Page:Russian Wonder Tales.djvu/161

Rh took her up before him on the saddle and put his good steed to its best pace.

Now that day the Wizard had gone hunting. Toward evening he rode back to his Castle, when suddenly his horse stumbled under him. Thereat he rated it, crying: "Why stumblest thou, sorry nag? Hast thou not been well fed, or dost thou feel some misfortune?"

The horse replied: "Master, I feel a misfortune. Tzarevich Alexis has been here and has carried away thy Maria Morevna."

"Canst thou overtake them?" demanded the Wizard.

"Thou mayest sow a measure of wheat," answered the horse, "thou mayest wait till it is grown, harvest and thresh it, grind the grain to flour, and of it bake five ovens of bread to eat, and after that I should be able to overtake them."

Kastchey put his horse to a gallop and easily overtook Tzarevich Alexis. "Well," he said, "when thou gavest me to drink, I promised on occasion to give thee thy life. Therefore this time I do not slay thee." Then taking Maria Morevna from him, he returned to his Castle, leaving the Tzarevich weeping.

Tzarevich Alexis wept a long time, but weeping