When the princes heard this story they thought the czar had changed his mind, and no longer wished his daughter to marry; they therefore hastened into the tower formerly occupied by the princess, and searched everywhere, but could not find her.
The czar dismissed his visitors with all due honour, and gave a rich present to each of them; they mounted their horses and returned to their own countries.
The two young princes, brothers of Vasihsa, seeing the tears of their father and mother, said to them,—
"Father, and you, mother, give us your blessing, and permit us to go in search of your daughter and our sister."
"My dear sons," cried the afflicted czar, "where would you go?"
"We will go, father, in every direction; wherever the road will take us,—where the birds fly, and our eyes will guide us. Perhaps we shall find her."
The czar blessed them, and the czarina made everything ready for their journey; they all wept at parting, and then the princes set forth on their search. But whether they would have to travel near or far; whether for a long or a short time, the princes knew not.
They travelled for one year, they travelled for two years, and they passed through three kingdoms. Then, at a distance, they could see dark, high mountains, and
