178 SLAV TALES

boiling pitch, their shoulders bruised with blows from red-
hot iron clubs, and their necks sawn with wooden saws.”

“You may cut and saw me as much as you like in the
other world,” said the servant, ‘but I shall drown you in this.”
And he began to let the strap slide through his fingers.

“Very well,” said the prince, “I agree to accept your
terms. ‘You shall be the prince and I will be your servant,
I give you my word.”

“‘T have no faith in words that are carried away by the first
wind that blows. Swear to confirm your promise in writing.”

“T swear.”

The servant then let down paper and pencil, and dictated

the following :

“T hereby declare that I renounce my name and rights
in favour of the bearer of this writing, and that I acknowledge
him to be my prince, and that I am his servant. Written
in the well. (Signed) PRINCE SLUGOBYL.”

The man having taken this document, which he was
quite unable to read, drew out the prince, took off the
clothes in which he was dressed, and made him wear those
he himself had just taken off. Thus disguised they travelled
for a week, and arriving at a large city, went straight to the
king’s palace. There the false prince dismissed his pretended
servant to the stables, and presenting himself before the king,
addressed him thus in a very haughty manner:

“ King, I am come to demand the hand of your wise and
beautiful daughter, whose fame has reached my father’s court.
In exchange I offer our alliance, and in case of refusal, war.”

“ Prayers and threats are equally out of place,” answered the