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194 And one man who was still alive replied: "All this mighty host was conquered by Márya Moryévna, the fair princess."

And Iván Tsarévich went on yet further, and he came upon white tents, and Márya Moryévna came to meet him, the fair queen.

"Hail," she said, "Tsarévich! where is God taking you? Is it at your will or perforce?"

And Iván Tsarévich answered her: "Doughty youths do not go perforce."

"Well, if you have no quest to accomplish, come and stay in my tents."

And Iván Tsarévich was glad of this, and he stayed two nights in the tents, fell in love with Márya Moryévna, and married her.

Márya Moryévna took him with her to her own kingdom, and they lived together for some time; and they thought of making ready for war; and so she handed all of her possessions over to Iván, and said: "Go everywhere, look at everything, only into this lumber-room you must not look."

But he was impatient: as soon as Márya Moryévna's back was turned, he at once opened the lumber-room, opened the door and looked in, and there Koshchéy the Deathless was hanging.

Koshchéy asked Iván Tsarévich, "Have pity on me: give me something to eat. I have been tortured here for ten years. I have eaten nothing, I have drunken nothing, and my throat is all dried up." Iván Tsarévich gave him a whole gallon of water: he drank it at a single gulp, and he still asked, "I am still thirsty: give me a gallon," and Iván gave him a second gallon, and yet a third. And when he had drunk the third, he recovered all his former strength, broke all his chains, shattered them all, all the twelve chains. "Thank you, Iván Tsarévich," Koshchéy the Deathless said. "Now you