y me I
will give you a piece of advice which you will do well to follow.'

The Prince promised never to betray her confidence, and the mare
continued: 'Ask nothing else as a reward than my foal, for it has not
its like in the world, and is not to be bought for love or money; for
it can go from one end of the earth to another in a few minutes. Of
course the cunning Corva will do her best to dissuade you from taking
the foal, and will tell you that it is both idle and sickly; but do
not believe her, and stick to your point.'

[Illustration: Iwanich Seizes the Magician by his Beard and Dashes him
to the Ground]

Iwanich longed to possess such an animal, and promised the mare to
follow her advice.

This time Corva received him in the most friendly manner, and set a
sumptuous repast before him. As soon as he had finished she asked him
what reward he demanded for his year's service.

'Nothing more nor less,' replied the Prince, 'than the foal of your
mare.'

The witch pretended to be much astonished at his request, and said
that he deserved something much better than the foal, for the beast
was lazy and nervous, blind in one eye, and, in short, was quite
worthless.

But the Prince knew what he wanted, and when the old witch saw that he
had made up his mind to have the foal, she said, 'I am obliged to keep
my promise and to hand you over the foal; and as I know who you are
and what you want, I will tell you in what way the animal will be
useful to you. The man in the cauldron of boiling pitch, whom you set
free, is a mighty magician; through your curiosity and thoughtlessness
Militza came into his power, and he has transported her and her castle
and belongings into a distant country.

'You are the only person who can kill him; and in consequence he fears
you to such an extent that he has set spies to watch you, and they
report your movements to him daily.

'When you have reached him, beware of speaking a single word to him,
or you will fall into the power of his friends. Seize him at once by
the beard and dash him to the ground.'

Iwanich thanked the old witch, mounted his foal, put spurs to its
sides, and they flew like lightning through the air.

Already it was growing dark, when Iwanich perceived some figures in
the distance; they soon came up to them, and then the Prince saw that
it was the magician and his friends who were driving through the air
in a carriage drawn by owls.

When the magician found himse