At midnight Vassilissa the Cunning went out on the great porch, cried in a piercing voice. In a moment carpenters ran together from every side; they began to pound with their axes, and the work was seething quickly. Toward morning all was ready.
“A hero!” said the Tsar. “Come, now we will take a trip.”
They sat on the ship together, and took as a third companion Chumichka the cook; and they flew through the air. When they were flying over the place of wild beasts the cook bent over the side to look out. Ivan the merchant’s son pushed him from the ship that moment. The savage beasts tore him into little bits. “Oh,” cried Ivan the merchant’s son, “Chumichka has fallen off!”
“The devil be with him,” said the Tsar of the Sea; “to a dog, a dog’s death!” They came back to the palace. “Thou art skilful, Ivan,” said the Tsar; “here is a third task for thee. Break my unridden stallion so that he will go under a rider. If thou wilt break him I will give thee my daughter in marriage; if not, I have a sword, and thy head leaves thy shoulders.”
“Now that is an easy task,” thought Ivan the merchant’s son. He went away from the Tsar laughing. Vassilissa the Cunning saw him and asked about everything; he told her.
“Thou art not wise, Ivan,” said she; “now a difficult task is given thee,—no easy labor. That stallion will be the Tsar himself: he will carry thee through the air above the standing forest, below the passing cloud, and scatter thy bones over the open field. Go quickly to the blacksmiths, order them to make for thee an iron hammer three poods in weight, and when thou art sitting on the stallion hold firmly and beat him on the head with the iron hammer.”
Next day the grooms brought out the unridden stallion. They were barely able to hold him; he snorted, rushed, and reared. The moment Ivan sat on him he rose above the standing forest, below the passing cloud, flew through the air more swiftly than strong wind. The rider held firmly, beating him all the time on the head with the hammer. The stallion struggled beyond his power, and dropped to the damp earth. Ivan the merchant’s son gave the stallion to the grooms, drew breath himself, and went to the palace. The Tsar of the Sea met him with bound head.
“I have ridden the horse, your Majesty.”
“Well, come to-morrow to choose thy bride; but now my head aches.”
Next morning Vassilissa the Cunning said to Ivan the merchant’s son, “There are three sisters of us with our father; he will turn us into mares, and make thee select. Be careful, take notice; on my bridle one of the spangles will be dim. Then he will let us out as doves; my sisters will pick buckwheat very quietly, but I will not,—I will clap my wings. The third time he will bring us out as three maidens, one like the other in face, in stature, and hair. I will shake my handkerchief; by that thou mayest know me.”