for it restores even to the most aged the
beauty and freshness of youth."

"I give you my word of honour that I will bring you some."

"This then is what you must do. I will give you a pin-cushion for a
guide; this you throw in front of you, and follow whithersoever it
goes. It will lead you to the mountain that touches the clouds, and
which is guarded in Vikher's absence by his father and mother, the
northern blast and the south wind. On no account lose sight of the
pin-cushion. If attacked by the father, the northern blast, and
suddenly seized with cold, then put on this heat-giving hood: if
overpowered by burning heat of the south wind, then drink from this
cooling flagon. Thus by means of the pin-cushion, the hood, and the
flagon, you will reach the top of the mountain where the Princess with
the Golden Hair is imprisoned. Deal with Vikher as you will, only
remember to bring me some of the Water of Youth."

Our young hero took the heat-giving hood, the cooling flagon, and the
pin-cushion, and, after bidding farewell to old Yaga and her two
pretty daughters, mounted his steed and rode off, following the
pin-cushion, which rolled before him at a great rate.

Now a beautiful story is soon told, but the events of which it
consists do not in real life take place so rapidly.

When the prince had travelled through two kingdoms, he came to a land
in which lay a very beautiful valley that stretched into the far
distance, and above it towered the mountain that touches the sky. The
summit was so high above the earth you might almost fancy it reached
the moon.

The prince dismounted, left his horse to graze, and having crossed
himself began to follow the pin-cushion up steep and rocky paths. When
he had got half-way there the north wind began to blow, and the cold
was so intense that the wood of the trees split up and the breath
froze: he felt chilled to the heart. But he quickly put on the
heat-giving hood, and cried:

"O Heat-Giving Hood, see I fly now to thee,
Lend me quickly thine aid;
O hasten to warm ere the cold has killed me,
With thee I'm not afraid."

The northern blast blew with redoubled fury, but to no purpose. For
the prince was so hot that he streamed with perspiration, and indeed
was obliged to unbutton his coat and fan himself.

Here the pin-cushion stopped upon a small snow-covered mound. The
prince cleared away the snow, beneath which lay the frozen bodies of
two young men, and he kne