Once upon a time there lived a powerful king, and he had a garden in which an apple tree with golden apples grew. The king noticed that golden apples began to disappear from his apple tree - one apple every night. There is nothing to do, we need to place a guard at the apple tree. The king had three sons: two were smart, and the third was a fool. At first, the smart sons guarded the apple tree. They guarded it one night, then they watched it another night - apples disappear!
On the third night the king sends the fool to the garden. And the smart brothers make fun of him:
- Lest the thief take away the apples along with the watchman!
“Whatever happens, it can’t be avoided,” the fool answers, “but I’ll still go on guard!” - And went to the garden.
Until midnight everything was fine, but after midnight sleep began to overwhelm the fool. The eyes just stick together. In order not to fall asleep, the fool propped his eyelids with wood chips and kept watch over the apple tree. It was just getting light, a golden bird flew to the apple tree and began pecking at the apple. The fool grabbed her by the wings, but the bird escaped and flew away, only one golden feather remained in his hands. The fool came running with a feather to his father and told him what had happened to him that night.
The father called his sons and said:
– If one feather of this bird is so beautiful, then how beautiful the bird itself must be! Go around the world and find her. Whoever brings me this bird will be my most beloved son.
The sons went to get the bird. Both smart sons went down one road, and the fool went down another.
A fool came into a dense forest and got lost. Sits and cries. Here, out of nowhere, is a wolf.
- Why are you crying? - asks. Fool responds:
“I went to look for the golden bird and got lost in the forest.”
- Don't cry! - the wolf tells him. “Ride me, I’ll take you to the golden bird.” The bird is good enough, but its nest is even more beautiful. Just remember: if you take a bird, don’t touch the nest.
The fool sat on the wolf, and the wolf, like a whirlwind, carried him to the place where the bird lived. The fool went alone to catch a bird. He sees: a golden bird sitting on a golden tree. I started to catch it and accidentally touched the nest. At that very moment the bells rang, people came running,
They grabbed the fool and took him to the king. The king says to the fool:
“If you manage to escape across the three kingdoms before dawn and return with a golden horse, then you will receive a golden bird along with a golden nest.”
What to do? The fool agreed and set off on his way. He walks along the road and cries. And the wolf is right there.
- Why cry in vain? - he reproaches the fool. “I couldn’t catch the bird like I taught you.” Get on top of me and we’ll go after the golden horse, just remember: when you take him out of the stable, don’t touch the bridle.
The fool sat on the wolf, and instantly they galloped to the golden stable. The wolf remained on the road, but the fool climbed into the stable to get the golden horse. But when the fool led the horse out, he touched the golden bridle. Immediately the bells rang, people came running, grabbed the fool and brought him to the king. The king says to the fool:
“If you manage to escape across the three kingdoms before dawn and return with the princess, you will receive a golden horse along with a bridle, and if you don’t have time, you will pay with your head.”
What to do? The fool agreed and set off on his way. He walks along the road and cries. And the wolf is right there.
- Why cry in vain? - he reproaches the fool. “I couldn’t lead the horse away as I taught.” Get on top of me and let's go after the princess. Only this time I will go to the palace myself.
The fool sat on the wolf, and the wolf rushed off like a whirlwind, his feet not touching the ground. Soon they arrived at the royal palace. Now the fool remained on the road, and the wolf went to the palace to fetch the princess. The wolf brought the princess out and said:
“Both of you sit astride me and we’ll go to the king for the golden horse.”
As soon as the fool and the princess sat astride the wolf, he rushed off like a whirlwind, and soon they found themselves at the palace. The wolf says:
“You, beautiful princess, wait for us on the road, and the fool and I will go after the golden horse.”
Near the palace, the wolf turned into a beautiful princess and said to the fool:
“Take me to the king and demand a golden horse with a bridle.” He'll give it to you. Put a real princess on a horse, take him by the bridle and lead him home.
The king did not notice the substitution, decided that it was a real princess, and gave the fool the golden horse along with the bridle. The fool put the real princess on the horse, grabbed the bridle, and they went home. Meanwhile, the king took the princess into the garden; he wanted to talk to her. Then the princess turned into a wolf. The wolf howled and ran into the forest. The king got scared, called his squad, ordered to catch up with the wolf and bring him to him, alive or dead.
Soon the wolf caught up with the fool and the princess and said:
“The royal squad is chasing us, give the bridle to the princess, and sit on me.”
As soon as the fool jumped on the wolf, he rushed off like the wind, and the princess on horseback followed them. They rushed to the palace where the golden bird lives. Here the wolf says:
“You, beautiful princess, wait for us on the road, and the fool and I will go to the palace to get the golden bird.”
Near the palace the wolf turned into a golden horse and said:
“Take me to the king and demand the golden bird with its nest.” He'll give it to you. Then run to the princess, take the horse by the bridle and lead her home.
The fool took the horse to the royal court, gave it to the king and demanded a golden bird with a nest. The king gave him the bird. The fool returned to the princess, and they went home. The king did not notice the substitution and ordered the horse to be broken. Then the horse turned into a wolf. The wolf howled and ran into the forest. The king saw that he had been deceived, called an army, ordered to catch up with the wolf and bring him alive or dead.
While the army was gathering, the wolf caught up with the fool and said:
“The royal army is chasing us, give the bridle to the princess, and sit on me.” As soon as the fool jumped up on the wolf and rushed
the wolf is like a whirlwind, and the princess on a golden horse is behind them. They galloped into the forest where the fool had gotten lost. Here the wolf says:
“Take your three treasures and go home, but be careful not to fall asleep on the way.”
The fool is holding a golden bird with one hand, leading a golden horse by the bridle with the other, and a beautiful princess is sitting on the horse. At night the fool began to be overcome by sleep. He strengthened himself, strengthened himself, and finally said to the princess:
- Hold the horse, and I’ll take a little nap.
The fool lay down, and the princess also dozed off. While they were sleeping, the smart brothers came, killed the fool, took the golden bird, and took the sleeping beauty on a golden horse.
At home, the brothers tell the king how difficult it was for them to find the golden bird, how the older brother simultaneously found himself a beautiful bride, and the middle brother - a golden horse. But what happened to the younger brother and where he is, they don’t know and don’t know.
To celebrate, the king threw a big feast and showed the guests what treasures his smart sons had brought.
While the king and his smart sons are feasting, the fool lies dead in the forest. On the third day, a raven arrived and began to peck at him. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a wolf. He attacked the raven:
“Don’t you dare, villain, touch the flesh of your master!” Because you pecked him three times, you need to bring three things before dawn: a jug with healing water, a jug with living water and a jug with wise water. Fly across the three seas, and you will find it there.
The raven flew to fetch water, and the wolf began to put the fool’s bones in order. As soon as I finished everything, the raven with water was already right there. The wolf poured healing water into the fool’s mouth, and all his wounds healed. Then the wolf poured living water into the fool’s mouth, and the fool came to life. Finally, the wolf poured wise water into his mouth, and the fool became the smartest man in the world.
The fool asks the wolf:
- Who robbed me?
The wolf told him how it happened and advised:
“Hurry up home, otherwise your older brother is going to marry the beautiful princess.” When you see your father, ask him who got the bird, the horse and the princess. If your father says - your brothers, then ask him to tell them to prove it. They won’t be able to prove this, then you told the horse to talk and the bird to sing.
A fool comes to the palace. The king meets him and asks:
- My son, where have you been for so long? Your brothers have been home for a long time, they got a golden bird, a golden horse and a beautiful princess.
The fool answers his father:
“If the brothers really got such treasures, let them prove it, otherwise I won’t believe it.”
The king ordered the smart brothers to prove that they had obtained these treasures. But the brothers cannot prove anything. Then the fool ordered the horse to speak and the bird to sing. Then the horse told what the smart brothers had done, and the bird sang everything they talked about.
The king heard this, became angry with the smart brothers and ordered them to be punished, and the fool and the beautiful princess were immediately married.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru