Mark was more furious than ever. He had his horses harnessed and
drove off himself to see the Serpent King and to complain of the
way in which he had been betrayed. When he reached the river he
sprang into the ferryboat. The ferryman, however, did not get in
but pushed the boat off. . . .

Vassili led a good and happy life with his dear wife, and his
kind mother-in-law lived with them. He helped the poor and fed
and clothed the hungry and naked and all Mark's riches became
his.

For many years Mark has been ferrying people across the river.
His face is wrinkled, his hair and beard are snow white, and his
eyes are dim; but still he rows on.

[From the Serbian.]



SCHIPPEITARO

It was the custom in old times that as soon as a Japanese boy
reached manhood he should leave his home and roam through the
land in search of adventures. Sometimes he would meet with a
young man bent on the same business as himself, and then they
would fight in a friendly manner, merely to prove which was the
stronger, but on other occasions the enemy would turn out to be a
robber, who had become the terror of the neighbourhood, and then
the battle was in deadly earnest.