Apparently, this happened once, and if it had not happened, this fairy tale would not have been told around the world.
Once upon a time there lived a shepherd, and he had three sons. He built a sheep pen under the forest canopy and grazed the sheep there all year round. A little lower, in the very heart of the kodri, lived Gevaun the giant - a vile and terrifying snake, one would never see him in a dream or in reality.
In the mornings, when the birds woke up, and in the evenings, when coolness came from the valley, Gavzun the giant whooped and shouted to the shepherds who were in the pens:
- May, shepherds, ehe-he-he, Drive the sheep to me, Into the spiky grasses, Into the shady forests!
But all the shepherds knew that behind the kind words terrible deeds were hidden. And no one answered him, and no one came.
How many times did the shepherd hear the whooping and words of the giant snake, so many times did he teach his sons:
“God forbid that any of you answer the snake—that’s all he deserves: you’ll say goodbye forever to both the sheep and your life.” None of those who answered him or went into the forest with the ravines were saved.
The boys listened to their father's advice. So the years passed. The time came, and the old shepherd died. His sons were left alone in the camp. They filled tubs with cheese, busied themselves with the housework, just as their father had done before, in a word, they got on with things. One fine day, the older brother and the middle brother went to the fair. They bought what they wanted to buy, yes, apparently, while drinking magarych, they intercepted a little.
They walk, sway from side to side, all the pebbles on the road have been absorbed. As they approached the hut, a good mood took over them so much that they began to pour out what was in their souls and boast at the top of their voices. When we got to the camp and got down to business, we suddenly heard:
- May, shepherds, eh-he-he, Drive the sheep to me, Into the spiky grasses, Into the shady forests!
“Let’s answer him and lead the sheep,” says the elder brother.
“Come on: who knows, maybe what our father told us isn’t true, let’s go and have a look,” the middle one answered him.
“My brothers, come to your senses, we will all perish,” the younger one tried to dissuade them.
- Shut your throat, may, what do you understand? There is still too little to teach us.
At this time the call of the serpent was heard again. The older brothers heard it, rose to their feet and shouted at the top of their voices:
- Woo-hoo-hoo, Gevaun, We hear your words, But we never see you! Before they could catch their breath, Gavzun was right there:
- Hello, guys.
- Good day.
- Did you call me? - Who else?
“Then come with me to the pasture, into the forest.” Yes, first slaughter the sheep - I’m very hungry.
They slaughtered a sheep, skewered the meat, lit a fire, and when the coals formed, they put the meat in to fry. In two or three gulps the giant swallowed the sheep along with the bones, and then led the guys with a flock of sheep into his forest. The pasture there was excellent, but the boys grazed the sheep to no benefit or joy. The terrifying snake never took his eyes off them and forced them to roast three sheep every day. So the boys’ hearts ached, seeing how their father’s work and their work went to waste.
Somehow, with little effort, they came to terms with their misfortune. Yes, the monster did not leave them alone on this. One fine day he lit a hot fire, hung the cauldron and, when the water boiled, he threw his elder brother into the cauldron, boiled him and ate him. Then he ate the middle one. The turn was behind the youngest, and he, poor fellow, did not see the white light from fear and horror. Anticipating trouble, he drove the sheep to the pasture and began to think and wonder what to do, for the giant was about to grab him with his hands. He would not have found a solution if there had not been a clairvoyant sheep in the flock, which, sensing the owner’s confusion, began to bleat and rush about and even got away from the flock. The guy, noticing something was wrong, asks her:
- What happened, myoara, that you can’t graze?
“Master, master, I sense that great danger awaits you.” Gevaun the giant has decided to finish you off too. Don't lose courage, don't be sad. Note: Gevaun, after putting the cauldron on the fire, immediately falls asleep. A
You put some wood on the fire and when the water boils, pour it between the giant’s eyes. It is known: from nothing other than the tiniest grain a tree takes root into the ground and stretches branches to the sky.
So the guy, calmed by myoara, began to hope for his deliverance, and his strength increased. The next morning the giant fell asleep by the fire, but the guy
stood ready at the boiler. When the water boiled, he carefully removed the cauldron and boom! - poured boiling water between the giant’s eyes and blinded him. Gevaun jumped up - a raging fire, and he was more terrible than a mad dog or a disturbed viper - he spun around like a werewolf, but in vain. Then he approached the pen, sat down on a hillock and told the guy to milk the sheep. He doesn’t even know what’s going on, but the giant asks:
- Well, are you ready to herd the sheep?
“Yes,” he answers.
Then Gevaun rushed to close the gate of the pen, holding the gate with one hand, feeling the sheep with the other and releasing one at a time to grab the guy. But the guy was not one of those who were born with bast. He crept up to a large ram, climbed under its belly, grabbed the wool with his hands and slipped through unnoticed. The giant missed the guy. Now he knew for sure that there was nothing he could do to seduce him or win him over. He will only mock and mock him. Rising to his full height, the giant began to repent:
“My dear, whoever gave you such a trick was a good idea, and if you guessed it yourself, even better.” I don’t have the strength to keep you close to me, and if you decide to go on all fours, take this ring - it will be your memory of Gevaun the giant.
The guy, sensing trouble, ran up, picked up the ring and put it on his finger. And Gevaun screams:
- Ring, ring, where are you?
- Here, here! - the code answers (it was not simple, but magical). Then the giant - bang! clap! clap! - he stomped his knives towards where the answer was heard, then shouted again:
- Ring, ring, where are you?
“Here, here,” answered the ring, and the guy felt that he had put a rope around his own neck.
Gevaun ran with outstretched arms to grab the guy, and kept shouting:
- Ring, ring, where are you?
- Here, here! - answered the ring right under the giant’s nose.
Then the guy grabbed the ring, trying to remove it from his finger. But it is not removed, it is not given in any way. And the giant is getting closer and closer.
Then the guy grabbed it with his teeth - he tried in vain. Seeing that there was no other way out, he pulled out the knife that he was carrying.
belt, put his hand on the frame of a well that was nearby, and—crunch! -cut off the finger with the ring and threw it into the well. The giant shouts again:
- Ring, ring, where are you?
- Here, here! - the ring from the well answers.
Frustrated Gevaun the Glutton - boom! - threw himself headfirst into the well and, howling, flew into it until he hit his head on the bottom. He swallowed water there, began to choke and kept trying to escape until he gave up the ghost.
The guy, making sure that the huge giant had given up, climbed onto his heels, which were sticking out of the well, and danced with joy. Then he gathered his flock of sheep and drove them to the codes. When he was already under the shadow of the codri, other shepherds caught up with him. He told them what had happened to him, and then the other shepherds also dared to lead the sheep to Kodri. At first they walked with caution, then they built themselves pens in rich and beautiful forest clearings and began to graze sheep there. Maybe they still graze them to this day, if they haven’t died.
Kingdom of the Serpent
I was not born in those fairy tale times, but later, when girls from Turluesti wore fairy tales in their aprons. One day I quietly extended my hand and - grab it! — stole one of them. So I’m telling it to you.
Once upon a time there lived a husband and wife. Time had managed to place bitterness in their hearts and put a lot of weight on their shoulders, but what saddened them most was that they did not have a son or daughter - support and protection in difficult times. And they already felt the approach of their autumn. A bitter fate befell the poor, but this is what happened. One fine morning, the wife walked through the dew to the top of the hill to watch the sunrise and from this she conceived. Soon she gave birth to a child - beautiful, healthy - and the joy of the parents knew no end.
A day or two has passed, and the person thinks: it’s time to call his godfathers, celebrate the christening and give the child a name. But everyone whom he invited did not want to join the godfather. Anxiety increasingly gripped the house where the baby was born.
One late evening, when everyone was already asleep, the poor man was tossing and turning from side to side, still unable to close his eyes, groaning and sighing:
Oh, oh, my troubles, My grave troubles, Nobody hears them, Nobody sees them, Nobody believes them.
I just managed to speak!.. - bang! - someone pulled the door and burst into the house:
- Good evening.
- Kind.
- I heard, man, about your need and misfortune: as if you could not find godfathers to give a name to your child, and now I have come to help your grief.
- You're welcome, but who are you?
- Death.
- And how do you want to cement nepotism?
- Like what?
“Don’t you know that godfathers don’t come empty-handed—you need to gift the child with something so that he grows and matures.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll take it with me.”
“Get away from my house, monster, and don’t let me hear your speeches.” If I haven’t found my godfathers yet, I will find them in the future, but I won’t give the child to you.
Death wandered away, the man went out into the yard (and it was a clear night, on a full moon), sat down on the rubble and began to lament and sigh again:
Oh, oh, my troubles. My troubles are grave, Nobody hears them, Nobody sees them, Nobody believes them.
The moon heard his crying and lamentations and descended from the heavenly kingdom to earth, stopping in front of the unfortunate man’s house, instantly silvering both the yard, the house, and the path. She appeared before him, bowed low to the ground and asked:
“Would you like, master, to take me as godfather?” - What can you give our child?
- Beauty and wealth that I wear. The man looked at her, looked and said:
- Your wealth is consumed by the night, your beauty disappears with the sun.
“If you are not friendly with good, stay with evil,” said the moon, and in the blink of an eye it rose to its place in the sky and headed towards the west. And the man again began to mourn his fate. Until sunrise I kept wailing:
Oh, oh, my troubles, My grave troubles, No one hears them, No one hears them. doesn't see, no one believes them.
It's dawn. The sun slowly emerged from behind the top of the withers and saw not dew on the leaves of the grass, on the flowers of the field, but streams of tears that flowed from the eyes of the poor man. And then it rolled along the tops of the trees, along the tops of the oak forests all the way to the house where the newborn was.
- Good morning, man.
- Thank you.
“Why do you greet my ascent to heaven with tears?”
- Oh, brightest sun, how can I not cry if I can’t find a godfather to give my child something and give him a name.
“Would you like to take me as your godfather?”
- What can you give my son?
- The gold that I’m wearing, and the beauty of the light.
-. “That’s why,” the poor man said, and led the sun into the house, and where it stepped, it illuminated everything brightly, and where it passed, it gilded everyone around. The sun approached the child’s cradle, passed a beam of rays across his face, awakened him from sleep, then took him in his arms, gently touched him with his lips and, as was customary,
bathed him, but not in water, but in her own rays, warm and affectionate, then handed him over to the poor:
- Take your son Fat-Frumos, let him grow up strong and healthy and be your help and support in his old age. The husband and wife bowed to the sun and thanked them as best they could for such joy. It, having said goodbye to them, again began to follow the path from one end of the earth to the other. And the husband and wife began to live and live in their gilded house.
Fat-Frumos grew into a man, grew up strong and handsome, and his parents couldn’t get enough of him, he was so dear to them. The time came, and the son began to go hunting, first to places that were closer, then to distant ones. One day he returned from a hunt with rich booty, and his father said to him:
“Dear son, I give you permission to go around the whole world up and down, but don’t cross the border of the serpentine state.”
- Why, father?
“Everyone who crossed its border never returned. From then on, Fat-Frumos went hunting everywhere and, returning home, always went around the snake state - not because he was timid, but so as not to upset his parents, he did not want to make them wait and worry about him. One fine day he decided to go hunting to more distant places, and whether he walked for long or short, step by step, he caught a hare in his sights. Jzhnk! - one arrow flew at him - jjik! - the other followed, the hare limped on one leg - the fellow is about to grab him... but the lame hare, you know, rolls from side to side, runs so hard that it kicks up dust in a column. Fat-Frumos follows him, the hare moves away and so does the hunter. Fat-Frumos came to his senses in the very heart of the snake state. There is no trace of the hare - in front of him, on the edge of the forest, between the trees, you can see a tower, so beautiful that you can’t take your eyes off it.
Fat-Frumos approached and saw: the windows and doors were wide open, and there was no one around, not a single living soul could be heard or seen. He crossed the threshold, and the smell of fried meat, fried meat, and various other dishes hit his nose, exciting his appetite. He crossed another threshold and saw all kinds of dishes on the tables, filled bowls. If this was not paradise, it was close to paradise. Fat-Frumos, hungry like a wolf, would have eaten everything with his eyes, but without anyone’s knowledge, somehow
He could not imagine sitting down at the table like that, right away. I stood on the threshold
I looked around - not a soul. Then he straightened his brave chest and shouted:
- May, people! Who's the boss here, show up?
He shouted like that three times in a row, but no one showed up. “If that’s the case,” he reasoned, “I’ll sit down at the table. Whatever happens, cannot be avoided, and staying hungry is not a matter.” He ate everything his heart desired and was about to get up from the table when he suddenly heard: top! top! top! - someone is approaching. Fzt-Frumos was just about to turn around when he saw a monster in front of him - ugly, ugly:
the neck is screwy, the nose is curled, the hair is tousled, the teeth are barbed. The way the young man looked at him, he became cold with fear.
- By whose permission are you feasting here? - the monster screamed.
“Who should I ask if there wasn’t a soul around?”
“And you, you klutz, decided to tinker with my food?!” “I really didn’t think about going hungry, seeing so many dishes in front of me.”
- Come out and fight!
- Which one?
- Whatever you want.
Fat-Frumos turned around, swung his sword to destroy the snake with one blow, but the blow fell into the void, so that the young man almost twisted his arm. But the monster only chuckles - the sword does not touch him and passes through him, as if through a shadow. Then Fat-Frumos grabbed the saber, spun it many times over his head in order to shred the snake and level it to the ground, but all in vain: and the saber passes through the monster’s body as if through smoke. Fat-Frumos toils, tries his best, and the snake, you know, grins at you and teases you:
- Hey, headless fellow, you are apparently one of those who wants to blind the blind.
The ugly one teases him with “catching the wind in the bush” and “a water carrier with bucket-sieves.” Fat-Frumos is ready to gnaw the earth out of frustration and anger.
“Ha-ha-ha, brave knight, great are your efforts, but small is the reward: you are fighting not with a fool like you, but with the very dragon of this kingdom.”
And Fat-Frumos realized that he could not defeat the snake and his frustration was gnawing in vain, he was wasting his strength in vain. He stepped aside to catch his breath, and the snake, like a cloud, frowned and kicked the ground, his leg instantly became so big and thick, only his fingers were like hills.
“Ohoh-oh, damned snake,” Fat-Frumos was amazed, “well, a mountain has grown instead of a leg!”
“I’ll crush you with it, trample you and crush your bones.”
Fat-Frumos's hair stood on end from fear, the bush rose up - he had to pull it over his forehead.
He shook his right shoulder, made a circle with his right hand - and in the blink of an eye it was already possible to pull together all the clouds of heaven.
- Oh-oh-oh, fire-breathing snake, what a hand you have!
- How I’ll push you with my foot, and grab you with my hand and crush you into a ball, like hominy. The young man froze in place from surprise and fear, and the snake suddenly shook, and
his head became so terrible and huge that it pierced the sky.
- May, may, your head has grown!..
- I'll eat you with it. - And he raised his leg to crush the young man. Fat-Frumos pulled out a dagger and - bang! - he swung, but, touching the serpent’s leg, the dagger shattered into pieces, as if it had hit an iron mountain.
“You’re defending yourself in vain, I’ll still crush you with my foot, crush you with my hand, you won’t be able to escape even from my sharp teeth.”
Fat-Frumos retreated a little, the snake also took a step back and said:
“If you want to be saved and leave my state alive, bring me Frumoasa-Frumoaselor, the daughter of the king of the garden state, and then you will not only gain freedom, but also receive a reward from me.”
And Fat-Frumos decided to go on a quest to escape from the monster, at the sight of which his veins were shaking with fear and his heart was jumping in his chest.
- In which direction should we look for it?
- Go south.
And he set off on his journey. He walked and followed the signs of the earth: the stars in the sky, the twinkling of fireflies on the hills, until one fine day he came to a windmill.
A terrible wind was blowing in those places, and the wings of the mill were spinning so fast that they were not visible. At the entrance to the mill he saw not just anyone, but an old miller who was putting flour into bags, bending over them like crazy.
- Good meeting, miller!
- Welcome, well done! - they greeted each other: the first, dejected by the hardships of the road, the second by the hard work, and sat down on the rubble to rest...
-Who are you grinding flour for?
- Melyu, my dear, Frumoase-Frumoaelor from the kingdom of gardens.
- Are you telling the truth? - Fat-Frumos jumped up as if stung.
- What's wrong with you?
- I’m heading there.
- To that state? Be afraid, well done, of your words and the step you take: in order to reach those places, you need to go through a deep kingdom, strewn with rocks, a kingdom of mountains, a kingdom of seas and many more distant states, where you will not hear or meet a human breath or a bird of heaven. One life is not enough for a person to reach it!
- How will the flour you grind get there?
“It’s not people who deliver it, it’s the creatures of heaven who transport it.” Two eagles, like two clouds, fly in, grab the bags with their claws and rush faster than lightning into the kingdom of gardens.
Fat-Frumos marveled at such a miracle, but immediately thought that from here he could only get to the state of gardens. He volunteered to help the old miller shake out the sacks, put and trample down flour, and tie them up. The old man was glad that he could stroke his beard at his leisure and complain about the years he had lived. As soon as Fat-Frumos had time to carry two bags of flour into the yard, he saw: two giant eagles, having descended from the heights of heaven, grabbed a bag each in their claws and flew to the south. Little by little the eagles got lost in the blue distance, and Fat-Frumos, shielding himself from the sun with his hand, followed them with his gaze for a long time.
When the time came for the eagles to fly another time, Fat-Frumos climbed into one of the bags. The old man was blind and did not notice anything - he took a bunch of
hemp stems, dried by the autumn sun, twisted ropes, tied the bags and carried them to the appointed place. So the eagles began to descend, instantly grabbed the bags with their claws and... - shh! shh! shhh! - took off from the ground and flew towards the state of gardens.
From his bag, Fat-Frumos heard only the rustling of wings and the howling of the wind. After some time, one of the eagles, holding on in flight with all his strength, moaned:
- Oh, brother, I’m about to release the bag.
- Hold it tightly, we are flying over the sea-ocean.
“I have no urine, my legs are trembling, my claws are unclenching.”
“What happened to you, you’ve never complained about the weight of your burden before!”
“I don’t know what’s in this bag, but it’s heavier than usual.” Oh-oh, I'm about to drop it.
“If that’s the case, hold on a little longer with your last strength, and then fly upward like an arrow and release the bag: let’s exchange them.” You grab mine, I grab yours.
And so they did. They both soared upward like an arrow, released their bags and rushed to catch them. So they changed the heavy bag several times and reached the kingdom very late. The flour that was there had long since disappeared, the ovens had cooled down, and hunger had already left some people skin and bones. As soon as the eagles brought the flour, the bakers quickly began to heat the ovens, knead the dough and... they found Fat-Frumos in one of the bags. In the midst of work and in a hurry, they forced him to chop wood and carry water. This time the bakers were in a hurry and did not try hard: the breads settled in the hot oven, did not turn out fluffy and rosy, and they had the color of ash.
They ordered Fat-Frumos to scrape the remaining dough from the troughs. He rolled the dough that was scraped off at last into one loaf, put it in the oven, and it baked such a fluffy and rosy loaf that the sight of it made his heart rejoice. Having taken the warm bread out of the oven, the bakers took them to the mansion, but there they were cursed and ridiculed, because they had spent all the flour, and they could not put the bread in their mouths. Then Fru-moase-Frumoaselor was brought bread baked by Fat-Frumos on a towel. And she was so happy about this bread, not because she was hungry, but because even on great holidays they did not bake such bread.
- Who is the baker?
- Servant.
- Call him to me.
And they began to call him to the princess so that she could thank him
thanked, bestowed, bestowed and treated. Fat-Frumos appeared and, you think,
Is the fairy tale ending? No matter how it is!
So, while treating him, the king’s daughter saw how the rays of the sun were playing in his eyes, dispelling the darkness and darkness, and her heart trembled, a smile began to play on her face, the heat of love lit up in her eyes... and they liked each other. Sitting at the head of the table, the old king saw from the way the daughter of Fat-Frumos thanked, presented and treated him that she was ready to give the royal crown to this baker.
Embittered, he quietly made a sign to two guards, and they immediately dragged Fat-Frumos into the courtyard, kicking and cursing, where they crushed him to the ground. Sadness and melancholy clouded the face of Frumoasa-Frumoaselor, an unbearable pain burned her heart, and, as she was, grief-stricken, shedding tears, she went out the gate, where she saw the tortured body of Fat-Frumos. Stopped for a moment
unable to hold back the burning tears and lamentations, then she wandered with a heavy heart along the path to the young forest. She sat down there to console herself, but then she casually glanced at the grass and saw two ants that were with difficulty dragging a grain ten times their size. One of the ants dragged the grain forward, while the other tried to push it to the side. Out of frustration and anger that there was no use in the matter, the ant that was dragging the grain forward rushed at the second one and - crunch! - gnawed it in two. The poor fellow was left to dry in the sun, and the first ant, no matter how much he fought and toiled, was unable to move the grain from its place. He stopped and thought: the road is long, he won’t be able to do anything alone. A comrade, even when he pulls back or to the side, and still an assistant - they did not stand still, they slowly and slowly moved forward. He wondered and wondered for a long time, then he left the grain, crawled away somewhere and, for a long time or a short time, returned with some kind of blade of grass in his mouth. He put the ant halves together and, as soon as he ran the blade of grass over the cut site, the dead ant jumped to its feet, safe and sound, as if nothing had happened to it. They grabbed the grain, and, tugging in all directions, dragged it further.
The girl looked at them with wide eyes. At first she was surprised, but when she saw that the ant had come to life, she realized what she needed to do now. But how? Where can I find healing herbs? Ants are top! top! - they slowly dragged the grain and everyone moved away...
A difficult test was sent down to her, but happiness smiled on her. She decided what to do. She bent down, caught the resurrected ant, tore it in half and placed it near the grain. The second ant, seeing what misfortune had once again fallen on its head, left the grain and again went in search of the magic grass. Frumoasa-Frumoa-selor did not take her eyes off him. The ant crawled from blade to blade of grass, from bush to bush, until it came across the blade of grass it was looking for. Its root was shallow and its stem was short, but it itself was inconspicuous and withered. The ant gnawed a blade of grass and hurried towards its comrade. The miracle happened again. The ant came to life. Again they grabbed the grain and rolled and dragged it to their bins.
Overjoyed beyond words, Frumoas-Frumoase-lor uprooted a bush of grass, withered and withered, and began to pass this bunch over the body of the unfortunate Fat-Frumos. The pieces of the young man’s body immediately grew to each other. Just as from the depths of the earth the almighty sun brings the beauty and wealth of the fields to the light, so the wise maiden, with her life-giving grass, resurrected Fat-Frumos to life. And he became a hundred times more beautiful and desirable. The young man stood up, looked around and groaned:
- Oh, how long I slept!
“You would sleep forever, my dear, if I had not resurrected you.” And they went word after word, and a heartfelt attraction was born from the fire of their glances. They would have had a good time and talked for a long time if the fear had not crept into their souls that the old king would inadvertently discover Fat-Frumos and then only fire, or water, or wind, or earth would know what would become of him.
“Let’s run away from here,” he says to the girl.
- How?
- On my father's eagles.
“It would be nice, my dear, to do that.” But do you know that they can transport any cargo, just not human cargo?
Then Fat-Frumos began to think, to guess, but couldn’t come up with anything. And the beautiful maiden sheds and sheds tears and... finally, through groans, he says:
“I once heard a conversation in our palace that the eagle’s path could only be completed by the horse of Baba Zgivera with three mares. The old witch forces the young men to herd her mares, who bear three foals every three days. They grow up, mature, and become good horses right before our eyes. And there are no better horses in the world than these. It is they who are able to take this dangerous path.
But it is not easy to get such a horse: the sorceress’s tasks are too difficult. No matter how many brave men came to her, their trace was lost. The old woman manages not to let anyone out alive. She disposes of the strength and hearts of the horses as she pleases. For the most part, he hides them in a sick and frail nag, which can only be recognized by giving it burning coals instead of hay and oats. So said the girl, and they parted with the hope of meeting. The girl remained waiting, and Fat-Frumos set off on his way and walked and walked through flowering fields, green forests, along valleys and paths with springs of spring water. Long or short, he came across a tall tree on the way, at the top of which a nest was visible. There were two little birds in this nest, and they made so much noise and noise, as if they wanted to turn the white light over. I looked around Fzt-Frumos and saw a snake reaching for a bird's nest. The chicks, huddled to the edge of the nest, squealed pitifully: gsh-i... pi-i... pi-i..:
“Oh, good man, have mercy and save my chicks from the damned snake,” the bird suddenly spoke in a human voice, flapping its wings in front of the traveler’s face.
Fat-Frumos did not take long to beg - he broke a huge branch and hit the viper snake with it so hard that it jumped off to an unknown location. Well done - he didn’t give up on her until he finished her off. How happy the poor birds were! They sat on his shoulders, thanked him with tears in their eyes, and finally the one sitting on his right shoulder said:
- Traveler, you have done a great deed, and for good we will repay you with good. Pluck a feather from my wing and when you encounter some difficulty on your way, just take the feather in your hand, think about me, and I will be with you. Fat-Frumos carefully hid the pen and set off again to get to Baba Zgivera as quickly as possible. He kept speeding up his pace
and took a shortcut, walked and walked, and stopped to rest at a spring. I had just bent down to drink the water when I saw a bee on the water that was about to drown. “God, there is so much grief in this world,” thought our fellow, and, carefully taking the bee out of the water, he laid it on a green leaf, warmed by the sun. He quenched his thirst and got up to move on. The bee, who had come to her senses by that time, addressed words of gratitude to the young man, gladdening his heart. And she also asked him to tear off a piece of her wing so that she could fly to his aid if there was a need.
- Hide it in a safe place and don’t lose it, because you will need it if trouble happens.
Fat-Frumos hid a piece of a bee's wing and again began to make his way to Baba Zgivera.
He wandered like this through flowering fields and shady forests, until one fine day he found himself on the seashore. The heat here was so sweltering that everything around was burning. Here it was time for a man to dry out on his feet. Walking along the scorching earth, he saw a fish on the sand, which was already barely breathing from the heat.
- Oh, oh, be merciful, traveler, throw me out of the heat into the water, but if you don’t have mercy, my end will come now.
Fat-Frumos did not consider it difficult for himself to throw the fish into the water to save it from death. Instantly then she plunged, began to thrash, then
surfaced and said to the traveler:
“You have done great mercy.” As long as I get to live in the world, I will remember you with kindness. And as an insult, I want to offer you my help if misfortune happens to you. Bend over to me, take one scale, and if there is a need, just look at it - I will be nearby.
Fat-Frumos hid a fish scale along with a bee wing and a bird feather and, saying goodbye, went on his way. He walked through mountains and valleys, through ravines and paths, until he came to a pitiful, rickety hut, with windows no bigger than fox holes. The hut was surrounded by a wooden fence, on the stakes of which human skulls were hanging. Only one of the stakes was missing a head, and he, swaying in the wind from side to side, plaintively asked: “Head, head! Head, head!” Fat-Frumos knocked on the door of the hut, and a bony old woman came out onto the threshold—dirty, bent over, black as earth, with loose hair. She was so ugly and scary that our fellow would have run away wherever he could, just not to see her. Behind her, three mares beat their hooves impatiently; with their ears pricked up, they shook their manes - they were just about ready to break out into the open. Ul-dev on the threshold of a man who came to hire himself, the old woman did not feel her feet under her for joy: E-ha, I-ha!
Go to Baba Zgivera, look at her mares, and hire her as a farmhand to herd the mares until dawn.
After three full days, -You know it yourself, -You will take from the good horses Whichever one you wish.
Fat-Frumos, also delighted, answered her:
Let the mares out, old man, quickly let them out into the wild, the world is no longer pleasant to the poor fellows, I’ll go graze them in the field.
For my hard work, I think, You will fulfill what you promise in full.
“But remember, if even one mare gets lost, hang your head on that stake that has been crying for a long time and asking: “Head, head! Head, head!” In the evening, as soon as the sun disappears behind the top of the hill, you should be home with the mares.
“Okay,” Fat-Frumos agreed, “I’ll keep an eye on them, keep an eye on them.”
Baba Zhgivera then took a piece of mala and two or three onions out of her hut, put it in a knapsack and was about to untie the mares. Seeing this, Fat-Frumos exclaimed:
- Wait, don’t let go! If you don’t put a harness on the mares, I won’t graze. Oaba ground her teeth in anger, began to swear and... mutter something to herself, but she reached under the roof and pulled out three bridles. Fat-Frumos put them on the mares, tied them together,
saddled and galloped to the pasture. Feeling free, the mares began to jump, frolic, raise their muzzles to the wind, prick up their ears and do God knows what else. And when they got to the young green grass, dressed in ears, strewn with flowers, they began to pluck it all in a row so that only bare earth remained behind them. Fat-Frumos dismounted, but held the mares by the bridles and kept admiring how they quietly and meekly grazed. Time passed and it was already past noon. Fat-Frumos really wanted to eat, and he pulled out a piece of small husk from his knapsack, broke off a piece and began to gobble it up. He ate, and after a while a heavy sleep, similar to death, began to overcome him.
The fact is that that malai contained a sleeping potion, and that’s why
He wanted to sleep so much that his eyes were stuck together and could not see the white light. He sank as he was into the green grass, closed his eyelids and fell into a deathly sleep. The sun was already approaching sunset. Fat-Frumos woke up - no bridle in his hands, no mares. He began to look for them here and there, whistles, calls - wherever they are: find the mares, if they are not there. From fear of Zgivera, the poor man shook as if in a fever, and he began to break out in cold sweat, and when he remembered that there was an old woman in the yard waiting for his head, he almost burst into tears. It’s not for nothing that they say: every cloud has a silver lining. Fat-Frumos remembered about the bird’s feather and, as soon as he pulled it out of its treasured place, the bird was right there and tenderly asked:
- What kind of trouble happened to you, master?
“Well, I hired myself into the service of Baba Zhgivzra, and she sent me to herd the mares, but I fell asleep, and they ran away.”
“Don’t worry, master, you didn’t leave me in trouble, I’ll try to be useful to you too.” I’ll instantly call all the birds from all over the world and, whether the mares are on earth or in the kingdom of heaven, we’ll bring them, you won’t have to wait long, before sunset you’ll have time to feed and water them.
The bird disappeared, flew, flew somewhere, and, for how long or short, a stomp and a loud neigh were heard from afar. Zhgivery's mares appeared on the horizon, running, unconscious, out of fear, captured by a flock of birds, pecking at them with croaks, so that blood oozed out.
When they came close enough to hear him,
Fat-Frumos shook his bridles and shouted:
Get out, witch mares, to the stables of Zgivera!
and with these words the bridles instantly appeared on the mares.
He was very grateful to the birds for their kindness. When the time came for the sun to disappear behind the top of the hill, Fat-Fru-mos led the mares home. The old woman tried to seem kind and friendly, but after the young man lay down on the rubble, she grabbed a fire whip and began to whip the mares with it, saying:
- Tomorrow you will hide in the very thicket of the forests, where no devil has ever set foot. Got it?
“We understand, we understand, we’ll do it,” the mares assured her with tears in their eyes.
At dawn, the mares brought three handsome foals, strong as flint. When the time came for the sun to rise, Baba Zgivera took the mares and foals out into the yard. As soon as the foals suckled their mother’s milk three times, they shook themselves off and turned into strong, stately horses, so beautiful that you couldn’t take your eyes off them. The old woman looked at the horses, was pleased, laughed and said to them:
March, witch mares, to the stables to Zgivera!
The horses entered the hut doors and disappeared into the underground stable.
“You will get the same horse if you herd the mares for two more days,” says the old woman to Fat-Frumos and sends him again the next morning. He set off on the second day, guarded him well in the morning, and after he had eaten
what the old woman gave, he fell asleep again. The mares broke free of the reins and galloped off to God knows where. And Fat-Frumos woke up from sleep when the sun was already an inch from the ground. Confusion and fear overwhelmed him. He searches in one direction, searches in the other, but even traces of the mares are not visible. Fat-Frumos began to spin, and remembered a piece of a bee’s wing, and as soon as he pulled it out into the light of day, it instantly appeared before him. him a bee. Remembering the good he has done, he asks:
- Why are you sad, master?
- I lost the mares of Baba Zgivera.
- Don’t worry about it. I thought just today: who would want to break trees in the thicket of forests? - and these are mares. I’ll bring them to you in a moment, just shake your reins and call them.
In the blink of an eye, the bee disappeared, and soon the earth began to roar from the trampling of feet, and the neighing of a horse was heard. The swarm of bees led the mares and bit them so much that they were grabbed by the heart.
Fat-Frumos, when he saw them, shook his bridles and shouted: Get out, witch mares, to the stable to Zgivera! Then he mounted and rode to the old woman’s hut. The enraged Zgivera was amazed when she saw him, but she showed joy in her eyes. Then she fed the young man and put him to bed on the rubble. And at night, Fat-Frumos heard only the whistle of the whip and the old woman’s curses:
- Look at you, the wolves would fight you, you couldn’t hide, you couldn’t run away!
“We ran away, mother, and hid in the forest, but a swarm of bees attacked us and bit us until they brought us to the farm laborer.”
- Tomorrow you will hide at the bottom of the sea. It's clear? - and whip them again, only the whip whistled.
At dawn again, all three mares foaled, and as the sun was rising, the woman took the foals out into the yard, they suckled milk three times and turned into beautiful horses, more beautiful than before. If they decided to run away, no one would be able to keep track of them. Zgivera doesn’t take her eyes off them - she’s still admiring them, then she calls out to them:
March, witch mares, to the stables to Zgivera!
They crowded at the door and moved into the underground stables.
- Do you see how handsome they are? Keep the mares today and you will get one of them,” says the woman to Fat-Frumos, who, holding the mares by the bridle, is about to lead them to the pasture.
Now he decided not to fall asleep for anything in the world. It’s already past noon, and Fat-Frumos is not eating, he keeps the mares nearby and grazes them in the young grass. But in the end he could not stand it and ate again what the old woman gave him, and again a heavy sleep began to overcome him, so that he could not understand what was happening to him. He fell asleep standing up and slept until it was time for the sun to hide behind the hill. Oh, and well done, well done, this time too! He was trembling so much from horror that his shirt began to bounce on him. But, remembering what order the old woman gave to the mares - to hide at the bottom of the sea - he rushed like lightning to the seashore, pulled out a scale from the treasured place and immediately heard:
- What kind of trouble happened to you, master?
- I lost the mares of the woman Zgivera.
- Don’t worry, the problem can be fixed. I thought about everyone who would stir this up
the water is at the bottom of the sea, and these are her mares. I’ll drive them to the shore in no time, you be ready.
Before Fat-Frumos had time to blink an eye, the water began to gurgle, bubble and - jump! — all three mares ended up on the shore. Fat-Frumos shook his bridles and shouted at them:
Prrr! witch mares, I will lead you to Zgivera. Having put on the reins, he saddled the mares and drove to the old woman. When the time had come for the edge of the sun to disappear behind the top of the hill, Fat-Frumos stopped in front of Zgivera’s hut, which, at the sight of him, almost burst from frustration and anger. The third night passed. The mares foaled, and Zgivera did the same with the foals as with the previous ones. After she drove them into the stable, she followed them in, as if to rein them in and tidy it up, but in reality, swallowed up by the desert, she took up witchcraft and divination. We don't know that
The witch did as she spelled, but she pulled out the hearts from eight horses and put them in one, turning him into a skinny, sick and lousy nag who was not able to rise to his feet. The rest of the horses were beautiful, stately, strong and fast as fire.
Fat-Frumos sat on the rubble and did not catch flies, but thought about what his beloved told him when parting. When Baba Zgivera called him to the stable so that he could choose a horse for himself, the young man found a scoop in the corner and put hot
coals and went to choose. The horses stood in a row. As soon as Fat-Frumos approached them with coals, they snorted, shook their manes and tried to bite him. Only the nag, which was lying quietly in the corner, reached for the shovel.
“I’ll take this,” says Fat-Frumos.
“How come, my dear, don’t you consider your service to be work?” What are you going to do with him if he doesn’t even get up from the floor? Choose a good horse for yourself and don’t cheat your soul.
Fat-Frumos looked at the nag again, and doubts began to overcome him, but he did not succumb to them.
- No, auntie, there is no other way. I'll take it. - And since he decided so, it was in vain that the woman persuaded and begged him. There is nothing to do, since she promised to give her the horse she chooses, so be it.
Fat-Frumos took the horse out into the yard and was about to set off on his journey when he saw that Zhgivera had turned crimson-red with annoyance and anger. She couldn’t resist and said:
“Wait, well done, I’ll sit you down at the table, have a little refreshment: it’s not right for a hungry person to set off on a journey.”
“Don’t ask or beg, woman, a piece won’t go down my throat.”
“Don’t be stubborn, it would be a sin on my part to let you go hungry, after you worked so hard for me.” Fat-Frumos knew that there was nothing to expect goodness and blessings from Zhgivera. He gave the horse another scoop of coals, and he - wow! hop! - he quickly dealt with them, the flood shook itself, became strong and round, like a cucumber, and six rows of wings grew on its sides - so long and wide that only the wind howled in them.
“Saddle up, master,” the horse says to Fat-Frumos.
He sat on horseback, and the horse, shooting up like an arrow, rushed over the clouds like lightning.
In the blink of an eye, the rider found himself at the tower of Frumoasa-Frumoaselor and, already flying on a magic horse, saw her in the window - sad and pale. She did not take her eyes off the road, waiting for her dear friend - she kept spinning and shedding tears. She had no idea that from that day on the sun would drive away her sorrows and happiness would rise over her.
Lighter than a breath of wind, the horse landed in front of the tower, and Fat-Frumos, warmly pressing the girl to his chest, said to the horse:
- Drive, my horse, drive to the house, quickly take the bride. And the horse, rushing up, groaned heavily:
“Master, master, I’ll take you with your beautiful bride, not to your home, but to the kingdom of the serpent, as you swore.”
- Stop, you stupid horse!
- I can’t, we’re flying over the seas. - Stop when I say!
“I can’t: we’re flying over a deep kingdom strewn with rocks.” Then Fat-Frumos rushed forward to grab the horse by the mane, and with
the bush flew off his head.
“Stop, horse, the bush has flown off your head.”
“We can’t stop, master.” While you were saying that the kushma had flown away
off the top of your head, we have covered a path that would take a pedestrian six months to cover. And while I was talking about her now, she was left behind for a whole year of travel.
Such was the flight of the horse. Before Fat-Frumos had time to tell the bride about the dragon, they found themselves in front of his palace.
The monster, when he saw such a guest, Frumoasu-Frumoa-selor, on the threshold, was incredibly happy. He curled up in front of her like a vine, hoping to win her heart, but where! — the girl immediately shouted at him:
- Get out of my sight, you ugly, damned dog! The serpent's heart burns with love, and the girl says to him:
“Don’t come close to me, you freak who brings sadness and grief to people!” By cunning and persuasion, the monster-dragon tried to get into the girl’s soul, bowed to her to the ground, but all in vain. The girl is ready to destroy him with her eyes, mocks him, and in the end she spat in his face and cursed: Perish, evil spirit, from the face of the earth, Like grass withers in the bitter winter! He flirted with the beautiful maiden so much, he flirted, but he only became angry and angry, and he became so angry and excited that his heart and gall bladder burst from frustration.
Fat-Frumos, when he saw that the snake had fallen dead to the ground, collected a large pile of firewood, put the snake on top, set fire to the wood, the monster burned. And his ashes were scattered to the wind so that no traces of him remained on the ground.
Then Fat-Frumos gave his hand to his beautiful bride, led her to the palace, decorated with rare stones, and they started a feast for the whole world. They brought Fat-Frumos's parents to the wedding, the kings and courtiers from distant states, and many other people from all over the world, because the news spread far and wide that the dragon dog was finished. And the groom invited me to the wedding - There I drank and feasted a lot, And when I learned about the fairy tale, I said goodbye to him from the table, got up, And wandered around the world, and told you this fairy tale.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru