Hearing this, the cunning servant vowed, “Just wait, I will lead you again to misfortune.”

Capturing the czar maiden. Three weeks later the palace servants sat in the czar’s kitchen, drinking mead.  One servant told the tale of the beautiful czar maiden.  “In a far-off land,” he said, “there is an ocean where only infidels sail.  A maiden lives there.  She is the daughter of the moon and sister of the sun.  This maiden plies the ocean in a golden boat with silver oars.”

The cunning servant jumped up and hurried to the czar.  He said, “Today we were in the kitchen and drank to your health.  One servant told the tale of the beautiful czar maiden.  Ivan boasts that the czar maiden could be yours if you order him to get her.”

“Call me Ivan!” the czar shouted to his messengers.  They found him in a deep sleep and brought him in his undershirt.

“Ivan,” said the czar, “it is said that you can find the czar maiden.”

“Come now! I only joked about that,” Ivan said.

“Now look here,” the czar shouted. “If in three weeks you don’t bring the czar maiden, then wherever you might be I will stick you on a pole.”  Ivan cried and went to the hayloft where his little horse lay.

“Why, dear Ivan, are you not happy?” asked the humpbacked horse.

“Disaster, little horse!” he said.  “The czar ordered me to bring him the czar maiden.”

“It is a great calamity, indeed, but I can help.  Go to the czar and say, ‘I need two large towels woven with gold, a tent, a dinner service, and sweets.’”

The czar quickly complied with Ivan’s request.  So, early the next morning the little horse woke Ivan.