Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-08-20
EMELIAN, THE FOOL.

The tale Of Emelian, of which we here give
version. is highly popular among the pea
santry OF Russia, and is told by them at their
merry makings from the upper shores of the
Gulf Of Finland to the Ural Mountains. It
bears some resemblance to the tale Aladdin, %
the pike playing in the Russian story much
the same part as The lamp in the Arabian one,
and it is by no means impossible that beth
tales are deIIyed from the same myth. But
from wnstever source the story of Emelian
may Dave sprung, the manner in which it is
vroaght is essentially Russian, and from it, as
here rendered, the English reader may form a
better idea of the way of life, and the feelings
of the Russian mujinks and peasantry, than
from q dozen common books Of travel in Rus
-sis. Emelian is represented as a fool, but
there is much in what he says and does COM
mon to the Russian mujink in general. He
lives in the isbushks, or cabin. upon the
pitsch, or stove, and when told to get up, he
says "What should L get up for?-Mnie
zdies teplo, Ia benios-'tis warm here, and
am lazy" There spoke the genuine mujink,
the most prominent features Of whose charac-
ter are love Of warmth and a hatred of ex-
ertlon, though, when he chooses to get up
and rouse himself, he is capable of very great
things, can outwit the tchort himself, bear
hunger and fatigue better than any other man,
and contend even with the Briton at the game
of the bayonet. Perhaps we msy hereafter
present to the public in an English dress some
other popular tales, illustrative of the manner
of life and ideas of the mujinks, to whom the
attention of the English public has of late been
much directed, owing to the ukase of the pro-
sent Gar, By which they are emancipated
from serfdom,-a measure likely to be produc-
tive of much veal or woe throug ghout his ex-
tensiye dominions. The tale is as follows:
In certain village lived a mujink, or yeo-
man, who had three sons; two were clever but
the third was fool, who was called Emelian.
When the good man had reached an extreme
old age, he called all his sons to him, and
said
s'Dear children, feel that have not long
to live; L therefore leave you house and cattle,
which you will divide in equal portions. /
also leave you money; hundred roubles for
each "
Soon after these words he died, and his chill
dren, having given him a decent funeral, lived
very comfortably. After a little time, the
brothers of Amelian took it into heir heads to
start Tor the city, and employ in traffic the
three hundred roubles which their father had
lett; so they said to the fool Emelian:
'Harkee, fool, We are going to the city, and
will take your hundred roubles with us and
if our traffic goes on probably we will buy
you red caftap, red cap, and red boots; but
do you remain at homo, and if your sisters-in-
law, our wives (fsr they were marriedl, order
you to do anything, be sure you do it'
The fool wishing to receive the red caftan,
red cap and red boots, told his brothers in re-
ply that he would do whatever his sisters-in-
law should order him. After this, his broth ers
set out for the city, and the fool remained at
home, and lived with his sisters-in-law. After
some time, on a certain day, when it was
winter, and there was terrible frost, his sis
teis in-law told him to 60 for water but the
fool, who was lying on the petsch, or stove,
said:
"Yes, indeed, but why not you?''
"Why not we, you fool 90 cried the sisters.
in-Iaw; "don't you see what frost it is and
none but man can 90 out in such weather p"
But" said he, II am lazy"
''Lazy?" screamed his sisters-in-law
''won't you presently want something to eat ?
And If there be no water how can we boil
anything" Thereupon they added, every
well, when our husbands come home with the
red caftan and cap they promised him, we
will tell them to give him nothing"
When the fool heard this he thought it best
TO 60, for he wished very much to get the red
caftan and cap. So getting down from the
petsch he began to put on his stockings and
boots, and to dress himself; and when he was
quite dressed, he took with him a couple OF
pals and q hatchet and went to the river
for the village in which they lived stood very
near the river. When he had come to the
stream, he began to heu away at the ice, and
when he had made q very big hole, he filled
his pals with water, and placing them on the
ice, he stood beside the hole and looked Now
as the fool stood and looked, he saw a very
large pike swimming in the hole, Fool as
Emelian was he nevertheless wished to catch
the pike; he therefore advanced softly, and
coming near to il, seized it suddenly with his
hand, and pulled il out Of the water, placed
it in his bosom, and began to make for home
But the pike said to him: ~s
"How's this, fool? for what do you seize
me?"
"FOr what" said he; ''I shall carry you
home, and tell my sistsrs-in-law to boil you ~
me back into the water, and will make you
a rich man"
But the fool did not believe him, and was
making for hsme. The pike, seeing that the
fool did not let him 90, said:
"Listen, fool, do put me into the water, and
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 exceedingly lazy, he thought to
himself ...-
IF the pike does whatever ask ell will be
got ready for me, and shall have no need to
work"
He therefore said to the pike:
II viii let you 60, only do what you
promise"
Thersupon the pike made answer:
First place me in the water, and will full
81 my promise"
But the fool said to him that he must first of
all perform his promise, and that he would
then let him 20. ID
The pike, seeing that he would not put him
into the water, said:
IF you wish me 10 do for You what you
want, you must now tell me what il is you de-
sire"
The fool said:
81 desire that my pals Of water should
march Of themselves up the hill'' (for the vii
lage stood upon q hilD, but so that none Of The
water be split out Of them"
The pike Immediately said to him
Remember, EmeIisn, the words which
am about to say to you, and the words are as
follows cat the pixies behest, and at my
request, march, pals, by yourselves up the
The fool repeated the words after the pike (:
'At the pixies behest, and at my request
march, pals, by yourselves up the hill. % :
Forthwith the pals, and the yoke by which
he was wont to carry them, marched Of them
selves up the hill. Emelian, seeing this, was
very much surprised, and said to the pike:
"Will il always be 30 ?''
To which the pike made answer
'Al things you wish will be done, even as
this has been done; only don't forget the
words which II hava fauUhf va,