; still no prince. He
sent the servants back again, and the same voice replied, 'Immediately.'

'He is making fun of me!' shrieked Kostiei in a rage. 'Break in the
door, and bring him to me!'

The servants hurried to do his bidding. The door was broken open. Nobody
inside; but just the spittle in fits of laughter! Kostiei was beside
himself with rage, and commanded his guards to ride after the fugitives.
If the guards returned without the fugitives, their heads should pay for
it.

By this time the prince and princess had got a good start, and were
feeling quite happy, when suddenly they heard the sound of a gallop far
behind them. The prince sprang from the saddle, and laid his ear to the
ground.

'They are pursuing us,' he said.

'Then there is no time to be lost,' answered the princess; and as she
spoke she changed herself into a river, the prince into a bridge, the
horse into a crow, and divided the wide road beyond the bridge into
three little ones. When the soldiers came up to the bridge, they paused
uncertainly. How were they to know which of the three roads the
fugitives had taken? They gave it up in despair and returned in
trembling to Kostiei.

'Idiots!' he exclaimed, in a passion. 'They _were_ the bridge and the
river, of course! Do you mean to say you never thought of that? Go back
at once!' and off they galloped like lightning.

But time had been lost, and the prince and princess were far on their
way.

'I hear a horse,' cried the princess.

The prince jumped down and laid his ear to the ground.

'Yes,' he said, 'they are not far off now.'

In an instant prince, princess, and horse had all disappeared, and
instead was a dense forest, crossed and recrossed by countless paths.
Kostiei's soldiers dashed hastily into the forest, believing they saw
before them the flying horse with its double burden. They seemed close
upon them, when suddenly horse, wood, everything disappeared, and they
found themselves at the place where they started. There was nothing for
it but to return to Kostiei, and tell him of this fresh disaster.

'A horse! a horse!' cried the king. 'I will go after them myself. _This_
time they shall _not_ escape.' And he galloped off, foaming with anger.

'I think I hear someone pursuing us,' said the princess.

'Yes, so do I.'

'And this time it is Kostiei himself. But his power only reaches as far
as the first church, and he can go no farther. Give me your golden
cross.' So the p