So the little boy set off in the cart driven by the gipsy coachman， and at first they were friendly to one another。After a time the gipsy began to be dissatisfied and to hate the boy。One day， as they were driving along， the little boy saw a feather lying on the grass， so he said to the gipsy：“Stop the cart and fetch me that beautiful feather。It is a pity to leave it on the road。”The gipsy very reluctantly got down from the box to pick up the feather， which he thrust at his young master； then， mounting again， he drove the horses at a furious pace， muttering to himself：“I will no longer be the slave of this slip of a boy。I am not going to stand this any longer， to be ordered to get off the cart to pick up a feather。Let us only get now into the forest yonder， and I will settle him and just make a cross over him。I will then be a Boyar riding in his own carriage， and I will have in addition three purses of gold。”
Now， as soon as the boy had the feather he stuck it behind his ear， and he became at once enchanted， for that feather had dropped off the same bird which he had set free； and he knew at once what the gipsy intended doing to him， and as they were driving along he said：“Hey， gipsy， do you know what I wish to do？”
The gipsy replied angrily：“If you tell me I shall know。”
“My intention，”said the boy，“is to give thee one of these purses。I think three are too many for me。”
When the gipsy heard this he got a little more friendly， and he said to himself：“Now， that is different。Before he had three， and I had none； now that I have one I had better leave him alone this time and do nothing to him。”
The boy knew what was passing through the gipsy’s mind， and so they went on again for a good many months， the gipsy all the while attending to the horses and waiting on his master， whose servant he was。But the gipsy again became dissatisfied， and said to himself：“What good is that to me， if I have with me a purse of gold， for I am still under the orders of my master。I am an old man， and he a little slip of a boy。Why must I attend to the horses？ Why must I go to the market and buy all that is necessary for his wants？ Would it not be better for me to sit comfortably in the carriage and knock him on the head？ I will wait now for the next opportunity， and then I will settle my account with him and put an end to all this。”
The boy， who was still wearing the magic feather， knew at once what was passing through the gipsy’s mind， and felt frightened， so he said to the man，“Do you know what I am thinking of ？”And the gipsy croaked back and said，“If you will tell me I shall know。”
“I was thinking，”said the boy，“that as you are an old man and I am a young boy， it would perhaps be better if I say to you‘You’when addressing you， and you reply to me‘Thou，’not as hitherto when I addressed you as‘Thou。’Moreover， you had better keep the two purses of gold， and you sit inside the carriage， and I attend to the horses， for you are now getting very old， and I have grown bigger and stronger。”
“These are very good thoughts，”replied the gipsy， dancing with joy；“it pleases me very much。”And henceforth the young boy became the coachman， and the gipsy slave sat in the cart， as the master， ordering the boy to do this and that just as masters do。
Driving on for a further half-year， they at last came to another kingdom。There they went to the Emperor and asked his leave to enter the country， at the same time asking him to take them into his service。
When the Emperor saw the young lad looking so fine and comely， and of such beautiful speech， he took a fancy to him and brought him to the Court， with the intention of bringing him up as his own child， as he had no son， but a daughter who was so very beautiful that， out of fear that one day she might be stolen by the Zmeu （dragon）， he kept her locked up in a strongly built fortress。He sent the gipsy， however， to the stables to look after the horses， the very same service which he had been doing before。And thus the gipsy ceased to be a Boyar and did not give orders any longer， but had to do everything himself， and he was obliged to see to the horses whilst the young lad was living at Court， surrounded by wise men and leading even a happier and better life than had been his at home with his father。
When the gipsy saw himself again reduced to the position of a stable-boy， and the young lad high in favour with the Emperor and leading a happy life， he grew full of envy and hatred， and said：“What a fool I have been to allow this chit of a lad to live！ I should have done better to have finished him off there and then。All the same， I have not yet done with him。I shall still have the better of him。I will go and tell the Emperor that the lad boasted that he would be able to bring the horse of the Zmeu who wanted to steal the Princess。”And as he thought， so he did。One day， when the Emperor was passing the stables， the gipsy came out， and bending low， said to him：
“Illustrious Emperor， do you know what that boy yonder has been boasting to me？”
“What？”asked the Emperor。
“He has come to me and said that if it is your Majesty’s wish， he will bring you the horse of that Zmeu who intends stealing your Majesty’s daughter。”
“What art thou talking about， O gipsy？”said the Emperor。
“It is true，”replied the gipsy；“he has boasted to me in this manner；”and the gipsy muttered to himself，“I have now done for him， and he will no longer have such a happy time as before。”
The Emperor wondered at what the gipsy had told him， for he did not think it possible that a young lad like that could say such a thing or make such a boast。
A good many valiant knights had been asked by the Emperor to undertake that task， and they all fought shy of it， even when he had promised them the hand of his daughter， and， later on， the kingdom in addition， as a reward to him who should succeed in the task。As soon as he arrived at home the Emperor sent for the young lad and asked him whether he had said anything of the kind。The boy denied it， and said such a thought had never passed through his mind， and still less had he spoken of it to the gipsy。But the Emperor would not accept his denial， and insisted upon the youth keeping his word， and said to him：“I accept no excuse nor denial。You must bring me the horse of the Zmeu， or if not your head will be lying where the soles of your feet are now standing。”
When the lad heard this severe order and threat， he began to cry bitterly and to lament， and he said，“What am I to do？ Where am I to do？ This means my end。”And so he left， not knowing whither to go but where his eyes led him。
And he went on until he came to a forest。His feet ached and he was very tired， and he would have liked to stop there overnight， but was afraid of the wild beasts that might come and tear him to pieces。Yet in spite of his fear， overcome by fatigue， he sat down upon the trunk of a fallen tree and began lamenting， and saying：“Woe unto me！ What troubles have now befallen me！ I wish I had never let that bird go， for ever since that time I have had nothing but pain and suffering， and I should not have found myself in such circumstances。”
Whilst he was thus lamenting， he remembered the words of the bird， that should he ever find himself hard pressed or in any great trouble， he was only to think of the Knight of the Flowers， for that was the real name of the bird。
No sooner had he remembered these words， and thought of him， than lo！ the Knight of the Flowers was sitting by his side， and said to him：
“My dear boy， what ails thee？ Why dost thou lament？”
“Why shall I not lament， seeing that I have come to this terrible pass？ See what I am asked to do！”And the boy told the Knight all that had happened to him since the bird had left his father’s house， what he had suffered from the gipsy， and what the Emperor was now asking him to do。
“My boy， do not fear， only do as I tell thee。”
With these words the Knight turned again into a bird， told the lad to mount upon his back， and to hold tightly to his neck， and， rising up in the air， he flew a long way until they came to the Daughters of the Sun。There he told him to dismount and to wait for his return。
The Knight of the Flowers went alone to the place where the Zmeu lived， to steal his horse。It was kept locked inside some stables， which were very strongly built， and barred and bolted so that no one could get in， for the Zmeu used to lock the door from inside， and hang the keys on a hook within the stables。
When the bird had reached the place， it again turned a somersault three times and turned into a fly。In this form it entered the stables and hid itself in a crevice。The Zmeu came and groomed his horse， and after he had finished he left the stables， as it was night time， and went to his house to bed。
No sooner had the Zmeu gone to sleep than the fly， coming out of the crevice again， turned a somersault three times and became a youth。Then he went to the horse and put his hand upon it。As soon as the horse felt the hand on its neck it neighed so mightily that it shook the stables and palace， and it was heard in the forest round about。For it was the habit of the horse， as soon as a strange hand touched it， to neigh violently。
The Dragon woke up frightened by the neighing， and at once lit a torch and went to see who had touched his horse。
When he entered the stables he found no one， for the Knight of the Flowers had turned again into a fly and had hidden himself inside the crevice。The Zmeu searched every nook and corner， and， not finding anything， wondered what had happened， and then he went back to his own house to sleep。The poor Zmeu had scarcely fallen asleep when the Knight again put his hand on the horse。This time the horse neighed still more violently， and the Zmeu， jumping to his feet， ran quickly to the stables to see what had happened。But again he found nobody， for the Knight had again turned into a fly and hidden himself in the crevice。The Zmeu searched again all the nooks and corners。He did not leave a blade of straw unturned。Then， thinking that perhaps he had not groomed the horse sufficiently， and that the horse had neighed for that reason， he groomed it afresh， and then went back to lie down to sleep。Again the Knight touched the horse， and the horse this time neighed more violently than before。The poor Zmeu， who had just begun to doze， got up furiously， and， taking a whip with him， again searched everywhere， turning every straw， and finding nothing。So he whipped the horse cruelly， swearing and cursing all the time， with all the curses that were in his mouth， because the horse had disturbed him in his sleep。
“Surely the Knight of the Flowers is not here，”he said，“to cause that uproar？”
The poor horse suffered silently this cruel beating， but it said to itself：“Very well， if that be the case I will no longer make a noise。Let anyone who wills come and touch and take me。I will no longer disturb the Zmeu in his sleep。”
Now this time as soon as the Zmeu had gone away the fly came out from the crevice， turned a somersault three times， and became again the Knight of the Flowers； then he went and put his hand on the horse’s neck， and this time the horse did not neigh， it kept perfectly quiet。The Knight opened the stable door， took out the horse， and， mounting it， he brought it to the young lad， who was waiting for him with the Daughters of the Sun。
He gave the horse to the boy， and told him to hold on tight to the reins lest he slipped， for that horse went flying through the air。
The Daughters of the Sun moreover gave him a beautiful crown， with the morning star in the centre and adorned with other stars round about。This crown he was to give to the Princess， if she should ask him for it when he passed over the tower of the fortress where she was living。
