a very strange dream."

"Tell me about it. I can explain dreams very well."

"But I can't tell this dream to you," Dobrunka said.

"Why not?"

"Because it's about you."

"That's the very reason you ought to tell me," the young man said.

He urged her and begged her until at last Dobrunka did tell him the
dream.

"Well now," he said, "that dream of yours except the part about the
cat can be realized easily enough."

Dobrunka laughed. "How could I ever become a fine lady?"

"By marrying me," the young man said.

Dobrunka blushed. "Now, sir, you are joking."

"No, Dobrunka, this is no joke. I really mean it. I came back this
morning to ask you to marry me. Will you?"

Dobrunka was too surprised to speak, but when the young man took her
hand she did not withdraw it.

Just then the old woman came in. The young man greeted her and without
any delay declared his intentions. He said he loved Dobrunka and
wished to make her his wife and that all he and Dobrunka were waiting
for was the mother's consent.

"I have my own house," he added, "and am well able to take care of a
wife. And for you too, dear mother, there will always be room in my
house and at my table."

The old woman listened to all he had to say and then very promptly
gave her blessing.

"Then, my dear one," the young man said to Dobrunka, "go back to your
spinning and when you have spun enough for your wedding shift, I shall
come for you."

He kissed her, gave his hand to her mother, and, springing on his
horse, rode away.

From that time the old woman treated Dobrunka more kindly. She even
went so far as to spend on Dobrunka a little of the money the young
man had given them, but most of it, of course, went for clothes for
Zloboha.

But in those happy days Dobrunka wasn't worrying about anything as
unimportant as money. She sat at her wheel and spun away thinking all
the while of her fine young lover. Time sped quickly and before she
knew it she had spun enough for her wedding shift.

The very day she was finished her lover came. She heard the trample of
his horse and ran out to meet him.

"Have you spun enough for your wedding shift?" he asked her as he took
her to his heart.

"Yes," Dobrunka said, "I have."

"Then you can ride away with me this moment."

"This moment!" Dobrunka gasped. "Why so quickly?"

"It has to be, my dear one. Tomorrow I go off to war and want you to
take my place at home. Then when I come back you'll be th