第44章 THE NORKA(3)

`Our two Princes--for the third one has disappeared--have brought away brides from the other world, and want to marry them, but those brides refuse.For they insist on having all their wedding-clothes made for them first, exactly like those which they used to have in the other world, and that without being measured for them.

The King has called all the workmen together, but not one of them will undertake to do it.'

The Prince, having heard all this, said, `Go to the King, master, and tell him that you will provide everything that's in your line.'

`However can I undertake to make clothes of that sort? I work for quite common folks,' says his master.

`Go along, master! I will answer for everything,' says the Prince.

So the tailor went.The King was delighted that at least one good workman had been found, and gave him as much money as ever he wanted.When his tailor had settled everything, he went home.And the Prince said to him:

`Now then, pray to God, and lie down to sleep; to-morrow all will be ready.' And the tailor followed his lad's advice, and went to bed.

Midnight sounded.The Prince arose, went out of the city into the fields, took out of his pocket the eggs which the maidens had given him, and, as they had taught him, turned them into three palaces.Into each of these he entered, took the maidens' robes, went out again, turned the palaces back into eggs, and went home.

And when he got there he hung up the robes on the wall, and lay down to sleep.

Early in the morning his master awoke, and behold! there hung such robes as he had never seen before, all shining with gold and silver and precious stones.He was delighted, and he seized them and carried them off to the King.When the Princesses saw that the clothes were those which had been theirs in the other world, they guessed that Prince Ivan was in this world, so they exchanged glances with each other, but they held their peace.

And the master, having handed over the clothes, went home, but he no longer found his dear journeyman there.For the Prince had gone to a shoemaker's, and him too he sent to work for the King;and in the same way he went the round of all the artificers, and they all proffered him thanks, inasmuch as through him they were enriched by the King.

By the time the princely workman had gone the round of all the artificers, the Princesses had received what they had asked for;all their clothes were just like what they had been in the other world.Then they wept bitterly because the Prince had not come, and it was impossible for them to hold out any longer; it was necessary that they should be married.But when they were ready for the wedding, the youngest bride said to the King:

`Allow me, my father, to go and give alms to the beggars.'

He gave her leave, and she went and began bestowing alms upon them, and examining them closely.And when she had come to one of them, and was going to give him some money, she caught sight of the ring which she had given to the Prince in the other world, and her sisters' rings too--for it really was he.So she seized him by the hand, and brought him into the hall, and said to the King:

`Here is he who brought us out of the other world.His brothers forbade us to say that he was alive, threatening to slay us if we did.'

Then the King was wroth with those sons, and punished them as he thought best.And afterwards three weddings were celebrated.