ut
the remains of Prince Ivan, washed them, and put them together
in fitting order. The Raven sprinkled them with the Water of
Death--the pieces joined together, the body became whole. The
Falcon sprinkled it with the Water of Life--Prince Ivan shuddered,
stood up, and said:

"Ah! what a time I've been sleeping!"

"You'd have gone on sleeping a good deal longer, if it hadn't
been for us," replied his brothers-in-law. "Now come and pay
us a visit."

"Not so, brothers; I shall go and look for Marya Morevna."

And when he had found her, he said to her:

"Find out from Koshchei the Deathless whence he got so
good a steed."

So Marya Morevna chose a favorable moment, and began
asking Koshchei about it. Koshchei replied:

"Beyond thrice nine lands, in the thirtieth kingdom, on the
other side of the fiery river, there lives a Baba Yaga. She has
so good a mare that she flies right round the world on it every
day. And she has many other splendid mares. I watched her
herds for three days without losing a single mare, and in return
for that the Baba Yaga gave me a foal."

"But how did you get across the fiery river?"

"Why, I've a handkerchief of this kind--when I wave it
thrice on the right hand, there springs up a very lofty bridge and
the fire cannot reach it."

Marya Morevna listened to all this, and repeated it to Prince
Ivan, and she carried off the handkerchief and gave it to him.
So he managed to get across the fiery river, and then went on to
the Baba Yaga's. Long went he on without getting anything
either to eat or to drink. At last he came across an outlandish[103]
bird and its young ones. Says Prince Ivan:

"I'll eat one of these chickens."

"Don't eat it, Prince Ivan!" begs the outlandish bird;
"some time or other I'll do you a good turn."

He went on farther and saw a hive of bees in the forest.

"I'll get a bit of honeycomb," says he.

"Don't disturb my honey, Prince Ivan!" exclaims the queen
bee; "some time or other I'll do you a good turn."

So he didn't disturb it, but went on. Presently there met
him a lioness with her cub.

"Anyhow I'll eat this lion cub," says he; "I'm so hungry, I
feel quite unwell!"

"Please let us alone, Prince Ivan," begs the lioness; "some
time or other I'll do you a good turn."

"Very well; have it your own way," says he.

Hungry and faint he wandered on, walked farthe