IVAN GOLIK AND THE SERPENTS. 289

of tar. First he twined tightly a pood of hemp,
and tarred it well with a pood of pitch; round
this he plaited another pood of hemp, and tarred
that also with another pood of pitch, till he had
used up the whole forty. By midnight his task
was done, and then he laid him down to sleep.
But the prince had gone to sleep long before in
the pig-sty.

Early in the morning they rose up again, and
Ivan Golik said to him: ‘Up till to-day thou hast
been a swineherd, and after to-day thou shalt be a
prince again; but first let us drive the swine into
the field.”

“Nay, but,” said the prince, “the princess has
not yet come out upon the balcony to drink tea
with the serpents, and see me kiss the pig before
it goes out, as is her wont.” Ivan Golik said to
him: “ We will drive the swine out this time, too,
but it will not be thou but I who shall kiss the big
boar.”

“Good !” said the prince.

And now the time came for the swine to be
driven away, and the princess came out on the
balcony to drink tea. They took the swine out
of the sty, and the pair of them drove the beasts
before them. When they reached the gate the

leading pig stuck fast in the gateway, and wouldn't
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