Two orphans are moving forward. The road in the heat is not easy... The heat is scorching, And the dust is dusty. Neither a river, nor a spring...
Manush's sister was older, She was strong on the way. She would have endured the thirst, But her brother could not bear it.
They walk and walk and see a deep trail with water in it. Sister-jan, I’m so thirsty! You’ll give me something to drink, sister, right?
No, brother jan, it’s a cow trail - If you get drunk, you’ll become a cow in no time. Let’s be patient a little. A little more: Now, when it’s cold, we’ll find a spring.
Two orphans are walking forward. The road is so far... And the heat is scorching, And the dust is dusty. There is no river, no spring...
They walk and walk and they see a hoof mark, and there is water in it. Sister-jan, I’m so thirsty! You’ll give me something to drink, sister, right?
No, brother-jan, this is a horse's track - Get drunk and you'll become a horse in no time. Let's be patient a little. Just a little more. Now, now we will meet a spring.
Two orphans are walking forward. The road is so far... And the heat is scorching, And the dust is dusty. There is no river, no spring...
They walked and walked and saw that the small footprint was filled with water. And the brother could not stand it any longer: He secretly scooped up some water with his hand.
The sister turned around: where is the brother?. A small lamb is walking behind. The lamb looks with a pitiful gaze and, bleating sadly, runs forward...
Poor Manush! What should she do? She wrings her hands in tears. And the brother lamb runs after her. Fear and grief in his eyes.
Two orphans are walking forward. Manush and the lamb are walking together in tears... How sad it is here, In an unknown foreign land!
They're coming. They are tormented by hunger and heat. They walk, not knowing where... And suddenly - the trees rustle with leaves, a spring, and the water rings.
The orphans drank to their heart's content, falling to the water. Then the sister climbed the tree, And the brother tasted the fragrant herbs. The lawn was variegated with bright flowers.
But suddenly - stomping, and neighing, and laughter in the evening forest, which was quiet and empty. And the sounds were getting closer, and in those sounds there was song, and laughter, and crunching of branches.
And so, the golden bridle jingling, the servants lead the horse to the water. But what in the spring frightens the horse? He reared up, as if he were in trouble.
The servants looked, and in the spring a beautiful face was reflected. The wind rushes not far away, and it ripples in the streams of water.
They looked up, and there was a Beauty, as bright as the dawn. She sat, pressed against the branches, and looked, without saying a word.
What miracles there are on earth! Everyone is amazed in the depths of their souls: How did such a miracle end up in the forest, sitting on a wild tree in silence?
Who are you? A vision or a man? If it’s a vision, perish, disappear. And a man, then come down from the branches, We’ll find the best place for you to spend the night.
Who are you? Where? We have no idea how you found yourself among us. What kind of grief, my friend, brought you to the forest at this late hour?
The grief of orphanhood brought us to this forest wilderness, - Our modest Manush answers them from the tree. - We have no shelter, no relatives in the vast earthly world. Night is approaching. It's scary alone in the darkness of the forest at night.
Diamonds and amber are burning in the palace...They bring orphans to the royal peace.Beauty, who are you? - exclaimed the king. Why is the silent lamb with you?
And so Manush told about what was told by me in verse. Long live the king on his throne, Let him sort out our affairs.
The king listened to the sad story of the orphans. Manush is pleasant to his eyes. And he takes her as his wife. He feasts for seven days and seven nights.
Manush has forgotten about the hard days, She knows no refusal in anything. And the brother-lamb grazes in the dense gardens, satisfied with his life.
She lived in a palace, an envious, evil old woman-servant. That villainess One day, black envy took over, That everyone loved the orphan girl.
And the old woman, harboring malice, enters the queen’s chambers - and flatters her: Let’s go, queen, my beauty, I’ll take you to swim quickly!
And so, having seduced her, she leads her to the water, throws her into the depths of the lake, and dresses her daughter in Manush’s clothes and sends her to the king like a wife.
The face cannot be seen under the thick fabric. The deceiver enters the royal palace. The ruler considers her his wife, She puts on the royal crown.
But what suddenly happened to the lamb? There’s no way you can lure it home. It makes a circle along the shore, bleating, and then another one runs to the shore again.
What to do with the lamb? It won’t go away. After thinking, the old mother decided: Let her daughter pretend to be sick. And she put her to bed.
They bring her food - this and that, and ask and beg her to eat a little. The pretender does not look at anything and asks to bring lamb meat.
Manush, Manush, but this is your brother! Do sisters really eat brothers?! The deceiver continues to play the game: Give me what I say, now! Shouts: “I’m dying!” He shouts: “I will die!” And the king issues a terrible order: Light the fires, sharpen the knives, kill the lamb and serve the meat to the Queen in bed, so that she does not get sick.
He issued an order and with secret melancholy, And with secret melancholy he wandered over the water, And he thought sadly: “Well, how could his dear Manush be so angry?”
And the rocks that stand around weep. And the brother lamb bleats and cries, And, poor thing, rushes about over the bank And shouts in a human tongue:
Sister-jan! Sister-jan! Lighting fires, Lighting fires! The knives are too sharp! Sister-jan! Sister-jan! Hear me, Save me from the fire!
And the king hears, full of surprise, A voice comes from the blue waves. A familiar voice, both vague and deaf, Calls out and gently torments the ear: Brother jan! Brother-jan! You are my homeless man, My sister is not with you, My little lamb, jan! I am languishing at the bottom, In the darkness, in the depths. I can’t see the day, I can’t hear me. The deceiver of evil! The deception is terrible! Destruction has come, My little lamb, jan!
The king heard - and quickly went home. He tears off the queen's covers, tears them off and sees - oh, my God, Who sat on the royal throne by deception? Here, fishermen, your net quickly! Get Manush, my dove! Here, executioners, into the depths of the water swells Throw the old woman and the snake daughter!
The king was angry. You can’t calm down... The people are buzzing indignantly behind him. A fisherman throws a seine into the lake - Manush is pulled out of the deep waters.
They take Manush out and carry him to the throne. But who is standing next to him, is he handsome? Then the brother shed his skin and then he didn’t look like a lamb at all.
The lamb became a handsome young man, - Broad shoulders, intelligent eyes. He opened his lips not with a pitiful bleat - He led the man into a lively conversation.
And those who took their rights by deception, the old woman-villain and the liar-daughter, put millstones around their necks, and are thrown into the lake that same night.
The sister and brother are no longer sad. They forgot about the terrible dream. And again there is peace, And life is like a feast. And evil is on the bottom of the lake.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru