Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/257

Rh The wretch began to tremble and did not know what to do or what to say.

"Do not be afraid, my friend," said the other; "I am not angry with you."

And then he began to explain everything to the dishonest man; how he had gone to the forest, and what he had heard there, and how he had worked three years for the rich merchant, and then received the picture of the Virgin Mary, and had at last married the king's beautiful daughter.

When the dishonest man heard this, he thought he would also go into the forest and climb up the old oak-tree.

"Perhaps," said he to himself, "I shall be just as fortunate as my friend!"

So he went to the forest, found the murmuring fountain and the old oak-tree, into which he climbed and waited until nightfall.

At midnight the evil spirits again flew down from all sides on to the grass below; but this time they looked up, and seeing the dishonest man hiding in the tree, they seized him and tore him into a number of very small pieces. R