There lived an old man and an old woman. They had an only son. When he grew up, his parents decided to teach him some craft, and one fine day the old man took his son and went with him wherever they looked.
So they came to the seashore. The boy was tired from the long journey, stumbled and fell.
- Height! How clueless you are! I found a place to fall - I almost fell into the sea! - his father reproached him.
[Hite! - exclamation expressing annoyance.]
At that very moment the sea opened up, a man came out and shouted:
-Who called me? Who dared to say my name?
“No one called you and no one spoke your name,” answered the old man. - Maybe I accidentally said something...
- How come you don’t know my name? Didn't you just say "Hight"? – the stranger asked sternly.
“I said “heit” out of frustration that my son fell, and I didn’t even think of calling you,” the old man answered.
“My name is Heit,” the stranger said to the old man. - Now answer me: where are you going, where are you taking this boy?
“I’m taking my son to someone who will teach him some craft,” answered the old man.
“I know all the sciences and all the crafts,” said Height. - Leave me your son. And when a year has passed, come to this place and shout: “Height!” - then you will be convinced that your son has comprehended all the wisdom.
Having said this, Height walked up to the boy and took his hand. The sea parted and they both disappeared into the closing waves of the sea.
The old man returned home and told his wife about everything. From that day on, they waited patiently for the end of the year.
Exactly a year later the old man went again to the seashore and shouted loudly:
- Height!
The sea parted at the same moment, and Height came ashore. The old man told him:
- A year has passed since you had my son. If this is enough time to train the boy, I will take him home.
“Okay,” said Height, “but for now let’s go to my place!” - and led the old man to the bottom of the sea.
On the seabed, the old man saw a luxurious palace, the likes of which he had never dreamed of, or which he had never heard of in fairy tales. Twelve young men stood near the palace - all in silks, dressed like dolls. And they were all so similar to one another that they seemed like twins.
The old man did not even think that one of these young men was his son. He admired them and moved on. He walked around the sea kingdom all day and marveled at everything he saw around him.
Only at night, when the old man went to bed, the son turned into a fly, flew into the open window and said to his father:
“Tomorrow Height will gather us all and tell you: “If you recognize your son, take him!” But you won’t be able to recognize me - that’s how we all started to look alike at Khait’s. Know that the young man on whose cheek a fly lands, I will be your son...
With these words he disappeared.
The next day, Height put all the young men in a row and said to the old man:
- If you find out which of them is your Son, I will return him to you, and if you don’t find out, he will be mine! All these young men were not recognized by their fathers, and they remained with me forever.
The poor old man trembled, afraid that he would not recognize his son. But then he noticed that a fly had landed on the cheek of one young man. The old man took courage and boldly said:
- Here is my son!
Hight guessed that the son had somehow managed to warn his father, but could not reveal this trick. Hight realized that the young man had mastered magic no worse than himself, and he had no choice but to give his son to his father.
The old man and his son came out of the sea onto the shore and went home.
The young man returned to the poor housing of his parents and told them:
– All our lives we have struggled in need. But don't lose heart! It was not for nothing that I spent a whole year in the hands of Height! He taught me everything he knew, and I learned a lot more than that. That's why he's angry and ready to destroy me. But if you do as I tell you, then nothing will happen to me, and we will live comfortably. Now I will turn into a good horse, and you, father, put a halter on me, lead me to the city and sell me. But don't forget to take off the halter and bring it home. If you sell me along with the halter, we will lose each other forever - I will not be able to return to you. And if you take the halter with you, that same night I will turn into a man and return home. When you go to the city, halfway you will be met by a red-haired man, in red clothes, on a bay horse, with a red whip in his hand. Know: this is Khait. He will pester you: “Sell me your horse, I will give you a good price!” But don’t give me to him for any money, otherwise he will destroy me...
The next day the young man turned into a beautiful bay horse. The father put a halter on this horse and led it to the city.
On the way, he was met by a red horseman in red clothes, on a bay horse, with a red whip in his hand.
The horseman said to the old man:
- Good afternoon, dad! Where are you leading the horse? Sell it to me, I'll give you enough money to last you a lifetime!
But the old man remembered his son’s words well and refused to sell the horse to the red horseman.
In the city, people saw a beautiful horse, and everyone vying with each other began to offer a good price for it. The old man sold her to the prince, who gave the most, took off the halter and went to his village.
The prince who bought the horse took it by the mane, led it home and put it in the stable. At night, the young man turned into a bird and flew to his parents.
The money they got for the horse lasted a long time. But when there were few of them left, the young man said to his father:
- Now I will turn into a good white cow. Take me to the city and sell me there. But if you don’t want us to lose each other forever, take the rope off my neck and take it home. On the way to the city you will probably meet a white man, in white clothes, on a dun horse, with a white whip in his hand. It will be Haight. Be careful, don’t sell me to him for anything, even if he promises you all sorts of treasures!
The next day the young man turned into a good white cow, his father threw a rope around the cow’s neck and led him to the city. On the way, he met a white man, in white clothes, on a dun horse, with a white whip in his hand.
This man began to ask the old man:
- Sell me a cow, dad, I won’t stand for the price!
But the old man did not give him the cow, but went to the city and sold it there for a lot of money. He took off the rope that was around the cow's neck and returned home.
At night, the young man turned from a cow into a bird and flew home.
The money received for the cow lasted a long time. But when there were few of them left, the son said to his father:
- Now I will turn into a buffalo, and you sell me, but do not forget to remove the leash from my neck... On the way you will probably meet a black man, in black clothes, on a black horse. He will hold a black whip in his hands. Know that this is Haight. Whatever price he gives, do not sell me, otherwise certain death awaits me.
The next day the young man turned into a huge buffalo, and his father led him to the city. On the way, he met a black man, in black clothes, on a black horse. He had a black whip in his hands.
The black man pestered the old man:
- Dud, sell me a buffalo, I’ll give him any price!
The old man refused, but after much begging, when Hayt promised him a whole bag of gold, he forgot his son’s words and sold the buffalo and also forgot to take off the leash. The black man grabbed the leash, pulled the buffalo by it and instantly disappeared.
Hight drove the buffalo to the sea, tied it in the sun, and disappeared into the abyss.
The buffalo was exhausted from the sun and suffered from thirst. And Height returned and began to mock his student in every possible way, who turned out to be wiser than himself:
- Well, are you feeling good? You know more than me, why don’t you break the leash and leave?
The young man answered with difficulty:
- Let me get drunk, and then do whatever you want with me... I have to endure this punishment because I decided to compete with you. Apparently, you are much wiser than me!
Hite really liked these words.
- That's it! - he said and took the leash off the buffalo.
At that very moment the buffalo rushed into the sea and turned into a fish. Hight immediately turned into a cormorant bird and chased the fish. But the young man turned from a fish into a dove and soared into the air. Height turned into a hawk and chased the dove. But the dove turned into a red apple and fell into the lap of the prince’s daughter - at that time she was sitting on the balcony and embroidering. Then Hight turned into a sharp knife and fell next to the apple.
The princess did not know what to do. At first she wanted to hide the apple, but when she saw the knife, she decided:
“It was some kind spirit who sent me an apple and a knife, probably so that I could cut it and eat it.”
But as soon as the girl began to cut the apple, it turned into millet and crumbled at her feet. And the knife turned into a chicken and began to peck the millet. When only one grain remained, it turned into a needle. The chicken wrapped itself in thread and threaded itself into the eye of the needle. Then the needle was thrown into the fire, and the thread burned. This is how Haight died.
After this, the needle jumped out of the fire and became a beautiful young man. The prince's daughter was petrified with amazement.
The young man told her everything that happened to him. The princess immediately fell in love with him and soon married him.
The girl's parents arranged a wedding, and then the young man stayed to live with the prince. He took his mother and father in with him, they lived happily until their death. They had everything, only bird milk was missing.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru