Explore "Prince Evstáfi" by Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
In a certain kingdom once there lived a Tsar who had a young son -- Tsarévich Evstáfi -- who did not love visiting or dances, nor promenades, but only liked going in the streets and walking among the poor, the simple folk, and the beggars, and bestowing alms on them. And the Tsar was very angry with him for this, and commanded him to be taken up to the gallows and to be delivered to a cruel death.
So the attendants took the Tsarévich, and were on the point of hanging him, when the Tsarévich fell on his knees before his father and began to ask for three hours' interval. And the Tsar agreed, and gave him the three hours' respite.