“It isn’t so,” grumbled the fool.  He picked up the feather, wrapped it in a rag, placed it in his hat, and returned to his brothers.  “I saw a burning stump and fanned the flames,” he told them, “but in the end it just went out!” While his brothers laughed, Ivan snored.

Ivan meets the czar. Arriving at the capital, they went to the horse market.  Soon the czar came to inspect.  All fell down on their knees and shouted “hurrah” to the czar.  He bowed in reply, and from that instant his eyes didn’t move from the two wondrous horses: young and black, with golden tails and diamond hooves set with enormous pearls.  Most satisfied, he asked, “Whose are these young stallions?”

Ivan stepped out from behind his brothers, puffed his chest, and answered, “This pair, dear czar, is mine.”

“Will you sell them?”

“No, just exchange them,” the happy fool replied.

“For what?”

"Silver pieces – two times five."

“Ten, that is, is what I’ll pay,” said the czar, leading the horses away.  But the horses tore their bridles asunder and ran back to Ivan.  The czar said to him, “As the pair will not give themselves to us, there is nothing to do but have you work in the palace.  You will walk in gold, dress in beautiful garments, and supervise all my stables.  Agreed?”

“Miraculous doings! From a gardener I become a czar’s servant.  I will serve you, czar.  Only allow me to sleep my fill.”

Ivan and his horses paraded through the capital.  To the song of the fool the horses pranced, and, to the surprise of the people, his little humpbacked horse broke into dance.