60 COSSACK FAIRY TALES.

and he thought her good and true. Then she took
the handkerchief, went down to the sea, and waved
it—and behold. there was a bridge. Then the
serpent crossed over to her side, and they walked
to the hut together and consulted as to the best
way of destroying her brother and removing him
from God’s fair world. Now it was his custom to
rise at dawn, mount his horse, and go a-hunting,
for hunting he dearly loved. So the serpent said to
her: “Take to thy bed and pretend to be ill, and say
to him: I dreamed a dream, dear brother, and lo,
I saw thee go and fetch me wolf’s milk to make
me well. Then he'll go and fetch it, and the wolves
will tear his dogs to pieces, and then we can take
and do to him as we list, for his strength is in his
dogs.”

So when the brother came home from hunting the
serpent hid himself, but the sister said: “I have
dreamed a dream, dear brother. Methought thou
didst go and fetch me wolf’s milk, and I drank of
it, and my health came back to me, for I am so
weak that God erant I die not.”—*T’'ll fetch as
said her brother. So he mounted his horse and
set off. Presently he came to a little thicket, and
immediately a she-wolf came out. Then Protius
ran her down and Nedviga held her fast, and the
little Tsar milked her and let her go. And the