I shall take away something with me this time!" The same night
the wolves made an inroad upon the stables and tore the horse to
pieces. Daniel fell a-weeping. "I'll go to another master," said he,
"perhaps I shall be luckier there." So he went to a third master, and
on this master's tomb lay a large stone. Whence it came none knew, and
it was so heavy that none could move it, though they tried for ages.
"I'll serve thee a year," said he, "for that stone." The master
agreed, and he entered his service. Then a change came over the stone,
and divers flowers began to grow upon it. On one side they were red,
on the second side silver, and on the third side golden. "Oh-ho,"
thought Daniel, "that stone, at any rate, will soon be mine. Nobody
can move it." But the next morning a thunderbolt descended and struck
the stone, and shivered it to atoms. Then Daniel fell a-weeping, and
lamented that God had given him nothing, though he had served for so
many years. But the people said to him, "Listen now! thou that art so
unlucky, why dost thou not go to the Tsar? He is the father of us all,
and will therefore certainly care for thee!" So he listened to them
and went, and the Tsar gave him a place at his court. One day the Tsar
said to him, "I marvel that thou art so unlucky, for do whatsoever
thou wilt, thou art none the better for it. I would fain requite thee
for all thy labours." Then he took and filled three barrels, the first
with gold, and the second with coal, and the third with sand, and said
to Daniel, "Look now! if thou dost pitch upon that which is filled
with gold, thou shalt be a Tsar; if thou dost choose the one that is
filled with coal, thou shalt be a blacksmith; but if thou dost pick
out the one that is full of sand, why then thou art indeed hopelessly
unlucky, and out of my tsardom thou must go straightway, yet I will
give thee a horse and armour to take along with thee." So Daniel was
brought to the place where were the three barrels, and went about them
and felt and felt them one after the other. "This one is full of
gold!" said he. They broke it open and it was full of sand. "Well,"
said the Tsar, "I see that thou art hopelessly unlucky. Depart from my
tsardom, for I have no need at all of such as thou." Then he gave him
a charger and armour, and the full equipment of a Cossack, and sent
him away.

He went on and on for a whole day, he went on and on for a second
day, and there was nothing to eat, either for his