d each other as a brother and sister might
and the maiden went her way and Janko returned to his father's house.

The Golden Maiden and the old farmer were not in the least surprised to
see him for things were so happy again that they just knew it must be
because Janko was coming back. But his two brothers when they caught
sight of him alive and well were so frightened that they took to their
heels and ran off as fast as they could go and what's more they've never
shown themselves since. And good riddance, too, I say, for they were
wicked evil fellows and would only have injured Janko further if they
could.

When Janko told his father all the wicked things they had done, the old
farmer could scarcely believe his ears.

"And to think," he said, "I had been hoping the Golden Maiden would
marry one of them! Mercy me! Mercy me!"

"But, father," the Golden Maiden said--she called him _father_ now and
it pleased him mightily; "father, I should rather marry Janko!"

"Marry Janko!" the farmer cried. "Why, my dear, Janko is a stupid lad,
not nearly so clever as his two brothers!"

"I don't care if he is stupid. He's got a good heart and that's more
than the other two have. And besides that he's got a brave heart for he
rescued me from the dark cavern and he faced the awful ghost that stood
over my Golden Cradle. Why, father, I'd rather marry Janko than any
prince in the world!"

You can imagine Janko's feelings when he heard this!

"I'd feel like a prince if you did marry me, dear Golden One!" he cried.

Well, she did marry him, and sure enough he did feel like a prince. What
prince, I'd like to know, had a lovelier bride? None! And was there any
prince in the world whose bride brought him greater riches than the
Golden Apple-Tree, the Golden Horse, and Golden Cradle? No, not one! And
furthermore the farmer promised that, when he died, he would leave him
the Magic Grape-Vine.

So Janko lived happy and prosperous. And it all came about through his
having a good honest heart.

[Illustration]

THE ENCHANTED PEAFOWL

[Illustration]

_The Story of the Golden Apples, the Wicked Dragon, and the Magic
Horse_

THE ENCHANTED PEAFOWL

_Have you ever heard the story of the Peafowl who became a Queen and of
the Tsar's Youngest Son who married her? Well, here it is:_

There was once a Tsar who took great delight in his garden. Every
morning you could see him bending over his flowers or picking the fruit
of his f