be given a chance to capture
the thief and at last the Tsar consented.

"I will sleep soundly the first part of the night," the Youngest Prince
thought to himself, "and with God's help wake up at midnight."

As soon as it was dark he had his bed carried outdoors and placed under
the apple-tree. Then after commending his undertaking to God he lay down
and fell soundly to sleep. Just before midnight he awoke. The apples
had ripened and were shining among the leaves like golden lanterns.

On the stroke of midnight there was a whirr of wings and nine beautiful
peafowl came flying down from the sky. Eight of them settled on the
branches of the apple-tree and began eating the golden fruit. The ninth
alighted beside the Young Prince and as she touched the ground changed
into a lovely maiden.

She was so beautiful and gentle that the Young Prince fell madly in love
with her and at once began wooing her with kisses and caresses. She
responded to his love and they spent the night together in great
happiness.

At the first streak of dawn she jumped up, saying:

"My dear one, I must leave you now!"

"But you will come again, won't you?" the Prince asked.

"Yes," she promised him. "To-night."

Suddenly the Prince remembered the golden apples. The peafowl in the
tree were about to eat the last of them.

"Can't you make them leave just one apple for my father?" the Prince
begged.

The maiden spoke to the birds and they flew down with two of the golden
apples, one for the Tsar and one for the Prince himself.

Then the maiden lifted her arms above her head, changed into a peafowl,
and with the other eight flew off into the morning sky.

The Prince carried the two apples to his father and the Tsar was so
delighted that he forgot to ask the Prince the particulars of his
adventure.

The next night the Prince again slept under the apple-tree and awoke
just before midnight to hear the whirr of wings and see the nine peafowl
come flying down from the sky. Eight of them settled on the branches of
the apple-tree and the ninth, as before, alighted beside him and as she
touched the earth changed into the lovely maiden of his heart. Again
they passed the night together in great happiness and in the early dawn
before she flew away the maiden gave him the last two of the golden
apples.

This went on night after night until the Prince's two elder brothers
were mad with jealousy and consumed with curiosity to know what happened
eve