`Well, to-morrow run off into the blue sea.'
Again did Prince Ivan sleep through the night.Next morning the Baba Yaga sent him forth to watch the mares.
`If you don't take good care of them,' says she, `your bold head will be stuck on that pole!'
He drove the mares afield.Immediately they cocked up their tails, disappeared from sight, and fled into the blue sea.There they stood, up to their necks in water.Prince Ivan sat down on the stone, wept, and fell asleep.But when the sun had set behind the forest, up came flying a bee, and said:
`Arise, Prince! The mares are all collected.But when you get home, don't let the Baba Yaga set eyes on you, but go into the stable and hide behind the mangers.There you will find a sorry colt rolling in the muck.Do you steal it, and at the dead of night ride away from the house.'
Prince Ivan arose, slipped into the stable, and lay down behind the mangers, while the Baba Yaga was storming away at her mares and shrieking:
`Why did ye come back?'
`How could we help coming back? There came flying bees in countless numbers from all parts of the world, and began stinging us on all sides till the blood came!'
The Baba Yaga went to sleep.In the dead of the night Prince Ivan stole the sorry colt, saddled it, jumped on its back, and galloped away to the fiery river.When he came to that river he waved the handkerchief three times on the right hand, and suddenly, springing goodness knows whence, there hung across the river, high in the air, a splendid bridge.The Prince rode across the bridge and waved the handkerchief twice only on the left hand; there remained across the river a thin, ever so thin a bridge!
When the Baba Yaga got up in the morning the sorry colt was not to be seen! Off she set in pursuit.At full speed did she fly in her iron mortar, urging it on with the pestle, sweeping away her traces with the broom.She dashed up to the fiery river, gave a glance, and said, `A capital bridge!' She drove on to the bridge, but had only got half-way when the bridge broke in two, and the Baba Yaga went flop into the river.There truly did she meet with a cruel death!
Prince Ivan fattened up the colt in the green meadows, and it turned into a wondrous steed.Then he rode to where Marya Morevna was.She came running out, and flung herself on his neck, crying:
`By what means has God brought you back to life?'
`Thus and thus,' says he.`Now come along with me.'
`I am afraid, Prince Ivan! If Koshchei catches us you will be cut in pieces again.'
`No, he won't catch us! I have a splendid heroic steed now;it flies just like a bird.' So they got on its back and rode away.
Koshchei the Deathless was returning home when his horse stumbled beneath him.
`What art thou stumbling for, sorry jade? Dost thou scent any ill?'
`Prince Ivan has come and carried off Marya Morevna.'
`Can we catch them?'
`God knows! Prince Ivan has a horse now which is better than I.'
`Well, I can't stand it,' says Koshchei the Deathless.`I will pursue.'
After a time he came up with Prince Ivan, lighted on the ground, and was going to chop him up with his sharp sword.
But at that moment Prince Ivan's horse smote Koshchei the Deathless full swing with its hoof, and cracked his skull, and the Prince made an end of him with a club.Afterwards the Prince heaped up a pile of wood, set fire to it, burnt Koshchei the Deathless on the pyre, and scattered his ashes to the wind.Then Marya Morevna mounted Koshchei's horse and Prince Ivan got on his own, and they rode away to visit first the Raven, and then the Eagle, and then the Falcon.Wherever they went they met with a joyful greeting.
`Ah, Prince Ivan! why, we never expected to see you again.
Well, it wasn't for nothing that you gave yourself so much trouble.
Such a beauty as Marya Morevna one might search for all the world over--and never find one like her!'
And so they visited, and they feasted; and afterwards they went off to their own realm.[3]
[3] Ralston.