As soon as he had finished she asked him what reward he demanded for his year 's service . ` Nothing more nor less , ' replied the Prince , ` than the foal of your mare . ' The witch pretended to be much astonished at his request , and said that he deserved something much better than the foal , for the beast was lazy and nervous , blind in one eye , and , in short , was quite worthless . But the Prince knew what he wanted , and when the old witch saw that he had made up his mind to have the foal , she said , ' I am obliged to keep my promise and to hand you over the foal ; and as I know who you are and what you want , I will tell you in what way the animal will be useful to you . The man in the cauldron of boiling pitch , whom you set free , is a mighty magician ; through your curiosity and thoughtlessness Militza came into his power , and he has transported her and her castle and belongings into a distant country . ` You are the only person who can kill him ; and in consequence he fears you to such an extent that he has set spies to watch you , and they report your movements to him daily . ` When you have reached him , beware of speaking a single word to him , or you will fall into the power of his friends . Seize him at once by the beard and dash him to the ground . ' Iwanich thanked the old witch , mounted his foal , put spurs to its sides , and they flew like lightning through the air . Already it was growing dark , when Iwanich perceived some figures in the distance ; they soon came up to them , and then the Prince saw that it was the magician and his friends who were driving through the air in a carriage drawn by owls . When the magician found himself face to face with Iwanich , without hope of escape , he turned to him with false friendliness and said : ` Thrice my kind benefactor ! ' But the Prince , without saying a word , seized him at once by his beard and dashed him to the ground . At the same moment the foal sprang on the top of the magician and kicked and stamped on him with his hoofs till he died . Then Iwanich found himself once more in the palace of his bride , and Militza herself flew into his arms . From this time forward they lived in undisturbed peace and happiness till the end of their lives . THE MAGIC RING Once upon a time there lived an old couple who had one son called Martin . Now when the old man 's time had come , he stretched himself out on his bed and died . Though all his life long he had toiled and moiled , he only left his widow and son two hundred florins . The old woman determined to put by the money for a rainy day ; but alas ! the rainy day was close at hand , for their meal was all consumed , and who is prepared to face starvation with two hundred florins at their disposal ?
So the old woman counted out a hundred of her florins , and giving them to XXXXX , told him to go into the town and lay in a store of meal for a year .
Iwanich Martin Militza cauldron daily fall florins lightning starvation year