Ivan sat on the carpet that flies of itself, flew out of the underground kingdom, and hadn’t time to wink before he found himself in a beautiful garden. He went to a pond, sat under a laburnum-bush, and began to look and admire the gold and silver fish swimming in the clear water. Before five minutes had passed, Yelena the Wise had flown to the pond with her maid. They took off their wings at once, put them near the bush, undressed, and ran into the water to bathe.
Ivan took the wings quietly, came from under the bush, and cried with a loud voice: “But now ye are in my hands!”
The beautiful women sprang out of the pond, put on their clothes, came to the good youth, and begged him to give back their wings. “No,” said Ivan, “I will not give them for anything. Yelena the Wise, thou hast pleased me more than the bright sun; now I will take thee to my father and my mother, I will marry thee, and thou shalt be my wife, and I will be thy husband.”
The Tsarevna’s maid said: “Hear me, good youth: ’tis thy wish to marry Yelena the Wise, but why detain me. Better give me my wings; I will serve thee in time.”
Ivan thought and thought, and gave her the silver wings. She tied them on quickly, sprang up, and flew far, far away. After that, Ivan made a box, put the golden wings into it, and closed it firmly with a lock. He sat on the self-flying carpet, placed Yelena the Wise at his side, and flew away to his own kingdom. He came to his father, to his mother, brought them his bride, and begged them to love and to favor her. Then there was rejoicing such as no one had seen.
Next day Ivan gave his mother the key of the box. “Take care of it for a time,” said he, “give it to no one; and I will go to the Tsar and invite him to the wedding.”
As soon as he had gone, Yelena the Wise ran in: “Mother, give me the key of the box; I must get clothes to dress for the wedding.” The mother, knowing nothing, gave her the key without fear. Yelena the Wise ran to the box, raised the lid, took her wings, put them on, clapped them once and again; that was all they saw of her.
The bridegroom came home. “Mother, where is my bride? It is time to prepare for the crown.”
“Oh, my dear son, she has flown away!”
Deeply did the good youth sigh; he took farewell of his father and his mother, sat on his self-flying carpet, and flew to the underground kingdom, to the six-headed serpent, who saw him and said: “Well, daring head, did I speak in vain when I said that thou couldst not get Yelena the Wise; and if thou didst get her she would deceive thee?”