Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/81

Rh his way, and brought them to his mother, who laughed at him.

"Look at the mushrooms you have brought," she said; "they are fit for nobody but you, you stupid!"

Ivan laughed also, and climbed into his old resting-place, the top of the big stove, where he waited for the return of his brothers. When they at last arrived they were full of news, and told their parents all that they had heard and seen,—how a handsome young prince had been there, and how he had touched them with his whip, and a good deal more; while Ivan laughed himself to sleep.

Next day the two elder brothers again went to the feast, but Ivan went into the fields and called out just as the horse had told him,—

"Chestnut horse! chestnut horse! stand before me like a leaf before a tree!"

And immediately there was a great sound like approaching thunder, and the horse galloped up to him. Ivan did exactly as he had done the day before, climbed into the right ear and out of the left, jumped on to the animal's back, looking just as handsome as on the first occasion, and rode off to the palace, where everybody made way for him, and welcomed him with the shouts of "Hoorah!" But he looked at no one, and riding straight to where the princess sat, tried to jump up to the window, but no; he did not get any farther than the last time, so he turned his horse round in disgust, touched his brothers lightly on the shoulders as before, and rode away.

When the brothers returned that night Ivan was F