the island was well out of sight he brought it up to the surface
again. At that moment the princess recollected herself. 'Nurse,'
said she, 'we have been gazing at these wonders only too long. I
hope my father won't be vexed at our delay.'

She tore herself away and stepped on deck. Neither the yacht nor
the island was in sight! Helena wrung her hands and beat her breast.
Then she changed herself into a white swan and flew off. But the
fifth Simon seized his bow and shot the swan, and the sixth Simon
did not let it fall into the water but caught it in the ship, and the
swan turned into a silver fish, but Simon lost no time and caught the
fish, when, quick as thought, the fish turned into a black mouse and
ran about the ship. It darted towards a hole, but before it could
reach it Simon sprang upon it more swiftly than any cat, and then
the little mouse turned once more into the beautiful Princess
Helena.

Early one morning King Archidej sat thoughtfully at his window
gazing out to sea. His heart was sad and he would neither eat nor
drink. His thoughts were full of the Princess Helena, who was as
lovely as a dream. Is that a white gull he sees flying towards the
shore, or is it a sail? No, it is no gull, it is the wonder-ship flying
along with billowing sails. Its flags wave, the fiddlers play on the
wire rigging, the anchor is thrown out and the crystal plank laid
from the ship to the pier. The lovely Helena steps across the plank.
She shines like the sun, and the stars of heaven seem to sparkle in
her eyes.

Up sprang King Archidej in haste: 'Hurry, hurry,' he cried. 'Let us
hasten to meet her! Let the bugles sound and the joy bells be rung!'