16 COSSACK FAIRY TALES.

said he. But it was of no avail, she would not give
it up. Then the Tsar himself spoke to her. “ Nay,
but, darling daughter, give it up, lest misfortune befall
this man because of us; give it up, I say!” Then Oh
begged and prayed her yet more, and said: “Take
what thou wilt of me, only give me back the ring.”—
‘Nay, then!” said the Tsarivna, “it shall be neither
mine nor thine,” and with that she pitched the ring
upon the ground, and the ring turned into a heap of
millet-seed and scattered all about the floor. Then
Oh, without more ado, changed into a cock, and
began pecking up all the millet-seed. He pecked
aud pecked till he had pecked it all up. Yet there
was one single little grain of millet which rolled
right beneath the feet of the Tsarivna, and that he
did not see. When he had done pecking he got upon
the window-sill, opened his wings, and flew right
away.

But the one remaining grain of millet-seed turned
into a most beauteous youth, a youth so beauteous
that when the Tsarivna beheld him she fell in love
with him on the spot, and begged the Tsar and
Tsaritsa right piteously to let her have him as her
husband. ‘“ With no other shall I ever be happy,”
said she, “my happiness is in lim alone!” For a
long time the Tsar wrinkled his brows at the thought
of giving his daughter toa simple youth; but at last