In ancient times, there lived one poor peasant who, for better or worse, raised three children, three boys. The eldest was called Richard, the middle one was Pierre. And the name of the youngest son was Jean. All three were brave young men and were bored to death in their village. And then one day Richard came to his father and told him:
“My father, it’s time for me to choose a profession.” I thought it over and decided that it would be best for me to become a warrior. Let me leave you and become a soldier.
“Richard, I always hoped that you would like peasant life.” But since you want to become a soldier, well, I’m not stopping you. Besides, your brothers will stay here and help me. Take ten crowns, they will be useful to you on your journey. Farewell and God bless you! Remember my covenant - always be an honest person.
Richard carefully hid ten crowns in his pocket, hugged his father and brothers, and went to enlist as a soldier.
Three months later, Pierre, who was very worried, not receiving news from his brother, decided to find him and also become a soldier.
He began to ask his father to let him go.
“My God,” said the peasant, “you also want to leave!” And I thought that you would replace me in the household! So, will you leave Jean and me? Think carefully and then decide.
- My father, everything is already decided. I've already thought about it, but I'm too eager to try the soldier's craft.
- Well, I won’t contradict you. Go, and may God bless you!
The father put ten new sous in Pierre's hand, and he left.
Three years later, Jean, the only son who remained to live with his father, came to him and also asked to be let into the army.
- Well, this is too much! So you, too, have lost your head, like your brothers? You know how long ago they left the village, and since then nothing has been heard of them. Stay home and plow the land.
“My father, I thought a lot about this, but the temptation is too strong. I want to experience the life of a soldier and quickly find Richard and Pierre.
- I won’t upset you. I still have ten liars left, take them and go.
Jean hugged his father and left.
He walked straight and straight until he came to the city, and from there to the regiment. You can imagine the surprise and joy of Richard and Pierre when they saw their brother Jean!
Six months later, it so happened that Richard drank too much and insulted his commander. A military court sentenced him to death.
Richard came to the brothers and told them:
“I’ve just been sentenced to death and will be hanged in two hours.” I was allowed to come to you to say goodbye, and since I know a way to sneak out of the city unnoticed, follow me, we will have enough time to escape.
“Okay, let’s run,” the brothers decided.
They took sabers, got out of the city and walked wherever they looked. They walked for two days without rest until they came to some crossroads. Three roads lay before them. The brothers did not know which way to go, and then Richard, as the eldest, said:
- Let's go in different directions. Whoever finds a place to stay first will call the others with a whistle. Well, now let’s hit the road, each on his own path.
And they went their separate ways. Jean was the first to notice a lonely mill on the plain. He immediately whistled loudly, as agreed, and when the brothers approached, he knocked on the miller’s house.
-Who's there? - asked a voice from inside.
“We are three poor, lost wanderers and we want something to eat and shelter for the night.”
- Eat? What else did you want! Go on your way!
“But we don’t know these places, we are strangers.”
- What do I care! Walk past the devil's castle and you will come to the city. But God forbid you go into the castle. The devil kills all travelers who dare to enter him.
- Well, be healthy, miller!
The three brothers headed towards the devil's castle and soon reached it. The doors opened of their own accord in front of them. In one of the rooms, richly decorated, a table with three cutlery seemed to be deliberately set.
“There’s nothing better to wish for,” the brothers thought and sat down at the table laden with delicious food. You understand that they ate with great appetite, after which they decided to go to bed.
They entered the bedroom, where there were only two beds: Richard and Pierre lay down on them, and Jean closed the door and stood guard, guarding the brothers.
Around midnight there was such a roar that the whole castle seemed to tremble - the devil had come. He tried to open the door, hoping to catch his sleeping brothers by surprise.
“Hey,” the sentry shouted to him, “you can’t come here without my permission!”
- They tell you, let me go.
- No, I won’t let you in.
- If you open the door, I will give you a self-assembled tablecloth, from which you can demand as much food as you want at any time.
“I agree, but swear that you will not touch me or my brothers.”
- I swear! - the devil growled.
The soldier opened the door and an evil spirit entered the room where Richard and Pierre were sleeping. He somersaulted in the air several times and flew through the pipe.
The next night, while the brothers were sleeping, Pierre stood guard.
It's midnight. The devil came again and saw that the door was locked.
- Open it for me! - he shouted.
- What will you give me if I open it?
- I'll give you a stick.
- What do I need a stick for?
- She will give you as much gold as you want.
“I agree, but swear that you will not touch me or my brothers.”
- I swear!
Pierre opened the door. The devil again jumped around the room as the day before and disappeared.
The next night Richard was to stand guard.
Around midnight the devil came, knocked on the door and asked to be let into the room. Richard refused the devil.
But the devil really wanted to come in, and he said:
“Open the door for me one last time, and I will give you a cloak that will make you invisible and take you wherever you want in an instant.”
“Swear that you will not harm me or my brothers.”
- I swear!
After that, the devil entered the room, gave the tablecloth, stick and invisibility cloak, jumped to his heart's content and flew away again through the pipe.
The next day, Richard, Pierre and Jean left the castle, taking with them the gifts of the devil.
Before they could reach the forest, a terrible crash was heard, the earth shook, and before their eyes the devil’s castle collapsed.
After some time, Richard invited the brothers to test a stick, a cloak and a tablecloth to see if the devil had deceived them.
He took the tablecloth, spread it on the grass and said:
— Self-assembled tablecloth, serve us a delicious breakfast as soon as possible.
And immediately delicious food appeared on the tablecloth. When the brothers had eaten and drank well, Jean took the stick and said:
- Lifesaver, fill our pockets with gold.
There were so many coins that they had to pour some of them on the ground, otherwise the brothers could not move.
Then all three wrapped themselves in a cloak and said:
— Invisibility cloak, take us to France, to the city of Paris.
And immediately they found themselves in Paris. The brothers went to a hotel, had a drink, and then went into town.
The sounds of trumpets and drums were heard in all the streets: then the officers of the French king announced that the king would give the hand of his daughter and, in addition, half of the kingdom to the one who could prepare a luxurious feast in one hour for five hundred foreign ambassadors who had just arrived at the palace.
“This is what we need,” said Richard. “I’ll take a self-assembled tablecloth with me and go to the king.”
He returned to the inn, took the devil's tablecloth and ran to the royal palace. The guards did not want to let him through, but when he said that he needed to talk to the king, he was taken to him.
-What do you want? - the king asked him.
“I happened to hear what your officers were announcing on the streets, and I will prepare this dinner for you; just first promise once again to give me your daughter’s hand and half of the kingdom.
- I promise, but how will you do it?
- That's my business. Show me where the feast will be.
The king led him to the banquet hall, and Richard locked himself there.
He took the tablecloth, spread it on the floor and said:
- Self-assembled tablecloth, give me now the best dinner for five hundred people.
Before he had time to say this, everything was ready to receive the ambassadors. The king was very surprised and said to the soldier:
“You have fulfilled your promises, now I must fulfill mine.” Now I will call my daughter. We will arrange the wedding tomorrow, when the ambassadors of the English king leave.
The princess came and took Richard to her place. As they climbed the stairs, the royal daughter began to ask how Richard managed to arrange everything so quickly.
- It was not difficult for me. I have a tablecloth, which, whenever I wish, serves me both food and drink.
And Richard showed the tablecloth to the princess, who immediately grabbed it. He wanted to take the tablecloth away, but the king’s daughter shouted:
- Help! Help! They are killing!
The guards came running, Richard was taken to prison and locked there.
The brothers, seeing that Richard was not returning, decided that he had died.
After a little time, the king's officers again announced throughout the city of Paris that their master would give his daughter and half of the kingdom to the one who would produce gold to pay the ransom for the king's son, who had been captured by the Prussian king.
Jean took the magic wand and went to the royal palace. He was led into a huge hall where there were many bags that needed to be filled with gold in order to collect the ransom.
Jean took his stick and said:
- Lifesaver, fill all the bags with louis d'or and pistoles.
The wand, as always, carried out his orders.
The king took Jean to his daughter and immediately announced to him that tomorrow he could marry her.
The princess said to the groom, as she had told Richard before:
- Come with me, I will show you my chambers. You'll see, you'll be pleased.
“Okay,” answered Jean, who did not suspect anything.
Then the royal daughter wanted to see the magic wand. Before Jean had time to show the stick, the princess snatched it from his hands.
“Give me your wand, or I’ll throw you out the window!” - Jean shouted.
- Help! Help! Guards! - called the princess.
Before the soldier had time to come to his senses, he was grabbed, tied hand and foot and thrown into the tower, where Richard was already languishing.
Pierre was left alone. For the third time, it was announced throughout the city that the king would give his daughter and half of the kingdom to someone who, in a short time, would transfer it to a certain king who lived far, far from France.
Pierre, seeing that the brothers were not returning, went to the palace, but decided to be on the alert all the time.
He first carefully examined everything around the palace, then went to the doors. He was taken to the king.
Pierre threw over himself and him the cloak that he had once received in the devil’s castle and said:
- Invisibility Cloak, take us to the palace of the king who owns twelve fiery horses.
And immediately they found themselves in this palace.
After visiting the owner and talking with him a little, the king wanted to return home. Pierre took the king by the arm, threw on his cloak, and that same evening they returned to France, to the city of Paris.
Now Pierre could only tell the king:
- Well, will you give me your daughter as a wife?
The king answered him:
- She will come to you now. In an hour you can marry her. I will make arrangements for the wedding, while you and my daughter explore the palace.
The princess came and took Pierre to her place. And immediately she grabbed the invisibility cloak.
When Pierre tried to take it away, she called the guards. But Pierre quickly jumped through the window into the yard and hid in the barn.
They searched for him all day, but never found him.
When evening came, Pierre left his hiding place and made his way into the royal garden. Seeing beautiful pears on one tree, he climbed up it and began to pick the fruits. At the same time, he noticed that there were two varieties of pears growing on the tree - large and small. He collected both of them, filled his pockets with them and went down to the ground.
But what was his surprise when, after eating a large pear, he noticed that his nose suddenly lengthened by six feet! However, he continued with his dinner and ate several small pears. Then his nose shortened again. Realizing that these pears could be useful to him, he did not eat them anymore and left the garden. Some masons were building a wall; They asked Pierre why he was leaving the palace at such a late hour, but he replied that he was with the king and they let him through.
The next day there was a big celebration in the palace: the wedding of a court lady was celebrated. Hearing about this, Pierre changed his clothes so that he could not be recognized, and went to the palace, taking with him large pears. They were served to the table for dessert. The guests really liked the beautiful fruits, and soon all the pears were eaten. Immediately, the guests' noses lengthened by six feet.
And since the king's daughter ate two pears, her nose lengthened by two whole fatties.
They called the doctor. He said that these growths need to be cut off. But one old woman died when her nose was cut, and then no one dared to do this.
Then Pierre appeared and offered to cure the princess if only the king agreed to return both brothers, a self-assembled tablecloth, a magic wand and an invisibility cloak to him.
In addition, he demanded the royal daughter and half of France as his wife. The king happily agreed to everything.
Pierre cured the princess and all the guests: he immediately fed them small pears. On the same day he married the princess and from then on lived happily with his father, brothers and the numerous children who were later born to him.
I don’t know what happened to the stick, cloak and tablecloth from the devil’s castle. If I ever find out about this, I will tell you.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru