IVAN GOLIK AND THE SERPENTS. 285

guards had ceased knocking at the doors as they went
their rounds, sparks began to flash beneath the straw
roof, and the sarivna coughed. They rushed up
to her, and saw the serpent already nestling beneath
the cushions. Then the Tsarivna leaped out of bed ;
but Armless lay down on the floor and kicked ae!
less on to the cushions, and Legless took the serpent
in his arms and began to throttle it. “Let me
go! let me go!” begged the serpent, “and I'll
never fly here again, but will renounce my tithes.”

But Legless said: “That is but a small thing.
Thou must carry us to the place of healing- Gate:
that I ay get back my legs and ny brother here
his arms.’ 3

“Catch hold of me,” said the ee “and Tl

take you, only torture me no more.’ eeu

So Legless clung on to him with his arms and
Armless with his feet, and the serpent flew away
with them till he came to a spring. “ There’s your
healing-water !” cried he.

Armless wanted to plunge in’ straightway, but
Legless shrieked: “ Wait, brother! Hold the serpent
tight with your legs while I shove a dry stick into
the spring, and then we shall see whether it nally
is healine-water.”

So he shoved a stick in, and no sooner had it
touched the water than it was consumed as though