Now the Water King had prepared much food of all sorts more than a hundred men could get through. And he ordered his son-in-law to see that everything was eaten. “If anything remains over, the worse for you!” says he.
“My Father,” begs the Prince, “there’s an old fellow of mine here; please let him take a snack with us.”
“Let him come!”
Immediately appeared Obédalo—ate up everything, and wasn’t content then! The Water King next set out two score tubs of all kinds of strong drinks, and ordered his son-in-law to see that they were all drained dry.
“My Father!” begs the Prince again, “there’s another old man of mine here, let him, too, drink your health.”
“Let him come!”
Opivalo appeared, emptied all the forty tubs in a twinkling, and then asked for a drop more by way of stirrup-cup.[145]
The Water King saw that there was nothing to be gained that way, so he gave orders to prepare a bath-room for the young couple—an iron bath-room—and to heat it as hot as possible. So the iron bath-room was made hot. Twelve loads of firewood were set alight, and the stove and the walls were made red-hot—impossible to come within five versts of it.
“My Father!” says the Prince; “let an old fellow of ours have a scrub first, just to try the bath-room.”
“Let him do so!”