Upon this the Bear betook himself to the forest and dragged home the trunk of a mighty tree. Then Reinecke climbed upon it and uttered the following discourse:
“All right! Well, then! See here, now, worthy companions and friends! We must marry our Beg.”
“Good!” replied the others; “but how shall we begin? For we don’t know where to find a maiden for him.”
“The Emperor has a daughter,” replied Reinecke; “let us marry our Beg to her. Kumrikusha, do you begin. Set off at once for the imperial castle, lie in wait for the young lady when she takes her walk, seize her and bring her here.”
Kumrikusha, nothing loath, set out at once, alighted near the imperial castle, and watched for the Emperor’s little daughter. Just at nightfall she came out of the castle to walk, accompanied by her waiting-woman. In a trice Kumrikusha was upon the spot, seized the Princess, set her upon his back, and flew homeward.
When the Emperor heard of the abduction of his daughter he was beside himself with grief, and offered to reward with untold wealth the person who should bring her home again. But all in vain, for no one dared undertake the adventure, until at last, one day, a gypsy-wife presented herself before the Emperor and said to him:
“Lord Emperor, what shall I get if I bring you back your daughter?”
The Emperor could hardly believe his own ears, and he cried out in delight, “Ask what you will, it shall be granted; only bring her back safe!”
The gypsy-wife went home, took some beans in her hand, and began to practise enchantment with them, according to ancient custom. She soon divined from the beans that the Princess was distant ten days’ journey, and she at once prepared to follow her. She took a piece of carpet and her riding-whip, seated herself upon the carpet, cracked the whip, and up rose the carpet into the air. It carried her straight to the place where the Beg was living with his wife, the Emperor’s daughter.
Arrived within a short distance of the Beg’s stronghold, the gypsy-wife let herself down to the ground, left her carpet and riding-whip lying there, and found a hiding-place where she could see the Princess when she came out before the door for her evening walk. She had not long to wait. The Princess soon came out for a little walk, and in a trice the gypsy-wife was at her side, entering into conversation with her. As they talked she gradually led her farther and farther away from the Beg’s castle, and at last turned off into a by-path, where the carpet lay.