Once upon a time there lived a padishah. He had a garden the like of which no one had ever seen. The rose called out to the rose, the nightingale, the nightingale, and springs, clear as a tear, gurgled through the garden. By order of the padishah, a wide variety of trees were brought from all over the world, and the padishah planted them in the garden. In a word, a balm of life could be found in the garden. The fame of this garden spread throughout the world, and people flocked in droves from all directions to admire it.
One day three guests arrived from some city. Together with the padishah, they walked around the garden and examined it carefully. Coming out of the gate, one of the guests said
“It’s a wonderful garden, it’s just a pity that Bili-Bilgeis Khanum is not here.”
“It’s a wonderful garden, but it’s a pity that it doesn’t have the Khazarandastan rose and the Khazarandastan nightingale that Bili-Bilgeis Khanum has,” said the second guest.
“It’s a wonderful garden,” said the third guest, “but it’s a pity that it doesn’t have Soleimani Ereb’s horse.”
The guests left, and the padishah became thoughtful. The vizier sees that the padishah is very concerned about something.
“Long live the padishah!” he said, “what’s the matter, what are you thinking about?”
- Vizier, the words of the guests plunged me into thought. At any cost, the Khazarandastan nightingale, the Khazarandastan rose, Bili-Bilgeis Khanum and the Suleimann Ereb horse must be delivered to this garden.
“Long live the padishah!” said the vizier, “what is there that makes you think?” Glory to Allah, you have three sons, call them, order them, they will go and bring them. When can they be useful to you?
The padishah sees that the vizier is right. In fact, he has three sons.
He ordered and called his sons. When all three sons appeared before the padishah, he said:
“My sons, my garden has no equal in the world, but it lacks four things: the Khazarandastan rose, the Khazarandastan nightingale, Bili-Bilgeis Khanum and the Suleimani-ereb horse. I don’t know anything, I don’t know anything. Even if the sky hits the ground, you must find and bring them.
Having respectfully kissed their father's hand, the three Shahzade jumped on their horses and set off on the road.
Every day, there’s a new stop; every night, there’s a new place to stay. Finally, they reached the junction of three roads. Having dismounted and rested a little, they hid a ring under a large roadside stone with the message that whoever returned first would follow the others. The brothers kissed, wished each other success, said goodbye and, mounting their horses, parted.
Let's leave the other brothers, let them go their own way. Who should I tell you about? -About my younger brother.
A few days later the younger brother reached a city. Stopping in front of a house, he saw an old man standing at the gate.
“Old man,” the young man turned to him, “I am a stranger, a visitor, will you accept me as a guest for this night?”
“Why not accept,” answered the old man, “the guest is Allah’s guest.”
The old man, the owner of the house, lived a long life, saw the sights, knew both heat and cold, and the bitterness and sweetness of life. Having learned during the conversation that the young man had come here for the horse Soleimani Ereb, he said:
- Son, give up this business. Many brave souls, many pahlevans came for him, but never returned. Your beak is still yellow, like a small chick’s, and you still smell like your mother’s milk!
“No,” says the young man, “I gave my word to my father and I must keep it.”
“If so,” says the old man, “let me teach you.” This horse drinks water from the same source every day. You can only catch him there. But to get to this spring, you need to drive through seven fiery gorges.
Having questioned the old man in detail, the young man jumped on his horse early in the morning. In parting, the old man said:
- There is a tree growing near the spring, you will climb it and hide in the branches. At dawn a herd of horses will come. Try to immediately throw the lasso hi the neck of the leading horse and quickly say the words: “Horse, in the name of the prophet Suleiman, stop.” If you say wrong, the horse will uproot the tree and destroy you. As soon as you jump on your horse, ride without looking back at full speed. All kinds of voices and shouts will be heard from behind:
"Catch! Hold!" Just don't turn around under any circumstances. If you turn around, you will be petrified.
The young man thanked the old man and drove off. No matter how long or how short he drove, he suddenly sees a light glowing in the distance. Gradually the fire became brighter and brighter. It seemed as if a large torch was burning in the distance. After driving a little more, the young man saw that this fire was nothing other than the fiery gorge that the old man had spoken about. The heat from the gorge began to torment the race. But not paying attention to this, he continued on his way. Finally, he arrived at the gorge. And the gorge is such a gorge! It seemed as if Allah himself had brought the underworld here.
Regardless of anything, the young man rushed into the flames. When he left the gorge, there was thunder, lightning flashed, and such a roar was heard that if a pregnant woman had been here, she would certainly have thrown out of fear.
Listening to the old man, the young man, without looking around, drove into the second gorge. So, one after another, he drove through all seven gorges and drove out onto the plain.
After driving a little, he reached a beautiful flowering valley. In the middle of the valley there grew a tall tree. A key like “abi-zem-zem” came out from under it.
The young man sees that this is undoubtedly the very place that the old man spoke about.
Then he got off his horse. Sitting down at the spring, he ate and refreshed himself a little. Then he climbed a tree and began to observe. By morning he sees: the earth suddenly trembled, thunder roared, lightning flashed, and a herd of horses ran out from behind the mountain. The horses headed straight to the spring. Having sat down comfortably, the young man prepared a lasso. The horses approached the source. The young man looked at the leading horse and saw that it was indeed such a horse that Gyr-at was worth nothing in comparison with him.
He threw a lasso around the horse's neck. The horse reared up, pulled the young man, and the young man fell straight on his back. Trying to throw the young man off, the horse reared up a second time.
- Horse, in the name of the prophet Suleiman, stand! - said the young man.
As soon as he heard the name of the prophet Suleiman, the horse stopped. Having bridled him, the young man turned his horse. No matter how many screams, howls, or groans were heard from behind, the young man, without looking back, rushed forward.
Having covered in two hours the distance he had covered in five days, he reached the city where the old man lived. Having passed him, he set off straight along the road and reached the crossroads of three roads. Lifting the stone, he saw that the ring was still there, and realized that the brothers had not returned. Therefore, he placed the ring under a stone that lay on the path along which the middle brother had gone.
Every day, there’s a new stop; every night, there’s a new place to stay. Finally, he reached one city.
Dismounting from his horse on the outskirts of the city, he pulled out several hairs from the horse’s mane and, wrapping the reins around its neck, let it go, and he himself went into the city.
“I’ll go and eat something,” he said, feeling that he was very hungry.
With this thought, he went into the kebab shop. When the cook's apprentice served him the food, the young man looked at him and recognized him as his brother.
“Brother, what does this mean?” he asked.
“My business didn’t work out,” he answered: “I couldn’t find anything.” In the end, I couldn’t even pay the owner for the night, so he left me as an apprentice cook and forced me to work.
Having paid his brother’s debts, the young man took him with him, bought him a horse and things he needed for the road, and went to the outskirts. Taking out of his pocket the hairs from the mane of the Suleimani-ereb horse, he blew on them, let them go in the wind, and the Suleimani-ereb horse, like a mad whirlwind, stood right there.
The brothers sat down and rushed straight to the crossroads of three roads. Looking under the stone, they saw that the ring was still there.
“Brother, this girl you see is like an older brother,” the younger brother said to the middle one.
The middle one remained waiting, and the youngest galloped along the third road. He drove, whether it was long or short, he reached one city. He looks, there is a tall castle, and on the balcony of the castle sits a girl of such enchanting beauty who conquers everyone, and in front of the castle a crowd of people is kneading dirt.
The young man went to the crowd to ask who this girl was. So what! Suddenly he sees his older brother; in torn clothes, his pants rolled up to his knees, he kneads the dirt with his feet. Seeing this, the young man almost fainted.
“Brother, what does this mean?” he cried.
“Brother, this girl you see is Bili-Bilgeis Khanum, and each of those who stir up dirt is the son of some padishah.” They all came here to marry her. She enters into single combat with everyone who comes, and everyone she defeats is forced to knead the dirt here for the rest of their lives.
“Don’t be afraid, brother,” says the young man, “I’ll now wrap her braids around my hands.” Raising his head, the young man shouted:
- Girl, come down!
- What do you need?
- I want to fight with you
The girl laughed and said:
- Look at these people who are stirring up dirt. Each of them is a dirtbag, and now they are trampling the dirt here. I feel sorry for you, you are a nice young man, don’t make yourself unhappy, go away.
“There’s no need to talk for a long time.” I see them and you. Come down.
- Go away, young man, because your mother’s milk has not yet dried on your lips! Your poor mother will shed tears. Better go away! Don't embarrass yourself.
“Apparently, you haven’t met any Pahlevans before, so you’re afraid of me and don’t want to go down.”
The girl got angry.
“Young man, I felt sorry for you, I didn’t want to encroach on your life. But since you spoke like that, great! Let's fight! But with one condition: if you manage to defeat me, it’s your will, do what you want; If I knock you down, I’ll take your head off.
- I agree, I gladly accept your condition. The stadium was swept and watered. The competition has begun. They fought for three days and three nights. Finally, gathering his last strength, the young man laid the girl on her back with one stroke. The girl said:
- From this day on, I am your slave.
The young man freed everyone who was kneading the dirt with their feet.
Taking with him the Khazarandastan rose, the Khazarandastan nightingale, Bili-Bilgeis Khanum and his brother, he set off on the road.
They drove and drove every day, then a new parking lot, finally they reached the junction of three roads and saw the middle brother sitting and waiting for them. They pitched the tents, hung the cauldrons, ate and drank, and everyone went to rest in their own tent.
That night neither the middle nor the older brother slept a wink. They did not know how to face the padishah.
At midnight the eldest brother got up and went to the middle one. They judged, judged and decided to tie their younger brother hand and foot and throw him into a well, and present everything they had obtained to their father on their own behalf.
The younger brother was sleeping sweetly. They say morning sleep is stronger than death. The brothers tightly tied his hands and feet and, like Yusif, threw him into a well.
Early in the morning, having loaded camels and mules, they began to prepare for the journey.
“Where is the young man?” asks Bili-Bilgeis Khanum.
The brothers replied that he went to his father at night with good news.
All. They were ready, but Suleymani-Erab’s horse would not give in to them, no matter how hard they fought. Finally seeing that they couldn’t catch him, they left him willy-nilly. Having chosen the best among all the horses, they set off on the road and finally appeared in the face of the padishah.
Seeing the things brought, the father was very happy.
He asked about his youngest son.
“He couldn’t bring anything,” the brothers answered, “so he’s ashamed to appear before your eyes.”
In a word, the brothers deceived the padishah, and he believed their words.
Special chambers were reserved for Bili-Bilgeis Khanum.
Let's leave them, let them live their lives. Who should I tell you about now? — About the younger shahzad.
When the morning breeze touched his nose, he woke up and saw that he was in a well. He immediately guessed the betrayal of his brothers.
“Oh, treacherous world, what have I done for them, what have they done to me... But it’s too late!” he exclaimed.
He tried to get out of the well, but the well was too deep and there was not a single ledge in it. So he stayed there.
The horse Suleymani Ereb, as you know, was not given to his brothers, but remained here, looking for his master. Sniffing everything around, he reached the well and saw that the young man was there. He picked some fruit from a nearby tree and threw it into the well. He did this every day, and at night he slept near the well.
Once a caravan stopped here. They look and see a marvelous horse standing by the well. They wanted to catch him, but no matter how hard they tried, the horse would not give in and kept circling around the well. Then they decided to look into the well: what kind of secret is hidden in it, that this horse does not leave it?
They bent over the well and called out. The young man responded. In short, they pulled out the young man. They started asking questions, and he told everything that happened to him.
Then, he jumped on the horse Suleymani Ereb and headed to his hometown. Having arrived at the city, he dismounted on the outskirts, took with him several hairs from the horse’s mane, hid it in his pocket and, wrapping the reins around the horse’s neck, let him go, and he himself went and became an apprentice to a cook.
Let's leave it here for now.
One day the padishah ordered to tell Bili-Bilgeis khanum so that she could get ready: he would marry her to his eldest son. Bili-Bilgeis Khanum never saw the padishah and never gave the Khazarandastan rose or the Khazarandastan nightingale to anyone. She sat in her chambers, dressed in mourning and immersed in sadness. She responded to the words of the padishah:
“My fiancé has not arrived yet, and whoever wants to marry me must first overcome me and then get married.”
The padishah ordered his son to fight with her. But the son of the padishah knew her strength, knew well that he could not defeat her, so he pretended to be sick. The young man’s illness dragged on. The padishah asked his vizier:
- Vizier, what do you think about all this?
“Long live the padishah!” answered the vizier. “Your son is sick from love, until we have a wedding, he will not recover.”
Then the padishah ordered preparations for the wedding.
Bili-Bilgeis Khanum sees everything done by force and thinks:
“Okay, I know what I’ll do!”
So the wedding began. The heralds notified the people and invited guests. The last day of the wedding came, when it was time to bring the bride. The riders mounted their horses and horse riding began. The padishah sat and watched in the circle of his courtiers and courtiers, and Bili-Bilgeis Khanum looked from the balcony.
Leaving our young man at the kebab shop, the cook himself went to look at the horse riding. As soon as he left, the young man took horsehairs from his pocket, blew on them and let them go in the wind. The horse stood in front of him in an instant. Quickly putting his feet into the stirrups, he crashed like a mad hurricane into the crowd of horsemen.
The padishah peers closely and sees a young man galloping, and on such a horse that it’s impossible to describe. The horse rushes into the sky. The young man rushed from end to end and in one breath overtook all the competitors. Then he cut off the head of the padishah’s eldest son and ran away.
“Aman!” shouted the padishah. “Catch him!” Whoever catches it, I will give him half of all my wealth.
The horsemen rushed in pursuit. The young man sees all the pahlevans rushing after him. He was not afraid of any of them, but he knew that if he stopped and fought them, he would be recognized. So he decided to hide as quickly as possible,
“In the name of the Prophet Suleiman, kill me!” he said, leaning towards the horse.
Before he had time to say this, the horse reared up and straight into the sky, neighed from above, flew like an arrow fired from a bow, and in an instant disappeared from sight.
The wedding turned into a funeral. Everyone dressed in black. The entire city was plunged into mourning for forty days. But Bili-Bilgeis Khanum recognized the young man. Now she was completely calm, knowing that the young man was alive and here.
Exactly a year has passed since this incident. The cook often recalled, lamenting:
- Oh, dog! came from somewhere and turned the wedding into a funeral. But the young man, I must say, was wonderful... I just can’t turn my tongue to curse him.
- What a dog's son! What a pity that I didn’t go and see him,” the young man always answered.
Fathers and grandfathers said well: “The deceased remains where he died.” That is why, after observing mourning for some time and organizing a wake, they gradually began to forget the eldest son.
He sent the padishah to convey Bili-Bilgeis Khanum.
- Let them get ready, I want to marry her to my middle son.
Preparations began again. They lit fires, hung cauldrons, and poured selected rice into boiling water. The wedding has begun. This time Bili-Bilgeis Khanum was calm. She probably knew that the young man was here.
On the day of the races, the young man again, as then, after the cook had left, locked the shop, went out to the outskirts of the city and blew horse hairs into the wind. The horse took the lead. He jumped on his horse and rode into the thick of the competition. While the people came to their senses and rushed after him, he beheaded the shahzade and drove straight up to the padishah. Getting off his horse, he stood in front of his father. The padishah sees that this is his son.
Having hugged him, the padishah asked:
- My son, what did you do?
“Father,” answered the young man, “this is how anyone who betrays a comrade should be punished.”
- How? “What does this mean?” the padishah was surprised. Then the young man told everything we know. Everyone found that he was right. Mourning turned into joy again. For forty days and forty nights they celebrated the wedding and got married
junior Shahzade on Bili-Bilgeis Khanum.
A castle was built in the middle of the garden where the newlyweds settled. On one side is the Khazarandastan rose, on the other hand is the Khazarandastan nightingale, on the third is the Suleimani Ereb horse, and Bili-Bilgeis Khanum and the young man are among them...
Peh, peh! Is it possible to refuse such a garden with such pleasures?!..
They lived, ate, drank and went into the earth. And you eat, drink and achieve what you want.
Three apples fell from the sky: one for me, another for the person telling the story, and the third for me! You are alive and I am healthy!..
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru