He walked and walked . Presently he espied a horse with rich trappings , and it said to him : ` Hail , Prince Ivan ! Long have I awaited thee ! ' He mounted the horse and rode on -- rode and rode , until he saw standing before him a palace made of copper . He entered the courtyard , tied up his horse , and went indoors . In one of the rooms a dinner was laid out . He sat down and dined , and then went into a bedroom . There he found a bed , on which he lay down to rest . Presently there came in a lady , more beautiful than can be imagined anywhere but in a fairy tale , who said : ` Thou who art in my house , name thyself ! If thou art an old man , thou shalt be my father ; if a middle-aged man , my brother ; but if a young man , thou shalt be my husband dear . And if thou art a woman , and an old one , thou shalt be my grandmother ; if middle-aged , my mother ; and if a girl , thou shalt be my own sister . ' Thereupon he came forth . And when she saw him she was delighted with him , and said : ` Wherefore , O Prince Ivan -- my husband dear shalt thou be ! -- wherefore hast thou come hither ? ' Then he told her all that had happened , and she said : ` That beast which thou wishest to overcome is my brother . He is staying just now with my second sister , who lives not far from here in a silver palace . I bound up three of the wounds which thou didst give him . ' Well , after this they drank , and enjoyed themselves , and held sweet converse together , and then the Prince took leave of her , and went on to the second sister , the one who lived in the silver palace , and with her also he stayed awhile . She told him that her brother Norka was then at her youngest sister 's . So he went on to the youngest sister , who lived in a golden palace .
She told him that her brother was at that time asleep on the blue sea , and she gave him a sword of steel and a draught of the Water of Strength , and she told him to cut off her brother 's head XXXXX a single stroke .
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