The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1864-05-06

ont for the city, and the fool remained
mt home, and lived with his sisters-in.
law. After some time, on certain
day, when it was winter, and there
was terrible frost, his sisters-in-law
told him to 90 for water; but the fool
who was lying ON the petsch, or stove
said:
eyes, indeed, and why not you? %
"Why not we, you fool?' cried the
sisters-in-law; don't you see what a
frost it is? and that none but man
can go out in such weather ?"
"But," said he, 81 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 hus-
bands 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 go, for be wished very much
to get the red eaftan and cap. SO get
ting 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 Ratchet, 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 hew away.a at the ice, and
when he had made very big hole, he
filed 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 very large
pike swimming in the hole. Fool as
Emelian was, he nevertheless wished
to catch the pike, he therefore adj
vanced softly, and coming near to it,
seized it suddenly with his hand, and
pulling it out of the water, placed it
in his bosom, and began to make for
home. But the pike said to him:
"How's this, fool? For what do you
seize me ?"
"For what p said he; 81 shall carry
you home, and tell my sisters-in-law
to boil you"
"Not so, fool don'tcarry me home,
but put me back into the water, and /
will make you rich man"
But the fool did not believe him, and
was making for home. The pike, see
ing that the fool did not let him go,
said.
Listen, fool, do but put me into the
water, and ] will do for you whatso-
ever you wish, so that every desire of
yoru' heart shall be fulfilled.
The fool hearing these words, was
very glad; for, as he was excessively
lazy, he thought to himself
of the pike does whatever ! ask, all
viii be got ready fer me, and | shall
have no need to work"
He therefore said to the pike:
q will let you go, only do what you
promised"
Thereupon the pike made answer:
First place me in the water, and l
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.
Il desire that my pals of water
should march of themselves up the
hill' (for the village stood upon hill),
"but SO that none of the water be split
out of them"
The pike Immediately said to him:
Remember, Emelian, the words
which l am about to say to you, and
the words are as follows: "At the pike S
behest, and at my request, march, pals,
by yourselves up the hill"
The fool repeated the words after
the pike;
Sat the pixies behest, and at my re-
quest, march, pals, by yourselves up
the hill"
Forthwith the pals, and the yoke
by which he was won't 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 SOP"
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 | taught you. "
Thereupon he released the pike into
the water, and went himself after his
pals. The neighbors, seeing what was
going on, were filed with wonder, and
said, amongst themselves
"What is the fool about =? The pals
of water walk of themselves, and he
walks after them"
But Emelian, without saying any
thing to them, went home, and the
pals went of themselves into the keep
ing-room, and placed themselves on
the bench, while the fool mounted up
on the petsch. A little time after, his
sisters-in-law said to him again
'Emelian, what do you lie there for2
go and cut some wood"
But the fool said:
eyes, indeed, and why not you ?"
"We?" screamed his sisters-in-law;
at is now winter, and if you do not go
and cut some wood you will soon be
cold"
II am lazy" said the fool.
'Lazy?" said his sisters-in-law to
him, 'then you will be frozen"