“When the spirit appears,” said she, “seize his magic wand with both hands. He will then fly upwards with you, but do not be afraid, and be quiet. After a time he will fall to the earth and be dashed to pieces. You must gather these up, burn them, and scatter the ashes on the field.”
His mother had scarcely finished these words, and hidden him under her cloak, before the spirit appeared. Then Ivan sprang forward as his mother had told him, and laid hold of the magic wand. The spirit seized the Czarewitch, flew with him far up, fell to the ground, and was dashed to pieces. The Czarewitch gathered these together, and burnt them, but kept the magic stick. Then he took his mother and the three princesses whom he had rescued, and, coming to an oak-tree, he let each one of them slide down the mountain-side by means of a linen cloth. When the brothers, who waited at the foot of the mountain, saw that he alone remained on the top, they tore the linen cloth out of his hand, led away their mother and the three princesses to their own kingdom, and made them take an oath that they would tell their father that they had been saved by them.
Ivan was thus left alone on the mountain, and did not know how he could get down. He walked about very sorrowfully, and happening to pass the magic wand from one hand to the other, a man suddenly appeared before him, and said—
“What is your will, Ivan Czarewitch?”
Ivan was much astonished to see the man, and asked him who he was, and how he had come on the mountain.
“I am a spirit,” replied the man, “and was the servant of him whom you have overcome. As you have now his magic stick, and as you have passed it from one hand to the other, as you always must when you want me, I have come to perform what you wish.”
“That is well,” said Ivan to the spirit. “Do me your first service, then, and carry me into my own country.”
Scarcely had he finished these words before he found himself in his father’s city.
He wanted to first know what was going on in the palace, so instead of going straight in he went and began work in a shoemaker’s shop, for he thought no one would quickly recognise him there. The next morning the shoemaker went into town to buy some leather, and came home in the evening very drunk. So tipsy was he that he could not see to the shop, so he left all to his new man. Ivan knew nothing about the work, so he called the spirit to assist him, and told him to set to and make some shoes while he himself went to sleep. When the master awoke early the next morning he went to see what work his man had done, and when he found him still fast asleep, he was very angry, and said—
“Ah! you lazy fellow, do you think I took you into my service to sleep?”