Page:Turkish fairy tales and folk tales (1901).djvu/290

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

When the wolf saw the tenderness that had grown up between them he said: "Leave everything to me, and your desires shall be fulfilled!" Then they set out to return from whence they had just come, and, while they were on the road, the wolf turned three somersaults and made himself exactly like the divine Craiessa, for you must know that this wolf was a magician.

Then they arranged among themselves that the faithful servant of Boy-Beautiful should stand by the trunk of a great tree in the forest till Boy-Beautiful returned with the steed. So on reaching the court of the Emperor who had the steed, Boy-Beautiful gave him the made-up divine Craiessa, and when the Emperor saw her his heart died away within him, and he felt a love for her which told in words would be foolishness.

"Thy merits, Boy-Beautiful," said the Emperor, "have saved thee this time also from a shameful death, and now I'll pay thee for this by giving thee the steed." Then Boy-Beautiful put his hand on the steed and leaped into the jewelled saddle, and, reaching the tree, placed the divine Craiessa in front of him and galloped across the boundaries of that empire.

And now the Emperor called together all his counsellors and went to the cathedral to be married to the divine Craiessa. When they got to the door of the