something very
valuable in your hand, so listen to me. I give you this handkerchief,
it is made neither of gold, silver, silk, nor pearls, but striped
linen; take good care of it, it is enchanted. Whoever carries it no
thunderbolt can strike, no lance stab, no sword slay, and no bullet
pierce."

Such were Holy Thursday's words. Petru took the handkerchief and
listened to her counsel; then dashed off on the bay, hurrying as fairy
princes do hurry, when seized by homesickness. Petru did not dismount
at Holy Wednesday's, but said, "How do you do," from his horse's back
and rode on. Just at the right time he remembered his enchanted box,
and, wishing to know what was going on in the world, drew it out of
its case. He had barely pulled it out and not wholly opened it, when
the voice inside said:

"The Fairy Aurora is angry because you took the water away. Holy
Friday is angry because she has broken her jug, your brothers Florea
and Costan are angry because you have wrested the empire from them."

Petru began to laugh when he heard of so much anger. He did not
exactly know what else to ask. "How did Holy Friday break the jug?" he
said at last.

"She began to dance with joy, and fell down with it."

"How have I wrested the empire from my brothers?"

The box now began to relate how Florea and Costan, as the emperor was
now old and blind in both eyes, had gone to him and begged him to
divide his kingdom between them. The emperor had replied that no one
should rule the land except he who brought water from the Fairy
Aurora's fountain. "As the brothers understood his meaning they went
to old Birscha, who told them that you had been there, accomplished
the feat, and set out on your way home. Your brothers consulted
together and are now on their way to meet you, kill you, take the
water from you, and reign over the country."

"You lie, you accursed box," cried Petru furiously, when he heard all
this, and dashed the casket upon the ground so that it broke into
seventy-seven pieces. He had not ridden much further, ere he saw the
clouds of his own country, felt his native breezes, and beheld here
and there, in the distance, one of the mountain peaks on the frontiers
of his home. Petru stopped, that he might see more distinctly what it
seemed to him that he only fancied he perceived.

He was just going to cross the bridge on the borders of the empire,
when he thought he heard a distant sound, as though some one were
calling h