Once upon a time there lived a man and a woman. They lived in love and harmony. And they had a son, Kolya. One day the woman fell ill with an unknown disease and died. The man grieved, grieved, and then he married again, since it was difficult for him to manage the household without his wife.
At first, Kolya had a good life. His stepmother loved him like her own son. But a year or two passed and it was as if someone had replaced the stepmother. She began to pester Kolya with various jobs, and scolded and reproached him all the time. He'll work hard for the day, and he'll be so tired that he can barely make it to bed, and his stepmother is still dissatisfied. But Kolya was kind, patient and never complained to his father, so as not to upset him. So he lived to be fifteen years old.
One day, Kolya’s evil stepmother put stale crusts in a bag and sent him to the forest to get firewood. And it was a long walk to the forest - ten miles and a hook. The poor boy walked and walked, thought about his bitter life, sighed and began to cry. Suddenly he sees a gray-haired old man come up to him and say:
- Great, son! Where are you going? “Hello, grandpa,” Kolya answers, “I’m going into the forest to get firewood.” “Why are you crying, son?” “How can I, grandpa, not cry?” - My life is bitter. I don't have a mother. But my stepmother has completely exhausted me with work and is keeping me from hand to mouth. And I don’t hear a kind word from her - only reproaches.
The old man sighed, shook his head and said:
- That's it. Okay, son. Let's sit down, relax and eat. Take out of the bag what you have there. - Yes, grandfather, you won’t even eat it. I have only stale crusts in my bag. “Nothing, give me what you have.”
They left the road and sat on the grass. Kolya put his hand into the bag and took out not the crusts that his stepmother had put in, but a soft wheat loaf. He was surprised, and the old man chuckled:
“You see, son, what you had in your bag.” And you said that I wouldn’t eat.
Kolya looks at the bread and doesn’t know what to say, but the old man says:
- Eat, son. And I'll eat with you. They began to exist. Kolya hasn’t eaten such delicious bread for a long time. I ate to my heart's content. But a chunk of the loaf remained. He put it in a bag, and in it was another loaf. Kolya was even more surprised.
And the old man thanked him for the treat and said:
- Listen, son, what I tell you. You are a good guy, but your life is bad. I want to help you. If you listen to me, you will live well. Go into the forest and find a clearing where a large oak tree grows. Hit that oak tree three times with an ax, and lie down on your face and lie there until people come to you. They will start offering you different things, but you don’t get up and refuse everything. But when they ask:
“Don’t you, good fellow, need a flying ship?” - you immediately get up and answer: “I need a flying ship!” Here he will appear in front of you. Get into the ship, raise the sail and set off for the royal city. And whoever you see along the way, take it with you!
Kolya thanked the old man. Then they said goodbye. The old man went his way, and Kolya went into the forest. He found a clearing in the forest where a large oak tree stood. He hit him three times with an ax and lay face down on the ground. A little time passed, Kolya heard people come up to him and ask:
“Hey, good fellow, do you want to eat?” “No, I don’t want to,” Kolya answers. “Maybe you need money?” “No, don’t.” “Perhaps you want expensive clothes?” “And I don’t want expensive clothes!” Whatever unknown people offered Kolya, he refused everything. Finally, the people asked him: “Don’t you, good fellow, need a flying ship?”
Then Kolya immediately jumped to his feet and said:
- I need a flying ship!
And immediately a flying ship appeared in front of him. Kolya got into the ship, pulled the sail and flew away.
He flies and flies, but he keeps looking at the ground. Suddenly he sees a man walking along the road and carrying a basket of bread behind his back.
Kolya flew up to him and asked:
- Where are you going, good man? - I’m going to the village for bread, I’m hungry. - But you have a full basket of bread behind you! - And I have to take one bite of this bread! Kolya was amazed - what a gluttonous man he is! He remembered the old man’s order and said: “Get into the ship, uncle.” Let's fly to the throne city, there is a lot of bread there.
The man agreed. The two of them flew on. They flew and flew and saw a man lying on the road, his ear pressed to the ground and listening. Kolya stopped his ship and said:
- Hello, good man! What are you doing? - Yes, I’m listening to what people are saying in the capital city. - And we’re just flying there. Sit down with us!
The man agreed. The ship flew on. They flew and flew, and they saw a shooter standing on the road and taking aim, but nothing was visible around them. Kolya greeted him and asked:
- Who are you aiming at? After all, there is no one nearby. “I don’t shoot at a close target,” the shooter answers. — I keep shooting at long range. Right now in the capital city there is a fly sitting on the cross of the bell tower. And I want my arrow to hit this fly in the right eye. - Could you really see the fly so many miles away? - What is that! - answered the arrow. - I can see even further. - And we are just flying to the capital. Sit down with us!
Strelok agreed. The ship flew on. They flew and flew, and they saw a man jumping along the road on one leg, with the other tied to his ear.
“Hello, good man,” said Kolya. “Why are you jumping on one leg?” “That’s why I’m jumping on one leg,” the man replies, “because if I stand on both, I’ll go around the whole world in five steps.” But I don’t want to. - Where are you going? - To the capital. - Sit down with us!
A man boarded a flying ship. They flew on. They flew and flew and saw a man walking along the shore of the lake, as if he was looking for something. Kolya flew up to him and asked:
“What are you walking around looking for here, good man?” “I’m thirsty,” the man answers, “but no water?” I won’t find it. “But there’s a whole lake in front of you!” Why don’t you drink? - Is there a lot of water in it?! Even one sip is not enough for me! - Then sit with us! We are flying to the capital. And it’s located on a big river, you can drink to your heart’s content!
The man sat down and they flew on. They flew and flew, and they saw a man walking towards the forest, and he was dragging a whole bunch of firewood on his back. Kolya flew up to him and asked:
- Why are you, good man, carrying firewood into the forest? After all, in the forest you can chop as much wood as you want!
And the man answers:
— This firewood is not ordinary, but magical. If anyone offends me, then I will throw these logs on the ground, and an invincible army will appear - here you have infantry, artillery, and cavalry! - Don’t you want to fly with us to the capital?
The man agreed. They flew on. We met another guy. He walks and drags a bag of straw. Kolya greeted the man and asked:
“Where are you dragging the straw?” “To the village.” “Is there really no straw in the village?” “There is, but not like that.” My straw is not simple. No matter how hot it is, no matter how hot the sun is, as soon as I scatter this straw, it will immediately become cold and everything around will be covered with frost. “Do you want to fly with us to the royal city?”
The man agreed. They flew on. They flew for a long time, didn’t they, but they arrived at the capital of the kingdom. And the king of this kingdom had a beautiful daughter. When Kolya landed his ship on the square, the whole city came running to see such a miracle. When the princess saw the flying ship, she wanted to ride on it. She invited Kolya to the palace and began to beg:
- Take me for a ride on a flying ship. I want to look at the capital from above! And Kolya says: “I’ll give that pretty girl a ride who agrees to marry me.”
The princess went to her father and said to him:
“I really want to ride on a flying ship.” And this hillbilly wants me to marry him for it. How can I, princess, marry a peasant? We need to come up with something.
The king and princess began to think and wonder how to take possession of the flying ship. And they decided to destroy Kolya by cunning. Tsar Kolya summoned him to the palace and said:
- Okay, I agree to marry my daughter to you. Send your matchmakers, and I will give them a treat - forty loaves and a forty-bucket barrel of wine. If they eat it all in one sitting, I’ll give my daughter for you, but if not, here’s my sword, take your head off your shoulders!
I heard all this and told my comrades.
Kolya comes from the palace, hangs his head, sighs. He wanted to board the flying ship and fly away from the capital as quickly as possible. But then Oedalo and Opivalo came up to him and said:
- Why, Kolya, are you sad, or have you forgotten about us? We will help you. Send us to woo the princess!
Kolya was delighted and sent them to the palace.
The matchmakers came to the palace and sat down at the table. The gorge began to gobble up - he ate all forty loaves and asked for more. And Opivalo drank a forty-bucket barrel of wine in one breath and also asks for more.
The king was surprised. He had never seen such gluttons and drinkers before. He went to the princess, and they again began to think and wonder how to get Kolya out of the world. We came up with a new task. Tsar Kolya summoned him to the palace and said:
“I’ll give my daughter for you, but first you must give her an engagement ring.” And this ring is located in a distant kingdom, distant lands from here. If you don’t bring this ring in three hours, I’ll order your head to be cut off.
I heard all this and told my comrades.
Kolya arrives darker than a cloud. Doesn't know what to do. Wouldn’t it be better, he thinks, to fly away from the capital while his head is still intact! And Skorokhod says to him:
- Why are you upset, Kolya? I'll help you. Not in three, but in two hours, you will have a ring for the princess.
Skorokhod untied his leg from his ear, took a couple of steps and found himself in a distant kingdom. He got hold of the wedding ring and turned back. He took one step, and suddenly he wanted to rest a little. Skorokhod lay down under a shady oak tree and fell into a deep sleep.
Kolya Skorokhod is waiting. It's two o'clock already? passed, but he is still not there. He became alarmed. “I’m lost,” he thinks. I saw and heard that Kolya was sitting neither alive nor dead. He approached him and asked:
“What’s the matter with you?” “Well,” Skorokhod said, he’ll be back in two hours, but already? the third hour is running out. My little head is gone!
Then I put my ear to the ground and started listening. I listened and... says:
- Don't worry, Kolya. He sleeps, so-and-so, under an oak tree. Sleeping, snoring, whistling with his nose! - What are we going to do now? - asks Kolya. - How to wake him up? Then Strelok says: “Don’t be afraid, I’ll wake him up now!” Strelok took the gun, took aim and fired straight into the oak tree. A bullet knocked down a branch. She fell on Skorokhod. He woke up, jumped to his feet and clasped his hands. “How did I fall asleep like that?” He took one step and found himself in front of Kolya. Kolya took his wedding ring from him and ran to the palace. “Here’s a ring for you, princess.” I brought it on time.
The king and princess were surprised. They began to think again and wonder how to destroy Kolya. And they came up with it. The king summoned him to the palace again and said:
- Well done, you need to go to the bathhouse before the wedding, wash and steam. - Okay. - said Kolya. And at that time the princess ordered the servants to heat the cast-iron bathhouse red-hot. You can’t go near her, let alone wash yourself.
And Slukhalo heard how the tsar and the princess agreed to destroy Kolya, and told his comrades.
The servants took Kolya to the bathhouse, and Morozko followed him with his straw. They approach the bathhouse, and fire is pouring out of the door, the heat is breathtaking. The servants jumped up, pushed Kolya and Morozka into the bathhouse and locked the door. But Morozko spread the straw, and the bathhouse instantly became so cold that even the walls were covered with frost.
An hour or two passed. The king called his servants.
- Go to the bathhouse, see what’s going on there. Probably, only ashes remained from the groom and the man.
The servants went to the bathhouse and opened the door. And Kolya sits on the stove and says:
- The king’s bathhouse is bad! So cold. as if it had never been drowned. We are completely frozen!
The servants ran to the king and told about this miracle.
The tsar and princess were surprised, and again began to think and wonder how they could drive Kolya away from the world. They decided to take the flying ship from him by force, and throw him into prison and starve to death.
The Tsar called the generals, ordered them to gather their regiments and take Kolya prisoner. And Slukhalo, of course, heard all this and told his comrades.
Kolya was scared - he had never fought and had never seen war. He decided to board his ship and fly away from this hated kingdom. But then a man came up to him with a bundle of firewood and said:
- Why are you afraid, Kolya? I will help you cope with the royal army.
And at this time the royal regiments entered the square and surrounded the flying ship.
The man took his bundle off his shoulders and began throwing logs in all directions. An invincible army appeared in front of the royal regiments - infantry, cavalry, and artillery. The army is standing and waiting for a signal to start the war. Kolya gave a signal, and the magic army struck the royal regiments. Before the king and princess had time to look back, all their soldiers fled in all directions, and they themselves were captured. Kolya sent Tsar to the very bathhouse in which they wanted to burn him alive. Then he approached the princess and said:
- I don't want to marry you. You and the king wanted to destroy me, but nothing came of it. My comrades helped me. And now you will have to choose - either leave this kingdom-state, or sit in a cast-iron bathhouse with your father until you freeze.
The princess fell to her knees in front of Kolya and began to beg for his forgiveness. She swore that she would become kind, good, and begged him to marry her.
But Kolya did not marry the princess, but drove her and the king away. The people were very happy about this, because Kolya freed her from the power of the evil king.
And never since then has there been any king in this state.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru