n.--"Answer me
not," said the nobleman, "for so sure as I've a sword, I'll slice thy
head off like a gourd."--Then Tremsin fell a-weeping and went away to
his horse. "My master," said he, "hath given me a task to do that will
clean undo me."--"What task is that?" asked the horse.--"Why, to fetch
him the Bird Zhar."--"Why that's not a task, but a trifle," replied
the horse. "Let us go to the steppes," it continued, "and let me go
a-browsing; but do thou strip thyself stark-naked and lie down in the
grass, and the Bird Zhar will straightway swoop down to feed. So long
as she only claws about thy body, touch her not; but as soon as she
begins to claw at thine eyes, seize her by the legs."

[12] _I.e._ Burning bright.

So when they got to the wild steppes, Tremsin stripped himself naked
and flung himself in the grass, and, immediately, the Bird Zhar
swooped down and began pecking all about him, and at last she pecked
at his eyes. Then Tremsin seized her by both legs, and mounted his
horse and took the Bird Zhar to the nobleman. Then his fellow-servants
were more envious than ever, and they said among themselves, "How
shall we devise for him a task to do that cannot be done, and so rid
the world of him altogether?" So they bethought them, and then they
went to the nobleman and said, "Tremsin says that to get the Bird Zhar
was nothing, and that he is also able to get the thrice-lovely
Nastasia of the sea." Then the nobleman again sent for Tremsin and
said to him, "Look now! thou didst get for me the Bird Zhar, see that
thou now also gettest for me the thrice-lovely Nastasia of the
sea."--"But I cannot, sir!" said Tremsin.--"Answer me not so!"
replied the nobleman, "for so sure as I've a sword, I'll slice thy
head off like a gourd an thou bring her not."--Then Tremsin went out
to his horse and fell a-weeping.--"Wherefore dost thou weep?" asked
the faithful steed.--"Wherefore should I not weep?" he replied. "My
master has given me a task that cannot be done."--"What task is
that?"--"Why, to fetch him the thrice-lovely Nastasia of the
sea!"--"Oh-ho!" laughed the horse, "that is not a task, but a trifle.
Go to thy master and say, 'Cause white tents to be raised by the
sea-shore, and buy wares of sundry kinds, and wine and spirits in
bottles and flasks,' and the thrice-lovely Nastasia will come and
purchase thy wares, and then thou mayst take her."

And the nobleman did so. He caused white tents to be pitched by the
sea-shor