Ivan the Fool obeyed his father's last wishes – unlike his two lazy elder brothers. As a reward for his loyalty, his father shows him how to summon the magical horse Chestnut Grey. Anyone who climbs in through Chestnut Grey's right ear and comes out through his left ear is completely transformed. When Ivan does this, he is turned into a youth as fair as the sky at dawn. Now, the Tsar's beautiful daughter Tsarevna Lovely, has built a castle of twelve pillars and twelve rows of oaks. The man who can plant a kiss on her cheek as she sits in the attic of the highest tower, will win not only her hand in marriage, but half the Tsar's kingdom. Ivan's brothers intend to try their luck, and unknown to them, so does Ivan the Fool.

The Tsar stepped out on the porch and said: "He from amongst you, good youths, who leaps up on his steed as high as yon window and places a kiss upon my daughter's cheek, shall have her hand in marriage and half my kingdom besides."

One after another the wooers of Tsarevna Lovely rode up and pranced and leaped, but, alas, the window was out of their reach. Ivan's brothers tried with the rest, but with no better success.

When Ivan's turn came, he sent Chestnut Grey at a gallop and with a whoop and a shout, leapt up as high as the highest row but one. One more chance was left him, and he pranced and whirled Chestnut Grey round and round till the steed chafed and fumed. Then, bounding like fire past her window, he took a great leap and placed a kiss on the cheek of Tsarevna Lovely. And the Tsarevna struck his brow with her signet ring and left her mark on him.

The people roared: "Hold him! Stop him!" but Ivan and his steed were gone in a cloud of dust. Off they galloped to the open field, and Ivan climbed into Chestnut Grey's left ear and came out through his right, and lo! He was changed into his proper shape again. Then he let Chestnut Grey run free and he himself went home, stopping to gather some mushrooms on the way. He came into the house, bound his forehead in a rag, climbed up on the stove ledge and lay there as before.

By and by his brothers arrived and began telling him where they had been and what they had seen,
"Many were the wooers of the Tsarevna, and handsome too," they said. "But one there was who outshone them all. He leapt up on his fiery steed to the Tsarevna's window and he kissed her cheek. We saw him come, but we did not see him go."

Said Ivan from his perch behind the chimney:
"Perhaps it was me you saw."
His brothers flew into a temper and said:
"Stop your silly talk, fool! Sit there on your stove and eat your
mushrooms!"

Then Ivan untied the rag that covered the seal from the Tsarevna's signet ring and at once a bright glow lit up the hut. The brothers were frightened and cried:

"What are you doing, fool? You'll burn down the house!"
The next day the Tsar held a feast to which he summoned all his subjects, boyars and nobles and common folk, rich and poor, young and old.
Ivan's brothers, too, prepared to attend the feast.
"Take me with you, my brothers," Ivan begged.

"What?" they laughed. "You will only be mocked by all. Stay here on your stove and eat your mushrooms!"
The brothers then mounted their steeds and rode away and Ivan followed on foot. He came to the Tsar's palace and seated himself in a far corner. Tsarevna Lovely now began to make a round of all the guests. She offered each a drink from the cup of mead she carried and she looked at their brows to see if her seal was there.

She made a round of all the guests, except Ivan, and when she approached him, her heart sank. He was all smutted with soot and his hair stood on end. Said Tsarevna Lovely:

"Who are you? Where do you come from? And why is your brow bound with that rag?"
"I hurt myself falling," Ivan replied.
The Tsarevna was not content, however, and insisted on unwinding the rag. At once, a bright glow lit up the place.

"That is my seal!" she cried. "Here is my betrothed!"
The Tsar came up to Ivan, looked at him and said:
"Oh no! Tsarevna Lovely! This cannot be your betrothed! He is all sooty and very plain!"

Said Ivan to the Tsar:
"Allow me to wash my face, Tsar."
The Tsar gave him leave to do so, and Ivan came out into the courtyard and shouted as his father had taught him to:

"Chestnut Grey, hear and obey!
I call thee nigh to do or die!"

And lo and behold! Chestnut Grey came galloping towards him. The earth shook under his hoofs, his
nostrils spurted flame, and clouds of smoke poured from his ears. Ivan climbed into his right ear and came out through his left and was turned into a youth as fair as the sky at dawn, the handsomest youth that ever was born. All the people in the palace gave a great gasp when they saw him.

No words were wasted after that. Ivan married Tsarevna Lovely, and a merry feast was held to celebrate their wedding.