The Blue Coat Sewn Inside Out

Once upon a time, there lived a sorcerer-king. He sent out a proclamation across his kingdom: "Whoever can hide from me will receive half of my kingdom."

A hunter named Blue Coat Turned Inside Out stepped forward. He came to the sorcerer-king.

"I can hide so well that you won't find me," he said.

"Very well," replied the king. "If you succeed, half the kingdom is yours. If not, off with your head. Sign here."

Blue Coat Turned Inside Out signed and began to hide. Before the king, he stood as a handsome young man, ran through the courtyard as a black sable, slipped under the gates as a white ermine, and raced across the field as a gray hare.

If he was to run, then run he did—he ran all the way to the thrice-ninth kingdom. In that kingdom, there was a vast meadow. He reached the meadow and transformed into three colorful flowers.

The next morning, the king rose, looked into his magical book, and said:

"Before me, he stood as a handsome young man, ran through the courtyard as a black sable, slipped under the gates as a white ermine, and raced across the field as a gray hare. He reached a large meadow in the thrice-ninth kingdom and turned into three colorful flowers."

The king called his servants and ordered them to go to that kingdom and bring back the three colorful flowers from the meadow.

The servants went. Whether they walked long or short, they reached the meadow, plucked the flowers, wrapped them in a handkerchief, and brought them to the king.

"Well, Blue Coat Turned Inside Out, did you hide from me?" Blue Coat Turned back into a man and said:

"Allow me, O King, to hide once more."

The king allowed it.

Blue Coat Turned Inside Out stood before the king as a handsome young man, ran through the courtyard as a black sable, slipped under the gates as a white ermine, and raced across the field as a gray hare. If he was to run, then run he did—he ran all the way to the thrice-tenth kingdom. In that kingdom, there was a swamp covered with moss, beneath which lay a lake. He stepped into the moss, turned into a perch fish, dove to the very bottom of the lake, and hid there.

In the morning, the king rose, looked into his magical book, and said:

"Before me, he stood as a handsome young man, ran through the courtyard as a black sable, slipped under the gates as a white ermine, and raced across the field as a gray hare. He ran to the thrice-tenth kingdom, turned into a perch fish, and hid in the mossy swamp!"

The king ordered his servants to go to the thrice-tenth kingdom, clear the mossy swamp, and catch the perch.

The servants did as they were told: they cleared the swamp, cast a net, and caught the perch. They wrapped it in a handkerchief and brought it to the king.

"Well, Blue Coat Turned Inside Out, did you hide from me this time too?" the king laughed.

Blue Coat turned back into a man and said:

"Allow me, O King, to hide once more."

The king allowed it.

Blue Coat Turned Inside Out stood before the king as a handsome young man, ran through the courtyard as a black sable, slipped under the gates as a white ermine, and raced across the field as a gray hare. If he was to run, then run he did—he ran all the way to the thrice-tenth kingdom, where there grew an oak tree so tall that its roots reached deep into the earth and its crown touched the sky. He climbed the oak, turned into a needle, and hid under the bark.

A bird named Nagai flew to the oak, sensed with its keen nose that a man was hiding under the bark, and asked:

"Who's there?"

"It's me," said Blue Coat.

"Why have you come here?"

"I made a bet with the sorcerer-king to hide from him, but it's not working out."

"Do you want me to hide you?"

"Please, kind bird. I will be forever grateful."

The bird Nagai turned him into a feather, tucked him under its wing, carried him to the royal palace, and placed him inside the sleeping king's shirt.

At dawn, the king rose, washed, looked into his magical book, and said:

"Before me, he stood as a handsome young man, ran through the courtyard as a black sable, slipped under the gates as a white ermine, and raced across the field as a gray hare. He ran to the thrice-tenth kingdom. There is an oak there whose roots reach deep into the earth and whose crown touches the sky. He climbed it, hid under the bark, and sits there, turned into a needle."

The king ordered the oak to be cut down, chopped into firewood, and burned.

The servants did as they were told, but they could not find Blue Coat. They returned to the king and said:

"Blue Coat is nowhere to be found."

"How can that be?" the king exclaimed. "It's impossible!"

"He's simply gone," the servants replied. The king stepped onto the porch and called out:

"Blue Coat Turned Inside Out, appear!"

"Gather your generals," replied Blue Coat, "and then I will appear."

The king heard Blue Coat's voice but could not tell where it was coming from. He searched everywhere, but Blue Coat seemed to have vanished like water.

With no other choice, the king gathered his generals. He stepped onto the porch and called again:

"Blue Coat, appear!"

"No," came Blue Coat's voice. "First, write me a decree in front of the generals granting me half the kingdom. Then I will appear. Otherwise, I know you'll deceive me!"

Though the king was reluctant, he had no choice but to grant half the kingdom. As soon as he stamped the decree with his royal seal in front of the generals, a light feather flew out from under his shirt and turned into a handsome young man.

"Here I am!" said Blue Coat. He grabbed the decree and tucked it into his pocket. From that day on, the king stopped playing hide-and-seek.

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The Blue Coat Sewn Inside Out

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