Page:Russian Fairy Book (N. H. Dole).djvu/90

 Prince Ivan mounted the Gray Wolf, and they proceeded on their way. As soon as the Gray Wolf had brought Prince Ivan to the place where he had torn the horse to pieces he stopped and said:

"Now, Prince Ivan, I have served you with ample faith and truth. Here in this place I tore your horse in two, and I have brought you back to this very place. Dismount from me, from the Gray Wolf. Now you have a gold-maned horse and I will no longer be your servant."

The Gray Wolf spoke these words and galloped off to one side, and Prince Ivan wept bitterly at parting with the Gray Wolf, but he rode on his way with the beautiful queen. How long he rode with Helena on the gold-maned horse it were hard to say, but when he came within twenty miles of his own realm, he stopped, dismounted, and sat down with the beautiful queen to rest under a tree. He fastened the gold-maned horse to the same tree, and set the cage and the Magic Bird in its golden cage and the golden bridle near him. And as they rested on the soft turf and talked together they fell asleep; and just at that time Prince Ivan's brothers, Prince Dimitri and Prince Vasili, coming from different lands,