72 COSSACK FAIRY TALES.

all the people immediately sent and told the Tsar:
“A stranger has come hither who says he is ready
to meet and slay the dragon.” Then the ‘I'sar bade
them take him to the watch-house and put him among
the guards.

Then they led out the Tsarivna, and behind her
they led him, and behind him came his beasts and his
horse. And the Tsarivna was so lovely and so richly
attired that all who beheld her burst into tears. But
the moment the dragon appeared and opened his
mouth to devour the Tsarivna, the little Tsar cried
to his self-slicing sword: “ Fall upon him!” and to
his beasts he cried: “ Protius! Medvedik! Vov-’
chok! Nedviga! Seize him!” Then the self-slicing
sword and the beasts fell upon him, and tore him
into little bits. When they had finished tearing him,
the little Tsar took the remains of the body and
burnt it to ashes, and the little fox took up all the
ashes on her tail, and scattered them to the four
winds. Then he took the Tsarivna by the hand, and
led her to the Tsar, and the people rejoiced because
their water was free again. And the Tsarivna gave
him the nuptial ring.

Then they set off home again. They went on and
on, for it was a long way from the tsardom of that.
Tsar, and at last he grew weary and lay down in the
grass, and she sat at his head. Then his lackey