The old man reveals that he is Prince Ivan's uncle and his intention to help Ivan, always out of family loyalty. Uncle gives Ivan a magic ball, claiming that it will guide Ivan when he rolls it. The magic ball leads Ivan to a campsite and allows him to join his two older brothers and set off together in search of his mother. Ultimately, the ball leads the three brothers to a cave beneath a mountain range “so steep and high that…their peaks leaned against the sky (769).” Prince Ivan volunteers to climb the mountain and the other two brothers stay behind. When Ivan returns with his mother and three other queens, his brothers decide to betray Ivan and claim the glory. This is the only case of family betrayal in the story and the brothers are punished accordingly. When the elder brothers' betrayal is revealed near the end of the story, the king "wanted to put his eldest sons to death (786)", but Prince Ivan asks his father to forgive them and asks that they be given a pardon instead. much lesser punishment. Ivan shows compassion for his brothers, demonstrating both his duty to his family (despite their perfidy), and another Russian value: nobility and mercy towards