8& COSSACK FAIRY TALES.

I had never been born!”—But St. Michael gaid to
him: “Weep not, ‘twill all end happily. Fence
thyself about with thy boards, sprinkle thyself all
about with holy water, incense thyself with holy
incense, and take me with thee. She shall not have
thee. And the moment she leaves her coffin, do
thou jump quickly into it. And whatever she may
say to thee, and however she may implore thee, let.
her not get into it again until she says to thee: ‘My
consort !’”

So he went. There he stood in the middle of the
church, fenced himself about with his boards, strewed
consecrated poppy-seed around him, incensed himself
with holy incense, and read and read. About the
middle of the night a tempest arose outside, and there
was a rustling and a roaring, a hissing and a wailing.
The church shook, the altar candelabra were thrown
down, the holy images fell on their faces. O Lord,
how awful! Then came a “Bang, bang!” from the
coffin, and again the Tsarivna started up. She left
her coffin and fluttered about the church. She
rushed at the boards and made a snatch at him, and
fell back ; she rushed at him again, and again she fell
back. She foamed at the mouth, and her fury every
instant grew worse and worse. She dashed herself
about, and darted madly from one corner of the
church to the other, seeking him everywhere. But