to the third
vat, and burst to pieces. Then Tremsin took unto himself the
thrice-lovely Nastasia to wife, and they lived happily together on the
nobleman's estate, and the evil servants they drove right away.

[13] A pood = 40 lb.

THE SERPENT-WIFE

There was once a gentleman who had a labourer who never went about in
company. His fellow-servants did all they could to make him come with
them, and now and then enticed him into the tavern, but they could
never get him to stay there long, and he always wandered away by
himself through the woods. One day he went strolling about in the
forest as usual, far from any village and the haunts of men, when he
came upon a huge Serpent, which wriggled straight up to him and said,
"I am going to eat thee on the spot!" But the labourer, who was used
to the loneliness of the forest, replied, "Very well, eat me if thou
hast a mind to!"--Then the Serpent said, "Nay! I will not eat thee;
only do what I tell thee!" And the Serpent began to tell the man what
he had to do. "Turn back home," it said, "and thou wilt find thy
master angry because thou hast tarried so long, and there was none to
work for him, so that his corn has to remain standing in the field.
Then he will send thee to bring in his sheaves, and I'll help thee.
Load the wagon well, but don't take quite all the sheaves from the
field. Leave one little sheaf behind; more than that thou needst not
leave, but that thou must leave. Then beg thy master to let thee have
this little sheaf by way of wages. Take no money from him, but that
one little sheaf only. Then, when thy master has given thee this
sheaf, burn it, and a fair lady will leap out of it; take her to
wife!"

The labourer obeyed, and went and worked for his master as the
Serpent had told him. He went out into the field to bring home his
master's corn, and marvellously he managed it. He did all the carrying
himself, and loaded the wagon so heavily that it creaked beneath its
burden. Then when he had brought home all his master's corn, he begged
that he might have the remaining little sheaf for himself. He refused
to be rewarded for his smart labour, he would take no money; he wanted
nothing for himself, he said, but the little sheaf he had left in the
field. So his master let him have the sheaf. Then he went out by
himself into the field, burnt the sheaf, just as the Serpent had told
him, and immediately a lovely lady leapt out of it. The labourer
forthwith