Meanwhile, at his own cottage, Martin, summoning by aid of the ring the twelve youths, demanded a Boyar's dress, with an open carriage, richly ornamented and drawn by six horses, and drove to the cathedral. Thither also came the Tzar, with all his Ministers, and with his daughter, washed, powdered, rouged and clad in splendid Court robes, and after the Mass, Martin the peasant's son and the beautiful Tzarevna stood before the people and were married.
The Tzar gave his daughter a rich marriage-portion, bestowed high rank upon his son-in-law, and made a festival for the whole realm, and the newly-wedded pair began to live together in the new Palace.
Now the Tzar's daughter was vain and proud, and it angered her that she had been given, not to a king nor to a Tzarevich, but to a simple peasant, and she began to wish to be rid of her husband. So she flattered him in every way and asked him many wheedling questions in order to discover by what means he was able to do such wonderful things. For a long time Martin withstood her, but one evening, when she had plied him with vodka[1] and covered him with kisses and tempted him with
- ↑ Brandy.
