Page:Czech Folk Tales.pdf/94

74 "If you had the others as well, you would be even more beautiful." Then she fetched the other two feathers and gave them to her.

She thrust them into her skin, and behold! she was a dove again. She flew off through the window, thanking her mother-in-law: "Thank you, dearest mother, for giving me these three feathers. I will wait a little for my husband, to say good-bye to him."

So she perched on the roof to wait till her husband should return from the forest.

Now, the husband's nose fell to bleeding violently. He grew frightened, and began to wonder what great misfortune had befallen him at home. He mounted his horse and hastened home. As he was approaching the door the dove called out: "Good—bye, dear husband. I thank you for your true love, but you will never see me more."

Then the dove flew away, and the husband began to weep and to wail. Of course, he was very angry with his mother, and he decided to go away again and follow wherever his eyes might lead him. So he started off, and he went back to the sorcerer in whose service he had been before. As soon as he entered the sorcerer said: