ld will lie
at our feet."

But these words had no weight with Prince Ivan. He
smashed the egg, and Koshchei the Deathless died.

Ivan and his mother took all they wanted and started homewards.
On their way they came to where the King's daughter
was whom Ivan had seen on his way, and they took her with
them too. They went further, and came to the hill where Ivan's
brothers were still waiting for him. Then the maiden said,
"Prince Ivan! do go back to my house. I have forgotten a
marriage robe, a diamond ring, and a pair of seamless shoes."

He consented to do so, but in the mean time he let his mother
go down the ladder, as well as the Princess--whom it had been
settled he was to marry when they got home. They were received
by his brothers, who then set to work and cut away the ladder,
so that he himself would not be able to get down. And they
used such threats to his mother and the Princess, that they
made them promise not to tell about Prince Ivan when they
got home. And after a time they reached their native country.
Their father was delighted at seeing his wife and his two sons,
but still he was grieved about the other one, Prince Ivan.

But Prince Ivan returned to the home of his betrothed, and
got the wedding dress, and the ring, and the seamless shoes.
Then he came back to the mountain and tossed the ring from
one hand to the other. Immediately there appeared twelve
strong youths, who said:

"What are your commands?"

"Carry me down from this hill."

The youths immediately carried him down. Prince Ivan put
the ring on his finger--they disappeared.

Then he went on to his own country, and arrived at the city
in which his father and brothers lived.

There he took up his quarters in the house of an old woman,
and asked her:

"What news is there, mother, in your country?"

"What news, lad? You see our queen was kept in prison
by Koshchei the Deathless. Her three sons went to look for
her, and two of them found her and came back, but the third,
Prince Ivan, has disappeared, and no one knows where he is.
The King is very unhappy about him. And those two Princes
and their mother brought a certain Princess back with them;
and the eldest son wants to marry her, but she declares he must
fetch her her betrothal ring first, or get one made just as she
wants it. But although they have made a public proclamation
about it, no