Emelyán was surprised. He asked them to give the thing to him, but they would not. So Emelyán left off asking, and followed the drummer. All day he followed, and when the drummer at last lay down to sleep, Emelyán snatched the drum from him and ran away with it.

He ran and ran, till at last he got back to his own town. He went to see his wife, but she was not at home. The day after he went away, the King had taken her. So Emelyán went to the palace, and sent in a message to the King: “He has returned who went to ‘there, don’t know where,’ and he has brought with him ‘that, don’t know what.’ ”

They told the King, and the King said he was to come again next day.

But Emelyán said, “Tell the King I am here today, and have brought what the King wanted. Let him come out to me, or I will go in to him!”

The King came out. “Where have you been?” said he.

Emelyán told him.