king thus: "And are you indeed the only
one who does not know me? How is it, my father and sovereign, that you
have not recognised your youngest son? I alone have succeeded in
obtaining the Fire-Bird, the Horse with the Golden Mane, and the Maid
with the Golden Hair."

Thereupon he related all his adventures, and Zlato-Vlaska in her turn
told how the wicked brothers had threatened to kill her if she
betrayed them. As for these bad men, they shook from head to foot, and
trembled like leaves in the wind. The indignant king ordered them to
be executed then and there.

Not very long after these events the youngest prince married the
beautiful Zlato-Vlaska, and the king gave him half of his kingdom as a
wedding present. When the old king died he reigned in his stead, and
lived happily with the princess ever after.

TEARS OF PEARLS

[Illustration]

TEARS OF PEARLS

Once upon a time there lived a very rich widow, with whom lived three
children--a handsome stepson; his sister, who was marvellously
beautiful; and her own daughter, passably good-looking.

All three children lived under the same roof, but, as is often the
case where there are step-parents, they were treated very differently.
The lady's own daughter was bad-tempered, disobedient, vain, and of a
tell-tale disposition: yet she was made much of, praised, and
caressed. The step-children were treated very harshly: the boy,
kind-hearted and obliging, was made to do all sorts of hard unpleasant
work, was constantly scolded, and looked upon as a good-for-nothing.
The step-daughter, who was not only exceedingly pretty but was as
sweet as an angel, was found fault with on all occasions, and her life
made utterly miserable.

It is, after all, but natural to love one's own children better than
those of others, but the feeling of love should be governed by the
laws of fairness. Now this wicked woman was blind to the faults of the
child she loved, and to the good qualities of her husband's children,
whom she hated.

When in a bad temper she was fond of boasting of the handsome fortune
she intended securing for her own daughter, even though the
step-children should be unprovided for. But, as the old proverb says,
"Man proposes, but God disposes." We shall therefore see how things
turned out.

One Sunday morning, before going to church, the step-daughter went
into the garden to pick some flowers for decorating the altar. She had
only gathered a few ro