129

RATTLE-RATTLE-RATTLE AND CHINK-CHINK-CHINK: The Story
of Long Beard, the Dwarf, and the Two Sisters 141

THE BIRD WITH THE GOLDEN GIZZARD: The Story of Two
Brothers 155

THE WOOD MAIDEN: The Story of Betushka and the Golden
Birch Leaves 163

THE GOLDEN SPINNING-WHEEL: The Story of King Dobromil
and the Good Dobrunka 177

THE GOLDEN GODMOTHER: The Story of Poor Lukas 205

THE GOLDEN DUCK: The Story of Prince Raduz and the
Faithful Ludmila 219

THE STORY THAT NEVER ENDS 241

[Illustration: {A serpent}]

FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

Zloboha in Dobrunka's Clothes _Frontispiece_

Music Played 72

When the Boys Had Grown into Handsome Youths 80

Kubik Greeting His Old Father 126

Alike in Feature but Utterly Different in Disposition 179

LONGSHANKS, GIRTH, AND KEEN

THE STORY OF THREE WONDERFUL SERVING MEN

[Illustration: {An older bearded man and a bird}]

LONGSHANKS, GIRTH, AND KEEN

There was once an aged king who had an only son. One day he called the
prince to him and said: "My dear son, you know that ripe fruit falls
in order to make room for other fruit. This my old head is like ripe
fruit and soon the sun will no longer shine upon it. Now before I die
I should like to see you happily married. Get you a wife, my son."

"I would, my father, that I could please you in this," the prince
answered, "but I know of no one who would make you a worthy
daughter-in-law."

The old king reached into his pocket, drew out a golden key, and
handed it to the prince. He said:

"Go up into the tower to the very top. There look about you and when
you have decided what you like best of all you see, come back and tell
me."

The prince took the key and at once mounted the tower. He had never
before gone to the very top and he had never heard what was there. He
went up and up until at last he saw a small iron door in the ceiling.
He opened this with the golden key,