The next evening Gavrilo set out.  The night was frigid:  A trembling befell him, so he walked his watch at a neighbor’s fence.  In the morning he returned to the hut and announced:  “All night long I didn’t sleep.  A horrible frost went to my heart.  From dusk to dawn I jumped up and down.  It was so uncomfortable! In short, all is well.”

His father said, “You are a good son.” 

The cover of Kanyok Garbunok depicts Ivan riding the little hunchbacked horse.

The third evening Ivan had to watch, but he just sang songs with all his foolish might.  The brothers tried to drive him into the field, without success.  Finally, father said, “Run to the watch, Ivan.  I will buy you colorful patches.”  So, Ivan set out.

Night fell, the moon rose, and Ivan counted the stars.  Suddenly he saw a horse like winter snow with a golden mane.  “So this is our burglar!” thought Ivan.  Catching the horse’s tail, he jumped on its back.  With furious eyes it took off like an arrow.  It flew over fields and ditches, mountains and forests.  But Ivan was not an utter fool.  He held tightly by the tail.

“You have conquered me,” said the horse.  “Release me and your reward will be two horses such as have never existed and one little horse only three vershok [six inches] tall, with two humps on its back and long ears.” Ivan agreed.

At dawn, he returned home and announced, “All night long I did not sleep.  I counted stars until the devil himself passed by.  He had a beard and a body like a cat, and with his great tail he knocked our wheat flat.  I jumped on his back—how he tossed me about! — but I didn’t slip a whit and finally he did shout, ‘Release me and I promise to live quietly and not trouble Orthodox Christians for a year.”

With that he began to snore.  The brothers laughed at the fool’s story.  Even the old man couldn’t contain himself.  To laugh like this, it is a sin, especially when an old man raises such a din.