The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship (book) facts for kids
The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship
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| Author | Arthur Ransome |
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| Illustrator | Uri Shulevitz |
| Country | United States |
| Genre | Children's picture book |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
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Publication date
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1968 |
| Pages | 48 |
| ISBN | 0-374-42438-1 |
| OCLC | 50144962 |
The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship is a fun children's picture book. It was illustrated by Uri Shulevitz. The book tells an old Eastern European fairy tale. The story comes from a version by Arthur Ransome. He included it in his 1916 book, Old Peter's Russian Tales. Ransome found the story while working as a journalist in the Russian Empire. The book came out in 1968. It won a special award called the Caldecott Medal in 1969 for its amazing pictures.
Contents
The Flying Ship Adventure
This story begins with a Czar, who was like a king. He made a big announcement. He said that whoever could bring him a flying ship would get to marry his daughter, the Princess.
The youngest son of a poor farming family, known as the Fool of the World, decided to try. He wanted to marry the Princess. His mother packed him a small bag for his journey. It held "some crusts of dry black bread and a flask of water."
Meeting a Wise Old Man
On his way, the Fool met a very old man. The old man asked if he could share the Fool's food. When the Fool opened his bag, he was surprised. Instead of dry bread, he found "fresh white rolls and cooked meats"! There was also "corn brandy" to drink. He shared everything with the old man.
The old man then gave the Fool special instructions. He told him to hit a tree with his hatchet. This would create a flying ship. But the old man also gave an important piece of advice: the Fool must offer a ride to everyone he met.
Gathering Special Friends
The Fool made his flying ship and started flying. Along the way, he picked up several unique characters:
- The Listener: This person could hear even the quietest sounds from far away.
- The Swift-goer: He could walk across the entire world in just one step.
- The Far-shooter: He could hit a bird hundreds of miles away with a single shot.
- The Eater: This man could eat huge amounts of food.
- The Drinker: He could swallow more liquid than a whole lake.
- A man carrying sticks of wood: These sticks could magically turn into soldiers.
- A man carrying straw: This straw could make everything around it very cold.
The Czar's Impossible Tasks
The eight men landed their flying ship at the Czar's palace. The Czar really wanted the flying ship. However, he did not want his daughter to marry a moujik, which is a peasant. So, the Czar gave the Fool and his friends five tasks. He thought these tasks would be impossible to complete.
- Task 1: Find the Water of Life
The Czar demanded "the magical water of life." He wanted it before he even finished his dinner! The Swift-goer quickly ran to find the water. But he got tired and fell asleep. The Listener heard him snoring from far away. The Far-shooter then shot a bullet close to the Swift-goer's head. This woke him up! The Swift-goer quickly returned with the water.
- Task 2: Eat a Giant Meal
Next, the Czar told the men to eat "twelve oxen roasted whole." He also wanted them to eat "as much bread as can be baked in forty ovens." The Eater thought all this food was just "a little snack." He ate it all easily.
- Task 3: Drink Many Barrels of Wine
The Czar then commanded the men to drink 40 barrels of wine. The Drinker quickly gulped it all down.
- Task 4: Bathe in a Freezing Bathhouse
The Czar demanded that the Fool take a bath in a very hot iron bathhouse. This was to prepare for the wedding. The man with the straw went with the Fool. He spread his straw, which made the bath water freeze solid!
- Task 5: Show an Army
Finally, the Czar said he wanted the Fool to show him "a regiment of soldiers." This army would defend the Princess. The man with the wood sticks scattered them around. Suddenly, a "gigantic army" appeared!
A Happy Ending
The Czar had failed to get rid of the peasants. He gave the Fool many gifts. He then asked him to marry the Princess. The Fool and the Princess fell in love with each other. They were married and lived happily. The Fool "became so clever that all the court repeated everything he said."
See also
- Flying ship (folk tale)
- The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship (1990 film)
Selected translations
- Tontimundo y el Barco Volador: un Cuento Ruso (Spanish, 1991, ISBN: 0374324433)
- Soratobu fune to sekai ichi no baka: Roshia no mukashibanashi Ruso (Japanese, 1991)
- Sesang e tul to ŏmnŭn pabo wa hanŭl ŭl nanŭn pae (Korean, 1997, ISBN: 8972594644)
- L'Idiot du Village et le Vaisseau Volant: un Conte Russe (French, 2011, ISBN: 9782362900112)
