father: "How can I ever take this
quacker to wife? A quacker is not my equal!"

"Take her!" replied his father, "'tis thy fate to have her!"

So the Tsareviches all got married--the eldest to the boyar's
daughter, the second to the merchant's daughter, and the youngest to
the quacking-frog. And the Tsar called them to him and said: "Let your
wives, to-morrow morning, bake me soft white bread."

Ivan returned home, and he was not happy, and his impetuous head hung
down lower than his shoulders. "_Qua! qua!_ Ivan Tsarevich! wherefore
art thou so sad?" asked the Frog. "Or hast thou heard unpleasant words
from thy father the Tsar?"

"Why should I not be sad? My father and sovereign lord hath commanded
thee to bake soft white bread to-morrow."

"Do not afflict thyself, O Tsarevich! lie down and rest. The morning
is wiser than the evening."

She made the Tsarevich lie down and rest, then, casting her frog-skin,
she turned into a maiden soul, went out upon her beautiful balcony,
and cried with a piercing voice: "Nurseys--nurseys! assemble, set to
work and make me soft white bread such as I myself used to eat at my
dear father's!"

In the morning Ivan awoke. The frog had got the bread ready long ago,
and it was so splendid that the like of it is neither to be imagined
nor guessed at, but is only to be told of in tales. The loaves were
adorned with various cunning devices, royal cities were modelled on
the sides thereof, with moats and ditches.

The Tsar praised Ivan greatly because of his bread, and gave this
command to his three sons: "Let your wives weave me a carpet in a
single night."

Ivan returned home, and he was sad, and his impetuous head hung lower
than his shoulders. "_Qua! qua!_ Tsarevich Ivan! wherefore art thou so
sad? Or hast thou heard cruel, unfriendly words from thy father the
Tsar?"

"Have I not cause to grieve? My father and sovereign lord commands
thee to weave him a silk carpet in a single night!"

"Fret not, Tsarevich! come, lay thee down and sleep. The morning is
wiser than the evening!" Then she made him lie down to sleep, and
turning into the lovely maiden went forth upon her beautiful balcony,
and cried with a piercing voice: "Nurseys--nurseys! assemble, set to
work and weave me a silk carpet such as I was wont to sit upon at my
dear father's!"

No sooner said than done. In the morning Ivan woke, and the frog had
had the carpet ready long ago, and it was such a wondrous carpet that
th