Alenoushka looked round for her brother, but could not see him. But
there was the little lamb, leaping round her, trying to lick her face,
and there in the ground was the print left by the sheep's foot.

She guessed at once what had happened, and burst into tears. There was
a hayrick close by, and under the hayrick Alenoushka sat down and
wept. The little lamb, seeing her so sad, stood gravely in front of
her; but not for long, for he was a little lamb, and he could not help
himself. However sad he felt, he had to leap and frisk in the sun, and
toss his little white tail.

Presently a fine gentleman came riding by on his big black horse. He
stopped when he came to the hayrick. He was very much surprised at
seeing a beautiful little girl sitting there, crying her eyes out,
while a white lamb frisked this way and that, and played before her,
and now and then ran up to her and licked the tears from her face with
its little pink tongue.

"What is your name," says the fine gentleman, "and why are you in
trouble? Perhaps I may be able to help you."

"My name is Alenoushka, and this is my little brother Vanoushka, whom
I love." And she told him the whole story.

"Well, I can hardly believe all that," says the fine gentleman, "But
come with me, and I will dress you in fine clothes, and set silver
ornaments in your hair, and bracelets of gold on your little brown
wrists. And as for the lamb, he shall come too, if you love him.
Wherever you are there he shall be, and you shall never be parted from
him."