come from the barrel which was bobbing about near the water's
edge. They drew it to land and opened it, and there was a little
child! When the abbot heard the news, he decided to bring up the
boy, and named him 'Vassili.'

The boy lived on with the monks, and grew up to be a clever,
gentle, and handsome young man. No one could read, write, or
sing better than he, and he did everything so well that the abbot
made him wardrobe keeper.

Now, it happened about this time that the merchant, Mark, came to
the monastery in the course of a journey. The monks were very
polite to him and showed him their house and church and all they
had. When he went into the church the choir was singing, and one
voice was so clear and beautiful, that he asked who it belonged
to. Then the abbot told him of the wonderful way in which
Vassili had come to them, and Mark saw clearly that this must be
his godson whom he had twice tried to kill.

He said to the abbot: 'I can't tell you how much I enjoy that
young man's singing. If he could only come to me I would make
him overseer of all my business. As you say, he is so good and
clever. Do spare him to me. I will make his fortune, and will
present your monastery with twenty thousand crowns.'

The abbot hesitated a good deal, but he consulted all the other
monks, and at last they decided that they ought not to stand in
the way of Vassili's good fortune.

Then Mark wrote a letter to his wife and gave it to Vassili to