The King’s servants thought and thought, and at last devised a plan. They came to the King and said: “Send for Emelyán and say to him: ‘Go to there, don’t know where,’ and bring back ‘that, don’t know what.’ Then he will not be able to escape you. No matter where he goes, you can say that he has not gone to the right place, and no matter what he brings, you can say it is not the right thing. Then you can have him beheaded and can take his wife.”

The King was pleased. “That is well thought of,” said he. So the King sent for Emelyán and said to him: “Go to ‘there, don’t know where,’ and bring back ‘that, don’t know what.’ If you fail to bring it, I will have you beheaded.”

Emelyán returned to his wife and told her what the King had said. His wife became thoughtful.