Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/213

Rh had hitherto been delightfully calm and pleasant, changed; the wind blew, the lightning flashed, the thunder rolled, and the sea rose, while out of the midst of the furious waves came a wonderful white horse; which galloped up to the first hay-rick, and commenced devouring the hay.

Starveling sprang up quickly, and throwing the iron chain round the horse, jumped on its back. The animal, not liking the sudden turn things had taken, tried to throw his rider off, but in vain. The horse then began galloping, jumping, and dancing about, but still Starveling kept his seat firmly. At last, finding that it was useless trying to get the young fellow off, the horse stopped suddenly, and turning his beautiful head to Starveling, said,—

"Young man, since you have been clever enough to catch me and ride on my back—which no one has ever been able to do before—I will make you a present of all my brother horses."

So saying, this extraordinary creature went to the seaside, and began calling out something in a very loud voice, and immediately the angry waves rose, and out of the depths of the sea came forty white ponies, each prettier than the other. Starveling stared in astonishment, never had he seen such beautiful animals!

Next morning the peasant heard a terrific noise in the yard. He listened; it sounded as though some one had by mistake driven a troop of horses into his farm, for the stamping and neighing was simply too dreadful! He called his forty sons, and they all rushed into the yard to see what it meant, and