It was, and there was nothing - a poor husband and wife lived, old age was approaching, but still no children. So they would have remained childless, only the wife asked her husband: “Go to the fortune teller, let her tell fortunes, maybe she’ll tell you what to do, teach you what to do, or give you some medicine.” My husband went. The fortune teller told fortunes, gave him three apples and said: “If your wife asks you to eat, give her two apples; if she asks you to drink, give her a third, and you will have a child.” And so this peasant did. His wife gave birth to a daughter. They named her Eteri.
Eteri is growing and becoming prettier every day. She is so good, so good, the rising sun cannot be more beautiful.
Only misfortune came: Eteri’s mother died, and her father brought a second wife to be the mistress of the house. Her father also died, and Eteri was left an orphan by her evil stepmother. The stepmother torments the poor girl, does not give her peace. She will send her to graze the cow, give her a spindle, a piece of cotton wool, a crust of bread and say: “This bread will last you until the evening.”
One day Eteri had been tormented for the whole day and in the evening, tired and hungry, she climbed a tree, dozed off in its branches and fell asleep.
And in that forest, the son of the king of the whole world, Abesalom, was hunting. He saw Eteri on a tree. Abesalom was struck by her beauty, and at one glance he fell in love with her. Calls Abesal Eteri:
Come to me, Eteri, be with me. I am captivated by your beauty - I will call you your wife.
“No,” Eteri answers him, “what kind of wife am I to you?”
You are great, powerful and glorious, Glorified forever by your ancestors, The sun doesn’t even shine for me, I live as an orphan in the world. For you, I’m just fun, I’m no match for the prince, You’ll leave me soon, My life will be a punishment for me.
Abesal swore that he would not leave her, would not change her:
God sends light to us from the sky. Abesal is standing below. Oh, if I betray you, May I be forgotten by God, May my armor be torn off with a raised sword, to my grief. May the moisture dry up for me in the hot desert, even from the sea. On a difficult, seven-year journey, May my food perish.
Eteri believed Abesalom’s vows and agreed to become his wife. Abesal gave her a knife with a black handle as a sign of fidelity and took her to the palace.
And Abesalom had an adviser, Murman. Abesal sent him with good news to his sister Mareh: “I’m taking my wife, Guicher-haired Eteri, prepare wedding dresses.”
They brought Eteri to the palace and dressed her up like a king. Abesal wrote letters to all kingdoms, inviting everyone to his wedding. He sent it with Murman's letters. Murman is coming, and his love for Eteri overcomes him. He dreams: “Where is the man who will instill hatred for Eteri in Abesalom’s heart, and he will give it to me?” He rides, and the devil meets him: “Where are you, Murman, and what are you thinking about?” Murman told him everything. “Why do you have to go far?” - says the devil. “I will give you such a medicine that Abesalom Eteri will stop loving you and will give her back to you, just promise me your soul for that.” “Ah, I don’t feel sorry for the soul for becoming my Eteri,” says Murman. “So write on paper that you will not change your word, and - your Eteri.” Murman wrote a paper and gave it to the devil.
He took the paper and said: “When Abesal and Eteri get married, take a handful of millet and quietly throw it at Eteri.” Know that Eteri will be covered with worms, and no matter how much you clean her, they will not clean her until your hand touches her. The devil went into his den, and Murman, who sold his soul, returned home. Abesal and Eteri got married, and as they began to leave the temple, Murman came up and threw a handful of millet at Eteri. So the worms showered Eteri, took them off, cleaned her, and there were more and more of them. Abesal was exhausted, brought Eteri out and announced in front of all the people:
On Monday we united, And on Tuesday - the hour of separation comes. Who envied our bliss, Let him now rejoice and sing, - I’m going immediately to hunt. Who will take Eteri from me?
Murman's dream came true. He knelt before Abesalom and asked:
Tsar, I am faithful to you to the grave, Give me poor Eteri!
Abesal took and gave his Eteri to Murman. As soon as Murman’s hand touched Eteri, she was healed and all the worms disappeared, as if they had never existed. Murman took her, and she became his wife. Abesal fell ill, as he lost Eteri. His love for her engulfed him in fire, burning him, tormenting him. Abesal could not stand it and turned to Murman with a prayer:
Tell me, for the sake of the sun, how does my Eteri live?
Murman said:
Do you want to know, king, equal to the sky, how my Eteri lives? I erected a crystal castle, It reached the vaults of heaven. My Eteri lives there, More beautiful than the wonderful swans. Nine loving sisters-in-law All have love for her, And her mother-in-law braids her Guicher braids. Nine brothers-in-law at the entrance, Their gaze sparkles like a diamond, And on the roof of the castle - father-in-law proudly guards the castle.
When Abesal heard this, his love for Eteri became even greater. Abesal became completely ill. He decided to remove Murman in order to regain Eteri again. He called him to himself and ordered: “Go get me the water of immortality, maybe it will help me.” Murman thought: “The evil is over my head.” He took nine days and went. Came to Eteri:
Let me snuggle today To the dazzling breast, Tomorrow they will send me to Algeti - The path is long ahead. Stones will meet me there, Even for lions that path is dangerous, Only torment awaits me, My feat will be in vain - To the nine healing springs I must, from the dawn of the morning, equip myself for the journey for life-giving water.
Eteri said:
I’ll take off my silks and satins, I’ll cover myself with a shawl, I’ll take the jug with me, I’ll go fetch river water. I won’t go in to see my neighbor or your brother, If I go in, I’ll come out as my sister. Believe my word.
Murman spent that night with Eteri.
Let this night be long, Let the dawn not turn pink. Tomorrow the caress of the lips of your loved ones will no longer warm your heart.
The next morning, Murman asked his sister and mother: “Go after her, care for her so that neither a breath of wind nor a ray of sun touches her.” But Abesalom is getting worse and worse, he is dying, and there is no medicine for him... His sister Mareh came out, walking, crying, asking: “My brother is dying, whoever can - help, find something to save him.” They told her: “Maybe his love for Eteri is killing him?” Bring to it a raven's wing, well-baked bread, red wine and a dove's wing - you will find out.
Mareh brought everything in and laid it on the ottoman next to her brother. Abesal turned, took the dove’s wing and said: “No matter how white you are, dove’s wing, Eteri is still whiter than you”; took the bread and said: “No matter how good you are, Eteri is still better than you”; took red wine and said: “No matter how red you are, wine, Eteri’s cheeks are brighter than you”; took the raven’s wing and said: “You are black, black, black raven’s wing, and all the eyes and eyebrows of Eteri are blacker than you.” He then said to his sister:
Get up quickly, Mareh-star, And hurry to Eteri. If she asks about me, tell her everything from the heart.
Mareh went to Eteri. And Eteri already knew about Abesalom’s illness. She deceived her mother-in-law, left the house, entered Abesalom’s garden, sat down under a poplar tree and cried. So, in tears, Eteri dozed off in Abesalom’s garden. Mareh came, saw Eteri sleeping, and called her:
I'm looking for you from morning to misty night, You're sleeping peacefully in the shady garden. The golden clasp came undone, the chest of crystal whiteness sparkled, and the black curls spread out rebelliously, like the foam of an oncoming wave.
Eteri doesn’t hear her. And Mareh called for the second time:
I came to you, Eteri, driving away your tender sleep, You eclipsed even the stars and the moon, sparkling with beauty. Spring has already come, May sunsets are fading, Arise, dear Eteri, Heal my brother quickly. I will take a shovel in my hands and clear the path, I will lay out wonderful marble To the palace threshold. I will build you a castle Of diamonds, turquoise, I will lay it out inside The chambers will be covered with the Abanouri tree. So that you can breathe coolness, Poplars will surround the castle; So that you don’t get sunburned, The throne will be covered with silk; So that your foot won’t accidentally hurt itself on a stone, I will cover the spacious courtyard with Golden carpets.
Eteri got up and went: “If only I could heal your brother, can I not go?” She came. And Abesalom is already dying. As soon as Abesal heard the sound of her steps, he stood up and spoke:
You came to me, Eteri, Let the seas and land sing; Looking into the eyes of the sick, You breathed strength into the soul. Between my eyelashes, I see - A magical garden is blooming, And to you, Eteri, my heart glows with gratitude. You came, but I, Eteri, am already parting with the earth, God is calling me to heaven To the eternal silence of peace.
Mareh came up to please her brother:
Brother, oh, if only you see, Look - Eteri has come.
Abesalom said:
Let her get closer.
Eteri said:
Here she is right at the door. Her path is easy to measure,—
and entered. Abesalom turned to her, looked at her and died. Eteri came up and clung to Abesalom. She then stood up and took out the knife that Abesalom gave her:
Abesalom's knife is in my pocket. I decided long ago: If the time comes, I will take it out with the handle towards a friend, with the blade towards myself. I will die calmly, I will die with you, with you in mind. Let us be buried on the edge of the road under the same hill, covered with leaves and covered with earth, you and me together. Above the grave let the rose bloom and breathe Fresh in the breeze. Let the birds chirp and breed their chicks over a simple hill. A spring would forever flow out of the hill, and above it would be bowls of clear golden light joyfully shining. And so that every traveler would drink here from a bowl of that healing water, and say goodbye to us here among the fields!
She stuck a knife in her chest and died. Indeed, Abesalom and Eteri were buried together.
Abesalom and Eteri. Were created for each other.
Murman returned, found the grave of Abesalom and Eteri, dug up the grave and lay down between them. A thorny bush grew on his grave, and on the graves of Abesalom and Eteri - a rose and a violet. A rose and a violet reach out and want to hug each other, but a thorny bush stands between them and prevents them from uniting. And from under Murman’s feet the puppies crawled out and howled.
A good word means a good storyteller. Good wine means you drink it well.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru