Page:RussianFolkTales Afanasev 368pgs.djvu/30

14 and said, "Well, Dog, eat as much as you will, and when everything is in order, come and see me."

So the dog lived by himself and had no cares, and when he had eaten all and was again hungry, he ran up to the bear.

"Well, my brother, have you done?"

"Yes, I have done, and again I am hungry."

"What! Are you hungry again? Do you know where your old mistress lives?"

"I do."

"Well, then, come; I will steal your mistress's child out of the cradle, and do you chase me away and take the child back. Then you may go back; she will go on feeding you, as she formerly did, with bread."

So they agreed, and the bear ran up to the hut himself and stole the child out of the cradle: the child cried, and the woman burst out, hunted him, hunted him, but could not catch him; so they came back, and the mother wept, and the other women were afflicted; from somewhere or other the dog appeared, and he drove the bear away, took the child and brought it back.

"Look," said the woman, "here is your old dog restoring your child!" So they ran to meet him, and the mother was very glad and joyous. "Now," she said, "I shall never discharge this old dog any more." So they took him in, fed him with milk, gave him bread, and asked him only to taste the things. And they told the peasant, "Now you must keep and feed the dog, for he saved my child from the bear; and you were saying he had no strength!"

This all suited the dog very well, and he ate his fill, and he said, "May God grant health to the bear who did not let me die of hunger!" and he became the bear's best friend.

Once there was an evening party given at the peasant's house. At that time the bear came in as the dog's guest.