THE MAGIC EGG. © 241

must bake me a roll out of this self-same wheat, and
the roll must be lying ready for me on my table in
the morning.”

Then Ivan went and leaned over the fence, and his
heart within him was sore troubled. Now near to
him there was a post, and in this post was the
dragon’s starveling daughter. So when he came
thither and fell a-weeping, she asked him: ‘“ Where-
fore dost thou weep?”—And he said: “How can
I help weeping? The dragon has bidden me do
something I can never, never do; and what is more,
she has bidden me do it in a single night.”—‘ What
is it, pray?” asked the dragon’s daughter. Then he
told her. “ Not every bush bears a berry!” cried
she. ‘Promise to take me to wife, and I’ll do all she
has bidden thee do.” He promised, and then she said
to him again: “Now go and lie down, but see that
thou art up early in the morning to bring her her
roll.” Then she went to the field, and before one
could whistle she had cleaned it of weeds and
harrowed it and sown it with wheat, and by dawn
she had reaped the wheat and cooked the roll and
brought it to him, and said: ‘Now, take it to her
hut and put it on her table.”

Then the old she-dragon awoke and came to the
door, and was amazed at the sight of the field, which

was now all stubble, for the corn had been cut. Then
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