Page:RussianFolkTales Afanasev 368pgs.djvu/213

Rh Now Koshchéy was out hunting. Towards evening he returned home, and his horse stumbled. "Why, you sorry jade, are you stumbling, or is it some evil that you fear?"

And the horse answered: "Iván Tsarévich has arrived, and has taken away Márya Moryévna."

"Can one catch them up?"

"You can sow wheat, wait until it grows up, harvest it, thresh it, turn it into flour, make five stones of bread, eat the bread, and then set out on the hunt, and we shall succeed."

Koshchéy leapt on the horse, caught up Iván Tsarévich. "Now," he said, "for the first time I will let you go for your doughtyhood, as you fed me with water; for the second time I will let you go; for the third time, take care: I will tear you to morsels." And he took Márya Moryévna from him, took her away, and Iván Tsarévich sat on the stone and cried.

And he cried and he cried, and again came back to Márya Moryévna. Koshchéy the Deathless was not at home: "Let us start, Márya Moryévna."

"Oh, Iván Tsarévich, he will catch us up."

"Well, let him still we shall have one or two hours together."

So they started, and off they went.

Koshchéy the Deathless came back home, and his good horse stumbled under him. "Why, you sorry jade, are you stumbling, or is it some evil thing which you fear?"

And the horse answered, "Iván Tsarévich has again arrived, and has taken Márya Moryévna away."

"Can one catch them up?"

"It would be possible to sow barley and to wait until it grows up, reap it, thresh it, to brew beer, drink it until you were drunk, sleep out your sleep and then to go on the hunt, and we should still succeed."