three times and the boy came running at once. This time the hermit handed him a golden distaff and said:
“Take this distaff and go to the palace. Sit down in the courtyard near the gate. If any one asks you what you want for the distaff, say two feet and don’t exchange it for anything else.”
Zloboha was standing at a window of the palace looking down into the courtyard when she saw the boy with a golden distaff.
“Mother!” she cried. “Come and see! There’s that boy again sitting near the gate and this time he has a golden distaff!”
Mother and daughter at once went out to question the boy.
“What do you want for the distaff?” Zloboha asked.
“Two feet,” the boy said.
“Two feet?”
“Yes, two feet.”
“Tell me, what will your father do with two feet?”
“I don’t know. I never ask my father what he does with anything. But whatever he tells me to do, I do. That is why I can’t exchange the distaff for anything but two feet.”
“Listen, mother,” Zloboha said, “now that I have
