“Where is thy dear frog?” they asked. “Is she still asleep among her reeds and rushes, or is she too hoarse to come?”
Even as they spoke there was a great noise outside,—a roaring and rumbling like thunder.
The palace shook until it seemed as though it would fall about their ears. Every one was terrified. Only Prince Ivan was calm.
“There is my little Froggie now,” he said; “she is driving up in her little basket of rushes.”
At once the noise ceased, the doors were flung open, and a magnificent Princess swept into the room. Never was such a beauty seen before. Her golden hair fell almost to the floor and was bound about with jewels. Her robes were stiff with embroidery and gems. The other Princesses paled before her as stars pale before the rising moon.
Prince Ivan took her by the hand and led her to the Tsar. “This is my dear Princess,” said he, “and surely it is she and she only who should reign over this land.”
Well, there were no two ways to that. The Tsar could hardly contain himself for joy over the beauty of Prince Ivan’s bride. A great feast was spread, and the Tsar himself led the Princess to the table. She sat at his right hand and drank from his jewelled cup, and all was joy and merriment. Only the older brothers and their wives were sad, for they knew they had missed all chance of gaining the kingdom.
Now while they were still at the table, all eating and drinking, Prince Ivan arose and made some excuse for leaving the room. He went quietly and mounted his horse and rode back to his own castle.
There he made haste to the room where his wife had left her frog-skin. He hunted about until he found it, and then he threw it into the fire, for he did not intend that she should ever hide herself away in it again.
At once a clap of thunder sounded, and the Princess stood before him. Her eyes were streaming with tears, and she wrung her hands in grief.
“Alas and woe is me!” she cried. “Why did you burn my frog-skin? A little longer, and I would have been free. Now I must go away and leave you forever.”
“But where are you going?” cried the Prince in despair. “Wherever it is I will follow and find you.”
“Seek me beyond the seven mountains, beyond the seven seas, in the kingdom of Koshchei the Deathless, for it is in his house I will be,” answered the Princess. Then she turned into a great white swan and flew out through the window and far, far away; so far the Prince could no longer see her.
Then Prince Ivan was filled with grief; and he neither stayed nor tarried but set out at once in search of his Princess.
He journeyed on and journeyed on a short way and a long way, and then he met an old man with a grey beard that hung down far below his belt.
“Good day, good youth,” said the old man.
“Good day, grandfather,” answered Ivan.
“Whither do you journey with so sad a face?” asked the stranger.
“I journey over land and over sea in search of the kingdom of Koshchei the Deathless,” answered Ivan.
“Then you have a long journey before you,” said the old man. “But why do you seek the kingdom of Koshchei the Deathless, that terrible man?”
“I seek it that I may find what is lost.” Then Ivan told the old man his story, all about his frog bride and how she had turned into a Princess,—how he had burned the frog-skin and how she had flown away as a swan, and that now life would be nothing but a burden to him until he could find her again.
The old man shook his head. “Alas! alas! You should never have burned the frog-skin!” he said. He then told Ivan that the name of the Princess was Vasilisa the Fair. “Her mother was the sister of Koshchei the Deathless,” said the stranger, “and when she was born it was foretold that before she was eighteen Koshchei should lose his life because of her. It was for this reason that he changed her into a frog and set her in the midst of the lonely swamp. In a month and a day from now the Princess would have been eighteen, and the danger to Koshchei would have been over. Then he would have allowed her to lay 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 and give me food and drink,” said the Prince; “for I am both hungry and thirsty.”
The Baba Yaga arose and served him food and drink. He ate and gave part to the bear and the duck. Then he told the Baba Yaga why he had come there—that he was wandering in search of his dear wife, Vasilisa the Fair.
The old witch shook her head. “It will be a hard thing
