"Arise, bay horse--thou wind-swift steed,
Appear before me in my need;
Stand up as in the storm the weed!"

The glorious horse came running. Flames shone out of his eyes; out
of his nostrils smoke came in clouds, and the horse asked with a man's
voice:

"What is thy wish?"

Ivanoushka the Simpleton crawled into the horse's left ear,
transformed himself and reappeared at the right ear, such a handsome
fellow that in no book is there written any description of him; no one
has ever seen such a fellow. He jumped onto the horse and touched
his iron sides with a silk whip. The horse became impatient, lifted
himself above the ground, higher and higher above the dark woods below
the traveling clouds. He swam over the large rivers, jumped over
the small ones, as well as over hills and mountains. Ivanoushka the
Simpleton arrived at the hall of the Tsarevna Baktriana, flew up like
a hawk, passed through thirty circles, could not reach the last two,
and went away like a whirlwind.

The people were shouting: "Take hold of him! take hold of him!" The
Tsar jumped to his feet, the Tsaritza screamed. Every one was roaring
in amazement.

The brothers of Ivanoushka came home and there was but one subject of
conversation--what a splendid fellow they had seen! What a wonderful
start to pass through the thirty circles!