52 COSSACK FAIRY TALES.

Well, I can only say that if he’s the good master
thou sayest he is, [ am rather surprised that he knocks
thee on the head so much with a hammer.”—*“‘ Well,
that’s true,” said the chisel, “I never thought of
that. Thou mayest take hold of me if thou wilt, and
draw me out of the top of the hut, near the front
gable; and wherever I fall into the marshy ground,
there set to work and dig with me!”

The Devil did so, and began digging at the spot
where the chisel fell out on the marshy ground till
he had dug out the children. Now, as they had been
growing all along, they were children no more, but
a stately youth and a fair damsel; and the serpent
took them up and carried them off. But they were
big and heavy, so he soon got tired and lay down
to rest, and presently fell asleep. Then the Tsarivna
sat down on his head, and the Tsarevko sat down
beside her till a horse came running up. The horse
ran right up to them and said: “Hail! little Tsar
Novishny ; art thou here by thy leave or against
thy leave ?”—And the little Tsar Novishny replied :
“Nay, little nag! we are here against our leave,
not by our leave.’— Then sit on my back!” said
the horse, “and [ll carry you off!” So they got
on his back, for the serpent was asleep all the
time. Then the horse galloped off with them ;
and he galloped far, far away. Presently the serpent