27-the witch and her servants-第4章

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feather　into　the　air；　and　I　will　help　you　as　much　as　is　in　my

power。'



Iwanich　thanked　the　bird；　and　placing　the　feather　beside　the

scale　he　drove　the　horses　home。



Another　day　he　had　wandered　farther　than　usual；　and　came　close　to

a　farmyard；　the　place　pleased　the　Prince；　and　as　there　was　plenty

of　good　grass　for　the　horses　he　determined　to　spend　the　day

there。　　Just　as　he　was　sitting　down　under　a　tree　he　heard　a　cry

close　to　him；　and　saw　a　fox　which　had　been　caught　in　a　trap

placed　there　by　the　farmer。



In　vain　did　the　poor　beast　try　to　free　itself；　then　the

good…natured　Prince　came　once　more　to　the　rescue；　and　let　the　fox

out　of　the　trap。



The　fox　thanked　him　heartily；　tore　two　hairs　out　of　his　bushy

tail；　and　said：　'Should　you　ever　stand　in　need　of　my　help　throw

these　two　hairs　into　the　fire；　and　in　a　moment　I　shall　be　at　your

side　ready　to　obey　you。'



Iwanich　put　the　fox's　hairs　with　the　scale　and　the　feather；　and

as　it　was　getting　dark　he　hastened　home　with　his　horses。



In　the　meantime　his　service　was　drawing　near　to　an　end；　and　in

three　more　days　the　year　was　up；　and　he　would　be　able　to　get　his

reward　and　leave　the　witch。



On　the　first　evening　of　these　last　three　days；　when　he　came　home

and　was　eating　his　supper；　he　noticed　the　old　woman　stealing　into

the　stables。



The　Prince　followed　her　secretly　to　see　what　she　was　going　to　do。　

He　crouched　down　in　the　doorway　and　heard　the　wicked　witch

telling　the　horses　to　wait　next　morning　till　Iwanich　was　asleep；

and　then　to　go　and　hide　themselves　in　the　river；　and　to　stay

there　till　she　told　them　to　return；　and　if　they　didn't　do　as　she

told　them　the　old　woman　threatened　to　beat　them　till　they　bled。



When　Iwanich　heard　all　this　he　went　back　to　his　room；　determined

that　nothing　should　induce　him　to　fall　asleep　next　day。　　On　the

following　morning　he　led　the　mare　and　foal　to　the　fields　as

usual；　but　bound　a　cord　round　them　both　which　he　kept　in　his

hand。



But　after　a　few　hours；　by　the　magic　arts　of　the　old　witch；　he　was

overpowered　by　sleep；　and　the　mare　and　foal　escaped　and　did　as

they　had　been　told　to　do。　　The　Prince　did　not　awake　till　late　in

the　evening；　and　when　he　did；　he　found；　to　his　horror；　that　the

horses　had　disappeared。　　Filled　with　despair；　he　cursed　the

moment　when　he　had　entered　the　service　of　the　cruel　witch；　and

already　he　saw　his　head　sticking　up　on　the　sharp　spike　beside　the

others。



Then　he　suddenly　remembered　the　fish's　scale；　which；　with　the

eagle's　feather　and　the　fox's　hairs；　he　always　carried　about　with

him。　　He　drew　the　scale　from　his　pocket；　and　hurrying　to　the

river　he　threw　it　in。　　In　a　minute　the　grateful　fish　swam　towards

the　bank　on　which　Iwanich　was　standing；　and　said：　'What　do　you

command；　my　friend　and　benefactor？'



The　Prince　replied：　'I　had　to　look　after　a　mare　and　foal；　and

they　have　run　away　from　me　and　have　hidden　themselves　in　the

river；　if　you　wish　to　save　my　life　drive　them　back　to　the　land。'



'Wait　a　moment；'　answered　the　fish；　'and　I　and　my　friends　will

soon　drive　them　out　of　the　water。'　　With　these　words　the　creature

disappeared　into　the　depths　of　the　stream。



Almost　immediately　a　rushing　hissing　sound　was　heard　in　the

waters；　the　waves　dashed　against　the　banks；　the　foam　was　tossed

into　the　air；　and　the　two　horses　leapt　suddenly　on　to　the　dry

land；　trembling　and　shaking　with　fear。



Iwanich　sprang　at　once　on　to　the　mare's　back；　seized　the　foal　by

its　bridle；　and　hastened　home　in　the　highest　spirits。



When　the　witch　saw　the　Prince　bringing　the　horses　home　she　could

hardly　conceal　her　wrath；　and　as　soon　as　she　had　placed　Iwanich's

supper　before　him　she　stole　away　again　to　the　stables。　　The

Prince　followed　her；　and　heard　her　scolding　the　beasts　harshly

for　not　having　hidden　themselves　better。　　She　bade　them　wait　next

morning　till　Iwanich　was　asleep　and　then　to　hide　themselves　in

the　clouds；　and　to　remain　there　till　she　called。　　If　they　did　not

do　as　she　told　them　she　would　beat　them　till　they　bled。



The　next　morning；　after　Iwanich　had　led　his　horses　to　the　fields；

he　fell　once　more　into　a　magic　sleep。　　The　horses　at　once　ran

away　and　hid　themselves　in　the　clouds；　which　hung　down　from　the

mountains　in　soft　billowy　masses。



When　the　Prince　awoke　and　found　that　both　the　mare　and　the　foal

had　disappeared；　he　bethought　him　at　once　of　the　eagle；　and

taking　the　feather　out　of　his　pocket　he　blew　it　into　the　air。



In　a　moment　the　bird　swooped　down　beside　him　and　asked：　'What　do

you　wish　me　to　do？'



'My　mare　and　foal；'　replied　the　Prince；　'have　run　away　from　me；

and　have　hidden　themselves　in　the　clouds；　if　you　wish　to　save　my

life；　restore　both　animals　to　me。'



'Wait　a　minute；'　answered　the　eagle；　'with　the　help　of　my　friends

I　will　soon　drive　them　back　to　you。'



With　these　words　the　bird　flew　up　into　the　air　and　disappeared

among　the　clouds。



Almost　directly　Iwanich　saw　his　two　horses　being　driven　towards

him　by　a　host　of　eagles　of　all　sizes。　　He　caught　the　mare　and

foal；　and　having　thanked　the　eagle　he　drove　them　cheerfully　home

again。



The　old　witch　was　more　disgusted　than　ever　when　she　saw　him

appearing；　and　having　set　his　supper　before　him　she　stole　into

the　stables；　and　Iwanich　heard　her　abusing　the　horses　for　not

having　hidden　themselves　better　in　the　clouds。　　Then　she　bade

them　hide　themselves　next　morning；　as　soon　as　Iwanich　was　asleep；

in　the　King's　hen…house；　which　stood　on　a　lonely　part　of　the

heath；　and　to　remain　there　till　she　called。　　If　they　failed　to　do

as　she　told　them　she　would　certainly　beat　them　this　time　till

they　bled。



On　the　following　morning　the　Prince　drove　his　horses　as　usual　to

the　fields。　　After　he　had　been　overpowered　by　sleep；　as　on　the

former　days；　the　mare　and　foal　ran　away　and　hid　themselves　in　the

royal　hen　house。



When　the　Prince　awoke　and　found　the　horses　gone　he　determined　to

appeal　to　the　fox；　so；　lighting　a　fire；　he　threw　the　two　hairs

into　it；　and　in　a　few　moments　the　fox　stood　beside　him　and　asked：

'In　what　way　can　I　serve　you？'



'I　wish　to　know；'　replied　Iwanich；　'where　the　King's　hen…house

is。'



'Hardly　an　hour's　walk　from　here；'　answered　the　fox；　and　offered

to　show　the　Prince　the　way　to　it。



While　they　were　walking　along　the　fox　asked　him　what　he　wanted　to

do　at　the　royal　hen…house。　　The　Prince　told　him　of　the　misfortune

that　had　befallen　him；　and　of　the　necessity　of　recovering　the

mare　and　foal。



'That　is　no　easy　matter；'　replied　the　fox。　　'But　wait　a　moment。　

I　have　an　idea。　　Stand　at　the　door　of　the　hen…house；　and　wait

there　for　your　horses。　　In　the　meantime　I　will　slip　in　among　the

hens　through　a　hole　in　the　wall　and　give　them　a　good　chase；　so

that　the　noise　they　make　will　arouse　the　royal　henwives；　and　they

will　come　to　see　what　is　the　matter。　　When　they　see　the　horses

they　will　at　once　imagine　them　to　be　the　cause　of　the

disturbance；　and　will　drive　them　out。　　Then　you　must　lay　hands　on

the　mare　and　foal　and　catch　them。



All　turned　out　exactly　as　the　sly　fox　had　foreseen。　　The　Prince

swung　himself　on　the　mare；　seized　the　foal　by　its　bridle；　and

hurried　home。



While　he　was　riding　over　the　heath　in　the　highest　of　spirits　the

mare　suddenly　said　to　her　rider：　'You　are　the　first　person　who

has　ever　succeeded　in　outwitting　the　old　witch　Corva；　and　now　you

may　ask　what　reward　you　like　for　your　service。　　If　you　promise

never　to　betray　me　I　will　give　you　a　piece　of　advice　which　you

will　do　well　to　follow。'



The　Prince　promised　never　to　betray　her　confidence；　and　the　mare

continued：　'Ask　nothing　else　as　a　reward　than　my　foal；　for　it　has

not　its　like　in　the　world；　and　is　not　to　be　bought　for　love　or

money；　for　it　can　go　from　one　end　of　the　earth　to　another　in　a

few　minutes。　　Of　course　the　cunning　Corva　will　do　her　best　to

dissuade　you　from　taking　the　foal；　and　will　tell　you　that　it　is

both　idle　and　sickly；　but　do