Once a woodcutter went to the mountains to chop brushwood. Suddenly he hears - below, in the ravine, someone is moaning, so pitifully: ooh. The woodcutter followed the voice, came to a rock, there was a cave in the rock, a tigress was lying in the cave - she couldn’t lamb. Her intestines came out of her womb and got caught in a thorny bush. She can't bear it, so she moans. The tigress saw the woodcutter, looked at him sadly, as if she wanted to say: “Save me, woodcutter!”, and moaned even more pitifully. The woodcutter looked at the tigress and listened to her moan. I feel sorry for the poor fellow. He ran home and said to his mother:
“I just saw a tigress, she’s lying in a cave, she can’t lamb, her guts have come out of her.” It's a shame to watch! You alone can save her, everyone knows what a skilled midwife you are! Let's go quickly!
And his mother answers him:
- Yes, if your guts are out, you won’t be able to die for long. You can save the tigress, you just need to bring a basin of wine, splash wine on the intestines, and then quietly and lightly put them in the belly.
The woodcutter and his mother went to save the tigress. And she really felt better; she gave birth to four cubs. And the old midwife, before returning home, patted the tigress on the back and said:
“We are overcome by need, my son can’t even bring his wife into the house, so you should bring him a bride on your back to repay us for our kindness.”
The tigress nodded her head, as if she understood what the old woman told her.
And then one night, when the north wind was howling and snow was falling in flakes, the bride was being carried past the mountains in a palanquin. Suddenly there was a deafening roar, like thunder, and five tigers rushed down the mountain. Those who carried the palanquin all scattered. And the tigress and the cubs kidnapped the bride and took her to the woodcutter’s house. They started knocking on the gate. The owner himself came out when he knocked. I saw the bride and was so happy that it is impossible to say or describe. The wedding took place right there. Rumors about this reached the parents of the groom, whose bride was kidnapped by the tigers, and the parents complained to the judge. The district chief sent for a woodcutter and interrogated him. The woodcutter told him everything that happened. The official doesn't believe me. And then the woodcutter’s mother went to the mountains to call the tigers as witnesses. The tigers were not afraid; all five of them showed up. The judge trembles with fear, and he himself asks:
“Is it true that you brought your bride to the woodcutter’s house?”
The tigers all nodded their heads at once - it’s true, they say. The judge didn’t bother asking any more questions - he was afraid - so he let the woodcutter go.
And soon the prince of the barbarians sent wild animals to that country. The bravest commanders did not dare to go against them. And then the sovereign asked the woodcutter with five tigers to rescue the country from trouble. Three days had not passed before all the prince's animals disappeared, like petals in a stormy stream - the tigers devoured them. But the prince barely escaped and did not dare to attack anymore. The sovereign rejoiced here, granted the woodcutter the rank of Commander of the Five Tigers and ordered him to guard the borders. Since then, peace and tranquility have reigned in the country.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru