knight had again appeared
and saved the day they were unwilling to become at once the brides of
any of the nobles, for they thought the knight might perhaps come
demanding one of them.

Again the king was in a quandary. All the various nobles had helped
him valiantly and the question now arose to what three of them would
the princesses be awarded. After much thought the king hit upon a plan
which he hoped would decide the matter to the satisfaction of them
all. He called a meeting of the nobles and said:

"My dear comrades in arms, you remember that I promised the hands of
my daughters to those of you who would support me in battle. All of
you gave me valiant support. Each of you deserves the hand of one of
my daughters. But, alas, I have only three daughters. To decide
therefore which three of you my daughters shall marry I make this
suggestion: let all of you stand in the garden in a row and let each
of my daughters throw down a golden apple from a balcony. Then each
princess must wed the man to whom her apple rolls. My lords, do you
all agree to this?"

The nobles all agreed and the king sent for his daughters. The
princesses, still thinking of the unknown knight, were not
enthusiastic over this arrangement, but not to shame their father
they, too, agreed.

So each of the girls, dressed in her loveliest, took a golden apple in
her hand and went up to a balcony.

Below in the garden the nobles stood in a row. Bayaya, as though he
were a spectator, took his place at the end of the line.

First Zdobena threw down her apple. It rolled straight to the feet of
Bayaya but he turned quickly aside and it rolled on to a handsome
youth who snatched it up with joy and stepped from the line.

Then Budinka threw her apple. It, too, rolled to Bayaya but he
cleverly kicked it on so that it seemed to roll straight to the feet
of a valiant lord who picked it up and then looked with happy eyes at
his lovely bride.

Last Slavena threw her apple. This time Bayaya did not step aside but
when the apple rolled to him he stooped and picked it up. Then he ran
to the balcony, knelt before the princess, and kissed her hand.

Slavena snatched away her hand and ran to her chamber, where she wept
bitterly to think she would have to marry Bayaya instead of the
unknown knight.

The king was much disappointed and the nobles murmured. But what was
done was done, and could not be undone.

That night there was a great feast but Slavena r