Page:RussianFolkTales Afanasev 368pgs.djvu/293

Rh "Yes, I do," said the Princess.

"Well, this is what the poor have to endure. Yet you would not give me alms on Easter Day." Then the poor man said:

let there be here a rich palace, the finest in all the world, with gardens and ponds and all sorts of pavilions."

As soon as he had spoken a rich palace appeared; faithful henchmen ran out of it and carried them in their hands, led them into the white stone rooms, and they sat down at the oaken tables with chequered linen on them. It was marvellously decorated, was this palace. On the table everything was ready, wine and sweets and made dishes. The poor man and the Tsarévna ate and drank at their will, rested them, and went for a walk into the garden.

"Everything is beautiful here," said the Princess; "the only thing still lacking is to see the birds upon our ponds."

"Wait, you shall have birds as well," answered the poor man, and he said at once:

let twelve ducks and one drake swim on the pond, and let them have one feather of gold and another of silver, and let the drake have a diamond tuft on his forehead!"

And lo and behold, on the water there were twelve ducks and one drake swimming; one feather was of gold and one feather was of silver, and the drake had a diamond tuft on his forehead.

So there the Princess and her husband lived without grief or moil, and their son grew up a big lad and began to feel in himself a giant's strength. And he asked leave