236 SLAV TALES

the sleeves of the priest’s cassock, and was heard to speak
these words: ‘“ Never fear, dear parents, your beloved son will
not perish.”

The old woman kissed him fondly and handed him to his
godfather, who presented him to the priest. So they had named
him Wiezguinek, that is, Jmperishable. The twelve boys went on
growing at the rate of six weeks every hour, and at the end of
two years Were fine strong young men. Niezguinek, especially,
was of extraordinary size and strength. The good old people
lived happily and peacefully at home while their sons worked
in the fields. On one occasion the latter went ploughing ; and
while the eleven eldest used the ordinary plough and team
of oxen, Niezguinek made his own plough, and it had twelve
ploughshares and twelve handles, and to it were harnessed
twelve team of the strongest working oxen. The others
laughed at him, but he did not mind, and turned up as much
ground as his eleven brothers together.

Another time when they went haymaking and his brothers
used the ordinary scythes, he carried one with twelve blades,
and managed it so cleverly, in spite of the jests of his com-
panions, that he cut as much grass as all of them together.
And again, when they went to turn over the hay, Niezguinek
used a rake with twelve teeth, and so cleared twelve plots of
ground with every stroke. His haycock, too, was as large as
a hill in comparison with those of his brothers. Now, the
day after the making of the haycocks the old man and his
wife happened to be in the fields, and they noticed that one
haycock had disappeared ; so thinking wild horses had made
off with it, they advised their sons to take turns in watching
‘the place.