le, Caesar, may be translated
emperor, king, or prince. A number of words are formed from it by
adding different syllables: Tsarevitch, the tsar's son, prince;
Tsarevna, the tsar's daughter, princess; Tsaritza, the tsar's wife,
queen or empress.

_Boyar_ was the word formerly used to mean a
Russian nobleman; so a _boyar-house_ is a lord's house;
_boyarishnia_, a lord's daughter. The _terem_ was that part
of the boyar-house in which the women's rooms were situated.

In Russia there is a fatherly relation existing between the ruler
and his subjects which is shown in such phrases as "the tsar
father," "their father sovereign," etc. The Russian language has many
diminutives, or terms of endearment. For instance, the Tzar is often
affectionately called "the little father" by his subjects.

"_Once said, quickly done_." This is the Russian idiom.
Observe how much more lively it is than our own "No sooner said than
done."

Seven Simeons

_The holy icons_ are pictures or mosaics of Christ, or the
Virgin Mary, or of some saint or martyr of the Russian church. In
every Russian house there is one or more, hung in a prominent place.
Every one who enters the house at once bows and utters a prayer before
the icons before he does anything else. This is an old Russian custom
which is still kept up by peasants.

_Strong green wine_. This is the phrase still used by Russian
story-tellers to describe the drink which it was an honor to receive
from the royal hand. Its strength was magical in that it was not
acquired by keeping, but was always the same.

_For a cloudy day_ is the Russian idiom very similar to our
own.

_It is a peasant's trade_ is a Russian saying which means,
"It doesn't amount to much."

_Moujik_, a peasant: his duties are those of a farm laborer,
yet this phrase would not be a fair translation. This word, which is
rendered "tiller of the soil," has no exact equivalent in English.

_Korolevitch_, from _korol_: king. The endings
_evitch_ and _evna_ show descent, korolevitch meaning son of
a king; korolevna meaning daughter of a king.

_Dutch trumpet_, i.e., an imported trumpet. Anything foreign
is "Dutch" to the Russian peasant.

_Honey drink_, a drink made by fermenting honey and water. It
is quite common in Russia, and is about the same as our mead.

Russian and other Slavonic tales often have queer endings, similar
to the one here given by the story-teller at the end of the story,
which is no part o