Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/140

124 They put Alyonushka into a little room, and then went down and made merry till nightfall.

"Now we had better go and kill that girl," cried one.

"No, brothers," returned the Fool, "let her live till the morning."

"But, Fool," said they, "she may run away."

"No, brothers, I shall look after her."

The robbers agreed to this, and fell fast asleep. While the Fool went up to the little room in which Alyonushka was kept prisoner.

"Let me go out into the forest," begged Alyonushka of her husband, "or I shall die for want of fresh air."

"Impossible! Suppose my brothers were to hear or to see you?"

"Oh, no! I shall be so careful not to make any noise; you might let me down through this window."

"How am I to know that you would not run away?"

"No, I won't; you can tie a rope round my waist and let me down. When I pull, you can draw me up again, do you see?"

The Fool tied the rope round her, and let her down through the window.

Now Alyonushka was a very cunning young person; so as soon as she reached the ground, she untied the rope from round her waist, and seeing a goat quite close, she tied the unfortunate animal by the horns, and pulling the rope gently, called out in a low voice,—

"Pull me up!"