Page:Russian Fairy Book (N. H. Dole).djvu/71

 IVAN AND THE GRAY WOLF

NCE upon a time, in a certain kingdom, in a certain realm, lived a Tsar named Vuislaf. He had three sons of princely birth: the first was Prince Dimitri, the second Prince Yasili, and the third was Prince Ivan. This Tsar had a garden so rich that there was none like it in any country, and in this garden grew all kinds of precious trees that bore fruit and did not bear fruit; and the Tsar had one favourite apple-tree which bore nothing but golden apples. Now the Magic Bird was in the habit of flying into the Tsar's garden, and this bird had golden feathers and eyes like Oriental crystal. It used to fly into the garden every night and sit on the Tsar's favourite apple-tree and strip it of the golden apples and then fly away again.

The Tsar became greatly distressed on account of his apple-tree; therefore he summoned his three sons and said to them: "My beloved children! Which of you is able to catch the Magic Bird in