And he set to work again, pulling up the big trees, laughing joyfully
and hurling them over his head, while little Prince Ivan galloped on
across the wide world.

He came to the two old women. They were crying their eyes out.

"There is only one needle left!" says the first.

"There is only one bit of thread in the box!" sobs the second.

"And then we shall die!" they say both together, mumbling with their
old mouths.

"Before you use the needle and thread, just eat these apples," says
little Prince Ivan, and he gives them the two apples of youth.

The two old women took the apples in their old shaking fingers and ate
them, bent double, mumbling with their old lips. They had hardly
finished their last mouthfuls when they sat up straight, smiled with
sweet red lips, and looked at the little Prince with shining eyes.
They had become young girls again, and their gray hair was black as
the raven.

"Thank you kindly, little Prince," say the two young girls. "You must
take with you the handkerchief we have been sewing all these years.
Throw it to the ground, and it will turn into a lake of water. Perhaps
some day it will be useful to you."

"Thank you," says the little Prince, and off he gallops, on and on