this time the princess was becoming anxious about the long time they
were away from home, and she exclaimed:

"Nurses and maidens, we are leisurely looking around, but I fancy my
father the king finds the time sadly long." She hastily walked to the
deck of the ship, and behold!--only the wide sea was around her like a
mirror! Where was her native island, where the royal vessel? There was
nothing visible but the blue sea. The princess screamed, struck her
white bosom with both hands, transformed herself into a white swan and
flew high into the sky. But the fifth Simeon, watching 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