he
society of a young man, a perfect stranger to us?"

The Prince with the Golden Hand explained everything, embraced his
brothers tenderly, and taking them with him on his horse, showed the
latter that he wished to go in the direction of Yaga's cottage. The
horse rose up, pranced, lifted himself in the air, then, beating his
wings far above the highest forests, descended close by the cottage.
The prince said:

"Little cot, turn around, on thy foot turn thou free,
To the forest thy back, but thy door wide to me."

The cottage began to creak without delay, and turned round with the
floor facing the travellers. Old Yaga was on the look-out, and came to
meet them. As soon as she got the Water of Youth she sprinkled herself
with it, and instantly everything about her that was old and ugly
became young and charming. So pleased was she to be young again that
she kissed the prince's hands and said, "Ask of me anything you like,
I will refuse you nothing."

At that moment her two beautiful young daughters happened to look out
of the window, upon which the two elder princes, who were admiring
them, said, "Will you give us your daughters for wives?"

"That I will, with pleasure," said she, and beckoned them to her. Then
curtseying to her future sons-in-law, she laughed merrily and
vanished. They placed their brides before them on the same horse,
while the Prince with the Golden Hand, pointing to where he wished to
go, said:

"Fiery Horse with strength of wing,
I am now your lord;
Do my will in everything,
Be your law my word.
Where I point there you must go
At once, at once. The way you know."

The horse rose up, pranced, flapped his wings, and flew far above the
forest. An hour or two later he descended before the palace of the
Golden-Haired Princess's parents. When the king and queen saw their
only daughter who had so long been lost to them, they ran to meet her
with exclamations of joy and kissed her gratefully and lovingly, at
the same time thanking the prince who had restored her to them. And
when they heard the story of his adventures they said: "You, Prince
with the Golden Hand, shall receive our beloved daughter in marriage,
with the half of our kingdom, and the right of succession to the
remainder after us. Let us, too, add to the joy of this day by
celebrating the weddings of your two brothers."

The Princess with the Golden Hair kissed her father lovingly and said,
"My much honoured an