“What well! I am lost; to-morrow I shall be quartered. She gave me such a task that no devil could do it.”
“Oh, never mind! the morning is wiser than the evening; let us go to the inn.”
“Well, let us go; at the last parting we must have a carousal at least.”
They drank and drank; and towards evening the shoemaker drank so much they had to lead him home. “Farewell, young fellow,” said he to Ivan; “to-morrow they will put me to death.”
“But has a new task been given?”
“Yes, so and so, so and so.” He lay down and snored; but Ivan Tsarevich went straight to his room, and blew on the whistle. Lame and Crooked appeared.
“What is thy pleasure, Ivan Tsarevich?”
“Can ye do me such a work as this?”
“Ivan Tsarevich, this is a work indeed. But there is no avoiding it; toward morning all will be ready.”
When daylight began to come, Ivan woke up, looked out of the window. Fathers! everything was ready as asked for. A golden castle was gleaming like fire. He roused his master, who sprang up. “Well, have they come for me? Give the keg here this minute!”