vour, he felt a strong desire to rest for a
while under the shadow of his own tree; he therefore dismounted, and
assisting the princess to do the same, fastened their horses to one of
the branches and hung up the cage containing Ohnivak on another:
within a few moments they were all sound asleep.

Meanwhile the two elder brothers arrived at the same place by
different roads, and both with empty hands. There they found their two
branches withered, that of their brother having grown into a splendid
tree. Under the shade of the latter he lay sleeping; by his side was
the Maid with the Golden Locks; the horse, Zlato-Nrivak, was fastened
to a tree, and the fire-bird roosted in his golden cage.

The hearts of the two brothers were filled with envious and wicked
thoughts, and they whispered thus to one another, "Just think what
will become of us--the youngest will receive half of the kingdom
during our father's life and succeed to the throne at his death; why
not cut his throat at once? One of us will take the Maid with the
Golden Locks, the other can carry the bird to our father and keep the
Horse with the Golden Mane; as for the kingdom, we will divide it
between us."

After this debate they killed their youngest brother and cut up his
body into small pieces, while they threatened to treat Zlato-Vlaska in
the same way if she attempted to disobey them.

On reaching home they sent the Horse with the Golden Mane to the
marble stables, the cage containing Ohnivak was placed in the room
where their father lay sick, and the princess was allowed a beautiful
suite of apartments and maids of honour to attend her.

When the king, who was much weakened by suffering, had looked at the
bird, he asked after his youngest son. To which the brothers replied:
"We have not seen or heard anything of him, it is very likely that he
has been killed."

The poor old man was much affected--it seemed, indeed, as if his last
hour had come. The fire-bird moped and refused to sing; the Horse with
the Golden Mane stood with his head bent down before his manger, and
would eat no food; while Princess Zlato-Vlaska remained as silent as
if she had been born dumb, her beautiful hair was neglected and
uncombed, and she wept--her tears fell fast.

Now as the red fox chanced to pass through the forest he came upon the
mangled body of the youngest brother, and he at once set to work to
put the scattered pieces together, but was unable to restore them to
l