274 COSSACK FAIRY TALES.

“ Simpleton !” cried Ivan Golik, “‘ when they bring
forth this bow, look at it, and say to the serpent: I
should be ashamed to bend a bow that the least of
my servants can bend! Then call me, and Pll bend
the bow so that none other will be able to bend it
again.”

With that the prince went straight off to the
serpent again, and the serpent commanded and they
brought the bow, together with an arrow weighing
fifty poods. When the prince saw it, he was like to
have died of fright; but they put the bow down in
the middle of the courtyard, and all the guests came
out to look at it. The prince walked all round the
bow and looked at it. “ Why,” said he, “I would not
deign to touch a bow like that. I'll call one of my
servants, for any one of them can bend such a bow as
that !”

Then the serpent looked at the prince’s servants one
after the other, and said : “‘ Well, let them try !”

“Come forward thou, Ivan Golik!” cried the
prince.

And the prince said to him: “Take me up that
bow and bend it!”

Ivan Golik took up the bow, placed the arrow
across it, and drew the bow so that the arrow split mto
twelve pieces and the bow burst. Then the prince
said: “Did I not tell you? and was I to put myself