Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/55

Rh denly, who should turn up but the sorcerer. He knew her at once, and went up to her and began admiring the bird. The old woman did not recognize him, as he was got up to look like somebody else. He asked how much she wanted for the bird. She told him. He did not hesitate a moment, but gave her the money, and was just about to take the cage, when she stopped him.

"I did not sell the cage as well," said she.

After a long argument, the sorcerer and the old woman began quarrelling. But the assembled crowd took the old woman's part, and would not let the sorcerer have the cage, but gave it back to her. The sorcerer, on seeing that he could not do anything, took the bird, and tied it up in his handkerchief and went home.

"Well, daughter," said he, "I have brought back our young man after all, and a nice lot of trouble he gave me."

"Oh! where is he?" she exclaimed.

He untied the handkerchief very carefully; but just as he had opened it, out flew the bird through the open window, and away high up into the air, quite out of sight, leaving the sorcerer stamping about in an awful rage, and his pretty little daughter to lament her loss.

When the old woman returned home from market, she was greatly surprised, as well as overjoyed, at seeing her son seated very comfortably in a chair, waiting for her.

"Thank Heaven," said he, embracing her, "that you did what I told you this time. It would have