Page:Russian Wonder Tales.djvu/209

Rh the people, and the Tzar returned to the Palace. Then Martin, summoning the twelve youths, said: "Bring from the thirtieth Tzardom my Palace, with the five-domed cathedral and the crystal bridge, and let my unfaithful wife be brought also."

In the morning when the Tzar went to his balcony he saw all once more as it had been. He hastened to cross the crystal bridge to his son-in-law's Palace, where Martin met him, took his hand, and led him to his council-hall. There he recounted all that had befallen him at the hands of the Tzarevna, his wife. "Thus," he said, "did thy daughter by me, her husband. What, now, shall be her punishment?"

The Tzar considered, and said: "She should be tied to the tail of a wild stallion and her body scattered in the deep ravines, but since she is my daughter and thy wife, I beseech thee, my son-in-law, by thy forgiveness to make her ashamed of her folly and to take her to thee once more."

So Martin sent for his wife, who, having awaked to find her Palace in its old place, knew not what evil death awaited her, and he forgave her and took her again to wife. And she was ashamed, and wept before him, and began to love him truly from that moment.