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 singing,
and the stars dancing all around.

Well, what more is there to be said? You certainly can imagine the
rest. The courtship was not long and the wedding feast was soon
ready, for you know kings always have everything at their command. The
brothers Simeon were at once dispatched to the king of Buzan with a