286 SLAV TALES

was allowed a beautiful suite of apartments and maids of
honour to attend her.

When the king, who was much weakened by suffering, had
looked at the bird, he asked after his youngest son. To which
the brothers replied: ‘‘We have not seen or heard anything
of him, it is very likely that he has been killed.”

The poor old man was much affected—it seemed, indeed,

“as if his last hour had come. The fire-bird moped and re-
fused to sing ; the Horse with the Golden Mane stood with his
head bent down before his manger, and would eat no food ;
while Princess Zlato-Vlaska remained as silent as if she had
been born dumb, her beautiful hair was neglected and un-
combed, and she wept—her tears fell fast.

Now as the red fox chanced to pass through the forest
he came upon the mangled body of the youngest brother, and
he at once set to work to put the scattered pieces together,
but was unable to restore them to life. At that moment a
raven, accompanied by two young ones, came hovering over-
head. The fox crouched behind a bramble bush; and when
one of the young birds alighted upon the body to feed, he
seized it and made a pretence of strangling it. Upon which
the parent bird, full of anxious love and fear, perched upon a
branch close by and croaked as if to say, “Let my poor little
nestling go. I have done you no harm, neither have I worried
you; let him free, and I will take the first opportunity of
returning your kindness.”

“Just so,” replied the. red fox, ‘for I am greatly in need
of some kindness. Now if you will fetch me some of the
Water of Death, and some of the Water of Life, from the
Red Sea, I will let your nestling go safe and sound.”