foxes,' replied the mare, 'but they are no
friends of mine and betrayed me.'
'Well, this time you had better go to the wolves,' said she, not
knowing that the prince had heard all she had been saying.
The third night the prince mounted the mare and rode her out to
the meadows, with the foal trotting after. He tried hard to keep
awake, but it was of no use, and in the morning there he was
again on the log, grasping the halter. He started to his feet,
and then stopped, for he remembered what the old woman had said,
and pulled out the wolf's grey lock.
'What is it, my brother?' asked the wolf as it stood before him.
'The old witch's mare has run away from me,' replied the prince,
'and I don't know where to find her.'
'Oh, she is with us,' answered the wolf, 'and she has changed
herself into a she-wolf, and the foal into a cub; but strike the
earth here with the halter, and cry, "Come to me, O mare of the
mountain witch." '
The prince did as he was bid, and as the hair touched his fingers
the wolf changed back into a mare, with the foal beside her. And
when he had mounted and ridden her home the old woman was on the
steps to receive them, and she set some food before the prince,
but led the mare back to her stable.
'You should have gone among the wolves,' said she, striking her
with a stick.
'So I did,' replied the mare, 'but they are no friends of mine
and betrayed me.'
The old woman made no answer, and left the stable, but the prince
was at the door waiting for her.
'I have served you well,' said he, 'and now for my reward.'
'What I promised that will I perform,' answered she. 'Choose one
of these twelve horses; you can have which you like.'
'Give me, instead, that half-starved creature in the corner,'
asked the prince. 'I prefer him to all those beautiful animals.'
'You can't really mean what you say?' replied the woman.
'Yes, I do,' said the prince, and the old woman was forced to let
him have his way. So he took leave of her, and put the halter
round his horse's neck and led him into the forest, where he
rubbed him down till his skin was shining like gold. Then he
mounted, and they flew straight through the air to the dragon's
palace. The empress had been looking for him night and day, and
stole out to meet him, and he swung her on to his saddle, and the
horse flew off again.
Not long after the dragon came home, and when he found the
empress was missing he said to his horse, 'What shall we do?
Shall we eat and drink, or shall we follow the runaways?' and the
horse replied, 'Whether you eat or don't eat, drink or don't
drink, follow them or stay at home, matters nothing now, for you
can never, never catch them.'
But the dragon made no reply to the horse's words, but sprang on
his back and set off in chase of the fugitives. And when they
saw him coming they were frightened, and urged the prince's horse
faster and faster, till he said, 'Fear nothing; no harm can
happen to us,' and their hearts grew calm, for they trusted his
wisdom.
Soon the dragon's horse was heard panting behind, and he cried
out, 'Oh, my brother, do not go so fast! I shall sink to the
earth if I try to keep up with you.'
And the prince's horse answered, 'Why do you serve a monster like
that? Kick him off, and let him break in pieces on the ground,
and come and join us.'
And the dragon's horse plunged and reared, and the dragon fell on
a rock, which broke him in pieces. Then the empress mounted his
horse, and rode back with her husband to her kingdom, over which
they ruled for many years.
(Volksmarchen der Serben.)
The Lute Player
*
Once upon a time there was a king and queen who lived happily and
comfortably together. They were very fond of each other and had
nothing to worry them, but at last the king grew restless. He
longed to go out into the world, to try his strength in battle
against some enemy and to win all kinds of honour and glory.
So he called his army together and gave orders to start for a
distant country where a heathen
friends of mine and betrayed me.'
'Well, this time you had better go to the wolves,' said she, not
knowing that the prince had heard all she had been saying.
The third night the prince mounted the mare and rode her out to
the meadows, with the foal trotting after. He tried hard to keep
awake, but it was of no use, and in the morning there he was
again on the log, grasping the halter. He started to his feet,
and then stopped, for he remembered what the old woman had said,
and pulled out the wolf's grey lock.
'What is it, my brother?' asked the wolf as it stood before him.
'The old witch's mare has run away from me,' replied the prince,
'and I don't know where to find her.'
'Oh, she is with us,' answered the wolf, 'and she has changed
herself into a she-wolf, and the foal into a cub; but strike the
earth here with the halter, and cry, "Come to me, O mare of the
mountain witch." '
The prince did as he was bid, and as the hair touched his fingers
the wolf changed back into a mare, with the foal beside her. And
when he had mounted and ridden her home the old woman was on the
steps to receive them, and she set some food before the prince,
but led the mare back to her stable.
'You should have gone among the wolves,' said she, striking her
with a stick.
'So I did,' replied the mare, 'but they are no friends of mine
and betrayed me.'
The old woman made no answer, and left the stable, but the prince
was at the door waiting for her.
'I have served you well,' said he, 'and now for my reward.'
'What I promised that will I perform,' answered she. 'Choose one
of these twelve horses; you can have which you like.'
'Give me, instead, that half-starved creature in the corner,'
asked the prince. 'I prefer him to all those beautiful animals.'
'You can't really mean what you say?' replied the woman.
'Yes, I do,' said the prince, and the old woman was forced to let
him have his way. So he took leave of her, and put the halter
round his horse's neck and led him into the forest, where he
rubbed him down till his skin was shining like gold. Then he
mounted, and they flew straight through the air to the dragon's
palace. The empress had been looking for him night and day, and
stole out to meet him, and he swung her on to his saddle, and the
horse flew off again.
Not long after the dragon came home, and when he found the
empress was missing he said to his horse, 'What shall we do?
Shall we eat and drink, or shall we follow the runaways?' and the
horse replied, 'Whether you eat or don't eat, drink or don't
drink, follow them or stay at home, matters nothing now, for you
can never, never catch them.'
But the dragon made no reply to the horse's words, but sprang on
his back and set off in chase of the fugitives. And when they
saw him coming they were frightened, and urged the prince's horse
faster and faster, till he said, 'Fear nothing; no harm can
happen to us,' and their hearts grew calm, for they trusted his
wisdom.
Soon the dragon's horse was heard panting behind, and he cried
out, 'Oh, my brother, do not go so fast! I shall sink to the
earth if I try to keep up with you.'
And the prince's horse answered, 'Why do you serve a monster like
that? Kick him off, and let him break in pieces on the ground,
and come and join us.'
And the dragon's horse plunged and reared, and the dragon fell on
a rock, which broke him in pieces. Then the empress mounted his
horse, and rode back with her husband to her kingdom, over which
they ruled for many years.
(Volksmarchen der Serben.)
The Lute Player
*
Once upon a time there was a king and queen who lived happily and
comfortably together. They were very fond of each other and had
nothing to worry them, but at last the king grew restless. He
longed to go out into the world, to try his strength in battle
against some enemy and to win all kinds of honour and glory.
So he called his army together and gave orders to start for a
distant country where a heathen
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