thou keep the fire in, thou slut!" and she
gave her a lot of work to do. The old man's daughter very soon did it
all, and then she went to the willow-tree and said, "Bright spring
willow, bright spring willow, change thee, transform thee!" Then
still statelier dames stepped forth from the willow-tree, "Dear little
lady, sweet little lady, what commands hast thou to give?" She told
them what she wanted, and they gave her a gorgeous dress, and put
golden shoes on her feet, and she went to church in a grand carriage.
The Tsarevich was again there, and at the sight of her he stood as if
rooted to the ground, and couldn't take his eyes from her. Then the
people began to whisper, "Is there none here who knows her? Is there
none who knows who such a handsome lady may be!" And they began to ask
each other, "Dost _thou_ know her? Dost _thou_ know her?"--But the
Tsarevich said, "Whoever will tell me who this great lady is, to him
will I give a sack-load of gold ducats!"--Then they inquired and
inquired, and laid all their heads together, but nothing came of it.
But the Tsarevich had a jester who was always with him, and used
always to jest and cut capers whenever this child of the Tsar was sad.
So now, too, he began to laugh at the young Tsarevich and say to him,
"I know how to find out who this fine lady is."--"How?" asked the
young Tsarevich.--"I'll tell thee," said the jester; "smear with pitch
the place in church where she is wont to stand. Then her slippers will
stick to it, and she, in her hurry to get away, will never notice that
she has left them behind her in church."--So the Tsarevich ordered his
courtiers to smear the spot with pitch straightway. Next time, when
the service was over, she got up as usual and hastened away, but left
her golden slippers behind her. When she got home she took off her
costly raiment and put on her rags, and waited in the window-corner
till they came from church.

When they came from church they had all sorts of things to talk about,
and how the young Tsarevich had fallen in love with the grand young
lady, and how they were unable to tell him whence she came, or who she
was, and the stepmother hated the old man's daughter all the more
because she had done her work so nicely.

But the Tsarevich did nothing but pine away. And they proclaimed
throughout the kingdom, "Who has lost a pair of golden slippers?" But
none could tell. Then the Tsar sent his wise councillors throughout
the kingdom t