Once upon a time there lived a king. This king was sad because he did not have an heir. One day a dervish approached the royal palace and said: “Long live to you for many years, king.” If I make sure that two sons are born to you, will you give me one? “I will,” the king answers. “Then this is what,” says the dervish, “take this apple and eat it in half with the queen.” When your two sons are born, do not give them any name until I come.
The dervish said so and disappeared, and the apple remained in the king’s hand. He ate it in half with the queen, and it’s true - two boys were born to him. They waited and waited for the dervish, but he still didn’t come. All the royal vizier-nazirs gathered and said: “We need to baptize the children.” Why don’t they have a human name? They gathered the people, began to judge and decide what to call the princes. Whoever speaks is Khachatur, whoever speaks is Sarkis, they couldn’t decide anything.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, that same dervish appeared and demanded: “Name one boy Nazar, and the other Kazar,” and disappeared again. The princes began to grow up, study, and reached fourteen years of age. The king and queen loved them equally and forgot to think that one of them belonged to a dervish. And then one day, when the king and his heirs were walking in his luxurious flower garden, a dervish appeared in front of him, as if he had grown out of the ground. “Long live to you for many years, king,” he says. “Kazar is yours, and Nazar is mine.” Do you remember our agreement? “What to do,” the king sighed. “After all, otherwise I wouldn’t have had a single son.” He explained everything to his son Nazar, kissed him goodbye and sent him off with the dervish.
The dervish led him to a high mountain. He stopped at a huge stone rock and said: “Now, my son, I will climb to the very top of the mountain and read spells for three days and three nights.” On the fourth day the rock will move away and you will see a door in it. Open it and feel free to enter. In the cave you will see three huge piles of different coins: some coins are gold, others are silver, and others are bronze. Don’t touch a single coin, just take an old candlestick that lies on a pile of gold coins. Look, listen to me, don’t touch anything else, otherwise the rock on which I will stand and read spells will topple over and completely crush me.
The dervish climbed onto the rock and began to speak some incomprehensible words in an incomprehensible language. On the fourth day, the rock moved with a roar, the dervish nodded to Prince Nazar, and he pushed the door under the rock and entered. He saw an old candlestick lying on a pile of gold, then he stretched out his hand for the gold coins, but pulled it back, remembering the words of the dervish. He was about to leave the cave when someone seemed to push him, and he grabbed a handful of coins and put it in his pocket. As soon as he did this, the rock overturned and crushed the unfortunate dervish under itself. Nazar got scared, rushed out of the cave and ran for a long, long time, not knowing where. As soon as he heard a roar behind him, the rock fell into place again. He reached a place in the mountains where a shepherd was grazing sheep. “Give me something to eat, shepherd,” he asked him. “I haven’t eaten anything for three days.”
The shepherd fed him and showed him the way through the mountains to the nearest town of Spagan. Nazar gave the shepherd a piece of gold, but the good shepherd didn’t want to take it. Nazar headed to the city. In the city he found a caravanserai1, called the owner to him and said: “Bring me a bed, give me dinner, and also bring a candle, and I have my own candlestick.” Here's six gold coins for everything.
The owner fulfilled his request exactly. Nazar ate, drank and thought: I need to light a candle, it’s already dark. He took out an old candlestick, which he had taken out of the cave at the request of the deceased dervish, inserted a candle brought by the owner into it and lit it. After a while, he noticed that the candle was tilted to one side and wax was dripping onto the table. “The table is probably uneven,” Nazar thought and decided to rearrange the candlestick. He picked it up, and under it were several gold coins.
Nazar was surprised and thought: “I didn’t hide them there. How did they get under my candlestick?” He rearranged the candlestick again, and again there were several gold coins under it. Finally, Nazar realized that he had received not a simple candlestick, but a magic candlestick. He asked the owner to order three large chests for him in the city and until then he moved his candlestick from place to place until he filled all three chests. Then he extinguished the candle, and the coins stopped appearing.
Nazar lived in the city of Spagan for exactly three months. He was getting ready to leave - he decided to see the world - and the owner of the caravanserai said to him: - You go wandering around the world, but you still haven’t seen the most important thing in our city! - What is this? - Nazar was surprised. - Of course! - says the owner. - After all, a Beauty Girl lives in our city. - How can I see her? - asks Nazar. “It’s not easy,” says the owner. - Girl Beauty shows her hand to the one who gives a hundred gold coins, and her face to the one who gives a whole thousand. She has already ruined many. But you, Nazar, seem to be a rich man. Go pay and look at it - you won't regret it.
The next day, Nazar went to the house of the Beauty Girl and saw that she was standing on the balcony, wrapped in a white blanket. “Beauty Girl,” he tells her, “open your face for a minute.” Before I leave here forever, I want to look at you. “Give me a thousand gold, then you’ll see,” says Girl Beauty. “I’ll give you,” says Nazar,
The Beauty Girl took the gold and threw back the covers. She was so good that Nazar immediately lost consciousness. He was brought to his senses and escorted back to the caravanserai. Prince Nazar lost his sleep and peace. The next morning I went again under the balcony of the Beauty Girl, and the next morning - again. “Listen,” she says, “I have ruined more than one rich man, but you, I see, have completely decided to remain penniless.” “I don’t feel sorry for the money,” says Nazar. “I fell in love with you and want to marry you.” “But I don’t want to get married,” says Girl Beauty. “Do you think I need money?” Not at all. Yes, I just give them to the poor. But I don’t want to get married, because many people are unhappy in their family life, but I live alone - I’m calm and happy. “It doesn’t matter,” says Nazar. “I will come to you and pay you in gold to look at you.” Maybe you will eventually agree to be my wife.
Girl Beauty sees that you can’t get away with money from Nazar, and says to him: “Well, if that’s the case, go where I’ll send you, and when you return, I’ll marry you.” And she herself thought: “Well, wait, I’ll send you to one person with such an order that he will kill you right away.” “Here,” Girl Beauty tells him. — You will go to the city of Izmir. You will find Abraham Aga there and find out from him why his horse eats flints instead of oats and barley. You come back, tell me, and then you and I will get engaged.
Nazar got ready to set off, reached the city of Izmir, found Abraham Agha’s house there and asked the servants: “Is Abraham Agha at home?” “No,” they say, “he left for Istanbul.” “When did he go?” “Yesterday.” “And when will he return?” “Today.” “How can it be that today?” After all, it’s a whole month’s journey there! “Nothing,” they say, “his horse will bring him in one day.” Suddenly they see dust rising above the mountain. The servants say: “Our aga has returned.” Abraham aga rode into the yard, put the horse in a stall, the servants came, poured flint, and the horse began to eat.
Abraham Aga saw that his guest was waiting, invited him into the house, and sat him down at the table. They sit, the owner eats, and Tsarevich Nazar does not take anything into his mouth. “Why aren’t you eating?” Help yourself,” says the owner. “Okay,” Nazar replies, “just promise me that after dinner you will fulfill my request.” Only then can I taste bread in your house. “Okay,” says Abraham-aga, “let’s eat.” And he himself thinks: “Well, what can he ask me for? Well, he probably wants to ride somewhere on my horse.” After dinner, he says to Nazar: “What is your request?” “And this is what,” says Nazar. “Tell me why your horse eats flint instead of oats and barley?” “Oh!..” moaned Abraham-aga. - If I knew that you would ask about this, it would be better for me to kill you than to remember my grief. Well, since I gave you my word - there is nothing to do, listen.
I had a wife. And I loved this wife more than anything in the world. I didn’t spare anything for her. One day I was away. I missed my beloved wife in a foreign city and, without finishing my work, returned home ahead of schedule. I went up to the porch, and suddenly I heard: my wife was not alone at home, but was talking to someone. I looked out the window, and she was at home with some unfamiliar man, speaking affectionately and treating him to dinner.
And I hear her guest ask: “If I eat everything, what are you going to feed your stupid husband?” And she, laughing, answers him: “I’ll pour flint on his plate, let him eat.”
Here my blood boiled with indignation. I rushed into the house and killed this impudent man with whom my beloved wife was deceiving me. And she, instead of asking me for forgiveness, swung an old smoking pipe at me, which, as I thought, was just for beauty in our house. She hit me with this pipe and said: “You should be a homeless dog, Abraham-aga.” And she turned me into a dog! And I ran in the form of a dog through the streets. And everyone chased me, threw stones at me, kicked me.
I snuck into the courtyard of a certain priest and hid in a corner. In the evening the priest went to lock the gate, told his daughter to shine a light on him, and saw me. “Come on, bring the stick!” - he shouted. He dragged me out and began to beat me. My daughter told him: “Don’t touch the dog, father, its eyes are like the eyes of Abraham Aga.” “Shame on you,” the priest yelled, “to compare a person respected by everyone with a stray dog!”
But his daughter finally persuaded him: she was a wise girl and knew a lot. She snuck into my house, stole my pipe, and used a spell to return me to my human form. Then she gave me the pipe again and said that with its help I could take revenge on my wife and turn her into any animal I wanted. I picked up the phone and returned home. I suffered a lot, but I was also very angry. I turned my wife into a horse and feed her flint - what she, the unfaithful, was going to feed me. And now the more flint she eats, the faster she carries me. But I never feel happy again.
Tsarevich Nazar thanked him for his frankness and returned to the Beauty Girl. He told her everything he had heard, and she answered him: “Well, tell me: what happiness did Abraham-aga discover in family life, that you want to marry me?” What if we are just as unhappy? No, I won’t marry you. Tsarevich Nazar began to convince and persuade her. And she says to him: “Okay, I’ll send you to one more place.” Go to the city of Haysar. Majrum Khoja lives there. When this man goes up to the minaret to give the adhan, he says at the top: “Thank God, we have arrived!” And when he goes down, he sighs heavily and clutches his head. If you find out the reason, I will marry you.
And at the same time she thought: “Khoja will kill him as soon as he starts asking him questions.” Nazar left. He arrived at the house of Majrum Aga, asked to come into his house, and he accepted him as his guest. In the evening, Nazar sees Majrum Khoja heading towards the minaret. He went upstairs and said: “Thank God, we’ve arrived!” And when he prayed, as he came down, he sighed heavily and clutched his head. In the evening, Majrum Agha ordered the table to be set to properly feed the guest. They sat down to dinner. Only Tsarevich Nazar does not eat or drink anything. “Why don’t you eat?” - asks the owner. “Eat, please.” Nazar says: “I have a request for you.” If you promise to fulfill it, I will be able to eat bread in your house, if not, I’d better get up and leave right now. “Okay,” says Khoja, “I’ll fulfill your request.” And he thinks: “Well, what can he ask me for? He’s probably in love with a girl and wants to get a talisman.”
After dinner, the owner says: “Well, tell me: what is your request?” Nazar says: “Tell me, please, why, when you go up to the minaret, you say: “Thank God, we’ve arrived!”, and when you go down, you sigh heavily and clutch your head? Majrum Khoja turned pale and said: “If you had immediately said what your request is, then I would not have invited you to my table, but would have killed you so that you would not open my wounds.” But I promised, and I will keep my word. Listen.
I used to have a wonderful voice, and whenever I went up to the minaret to give the adhan, people came to listen to me and even came from different cities. One day, when I was giving the adhan, three white doves descended from the sky, grabbed me by the arms and carried me straight from the minaret on their wings to the king of Guri-Peri. The king turned to me: “Majrum Khoja, you have such a sweet voice that my youngest daughter fell in love with you and cannot live without you.” She wants to marry you. Will you take her for yourself? I said: “Call her, I want to look at her.”
A girl of extraordinary beauty entered. “I will gladly marry her,” I answered the king. “I have three daughters,” said the king. “They brought you here in the form of white doves.” But keep in mind: Guri-Peri never sigh heavily - it kills them, they are too gentle, not like people. Become my son-in-law and live here. But if you teach my daughter to sigh heavily, she will die from it.
We got married and lived happily for four years. And we had two children - a boy and a girl. But then one day I remembered my homeland and a heavy sigh involuntarily escaped me. The king of Guri-Peri was immediately informed that the “man-born” sighed. The king called me to his place and said: “Didn’t I warn you?” “Long live to you for many years, king.” Forgive me, I didn't do it on purpose. I remembered my homeland, and my soul was filled with sadness. “Okay,” says the king. - I forgive you for the first time. And so that you don’t feel sad, I’ll let you go home for a month. Just don’t tell anyone where you were or what happened to you. Otherwise, you will remain there, and my daughter is here, and both of you will suffer cruelly in separation.
The king's three daughters again turned into three white doves and carried me to the top of the minaret. It was time for morning adhan. I began to give the azan, and everyone dropped their work, locked their shops and came, saying: “Majrum Khoja, finally you have returned.” Everyone asked me, wanting to know where I had been for so long. And I answered something to everyone and didn’t tell the truth. The month was already drawing to a close when my teacher came to me. His donkey was loaded with sacred books. “My son,” he said. “I conjure you with all the saints that are said in these books.” May my concern for you blind you if you remain silent. Explain to me where you have been for four years, for my soul does not know a minute of peace.
I was afraid not so much for myself as for the old teacher, and I confessed everything to him. When exactly a month had passed and I ascended the minaret, as it seemed to me, for the last time, I saw that my wife and my children were waiting for me there. I exclaimed: “Thank God, we’ve arrived!” But my wife looked at me sadly and said: “What have you done, a man born on earth!” You revealed our secret, and now we are doomed to eternal separation.
And she turned into a dove: and, turning the children into little birds, she flew away, and I descended to the ground with groans and sighs, clutching my head from what I had done. Now you know everything. Nazar thanked him and galloped back to where the Beauty Girl lived! He told her everything, and she said to him: “Well, what happiness did marriage bring to Majrum Khoja?” None! Why do you want to marry me? “You promised me,” says Nazar. - I fulfilled your demands, marry me. Girl Beauty says: - No, let’s do it up to three times. I’ll give you one more task, complete that too. This time go to the city of Kars. Find a man there who knows how to make sabers better than anyone else in this city. This person first takes an order for a saber, makes an excellent saber, and when the customer comes for it, he takes it back and in his presence breaks his product on his knee. Find out why he does this.
Tsarevich Nazar went to the city of Kars. I asked where the best saber maker lived and went to him. He entered his shop. He just gave the saber to the customer, then asked for it back. I looked at her carefully and suddenly - fuck! — he broke it over his knee. “Listen,” says the customer, “why did you do this?” After all, it was an excellent saber! And the master says: “Here, take your money, I’ll return it to you, you won’t be at a loss.” And don’t regret that my work was lost!
When the buyer left, the owner noticed Nazar. He began to ask him who he was and where he was from, and invited him to have dinner with him. They sat down at the table, and Nazar sat and didn’t eat anything. “Why aren’t you eating, dear guest?” - says the owner. - Help yourself! Nazar says: - If you promise to fulfill one of my requests, then I will eat your bread. The owner thinks: “The saber is probably good for him And he says: - Okay, I promise.”
They ate. The master asks Nazar: “Well, tell me what your request is.” “Tell me,” asks Nazar, “why do you break all the ready-made sabers over your knee?” “Ah,” says the master, “if I knew why you came, I would break this saber not over your knee, but over you.” But since I gave you my word, there is nothing to do, you have to answer. Listen.
I was the son of a poor shepherd. When the time came, my father married me and separated me. My wife and I had nothing to live on, so I decided to go to another city to earn money. And I said goodbye to my wife: “See, be honest, don’t accept anyone in the house.” I told her so and left for the city of Istanbul. There I was tamed by a saber maker for five years, became an excellent craftsman and enlisted in the royal service. Twenty years later I returned back to Kars, having earned a lot of money.
When I arrived in the city, few people remembered me. On the site of my hut stood an excellent house. I looked into it and suddenly saw that my wife was sitting in this house with a young man and having dinner. “Ah-ah,” I thought. “So she deceived me and married a rich man.” That’s where she got such a luxurious house from.”
At night, when the lights in the house went out, I entered there and hacked her and the young man to death. So I was blinded by jealousy. The next morning I heard talk in the city. He approached the group of speakers and asked why they were so indignant. “Well,” they said, “there was a shepherd’s son in our city.” He went to work and disappeared. His wife gave birth to a son without him. The son studied, became rich, built a house and lived happily with his mother. And tonight some robber, some atheist killed them. That’s why now, looking at the saber I made, I think: what if this one kills his wife and son?” And I break it. Now you've heard everything.
Nazar said goodbye to the master, mounted his horse, and rode back to the city where the Beauty Girl lived. He told her the story of the sabreman. “Do you really still want to get married?” - she tells him. “How can you not want to?” - says Nazar, - Yes, I can’t live without you. - Well, - says Girl Beauty, - apparently, you really love me. And I loved you. Well, I agree. They got ready and went to the castle of Nazar’s father, the king. They reached the shepherd who had fed Nazar and said: “Here’s a handful of gold for you.” Run to the king and tell him the good news. The shepherd says: “Then I didn’t want to take your gold, but now I see that you are content and rich.” Well, thank you,” and ran to the king.
The king gave him two handfuls of gold for the good news, ordered the carriages to be laid, took three hundred horsemen with him and rode to meet Nazar. The wedding took place for forty days and forty nights. Tsarevich Nazar and Girl Beauty got married. They found their happiness, and you will find yours.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru