s never before, and the old woman's daughter is
wicked as ever before."

"Keep still, stupid beast!" shouted the stepmother, and struck the
little dog.

"Here, take this pancake, eat it and say, 'The old woman's daughter
will be married soon and the old man's daughter shall be buried
soon.'"

The dog ate the pancake and began anew:

"Bow-wow! bow-wow! the old man's daughter is coming home wealthy
and happy as never before, and the old woman's daughter is somewhere
around as homely and wicked as ever before."

The old woman was furious at the dog, but in spite of pancakes and
whipping, the dog repeated the same words over and over again.

Somebody opened the gate, voices were heard laughing and talking
outside. The old woman looked out and sat down in amazement. The
stepdaughter was there like a princess, bright and happy in the most
beautiful garments, and behind her the old father had hardly strength
enough to carry the heavy, heavy trunk with the rich outfit.

"Old man!" called the stepmother, impatiently; "hitch our best horses
to our best sleigh, and drive _my_ daughter to the very same
place in the wide, wide fields."

The old man obeyed as usual and took his stepdaughter to the same
place and left her alone.

Old Frost was there; he looked at his new guest.

"Art thou comfortable, fair maiden?" asked the red-nosed sovereign.

"Let me alone," harshly answered the girl; "canst thou not see that my
feet and my hands are about stiff from the cold?"

The Frost kept crackling and asking questions for quite a while, but
obtaining no polite answer became angry and froze the girl to death.

"Old man, go for my daughter; take the best horses; be careful; do not
upset the sleigh; do not lose the trunk."

And the little dog in the corner said:

"Bow-wow! bow-wow! the old man's daughter will marry soon; the old
woman's daughter shall be buried soon."

"Do not lie. Here is a cake; eat it and say, 'The old woman's daughter
is clad in silver and gold.'"

The gate opened, the old woman ran out and kissed the stiff frozen
lips of her daughter. She wept and wept, but there was no help, and
she understood at last that through her own wickedness and envy her
child had perished.

[Illustration: THE END]

[Illustration]

NOTES

The Tsarevna Frog

A _tsarstvo_ is the domain of a _tsar_ (czar), which
is the title of an absolute monarch in Russia. The word _tsar_,
derived from the Roman name and tit