request the Tsar was amazed, and said: "Have you lost your senses,
daughter, that you wish to marry the fool Know-nothing, who cannot
speak even a word?" "Fool as he may be," she answered, "I entreat you,
my lord father, to let me marry him." "If nothing else will please
you," said the Tsar sorrowfully, "take him--you have my consent."

Soon after, the Tsar sent for the Princes whom his eldest daughters
had chosen for husbands; they obeyed the invitation instantly, and
came with all speed to China, and the weddings were celebrated. The
Princess Lotao also was married to Ivan the peasant's son, and her
elder sisters laughed at her for choosing a fool for a husband.

Not long afterwards a great army invaded the country, and its leader,
the knight Polkan, demanded of the Tsar his daughter, the beautiful
Lotao, for wife, threatening that, if he did not consent, he would
burn his country with fire and slay his people with the sword, throw
the Tsar and Tsarina into prison, and take their daughter by force.
At these threats the Tsar was aghast with terror, and instantly
ordered his armies to be collected; and they went forth, commanded by
the two Princes, against Polkan. Then the two armies met, and fought
like two terrible thunder-clouds, and Polkan overthrew the army of the
Chinese Tsar.

At this time the Princess came to her husband, Ivan the peasant's son,
and said to him: "My dear friend Know-nothing, they want to take me
from you; the infidel knight Polkan has invaded our country with his
army and routed our hosts with his terrible sword." Then Ivan told the
Princess to leave him in peace; and, jumping out of the window, he ran
into the open fields, and cried aloud:

"Sivka Burka! he!
Fox of Spring! Appear!
Like a grass blade, here
Stand before me!"

The horse galloped until the earth trembled: from his ears came steam,
from his nostrils flames. Ivan the peasant's son crept into his ear to
change himself, and came out looking such a brave knight as no pen can
write down or story tell. Then he rode up to the army of Polkan, and
laid about him with his sword, trod the army down under his horse's
hoofs, and drove it quite out of the kingdom. At the sight of this the
Chinese Tsar came to Ivan, but knew him not, and invited him to his
palace; but Ivan answered: "I am not your subject and I will not serve
you." And so saying, away he rode, let his horse run loose in the open
fields, went back to the pal