ff the padlocks, tore open
a door, and followed a path leading underground. There,
fastened with twelve chains, stood a heroic steed which evidently
heard the approaching steps of a rider worthy to mount it, and
so began to neigh and to struggle, until it broke all twelve of its
chains. Then Prince Ivan put on armor fit for a hero, and
bridled the horse, and saddled it with a Circassian saddle. And
he gave the old woman money, and said to her:

"Forgive me, mother, and bless me!" then he mounted his
steed and rode away.

Long time did he ride; at last he came to a mountain--a
tremendously high mountain, and so steep that it was utterly
impossible to get up it. Presently his brothers came that way.
They all greeted each other, and rode on together, till they came
to an iron rock[114] a hundred and fifty poods in weight, and on it
was this inscription, "Whosoever will fling this rock against
the mountain, to him will a way be opened." The two elder
brothers were unable to lift the rock, but Prince Ivan at the
first try flung it against the mountain--and immediately there
appeared a ladder leading up the mountain side.

Prince Ivan dismounted, let some drops of blood run from
his little finger into a glass, gave it to his brothers, and said:

"If the blood in this glass turns black, tarry here no longer:
that will mean that I am about to die." Then he took leave of
them and went his way.

He mounted the hill. What did not he see there? All
sorts of trees were there, all sorts of fruits, all sorts of birds!
Long did Prince Ivan walk on; at last he came to a house, a
huge house! In it lived a king's daughter who had been carried
off by Koshchei the Deathless. Prince Ivan walked round the
enclosure, but could not see any doors. The king's daughter
saw there was some one there, came on to the balcony, and
called out to him, "See, there is a chink in the enclosure; touch
it with your little finger, and it will become a door."

What she said turned out to be true. Prince Ivan went into
the house, and the maiden received him kindly, gave him to eat
and to drink, and then began to question him. He told her how
he had come to rescue his mother from Koshchei the Deathless.
Then the maiden said:

"It will be difficult for you to get at your mother, Prince
Ivan. You see, Koshchei is not mortal: he will kill you. He
often comes here to see me.