The beginning of the fairy tale is a flying ship. Epics, legends and tales
A grandfather and a woman lived in the same village. They had three sons: two were smart, the third was a fool. Old people love and pity smart people, the woman gives them clean shirts every week, but the fool keeps scolding and laughing at him.
But the fool is not offended, lies on the stove in a dirty shirt and sings songs. If a woman gives him something to eat, he will eat; if he forgets to give it, he won’t ask; he will fall asleep hungry.
And then the following news came to their village: it was as if the king was inviting the entire kingdom to his feast. And if someone builds a flying ship and flies on it to the king, the king will give his daughter for him. Smart brothers say to each other:
“We still can’t build a flying ship, but we’ll go to the royal feast and see the world.”
The fool asks them:
- Take me with you too.
“Where are you going,” the brothers say, “to feast with the king himself!” Your job is to lie on the stove!
The old men blessed their smart sons for the journey. The old woman baked them white bread and roasted a pig... They left.
Fool says:
- And I will go after my brothers. I really want to go to the king for a feast.
The old woman replied:
- The wolves will eat you along the way. That's who will have a feast!
But the fool doesn’t back down: I’ll go, and that’s it!
The old woman got angry:
- Go and don’t come back, forget that you are our son!
She put the fool in a bag of black stale bread and escorted her out.
A fool is walking along the road. Suddenly, an old man came towards me, his head was white, his beard reached to his knees.
“Hello, grandfather,” says the fool.
- Hello, son.
- Where are you going?
“I walk around the world, helping good people out of trouble. And where are you going?
- And I’m going to the king for a feast. They say that the king will give his daughter to the one who builds a flying ship.
-Can you really build such a ship?
“No,” says the fool. - Where am I!
- Why are you going then?
“I’m following my brothers, I want to try my luck.”
“Well,” says the grandfather. - And that’s the point. In the meantime, let's sit down and have a bite. Whatever you have in your bag, take it out!
“Oh, grandpa,” says the fool, “I only have black stale bread, you won’t eat it.”
- Take it out, let's see.
The fool reached into the bag, took out the bread, and it was as white and fluffy as only gentlemen have. The guy is surprised, and the grandfather grins. They ate, rested, the grandfather thanked the fool for the treat and said:
“Now go into the forest, choose a thick oak tree, hit it three times with an ax and go to bed.” The ship will be built for you. You wake up, and the ship is ready! Get on it and fly to the king for a feast. Don’t forget: take with you everyone you meet along the way.
The fool thanked his grandfather and went into the forest. There he found a thick oak tree, hit it with an ax three times and went to bed. And when he woke up, he saw: standing in front of him was a ship, itself golden, with silver masts, silk sails, inflated by the wind! The fool, without thinking twice, jumped into the ship, and it took off as if it was just waiting for him. The fool flies under the very clouds, flies, and he keeps looking at the ground. Suddenly he sees: a man has his ear to the ground.
The fool came down to him.
- Hello, lad.
- What are you doing here? What are you listening to?
“I’m listening to see if people have gathered at the king’s feast.”
-Where are you going?
- There, to the king.
“Then sit down with me, I’ll give you a ride.”
The listener sat down and they flew off.
They fly and fly, and suddenly they see a man on the road - one leg tied to his ear, and jumping on the other leg. We went down to him.
- Hello, a kind person!
- Hello, good people.
- Why are you jumping on one leg?
“I am Skorokhod,” he says. “If I run on two legs at once, I’ll cover the whole earth in an instant.”
-Where are you going?
- To the king for a feast.
-Then sit down with us. He sat down and flew off again.
They fly and fly, and suddenly they see: a shooter is standing on the road, his bow is drawn, and there is no game around, the field is clean. And they went down to him.
- Hello, good man. Where do you aim when there is no game in sight?
“You can’t see it, but I can see it.”
- Where?
“A hundred miles from here, a wood grouse is sitting on a dry branch. I want to shoot him.
- Leave the wood grouse, sit down with us.
The shooter sat down, they were flying again. They see a man carrying a full sack of bread.
-Where are you going, good man?
- To the king for a feast.
- Why bread? Do you think the king has little bread?
- The king's bread is enough for me. And with this bread I can eat.
- Get on our ship.
An old man walks nearby, as if looking for something.
-What are you looking for, grandfather? - asks the fool.
“I’m looking for water, I want to drink.”
Grandfather and grandmother lived there. And they had three sons: two were smart, and the third was a fool. They pity and pamper 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 began to spread that so, they say, so: he came royal decree, so that they would gather for a feast with the king, 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:
Let's 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, kids,” 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, so at least 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 too will 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 go 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!
Hello, grandfather!
Hello, son!
Where are you going, grandpa? 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 itself?”
No, he says, I can’t!
So why are you going?
And who knows, - he says, - why? If I lose it, I won’t lose it, but maybe my happiness is buried 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 anything like them: 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, take 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:
Hello, uncle!
Hello 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.
Hello, uncle!
Hello 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.” “And I,” he says, “don’t want to...
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:
Hello, 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, 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 carrying a full sack of bread behind his back.
Hello, uncle!
Great!
Where are you going?
“I’m going,” he says, “to get bread for dinner.”
Yes, you already have a full bag!
And 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.
Hello, 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?
Wow, 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.
Hello, 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 she says, “no matter how hot the summer is, just scatter this straw, then immediately - out of nowhere - frost and snow.
Hello, uncle!
Great!
Where do you take the firewood?
Hey! Isn't there any firewood in the forest?
Why not? There are, he says, but not like that.
And what?
“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’s impossible,” he says, “for the men to 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, “I’ll bring it!” 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.”
I 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 he doesn't eat it, so here it is: 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 Opivailo started drinking, he 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.
Look, 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's 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 searching 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, so dirty!”
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.
The tale “The Flying Ship” is about how good teacher maybe even teach a fool to make a ship, but what happened then? Read and find out.
Flying ship. Fairy tale for children
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 tree 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! By the way, you came here: 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: this way and that way!”
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 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 where 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 earth. 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?
- 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 has passed, 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 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.
- 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.
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.
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, you came here: 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, 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 earth. 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'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.
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?
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!
Kholodillo 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.
They heated the bathhouse for three days, making it 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 to the king? He allowed: “That one will burn, that both!”
They brought the fool with the Refrigerator to the bathhouse and locked him there.
And Kholodilo 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.
© Anikin V. P., retelling, 2017
© Tolstoy A.N., processing, inheritance, 2017
© Il., Bordyug S. I. and Trepenok N. A., 2017
© Il., Glazov I. N., 2017
© Il., Karpenko M. M., inheritance, 2017
© Il., Mitrofanov M. S., 2017
© Il., Salienko N. P., 2017
© AST Publishing House LLC, 2017
Flying ship
There was a grandfather and a woman, they had three sons: two reasonable, and the third a fool. The woman loved the first ones and dressed them cleanly; and the latter was always poorly dressed - he wore a black shirt. They heard that a paper had arrived from the king: “Whoever builds a ship so that it can fly will marry the princess.” The older brothers decided to go try their luck and asked the old men for blessings; their mother equipped them for the journey, gave them white palyanits, various meats and a flask of a burner, and sent them on their way. Seeing this, the fool began to ask himself to be released too. His mother began to persuade him not to go: “Where are you going, you fool; The wolves will eat you!” But the fool got one thing right: I’ll go, I’ll go! Baba saw that he couldn’t be dealt with, so she gave him some black palyanits and a flask of water for the road and sent him out of the house.
The fool walked and walked and met an old man. We said hello. The old man asks the fool: “Where are you going?” - “Yes, the king promised to give his daughter to the one who makes a flying ship.” - “Can you make such a ship?” - “No, I can’t!” - “So why are you going?” - “God knows!” “Well, if so,” said the old man, “then sit here; Let's relax together and have a snack; take out what you have in your bag.” - “Yes, there’s something here that’s embarrassing to show to people!” - “Nothing, take it out; what God has given is what we will eat!” The fool untied the bag and couldn’t believe his eyes: instead of black buns, there were white rolls and various seasonings; gave it to the old man. “You see,” the old man told him, “how God favors the worse! Even though your own mother doesn’t love you, you are not deprived either... Let’s drink the burners in advance.” In the flask, instead of water, there was a burner; They drank, had a snack, and the old man said to the fool: “Listen - go into the forest, go to the first tree, cross yourself three times and hit the tree with an ax, and fall on your face on the ground and wait until they wake you up. Then you will see a ready-made ship in front of you, get into it and fly where you need to go; and along the way, take with you everyone you meet.”
The fool thanked the old man, said goodbye to him and went to the forest. He went up to the first tree, did everything as he was told: he crossed himself three times, hit the tree with his axe, fell face down on the ground and fell asleep. After a while, someone started to wake him up. The fool wakes up and sees a ready ship; He didn’t think twice, got into it, and the ship flew through the air.
He flew and flew, and lo and behold, there was a man lying below on the road, his ear pressed to the damp ground. “Hello, uncle!” - “Hey, my goodness.” - "What are you doing?" - “I listen to what is happening in the next world.” - “Get on the ship with me.” He didn’t want to make an excuse, boarded the ship, and they flew on. They flew and flew, and lo and behold, a man was walking on one leg, and the other was tied up to his ear. “Hello, uncle! Why are you jumping on one leg?” - “Yes, if I had untied the other one, I would have crossed the whole world in one step!” - “Sit down with us!” He sat down and flew off again.
They flew and flew, and lo and behold, there was a man standing with a gun, taking aim, but nobody knew what. “Hello, uncle! Where are you aiming? Not a single bird is visible." - “Why, I’ll shoot close! I wish I could shoot an animal or a bird a thousand miles from here: then they’re shooting at me!” - “Sit down with us!” This one also landed, and they flew on.
They flew and flew, and lo and behold, a man was carrying a skin full of bread behind his back. “Hello, uncle! Where are you going?" “I’m going,” he says, “to get bread for lunch.” - “Yes, your bag is already full on your back.” - "Whats up! For me, this bread is not enough to bite into.” - “Sit down with us!” Obedalo boarded the ship and flew on. They flew and flew, and lo and behold, a man was walking around the lake. “Hello, uncle! What are you looking for? - “I’m thirsty, but I can’t find water.” - “Yes, there is a whole lake in front of you; Why don’t you drink?” - “Eka! One sip of this water won’t last me.” - “So sit down with us!” He sat down and flew off again.
They flew and flew, and lo and behold, a man was walking into the forest, with a bundle of firewood behind him. “Hello, uncle! Why are you carrying firewood into the forest?” - “Yes, this is not ordinary firewood.” - “And which ones?” - “Yes, like this: if you scatter them, then suddenly a whole army will appear.” - “Sit down with us!” He sat down with them and flew on.
They flew and flew, and lo and behold, a man was carrying a sack of straw. “Hello, uncle! Where are you taking the straw? - "To the village". - “Isn’t there enough straw in the village?” - “Yes, this is such straw that no matter how hot the summer is, but if you scatter it, it will suddenly become cold: snow and frost!” - “Sit down and join us!” - “Perhaps!” This was the last meeting; They soon arrived at the royal court.
At that time, the king was sitting at dinner: he saw a flying ship, was surprised and sent his servant to ask: who flew on that ship? The servant approached the ship, saw that it was all men, and did not even ask, but, returning back to the chambers, reported to the king that there was not a single gentleman on the ship, but all black people. The king decided that there was no need to give his daughter to a simple man, and began to think about how to get rid of such a son-in-law. So I came up with the idea: “I’ll start asking him various difficult tasks.” He immediately sends to the fool with an order to get him, while the royal dinner is over, healing and living water.
While the king was giving this order to his servant, the first person he met (the same one who listened to what was happening in the next world) heard the king’s speeches and told the fool. “What am I going to do now? Yes, I won’t find such water in a year, or maybe even my whole life!” “Don’t be afraid,” the walker told him, “I can handle it for you.” A servant came and announced the royal order. “Say: I’ll bring it!” - responded the fool; and his comrade untied his leg from his ear, ran and instantly picked up healing and life-giving water: “I’ll have time,” he thinks, “to return!” – sat down under the mill to rest and fell asleep. The royal dinner is coming to an end, but he is gone; Everyone on the ship began to fuss. The first person he met pressed himself to the damp earth, listened and said: “What! He sleeps under the mill." The shooter grabbed his gun, shot at the mill and with that shot woke up the walker; The walker ran and in one minute brought water; The king had not yet risen from the table, but his order was carried out as accurately as possible.