"BY PIKE'S WISH" FAIRY TALE

In one village there lived three brothers. The two elder brothers were successful merchants, but the youngest brother was a fool named Emelya who slept on the stove all day long. Once it happened that when he went to the ice-hole for water and he caught a magic pike. The pike asked him to let her go free and promised him to grant any of his wishes. "Just say these magic words: 'By the pike's wish, at my command,' and everything will be done" the pike said. Emelya agreed.

He ordered his water-pails to go home by itself, which they did, much to the suprise of his sisters-in-law. Then he ordered the sledge to go by itself to the nearest forest where his ax felled wood for the fire.

The tsar of the land heard about that wonder and ordered his officer to bring Emelya to the palace. When Emelya came to the Tsar's courtyard he saw the tsar's daughter and used the pike's magic to make her fall in love with him.

Then the tsar gave orders to place the princess and Emelya in a barrel and throw them into the sea. But Emelya again used the magic words and the waves rolled the barrel onto the shore of a beautiful island. With the pike's help Emelya "built" a big marble palace.

Then the princess asked him to become handsome and smart, and he turned himself into a fine young prince. They started to live peacefully in the palace.

One day the tsar visited the island and, oh! What a wonder!, he recognized his own daughter and Emelya who was changed into a fine prince. The tsar wept and asked their forgiveness. They celebrated the family's reunion and lived happily after that.