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HERE was once a mother who had an only son. “He shall be a hero,” she said, “and his name shall be Vitazko, the Victorious.”

She suckled him for twice seven years and then, to try his strength, she led him out to the forest and bade him pull up a fir-tree by the roots.

When the boy was not strong enough to do this, she took him home and suckled him for another seven years. Then when she had suckled him for thrice seven years, she led him out to the forest again and ordered him to pull up a beech-tree by its roots.

The youth laid hold on the tree and with one mighty pull uprooted it.

“Now, my son, you are strong enough,” the mother said. “Now you are worthy of your name Vitazko. Forget not the mother who has suckled you for thrice seven years but, now that you are grown, take care of her.”

“I will, my mother,” Vitazko promised. “Only tell me what you want me to do.”

“First,” the mother said, “go out into the world