Atondido Stories
"What do you want me to do?" it said.
"Find me a golden ring that lies somewhere on the bottom of
the sea."
"Ah, a golden ring? A moment ago I met a pike," the fish
said, "that had just such a golden ring. Wait for me here and I'll
go find the pike."
In a few moments the golden fish returned with the pike and
sure enough it was Zlatovlaska's ring that the pike was carrying.
That evening at sundown the king acknowledged that Yirik had
accomplished his second task.
The next day the king said:
"I could never allow my daughter, Zlatovlaska, the Golden-
Haired, to go to the kingdom of your master unless she carried
with her two flasks, one filled with the Water of Life, the other
with the Water of Death. So today for a third task I set you this:
to bring the princess a flask of the Water of Life and a flask of the
Water of Death."
Yirik had no idea which way to turn. He had heard of the
Waters of Life and Death, but all he knew about them was that
their springs were far away beyond the Red Sea. He left the
Crystal Palace and walked off aimlessly until his feet had carried
him of themselves into a dark forest.
"If only those young ravens were here," he said aloud, "they
could help me!"
Instantly he heard a loud, "Caw! Caw!" and two ravens flew
down to him, saying:
"We are here! We are here to help you! What do you want us
to do?"
"I have to bring the king a flask of the Water of Life and a
flask of the Water of Death and I don't know where the springs
are. Do you know?"
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