“Listen, fool, do but put me into the water, and I will do for you whatsoever you wish, so that every desire of your heart shall be fulfilled.” The fool, hearing these words, was very glad; for, as he was excessively lazy, he thought to himself— “If the pike does whatever I ask all will be got ready for me, and I shall have no need to work.” He therefore said to the pike: “I will let you go, only do what you promise.” Thereupon the pike made answer: “First place me in the water, and I will fulfil my promise.” But the fool said to him that he must first of all perform his promise, and that he would then let him go. The pike, seeing that he would not put him into the water, said: “If you wish me to do for you what you want, you must now tell me what it is that you desire.” The fool said: “I desire that my pails of water should march of themselves up the hill” (for the village stood upon a hill), “but so that none of the water be spilt out of them.” The pike immediately said to him: “Remember, Emelian, the words which I am about to say to you, and the words are as follows: ‘At the pike’s behest, and at my request, march, pails, by yourselves up the hill.’” The fool repeated the words after the pike: “At the pike’s behest, and at my request march, pails, by yourselves up the hill.” Forthwith the pails, and the yoke by which he was wont to carry them, marched of themselves up the hill. Emelian, seeing this, was very much surprised, and said to the pike: “Will it always be so?” To which the pike made answer: “All things you wish will be done, even as this has been done: only don’t forget the words which I have taught you.” Thereupon he released the pike into the water, and went himself after his pails. The neighbours, seeing what was going on, were filled with wonder, and said, amongst, themselves— “What is the fool about? The pails of water walk of themselves, and he walks after them.” But Emelian, without saying anything to them, went home, and the pails went of themselves into the keeping-room, and placed themselves on the bench, while the fool mounted upon the petsch. A little time after, his sisters-in-law said to him again: “Emelian, what do you lie there for? go and cut some wood.” But the fool said: “Yes, indeed, and why not you?” “We?” screamed his sisters-in-law; “it is now winter, and if you do not go and cut some wood you will soon be cold.” “I am lazy,” said the fool. “Lazy?” said his sisters-in-law to him, “then you will be frozen.” Thereupon they added: “If you don’t go and cut wood we will tell our husbands not to give you the red caftan, nor the red cap, nor the boots.” The fool, from the desire which he felt to obtain the red caftan, cap, and boots, was obliged to comply with their request. But as he was thoroughly lazy, and did not wish to get down from the petsch, he said these words softly as he lay: