Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/233

Rh "Why did you come home?" she cried.

"What else were we to do?" the horses replied; "we ran off to the meadows, when down flew a number of birds of various colours, and nearly pecked our eyes out."

"Well then; you must not go to the meadows to-morrow, but go and disperse in the dark forests."

On the following morning the old fairy woke King Vladimir, and told him to go and look after the horses.

"Take care, King Vladimir!" she said; "if you lose one of my horses, your head shall be put on the twelfth pole."

But the moment King Vladimir drove the horses into the fields, the animals galloped away in all directions into the surrounding forests.

The king again sat down on a stone, and began thinking what he had better do, until he fell fast asleep.

The sun had disappeared behind a forest, when the lioness came running up to the sleeping king.

"Get up, King Vladimir!" she said; "the horses are all safe in their stables."

The king arose, and went back to the fairy's hut, where he heard her scolding the horses as before.

"What made you come back, you good-for-nothings?"

"We could not help ourselves; the moment we got into the forests, a number of wild beasts came rushing out from all sides, and nearly tore us to pieces."