Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 22, 1911.djvu/396

 you will ask God to have the golden mouse, and the golden cat in a golden tub, brought here." Immediately two Arab slaves place these before him and vanish. The master enters the room. His heart is beating with excitement. Katchlig points and says, — "Behold, I have made them, Master! Take them and go."

The goldsmith is overjoyed. His feet do not touch the ground, as he hastens away with them. The King gives him rich rewards, and says, — " You must come to the wedding also." The goldsmith returns in high spirits. Katchlig begs, saying, — " Master, Master, do take me with you to the wedding also."

"Boy, you will fall under the feet of the horses, and have your head broken," his master replies. "Stay where you are."

So the next day the goldsmith goes to the wedding.

Then Katchlig drops a hair of the black steed into the fire, and the demon's black steed, with his black weapons and black garments, comes down from above, ready for his use. Katchlig changes his garments, girds on the arms, mounts the black charger, and becomes a Fairy Prince. He rides to the palace of the King. In the tournament he overcomes all the King's grandees, his sons and all, and, lastly, taking his master by the arm he overthrows him also, and then hastens back to his place, where he becomes Katchlig once more, and sits waiting there, looking very innocent. In the evening his master returns. Katchlig begs to hear all that has happened. "Bad luck to him! There was a devil of a black horseman, or perhaps an angel. He rode into the field, like lightning, or a thunderstorm. He overcame everyone. He threw me from my horse also, and vanished."

Katchlig listened, shaking his head from side to side and clicking his tongue in astonishment. You would have thought he knew nothing about it.

Now we will leave these two while we turn to the maiden.

When she saw the golden mouse and the golden cat in the golden tub, she exclaimed, — "Wallah! My betrothed has come out into the Land of Light!"

So now she said to the King, — "Have a golden mink and a golden cock made for me, playing about in a golden sieve. If you don't have them made, I won't marry you." The goldsmith is summoned, and he agrees to make them, having obtained the