noise as of chasing after us." Then she turned the
horses into a well, and herself into a bowl, and the Prince into
an old, very old man. Up came the pursuers.

"Heigh, old man!" say they, "haven't you seen a youth and
a maiden pass by?"

"I saw them, my friends! only it was a long while ago. I was
a youngster at the time when they rode by."

The pursuers returned to the Water King.

"There is no trace of them," they said, "no news: all we
saw was an old man beside a well, and a bowl floating on the
water."

"Why did not ye seize them?" cried the Water King, who
thereupon put the pursuers to a cruel death, and sent another
troop after the Prince and Vasilissa the Wise.

The fugitives in the mean time had ridden far, far away.
Vasilissa the Wise heard the noise made by the fresh set of
pursuers, so she turned the Prince into an old priest, and she
herself became an ancient church. Scarcely did its walls hold
together, covered all over with moss. Presently up came the
pursuers.

"Heigh, old man! haven't you seen a youth and a maiden
pass by?"

"I saw them, my own! only it was long, ever so long ago. I
was a young man when they rode by. It was just while I was
building this church."

So the second set of pursuers returned to the Water King,
saying:

"There is neither trace nor news of them, your Royal Majesty.
All that we saw was an old priest and an ancient church."

"Why did not ye seize them?" cried the Water King louder
than before, and having put the pursuers to a cruel death, he
galloped off himself in pursuit of the Prince and Vasilissa the
Wise. This time Vasilissa turned the horses into a river of
honey with _kissel_[147] banks, and changed the Prince into a Drake
and herself into a grey duck. The Water King flung himself
on the _kissel_ and honey-water, and ate and ate, and drank and
drank until he burst! And so he gave up the ghost.

The Prince and Vasilissa rode on, and at length they drew
nigh to the home of the Prince's parents. Then said Vasilissa,

"Go on in front, Prince, and report your arrival to your
father and mother. But I will wait for you here by the wayside.
Only remember these words of mine: kiss everyone
else, only don't kiss your sister; if you do, you will forget me."

The Prince reached home, began saluting every one, kissed
his sister too--and no sooner had he kissed her than from that