He consented to do so, but in the mean time he let his mother go down the ladder, as well as the Princess--whom it had been settled he was to marry when they got home. They were received by his brothers, who then set to work and cut away the ladder, so that he himself would not be able to get down. And they used such threats to his mother and the Princess, that they made them promise not to tell about Prince Ivan when they got home. And after a time they reached their native country. Their father was delighted at seeing his wife and his two sons, but still he was grieved about the other one, Prince Ivan. But Prince Ivan returned to the home of his betrothed, and got the wedding dress, and the ring, and the seamless shoes. Then he came back to the mountain and tossed the ring from one hand to the other. Immediately there appeared twelve strong youths, who said: "What are your commands?" "Carry me down from this hill." The youths immediately carried him down. Prince Ivan put the ring on his finger--they disappeared. Then he went on to his own country, and arrived at the city in which his father and brothers lived. There he took up his quarters in the house of an old woman, and asked her: "What news is there, mother, in your country?" "What news, lad? You see our queen was kept in prison by Koshchei the Deathless. Her three sons went to look for her, and two of them found her and came back, but the third, Prince Ivan, has disappeared, and no one knows where he is. The King is very unhappy about him. And those two Princes and their mother brought a certain Princess back with them; and the eldest son wants to marry her, but she declares he must fetch her her betrothal ring first, or get one made just as she wants it. But although they have made a public proclamation about it, no one has been found to do it yet." "Well, mother, go and tell the King that you will make one. I'll manage it for you," said Prince Ivan. So the old woman immediately dressed herself, and hastened to the King, and said: "Please, your Majesty, I will make the wedding ring." "Make it, then, make it, mother! Such people as you are welcome," said the king. "But if you don't make it, off goes your head!" The old woman was dreadfully frightened; she ran home, and told Prince Ivan to set to work at the ring. But Ivan lay down to sleep, troubling himself very little about it. The ring was there all the time. So he only laughed at the old woman, but she was trembling all over, and crying, and scolding him. "As for you," she said, "you're out of the scrape; but you've done for me, fool that I was!" The old woman cried and cried until she fell asleep. Early in the morning Prince Ivan got up and awakened her, saying: