a golden cuirass, and in his hand an invisible club.
And in her dream she admired this knight, and loved him more than life
itself. The wicked Kostey longed to have her for his own, and
determined to carry her off. He reached the earth by striking it from
underground three times with his forehead. The princess called her
army together, and putting herself at its head, led her soldiers
against him. But he merely breathed upon the soldiers and they fell
down in an overpowering sleep. Then he stretched out his bony hands to
take the princess, but she, throwing a glance full of anger and
disdain at him, changed him into a block of ice. Then she shut herself
up in her palace. Kostey did not remain frozen long; when the princess
had departed he came to life again, and started off in pursuit of her.
On reaching the town where she dwelt, he put all the inhabitants into
a charmed sleep, and laid the same spell upon the twelve maids of
honour. Fearing the power of her eyes, he dared not attack Sudolisu
herself; so he surrounded her palace with an iron wall, and left it in
charge of a monster dragon with twelve heads. Then he waited, in hope
that the princess would give in.

Days passed, weeks grew into months, and still Princess Sudolisu's
kingdom looked like one large bedchamber. The people snored in the
streets, the brave army lying in the fields slept soundly, hidden in
the long grass under the shadow of nettle, wormwood, and thistle, rust
and dust marring the brightness of their armour. Inside the palace
everything was the same. The twelve maids of honour lay motionless.
The princess alone kept watch, silent amid this reign of sleep. She
walked up and down her narrow prison, sighing and weeping bitter
tears, but no other sound broke the silence; only Kostey, avoiding her
glance, still called through the doors and begged her to refuse him no
longer. Then he promised she should be Queen of the Nether World, but
she answered him not.

Lonely and miserable, she thought of the prince of her dreams. She saw
him in his golden armour, mounted on his spirited steed, looking at
her with eyes full of love. So she imagined him day and night.

Looking out of window one day, and seeing a cloud floating on the
horizon, she cried:

"Floating Cloudlet soft and white,
Pilgrim of the sky,
I pray you for one moment, light
On me your pitying eye.
Where my love is can you tell?
Thinks he of me ill or well?"

"I know not,"