In ancient times, there lived a king known for his nobility. The rumor about his justice spread throughout the country. All his subjects were happy and contented.
One day, when the king was performing his toilet in front of the mirror in the morning, he noticed several gray hairs in his beard and on his head. This deeply saddened him, for the appearance of gray hair was the first harbinger of approaching old age. And the king said to himself: “O man! The cup of your life is about to overflow. Death is an inevitable phenomenon; it certainly comes sooner or later. It’s just a pity that I don’t have an heir to whom I could pass on the crown and throne. Will it happen that after my death my viziers and emirs will quarrel over the throne, will there be a bloody civil strife and people will plunge into the abyss of disasters? It would probably be better if I hand over all matters to my chief vizier in advance and retire.”
After much deliberation, he ordered the herald to announce in the city that the sovereign, by his own consent, had appointed the chief vizier as his heir, who from that day on would manage all affairs in the state.
In the same country lived a holy old man of advanced age—a dervish, one of the king’s close friends. True, they did not meet very often. And then one day, when this dervish came to the palace to talk with the king, he did not see him on the throne. Having learned about what had happened, the dervish came to the king, taking with him the chief vizier. Seeing the dervish, the king greeted him with honor and seated him next to him.
“They told me about everything that happened here,” the dervish said to the king. “Your decision is premature and not pleasing to Allah.” Break your seclusion and return to the throne, continue to serve your subjects. And the heir to the throne will not be the vizier, but the child who will be born into your family in a year.
Following the advice of the dervish, the king again assumed the crown and continued to rule the country.
A year passed, and by the grace of Allah the king had a son, as beautiful as a new moon. When the dervish found out about this, he sent the child a magical cradle as a gift, which itself lulled the baby to sleep. A special maid was appointed to look after the baby.
One day the maid left the prince’s chambers. At this time, a falcon flew into the window, snatched the child from the cradle and carried him away.
Great was the grief of the city residents when they learned that the prince had disappeared. Messengers were sent in all directions to search for him, but - alas! - it was useless.
Meanwhile, the falcon with the child in its talons sank to the top of a small hill. He was being pursued by some hunter. As soon as the bird touched the hill, the hunter raised his bow, pulled the string and fired. The falcon released its prey, and itself, wounded, flew away.
The hunter climbed the hill and saw a handsome boy lying on the ground, smiling joyfully.
It must be said that the hunter had no children. And therefore, when he saw the child, he was delighted and immediately brought him home. His wife also could not contain her joy. The hunter raised the boy with great love until he turned into a handsome young man. His beauty and good manners earned him fame throughout the city.
When the hunter died, the young man said to his mother:
- Don't kill yourself like that, mom. I am an orphan, but with God’s help I will continue my father’s work and will always serve you faithfully.
The mother told the young man that his father was considered a great hunter and earned his living by his craft. The son promised to continue his father's work with honor.
The young man had many friends and acquaintances. The closest among them were a merchant, a grocer and the son of a police chief, with whom he often went hunting. One day he shot a doe and was returning home with the kill. On the way he met a man who asked:
- Friend! How long will it take for you to give me this doe?
“O traveler,” the young man answered, “you called me a friend, and I never take money from friends.” And he gave his booty for free.
Now everyone in the city was talking about the hunter’s generosity.
When the fame of him reached the ears of the king, he expressed a desire to see the young man. He was immediately taken to the palace. Seeing a handsome young man in front of him, the king thought that his own son could be like that now, and therefore showed great attention and respect to him.
“I’ve heard rumors that you know how to choose friends and value their friendship.” From now on, consider me among your friends,” he said.
The prince thanked the sovereign and from now on appeared in the palace every day, for he was among the closest courtiers.
The young man now took part in discussions of state affairs and often gave the king practical advice. Finally, the king ordered to appoint the young man as one of the viziers.
The royal viziers did not like this decision of the king. They envied the young man, weaved intrigues against him, and tried in every possible way to denigrate him in the eyes of the king.
The king had a special horse in his stable, which only the ruler of the country could ride. And if someone, even by mistake, mounted his horse, the king immediately sent the offender to the gallows. Having agreed among themselves, the viziers began to incite the prince to ride this horse. The young man succumbed to their persuasion and one day came to the court riding on the king’s personal horse.
The king saw him on his favorite horse, became terribly angry, accused the young man of pride and immediately ordered him to be sent to the gallows.
The prince heard this command, and his hands gave up from powerlessness. He could not understand what his fault was. It never even occurred to him that a person could be sent to the gallows just for riding someone’s horse. But one compassionate prison guard told the young man how it was set up.
And then the prince sent a petition to the king. “Guardian of peace!” he wrote. “Before I am executed, I ask that you allow me to see my friends.”
The king granted this request, and the young man asked his three closest friends to come to him on a date.
Friends already knew that the young man was to be hanged. And they promised each other that they would not allow him to be executed, even if they had to sacrifice their own lives.
Three friends went to the royal palace. Having bowed low to the king, they took turns turning to him with the most humble request.
The merchant spoke first.
“Guardian of the world,” he said, “if you save the life of this young man, I am ready to give gold equal to his weight for him.”
“Sire,” said the grocer, “send me to the gallows, and have mercy on him.”
“All-merciful king,” said the son of the chief of the city police, “I am a poor man, I have neither treasures nor riches.” But if you do not spare his life, I will strangle myself with my own hands.
The king saw the devotion and dedication of the young man’s friends and said:
- Praise you for being ready to make such great sacrifices for your friend. But remember that I once called this young man my friend. And if you, my subjects, are ready to make such great sacrifices, then I, your lord, must always be ready to make even greater sacrifices. Therefore, I give life to this young man.
When the young man's mother, that is, the hunter's widow, heard that her son was sentenced to death, she came to the court in great sorrow and began to appeal to the king for justice.
Calming the hunter's widow, the king hastened to tell her the good news that he had pardoned her son. Feeling great happiness, she offered prayers for the king’s health and returned home.
At home, she saw that all four friends had gathered together again. She joyfully touched her son’s feet, taking upon herself all his troubles.
That night, the king dreamed of a dervish who once brought him good news about the upcoming birth of his son. And the dervish said to him: “Remember that you are the king of a great country. And the king is the father of his subjects. It was not proper for a king to evaluate the misdeeds of his subjects so recklessly. Thank God that today you did not become a victim of the insidious plans of your own viziers. Otherwise, the whole world would say that the king executed an innocent man. The young man whom you sentenced to death is your own son, a generous prince, whom your envious viziers persuaded to ride your horse. Go and receive with honor your heir, the future owner of your crown and throne.”
The king woke up in great alarm. He ordered the young man to be immediately brought to him, wherever he was. And when the young man and his mother arrived at the palace, the king began to ask the hunter’s widow about her son.
“Sir,” answered the woman, “this is not my own son.” My late husband snatched it from the clutches of a falcon. We have
did not have children of their own. So we raised him as our own son.
“What can confirm your words?” asked the king. The woman showed an amulet hanging around the young man’s neck. The king looked at the amulet, joyfully hugged the young man, pressed him to his chest and said to the queen:
- Yes, this is our son.
The king placed the prince on the throne. He made his three friends viziers, and ordered the previous ones to be thrown into prison. He ordered a palace to be built for his second mother and began to live there with her.
When the daughter of the chief vizier found out that her father had been thrown into prison, she came to the palace in tears and began to ask the prince to have mercy and release her father.
Seeing such a beauty in tears, the prince asked who her father was and what he had done wrong.
The girl told the young king about her misfortune. And he was famous not only for his generosity and courage, but also for his kindness. He immediately ordered the release of the chief vizier.
The beauty of the daughter of the chief vizier and her courage charmed the prince, and he told his friends about his feelings.
Friends approved of his choice, and soon the wedding of the vizier’s daughter and the prince, who by that time had become the king of the entire country, took place. And soon, at the request of the former chief vizier, the remaining conspirators were also released.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru