and not a moment was wasted in clever combinations. In a short time
the white column was ready, and lo, how high it went! as high as the
great planets. The smaller stars were beneath it, and from above the
people seemed to be like bugs.

The second Simeon climbed the column, looked around, listened to
all sounds, and came down. The Tsar Archidei, anxious to know about
everything under the sun, ordered him to report, and Simeon did so. He
told the Tsar Archidei all the wonderful doings all over the world. He
told how one king was fighting another, where there was war and
where there was peace, and with other things the second Simeon even
mentioned deep secrets, quite surprising secrets, which made the Tsar
Archidei smile; and the courtiers, encouraged by the royal smile,
roared with laughter.

Meantime the third Simeon was accomplishing something in his line.
After crossing himself three times the fellow rolled up his sleeves
to the elbow, took a hatchet and--one, two--without any haste built
a vessel. What a curious vessel it was! The Tsar Archidei watched
the wonderful structure from the shore and as soon as the orders were
given for sailing, the new vessel sailed away like a white-winged
hawk. The cannon were shooting and upon the masts, instead of rigging,
were drawn strings upon which musicians were playing the national
tunes.

As soon as the wonderful vessel sailed into deep water, the fourth
Simeon snatched the prow and no trace of it remained on the surface;
the whole vessel went to the depths like a heavy stone. In an hour or
so Simeon, with his left hand, led the ship to the blue surface of
the sea again, and with his right he presented to the Tsar a most