Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/89

Rh he himself sailed away in the other. He sailed and sailed till he came to another kingdom, on the shores of which were some splendid oak-trees; here he thought he would spend the night; so he anchored and climbed up into one of the oak-trees, and fell asleep. Suddenly he was awakened by some one talking beneath. He sat up to listen, and heard Erachta, who was a well-known robber and murderer, whom no one had been able to catch, boasting to his comrades that on the following night he intended to steal the king's beautiful daughter. His comrades, in reply, told him that if he failed to do so they would flog him with iron rods!

As soon as the peasant heard this he got down, unseen, and went to the king, told him what he had heard Erachta say, and also asked to be allowed to be in the palace and save the princess. The king thanked him, and consented, telling him that he would reward him handsomely if he succeeded in saving her.

When night came on the peasant took out his last kopek, threw it on the ground, and out came flames of fire; so that when Erachta arrived to carry off the princess he could not do so, on account of the magic power of the coin. He went back to his comrades, who kept their promise, and nearly flogged him to death with their iron rods, and then threw him into a dark cave.

Meanwhile the peasant became a great man, married the king's daughter, whose life he had saved, and lived happily for many a long year.