When they arrived they found everything ready for the wedding. But, according to custom, the bridal party were obliged to go to the church a few days before the marriage to pray and confess to the pop. When the young lady came to confession she asked the pop how she might manage to get rid of the Prince and not be obliged to marry him. The pop gave her a sound scolding, and said in conclusion, "Just keep quiet and all will end well. Mark what I say, and remember it well. When you are come into the church and are taking your place in the sacristy, do you follow close behind the others. When you get to the high altar sprinkle your bridegroom thrice with holy-water, and be careful to prick yourself each time with one of his spines. Then three drops of blood will trickle out of your hand, and you must let these also fall upon him." After confession the bridal pair went home to breakfast. The next day--it was a Sunday--the bridal party went at half-past eleven into the church, and the bride did in every respect as the pop had counselled. And, behold, the Hedgehog was transformed into a beautiful youth whose like was not to be found in all the world. Then the bridal party sat down upon the benches and heard Mass, and the pop united them and preached them a sermon how they should cleave to each other all their lives long. After that they went back to the house, and the wedding-feast lasted until late in the night. The wine was very good. I sat at the head of the last table, drank yellow wine out of a painted cup and ate half a swine all by myself. "Some stories end that way, don't they, grandmother?" asked the little boy. "Yes," said the grandmother, "some of them do." CHAPTER XVIII THE BETROTHAL Easter Day had come, and everybody in the house was giving and returning the Easter greeting. The little boy ran into his grandmother's room. "Christ is risen, little grandmamma!" he said. "He is risen indeed," the grandmother answered. The older brother and sisters came to salute their grandmother. "Christ is risen!" each one said to her, and to each she answered: "He is risen indeed." Then they all went to the parents' room for the morning prayer. They did this every morning, for Russian peasants are very devout; but Easter was a special morning, and they sang many hymns and said many prayers. When they had finished, the married son and his wife came in. "Christ is risen, father and mother!" they said. "He is risen indeed," the parents answered. After church, which seemed very long to the little boy, they all came home to dinner. With them came a strange young man whom the little boy did not know. When they sat down at table he sat at the head and the little boy's elder sister beside him. She had beautiful flowers in her hair. "Why does sister wear flowers in her hair?" the little boy asked his grandmother softly.