Page:RussianFolkTales Afanasev 368pgs.djvu/347

Rh "Into the Queen's courtyard; the Tsarévna counts them every day to see whether all the cows have come home."

"Herd, put on my clothes; I will put on yours and will drive the cows home."

"No, brother, that will never do. Should the Tsarévna notice it, I should suffer."

"Fear nothing; nothing will happen, you will come by no harm; Katomá is your surety."

Iván sighed: "O good man! if only he were here I should not be herding cows."

Then Katomá showed himself who he was, and the Tsarévich embraced him tenderly and wept bitterly. "I never expected I should see you any more!"

So they changed clothes, and Katomá drove the cows into the royal courtyard. Anna Tsarévna came out on to her balcony and counted the cattle. Then she commanded to take them all into the stable. All the cows went into the stable: only the last stayed behind and raised her tail. Katomá sprang up at her and cried out, "Wretched animal! why are you stopping here?" So he gripped and snatched the tail so mightily that the entire skin remained in his hand.

When Anna Tsarévna saw this she cried out aloud, "What is that wretched herdsman doing? Lay hold of him and bring him to me."

So the attendants laid hold on Katomá and dragged him into the castle. Katomá suffered it without resistence and relied on his strength.

He was taken up to the Tsarévna, who looked at him and said, "Who are you?"

"I am Katomá, whose legs you once cut off and then set on a tree trunk."

Then the Tsarévna thought, "If he can get his legs back, I can do no more against him." And she asked for forgiveness from him and the Tsarévich. She repented