It was a long time ago. An old hunter lived with his wife and daughter in a small house on the edge of the forest. Once upon a time he hunted very successfully: not a day passed without him bringing food into the house. But now he’s older, his eyes aren’t so sharp, and he doesn’t have the same firmness in his hands. He brought less and less booty, and the family often went hungry.
And so the old man decided to hunt like this: he noticed a fallen tree in the forest, melted resin and smeared it on the tree trunk.
“Perhaps some small animal or bird will come across,” thought the old hunter.
One day he decided to test his trap. He came into the forest and stopped in surprise: a huge black eagle was sitting on a trunk, its paws were stuck in the resin, and it could not take off.
The hunter wanted to kill the eagle and took aim at it.
“Well, today we will have a good lunch,” thought the old man.
But the eagle suddenly spoke in a human voice:
- Don't kill me, good man! Pluck three feathers from my tail and set me free!.. You will see how I will thank you!.. I will give you everything you ask!..
The old hunter was surprised to hear such speech.
“Let me,” he thinks, “test my happiness.” He tore the feathers from the eagle's tail, cleaned its paws of resin and set it free.
At home, the old man told his wife everything about the black eagle. But his wife scolded him:
“Oh, you stupid old man, stupid,” she said.
After all, this eagle deceived you! Just think what he can give you?! It would be better if we ate it and at least were full!
The old hunter listened in silence to his wife's words... And still decided to see what would happen - to try his luck... He took a feather torn from the eagle's tail, threw it up, the wind picked it up and carried it, and the old hunter followed him.
He walked and walked and came to a large palace, around which many people had gathered. They all worked: harvesting hay, threshing grain, chopping wood.
- Have a good job, horsemen! - the old hunter greeted them. -Whose palace is this?
“Thank you, good man,” the workers replied. - This is the palace of the black eagle.
- Oh!.. If a black eagle lives here, please advise what to ask him? He promised to give me everything I ask!..
“Know, good man, that the black eagle has a magical gobban in which he puts his wealth,” answered the workers. - Ask him for this gobban! But only the black eagle knows how to get wealth from the gobban.
[Gobban is a wooden bowl.]
The old hunter went to the palace and asked the black eagle for a gobban. Black Eagle was reluctant, but still complied with the old man’s request: he gave him his gobban.
“You saved my life,” he said, “and I give you my gobban.” When you get home, say: “Fill up, gobban! Scatter, gobban! You'll see what happens.
The old man thanked the black eagle, took the gobban and went home. But on the way he could not stand it and said: “Fill up, gobban! Sprinkle, gobban!” Then gold fell from the gobban... A lot of gold!.. The old man was confused. But he soon came to his senses and ordered the gobban to collect all the gold.
The old man went further and met on the way the three sons of a rich khan. Seeing an old man with a heavy burden, they asked who he was and where he was going, and, having received an answer, invited him to come and rest with them.
The old man agreed and followed them.
-Whose palace is this? - he asked when he entered their house.
“This is the palace of our father, Khan Aslan,” they answered. Khan invited the old man to eat and rest. Sitting down at the table, the old man said, addressing the sons of the khan:
- Look, horsemen, don’t touch my gobban, or he’ll grow thin! The Khan called one of his sons to him and quietly said to him:
– This gobban is very similar to the magical black eagle gobban. No wonder the old man values him so much. Go and quietly replace it with another, similar gobban, and hide this one in a safe place. And at this time I will keep the old man busy with conversation.
The khan's son went and did as his father told him. The old man ate, rested, took the gobban and set off. When he came home, he began to boast to his wife:
- Look what I brought from the black eagle! What a surprise! - And he ordered the gobban: - Fill up, gobban. Scatter, gobban!..
But the gobban, no matter how much the old man ordered, was not filled, and the gold did not pour out of it... And the old woman grumbled again:
– Why did you need this old gobban?! It would be better if we had the meat and fluff of a black eagle!..
The old hunter was very upset. He couldn't understand what was wrong... What happened to the black eagle gobban?!
The next day he threw up the second feather from the eagle's tail, and the wind carried it again. And the old man followed him. He walked for a long time... And suddenly he saw: a huge pasture, and on it there were many sheep, cows and horses.
The old man greeted the shepherds.
“Let your herds multiply and become beautiful, horsemen!” he said.
- Thank you, good old man! Health to you, good luck! - the shepherds greeted him.
-Whose are these huge herds? - asked the old man.
“They belong to the black eagle,” answered the shepherds.
– The black eagle promised to give me everything I want... What should I ask him?
“Ask the most unsightly, short horse,” said the shepherds. – The black eagle has huge herds, and he hides all the offspring of livestock in this horse. And if you tell the truth, the black eagle will give you the horse, you will become rich. But only one black eagle knows how to get the herd from this horse! The old man went and asked the black eagle for a short horse. The black eagle offered him expensive things in return, but the old man only asked for a horse. And the black eagle gave him the horse.
“You saved my life,” said the black eagle, “and I will fulfill your wish.” Take my horse, and when you come home, tell him: “Scatter, horse! Throw it away, horse!” You'll see what happens.
The old man thanked the black eagle, took his horse and went home.
But on the road he could not stand it again and said to the horse:
- Scatter, horse! Throw it away, horse!
And suddenly sheep, goats, cows, bulls began to appear from the horse, so many that the old man could not believe his eyes. Soon there was a huge herd in front of him. And then suddenly a terrible noise was heard, the earth shook, a strong wind blew, and a three-headed emegen galloped out of the forest.
- You prepared a good herd for me, old man! - Emegen shouted and wanted to drive the entire herd into the forest.
But the old man was not at a loss and quickly said:
- Collect it, horse! Hide, horse!
And in an instant all the cows, sheep and bulls disappeared, and next to the old man stood only a nondescript, undersized horse.
- Damn old man! - Emeghen shouted. -Where did you hide the whole herd? I'll kill you!
- What good is it for you to kill me, an old man! “It’s better to take a ransom from me,” the old man suggested.
- I don’t need your ransom! - Emeghen shouted. - Swear to fulfill my wish, then I will let you go!
“Of course, I will do it,” the old man promised. - Tell me, what should I do?
- You'll find out another time! And remember: if you don’t fulfill your promise, it will be bad for you! – shouted Emegen, laughed and galloped back into the forest.
The old man was sad.
“I promised Emegen, but I don’t know if I can fulfill it...” he thought.
The old man went further, and the sons of the khan met him. And again they invite you to visit. The old man began to refuse, he wanted to get home as quickly as possible. Yes, the khan's sons really asked him. The old man did not want to offend them and went back into the Khan’s palace.
There he was met by Khan Aslan himself.
“Don’t even think about getting on a horse,” the old man said to the khan’s sons, “it will be bad for you!” Take him to the barn, let him stand there and rest a little.
And the horse was taken away.
And Khan Aslan began to treat the old man, and then said to him:
“You sit here, help yourself, and I’ll go and arrange for my sons to feed your horse too.”
The old man agreed. And the khan called his eldest son and quietly said to him:
- Run quickly to the stables. Find a suitable horse there, put on it the saddle and harness of the old man’s horse and bring it to the old man. He was really worried about his horse. Apparently, there is some kind of magic here again!..
And the khan's son changed the horse.
When the old man came home, he again wanted to show off to his wife and daughter.
- Look what a magic horse I brought! Now we will certainly get rich! “He affectionately patted the horse’s mane and said to him: “Sprinkle, horse!” Throw it away, horse!..
But no matter how much the old man repeated this, no one appeared from the horse. There were no sheep, no cows, no bulls... Then the old woman again began to scream and curse.
The next day, the old man blew the third feather of a black eagle into the wind. The feather flew... And the old man went after him again. He walked and walked and found himself at the gates of a large palace. A lot of people worked here.
“Have a good job, guys...” the old man wished them.
- Thank you, good man! - they answered.
-Whose palace is this? he asked.
“This palace belongs to the black eagle... And we are his servants,” the old man heard in response.
“The black eagle will give me everything I want...” the old man boasted. - What should I ask him?
“If you’re telling the truth,” the people said, “ask for his club.” You won't regret it! We all work for him, and he gathers our strength into this club.
“Okay, I’ll ask the black eagle for a club,” the old man decided.
The black eagle again offered the old man many different expensive things in exchange for the club, but the old man only asked for the club. I had to give in to the black eagle.
“Well, I’ll fulfill your wish this time too,” said the black eagle. - Take my baton. If you need protection, just tell her: “Jump, baton! Strike, baton!” The old man thanked the black eagle, took the baton and went home.
“Oh, I haven’t acquired any wealth,” he thought, “so at least I’ll have protection in my old age.”
The old man walked along the road, and the sons of the khan met him again. And again they are even more affectionately, even more persistently persuading him to come visit them.
This time the old man followed them into the Khan’s palace. Leaving the club near the door, he said to the sons of the khan:
- Don’t touch this baton, good fellows, and make sure you don’t tell it: “Jump, baton!” Hit, club!” It will be bad for you!
The old man sat down at the table. And Khan Aslan glanced at the club to his sons. They understood. They immediately went out and replaced the old man’s baton. Then they went out behind the house with a magic club and shouted to her:
- Jump, club! Hit, club!
And the club began to jump and beat the khan’s sons. They hid from her and escaped in the basement and on the roof. But everywhere the club overtook them and beat them mercilessly. Then they screamed furiously. The old man and Khan Aslan came out to the cry.
“Stop the baton!” the khan begged, turning to the old man. – I will fulfill any of your wishes!..
But the old man was in no hurry to stop the baton. Khan thought that she would kill his sons, and began to beg the old man:
“We will give up both your gobban and your horse, just stop the club quickly.”
- So that’s who stole my gobban and horse! - exclaimed the old man.
He ordered the khan to immediately return everything stolen to him.
- Otherwise I’ll order the club to kill you all! - he threatened. The khan was frightened and fell with tears at the feet of the old man:
“I’ll give everything right away, just stop the baton!” The old man barely managed to stop the baton.
The Khan immediately brought the old man his gobban, and his sons brought the horse.
- That's it, guys! - said the old man, addressing the sons of the khan. – Never set your sights on someone else’s things.
The old man took his gobban and club and drove his horse home. He walked and walked and suddenly he heard a noise, stomping, the earth shook, the wind blew, and the grass drooped: a three-headed emegen rushed from the forest.
“Gotcha, old man,” he laughed. “Now you won’t leave until you fulfill my wish!”
The old man was frightened and trembled.
- What do you want, say it! - he whispered.
- Give me your daughter! - Emegen demanded. The old man begged:
– I can’t do this! Take as many cattle as you want! - And the old man ordered: - Scatter, horse! Throw it away, horse!
And then countless herds appeared...
- I don’t need your herds! Give me your daughter! - Emegen insisted.
“I can’t give my daughter to you, emegen!” - exclaimed the old man. - Take as much gold as you want! - And the old man ordered: - Fill up, gobban! Scatter, gobban!
And then gold rained down from the gobban...
“Take everything,” said the old man, “both the herds and the gold, just leave me the daughter!”
- No! - Emeghen shouted. “I’ll kill you now, but I’ll still find your daughter!”
And then the old man remembered his club.
- Jump, club! Hit, club! - he ordered.
The baton jumped up and began to beat Emegen. But Emegen laughed, stamped his foot and exclaimed:
- Stop, club! Stop, stick!
And to the great amazement of the old man, the club stopped. And Emegen stamped his foot again and turned... into a black eagle. The old man couldn't believe his eyes. And the black eagle said:
“You, old man, saved my life and set me free!” And I decided to test you, what do you value more: a daughter or wealth? But now I see: you are a kind person, your daughter is more valuable to you than gold. And I'm glad I gave you my wealth. - He pointed to the gold and herds: - Take it, it’s all yours!
With these words, the black eagle rose into the air and flew away. And the old man collected gold into a gobban, and cattle into a horse. He hid the baton and went home.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru