are my twelve daughters," the king said. "One of them is
Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired. Pick her out and you may lead her at
once to your master. If you fail to pick her out, then you must depart
without her."

In dismay Yirik looked from sister to sister. There was nothing to show
him which was Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired. How was he to find out?

Suddenly he heard a buzzing in his ear and a little voice whispered:

"Courage, Yirik, courage! I'll help you!"

He turned his head quickly and there was the fly he had rescued from the
spider.

"Walk slowly by each princess," the fly said, "and I'll tell you when
you come to Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired."

Yirik did as the fly ordered. He stopped a moment before the first
princess until the fly buzzed:

"Not that one! Not that one!"

He went on to the next princess and again the fly buzzed:

"Not that one! Not that one!"

So he went on from princess to princess until at last the fly buzzed
out:

"Yes, that one! That one!"

So Yirik remained standing where he was and said to the king:

"This, I think, is Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired."

"You have guessed right," the king said.

At that Zlatovlaska removed the white veil from her head and her lovely
hair tumbled down to her feet like a golden cascade. It shimmered and
glowed like the sun in the early morning when he peeps over the mountain
top. Yirik stared until the brightness dimmed his sight.

The king immediately prepared Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, for her
journey. He gave her the two precious flasks of water; he arranged a
fitting escort; and then with his blessing he sent her forth under
Yirik's care.

Yirik conducted her safely to his master.

When the old king saw the lovely princess that Yirik had found for him,
his eyes blinked with satisfaction, he capered about like a spring
lamb, and he ordered that immediate preparations be made for the
wedding. He was most grateful to Yirik and thanked him again and again.

"My dear boy," he said, "I had expected to have you hanged for your
disobedience and let the ravens pick your bones. But now, to show you
how grateful I am for the beautiful bride you have found me, I'm not
going to have you hanged at all. Instead, I shall have you beheaded and
then given a decent burial."

The execution took place at once in order to be out of the way before
the wedding.

"It's a great pity he had to die," the king said as the executioner cut
off Yiri