Again the Tsar called his sons-in-law. "My dear sons-in-law, I have
heard that in such a kingdom, in such a land, there is a wonder,--a
deer with golden horns and a golden tail. Can ye not get him in any
way?"
"We can, your Majesty."
Now the two crafty sons-in-law saddled the very best horses and set
out.
"Well," said the Tsar to the simpleton, "go thou with the others."
The simpleton took from the stable the very last miserable horse and
followed his brothers. He went out in the open field and cried with a
shrill voice: "Oh, blue-brown, cunning bay, stand before me as leaf
before stem." Wherever he came from, the wonderful horse was there,
snorting and tearing the ground with his hoofs. The simpleton crept in
one of his ears and out of the other. Wherever they came from, two
young men stood before him and asked: "What dost thou want?"
"I want a tent here, in the tent a bed, and at the side of the tent a
deer with golden horns and a golden tail."
That moment the tent was there, in the tent a bed, on the bed the
simpleton stretched himself,--such a beauty that no man could know
him; at the side of the tent walked a deer with golden horns and a
golden tail.
The crafty brothers travelled and travelled. Nowhere did they see such
a deer, and they turned to come home. They came near the tent and saw
the wonder. "Oh, this is where the deer with golden horns and a golden
tail is! Let us go," said they; "whatever must be given we'll give,
buy that deer, and please our father-in-law."
They came up and saluted. The simpleton asked: "Why are ye travelling;
what are ye seeking?"
"Wilt thou sell us the deer with golden horns and a golden tail?"
"No, it is not for sale; I want it myself."
"Ask what will please thee, but sell." They offered one, two, three
thousand, and more. The simpleton wouldn't listen to the offers, would
not take money.
"But if my deer has pleased you, I'll sell him, if ye like, at a cheap
price,--the middle finger of each man's hand."
They thought and thought, and agreed. They took off their gloves and
cut off the middle finger. The simpleton put the fingers away and gave
the deer.
The sons-in-law came home, and brought the deer with golden horns and
a golden tail. The Tsar from joy knew not what to call them, where to
seat them, or with what to entertain them.
"Have ye seen the fool anywhere?" asked the Tsar.
"With seeing we have not seen him, with hearing we have not heard."
The simpleton crept into one ear of the horse and out of the other,
and became just such a simpleton as he had been before. He killed his
wretched horse, skinned him, and put on the skin; then caught a lot of
jackdaws, crows, magpies, and sparrows, tied them around himself, and
went home. He came again to the palace, and let out the birds in
different directions; his wife was sobbing, and her sisters were
laughing. "Our husbands," said they, "brought home the deer with
golden horns and a golden tail, and thy fool--look at him!"
The Tsar shouted at the fool: "What an ignorant lout!" and he gave
half the kingdom to his crafty sons-in-law.
The third time the Tsar called his crafty sons-in-law, and said: "My
dear sons-in-law, I will give you the whole kingdom if ye will get for
me the golden-maned steed with golden tail; I have heard that he is in
such a kingdom and such a land."
The crafty sons-in-law saddled the very best horses and went on their
journey.