Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/291

Rh animal was not there. They looked and looked, and at last came to the marsh, where they found the head looking out of the ground.

"Just see where the devil has enticed him to!" said one of the men, pointing at the head. "The animal has sunk right into the mud. We must try our best to pull him out."

They had some very thick ropes with them, so they took one, and threw it round the bull's horns. They then all three set to work to pull the rope. They had hardly given one little pull when down they all went on their backs.

"How unfortunate!" exclaimed the men, getting up, and seeing the head without the body. "The bull was evidently very deep in the mud, for, see, we have only succeeded in tearing off his head."

However, nothing was to be done; so the mujiks went home empty-handed.

As soon as they had gone Senka the Little called his uncle, and they both skinned the bull, cut the flesh up, and then began to divide it between them.

"Are we to divide the body equally?" asked the uncle. "I think I ought to have more than you, Senka, for I am older than you."

But Senka was offended. He snatched up the bull's skin, and left his uncle. He went behind some bushes, and, taking two rather thick branches, began thrashing and thrashing the skin, crying out meanwhile at the top of his voice,—

"Let me go! let me go, little father! It was not I alone who stole the bull; my uncle helped me."

When the uncle heard this he thought to himself