. Your father promised to give you to me: are you willing?\"\n\n\"If such be the king's wish, I consent,\" replied she, as she gave him\nher hand with a tender look.\n\nAs he spoke the door opened, admitting the helmet, which placed itself\nupon his head; the sash, which wound itself round his waist; the\ntablecloth, which hid itself in one of his pockets; and the avenging\nwand, which placed itself in his hand. Then came the king, all out of\nbreath, and wondering what the noise was about. He was amazed to see\nthe fool alive again, and even more so that he should be with the\nprincess.\n\nThe young fellow, fearing the king's wrath, cried out:\n\n  \"O marvellous, wonderful, lake-forming Band,\n    For my safety, and not for my fun,\n  Bear us in a boat on thy waves far from land,\n    So that we from our foes need not run.\"\n\nThere was a shimmering in the air, and then everything disappeared,\nwhile on the lawn before the palace stretched a wide deep lake, in the\ncrystal water of which swam little fish with eyes of pearl and scales\nof gold. Far away rowed the princess and the fool in a silver skiff.\nThe king stood on the shores of the lake and signed to them to return.\nWhen they had landed they knelt at his feet and avowed their mutual\nlove. Upon which his majesty bestowed his blessing, the lake\ndisappeared, and they again found themselves in the princess's\napartments.\n\nThe king called a special meeting of his council, at which he\nexplained how things had turned out--that he had made the fool his\nheir, and betrothed him to his daughter, and had put the paladin in\nprison.\n\nThe fool gave the king his magic treasures, and told him what words to\nsay in each case.\n\nNext day all their wishes were fulfilled. The fool of the family was\nmarried to the princess, and at the same time received half the\nkingdom, with the promise of succession to the throne. And the wedding\nfeast, to which all the rich and noble of the land were invited,\nexceeded in its magnificence and splendour any other festival ever\nseen or heard of.\n\n\n\n\nTHE END\n\n\n\n\n_Printed by_ BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO.\n_Edinburgh and London_","title":"Fairy Tales of the Slav Peasants and Herdsmen","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":63904}