Once upon a time there lived in the same village a poor widower and his son. His name was Ewen Congar. All his wealth consisted of a piece of land on which he worked himself, two cows and a horse. The son's name, like his father's, was Zuen, he was ten years old, and he was a lively and intelligent boy. So he once says to his father:
- Father, send me to school to study.
- How will I send you, son? You know, I’m poor and can’t pay for my studies.
- Sell one cow.
The father sold one cow at the fair and sent his son to school with the proceeds.
The boy studied well, the teachers were very pleased with him. But a year later, Ewen had to sell his second cow, then his horse, so that he would have something to pay for his studies.
In three years he learned a lot at school, and although he was still young, he became a real scientist. He ordered clothes for himself, black on one side and white on the other, and went to seek his fortune around the world. On the way, he met some well-dressed gentleman and asked:
-Where are you going, boy?
- Look for a job, your lordship.
- Can you read?
- Yes, I can read and write.
- No, in that case you won’t suit me. And the gentleman drove by.
Ewen turned his dress inside out, ran across the fields and, coming out onto the road a little further, went to meet the same traveler.
-Where are you going, boy? - he asked, not recognizing Kongar.
- I am looking for service, your lordship.
- Can you read?
- No, I can neither read nor write. My father is poor and could not send me to school.
- Okay, get on the horse behind me.
Congar mounted his horse behind the stranger, and they soon arrived at a beautiful castle surrounded by high walls. No one came to meet them when they dismounted their horse in the yard, and the sorcerer—Kongar’s new owner was a sorcerer—himself took the horse to the stable. Then, returning, Ehueyu said.
“You will see neither men nor women in the castle - no one but me.” But don't worry, you won't lack anything. And if you try to do exactly everything I tell you, you will receive five hundred crowns a year.
- What will I have to do, master?
“I have fifty cages here, each cage has a bird, and there are ten horses in the stable, and you will have to look after the birds and horses so that I am satisfied.”
“I’ll try, master.”
The owner showed him cages with birds and horses, then said:
“I’m leaving and will return no earlier than in a year and one day.”
The sorcerer left, and Congar, left alone in the castle, diligently took care of the birds and horses. Four times a day, someone set the table in the dining room, although not a single living soul was visible anywhere. Having finished his work, Ewen drank and ate to his heart's content, and then walked around the castle and gardens.
One day, wandering through the rooms and marveling at their rich decoration, he saw a princess of dazzling beauty. She told him this:
“I am one of the horses you look after in the castle stables, the third one to the left from the entrance, the dappled gray one.” I am the daughter of a Spanish king, and I was magically turned into a horse. I must remain like this. Until I find my liberator. Many have already tried to do this, but the sorcerer turned everyone into horses or birds, the very ones that were left in your care. If the sorcerer is satisfied with your work, as a reward he will allow you to choose one of the horses that are in his stable, and you will ride on it to your father. Choose me and you won't regret it. Remember: the dappled gray mare is the third one to the left from the entrance. Many princes and other noble people tried to trick the sorcerer, and everyone paid for it: their skin hangs on hooks in the back room of the castle. Be careful that the same does not happen to you.
The princess gave Kongar the sorcerer's books to read, and from them he learned the secrets of magic.
A year and one day have passed. The owner of the castle arrived home. He was so pleased with Congar's diligence that he invited him to stay for another year and promised to double his salary.
“No,” said Congar, “I want to return to my father.”
“But think about it, it’s twelve thousand miles from here to your village!”
- All the same, I want to go to my father.
- Well, okay, here's five hundred ecus, your salary. And, besides, you can choose any horse from the stable and ride it to your father.
They went to the stables. Congar pretended to choose, then pointed to the dappled gray mare:
- I'll take that little horse over there.
- What, this nag? It's obvious that you don't know anything about horses. Just look at the beauties standing next to her.
- No, I like this little horse, and I don’t want another one.
- Damn you! Take it, but you still won’t leave my hands.
Kongar led a gray horse out of the stable and rode off on it.
When they left the sorcerer’s domain, the horse took on its previous image - it turned into a beautiful princess.
“Return to your father,” she said to her savior, “and I will return to mine, to Spain.” And in a year and one day you will also be there, at the court of the Spanish king.
Having said this, she disappeared.
Kongar walked resolutely towards his native village. When he was already not far from her, he met a beggar he knew, who did not recognize him. Congar asked him:
- Do you know, grandfather, Ewen Congar?
“How can I not know him, he is my neighbor,” answered the beggar.
- So he's alive? How's he doing?
“He’s alive, but his affairs are very bad, he’s no better than me.” He gave his last pennies for his son’s education, but he abandoned him and disappeared to no one knows where.
Congar gave the beggar a twenty sous coin and moved on. Soon he came to his father’s hut and rushed to hug the old man, who was sitting on a stone at the threshold.
- Hello, father, I’m back home!
“Don’t make fun of me,” old Kongar objected, not recognizing his son.
“I’m rich now, father, you and I will live a glorious life.” Look!
He threw five hundred crowns onto the table, all in beautiful gold coins. Then he went to the nearest place to buy provisions, brought white bread, beef, lard, sausages, cider and even wine, and, having called the neighbors, they arranged a real feast. This was repeated every day until all five hundred crowns were spent. When only one six-franc coin remained, the old man said to his son:
“Here we are again without money, son, again as poor as we were.”
- Don't worry, father. You denied yourself everything to send me to school, and now you will see that the Study has benefited me... You will not need anything.
And indeed, it was not for nothing that Ewen read the books of the sorcerer and from them learned the secrets of his art.
“Tell you what, father, tomorrow morning you will go to the fair in Lanyon to sell a bull.”
- Where can I get it, this bull? I haven’t had a bull, a cow, or a calf for a long time.
- Wherever he came from, tomorrow, when you get up in the morning, you will find an excellent bull at the door. Take him to the market in Lannion, ask for two hundred crowns for him; Don't give up a penny, you will be paid that price. Just make sure you don't give up the rope.
“They always give the rope along with the bull,” the old man remarked.
“And I’m telling you, don’t give me the rope, otherwise you’ll bring big trouble on me.” Do you hear, father? Bring the rope back home.
- Okay, I’ll bring it, but we don’t do that.
The next morning, the old man actually saw a magnificent bull with a brand new rope around his neck at the door of the hut. He immediately led the bull to Lanyon, forgetting even to look where his son was. And this bull was his son, who, having read the books of the sorcerer, could now transform into any animal.
As soon as they saw the bull at the fair, all the dealers and butchers, as many as there were in the square, began to sell it to the old man.
- Hey, father, how much for a bull?
- Two hundred crowns without rope.
- That's how much he put up the price! Say a hundred and fifty and we'll shake hands and pop a bottle.
“I won’t give up a penny.”
“Well, the bull will stay with you, that’s all.” The dealers and butchers came up, touched the bull, and bargained, but since Congar demanded two hundred crowns and not a penny less, the buyers went to others.
Towards the end of the day, when the sun was already setting, an unfamiliar customer with fiery red hair and restless, watchful eyes approached the old man. He examined the bull and asked:
- How much for a bull, old man?
- Two hundred crowns without rope.
- The price is considerable. But I like the bull, that’s what I need. Get your two hundred. Leave the rope for me so I can take him away.
- No. I told you that I won’t give you the rope.
- But the rope is always given to the buyer - don’t you know, you old fool?
“I said I wouldn’t give up the rope.” If you don’t agree, don’t do it: your money will remain with you, and my bull will remain with me.
- To hell with you and your rope, you can hang yourself with it!
And the buyer left.
A butcher from Morlaix bought the bull, took it home and put it in the stable to be slaughtered the next day. But the next morning the bull disappeared from the barn, and Ewen Congar returned home to his father.
As long as they had money, father and son lived without denying themselves anything, without forgetting their friends. When only one six-franc coin remained of two hundred crowns, Eouen said to his father:
“Father, tomorrow morning you will go to the market in Bray to sell a horse.”
- Where can we get it, this horse?
- Don't worry about it. She will come from the same place where the bull came, and tomorrow morning you will find her at the door. Ask for her three hundred crowns, not a penny less. But don't give up the bridle. Bring it home. If you give it away, you will pay dearly for it, and so will I.
“Okay,” said old Congar, “I’ll bring the bridle if that’s what you want.” It’s just not the way we sell a horse without a bridle.
The next morning old Congar went to the market in Bray riding on a beautiful horse, of which he was very proud.
Quite a few dealers from Cornwall and Treguier approached Congar and tried to buy a horse. But the old man demanded three hundred crowns and did not concede anything, and the buyers thought that it was too expensive and left, although everyone really liked the horse.
In the evening, the unfamiliar dealer who sold the bull the last time came again and asked:
- How much for a horse, old man?
- Three hundred crowns without a bridle.
“It’s expensive, but I like the horse, and I’ll pay without haggling.” Just give me the bridle. You know, this is how it is always done.
- No, I need the bridle myself. If you don’t want it, I won’t sell the horse.
- Don’t you know, old fool, that a bridle is always sold along with a horse?
“Let others do as they please, but I won’t sell, that’s all.”
- Well, don’t, damn you and your horse and bridle!
And the stranger left, very angry.
A little later, the horse was sold to a dealer from Normandy. He took her to Guingamp and stabled her for the night with the other horses, intending to go home in the morning.
But the next morning the horse disappeared, its new owner wondered in vain what could have happened to it.
And this horse was Ewen Congar, who could turn into animals. He took on his human form again and returned home.
When the three hundred crowns received for the horse were spent, Congar turned into a donkey. In the evening, he ordered his father to take the donkey to sell at the fair in Bray, asking for two hundred crowns for it and never giving up the halter.
The same unknown horse dealer came to buy a donkey.
- How much for a donkey, old man?
- Two hundred crowns.
“Two hundred crowns is a bit expensive for such a donkey.” But I don’t like to bargain, get two hundred and give me a donkey.
He immediately mounted the donkey.
- Wait! - Kongar shouted. - Leave the halter to me.
- It's too late, old man! - he answered mockingly.
He hit the donkey with a stick and galloped away.
On the way, he stopped at the forge and said to the blacksmith:
“Hurry, blacksmith, make four horseshoes weighing five pounds each and shoe my donkey.”
- Are you planning to joke? - said the blacksmith.
“Do what you’re told, I’ll pay you well.” While the blacksmith was forging horseshoes, the donkey stood on the street: e
tied to a ring embedded in the wall of the forge. The children gathered around the donkey and began to pull its ears to hear it roar.
“Untie me,” said the donkey.
- This donkey can talk! - one of the children shouted.
- What did he say? - asked another.
- He asks to untie him.
“Yes, children, untie me, and then you will see a funny thing,” repeated the donkey.
They obeyed. And at that very moment the donkey turned into a hare, and God bless the legs!
Hearing the scream of the children, the sorcerer left the forge.
- Where is my donkey?!
— He turned into a hare and ran away.
- Which way?
“Over there, across the field,” answered the children.
The sorcerer instantly turned into a dog and chased the hare.
He, hearing himself being chased, turned into a dove and soared upward. The sorcerer immediately became a hawk and rushed after him. So they flew to the capital of Spain. The hawk was already overtaking the dove, but it turned into a golden ring and jumped straight onto the finger of the princess, the daughter of the Spanish king, who was sitting at the window at that time.
Then the sorcerer took on his human form and came to the palace, posing as a doctor and saying that he wanted to heal the old king - the king had been ill for a long time, and all the doctors in the kingdom could not cure him.
The sorcerer found the necessary medicine, healed the king, and the king, in gratitude for the service, promised to give him everything he asked for.
“I don’t need anything,” answered the imaginary doctor, “except for that gold ring that your daughter wears on her finger.”
- So little? If you need gold, I'll give you plenty.
- No, I don’t need anything other than your daughter’s ring.
- Okay, you will receive it tomorrow morning.
The princess went to bed without taking off the ring and was very surprised and frightened when she suddenly saw a man next to her. It was Congar. Fearing that she would scream, he hastened to calm her down:
“Princess, I am the one who saved you from the sorcerer and was just the gold ring on your finger.” The sorcerer persistently pursues me all the time. He restored your father to health and, as a reward, demands the ring you wear on your finger. Promise the king to fulfill this requirement, but on the condition that you yourself put the ring on the doctor’s finger. And when you put it on, drop the ring on the floor. Don't worry about the rest, everything will be fine if you do as I ask.
The princess promised to do as Congar said.
The next morning the old king called his daughter and, pointing to the sorcerer disguised as a doctor, said:
“My daughter, this man healed me, while all the doctors in the kingdom could not help me. And as a reward for such a great service, he asks only for the gold ring that you wear on your finger. Of course, you won't refuse him.
“No, my father, I will not refuse,” said the princess. “And I myself will put this ring on his finger.”
She took off the ring, and when the doctor hurried to extend his finger to her, she dropped the ring to the floor, as if from awkwardness or excitement.
At that same moment, the ring turned into a pea, and the sorcerer into a rooster.
Just as the rooster was about to swallow the pea, it turned into a fox and gnawed the rooster's throat. Thus ended the struggle in which Zuen Kongar defeated his teacher.
Then the princess introduced her savior to her father and told about all his trials and adventures. And Congar married the daughter of the Spanish king. On this occasion, there were many magnificent celebrations and rich feasts at court, to which old Congar was also invited - he was still alive at that time.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru