The magician threw on the fire a powder he had about him, at the same time saying some magical words. The earth trembled and opened in front of them, disclosing a square flat stone with a brass ring in the middle to raise it by.
This strange man was no uncle of Aladdin, nor was he related at all to him; but he was a wicked magician, who wanted to make use of the lad's services.
Beauty could not help shuddering when she saw the horrible face of the frightful creature, but she made a brave effort to overcome her fear.
‘Beauty, did you come here willingly to die in place of your father?’ ‘Willingly,’ she answered.
‘This small key belongs to one small room on the ground‑floor, and this you must not open, or you will repent it sore.’
The new wife brought two daughters home with her, and they were beautiful and fair in appearance, but at heart were black and ugly.
Her godmother simply touched her with her wand, and, at the same moment, her clothes were turned into cloth of gold and silver, all decked with jewels.
‘I know nothing about forgiveness,’ replied the witch. ‘You have eaten my parsley, and must take the consequences; and the consequences are these: I must be godmother to your first child; be it boy or girl, it must belong to me.’
One day, as Margery was coming home from the next village, she met with some wicked, idle boys, who had tied a young raven to a staff. She offered at once to buy the raven for a penny, and this they agreed to.
Her father was a very respectable farmer but misfortunes and persecutions ruined this worthy man, and was the source of all poor Margery’s troubles.
The poor lady gave birth to two beautiful boys, when just as she was pressing them to her bosom a huge bear rushed upon her, and snatching up one of the babes in its mouth, darted off into the thickest of the forest with it.
‘I have heard of you so often that I am very glad to meet you. I am told that you are more powerful than any man on earth, and as I am powerful too, let us try which is the strongest.’
The Moon was sad. So one evening he went to see the beautiful maiden Tseh-N’io. And when he saw her he loved her at once.
Tsar Vwislav had one favorite apple-tree, and on that tree grew apples all golden. The Fire-bird used to sit on the favorite apple-tree, pluck from it golden apples, and then fly away.
Our old man lived on with his sons until finally his hour came to die. He called his three sons and said to them: ‘Dear children of mine, my dying hour is at hand and ye must fulfill my will.’
The rat squeaked so softly that Little Black Ant said to him, ‘Mr. Ratsmith, I will marry you.’
The moment the farmer’s wife's lips touched the flower, the bud opened with a pop! and inside it she found the smallest little maiden ever seen—scarcely half a thumb’s length; so she called her Little Totty.
Koschei the Deathless seized Marya Morevna and carried her off, and Prince Ivan sat down on a stone and wept. He wept and wept and started off in search of Marya Morevna.
The man bade ‘Morning Sunrise’ lie down on her bed as if she were dead. He then sent the report of her death to each of the three lovers, asking them to come and help him with her funeral.