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Silver Saucer And The Transparent Apple
by
Only the shepherd boy, when he heard that the little pretty one was to marry the Tzar, turned sadly away and went off into the forest.
“Are you happy, little sweet pigeon?” says the Tzar.
“Oh yes,” says the Little Stupid, who was now Tzaritza and mother of Holy Russia; “but there is one thing that would make me happier.”
“And what is that?” says the lord Tzar.
“I cannot bear to lose my old father and my little mother and my dear sisters. Let them be with me here in the palace, as they were in my father’s house.”
The Tzar laughed at the little pretty one, but he agreed, and the little pretty one ran to tell them the good news. She said to her sisters, “Let all be forgotten, and all be forgiven, and may the evil eye fall on the one who first speaks of what has been!”
For a long time the Tzar lived, and the little pretty one the Tzaritza, and they had many children, and were very happy together. And ever since then the Tzars of Russia have kept the silver saucer and the transparent apple, so that, whenever they wish, they can see everything that is going on all over Russia. Perhaps even now the Tzar, the little father–God preserve him!–is spinning the apple in the saucer, and looking at us, and thinking it is time that two little pigeons were in bed.
* * * * *
“Is that the end?” said Vanya.
“That is the end,” said old Peter.
“Poor shepherd boy!” said Maroosia.
“I don’t know about that,” said old Peter. “You see, if he had married the little pretty one, and had to have all the family to live with him, he would have had them in a hut like ours instead of in a great palace, and so he would never have had room to get away from them. And now, little pigeons, who is going to be first into bed?”