Page:Russian Wonder Tales.djvu/347



N old, olden times, when God's world was full of wizards and forest monsters, and when the rivers ran with sweet milk, there lived a Tzar named Bel-Belianin with his Tzaritza and their three sons, Alexé, Dimitry and Petr, lads comely and clever, all three of them.

One day the Tzaritza, who had gone to walk on the open steppe, failed to return to the Palace, and though wide search was made, no trace could be found of her. She had disappeared as completely as if she had fallen into the water. Then Tzar Bel-Belianin called together his Ministers and Boyars, his sages, his grandees and councilors, and asked their advice, and when they had deliberated for three weeks, the eldest among them came before him and said:

"O Tzar's Majesty! it is clear that the Tzaritza