wilderness they met another old man, even older than the first. "Hail, good youths!" said he to the Tsareviches. "Are ye truants and rest, or are ye in quest?"--"Why, we are in quest of something, of course. We are going in search of the Tsarevna Loveliness-Inexhaustible, with her flask of living-water!"--"Nay, my good youths!" said the aged stranger, "'twere better ye did not try to get thither."--"And why, pray?"--"I'll tell you. Three rivers cross this road--rivers large and broad. On these rivers are three ferries. At the first ferry they'll cut off your right arm, at the second your left, but at the third they'll cut off your head!" The brother Tsareviches were sore distressed, their giddy pates hung down below their sturdy shoulders, and they thought to themselves: "Ought we not to have some regard for our father's head and our own heads also? 'Twill be much better to return home alive and well, and wait for fine weather by the sea." And they turned back; and when they were a twenty-four hours' journey from home, they resolved to rest in the fields; and they spread their tents, with the golden tent-poles, let their horses out to graze, and said: "Here we'll stop and await our brother, and while away the time in idleness." But with the Tsarevich Ivan it fared far otherwise on his journey. There met him the same old man who had encountered his brothers, and this old man asked him the self-same question: "Whither art thou going, young man? Is thy journey far?" And the Tsarevich Ivan answered him: "What is that to thee? I want to have nothing to say to thee!"--But afterwards, when he had gone on a little further, he bethought him of what he had done. "Why did I answer the old man so rudely? Old people are full of ideas! perchance he might have advised me well." So he turned his horse, overtook the old man, and said: "Stay, my father! I did not quite hear what thou saidst to me."--"I asked thee whether thy journey was far?"--"Well, my father, the fact is, I am in search of the Tsarevna Loveliness-Inexhaustible, the daughter of three mothers, the granddaughter of three grandmothers, the sister of nine brothers. I want to get from her the living-water for my dad the Tsar."--"Well," said the old man, "'tis well for thee, good youth, that thou hast answered courteously, and therefore I will put thee in the right way. But thou wilt never get there on an ordinary horse."--"Then whence shall I get me an extraordinary horse?"--"I'll tell thee. Return home, and bid your grooms drive all thy father's horses down to the blue sea, and whichever horse breaks away from the others and goes right into the sea up to his neck, and begins to drink till the blue sea begins to rise and dash from shore to shore--him seize and mount." "I thank thee for thy good words, my father." The Tsarevich did as the old man bade him. He chose the most valiant charger from among his father's horses, watched all through the night, and when on the following morning he went out and