"Ah, Mogol Bird," said the old woman, "whither hast thou come?" "I come from the home of Peerless Beauty," was the tired reply, "and I have been dressing her for Mass in the Cathedral." The old woman clapped her hands in delight. "That is the news I seek," she said. "Now, Mogol Bird, do me a favour. Carry this young man, Ivan Tsarevich, to the home of Peerless the Beauty." "That I will," was the reply, "but we shall need a great deal of food." "How much?" asked the old woman. "Three hundredweight of beef," was the answer, "and a keg full of water." Ivan filled a large keg with water and placed it upon the back of the Mogol Bird with the heaped-up piles of beef round about it. Then he ran to the forge and told the smith to make him a long iron lance, and with this weapon in his hand he sat on the edge of the keg with the beef all round about him. Up rose the Mogol Bird and once it was under way it flew so steadily that the top of the water in the keg remained always level, but now and again the bird would slowly turn its head and look at Ivan, when he would at once give it a large piece of beef upon the point of his long iron lance. Onward, and ever onward, flew the Mogol Bird, feeding on the beef and drinking the water from Ivan's cap, which he extended at the point of his lance, until all the meat and water were finished, whereupon the Tsarevich threw the keg overboard. "O Mogol Bird," he said, "haste to finish your journey, for there is no more beef and there is no more water." "I cannot go down to earth in this spot," said the bird, "for beneath us there is nothing but a bog like glue. And I must have more meat. If you cannot get beef, veal will do." So Ivan cut off the calves of his own legs, and when the bird had refreshed itself it flew on till it came to a green meadow with tall silken grass and blue flowers. Here it flew down to earth, and Ivan alighted, but, of course, walked very lame. "What makes you halt, Ivan Tsarevich?" asked the Mogol Bird, and when the young man told what he had done the bird blew upon the back of his legs and restored him to his former condition. On went the young man, eager to finish his quest, until he came to a great town, where he entered a narrow street and found an old woman in a poor, mean house, who seemed to be expecting him. "Go to bed and sleep soundly after your flight, Ivan," she said, "and when the bell rings I will call you."