Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/99

Rh Sister of the Sun could stand it no longer, she was determined to find out the cause and help him if she could. So she commanded what little wind there was to stop, and when the prince returned from his journey up the mountain with a tearful face, he did not know how to answer her inquiries, and was at last obliged to tell the truth. The Sister of the Sun was very sorry and tried to comfort him, but all in vain, he felt too wretched, and would do nothing but go to the mountain and weep for the loss of his friends and his country. One day he came to the Sister of the Sun and told her that he intended to visit his father's kingdom and see what had been done to it. At first the Sister of the Sun would not hear of it, but on seeing that the prince looked greatly disappointed, she consented, and gave him a comb, two apples, and a blessing as parting gifts.

"Take this comb and these apples, for they are useful things to have; when you throw the comb on the ground an oak forest will spring up; as to the apples, if you give them to some very, very old people they will instantly become young, and my blessing will keep you from harm. Good-bye, dear prince, and come back to me soon."

Prince Nekita, after embracing her, rode off on his flying horse. He soon came to the old oak-tree, and found it nearly dead, with the exception of a few branches; he felt sorry for the old tree, and remembering the comb he threw it down on the ground and up sprang a large and beautiful oak forest. The tree was delighted, it thanked the prince for his kindness, and promised to help him if it could. Away