Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/54

38 the opposite direction to the fox, and when at a safe distance from the hunters he changed himself quickly into his proper shape and overtook the old woman.

"Oh, mother! why on earth did you sell the collar? I warned you not, and if we had not met a fox I should have been lost to you for ever."

Then they began building a new hut for themselves, where they lived for some time without starving; but at last out of the hundred roubles only a hundred kopeks (2s. English) remained.

"My dear son," said the old woman, one day, "I wish we could get a little more money to buy a few things with."

"Very well; how much do you want? Will two hundred roubles be enough for you?"

"Two hundred roubles? why, we could build quite a large house, as well as buy all the things I want."

"Well, then, look here. I will change myself into a beautiful bird, and you must take me to market and sell me for two hundred roubles. But mind, mother, and on no account sell me in a cage, or else I can never come home again."

So saying he changed himself into a bird with such lovely feathers that the like had never been seen. The old woman was greatly astonished, and carried it to market in a pretty little cage, and in a very short time she had quite a crowd round her, who came to admire the beautiful creature, and wanted to buy it; but, unfortunately, the price was too high for them, so they shook their heads, whistled, and went away. The old woman was beginning to think that she would never get rid of it at all, when sud-