Page:Russian Fairy Book (N. H. Dole).djvu/139

 Then he seized her and earned her off with him.

Prince Ivan was left alone. He wept and he wept, and again he started after Marya Morevna. This time also, by good luck, Koshchei was not at home. "Let us go, Marya Morevna!" he said.

"Oh, Prince Ivan," she exclaimed, trembling, "he will surely catch us, and he will hack you to pieces! "

"Let him hack me to pieces!" he replied fiercely, "I cannot live without you."

So they got ready and started off.

Koshchei the Deathless was on his way home, and his good steed stumbled under him. "Why do you stumble?' said he. "Do you scent some misfortune?"

"Prince Ivan has come after Marya Morevna and has carried her away," the steed answered. Without loss of time Koshchei galloped after them, overtook Prince Ivan, and cut him into mincemeat, and put him into a pitchy cask. He took this cask, fastened it with iron hoops, and flung it into the blue sea; and he carried Marya Morevna off with him.

At this very time the silver articles that Prince Ivan had left at his brothers-in-law turned black.

"Oh," they exclaimed, "some misfortune has evidently taken place!"