Page:Russian Wonder Tales.djvu/51

Rh these things, and we bear to thee a greeting from him and from the Tzaritza, his mother."

The Tzar was astonished to hear of this and said to his wife: "In truth, the wonders of which thou hast told me are all to be found in this surpassing island. Canst thou recall any marvel to match this?"

She answered spitefully: "That is not so hard. There is in a dense forest, under a crooked oak-tree, a great flat stone which covers an underground room, and in the room are six Tzarevichs, more beautiful than can be told. Each has legs golden to the knee, arms silver to the elbow, and in his hair are little stars. A witch keeps them hidden, and there lives in the white world no man clever enough to find them out or to learn who they are."

Tzar Saltan, hearing, was silent, thinking of his dead wife and of her promise to bear him such hero-sons. He dismissed the merchants with rich gifts and they bought goods to fill their ships and sailed away again on the wide sea-ocean.

In time they touched at the island of Tzaritza Marfa, and being entertained, recounted to her their visit to Tzar Saltan's court and told how, for a third time, he had purposed to voyage thither,