Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/104

88 "When I have counted three," said the king, "you must let your arrows fly."

The princes stood in readiness. Prince Egor looking towards the left, Prince Vania pointing his bow and arrow straight in front of him, and Prince Akem to the right, as his father had commanded. One, two, and three!—away went the arrows. Prince Egor's arrow fell at the feet of a beautiful damsel, the daughter of a very rich nobleman. Prince Vania's fell before a fair young maiden, daughter of a wealthy merchant. But, alas for poor Prince Akem! his arrow fell in front of an ugly frog, that was sitting at the mouth of a large hole in the ground by the side of a pond! Prince Akem was very angry.

"What!" he cried, "am I, the son of a king, to marry an ugly green frog?"

His brothers laughed.

"Take it," they said, "and never mind. Bottle up your pride, dear brother, and marry the frog. You have our blessing."

But the old king was very much cut up about it, for he loved his youngest son more than anything in the world, and would have done anything to help him. But break his word, never! He had never been known to do such a thing in his life, and if he were to do it now it would be the ruin of him. No; when he once said a thing he meant it, and it could not be undone, not even for the son whom he so dearly loved and almost worshipped.

So the princes were married.

Egor to the nobleman's daughter.

Vania to the merchant's daughter.