Page:Russian Wonder Tales.djvu/202

164 "Well, Jourka," said the cat, "there is no good in quarreling. I have a plan, if thou wilt make peace so that I may come down."

The dog made peace, and coming down from the tree, the cat said: "It is said that everything that happens in the water is known to the lobsters. Let us compel their Tzar to aid us."

So, running along the beach, they began to catch and kill all lobsters, large and small, and to heap the bodies as high as haystacks, so there fell great fear in all the sea-ocean. At length, seeing so many of his subjects slain, the huge Lobster-Tzar came out of the water and prostrated himself before the dog and cat. "Mighty heroes!" he said, "I pray you cease to slaughter my people, and whatsoever service ye will, that will I serve."

"Bring us," said Jourka, "a ring which we dropped a little while ago in crossing the sea-ocean, or thy whole Tzardom shall be made waste and desolate."

The Lobster at once summoned his subjects, big and little, and questioned them, when a little lobsterling came forward scarce a span long. "I saw the ring, O Tzar's Majesty!" he said. "The moment it fell into the sea-ocean, a pike-fish snatched and swallowed it before my eyes." Then the