The fairy tale tells how one day a king decided to give his daughter in marriage to someone who would build a flying ship. The ship was made by the youngest peasant son with the help of a forest wizard. The wizard told him to call everyone on the way to his ship. Having flown on a ship, he picks up miracle companions along the way. Wonderful craftsmen (Sagittarius, Skorokhoda, Obedalo, Opivalo, Moroz-Kreskun) help the hero get married, performing difficult tasks for him, assigned by the king...

Flying ship read

Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman. They had three sons - the two eldest were considered smart, and everyone called the youngest a fool. The old woman loved her elders - she dressed them cleanly and fed them delicious food. And the youngest walked around in a holey shirt, chewing black crust.
- He, the fool, doesn’t care: he doesn’t understand anything, he doesn’t understand anything!

One day the news reached that village: whoever builds a ship for the king that can sail the seas and fly under the clouds, the king will marry his daughter to him.

The older brothers decided to try their luck.

Let us go, father and mother! Perhaps one of us will become the king's son-in-law!

The mother equipped her eldest sons, baked them white pies for the journey, fried and cooked some chicken and goose:

Go, sons!

The brothers went into the forest and began to cut down and saw trees. They chopped and sawed a lot. And they don’t know what to do next. They began to argue and swear, and the next thing they knew, they would grab each other’s hair.

An old man came up to them and asked:

Why are you guys arguing and swearing? Maybe I can tell you something that will help you?

Both brothers attacked the old man - they did not listen to him, cursed him with bad words and drove him away. The old man left.

The brothers had a fight, ate all their provisions that their mother gave them, and returned home with nothing...

As soon as they arrived, the youngest began to ask:

Let me go now!

His mother and father began to dissuade him and hold him back:

Where are you going, you fool, the wolves will eat you along the way!

And the fool knows his own thing repeats:

Let me go, I’ll go, and don’t let me go, I’ll go!

Mother and father see that there is no way to deal with him. They gave him a crust of dry black bread for the road and escorted him out of the house. The fool took an ax with him and went into the forest. I walked and walked through the forest and spotted a tall pine tree: the top of this pine rests on the clouds, only three people can grasp it.

He cut down a pine tree and began clearing its branches. An old man approached him.

“Hello,” he says, “child!”

Hello, grandpa!

What are you doing, child, why did you cut down such a big tree?

But, grandfather, the king promised to marry his daughter to the one who would build him a flying ship, and I am building it.

Can you really make such a ship? This is a tricky matter, and perhaps you won’t be able to handle it.

The tricky thing is not tricky, but you have to try: you see, and I succeed! By the way, here you are: old, experienced, knowledgeable people. Maybe you can give me some advice.

The old man says:

Well, if you ask me for advice, listen: take your ax and chop this pine tree from the sides: like this!

And he showed how to trim.

The fool listened to the old man and hewed the pine the way he showed. He is cutting, and it’s amazing: the ax moves just like that, just like that!

Now, says the old man, trim the pine from the ends: like this and like that!

The fool doesn’t let the old man’s words fall on deaf ears: as the old man shows, so he does.

He finished the work, the old man praised him and said:

Well, now it’s not a sin to take a break and have a little snack.

“Eh, grandpa,” says the fool, “there will be food for me, this stale piece of meat.” What can I treat you with? You probably won’t bite my treat, will you?

“Come on, child,” says the old man, “give me your crust!”

The fool gave him some crust. The old man took it in his hands, examined it, felt it, and said:

Your little bitch is not so callous!

And he gave it to the fool. The fool took the crust and couldn’t believe his eyes: the crust turned into a soft and white loaf.

After they had eaten, the old man said:

Well, now let's start adjusting the sails!

And he took out a piece of canvas from his bosom. The old man shows, the fool tries, he does everything conscientiously - and the sails are ready, trimmed.

Now get into your ship,” says the old man, “and fly wherever you want.” Look, remember my order: on the way, put everyone you meet on your ship!

Here they said goodbye. The old man went his way, and the fool boarded the flying ship and straightened the sails. The sails inflated, the ship soared into the sky, and flew faster than a falcon. It flies a little lower than the walking clouds, a little higher than the standing forests...

The fool flew and flew and saw a man lying on the road with his ear pressed to the damp ground. He came down and said:

Hello, uncle!

Nice, well done!

What are you doing?

I listen to what is happening at the other end of the earth.

What's going on there, uncle?

Wow, what an earworm you are! Get on my ship and we'll fly together.

Rumor did not make excuses, boarded the ship, and they flew on.

They flew and flew and saw a man walking along the road, walking on one leg, and the other leg tied to his ear.

Hello, uncle!

Nice, well done!

Why are you jumping on one leg?

Yes, if I untie my other leg, I’ll cross the whole world in three steps!

You are so fast! Sit down with us.

The speedboat did not refuse, climbed onto the ship, and they flew on.

You never know how much time has flown by, and lo and behold, there’s a man standing with a gun, taking aim. It’s unknown what he’s aiming at.

Hello, uncle! Who are you aiming at? No animal or bird is visible around you.

What are you! Yes, I won’t shoot close. I’m aiming at a black grouse that’s sitting on a tree about a thousand miles away. This is how shooting is for me.

Sit down with us, let's fly together!

They flew and flew and saw: a man was walking, carrying a huge sack of bread behind his back.

Hello, uncle! Where are you going?

I'm going to get some bread for lunch.

What more bread do you need? Your bag is already full!

Whats up! Put this bread in my mouth and swallow it. And to eat my fill, I need a hundred times that amount!

Look what you are! Get on our ship and we'll fly together.

They fly over forests, they fly over fields, they fly over rivers, they fly over villages and villages.

Lo and behold: a man is walking near a large lake, shaking his head.

Hello, uncle! What is it you are looking for?

I'm thirsty, so I'm looking for somewhere to get drunk.

There's a whole lake in front of you. Drink to your heart's content!

Yes, this water will only last me one sip.

The fool marveled, his comrades marveled and said:

Well, don't worry, there will be water for you. Get on the ship with us, we will fly far, there will be plenty of water for you!

It is unknown how long they flew, they just see: a man is walking into the forest, and behind his shoulders is a bundle of brushwood.

Hello, uncle! Tell us: why are you dragging brushwood into the forest?

And this is not ordinary brushwood. If you scatter it, a whole army will immediately appear.

Sit down, uncle, with us!

They flew and flew, and lo and behold: an old man was walking, carrying a sack of straw.

Hello, grandpa, gray little head! Where are you taking the straw?

To the village.

Is there really not enough straw in the village?

There is a lot of straw, but there is no such thing.

What is it like for you?

Here's what it is: if I scatter it in the hot summer, it will suddenly become cold: snow will fall, frost will crackle.

If so, the truth is yours: you won’t find such straw in the village. Sit down with us!

Kholodlo climbed into the ship with his sack, and they flew on.

They flew and flew and arrived at the royal court.

The king was sitting at dinner at that time. He saw a flying ship and sent his servants:

Go ask: who flew on that ship - which overseas princes and princes?

The servants ran up to the ship and saw that ordinary men were sitting on the ship.

The royal servants did not even ask them who they were and where they came from. They returned and reported to the king:

Anyway! There is not a single prince on the ship, not a single prince, and all black bones are simple men. What do you want to do with them?

“It’s shameful for us to marry our daughter to a simple man,” the Tsar thinks. “We need to get rid of such suitors.”

He asked his courtiers - princes and boyars:

What should we do now, what should we do?

They advised:

It is necessary to ask the groom various difficult problems, maybe he won’t solve them. Then we will turn the corner and show him!

The king was delighted and immediately sent his servants to the fool with the following order:

Let the groom get us, before our royal dinner is over, living and dead water!

The fool thought:

What am I going to do now? Yes, I won’t find such water in a year, or maybe even my whole life.

What am I supposed to do? - says Skorokhod. - I’ll handle it for you in a moment.

He untied his leg from his ear and ran across distant lands to the thirtieth kingdom. I collected two jugs of living and dead water, and thought to myself: “There’s a lot of time left ahead, let me sit for a while and I’ll be back in time!”

He sat down under a thick, spreading oak tree and dozed off...

The royal dinner is coming to an end, but Skorokhod is gone.

Everyone on the flying ship was sunbathing - they didn’t know what to do. And Slukhalo put his ear to the damp earth, listened and said:

What a sleepy and drowsy one! He sleeps under a tree, snoring with all his might!

But I’ll wake him up now! - says Strelyalo.

He grabbed his gun, took aim and shot at the oak tree under which Skorokhod was sleeping. Acorns fell from the oak tree - right on Skorokhod’s head. He woke up.

Fathers, yes, no way, I fell asleep!

He jumped up and at that very moment brought jugs of water:

Get it!

The king stood up from the table, looked at the jugs and said:

Or maybe this water is not real?

They caught a rooster, tore off its head and sprinkled it with dead water. The head instantly grew larger. They sprinkled it with living water - the rooster jumped to his feet, flapping his wings, “cuckoo!” shouted.

The king became annoyed.

Well,” he says to the fool, “you have completed this task of mine.” Now I'll ask another one! If you are so clever, you and your matchmakers will eat in one sitting twelve roasted bulls and as much bread as was baked in forty ovens!

The fool became sad and said to his comrades:

Yes, I can’t even eat one piece of bread all day!

What am I supposed to do? - says Obedalo. - I can handle both the bulls and their grain alone. It won't be enough yet!

The fool ordered to tell the king:

Drag the bulls and the grain. Let's eat!

They brought twelve roasted bulls and as much bread as had been baked in forty ovens.

Let's eat the bulls, one by one. And he puts bread in his mouth and throws loaf after loaf. All the carts were empty.

Let's do more! - Obedalo shouts. - Why did they supply so little? I'm just getting the hang of it!

But the king has no more bulls or grain.

Now,” he says, “there is a new order for you: to drink forty barrels of beer at a time, each barrel containing forty buckets.”

“I can’t even drink one bucket,” says the fool to his matchmakers.

What a sadness! - Opivalo answers. - Yes, I’ll drink all their beer alone, it won’t be enough!

Forty barrels were rolled in. They began to scoop up beer in buckets and serve it to Opivale. He takes a sip - the bucket is empty.

What are you bringing me in buckets? - says Opivalo. - We'll be messing around all day!

He picked up the barrel and emptied it immediately, without stopping. He picked up another barrel - and the empty one rolled away. So I drained all forty barrels.

Isn’t there, he asks, another beer? I didn't drink to my heart's content! Don't get your throat wet!

The king sees: nothing can take the fool. I decided to destroy him with cunning.

Okay,” he says, “I’ll marry my daughter to you, get ready for the crown!” Just before the wedding, go to the bathhouse, wash and steam thoroughly.

And he ordered the bathhouse to be heated.

And the bathhouse was all cast iron.

For three days the bathhouse was heated, red-hot. It radiates with fire and heat; you can’t approach it within five fathoms.

How will I wash? - says the fool. - I'll burn alive.

Don’t be sad,” Kholololo answers. - I'll go with you!

He ran to the king and asked:

Would you allow me and my fiancé to go to the bathhouse? I'll lay out some straw for him so he doesn't get his heels dirty!

What about the king? He allowed: “That one will burn, that both!”

They brought the fool and the Refrigerator into the bathhouse and locked him there.

And Kholodillo scattered straw in the bathhouse - and it became cold, the walls were covered with frost, the water in the cast iron froze.

Some time passed and the servants opened the door. They look, and the fool is alive and well, and the old man too.

“Eh, you,” says the fool, “why don’t you take a steam bath in your bathhouse, how about riding on a sled!”

The servants ran to the king. They reported: So, they say, and so. The king was tossed around, he didn’t know what to do, how to get rid of the fool.

I thought and thought and ordered him:

Place a whole regiment of soldiers in front of my palace in the morning. If you do, I’ll marry my daughter to you. If you don’t throw me out, I’ll throw you out!

And on his own mind: “Where can a simple peasant get an army? He won't be able to do this. That’s when we’ll kick him out!”

The fool heard the royal order and said to his matchmakers:

You, brothers, have helped me out of trouble more than once or twice... And now what are we going to do?

Eh, you found something to be sad about! - says the old man with brushwood. - Yes, I’ll field at least seven regiments with generals! Go to the king, tell him - he will have an army!

The fool came to the king.

“I will carry out,” he says, “your order, only for the last time.” And if you make excuses, blame yourself!

Early in the morning, the old man with brushwood called the fool and went out into the field with him. He scattered the bundle, and a countless army appeared - both on foot and on horseback, and with cannons. Trumpeters blow trumpets, drummers beat drums, generals give commands, horses beat their hooves into the ground...

The fool stood in front and led the army to the royal court. He stopped in front of the palace and ordered the trumpets to be blown louder and the drums to be beaten harder.

The king heard it, looked out the window, and became whiter than a sheet of paper with fright. He ordered the commanders to withdraw their troops and go to war against the fool.

The governors brought out the tsar's army and began to shoot and fire at the fool. And the foolish soldiers march like a wall, crushing the royal army like grass. The commanders got scared and ran back, followed by the entire royal army.

The king crawled out of the palace, crawled on his knees in front of the fool, asking him to accept expensive gifts and marry the princess as soon as possible.

The fool says to the king:

Now you are not our guide! We have our own mind!

He drove the king away and never ordered him to return to that kingdom. And he himself married the princess.

The princess is a young and kind girl. There is no fault on her!

And he began to live in that kingdom and do all sorts of things.

(Illustration by M. Belomlinsky, published by Soviet Russia, 1987, Moscow)

Published by: Mishka 30.10.2017 11:19 10.04.2018

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flying ship

Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman. They had three sons - the two eldest were considered smart, and everyone called the youngest a fool. The old woman loved her elders - she dressed them cleanly and fed them delicious food. And the youngest walked around in a holey shirt, chewing black crust.
- He, the fool, doesn’t care - he doesn’t understand anything, doesn’t understand anything!
One day the news reached that village: whoever builds a ship for the king that can sail the seas and fly under the clouds, the king will marry his daughter to him.
The older brothers decided to try their luck.
- Let us go, father and mother! Perhaps one of us will become the king's son-in-law!
The mother equipped her eldest sons, baked them white pies for the journey, fried and cooked some chicken and goose:
- Go, sons!
The brothers went into the forest and began to cut down and saw trees. They chopped and sawed a lot. And they don’t know what to do next. They started arguing and swearing, and soon they would grab each other by the hair.
An old man came up to them and asked:
- Why are you guys arguing and swearing? Maybe I can tell you something that will help you?
Both brothers attacked the old man, did not listen to him, cursed him with bad words and drove him away. The old man left. The brothers had a fight, ate all their provisions that their mother gave them, and returned home with nothing...
As soon as they arrived, the youngest began to ask:
- Let me go now!
His mother and father began to dissuade him and hold him back:
- Where are you going, you fool, the wolves will eat you along the way! And the fool knows his own thing repeats:
- Let me go, I’ll go, and don’t let me go, I’ll go! Mother and father see that there is no way to deal with him. Dali
He had a piece of dry black bread on his way and was escorted out of the house. The fool took an ax with him and went into the forest. I walked and walked through the forest and spotted a tall pine tree: the top of this pine tree rests on the clouds, only three people can grasp it. He cut down a pine tree and began clearing it of branches. An old man approached him.
“Hello,” he says, “child!”
- Hello, grandfather!
- What are you doing, child, why did you cut down such a big tree?
- But, grandfather, the king promised to marry his daughter to the one who would build him a flying ship; I'm building it.
- Can you really build such a ship? This is a tricky matter, and perhaps you won’t be able to handle it.
- It’s not a tricky thing, but you have to try: you’ll see and I’ll get it right! By the way, you came here: old people, experienced, knowledgeable. Maybe you can give me some advice.
The old man says:
- Well, if you’re asking me for advice, listen: take your ax and chop this pine tree from the sides - like that!
And he showed how to trim.
The fool listened to the old man and hewed the pine the way he showed. As he hews, he’s amazed: the ax moves on its own, just like that!
“Now,” says the old man, “finish the pine from the ends - like this and like that!”
The fool doesn’t let the old man’s words fall on deaf ears: as the old man shows, so he does. He finished the work, the old man praised him and said:
- Well, now it’s not a sin to take a break and have a little snack. “Eh, grandpa,” says the fool, “there will be food for me: this stale piece of meat.” What can I treat you with? You probably won’t bite my treat?
“Come on, child,” says the old man, “give me your crust!”
The fool gave him some crust. The old man took it in his hands, examined it, felt it, and said:
- Your little bitch is not so callous!
And he gave it to the fool. The fool took the crust and couldn’t believe his eyes: the crust turned into a soft and white loaf. After they had eaten, the old man said:
- Well, now let's start adjusting the sails! And he took out a piece of canvas from his bosom.
The old man shows, the fool tries, he does everything conscientiously - and the sails are ready, trimmed.
“Now get into your ship,” says the old man, “and fly wherever you want.” Yes, remember my order: on the way, put everyone you meet on your ship!
Here they said goodbye. The old man went his way, and the fool boarded the flying ship and straightened the sails. The sails inflated, the ship soared into the sky, and flew faster than a falcon. It flies a little lower than the walking clouds, a little higher than the standing forests...
The fool flew and flew and saw a man lying on the road with his ear pressed to the damp ground. He came down and said:
- Great, uncle!
- Nice, well done!
- What are you doing?
“I’m listening to what’s going on at the other end of the earth.”
- What's going on there, uncle?
- The vocal birds are singing and singing, one is better than the other!
- What a rumored person you are! Get on my ship and we'll fly together.
Rumor did not make excuses, boarded the ship, and they flew on. As they flew and flew, they saw a man walking along the road, walking on one leg, and the other leg tied to his ear.
- Great, uncle!
- Nice, well done!
- Why are you jumping on one leg?
- Yes, if I untie my other leg, I’ll cross the whole world in three steps!
- You're so fast! Get on our ship. The speedster did not refuse, he climbed onto the ship,
and they flew on.

Young lover of literature, we are firmly convinced that you will enjoy reading the fairy tale “The Flying Ship” and you will be able to learn a lesson and benefit from it. The story takes place in distant times or “A long time ago” as people say, but those difficulties, those obstacles and difficulties are close to our contemporaries. “Good always triumphs over evil” - creations like this one are built on this foundation, laying the foundation for our worldview from an early age. Here you can feel harmony in everything, even the negative characters seem to be an integral part of existence, although, of course, they go beyond the boundaries of what is acceptable. The dialogues of the characters are often touching; they are full of kindness, kindness, directness, and with their help a different picture of reality emerges. Reading such creations in the evening, the pictures of what is happening become more vivid and rich, filled with a new range of colors and sounds. When faced with such strong, strong-willed and kind qualities of the hero, you involuntarily feel the desire to transform yourself for the better. The fairy tale “The Flying Ship” is definitely worth reading for free online; it contains a lot of kindness, love and chastity, which is useful for raising a young individual.

F or your own grandfather and grandmother. And they had three sons: two were smart, and the third was a fool. They pity and pity the smart ones, the woman gives them white shirts every day, but they still scold and laugh at the fool. And he lies on the stove in a black shirt; as soon as they give him something, he will eat, but if he doesn’t, he will go hungry.
But then a rumor spread that it was like this: a royal decree had come that they would gather at the king’s for a feast, and whoever builds such a ship so that he can fly himself, let him fly on that ship, the king will give his daughter to him.
Smart brothers consult among themselves:
“Shouldn’t we go too, maybe our happiness awaits us there!”
They consulted and asked their father and mother:
“We’ll go,” they say, “to the king for a feast: if we lose, we won’t lose anything.”
The old people - there was nothing to do - took it and got them ready for the journey, the woman baked them white pies, roasted a pig, and gave them a bottle of wine.
The brothers went into the forest. They cut down a tree there and began to think about how to build a flying ship here.
An old grandfather, as old as milk, white, with a beard to his waist, comes up to them.
- Hello, sons! Let the fire light the pipe.
“We have no time, grandfather, to bother with you.” And they began to think again.
“You’ll make a good pig trough, children,” said the old man. “But you won’t be able to see the princess like your ears.”
He said - and disappeared, as if he had never existed. The brothers thought and thought and racked their brains, but nothing came of it.
“We’ll go to the king on horseback,” says the elder brother. “We won’t marry the princess, but we’ll just take a walk.”
The brothers mounted their horses and rode off. And the fool sits on the stove and also asks:
“I’ll go where the brothers went!”
- What did you come up with, you fool? - says the mother. - The wolves will eat you there!
“No,” he says, “they won’t eat it!” I'll go!
His parents laughed at him at first, and then started scolding him. Where is it? They see that nothing can be done with a fool, and finally they say:
- Well, go, but so that you don’t come back and don’t admit that you are our son.
The woman gave him a bag, put black stale bread in it, gave him a bottle of water and escorted him out of the house.
So he went.
He goes on his way and suddenly meets his grandfather on the road: such a gray-haired grandfather, his beard is completely white - right down to his waist!
- Great, grandfather!
- Great, son!
-Where are you going, grandfather? And he says:
“I walk around the world, helping people out of trouble.” And where are you going?
- I'm going to the king for a feast.
“Can you,” asks the grandfather, “know how to make a ship so that it can fly?”
“No,” he says, “I can’t!”
- So why are you going?
“Who knows,” he says, “why?” If I lose it, I won’t lose it, but maybe my happiness is lying somewhere somewhere.
“Sit down,” says the grandfather, “get some rest and let’s have lunch.” Get out what's in your bag!
- Eh, grandpa, there’s nothing here, the bread is so stale that you can’t even bite it.
- Nothing, get it!
So the fool gets it, and suddenly from that black bread the pies became so white that he had never seen such ones in his life: like the lords. The fool was surprised, and the grandfather grinned.
They spread the scrolls on the grass, sat down, and let's have lunch. We had a proper lunch, the grandfather thanked the fool and said:
- Well, listen, son: now go into the forest and find the largest oak tree with branches growing crosswise. Hit it with an axe, and quickly fall flat and lie there until someone calls you. Then,” he says, “a ship will be built for you, and you get on it and fly where you want, and along the way, pick up whoever you meet there.”
The fool thanked his grandfather and said goodbye. The grandfather went his way, and the fool went into the forest.
He entered the forest, approached an oak tree with branches growing crosswise, hit it with an ax, fell flat and fell asleep... He slept and slept... And after a while he heard someone waking him up:
- Get up, your happiness is already ripe, get up!
The fool woke up, looked - there was already a ship in front of him: it was golden, the rigging was silver, and the silk sails were swelling - just to fly!
So, without thinking for a long time, he boarded the ship. That ship rose and flew... How it flew below the sky, above the earth - and you can’t catch it with your eyes.
He flew and flew and saw: a man crouched on the road with his ear to the ground and listened. The fool called out:
- Great, uncle!
- Great, brother!
- What are you doing?
“I’m listening,” he says, “to see if people have already gathered at the king’s feast.”
- Are you going there?
- There.
- Sit down with me, I’ll give you a ride.
He sat down. They flew off.
They flew and flew and saw: a man was walking along the road - one leg was tied to his ear, and he was jumping on the other.
- Great, uncle!
- Great, brother!
- Why are you jumping on one leg?
“Because,” he says, “if I untie the second one and step once, I will cross the whole world.” But I,” he says, “don’t want...
-Where are you going?
- To the king for a feast.
- Sit down with us.
- OK.
He sat down and flew off again.
They flew and flew and saw: a shooter was standing on the road and taking aim with a bow, but neither a bird nor an animal was visible anywhere.
The fool shouted:
- Great, uncle! Where are you aiming? No bird or animal is visible anywhere!
“You can’t see it, but I can see it!”
- Where do you see that bird?
“Hey,” he says, “there, a hundred miles away, he’s sitting on a dry pear tree!”
- Sit down with us!
He sat down. Let's fly.
They flew and flew and saw: a man was walking and was carrying a full sack of bread behind his back.
- Great, uncle!
- Great!
- Where are you going?
“I’m going,” he says, “to get bread for dinner.”
- Yes, you already have a full bag!
“But there’s not enough for me to have breakfast here.”
- Sit down with us!
- OK!
This one sat down too. Let's fly.
They flew and flew and saw: a man walking near the lake, as if looking for something.
- Great, uncle!
- Great!
- Why are you walking here?
“I’m thirsty,” he says, “but I can’t find water.”
- So there’s a whole lake in front of you, why don’t you drink?
- Eh, how much water is there! Even one sip is not enough for me.
- So sit down with us!
- OK.
He sat down and they flew off.
They flew and flew and saw: a man was walking into the village and carrying a sack of straw.
- Great, uncle! Where are you taking the straw?
“To the village,” he says.
- Isn’t there straw in the village?
“Yes,” he says, “but not like that!”
- Isn’t this one simple?
“And this,” he says, “no matter how hot the summer is, as soon as you scatter this straw, then immediately - out of nowhere - frost and snow.”
- Sit down with us! He sat down and flew on. They flew and flew and saw: a man was walking into the forest and carrying a bundle of firewood behind his back.
- Great, uncle!
- Great!
-Where are you taking the firewood?
- In the forest.
- Hey! Isn't there any firewood in the forest?
- Why not? There are, he says, but not like that.
- Which ones?
“There,” he says, “they are simple, but these are such that as soon as you scatter them, then immediately - out of nowhere - an army is in front of you!”
- Sit down with us!
And he agreed, sat down, and flew off.
Whether they flew for a long time or not for long, they arrived at the king’s feast. And there, in the middle of the courtyard, the tables are set, covered, barrels of honey and wine are high: drink, eat, whatever you want! And almost half the kingdom of people came together: the old, the young, the gentlemen, and the poor. Like going to the market. The fool arrived with his friends on a ship and sat down in front of the king's windows. They got off the ship and went to dinner.
The king looks out the window and sees: a golden ship has arrived! He says to his lackey:
- Go ask who arrived on the golden ship.
The footman went, looked, and came to the king:
“Some,” he says, “ragged men!”
The king doesn't believe it.
“It can’t be,” he says, “that the men would arrive on a golden ship!” You probably didn't try.
He took it and went to the people himself.
“Who,” he asks, “came here on this ship?”
The fool stepped forward:
- I! - speaks.
When the king saw that he had a scroll - patch on patch, trousers - his knees were hanging out, he grabbed his head: “How is it possible that I would give my daughter for such a man!”
What to do? And let him give orders to the fool.
“Go,” he says to the footman, “tell him that even though he arrived on a ship, if he doesn’t get medicinal and healing water while the people have lunch, not only will I not give up the princess, but the sword will be his head off his shoulders!”
The footman went.
And Listeno, the same one who had his ear to the ground, overheard what the king was saying and told it to the fool. The fool sits on a bench at the table and is sad: he does not eat, does not drink. Skorokhod saw this:
“Why don’t you eat,” he says?
- Where can I eat?
And he said this and that:
- The king ordered me to get medicinal and healing water while the people were having lunch... How will I get it?
- Do not worry! I'll get it for you!
- Well look!
A footman comes and gives him a royal order, but he has long known how and what.
“Tell me,” he answers, “what I’ll bring!” Skorokhod untied his leg from his ear and, as soon as he waved, he jumped to the medicinal and healing water in an instant.
I dialed in, but was very tired. “Well,” he thinks, “by the time lunch is over, I’ll have time to return, and now I’ll sit under the mill and rest a little.”
He sat down and fell asleep. People are already finishing lunch, but he’s not there. The fool sits neither alive nor dead. Gone!” - thinks.
Listener put his ear to the ground - let's listen. He listened and listened and said:
- Don’t be sad, he’s sleeping under the mill, so he’s dashing!
- What are we going to do now? - says the fool. - How can we wake him up? And the shooter says:
- Don't be afraid: I'll wake you up!
He pulled the bow and as soon as it fired, even chips fell from the mill... The fast walker woke up - and quickly went back! People are just finishing lunch, and he brings that water.
The king does not know what to do. Let's give the second order: if he eats six pairs of roasted oxen and forty ovens of bread at one time, then, he says, I will give my daughter to him, and if she doesn't eat it, then: my sword - and his head is off his shoulders!
I listened and overheard this and told the fool.
- What should I do now? I won't eat even one loaf of bread! - says the fool. And again he became sad and cried. And Obedailo says:
“Don’t cry, I’ll eat for everyone, and it won’t be enough.”
The footman comes: so and so.
“Okay,” says the fool, “let them give it!” So they roasted six pairs of oxen and baked forty ovens of bread.
As soon as he started eating, he ate everything clean and asked for more.
“Eh,” he says, “not enough!” If only they had given me a little more...
The king sees that things are bad. Again the order was given that this time he should drink twelve barrels of water in one breath and twelve barrels of wine, but if he doesn’t drink: here is the sword - his head is off his shoulders!
Listener overheard and told. The fool is crying again.
“Don’t cry,” says Opivailo, “I’ll drink, and it won’t be enough.”
Here they rolled out twelve barrels of water and wine.
As soon as he started drinking, Opivailo drank every drop, and he chuckled.
“Eh,” he says, “not enough!”
The Tsar sees that he can’t do anything, and he thinks to himself: “We need to kill him, this guy!”
So he sends a lackey to the fool:
- Go and say: the king said that you should go to the bathhouse before the wedding.
Meanwhile, he orders another footman to heat the cast-iron bathhouse: “There he, so-and-so, will bake!” The footman heated the bathhouse enough to bake the devil himself.
They told the fool. He goes to the bathhouse, followed by Frost and the straw. There Frost crushed the straw - and immediately it became so cold that the fool climbed onto the stove and fell asleep, because he was completely chilled. The next day the footman opens the bathhouse and thinks that all that remains from the fool is ashes. And he lies on the stove and whatever. The footman woke him up.
“Wow,” he says, “how soundly I slept!” Nice bath you have!
They told the king that it was like this: he slept on the stove, and the bathhouse was so cold, as if it had not been heated all winter. The king began to worry: what should I do? I thought and thought and thought and thought...
Finally he says:
- The neighboring king is coming to war against us. So I want to test the suitors. Whoever gets me a regiment of soldiers by morning and leads them into battle himself, I’ll give my daughter in marriage to him.
Listener overheard this and told the fool. The fool sits and cries again:
- What should I do now? Where will I get this army?
Goes to the ship to visit friends.
“Help, brothers,” he says, “otherwise I’m completely lost!”
- Do not Cry! - says the one who was carrying firewood into the forest. - I will help you out.
A footman arrives and gives the royal order.
“Okay, I’ll do it,” says the fool. “Just tell the king that if he doesn’t give up his daughter now, then I’ll go to war against him.”
At night, the fool's friend led him into the field and carried with him a bundle of firewood. How he began to scatter that firewood there, so that every log became a soldier. And so the whole regiment was thrown away.
In the morning the king wakes up and hears: they are playing. He is asking:
- Who is playing this early?
“This,” they say, “is the one who arrived on the golden ship, training his army.”
And the fool has become such that you can’t even recognize him: his clothes simply sparkle, and he himself is so handsome, who knows!
He leads his army, and he himself rides in front on a black horse, followed by the foreman. Soldiers in the ranks - like a selection!
A fool led an army against the enemy. And he began to slash right and left so that he defeated all the enemy soldiers. Only at the very end of the battle he was wounded in the leg.
Meanwhile, the king and his daughter drove up to watch the battle.
The princess saw the bravest warrior wounded in the leg and tore the scarf into two halves. She kept one half for herself, and bandaged the wound of that brave warrior with the other.
The battle is over. The fool got ready and went home.
And the king threw a feast and decided to invite the one who defeated his enemies to visit him.
They searched and searched all over the kingdom - there was nothing like this anywhere.
Then the princess says:
“He has a sign: I bandaged his wound with my handkerchief.”
They started looking again.
Finally, two of the king's servants came to the fool. They look, and indeed one of his legs is bandaged with the princess’s scarf.
The servants grabbed him and started dragging him to the king. And he didn’t move.
“At least let me wash myself,” he says. “Where can I go to the Tsar, such a dirty man?”
He went to the bathhouse, washed himself, put on the clothes in which he fought, and again became so handsome that the servants even opened their mouths.
He jumped on his horse and rode off.
The princess comes out to meet her. I saw and immediately recognized the one whose wound I had bandaged with my handkerchief.
She liked him even more.
Here they got married and celebrated such a wedding that smoke went straight into the sky.
Here's a fairy tale for you, and a bunch of bagels for me.

Russian folk tales

A fairy tale about three brothers, two were smart, and the youngest was a fool. The king issued a decree - whoever makes him a flying ship that will fly through the air, he will marry his daughter to him. Two smart brothers decided to try their luck, took some food and went into the forest to build a flying ship. In the forest we met an old man who asked what they were up to. The brothers drove him away, ate everything they took with them, fussed with the flying ship, but without building anything, they returned back. Then the youngest son decided to build a ship. He took a stale piece of bread and an ax and went to build. I met the same old man, from whom I asked for advice, and treated him to some kraukha. And the old man turned out to be a wizard - he advised him how to properly build a flying ship and advised him to take everyone he met along the way with him. The fool flew to the king, and on the way he met and took on board the flying ship Slukhailo, he could hear what was happening at the other end of the earth, Skorokhod - he moved very quickly, Shot - he could shoot a grouse a thousand miles away, Eaten - he could very eat a lot, Opivolo - he could drink a lot of liquid, Cold - he had magic straw that froze everything and another wizard who had brushwood, scattering it on the ground, an army immediately appeared. When the flying ship flew up to the king, he decided to find out who would become his son-in-law. When he found out that there was only darkness on the ship and not a single prince or prince, he decided to come up with tasks that no one could handle. To begin with, he needed living and dead water - Skorokhod coped with this task, but fell asleep on the way back and Strelyala had to shoot at the oak tree under which he had fallen asleep. The fast walker woke up and brought water. Then the king roasted 12 bulls and bread in 40 ovens; Oededalo easily dealt with this problem. Then the king ordered to drink 40 barrels of beer, but Opivalo didn’t even get drunk with it. The Tsar ordered to melt the cast-iron bathhouse so that it was impossible to approach it, let alone take a steam bath, but the Cooler spread out his magic straw and everything froze. Finally, the king ordered an army to be lined up in front of his palace. And the matchmakers coped with this task - they deployed such an army that they crushed the royal army, and drove the king himself out of the palace. The youngest son married the king's daughter and lived happily ever after.

There was an old man and an old woman. They had three sons - the two eldest were considered smart, and everyone called the youngest a fool. The old woman loved her elders - she dressed them cleanly and fed them delicious food. And the youngest walked around in a holey shirt, chewing black crust.
- He, the fool, doesn’t care: he doesn’t understand anything, he doesn’t understand anything!
One day the news reached that village: whoever builds a ship for the king that can sail the seas and fly under the clouds, the king will marry his daughter to him.
The older brothers decided to try their luck.
- Let us go, father and mother! Perhaps one of us will become the king's son-in-law!
The mother equipped her eldest sons, baked them white pies for the journey, fried and cooked some chicken and goose:
- Go, sons!
The brothers went into the forest and began to cut down and saw trees. They chopped and sawed a lot. And they don’t know what to do next. They began to argue and swear, and the next thing they knew, they would grab each other’s hair.
An old man came up to them and asked:
- Why are you guys arguing and swearing? Maybe I can tell you something that will help you?
Both brothers attacked the old man - they did not listen to him, cursed him with bad words and drove him away. The old man left.
The brothers had a fight, ate all their provisions that their mother gave them, and returned home with nothing...
As soon as they arrived, the youngest began to ask:
- Let me go now!
His mother and father began to dissuade him and hold him back:
- Where are you going, you fool, the wolves will eat you along the way!
And the fool knows his own thing repeats:
- Let me go, I’ll go, and don’t let me go, I’ll go!
Mother and father see that there is no way to deal with him. They gave him a crust of dry black bread for the road and escorted him out of the house.
The fool took an ax with him and went into the forest. I walked and walked through the forest and spotted a tall pine tree: the top of this pine rests on the clouds, only three people can grasp it.
He cut down a pine tree and began clearing its branches. An old man approached him.
“Hello,” he says, “child!”
- Hello, grandfather!
- What are you doing, child, why did you cut down such a big tree?
- But, grandfather, the king promised to marry his daughter to the one who would build him a flying ship, and I am building it.
-Can you really make such a ship? This is a tricky matter, and perhaps you won’t be able to handle it.
- The tricky thing is not tricky, but you have to try: you look, and I succeed! Well, you came by the way: old people, experienced, knowledgeable. Maybe you can give me some advice.
The old man says:
- Well, if you ask for advice, listen: take your ax and chop this pine tree from the sides: like this!
And he showed how to trim.
The fool listened to the old man and hewed the pine the way he showed. He is cutting, and it’s amazing: the ax moves just like that, just like that!
“Now,” says the old man, “finish the pine from the ends: like this and like that!”
The fool doesn’t let the old man’s words fall on deaf ears: as the old man shows, so he does.
He finished the work, the old man praised him and said:
- Well, now it’s not a sin to take a break and have a little snack.
“Eh, grandpa,” says the fool, “there’s food for me, this stale piece of meat.” What can I treat you with? You probably won’t bite my treat, will you?
“Come on, child,” says the old man, “give me your crust!”
The fool gave him some crust. The old man took it in his hands, examined it, felt it, and said:
- Your crust isn’t so callous!

And he gave it to the fool. The fool took the crust and couldn’t believe his eyes: the crust turned into a soft and white loaf.
After they had eaten, the old man said:
- Well, now we’ll start adjusting the sails!
And he took out a piece of canvas from his bosom.
The old man shows, the fool tries, he does everything conscientiously - and the sails are ready, trimmed.

Now get into your ship,” says the old man, “and fly wherever you want.” Look, remember my order: on the way, put everyone you meet on your ship!
Here they said goodbye. The old man went his way, and the fool boarded the flying ship and straightened the sails. The sails inflated, the ship soared into the sky, and flew faster than a falcon. It flies a little lower than the walking clouds, a little higher than the standing forests...
The fool flew and flew and saw a man lying on the road with his ear pressed to the damp ground. He came down and said:
- Great, uncle!
- Nice, well done!
- What are you doing?
- I’m listening to what’s going on at the other end of the earth.
- What’s going on there, uncle?
- The vocal birds are singing and singing, one is better than the other!
-What a great listener you are! Get on my ship and we'll fly together.
Rumor did not make excuses, boarded the ship, and they flew on.
They flew and flew and saw a man walking along the road, walking on one leg, and the other leg tied to his ear.
- Great, uncle!
- Nice, well done!
- Why are you jumping on one leg?
- Yes, if I untie my other leg, I’ll cross the whole world in three steps!
-You're so fast! Sit down with us.
The speedboat did not refuse, climbed onto the ship, and they flew on.
You never know how much time has flown by, and lo and behold, there’s a man standing with a gun, taking aim. It’s unknown what he’s aiming at.
- Great, uncle! Who are you aiming at? No animal or bird is visible around you.
- What a people you are! Yes, I won’t shoot close. I’m aiming at a black grouse that’s sitting on a tree about a thousand miles away. This is how shooting is for me.
-Sit down with us, let's fly together!
Shot and sat down, and they all flew on.
They flew and flew and saw: a man was walking, carrying a huge sack of bread behind his back.
- Great, uncle! Where are you going?
- I’m going to get some bread for lunch.
- What more bread do you need? Your bag is already full!
- Whats up! Put this bread in my mouth and swallow it. And to eat my fill, I need a hundred times that amount!
- Look what you are! Get on our ship and we'll fly together.
Obedalo and he boarded the ship, and they flew on.
They fly over forests, they fly over fields, they fly over rivers, they fly over villages and villages.
Lo and behold: a man is walking near a large lake, shaking his head.
- Great, uncle! What is it you are looking for?
- I’m thirsty, so I’m looking for somewhere to get drunk.
- Yes, there is a whole lake in front of you. Drink to your heart's content!
- Yes, this water will only last me one sip.
The fool marveled, his comrades marveled and said:
- Well, don’t worry, there will be water for you. Get on the ship with us, we will fly far, there will be plenty of water for you!
Opivalo got into the ship, and they flew on.
It is unknown how long they flew, they just see: a man is walking into the forest, and behind his shoulders is a bundle of brushwood.
- Great, uncle! Tell us: why are you dragging brushwood into the forest?
- And this is not ordinary brushwood. If you scatter it, a whole army will immediately appear.
- Sit down, uncle, with us!
And this one sat down with them. They flew on.
They flew and flew, and lo and behold: an old man was walking, carrying a sack of straw.
- Great, grandpa, gray little head! Where are you taking the straw?
- To the village.
- Isn’t there enough straw in the village?
- There is a lot of straw, but there is no such thing.
-What is it like for you?
- Here’s what it is: as soon as I scatter it in the hot summer, it will suddenly become cold: snow will fall, frost will crackle.
- If so, the truth is yours: you won’t find such straw in the village. Sit down with us!
Kholodlo climbed into the ship with his sack, and they flew on.
They flew and flew and arrived at the royal court.

The king was sitting at dinner at that time. He saw a flying ship and sent his servants:
- Go and ask: who flew on that ship - what overseas princes and princes?
The servants ran up to the ship and saw that ordinary men were sitting on the ship.
The royal servants did not even ask them who they were and where they came from. They returned and reported to the king:
- Anyway! There is not a single prince on the ship, not a single prince, and all black bones are simple men. What do you want to do with them?
“It’s shameful for us to marry our daughter to a simple man,” the Tsar thinks. “We need to get rid of such suitors.”
He asked his courtiers - princes and boyars:
- What should we do now, what should we do?
They advised:
- We need to ask the groom various difficult problems, otherwise he won’t be able to solve them. Then we will turn the corner and show him!
The king was delighted and immediately sent his servants to the fool with the following order:
- Let the groom get us, before our royal dinner is over, living and dead water!
The fool thought:
- What am I going to do now? Yes, I won’t find such water in a year, or maybe even my whole life.
-What am I supposed to do? - says Skorokhod. - I’ll handle it for you in a moment.
He untied his leg from his ear and ran across distant lands to the thirtieth kingdom. I collected two jugs of living and dead water, and thought to myself: “There’s a lot of time left ahead, let me sit for a while and I’ll be back in time!”
He sat down under a thick, spreading oak tree and dozed off...
The royal dinner is coming to an end, but Skorokhod is gone.
Everyone on the flying ship was sunbathing - they didn’t know what to do. And Slukhalo put his ear to the damp earth, listened and said:
- What a sleepy and dozy one! He sleeps under a tree, snoring with all his might!
- But I’ll wake him up now! - says Strelyalo.
He grabbed his gun, took aim and shot at the oak tree under which Skorokhod was sleeping. Acorns fell from the oak tree - right on Skorokhod’s head. He woke up.
- Fathers, yes, no way, I fell asleep!
He jumped up and at that very moment brought jugs of water:
- Get it!
The king stood up from the table, looked at the jugs and said:
- Or maybe this water is not real?
They caught a rooster, tore off its head and sprinkled it with dead water. The head instantly grew larger. They sprinkled it with living water - the rooster jumped to his feet, flapping his wings, “cuckoo!” shouted.
The king became annoyed.
“Well,” he says to the fool, “you have completed this task of mine.” Now I'll ask another one! If you are so clever, you and your matchmakers will eat in one sitting twelve roasted bulls and as much bread as was baked in forty ovens!
The fool became sad and said to his comrades:
- I can’t even eat one piece of bread in a whole day!
-What am I supposed to do? - says Obedalo. - I can handle both the bulls and their grain alone. It won't be enough yet!
The fool ordered to tell the king:
- Drag the bulls and the grain. Let's eat!
They brought twelve roasted bulls and as much bread as had been baked in forty ovens.
Let's eat the bulls, one by one. And he puts bread in his mouth and throws loaf after loaf. All the carts were empty.
- Let's do more! - Obedalo shouts. - Why did they supply so little? I'm just getting the hang of it!
But the king has no more bulls or grain.
“Now,” he says, “there is a new order for you: to drink forty barrels of beer at a time, each barrel containing forty buckets.”
“I can’t even drink one bucket,” says the fool to his matchmakers.
- What sadness! - Opivalo answers. - Yes, I’ll drink all their beer alone, it won’t be enough!
Forty barrels were rolled in. They began to scoop up beer in buckets and serve it to Opivale. He takes a sip - the bucket is empty.
-What are you bringing me in buckets? - says Opivalo. - We'll be messing around all day!
He picked up the barrel and emptied it immediately, without stopping. He picked up another barrel - and the empty one rolled away. So I drained all forty barrels.
“Isn’t it,” he asks, another beer? I didn't drink to my heart's content! Don't get your throat wet!
The king sees: nothing can take the fool. I decided to destroy him with cunning.
“Okay,” he says, “I’ll marry my daughter to you, get ready for the crown!” Just before the wedding, go to the bathhouse, wash and steam thoroughly.
And he ordered the bathhouse to be heated.
And the bathhouse was all cast iron.
For three days the bathhouse was heated, red-hot. It radiates with fire and heat; you can’t approach it within five fathoms.
-How will I wash myself? - says the fool. - I'll burn alive.
“Don’t be sad,” answers Kholodil. - I'll go with you!
He ran to the king and asked:
- Would you allow me and my fiancé to go to the bathhouse? I'll lay out some straw for him so he doesn't get his heels dirty!
What about the king? He allowed: “That one will burn, that both!”
They brought the fool and the Refrigerator into the bathhouse and locked him there.
And Kholodillo scattered straw in the bathhouse - and it became cold, the walls were covered with frost, the water in the cast iron froze.

Some time passed and the servants opened the door. They look, and the fool is alive and well, and the old man too.
“Eh, you,” says the fool, “why don’t you take a steam bath in your bathhouse, but maybe ride on a sled!”
The servants ran to the king. They reported: So, they say, and so. The king was tossed around, he didn’t know what to do, how to get rid of the fool.
I thought and thought and ordered him:
- Deploy a whole regiment of soldiers in front of my palace in the morning. If you do, I’ll marry my daughter to you. If you don’t throw me out, I’ll throw you out!
And on his own mind: “Where can a simple peasant get an army? He won't be able to do this. That’s when we’ll kick him out!”
The fool heard the royal order and said to his matchmakers:
-You, brothers, helped me out of trouble more than once or twice... And now what are we going to do?
- Eh, you found something to be sad about! - says the old man with brushwood. - Yes, I’ll field at least seven regiments with generals! Go to the king, tell him - he will have an army!
The fool came to the king.
“I will carry out,” he says, “your order, just for the last time.” And if you make excuses, blame yourself!
Early in the morning, the old man with brushwood called the fool and went out into the field with him. He scattered the bundle, and a countless army appeared - both on foot and on horseback, and with cannons. Trumpeters blow trumpets, drummers beat drums, generals give commands, horses beat their hooves into the ground...
The fool stood in front and led the army to the royal court. He stopped in front of the palace and ordered the trumpets to be blown louder and the drums to be beaten harder.
The king heard it, looked out the window, and became whiter than a sheet of paper with fright. He ordered the commanders to withdraw their troops and go to war against the fool.
The governors brought out the tsar's army and began to shoot and fire at the fool. And the foolish soldiers march like a wall, crushing the royal army like grass. The commanders got scared and ran back, followed by the entire royal army.
The king crawled out of the palace, crawled on his knees in front of the fool, asking him to accept expensive gifts and marry the princess as soon as possible.
The fool says to the king:
- Now you are not our guide! We have our own mind!
He drove the king away and never ordered him to return to that kingdom. And he himself married the princess.
- The princess is a young and kind girl. There is no fault on her!
And he began to live in that kingdom and do all sorts of things.

Russian folk tale "The Flying Ship" is included in

Grandfather and grandmother lived there. And they had three sons: two were smart, and the third was a fool. They pity and pity the smart ones, the woman gives them white shirts every day, but they still scold and laugh at the fool. And he lies on the stove in a black shirt; as soon as they give him something, he will eat, but if he doesn’t, he will go hungry.

But then a rumor spread that it was like this: a royal decree had come that they would gather at the king’s for a feast, and whoever builds such a ship so that he can fly himself, let him fly on that ship, the king will give his daughter to him.

Smart brothers consult among themselves:

“Shouldn’t we go too, maybe our happiness awaits us there!”

They consulted and asked their father and mother:

“We’ll go,” they say, “to the king for a feast: if we lose, we won’t lose anything.”

The old people - there was nothing to do - took it and got them ready for the journey, the woman baked them white pies, roasted a pig, and gave them a bottle of wine.

The brothers went into the forest. They cut down a tree there and began to think about how to build a flying ship here.

An old grandfather, as old as milk, white, with a beard to his waist, comes up to them.

- Hello, sons! Let the fire light the pipe.

“We have no time, grandfather, to bother with you.” And they began to think again.

“You’ll make a good pig trough, children,” said the old man. “But you won’t be able to see the princess like your ears.”

He said - and disappeared, as if he had never existed. The brothers thought and thought and racked their brains, but nothing came of it.

“We’ll go to the king on horseback,” says the elder brother. “We won’t marry the princess, but we’ll just take a walk.”

The brothers mounted their horses and rode off. And the fool sits on the stove and also asks:

“I’ll go where the brothers went!”

- What did you come up with, you fool? - says the mother. - The wolves will eat you there!

“No,” he says, “they won’t eat it!” I'll go!

His parents laughed at him at first, and then started scolding him. Where is it? They see that nothing can be done with a fool, and finally they say:

- Well, go, but so that you don’t come back and don’t admit that you are our son.

The woman gave him a bag, put black stale bread in it, gave him a bottle of water and escorted him out of the house.

So he went.

He goes on his way and suddenly meets his grandfather on the road: such a gray-haired grandfather, his beard is completely white - right down to his waist!

- Great, grandfather!

- Great, son!

-Where are you going, grandfather? And he says:

“I walk around the world, helping people out of trouble.” And where are you going?

- I'm going to the king for a feast.

“Can you,” asks the grandfather, “know how to make a ship so that it can fly?”

“No,” he says, “I can’t!”

- So why are you going?

“Who knows,” he says, “why?” If I lose it, I won’t lose it, but maybe my happiness is lying somewhere somewhere.

“Sit down,” says the grandfather, “get some rest and let’s have lunch.” Get out what's in your bag!

- Eh, grandpa, there’s nothing here, the bread is so stale that you can’t even bite it.

- Nothing, get it!

So the fool gets it, and suddenly from that black bread the pies became so white that he had never seen such ones in his life: like the lords. The fool was surprised, and the grandfather grinned.

They spread the scrolls on the grass, sat down, and let's have lunch. We had a proper lunch, the grandfather thanked the fool and said:

- Well, listen, son: now go into the forest and find the largest oak tree with branches growing crosswise. Hit it with an axe, and quickly fall flat and lie there until someone calls you. Then,” he says, “a ship will be built for you, and you get on it and fly where you want, and along the way, pick up whoever you meet there.”

The fool thanked his grandfather and said goodbye. The grandfather went his way, and the fool went into the forest.

He entered the forest, approached an oak tree with branches growing crosswise, hit it with an ax, fell flat and fell asleep... He slept and slept... And after a while he heard someone waking him up:

- Get up, your happiness is already ripe, get up!

The fool woke up, looked - there was already a ship in front of him: it was golden, the rigging was silver, and the silk sails were swelling - just to fly!

So, without thinking for a long time, he boarded the ship. That ship rose and flew... How it flew below the sky, above the earth - and you couldn’t catch it with your eyes.

He flew and flew and saw: a man crouched on the road with his ear to the ground and listened. The fool called out:

- Great, uncle!

- Great, brother!

- What are you doing?

“I’m listening,” he says, “to see if people have already gathered at the king’s feast.”

- Are you going there?

- Sit down with me, I’ll give you a ride.

He sat down. They flew off.

They flew and flew and saw: a man was walking along the road - one leg was tied to his ear, and he was jumping on the other.

- Great, uncle!

- Great, brother!

- Why are you jumping on one leg?

“Because,” he says, “if I untie the second one and step once, I will cross the whole world.” But I,” he says, “don’t want...

-Where are you going?

- To the king for a feast.

- Sit down with us.

He sat down and flew off again.

They flew and flew and saw: a shooter was standing on the road and taking aim with a bow, but neither a bird nor an animal was visible anywhere.

The fool shouted:

- Great, uncle! Where are you aiming? No bird or animal is visible anywhere!

“You can’t see it, but I can see it!”

- Where do you see that bird?

“Hey,” he says, “there, a hundred miles away, he’s sitting on a dry pear tree!”

- Sit down with us!

He sat down. Let's fly.

They flew and flew and saw: a man was walking and was carrying a full sack of bread behind his back.

- Great, uncle!

- Great!

- Where are you going?

“I’m going,” he says, “to get bread for dinner.”

- Yes, you already have a full bag!

“But there’s not enough for me to have breakfast here.”

- Sit down with us!

This one sat down too. Let's fly.

They flew and flew and saw: a man walking near the lake, as if looking for something.

- Great, uncle!

- Great!

- Why are you walking here?

“I’m thirsty,” he says, “but I can’t find water.”

- So there’s a whole lake in front of you, why don’t you drink?

- Eh, how much water is there! Even one sip is not enough for me.

- So sit down with us!

He sat down and they flew off.

They flew and flew and saw: a man was walking into the village and carrying a sack of straw.

- Great, uncle! Where are you taking the straw?

“To the village,” he says.

- Isn’t there straw in the village?

“Yes,” he says, “but not like that!”

- Isn’t this one simple?

“And this,” he says, “no matter how hot the summer is, as soon as you scatter this straw, then immediately - out of nowhere - frost and snow.”

- Great, uncle!

- Great!

-Where are you taking the firewood?

- Hey! Isn't there any firewood in the forest?

- Why not? There are, he says, but not like that.

- Which ones?

“There,” he says, “they are simple, but these are such that as soon as you scatter them, then immediately - out of nowhere - an army is in front of you!”

- Sit down with us!

And he agreed, sat down, and flew off.

Whether they flew for a long time or not for long, they arrived at the king’s feast. And there, in the middle of the courtyard, the tables are set, covered, barrels of honey and wine are high: drink, eat, whatever you want! And almost half the kingdom of people came together: the old, the young, the gentlemen, and the poor. Like going to the market. The fool arrived with his friends on a ship and sat down in front of the king's windows. They got off the ship and went to dinner.

The king looks out the window and sees: a golden ship has arrived! He says to his lackey:

- Go ask who arrived on the golden ship.

The footman went, looked, and came to the king:

“Some,” he says, “ragged men!”

The king doesn't believe it.

“It can’t be,” he says, “that the men would arrive on a golden ship!” You probably didn't try.

He took it and went to the people himself.

“Who,” he asks, “came here on this ship?”

The fool stepped forward:

- I! - speaks.

When the king saw that he had a scroll - patch on patch, trousers - his knees were hanging out, he grabbed his head: “How is it possible that I would give my daughter for such a man!”

What to do? And let him give orders to the fool.

“Go,” he says to the footman, “tell him that even though he arrived on a ship, if he doesn’t get medicinal and healing water while the people have lunch, not only will I not give up the princess, but the sword will be his head off his shoulders!”

The footman went.

And Listeno, the same one who had his ear to the ground, overheard what the king was saying and told it to the fool. The fool sits on a bench at the table and is sad: he does not eat, does not drink. Skorokhod saw this:

“Why don’t you eat,” he says?

- Where can I eat?

And he said this and that:

“The king ordered me to get medicinal and healing water while the people were having lunch... How will I get it?”

- Do not worry! I'll get it for you!

- Well look!

A footman comes and gives him a royal order, but he has long known how and what.

“Tell me,” he answers, “what I’ll bring!” Skorokhod untied his leg from his ear and, as soon as he waved, he jumped to the medicinal and healing water in an instant.

I dialed in, but was very tired. “Well,” he thinks, “by the time lunch is over, I’ll have time to return, and now I’ll sit under the mill and rest a little.”

He sat down and fell asleep. People are already finishing lunch, but he’s not there. The fool sits neither alive nor dead. Gone!” - thinks.

Listener put his ear to the ground - let's listen. He listened and listened and said:

- Don’t be sad, he’s sleeping under the mill, so he’s dashing!

- What are we going to do now? - says the fool. - How can we wake him up? And the shooter says:

- Don't be afraid: I'll wake you up!

He pulled the bow and as soon as it fired, even chips fell from the mill... The fast walker woke up - and quickly went back! People are just finishing lunch, and he brings that water.

The king does not know what to do. Let's give the second order: if he eats six pairs of roasted oxen and forty ovens of bread at one time, then, he says, I will give my daughter to him, and if she doesn't eat it, then: my sword - and his head is off his shoulders!

I listened and overheard this and told the fool.

- What should I do now? I won't eat even one loaf of bread! - says the fool. And again he became sad and cried. And Obedailo says:

“Don’t cry, I’ll eat for everyone, and it won’t be enough.”

The footman comes: so and so.

“Okay,” says the fool, “let them give it!” So they roasted six pairs of oxen and baked forty ovens of bread.

As soon as he started eating, he ate everything clean and asked for more.

“Eh,” he says, “not enough!” If only they had given me a little more...

The king sees that things are bad. Again the order was given that this time he should drink twelve barrels of water in one breath and twelve barrels of wine, but if he doesn’t drink: here is the sword - his head is off his shoulders!

Listener overheard and told. The fool is crying again.

“Don’t cry,” says Opivailo, “I’ll drink, and it won’t be enough.”

Here they rolled out twelve barrels of water and wine.

As soon as he started drinking, Opivailo drank every drop, and he chuckled.

“Eh,” he says, “not enough!”

The Tsar sees that he can’t do anything, and he thinks to himself: “We need to kill him, this guy!”

So he sends a lackey to the fool:

- Go and say: the king said that you should go to the bathhouse before the wedding.

Meanwhile, he orders another footman to heat the cast-iron bathhouse: “There he, so-and-so, will bake!” The footman heated the bathhouse enough to bake the devil himself.

They told the fool. He goes to the bathhouse, followed by Frost and the straw. There Frost crushed the straw - and immediately it became so cold that the fool climbed onto the stove and fell asleep, because he was completely chilled. The next day the footman opens the bathhouse and thinks that all that remains from the fool is ashes. And he lies on the stove and whatever. The footman woke him up.

“Wow,” he says, “how soundly I slept!” Nice bath you have!

They told the king that it was like this: he slept on the stove, and the bathhouse was so cold, as if it had not been heated all winter. The king began to worry: what should I do? I thought and thought and thought and thought...

Finally he says:

- The neighboring king is coming to war against us. So I want to test the suitors. Whoever gets me a regiment of soldiers by morning and leads them into battle himself, I’ll give my daughter in marriage to him.

Listener overheard this and told the fool. The fool sits and cries again:

- What should I do now? Where will I get this army?

Goes to the ship to visit friends.

“Help, brothers,” he says, “otherwise I’m completely lost!”

- Do not Cry! - says the one who was carrying firewood into the forest. - I will help you out.

A footman arrives and gives the royal order.

“Okay, I’ll do it,” says the fool. “Just tell the king that if he doesn’t give up his daughter now, then I’ll go to war against him.”

At night, the fool's friend led him into the field and carried with him a bundle of firewood. How he began to scatter that firewood there, so that every log became a soldier. And so the whole regiment was thrown away.

In the morning the king wakes up and hears: they are playing. He is asking:

- Who is playing this early?

“This,” they say, “is the one who arrived on the golden ship, training his army.”

And the fool has become such that you can’t even recognize him: his clothes simply sparkle, and he himself is so handsome, who knows!

He leads his army, and he himself rides in front on a black horse, followed by the foreman. Soldiers in the ranks - like a selection!

A fool led an army against the enemy. And he began to slash right and left so that he defeated all the enemy soldiers. Only at the very end of the battle he was wounded in the leg.

Meanwhile, the king and his daughter drove up to watch the battle.

The princess saw the bravest warrior wounded in the leg and tore the scarf into two halves. She kept one half for herself, and bandaged the wound of that brave warrior with the other.

The battle is over. The fool got ready and went home.

And the king threw a feast and decided to invite the one who defeated his enemies to visit him.

They searched and searched all over the kingdom - there was nothing like this anywhere.

Then the princess says:

“He has a sign: I bandaged his wound with my handkerchief.”

They started looking again.

Finally, two of the king's servants came to the fool. They look, and indeed one of his legs is bandaged with the princess’s scarf.

The servants grabbed him and started dragging him to the king. And he didn’t move.

“At least let me wash myself,” he says. “Where can I go to the Tsar, such a dirty man?”

He went to the bathhouse, washed himself, put on the clothes in which he fought, and again became so handsome that the servants even opened their mouths.

He jumped on his horse and rode off.

The princess comes out to meet her. I saw and immediately recognized the one whose wound I had bandaged with my handkerchief.

She liked him even more.

Here they got married and celebrated such a wedding that smoke went straight into the sky.

Here's a fairy tale for you, and a bunch of bagels for me.