His strange death, which no one could explain, made a great sensation throughout the country, and the funeral his people gave him was the most splendid ever known. When it was over, Iliane summoned Fet-Fruners before her, and addressed him thus: ‘Fet-Fruners! it is you who brought me and have saved my life, and obeyed my wishes. It is you who gave me back my stud; you who killed the genius, and the old witch his mother; you who brought me the holy water. And you, and none other, shall be my husband.’ ‘Yes, I will marry you,’ said the young man, with a voice almost as soft as when he was a princess. ‘But know that in OUR house, it will be the cock who sings and not the hen!’ (From Sept Contes Roumains, Jules Brun and Leo Bachelin.) THE STORY OF HALFMAN In a certain town there lived a judge who was married but had no children. One day he was standing lost in thought before his house, when an old man passed by. ‘What is the matter, sir, said he, ‘you look troubled?’ ‘Oh, leave me alone, my good man!’ ‘But what is it?’ persisted the other. ‘Well, I am successful in my profession and a person of importance, but I care nothing for it all, as I have no children.’ Then the old man said, ‘Here are twelve apples. If your wife eats them, she will have twelve sons.’ The judge thanked him joyfully as he took the apples, and went to seek his wife. ‘Eat these apples at once,’ he cried, ‘and you will have twelve sons.’ So she sat down and ate eleven of them, but just as she was in the middle of the twelfth her sister came in, and she gave her the half that was left. The eleven sons came into the world, strong and handsome boys; but when the twelfth was born, there was only half of him. By-and-by they all grew into men, and one day they told their father it was high time he found wives for them. ‘I have a brother,’ he answered, ‘who lives away in the East, and he has twelve daughters; go and marry them.’ So the twelve sons saddled their horses and rode for twelve days, till they met an old woman. ‘Good greeting to you, young men!’ said she, ‘we have waited long for you, your uncle and I. The girls have become women, and are sought, in marriage by many, but I knew you would come one day, and I have kept them for you. Follow me into my house.’ And the twelve brothers followed her gladly, and their father’s brother stood at the door, and gave them meat and drink. But at night, when every one was asleep, Halfman crept softly to his brothers, and said to them, ‘Listen, all of you! This man is no uncle of ours, but an ogre.’ ‘Nonsense; of course he is our uncle,’ answered they. ‘Well, this very night you will see!’ said Halfman. And he did not go to bed, but hid himself and watched.