Once upon a time there lived a good man. He had three sons - two smart, and the third - Ivan the simpleton. The smart ones got married, started families, but Ivan still lies on the stove and plays on the bench.
The time has come for my father to die. He gathered his sons and said to them:
- My dear sons, my dear sons! I don’t leave you great wealth, but respect one of my requests: when I die, come to my grave to spend the night for three nights in a row. The first night - the eldest, the second - the middle, and the third - the youngest. And when you come, say: “Yellow sand, crumble, pine coffin, open, father, rise from the grave!” That's it.
He told his sons this, folded his hands and died.
The father's sons buried him. Well, the eldest must go to spend the night at the grave. But he’s afraid, and his wife won’t let him: “Where do you go, you’ll be lost there! What am I going to do alone then?”
And it’s not good not to fulfill your father’s request.
“Send Ivan instead,” the wife advises. “If something happens to him, no one will regret it.”
The elder Ivan asks:
- Go, brother, to my father’s grave for me. And Ivan, lying on the stove, answers:
- Am I a fool, walking for others? My turn will come, then I’ll go. Brother almost cries:
- Go ahead, Ivanka! You see, my wife won’t let me in.
“Okay,” Ivan agreed, “just tell your wife to sew a bigger bag and put two loaves of bread in it.” There I can at least eat my fill, otherwise at home your wives don’t even give me proper food.
The elder brother's wife sewed a large bag and put two loaves of bread in it. Ivan took the bag and went to his father’s grave.
He came and said, as his father taught:
- Yellow sand, crumble, pine coffin, open, father, rise from the grave!
That's how it turned out. The father stood up, looked at Ivan and said:
- Where is my eldest son?
“You see, he’s afraid of you, so he sent me,” Ivanka answers, devouring a crust of bread.
“Well,” the father sighed, “then his share will be yours.” Listen to me, son: in green meadows, on silk grass-ants, a gray horse with a golden mane grazes. During the day he grazes, and at night he walks, and when a good fellow shouts, he instantly runs up to him. If you need him, shout and whistle in a loud voice, and the horse will stand in front of you like a leaf in front of the grass. And when you are satisfied with it, let it go again to the green meadows, to the silk ants.
The father said so, lay down again in the coffin - the grave followed and closed.
Ivan walked away from the grave, shouted and whistled in a loud voice - a gray horse with a golden mane came running to him.
The horse clattered its hooves:
- What did you call, Ivan Ivanovich?
- I want to ride you.
- It's possible.
Ivan jumped on his horse and flew away. It flew around the whole world three times without touching the ground. I rushed back.
“That’s enough,” he says to the horse, “I’ve had enough!” Now run to the green meadows, to the silk ants. Graze during the day, walk at night, and when I shout, come running to me!
He let his horse go and returned home. He climbed onto the stove, put his feet on the crossbar and played for himself. Smart brothers marvel: “Look, nothing happened to him!”
The second night has come - the middle son needs to get ready for his father’s grave. He began to beg Ivan:
- Come, brother, for me...
- Why am I hired by you! — Ivan gets angry. “You have to go!”
And then his daughter-in-law came crying to him:
- Do me a favor, Ivanka: go to your father’s grave for your brother!
“Okay,” Ivan agreed. “Let’s have two loaves of bread!”
They prepared a bag for him, and he went. He came to the grave and said that he should. The father stood up and was surprised again:
- Why didn’t the middle son come to visit me?
“He’s afraid of you,” says Ivan, “so he didn’t come.”
“Well,” the father sighed, “then his share will be yours.” Listen to me, son: on the same green meadows, on the silken fields, there is another horse - a bay color. He will also serve you.
Ivan circled the world twice on a bay horse and returned home.
On the third night it was his turn. He went to his father's grave. The father stood up and said:
“I feel sorry for you, son: you still come to me alone... Well, then let the third horse serve you.” And he grazes on the same green meadows, on silk ants, and he is dressed in dun. Now don't come to me again.
The father said this, lay down in the coffin, and the grave closed behind him.
Ivan once flew around the world on a dun horse. Then he returned home, lay down on the stove and played for himself.
“Well, well,” the smart brothers are surprised, “our fool won’t disappear anywhere!” Now we won’t give him two loaves of bread - he’s had enough of the grout!
Meanwhile, the tsar’s daughter, having nothing better to do, started doing something strange in that kingdom: she climbed onto the third tier in the mansion, sat down by the window and announced that whoever, they say, would ride to her on a horse, she would marry him. So everyone who wanted to marry the Tsar’s daughter rushed to the capital. And others went and went to see the wonder. Smart brothers say:
- Let's go and have a look. They began to gather. And Ivan asks his brothers:
- Take me with you too. I also want to see wonders.
- Where should you go? — the brothers laugh. “It’ll get by without fools like you.” And if you’re tired of lying on the stove, then we’ll give you a job.
They took two measures of poppy seeds and two measures of sand, mixed them in one pile and said:
- For now, we’ll come back so you can sort it all out: the poppy seeds separately, and the sand separately.
Ivan became sad, but what can you do? He poured the poppy seeds along with the sand into a bag, lay down on the stove and lay there. And he put the bag on the stove and let it dry.
A day passed, another passed, Ivan got down from the stove, poured poppy seeds and sand into a bast basket, covered it with a bag, and went with his goods beyond the dense forest into an open field. He whistled and shouted in a loud voice - all three horses came running to him: gray, bay, dun.
- What do you tell us, master?
- My good horses, my dear horses: there was a rumor that wonderful things were happening in the royal capital. The youngest tsar's daughter got weird, climbed onto the third tier in the mansion, sat down by the window and announced that whoever rode to her on a horse, she would marry him. Could you take me there so I can see that wonder?
“It’s possible,” the gray horse answers. “But today you will ride on the youngest of us, on a dun.”
A dun horse came forward, waved its mane and said:
- Get into my right ear, Ivan, and get out of my left.
Ivan climbed into the dun horse’s right ear, climbed out into the left, and became such a fine fellow that neither the prince nor the prince could compare.
He mounted his horse. The horse stamped its hooves and flew away.
Whether he flew for a long time or a short one, lo and behold, here was the capital. And everyone there had already gathered to see the wonder. And the Ivanov brothers are standing at the side, their mouths open.
Then the dun horse galloped at full speed, and perhaps only missed the princess by an elbow. He sank to the ground behind the tower and rushed on like a whirlwind. There was and there is no! Everyone gasped, and the princess: “Catch him, catch him!” Where is it!..
The horse rushed to the old place. Ivan climbed into his left ear, and came out into his right, became the same as before, and said:
- Thank you, my good horse! I also looked at the princess. Now help me do one more job: sort out two measures of poppy seeds and two measures of sand...
Horse says:
- Tear the bag into two mats and pour your poppy seeds out of the basket.
Ivan did just that. As the horse blew through his nostrils, the poppy ended up on one mat, and the sand on the other.
Ivan rolled up the bedding, thanked the horse and went home. And I picked mushrooms in a basket along the way.
At home, his daughters-in-law attacked him:
-Where are you going, fool? Have you had too much poppy? You'll get it from your brothers when they return!
- Come on! - says Ivan. - And he went through a lot of poppy seeds and also brought mushrooms. And you keep saying that I’m not doing anything.
Smart brothers also come from the capital.
- What was there, what was going on there! - they tell their wives. - And no one could climb to the second tier. Only one prince on a dun horse almost reached the princess. He would be an elbow taller... Eh, it's a pity! And he was such a handsome prince that even the princess herself gasped and shouted: “Catch him, catch him!” Where is it?
Ivan lies on the stove, grins:
- Wasn’t it me? The brothers shushed him:
“You’d better keep quiet, you fool!” And soon the princess again announces that everyone should come to the capital. And she herself sat down at the window of the fourth tier.
The smart brothers also got ready to go.
“Take me with you,” asks Ivan.
- Oh, you are such and such a fool! Isn't there work at home? We'll give you a job.
The brothers took three measures of sand and three measures of poppy seeds, mixed everything together and told Ivan to sort it out while they returned.
Ivan waited a day or two, poured the poppy seeds and sand into a basket, took two bedding and went beyond the dense forests into green meadows. He whistled and shouted in a loud voice - good horses came running.
- Why, master, did you call us?
“Yes, well, yes,” says Ivan, “the princess again announced that everyone should come to the capital.” Is it possible for me to go and see that wonder?
The gray horse answers:
- Okay. But now you will ride a bay. Well, Ivan did everything he needed to do, got on his bay horse and flew to the capital. Everyone took a month or two to get there, but he got there in about an hour. And he arrived on time. The bay horse galloped, only half an elbow short of the princess.
The princess was overcome by curiosity: who was this brave prince who almost jumped to her the second time? After some time, she announced for the third time, and she herself climbed to the fifth tier. And now all the kings and princes, kings and princes, all the lords and nobles have gathered there again. The smart brothers also went, giving Ivan a job: to sort out four measures of poppy seeds and sand.
Ivan lay down on the stove, took a poppy seed with sand and went to his horses.
— Is it possible for me to go to the capital one more time? - he says to the horses.
“It’s possible,” the gray horse answers. “But now you’ll ride me on your own.” If I don’t jump to the princess, then we won’t talk about it anymore.
Ivan did everything he needed to do, got on his horse, whistled and flew to the capital. And not an hour had passed, and he already found himself there.
- Well, hold on! - shouted the gray horse.
The gray horse neighed throughout the capital, soared up and reached the princess herself. And the princess - knock-knock! - and put two of her signets on Ivan: one on his forehead, the other on the back of his head. The horse sank to the ground and galloped away. Everyone shouts: “Catch, catch!” And there’s no one to catch; I was just there, but there’s no trace...
Ivan rushed back, asked his horse to sort out the poppy seeds, and let him go into the green meadows, onto the silky grass-ants. And he pulled his hat down over his ears so that the seals weren’t visible, and went home. On the way, I again picked a basket of mushrooms.
The brothers arrived and began telling their wives about the miracle.
- What was there, what was going on there! Everyone galloped, but they didn’t even reach the second tier, and one prince - so handsome, all in gold, as soon as he galloped, he ran all the way to the princess, and she put her signets on his forehead and on the back of his head.
Ivan listens to this on the stove and laughs:
- Wasn’t it me?
- Shut up, fool! - his brothers hissed at him. “It’s not with your intelligence and dexterity to do such a thing!” Have you had too much poppy?
“I’ve had too much,” Ivan replies, “well, you and your poppy seeds!” One fuss with him and that’s all. The brothers looked and were surprised:
- Apparently, you had to work! - They say.
Meanwhile, the princess announced that the groom should come to her. First, she called all the princes and princes to her place. I looked - no groom! Then she called the lords and merchants. The same thing - no! It was the turn of the rest - the men and farm laborers. She ordered everyone to gather.
“Well,” says Ivan, “before I asked you to take me, but now I’ll go without you!”
He took his pity, threw the bag over his shoulders and went beyond the dense forests into an open field. He shouted and whistled in a loud voice - all three horses came running to him.
“My dear horses,” says Ivan, “the princess ordered all the peasants and farm laborers to come to her.” Is it possible for me to go to her too?
The gray horse answers:
“Now you will ride the youngest of us again.” And ride as you are... And he gives instructions to the dun horse:
- Take him, brother, to the bathhouse that stands near the royal palace, and leave him there. “And you,” says Ivan, “climb onto the shelves in the bathhouse and play the penny.” They will find you when needed.
In an instant his dun horse carried him to the capital. Ivan entered the bathhouse, climbed onto the shelves and played for himself.
Meanwhile, the princess and her maid looked at all the men and farm laborers - there was no groom! Suddenly he hears: someone is playing in the bathhouse, and it’s so good that it’s fun to listen to.
They went there, opened it, and saw a guy lying on a shelf, tattered, all in rags, his hat pulled down over his forehead... And he was playing the pity, so much so that his legs began to dance. The princess came up to him, took off her tattered hat - and there was a signet on her forehead!
I looked at the back of my head - and there was her signet!
“Well,” she says to Ivan, “so you’re my fiancé!” Let's go to father.
She took him by the hand and leads him, but Ivan resists:
-Where will I go? To make fun of me there?
The princess brought him somehow into the mansion. And when her father saw it, he began to reproach her:
- And who did you choose as your husband?! Daughter says:
- Yes, he has my signets on him, which means he is my betrothed. This is my lot. There's nothing you can do...
Like it or not, we had to celebrate the wedding. And Ivan became the king's son-in-law.
And that king had two more sons-in-law who were married to his eldest daughters. Well, those, of course, were princes and kings. So one day the king gathered his rich sons-in-law and said:
“I’m already old, and my death is not far off.” To whom of you will the kingdom be handed over?
- To me! - says one son-in-law.
- No, me! - says another. And they argued so much that it almost came to a fight. The king says:
“Here’s what, my dear sons-in-law: in a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there is a pig - a golden bristle, plows with its snout, harrows with its feet, and after it pies grow, and such that even the king himself can eat. Whichever of you gets that pig and brings it to my palace, I will give away the whole kingdom to him!
Here the sons-in-law, without hesitation, took a regiment of soldiers and set off with music to look for the pig - the golden bristle.
The youngest royal daughter says to her husband Ivan:
“Your brothers-in-law went over there to look for the golden bristle pig, and what do you think?” Their father will give them the entire kingdom, but how will we live?
- I'm not going anywhere! - Ivan answers. “They invented some kind of pig!” Where can you find it?
The wife began to cry, and Ivan took his pity and began to play.
A month or more passed like this, and Ivan said to his wife:
- Go to your father, ask him for some horse that is lying around: I’ll go and look for the pig.
“You fool,” says the wife, “her brothers-in-law have probably already found her and are taking her home, but you’ve only now decided to go!”
- Well, let it be! Go to your father. And if he doesn’t give it, then I’ll go on foot. The wife went to her father.
“Father,” he says, “my Ivan is asking for at least some kind of horse that’s lying around—and he’s also planning to ride for the pig.”
The king laughed and gave him the horse. Ivan got ready, sat on the nag backwards and drove.
“Look,” the royal servants are surprised, “our fool is driving like a fool!”
He left the city and threw his nag to the wolves for profit.
And as soon as he shouts or whistles, all three horses come running to him: gray, bay, dun.
- What do you tell us, master?
- Oh, my good horses! - says Ivan. “There is in a certain kingdom, in a certain state a pig - a golden bristle, plows with its snout, harrows with its feet, and after it pies grow, and such that even the tsar himself can eat!” Can't we get her?
- We can do it! - answers the gray horse. “You will go after the pig on the youngest of us.” But you need to take with you a silk cord and a leather whip.
“Where can I get them?” asks Ivan.
- Wait a little.
The gray horse took off and flew into the green meadows. A minute later he arrives with a leather whip and a silk cord.
- Here's everything you need. Just watch - hit the pig with this whip harder until it gives up, and you, dun, trample it with your hooves.
Ivan climbed into the dun horse’s right ear, climbed out into the left ear and became a good fellow, sat down - only he was seen.
How long or how short did they fly until they arrived in the kingdom where the golden bristle pig lived. Ivan looks, and she really is plowing with her snout and harrowing with her feet... He crept up to the pig and began to whip it with a whip. The horse beats with its hooves, and he beats with a whip. The pig endured and endured, and the strength was gone.
- Oh, overseas prince Ivan Ivanovich, why are you killing me?
“Give up,” Ivan shouts, “or I won’t let you out alive!”
And he beat her until the pig gave up. Then Ivan threw a silk cord around her neck, sat on a dun horse and rode off, and the pig ran behind.
He drives like this, drives, and lo and behold, two regiments of soldiers are coming towards him, music is playing. “Well,” Ivan thinks, “it’s probably my brothers-in-law who are still on their way to get the pig.” He climbed into the dun horse's left ear, and came out into the right ear and became the same as before. He released the horse and tied the pig with a cord to an oak tree. Well, let’s go about your work, piggy: plow with its snout, harrow with its feet...
Ivan has built a fire in the oak tree, warms himself and plays on the pity.
The brothers-in-law come closer and look - smoke is wafting from the oak tree.
They say to their servants:
“Go and see who’s smoking there.” The servants went and found out everything. They lit a cigarette and turned back.
- Well, what's there? - the brothers-in-law ask.
- Yes, it’s our fool smoking there. He already has a pig.
- This can’t be! — the brothers-in-law are surprised. “We’ll go and see for ourselves.” And if anything happens, we’ll beg the pig from him, or even take it away.
They come to the oak tree and see, and it’s true: Ivan is sitting by the fire, playing on the pity, and the pig is doing his work by the oak tree.
- Hello, brother-in-law!
- Hello!
- So you got the pig before us?
“I only got one,” Ivan answers, “and there’s a whole herd of them: that’s enough for you too.”
- Why are you lying, brother-in-law! There is only one like this in the world. Give us this pig. And Ivan is on his own:
“My pig,” he says, “I myself will take her to my father-in-law.”
And his brothers-in-law pestered him so much that they couldn’t get rid of him. “We,” they say, “will give you this and that...” Ivan is tired of listening to them.
“Come on,” he says, “if you cut off a little toe from your right foot, then take it for yourself.”
The brothers-in-law thought and agreed; Well, a little finger is worth half a kingdom! They cut off the fingers, took the pig - the golden bristle, and cheerfully led it to the capital.
And Ivan hid his fingers in his bag, warmed himself a little more by the fire, then called the dun horse, sat on it and rushed off.
The brothers-in-law apparently took about a month to travel, but Ivan finished it in a day.
He drove up to the city, let the dun horse go into the green fields, and he himself went to his wife.
His wife saw him without anything and clasped her hands:
“Where did you put your father’s horse?”
“You know,” says Ivan, “we came across a poor filly, she got tired on the road... Well, I abandoned her, and returned on foot.”
Wife crying:
“Oh, I feel bad for you,” I begged the father for a filly, but you ruined it and didn’t even bring the pig...
After some time, the brothers-in-law returned with the pig. They tied her in the courtyard near the royal mansion. And the pig began to perform miracles: she plows with her snout, harrows with her feet, and behind her the finished pies grow...
How much joy there was for both the brothers-in-law and the king! The king summoned guests - lords and princes - to look at the marvel. After all, none of the kings had ever had such mumps!
The guests left, and the brothers-in-law went to ask their father-in-law to give them the kingdom.
The king thought and said:
- No, I won’t sign away the kingdom for just one pig. In some kingdom, in another state, there is a miracle mare - flames are blazing from her nostrils, smoke is pouring out of her ears. She grazes in green meadows, on silk ants. And twelve horses with golden manes guard her. If you catch that mare along with the horses and bring it to me, then I will sign over the kingdom to you then.
The brothers-in-law miscalculated - nothing can be done: we have to go look for the mare.
They recruited even more troops and set off.
The wife pesters Ivan again:
“Your brothers-in-law have gone to pick up the mare, and you’re sitting at home!” Their father will give them the entire kingdom, but how will we live?
“Uh,” says Ivan, “and where should I go?” What do I have, my army or what? Somehow we will live without a kingdom!
Some time passed, Ivan again asked his wife:
- Go to your father: won’t he give me another little horse? I’ll go for my in-laws too.
- And what are you talking about, fool? Your brothers-in-law are probably already returning back with the mare, but you’re still just getting ready.
“And if they come back, then I’ll come back with them.” No big deal!
“I’m ashamed of my father,” says the wife. “You’ll ruin your horse for nothing again.” What will I tell him then?
- I’ll ruin it, I’ll ruin it. Your father will not be poorer because of this.
She went to her father and begged him for another horse. Ivan sat on the nag, rode a little away from the city and threw it to the wolves for prey. And he shouted and whistled, and his good horses stood in front of him. Ivan told the horses about the wonderful mare.
- So this is our mother! - says the gray horse. - But now there are not twelve guards near her, but nine, because we serve you. You have given us a difficult task, master. But we will try to help you. Go to your father-in-law and ask him for the steelyard.
Ivan returned to the mansion and asked the Tsar for a steelyard for twelve pounds. He took it in his hands and waved it like a reed. The king is surprised:
- Fool, but strong! Look! Ivan came to his horses.
“Now,” says the gray horse, “I will go with you myself.” And look, when you sit on the mare, then hit her between the ears with a steelyard, and hit her until she stops. Meanwhile, I will fly near her and ask: “Mother, you better give up, otherwise my master is painfully evil: he will beat you to death with a steelyard...”
Well, that’s how it all happened, as the gray horse said.
Ivan got the hang of it, sat on the mare, and she carried him to the very heavens... She carried him, carried him, but Ivan did not fall: he sat on his back, as if he had grown, and beat her between the ears with a twelve-pound steelyard.
The mare got tired and said:
“I’ve been living in the world for thirty-three years, and no one has ever ridden me!” Who are you?
“This, mother, is our master,” the gray horse speaks for Ivan. “Give up, otherwise he will be painfully angry: he will kill you.”
“Well,” the mare sighed, “I walked in freedom, but now I’ll have to walk in bondage.” Wait, Ivan Ivanovich, stop hitting me.
“I should have said that a long time ago, otherwise my hand is already sick of bludgeoning you,” says Ivan.
Ivan rides on a mare back to his kingdom, and behind her are nine horses and Ivan’s tenth gray horse.
As he drives, he sees an army coming towards him, music playing. “These are probably my brothers-in-law,” thinks Ivan.
He released his gray horse into the green meadows, lit a fire, warmed himself and played on the pity.
The brothers-in-law noticed the smoke. They send servants to find out who is smoking there. The servants went, looked at everything, lit a light and came back.
- Well, who is there? - the brothers-in-law ask.
- Yes, this is our fool leading a mare, and next to her are nine horses with golden manes.
- How's nine? But my father-in-law said twelve!
- No, only nine.
“Then we’ll go and see for ourselves.” Come:
- Hello, brother-in-law!
- Hello!
- What, are you leading a mare?
- Yeah, there are a lot of them grazing there. I took myself only one and nine horses in addition.
The brothers-in-law looked at each other and shook their heads:
- You, brother-in-law, will laugh at us! After all, this is the mare that my father was talking about.
“No, it’s not the same one,” Ivan disagrees. “You still have yours.” I don't take strangers.
“Even if it were so,” say the brothers-in-law, “give us this one.” We'll give you whatever you want.
And they began to ask. What to do? Ivan agreed and said:
- Okay, take it, but just cut off one of my little fingers from your right hand for it.
The brothers-in-law felt sorry for their fingers, but Ivan firmly stood his ground. The brothers-in-law consulted among themselves.
“Well,” they say, “we have our own doctors, our own medicines - everything will heal at once: we’ll cut off a finger.”
Ivan returned home, as the first time, with nothing.
- Tell me, where did you put your father’s horse? - asks the wife.
- How to where? She's numb! What do you think: he was driving himself and he was carrying some kind of nonsense...
After some time, the brothers-in-law bring that mare. They are so happy that they can’t even tell: it’s clear that now they will get the kingdom!
Now the Tsar has to write a paper - transferring the kingdom to his sons-in-law.
“No,” says the king, “I changed my mind.” You're not done yet. There is a lion in a certain kingdom, in another state, beyond the blue seas, behind the high mountains. He sits by the well, chained with twelve chains. And twelve men bring him water from the well day and night: the lion drinks it all and takes all the diseases from people and livestock into himself. If you get this lion for me and bring it to our kingdom, then everything will be yours!
The brothers-in-law thought: “Maybe the fool will get the lion, and we’ll somehow lure him out of it.”
“Okay,” they say, “let’s bring the lion!” We got ready and went.
And the wife attacked Ivan:
- What are you thinking, fool? You just lie there and play for nothing. You see, the brothers-in-law have already gone after the lion. Their father will give them the entire kingdom, and you and I will go begging.
“Oh, dear wife,” says Ivan, “don’t people live on alms?” And we will somehow survive.
My wife calmed down.
So they lived for a month or two, and Ivan asks his wife to go to her father again for a little horse.
“No,” says the wife, “I won’t go now.” If you want, go on foot: you’re of no use anyway!
Ivan did not argue, said goodbye to his wife and set off on his way. He went out into an open field and called his horses. The gray horse says to him:
- Now you will ride the bay. When you reach that kingdom and approach the capital, then release the horse, and go to the well and say that you yourself are undertaking to water the lion. And if the king hires you, don’t yawn. Here's a hammer - it will break any chain...
How long did it take Ivan - within three hours he found himself at the well.
- Good afternoon, well done! - Ivan greeted the workers who were drawing water.
- Good afternoon!
— Is it difficult for you to work here?
- Oh, it’s difficult!
- So let me water the lion for you.
- What you! - say the workers. - There are twelve of us, and even then we can’t cope.
- It’s okay, I can handle it. Report to your king.
The senior worker went and reported to the king. The king was delighted: one has to pay less.
“Hire him for three days,” says the king. “If he can handle it, then we’ll come to an agreement.”
The workers moved away from the well, and Ivan quickly got to work. And it went so smoothly for him that it couldn’t have been better.
The senior worker ran to the king.
- Wonderful! - he says. - The lion does not have time to drink all the water that he alone serves.
“Well,” says the king, “let’s see what happens tomorrow.”
At night, Ivan says to the lion:
- You know what: let's run away from here. In my kingdom you will be more at ease.
And he praised his kingdom so much that the lion soon agreed to run away with him.
“Just don’t break the chains with which I am chained to the well.”
- It’s okay, I’ll tear it apart.
Ivan took the hammer and as soon as he hit it, one of the chains flew apart. He knocked twelve times - twelve chains scattered.
Then Ivan sat on the lion and rushed to his kingdom. Meets brothers-in-law along the way. They saw that Ivan was riding a lion, and began to beg and beg him:
- Give us this lion.
“Wow,” Ivan disagrees, “it’s all for you!” Let me bring at least someone to my father-in-law. But my wife keeps scolding me: you, she says, will rule the kingdom, but we will have to beg.
“We’ll give you whatever you want, Ivan, just give us the lion.”
And they began to persuade him so much that Ivan agreed.
“Okay,” he says, “but now I’ll charge you more: cut a piece of leather from your back...
The brothers-in-law did not contradict.
“We’ll heal our own doctors, our own medicines,” they think. “But now we’ll surely rule the kingdom. And then we’ll drive the old king and this fool away!”
Ivan took two pieces of leather, rolled them into tubes and hid them in his bag. Then, when his brothers-in-law had ridden about two miles with the lion, he called the bay horse, sat down and - let's go home!
Ivan returned to his wife. The king's servants laugh at him:
“Look,” they say, “in three days I went after the lion on foot.” And how can a fool compete with smart people!
And the wife cries:
- What do you think? People laugh at you.
- And let them laugh: not everyone can cry!
“You’ll probably cry if your father gives away the kingdom to his brothers-in-law, but nothing happens to us.”
- Eh, what do we need this kingdom for? He'll give us a piece of land and that's enough for us.
My wife calmed down: you won’t cry all the time! And there won't be enough tears.
The brothers-in-law of that overseas lion bring him with music and songs. Princes and lords gathered from all over the kingdom to see the wonder. And the king, to celebrate, gave such a feast that no one had ever seen anything like it.
They feasted for three days and three nights. And when the feast ended, the king called his sons-in-law. His sons-in-law with their wives and the youngest royal daughter came to him. Only Ivan didn’t come.
-Where is your fool? - the king asks his youngest daughter. “Why doesn’t he come?” At least listen to how I’m going to divide the kingdom.
She went to her husband:
- Go to your father, listen to how it is and what’s going on.
- Why should I go?
- Go ask him for at least a piece of land. Ivan went to the royal chambers and stood at the threshold. The king says to his elder sons-in-law:
“Behold, my dear sons-in-law, I give you my entire kingdom, and I myself remain on your bread and mercy.”
“Thank you, father,” the sons-in-law bowed.
- What are you giving me, father? - Ivan asks from the doorway.
- I’m not giving you anything! The kingdom is not earned from the stove.
Ivan looked at his brothers-in-law and said:
- What did they do that you are giving them the kingdom?
- Like what? — the king was surprised. “They got me wonders from overseas.”
- Where did you get it? They begged me! Look, father, if they have little toes on their right feet.
- Well, take off your boots! - the king orders his sons-in-law.
The sons-in-law took it off - and it’s true: they don’t have little toes on their right feet!
Ivan opened his bag and took out his fingers.
- Here they are! — he says. “I took it from them for a pig.” Now look, father, if they have little fingers on their right hands.
The king looked - no! And Ivan takes them out of the same bag.
“I took it from them for a mare.” After all, they deceived you: they brought only nine horses. Where are the other three?
“Yes,” the king scratched the back of his head, “they deceived me: three horses are missing...
Then Ivan came out of the palace, shouted in a loud voice, whistled with a valiant whistle - and three golden-maned horses appeared in front of him.
The king's eyes widened, and his sons-in-law turned pale as a sheet.
“Now,” says Ivan, “look, father, at the backs of your sons-in-law: are they safe?”
The king looked and saw that a piece of leather was missing...
Ivan took two pieces out of the bag, applied them to their backs - their skin!
- This, father, I gave them a reminder for the lion.
The king sees that everything is true! He then drove out his deceiver sons-in-law, and gave the entire kingdom to Ivan.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru