of happiness to thee, O Tsar! Take me, I pray, into thy
service." Then the Tsar asked him whence he came, whose son he was,
and what was his name. Yaroslav replied: "I have roamed far and wide,
and now seek the service of a good lord and master; I was born in the
kingdom of the Tsar Kartaus, the son of Prince Lasar, and my name is
Yaroslav." Then said the Tsar: "Yaroslav Lasarevich, ride into my
city--I want followers." So Yaroslav rode into the city.

One day the Tsar rode out to the chase, and took with him the boyars
and knights, and Yaroslav was among them. When they approached the
Knight's Head, Yaroslav stood and marvelled at the sight. Then said
the Tsar: "Why standest thou there, Yaroslav?" And Yaroslav answered:
"O Tsar, I see here a great army lie slain, and this Knight's Head,
under which rests a trusty sword." The Tsar sighed and answered: "This
Knight has destroyed my army, and I slew him; his sword lies under his
head, and I cannot get it. No sword can wound me, no fire burn, no
water drown me; this sword alone has the power to slay me."

Then said Yaroslav: "O Tsar, permit me to bring thee the sword." And
the Tsar replied: "Do this service and I will set thee above all my
knights; but if thou talkest idly, thou shalt be safe neither in
water, nor under the earth, nor among the rocks." And so saying, the
Tsar returned into the city, and Yaroslav rode up to the Knight's Head
and said: "Sir Knight's Head, I trust to thy love and friendship to
fulfil thy promise and give me up this sword; for I have given my word
to the Tsar to take it to him, and shall die a cruel death if I
perform not my promise." But the Knight's Head answered not a word.
Then Yaroslav dismounted from his good steed, fell on his knees before
him, and said: "Sir Raslanei, let me die not thus in vain--give me, I
pray, the sword from under thee."

Thereupon the Knight Raslanei raised himself, and Yaroslav took the
sword, bowed to the Knight's Head, and mounting his steed, rode off to
the city of Shtchetin. And on the way he said to himself: "Hitherto I
have been victorious over Tsars and knights, but now indeed I am
forced to bend before a Knight's Head, and entreat him to give me a
sword!"

Raslanei heard this, and cried with a loud voice: "Ho, Sir Knight!
return!" So Yaroslav turned round, and went back to the Head; and the
Head reproached him, saying: "Thy sword could not touch my helm." Then
Yaroslav fell on the ground and said: "Si