There was a certain young orphan, he had a mother. The young man cut firewood in the mountains and sold it in the city. That's what they fed on.
One day a lion fell from the mountain and became entangled in a thorny bush.
If I cut down the bush, the young man thought, the lion will get freedom and eat me.
And he said out loud:
- He’ll eat it, he’ll eat it! - and cut down the bush.
The lion rose to his paws and roared like thunder:
- Let's be brothers!
From then on, the lion prepared firewood in the mountains, and the young man carried it to the city.
One day the lion came to visit his brother and said to his mother:
- It's time to marry your older brother!
“It’s time,” said the mother, “who would give his daughter for... poor man?
“I will get a wife for my brother,” the lion promised and brought him the emperor’s daughter.
The young man got married and began to live by arable farming. The beautiful wife sowed, and the young man plowed the land. When the plowman looked at his wife, the plow went straight, but when he drove a furrow to the other end of the field, the plow went crooked.
The wife guessed and made her image.
All the furrows became even, and the field produced twice as much grain.
Yes, that's the problem. One day the wind came and carried the image of the emperor's daughter into the city.
Before a day had passed, guards arrived at the farmer’s house. The emperor's daughter was sent to the palace, and the young man to prison.
The old mother sobbed bitterly. A lion came running to her tears.
“You ruined my son,” his mother reproached him, “he should have had a simpler wife.” Now I too will die of hunger.
- Don't cry! - said the lion. - I will return your son. He ran into the mountains and roared with a thunderous roar. All the lions of the empire gathered to answer the menacing call.
“My older brother was captured and is being held in prison!” - said the lion. - He must be rescued from captivity.
At night, lions surrounded the emperor's city. When dawn broke, people saw that they could not leave the city and could not enter the city.
“We somehow offended the lions,” said the emperor. “Find a person who would undertake to tame them.”
Neither in the palace nor in the houses was a simpler daredevil found, but in prison he was found.
“It’s my younger brother who misses me,” said the young man. “Let me go free, and I’ll ask him why people didn’t please the lions.”
The young man went outside the city wall and asked his brother the lion:
- Why did you come?
- To help you out. Your mother cries and curses me for the imperial daughter.
The young man returned to the city and told the emperor the truth.
“Drive away the lions,” the emperor asked, “and I will call you my son.”
The young man came out again to the lions and said:
“Everyone go to the mountains, but let the two, the bravest ones, stay with me.”
To celebrate, the emperor gave the lions a treat, and they went in peace to the mountains.
And the young man remained to live in the palace, with his wife and mother. He was protected from envious people and attackers by two mighty lions.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru