Page:Russian Fairy Book (N. H. Dole).djvu/164

 The guests began to eat, drink, and be merry. Vasilisa the All-Wise drank from a glass and poured the dregs up her left sleeve. She ate some swan flesh and thrust some of the bones up her right sleeve. The wives of the two elder princes marvelled at her cleverness, and lo! they had to do the same thing!

Afterwards when Vasilisa the All- Wise went out to dance with Prince Ivan she shook her left sleeve—a lake was formed; she shook her right sleeve, and over the water flew white swans. The king and the guests were mightily astonished.

Now the two elder daughters-in-law started to dance. They shook their left sleeves—all they succeeded in doing was to spatter the other guests; they shook their right sleeves—a bone flew out and hit the king directly in the eye. The king was angry and sent them home in disgrace.

Meantime Prince Ivan seized his opportunity, ran home, found the frogskin, and burnt it up in a great fire. When Vasilisa the All-Wise came and discovered that her frogskin was gone, she grew sad and said to the prince:

"Oh, Prince Ivan, what have you done? If you had only waited a little I should have been yours forever. But now good-bye! You will find