The King's son was deeply grieved, remembered the words of the King of the immortal kingdom, and turned back When he came to the place where the gate of the King's palace had been he saw a heap of clay. The prince kicked it with his foot in passing, and out came the Death from under it, all dressed in black. He was lean and bony, and carried ascythe on his shoulder.

      "Well, this is the decisive moment," the prince thought.

      "Oh, young fellow, so you have come at last. I have been waiting for you such a long time!"

      The brave lad quickly took himself in hand, and started to run back as hard as he could.

      When the Death saw him running, he went after him. When he reached the old King's palace, he could run no further. He greeted the Dragon, who was very gad, moved his head to one side, and the brave lad went in.

      He was so tired that he only just managed to gasp:

      "Help me, dear old man, don't leave me in distress, tell me what to do, because the Death is on my track."

      The old man gave him a wide woolly girdle, and said: "Here, give this to the Death and tell him to wear it until threads remain, and only after that to come to you."

      When the Death arrived and saw the Dragon he raised his scythe to cut off his head. The Dragon jumped up with his mouth wide open and his tongue red-hot. He belched out fire and hot pitch on him and didn't let him draw near.

      "Stop, old toothless Death, why do you hunt people down?" "That's not business of yours, let me enter the palace."

      "You should have greeted me," said the Dragon, "but now go on your way, if you value your life, otherwise you'll get it hot."

      Seeing him so furious, the Death withdrew and cried from afar:

      "Old man, let the King's son come out, otherwise I shall tear out your beard hair by hair."

      Then the King's son came out with the girdle and said:

      "Take this girdle. Death, go back and wear it. When you wear it out until there remains nothing but threads, come for me."

      Death took the girdle and began to wear it. The King's son went on further and came again to the oak tree. The oak tree called out to him:

      "Come, brave lad, and take a rest."

      "I can't, because Death is on my track,"

      "Don't worry about that. Put your hand in the hollow of my trunk and take out from it an iron walking stick."

      "I have taken it."

      "If Death catches up with you, give him the walking stick, and tell him to use it until it wears down to the handle, and only after that to come for you."

      Then the brave lad said farewell to the oak-tree and off he went. He walked and walked over fields without roads and across rivers without fords.

      One day Death suddenly turned up before him.

      "Stop, my brave lad, your time has come!"

      "Well, when my time comes, it will come, but first take this iron walking stick, and when you wear it out so that only the handle remains, then you may come for me!"

      Death took the walking stick and went off, having much walking to do in order to wear it out, down to the handle.

      When the prince found himself free again, he walked on as if he had wings. While he was walking he came again to the vine. The vine noticed him from afar, and called him to come.

      "Stop a little, brave lad, eat some grapes and drink some wine."

      "I should very much like to stop, but I can't as my way is long, my paths are winding, and Death is on my heels."

      "Don't worry too much. I shall do everything I can to help you."

      "Everything will be all right if you only tell me how to stop old man Death. That's the best thing you could do."

      "If Death catches up with you, throw him your sword and tell him to wear ft until it rusts away, so that nothing remains of it, and then to come for you."

      "Thank you for your advice. As soon as I see him I shall throw the sword at his feet"

      The prince set off at once, and hurried on as quickly as he could. Still one day he suddenly came face to face with Death.

      "Stop, my lad, your end has come at last."

      "Well, if you say so, you say so. Here is the last thing I have in this land, I wouldn't part with this sword if I didn't want to live, but still I give it to you to wear until it rusts away, and nothing but dust remains of it, and only then, if you catch up with me, it will be my end. If you don't look no further for me, because I am going to the immortal kingdom."

      The prince threw his sword at Death's feet and went on further. When the sword rusted away and nothing but dust remained, Death went after him, as swiftly as an arrow. The prince reached the palace, opened the gate and the younger daughter came to meet him and took him by hand, but Death, who had managed to come just at that time, took him by one leg.

      "Stop, you are mine, where are you going?" said Death.

      "No, he's mine!" said the King's daughter.

      "Let him go!" cried Death.

      "He belongs to me!"

      Then the King's daughter said:

      "If the things have come to this, I shall turn him into a golden apple, I shall throw it up into the air and the one who catches it will have him."

      The King's younger daughter turned the prince into a golden apple and threw it up into the air, and it turned into the evening star. The King and his other two daughters came to the gate and, finding out what had happened, turned the youngest daughter into a golden apple too, threw it up into the air and told her to find the prince and to bring him down with her into the courtyard. Death would no longer be able to harm them. The apple flew into the sky and turned into the morning star,

      Death seeing all this became very angry, stamped on the shadows of the three and turned the King and his two daughters into stone pillars, From that time on the evening star and the morning star shine in the sky, and at the gates there are stone pillars.

I rode on a porcupine,
And came with this tale of mine.
A rode on a ten penny nail,
And I have no other tale.