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 Martin , told him to go into the town and lay in a store of meal for a year . So Martin started off for the town . When he reached the meat-market he found the whole place in turmoil , and a great noise of angry voices and barking of dogs .
Mixing in the crowd , he noticed a stag-hound which the butchers had caught and tied XXXXX a post , and which was being flogged in a merciless manner .
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