Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/100

84 went the prince until he reached the hut where he had found the two old women, who were now lying on their death-beds. He gave them each an apple, which they ate and became quite young and well again. They almost embraced the prince in their joy, and gave him a handkerchief which would turn into a large lake when thrown down on the ground. At last Prince Nekita arrived at his skeleton home, and the witch, his sister, came out to meet him, smiling, and after kissing him most affectionately, led him into a chamber in the remaining wing of the palace.

"Sit down, dear brother," she said, "and amuse yourself just as much as you like, while I go and get the dinner ready; for I have no servants here, I hate to have them about me."

So saying, the witch disappeared, while Prince Nekita went to the window and looked out. How changed everything was, and how horrid all looked; the streets were covered with dead bodies, and human bones, skulls, and ruined houses lay all over the place in hopeless confusion. The poor prince shuddered, and turned his back on the window, when suddenly his eyes fell upon a harp standing in the corner of the room. He went up to it, threw off his cloak, and began playing a Russian air, when out came a little mouse from under the floor, and said in a human voice,—

"Save yourself, Prince Nekita, fly for your life! Your sister has just gone to sharpen her teeth, and unless you wish to be eaten up, you had better leave this wretched place."

Prince Nekita did not wait to be told a second