Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/216

200 you must do the same, or else everything will be lost, for the witch is a wicked old woman."

"All right! I will do just as you say," replied Starveling, as he went off to his brothers, and told them what the horse had said.

The brothers at once put on their wives' dresses, and dressed the young girls up in their own clothes. When night came they all fell asleep, with the exception of Starveling, who kept himself wide awake, curious to know what was going to happen.

At about midnight he heard the witch, just outside his door, calling her servants,—

"Servants! servants! harken to my call; come and cut off the heads of all my uninvited guests!"

The door opened, and in came the witch with her servants, and, rushing to the bed where they thought Starveling lay, they cut off the head of the witch's daughter, and then, running into all the other rooms, cut off the heads of the forty girls, leaving the forty-one young men all alive and well instead of the witch's daughters!

As soon as this was done. Starveling got up and went to his brothers, woke them, and told them what had happened; then the young fellows took their wives' heads and hung them up in their rooms. After having done this, they ran to their horses, mounted them, and rode away.

Early the following morning the witch got up and looked into each little room; but what was her surprise to see the heads of her own daughters hanging on the wall. She grew furious, and, ordering her shield of fire, started off after the young men,