there flew down a whole host of black iron-beaked ravens. They took up the carcase, carried it up into the mountain, and fell a-pecking it; they began eating up the horse, and soon pierced right down to the merchant's son. Then he awoke, beat off the black crows, looked hither and thither, and asked himself, "Where am I?" The merchant who was one in seven hundred bawled up at him, "On the golden mountain; come, take your spade and dig gold." So he digged and digged, throwing it all down below, and the merchant put it on wagons. By evening he had filled nine wagons. "That'll do," cried the merchant who was one in seven hundred; "thanks for your labour. Adieu!"--"But how about me?"--"You may get on as best you can. Ninety-nine of your sort have perished on that mountain--you will just make up the hundred!" Thus spake the merchant and departed. "What's to be done now?" thought the merchant's son; "to get down from this mountain is quite impossible. I shall certainly starve to death." So there he stood on the mountain, and above him wheeled the black iron-beaked crows, they plainly scented their prey. He began to bethink him how all this had come to pass, and then it occurred to him how the lovely damsel had taken him aside and given him the flint and steel, and said to him herself--"Take it, and if you are in need make use of it."--"And look now, she did not say it in vain. Let us try it." The merchant's son took out the flint and steel, struck it once, and immediately out jumped two fair young heroes. "What do you want? What do you want?"--"Take me from this mountain to the sea-shore." He had no sooner spoken than they took him under the arms and bore him carefully down from the mountain. The merchant's son walked about by the shore, and lo, a ship was sailing by the island. "Hi, good ship-folk, take me with you!"--"Nay, brother, we cannot stop, such a stoppage would lose us one hundred knots." The mariners passed by the island, contrary winds began to blow, a frightful hurricane arose. "Alas! he is plainly no simple man of our sort, we had better turn back and take him on board ship." So they returned to the island, stopped by the shore, took up the merchant's son, and conveyed him to his native town. A long time and a little time passed by, and then the merchant's son took his spade and again went out into the market-place to wait for some one to hire him. Again the merchant who was one in seven hundred passed by in his gilded carriage; the day-labourers saw him and scattered in every direction, and hid them in corners. The merchant's son was the sole solitary little one left. "Will you take hire from me?" said the merchant who was one in seven hundred. "Willingly; put down two hundred roubles a day, and set me my work."--"Rather dear, eh?"--"If you find it dear, go and seek cheaper labour. You saw how many people were here, and the moment you appeared they all ran away."--"Well, then, done;