212 SLAV TALES

the beautiful Princess with the Golden Hair, who had been
carried away by Vikher.

Now among the seekers were two brothers, sons of a king,
and they travelled together through many countries asking
for news of the princess, but no one knew anything about
her. But they continued their search, and at the end of two
years arrived in a country that lies in the centre of the earth,
and has summer and winter at the same time.

The princes determined to find out whether this was the
place where the hurricane had hidden the Princess with the
Golden Hair. So they began to ascend one of the mountains
on foot, leaving their horses behind them to feed on the grass.
On reaching the top, they came in sight of a silver palace
supported on a cock’s foot, while at one of the windows the
sun’s rays shone upon a head of golden hair; surely it could
only belong to the princess. Suddenly the north wind blew
so violently, and the cold became so intense, that the leaves
of the trees withered and the breath froze. The two princes
tried to keep their footing, and battled manfully against the
storm, but they were overcome by its fierceness and fell
together, frozen to death.

Their broken-hearted parents waited for them in vain.
Masses were said, charities distributed, and prayers sent up
to God to pity them in their sorrow.

One day when the queen, the mother of the princes, was
giving a poor old man some money she said to him, “‘My good
old friend, pray God to guard our sons and soon bring them
back in good health.”

“Ah, noble lady,” answered he, ‘“‘that prayer would be
useless. Everlasting rest is all one may ask for the dead,