He made this promise once only, and it had such a soothing effect upon the restless Tsarevich that he went to sleep and continued sleeping for three days and three nights, during which time the nurse-maidens sat and praised his beauty among themselves. But they ceased talking as soon as he woke up again, for now he cried more loudly than ever, tossed off the coverlet, kicked out the pillow, and beat the sides of the cradle with his little fists. Once again the nurse-maidens tried to console him and to rock him to sleep, for they loved and admired him best in his slumbers; but he refused to sleep, and they were forced to call out, "Little Father, Little Father, come and rock your own son." The Tsar came once more to the cradle of his son and made the wonderful promise, whereupon the child fell asleep again and slept for three days and three nights. But when he woke up he was as naughty as before, and for a third time the nurse-maidens had to call in the help of the Little Father. When the Tsarevich awoke the third time he stood upon his cradle and said, "Bless me, Little Father, for I am going to my wedding." "My dear son," said the Tsar in great wonderment, "you are altogether only nine days old. How can you marry?" "That shall be as it is," said the Tsarevich, "and if you will not give me your blessing I fear I must marry without it." "Well, well," said the Tsar, "may all good go with you." Then he was not in the least surprised to see his son step down from the cradle a full-grown youth of goodly shape, call for clothes suitable to his age--they were all ready to hand--and then go forth to the stable. On the way across the courtyard he met an old man who looked at him and said: "Young man, where are you going?" "Mind your own business," said the young prince. But when he had gone forward a little he stopped and said to himself, "That was a mistake. Old people know many useful things." So he turned again and went after the old man. "Stop, stop, grandfather," he said, "what was the question which you put to me?" "I asked you," said the ancient, "where you were going, and now I add to my question. Are you going there of your own free will or against your will?" "I am going of my own free will," said the Tsarevich, "and twice as much against my will. I was in my cradle when my father came to me and promised to get me Peerless Beauty as a bride. She is the daughter of three mothers, the granddaughter of three grandmothers, and the sister of nine brothers. So I suppose I must go to seek her." "You are a courteous youth," said the old man, "and deserve to take advantage of the knowledge of the aged. You cannot go on foot to seek out Peerless Beauty, for she lives at the edge of the white world at the place where the sun peeps up. It is called the Golden Kingdom of the East."