with his friends and companions. Then he sent his father a letter in this wise: "Do you cure my stepmother with a twelve-tongued whip—this is the best means of curing her illness." He sent this letter with one of his good companions, and himself went into foreign lands.
The merchant read the letter, and began curing his wife with a twelve-tongued whip: and she very soon recovered.
The merchant's son went out into the open field, into the wide plains, and he saw horned cattle grazing in front of him.
So the good horse said, "Iván the merchant's son, let me go free at will, and do you pull three little hairs out of my tail: whenever I can be of service to you burn a single hair, and I shall appear at once in front of you, like a leaf in front of the grass. But you, good youth, go to the herd, buy a bull and cut its throat; dress yourself in the bull's hide, put a bladder on your head, and wherever you go, whatever you are asked about, answer only this one word, 'Idonotknow.'"
Iván the merchant's son let his horse go free, dressed himself in the bull's hide, put a bladder on his head, and went beyond the seas. On the blue sea there was a ship a-sailing. The ship's crew saw this marvel—an animal which was not an animal, a man that was not a man, with a bladder on his head and with fur all round him. So they sailed up to the shore in a light boat and began to ask him and to inquire of him. Iván the merchant's son only returned one answer, "Idonotknow."
"If it be so, then your name must be 'Donotknow.'" Then the ship's crew took him, carried him on board the boat, and they sailed to their King.
May-be long, may-be short, they at last reached a capital city, went to the King with gifts, and informed him of Donotknow. So the King bade the portent be
