On the edge of the village lived a young man named Gevhetu. One morning he took a scythe and went to cut the grass. He walks and suddenly sees: a huge bird is flying from the east. This bird flew over him and turned straight towards the house of the leader, who had one and only and very beautiful daughter. There the bird landed at the edge of the chimney opening, turned its head from side to side, as if looking around, and darted into the chimney.
Gevhet became interested, he thought: “Why did the bird climb into the leader’s house? What will happen next?”
Suddenly a bird flew out of the chimney, holding something in its talons. Gevhet took a closer look: it looked like the woman was being held by a bird. As she flew over him in the opposite direction, he noticed a silver ring on the woman’s little finger. “Who did she take and where?” - I thought about the bird Gevhetu and followed it with my eyes until it disappeared into the clouds.
When he returned from haymaking, he heard unpleasant news from his neighbors: the leader’s daughter had disappeared. And at that time the leader’s people went and checked every home - looking for her. They also went to Gevhet. And he said:
- In the morning I saw: some large bird carried a woman in that direction, to the east. A silver ring glittered on the woman’s little finger. This was probably the leader's daughter.
They brought Gevheta to the leader. He told him the same thing.
The leader said:
“Take a hundred of my warriors and go where the bird flew.” Find me my daughter.
Gevhetu led the army east, to where the sun rose every morning. They walked for a long time, a very long time. Everyone is tired. Finally they saw a hole leading into the earth. Gevhetu ordered the soldiers to build a house and tie it with ropes. When the soldiers did this, Gevhetu sat down in the house, took the bell in his left hand and said:
- Put me down. And remember: when I find the leader’s daughter, I will ring the bell three times.
They lowered Gevheta into a hole in the ground. For a long, long time he descended in complete darkness. But then it got brighter, and soon it became completely light, and he reached some surface. Then I went on foot. Again I walked for a long time. And he found himself near a good home. Joined it.
In the corner where a woman should be, sat the leader’s daughter. Seeing Gevheta, she began to cry.
- Why did you come? - said. - It's so dangerous here.
- Nothing. We’ll see,” Gavhetu answered.
She fed him enough and put him under the bunk. I washed everything around clean. She sat down and waited for her husband. A lot of time has passed.
Suddenly there was a noise, different voices. Then a gloomy man entered the house - the husband of the leader's daughter. Threw her something, saying:
- Come on, fry it. “I took a deep breath through my nose. - Ugh, why do we smell a wild deer?
“This is the smell of what you brought,” answered the leader’s daughter.
When her husband had eaten, he said:
- Look in my head.
Just as dogs have fleas in their hair, so he had insects in his hair.
The leader's daughter began to search in his head. She searched, and he fell asleep blissfully. When he began to snore, she said:
- Gevhetu, Gevhetu...
The man shuddered and asked:
- Where? Which Gavhetu?
The chief's daughter replied:
- That's me. I mumble.
He fell asleep again, woke up again. And he fell asleep again, this time soundly - his red hair stood on end. They always stood on end when he fell fast asleep.
Then the leader’s daughter called Gevheta. He crawled out from under the bunk, took the man’s sword and cut off his red hair. The man died instantly.
Gevhetu and the chief's daughter left the home. When they reached a hole in the ground, near which stood a house made by soldiers, the chief's daughter said:
“You sit in the upper half of the house, I’ll sit in the lower half.”
“No,” said Gevhetu, “you sit in the upper one.”
Well, the chief's daughter sat in the upper half of the house, and Gavhetu sat in the lower half. He struck the bell three times, and the soldiers who were there on the ground dragged them away. They dragged and dragged, and as soon as they pulled out the leader’s daughter, they cut down the house, and Gevhetu flew into the ground. Hit hard.
I lay there and lay there, woke up and crawled to the devil’s house. The devil was not at home. Gavhetu no longer had any strength left, he could not crawl anywhere anymore, and therefore fell asleep.
He sleeps and dreams. As if there is one door, if you go through this door, you will see two vessels with red and white water. Gevhetu entered that door. He stuck his index finger into the white water - oh, it got really bad, he was about to die. I quickly stuck my finger into the red water and it felt very good. I became completely healthy. And more beautiful than it was.
The devil left the house. I walked back and forth, walked for a long time, looking for a way out of this huge dungeon.
Suddenly I heard a human cry. From somewhere above. I looked at the tree, and at its top there was a child hanging. I picked up the child, and he was completely dead. He returned to the devil's house and washed the child with red water. He came to life immediately and became very handsome.
“I live very close to here,” said the child. “My father and mother are crying now, they are looking for me.” They don't know that the devil dragged me away.
Gavhetu said:
- Well, let's quickly go to your house.
Went. The child said:
“Don’t give me back for nothing.” Ask my parents for a two-headed sevon.
Gavhetu did just that. Got a two-headed sevon. Then he came to that hole in the ground, sat down on the sevon between his heads, and he immediately carried him to the ground.
That same day, Gavhetu came to the chief and told him about his journey.
The leader got angry:
- Why are you lying?
Gavhetu was offended:
- I'm not lying.
They argued. Suddenly the leader’s daughter came in with her new husband, saw Gevheta and began to cry:
- Father, this man saved me.
Then the leader learned the whole truth about how his daughter was saved. And he gave her to Gevhet as his wife.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru