There once lived three brothers: two were clever, and the third was a fool.

There once lived three brothers: two were clever, and the third was a fool. The clever brothers were going to the lower towns to buy goods, and they said to the fool:“Well, look here, Fool, obey our wives and honor them just as if they were your own mothers. When we come back, we’ll bring you red boots, a red kaftan, and a red shirt.”The fool answered, “All right, I’ll honor them.”They gave him these instructions and rode off to the towns, while the fool climbed onto the stove and lay there.His sisters-in-law said to him, “Why are you lying on the stove, Fool? Your brothers told you to honor us, and they promised you presents for it, yet you do nothing. At least go fetch some water!”The fool took two buckets and went to the river. He scooped up water, and a pike ended up in one of the buckets. The fool said:“Thank God! Now I’ll cook this pike, eat my fill myself, and give none to my sisters-in-law—I’m angry with them!”The pike spoke to him in a human voice: “Don’t eat me, Fool. Let me go back into the water, and you’ll be happy!”The fool asked, “What kind of happiness will I get from you?”“This kind: whatever you say will come true. Try it—say: ‘At the pike’s command and at my request, go home by yourselves, buckets, and stand in your places!’”As soon as the fool said those words, the buckets immediately walked home by themselves and took their proper places.The sisters-in-law looked on in amazement. “What kind of fool is he?” they said. “Look how clever he is—the buckets came home and stood in place all on their own!”The fool came back and lay down on the stove again. The sisters-in-law began scolding him once more: “Why are you lying on the stove again, Fool? There’s no firewood—go get some!”The fool took two axes, climbed into the sledge, but