THE FLYING SHIP

There once lived an old man and an old woman who had three sons, two of them clever young men and the third a fool. They loved the clever sons dearly, the mother giving them fresh white shirts to wear every Sunday, but were always scolding the fool and poking fun at him. The fool sat on the stove, where the millet lay drying, day in and day out with nothing on save his one soiled shirt, and if they forgot to feed him he went hungry.

One day it came to their ears that the tsar had an edict put out summoning all to a feast and saying that he who would build a ship that flew through the air and come to the palace in it, would be given the tsar's daughter in marriage.

The two clever brothers began to think what to do.

"We must go to the feast, for — who knows! — perhaps we might make our fortune there,'- they said.

They talked it over and said to their mother and father:

"Do let us go to the tsar's feast! It cannot make things worse, and— who knows! — perhaps we can make our fortune there."

The parents pleaded with them not to go, but they would not listen.

"We are going and that's an end of it!" they said. "All we ask is your blessing."

It could not be helped, so the parents blessed them, the mother gave them some white bread, a roast pig and a flask of Ukrainian vodka for the road, and away they went.

And the fool called down from where he was sitting on the stove:

"I'm going where my brothers went too!"

At first the old man and old woman only laughed and then they began to scold him, but nothing could make him change his mind, so they stopped trying to and said:

"Very well, then, go, but don't come back again qt tell anyone that you are our son!"

The old woman gave him a flask of water and some stale black bread, put them into a bag and sent him on his way.

Off went the fool, he walked and he walked, and all of a sudden whom should he meet but an old man with a snow-white beard that reached to his waist.

"Greetings, Grandpa!" the fool said.

"Greetings to you, my son!" replied the old man.

"Where are you going, Grandpa?"

"I roam the earth helping people who are in trouble. And where are you going?"

"To the palace to attend the tsar's feast."

"Can you build a ship that will fly through the air?"

"No, I can't!"

"Then what's the use of you going to the palace?"

"Who knows! It can't make things worse and perhaps I will make my fortune there."

"Sit down and let's rest and have a bite to eat. What have you got in that bag of yours?"

"Nothing but some black bread, Grandpa, and it's so stale that you won't be able to chew it."

"Never mind, let's have it!"

The fool reached into his bag, and all of a sudden the black loaf had changed into the whitest of white ones, the kind that only the lords eat and that he had never tried before.

"We can't eat without first having a drink!" the old man said. "You don't happen to have some vodka, do you?"

"Where would I get it from? All I have is a flask of water!"

"Let's have it, then!"

The fool took out the flask and had a sip, and lo! — the water in it had changed into vodka.

"What do you say to that?" said the old man.

They spread their coats on the grass, seated themselves and began to eat. It was a good meal they had, and the old man thanked the fool for sharing his food with him and said:

"And now, my son, go to the forest and up to a tree, strike it with an axe and yourself drop to the ground and lie there till someone comes and asks you to get up. Your flying ship will have been built by then, and you can get into it and fly wherever you wish. Only mind, you must take with you whoever you meet on the way!"

The fool thanked the old man and they bade each other goodbye and parted. The old man went further along the same road and the fool took the path that led to the forest.

Once there, he came up to a tree, struck it with an axe and himself dropped to the ground and fell asleep.

Some time passed, and he felt someone trying to wake him.

"Come, get up, and you will meet your good fortune!" someone's voice said.

The fool started awake and opened his eyes, and lo! — there before him was a ship of gold with masts of silver and sails of silk that billowed in the wind and seemed made for flight.

The fool got into the ship, and it rose from the ground and flew through the air. High over the earth it flew but lower than the clouds. The fool gazed about him and could not-take in all he saw.

On and on flew the ship, and all of a sudden whom should the fool see but a man who had his ear to the ground and seemed to be listening to something.

"Hello there, stranger!" the fool called out.

"Hello yourself!"
"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to hear if the tsar's guests have gathered at his palace for the feast."

"Is that where you are going?"

"Yes!"

"Get in with me and I'll take you there!"
Keen-Ear climbed into the ship, and away they flew!

Some time passed, and all of a sudden whom should they see but a man who had one of his legs tied to his ear and was hopping along the road on the other!

"Hello there, stranger!" they called.

"Hello yourselves!"

"Why are you hopping on only one leg?"

"Because had I been using both I would have gone straight across the world, and I don't want to do that!"

"Where are you going?"

"To the palace, to attend the tsar's feast."

"Get in with us and we'll take you there!"

Fleet-Foot climbed into the ship, and away they flew!

Some time passed, and all of a sudden whom should they see but a hunter who had drawn his bow, and although there wasn't a bird or animal in sight, made to shoot his arrow.

"Hello there, stranger!" the fool called. "What do you want to shoot?

There's no game in sight."

"You may not see anything, but I do!"

"And what is it that you see, pray?"

"A bird. It is sitting in a dry pear tree a hundred miles from here."

"Get in with us!"

Sharp-Eye climbed into the ship, and away they flew!

Some time passed, and all of a sudden whom should they see but a man

carrying a sack of wheat over his shoulder.

"Hello there, stranger!" they called.

"Hello yourselves!"

"Where are you going?"

"To get some bread for my dinner.

"Don't you have a whole sackful already?"

"Yes, but that's but one little bite, it won't do me for even one meal!"

"Why don't you get in with us?"

"I don't mind if I do!"

Heavy-Eater climbed into the ship, and away they flew!

Some time passed, and all of a sudden what should they see below but a lake with a man on its shore seeming to be in search of something.

"Hello there, stranger!" they called.

"Hello yourselves!"

"What are you looking for?"

"Water. I can't find any and I'm very thirsty."

"Isn't that a lake beside you?"

"Yes, but there is only water enough there for a sip!"

"Why don't you get in with us?"

"I don't mind if I do!"

Big-Drinker climbed into the ship, and away they flew!

Some time passed, and all of a sudden whom should they see but a man carrying a sheaf of straw.

"Hello there, stranger!" they called. "Where are you taking that straw?"

"To the village."

"Isn't there any straw there?"

"Yes, but my straw is different."

"Different? How different?"

"Well, all one has to do is scatter it around, and even if it is a warm summer day a frost will set in and it will begin to snow."

"Why don't you get in with us?"

"I don't mind if I do!"

Freeze-All climbed into the ship, and away they flew!

Some time passed, and all of a sudden whom should they see but a man carrying a bundle of wood on his back!

"Hello there, stranger!" they called.

"Hello yourselves!"

"Where are you taking the wood?"

"To the forest."

"Isn't there enough wood there?"

"There is, but mine is different."

"Different? What do you mean?"

"Well, all you have to do is scatter it around, and a whole army of soldiers will appear in its place."

"Why don't you get in with us?"

"I don't mind if I do!"

Carry-Wood climbed into the ship, and away they flew!

Whether it took them a long time or not nobody knows but they finally arrived at the tsar's palace. In the courtyard tables set with foods of all kinds had been placed and barrels of Ukrainian vodka and beer rolled out, and you could eat and drink whatever your heart desired! Half the kingdom had gathered for the feast: old folk and young, rich lords and the poorest of beggars, just as at a country fair.

The fool and his friends came down right in front of the tsar's chamber, and, climbing out of the ship, went to join the feasters.

The tsar looked out of the window and marvelled.

"Go and see who it was that came here in the flying ship!" said he to his servant.

The servant went and looked and was soon back.

"A group of peasants, Your Majesty, and as ragged a crew as ever was seen!" he said.

The tsar would not believe him.

"Peasants arriving in a ship of gold? It can't be!" he said.

And he went outside to see for himself if it was so or not.

"Who came here on this ship?" he asked.

The fool stepped forward.

"I did!" said he.

The tsar looked at him, and, seeing the patches on his coat and the holes in his pants through which his knees showed, clutched his beard in dismay.

"How can I marry my daughter to such a ragamuffin as that!" thought he.

And not knowing how to go back on his promise, he decided to set the fool a number of tasks.

Said he to his servant:

"Go and tell him that it little matters that he came in a flying ship and that unless, before this feast is over, he fetches me some living and some healing water not only will he not get the princess in marriage but he will have his head cut off!"

Now, Keen-Ear, the very one who had had his ear to the ground when the fool first saw him, heard what the tsar had said and told the fool about it.

The fool sat on a bench, like the other guests, and was so sad that he could neither eat nor drink.

Seeing him in such a state, Fleet-Foot was troubled.

"Why do you not eat?" he asked.

"The food sticks in my throat!" the fool said. "The tsar ordered me to fetch him some living and some healing water before the feast is over and how am I to do that!"

"Don't grieve, I'll get it for you!"

Just then the servant arrived with the tsar's message, and the fool told him to tell the tsar that he would do as he bade.

"I think I'll sit down beside the mill here and take a rest, there is plenty of time for me to get back before the feast is over!"

He sat down beside the mill and before he knew it was fast asleep.

The feast was all but over, but he had not appeared, and the fool sat there more dead than alive and told himself that it was the end of him!

Keen-Ear put his ear to the ground and listened.

"Fleet-Foot, a plague on him, is sleeping beside the mill!" he said.

"What are we going to do now?" the fool said. "How are we to wake him?"

"Don't worry, I'll do it!" said Sharp-Eye.

He drew his bow and let fly an arrow, and lo! — it hit the mill with such force that splinters of wood flew in a shower all about it. Fleet-Foot woke up and made for the palace, and he was there with the water just as the feast was about to end.

The tsar was ill pleased and decided to set the fool another task.

"Tell the fool," said he to his servant, "that he will only get the princess in marriage if he and his friends eat twelve roast bulls and forty ovenfuls of bread at one go. If they don't, he will have his head cut off!"

Keen-Ear heard what the tsar had said and told the fool about it.

The fool was close to tears.

"What am I going to do now? Who can ever eat so much at once!" said he.

"Don't grieve, 1 can eat it all myself without help from any of you!" said Heavy-Eater.

Just then there was the servant with the tsar's message, and the fool told him to bring the food.

Twelve bulls were roasted and forty ovenfuls of bread baked, and Heavy-Eater polished it off in no time at all.

"I could do with another helping!" he said. "I'm still hungry."

The tsar was even less pleased than before and decided to set the fool a third task.

"Let the fool and his friends drink forty barrels of water and as many of beer at one go!^ said he to his servant. "If they don't, I'll have the fool's head chopped off!"

Keen-Ear heard him and told the fool about it, and the fool burst into tears.

"Don't cry, I will drink it all myself and ask for more!" said Big-Drinker.

The tsar's servants rolled out forty barrels of water and as many of beer, and Big-Drinker drained them all to the last drop.

"I could do with more, I'm still thirsty!" said he.

The tsar saw that nothing had come of his plan and said to himself:

"A plague on the rascal, I must try and do him to his death or he will be my daughter's undoing!"

And he sent one servant to the fool telling him that the tsar wanted him to steam himself in the bathhouse before getting married, and another servant to the stoveman with orders to heat the iron bathhouse till it was red-hot.

"Let the fool roast there!" said he.

The stoveman did as he was told and heated the bathhouse till it blazed and even the devil himself would have roasted in it.

The fool was told what the tsar wanted and off he went to the bathhouse, taking Freeze-All with him. They stepped inside, and the heat was something not to be borne. But Freeze-All scattered the straw he had brought over the floor, and it became so cold that the fool who had poured a bucket of water over himself climbed quickly onto the stove and fell fast asleep!

Morning came, the servants opened the bathhouse, thinking to find only his ashes there, and lo! — there he was on the stove sleeping so soundly that they could hardly wake him.

"My, what a good sleep I had!" said he, stepping out of the bathhouse.

The servants went and told the tsar about this, saying that they had found the fool asleep on the stove and the bathhouse as freezing cold as if it had not been heated all winter!

The tsar did not know what to do. He thought for a long time and then said:

"Let the fool muster an army and assemble it in front of the palace. If it is done by morning I will let him marry my daughter; if not, I will have his head cut off!"

And all the while he thought: "Where will an ordinary peasant like the fool get a whole army? I'm the tsar and I'm not sure I could do it!"

And he sent his servant to the fool to tell him what it was that was demanded of him.

But Keen-Ear did not wait for the servant to come and told the fool about it, and the fool sat there and wept and cried.

"What am I going to do now?" he wailed. "How can I muster an army!"

He climbed into the flying ship where his friends were waiting and said to them:

"You got me out of trouble before, my brothers, and you must do it again. For if you don't it'll be the end of me!"

"Don't grieve, I will help you!" said Carry-Wood.

Just then the tsar's servant arrived with his message, and the fool said:

"Tell the tsar that I will do as he bids, but warn him that if he does not keep his Word and let me marry the princess this time I'll make war on him and take her away by force!"

Night came, and Carry-Wood took a bundle of firewood and went out into the field with it. He began scattering the logs about, and as each hit the ground it turned into a soldier, so that soon there was a whole army there!

The following morning the tsar had only just wakened when the sounds of a march fell on his ear.

"Music so early in the morning?" he asked.

"It's that peasant again, the one that came in the golden flying ship, Your Majesty!" said his servants. "He is drilling his soldiers in front of the palace."

The tsar saw that there was nothing to be done and sent his servant for the fool who had already set out for the palace at the head of his army. He was mounted on a white horse and dressed in shining silk and velvet, and had become so handsome as tongue cannot say or story tell!

He halted his men at the palace door and told them to wait for him while he went inside.

The tsar met him with open arms. He called him his dear son-in-law and had him sit beside him. Then the princess appeared and she beamed when she saw the fool, for he was as handsome as any maid could wish her bridegroom to be!