`Beyond thrice nine lands, in the thirtieth kingdom, on the
other side of the fiery river, there lives a Baba Yaga. She has so
good a mare that she flies right round the world on it every day.
And she has many other splendid mares. I watched her herds for
three days without losing a single mare, and in return for that the
Baba Yaga gave me a foal.'

`But how did you get across the fiery river?'

`Why, I've a handkerchief of this kind--when I wave it thrice
on the right hand, there springs up a very lofty bridge, and the fire
cannot reach it.'

Marya Morevna listened to all this, and repeated it to Prince
Ivan, and she carried off the handkerchief and gave it to him. So
he managed to get across the fiery river, and then went on to the
Baba Yaga's. Long went he on without getting anything either to
eat or to drink. At last he came across an outlandish bird and its
young ones. Says Prince Ivan:

`I'll eat one of these chickens.'

`Don't eat it, Prince Ivan!' begs the outlandish bird; `some
time or other I'll do you a good turn.'

He went on farther and saw a hive of bees in the forest.

`I'll get a bit of honeycomb,' says he.

`Don't disturb my honey, Prince Ivan!' exclaims the queen-