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When King Sensibri heard this message he dared not refuse, and dismissed the ambassador without an answer. Then he called Marcobrun, and took counsel with him, and they agreed to attack Lukoper with all their forces. They forthwith ordered their horses to be saddled; each seized in his right hand a steel sword, and in his left a sharp lance, and they rode forth out of the city.
Then Drushnevna answered: "No doubt it is some one whom Marcobrun has sent in pursuit of us, and he must be the stout knight Polkan, who can leave behind him seven versts at a bound: he will soon overtake us." Bova took his battle sword, mounted his steed, and rode forth. Polkan met him, and cried aloud with a terrible voice: "Ha, rascal! you shall not escape out of my hands!"
Bova seized him by the mane and stroked his neck. When the grooms saw this they went and told it all to Marcobrun. And the King hastened into the courtyard, and saw Bova and the horse; then, calling to him, he ordered him to serve in the stables of his court and to tend his war-horse.
The Tsar Uril came to meet them with the Tsarina, and conducted them with great honour into the palace, and they all fell to feasting and making merry. Meanwhile King Marcobrun advanced against the city of Kostel with three times a hundred thousand men, beleaguered the city, and sent an ambassador to the Tsar Uril, commanding him fiercely to deliver up to him Bova, Drushnevna, and Polkan.
Then the Tsar told the Tsarina how he had left his sons as hostages with Marcobrun and promised to deliver up Bova, Drushnevna, and Polkan. And the Tsarina replied: "My dear husband, it is impossible to give them up." At these words the Tsar struck her in the face, saying: "Women have long hair, but short wits."
"No, King Marcobrun, I wept on hearing from this man that my father is lying on his death-bed." Then Marcobrun ordered Bova to go away, and tried to comfort the Princess. "My dear Drushnevna, grieve not for your father's illness; he will recover; your grief cannot help him, and will only injure your health: your dark eyes will be dimmed with tears, and sorrow will destroy your beauty."
King Sensibri dismissed the messenger, and commanding the city gates to be opened, went himself to meet King Marcobrun, took him by his white hands, led him into the marble palace, seated him at an oaken table spread with checkered tablecloths and sweetmeats, and they fell to eating and drinking and disport.
When the Tsar Lukoper beheld them, he rode with the blunt end of his lance against Marcobrun and Sensibri, overthrew them one after another, took them prisoners, and sent them to his father, Saltan Saltanovich, who was encamped with his army on the seashore.
And after a voyage of three months they came to the kingdom over the Don; and not knowing it he enquired of a fisherman what country it was he saw in the distance. "Yonder lies the Sadonic kingdom," replied the fisherman, "and the king of it is named Marcobrun." Then Bova asked: "Can it be the same Marcobrun who went to seek the hand of the daughter of King Sensibri?"
And when he heard that the army was sent by Marcobrun in pursuit of him, he said to these three knights: "Tell King Marcobrun to beware of pursuing me lest he lose his whole army, for he knows well who I am." Thereupon these three rode back to their King, and told him that Bova had slain the army of three hundred thousand men, and that they three alone survived.
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