Once upon a time there was a soldier. He served the king faithfully for many years, and when his term expired, he was released on all four sides. A soldier stands at a crossroads and does not know where to go. He had no one left in his native village. The king's service is long, and during this time all the soldier's relatives died. And he had long been unaccustomed to peasant work. “Eh, it wasn’t,” the soldier decided, “I’ll go wherever my eyes look, and then we’ll see.” He wandered into a dense forest, walks along a path, looks at the trees and thinks: “Shouldn’t I hang myself on the first branch?”
Suddenly a person comes across to him.
- What are you thinking about, servant? - he asks the soldier.
“Yes, I’m looking for a branch that’s easier to hang myself on.” I was left alone in the world, I had nowhere to go and nothing to feed on.
“Hanging yourself is a simple matter,” says the man. - You better come to my service.
-Who are you? - the soldier asks him.
“I’m the devil,” he answers. “Have you heard of me?”
“I heard it, but I have no desire to get involved with the devil.” I will not go to your service.
“Nothing like that will be required of you,” says the devil. - You will serve me for only seven years, and you will receive money without counting. Come on, turn around!
The soldier looked around and saw: standing behind him was a huge bear on its hind legs. He opened his mouth, bared his teeth, and was about to rush! The soldier put his gun to his shoulder - bang-bang! - and killed the bear on the spot.
“Hey, I see you’re not timid,” says the devil. - These are the ones I need.
He rushed to the dead bear, tore off its skin, tanned it, and again asked the soldier:
- Well, then, will you come to my service?
The soldier thought about it and decided: “I still have nowhere to go - to disappear anyway. So be it, I’ll go serve the devil. And then, you see, maybe I’ll get the better of him.”
- Okay, damn, what's your deal?
“And this is my agreement,” the devil answers. “I will sew you up now in a bearskin, and you will not take it off day or night for seven whole years.” And all this time you will not be allowed to wash or cut your beard. For this you will receive a bottomless wallet from me. If you need money, put your hand into it and scoop up a handful of gold, as much as your heart desires. And spend the money where you want - drink, eat, drink, play dice. If you fulfill the agreement - your happiness, go on all four sides in seven years. If you don’t do it, then don’t punish it. I will take your soul forever.
- Hands down! - says the soldier.
- Then get into the bearskin!
The devil sewed him up in a bearskin, and he became such a soldier that you couldn’t imagine anything more terrible.
“Well, goodbye, soldier, we’ll see you in seven years,” said the devil and disappeared to God knows where.
And the soldier went to wander through the villages. It wasn’t easy for him at first, because he was so scary that everyone avoided him. In rich estates they drove him away from the yard, didn’t let him spend the night, and didn’t want to give him crumbs of bread. And only the poor felt sorry for him. And they themselves have nothing, but they will warm the soldier, greet him, and share the last piece. And for this the soldier generously paid them from his inexhaustible wallet. And a rumor spread through the villages that a bear man had appeared in the area. He is too scary in appearance - unkempt, unwashed - but he apparently has a kind heart. He repays shelter and affection a hundredfold, pays for every loaf of bread in gold and does not refuse help to anyone. And the people flocked to him. He rescued many poor people from poverty and saved them from debt. And he generously gave money to everyone. He himself needed a little. I drank, ate, spent the night on straw - and okay.
So four years have passed. One day a bear man came to the inn and asked to spend the night.
“I won’t let you into the room,” the owner tells him, “you’re too scary.” And if you want, you can spend the night in the hayloft.
“I agree,” says the soldier.
He went to the hayloft and lay down on the hay. And there was a stable nearby.
Here the soldier lies and hears someone talking to the groom. The partition is made of planks, and every word can be heard. An old man says to the groom:
- We are completely impoverished, even if you go around the world. And here I still owe the landowner seven hundred dalers. I have no idea where to get them. If I don’t pay it back on time, the landowner will kick us out of the house, and we’ll have nowhere to lay our heads.
“Can’t the landowner wait at least a little while?” - asks the groom. - He has money - a dime a dozen.
“I asked him,” the old man replies. “And he doesn’t want to listen.” “Pay,” he says, “the debt, or else get out of the house.”
The bear man stood up, came to the stable and said:
- Don't be afraid of me, good people. I heard, old man, about your misfortune and I want to help you out of your need.
The old peasant looked at the soldier and saw: the man was ugly, worse than the devil, but his eyes were kind.
- Where do you live? - asks the soldier. The peasant told where his little house was.
- Tomorrow I will come to you and bring you money.
The old man didn’t even have time to come to his senses, and the soldier went back to the hayloft and fell into bed.
The next morning he woke up, had breakfast, paid the owner for the night and went to the old man. And the old man is chopping wood in the yard:
“Hello, good man, here I am, as promised,” says the soldier.
“You’re welcome to the house,” the old man answers.
A soldier entered the room and saw three girls sitting at work. The two older ones spin, and the younger one winds the yarn.
“Get a guest to treat us to the table,” the old man says to the girls, “he brought us money, he wants to help us out of trouble.”
- No, no! - the soldier answers. “I won’t eat with you; I ate and drank at the inn. And the money is here. Take them and repay the debt to the landowner.
- Do you need a receipt? - asks the peasant.
- Why do I need a receipt? - says the soldier. - I’m giving you this money without return.
Here the old man became not himself with joy. He doesn’t know how to thank a guest. And the soldier asks:
- Are these girls your daughters?
“You guessed right, daughters,” the peasant answers.
- Look how nice they are; one is more beautiful than the other. Would you like to woo someone for me? I’m a single person, maybe I’ll think about getting married soon.
- Yes, I would be happy to. But how are they? I will not force them.
- Why bondage? - says the soldier. - Just ask them.
Then the two eldest daughters shouted at once:
- And there’s nothing to ask! Let's not marry such a fearful person! Yes, and he’s dirty, I can’t save him! No, let him look for another one.
And the youngest, Ingrid, blushed and said to her father.
“Even though he didn’t show his face, it’s clear that he’s a kind man.” Since he, father, helped us out of trouble, then I agree to marry him; go.
Here the soldier answers her:
“No, my beauty, now I won’t take you as my wife, but I will return here in exactly three years.” Only a lot of water will flow under this period, and it may turn out that we do not recognize each other. I have a gold ring. I'll break it in half; I’ll take one half for myself and give the other half to you. And when we see each other in three years, we’ll adjust the two halves—and in this way we will recognize each other.
The soldier said goodbye to everyone and went on to wander.
And the older sisters should make fun of Ingrid. This, they say, is something the bridegroom grabbed for herself, something she can neither show to people nor see for herself! Ingrid answers them:
“I wouldn’t trade him for a handsome guy.” Don't drink water from your face, if only you had a good heart.
The time passed, and the bear-man came to the very place where he met the devil seven years ago. And the devil is right here.
- Well, unclean one, didn’t I break the agreement? - the soldier asks him.
“I didn’t violate anything, but you, soldier, only served me poorly.” You spent all my money on good deeds, you saved poor people from need, and the devil can’t afford it. Did I ask you about this?
“I didn’t ask, and there didn’t seem to be a ban either.”
“Your truth,” says the devil. “I didn’t even have this in my thoughts.”
- Well, then take off the bear skin from me. Now we are even, and I am no longer your servant.
The devil gnashed his teeth, howled with anger, spun around like a top, but there was nothing to do. You won't go against the agreement. He took the bearskin off the soldier and released him on all four sides.
Then the soldier went to the village and took his money, which he had hidden earlier for a rainy day. I got myself new clothes, washed myself and became such a fine fellow that I could go anywhere. And then he bought a cart and a couple of good horses and went to his bride. He drives up to the house, and Ingrid’s father comes out to meet him. Only now the soldier had become completely different, the old man did not recognize him.
He bowed to the guest and asked:
-What would your lordship want?
“Couldn’t you, master, have a rest and water your horses?” - asks the soldier.
“Yes, there’s an inn not far from here,” the old man answers. “But if you don’t disdain my house, then you’re welcome.”
A soldier entered the house and saw two sisters sitting at spinning wheels, and the youngest, Ingrid, was winding yarn.
“Get the guest a snack,” the old man tells his daughters.
Here the two eldest daughters whispered to each other:
- What a handsome fellow! And he is distinguished, and his clothes are rich!
They ran in, got busy, and put all sorts of food on the table.
And the youngest, Ingrid, sat at work and did not move.
- Are these girls your daughters? - the guest asks the old man.
“I guessed right, sir, daughters,” the old man answers.
“Won’t you give me this one as a wife?” - says the guest and points to Ingrid.
“No, sir, I’m already betrothed,” Ingrid answers him.
- Where is your fiance?
- Yes, now three years have passed since he left, and since then he has not given any news about himself.
“So he probably forgot you a long time ago.” There’s no need for you to wait for him, marry me,” the guest persuades her.
And Ingrid insists:
- No, he will definitely return, I know!
Here the two older sisters started making noise with each other:
- And why did she surrender to you? Let him sit and wait for his fearful man. Take us as your wife, choose any one, why are we worse than her?
Only the guest doesn’t want to look at them and again asks Ingrid:
- How do you recognize your fiance? Maybe he has become completely different now?
“He left me half of the ring,” Ingrid answers. - Whoever has the other half turns up, he, therefore, is my betrothed.
“Then it turns out that it’s me and no one else,” says the guest, “here it is, my half!”
Ingrid was delighted and threw herself on the groom’s neck. They called guests and had a merry wedding.
He bought himself a soldier's land and began to live happily with his young wife and her old father.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru