In ancient times, there lived an old man in a certain city. He had three daughters, but no sons, and he always wanted to have a son. This old man's eyes hurt and he went blind. The Tabibs treated him, but could not cure him. The old man did not see a bright day, nor his children, nor friends, nor comrades. And he was very, very sad. From grief and misfortune he became thin and weak.
One day a traveler came to the village and told the old man that in one distant land there lived a healer, in his garden there was a special herb growing, from the juice of which the healer made medicine, and it would cure any eye disease. Hearing this, the old man sighed heavily and said:
- If I had a son, of course he would go to that region and bring me medicine for my eyes, then I would get rid of blindness.
The eldest daughter rose from her seat and began to ask her father:
- Dear father, allow me to go get that medicine!
- Oh, daughter, this is not a matter for you, you will suffer in vain.
But the girl did not back down and began to ask and beg her father to let her go. And finally, the father agreed.
The girl saddled the horse, dressed in men's clothes, filled the khurjin with food and set off.
She drove and drove for several days and nights and at the crossroads she saw a small wooden house.
The girl thought: “Probably there is someone there, I’ll ask for directions,” and, getting off the horse, she knocked on the door.
A voice was heard from the house:
-Who's there? I’m lying sick and can’t get up, come in yourself! The girl opened the door, walked in and said hello. And in fact, there was a sick old woman lying in the house.
- Mom, what’s wrong with you? - the girl asked.
“Oh, son,” says the old woman, “and don’t ask, I’ve been lying sick for a long time, lying here on this bed, and I don’t have anyone to look after me.”
After rummaging through the khurjin, the girl took out food from the travel supplies and fed the old woman. Having come to her senses a little, the old woman asked: “Son, where did you come from and where are you going?”
“I came from a distant city,” the girl answered, “my father fell ill with an eye disease and went blind, I’m going to look for a cure for his illness.”
“Oh, son,” said the old woman, “give up this intention!” Many brave men went to look for this medicine, but they did not find it and died. There is no way to get that medicine, come home!
After this conversation, the girl lost hope of finding a cure and returned home. The father was delighted at her return and said:
- I, daughter, am very glad that you returned safe and sound! “She told her father and sisters about her journey, about the old woman she met, and added:
“She told me that there was no way to get that medicine; many brave men went to look for it, but they found nothing and died!”
The middle sister did not attach any importance to the elder sister’s words, stood up from her seat and said:
- Dear father, allow me to go for the medicine, I will definitely find it and bring it!
“Just as your older sister didn’t bring anything, you won’t bring anything either, better stay at home, otherwise you’ll die in vain.”
But this daughter insisted on her own and continued to ask permission. Finally, she persuaded her father to let her go and get medicine. Having saddled her horse, dressed in men's clothing, she hid her braids under her hat and rode off.
She drove and drove, and after a few days she also reached a wooden house.
But the girl, not at all afraid of the old woman’s words, boldly said:
- Oh mother! A man should not be afraid of anything! I will not return home, no matter what happens to me!
The girl stood up, preparing to leave.
- My son! - said the old woman, holding her. “I see that you are unshakable in your intention.” I warn you that your journey will be very difficult and dangerous. But I will tell you how to avoid these difficulties. If you do everything I tell you, you will achieve your goal. The healer will not give you medicine without a reward; in return, he will ask for a tree seed, which is in the hands of the three-headed diva. The fruits of that tree are healing and cure various diseases. When you come to the abode of the diva, do something good for all his animals and servants. Then try to take the fruit of that tree from the diva and run away with it. If the diva chases you, here is a mirror, a comb and a block. As soon as the div approaches you, throw one of these objects over your shoulder, this will block the div's path. Well, now go, have a nice journey!
The girl took the mirror, comb and bar, warmly thanked the old woman and moved on.
She rode for several days and nights, and finally arrived at the abode of the three-headed diva. It struck her that the gates of the fortress were dilapidated and dirty. She quickly adjusted them and cleaned them. She entered the gate and saw on one side many huge dogs on leashes, and on the other - horses. Bones were thrown to the horses, and hay to the dogs. She took the bones and threw them to the dogs and the hay to the horses. She went further and saw that several maids were standing near the hot tanura and baking diva cakes, which they stuck to the hot tanura with their bare hands, and therefore their hands were all burned. The girl greeted them warmly, immediately sat down and sewed them a sleeve for baking bread. The maids were delighted with the sleeves and asked:
- Hey, handsome young man, why did you come here? The girl quickly told them about her goal.
“Oh, this is a very difficult matter,” said the maids, “the div hides the seeds of this tree in a bag under his pillow, it is not easy to take them from him.” Even if you take it, you will not be able to escape from his clutches.
“If I can take the seeds, then I’ll find what to do later!” - said the girl.
- Well, if so, go! — the maids advised her. “We know that the diva sleeps, stretched out on his back.” When you approach his abode, see if both his eyes are open? If both, then he is sleeping, you can take the bag from under his head. But if one eye is open, it means he is not sleeping - quickly run back.
According to the stories of the servants, the girl found the diva’s abode and, when she entered him, saw
matters that both his eyes are open. Stealthily, she approached him, pulled out a bag from under his pillow and quickly ran away. But the diva immediately jumped up and shouted:
- Hey, servants, quickly grab the thief!
“No, we won’t catch him,” said the maids, “he sewed sleeves for us, and now we don’t burn our hands!”
- Hey, horses, you're catching him!
- No, we won’t catch him! - said the horses. - Instead of hay, you gave us bones for food, and he gave us hay!
- Hey dogs, you're catching him!
“No,” the dogs answered, “we won’t catch him, you gave us hay instead of food, and he gave us bones.”
- Hey, gate, you grab him!
“No,” said the gate, “you dirty us and broke us, but he cleaned us and fixed us!”
It’s surprising that no one wants to catch the daredevil. Then he himself chased the girl. He ran as fast as he could and almost caught up with the girl, he had already stretched out his paw to grab the horse’s tail, but the girl at that very moment threw over her shoulder the mirror that the old woman had given her. The mirror immediately burst into waves and turned into a fast and wide river.
The huge diva threw himself into the river and, with great suffering, reached the other bank. So he again chased the girl and almost overtook her. But as soon as he extended his paw to grab the horse’s tail, the girl threw a block over her shoulder, and with a roar it turned into a tall and large mountain. Div remained behind the mountain, and the girl drove her horse with all her might and ran away from Div.
Although a lot of time passed, the diva crossed the mountain and again chased the girl, now he almost caught up with her and stretched out his paw to grab the horse by the tail, but at that moment the girl threw her comb behind her back. A dense forest appeared from the ridge with a crash, without end or beginning. Div rushed in one direction, rushed in the other - he could not get through the dense forest and returned back.
So the girl galloped away from the diva and arrived safe and sound in the town of the healer. She asked people and found his yard. When she knocked on the gate, a voice was heard:
- Now! - and the gate was hurriedly opened by a young man, the son of a healer. He left the house, met the guest and took him to his father.
After the greetings, the girl told the healer about the purpose of her visit.
“I will give this medicine,” the healer began, “to the one who in return brings me the seed of one tree.”
“I’ve already brought it!” exclaimed the disguised girl and handed this seed to the healer.
- Very good, very good! - said the healer. - You did a noble deed. With the fruits of this tree I will cure many people in our country from deadly diseases.
And the healer began to ask:
- After all, the three-headed diva had these seeds, how did you get them from him? The strongest heroes tried to get to him, but they couldn’t!
The girl told the healer about her journey to the diva.
- Well done, young man! — the healer said to this. “You are a very brave man!” Here, take half of these grains, take them to your country, plant them there and grow them - their fruits will heal people from various diseases! Here's your eye medicine, drop it into your father's eyes and he will be sighted!
- Thank you, I will do everything you told me! - the girl exclaimed. The healer explained to the girl how to grow medicinal herbs from seeds and how
make medicine, and then invited her to stay with him for two or three days. The girl agreed.
The owner gathered his relatives and friends and arranged a feast for three days. One of the healer’s close friends tells him:
- But your guest is a girl in disguise.
“No,” the healer denies, “this is an unparalleled hero - well done, he showed unprecedented courage and got the most valuable thing in the world!”
- You are mistaken, this is a girl! - his friend repeated persistently. - Let's try it! When your guests have gone home, you will make a bed for your guest in your son's room. Place a bouquet of white chrysanthemums at the head of each of them. If this is a girl, the flowers will wither; if this is a young man, the flowers will remain the same as they were.
The healer agreed to fulfill his friend's request. But the clever girl, from the gaze of the healer and his friend, guessed everything and, without falling asleep, talked with the son of the healer until midnight, telling him various incidents and fairy tales. As soon as the healer's son fell asleep, the girl got up, looked around her bed and saw withered chrysanthemums. She felt around with her hand at the head of the healer’s son and found fresh flowers there, as if they had just been picked. She threw away the withered flowers, went out into the garden and picked fresh white chrysanthemums. At dawn she placed flowers at the head of the bed and fell asleep.
But the sorcerer's son did not sleep. Opening his eye slightly, he watched the girl and saw everything she had done.
In the morning, the healer, burning with curiosity, came to wake up his son and guest. When the young people left the room, he took flowers from under their pillows and was amazed: how fresh they were laid, and they remained that way!
Three days later the girl got ready to leave. The healer saw her off with great honor and respect.
Having said goodbye to everyone, the girl hit the road. The healer's son, interested in her, asked his father to take time off and went to see the guest off. They traveled for several days and nights. The sorcerer's son did not want to go back. So they came to the city where the girl lived.
A lot of time passed after she left for the medicine. Father and mother and sisters were very worried about their younger sister and thought that she was in some kind of trouble. Instead of one illness, the father had several, and he regretted that he had allowed his daughter to go for medicine.
But when the youngest daughter returned home safe and sound, the relatives’ sadness gave way to joy.
The girl, in the presence of the healer’s son, told about all her adventures while searching for a cure. Without wasting time, she anointed her father’s eyes with the medicine she had brought, and not even one hour had passed before her father felt healthy, and his eyes finally saw the white light again. Delighted, he said to his daughter:
“My dear daughter, now I will never regret that I don’t have a son.” You have fulfilled the duties of ten sons, made me happy, and I wish you a long life, may happiness always accompany you!
The son of a healer already at the entrance to this house realized that he was accompanying not a friend, but a girl. At the end of the conversation, he turned to her father and mother and said:
“From the first day I met, I have had deep love for your daughter, and now that I am convinced that she is in fact a girl and not a boy, I ask for your consent to give her to me as my wife.”
The girl’s parents also liked the young man who arrived, but they did not know who he was. When the daughter told them about everything, and they learned about her friendship with the son of the healer, then they happily agreed to marry their daughter to this young man.
A brave and intelligent girl married the son of a learned healer. They lived together happily ever after.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru