Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/110

94 two beautiful white swans were seen sailing about on the pond.

The people stood looking on in wonder and amazement, until it became Prince Egor's turn to dance with his wife; and as they danced the fair damsel waved her left hand, just as the frog-princess had done, but, alas! she only splashed all the people with the wine. She tried her right hand, but the bones and meat which she had concealed in her sleeve flew right into the king's eyes, and hurt him very badly on the nose. He grew very angry, and ordered his guests to go to their respective homes, and trouble him no more.

Meanwhile, Prince Akem found time to run home to the frog's hole, determined that that beautiful princess should never be changed into a frog any more. He searched everywhere for the frog-skin, which he at last found and burnt. When the lovely frog-princess reached home, and found what the prince had done, she became very sad, and wept bitterly.

"Oh, Prince Akem," she cried, "what have you done? Oh, if you had but waited a little longer, all would have gone well; but now, alas! farewell! You will have a difficult task if you wish to find me again, my beloved prince; but if you want me to come back to you, take this pair of iron boots, put them on, and go to the tenth kingdom at the World's End. There you will find me waiting for you. Farewell!"

She embraced the unhappy prince, and, changing herself suddenly into a lovely white bird, flew away up into the spotless blue sky and was out of sight, leaving Prince Akem alone in his terrible and uncon-