ver the struggle, Yirik overflowed the goblet.

"Ha! Ha!" said the king. "See what you've done! You forfeit your head!
However, I'll suspend sentence on condition that you find this
golden-haired maiden and bring her to me for a wife."

Poor Yirik didn't know who the maiden was nor where she lived. But what
could he say? If he wanted to keep his head, he must undertake the
quest. So he saddled his horse and started off at random.

His road led him through a forest. Here he came upon a bush under which
some shepherds had kindled a fire. Sparks were falling on an anthill
nearby and the ants in great excitement were running hither and thither
with their eggs.

"Yirik!" they cried. "Help! Help, or we shall all be burned to death, we
and our young ones in the eggs!"

Yirik instantly dismounted, cut down the burning bush, and put out the
fire.

"Thank you, Yirik, thank you!" the ants said. "Your kindness to us this
day will not go unrewarded. If ever you are in trouble, think of us and
we will help you."

As Yirik rode on through the forest, he came upon two fledgling ravens
lying by the path.

"Help us, Yirik, help us!" they cawed. "Our father and mother have
thrown us out of the nest in yonder tall fir tree to fend for ourselves.
We are young and helpless and not yet able to fly. Give us some meat to
eat or we shall perish with hunger."

The sight of the helpless fledglings touched Yirik to pity. He
dismounted instantly, drew his sword, and killed his horse. Then he fed
the starving birds the meat they needed.

"Thank you, Yirik, thank you!" the little ravens croaked. "You have
saved our lives this day. Your kindness will not go unrewarded. If ever
you are in trouble, think of us and we will help you."

Yirik left the young ravens and pushed on afoot. The path through the
forest was long and wearisome. It led out finally on the seashore.

On the beach two fishermen were quarreling over a big fish with golden
scales that lay gasping on the sand.

"It's mine, I tell you!" one of the men was shouting. "It was caught in
my net, so of course it's mine!"

To this the other one shouted back:

"But your net would never have caught a fish if you hadn't been out in
my boat and if I hadn't helped you!"

"Give me this one," the first man said, "and I'll let you have the next
one."

"No! You take the next one!" the other said. "This one's mine!"

So they kept on arguing to no purpose until Yirik went up to them an