The document summarizes the Russian fairy tale "Fool of the World and the Flying Ship". It describes how the youngest but kind son Peter helps an old man and is given a magical flying ship. Peter uses it to complete impossible tasks for the Czar to win his daughter's hand in marriage. Along the way he collects unusual passengers who help him. In the end, the companions threaten the Czar with an army and force him to free Peter and allow his marriage. The tale has been passed down orally and in various written and film adaptations over time.

1. FOOL OF THE WORLD AND THE
FLYING SHIP.
By Sean Rodriguez and Ben Egan

2. Overview:
 Long ago there was a Czar that was presented a ship from a prince
for the hand of his daughter, the Czar refused and proclaimed that if
anyone in the land could make a flying ship he would wed his
daughter to that ship builder. In the forest region of the country
there lived and old couple that had three sons.Two of them were
very clever and manipulative; the other one was very foolish but
kind.The two clever brothers found the proclamation that the Czar
had written and decided to con the father into giving them money so
that they could “build the ship”. Ultimately the two brothers spend
all the money on food and drink, leaving the family at home being
worried about them. However, as the two brothers were eating in
the forest an old man approaches them to ask for food.They two
brothers refused, even though they had a huge abundance.The old
man leaves them and the brothers get lost.

3. Overview:
 The youngest brother (Peter) , goes to look for his lost brothers only
taking a meager amount of food. He then comes across the area of
which his brothers were eating at previously to take a much needed
break.The old man then approaches him to ask for some food and
even though Peter has only a short amount of food he agrees to give
him food.When Peter reaches into his satchel he finds a feast, he
then happily shares a fine dinner with the old man and tells him
about the “proclamation of the flying ship”.As Peter stumbles to
sleep, the old man builds a ship out of snow, sticks, and feathers
from a snow bird. Peter then wakes up to discover the flying ship and
the old man tells him that he must always accept whoever wants to
hitch a ride..

4. Overview:
 So then Peter embarks to go to the palace of the Czar, along the way
he receives all sorts of passengers. He receives a sharpshooter, who
can spot anything from far away. He then gets a farmer, who has hay
that can cool down any fire. Later on he gets a man with insatiable
hunger, and a man with insatiable thirst.Then there is a runner, who
has to tie up one of his legs so that he doesn’t run around the world.
Next there is a spy with big ears, that can hear anything from a long
distance. Finally there is a woodsman whose saplings can morph into
soldiers.The passengers all want employment from the Czar as they
arrive to the Czar’s palace.They get there, however, the Czar’s chief
advisor saw that the travelers were all peasants instead of
noblemen and told his master who was greatly displeased by this.
So the advisor gives the travelers a set of impossible tasks they
must complete in order to see the Czar.The first was to completely
finish every item of food and drink at a large banquet.

5. Overview:
 The banquet was exceedingly large for a normal man, however the
man with an insatiable hunger managed to eat every morsel of food
on the table.The man with the insatiable thirst finished off the
drinks, leaving the table completely empty. Upon completing this,
they were asked to take a bath. Before they did so, the spy with big
ears overheard the orders that the fire for the baths would receive
more wood so that Peter and his friends can be boiled alive.As they
were heading towards the bath, the farmer snuck away and used his
cold straw to put the fire out. Having survived that ordeal, the last
task was that the party must fetch healing water from a far away
lake, in five minutes.The runner then unties his legs and runs to the
lake at supersonic speed. After a few minutes the spy with big ears
hears that the runner is asleep and has the sharpshooter shot an
arrow near the runner to awaken him.The runner wakes up and runs
back to the palace just in time.

6. Overview:
 Having completed all the tasks, Peter is then able to approach the
Czar.When conversing with the Czar, he accidentally insults him and
is thrown into the dungeons with his companions being thrown out
of the castle.When thrown out, the woodsman threatens the Czar
that he will return with a massive army in the morning to rescue
Peter. Overnight the companions plant the woodsman’s saplings and
they emerge as humanoid soldiers within the morning, surrounding
the palace. Upon seeing this, the Czar becomes frighten and
surrenders to the companions’ requests.The first request is that the
companions are to be employed under the Czar.The second is to
free Peter from the palace dungeon.The last being to allow Peter to
marry the princess.The Czar meets their demands and they all live
prosperous lives.

7. History:
 It was first passed on orally throughout the Czarist history of Russia
and its surrounding Baltic regions.
 The tale that was first written down by the Scottish poet, Andrew
Lang in 1884. It was included in his collection of fairy tales, “The
Yellow Fairy Book”.
 Another variation of the tale was written in 1916 by an English
author by the name of Arthur Ransome. It was included in his book
“Old Peter’s RussianTales” that turned out to be the most popular
variation.
 In 1990 there was a stop-motion-animated film of it by Cossgrove
Hall Films.
 Then in 1991 it was put into audiotape form by Rabbit Ears
Production that featured RobinWilliams.

8. Similarities:
 Elements of the story are present withinTerry Gilliam’s 1988 film,
“TheAdventures of Baron Munchausen”.
 They are also present in the manga, “One Piece” by EiichiroOda.

9. Themes:
 The story teaches us to become generous to others, as Peter gave
food to the old man and allowed strangers refuge on his ship.
 One’s good deeds are often repaid in strange and wonderful ways.
 Being deceitful and manipulative will come back to bite you later on.

10. Elements of Fantasy:
 The flying ship itself.
 The old man that’s a wizard.
 Peter’s companions.
 Healing water.
 Robin Williams!

11. Sources:
 Vose, Francis. Fool of theWorld and the Flying Ship. Cossgrove Hall
Films. 1990. Film
 http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/russian/oldpetersrussiantales/fool
oftheworld.html
 http://www.mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/019.htm
 Oda, Eiichiro.One Piece: Romance Dawn. Shonen Jump. 1997.
 Gilliam,Terry.The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Columbia
Pictures. 1988.