"Very good, father, very good," they replied. The two elder brothers were such fine strapping fellows! so tall and stout! But as for the youngest one, Ivan, he was like a half-grown lad or a half-fledged duckling, terribly inferior to the others. Well, their old father died. At that very time there came tidings from the King, that his daughter, the Princess Helena the Fair, had ordered a shrine to be built for her with twelve columns, with twelve rows of beams. In that shrine she was sitting upon a high throne, and awaiting her bridegroom, the bold youth who, with a single bound of his swift steed, should reach high enough to kiss her on the lips. A stir ran through the whole youth of the nation. They took to licking their lips, and scratching their heads, and wondering to whose share so great an honor would fall. "Brothers!" said Vanyusha,[333] "our father is dead; which of us is to read prayers over his grave?" "Whoever feels inclined, let him go!" answered the brothers. So Vanya went. But as for his elder brothers they did nothing but exercise their horses, and curl their hair, and dye their mustaches. The second night came. "Brothers!" said Vanya, "I've done my share of reading. It's your turn now; which of you will go?" "Whoever likes can go and read. We've business to look after; don't you meddle." And they cocked their caps, and shouted, and whooped, and flew this way, and shot that way, and roved about the open country. So Vanyusha read prayers this time also--and on the third night, too. Well, his brothers got ready their horses, combed out their mustaches, and prepared to go next morning to test their mettle before the eyes of Helena the Fair. "Shall we take the youngster?" they thought. "No, no. What would be the good of him? He'd make folks laugh and put us to confusion; let's go by ourselves." So away they went. But Vanyusha wanted very much to have a look at the Princess Helena the Fair. He cried, cried bitterly; and went out to his father's grave. And his father heard him in his coffin, and came out to him, shook the damp earth off his body, and said: "Don't grieve, Vanya. I'll help you in your trouble." And immediately the old man drew himself up and straightened himself, and called aloud and whistled with a ringing voice, with a shrill[334] whistle. From goodness knows whence appeared a horse, the earth quaking beneath it, a flame rushing from its ears and nostrils. To and fro it flew, and then stood still before the old man, as if rooted in the ground, and cried, "What are thy commands?"