There he waited , hoping to hear the song . But he heard nothing but the rushing of the water and the moaning of the wind , and , disappointed , rode home . Shortly after , he was sitting in the garden , thinking that the swallows must have forgotten his message , when he saw an eagle flying above him . The bird gradually descended until it perched on a tree close to the Prince and said : `` The wizard of Finland greets thee and bids me say that thou mayest free the maiden thus : Go to the river and smear thyself all over with mud ; then say : ` From a man into a crab , ' and thou wilt become a crab . Plunge boldly into the water , swim as close as thou canst to the water-lily 's roots , and loosen them from the mud and reeds . This done , fasten thy claws into the roots and rise with them to the surface . Let the water flow all over the flower , and drift with the current until thou comest to a mountain ash tree on the left bank . There is near it a large stone . Stop there and say : ` From a crab into a man , from a water-lily into a maiden , ' and ye both will be restored to your own forms . '' Full of doubt and fear , the Prince let some time pass before he was bold enough to attempt to rescue the maiden . Then a crow said to him : `` Why dost thou hesitate ? The old wizard has not told thee wrong , neither have the birds deceived thee ; hasten and dry the maiden 's tears . '' `` Nothing worse than death can befall me , '' thought the Prince , `` and death is better than endless sorrow . '' So he mounted his horse and went to the bridge . Again he heard the water-lily 's lament , and , hesitating no longer , smeared himself all over with mud , and , saying : `` From a man into a crab , '' plunged into the river . For one moment the water hissed in his ears , and then all was silent . He swam up to the plant and began to loosen its roots , but so firmly were they fixed in the mud and reeds that this took him a long time . He then grasped them and rose to the surface , letting the water flow over the flower . The current carried them down the stream , but nowhere could he see the mountain ash . At last he saw it , and close by the large stone .
Here he stopped and said : `` From a crab into a man , from a water-lily into a maiden , '' and XXXXX his delight found himself once more a prince , and the maiden was by his side .
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