164 COSSACK FAIRY TALES.

of the ditch; so he went up to it, cut off a branch,
made him a flute out of it, and began playing upon
it. But the flute played of its own accord, and made
this moan :
« Play, good master, play,

But steal not my heart away !

Me my brothers took and slew,

In the ditch my body threw,

For that hog shot down by me,

That rooted up the tree.”

The nobleman then went on to the inn, and there
he found the fool’s father. ‘Such a funny thing has
happened to me,” said the nobleman. “1 went and
cut me out a flute from an elder-bush, and lo! it
plays of its own accord!” Then the father took
and tried his hand at it, and it sang :

“ Play, good daddy, play,
But don’t steal my heart away !
Me my brothers took and slew,
In the ditch my body threw,
For that hog shot down by me,
That rooted up the tree!”

The father was so astonished that he bought it,
¥ : :
and took it home, and gave it to the mother for her
to play upon it, and it sang:
‘Play, good mammy, play,
But don’t steal my heart away !
Me my brothers took and slew,
In the ditch my body threw,

For that hog shot down by me,
That rooted up the tree!”