in front of him a wonderful garden spread out with every kind of tree in it, and the Tsar was so joyous, and forgot to give his son up.
Many years went by: one day the Tsar wanted to take a walk, and he went to the river; and just then that same man peered up out of the water and said: "You are a very forgetful person, Tsar my master: you should recollect your debts."
Then the Tsar went home with grief in his groaning heart, and he told the Tsarítsa and the Tsarévich all the real truth, and they were afflicted; and they all wept together and resolved that something must be done, and that they must give up the Tsarévich. So they took him to the seashore and left him by himself.
And the Tsarévich looked round, and he saw a path, went on it, trusting God might lead him aright. So he went on and on, and he lost his way in the slumberous forest, and he saw a little izbá[1] in the forest, and in the izbá there lived the Bába Yagá. "I will go in," thought the Tsarévich, and he went into the izbá.
"Good-day, Tsarévich," said Bába Yagá:
"Is it work on your way,
Or for sloth do you stray?"
"Hey, bábushka, give me food and drink, and ask me afterwards."
So she then gave him food and drink, and the Tsarévich told her all his sorrow without any concealment—whither he was going and why.
Then Bába Yagá said to him, "Go, my child, to the sea; there you will find twelve spoonbills flying in the air, they will turn into fair maidens, who will bathe. You go and hide yourself, and seize the shirt of the eldest maiden. When you have made friends with her, go to the Sea Tsar."
- ↑ Hut.
