y
aside her frog-skin and take back her human shape. But now he is angry
and has carried her away to his castle, and only by the grace of
Heaven will you be able to find her and set her free."

The old man then gave Prince Ivan a little ball. "Take this," he said,
"and roll it before you as you go. It will show you which way to
travel, and with its help you may reach the kingdom of Koshchei."

Ivan took the ball and thanked the old man and journeyed on. He rolled
the ball before him, and in whichever direction it rolled he followed.

He went along and went along, until after a while he came to a forest,
and there he saw a bear.

Prince Ivan would have shot it, but the bear cried to him, "Do not
shoot me, Prince. Take me with you as a servant, and the time may come
when I can help you."

"Very well," said the Prince. "Come with me"; so he journeyed on with
the bear at his heels.

Presently he saw a wild duck and would have shot it, but the duck
called to him, "Do not shoot me, dear Prince. Take me with you, and I
will be a faithful servant. The time may come when you will need me."

"Very well," answered the Prince. "You also may come with us as a
companion."

So the Prince journeyed along with the bear at his heels and the duck
flying overhead.

After a while they came to the edge of a river, and there lay a great
fish, gasping out its life in the sunlight.

"Now at last I shall have a good meal," said the Prince.

But the fish cried to him in a human voice, "Throw me back into the
river, Prince, that I may live. The time may come when I can do you a
good turn also."

So the Prince had mercy on the fish and threw it back into the water.

After that he and his companions traveled on a long way. They
journeyed over seven mountains and crossed seven seas, and so they
came at last to the kingdom of Koshchei the Deathless.

There the Prince saw a little hut. It stood on hen's legs and turned
this way and that, whichever way the wind blew. There was no getting
at the door. Then the Prince cried, "Little hut, stand the way my
mother built you with your back away from me and your door before me."

At once the hut whirled round and stood with the open door in front of
him.

Prince Ivan entered in, and saw a bony-legged Baba Yaga lying on the
stove with her grey hair over her face.

"Who are you? And what seek you here in the kingdom of Koshchei the
Deathless?" she cried.

"Do not ask questions but rise up