the bridge must have been they. Couldn't you guess it, you idiots! Go again, and do not fail to bring them with you."

The pursuit started anew.

"I hear the tramping of horses," said Princess Mary to Prince Ivan. He dismounted again, put his ear against the ground and said, "Yes, they are tramping, and pretty near us."

In a second Princess Mary, together with Prince Ivan and the steed, turned into a wild dark forest. In that forest, there were numberless paths, and a horse with two riders seemed to gallop through it. Now the chase came by the fresh track to the forest. They saw the riders and ran after them. The forest reached as far as King Koshchey's underground kingdom. The chase was flying, and the horse with the two riders was always before them. Now they almost reached them, now they only had to grasp them,--but no, the steed was again far behind them. And see! There they were again before the entrance to King Koshchey's kingdom at the same place where they started their chase, and everything disappeared,--no more horse, no more forest.

With empty hands, the pursuers appeared before King Koshchey. Like one mad, the king tossed about. "Wait until I catch that wretch! I will go myself now. Let us see how they are going to escape me!"

Again Princess Mary whispered to Prince Ivan, "I hear tramping." Again, he answered her, "Yes, they are approaching us."

"Woe to us! This is my father himself; but his power reaches only to the first church. Give me the cross you wear upon your neck." The prince took from his neck the golden cross, the gift of his mother, gave it to the princess, and in a minute she turned into a church, he into a monk, and the steed into a bell-tower.

Right after King Koshchey came with his suite. "Did you not see any travelers pass by, my venerable man?" he asked the monk.

"Just now Prince Ivan and Princess Mary passed by; they went into the church to pray, and asked me to pray for your help, and to remember them to you if you should come to me."

"Oh, I wish they would break their necks, the wretches!" cried King Koshchey. Turning his horse like one possessed, he returned home with his suite. After his arrival he cruelly whipped all his servants.

Ivan with the princess went further, no longer fearing the pursuit. They were riding very slowly. The sun was setting, 

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