6 COSSACK FAIRY TALES.

Oh took the son away with him, and they passed
into the other world, the world beneath the earth, and
came to a green hut woven out of rushes, and in this
hut everything was green; the walls were green and
the benches were green, and Oh’s wife was green and
his children were green—ain fact everything there was
green. And Oh had water-nixies for serving-maids,
and they were all as green as rue. “Sit down now!”

 

 

said Oh to Lis new labourer, ‘and have a bit of
something to eat.” The nixies then brought him
some food, and that was also green, and he ate of it.
‘And now,” said Oh, ‘‘take my labourer into the
courtyard that he may chop wood and draw water.”
So they took him into the courtyard, but instead of
chopping any wood he lay down and went to sleep.
Oh came out to see how he was getting on, and there