“If any man can drive away the Crow, with his wife and child, from the royal windows, the King will grant him as a reward half of his kingdom, and his youngest daughter as wife⁠—but if any shall undertake the work and shall not fulfil it he shall forfeit his head.”

“If any man can drive away the Crow, with his wife and child, from the royal windows, the King will grant him as a reward half of his kingdom, and his youngest daughter as wife⁠—but if any shall undertake the work and shall not fulfil it he shall forfeit his head.”

Very many were the hunters eager to become kinsmen of the King, and all of their heads had been hewn off and hung on stakes.

Now Vasíli heard of this, went up and asked the master of the ship, “Let me go to the King; possibly I can chase away the Crow and his wife.”