Once upon a time there lived a husband and wife and they had three daughters. The first was called Luanda, the second was Mukazhi and the third was Mbeji. When they became adults, all three married. And together with their husbands they went to live in distant lands.
Luanda's husband was the King of the Birds. Mukazhi - King of the antelopes. And the youngest, Mbezhi, has the King of Fishes. Among people, the sisters' husbands looked like other people, and they talked and behaved like people too. Only at home did they take on their real appearance.
Having settled her daughters, the woman became pregnant again. This time she gave birth to a boy. He was the last child. When he was six years old, he went to school. One day the boys, his classmates, got angry at him for something and shouted:
- Get away! We don't want to play with you! You are not like us! And our sisters are not like yours! Our sisters did not marry animals!
The boy, from whom his mother hid the fact that he had older sisters, ran home in tears and demanded to be told the truth. Where are his sisters? Why doesn't he know anything about them?
- Let the boys talk to themselves! They're just jealous! All boys are like that,” his mother consoled him.
And the boy believed her. But after a few days the boys began to tease him again and again reminded him of his sisters.
Again the boy ran to his mother in tears, and again she hid the truth from him.
The boy grew up and heard stories about his sisters from strangers so many times that, when he became a young man, he decided to go in search of them.
- But where will you go? You don't have any sisters! You are our only son! - his mother dissuaded him.
- But I’ll go anyway. I will go into the very thicket of the forest, where only a bird’s child cries, where a child’s cry has never been heard...
Resigned, the parents let their stubborn son go. The mother prepared a large bundle of food and put a bottle of water in it.
The young man set off. At night he slept in the trees, tied to the branches with a rope. When the food he took from home ran out, he had to eat what monkeys eat. When the water in the bottle his mother gave him also ran out, he drank water from a stream or swamp.
Days passed, weeks passed, months passed. And he kept walking and walking. And he never saw a single hut. He saw only trees and a narrow path among them, laid by travelers, along which he walked aimlessly.
So a year passed. One day, climbing a high mountain, he noticed smoke. The young man was delighted. So there are people down there. He quickened his pace, but did not reach the first house until the next morning.
He knocked on the door. The maid opened the door.
- And the mistress of the house?
- Oh! Who is this? Looks so much like the owner! - the girl was surprised and ran to the hostess. - My lady, a young man has come who wants to talk to you! He looks so much like you, like your brother!
- My brother? I have no brothers! There were only three of us sisters.
She ran to see who had come. Indeed, what a resemblance! The longer they looked at each other, the more surprised they became.
- But who are you? - the sister finally cried out.
“My parents never told me that I had sisters.” But at school, when I had a fight with my friends one day, the boys began to tease me, saying that my sisters married animals. I cried and ran to my mother, but she said that it was their imagination, that I didn’t have any sisters. The boys teased me so often that I decided to go in search of my sisters. I walked for a whole year. During the day I ate what monkeys eat, at night I slept in trees, tying myself to the branches. And so I came to your house...
- Yes, you really are my brother! It is enough to look at your face to be convinced of this.
She began to treat her brother to the best dishes, but around noon she suddenly became worried:
- You know what, perhaps it would be better if you hide. Now my husband, the King of Birds, is supposed to arrive. After all, he doesn’t know you, so he can peck you!
The young man obeyed. While the maid was scattering maize grains and putting water in a large cage, he hid in the bushes.
Very soon the rustling of huge wings was heard. A beautiful bird descended to earth. She entered the cage, ate and drank. Then she left the cage and turned into a human.
The wife told her husband about her brother's arrival.
- Where is he? I want to see him!
The young man appeared before the King of Birds, and they hugged each other tightly. In the house of this sister, treated kindly by her and her husband, the young man spent a whole month. One day he said:
“Now I’ll go look for my second sister!”
— She lives very far away. You have to go there all year! - the sister warned.
And her husband gave the young man his pen and said:
- Take care of this feather. If anything happens to you, raise it to the sky and say: “King of the birds, must I really die?” - and then my subjects will help you. Take care of this feather like the apple of your eye.
Having thanked the King of Birds, the young man set off. He walked and walked for a very long time, during the day he ate what monkeys eat, and at night he slept in the trees, tying himself to the branches. So a year passed. One day, just like the last time, he climbed to the top of the mountain and saw a dwelling far below.
Having reached him in the morning, the young man knocked on the door:
- Mistress of the house?
And again the maid opened the door to him and exclaimed in amazement:
- Oh! Who is this? So similar to my mistress! My lady, my lady, come here quickly! Some young man has come! He looks so much like you! Probably your brother!
- My brother! I never had brothers, I only had two sisters!
But, seeing the young man, the hostess was amazed:
-Who are you? You and I just have the same face.
“My parents never told me that I had sisters.” But at school, when I had a fight with my friends one day, the boys began to tease me, saying that my sisters married animals. I cried and ran to my mother, but she said that it was their imagination, that I didn’t have any sisters. The boys teased me so often that I decided to go in search of my sisters. I walked for a whole year. During the day I ate what monkeys eat, at night I slept in trees, tying myself to the branches. Finally I came to the house of my older sister Luanda. She immediately recognized me as her brother. It took me a whole year to get here.
- Yes, you are my brother. We are very similar to you!
Sister Mukazhi hugged her brother and took him to rest. She spread the most beautiful mats on the floor and gave him the best food. Around noon the sister said to her brother:
“My dear brother, your brother-in-law, my husband, the King of the Antelopes, will soon return home.” Since he doesn’t know you, he might gore you! So hide for now.
The young man hid, and at that time the maid put an armful of fresh grass and ears of young maize in the barn and poured water into a bowl.
Soon a huge mountain goat appeared. A golden bell hung around his neck. The goat ran into the barn, ate and drank, came out and immediately turned into a handsome man.
His wife told him about his brother's arrival. He wished to see him.
And the young man lived with them for a whole month. Then he said:
“Now I must find my third sister!”
- You will have to walk for a long time. “Probably at least a year,” the sister warned.
And her husband, the Antelope King, gave the young man a bunch of his wool:
- If anything happens to you, raise this bunch to the sky and say: “Really, King of the Antelopes, should I die?” - All my subjects will come to your aid. Take care of this wool like the apple of your eye.
The young man set off. He walked and walked, during the day he ate what monkeys eat, and at night he slept in the trees, tying himself to the branches. At the end of the year, from the top of the mountain I saw the house again. The next morning he was already knocking on his door:
- Mistress of the house?
And again the door was opened by the maid, who was also amazed at the similarity between the young man and the mistress.
“My lady, some young man has come, very similar to you.” He must be your brother!
- My brother? I have no brothers! I only have two sisters...
But still, she ran to look, and when she saw the young man, she was amazed at the stranger’s resemblance to her.
-Who are you? Why are you so like me?
“My parents never told me that I had sisters, but at school, when I quarreled with my friends one day, the boys began to tease me, saying that my sisters married animals. I cried and ran to my mother, but she said that it was their imagination, that I didn’t have any sisters. The boys teased me so often that I decided to go in search of my sisters. It took me a whole year to get to my sister Luanda’s house. It took me another year to get to my sister Mukazhi’s house. It took me another year to get here. During the day I ate what monkeys eat. At night he slept in the trees, tying himself to the branches...
- Yes, I see that you are really my brother!
The sister treated her brother to the best dishes and put him to rest after a long journey. Around noon she said to him:
- Your brother-in-law, my husband, the King of Fishes, will return soon. Since he doesn’t know you, he can hit you painfully with his fin! Therefore, it is better to hide for the first time.
The maid filled a huge reservoir with water and threw food into it. A huge fish descended from the sky into a reservoir, drank, ate, and came out onto land no longer as a fish, but as a handsome man.
His wife told him about his brother's arrival. He received the young man kindly. He stayed at the third sister’s house for a whole month and finally said:
“Now I have seen all three sisters and their husbands. I can go home and tell my mother about everything, if she is still alive.
His brother-in-law gave him a fish scale as a farewell:
- If something happens to you, raise it to the sky and say: “Really, King of the Fishes, should I die?” And all my subjects will come to your aid!
The young man set off on his way back. He was so pleased and happy to meet his sisters that, returning home, he sang loudly, clapping his hands and even stamping his feet.
Meanwhile, the King of the Snakes kidnapped the daughter of the King of Angola. Her father sent his troops throughout the country, to all the forests and fields, to search for her. The king of Angola was in such despair that he forbade singing, dancing and merrymaking in his kingdom until his daughter was found.
The soldiers heard that someone was joyfully singing and dancing on the road, rushed after the young man and grabbed him:
- Stop! You're under arrest! Don't you know that the king forbade singing, dancing and having fun? Don't you know that the King of Snakes has kidnapped our king's daughter?
- No, I don’t know anything! I'm happy because I finally found my sisters...
And the young man was taken to the king. But the young man, even chained, did not stop singing.
“How dare you rejoice when I’m grieving?” - exclaimed the king of Angola. - I will order you to be executed! But I can save your life if you find my daughter. And not only to save your life, but to give my daughter to you as a wife. And then you will inherit my throne.
“My venerable lord!” said the young man, “I will return your daughter to you.” You'll see. Let me go and I'll go look for her.
And the king ordered the chains to be removed from the young man.
The troops were given the order: if the young man finds the king's daughter, immediately beat the drums. If he turns out to be a deceiver, if he tries to escape without fulfilling his promise, then execute him without delay.
Still dancing, humming merrily, the young man went deeper into the forest. Raising a feather, a tuft of wool and a fish scale clutched in his hand to the sky, he exclaimed:
“Is it really the King of the Birds, the King of the Antelopes and the King of the Fishes that I must die?”
And immediately countless birds, antelopes and fish appeared before him.
“What do you need?” they asked.
- Help me! The king of snakes kidnapped the daughter of the king of Angola. I was told to find her. If I don't find her, I'll be executed. Where is she?
- Go to the East, straight, straight, and you will come to the dwelling of the King of Snakes. There you will find the daughter of the king of Angola.
And the young man followed the indicated path. He walked and walked for a long, long time and finally saw the dwelling of the King of Snakes. The daughter of the King of Angola sat near the entrance, shedding tears.
- Who are you and what do you want? - she asked the young man.
- I came for you. Your father ordered me to bring you home.
- Go away quickly! If the King of Snakes sees you, he will give you to his subjects to eat.
- So tell me quickly where he hid his death!
- His death is inside the bird... The bird is in a cage... The cage is in a stone... And the stone is at the bottom of the sea...
- Wait, I'll be back soon...
Having retired, the young man raised a fish scale to the sky:
- Really, King of the Fishes, I have to die?
And the King of Fishes appeared before him along with his subjects:
- What else do you need?
“I have already found the daughter of the king of Angola. But now we need to get the death of the Snake King. It is hidden inside the bird... The bird is in a cage... The cage is in a stone... And the stone is at the bottom of the sea!
Before he had time to look back, a huge stone, pushed out of the sea by fish, was already lying at his feet.
But how to break it? The young man raised a piece of fur from the King of the Antelopes to the sky:
- Really, King of the Antelopes, I have to die?
And the Antelope King appeared before him along with his subjects:
- What do you need?
- There is a cage hidden in this stone... There is a bird in the cage...
And inside the bird is the death of the King of Snakes! Help me break the stone, King of the Antelopes!
The antelopes pounced on the stone, beat it with their hooves, stabbed it with their horns, and finally crushed the block into small pieces. The cage fell out from inside. Then the young man raised his pen to the sky:
- Really, King of the Birds, I have to die?
And immediately the King of Birds appeared before him along with his subjects.
- What's happened?
“The death of the Snake King is in this cage. But I can't open it! Help me!
The birds began to peck at the bars of the cage, first on one side, then on the other, and finally broke it. But when the largest birds prepared to kill the bird hiding in the cage, it immediately disappeared. Then the King of Birds ordered to count all his subjects. The birds counted for a long, long time, finally they found one extra one, a stranger, and killed it. Because the life of the King of Snakes was hidden in this bird.
And the King of Snakes, who was far away at that time, suddenly felt the life in him freeze, and crawled towards his home.
The young man at that moment was trying to persuade the daughter of the King of Angola to go home with him. But she was afraid:
- No. I won't go. The king of snakes will return now, he is already close. I feel it.
Then the young man again called the King of the Antelopes for help. He appeared with a golden bell around his neck, and the young man and the daughter of the King of Angola mounted him and galloped off.
- A-a-a... If I catch you, I will swallow you! I will destroy you...” the King of Snakes wheezed after them. But the life in him was fading away. And so he became completely exhausted and died.
And the brave young man and the king's daughter returned to the king of Angola. And wherever they passed, people greeted them, and everywhere drums beat and joyful songs sounded. As a reward, the king of Angola gave his daughter in marriage to a young man, and he later became the ruler of Angola.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru