your straw?"

"To the village."

"Why, are they short of straw in your village?"

"No; but this is such straw that if you scatter it abroad in the very
hottest of the summer, instantly the weather turns cold, and there is
snow and frost."

"There's a place here for you too," says the Fool.

"Very kind of you," says the man, and steps in and sits down, and away
they all sail together, singing like to burst their lungs.

They did not meet any one else, and presently came flying up to the
palace of the Tzar. They flew down and cast anchor in the courtyard.

Just then the Tzar was eating his dinner. He heard their loud singing,
and looked out of the window and saw the ship come sailing down into
his courtyard. He sent his servant out to ask who was the great prince
who had brought him the flying ship, and had come sailing down with
such a merry noise of singing.

The servant came up to the ship, and saw the Fool of the World and his
companions sitting there cracking jokes. He saw they were all moujiks,
simple peasants, sitting in the ship; so he did not stop to ask
questions, but came back quietly and told the Tzar that there were no
gentlemen in the ship at all, but only a lot of dirty peasants.