IVAN GOLIK AND THE SERPENTS. 279

and dress themselves, but the prince took counsel of
Ivan Golik. Ivan whistled, and immediately the gnat
came flying up. He told the gnat all about it, and
the gnat said: “Thou didst help me, so now I will
help thee. When the serpent brings out his daughters,
let the prince keep his eyes open, for I will fly on her
head. Let him walk round them once, and I will fly
round them too. Let him walk round them a second
time, and I will fly round them twice also. Let him
walk round them a third time, and then I’ll settle
on her nose, and she will not be able to endure my
bite, but will strike at me with her right hand.”
And with these words the gnat flew off into the
house.

Soon afterwards the serpent sent for the prince.
He went, and there in the courtyard stood the twenty-
one daughters. They were as like as peas, their
faces, their hair, and their raiment were exactly the
same. He looked and looked, but could not tell one
from the other. He walked round them the first
time, but there was no sign of the gnat. He walked
round them the second time, and the gnat came and
lit upon her ‘head. Henceforth he never took his
eyes off the gnat, and when he had begun to walk
round the twenty-one daughters for the third time,
the gnat sat on the nose of the youngest, and began
to bite her. She brushed it off with her right hand,