e setting sun shone
through the opening of the cave and lighted up his grave and gentle
face. He looked to Dobrunka like one of God's own saints.

"How can I ever repay you?" she said, "for all your loving kindness?
Oh, that I could cover your hands with kisses!"

"Be quiet, my child," the old man said. "If you are patient all will
yet be well."

He went out and soon returned with some delicious fruit on a wooden
plate. This he carried over to the bed of leaves and moss upon which
Dobrunka was lying and with his own hands he fed Dobrunka as a mother
would feed her helpless child. Then he gave her a drink from a wooden
cup.

Early the next morning the hermit again called three times and the
boy came running at once. This time the hermit handed him a golden
distaff and said:

"Take this distaff and go to the palace. Sit down in the courtyard
near the gate. If any one asks you what you want for the distaff, say
two feet and don't exchange it for anything else."

Zloboha was standing at a window of the palace looking down into the
courtyard when she saw the boy with a golden distaff.

"Mother!" she cried. "Come and see! There's that boy again sitting
near the gate and this time he has a golden distaff!"

Mother and daughter at once went out to question the boy.

"What do you want for the distaff?" Zloboha asked.

"Two feet," the boy said.

"Two feet?"

"Yes, two feet."

"Tell me, what will your father do with two feet?"

"I don't know. I never ask my father what he does with anything. But
whatever he tells me to do, I do. That is why I can't exchange the
distaff for anything but two feet."

"Listen, mother," Zloboha said, "now that I have a golden spinning
wheel, I ought to have a golden distaff to go with it. You know we
have those two feet of Dobrunka's hidden away. What if I gave them to
the boy? We shall still have Dobrunka's hands."

"Well, do as you please," the old woman said.

So Zloboha went and got Dobrunka's feet, wrapped them up, and gave
them to the boy in exchange for the distaff. Delighted with her
bargain, Zloboha went to her chamber and the boy hurried back to the
forest.

He gave the feet to the hermit and the old man carried them at once
inside the cave. Then he rubbed Dobrunka's wounds with some healing
salve and stuck on the feet. Dobrunka wanted to jump up from the couch
and walk but the old man restrained her.

"Lie quiet where you are until you are all well and then I'll let