to his
brothers, saying:

'Who is going into the other world, to overcome the Norka?'

Neither of them offered to do so. Then he laughed at them for being such
cowards, and said:

'Well, brothers, farewell! Lower me into the other world, and don't go
away from here, but as soon as the cord is jerked, pull it up.'

His brothers lowered him accordingly, and when he had reached the other
world, underneath the earth, he went on his way. He walked and walked.
Presently he espied a horse with rich trappings, and it said to him:

'Hail, Prince Ivan! Long have I awaited thee!'

He mounted the horse and rode on--rode and rode, until he saw standing
before him a palace made of copper. He entered the courtyard, tied up
his horse, and went indoors. In one of the rooms a dinner was laid out.
He sat down and dined, and then went into a bedroom. There he found a
bed, on which he lay down to rest. Presently there came in a lady, more
beautiful than can be imagined anywhere but in a fairy tale, who said:

'Thou who art in my house, name thyself! If thou art an old man, thou
shalt be my father; if a middle-aged man, my brother; but if a young
man, thou shalt be my husband dear. And if thou art a woman, and an old
one, thou shalt be my grandmother; if middle-aged, my mother; and if a
girl, thou shalt be my own sister.'

Thereupon he came forth. And when she saw him she was delighted with
him, and said:

'Wherefore, O Prince Ivan--my husband dear shalt thou be!--wherefore
hast thou come hither?'

Then he told her all that had happened, and she said:

'That beast which thou wishest to overcome is my brother. He is staying
just now with my second sister, who lives not far from here in a silver
palace. I bound up three of the wounds which thou didst give him.'

Well, after this they drank, and enjoyed themselves, and held sweet
converse together, and then the Prince took leave of her, and went on to
the second sister, the one who lived in the silver palace, and with her
also he stayed awhile. She told him that her brother Norka was then at
her youngest sister's. So he went on to the youngest sister, who lived
in a golden palace. She told him that her brother was at that time
asleep on the blue sea, and she gave him a sword of steel and a draught
of the Water of Strength, and she told him to cut off her brother's head
at a single stroke. And when he had heard these things, he went his way.

And when the Prince came to the blue s