Fairy tale flying ship. The Flying Ship - Ukrainian folk tale
There was a grandfather and a woman, they had three sons: two reasonable, and the third a fool. The woman loved the first ones and dressed them cleanly; and the latter was always poorly dressed - he wore a black shirt. They heard that a document had arrived from the king: “whoever builds a ship so that it can fly will marry the princess.” The older brothers decided to go try their luck and asked the old men for blessings; their mother equipped them for the journey, gave them white palyanits1, various meats and a flask of a burner, and sent them on their way. Seeing this, the fool began to ask himself to be released too. His mother began to persuade him not to go: “Where are you going, you fool; The wolves will eat you!” But the fool got one thing right: I’ll go, I’ll go! Baba saw that he couldn’t be dealt with, so she gave him some black palyanits and a flask of water for the road and sent him out of the house.
The fool walked and walked and met an old man. We said hello. The old man asks the fool: “Where are you going?” - “Yes, the king promised to give his daughter to the one who makes a flying ship.” - “Can you make such a ship?” - “No, I can’t!” - “So why are you going?” - “God knows!” “Well, if so,” said the old man, “then sit here; Let's relax together and have a snack; take out what you have in your bag.” - “Yes, there’s something here that’s embarrassing to show to people!” - “Nothing, take it out; what God has given is what we will eat!” The fool untied the bag and couldn’t believe his eyes: instead of black buns, there were white rolls and various seasonings; gave it to the old man. “You see,” the old man told him, “how God favors the foolish ones! Even though your own mother doesn’t love you, you are not deprived either... Let’s drink some burners in advance.” In the flask, instead of water, there was a burner; They drank, had a snack, and the old man said to the fool: “Listen, go into the forest, go to the first tree, cross yourself three times and hit the tree with an ax, and fall on your face on the ground and wait until they wake you up. Then you will see a ready-made ship in front of you, get into it and fly where you need to; and along the way, take with you everyone you meet.”
The fool thanked the old man, said goodbye to him and went to the forest. He approached the first tree, did everything as he was told: he crossed himself three times, hit the tree with an ax2, fell to the ground on his face and fell asleep. After a while, someone started to wake him up. The fool wakes up and sees a ready ship; He didn’t think twice, got into it, and the ship flew through the air.
He flew and flew, and lo and behold, there was a man lying below on the road, his ear pressed to the damp ground. “Hello, uncle!” - “Hey, my goodness.” - "What are you doing?" - “I listen to what is happening in the next world.” - “Get on the ship with me.” He didn’t want to make an excuse, boarded the ship, and they flew on. They flew and flew, and lo and behold, a man was walking on one leg, and the other was tied up to his ear. “Hello, uncle! Why are you jumping on one leg?” - “Yes, if I had untied the other one, I would have crossed the whole world in one step!” - “Sit down with us!” He sat down and flew off again. They flew and flew, and lo and behold, there was a man standing with a gun, taking aim, but nobody knew what. “Hello, uncle! Where are you aiming? Not a single bird is visible." - “Why, I’ll shoot close! I could shoot an animal or a bird a thousand miles from here: then they’re shooting at me!” - “Sit down with us!” This one also landed, and they flew on.
They flew and flew, and lo and behold, a man was carrying a skin full of bread behind him. “Hello, uncle! Where are you going?" “I’m going,” he says, “to get bread for lunch.” - “Yes, your bag is already full on your back.” - "Whats up! For me, this bread is not enough to bite into.” - “Sit down with us!” Obedalo boarded the ship and flew on. They flew and flew, and lo and behold, a man was walking around the lake. “Hello, uncle!” What are you looking for? - “I’m thirsty, but I can’t find water.” - “Yes, there is a whole lake in front of you; Why don’t you drink?” - “Eka! One sip of this water won’t last me.” - “So sit down with us!” He sat down and flew off again. They flew and flew, and lo and behold, a man was walking into the forest, with a bundle of firewood behind him. “Hello, uncle! Why are you carrying firewood into the forest?” - “Yes, this is not ordinary firewood.” - “And which ones?” - “Yes, like this: if you scatter them, then suddenly a whole army will appear.” - “Sit down with us!” He sat down with them and flew on. They flew and flew, and lo and behold, a man was carrying a sack of straw. “Hello, uncle! Where are you taking the straw? - "To the village". - “Isn’t there enough straw in the village?” - “Yes, this is such straw that no matter how hot the summer is, but if you scatter it, it will suddenly become cold: snow and frost!” - “Sit down and join us!” - “Perhaps!” This was the last meeting; They soon arrived at the royal court.
At that time, the king was sitting at dinner: he saw a flying ship, was surprised and sent his servant to ask: who flew on that ship? The servant approached the ship, saw that all the men on it, did not even ask, but, returning back to the chambers, reported to the king that there was not a single gentleman on the ship, but all black men. The king decided that there was no need to give his daughter to a simple man, and began to think about how to get rid of such a son-in-law. So I came up with the idea: “I’ll start asking him various difficult tasks.” He immediately sends to the fool with an order to get him, while the royal dinner is over, healing and living water.
While the king was giving this order to his servant, the first person he met (the same one who listened to what was happening in the next world) heard the king’s speeches and told the fool. “What am I going to do now? Yes, I won’t find such water in a year, or maybe even my whole life!” “Don’t be afraid,” the walker told him, “I can handle it for you.” A servant came and announced the royal order. “Say: I’ll bring it!” - responded the fool; and his comrade untied his leg from his ear, ran and instantly picked up the healing and life-giving water: “I’ll have time,” he thinks, “to return!” - sat down under the mill to rest and fell asleep. The royal dinner is coming to an end, but he is gone; Everyone on the ship began to fuss. The first person he met pressed himself to the damp earth, listened and said: “What! He sleeps under the mill." The shooter grabbed his gun, fired at the mill and with that shot woke up the walker; The walker ran and in one minute brought water; The king had not yet risen from the table, but his order was carried out as accurately as possible.
There is nothing to do, you need to set another task. The king ordered the fool to say: “Well, if you are so cunning, then show your daring: eat twelve roasted bulls and twelve bags of baked bread with your comrades at one time.” The first comrade heard and announced that it was a fool. The fool got scared and said: “I won’t even eat one piece of bread at a time!” “Don’t be afraid,” Oedalo replies, “it won’t be enough for me yet!” A servant came and revealed the royal decree. “Okay,” said the fool, “let’s eat.” They brought twelve roasted bulls and twelve sacks of baked bread; He ate everything alone. “Eh,” he says, “not enough! If only they’d give me at least a little more...” The king ordered the fool to be told to drink forty barrels of wine, each barrel holding forty buckets. The fool's first comrade overheard those royal speeches and conveyed them to him as before; he got scared: “Yes, I can’t even drink one bucket at a time.” “Don’t be afraid,” says Opivalo, “I’ll drink for everyone; It won’t be enough yet!” They filled forty barrels with wine; The opiate came and without pause drank every single one; drank and said: “Eh, not enough! Another drink."
After that, the king ordered the fool to prepare for the crown, go to the bathhouse and wash himself; But the bathhouse was cast iron, and he ordered it to be heated hot, so that the fool in it would suffocate in one minute. The bathhouse was heated red hot; The fool went to wash himself, and behind him came a man with straw: he needed to spread some. They locked them both in the bathhouse; the man scattered the straw - and it became so cold that as soon as the fool washed himself, the water in the cast iron began to freeze; he climbed onto the stove and lay there all night. In the morning they opened the bathhouse, and the fool was alive and well, lying on the stove and singing songs. They reported to the king; he was saddened and doesn’t know how to get rid of the fool; I thought and thought and ordered him to send a whole regiment of troops, but on his mind: “Where can a simple peasant get an army? He won’t do that!”
When the fool found out about this, he got scared and said: “Now I’m completely lost! You, brothers, have helped me out of trouble more than once; and now, apparently, nothing can be done.” - "Oh you! - responded the man with a bundle of firewood. -Have you forgotten about me? Remember that I am a master at this kind of thing, and don’t be afraid!” A servant came and announced the royal decree to the fool: “If you want to marry the princess, send a whole regiment of troops by tomorrow.” - “Okay, I’m dying!” Only if the king continues to make excuses after that, then I will conquer his entire kingdom and take the princess by force.” At night, the foolish comrade went out into the field, brought out a bundle of firewood and let’s scatter it in different directions - immediately a countless army appeared; both horse and foot, and with cannons. In the morning the king saw it and in turn was afraid; He quickly sent expensive clothes and dresses to the fool and ordered him to the palace to ask him to marry the princess. The fool dressed himself up in those expensive clothes and became such a fine fellow that it’s impossible to say! He appeared to the king, married the princess, received a large dowry and became reasonable and shrewd. The king and queen fell in love with him, and the princess doted on him.
1 Flatbreads (Ed.).
Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman. They had three sons - the two eldest were considered smart, and everyone called the youngest a fool. The old woman loved her elders - she dressed them cleanly and fed them delicious food. And the youngest walked around in a holey shirt, chewing black crust.“He, the fool, doesn’t care: he doesn’t understand anything, he doesn’t understand anything!”
One day the news reached that village: whoever builds a ship for the king, so that he can sail the seas and fly under the clouds, the king will marry his daughter to him. The older brothers decided to try their luck.
- Let us go, father and mother! Perhaps one of us will become the king's son-in-law!
The mother equipped her eldest sons, baked them white pies for the journey, fried and cooked some chicken and goose:
- Go, sons!
The brothers went into the forest and began to cut down and saw trees. They chopped and sawed a lot. And they don’t know what to do next. They began to argue and swear, and the next thing they knew, they would grab each other’s hair.
An old man came up to them and asked:
- Why are you guys arguing and swearing? Maybe I can tell you something that will help you?
Both brothers attacked the old man - they did not listen to him, cursed him with bad words and drove him away. The old man left.
The brothers had a fight, ate all their provisions that their mother gave them, and returned home with nothing... As soon as they arrived, the youngest began to beg:
- Let me go now!
His mother and father began to dissuade him and hold him back:
- Where are you going, you fool, the wolves will eat you along the way!
And the fool knows his own thing repeats:
- Let me go, I’ll go, and don’t let me go, I’ll go!
Mother and father see that there is no way to deal with him. They gave him a crust of dry black bread for the road and escorted him out of the house.
The fool took an ax with him and went into the forest. I walked and walked through the forest and spotted a tall pine tree: the top of this pine tree rests on the clouds, only three people can grasp it.
He cut down a pine tree and began clearing its branches. An old man approached him.
“Hello,” he says, “child!”
- Hello, grandfather!
- What are you doing, child, why did you cut down such a big tree?
- But, grandfather, the king promised to marry his daughter to the one who would build him a flying ship, and I am building it.
- Can you really make such a ship? This is a tricky matter, and perhaps you won’t be able to handle it.
- The tricky thing is not tricky, but you have to try: you look, and I succeed! Well, you came by the way: old people, experienced, knowledgeable. Maybe you can give me some advice. The old man says:
- Well, if you’re asking me for advice, listen: take your ax and chop off the sides of this pine tree: like this!
And he showed how to trim.
The fool listened to the old man and hewed the pine the way he showed. He is cutting, and it’s amazing: the ax moves just like that, just like that!
“Now,” says the old man, “finish the pine from the ends: like this and like that!”
The fool doesn’t let the old man’s words fall on deaf ears: as the old man shows, so he does. He finished the work, the old man praised him and said:
- Well, now it’s not a sin to take a break and have a little snack.
“Eh, grandpa,” says the fool, “there’s food for me, this stale piece of crap.” What can I treat you with? You probably won't bite my treat?
“Come on, child,” says the old man, “give me your crust!”
The fool gave him some crust. The old man took it in his hands, examined it, felt it, and said:
-Your bitch is not so callous!
And he handed it to the fool. The fool took the crust and couldn’t believe his eyes: the crust turned into a soft and white loaf.
After they had eaten, the old man said:
- Well, now let's start adjusting the sails!
And he took out a piece of canvas from his bosom. The old man shows, the fool tries, he does everything conscientiously - and the sails are ready, trimmed.
“Now get into your ship,” says the old man, “and fly wherever you want.” Look, remember my order: on the way, put everyone you meet on your ship!
Here they said goodbye. The old man went his way, and the fool boarded the flying ship and straightened the sails. The sails inflated, the ship soared into the sky, and flew faster than a falcon. It flies a little lower than the walking clouds, a little higher than the standing forests...
The fool flew and flew and saw a man lying on the road with his ear pressed to the damp ground. He came down and said:
- Great, uncle!
- Nice, well done!
- What are you doing?
“I’m listening to what’s going on at the other end of the earth.”
- What's going on there, uncle?
- The vocal birds are singing and singing, one is better than the other!
- Wow, what a great listener you are! Get on my ship and we'll fly together.
Rumor did not make excuses, boarded the ship, and they flew on.
They flew and flew and saw a man walking along the road, walking on one leg, and the other leg tied to his ear.
- Great, uncle!
- Nice, well done!
- Why are you jumping on one leg?
- Yes, if I untie my other leg, I’ll cross the whole world in three steps!
- You're so fast! Sit down with us.
The speedboat did not refuse, climbed onto the ship, and they flew on.
You never know how much time has flown by, and lo and behold, there’s a man standing with a gun, taking aim. It’s unknown what he’s aiming at.
- Great, uncle! Who are you aiming at? No animal or bird is visible around you.
- What are you! Yes, I won’t shoot close. I'm aiming at a black grouse that's sitting on a tree about a thousand miles away. This is how shooting is for me.
- Sit down with us, let's fly together!
Shot and sat down, and they all flew on. They flew and flew, and they saw: a man was walking, carrying a huge sack of bread behind his back.
- Great, uncle! Where are you going?
- I’m going to get some bread for lunch.
- What do you need more bread for? Your bag is already full!
- Whats up! Put this bread in my mouth and swallow it. And to eat my fill, I need a hundred times that amount!
- Look what you are! Get on our ship and we'll fly together.
Obedalo and he boarded the ship, and they flew on. They fly over forests, they fly over fields, they fly over rivers, they fly over villages and villages.
Lo and behold: a man is walking near a large lake, shaking his head.
- Great, uncle! What is it you are looking for?
- I’m thirsty, so I’m looking for somewhere to get drunk.
- Yes, there is a whole lake in front of you. Drink to your heart's content!
- Yes, this water will only last me one sip. The fool marveled, his comrades marveled, and said:
- Well, don’t worry, there will be water for you. Get on the ship with us, we will fly far, there will be plenty of water for you!
Opivalo got into the ship, and they flew on. It is unknown how long they flew, they just see: a man is walking into the forest, and behind his shoulders is a bundle of brushwood.
- Great, uncle! Tell us: why are you dragging brushwood into the forest?
- And this is not ordinary brushwood. If you scatter it, a whole army will immediately appear.
- Sit down, uncle, with us!
And this one sat down with them. They flew on.
They flew and flew, and lo and behold: an old man was walking, carrying a sack of straw.
- Great, grandpa, gray little head! Where are you taking the straw?
- To the village.
- Isn’t there enough straw in the village?
- There is a lot of straw, but there is no such thing.
- What is it like for you?
- Here’s what it is: if I scatter it in the hot summer, it will suddenly become cold: snow will fall, frost will crackle.
- If so, the truth is yours: you won’t find such straw in the village. Sit down with us!
Kholodillo climbed into the ship with his sack, and they flew on.
They flew and flew and arrived at the royal palace. The king was sitting at dinner at that time. He saw a flying ship and sent his servants:
- Go ask: who flew on that ship - which overseas princes and princes?
The servants ran to the ship and saw that ordinary men were sitting on the ship.
The royal servants did not even ask them who they were and where they came from. They returned and reported to the king:
- Anyway! There is not a single prince on the ship, not a single prince, and all black bones are simple men. What do you want to do with them? “It’s shameful for us to marry our daughter to a simple man,” the king thinks. “We need to get rid of such suitors.”
He asked his courtiers - princes and boyars:
- What should we do now, what should we do?
They advised:
- We need to ask the groom various difficult problems, maybe he won’t solve them. Then we will turn the corner and show him!
The king was delighted and immediately sent his servants to the fool with the following order:
- Let the groom get us, before our royal dinner is over, living and dead water!
The fool thought:
- What am I going to do now? Yes, I won’t find such water in a year, or maybe even my whole life.
- What do I need? - says Skorokhod. - I’ll handle it for you in a moment.
He untied his leg from his ear and ran across distant lands to the thirtieth kingdom. I collected two jugs of living and dead water, and thought to myself: “There’s a lot of time left ahead, let me sit for a while and I’ll be back in time!”
He sat down under a thick, spreading oak tree and dozed off...
The royal dinner is coming to an end, but Skorokhod is gone.
Everyone on the flying ship was sunbathing - they didn’t know what to do. And Slukhalo put his ear to the damp earth, listened and said:
- What a sleepy and dozy one! He sleeps under a tree, snoring with all his might!
- But I’ll wake him up now! - says Strelyalo. He grabbed his gun, took aim and shot at the oak tree under which Skorokhod was sleeping. Acorns fell from the oak tree - right on Skorokhod’s head. He woke up.
- Fathers, yes, no way, I fell asleep!
He jumped up and at that very moment brought jugs of water:
- Get it!
The king stood up from the table, looked at the jugs and said:
- Or maybe this water is not real?
They caught a rooster, tore off its head and sprinkled it with dead water. The head instantly grew larger. They sprinkled it with living water - the rooster jumped to his feet, flapping his wings, “cuckoo!” shouted.
The king became annoyed.
“Well,” he says to the fool, “you have completed this task of mine.” I'll ask another one now! If you are so clever, you and your matchmakers will eat in one sitting twelve roasted bulls and as much bread as was baked in forty ovens!
The fool became sad and said to his comrades:
- Yes, I won’t even eat one piece of bread in a whole day!
- What do I need? - says Obedalo. - I can handle both the bulls and their grain alone. It won't be enough yet!
The fool ordered to tell the king:
- Drag the bulls and bread. There will be!
They brought twelve roasted bulls and as much bread as had been baked in forty ovens. Let's eat the bulls, one by one. And he puts bread in his mouth and throws loaf after loaf. All the carts were empty.
- Let's do more! - Obedalo shouts. - Why did they supply so little? I'm just getting the hang of it!
But the king has no more bulls or grain.
“Now,” he says, “there is a new order for you: to drink forty barrels of beer at a time, each barrel containing forty buckets.”
“I can’t even drink one bucket,” says the fool to his matchmakers.
- What a sadness! - Opivalo answers. - Yes, I’ll drink all their beer alone, it won’t be enough!
Forty barrels were rolled in. They began to scoop up beer in buckets and serve it to Opivale. He takes a sip - the bucket is empty.
- What are you bringing me in buckets? - says Opivalo. - We'll be messing around all day!
He picked up the barrel and emptied it immediately, without stopping. He picked up another barrel and it rolled away. So I drained all forty barrels.
“Isn’t there some more beer?” he asks? I didn't drink to my heart's content! Don't get your throat wet!
The king sees: nothing can take the fool. I decided to destroy him with cunning.
“Okay,” he says, “I’ll marry my daughter to you, get ready for the crown!” Just before the wedding, go to the bathhouse, wash and steam thoroughly.
And he ordered the bathhouse to be heated. And the bathhouse was all cast iron.
For three days the bathhouse was heated, red-hot. It radiates with fire and heat; you can’t approach it within five fathoms.
- How will I wash myself? - says the fool. - I'll burn alive.
“Don’t be sad,” Kholodylo answers. - I'll go with you!
He ran to the king and asked:
- Would you allow me and my fiancé to go to the bathhouse? I'll lay out some straw for him so he doesn't get his heels dirty!
What about the king? He allowed: “That one will burn, that both!”
They brought the fool with the Refrigerator to the bathhouse and locked him there. And Kholodila scattered straw in the bathhouse - and it became cold, the walls were covered with frost, the water in the cast iron froze.
Some time passed and the servants opened the door. They look, and the fool is alive and well, and the old man too.
“Eh, you,” says the fool, “why don’t you take a steam bath in your bath, but maybe ride on a sled!”
The servants ran to the king. They reported: so, they say, and so. The king was tossed around, he didn’t know what to do, how to get rid of the fool.
I thought and thought and ordered him:
- Place a whole regiment of soldiers in front of my palace in the morning. If you put me up, I’ll marry my daughter to you. If you don’t throw me out, I’ll throw you out!
And on his own mind: “Where can a simple peasant get an army? He won’t be able to do this. Then we’ll kick him out!”
The fool heard the royal order and said to his matchmakers:
- You, brothers, helped me out of trouble more than once or twice... And now what are we going to do?
- Eh, you found something to be sad about! - says the old man with brushwood. - Yes, I’ll field at least seven regiments with generals! Go to the king, tell him - he will have an army!
The fool came to the king.
“I will carry out,” he says, “your order, only for the last time.” And if you make excuses, blame yourself!
Early in the morning, the old man with brushwood called the fool and went out into the field with him. He scattered the bundle, and a countless army appeared - both on foot and on horseback, and with cannons. Trumpeters blow trumpets, drummers beat drums, generals give commands, horses beat their hooves into the ground... The fool stood in front and led the army to the royal palace. He stopped in front of the palace and ordered the trumpets to be blown louder and the drums to be beaten harder.
The king heard it, looked out the window, and became whiter than a sheet of paper with fright. He ordered the commanders to withdraw their troops and go to war against the fool.
The governors brought out the tsar's army and began to shoot and fire at the fool. And the foolish soldiers march like a wall, crushing the royal army like grass. The commanders got scared and ran back, followed by the entire royal army.
The king crawled out of the palace, crawled on his knees in front of the fool, asking him to accept expensive gifts and marry the princess as soon as possible.
The fool says to the king:
- Now you are not our guide! We have our own mind!
He drove the king away and never ordered him to return to that kingdom. And he himself married the princess.
- The princess is a young and kind girl. There is no fault on her!
And he began to live in that kingdom and do all sorts of things.
Russian folk tales
Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman. They had three sons - the two eldest were considered smart, and everyone called the youngest a fool. The old woman loved her elders - she dressed them cleanly and fed them delicious food. And the youngest walked around in a holey shirt, chewing black crust.
He, the fool, doesn’t care: he doesn’t understand anything, he doesn’t understand anything!
One day the news reached that village: whoever builds a ship for the king that can sail the seas and fly under the clouds, the king will marry his daughter to him.
The older brothers decided to try their luck.
Let us go, father and mother! Perhaps one of us will become the king's son-in-law!
The mother equipped her eldest sons, baked them white pies for the journey, fried and cooked some chicken and goose:
Go, sons!
The brothers went into the forest and began to cut down and saw trees. They chopped and sawed a lot. And they don’t know what to do next. They began to argue and swear, and the next thing they knew, they would grab each other’s hair.
An old man came up to them and asked:
Why are you guys arguing and swearing? Maybe I can tell you something that will help you?
Both brothers attacked the old man - they did not listen to him, cursed him with bad words and drove him away. The old man left. The brothers had a fight, ate all their provisions that their mother gave them, and returned home with nothing...
As soon as they arrived, the youngest began to ask:
Let me go now!
His mother and father began to dissuade him and hold him back:
Where are you going, you fool, the wolves will eat you along the way!
And the fool knows his own thing repeats:
Let me go, I’ll go, and don’t let me go, I’ll go!
Mother and father see that there is no way to deal with him. They gave him a crust of dry black bread for the road and escorted him out of the house.
The fool took an ax with him and went into the forest. I walked and walked through the forest and spotted a tall pine tree: the top of this pine tree rests on the clouds, only three people can grasp it.
He cut down a pine tree and began clearing its branches. An old man approached him.
“Hello,” he says, “child!”
Hello, grandpa!
What are you doing, child, why did you cut down such a big tree?
But, grandfather, the king promised to marry his daughter to the one who would build him a flying ship, and I am building it.
Can you really make such a ship? This is a tricky matter, and perhaps you won’t be able to handle it.
The tricky thing is not tricky, but you have to try: you see, and I succeed! Well, you came by the way: old people, experienced, knowledgeable. Maybe you can give me some advice.
The old man says:
Well, if you ask for advice, listen: take your ax and chop this pine tree from the sides: like this!
And he showed how to trim.
The fool listened to the old man and hewed the pine the way he showed. He is cutting, and it’s amazing: the ax moves just like that, just like that!
Now, says the old man, trim the pine from the ends: like this and like that!
The fool doesn’t let the old man’s words fall on deaf ears: as the old man shows, so he does.
He finished the work, the old man praised him and said:
Well, now it’s not a sin to take a break and have a little snack.
Eh, grandpa,” says the fool, “there will be food for me, this stale piece of meat.” What can I treat you with? You probably won’t bite my treat, will you?
“Come on, child,” says the old man, “give me your crust!”
The fool gave him some crust. The old man took it in his hands, examined it, felt it, and said:
Your little bitch is not so callous!
And he gave it to the fool. The fool took the crust and couldn’t believe his eyes: the crust turned into a soft and white loaf.
After they had eaten, the old man said:
Well, now let's start adjusting the sails!
And he took out a piece of canvas from his bosom.
The old man shows, the fool tries, he does everything conscientiously - and the sails are ready, trimmed.
Now get into your ship,” says the old man, “and fly wherever you want.” Look, remember my order: on the way, put everyone you meet on your ship!
Here they said goodbye. The old man went his way, and the fool boarded the flying ship and straightened the sails. The sails inflated, the ship soared into the sky, and flew faster than a falcon. It flies a little lower than the walking clouds, a little higher than the standing forests...
The fool flew and flew and saw a man lying on the road with his ear pressed to the damp ground. He came down and said:
Hello, uncle!
Nice, well done!
What are you doing?
I listen to what is happening at the other end of the earth.
What's going on there, uncle?
Wow, what an earworm you are! Get on my ship and we'll fly together.
Rumor did not make excuses, boarded the ship, and they flew on.
They flew and flew and saw a man walking along the road, walking on one leg, and the other leg tied to his ear.
Hello, uncle!
Nice, well done!
Why are you jumping on one leg?
Yes, if I untie my other leg, I’ll cross the whole world in three steps!
You're so fast! Sit down with us.
The speedboat did not refuse, climbed onto the ship, and they flew on.
You never know how much time has flown by, and lo and behold, there’s a man standing with a gun, taking aim. It’s unknown what he’s aiming at.
Hello, uncle! Who are you aiming at? No animal or bird is visible around you.
What are you! Yes, I won’t shoot close. I'm aiming at a black grouse that's sitting on a tree about a thousand miles away. This is how shooting is for me.
Sit down with us, let's fly together!
They flew and flew and saw: a man was walking, carrying a huge sack of bread behind his back.
Hello, uncle! Where are you going?
I'm going to get some bread for lunch.
What more bread do you need? Your bag is already full!
Whats up! Put this bread in my mouth and swallow it. And to eat my fill, I need a hundred times that amount!
Look what you are! Get on our ship and we'll fly together.
They fly over forests, they fly over fields, they fly over rivers, they fly over villages and villages.
Lo and behold: a man is walking near a large lake, shaking his head.
Hello, uncle! What is it you are looking for?
I'm thirsty, so I'm looking for somewhere to get drunk.
There's a whole lake in front of you. Drink to your heart's content!
Yes, this water will only last me one sip.
The fool marveled, his comrades marveled and said:
Well, don't worry, there will be water for you. Get on the ship with us, we will fly far, there will be plenty of water for you!
It is unknown how long they flew, they just see: a man is walking into the forest, and behind his shoulders is a bundle of brushwood.
Hello, uncle! Tell us: why are you dragging brushwood into the forest?
And this is not ordinary brushwood. If you scatter it, a whole army will immediately appear.
Sit down, uncle, with us!
They flew and flew, and lo and behold: an old man was walking, carrying a sack of straw.
Hello, grandpa, gray little head! Where are you taking the straw?
Is there really not enough straw in the village?
There is a lot of straw, but there is no such thing.
What is it like for you?
Here's what it is: if I scatter it in the hot summer, it will suddenly become cold: snow will fall, frost will crackle.
If so, the truth is yours: you won’t find such straw in the village. Sit down with us!
Kholodillo climbed into the ship with his sack, and they flew on.
They flew and flew and arrived at the royal court.
The king was sitting at dinner at that time. He saw a flying ship and sent his servants:
Go ask: who flew on that ship - which overseas princes and princes?
The servants ran up to the ship and saw that ordinary men were sitting on the ship.
The royal servants did not even ask them who they were and where they came from. They returned and reported to the king:
Anyway! There is not a single prince on the ship, not a single prince, and all black bones are simple men. What do you want to do with them?
“It’s shameful for us to marry our daughter to a simple man,” the Tsar thinks. “We need to get rid of such suitors.”
He asked his courtiers - princes and boyars:
What should we do now, what should we do?
They advised:
It is necessary to ask the groom various difficult problems, maybe he won’t solve them. Then we will turn the corner and show him!
The king was delighted and immediately sent his servants to the fool with the following order:
Let the groom get us, before our royal dinner is over, living and dead water!
The fool thought:
What am I going to do now? Yes, I won’t find such water in a year, or maybe even my whole life.
What am I supposed to do? - says Skorokhod. - I’ll handle it for you in a moment.
He untied his leg from his ear and ran across distant lands to the thirtieth kingdom. I collected two jugs of living and dead water, and thought to myself: “There’s a lot of time left ahead, let me sit for a while and I’ll be back in time!”
He sat down under a thick, spreading oak tree and dozed off...
The royal dinner is coming to an end, but Skorokhod is gone.
Everyone on the flying ship was sunbathing - they didn’t know what to do. And Slukhalo put his ear to the damp earth, listened and said:
What a sleepy and drowsy one! He sleeps under a tree, snoring with all his might!
But I’ll wake him up now! - says Strelyalo.
He grabbed his gun, took aim and shot at the oak tree under which Skorokhod was sleeping. Acorns fell from the oak tree - right on Skorokhod’s head. He woke up.
Fathers, yes, no way, I fell asleep!
He jumped up and at that very moment brought jugs of water:
Get it!
The king stood up from the table, looked at the jugs and said:
Or maybe this water is not real?
They caught a rooster, tore off its head and sprinkled it with dead water. The head instantly grew larger. They sprinkled it with living water - the rooster jumped to his feet, flapping his wings, “cuckoo!” shouted.
The king became annoyed.
Well,” he says to the fool, “you have completed this task of mine.” I'll ask another one now! If you are so clever, you and your matchmakers will eat in one sitting twelve roasted bulls and as much bread as was baked in forty ovens!
The fool became sad and said to his comrades:
Yes, I can’t even eat one piece of bread all day!
What am I supposed to do? - says Obedalo. - I can handle both the bulls and their grain alone. It won't be enough yet!
The fool ordered to tell the king:
Drag the bulls and the grain. Let's eat!
They brought twelve roasted bulls and as much bread as had been baked in forty ovens.
Let's eat the bulls, one by one. And he puts bread in his mouth and throws loaf after loaf. All the carts were empty.
Let's do more! - Obedalo shouts. - Why did they supply so little? I'm just getting the hang of it!
But the king has no more bulls or grain.
Now,” he says, “there is a new order for you: to drink forty barrels of beer at a time, each barrel containing forty buckets.”
“I can’t even drink one bucket,” says the fool to his matchmakers.
What a sadness! - Opivalo answers. - Yes, I’ll drink all their beer alone, it won’t be enough!
Forty barrels were rolled in. They began to scoop up beer in buckets and serve it to Opivale. He takes a sip - the bucket is empty.
What are you bringing me in buckets? - says Opivalo. - We'll be messing around all day!
He picked up the barrel and emptied it immediately, without stopping. He picked up another barrel - and the empty one rolled away. So I drained all forty barrels.
Isn’t there, he asks, another beer? I didn't drink to my heart's content! Don't get your throat wet!
The king sees: nothing can take the fool. I decided to destroy him with cunning.
Okay,” he says, “I’ll marry my daughter to you, get ready for the crown!” Just before the wedding, go to the bathhouse, wash and steam thoroughly.
And he ordered the bathhouse to be heated.
And the bathhouse was all cast iron.
For three days the bathhouse was heated, red-hot. It radiates with fire and heat; you can’t approach it within five fathoms.
How will I wash? - says the fool. - I'll burn alive.
“Don’t be sad,” Kholodylo answers. - I'll go with you!
He ran to the king and asked:
Would you allow me and my fiancé to go to the bathhouse? I'll lay out some straw for him so he doesn't get his heels dirty!
What about the king? He allowed: “That one will burn, that both!”
They brought the fool with the Refrigerator to the bathhouse and locked him there.
And Kholodillo scattered straw in the bathhouse - and it became cold, the walls were covered with frost, the water in the cast iron froze.
Some time passed and the servants opened the door. They look, and the fool is alive and well, and the old man too.
“Eh, you,” says the fool, “why don’t you take a steam bath in your bathhouse, how about riding on a sled!”
The servants ran to the king. They reported: So, they say, and so. The king was tossed around, he didn’t know what to do, how to get rid of the fool.
I thought and thought and ordered him:
Place a whole regiment of soldiers in front of my palace in the morning. If you put me up, I’ll marry my daughter to you. If you don’t throw me out, I’ll throw you out!
And on his own mind: “Where can a simple peasant get an army? He won't be able to do this. That’s when we’ll kick him out!”
The fool heard the royal order and said to his matchmakers:
You, brothers, have helped me out of trouble more than once or twice... And now what are we going to do?
Eh, you found something to be sad about! - says the old man with brushwood. - Yes, I’ll field at least seven regiments with generals! Go to the king, tell him - he will have an army!
The fool came to the king.
“I will carry out,” he says, “your order, only for the last time.” And if you make excuses, blame yourself!
Early in the morning, the old man with brushwood called the fool and went out into the field with him. He scattered the bundle, and a countless army appeared - both on foot and on horseback, and with cannons. Trumpeters blow trumpets, drummers beat drums, generals give commands, horses beat their hooves into the ground...
The fool stood in front and led the army to the royal court. He stopped in front of the palace and ordered the trumpets to be blown louder and the drums to be beaten harder.
The king heard it, looked out the window, and became whiter than a sheet of paper with fright. He ordered the commanders to withdraw their troops and go to war against the fool.
The governors brought out the tsar's army and began to shoot and fire at the fool. And the foolish soldiers march like a wall, crushing the royal army like grass. The commanders got scared and ran back, followed by the entire royal army.
The king crawled out of the palace, crawled on his knees in front of the fool, asking him to accept expensive gifts and marry the princess as soon as possible.
The fool says to the king:
Now you are not our guide! We have our own mind!
He drove the king away and never ordered him to return to that kingdom. And he himself married the princess.
The princess is a young and kind girl. There is no fault on her!
And he began to live in that kingdom and do all sorts of things.
Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman. They had three sons - the two eldest were considered smart, and everyone called the youngest a fool. The old woman loved her elders - she dressed them cleanly and fed them delicious food. And the youngest walked around in a holey shirt, chewing black crust.
“He, the fool, doesn’t care: he doesn’t understand anything, he doesn’t understand anything!”
One day the news reached that village: whoever builds a ship for the king, so that he can sail the seas and fly under the clouds, the king will marry his daughter to him. The older brothers decided to try their luck.
- Let us go, father and mother! Perhaps one of us will become the king's son-in-law!
The mother equipped her eldest sons, baked them white pies for the journey, fried and cooked some chicken and goose:
- Go, sons!
The brothers went into the forest and began to cut down and saw trees. They chopped and sawed a lot. And they don’t know what to do next. They began to argue and swear, and the next thing they knew, they would grab each other’s hair.
An old man came up to them and asked:
- Why are you guys arguing and swearing? Maybe I can tell you something that will help you?
Both brothers attacked the old man - they did not listen to him, cursed him with bad words and drove him away. The old man left.
The brothers had a fight, ate all their provisions that their mother gave them, and returned home with nothing... As soon as they arrived, the youngest began to beg:
- Let me go now!
His mother and father began to dissuade him and hold him back:
- Where are you going, you fool, the wolves will eat you along the way!
And the fool knows his own thing repeats:
- Let me go, I’ll go, and don’t let me go, I’ll go!
Mother and father see that there is no way to deal with him. They gave him a crust of dry black bread for the road and escorted him out of the house.
The fool took an ax with him and went into the forest. I walked and walked through the forest and spotted a tall pine tree: the top of this pine tree rests on the clouds, only three people can grasp it.
He cut down a pine tree and began clearing its branches. An old man approached him.
“Hello,” he says, “child!”
- Hello, grandfather!
“What are you doing, child, why did you cut down such a big tree?”
- But, grandfather, the king promised to marry his daughter to the one who would build him a flying ship, and I am building it.
“Can you really make such a ship?” This is a tricky matter, and perhaps you won’t be able to handle it.
- The tricky thing is not tricky, but you have to try: you look, and I succeed! Well, you came by the way: old people, experienced, knowledgeable. Maybe you can give me some advice. The old man says:
“Well, if you’re asking me for advice, listen: take your ax and chop this pine tree off from the sides: like this!”
And he showed how to trim.
The fool listened to the old man and hewed the pine the way he showed. He is cutting, and it’s amazing: the ax moves just like that, just like that!
“Now,” says the old man, “finish the pine from the ends: this way and that way!”
The fool doesn’t let the old man’s words fall on deaf ears: as the old man shows, so he does. He finished the work, the old man praised him and said:
- Well, now it’s not a sin to take a break and have a little snack.
“Eh, grandpa,” says the fool, “there’s food for me, this stale piece of meat.” What can I treat you with? You probably won't bite my treat?
“Come on, child,” says the old man, “give me your crust!”
The fool gave him some crust. The old man took it in his hands, examined it, felt it, and said:
“Your bitch is not so callous!”
And he handed it to the fool. The fool took the crust and couldn’t believe his eyes: the crust turned into a soft and white loaf.
After they had eaten, the old man said:
- Well, now let's start adjusting the sails!
And he took out a piece of canvas from his bosom. The old man shows, the fool tries, he does everything conscientiously - and the sails are ready, trimmed.
“Now get into your ship,” says the old man, “and fly where you want.” Look, remember my order: on the way, put everyone you meet on your ship!
Here they said goodbye. The old man went his way, and the fool boarded the flying ship and straightened the sails. The sails inflated, the ship soared into the sky, and flew faster than a falcon. It flies a little lower than the walking clouds, a little higher than the standing forests...
The fool flew and flew and saw a man lying on the road with his ear pressed to the damp earth. He came down and said:
- Great, uncle!
- Nice, well done!
- What are you doing?
“I’m listening to what’s going on at the other end of the earth.”
- What's going on there, uncle?
- What a great listener you are! Get on my ship and we'll fly together.
Rumor did not make excuses, boarded the ship, and they flew on.
They flew and flew and saw a man walking along the road, walking on one leg, and the other leg tied to his ear.
- Great, uncle!
- Nice, well done!
- Why are you jumping on one leg?
- Yes, if I untie my other leg, I’ll cross the whole world in three steps!
- You're so fast! Sit down with us.
The speedboat did not refuse, climbed onto the ship, and they flew on.
You never know how much has passed, and lo and behold, a man is standing with a gun, taking aim. It’s unknown what he’s aiming at.
- Great, uncle! Who are you aiming at? No animal or bird is visible around you.
- What are you! Yes, I won’t shoot close. I'm aiming at a black grouse that's sitting on a tree about a thousand miles away. This is how shooting is for me.
- Sit down with us, let's fly together!
- Great, uncle! Where are you going?
“I’m going to get some bread for lunch.”
- What more bread do you need? Your bag is already full!
- Whats up! Put this bread in my mouth and swallow it. And to eat my fill, I need a hundred times that amount!
- Look what you are! Get on our ship and we'll fly together.
Lo and behold: a man is walking near a large lake, shaking his head.
- Great, uncle! What is it you are looking for?
“I’m thirsty, so I’m looking for somewhere to get drunk.”
- Yes, there is a whole lake in front of you. Drink to your heart's content!
- Yes, this water will only last me one sip. The fool marveled, his comrades marveled, and said:
- Well, don’t worry, there will be water for you. Get on the ship with us, we will fly far, there will be plenty of water for you!
- Great, uncle! Tell us: why are you dragging brushwood into the forest?
- And this is not ordinary brushwood. If you scatter it, a whole army will immediately appear.
- Sit down, uncle, with us!
They flew and flew, and lo and behold: an old man was walking, carrying a sack of straw.
- Hello, grandpa, gray little head! Where are you taking the straw?
- To the village.
“Isn’t there enough straw in the village?”
- There is a lot of straw, but there is no such thing.
- What is it like for you?
- Here’s what it is: if I scatter it in the hot summer, it will suddenly become cold: snow will fall, frost will crackle.
- If so, the truth is yours: you won’t find such straw in the village. Sit down with us!
Kholodillo climbed into the ship with his sack, and they flew on.
They flew and flew and arrived at the royal palace. The king was sitting at dinner at that time. He saw a flying ship and sent his servants:
- Go ask: who flew on that ship - which overseas princes and princes?
The servants ran to the ship and saw that ordinary men were sitting on the ship.
The royal servants did not even ask them who they were and where they came from. They returned and reported to the king:
- Anyway! There is not a single prince on the ship, not a single prince, and all black bones are simple men. What do you want to do with them? “It’s shameful for us to marry our daughter to a simple man,” the Tsar thinks. “We need to get rid of such suitors.”
He asked his courtiers - princes and boyars:
- What should we do now, what should we do?
They advised:
“We need to ask the groom various difficult problems, maybe he won’t solve them.” Then we will turn the corner and show him!
The king was delighted and immediately sent his servants to the fool with the following order:
- Let the groom get us, before our royal dinner is over, living and dead water!
The fool thought:
- What am I going to do now? Yes, I won’t find such water in a year, or maybe even my whole life.
- What am I supposed to do? - says Skorokhod. “I’ll handle it for you in a moment.”
He untied his leg from his ear and ran across distant lands to the thirtieth kingdom. I collected two jugs of living and dead water, and thought to myself: “There’s a lot of time left ahead, let me sit for a while and I’ll be back in time!”
He sat down under a thick, spreading oak tree and dozed off...
The royal dinner is coming to an end, but Skorokhod is gone.
Everyone on the flying ship was sunbathing - they didn’t know what to do. And Slukhalo put his ear to the damp earth, listened and said:
- What a sleepy and dozy one! He sleeps under a tree, snoring with all his might!
- But I’ll wake him up now! - says Strelyalo. He grabbed his gun, took aim and shot at the oak tree under which Skorokhod was sleeping. Acorns fell from the oak tree - right on Skorokhod’s head. He woke up.
- Fathers, yes, no way, I fell asleep!
He jumped up and at that very moment brought jugs of water:
- Get it!
The king stood up from the table, looked at the jugs and said:
- Or maybe this water is not real?
They caught a rooster, tore off its head and sprinkled it with dead water. The head instantly grew larger. They sprinkled it with living water - the rooster jumped to his feet, flapping his wings, “cuckoo!” shouted.
The king became annoyed.
“Well,” he says to the fool, “you have completed this task of mine.” I'll ask another one now! If you are so clever, you and your matchmakers will eat in one sitting twelve roasted bulls and as much bread as was baked in forty ovens!
The fool became sad and said to his comrades:
- Yes, I won’t even eat one piece of bread in a whole day!
- What am I supposed to do? - says Obedalo. “I can handle both the bulls and their grain alone.” It won't be enough yet!
The fool ordered to tell the king:
- Drag the bulls and bread. There will be!
They brought twelve roasted bulls and as much bread as had been baked in forty ovens. Let's eat the bulls, one by one. And he puts bread in his mouth and throws loaf after loaf. All the carts were empty.
- Let's do more! - Obedalo shouts. - Why did they supply so little? I'm just getting the hang of it!
But the king has no more bulls or grain.
“Now,” he says, “there is a new order for you: to drink forty barrels of beer at a time, each barrel containing forty buckets.”
“I can’t even drink one bucket,” says the fool to his matchmakers.
- What a sadness! - Opivalo answers. - Yes, I’ll drink all their beer alone, it won’t be enough!
Forty barrels were rolled in. They began to scoop up beer in buckets and serve it to Opivale. He takes a sip - the bucket is empty.
- What are you bringing me in buckets? - says Opivalo. “We’ll be messing around all day like that!”
He picked up the barrel and emptied it immediately, without stopping. He picked up another barrel and it rolled away. So I drained all forty barrels.
“Isn’t there some more beer?” he asks? I didn't drink to my heart's content! Don't get your throat wet!
The king sees: nothing can take the fool. I decided to destroy him with cunning.
“Okay,” he says, “I’ll marry my daughter to you, get ready for the crown!” Just before the wedding, go to the bathhouse, wash and steam thoroughly.
And he ordered the bathhouse to be heated. And the bathhouse was all cast iron.
For three days the bathhouse was heated, red-hot. It radiates with fire and heat; you can’t approach it within five fathoms.
- How will I wash myself? - says the fool. - I'll burn alive.
“Don’t be sad,” Kholodilo answers. - I'll go with you!
He ran to the king and asked:
“Would you allow me and my fiancé to go to the bathhouse?” I'll lay out some straw for him so he doesn't get his heels dirty!
What about the king? He allowed: “That one will burn, that both!”
They brought the fool with the Refrigerator to the bathhouse and locked him there. And Kholodila scattered straw in the bathhouse - and it became cold, the walls were covered with frost, the water in the cast iron froze.
Some time passed and the servants opened the door. They look, and the fool is alive and well, and the old man too.
“Eh, you,” says the fool, “why don’t you take a steam bath in your bath, why not ride on a sled!”
The servants ran to the king. They reported: so, they say, and so. The king was tossed around, he didn’t know what to do, how to get rid of the fool.
I thought and thought and ordered him:
- Place a whole regiment of soldiers in front of my palace in the morning. If you do, I’ll marry my daughter to you. If you don’t throw me out, I’ll throw you out!
And on his own mind: “Where can a simple peasant get an army? He won't be able to do this. Then we’ll kick him out!”
The fool heard the royal order and said to his matchmakers:
- You, brothers, helped me out of trouble more than once or twice... And now what are we going to do?
- Eh, you found something to be sad about! - says the old man with brushwood. - Yes, I’ll at least field seven regiments with generals! Go to the king, tell him - he will have an army!
The fool came to the king.
“I will carry out,” he says, “your order, just for the last time.” And if you make excuses, blame yourself!
Early in the morning, the old man with brushwood called the fool and went out into the field with him. He scattered the bundle, and a countless army appeared - both on foot and on horseback, and with cannons. Trumpeters blow trumpets, drummers beat drums, generals give commands, horses beat their hooves into the ground... The fool stood in front and led the army to the royal palace. He stopped in front of the palace and ordered the trumpets to be blown louder and the drums to be beaten harder.
The king heard it, looked out the window, and became whiter than a sheet of paper with fright. He ordered the commanders to withdraw their troops and go to war against the fool.
The governors brought out the tsar's army and began to shoot and fire at the fool. And the foolish soldiers march like a wall, crushing the royal army like grass. The commanders got scared and ran back, followed by the entire royal army.
The king crawled out of the palace, crawled on his knees in front of the fool, asking him to accept expensive gifts and marry the princess as soon as possible.
The fool says to the king:
- Now you are not our guide! We have our own mind!
He drove the king away and never ordered him to return to that kingdom. And he himself married the princess.
- The princess is a young and kind girl. There is no fault on her!
And he began to live in that kingdom and do all sorts of things.
Alternative text:
— Russian folk tale processed by A.N. Afanasyev.
Fairy tales of the peoples of the world are always distinguished by unprecedented wisdom, which expresses the aspirations of generations of ordinary people. Likewise, “The Flying Ship” is a Russian folk tale, and in this regard it is very interesting. And not so much in terms of plot development, but from a moral point of view. However, today few people know that there are two versions of it: the original and the musical cartoon. Although they are quite different in both plot and main characters, the basic moral in both variations is identical. Let's look at each of these versions.
Russian fairy tale "The Flying Ship"
When it comes to storytelling in a fairy tale, the beginning of the storyline is not much different from most similar stories.
As usual, there lived a grandfather and a woman, and they had three sons. Isn't it very similar to many other stories? Naturally, “The Flying Ship” is a fairy tale in which the two eldest sons were smart, and the third (youngest) was a fool. There is probably no need to explain that the entire plot will revolve around him.
True, there is one small nuance in this whole story. “The Flying Ship” (fairy tale) says that the old woman loved her eldest sons, surrounded them with attention and gave them the best in material terms. To put it mildly, she didn’t give a damn about the fool. And it is precisely because of this that from the very first lines we see that the eldest sons, although smart, were absolutely callous. The third, although he did not receive anything worthwhile and was not distinguished by his intelligence, was a kind and sympathetic person.
The beginning
It so happened that a certain king of some state, on a whim, issued a decree, saying that whoever builds a flying ship will receive his daughter as a wife. The older brothers, having received their mother's blessing and food for the journey, ran into the forest to cut down trees to build a strange thing. The younger one also got ready, but his mother did not want to give him a chance. He was stubborn, and in the end the old woman gave him water and black cakes.
Long or short, his grandfather met him on the road and asked where the young man was going. The guy told me and complained that he couldn’t build such a ship. When the old man asked why he was going into the forest, the fool replied: “God knows!”
Then the grandfather advised the guy to come to the forest, perform one action there and go to bed, and then the ship would make itself. But in order to fly, you need to put the first person you meet in it. That's what the guy did.
Storyline and main characters
When the ship was ready, the young man flew on it to the king and met a guy who listened to the earth with his ear. As it turned out, he was finding out what was going on in the city. Then they met a man with a tied leg, who could jump over the whole world if he untied it. The third was a daredevil with a bag of bread, and everything was not enough for him. The fourth was a man who wanted to get drunk, but the lake was not enough for him. Further on, the whole company met a hunter who could shoot a thousand miles away. Then there was a guy with magic firewood, they turned into a countless army. The last one was a traveler with a bundle of firewood, which could turn any heat into a fierce winter.
The guy and his new acquaintances flew to the king. And when he saw that there was a rootless fool on the ship, he decided not to give up his daughter, but to give the guy such tasks that he would not be able to complete them.
The first daredevil overheard this and told the guy. Our hero became confused, but his friends promised to help in any way they could.
The first task was to bring healing water while the royal dinner was over. The walker undertook to help him out, but fell asleep on the way back, but the hunter woke him up with a shot. Then the king gave the order to eat twelve roasted bulls and twelve bags of bread. At this point Obedalo took up his business, but that wasn’t enough for him.
Then the king ordered the company to drink forty barrels of wine, forty buckets each. Opivalo did his job. After this, the king sent the guy to the bathhouse to bake himself there, but his new comrade scattered straw, and the guy almost died from the cold. Finally, the ruler gave the order for the fool to gather a countless army. A man with firewood scattered it on the ground, and an army appeared.
There was nothing to do, I had to give the princess up. But the fool dressed up, and became so handsome, smart and reasonable, that the princess and the king and queen doted on him.
Folk tale “The Flying Ship”: cartoon version
As is already clear, victory turned out to be the fool’s. It so happened in Rus' that all stories boil down to this, and “The Flying Ship” is a fairy tale that also has such an ending.
In the animated film, the plot develops in almost the same way, only in terms of the antipode, instead of his siblings, there is a certain greedy Polkan, who himself has his eye on the princess, and the main character is not some peasant, but a cheerful and careless chimney sweep.
But there is also a trick here, because in order to take off and land, you had to know the magic words. Polkan took possession of the ship and presented the tsar the way he had built it. But he overheard only one phrase for takeoff. So the helpless king flew away, but didn’t know how to land.
Another interesting point lies in the fact that in the plot the chimney sweep is helped to carry out all sorts of tasks by completely different characters, say, the cheerful Granny Hedgehogs or Vodyanoy. But in general, the general direction is not violated. All the same, the logical conclusion will be the same. By the way, quite a strong emphasis is placed here on music, which plays an important role in the production.
Conclusion
As for morality, “The Flying Ship” is a fairy tale that gives any person the idea that they need to help anyone they meet, and their deeds will be rewarded. Look, first the boy is helped by his grandfather, and then by other heroes with unimaginable abilities.
By the way, Christian customs are also mentioned in passing. After all, the grandfather ordered the main character in the forest to approach the first tree, cross himself three times and hit it with an ax. From this we can conclude that this story was invented after the Baptism of Rus'.
