Foralongtimehewanderedallthroughtheworld，anditwasnottilltheninety-ninthdayafterhestartedthathefoundanoldmanwhowasabletotellhimwheretheTreeoftheSungrew。Hefollowedhisdirections，androdeonhisway，andafteranotherninety-ninedayshearrivedatagoldencastle，whichstoodinthemiddleofavastwilderness。Heknockedatthedoor，whichwasopenednoiselesslyandbyinvisiblehands。Findingnooneabout，thePrincerodeon，andcametoagreatmeadow，wheretheSun-Treegrew。Whenhereachedthetreeheputouthishandtopickagoldenapple；butallofasuddenthetreegrewhigher，sothathecouldnotreachitsfruit。Thenheheardsomeonebehindhimlaughing。Turninground，hesawthegirlinredwalkingtowardshim，whoaddressedhiminthesewords:
’Doyoureallyimagine，bravesonoftheearth，thatyoucanpluckanapplesoeasilyfromtheTreeoftheSun？Beforeyoucandothat，youhaveadifficulttaskbeforeyou。Youmustguardthetreeforninedaysandninenightsfromtheravagesoftwowildblackwolves，whowilltrytoharmit。Doyouthinkyoucanundertakethis？’
’Yes，’answeredtheSun-Hero，’IwillguardtheTreeoftheSunninedaysandninenights。’
Thenthegirlcontinued:’Remember，though，ifyoudonotsucceedtheSunwillkillyou。Nowbeginyourwatch。’
WiththesewordstheRedGirlwentbackintothegoldencastle。
Shehadhardlylefthimwhenthetwoblackwolvesappeared:buttheSun-Herobeatthemoffwithhissword，andtheyretired，only，however，toreappearinaveryshorttime。TheSun-Herochasedthemawayoncemore，buthehadhardlysatdowntorestwhenthetwoblackwolveswereonthesceneagain。Thiswentonforsevendaysandnights，whenthewhitehorse，whohadneverdonesuchathingbefore，turnedtotheSun-Heroandsaidinahumanvoice:’ListentowhatIamgoingtosay。AFairygavemetoyourmotherinorderthatImightbeofservicetoyou；soletmetellyou，thatifyougotosleepandletthewolvesharmthetree，theSunwillsurelykillyou。TheFairy，foreseeingthis，puteveryoneintheworldunderaspell，whichpreventstheirobeyingtheSun’scommandtotakeyourlife。Butallthesame，shehasforgottenoneperson，whowillcertainlykillyouifyoufallasleepandletthewolvesdamagethetree。Sowatchandkeepthewolvesaway。’
ThentheSun-Herostrovewithallhismightandkepttheblackwolvesatbay，andconqueredhisdesiretosleep；butontheeighthnighthisstrengthfailedhim，andhefellfastasleep。
Whenheawokeawomaninblackstoodbesidehim，whosaid:’Youhavefulfilledyourtaskverybadly，foryouhaveletthetwoblackwolvesdamagetheTreeoftheSun。IamthemotheroftheSun，andIcommandyoutorideawayfromhereatonce，andI
pronouncesentenceofdeathuponyou，foryouproudlyletyourselfbecalledtheSun-Herowithouthavingdoneanythingtodeservethename。’
Theyouthmountedhishorsesadly，androdehome。Thepeopleallthrongedroundhimonhisreturn，anxioustohearhisadventures，buthetoldthemnothing，andonlytohismotherdidheconfidewhathadbefallenhim。ButtheoldQueenlaughed，andsaidtoherson:’Don’tworry，mychild；yousee，theFairyhasprotectedyousofar，andtheSunhasfoundnoonetokillyou。Socheerupandbehappy。’
AfteratimethePrinceforgotallabouthisadventure，andmarriedabeautifulPrincess，withwhomhelivedveryhappilyforsometime。Butonedaywhenhewasouthuntinghefeltverythirsty，andcomingtoastreamhestoopeddowntodrinkfromit，andthiscausedhisdeath，foracrabcameswimmingup，andwithitsclawstoreouthistongue。Hewascarriedhomeinadyingcondition，andashelayonhisdeath-bedtheblackwomanappearedandsaid:’SotheSunhas，afterall，foundsomeone，whowasnotundertheFairy’sspell，whohascausedyourdeath。AndasimilarfatewillovertakeeveryoneundertheSunwhowrongfullyassumesatitletowhichhehasnoright。’
FromtheRussian。
Onceuponatimetherewasapeasantwhosewifedied，leavinghimwithtwochildren——twins——aboyandagirl。Forsomeyearsthepoormanlivedonalonewiththechildren，caringforthemasbesthecould；buteverythinginthehouseseemedtogowrongwithoutawomantolookafterit，andatlasthemadeuphismindtomarryagain，feelingthatawifewouldbringpeaceandordertohishouseholdandtakecareofhismotherlesschildren。Sohemarried，andinthefollowingyearsseveralchildrenwereborntohim；butpeaceandorderdidnotcometothehousehold。Forthestep-motherwasverycrueltothetwins，andbeatthem，andhalf-starvedthem，andconstantlydrovethemoutofthehouse；
forheroneideawastogetthemoutoftheway。Alldayshethoughtofnothingbuthowsheshouldgetridofthem；andatlastanevilideacameintoherhead，andshedeterminedtosendthemoutintothegreatgloomywoodwhereawickedwitchlived。
Andsoonemorningshespoketothem，saying:
’YouhavebeensuchgoodchildrenthatIamgoingtosendyoutovisitmygranny，wholivesinadearlittlehutinthewood。Youwillhavetowaituponherandserveher，butyouwillbewellrewarded，forshewillgiveyouthebestofeverything。’
Sothechildrenleftthehousetogether；andthelittlesister，whowasverywiseforheryears，saidtothebrother:
’Wewillfirstgoandseeourowndeargrandmother，andtellherwhereourstep-motherissendingus。’
Andwhenthegrandmotherheardwheretheyweregoing，shecriedandsaid:
’Youpoormotherlesschildren！HowIpityyou；andyetIcandonothingtohelpyou！Yourstep-motherisnotsendingyoutohergranny，buttoawickedwitchwholivesinthatgreatgloomywood。Nowlistentome，children。Youmustbecivilandkindtoeveryone，andneversayacrosswordtoanyone，andnevertouchacrumbbelongingtoanyoneelse。Whoknowsif，afterall，helpmaynotbesenttoyou？’
Andshegavehergrandchildrenabottleofmilkandapieceofhamandaloafofbread，andtheysetoutforthegreatgloomywood。Whentheyreachedittheysawinfrontofthem，inthethickestofthetrees，aqueerlittlehut，andwhentheylookedintoit，therelaythewitch，withherheadonthethresholdofthedoor，withonefootinonecornerandtheotherintheothercorner，andherkneescockedup，almosttouchingtheceiling。
’Who’sthere？’shesnarled，inanawfulvoice，whenshesawthechildren。
Andtheyansweredcivilly，thoughtheyweresoterrifiedthattheyhidbehindoneanother，andsaid:
’Good-morning，granny；ourstep-motherhassentustowaituponyou，andserveyou。’
’Seethatyoudoitwell，then，’growledthewitch。’IfIampleasedwithyou，I’llrewardyou；butifIamnot，I’llputyouinapanandfryyouintheoven——that’swhatI’lldowithyou，myprettydears！Youhavebeengentlyreared，butyou’llfindmyworkhardenough。Seeifyoudon’t。’
And，sosaying，shesetthegirldowntospinyarn，andshegavetheboyasieveinwhichtocarrywaterfromthewell，andsheherselfwentoutintothewood。Now，asthegirlwassittingatherdistaff，weepingbitterlybecauseshecouldnotspin，sheheardthesoundofhundredsoflittlefeet，andfromeveryholeandcornerinthehutmicecamepatteringalongthefloor，squeakingandsaying:
’Littlegirl，whyareyoureyessored？
Ifyouwanthelp，thengiveussomebread。’
Andthegirlgavethemthebreadthathergrandmotherhadgivenher。Thenthemicetoldherthatthewitchhadacat，andthecatwasveryfondofham；ifshewouldgivethecatherham，itwouldshowherthewayoutofthewood，andinthemeantimetheywouldspintheyarnforher。Sothegirlsetouttolookforthecat，and，asshewashuntingabout，shemetherbrother，ingreattroublebecausehecouldnotcarrywaterfromthewellinasieve，asitcamepouringoutasfastasheputitin。Andasshewastryingtocomforthimtheyheardarustlingofwings，andaflightofwrensalightedonthegroundbesidethem。Andthewrenssaid:
’Giveussomecrumbs，thenyouneednotgrieve。
Foryou’llfindthatwaterwillstayinthesieve。’
Thenthetwinscrumbledtheirbreadontheground，andthewrenspeckedit，andchirrupedandchirped。Andwhentheyhadeatenthelastcrumbtheytoldtheboytofilluptheholesofthesievewithclay，andthentodrawwaterfromthewell。Sohedidwhattheysaid，andcarriedthesievefullofwaterintothehutwithoutspillingadrop。Whentheyenteredthehutthecatwascurleduponthefloor。Sotheystrokedher，andfedherwithham，andsaidtoher:
’Pussy，greypussy，tellushowwearetogetawayfromthewitch？’
Thenthecatthankedthemfortheham，andgavethemapocket-
handkerchiefandacomb，andtoldthemthatwhenthewitchpursuedthem，asshecertainlywould，alltheyhadtodowastothrowthehandkerchiefonthegroundandrunasfastastheycould。Assoonasthehandkerchieftouchedthegroundadeep，broadriverwouldspringup，whichwouldhinderthewitch’sprogress。Ifshemanagedtogetacrossit，theymustthrowthecombbehindthemandrunfortheirlives，forwherethecombfelladenseforestwouldstartup，whichwoulddelaythewitchsolongthattheywouldbeabletogetsafelyaway。
Thecathadscarcelyfinishedspeakingwhenthewitchreturnedtoseeifthechildrenhadfulfilledtheirtasks。
’Well，youhavedonewellenoughforto-day，’shegrumbled；’butto-morrowyou’llhavesomethingmoredifficulttodo，andifyoudon’tdoitwell，youpamperedbrats，straightintotheovenyougo。’
Half-deadwithfright，andtremblingineverylimb，thepoorchildrenlaydowntosleeponaheapofstrawinthecornerofthehut；buttheydarednotclosetheireyes，andscarcelyventuredtobreathe。Inthemorningthewitchgavethegirltwopiecesoflinentoweavebeforenight，andtheboyapileofwoodtocutintochips。Thenthewitchleftthemtotheirtasks，andwentoutintothewood。Assoonasshehadgoneoutofsightthechildrentookthecombandthehandkerchief，and，takingoneanotherbythehand，theystartedandran，andran，andran。Andfirsttheymetthewatch-dog，whowasgoingtoleaponthemandtearthemtopieces；buttheythrewtheremainsoftheirbreadtohim，andheatethemandwaggedhistail。Thentheywerehinderedbythebirch-trees，whosebranchesalmostputtheireyesout。Butthelittlesistertiedthetwigstogetherwithapieceofribbon，andtheygotpastsafely，and，afterrunningthroughthewood，cameoutontotheopenfields。
Inthemeantimeinthehutthecatwasbusyweavingthelinenandtanglingthethreadsasitwove。Andthewitchreturnedtoseehowthechildrenweregettingon；andshecreptuptothewindow，andwhispered: