54 COSSACK FAIRY TALES.

awoke, looked all round him, and could see nothing
till he had got up out of the reeds in which
he lay, when he saw them in the far distance, and
gave chase. He soon caught them up; and little
Tsar Novishny said to the horse: “Oh! little nag,
how hot it is. It is all up with thee and us!”
And, in truth, the horse’s tail was already singed
to a coal, for the serpent was hard behind them,
blazing like fire. The horse perceived that he could
do no more, so he gave one last wrigele and died ;
but they, poor things, were left alive. “ Whom
have you been listening to?” said the serpent as
he flew up to them. “Don’t you know that I only
am your father and tsar, and have the right to carry
you away ?”—* Oh, dear daddy! we'll never listen
to anybody else again !”— Well, 'll forgive you
this time,” said the serpent; “but mind you never
do it again.”

Again the serpent took them up and carried them
off. Presently he grew tired and again lay down
to rest, and nodded off. Then the Tsarivna sat
down on lis head, and the Tsarevko sat down be-
side her, till a humble-bee came flying up. ‘ Hail,
little Tsar Novishny!” cried the humble-bee.—
“ Hail, little humble-bee!” said the little Tsar.—
“Say, friends, are you here by your leave or against
your leave ?”—* Alas! little humble-bumble-bee, ’tis