“How could I help it?” said Emelian; “why did they not get out of my way?”
Just then, the king’s daughter came to a window, and looked at the fool. Emelian, chancing to turn his eye to the window from which she was looking, and seeing that she was very handsome, said in an undertone:
“At the pike’s behest, and at my request, may yon beauty fall in love with me.”
No sooner had he pronounced these words than the daughter of the king fell in love with
him as she gazed upon him. And the fool, after that, said:
“At the pike’s behest, and at my request, move back, petsch, to our own house.”
The petsch, without a moment’s delay, marched out of the court, drove through the city, and made for home, where, on arriving, it resumed its former place.
After that Emelian lived for some time quite at his ease; but the king, in the city, fared very differently, for the princess, having fallen in love with the fool at the words which he had uttered, began to beg of her father to give her the fool for a husband. The king was very much incensed both against her and the fool, and wished very much to lay violent hands on the latter, but did not know how. Thereupon the king’s ministers proposed that the officer who had before gone for Emelian, and had failed to bring him, should be sent again for him on
account of his former failure. The king, approving of their counsel, summoned the officer to his presence, and when he appeared before him, the king said:
“Listen, friend, I sent thee for the fool before: but thou didst not bring him; now for that offence I will send thee a second time, and in order that thou mayest bring him without fail, I tell thee that if thou dost bring him thou shalt be rewarded, and if thou dost not thou shalt be punished.”