Once upon a time there lived a blind Shah. No matter how many doctors he invited, no one could cure him. One day a new doctor appeared in the Shah’s domain, he examined his eyes and said:
- May I be your victim, great Shah, I know a cure for your eyes. But no human hand can reach it.
The Shah was so happy that he even jumped on his throne.
“Just tell me where to find him, and I’ll send someone to the ends of the earth to get him.”
“Well, try it,” answered the doctor. — There are spotted fish in the White Sea. If you make eye lotions from the blood of this fish, you will see clearly.
As soon as the doctor uttered these words, the Shah ordered the trumpets to be blown and all the fishermen to be called, and then he called his son and said to him:
“My son and heir to the throne, take the fishermen and go with them to the shore of the white sea.” Let them catch all the fish until they get the spotted one.
And the son of the Shah set off with the fishermen to the White Sea. Those who caught the spotted fish were promised expensive gifts. Fishermen began to cast their nets into the sea. They pulled them out and caught all the fish. Finally, a spotted fish flashed in one net. The Shah's son looked at her and froze. The fish was so beautiful that it was easier to cut off one’s own hand than its head. However, there is nothing to be done to heal the Shah, you need the blood of this fish. With pain in his heart, the young man raised his sword, but suddenly the fish spoke in a human voice:
- O beautiful young man, have mercy on me, don’t destroy me! When the time comes, I will serve you.
The young man thought: “What if the doctor lied, and my father still won’t see the light? My grandmother also said in two whether he would see. But the fish is so beautiful and so begging. I’ll let him go free.” And he threw the fish back into the sea, and then turned to the fishermen and said:
“Whoever dares to reveal this secret to the Shah will be left without a head.”
The fishermen swore to keep the secret until their graves. The young man generously paid them for their labors and sent them home. Returning to the palace, he said to his father:
- No matter how hard we tried, we could not catch the spotted fish.
The Shah was upset, tears came to his eyes, and this made his eyes hurt even more.
Time has passed. One day an informer came to the Shah and reported that a spotted fish, whose blood was a medicine for his eyes, had been caught, but the son deliberately threw it back into the sea. The Shah was terribly angry, without hesitating for a second, he ordered his son’s head to be cut off. The vizier and advisers came running and fell at the feet of the Shah, begging him to spare his son and not kill him. But the Shah did not want to listen to anyone or anything.
“My son must die,” he repeated, “he wanted my death in order to achieve power.” Now let him die before me.
Then the vizier and advisers fell on their faces and began to pray to the Shah to exile his son to distant countries, but not to kill him. They prayed for a long time, begged this way and that, the Shah relented, ordered his son to leave his domain and never appear here again. On the same day, the Shah's son set off on his journey.
The angry father did not give him either a horse, or a servant, or even food for the journey. He walked for a long time and finally reached the shore of the white sea. Here he met a young man. The stranger said:
“As I see, friend, you and I are going in the same direction.” So let's go together, let's be fellow travelers.
The Shah's son languished in melancholy and loneliness. That's why he was very happy.
- Not just fellow travelers, let's be brothers. They hugged tightly and continued on their way together.
After walking a little, the young man asked:
- No, consider it a curiosity, brother, but what can you do? The Shah's son answered sadly:
“I don’t know how to do anything, just ride a horse and shoot a bow.” But now I have neither one nor the other.
“It’s okay,” the young man consoled him, “don’t be sad.” I heal people. We will walk through cities and villages. We’ll divide everything I earn in half and somehow get by.
Whether they walked for a long time or for a short time, they finally reached a large city, where the Shah ruled, who had one and only daughter. For seven years now she has not uttered a word. And the Shah swore that the one who would give his daughter back the gift of speech would become her husband. But if someone undertakes to treat her and does not cure her, his head cannot be blown off.”
Every day doctors, old and young, came to the palace. They all dreamed of getting the Shah's daughter as a wife, but no one could cure her, and heads rolled off their shoulders one after another.
Our young men also entered this city. Just as they stepped into the main square, the executioner cut off the head of a man. They asked what was the matter, why they executed the unfortunate man. A passerby explained to them:
— The padishah has a daughter. For seven years she does not speak a word, she is mute. This doctor, like many others, wanted to cure her, but could not. So the Shah ordered his execution.
The young doctor, hearing this, took his companion by the hand and went straight to the palace to the Shah.
Bowing low, he said:
“I have come to heal your daughter, O great Shah.” Shah said:
- Oh, good man! Forty doctors came here before you and no one could cure my daughter. I ordered them all to be killed. I feel sorry for you. You are beautiful and brave, but if you cannot cure her, I will have to kill you. But I don’t want this, it’s better to leave.
But the young man was persistent:
- May the Shah be famous, why am I better than those who died? If I cannot cure her, order me to be executed. Just let me go to the girl.
The Shah allowed. Then the doctor again took the hand of his fellow traveler and brother and went to the girl. And the Shah was curious as to why this doctor was so insistent on his opinion. He called the vizier and the adviser, the three of them went to the girl’s chambers, hid in a secluded place and began to eavesdrop. The doctor entered the girl, but did not say a word to her. Instead, he turned to a golden candlestick studded with precious stones:
- Oh golden candlestick, hello!
This candlestick was very dear to the girl. It was left as a keepsake from his deceased mother. The girl loved her mother very much and after her death she swore that she would not talk to anyone for seven years. She pretended to be dumb and therefore no doctor could make her speak. And the young man, having greeted the candlestick, continued:
- O golden candlestick, I am your guest tonight. I'll tell you a story, and you listen and answer me. And he began his tale.
“O golden candlestick, one fine day a tailor, a carpenter and a doctor were walking along the road. They walked for a long time, and night overtook them in the forest. They really wanted to sleep, but they thought that if all three fell asleep, they might be torn to pieces by animals. So they decided to take turns sleeping. They cast lots. The first vigil fell to the carpenter. He took a saw and a plane and cut a girl’s figure out of wood in order to show his companions in the morning what a master he was. It's time to wake up the tailor. The carpenter shook him up and went to bed. The tailor walked around, made sure that everything was calm and wanted to sit down by the fire, but then he saw that some girl was leaning against a tree. The tailor came closer and only then realized that it was a wooden statue. He realized that the carpenter had planed it during his vigil. The tailor also wanted to show his abilities. He took out scissors, a needle and thread, sewed a beautiful dress and put it on the girl. In the morning it was the doctor’s turn to keep watch. He also saw that some girl was standing leaning against a tree. The young man took a closer look, realized that it was made of wood, and immediately guessed whose hands it was. Then, to show his skill, the doctor poured a potion into the girl and revived her.
Morning has come. Everyone woke up. The carpenter said: “I carved this girl out of wood, so she is mine.” But the tailor objected: “I sewed her a dress, which means she is mine.” The doctor was the third to enter the argument: “I breathed life into her, she should belong to me.”
So they argued. And you, golden candlestick, please tell me which of the three should the girl belong to?
The golden candlestick was silent.
The young man asked again:
“O golden candlestick, answer, otherwise I will break you into small pieces.”
The candlestick was silent. The young man stepped back, swung and wanted to hit the candlestick, but then the girl could not stand it and spoke:
- O young man, can a candlestick speak? Don't break it. I'll answer for him.
“Well, speak up,” agreed the doctor. “And I’ll listen to see if you guessed correctly.” The girl said:
- As for the carpenter, he worked hard and should receive money for his efforts. The tailor needs to be paid for the dress he sews. But the doctor gave life to the girl, and life cannot be bought for any money, so the girl belongs to the doctor.
The Shah, the vizier and the adviser heard and saw all this from their hiding place. They entered the room and began to thank the young man, the Shah said:
“I promised that I would give my daughter as a wife to the one who would cure her.” Now she's yours.
The doctor bowed to the Shah and replied that he had a wife and children.
“Then marry her to whoever you want, she’s yours.”
Having said this, the Shah gave his daughter a large dowry, many servants, slaves and gave his daughter to the doctor. And the three of them went - the doctor, the Shah’s son and the girl. We came to the shore of that same white sea. And then the girl suddenly said:
- O doctor, you used cunning to force me to break my vow. Tell me who you are and where you are leading me.
- I am the son of the Shah of all fish, I can become anyone. Once I was sailing on this sea, fishermen caught me because my blood was needed as medicine for a blind Shah. This young man, the son of that same Shah, did not kill me and released me into the sea. I vowed to help him someday. Now I give him you with all your dowry, servants and slaves. From today you are my sister, and the son of the Shah is my son-in-law. When you need anything, come to the white sea, call me, I will appear immediately. “Having said this, the young man cut his finger, poured his blood into a vessel, gave it to the Shah’s son and added:
“Take this to your father so he can wet his eyes.” He will immediately see the light and forgive you. The young man turned into a fish and dived into the sea.
“And the Shah’s son and the girl came to his father’s domain, bowed at his feet and held out the vessel. And the Shah saw the light. Then he forgave his son and arranged a feast. The whole city was decorated with lights and flowers. The Shah gave his son his red robes and seated him on his throne. For forty days and forty nights they celebrated the wedding of the young Shah. And then he lived with his wife for forty years and another forty forty.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru