back yard and gave food to the hogs. But as soon as his brothers had
left home our Ivanoushka the Simpleton hurried to the wide field and
shouted out loud:

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

At once the horse came running, the earth trembled; where he stepped
there appeared ponds, where his hoofs touched there were lakes, out of
his eyes shone flames, out of his ears smoke came like a cloud.

"For what dost thou wish me?" the horse asked with a man's voice.

Ivanoushka the Simpleton crawled into his right ear and jumped out
of his left one, and a handsome fellow he was. A young girl could not
even imagine such a one.

Ivanoushka struck his horse, pulled the bridle tight, and lo! he flew
high up in the air. The wind was left behind and even the swallow, the
sweet, winged passenger, must not aspire to do the same. Our hero flew
like a cloud high up into the sky, his silver-chained mail rattling,
his fair curls floating in the wind. He arrived at the Tsarevna's high
hall, struck his horse once more, and oh! how the wild horse did jump!

Look there! the fellow reaches all the circles; he is near the window;
he presses the beautiful Tsarevna with his strong arms, kisses her
on the sugar lips, exchanges golden rings, and like a storm sweeps
through the fields. There, there, he is crushing every one on his
way! And the Tsarevna? Well, she did not object. She even adorned his