until Polkan
fled. The horse followed him, until Polkan's strength quite failed him
and he dropped half-dead near the tent of Bova Korolevich. Then Bova
went up to Polkan and asked him whether he had rather live or die; and
Polkan replied: "Brother Bova, let us make peace with one another and
be brothers, and there will not be our match in the wide world." So
Bova made a treaty with Polkan, and Bova was to be the elder and
Polkan the younger brother.

Then Bova mounted his good steed and Drushnevna her palfrey, and
Polkan followed them. Thus they rode for a long time, and at length
they saw before them the city of Kostel, in which ruled the Tsar Uril.
And when Uril heard of their approach he ordered the city gates to be
closed and made fast. Then Polkan ran and leaped over the walls and
opened the gates, whereupon Bova and Drushnevna rode into the city.
The Tsar Uril came to meet them with the Tsarina, and conducted them
with great honour into the palace, and they all fell to feasting and
making merry.

Meanwhile King Marcobrun advanced against the city of Kostel with
three times a hundred thousand men, beleaguered the city, and sent an
ambassador to the Tsar Uril, commanding him fiercely to deliver up to
him Bova, Drushnevna, and Polkan. Then Tsar Uril assembled his army,
took with him his two sons, and went out to fight with Marcobrun; they
fought bravely, but Marcobrun overthrew their whole army, and took the
Tsar and his sons prisoners. Then Uril promised King Marcobrun to
deliver up Bova, Drushnevna, and Polkan, and left his sons as
hostages. So Marcobrun dismissed the Tsar Uril, and gave him a million
and a half men from his army, to fetch Bova and Polkan.

The Tsar Uril went into his chamber and lay down to sleep; but Polkan
stepped to the door of his room and listened to what the Tsar should
say of him to his wife. Then the Tsar told the Tsarina how he had left
his sons as hostages with Marcobrun and promised to deliver up Bova,
Drushnevna, and Polkan. And the Tsarina replied: "My dear husband, it
is impossible to give them up." At these words the Tsar struck her in
the face, saying: "Women have long hair, but short wits." When Polkan
heard this he was enraged, opened the door, entered the room, seizing
the Tsar by his head, flung him to the ground and killed him.

Polkan now looked down into the courtyard and perceived that it was
filled with Marcobrun's soldiers; so, without more ado, he took Bova's
batt