he sea-shore till he saw the large white billow bounding in, and
behind the billow came his own horse, and behind his own horse came
the thrice-terrible charger of the thrice-lovely Nastasia, with the
whole herd at his heels. Tremsin struck him full on the forehead with
the twenty poods of hair, and immediately he stood stock still. Then
Tremsin threw a halter over him, mounted, and drove the whole herd to
the thrice-lovely Nastasia. Nastasia praised Tremsin for his prowess,
and said to him, "Well, thou hast got the feather of the Bird Zhar,
thou hast got the Bird Zhar itself, thou hast got me my coral and my
herd of horses, now milk my mare and put the milk into three vats, so
that there may be milk hot as boiling water in the first vat, lukewarm
milk in the second vat, and icy cold milk in the third vat." Then
Tremsin went to his faithful steed and wept bitterly, and the horse
said to him, "Wherefore dost thou weep?"--"Why should I not weep?"
cried he; "the thrice-lovely Nastasia has given me a task to do that
cannot be done. I am to fill three vats with the milk from her mare,
and the milk must be boiling hot in the first vat, and lukewarm in the
second, and icy cold in the third vat."--"Oh-ho!" cried the horse,
"that is not a task, but a trifle. I'll caress the mare, and then go
on nibbling till thou hast milked all three vats full." So Tremsin did
so. He milked the three vats full, and the milk in the first vat was
boiling hot, and in the second vat warm, and in the third vat freezing
cold. When all was ready the thrice-lovely Nastasia said to Tremsin,
"Now, leap first of all into the cold vat, and then into the warm vat,
and then into the boiling hot vat!"--Tremsin leaped into the first
vat, and leaped out again an old man; he leaped into the second vat,
and leaped out again a youth; he leaped into the third vat, but when
he leaped out again, he was so young and handsome that no pen can
describe it, and no tale can tell of it. Then the thrice-lovely
Nastasia herself leaped into the vats. She leaped into the first vat,
and came out an old woman; she leaped into the second vat, and came
out a young maid; but when she leaped out of the third vat, she was so
handsome and goodly that no pen can describe it, and no tale can tell
of it. Then the thrice-lovely Nastasia made the nobleman leap into the
vats. He leaped into the first vat, and became quite old; he leaped
into the second vat, and became quite young; he leaped in