The Emperor took off his crown and wanted to place it on his son's head.

      "Wait, dear father!" said the prince, "until I catch the thief who stole the other apples I shall not accept the crown," and then he told the Emperor all about the white bird with the golden tail.

      The Emperor's gladness changed into sadness at once, but he could do nothing, since Break-of-Day had decided to find the white bird. Nobody could stop him. His mind was made up.

      Break-of-Day set out and walked over the rainbow, to the starry skies until he came to the land of the Black Arab, who had seen it written in a horoscope that the brave youth Break-of-Day had been born, and that he would cross the border of his empire. Taking the book in his hand the Black Arab began to look through it, and found out that Break-of-Day had been born forty years ago. Then he put his spy-glass to his eye and looked round the whole world. At last he saw a man sleeping on the border of his country. It was Break-of-Day. He was so tired from his long travels that he had stopped to rest and had fallen into a deep sleep. The thick-lipped Black Arab took the spy-glass from his eye and ran to see who was sleeping on the border of his emire. Coming up to Break-of-Day he woke him up and enquired: "Who are you?" "An Emperor's son." "What's your name?" "Break-of-Day. And who are you?" "I am the Black Arab."

      "I wish you good health! I haven't heard of you before. Take me to your palace to have a little rest."

      "Wait a moment. I must make preparations to receive such a guest." Break-of-Day felt so strong after sleeping that the earth was burning for seven miles all round him. The Black Arab was afraid that he would turn his empire into ashes.

      Off he went, gathered some mountains together, surrounded them with a river and ordered his servants to put an enormous table in the very middle. Then they loaded it with every kind of dishes and delectable, and when all was ready the Black Arab invited Break-of-Day to the feast and began to talk with him.

      "What has brought you, brave young man, to these realms?"

      "I am looking for a white bird with golden tail."

      "But that is not a bird, brave lad, that's a maiden. She is my neighbour. I have tried my whole life to catch a glimpse of her, but I never could." "Well, let us swear brotherhood, and go together to her palace!"

      "Let us take an oath of friendship!" So they clasped hands and said:

      "Let us live as two brothers, and let nobody know about our agreement!" And so the two became sworn brothers.

      "Now let us go to the palace of the white bird with the golden tail!" said Break-of-Day.

      "It's no problem to get there, but at the border of her empire we'll have to pass a barrier with cast-iron foundations, a wall of steel, and on top - poisoned spears. Nobody in the world yet dared to cross that barrier," said the Black Arab.

      Break-of-Day and the Black Arab set out and walked for a long time through deep forests and by wide rivers, and came at last to the barrier topped with poisoned spears. Break-of-Day took a long run against the barrier, and struck it with his chest, but the wall only shook a little bit.

      For the second time he rushed at the wall, with all his strength, and all the breath was knocked out of his body, but the wall tumbled down. Through the preach they saw a flower garden as beautiful as the gates of Paradise. But from the strong fragrance of the flowers all living creatures died. Their aroma was full of a magic spell which lulled everybody into a heavy deathly sleep.

      Then the thick lipped Black Arab turned back and swallowed seven hills and seven lakes and, coming back to the bewitched flower garden, began to spit forth a layer of earth, and a stream of water, and covered the flower garden so well that not any fragrance was left. Then he turned head over heels and became a raven-black horse with six pairs of wings.

      "Break-of-Day, bestride me, and I'll take you to her palace."

      Break-of-Day mounted him, he shook out his mane, and flew high up into the clouds.

      "What do you see ahead, brave lad?" "I see the sun,"

      "That is not the sun, that's the maiden who is so beautiful and shines so bright. Now listen, dear brother, to what I'll tell you. I can't approach her, because there is a curse on me not to do so, and not to see her. Do as I tell you. Go yourself but be careful not to seize her by the hand, otherwise you'll be left with just a glove, nor by foot, or you'll be left holding just a shoe. Seize her boldly by the waist. Only mind you don't touch her cradle, otherwise you'll die at once."

      "Very well!" said Break-of-Day and he went off. He walked for some time, till at last he got to the beautiful maiden's palace. He went boldly up to her, and seized her by the waist.

      But when he looked at her cradle, he saw that it was seven times more beautiful than she. The prince forgot the Black Arab's words, took the cradle as well and set out again. While he was walking some gems and pieces of gold fell from the cradle. As soon as they touched the ground they turned into flowers, and from each flower there sprang a bell that rang so loudly that it deafened everybody. They woke the Devil, who soon came and stood in Break-of-Day's way.

      "How did you dare to seize that maiden?"

      "Why should I not seize her? She has stolen some golden apples from me."

      "Well, my brave lad, I shan't give you the maiden until you bring back my horses from my brother, who lives in the nether world. If you bring me the horses I'll give you the maiden, if not don't show yourself here." Break-of-Day returned to the Black Arab and said to him: "Dear brother, I've made a mistake, and now things will go badly." "Just so, for you didn't listen to my advice!" "What are we to do now?"

      "Let us go to bring back the Devil's horses. Get astride me, and let us start."

      Break-of-Day mounted him, and they flew across borders of empires and across deserts and uninhabited lands, and one day came to a valley full of silky, feathery grass with plaited fourfold leaves. In the middle of the valley there was a big tree with three trunks. The branches on the two outside trees were green and leafy, but on the middle one they were dry, and without bark.

      "Do you see that tree?" asked the Black Arab. "Yes, I do."

      "Then if you see it, tell me why is the middle trunk dry?" "It dried up because it had no moisture, or may be there was some other reason." "No, that's not right." "Then you tell me why." "And why are the other two trunks green?" "Because they are healthy, that's why they are green." "That's not right, either! The two green trunks stand above the place where the horses are and the dry one stands above their manger. Give me some leaves' from the tree."