“How can I help crying? Your father has ordered me to plant a garden in one night!”
“That’s nothing! lie down and sleep: the morning is wiser than the evening.”
She made him go to sleep, but she herself went out on the steps, called and whistled with a mighty whistle. From every side there ran together gardeners of all sorts, and they planted a garden green, and in the garden birds sang, on the trees flowers blossomed, from the boughs hung ripe apples and pears.
Early in the morning Vasilissa the Wise awoke the Prince:
“Get up, Prince! the garden is ready: Papa is coming to see it.”
The Prince immediately snatched up a broom, and was off to the garden. Here he swept a path, there he trained a twig. The Water King praised him and said:
“Thanks, Prince! You’ve done me right trusty service. So choose yourself a bride from among my twelve daughters. They are all exactly alike in face, in hair, and in dress. If you can pick out the same one three times running, she shall be your wife; if you fail to do so, I shall have you put to death.”
Vasilissa the Wise knew all about that, so she found time to say to the Prince:
“The first time I will wave my handkerchief, the second I will be arranging my dress, the third time you will see a fly above my head.”
And so the Prince guessed which was Vasilissa the Wise three times running. And he and she were married, and a wedding feast was got ready.