the old woman would not let her in. "My son will be here
presently," said she, "and he will slay thee."--"Nay, but, granny,"
said the bride, "I've already stayed the night with such as thou, for
I have lodged at the house of the Mother of the Winds."--Then the old
woman took her in, and hid her, for she was the Mother of the Moon.
And immediately afterward the Moon came flying up. "What is this,
little mother?" cried he. "I smell an evil smell of Cossack
bones!"--But she said to him, "Nay, my dear little son, but a young
woman has come hither who is obliged to search for her husband because
she told his father and mother the truth." Then the Moon said,
"'Twould be as well to let her go on farther. Give her the little
golden apple, and let her be off as quickly as possible, for her
husband is about to marry another wife." So she passed the night
there, and in the morning they sent her away with the little golden
apple.

She went on and on. Night again descended upon her, and she came to
the house of the Mother of the Sun, and begged her for a night's
lodging. But the old woman said to her, "I cannot let thee in. My son
is flying about the world, but he will fly hither presently, and if he
find thee here he will slay thee!"--Then the bride said, "Nay, but,
granny dear, I have already lodged with the like of thee. I have
lodged with the Mother of the Winds, and the Mother of the Moon, and
they each gave me a little apple." Then the Mother of the Sun also let
her in. Immediately afterward her son, the Sun, came flying up, and he
said, "Why, what is this, little mother? I smell an evil smell of
Cossack bones!"--But his mother answered, "A young woman came hither
who begged for a night's lodging." She did not tell her son the whole
truth, that the bride was in search of her husband, but he knew it
already, and said, "Her husband is about to marry another wife. Let
her go to the land where now he is, and give her the diamond apple,
which is the best and most precious apple in the whole world, and tell
her to hasten on to the house where her husband abides. They won't let
her in there, but she must disguise herself as an old woman, and sit
down outside in the courtyard, and spread out a cloth and lay upon it
her little silver apple, and all the people will come flocking around
to see the old woman who is selling apples of silver." So the bride
did as the Sun bade her, and went to that distant empire, and the
Empress of that e