Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/101

Rh time; he mounted his horse and flew, while the mouse taking the prince's place by the harp, played away at it, so that the witch might not know that the prince had left. After having sharpened her teeth the witch returned, but could see no one; even the mouse had run away into its little hole on hearing the witch approach, and was now running up and down there just as if nothing had happened. The witch was in a great rage, she howled and growled until she came to the conclusion that she had better go after her brother, so off she went in her mortar. The prince on hearing a noise behind him, looked round and saw the witch coming after him; on he rode faster and faster, and she came closer and closer to him. At last Prince Nekita, on seeing his danger, threw down the handkerchief, and there appeared a very large lake.

While the witch was crossing this lake, the prince managed to get at a good distance off, and for some time did not see her, but after awhile he looked round and beheld her coming nearer and nearer. He was now not very far from the oak forest, which, when it saw that the prince was in danger, spread out its branches so thickly that the witch lost some time in biting her way through, while the prince neared the dwelling of the Sister of the Sun. But the witch after having got through the forest, began her pursuit once more.

"Ah!" she cried, as she came close behind the prince, "I shall catch you, you have no means of saving yourself now."

But she was mistaken, for after flying on and on as fast as ever he could. Prince Nekita at last reached