-bee.
"But if I cannot save you, I'll let you fall."--"Well, then," said
the little Tsar, "we'll try. For we two must perish in any case,
but thou perhaps mayst get off scot-free." So they embraced each
other, sat on the humble-bee, and off they went. When the serpent
awoke he missed them, and raising his head above the reeds and rushes,
saw them flying far away, and set off after them at full speed.
"Alas! little humble-bumble-bee," cried little Tsar Novishny, "how
burning hot 'tis getting. We shall all three perish!" Then the
humble-bee turned his wing and shook them off. They fell to the
earth, and he flew away. Then the serpent came flying up and fell
upon them with open jaws. "Ah-ha!" cried he, with a snort, "you've
come to grief again, eh? Didn't I tell you to listen to nobody but
me!" Then they fell to weeping and entreating, "We'll listen to you
alone and to nobody else!" and they wept and entreated so much that
at last he forgave them.

So he took them up and carried them off once more. Again he sat down
to rest and fell asleep, and again the Tsarivna sat upon his head and
the Tsarevko sat down by her side, till a bullock came up, full tilt,
and said to them, "Hail, little Tsar Novishny! art thou here with thy
leave or art thou here against thy leave?"--"Alas! dear little
bullock, I came not hither by my leave; but maybe I was brought here
against my leave!"--"Sit on my back, then," said the bullock, "and
I'll carry you away."--But they said, "Nay, if a horse and a bee could
not manage it, how wilt thou?"--"Nonsense!" said the bullock. "Sit
down, and I'll carry you off!" So he persuaded them.--"Well, we can
only perish once!" they cried; and the bullock carried them off. And
every little while they went a little mile, and jolted so that they
very nearly tumbled off. Presently the serpent awoke and was very very
wrath. He rose high above the woods and flew after them--oh! how fast
he did fly! Then cried the little Tsar, "Alas! bullock, how hot it
turns. Thou wilt perish, and we shall perish also!"--Then said the
bullock, "Little Tsar! look into my left ear and thou wilt see a
horse-comb. Pull it out and throw it behind thee!"--The little Tsar
took out the comb and threw it behind him, and it became a huge wood,
as thick and jagged as the teeth of a horse-comb. But the bullock went
on at his old pace: every little while they went a little mile, and
jolted so that they nearly tumbled off. The serpent, however, ma