“Well, my dear son, I will reward thee for thine obedience,” said the father.

Lo! the cocks crowed and the old man dropped into the grave.  The Simpleton arrived home and went to the warm stove.

“What happened?” asked the brothers.

“Nothing,” he answered.  “I slept the whole night and am hungry now.”

The second night it was Pakhom’s turn to go to his father’s grave.  He thought it over and said to the Simpleton: 

“To-morrow is a busy day with me.  Go in my place to our father’s grave.”

“All right,” answered Ivanoushka.  He took along with him a piece of fish pie, went to the grave and slept.  Midnight approached, the wind roared, crows came flying, the grave opened and the old man came out.

“Who is there?” he asked.

“I,” answered his son the Simpleton.

“Well, my beloved son, I will not forget thine obedience,” said the old man.

The cocks crowed and the old man dropped into his grave.  Ivanoushka the Simpleton came home, went to sleep on the warm stove, and in the morning his brothers asked: 

“What happened?”

“Nothing,” answered Ivanoushka.

On the third night the brothers said to Ivan the Simpleton: 

“It is thy turn to go to the grave of our father.  The father’s will should be done.”

“All right,” answered Ivanoushka.  He took some cookies, put on his sheepskin, and arrived at the grave.

At midnight his father came out.

“Who is there?” he asked.

“I,” answered Ivanoushka.

“Well,” said the old father, “my obedient son, thou shalt be rewarded;” and the old man shouted with a mighty voice: 

  “Arise, bay horse—­thou wind-swift steed,
  Appear before me in my need;
  Stand up as in the storm the weed!”

And lo!—­Ivanoushka the Simpleton beheld a horse running, the earth trembling under his hoofs, his eyes like stars, and out of his mouth and ears smoke coming in a cloud.  The horse approached and stood before the old man.

“What is thy wish?” he asked with a man’s voice.

The old man crawled into his left ear, washed and adorned himself, and jumped out of his right ear as a young, brave fellow never seen before.

“Now listen attentively,” he said.  “To thee, my son, I give this horse.  And thou, my faithful horse and friend, serve my son as thou hast served me.”

Hardly had the old man pronounced these words when the first cock crew and the sorcerer dropped into his grave.  Our Simpleton went quietly back home, stretched himself under the icons, and his snoring was heard far around.

“What happened?” the brothers again asked.