Page:RussianFolkTales Afanasev 368pgs.djvu/259



a Tsar lived with his Tsarítsa beyond thrice-nine lands in the thrice-tenth kingdom. He liked to go hunting and shooting the wild beasts. One day the Tsar went out hunting, and saw a young eagle sitting on an oak; and he was just going to shoot him down, when the eagle begged him, "Do not shoot me, Tsar my master, rather take me to yourself; and at some time or other I shall be of service to you." And the Tsar thought and thought, and he said, "How can you be of any service to me?" And again he wanted to shoot him. And the eagle said to him a second time, "Do not shoot, Tsar my master, rather take me to yourself; and some day I shall be of service to you." And the Tsar thought and thought, and again he could not imagine whatever service the eagle would be to him, and he still wanted to shoot him. So for the third time the eagle spoke to him, "Do not shoot me, Tsar my master, rather take me to yourself, and feed me for three years; and at some time I shall be of service to you."

So the Tsar was mollified, and took the eagle to himself, and he fed him one year and another year, and the eagle ate up so much, ate up all the cattle; and the Tsar had neither a sheep nor a cow left.

Then the eagle said to him, "Let me go free." And the eagle tried his wings, but no, he could not fly; and he asked him, "Now, Tsar my master, you have fed me for two years, even as you said; now feed me one year more. Only go on and feed me, and you will not lose."