THE STORY OF UNLUCKY DANIEL. 119

as hard as thou canst.” So the innkeeper waited till
he had ducked his head under the water, and then he
thrashed him with the chain, whereupon he turned
into a horse so beautiful that it was a delight to look
upon it. The innkeeper was so glad, so glad. “ So
I've got rid of one guest only to get another one,”
thought he. He lost no time in taking the horse to
the fair, and offered it for sale, and among those who
saw it was the Tsar himself. ‘“ What dost thou ask
for it?” said the Tsar—‘*I ask five thousand rubles.”
Then the Tsar counted down the money and took the
horse away. When he got to his court, he made a
great to-do about his beautiful horse, and cried to his
daughter: “Come and see, dear little heart! what a
fine horse I have bought.” Then she came forth to
look at it; but the moment she saw it, she cried :
“That horse will be my ruin. Thou must kill it on
the spot.”—* Nay, dear little heart! how can I do
such a thing?” said the ‘'sar.— Slay it thou must,
and slay it thou shalt!” cried the Tsarivna, So they
sent for a knife, and began sharpening it, when one
of the maidens of the court took pity on the horse,
and cried: “Oh, my good, my darling horse, so
lovely as thou art, and yet to kill thee!” But the
horse neighed and went to her, and said: “ Look
now! take the first drop of blood which flows from
me, and bury it in the garden.” Then they slew the