Page:Russian Wonder Tales.djvu/136

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102
RUSSIAN WONDER TALES

golden bridle. And Tzarevich Ivan, mounting, rode outside the walls to the real Helen the Beautiful, put her before him on the saddle and set out across the three times nine countries back to the Tzardom of Tzar Dolmat.

As to the Gray Wolf, he spent one day, he spent two days, he spent three days in Tzar Afron's Palace, all the while having the shape of the beautiful Tzarevna, while the Tzar made preparations for a splendid bridal. On the fourth day he asked the Tzar's permission to go for a walk on the open steppe.

"Oh, my beautiful Tzar's daughter," said Tzar Afron, "I grant thee whatever thou mayst wish. Go then and walk where it pleaseth thee, and perchance it will soothe thy grief and sorrow at parting from thy father." So he ordered serving-women and all the ladies-in-waiting of the Court to walk with her.

But all at once, as they walked on the open steppe, Tzarevich Ivan, far away, riding with the real Helen the Beautiful on the Horse with the Golden Mane, suddenly bethought himself and cried: "Gray Wolf, Gray Wolf, I am thinking of thee now. Where art thou?" At that very instant the false Princess, as she walked with the ladies-in-waiting