One king had eighteen sons. Seventeen sons studied together in one school, and the eighteenth separately. The sons have grown up.
The king thought: “If I should look for a wife for each of them, they will grow old before I marry them all.” If I had eighteen sons, it’s true that someone also has eighteen daughters. I'll send them, let them look for them. If they find him, they’ll get married and come back.”
However, he sent seventeen sons to get married, gave them horses, equipped them as they should, but didn’t say anything to the eighteenth, leaving them at home.
The younger brother, Light-faced, found out, he was offended: the brothers were going to get married, if only they could take me as their boyfriend. He went to his mother and asked: “Where is my father’s horse and sword?” “Go, son, to the stable and to the armory, take any horse and any sword,” says the mother. “Ket, I don’t want them, you tell me where my father’s horse and sword are!” - the son asks again. “Go to our pastures,” says the mother, “find the shepherd, hit him so that three strips of skin come off of him,” he will show you.
That's what Fairface did. He found that horse, took the sword, sat down and rode after the brothers. They heard the stomping, looked around and said: “Our brother Fair-face is coming.” Well, at least he’ll look after our horses. Svetloface caught up with the brothers and went with them.
Here they go, they go. They see the deva's house. But the deva is not at home, he is hunting. The brothers entered the house, and there was plenty of everything: food and drink, everything was already on the table, sit down and feast.
The older brothers sat down, feasted, left the younger one in the yard to guard the horses and brought him food there. At midnight, a three-headed deva comes and shouts: “Who are you?” Here, even an ant doesn’t crawl on the ground, and a bird doesn’t fly in the sky - everyone is so afraid of me, and you came to my yard, and with horses at that. As soon as he said that, Light-faced’s sword flew out. So Svetlo-face hangs in the air and does not hold him.
Then Svetlo-face said: “You are far away, why should I talk to you, come closer, I will give you an answer.” The deva went to Svetlo-face, and as soon as he grabbed the sword, with one swing he cut off two of the deva’s heads, only one remained. This third head said: “Don’t cut me down, otherwise you won’t find what you came for.” “Speak,” ordered Light-faced. The dev said: “Here are the keys, open seventeen rooms, in the eighteenth you will find eighteen beauties unseen under the sun.” “Give me the keys,” says Fair-faced.
He took the keys, cut off the deva’s third head, and went. He walked through all seventeen rooms, and, indeed, he saw: in the eighteenth there were eighteen beauties. I looked, locked them and went on my way.
And the brothers feasted, went to bed, got up in the morning, and got ready to hit the road again. Svetlo-face did not tell them that he had found eighteen beauties unseen under the sun.
Let's go brothers. They travel - whether a lot or a little - again the deva's house is on the way. And here the table is set: bread, wine - plenty of everything, sit down and feast. But the deva is not at home, he is hunting. The older brothers came in and were feasting, and they brought food to the younger one into the yard.
The four-headed deva comes at midnight, sees Bright-faced with horses in his yard, and shouts: “Who are you?” Here, even an ant does not crawl on the ground, and a bird does not fly in the sky - everyone is so afraid of me, and you also came with horses.
Fair-faced says: “You’re far away, why should I talk to you, come closer and I’ll give you the answer.” And his sword hangs in the air again. The four-headed deva went at Svetlo-faced. Svetlo-face grabbed his sword, cut off three of the deva’s heads with one swing, only the fourth remained, and she said: “Don’t cut me, otherwise you won’t find what you came for.” “Speak!” - Lightface ordered. The head said: “You go through seventeen rooms, in the eighteenth you will find eighteen pearls.” Fair-faced took the keys from the deva, cut off his fourth head, then went into the house. He went through all seventeen rooms and found eighteen pearls in the eighteenth. He locked the door again and went home.
But the brothers don’t know anything. The third morning has come. The brothers got up and drove off. They were going, looking for theirs. Again, the deva’s housing was on the way.
They entered - and here, as in those houses, the table is set, everything is ready, and here the deva is not at home, he is on a hunt. Again the older brothers entered the house, leaving the younger one in the yard. Only again the sword flew out with the tip up, the hilt down - the deva entered.
- Hey, Light-faced, you haven’t killed enough devas, but you also came here? Fair-faced says: “You’re far away, why should I talk to you, come closer and I’ll give you the answer.”
The dev went to Svetlolycego. Fair-faced wants to grab the sword, but the sword is not given, it is very high; Light Face reaches out, reaches out, no, the sword is not given. Dev says:
“This sword won’t take me anyway, that’s why it’s not given to you.” You can’t defeat me, I’m made of iron. And indeed the deva is all made of iron - what can you do to him with that sword?
The next morning the brothers came out and saw a huge iron dev sitting, and Light-faced looked like a boy in front of him. When they saw the iron dev, everyone got scared, ran in all directions, left their hats in the yard, and threw away their belts.
Fair-faced said to the iron dev: “Let me go.” “I won’t let me go,” says the dev. “Either kill, or eat, or let me go.” “And I won’t kill, and I won’t eat, and I won’t let go,” says the dev. Then the Fair-faced One said: “Let me go, I’ll say a word to my brothers and come back.” “Okay,” says the deva, “just don’t think that you’ll run away from me.” I know who you are and where you live. If you decide to run away, I’ll come at you, I’ll force you to roast your own mother and serve it to me, then your father, and only then I’ll eat you yourself.
Light-faced went, caught up with the brothers and said: “Here, brothers, in the deva house where we spent the first night, open seventeen rooms, in the eighteenth you will find eighteen beauties unseen under the sun, choose a wife for yourself, and leave the youngest to me,” and gave them those keys. “And in the second deva house, open eighteen rooms, in the eighteenth you will find eighteen precious pearls.” Take a pearl for yourself, just leave my share. And I will go again to the iron dev: either he will eat me, or I don’t know what will happen.
He came, sat down again next to the deva and said: “Cut it off, or kill me, or eat me, or let me go.” “And I won’t kill, and I won’t eat, and I won’t let you go,” says the deva. “So what do you want?” “But this is what,” says the deva. “Beyond the sea there is one beauty unseen under the sun, if you bring her to me, I will let you go.” How can I cross the sea? - asks Fair-faced. “I have a bridle,” says the iron dev, “as soon as you approach the sea, throw it into the water, a horse will appear in the sea and put the bridle on itself.” Command him whatever you want, he will do it. It won't leave you anywhere. Know that neither bird nor animal dare disobey my will. Wherever you tell him, he will go. Light-faced went and lowered the bridle into the sea. The sea horse came out. Svetlo-face bridled him, sat down, the sea was divided in two, Svetlo-face rides on his horse in the middle of the sea.
Only Svetloface is tired: after all, he hasn’t slept for so many nights. He decided to rest a little, got off his horse, lay down, and held the reins in his hand. Svetlo-face fell asleep, and the horse released the reins from his hands and left. Svetlo-face was left alone in the middle of the sea. He woke up and saw that there was no horse. What to do?
Svetlo-face looks and sees a man floating on the sea, hanging upside down in the water, and actually the fur of some animal covers his entire body.
Svetlo-face asked: “How can you stay in the water for so long and upside down?” “Eh, son, I’m cursed, I won’t die and I won’t have peace until I see one beauty (this is the one that Svetlo-face is going after). “Well,” says Svetlo-face, “I would show her to you, and I’m going after her, but I don’t know how to get out of the sea.” “I’ll take you out,” says this man.
Fair-face swam after him. So we got to the place where the sea was divided in two, and there lies a stone. “Turn over this stone,” the man says to the Bright-faced man, “you will find another bridle there; take it out, throw it into the sea, another seahorse will appear, just be careful that it doesn’t leave like that one. And just let me look at that beauty, if you get her, and die, get away from this torment. Svetlo-face took out the bridle, caught the horse, sat down and rode off. I arrived in one village. He sees that everyone is locked up.
And every time that beauty goes for a walk, the whole village must sit locked up so that no one sees her face.
Svetlo-face came to one house and asked to open it.
And in that house lives an old widow, the widow has two sons, both are married. The old woman liked Svetlo-face, she let him in and said: “I am that beauty’s nurse.” I bring her food and everything she needs. She lives in that tower. Only she is not at home now, she is walking. And you go, go into the tower, lie down and sleep. She will come, be delighted, and go with you herself. And I will hide it, I won’t tell anyone that she was kidnapped.
Svetlo-face went and took away a beauty unprecedented in the sun, and the old woman only the next day said that she was gone. They immediately set out in pursuit of Svetloface.
Svetloface sees it and is being chased. He took the beauty into the forest, hid it, went out himself, destroyed everyone, leaving only one alive so that there would be someone to tell about that battle.
He brought the beauty to the sea, took out a bridle, called a sea horse, sat down with the beauty and rode off. They are driving along the sea, and the beauty keeps looking around - she is afraid that there is a chase again.
-What are you afraid of? - says Lightface. “What I took on land, I will take to sea.” Let’s go now, I’ll show you to one unfortunate old man, he’s dying because of you. The beauty is afraid. “Why is that,” he says, “wouldn’t he do something to us!” They are driving and see that man floating right at them. “Here, old man, look, I brought her!” - says Lightface. The old man looked and died. Svetloface buried him and moved on.
He swam to land with the beauty. The Light-faced sea horse released, sat on his own and rode to the deva. This beauty, unprecedented under the sun, said: “You deceived me, you are taking me to the deva!” Listen, when you arrive, the dev will be lying on his face, so you let me go to him, and you yourself hit the horse and ride away. You will drive away and hide, and in the morning, when the deva goes hunting, you come.
And so they did. Light-faced brought the beauty, hit the horse himself and rushed off. Then he hid, and when the dev went hunting, he returned. That’s how they live: the dev goes hunting, Svetlo-face comes, he and the beauty are together all day, in the evening, as the dev returns, Svetlo-face leaves and hides. The dev says to the beauty: “That’s right, Svetly-face is here somewhere.” Where should he be? - says the beauty. - You yourself saw how he drove the horse. - Yes, that’s how it is... - says the dev. The next day the dev was hunting, and Svetlo-face shot an arrow at him, hitting him in the shoulder. The dev came home angry and said:
“No, you have Svetlo-face somewhere here.” “You saw how he drove the horse,” says the beauty. “Yes, that’s how it is...” agreed the deva. The beauty said to the dev: “Where is your soul, tell me, because I’m the only one who can even caress her.” “In the mother,” says the dev, deceiving her. She decorated the mat and is waiting for the deva. The dev comes. “What is this?” “You said that your soul is in the mother, and I caress it.” “Oh, you bad one,” the dev laughs. - Do you know where my soul is? A fire deva lives beyond the sea. He has a box in his head, there are two crows in the box - they are my soul. If they kill them, I’ll die, but if they don’t kill them, I’ll never die.
The dev went hunting. Fair-faced, a beauty, came and told him: “Over the sea, in such and such a place, a fire deva has a box in his head, there are two crows in the box, if you don’t destroy them, you won’t kill the iron deva.”
Svetlo-face went overseas, and his route passed through the kingdom from which he had taken the beauty. And there’s this thing: the neighboring king writes letters to this king, the father of the beauty, day and night, scolds him, mocks him: “What kind of king are you, you let some rogue take away his beautiful daughter, And Svetlo-face hired himself to this king-father as a swineherd.”
He found out about everything, came to the king and said: “I will go to war against that king.” The tsar says: “How can you go against him, fool, when I with all my army do not dare to fight with him.” “Just give me,” says Svetlo-face, “twelve Russian soldiers and twelve tents, and I’ll do the rest myself.”
The tsar gave him twelve Russian soldiers, twelve tents and released him. He came with the soldiers to the neighboring tsar.
The king lives above, the gorge below. They pitched tents in this gorge, and Svetlo-face went up to the king and said: “Let’s fight now, this minute.” “No, we’re not ready,” says the king. “But we’re not ready,” says Svetlo-face, “so let’s give it away that you can’t fight with us.” The king gave him a ticket and said: “Go, let your troops go, and stay with me for a while.” Fair Face went, released those warriors and returned.
They gave him dinner and served him everything salty so that his thirst would rise at night. Behind the doors are two fire-breathing monsters. The fair-faced one will come out at night, the king thinks, the monsters will eat him, he will not bring the receipt to that king.
Svetlo-face went out at night to fetch water, these monsters rushed at him, but he was not at a loss, tore off his boots and into the mouths of one and the other - and strangled them.
The king saw that Svetlo-face returned to the palace alive and unharmed, and did not know what to do out of frustration.
And Svetloface lay down and slept. The morning has come - Svetlo-face does not get out of bed, he is angry. - Is this how you receive guests? They left you overnight and stole your boots? How can I go barefoot? The king brought him new boots, but Svetlo-face did not take them:
- These are not the same ones! These are what you're wearing—those are my boots. What to do? The Tsar had to give his boots back. And Svetloface pulled on the brand new Tsar’s boots and laughed: his boots were old and knocked down. Svetloface went back and brought a ticket to the Tsar-Father. The king rejoiced, so he wrote a letter to that king: “What kind of king are you?” He sent an ambassador to you, and you steal his boots. What should that king do, he is silent, he does not answer.
The king-father said to Svetlo-face: “I had a daughter of unprecedented beauty under the sun, but they kidnapped her, otherwise I would have given her to you as a wife.” “It was I who took her away,” says Svetlo-face. “What else should I reward you with?” - asks the king. “I don’t need anything,” says Light-faced, “just teach me how to find the fire deva, give people to show the way.”
The king gave him guides, they took him to one mountain and said: “Behind this mountain the fire deva lives.”
The deva sensed that there were people on the mountain and went up. He walked, all three mouths open, breathing fire - and you couldn’t get close to him. Fair-faced grabbed his sword and flew straight at the deva like a butterfly to a fire. Fair-face swung his sword, cut off two heads, the third and said: “Don’t cut me, otherwise you won’t find what you came for.” I have a box in my head, there are two little crows in it, they are the soul of the iron deva.
Svetlo-face also cut off the third head, took out a box, immediately tore off the head of one crow, and took the other with him, thinking: kill this one too, well, and how the iron dev is at home and standing in the doorway; he will die, he will get stuck in the door, the beauty will remain inside, I will not enter the tower.
The Light-faced One goes, then he will pull the crow’s head there, then there, so that the iron dev will fall ill and, no matter where he is, he will not get home.
He reached the sea, called a sea horse, sat on it, and rode off. He swam across the sea, released the sea horse, mounted his own, and rode on. And the deva was already ill, but still made it home, sits on the threshold, and dies.
Svetlo-face arrived and shouted to the beauty: “Step on him and jump out!” She jumped out, then Svetlo-face tore off the crow’s head; The dev rolled and stuck to the door, the beauty couldn’t leave the house.
Svetlo-face went with her to the deva’s dwelling, in which there were pearls, took his share there that his brothers left him, and took with him that eighteenth beauty who was waiting for him in the three-headed deva’s dwelling.
He brought her home, married her off like a sister, and he himself married that beauty unseen under the sun: after all, how much work he put into her!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru