o find her. "If ye do not find her," said he, "it will be
the death of my child, and then ye also are dead men."

So the Tsar's councillors went through all the towns and villages, and
measured the feet of all the maidens against the golden slippers, and
she was to be the bride of the Tsarevich whom the golden slippers
fitted. They went to the houses of all the princes, and all the
nobles, and all the rich merchants, but it was of no avail. The feet
of all the maidens were either too little or too large. Then they hied
them to the huts of the peasants.

[Illustration: THE TSAR'S COUNCILLORS WENT TO THE HOUSES OF ALL THE
NOBLES AND PRINCES]

They went on and on, they measured and measured, and at last they were
so tired that they could scarce draw one foot after the other. Then
they looked about them and saw a beautiful willow-tree standing by a
hut, and beneath the willow-tree was a spring of water. "Let us go and
rest in the cool shade," said they. So they went and rested, and the
old woman came out of the hut to them.--"Hast thou a daughter, little
mother?" said they.--"Yes, that I have," said she.--"One or two?" they
asked.--"Well, there is another," said she, "but she is not my
daughter, she is a mere kitchen slut, the very look of her is
nasty."--"Very well," said they, "we will measure them with the golden
slippers."--"Good!" cried the old woman. Then she said to her own
daughter, "Go, my dear little daughter, tidy thyself up a bit, and
wash thy little feet!"--But the old man's daughter she drove behind
the stove, and the poor thing was neither washed nor dressed. "Sit
there, thou daughter of a dog!" said she.--Then the Tsar's councillors
came into the hut to measure, and the old woman said to her daughter,
"Put out thy little foot, darling!"--The councillors then measured
with the slippers, but they wouldn't fit her at all. Then they said,
"Tell us, little mother, where is thy other daughter?"--"Oh, as for
her, she is a mere slut, and besides she isn't dressed."--"No matter,"
said they; "where is she?"--Then she came out from behind the stove,
and her stepmother hustled her and said, "Get along, thou sluttish
hussy!"--Then they measured her with the slippers, and they fitted
like gloves, whereupon the courtiers rejoiced exceedingly and praised
the Lord.

"Well, little mother," said they, "we will take this daughter away
with us."--"What! take a slattern like that? Why, all the people will
laugh at you!"--"Ma