Ivan Tsarevich stood and stood, grew tired; sleep began to bend him; he sat down at the tent and fell asleep.
From wherever he came, Koshchéi Without-Death bore away Vassilissa Kirbítyevna. Ivan Tsarevich woke up at dawn, saw that his bride was gone, and began to weep bitterly. Bulat the hero woke up and asked: “Why art thou weeping?”
“Why should I not weep? Some one has borne away Vassilissa Kirbítyevna.”
“I told thee to keep watch. That is the work of Koshchéi Without-Death. Let us set out in search of her.”
Long and long did they ride, till they saw two shepherds herding a flock. “Whose herd is that?”
The herdsmen answered: “This is the herd of Koshchéi Without-Death.”
Bulat and Ivan Tsarevich asked the herdsmen if Koshchéi Without-Death lived far from there, how to go to his house, what time they went home with the flock, and how they shut it in. Then they came down from their horses, wrung the necks of the shepherds, dressed themselves in their clothes, drove the herd home, and stood at the gate.
Ivan Tsarevich had a gold ring on one of his fingers, Vassilissa had given it to him. Vassilissa had a goat, and she washed herself morning and evening with the milk of that goat. The maid ran with a vessel, milked the goat, and was carrying the milk. Bulat took the Tsarevich’s ring and threw it into the vessel.
“Oh, my dove,” said the maid, “thou art getting impudent!” She came to Vassilissa Kirbítyevna and complained. “Now,” said she, “the herdsmen have begun to make sport of us,—they threw a ring into the milk.”
“Leave the milk; I will strain it myself,” said Vassilissa. She strained the milk, saw the ring, and gave command to send the herdsmen to her. The herdsmen came.