everything appeared. The candelabras were lighted, the table was covered, and all the meats and drinks appeared upon it. The archer sat down at the table and said, "Hi! Shmat-Razum. Come, brother, and sit down with me, let us eat and drink together. I can't stand eating all alone." And an invisible voice answered him: "Alas! good man, whence hath God sent thee? 'Tis thirty years since I have served right trustily the two old men here, and during all that time they have never once asked me to sit down with them." The archer looked about him and was amazed. He saw nobody, yet the meats disappeared from the dishes as if some one was sweeping them away, and the wine bottles lifted themselves up, poured themselves into the glasses, and in a trice the glasses were empty. Then the archer went on eating and drinking, but he said: "Hearken, Shmat-Razum! Wilt thou be my servant? Thou shalt have a good time of it with me."--"Why should I not? I have long been growing weary here, and thou, I see, art a good man."--"Well, get everything ready and come with me." The archer came out of the cave, looked around him, and there was nothing. "Shmat-Razum, art thou there?"--"I am here. Fear not. I'll never desert thee." "Right," replied the archer, and he sat him on the frog. The frog swelled out and leaped across the fiery stream; he placed it in the jar, and set off on his return journey. He came to his mother-in-law and made his new servant regale the old woman and her daughters right royally. Shmat-Razum feasted them so bountifully that the old woman very nearly danced for joy, and ordered the frog three jars of fresh milk every nine days for its faithful services. The archer then took leave of his mother-in-law and wended his way homewards. He went on and on till he was utterly exhausted, his swift feet trembled beneath him, and his white arms sank down by his side. "Alas!" said he, "Shmat-Razum, dost thou not see how weary I am? My legs fail me."--"Why didst thou not tell it me long ago? I will bring thee to the place alive and well." And immediately the archer was seized by a whirlwind and carried through the air so quickly that his hat fell from his head. "Hi! Shmat-Razum! Stop a minute. My hat has fallen from my head."--"Too late, master. Thou canst not get it. Thy cap is now 5000 miles behind thee." Towns and villages, rivers and forests, melted away beneath the feet of the archer.