Ivan began to ask how he could win his horse back. The footless, handless said,—
“Go to such a river and take the ferry, ferry for three years, take money from no man: then thou mayest win the horse back.”
Ivan bowed down to him, went to the river, took the ferry, and ferried three whole years for nothing. Once it happened to him to ferry over three old men; they offered him money, he would not take it.
“Tell me, good hero, why thou takest no money?”
He said, “According to a promise.”
“What promise?”
“A malicious man took my horse, and good people told me to take the ferry for three years, and receive money from no man.”
The old men said: “If thou choosest, Ivan, we are ready to help thee to get back thy horse.”
“Help me, my friends.”
The old men were not common people; they were the Freezer, the Devourer, and the Wizard. The Wizard went out on the shore, made the picture of a boat in the sand and said: “Well, brothers, you see this boat?”