By magic
Once upon a time there lived an old man. He had three sons: two smart, the third - the fool Emelya.
Those brothers work, but Emelya lies on the stove all day, doesn’t want to know anything.
One day the brothers went to the market, and the women, daughters-in-law, let’s send him:
- Go, Emelya, for water.
And he told them from the stove:
- Reluctance...
- Go, Emelya, otherwise the brothers will return from the market and won’t bring you gifts.
- OK.
Emelya got down from the stove, put on his shoes, got dressed, took buckets and an ax and went to the river.
He cut through the ice, scooped up buckets and set them down, while he looked into the hole. And Emelya saw a pike in the ice hole. He contrived and grabbed the pike in his hand:
- This ear will be sweet!
Suddenly the pike says to him in a human voice:
“Emelya, let me go into the water, I’ll be useful to you.”
And Emelya laughs:
- What will I need you for?.. No, I’ll take you home and tell my daughters-in-law to cook some fish soup. The ear will be sweet.
The pike begged again:
- Emelya, Emelya, let me go into the water, I will do whatever you want.
“Okay, just show me first that you’re not deceiving me, then I’ll let you go.”
Pike asks him:
- Emelya, Emelya, tell me - what do you want now?
— I want the buckets to go home on their own and the water not to spill...
Pike tells him:
- Remember my words: when you want something, just say:
“At the behest of the pike, at my will.”
Emelya says:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will - go home, buckets...
He just said - the buckets themselves and went up the hill. Emelya let the pike into the hole, and he went to get the buckets.
The buckets are walking through the village, the people are amazed, and Emelya walks behind, chuckling... The buckets went into the hut and stood on the bench, and Emelya climbed onto the stove.
How much time has passed, or not enough time - his daughters-in-law say to him:
- Emelya, why are you lying there? I would go and chop some wood.
- Reluctance...
“If you don’t chop wood, your brothers will return from the market and they won’t bring you gifts.”
Emelya is reluctant to get off the stove. He remembered about the pike and slowly said:
“According to the pike’s command, according to my desire, go, take an ax, chop up some firewood, and for the firewood, go into the hut yourself and put it in the oven...”
The ax jumped out from under the bench - and into the yard, and let’s chop wood, and the wood itself goes into the hut and into the stove.
How much or how much time has passed - the daughters-in-law say again:
- Emelya, we no longer have firewood. Go to the forest and chop it up.
And he told them from the stove:
- What are you talking about?
- What are we doing?.. Is it our business to go to the forest for firewood?
- I don’t feel like...
- Well, there won't be any gifts for you.
Nothing to do. Emelya got down from the stove, put on his shoes, and got dressed. He took a rope and an ax, went out into the yard and sat in the sleigh:
- Women, open the gates!
His daughters-in-law tell him:
- Why did you, fool, get into the sleigh without harnessing the horse?
- I don't need a horse.
The daughters-in-law opened the gate, and Emelya said quietly:
- At the behest of the pike, at my desire - go, sleigh, into the forest...
The sleigh drove through the gate on its own, but it was so fast that it was impossible to catch up with a horse.
But we had to go to the forest through the city, and here he crushed and crushed a lot of people. The people shout: “Hold him! Catch him! And you know, he’s pushing the sleigh. Arrived in the forest:
- At the behest of the pike, at my wish - an ax, chop some dry firewood, and you, firewood, fall into the sleigh yourself, tie yourself up...
The ax began to chop, chop dry firewood, and the firewood itself fell into the sleigh and was tied with a rope. Then Emelya ordered an ax to cut out a club for himself - one that could be lifted by force. Sat on the cart:
- At the behest of the pike, at my desire - go, sleigh, home...
The sleigh rushed home. Again Emelya drives through the city where he crushed and crushed a lot of people just now, and there they are already waiting for him. They grabbed Emelya and dragged her off the cart, cursing and beating her.
He sees that things are bad, and little by little:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will - come on, club, break off their sides...
The club jumped out - and let’s hit. The people rushed away, and Emelya came home and climbed onto the stove.
Whether long or short, the king heard about Emelin’s tricks and sent an officer after him to find him and bring him to the palace.
An officer arrives in that village, enters the hut where Emelya lives, and asks:
- Are you a fool Emelya?
And he from the stove:
- What do you care?
“Get dressed quickly, I’ll take you to the king.”
- But I don’t feel like...
The officer got angry and hit him on the cheek. And Emelya says quietly:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will - a club, break off his sides...
The baton jumped out - and let’s beat the officer, he forcibly carried off his legs.
The king was surprised that his officer could not cope with Emelya, and sent his greatest nobleman:
“Bring the fool Emelya to my palace, otherwise I’ll take your head off your shoulders.”
The great nobleman bought raisins, prunes, and gingerbread, came to that village, entered that hut and began asking his daughters-in-law what Emelya loved.
“Our Emelya loves it when someone asks him kindly and promises him a red caftan, then he will do whatever you ask.”
The great nobleman gave Emelya raisins, prunes, and gingerbread and said:
- Emelya, Emelya, why are you lying on the stove? Let's go to the king.
- I’m warm here too...
“Emelya, Emelya, the Tsar will give you good food and water, please, let’s go.”
- But I don’t feel like...
- Emelya, Emelya, the Tsar will give you a red caftan, a hat and boots.
Emelya thought and thought:
- Well, okay, you go ahead, and I’ll follow behind you.
The nobleman left, and Emelya lay still and said:
- At the behest of the pike, at my desire - come on, bake, go to the king...
Then the corners of the hut cracked, the roof shook, the wall flew out, and the stove itself went down the street, along the road, straight to the king.
The king looks out the window and wonders:
- What kind of miracle is this?
The greatest nobleman answers him:
- And this is Emelya on the stove coming to you.
The king came out onto the porch:
- Something, Emelya, there are a lot of complaints about you! You suppressed a lot of people.
- Why did they climb under the sleigh?
At this time, the tsar’s daughter, Marya the Princess, was looking at him through the window. Emelya saw her in the window and said quietly:
- At the behest of the pike, at my desire - let the king’s daughter love me...
And he also said:
- Go, bake, go home...
The stove turned and went home, went into the hut and returned to its original place. Emelya is lying down again.
And the king in the palace is screaming and crying. Princess Marya misses Emelya, cannot live without him, asks her father to marry her to Emelya. Here the king became upset, became upset and said again to the greatest nobleman:
- Go, bring Emelya to me, alive or dead, otherwise I’ll take your head off your shoulders.
The great nobleman bought sweet wines and various snacks, went to that village, entered that hut and began to treat Emelya.
Emelya got drunk, ate, got drunk and went to bed. And the nobleman put him in a cart and took him to the king.
The king immediately ordered a large barrel with iron hoops to be rolled in. They put Emelya and Princess Marya in it, tarred them and threw the barrel into the sea.
Whether for a long time or for a short time, Emelya woke up and saw that it was dark and cramped:
- Where am I?
And they answer him:
- Boring and sickening, Emelyushka! We were tarred in a barrel and thrown into the blue sea.
- And who are you?
- I am Princess Marya.
Emelya says:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will - the winds are violent, roll the barrel onto the dry shore, onto the yellow sand...
The winds blew violently. The sea became agitated and the barrel was thrown onto the dry shore, onto the yellow sand. Emelya and Marya the Princess came out of it.
- Emelyushka, where will we live? Build any kind of hut.
- But I don’t feel like...
Then she began to ask him even more, and he said:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will - line up, a stone palace with a golden roof...
As soon as he said, a stone palace with a golden roof appeared. There is a green garden all around: flowers are blooming and birds are singing. Princess Marya and Emelya entered the palace and sat down by the window.
- Emelyushka, can’t you become handsome?
Here Emelya thought for a moment:
- At the behest of the pike, at my desire - to become a good fellow, a handsome man...
And Emelya became such that he could neither be told in a fairy tale nor described with a pen.
And at that time the king was going hunting and saw a palace standing where there was nothing before.
“What kind of ignoramus built a palace on my land without my permission?”
And he sent to find out and ask: “Who are they?” The ambassadors ran, stood under the window, asking.
Emelya answers them:
“Ask the king to visit me, I’ll tell him myself.”
The king came to visit him. Emelya meets him, takes him to the palace, and seats him at the table. They begin to feast. The king eats, drinks and is not surprised:
-Who are you, good fellow?
- Do you remember the fool Emelya - how he came to you on the stove, and you ordered him and your daughter to be tarred in a barrel and thrown into the sea? I am the same Emelya. If I want, I will burn and destroy your entire kingdom.
The king was very frightened and began to ask for forgiveness:
- Marry my daughter, Emelyushka, take my kingdom, but don’t destroy me!
Here they had a feast for the whole world. Emelya married Princess Marya and began to rule the kingdom.
Russian folk tale At the command of the pike
Once upon a time there lived an old man. He had three sons: two smart, the third - the fool Emelya.
Those brothers work, but Emelya lies on the stove all day, doesn’t want to know anything.
One day the brothers went to the market, and the women, daughters-in-law, let’s send him:
- Go, Emelya, for water.
And he told them from the stove:
- Reluctance...
- Go, Emelya, otherwise the brothers will return from the market and won’t bring you gifts.
- OK.
Emelya got down from the stove, put on his shoes, got dressed, took buckets and an ax and went to the river.
He cut through the ice, scooped up buckets and set them down, while he looked into the hole. And Emelya saw a pike in the ice hole. He contrived and grabbed the pike in his hand:
- This ear will be sweet!
Suddenly the pike says to him in a human voice:
“Emelya, let me go into the water, I’ll be useful to you.”
And Emelya laughs:
- What will I need you for?.. No, I’ll take you home and tell my daughters-in-law to cook some fish soup. The ear will be sweet.
The pike begged again:
- Emelya, Emelya, let me go into the water, I will do whatever you want.
“Okay, just show me first that you’re not deceiving me, then I’ll let you go.”
Pike asks him:
- Emelya, Emelya, tell me - what do you want now?
— I want the buckets to go home on their own and the water not to spill...
Pike tells him:
- Remember my words: when you want something, just say:
“At the behest of the pike, at my will.”
Emelya says:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will - go home, buckets...
He just said - the buckets themselves and went up the hill. Emelya let the pike into the hole, and he went to get the buckets.
The buckets are walking through the village, the people are amazed, and Emelya walks behind, chuckling... The buckets went into the hut and stood on the bench, and Emelya climbed onto the stove.
Whether much or little time has passed, his daughters-in-law say to him:
- Emelya, why are you lying there? I would go and chop some wood.
- Reluctance...
“If you don’t chop wood, your brothers will return from the market and they won’t bring you gifts.”
Emelya is reluctant to get off the stove. He remembered about the pike and slowly said:
“According to the pike’s command, according to my desire, go, take an ax, chop up some firewood, and for the firewood, go into the hut yourself and put it in the oven...”
The ax jumped out from under the bench - and into the yard, and let’s chop wood, and the wood itself goes into the hut and into the stove.
How much or how much time has passed - the daughters-in-law say again:
- Emelya, we no longer have firewood. Go to the forest and chop it up.
And he told them from the stove:
- What are you talking about?
- What are we doing?.. Is it our business to go to the forest for firewood?
- I don’t feel like...
- Well, there won't be any gifts for you.
Nothing to do. Emelya got down from the stove, put on his shoes, and got dressed. He took a rope and an ax, went out into the yard and sat in the sleigh:
- Women, open the gates!
His daughters-in-law tell him:
- Why did you, fool, get into the sleigh without harnessing the horse?
- I don't need a horse.
The daughters-in-law opened the gate, and Emelya said quietly:
- At the behest of the pike, at my desire - go, sleigh, into the forest...
The sleigh drove through the gate on its own, but it was so fast that it was impossible to catch up with a horse.
But we had to go to the forest through the city, and here he crushed and crushed a lot of people. The people shout: “Hold him! Catch him! And you know, he’s pushing the sleigh. Arrived in the forest:
- At the behest of the pike, at my wish - an ax, chop some dry firewood, and you, firewood, fall into the sleigh yourself, tie yourself up...
The ax began to chop, chop dry firewood, and the firewood itself fell into the sleigh and was tied with a rope. Then Emelya ordered an ax to cut out a club for himself - one that could be lifted by force. Sat on the cart:
- At the behest of the pike, at my desire - go, sleigh, home...
The sleigh rushed home. Again Emelya drives through the city where he crushed and crushed a lot of people just now, and there they are already waiting for him. They grabbed Emelya and dragged her off the cart, cursing and beating her.
He sees that things are bad, and little by little:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will - come on, club, break off their sides...
The club jumped out - and let’s hit. The people rushed away, and Emelya came home and climbed onto the stove.
Whether long or short, the king heard about Emelin’s tricks and sent an officer after him to find him and bring him to the palace.
An officer arrives in that village, enters the hut where Emelya lives, and asks:
- Are you a fool Emelya?
And he from the stove:
- What do you care?
“Get dressed quickly, I’ll take you to the king.”
- But I don’t feel like...
The officer got angry and hit him on the cheek. And Emelya says quietly:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will - a club, break off his sides...
The baton jumped out - and let’s beat the officer, he forcibly carried off his legs.
The king was surprised that his officer could not cope with Emelya, and sent his greatest nobleman:
“Bring the fool Emelya to my palace, otherwise I’ll take your head off your shoulders.”
The great nobleman bought raisins, prunes, and gingerbread, came to that village, entered that hut and began asking his daughters-in-law what Emelya loved.
“Our Emelya loves it when someone asks him kindly and promises him a red caftan, then he will do whatever you ask.”
The great nobleman gave Emelya raisins, prunes, and gingerbread and said:
- Emelya, Emelya, why are you lying on the stove? Let's go to the king.
- I’m warm here too...
“Emelya, Emelya, the Tsar will give you good food and water, please, let’s go.”
- But I don’t feel like...
- Emelya, Emelya, the Tsar will give you a red caftan, a hat and boots.
Emelya thought and thought:
- Well, okay, you go ahead, and I’ll follow behind you.
The nobleman left, and Emelya lay still and said:
- At the behest of the pike, at my desire - come on, bake, go to the king...
Then the corners of the hut cracked, the roof shook, the wall flew out, and the stove itself went down the street, along the road, straight to the king.
The king looks out the window and wonders:
- What kind of miracle is this?
The greatest nobleman answers him:
- And this is Emelya on the stove coming to you.
The king came out onto the porch:
- Something, Emelya, there are a lot of complaints about you! You suppressed a lot of people.
- Why did they climb under the sleigh?
At this time, the tsar’s daughter, Marya the Princess, was looking at him through the window. Emelya saw her in the window and said quietly:
- At the behest of the pike. according to my wish, let the king’s daughter love me...
And he also said:
- Go, bake, go home...
The stove turned and went home, went into the hut and returned to its original place. Emelya is lying down again.
And the king in the palace is screaming and crying. Princess Marya misses Emelya, cannot live without him, asks her father to marry her to Emelya. Here the king became upset, became upset and said again to the greatest nobleman:
- Go, bring Emelya to me, alive or dead, otherwise I’ll take your head off your shoulders.
The great nobleman bought sweet wines and various snacks, went to that village, entered that hut and began to treat Emelya.
Emelya got drunk, ate, got drunk and went to bed. And the nobleman put him in a cart and took him to the king.
The king immediately ordered a large barrel with iron hoops to be rolled in. They put Emelya and Marya, the princess, in it, tarred them and threw the barrel into the sea.
Whether for a long time or for a short time, Emelya woke up and saw that it was dark and cramped:
- Where am I?
And they answer him:
- Boring and sickening, Emelyushka! We were tarred in a barrel and thrown into the blue sea.
- And who are you?
- I am Princess Marya.
Emelya says:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will - the winds are violent, roll the barrel onto the dry shore, onto the yellow sand...
The winds blew violently. The sea became agitated and the barrel was thrown onto the dry shore, onto the yellow sand. Emelya and Marya the Princess came out of it.
- Emelyushka, where will we live? Build any kind of hut.
- But I don’t feel like...
Then she began to ask him even more, and he said:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will - line up, a stone palace with a golden roof...
As soon as he said, a stone palace with a golden roof appeared. There is a green garden all around: flowers are blooming and birds are singing. Princess Marya and Emelya entered the palace and sat down by the window.
- Emelyushka, can’t you become handsome?
Here Emelya thought for a moment:
- At the behest of the pike, at my desire - to become a good fellow, a handsome man...
And Emelya became such that he could neither be told in a fairy tale nor described with a pen.
And at that time the king was going hunting and saw a palace standing where there was nothing before.
“What kind of ignoramus built a palace on my land without my permission?”
And he sent to find out and ask: “Who are they?” The ambassadors ran, stood under the window, asking.
Emelya answers them:
“Ask the king to visit me, I’ll tell him myself.”
The king came to visit him. Emelya meets him, takes him to the palace, and seats him at the table. They begin to feast. The king eats, drinks and is not surprised:
-Who are you, good fellow?
- Do you remember the fool Emelya - how he came to you on the stove, and you ordered him and your daughter to be tarred in a barrel and thrown into the sea? I am the same Emelya. If I want, I will burn and destroy your entire kingdom.
The king was very frightened and began to ask for forgiveness:
- Marry my daughter, Emelyushka, take my kingdom, but don’t destroy me!
Here they had a feast for the whole world. Emelya married Princess Marya and began to rule the kingdom.
This is where the fairy tale ends, and whoever listened, well done.
Online reading of the book Russian Folk Tales by A. N. Afanasyev in three volumes. Volume 1 At the behest of the pike
No. 167[779]The location of the recording is unknown. AT 675. In the version, some links of the traditional plot were dropped (wood is chopped, the stove moves), but at the same time it is complicated by unusual episodes (a boy born to a princess identifies his father; a single combat between the princess’s son and a hero; a duck found in the princess’s father’s possession).
Once upon a time there was a poor little man; No matter how hard he worked, no matter how hard he worked, nothing happened! “Oh,” he thinks to himself, “my fate is bitter! All my days I spend my time doing housework, and look at it - I’ll have to die of hunger; but my neighbor has been lying on his side all his life, so what? - the farm is large, the profits flow into your pocket. Apparently I didn’t please God; I will begin to pray from morning to evening, maybe the Lord will have mercy.” He began to pray to God; He goes hungry for whole days, but still prays. The bright holiday came, they struck for matins. The poor man thinks: “All the people will start breaking up, but I don’t have a piece of food!” I’ll at least go get some water and I’ll have some soup instead.” He took the bucket, went to the well and just threw it into the water - suddenly he caught a huge pike in the bucket. The man rejoiced: “Here I am, happy holiday!” I’ll make fish soup and have lunch to my heart’s content.” The pike says to him in a human voice: “Let me go free, good man; I will make you happy: whatever your soul desires, you will have everything! Just say: by the command of the pike, by God’s blessing, if such and such appears, it will appear now!” The poor man threw the pike into the well, came to the hut, sat down at the table and said: “By the pike’s command, by God’s blessing, be the table set and dinner ready!” Suddenly, where did it come from - all sorts of food and drinks appeared on the table; Even if you treat the king, you won’t be ashamed! The poor man crossed himself: “Glory to you, Lord! There’s something to break your fast.” He went to church, stood at Matins and Mass, returned and began to break his fast; I had a snack and a drink, went out the gate and sat on a bench.
At that time, the princess decided to take a walk through the streets, goes with her nannies and mothers and, for the sake of the holiday of Christ, gives alms to the poor; I served it to everyone, but forgot about this little guy. So he says to himself: “By the pike’s command, by God’s blessing, let the princess bear fruit and give birth to a son!” According to that word, the princess became pregnant at that very moment and nine months later gave birth to a son. The king began to interrogate her. “Confess,” he says, “with whom did you sin?” And the princess cries and swears in every possible way that she has not sinned with anyone: “And I myself don’t know why the Lord punished me!” No matter how much the king questioned, he learned nothing.
Meanwhile, the boy is growing by leaps and bounds; after a week I started talking. The Tsar convened boyars and Duma people from all over the kingdom and showed them to the boy: would he recognize anyone as his father? No, the boy is silent, he doesn’t call anyone his father. The Tsar ordered the nannies and mothers to carry it through all the courtyards, along all the streets and show it to people of all ranks, both married and single. The nannies and mothers carried the child through all the courtyards, along all the streets; walked and walked, he was still silent. We finally came to the poor man’s hut; As soon as the boy saw that man, he immediately reached out to him with his little hands and shouted: “Daddy, daddy!” They reported this to the sovereign and brought the poor man to the palace; the king began to interrogate him: “Admit it in good conscience - is this your child?” - “No, God!” The king was angry, married the wretched man to the princess, and after the crown he ordered them to be put in a large barrel with the child, tarred with tar and thrown into the open sea.
So the barrel floated across the sea, was carried by violent winds and washed up on a distant shore. The poor man hears that the water under them does not sway, and says this word: “By the command of the pike, by God’s blessing, disintegrate, barrel, in a dry place!” The barrel fell apart; They climbed out onto a dry place and walked wherever they looked. They walked and walked and walked and walked, there was nothing to eat or drink, the princess was completely emaciated, she could barely move her legs. “What,” asks the poor man, “do you know now what thirst and hunger are?” - "I know!" - the princess answers. “This is how the poor suffer; but you didn’t want to give me alms on Christ’s Day!” Then the poor man says: “By the pike’s command, by God’s blessing, build a rich palace here - so that there is nothing better in the whole world, with gardens, and with ponds, and with all sorts of outbuildings!”
As soon as he spoke, a rich palace appeared; Faithful servants run out of the palace, take them by the arms, lead them into white-stone chambers and seat them at oak tables and stained tablecloths. The chambers are wonderfully decorated and decorated; Everything was prepared on the tables: wine, sweets, and food. The poor man and the princess got drunk, ate, rested and went for a walk in the garden. “Everyone would be happy here,” says the princess, “only it’s a pity that there are no birds on our ponds.” - “Wait, there will be a bird!” - answered the poor man and immediately said: “By the command of the pike, by God’s blessing, let twelve ducks swim on this pond, the thirteenth a drake - they would all have one feather of gold, another of silver; If only the drake had a diamond forelock on his head!” Lo and behold, twelve ducks and a drake are swimming on the water - one feather is gold, the other is silver; The drake has a diamond forelock on its head.
This is how the princess lives with her husband without grief, without sadness, and her son grows and grows; He grew up big, sensed great strength in himself, and began to ask his father and mother to go around the world and look for a bride. They let him go: “Go, son, with God!” He saddled the heroic horse, sat down and rode off on his way. An old old woman comes across him: “Hello, Russian Tsarevich! Where would you like to go? - “I’m going, grandma, to look for a bride, but I don’t even know where to look.” - “Wait, I’ll tell you, child! Go overseas to the thirtieth kingdom; there is a princess there - such a beauty that you can travel all over the world, but you won’t find her better anywhere!” The good fellow thanked the old woman, came to the pier, hired a ship and sailed to the thirtieth kingdom.
How long or short did he sail across the sea, soon the tale is told, but not soon the deed is done - he comes to that kingdom, appears to the local king and begins to woo his daughter. The king tells him: “You are not the only one wooing my daughter; We also have a groom - a mighty hero; If you refuse him, he will ruin my entire state.” - “If you refuse me, I’ll ruin you!” - "What you! It’s better to measure your strength with him: whichever of you wins, I’ll give my daughter for him.” - "OK! Call all the kings and princes, kings and princes to watch a fair fight, to take a walk at the wedding.”
Immediately messengers were sent in different directions, and less than a year had passed before kings and princes, kings and princes gathered from all the surrounding lands; The king who tarred his own daughter in a barrel and sent her into the sea also arrived. On the appointed day, the heroes went out to fight to the death; they fought and fought, the earth groaned from their blows, the forests bowed, the rivers were agitated; The princess's son overpowered his opponent - he tore off his violent head.
The royal boyars ran up, took the good fellow by the arms and led him to the palace; the next day he married the princess, and as soon as the wedding was celebrated, he began to invite all the kings and princes, kings and princes to visit his father and mother. They all got up at once, equipped the ships and sailed across the sea. The princess and her husband greeted the guests with honor, and feasts and fun began again. Tsars and princes, kings and princes look at the palace, at the gardens and marvel: such wealth has never been seen anywhere, and most of all they seemed to be ducks and drakes - for one duck they could give half the kingdom! The guests feasted and decided to go home; Before they had time to reach the pier, fast messengers run after them: “Our master asks you to come back, he wants to hold secret council with you.”
Kings and princes, kings and princes returned back; The owner came out to them and began to say: “Is this what good people do? After all, my duck is missing! There’s no one else to take you!” - “Why are you making false accusations? - kings and princes, kings and princes answer him. - This is not a good thing! Now search everyone! If you find someone's duck, do with it what you know; and if you don’t find it, your head is off!” - "Ok, I agree!" - said the owner, walked down the row and began to search them; As soon as it was the turn of the princess’s father, he quietly said: “By the command of the pike, by God’s blessing, let this king have a duck tied under the hem of his caftan!” He took it and lifted his caftan, and under the flap there was a duck tied as it was - one feather was gold, the other was silver. Then all the other kings and princes, kings and princes laughed loudly: “Ha-ha-ha! That's how it is! The kings have already begun to steal!” The princess's father swears by all the saints that stealing was never on his mind; but how the duck got to him, he himself doesn’t know. “Tell me! They found it on you, so you are the only one to blame.” Then the princess came out, rushed to her father and admitted that she was the same daughter he had married to a wretched man and put in a tar barrel: “Father! You didn’t believe my words then, but now you’ve learned for yourself that you can be guilty without guilt.” She told him how and what had happened, and after that they all began to live and get along together, making good things and doing bad things.
