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Rh caressing words, he yielded and told her the secret of the wonder-working ring.

As soon as he was asleep, his wife took the ring from his finger, went to the balcony and threw it from one hand to another, and instantly the twelve youths appeared, saying, "What wouldst thou, beautiful Tzar's daughter?" She bade them that same hour to transport the Palace, the bridge and cathedral, with herself, across three times nine lands to the thirtieth Tzardom, and as for her husband, to leave him lying on the meadow.

In the morning the Tzar went to his balcony, and looking, saw no longer either Palace, bridge or cathedral. He called messengers and sent them out, and running swiftly, they returned, saying: "O Tzar's Majesty! where yesterday were the splendid Palace and cathedral is now only a bare meadow, with thy son-in-law lying asleep in the middle of it. But thy daughter, the Tzarevna, is nowhere to be found."

In great wrath, the Tzar bade them bring Martin before him, and calling a council of his Boyars, demanded what he had done with the Palace and the Tzarevna. And when Martin could not answer, he gave orders to build a great stone column with but a single small window, and to wall him