d them in their
hosts: "Why dost thou whistle, and what dost thou want of us, O Ivan
Golik?" said they.

"Why should I not whistle, seeing that the serpent has bidden us
thresh out his barn by the morning light, so that straw lies by straw,
chaff by chaff, and grain by grain?"

No sooner did the mice hear this than they began scampering all about
the barn! There were so many of them that there was not room to move.
They set to work with a will, and long before dawn it was quite
finished. Then they went and awoke Ivan Golik. He went and looked, and
lo! all the chaff was by itself, and all the grain was by itself, and
all the straw by itself! Then Ivan bade them be quite sure that there
was not a single grain remaining in a single ear of corn. So they
scampered all about, and there was not a mouse which did not look
under every stalk of straw. Then they ran up to him, and said, "Fear
not! there is not a single loose grain anywhere. And now we have
requited thee thy service, Ivan Golik, farewell!"

Next morning the prince came to seek Ivan, and marvelled to find that
everything had been done as the serpent had commanded. So he thanked
Ivan Golik, and went off to the serpent. Then they both went together,
and the serpent himself was amazed. He called to his twenty-one
daughters to search the ears of corn well to see whether one single
grain might not be found therein, and his daughters searched and
searched, but there was not a single loose grain to be found. Then
said the serpent, "'Tis well, let us go! We will eat and drink and
make merry till evening, and in the evening I will give thee thy
to-morrow's task." So they made merry till evening, and then the
serpent said, "Early this morning, my youngest daughter went bathing
in the sea and lost her ring in the water. She searched and searched
for it, but could find it nowhere. If thou canst find it to-morrow,
and bring it hither while we are sitting down to meat, thou shalt
remain alive; if not, 'tis all over with thee!"

The prince returned to his own people and fell a-weeping. Ivan Golik
perceived it, and said to him, "Wherefore dost thou weep?"

"For such and such a reason," said he; "dost thou not see that I am
ruined?"

Then said Ivan Golik, "The serpent lies. He himself it was who took
his daughter's ring and flew over the sea early this morning, and
dropped it in the water. But lie down and sleep! I myself will go to
the sea to-morrow, haply I may find the ri