Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/285

Rh that we shall not escape drowning. What do you think?"

"I don't know, your honour, what must be—will be."

"My death is now approaching," thought the captain to himself, and, falling down upon his knees, began to pray.

Suddenly a little boat came floating by, and stuck on the corner of the roof.

"Your honour," said the sailor, "get into the little boat as quickly as you can, and let us float away in it. We may escape, and be saved, after all. Perhaps the waters may subside in time."

They seated themselves in the little boat, and were driven along in it by the wind. They drifted away for two whole days, and on the third day the water began to subside, and very rapidly too; but where did it all go to? All round them dry land appeared. On drifted the little boat until it came to a full stop by the strand of an unknown country. The captain and his companion got out, and asked some of the inhabitants—who had evidently not been drowned—where they were, and how far they had drifted? and were greatly astonished to hear that they had arrived at the Twenty-seventh kingdom. What were they to do? How were they to get back to their own country? They had no money with them, not a penny; they could do nothing.

"We must become workmen," said the sailor, "and earn our money, for without money we need not think of living at all. As for returning to our own country, that is quite impossible."