108 SLAV TALES

One day, while playing this game, the cap caught in the
branches of a gooseberry bush. The dwarf seeing this at once
ran up, seized the princess in one hand and the cap in the
other, and was about to carry both off when the sound of a
war-trumpet was heard.

The dwarf trembled with rage and muttered a thousand
curses. He breathed on the princess to send her to sleep,
covered her with the invisible cap, and seizing a double-bladed
sword, rose up in the air as high as the clouds, so that he
might fall upon his assailant and kill him at one stroke. We
shall now see with whom he had to deal.

After the hurricane had upset the wedding procession and
carried off the princess, there arose a great tumult among
those at court. The king, the princess’s attendants, and
Prince Dobrotek sought her in every direction, calling her
by name, and making inquiries of every one they met. At
last, the king in despair declared that if Prince Dobrotek did
not bring back his daughter, he would destroy his kingdom
and have him killed. And to the other princes present he
promised that whosoever among them should bring Pietnotka
back to him should have her for his wife and receive half
of the kingdom. Whereupon they all mounted their horses
without loss of time and dispersed in every direction. |

Prince Dobrotek, overpowered with grief and dismay, tra-
velled three days without eating, drinking, or sleeping. On
the evening of the third day he was quite worn-out with
fatigue, and stopping his horse in a field, got down to rest for
a short time. Suddenly he heard cries, as of something in
pain, and looking round saw an enormous owl tearing a hare
with its claws. The prince laid hold of the first hard thing