300 SLAV TALES

and admiring it greatly, said : “I have never seen such a beau-
tiful face in all my life, never even dreamed of such loveliness.
Come, tell me, is the original of the picture living?”

The lad burst into tears, and told him it was the living
image of his sister, who a short time since had received as
a special mark of favour from God, that her tears should be
changed into pearls, her smiles into roses, and the touch of
her hands in water should produce beautiful gold-fish.

The king commanded him to write to his stepmother at
once and bid her send her lovely step-daughter to the chapel
of the palace, where the king would be waiting to marry her.
The letter also contained promises of special royal favours.

The lad wrote the letter, which the king sent by a special
messenger.

Now a good story is soon told, but the deeds of which it
is the sum are not performed so quickly.

When the stepmother received the letter she determined
to say nothing about it to her step-child, but she showed it
to her own daughter, and talked the matter over with her.
Then she went to learn the art of sorcery from a witch, and
having found out all it was necessary to know, set off with
both of the girls. On approaching the capital, the wicked
woman pushed her step-child out of the carriage and repeated
some magic words over her. After this she became very
small and covered with feathers, then in a moment she was
changed into a wild-duck. She began to quack, and made
for the water, as ducks do, and swam to a far distance. The
stepmother bade her farewell in the following words: ‘“ By
the strength of my hate may my will be fulfilled. Swim
about the banks in the form of a duck, and rejoice in thy