Page:Slavonic Fairy Tales.djvu/251

234 "Hail, young shepherd!" she said. "See what beautiful apples grow in our garden; here is one for you, so that you may know how nicely they taste." And she handed him a beautiful red apple. But Yanechek knew that if he were to take that apple and eat it, he would fall asleep, and then the girl would tear out his eyes; he therefore said,—

"Thank you, beautiful maiden; my master has in his garden an apple tree which bears much finer apples. I have eaten enough of them."

"Well, if you do not like it, I shall not press you," answered the girl, and then went away.

In a short time there came another girl, handsomer than the first; she held in her hand a beautiful red rose and said,—

"Hail, young shepherd! See what a beautiful rose I have plucked from yonder ridge between those fields; it smells deliciously,—smell it!"

"Thank you, beautiful maiden," answered Yanechek. "My master has in his garden much finer roses; I have smelt them enough."

"Very well," answered the girl angrily; "if you do not want to smell it, you need not do it."

She then turned round and went away. After a little while there came a third girl, the youngest and handsomest of them all.