There is his sword, fifty poods in
weight. Can you lift it? If so, you may venture to go."

Not only did Prince Ivan lift the sword, but he tossed it
high in the air. So he went on his way again.

By-and-by he came to a second house. He knew now where
to look for the door, and he entered in. There was his mother.
With tears did they embrace each other.

Here also did he try his strength, heaving aloft a ball which
weighed some fifteen hundred poods. The time came for
Koshchei the Deathless to arrive. The mother hid away her
son. Suddenly Koshchei the Deathless entered the house and
cried out, "Phou, Phou! A Russian bone[115] one usen't to hear
with one's ears, or see with one's eyes, but now a Russian bone
has come to the house! Who has been with you? Wasn't it
your son?"

"What are you talking about, God bless you! You've been
flying through Russia, and got the air up your nostrils, that's
why you fancy it's here," answered Prince Ivan's mother, and
then she drew nigh to Koshchei, addressed him in terms of
affection, asked him about one thing and another, and at last
said:

"Whereabouts is your death, O Koshchei?"

"My death," he replied, "is in such a place. There stands
an oak, and under the oak is a casket, and in the casket is a
hare, and in the hare is a duck, and in the duck is an egg, and
in the egg is my death."

Having thus spoken, Koshchei the Deathless tarried there a
little longer, and then flew away.

The time came--Prince Ivan received his mother's blessing,
and went to look for Koshchei's death. He went on his way a
long time without eating or drinking; at last he felt mortally
hungry, and thought, "If only something would come my way!"
Suddenly there appeared a young wolf; he determined to kill
it. But out from a hole sprang the she wolf, and said, "Don't
hurt my little one; I'll do you a good turn." Very good! Prince
Ivan let the young wolf go. On he went and saw a crow.
"Stop a bit," he thought, "here I shall get a mouthful." He
loaded his gun and was going to shoot, but the crow exclaimed,
"Don't hurt me; I'll do you a good turn."

Prince Ivan thought the matter over and spared the crow.
Then he went farther, and came to a sea and stood still on the
shore. At that moment a young pike suddenly jumped out of
the water and fell on the strand. He caught hold of it, and
thought--for he was half dead with h