s, and went to the church. He entrenched himself behind his
boards, stood there and began to read. At dead of night there was a
rustling and a rattling. O Lord! what was that? There was a shaking of
the bier--bang! bang!--and the Tsarivna arose from her coffin and came
straight toward him. She leaped upon the boards and made a grab at him
and fell back. Then she leaped at him again, and again she fell back.
Then he took his basket and scattered the pears. All through the
church they rolled, she after them, and she tried to pick them up till
cockcrow, and at the very first "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" she got into her
bier again and lay still.

[Illustration: THE TSARIVNA AROSE FROM HER COFFIN]

When God's bright day dawned, the people came to clean out the church
and sweep away his bones; but there he was reading his prayers, and
the rumour of it went through the town and they were all filled with
joy.

Next night it was the turn of the second uncle, and he began to beg
and pray, "Go thou, simpleton, in my stead! Look now, thou hast
already passed a night there, thou mayst very well pass another, and
I'll give thee all my ship."--But he said, "I won't go, I am
afraid."--But then St Michael said to him again, "Fear not, but go!
Fence thee all about with thy boards, and take with thee a basket of
nuts. When she rushes at thee, scatter thy nuts, and the nuts will go
rolling all about the church, and it will take her till cockcrow to
gather them all up. But do thou go on reading thy prayers, nor look
thou up, whatever may happen."

And he did so. He took his boards and the basket of nuts, and went to
the church at nightfall and read. A little after midnight there was a
rustling and an uproar, and the whole church shook. Then came a
fumbling round about the coffin--bang! bang!--up she started, and made
straight for him. She leaped and plunged, she very nearly got through
the boards. She hissed, like seething pitch, and her eyes glared at
him like coals of fire, but it was of no use. He read on and on, and
didn't once look at her. Besides, he scattered his nuts, and she went
after them and tried to pick them all up till cockcrow. And at the
first "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" she leaped into her coffin again and pulled
down the lid. In the morning the people came to sweep away his bones,
and lo! they found him alive.

The next night he had to go again in the third uncle's stead. Then he
sat down and cried and wailed, "Alas, alas! what s