thee."--"Well," thought the servant to himself, "a lot of things may
happen before I sit down on the bridal bench and he comes to eat me,
and in the meantime I shall get all these cattle. Agreed, then," said
he. So the Iron Wolf immediately collected all the cattle, and drove
them back into the egg, and patched up the egg and made it whole just
as it was before.

[17] Posad, or posag, a bench covered with white cloth on which the
bride and bridegroom sat down together.

The servant went home to the village where he lived, made him a
cattle-pen stronger than strong, went inside it and broke the egg, and
immediately that cattle-pen was as full of cattle as it could hold.
Then he took to farming and cattle-breeding, and he became so rich
that in the whole wide world there was none richer than he. He kept to
himself, and his goods increased and multiplied exceedingly; the only
thing wanting to his happiness was a wife, but a wife he was afraid to
take. Now near to where he lived was a General who had a lovely
daughter, and this daughter fell in love with the rich man. So the
General went and said to him, "Come, why don't you marry? I'll give
you my daughter and lots of money with her."--"How is it possible for
me to marry?" replied the man; "as soon as ever I sit down on the
bridal bench, the Iron Wolf will come and eat me up." And he told the
General all that had happened.--"Oh, nonsense!" said the General,
"don't be afraid. I have a mighty host, and when the time comes for
you to sit down on the bridal bench, we'll surround your house with
three strong rows of soldiers, and _they_ won't let the Iron Wolf get
at you, I can tell you." So they talked the matter over till he let
himself be persuaded, and then they began to make great preparations
for the bridal banquet. Everything went off excellently well, and they
made merry till the time came when bride and bridegroom were to sit
down together on the bridal bench. Then the General placed his men in
three strong rows all round the house so as not to let the Iron Wolf
get in; and no sooner had the young people sat down upon the bridal
bench, than, sure enough, the Iron Wolf came running up. He saw the
host standing round the house in three strong rows, but through all
three rows he leaped and made straight for the house. But the man, as
soon as he saw the Iron Wolf, leaped out of the window, mounted his
horse, and galloped off with the wolf after him.

Away and