By pike command- Russian folk tale about the lazy Emelya the fool and the magic pike, which revealed to him the secret of making all his desires come true... (Recorded in the village of Shadrino, Gorky region from I.F. Kovalev)
Read according to the pike's command
In one small village lived three brothers: Semyon, Vasily and the third - Emelya the Fool. The older brothers were married and engaged in trade, and Emelya the Fool still lay on the stove, shoveled soot and slept for several days without waking.
And then one day the brothers decided to go to the capital city to buy goods. They woke up Emelya, pulled him off the stove and told him: “We, Emelya, are leaving for the capital city for different goods, and you live well with your daughters-in-law, listen to them if they ask you to help them with something. If you listen to them, then in return we will bring you a red caftan, a red hat and a red belt from the city. And besides, there are many more gifts.” And Emelya liked red clothes most of all; he was delighted with such outfits and clapped his hands with joy: “Everything, brothers, will be done for your wives, if you just buy such outfits!” He climbed onto the stove again and immediately fell into a sound sleep. And the brothers said goodbye to their wives and went to the capital city.
So Emelya sleeps for a day, others sleep, and on the third day his daughters-in-law wake him up: “Get up, Emelya, from the stove, you probably got enough sleep, because you’ve been sleeping for three days. Go to the river for water!” And he answers them: “Don’t pester me, I really want to sleep. And you’re not ladies yourself, get out of the water!” - “You gave your word to your brothers that you would obey us! And you yourself refuse. In this case, we will write to the brothers so that they do not buy you a red caftan, a red hat, a red belt, or gifts.”
Then Emelya quickly jumps off the stove, puts on his supports and a thin caftan, all smeared with soot (and he never wore a hat), took the buckets and went to the river.
And so, when he filled the hole with water and was about to go, he saw a pike suddenly appear from the hole. He thought: “My daughters-in-law will bake me a good pie!” He put down the buckets and grabbed the pike; but the pike suddenly spoke in a human voice. Even though Emelya was a fool, he knew that the fish did not speak in a human voice, and he was very scared. And the pike said to him: “Let me go into the water to freedom!” I will be useful to you over time, I will carry out all your orders. Just say: “By the pike’s command, but by my request” - and everything will be done for you.”
And Emelya let her go. He let go and thought: “Or maybe she deceived me?” He approached the buckets and shouted in a loud voice: “By the pike’s command, and by my request, buckets, go up the mountain yourself, and don’t spill a single drop of water!” And before he could finish his last word, the buckets began to flow. 
The people saw and were surprised by such a miracle: “How long we have lived in the world, not only have we seen, we have not even heard of buckets moving on their own, but this fool Emelya walks on their own, and he walks behind and chuckles!”
When the buckets came to the house, the daughters-in-law were surprised at such a miracle, and he quickly climbed onto the stove and fell asleep in a heroic sleep.
Quite a long time passed, their supply of chopped firewood ran out, and the daughters-in-law decided to bake pancakes. They wake up Emelya: “Emelya, oh Emelya!” And he replies: “Don’t pester me... I want to sleep!” - “Go chop some wood and bring it to the hut. We want to bake pancakes and feed you the butteriest ones.” - “And they’re not ladies themselves - go, pin them and bring them back!” - “And if we just chop the firewood ourselves, then we won’t give you a single pancake!”
But Emelya really loved pancakes. He took the ax and went into the yard. I stabbed and stabbed, and I thought: “Why am I stabbing, you fool, let the pike stabbing.” And he said to himself in a quiet voice: “At the command of the pike, and at my request, an ax, if there is firewood, and firewood, fly to the hut yourself.” And at one moment the ax chopped up the entire supply of firewood; suddenly the door opened and a huge bundle of firewood flew into the hut. The daughters-in-law gasped: “What happened to Emelya, he really works some miracles!” And he entered the hut and climbed onto the stove. The daughters-in-law lit the stove, baked pancakes, sat down at the table and ate. And they woke him up and woke him up, but they never woke him up.
After some time, their entire supply of firewood ran out, they needed to go to the forest. They started waking him up again: “Emelya, get up, wake up, he probably slept enough!” If only you washed your terrible face - look how dirty you are!” - “Wash yourself if you need to!” And I feel good as it is...” - “Go to the forest for firewood, we don’t have firewood!” - “Go yourself - not ladies. I brought you firewood, but they didn’t feed me pancakes!” - “We woke you up, woke you up, but you didn’t even raise your voice! It's not our fault, it's your fault. Why didn’t you get down?” - “It’s warm on the stove for me... And you should take and put at least three blinks for me. When I woke up, I would have eaten them.” - “You contradict us everything, you don’t listen to us! You need to write to your brothers so that they don’t buy you any red outfits or gifts!”
Then Emelya got scared, puts on his thin caftan, takes an ax, goes out into the yard, wraps up the sleigh and picks up a club. And the daughters-in-law came out to watch: “Why don’t you harness the horse? How can you travel without a horse?” - “Why torture the poor horse! I can ride without a horse.” - “You should at least put a hat on your head or tie something!” It’s freezing, you’ll frostbite your ears.” - “If my ears get cold, I’ll block them with my hair!” And he himself said in a quiet voice: “At the behest of the pike, and at my request, go yourself, sleigh, into the forest and fly faster than any bird.” 
And before Emelya had time to finish his last words, the gates swung open and the sleigh flew faster than a bird towards the forest. And Emelya sits, raising her club up, and, no matter the voices, hums stupid songs. And his hair stands on end.
The forest was outside the city. And so he has to pass through the city. But the city public did not have time to run away from the road: they were interested - some fellow was riding without a horse, in only a sleigh! 
Whoever grabbed his sleigh, he hit him with a club - whatever he hit. So he galloped through the city and crushed many people and beat many with his club. He arrived in the forest and shouted in a loud voice: “At the command of the pike, at my request, an axe, chop the wood yourself, and fly the wood into the sleigh yourself!”
And as soon as he had time to finish his speech, he already had a full cart of firewood and was tied down tightly. Then he got on the cart and drove again through this city. And the streets were jammed with people. And everyone is talking about the fellow who rode in the same sleigh without a horse. On the way back, when Emelya passed by with a cart of firewood, he crushed people even more and beat him with a club even more than the first time.
He arrived home, climbed onto the stove, and his daughters-in-law gasped: “What happened to Emelya, he works some miracles: his buckets move on their own, firewood flies into the hut on its own, and a sleigh drives without a horse! We won't be happy with him. He probably crushed a lot of people in the city, and he and I will be put in prison!”
And they decided not to send him anywhere else. And Emelya sleeps peacefully on the stove, but when she wakes up, she shovels the soot in the chimney and falls asleep again.
A rumor reached the king about Emelya that there was a man whose sleigh drove itself and that he had crushed a lot of people in the city. The king calls his faithful servant and orders him: “Go and find me this young man and bring him personally to me!”
The royal servant goes on a search in different cities, towns, and hamlets, and everywhere he gets the same answer: “We have heard of such a fellow, but we don’t know where he lives.” Finally, he finds himself in the city where Emelya crushed many people. And this city is located seven miles from Emelya’s village, and just one man from Emelya’s village came into the conversation and told him that such a fine fellow lives in his village - this is Emelya the Fool. Then the king’s servant comes to Emelina’s village, goes to the village elder and says to him: “Let’s go and take this fellow who has suppressed so many people.”
When the royal servant and the elder came to Emelya’s house, the daughters-in-law were very frightened: “We are lost! This fool not only ruined himself, but also us.” And the royal servant asks his daughters-in-law: “Where is Emelya?” - “He’s sleeping on the stove.” Then the royal servant shouted in a loud voice at Emelya: “Emelya, get off the stove!” - “Why is this? It’s warm for me even on the stove. Don’t pester me, I want to sleep!”
And again he snored deeply. But the royal servant, together with the headman, wanted to drag him off the stove by force. When Emelya felt that he had been pulled from the stove, he shouted at the top of his lungs in a loud voice: “By the pike’s command, and by Emelya’s request, appear, bludgeon, and give the king’s servant and our elder a good treat!” 
And suddenly the club appeared - as it began to mercilessly beat both the headman and the king’s servant! They barely made it out of this hut alive. The royal servant saw that there was no way to take Emelya, he went to the king and told him everything in detail: “Look, your royal majesty, how my whole body is beaten.” And he lifted his shirt, and his body was like cast iron, black, all covered in abrasions. Then the king calls another servant and says: “I found one, but you go and bring him. And if you don’t bring it, then I’ll take your head off, and if you bring it, I’ll reward you generously!”
Another royal servant asked the first one where Emelya lived. He told him everything. He hired three horses and went to Emelya. When he arrived in Emelya’s village, he turned to the headman: “Show me where Emelya lives, and help me take him.” The headman is afraid of angering the king’s servant - he can’t, he’ll punish him, and he’s even more afraid of being beaten by an emel. He told him everything in detail and said that Emelya could not be taken by force. Then the king’s servant says: “So how can we take him?” The headman says: “He really loves gifts: sweets and gingerbread.”
The king's servant collected gifts, came to Emelya's house and began to wake him up: “Emelya, get off the stove, the king has sent you a lot of gifts.” When Emelya heard this, he was delighted and said: “Come on, I’ll eat them on the stove - why should I get down? And then I’ll rest.” And the king’s servant said to him: “You will eat the treat, but will you go and visit the king? He told you to come and visit.” - “Why not go? I love to ride." And the daughters-in-law said to the king’s servant: “It’s better to give him what you intend to give to the stove. And if he promised to come to the king, then he will not deceive, he will come.”
And so they gave him gifts, he ate them. The king’s servant says: “Well, I’ve eaten my fill of goodies, now let’s go to the king.” Emelya answered him: “You go, the king’s servant... I’ll catch up with you: I won’t deceive you, I’ll come,” - he lay down and began snoring throughout the hut.
And the royal servant once again asked his daughters-in-law, is it true that if he promises something, he does it afterwards? They, of course, confirmed that he never really cheats. The royal servant has left, and Emelya is sleeping peacefully on the stove. And when he wakes up, he clicks the seeds, then falls asleep again.
And now quite a lot of time has passed, and Emelya does not even think about going to the Tsar. Then the daughters-in-law began to wake Emelya and scold: “You, Emelya, get up, you’ve had enough sleep!” He answers them: “Don’t pester me, I really want to sleep!” - “But you promised to go to the king! You ate the gifts, but you sleep and don’t go.” - “Okay, I’ll go now... Give me my caftan, otherwise I’ll probably get cold.” - “And you will take it yourself, because you will not ride on the stove! Get off the stove and take it." - “No, I’ll get cold on the sleigh; I’ll lie on the stove with a caftan on top!”
But his daughters-in-law say to him: “What are you thinking and doing, fool? Where have you heard of people driving stoves?” - “It’s the people, or it’s me! I'll go."
And he jumped off the stove, took out his caftan from under the bench, climbed onto the stove again, covered himself and said in a loud voice: “By the pike’s command, and by my request, stove, go straight to the king’s palace!” 
And the stove crackled and suddenly flew free. And faster than any bird it flew towards the king. And he hums songs at the top of his lungs and lies down. Then I fell asleep.
And as soon as the king’s servant rode into the king’s courtyard, Emelya the Fool flies in on his stove. The servant saw that he had arrived and ran to report to the king. Such an arrival interested not only the king, but also his entire retinue and his entire family. Everyone came out to look at Emelya, and he sat on the stove with his mouth open. And the king's daughter came out. When Emelya saw such a beauty, he liked her very much, and he said to himself in a quiet voice: “By pike command, at my request, fall in love, beauty, with me.” And the king orders him to get off the stove; Emelya replies: “Why is this? It’s warm for me even on the stove, I can see you all from the stove... Say what you need!” The king then said to him in a stern voice: “Why did you crush so many people when you rode in the sleigh?” - “Why don’t they fold? And you would stand there with your mouth open, and you would be crushed!”
The Tsar was very angry at these words and ordered Emel to be pulled off the stove. And Emelya, when he saw the royal guard, said in a loud voice: “By the command of the pike, at my request, bake, fly back to your place!” And before he had time to finish his last words, the stove flew out of the royal palace with the speed of lightning. And the gates opened on their own...
He arrived home, his daughters-in-law asked him: “Well, were you with the king?” - “Of course I was. I didn’t go to the forest!” - “You, Emelya, are doing some miracles for us! Why does everything move for you: the sleigh drives on its own, and the stove flies by itself? Why don’t people have this?” - “No and there won’t be. And everyone listens to me!” 
And fell into a deep sleep. Meanwhile, the princess began to yearn for Emelya so much that without him, God’s light was no longer dear to her. And she began to ask her father and mother to call this young man and gave her in marriage to him. The king was surprised at such a strange request from his daughter and became very angry with her. But she says: “I can’t live in this world anymore, some kind of strong melancholy has attacked me - give me in marriage to him!”
The king sees that his daughter does not give in to persuasion, does not listen to her father and mother, and decides to call on this fool Emelya. And he sends a third servant: “Go and bring him to me, but not on the stove!” And so the royal servant comes to Emelina’s village. Since they told him that Emelya loves gifts, he collected a lot of different gifts. Upon arrival, he woke up Emelya and said: “Get off the stove, Emelya, and eat the goodies.” And he says to him: “Come on, I’ll eat the treat on the stove!” - “You probably have bedsores on your sides - you’re still lying on the stove! I want you to sit next to me, and I will treat you like a master.”
Then Emelya gets off the stove and puts on her caftan. He was very afraid of catching a cold. And the caftan - just now there was a name “caftan” - there was a patch hanging on a patch, it was all torn. And so the royal servant begins to treat him. And Emelya soon ate his fill of goodies and fell asleep at the table on a bench. Then the royal servant ordered Emel to put him in his carriage and so, sleepily, brought him to the palace. When the Tsar found out that Emelya had arrived, he ordered a forty-bucket barrel to be rolled out and the princess and Emelya the Fool to be placed in this barrel. When they planted it, the barrel was tarred and lowered into the sea. And Emelya sleeps soundly even in the barrel. On the third day the beautiful princess began to wake him up: “Emelya, oh Emelya! Get up, wake up!” - “Don’t pester me. I want to sleep!”
She cried bitterly because he did not pay any attention to her. When he saw her bitter tears, he took pity on her and asked: “What are you crying about?” - “How can I not cry? We are thrown into the sea and sitting in a barrel.” Then Emelya said: “At the behest of the pike, and at my request, the barrel, fly ashore and crumble into small pieces!”
And they were instantly thrown ashore by a sea wave, and the barrel crumbled; and this island was so good that the beautiful princess walked around it and could not stop admiring its beauty until late at night.
When she came to the place where she left Emelya, she saw: he, covered with a caftan, was sleeping soundly. She began to wake him up: “Emelya, oh Emelya! Get up, wake up!” - “Don’t pester me! I want to sleep." - “And I want to sleep. Yes under open air You’ll get cold at night...” - “I covered myself with a caftan.” - “What about me?” - “What do I care?”
Then the princess cried very bitterly because he did not pay any attention to her, but she loved him with all her heart. When he saw that the princess was crying, he asked her: “What do you want?” - “Yes, at least we should make some kind of hut, otherwise it will get wet with rain.” Then he shouted in a loud voice: “By the command of the pike, and by my request, appear such a palace as there is no other in the whole world!” 
And I barely managed to finish last words like on this beautiful island a marble and very beautiful palace appeared - one that does not exist and has never existed in any capital city! The princess takes Emelya by the arms and approaches this palace. And the courtiers meet them, and open the gates and doors wide for them, and bow down to the damp ground...
When they entered this palace, Emelya threw himself onto the first bed he found, without even taking off his torn caftan. Meanwhile, the princess went to inspect this magnificent palace and admire its luxury. When she came to the place where she had left Emelya, she suddenly saw that he was crying bitterly. He asks him: “What are you, dear Emelya, crying so bitterly about?” - “How can I not cry and cry? I can’t find a stove, I have nothing to lie on!” - “Does it feel bad for you to lie on a feather bed or on a precious sofa?” - “I feel best on the stove! And besides, I have nothing to amuse myself with: I don’t see soot anywhere either...”
She calmed him down, he fell asleep again, and she left him again. And when she’s walked around the palace, she comes to Emelya and is surprised: Emelya stands in front of the mirror and swears: “I’m very ugly and bad! What a scary face I have!” And the princess answers him: “Although you are bad and unattractive, you are very dear to my heart, and I love you!” Then he said: “By the pike’s command, and by my request, I must become the most handsome young man!”
And suddenly, before the eyes of the princess, Emelya changed and turned into such a handsome hero that neither could be said in a fairy tale nor described with a pen! And with an intelligent mind... Only then did he fall in love with the princess and begin to treat her as his wife.
After not much time, they suddenly hear cannon shots at sea. Then Emelya and the beautiful princess leave their palace, and the princess recognizes her father’s ship. She says to Emela: “Go meet the guests, but I won’t go!”
When Emelya approached the pier, the king and his retinue were already going ashore. And the king marvels at this newly built palace with magnificent green gardens and asks Emelya: “Which kingdom does this precious palace belong to?” Emelya said: “This is yours.” And asks him to come and visit him to try some bread and salt.
The king entered the palace, sat down at the table, and he asked Emelya: “Where is your wife? Or are you single? - “No, I’m married, I’ll bring you my wife now.”
Emelya went to get his wife, they approached the king, and the king was very surprised and scared, he didn’t know what to do! He asks: “Is it really you, my dear daughter?” - “Yes, I, dearest parent! You threw me and my husband into the sea in a tarred barrel, and we sailed to this island, and my Emelyan Ivanovich arranged it all himself, as you can see with your own eyes.” - "How so? After all, he was a fool and didn’t even look like a man, but rather like some kind of monster!” - “He is the same, only now he has been reborn and changed.” Then the tsar asks for their forgiveness - both from his daughter and from his beloved son-in-law Emelyan Ivanovich; they forgave him for his guilt.
Having stayed with his son-in-law and his daughter, the king invites them to visit him in order to marry them and invite all his relatives and friends to the wedding, to which Emelya gave his consent.
When the king began to send out messengers so that everyone would come to this great feast, then Emelya also said to his beautiful princess: “And I have relatives, allow me to personally go for them. And you stay in the palace for now.” The king and the beautiful young princess, although reluctantly, still let him go, gave him three of the best horses harnessed to a gilded carriage and a coachman, and he rushed off to his village. When he began to approach his native place, driving through a dark forest, he suddenly heard a hooting to the side. He orders the coachman to stop the horses and tells him: “It’s some people who got lost in this dark forest!»
And he begins to respond to their voice himself. And then he sees his two brothers approaching him. Emelya asks them: “Why are you walking? good people, are you shouting so loud here? Perhaps you are lost? - “No, we are looking for our own brother. He's missing from us! - “How did he disappear from you?” - “And he was taken to the king. And we think that he ran away from him and probably got lost in this dark forest, because he was a fool” - “So why would you look for a fool?” - “How can we not look for him? After all, he is our brother, and we feel sorry for him more than we feel sorry for ourselves, because he is a wretched, stupid man!”
And the brothers had tears in their eyes. Then Emelya says to them: “This is me - your brother Emelya!” They don’t agree with him at all: “Please don’t laugh and don’t deceive us! We’re already sick of it.”
He began to assure them, told them how everything happened to him, and remembered everything he knew about his village. And besides, he took off his clothes and said: “You know that I have a large mole on my right side, it is still on my side.”
Then the brothers believed; he put them in a gilded carriage, and they drove on. Having passed through the forest, we reached the village. Emelya hires another three horses and sends the brothers on them to the king: “And I’ll go get my daughters-in-law, your wives.”
When Emelya arrived in his village and entered home, then the daughters-in-law were very scared. And he tells them: “Get ready to the king!” They could barely stand on their feet and cried bitterly: “Probably our fool Emelya has done something wrong, and the king will probably put us in prison...” And he orders: “Get equipped as quickly as possible and don’t take anything with you!” And he seated them next to him in a gilded carriage.
And so they arrive at the royal palace, where the king, and the beautiful princess, and the royal retinue, and their husbands come to meet them. Husbands say: “Why are you so upset? After all, this is our brother Emelyan Ivanovich with you!” They talk and smile cheerfully at their wives. Only then did they calm down, threw themselves at the feet of Emelyan Ivanovich and began to ask for forgiveness for their bad treatment of him earlier. 
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. Arrived bright holiday, 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: does 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; We 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 with a clear 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 together with the child in a large barrel, 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 is 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 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, felt great power 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 how short did he sail on 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 a 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; that king also arrived, who my own daughter I put it in a barrel and put it into the sea. 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 you can give half a 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 with a duck, do with it what you know; and if you don’t find it, your head is off!” - “Okay, 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 of his, whom he 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.
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!
Emelya, let me go into the water, I will 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 yourself, 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 or how 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, get an ax, chop 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 firewood 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 up to?
What are we doing?.. Is it our business to go to the forest for firewood?
I don't feel like...
Well, you won't get any gifts.
There is 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 will, 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 will - an axe, chop some dry wood, and you, woodworkers, 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 will - 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 will take you to the king.
And 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 his head off his 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.
And 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 will follow 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 crawl 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 pike's command. 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 his head off his 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 Maryutsarevna 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.
Who are you?
I am Princess Marya.
Emelya says:
At the command 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.
And I don't feel like...
Then she began to ask him even more, and he said:
At the command 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 will 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.
At the behest 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 will be useful to you. And Emelya laughs:
- What will you be useful to me for? No, I’ll take you home and tell my daughters-in-law to cook your 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 splash...
Pike tells him:
- Remember my words: when you want something, just say: “At the command 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 is walking behind, chuckling... The buckets went into the hut and stood on the bench, and Emelya climbed onto the stove. How much or how 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 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 firewood 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.
There is 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 will - 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 he, you know, is driving the sleigh. Arrived in the forest:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will - an axe, chop some dry wood, and you, firewood, fall into the sleigh yourself, tie yourself up...
The ax began to chop, chop dry trees, 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.
Once upon a time there were brothers. The first is smart, the second is smart, and the third is a complete fool. The eldest and middle worked tirelessly, but the youngest lay on the stove and did not want to do anything.
One day the older brothers went to the market, but the younger Emelya remained at home.
The wives of the elder brothers tell him:
- Emelya, bring water from the ice hole.
He responded:
- No, I don’t want to.
- Go, dear, otherwise your brothers won’t bring you any gifts from the market.
- Well, so be it.
Emelya crawled down from the heated stove, took two buckets with him, got dressed, put on shoes, grabbed an ax and went to get water.
He came to the river, made an ice hole, scooped up water and placed full buckets nearby. He looks, and there’s a pike in the hole! Grab it, pulled it out and said:
— Good ear will come out of you!
- Let me go, Emelya, I will still be useful to you.
He laughs:
- How will you be useful to me? No, I’ll take you home and feed your brothers some delicious fish soup.
The pike begged:
- Let me go into the river, I will do whatever you ask.
“Have it your way, just first prove that you won’t deceive me.”
- Tell me, what would you like now?
- Let the buckets come home on their own and not spill a drop of water!
- Remember magic words. As soon as you want something, say: “At the behest of the pike, at my will...”
Emelya repeated:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will! Come on, buckets, go home.
As soon as he said the magic words, the buckets went home on their own.
The buckets go through the village, and Emelya trails behind them, chuckling. People look and are not surprised. They reached the house, the buckets jumped onto the bench, and Emelya climbed back onto the stove.
The daughters-in-law turn to Emelya again:
Why are you lying on the stove? Go chop some wood!
Come on! I don't feel like...
“If you don’t chop wood, your brothers will leave you without gifts.”
All the same, Emelya doesn’t want to bother with firewood. He remembered the pike’s words and whispered:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will... An ax, cut wood! And you, firewood, jump into the stove yourself!
Wonderful! In the yard, the ax chops the wood itself, and they jump into the stove! Only when the wood ran out did the ax return to its place under the bench.
The wives are not appeased:
- Emelya, we've run out of wood! Go into the forest and chop it.
He responded:
- What about yourself?
- Is it really our concern to go get firewood?
- I don’t want to!
- So you will be left without gifts.
Emela had to get off the stove again. He takes an ax and a rope, sits in the sleigh and shouts:
- Open the gates, women!
They responded:
- Why are you sitting down, fool? You have a sleigh without a horse!
- I don't need a horse.
The women opened the gates, and Emelya whispered:
- At the behest of the pike, at my desire... roll, sleigh, into the forest yourself!
Then the sleigh began to roll, and so quickly that even a horse could not overtake it.
The road lay through the city. He surprised a lot of people there, and suppressed those who were gaping.
They shout after him: “Stop! Hold it! Catch him!”, and he goes on his way, not paying attention to anyone. I reached the forest.
- At the behest of the pike, at my will! Rub, axe, dry firewood. And you, firewood, lie down in the sled, tie yourself together.
The hatchet will jump up and let’s chop off the dry branches. And they themselves fit into the sleigh and tie it with a rope. Then Emelya ordered the ax to find a heavy club so that it would be difficult to lift it. And he sits down in the sleigh and says:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will! Roll, sleigh, home yourself! 
Emelya again rides through the city, in which he surprised and suppressed a bunch of people, and there they are already waiting for him. They grabbed Emelya and pulled her off the cart, beat her, scolded her and called her names. He realized that it would be difficult for him and whispers:
At the behest of the pike, at my will! Bludgeon, hit their sides!
A baton jumped out and began to crush the sides. Everyone rushed in all directions. Emelya jumped into the sleigh and went home. He arrived and went straight to the stove.
The king found out about Emelya’s antics and called him to his place. He sent a servant to bring Emelya to the palace.
The servant arrived in the village, entered the hut and asked:
-Are you Emelya the fool?
Emelya in response:
- What do you want?
- Get ready, the king is calling you to the palace!
- I don’t feel like it.
The serviceman got angry and slapped Emelya in the face. Emelya whispers:
At the behest of the pike, at my will! Bludgeon, hit his sides!
The baton rose and began to beat the serviceman. He barely made it.
The king was surprised that he could not cope and returned without Emelya. He sends a nobleman after him and threatens to remove his head from his shoulders if he does not fulfill his order.
The nobleman bought delicious dishes, gingerbread, raisins, prunes, came to the village and went to his daughters-in-law. Asks them:
- What does your Emelya like?
- Loves affection and gifts. So if you ask, he will do everything.
A nobleman came to Emelya, gave him various goodies, raisins and gingerbread, and said:
- Get up, Emelya, from the stove. The king is waiting for you in the palace.
- I feel good here too.
- There they will feed you and give you something to drink. Let's go, please!
- Somewhat reluctant.
- The king has prepared gifts for you there! Boots, caftan and hat!
Emelya thought and answered:
- Okay, go ahead. I'll catch up with you.
Emelya lay there a little longer and whispered:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will! Go bake, go to the king’s palace.
The hut creaked, the logs crackled, the stove rolled out into the street and went to the king.
The king looks out the window and cannot believe his eyes! He sees Emelya on the stove coming to visit him.
The king went down to the porch and said:
- Hey, Emelya! People are complaining about you. You suppressed a lot of people!
- So they climbed under the sleigh themselves.
At that moment, Princess Marya looked out the window. Emelya noticed her and whispered:
- At the behest of the pike, at my will! May the king's daughter love me! And you, oven, go home!
They arrived home, the stove was back in its old place. And Emelya just lay there and still lies there.
Meanwhile, in the palace there are tears and snot. Marya Tsarevna laments and gets bored and cannot live without Emelya. She asks her father to give her in marriage to Emelya.
The Tsar-Sovereign became sad and began to think. Again he calls the nobleman and punishes:
- Bring Emelya to me. Otherwise I’ll leave you without a head!
The nobleman knows his business. He bought wine and snacks, came to Emelya and treated him.
He drank wine, ate snacks, got drunk and fell asleep. The nobleman took it and went to the king.
As soon as the nobleman came to the palace, the king ordered Emelya and Marya the princess to be walled up in a barrel, tarred and thrown into the sea.
Emelya woke up, and everything around him was cramped and dark. Asks:
-Where am I?
He hears in response:
- Emelyushka! We were walled up in a barrel, tarred and sent into the sea!
- Who are you?
- Marya the Princess.
- At the behest of the pike, at my will! Winds, direct the barrel to the shore, roll it out onto the sand.
The winds arrived, blew, directed the barrel to the shore and rolled it out onto the sand. Emelya and Princess Marya came out of it.
-Where should we live now? Build a hut, Emelyushka!
- I don’t feel like it.
- Emelya, build a hut, please...
- At the behest of the pike, at my will! Appear before me a golden palace!
As soon as he spoke, a golden palace and a green garden around him appeared before him. Flowers bloom in it, birds sing.
- Emelyushka, can you become handsome?
- At the behest of the pike, at my will! Let me become a handsome man, a good fellow!
Emelya turned into a handsome man, and into something that could neither be said in a fairy tale nor described with a pen.
The king was just passing through here on a hunting trip. He sees a palace in front of him that was not there before.
“Who dared to build a palace on royal land without my knowledge?”
I sent him to find out and find out. Emelya answered the ambassadors:
- Let the king himself come to visit. I'll tell him everything.
The king arrives to visit. Emelya meets him, escorts him to the palace, seats him at the table, and offers him treats. The king marvels, eats, drinks.
- Who are you, good fellow?
“Once upon a time the fool on the stove came to your palace. You ordered him to be walled up in a barrel with your daughter, tarred and thrown into the sea. So this is me! Emelya! Now if I want, I will destroy your kingdom.
The king was frightened and decided to ask for forgiveness.
- Take my daughter as your wife, Emelyushka, and the kingdom is mine, just don’t destroy me!
Emelya agreed. They arranged a feast for the whole world. Emelya married Princess Marya and became a ruler-sovereign.
That's the end of the fairy tale, at the behest of the pike, and whoever listened - well done!
Watch the cartoon “At the Order of the Pike”