Page:The Russian story book, containing tales from the song-cycles of Kiev and Novgorod and other early sources.djvu/334

 "My givers of answers fail me," said the ancient woman as she took Ivan by the lily-white hand and led him into the house. Then there flew through the open window the Mogol Bird which fell to the ground at her feet.

"Ah, Mogol Bird," said the old woman, "whither hast thou come?"

"I come from the home of Peerless Beauty," was the tired reply, "and I have been dressing her for Mass in the Cathedral."

The old woman clapped her hands in delight. "That is the news I seek," she said. "Now, Mogol Bird, do me a favour. Carry this young man, Ivan Tsarevich, to the home of Peerless the Beauty."

"That I will," was the reply, "but we shall need a great deal of food."

"How much?" asked the old woman.

"Three hundredweight of beef," was the answer, "and a keg full of water."

Ivan filled a large keg with water and placed it upon the back of the Mogol Bird with the heaped-up piles of beef round about it. Then he ran to the forge and told the smith to make him a long iron lance, and with this weapon in his hand he sat on the edge of the keg with the beef all round about him. Up rose the Mogol Bird and once it was under way it flew so steadily that the top of the water in the keg remained always level, but now and again the bird would slowly turn its head and look at Ivan, when he would at once give it a large piece of beef upon the point of his long iron lance.