Page:Russian Fairy Book (N. H. Dole).djvu/130

 He set out and he travelled and he travelled, and at last he saw before him a great army defeated. Prince Ivan asked: "If there is a man alive here let him answer. Who conquered this great host?"

A living man answered: "Marya Morevna, the beautiful queen, conquered this mighty host."

Prince Ivan proceeded on his way, and he came to white tents, and Marya Morevna, the beautiful queen, came to meet him.

"Your good health, prince," she said, "whither does God bring you—of your own will or against your own will?"

Prince Ivan replied: "Brave young men do not go against their own will."

"Well if your business does not demand haste, come and be my guest in my camp," she replied.

Prince Ivan was glad of that. He spent two nights in the queen's camp, and he fell in love with Marya Morevna and took her as his wife. Marya Morevna, the beautiful queen, took him with her to her kingdom, where they lived together for some time. Then it occurred to the queen to prepare for a war. She entrusted everything to Prince Ivan and gave him this injunction: "Go everywhere and look after everything; only it is forbidden you to look into this storeroom."