Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/319

Rh One day the king ordered a great feast to be spread with all manner of good things to eat, enough for a thousand people, and then sufficient would remain for another grand dinner. When all was ready, he told the young prince to finish up everything, without leaving a morsel on any of the plates and dishes, or he would be severely punished.

"Little father!" said the cunning young prince to the King of the Sea, "I have an old man, a very great friend, whom I brought with me. Can he have a little of the good things as well as I?"

"Very well, let him come; but he must not have much." So the prince told Eat-All to make his appearance, which he did, and ate up everything that was on the table, and asked for more.

After this the King of the Sea ordered all the wines and spirits he could possibly think of to be brought in large casks, and told the young married couple to drink every drop, or he would have them punished.

"Little father!" said the young prince again, "may we ask an old man, whom I brought with me, to join us?"

"Yes, let him come!"

And in came Drink-All, who at a draught drank off every cask of wine and spirits, and then asked for more.

When the King of the Sea saw that nothing could be done with the young prince, whom he wanted to get rid of, he felt very angry; at last he thought of something that might finish him. He ordered an iron bath to be heated full of boiling water; when this