“Come with me; perhaps you may win a bride.” So the dragon and Iváshko went up to the stone, and the dragon commanded him to lift the stone up, and Iváshko thrust the stone, and it flew up from its bed like a feather, as though it were not there, and revealed an aperture in the earth, with a rope ladder. “Iváshko,” said the dragon, “go down that ladder; and I will let you down into the three kingdoms, and in each of them you will see a fair maiden.” So Iváshko went down, deeper and deeper, right down to the realm of copper, where he met a maiden who was very fair. “God greet you, strange guest! Sit down where you may find room, and say whence you come.” “Oh, fair maiden, you have given me nothing to eat and drink, and you ask me for my news!” So the maiden gave him all manner of meat and drink and set them on the table. Iváshko had a drink, and then said: “I am seeking a bride; will you marry me?” “No, fair youth! go farther on into the silver kingdom. There there is a maiden who is much fairer than I.” Thereupon she gave him a silver ring. So the young boy thanked her for her kindness, said farewell; and he went farther until he reached the silver kingdom. There he saw a maiden who was fairer yet than the former, and he prayed and bowed down low. “Good day, fair maiden!” “Good day, strange youth! Sit down and tell me whence you come and what you seek.” “But, fair maiden, you have given me nothing to eat or drink, and you ask my news!” So the maiden put rich drink and food on the table, and Iváshko ate as much as he would. Then he told her that he was seeking a bride, and he asked her if she would be the bride. “Go yet farther into the golden realm; there there is a maiden who is yet much fairer than I!” the girl said, and she gave him a golden ring. Iváshko said farewell, and went yet farther, went deeper still, into the golden realm. There he found a maiden who was much, very much fairer than the others, and there he said the right prayer, and he saluted the maiden. “Whither art thou going, fair youth; and what do you seek?” “Fair maiden, give me to eat and drink, and I will tell you my news.” So she got him so fine a meal that no better meal on earth could be wished, and she was so fair that no pen could write and no tale could tell. Iváshko set to valorously, and then he told his tale. “I am seeking a bride; if you will marry me, come with me!”