perhaps his beasts will gobble up the hare before he can
milk it." So he turned himself into a needle again, and she fastened
him in the wall, only a little higher up, so that the dogs should not
get at him. Then, when the little Tsar dismounted from his horse, he
and his dogs came into the hut, and the dogs began snuffing at the
needle in the wall and barked at it, but the brother knew not the
cause thereof. But his sister burst into tears and said, "Why dost
thou keep such monstrous dogs? Such a kennel of them makes me ill with
anguish!" Then he shouted to the dogs, and they sat down quite still.
Then she said to him, "I am so ill, brother, that nothing will make me
well but hare's milk. Go and get it for me."--"I'll get it," said he.

[10] Little Wolf.

But first he laid him down to sleep. Nedviga lay at his head, Protius
at his feet, and Vovchok and _Medvedik_[11] each on one side. He slept
through the night, but at dawn he mounted his steed, took his pack
with him, and departed. Again he came to a little thicket, and a
she-hare popped out. Protius ran her down, Nedviga held her fast, then
he milked her and let her go. Then the hare said, "Hail to thee,
little Tsar Novishny; because thou hast let me go--I thought thou
wouldst have torn me to pieces with thy dogs--I'll give thee a
leveret." But to the leveret she said, "Obey him, as though he were
thine own father." Then he went home, and again they saw him from
afar. "What a wily rogue it is!" said they. "All five are following
him, and he is as well as ever!"--"Ask him to get thee fox's milk!"
said the serpent; "perhaps when he goes for it his beasts will leave
him in the lurch!" Then he changed himself into a needle, and she
stuck him still higher in the wall, so that the dogs could not get at
him. The Tsar again dismounted from his horse, and his dogs rushed up
to the hut and began snuffing at the needle. But his sister fell
a-weeping, and said, "Why dost thou keep such monstrous dogs?" He
shouted to them, and they sat down quietly on their haunches. Then his
sister said again, "I am ailing, my brother; go and get me fox's milk,
and I shall be well."--"I'll fetch it for thee," said her brother.

[11] Little Bear.

But first he lay down to sleep. Nedviga lay at his head, Protius at
his feet, and Vovchok, Medvedik, and the leveret by his side. The
little Tsar slept through the night, and at dawn he arose, mounted his
horse, took his pack with him, and went