And the old Devil proclaimed throughout the kingdom that every man must enlist as a soldier, and if he fails to do so Ivan will have him put to death.
The fools came to the Devil and said, “You tell us that if we won’t enlist as soldiers the King will have us put to death, but you don’t say what will happen to us when we become soldiers. People say that soldiers are killed.”
“You can’t get over that.”
When the fools heard this they kept to their decision.
“We won’t go,” they said. “We’d sooner die at home since we have to die in either case.”
“What fools you are!” the old Devil said. “A soldier may or may not be killed, but if you don’t go King Ivan will have you put to death for certain.”
The fools reflected over this; then went to Ivan the Fool and said, “A general has appeared among us who orders us all to enlist as soldiers. ‘If you go as a soldier,’ he says, ‘you may or you may not be killed, but if you don’t go, King Ivan will have you put to death for certain.’ Is it true?”
Ivan laughed.
“How can I alone have you all put to death? Had I not been a fool I would have explained it to you, but I don’t understand it myself.”
“Then we won’t go,” the fools said.