Soon after the youth married her. I was present at the wedding, ate and drank with the old man and conversed much with him; and we moistened our throats so often with sweet wine from Zagorje that my grandfather and I can taste it yet. "Can you really, mother's-mother?" exclaimed the little boy. The other grandmother laughed. "That is only the way it ends," she said. "Some stories end that way." CHAPTER XVI THE LITTLE BOY SLEEPLESS The little boy could not sleep. The room was full of people very excitedly talking about the action of the zemstvo on some subject of importance, and although he did not understand a word that they were saying, the talking and the thought of to-morrow's journey kept him awake. He was lying on a pallet laid upon the bench against the wall in a far corner of the room, and he turned over so often that at last he fell upon the floor. He tried hard not to cry, but he could not quite help it. The other grandmother picked him up and cuddled him in her arms. "Go to sleep," she said, patting him gently. The little boy shut his eyes, but in a minute they were open again. "Mother's-mother, I can't sleep. Couldn't you tell me one more story, very softly, so that the others can't hear?" The other grandmother laid the little boy back upon his pallet, covered him up warm, and told him about THE VILA IN THE GOLDEN CASTLE Once upon a time there was a father who had three sons. One day he bade the eldest go into the garden and keep watch that the swans did not eat the flowers. The son kept watch a long time, but at last sleep overcame him, and immediately the swans came and ate up the flowers. Now these were not really swans, but Vilas. Upon this the second brother betook himself to the garden, and with the same result. Then it was the youngest brother's turn; but this one put thorns under his head, so that he could not go to sleep. He lay there in a doze until the swans arrived; then, springing nimbly upon his feet, he caught one of them, which changed herself into a Vila. Upon this the other swans flew away, and the Vila and the youth both lay down and fell asleep. Shortly after a girl came along that way and cut off the Vila's hair. When the Vila awoke she fell into the deepest dejection over the loss. The youth asked her, "My beloved, wherefore so sorrowful?" and she answered, "Some one has robbed me of my hair." She remained with him for a whole week. Then, as it chanced, he was obliged to go away somewhere, and she improved the opportunity to quit the house--not, however, without leaving word that he would find her in the golden castle. When he returned home and asked after her, he learned that she had gone to the golden castle. He therefore set out to find it. After much walking he came to a great forest, where he met an old man, whom he asked if he could give him any information about the golden castle.