h
false and flattering words. "My most beloved friend and intimate, tell
me, I pray you, will you never die?"

"Assuredly never," replied Kashtshei.

"Then," said the Princess, "where is your death? Is it here?"

"Certainly," he replied; "it is in the broom under the threshold."

Thereupon Tsarevna Darisa instantly seized the broom and threw it into
the fire; but, although the besom burned, the deathless Kashtshei
still remained alive. Then the Tsarevna said to him: "My beloved, you
do not love me sincerely, for you have not told me truly where is your
death; nevertheless, I am not angry, but love you with my whole
heart."

And with these fawning words, she entreated Kashtshei to tell her in
truth where was his death. Then he said with a laugh: "Have you any
reason for wishing to know? Well, then, out of love I will tell you
where it lies; in a certain field there stand three green oaks, and
under the roots of the largest oak is a worm, and if ever this worm is
found and crushed, that instant I shall die."

When the Tsarevna Darisa heard these words, she went straight to
Prince Astrach, and told him how he must go to that field, and seek
for the three oaks, dig up the worm under the biggest oak and crush
it. So the Prince went forth, and rode on from morning to night, until
at length he came to the three green oaks. Then he dug up the worm
from the roots of the largest, and having killed it, he returned to
the Tsarevna Darisa, and said to her: "Does the deathless Kashtshei
still live? I have found the worm and destroyed it." And she replied,
"Kashtshei is still alive."

Then said Prince Astrach, "Go again and ask him right lovingly where
is his death." So the Princess went, and said to him with tears: "You
do not love me, and don't tell me the truth, but treat me as a
stupid"; and at last King Kashtshei yielded to her entreaties, and
told her the whole truth, saying: "My death is far from hence, and
hard to find, on the wide ocean: in that sea is the island of Bujan,
and upon this island there grows a green oak, and beneath this oak is
an iron chest, and in this chest is a small basket, and in this basket
a hare, and in this hare a duck, and in this duck an egg; and he who
finds this egg, and breaks it, at that same instant causes my death."

As soon as the Tsarevna heard these words she hastened back to Prince
Astrach and told him all. And thereupon he straightway mounted his
good steed, and rode to the seash