me to repair all the damage. When they were
through with their work they heard many wild swans flying above them
and talking very loud among themselves.

"What are they talking about?" inquired the men, this time with
interest.

"Be careful," advised Ivan. "I hear and distinctly understand them to
say that the pirates, the terrible sea robbers, are near. If we do not
enter a harbor at once they will imprison and kill us."

The crew quickly obeyed this advice and as soon as the vessel entered
the harbor the pirate boats passed by and the merchants saw them
capture several unprepared vessels. When the danger was over, the
sailors with Ivan went farther, still farther. Finally the vessel
anchored near a town, large and unknown to the merchants. A king ruled
in that town who was very much annoyed by three black crows. These
three crows were all the time perching near the window of the king's
chamber. No one knew how to get rid of them and no one could kill
them. The king ordered notices to be placed at all crossings and on
all prominent buildings, saying that whoever was able to relieve the
king from the noisy birds would be rewarded by obtaining the youngest
korolevna, the king's daughter, for a wife; but the one who should
have the daring to undertake but not succeed in delivering the palace
from the crows would have his head cut off. Ivan attentively read the
announcement, once, twice, and once more. Finally he made the sign of
the cross and went to the palace. He said to the servants:

"Open the window and let me listen to the birds."

The servants obeyed and Ivan listened for a while. Then he said:

"Show me to your sovereign king."

When he reached the room where the king sat on a high, rich chair, he
bowed and said:

"There are three crows, a father crow, a mother crow, and a son crow.
The trouble is that they desire to obtain thy royal decision as to
whether the son crow must follow his father crow or his mother crow."

The king answered: "The son crow must follow the father crow."

As soon as the king announced his royal decision the crow father with
the crow son went one way and the crow mother disappeared the other
way, and no one has heard the noisy birds since. The king gave
one-half of his kingdom and his youngest korolevna to Ivan, and a
happy life began for him.

In the meantime his father, the rich merchant, lost his wife and by
and by his fortune also. There was no one left to take care of him