The Greatest Russian Fairy Tales & Fables (With Original Illustrations). Arthur Ransome

cudgel, having thrashed all soundly, rolled home after him; and Emelyan, as usual, when he got home, climbed up and lay upon the stove.

      After he had left the town, all the people fell to talking, not so much of the number of persons he had injured, as of their amazement at his riding in a sledge without horses; and the news spread from one to another, till it reached the Court and came to the ears of the King. And when the King heard it, he felt an extreme desire to see him: so he sent an officer with some soldiers to look for him. The officer instantly started, and took the road that the fool had taken; and when he came to the village where Emelyan lived, he summoned the Starosta, or head-man of the village, and said to him: “I am sent by the King to take a certain fool, and bring him before his Majesty.” The Starosta at once showed him the house where Emelyan lived, and the officer went into it and asked where the fool was. He was lying on the stove, and answered: “What is it you want with me?” “How!” said the officer, “what do I want with you? Get up this instant and dress yourself; I must take you to the King.” But Emelyan said: “What to do?” Whereat the officer became so enraged at the rudeness of his replies that he hit him on the cheek. “At the pike’s command, and at my desire,” said the fool, “up, cudgel, and thrash them!” Instantly up sprang the cudgel and began to lay about it on all sides. So the officer was obliged to go back to the town as fast as he could; and when he came before the King, and told him how the fool had cudgelled him, the King marvelled greatly, and would not believe the story.

      Then the King called to him a wise man and ordered him to bring the fool by craft, if nothing else would do; so the wise man went to the village where Emelyan lived, called the Starosta before him and said: “I am ordered by the King to take your fool; and therefore ask for the persons with whom he lived.” Then the Starosta ran and fetched Emelyan’s sisters-in-law. The King’s messenger asked them what it was the fool liked, and they answered: “Noble sir, if anyone entreats our fool earnestly to do anything, he flatly refuses the first and second time; the third time he consents, and does what he is required, for he dislikes to be roughly treated.”

      The King’s messenger thereupon dismissed them and forbade them to tell Emelyan that he had summoned them before him. Then he brought raisins, baked plums, and grapes, and went to the fool. When he came into the room, he went up to the stove and said: “Emelyan, why are you lying there?” and with that he gave him the raisins, the baked plums, and the grapes, and said: “Emelyan, we will go together to the King: I will take you with me.” But the fool replied: “I am very warm here”; for there was nothing he liked so much as being warm. Then the messenger began to entreat him: “Be so good, Emelyan, do let us go! You will like the Court vastly.” “No,” said the fool “I am lazy.” But the messenger entreated him once more: “Do come with me, there’s a good fellow, and the King will give you a fine red coat and cap, and a pair of red boots.” When the fool heard of the red coat he said: “Go on before, I will follow you.” The messenger pressed him no further, but went out and asked the sisters-in-law if there was any danger of the fool’s deceiving him. They assured him there was not, and he went away.

       Emelyan, who remained lying on the stove, then said to himself: “How I dislike this going to the King!” And after a minute’s thought, he said: “At the pike’s command, and at my desire, up, stove, and away to the town!” And instantly the wall of the room opened, and the stove moved out; and when it got clear of the yard, it went at such a rate that there was no overtaking it; soon it came up with the King’s messenger, and went along with him into the palace. When the King saw the fool coming, he went forth with all his Court to meet him; and he was amazed beyond measure at seeing Emelyan come riding on the stove. But the fool lay still and said nothing. Then the King asked him why he had upset so many people on his way to the wood. “It was their own fault,” said the fool; “why did they not get out of the way?”

      Just at that moment the King’s daughter came to the window, and Emelyan happening suddenly to look up, and seeing how handsome she was, said in a whisper: “At the pike’s command, and at my desire, let this lovely maiden fall in love with me!” And scarcely had he spoken the words when the King’s daughter fell desperately in love with him. Then said the fool: “At the pike’s command, and at my desire, up, stove, and away home!” Immediately the stove left the palace, went through the town, returned home, and set itself in its old place. And Emelyan lived there for some time comfortably and happy.

      But it was very different in the town; for, at the word of Emelyan, the King’s daughter had fallen in love, and she began to implore her father to give her the fool for her husband. The King was in a great rage, both with her and the fool, but he knew not how to catch him; then his minister proposed that the same officer, as a punishment for not succeeding the first time, should be sent again to take Emelyan. This advice pleased the King, and he summoned the officer to his presence, and said: “Hark ye, friend! I sent you before for the fool, and you came back without him; to punish you I now send you for him a second time. If you bring him, you shall be rewarded; if you return without him, you shall be punished.”

      When the officer heard this, he left the King and lost no time in going in quest of the fool; and on coming to the village he called for the Starosta and said to him: “Here is money for you; buy everything necessary for a good dinner to-morrow. Invite Emelyan, and when he comes, make him drink until he falls asleep.” The Starosta, knowing that the officer came from the King, was obliged to obey him; so he bought all that was required and invited the fool. And Emelyan said he would come, whereat the officer was greatly rejoiced. So next day the fool came to dinner, and the Starosta plied him so well with drink that he fell fast asleep. When the officer saw this, he ordered the kibitka (or carriage) to be brought; and putting the fool into it, they drove off to the town, and went straight to the palace. As soon as the King heard that they were come, he ordered a large cask to be provided without delay, and to be bound with strong iron hoops. When the cask was brought to the King, and he saw that everything was ready as he desired, he commanded his daughter and the fool to be put in it, and the cask to be well pitched; and, when this was all done, the cask was thrown into the sea, and left to the mercy of the waves. Then the King returned to his palace, and the cask floated along upon the sea. All this time the fool was fast asleep; when he awoke, and saw that it was quite dark, he said to himself: “Where am I?” for he thought he was alone. But the Princess said: “You are in a cask, Emelyan! and I am shut up with you in it.” “But who are you?” said the fool. “I am the King’s daughter,” replied she. And she told him why she had been shut up there with him. Then she besought him to free himself and her out of the cask; but the fool said: “Nay, I am warm enough here.” “But grant me at least the favour,” said the Princess; “have pity on my tears, and deliver me out of this cask.” “Why so?” said Emelyan; “I am lazy.” Then the Princess began to entreat him still more urgently, until the fool was at last moved by her tears and entreaties, and said: “Well, I will do this for you.” Then he said softly: “At the pike’s command, and at my desire, cast us, O sea! upon the shore, where we may dwell on dry land; but let it be near our own country; and, cask! fall to pieces on the shore.”

      Scarcely had the fool uttered these words when the waves began to roll, and the cask was thrown on a dry place, and fell to pieces of itself. So Emelyan got up and went with the Princess round about the spot where they were cast; and the fool saw that they were on a fine island, where there was an abundance of trees, with all kinds of fruit upon them. When the Princess saw this, she was greatly rejoiced and said: “But, Emelyan, where shall we live? there is not even a nook here.” “You want too much,” said the fool. “Grant me one favour,” replied the Princess: “let there be at least a little cottage in which we may shelter ourselves from the rain”; for the Princess knew that he could do everything that he wished. But the fool said: “I am lazy.” Nevertheless, she went on entreating him, until at last Emelyan was obliged to do as she desired. Then he stepped aside and said: “At the pike’s command, and at my desire, let me have in the middle of this island a finer castle than the King’s, and let a crystal bridge lead from my castle to the royal palace; and let there be attendants of all conditions in the court!” Hardly were the words spoken, when there appeared a splendid castle, with a crystal bridge. The fool went with the Princess into the castle and beheld the apartments all magnificently furnished, and a number of persons, footmen