Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/337

Rh about after the little brown cow, richly attired; but as soon as the day drew to an end, she would jump in at the little cow's left ear and out at its right, and return home to the palace dressed in her usual shabby clothes, bringing the piece of dry bread back to her step-mother.

"I wonder how she manages to have enough?" thought the steprmother to herself.

At last the step-mother could stand it no longer. She was very curious to know how Princess Marie contrived to get through the day without eating the piece of dry bread she had given her. So she called her eldest daughter, with the one eye, and said,—

"Go into the fields with Princess Marie, and see what she does with herself to keep off hunger?"

The two girls went together into the green fields, and sat down on the grass. "Go to sleep, my dear sister," said Princess Marie, "and I will sing you a song."

So the one-eyed maiden made herself as comfortable as she possibly could upon the grass, while Princess Marie murmured to herself,—

"Don't look, little eye; but go to sleep!" And then she commenced singing until her sister fell fast asleep. Princess Marie then arose, and climbing into the little cow's right ear and out at the left was clad in the beautiful garments again. After having plenty to eat and drink, she walked about after the little brown cow. When evening came, Princess Marie got in at the animal's left ear and out at its right, and was once more in her shabby clothes. She went up to her sleeping sister and woke her. Y