Emelyan the Fool 3

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"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 in love with him. Then said the fool, "At the pike's command, and at my desire, up, stove, and away home!"

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.

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 cudgeled him, the king marveled 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 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 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 my 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.

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