and give me food and drink," said
the Prince; "for I am both hungry and thirsty."

The Baba Yaga arose and served him food and drink. He ate and gave
part to the bear and the duck. Then he told the Baba Yaga why he had
come there--that he was wandering in search of his dear wife, Vasilisa
the Fair.

The old witch shook her head. "It will be a hard thing to rescue her,"
she said. "Koshchei is very powerful. Only in one way can you overcome
him. Not far from here stands a tree. It is as hard as rock, so that
no ax can dent it, and so smooth that none can climb it. On the top of
it is a nest. In the nest is an egg. A duck sits over the egg to guard
it. In that egg is a needle, and only with that needle can you kill
Koshchei the Deathless."

The Baba Yaga then led Prince Ivan to the door and pointed out to him
where the tree grew, and Prince Ivan hurried on toward it, with his
two faithful servants, the bear and the duck.

But when he reached the tree he looked at it with despair. It was
indeed very smooth and high,--as smooth as glass, and when he tried
his hunting knife upon it the knife bent and crumpled in his hand.

"Master, now is the time that I can help you," said the bear. He went
to the tree and clasped it and shook it, so that its roots cracked,
and it fell with a mighty noise.

At once the duck that was guarding the egg caught it up in its claws
and flew away with it. But Ivan's duck pursued so fiercely that the
other was forced to drop the egg in order to defend itself.

Unfortunately they had both flown over a river, and into this river
the egg dropped and was lost to sight.

Ivan sat down upon the bank of the river and wept. "Alas, alas!" he
cried. "Now truly is my dear wife lost to me, for never can I recover
the egg from the river."

Hardly had he spoken when the fish he had thrown back into the river
appeared, bearing the egg in its mouth.

Now Ivan's grief was turned to rejoicing. He broke the egg and took
out the needle. Then, with the little ball to lead him, he soon made
his way to Koshchei's palace.

The Deathless One rushed out to meet him, but Ivan attacked him with
the point of the needle. It was in vain Koshchei tried to protect
himself. Ivan drove the needle into him deeper and deeper, and
presently Koshchei sank down dead before him, no better than a lump of
clay.

Prince Ivan strode across him and on into the castle. From room to
room he went, and in the deepest dungeon he foun