The king then selected a wise man, commanding him to bring him the fool by craft, if nothing else would do. The envoy left the king, and went to the village where Emelyan lived. He called the Starosta before him, and said—
“I am sent by the king to take your fool. So do you send for those with whom he lives.”
The Starosta then ran and fetched the sisters-in-law. The king’s messenger asked them what it was the fool liked, and they answered—
“Noble sir, if any one entreats our fool earnestly to do anything, he flatly refuses the first and the second time. The third time, however, he does not refuse, but does what one wants, for he does not like to be roughly handled.”
The king’s messenger then dismissed them, charging them not to tell Emelyan that he had summoned them before him. He then bought raisins, baked plums, and grapes, and went to the fool. When he came into the room, he went up to the stove, and said—
“Emelyan, why are you lying there?” and with that he gave him the raisins, baked plums, and grapes, and said—
“Emelyan, we will go together to the king. I will take you with me.”
“I am very warm here,” said the fool, for there was nothing he was so fond of as warmth.
The messenger then began to entreat him.
“Be so good, Emelyan,” said he; “let us go. You will like the court vastly.”