9+ COSSACK FAIRY TALES.

him into his service. Now this nobleman had many
servants, and they curried his horses for him, and
made them smart and glossy against the day he
should go a-hunting. And Tremsin began to curry
his horse likewise, and the servants of the nobleman
could not make the horses of their master so shining
bright as Tremsin made his own horse. So they
looked more closely, and they perceived that when
Tremsin cleaned his horse he stroked it with the
feather of the Bird Zhar, and the coat of the good
steed straightway shone like burnished silver. Then
those servants were filled with envy, and said among
themselves: ‘‘ How can we remove this fellow from
the world? We'll saddle him with a task he is
unable to do, and then our master will drive him
away.”’—So they went to their master and said:
“Tremsin has a feather of the Bird Zhar, and he
says that if he likes he can get the Bird Zhar itself.”
Then the nobleman sent for Tremsin and said to him :
“QO Tremsin! my henchmen say that thou canst
eet the Bird Zhar if thou dost choose.”—“ Nay, but
I cannot,” replied Tremsin.—“ Answer me not,” said
the nobleman, ‘for so sure as Ive a sword, Ill slice
thy head off lke a gourd.’—Then Tremsin fell a-
weeping and went away to his horse. ‘‘ My master,”
said he, ‘ hath given me a task to do that will clean
undo me.’’—‘‘ What task is that ?” asked the horse.—