AT THE BEHEST OF THE PIKE
Once there lived a poor peasant; and, however much he might toil and moil, he got nothing out of it. "Oh," he thought to himself, "mine is a sorry lot; I spend all my days on my fields; and then, when I look, I am starving, whilst my neighbour is lying all day long on his back, and then he has a big estate and all the profits swim into his pockets. Evidently I have not pleased God. I will get up in the morning and pray until evening, and perhaps the Lord may have mercy on me."
So he began to pray to God, and went hungry for days on days; and he still went on praying.
At last Easter Day came, and the bells rang for Mass. So the poor peasant thought, "All good folks are getting ready to break the fast, and I have not a crust of bread. Well, if I bring water, I can sip it like soup." So he took a small can, went to the well, and as soon as he dipped it into the water a big pike fell into it. Then the peasant was very glad. "Here is something for supper; I will cook it and make fish soup of it, and shall have a fine supper."
Then the pike said to him in a human voice: "Let me go free, good man, go free. I will make you happy; whatever your soul may desire you shall possess. You need only say:
At the pike's good pleasure,
By God's good measure—
let this or that appear! and you will get it at once."
