The Dragon flew up in the air that he might strike Prince Ivan and pierce him with his lance; but he missed his aim. The prince sprang aside, and exclaiming, "It is now my turn!" threw the staff at the Dragon with such force that the blow broke and scattered him into a thousand fragments. The staff pierced the earth, and passed through two kingdoms into a third.

The people threw up their caps with joy, and chose Ivan to be their czar. But Ivan, as a reward for the sage smith, who in so short a time had made him such a staff, ordered the old man to be called before him, and said to the people,—

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This is your czar; obey him for good as you once obeyed the Dragon for evil.”

Then Ivan took some of the water of death and of the water of life, and sprinkled them over the bodies of his brothers. The young men rose up, and rubbing their eyes, exclaimed,—

"Heaven knows how long we have slept!"

"My dear brothers" said Ivan, embracing them tenderly, without my help you would have slept for ages."

Then Ivan took some of the water of the Dragon, ordered a ship to be built, and sailing on the river Swan, with the beautiful Vasilisa with the Golden Tress, he passed through three kingdoms into a fourth,—his own

country. He remembered the old woman in the hut, and gave her some of the water. When the old woman had washed herself in it she became young again; she sang and danced with joy, and accompanied Prince Ivan on his journey.

The czar and czarina received their son Ivan with great joy and honour. They sent messengers to all parts of the world, announcing that their daughter, the beautiful Vasilisa with the Golden Tress, had safely returned home. There were great rejoicings: bells rang merrily, trumpets sounded, drums were beaten, guns were fired. Vasilisa obtained a husband and Prince Ivan a wife. At the marriage feast there were mountains of meat and rivers of mead. They ordered four crowns to be made, and celebrated two weddings at once.

The great-grandfathers of our great-grandfathers were there; they drank of the mead and left some of it for us, but we have never tasted it. This, however, we heard that after the death of the czar, Ivan the Pea ascended the throne; ruled the people with great glory; and the fame of Czar the Pea has been remembered from generation to generation.

THE EMPEROR TROJAN'S

GOAT'S EARS.

(FROM THE SERVIAN.)

THERE once lived an emperor whose name was Trojan. This emperor had goat's ears, and he used to call in barber after barber to shave him. But whoever went in never came out again; for while the barber was shaving him, the emperor would ask what he observed uncommon in him, and when the barber would answer that he observed his goat's ears, the Emperor Trojan would immediately cut him into pieces.

At last it came to the turn of a certain barber to go, who feigned illness, and sent his apprentice instead. When the apprentice appeared before the emperor he was asked why his master did not come, and he answered, "Because he is ill." Then the emperor sat down, and allowed the youth to shave him. As he shaved him the apprentice noticed the emperor's goat's ears, but when

Trojan asked him what he had observed, he answered, "I have observed nothing."

Then the emperor gave him twelve ducats, and said to him,

"From this time forth you shall always come and shave me."

When the apprentice came home, his master asked him how he got on at the emperor's, and the youth answered,

"All well; and the emperor has told me that I am to shave him in future."

Then he showed the twelve ducats he had received; but as to the emperor's goat's ears, of that he said nothing. From this time forth the apprentice went regularly to Trojan to shave him, and for each shaving he received twelve ducats; but he told no one that the emperor had goat's ears.

At last it began to worry and torment him that he dare tell no one his secret; and he became sick and began to pine away. His master, who could not fail to observe this, asked him what ailed him, and after much pressing the apprentice confessed that he had something on his heart which he dared not confide to any one, and he added," If I could only tell it to somebody, I should feel better at once."

Then said the master,—

"Tell it to me, and I will faithfully keep it from everybody else; or if you fear to trust me with it, then go to the confessor and confide it to him; but if you will not do even that, then go into the fields outside the town, there dig a hole, thrust your head into it, and tell the earth three times what you know, then throw the mould in again and fill up the hole."

The apprentice chose the last course; went into the field outside the city, dug a hole, into which he thrust his head, and called out three times,

"The Emperor Trojan has goat's ears!"

Then he filled up the hole again, and with his mind quite relieved went home.

When some time had passed by, there sprang an eldertree out of this very hole, and three slender stems grew up, beautiful and straight as tapers. Some shepherds found this elder, cut off one of the stems, and made a pipe of it. But as soon as they began to blow into the new pipe, out burst the words:

"The Emperor Trojan has goat's ears!"

The news of this strange occurrence spread immediately through the whole city, and at last the Emperor Trojan himself heard the children blowing on a pipe : "The Emperor Trojan has goat's ears!"

He sent instantly for the barber's apprentice, and shouted to him,—