Page:Russian Wonder Tales.djvu/145

Rh who alighted on the ground and would have eaten of the flesh, but the Wolf leaped up and seized one of the young birds.

Then the mother crow, flying to a little distance, said to him: "O Gray Wolf, wolf's son! Do not devour my little child, since it has in no way harmed thee."

And the Gray Wolf answered: "Listen, Crow, crow's daughter! Serve me a certain service, and I will not harm thy fledgling. I have heard that across three times nine countries, in the thirtieth Tzardom, are two springs, so placed that none save a bird can come to them, which give forth, the one the water of death, and the other the water of life. Bring to me two bottles of these waters, and I will let thy fledgling go safe and sound. But if thou dost not, then I will tear it in pieces and devour it."

"I will indeed do thee this service, Gray Wolf, wolf's son," said the crow, "only harm not my child," and immediately flew away as swiftly as an arrow.

The Gray Wolf waited one day, he waited two days, he waited three days, and on the fourth day the she-crow came flying with two little bottles of water in her beak.

The Gray Wolf tore the fledgling into pieces.