Once upon a time there lived a brother and sister. They lived very poorly. They had a clay house near the market. The sister took care of the housework, and the brother went into the forest, brought firewood, sold it, and so they somehow survived.
One day my brother went into the neighboring forest, chopped firewood, put it on his back, reached a familiar clearing and suddenly heard a strange voice: “The one who takes me will repent, and the one who leaves me will also repent.” He sees an empty skull lying on the ground. He thinks: “What should I do: I can’t take it, and I can’t leave it.” He decided to burn the wood on this skull. The skull burned down along with the firewood and turned to ash.
He came home, his sister asked: “Why didn’t you bring firewood?” We won’t have anything to eat tomorrow. My brother says: “I’m sick, sister.” I couldn't bring the firewood home. The next day he went into the forest again, chopped wood, and when he reached that clearing, he thought: “Well, I’ll see what’s happening in the place where the skull lay.” He stirred the ash with the end of a stick and saw a green bead in the ash. He put it in his shirt pocket, put the firewood on his back and walked away.
Many days have passed since then. One day a brother says to his sister: “Wash my shirt, I’ll go to the city to earn money.” Maybe I’ll earn at least a few measures of grain. We will sow and feed you.
My sister began to wash her shirt and found a beautiful green bead in her brother’s pocket. Having nowhere to put it, she stuck it behind her cheek and accidentally swallowed it. My brother went to earn money. How much or how little time has passed, it’s better for him to know. He earned half a bag of grain and returned home. He sees that his sister will soon have a child. “What is this, sister, we have nothing to feed ourselves, and here’s another child?” - he got angry. “It’s not my fault,” says the sister. “I found a bead in your pocket and accidentally swallowed it.” This is why I will have a child.
The brother remembered about the bead, but did not say anything to his sister. He borrowed a couple of bulls from a neighbor, harnessed them to a plow and went to plow the land to sow it with grain earned in the city. While he was plowing, his sister had a son. And as soon as he was born, he immediately spoke: “Mother,” he said, “give me a piece of bread, I’ll take it to my uncle.”
The mother was surprised, but didn’t say anything. She tied the bread into a knot and gave it to him. The boy reached the arable land and shouted: “Uncle, I brought you food!” Rest and eat. And he thinks: “What is this, the devils have overcome me, or what?” They look at the ground and see no one, and he himself says: “Where are you here?” Throw something from the ground so that I can see you. The boy threw up a lump of earth, and his uncle saw it. “Whose boy are you?” - asks. And he answers: “I am your nephew, your sister’s son.” The brother guessed what was going on, took the boy’s bread, ate it and wanted to plow again. The boy says: “Uncle, let me drive the oxen.” He sat astride the yoke and began to drive the oxen. He did it so skillfully that the oxen immediately plowed the entire field. “You’ve done well, Chico,” his uncle told him. From then on they began to call the boy Chico.
Together they sowed the entire plot. The uncle went home, and the nephew stayed at the gate to play with the boys. Suddenly two black horsemen ride past. Chico approached them and said: “I know where you are going.” The king had a dream, but he cannot blame why he dreamed it. And you go for a fortune teller so that he can come and interpret the king’s dream. But he won't be able to do this. Only I can interpret this dream. The black horsemen ask: “What’s your name?” The boy says: “They call me Chico.” They laughed at the boy and went to the fortune teller. They brought a fortune teller to the king, but he could not unravel the king’s dream.
Then the servants say to the king: “Long live to you for many years, king.” On one of the streets, a boy named Chiko boasted that he would solve your dream. “Go and get the boy,” the king became interested. Black horsemen galloped off and drove Chiko to the king! The king wanted to tell him the dream, but Chiko said: “Don’t, don’t tell me.” I already know what you saw in your dream. You saw that red and green shadows flashed over your chambers, and tall trees grew around your palace.
He asked the king for a spit, a shovel and a worker. He went out into the yard, stuck a spit into the ground and said to the worker: “Dig.” The worker began to dig and soon dug up a jug of gold. Chico came in from the other side, again stuck the spit into the ground and again ordered to dig. And the worker again dug up the second jar of gold. Chico gave all the gold to the king, and he paid him as much as the fortune teller should have been paid. And the fortune teller was watching Chico from behind a tree, and when Chico was walking back home, he waylaid him and said: “My son, let’s go live with me.” You will be with me instead of my own son. Chico replies: “I cannot be your son, I have a mother, and I am her son, and I am ready to hire myself into your service.” Pay my mother for me, and I will serve you faithfully.
- How much should I pay her? - asks the fortune teller. “Give me as much gold as I weigh.” The fortune teller gave him gold. Chico took it and took it to his mother and uncle, and he settled in the fortune teller’s house. One day a fortune teller says to his daughter: “I’m going to the bathhouse, and when I arrive, kill this boy, boil his brains with pilaf, I’ll eat them and become as smart as him.” The girl became sad, began sharpening her knives to stab Chiko, and she cried bitterly. Chico tells her: “Shall I tell you why you are sharpening the knife?” “Speak.” “You are sharpening the knife to stab me.” Your father wants to eat my brain, he thinks he will become wiser, but it is impossible to become wiser. The girl asks: “What should we do?” If my father comes and sees that I disobeyed him, he will kill me. Chico tells her: “Go buy a bull.” Let's kill him, take out his brains, feed his father, he won't even guess. That's what they did.
And Chico climbed into the chest and said: “Close the lid and hide the key in your pocket.” The fortune teller returned home and saw that the pilaf was ready and the brains were boiled in it. He ate the pilaf and didn’t guess anything. Two days pass. The king again had an incomprehensible dream. He sees that the Black Sea and the White Sea are mixed with each other. They sent for a fortune teller, but where could he solve such a dream? He returned home sad. His daughter asks: “Why are you sighing, father?” “I lost a lot of gold,” he answers. — I couldn’t interpret the king’s dream. How nice it would be if Chico were with us. And Chico says from the hazelnut: “Don’t be sad, I’m here.”
The girl opened the lid and Chico came out. The fortune teller was surprised how Chico resurrected, but he didn’t show it. He began to ask him: “Listen, Chiko, the king had a dream and gave me three days to unravel this dream.” If I don’t figure it out, they’ll blow my head off. Chico says: “Well, let’s go to the king.” They got ready and went to the palace. They reached the royal bedchamber. “Long live to you for many years, king,” says Chiko. “Make me king for a few minutes, then I will unravel your dream.” “Well,” says the king, “be a king.” Chico put on the king’s shoes, tied his saber and said: “Give me a watermelon, I’m tired.” When I eat watermelon, then I will interpret the dream.
Chico took out a knife to cut the watermelon, quietly thrust it into the watermelon and said: “Long live to you for many years, king.” My knife is missing, probably someone from those present stole it. The king says: “Look.” You are the king, you have the right to search everyone. Chico got up, searched the king's wife, pretended to find a knife, and then sat down and ate a watermelon. The king asks: “What kind of dream was that?” Tell me! Chiko says: “You dreamed about the king, as if the Black and White seas were mixed.” And this meant that your wife became like a servant, because she feasts with the Nazir. The king asks: “How is this to be understood?”
Chico stood up, snatched the royal saber from its scabbard and cut off the fortuneteller's head. The king asks: “Why did you do this?” “I punished my enemy, and now you punish yours.” Chico took off his shoes, unfastened his saber, gave everything to the king with a bow, and the king rewarded him with gold for the fact that Chico revealed the truth to him.
Nazir learned that Chiko had hinted at him to the king and planned to kill him. This Nazir escaped from the king, kidnapped the king's wife, and took her with him to another city. There he built luxurious chambers, robbed all the peasants to the last thread and lived happily ever after. One day Chico asks his mother: “Mother, do we have any poor relatives?” I would go and help them with something. “We have a great-aunt in a distant village,” his mother tells him. - If you can, go help her with something.
Chico went to a distant village, found his grandmother there, greeted her and said: “Grandmother, your cousin grandson came to visit you one and only time.” What will you treat him with? - Let my head be covered with earth and ashes, my child, I have nothing. I had one goat and one goose. Nazir took the goat, and I only had one lame goose left. Chiko says: “That’s good, grandma, let’s sell your goose.” Today we’ll live the day, and then we’ll see. “Well,” the old woman answers, “I still won’t get rich from one goose.” Do as you please.
Chico took the goose under his arm and went to the market. On the way he sees the Nazir feasting with his friends. He smeared his face with soot, approached the Nazir and offered him a goose. “What is your goose worth?” - asks the Nazir. “Three rubles,” Chiko answers. “Shut up,” says the Nazir, “your goose is not worth more than a ruble.”
He took the goose from him and threw him a paper ruble. And then he took the goose to his home, ordered it to be slaughtered and said to his wife: “Fry it and send it to me for a feast.” Chico hid behind the door at that time and heard everything. The wife asks the Nazir: “Who should I send with?” Nazir says: “A man will come to you, show you his little finger, and with that you will send a goose.” When the goose was roasted, the whole area smelled delicious...
Then Chiko came out from behind the door, showed his little finger to the Nazir’s wife and said: “Nazir sent for a goose.” He took the goose, closed the door behind him, and wrote on the door: “I am Chiko, and you are Nazir.” This is a small problem, but a big one is yet to come.” He took the goose home and ate his fill with his grandmother. Nazir sent one of his friends to fetch the goose. The wife says: “I had one goose.” I have already sent it to Nazir.
The indignant Nazir ran home and suddenly saw Chiko’s inscription on the door. Meanwhile, Chiko gave his grandmother money and asked her: “Please go and buy a girl’s outfit for me, and then take me around the city and say: “I’m giving it to a maid.” No matter how much money they offer you, do not give it, but when I give you a sign, then agree.
Chico's grandmother led her through the streets. No matter how much money was offered, she did not agree. As soon as the Nazir came to hire a maid for himself, Chiko made a sign to his grandmother, and she gave him as a servant to the Nazir for ten rubles a month. The Nazir brought him home, and his wife was in the bathhouse at that time. Nazir brought the keys, gave them to the maid, began to open the doors and show everything in the house. He opened the last door, and behind this door there was a small room, and in the middle of this room there was a heavy press.
Nazir says to the new maid: “Do you see this abs?” He has crushed as many people as there are hairs on your head. If you don't work, I'll strangle you too. - How do you do that? - asks Chico. Nazir says: “Put your head in the hole, I’ll show you.” Nazir began to put pressure on him, and Chiko shouted: “Oh, I’m suffocating!” Nazir pulled him out from under the press. “Well, put your head in.” Let's see if I can click? - says Chiko. The Nazir laughed. - Why, - he says, - is this necessary?
But he still put his head down. Chico pressed so that Nazir could not escape. He left him half-dead under pressure, and he left the house and wrote on the door: “I am Chico, you are Nazir. This is a small problem, a big one will come.” Chico returned home to his grandmother, gave her some gold and said: “Go give this money to the poor, and for me buy a doctor’s clothes, a razor, cloth, soap, some salt and a basket.”
Grandmother went and brought everything he asked for. Chico got dressed, picked up the basket and left the house. As he approached the Nazir’s house, he began to shout out: “I am a good doctor, I am a good doctor!” And the Nazir, who lay under the pressure, felt very bad. They called the doctor to the Nazir. Nazir asks: “Can you cure it?” Chiko says: “I can, just do as I tell you.” “Okay, I’ll do it.” “Then,” says Chiko, “go to the bathhouse.”
He went with the Nazir to the bathhouse, lathered his back with soap, sat astride him, began cutting with a razor and pouring salt. Nazir screams in pain. And Chico says: “Nothing, be patient.” You tormented the bodies of the peasants a lot. You went out and wrote on the doors of the bathhouse: “I am Chico, you are the Nazir. This is a small problem, a big one is coming.” And he went back home to his mother.
A little time passes, the king again has a dream and again sends for Chico. King Chiko says: “If you solve this dream, whatever you want, I will give you everything.” “I don’t need your gifts,” Chiko answers. “Did you see in a dream that a snake died in front of your door?” “Well, what does that mean?” - asks the king. “Your enemy will come to your doorstep.” “How will he come?” “You will find out later.” Chico went to the Nazir’s house, wrapped himself in goatskin, and tied mulberry cocoons to the wool. He entered the Nazir’s house exactly at midnight, squeezed the throats of him and his wife, and he began to shake the skin, and the cocoons began to ring quietly. Nazir asks in horror: “Who’s there?” And Chico replies: “You shed so much innocent blood, deprived the peasants of even a piece of bread, took away their last piece of land, and now heaven has sent me to take your soul away.” Both of you follow me. Chico drove a black van to the Nazir’s house, and in the van there was a large black coffin. He drove the Nazir and his wife into a black coffin, covered it with a lid and took them to the king’s house. And when he got there, he called the king and lifted the lid of the coffin. “Now do you understand, king, how your enemy himself came to your gates?”
Then people came running to the palace. The people began to make noise and shout: “What kind of Nazir is this, who is deceiving his master?” What kind of wife is this who runs away from her husband? What kind of king is this who doesn’t know how to cope with his wife? Then the people of the king drove him from his throne and threw all three of them into the river. After this, Chico says: “The property of the king and the Nazir should be distributed to the people.” Return the land to the peasants. Let them plow, sow and live in good health.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru