h bird came flying up to him,
and awakened him, saying:

'Arise, Prince Ivan! The mares are at home now.'

The Prince arose and returned home. There the Baba Yaga was storming and
raging at her mares, and shrieking:

'Whatever did ye come home for?'

'How could we help coming home?' said they. 'There came flying birds
from every part of the world, and all but pecked our eyes out.'

'Well, well! to-morrow don't go galloping over the meadows, but disperse
amid the thick forests.'

Prince Ivan slept all night. In the morning the Baba Yaga says to him:

'Mind, Prince! if you don't take good care of the mares, if you lose
merely one of them--your bold head will be stuck on that pole!'

He drove the mares afield. Immediately they cocked up their tails and
dispersed among the thick forests. Again did the Prince sit down on the
stone, weep and weep, and then go to sleep. The sun went down behind the
forest. Up came running the lioness.

'Arise, Prince Ivan! The mares are all collected.'

Prince Ivan arose and went home. More than ever did the Baba Yaga storm
at her mares and shriek:

'Whatever did ye come back home for?'

'How could we help coming back? Beasts of prey came running at us from
all parts of the world, and all but tore us utterly to pieces.'

'Well, to-morrow run off into the blue sea.'

Again did Prince Ivan sleep through the night. Next morning the Baba
Yaga sent him forth to watch the mares.

'If you don't take good care of them,' says she, 'your bold head will be
stuck on that pole!'

He drove the mares afield. Immediately they cocked up their tails,
disappeared from sight, and fled into the blue sea. There they stood,
up to their necks in water. Prince Ivan sat down on the stone, wept, and
fell asleep. But when the sun had set behind the forest, up came flying
a bee, and said:

'Arise, Prince! The mares are all collected. But when you get home,
don't let the Baba Yaga set eyes on you, but go into the stable and
hide behind the mangers. There you will find a sorry colt rolling in
the muck. Do you steal it, and at the dead of night ride away from the
house.'

Prince Ivan arose, slipped into the stable, and lay down behind
the mangers, while the Baba Yaga was storming away at her mares and
shrieking:

'Why did ye come back?'

'How could we help coming back? There came flying bees in countless
numbers from all parts of the world, and began stinging us on all sides
till the blood came!'