And here is another tale of the same kind, from the Vladimir
Government.

Once upon a time there was an old couple, and they had an only son.
His mother had cursed him before he was born, but he grew up and
married. Soon afterwards he suddenly disappeared. His parents did all
they could to trace him, but their attempts were in vain.

Now there was a hut in the forest not far off, and thither it chanced
that an old beggar came one night, and lay down to rest on the stove.
Before he had been there long, some one rode up to the door of the
hut, got off his horse, entered the hut, and remained there all night,
muttering incessantly:

"May the Lord judge my mother, in that she cursed me while a babe
unborn!"

Next morning the beggar went to the house of the old couple, and told
them all that had occurred. So towards evening the old man went to the
hut in the forest, and hid himself behind the stove. Presently the
horseman arrived, entered the hut, and began to repeat the words which
the beggar had overheard. The old man recognized his son, and came
forth to greet him, crying:

"O my dear son! at last I have found thee! never again will I let thee
go!"

"Follow me!" replied his son, who mounted his horse and rode away, his
father following him on foot. Presently they came to a river which was
frozen over, and in the ice was a hole.[464] And the youth rode
straight into that hole, and in it both he and his horse disappeared.
The old man lingered long beside the ice-hole, then he returned home
and said to his wife:

"I have found our son, but it will be hard to get him back. Why, he
lives in the water!"

Next night the youth's mother went to the hut, but she succeeded no
better than her husband had done.

So on the third night his young wife went to the hut and hid behind
the stove. And when she heard the horseman enter she sprang forth,
exclaiming:

"My darling dear, my life-long spouse! now will I never part from
thee!"

"Follow me!" replied her husband.

And when they came to the edge of the ice-hole--

"If thou goest into the water, then will I follow after thee!" cried
she.

"If so, take off thy cross," he replied.

She took off her cross, leaped into the ice-hole--and found herself in
a vast hall. In it Satan[465] was seated. And when he saw her arrive,
he asked her husband whom he had brought with him.

"This is my wife," replied the youth.

"Well then, if she is thy wife, get thee gone hence wit