mpire, whom her husband had married, came to see what
she was selling, and said to her, "What dost thou want for thy silver
apple?" And she answered, "No money do I want for it. Oh, sovereign
lady, all that I require in exchange therefor is that I may pass the
night near my husband."--Then the Empress took the apple, and allowed
her to come into the bedchamber of the Tsarevich to pass the night
there; but first of all she gave the Tsarevich a sleeping draught so
that he knew nothing, and could speak not a word to her, nor could he
even recognize what manner of person his true wife was. Then only did
the Empress let her come into the room where her husband lay. And she
watched over him, she watched over him the live-long night, and with
the dawn she departed.

The next morning he awoke out of his drugged sleep, and said to
himself, "Why, what is this? It is just as if my first wife has been
weeping over me here, and wetted me with her tears!" But he told
nobody what he thought, nor did he say a word about it to his second
wife. "Wait a bit!" thought he, "to-morrow night I'll not go to sleep.
I'll watch and watch till I watch the thing out."

The next day the faithful wife spread out her little cloth again, and
laid upon it her golden apple. The Empress again came that way, went
up to her, and said, "Sell me that apple of thine, and I'll give thee
for it as many pence as thou canst hold in thy lap!"--But she replied,
"Nay, my sovereign lady! money for it I will not take, but let me pass
one more night in my own husband's room!"--And the Empress took the
apple, and let her go there. But first the Empress caressed and kissed
her husband into a good humour, and then she gave him another sleeping
draught. And the faithful wife came again, and watched and wept over
him and wetted him with her tears, and with the dawn she departed.

And now she had only one apple left, but that was the diamond apple,
the most precious apple in the world. And she said to the Empress,
"Let me watch by him for this apple but one night more, and I'll never
ask again!" And she let her. Now this night also her husband was
asleep. And his first wife came and immediately began to kiss him on
the head, but he said nothing. Then she kissed him again, and at last
he awoke and started up, and said, "Who's that?"--"It is I, thy first
wife."--"How hast thou found thy way hither?"--"Oh, I have been here
and there and everywhere. I have lodged with the Mothe