Ivanoushka lifted himself on the iron back of his horse and touched
him with a strong whip. The noble horse grew angry, made a jump, and
went higher than the dark woods, a little below the traveling clouds.
One jump, one mile is behind; a second jump, a river is behind; and a
third jump and they were at the hall. Then the horse, with Ivanoushka
on his back, flew like an eagle, high up into the air, passed the
thirty-first circle, failed to reach the last one, and swept away like
the wind.

The people shouted: "Take hold of him! take hold of him!" The Tsar
jumped to his feet, the Tsaritza screamed, the princes and boyars
opened their mouths.

The brothers of Ivanoushka the Simpleton came home. They were
wondering at the fellow. Yes, an amazing fellow indeed! one circle
only was unreached.

"Brothers, that fellow over there was I," said Ivanoushka to them.

"Keep still in thy own place, thou fool," was their sneering answer.

The third day the brothers were going again to the strange
entertainment of the Tsar, and again Ivanoushka the Simpleton said to
them: "Take me along with you."

"Fool," they laughed, "there is food to be given to the hogs; better
go to them."

"All right," the younger brother answered, and quietly went to the