152 COSSACK FAIRY TALES,

the stove, and her step-mother hustled her and said:
“Get along, thou sluttish hussy!”—Then they
measured her with the slippers, and they fitted like
gloves, whereupon the courtiers rejoiced exceedingly
and praised the Lord.

“Well, little mother,” said they, “we will take
this daughter away with us.”—“ What! take a
slattern like that? Why, all the people will laugh
at you!”—‘ Maybe they will,” said they.—Then the
old woman scolded, and wouldn’t let her go. “ How
can such a slut become the consort of the Tsar’s
son?” sereeched she—‘ Nay, but she must come!”
sad they; “go, dress thyself, maiden !”—“ Wait but
a moment,” said she, “and [ll tire myself as is
meet !”—Then she went to the spring beneath the
willow-tree, and washed and dressed herself, and she
came back so lovely and splendid that the like of it
can neither be thought of nor guessed at, but only told
of in tales. As she entered the hut she shone like the
sun, and her step-mother had not another word to say.

So they put her in a carriage and drove off, and
when the Tsarevich saw her, he could not contain him-
self. ‘Make haste, O my father!” cried he, “and give
us thy blessing.” So the Tsar blessed them, and they
were wedded. Then they made a great feast and
invited all the world to it. And they lived happily
together, and ate wheat-bread to their hearts’ content: