The Listener heard all this and told the Fool, who stopped short with his mouth open in the middle of a joke.

“Don’t you worry,” says the moujik with the straw.

Well, they made the bath-house red hot, and called the Fool, and the Fool went along to the bath-house to wash himself, and with him went the moujik with the straw.

They shut them both into the bath-house, and thought that that was the end of them.  But the moujik scattered his straw before them as they went in, and it became so cold in there that the Fool of the World had scarcely time to wash himself before the water in the cauldrons froze to solid ice.  They lay down on the very stove itself, and spent the night there, shivering.

In the morning the servants opened the bath-house, and there were the Fool of the World and the moujik, alive and well, lying on the stove and singing songs.

They told the Tzar, and the Tzar raged with anger.  “There is no getting rid of this fellow,” says he.  “But go and tell him that I send him this message:  ’If you are to marry my daughter, you must show that you are able to defend her.  Let me see that you have at least a regiment of soldiers,’” Thinks he to himself, “How can a simple peasant raise a troop?  He will find it hard enough to raise a single soldier.”

The Listener told the Fool of the World, and the Fool began to lament.  “This time,” says he, “I am done indeed.  You, my brothers, have saved me from misfortune more than once, but this time, alas, there is nothing to be done.”

“Oh, what a fellow you are!” says the peasant with the fagot of wood.  “I suppose you’ve forgotten about me.  Remember that I am the man for this little affair, and don’t you worry about it at all.”

The Tzar’s servant came along and gave his message.

“Very good,” says the Fool; “but tell the Tzar that if after this he puts me off again, I’ll make war on his country, and take the Princess by force.”

And then, as the servant went back with the message, the whole crew on the flying ship set to their singing again, and sang and laughed and made jokes as if they had not a care in the world.

During the night, while the others slept, the peasant with the fagot of wood went hither and thither, scattering his sticks.  Instantly where they fell there appeared a gigantic army.  Nobody could count the number of soldiers in it—­cavalry, foot soldiers, yes, and guns, and all the guns new and bright, and the men in the finest uniforms that ever were seen.

In the morning, as the Tzar woke and looked from the windows of the palace, he found himself surrounded by troops upon troops of soldiers, and generals in cocked hats bowing in the courtyard and taking orders from the Fool of the World, who sat there joking with his companions in the flying ship.  Now it was the Tzar’s turn to be afraid.  As quickly as he could he sent his servants to the Fool with presents of rich jewels and fine clothes, invited him to come to the palace, and begged him to marry the Princess.