Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/312

296 "Listen," said the eagle, "and do not open the boxes until you reach home; the red box you must open in the fields behind the palace, and the green one you must open in the front of the palace."

The king took the boxes, parted from his friend the eagle, and sailed away over the blue seas. At last he arrived at some kind of an island, where he anchored his ship, and jumped on to the shore. He suddenly remembered the little boxes, and began wondering what there could be inside, and why he was not to open them. He thought and thought, and at last, not being able to stand it any longer, he took hold of the little red box, put it on the ground, and—opened it. Hardly had he done so, when out came a number of all kinds of cattle, till the whole island was swarming! When the king saw this he was greatly alarmed and began to cry.

"What on earth am I to do?" he said aloud to himself. "How can I possibly put all these cattle back into such a little box?"

At that moment he beheld a man come out of the waves.

"What is the matter, great king?" asked the man. "Why do you weep so bitterly?"

"How can I help it?" returned the king. "How am I to collect all these immense beasts, and put them into such a small box?"

"I think I can help you out of your trouble, and collect the cattle for you; but on one condition, and that is, that you give me something of which you know nothing, but which you have at home,"

The king was astonished