▁In ▁the ▁Ser bian ▁version , ▁he ▁met ▁an ▁old ▁o ak ▁which ▁asks ▁if ▁he ▁can ▁discover ▁why ▁it ▁can ' t ▁fall . ▁ ▁In ▁both , ▁he ▁met ▁a ▁fer ry man ▁who ▁asks ▁if ▁he ▁can ▁discover ▁why ▁he ▁is ▁bound ▁to ▁fer ry ▁people ▁back ▁and ▁forth , ▁and ▁a ▁wh ale ▁being ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁bridge , ▁which ▁asks ▁if ▁he ▁can ▁discover ▁how ▁long ▁it ▁will ▁be ▁bound ▁to ▁this ▁task . ▁▁▁ ▁At ▁the ▁castle , ▁he ▁met ▁a ▁ma iden , ▁who ▁hid ▁him ▁and ▁asked ▁the ▁Ser pent ▁King ▁or ▁Ts ar ▁Z me y ▁in ▁ser pent ▁form , ▁about ▁a ▁dream ▁she ▁had ▁had . ▁ ▁He ▁told ▁her ▁the ▁o ak ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁pushed ▁over , ▁which ▁would ▁reve al ▁tre asure , ▁the ▁fer ry man ▁had ▁to ▁push ▁the ▁boat ▁off ▁with ▁another ▁person ▁in ▁it , ▁and ▁the ▁wh ale ▁had ▁to ▁vom it ▁up ▁the ▁twelve ▁ships ▁it ▁had ▁sw allowed ▁without ▁leave . ▁ ▁He ▁went ▁back , ▁carefully ▁not ▁telling ▁the ▁wh ale ▁and ▁the ▁fer ry man ▁until ▁he ▁had ▁already ▁crossed . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Russian ▁version , ▁he ▁received ▁j ew els ▁from ▁the ▁wh ale ; ▁in ▁the ▁Ser bian , ▁he ▁found ▁gold ▁and ▁silver ▁under ▁the ▁o ak . ▁ ▁He ▁returned ▁to ▁Mark o , ▁who ▁set ▁out ▁to ▁make ▁sure ▁the ▁next ▁time , ▁Vas il ii ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁escape , ▁but