.

"Sad, very sad, yet good,"--whispered the young wind. "After I grew
tired of so much searching, destroying, and pulling, I reached an
empty well, and, being rid of my brothers, thought I would rest a
while before setting off for home."

"And you found Petru at the bottom of the well?" cried Holy Friday,
joyfully.

"Yes, and the bay by his side."

"May your speech be sweet, your breezes soft, and may you ever bring
good tidings!" said Holy Friday; then she commanded him to hasten to
Holy Thursday and tell her she must be ready with the gold crucible,
for Petru was in a sad case:--from there the Spring wind was to rush
to Holy Wednesday and tell her she must come to the well with the
water of life. "Do you understand?" said Holy Friday. "And go as fast
as you can," and they all set off together.

They reached the deserted well. There was nothing left of Petru except
bones and ashes. Holy Wednesday took the bones and fitted them
together--not a single one was missing. Holy Friday ordered the
whirlwinds to search the bottom of the well, turn up all the dust, and
collect Petru's ashes. This was done. Holy Thursday made a fire,
gathered the dew from the flowers into the gold crucible, and set it
on the flames. When the water began to boil, Holy Wednesday repeated
three spells, looked once to the east, once to the west, once to the
north, and once to the south, and threw the herb of life into the
boiling water. Holy Friday did the same with Petru's ashes. Holy
Thursday counted one, two, three, and took the crucible off the fire.
Petru's ashes and the herb of life were made into a fragrant salve.
The Spring wind blew upon it once and stiffened it, then Petru's
bones were smeared with it seven times from head to foot, seven times
from foot to head, seven times across one way, and seven times across
the other, and, when this was done, up sprang the hero, a hundred
thousand times handsomer, braver, and prouder than before.

"Jump on the horse!" said Holy Friday.

As soon as the bay felt his master on his back, he began to neigh and
stamp. The animal was more spirited than ever.

"Where shall we go?" the horse asked gayly.

"Home," replied Petru.

"How shall we ride?"

"Like a curse."

Petru expressed his thanks for the service done him, and set off; he
rode and rode as fleetly as a curse flies, till he came to the
emperor's court.

Nothing was left of the palace except the ground where it had stood.
No trace