Emelian the Fool: A Tale

“Dear children, I feel that I have not long to live; I therefore leave you house and cattle, which you will divide in equal portions. I also leave you money: a hundred roubles for each.”

Soon after these words he died, and his children, having given him a decent funeral, lived very comfortably. After a little time, the brothers of Emelian took it into their heads to start for the city, and employ in traffic the three hundred roubles which their father had left them; so they said to the fool Emelian:

“Harkee, fool, we are going to the city, and will take your hundred roubles with us, and if our traffic goes on profitably we will buy you a red caftan, a red cap, and red boots; but do you remain at home, and if your sisters-in-law, our wives (for they were married) order you to do anything, be sure you do it.”

The fool, wishing to receive the red caftan, red cap, and red boots, told his brothers in reply that he would do whatever his sisters-in-law should order him. After this, his brothers set out for the city, and the fool remained at home, and lived with his sisters-in-law. After some time, on a certain day, when it was winter, and there was a terrible frost, his sisters-in-law told him to go for water; but the fool, who was lying on the petsch, or stove, said:

“Yes, indeed, and why not you?”

“Why not we, you fool?” cried the sisters-in-law; “don’t you see what a frost it is? and that none but a man can go out in such weather?”

“But,” said he, “I am lazy.”

“Lazy?” screamed his sisters-in-law; “won’t you presently want something to eat? And if there be no water how can we boil anything?” Thereupon they added, “Very well, when our husbands come home with the red caftan and cap they promised him, we will tell them to give him nothing.”

When the fool heard this he thought it best to go, for he wished very much to get the red caftan and cap. So getting down from the petsch he began to put on his stockings and boots, and to dress himself; and when he was quite dressed, he took with him a couple of pails and a hatchet, and went to the river: for the village in which they lived stood very near the river. When he had come to the stream, he began to hew away at the ice, and when he had made a very big hole, he filled his pails with water, and placing them on the ice, he stood beside the hole, and looked. Now as the fool stood and looked he saw a very large pike swimming in the hole. Fool as Emelian was, he nevertheless wished to catch the pike. He therefore advanced softly, and coming near to it, seized it suddenly with his hand, and pulling it out of the water, placed it in his bosom, and began to make for home. But the pike said to him:

“How’s this, fool? for what do you seize me?”

“For what?” said he; “I shall carry you home, and tell my sisters-in-law to boil you.”

“Not so, fool, don’t carry me home, but put me back into the water, and I will make you a rich man.”

But the fool did not believe him, and was making for home. The pike, seeing that the fool did not let him go, said:

“Listen, fool, do but put me into the water, and I will do for you whatsoever you wish, so that every desire of your heart shall be fulfilled.”

The fool, hearing these words, was very glad; for, as he was excessively lazy, he thought to himself—

“If the pike does whatever I ask all will be got ready for me, and I shall have no need to work.”