Page:Russian Wonder Tales.djvu/356

306 three wide rivers between, on each of which is a ferry, and the price asked thee will be great."

Tzarevich Dimitry threw her two pieces of gold. "I have a plenty of such," he said scornfully, and rode on to the river. When they saw the gigantic ferryman, however, with his frame covered with copper armor, the horses his twenty men rode, stricken with terror, galloped away and the Tzarevich approached him trembling. He, too, was ferried over at the cost of his right hand, and lamenting its loss, rode on alone to the second river. And there, though the fierce aspect of the ferryman made his horse sweat and his own heart shake, he approached and asked, "O ferryman, wilt thou ferry me over?"

"If thou wilt pay my price," answered the ferryman.

"And what is thy price?" asked the Tzarevich.

"I will bring thee back for naught," said the other, "but for ferrying thee over, I shall strike off thy left foot."

The Tzarevich's bright head hung lower than his stalwart shoulders. "I have already given my right hand," he thought, "and a foot is not so much more when a Tzardom is the reward." So he bade the other carry him over and when they had crossed