Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/318

302 The prince obeyed, while Melania went out as before, and began whistling. Suddenly a number of little gardeners came running from all directions, and set to work to make a very lovely garden, in which they put all the most beautiful singing birds on every tree, flowers of every description, and pears and apples and all kinds of ripe fruit.

In the morning early, Melania the Clever woke up the young prince, saying,—

"Get up, my prince; the garden is quite ready. Make haste, for the king my father is going early to look at it."

The young prince seized the broom, and rushing out into the garden, commenced sweeping the paths.

The king was delighted and flattered him.

"I am more pleased with your work than I can say, young prince, and as a reward for what you have done, you may choose one of my twelve daughters to be your bride. But I shall make them look all alike; the same faces, the same hair, and the same dresses, and if you succeed in choosing the same one three times running, you shall have that one for your bride; if not, I shall have you severely punished."

When Melania the Clever heard this, she said to the young prince, "The first time I will wave my handkerchief, the second time I will smooth down my dress, and on the third time a little fly will buzz around me, so you will know which I am."

Thus the young prince managed successfully to choose Melania the Clever each time, and got her for his wife, and lived happily for some time with the King of the Sea.