hing closely,
lost no time, snapped his lucky gun and the white swan was shot. His
brother, the sixth Simeon, caught the white swan, but lo! instead of
the white swan there was a silvery fish, which slipped away from him.
Simeon caught the fish, but the pretty, silvery fish turned into a
small mouse running around the ship. Simeon did not let it reach
a hole, but swifter than a cat caught the mouse,--and the princess
Helena, as beautiful and natural as before, appeared before them,
fair-faced, bright-eyed.

On a lovely morning a week later the Tsar Archidei was sitting by the
window of his palace lost in thought. His eyes were turned toward the
sea, the wide, blue sea. He was sad at heart and could not eat; feasts
had no interest for him, the costly dishes had no taste, the honey
drink seemed weak. All his thoughts and longings were for the princess
Helena, the beautiful one, the only one.

What is that far away upon the waters? Is it a white gull? Or are
those white wings not wings, but sails? No, it is not a gull, but the
ship of the brothers Simeon, and she approaches as rapidly as the wind
which blows her sails. The cannon boom, native melodies are played on
the cords of the masts. Soon the ship is anchored, the crystal bridge
prepared, and the korolevna Helena, the beautiful princess, appears
like a never-setting sun, her eyes like bright stars, and oh! how
happy is the Tsar Archidei!

"Run quick, my faithful servants, you brave officers of state, and
you, too, my bodyguard, and all you useful and ornamental fellows of
my palace, run and prepare, shoot off rockets and ring the bells in
order to give a joyful welcome to korolevna Helena, the beautiful."

All hastened to their tasks, to shoot, to ring the bells, to open the
gates, to honorably receive the korolevna. The Tsar himself came out
to meet the beautiful princess, took her white hands and helped her
into the palace.

"Welcome! welcome!" said the Tsar Archidei. "Thy fame, korolevna
Helena, reached me, but never could I imagine such beauty as is thine.
Yet, though I admire thee, I do not want to separate thee from thy
father. Say the word and my faithful servants will take thee back
to him. If thou choosest, however, to remain in my tzarstvo, be the
tsaritza over my country and rule over me, the Tsar Archidei, also."

At these words of the Tsar the korolevna Helena threw such a glance at
the Tsar that it seemed to him the sun was laughing, the moon sing