It was a long time ago. There lived a boy with an old woman. He was born in the taiga, grew up there, then became an orphan and came to live in the village with an old woman.
One day he asks an old woman for a thousand rubles. And that old lady had a lot of money. She gave him a thousand rubles, and he left. I walked through the taiga for a long time. I walked through the mountains, along the hills, along springs and rivers. Finally he came to the old woman with a cat in his hands.
- Why did you bring the cat? - asks the old lady.
- And I paid a thousand rubles for this cat. This cat is not simple, she can overcome any animal.
Again he began to ask the old woman for a thousand rubles. She gave again a thousand rubles, and the boy left. He walked and walked through the taiga. For five years I walked in the mountains, for five years I walked along the hills, for five years I walked along the springs. Finally he came to the old woman again, and in his hands was a puppy.
- Why did you bring the puppy? - asks the old lady.
- And I paid a thousand rubles for this puppy. This puppy will track down any den and crush any bear.
He started asking for money again. The old lady gave it to him for the last time.
He walked along the road, along rivers and came to a large meadow. In that meadow there is a herd of mares grazing and a small stallion. The man began to approach the stallion, and smoke came out of his nose, and the wool turned to gold. He grabbed that stallion and went to his house. He walks and walks, and a poor old man walks towards him. That old man saw a stallion with golden fur and began to ask the guy for it:
“Give me the stallion, and I’ll give you a ring for it.” Whatever you want, it will be for you.
It was a pity for the stallion with golden fur, but he exchanged it for a ring.
After a long time, you never know, the fellow finally came to the old woman. His puppy has grown up, and so has his cat.
The old woman began to scold him that he had spent the money and let go of happiness, giving away the stallion with golden wool. They live and live.
The guy began to send the old woman to the king so that she would marry the king’s daughter to him. The old woman came to the king, told him, and he said:
“Let your son turn our river into silver and the banks into gold, then he will receive my daughter.”
The old woman came home and told her son about it. The boy took the ring, threw it up three times, and twelve heroes appeared at once.
-What do you want? - they ask.
- Turn our river into silver, and our banks into gold. Twelve heroes disappeared. And the king is amazed: the river has become silver, and its banks are golden.
An old woman comes to the king and says:
- Well, I came for the bride. Everything you said has been done.
“No,” says the king, “I won’t give it up now.” Let your fellow build a golden bridge across the silver river, and let silver boats float along the silver river.
That old woman came to the guy and told him everything. He went out into the street, threw the ring up three times, and instantly twelve heroes appeared.
-What do you want? - they ask.
“Make a bridge of gold on our river, and let silver boats float along the river.”
Twelve heroes disappeared. And the king is amazed: silver boats float on the river, and a golden bridge connects its banks. Horses run across the bridge, and sparks fly out from under the horseshoes. Fishermen ride in boats, and their oars shine with silver.
An old woman comes to the king and says:
- Well, I came for the bride. Everything that was said was done.
“No,” says the king, “I won’t give it up now.” Let your fellow make a big lake near my house. Let many fish swim in that lake. Let all those fish be silver.
The old lady came home and told the guy everything. He went outside, threw the ring up three times, and twelve heroes appeared. “What do you want?” they ask.
— Make a lake near the king’s house. Let all the fish there be silver.
Twelve heroes disappeared. The king comes out and is amazed. There is a large lake near his house. Silver fish swim in Tom Lake. Many horses came up to drink water.
An old woman comes to the king and says:
- Well, I came for the bride!
The king gave his daughter for that guy. They live for a year or two. They lived like this for six years and had three children. They built a large yurt.
One day the fellow began to get ready to go hunting. He took traps, a bow, and arrows and went fishing. His wife keeps asking him to tell him about the miracle, how he carried out all the king’s orders. But he doesn't tell her.
Again she began to beg him, promising to keep the secret. He believed her and gave her that ring. He himself went hunting.
His wife went out into the street, threw the ring up three times, and twelve heroes appeared.
-What do you want? - They say.
“I want,” says the young man’s wife, “to go overseas to King Arsalan.”
Twelve heroes disappeared, and the young man’s wife disappeared with her children.
How long or how long has the fellow walked? He came to his yurt. No wife, no children. He began to ask the old woman, she told him:
“Your wife disappeared as soon as you went hunting.” Then a cat and a dog approached him. They hit the ground and turned into boys. They told the young man that he needed to go to a large meadow. There will be many mares grazing in that meadow.
The good fellow went to the big meadow. Three hundred mares are grazing in that meadow. There is only one stallion. A little stallion with smoke coming out of his ears, his fur is golden. He grabbed that stallion and walked along the road.
He looks at an old man walking along the road. Poor, ragged. The old man began to ask for a stallion.
The young man began to cry and told the old man about everything that had happened.
- Don't cry! - said the old man. - Go home. Let your dog and cat go to the sea with you. They will take you across the sea, and there you will see a golden palace. Your wife lives in that palace. Let them grab the ring and run away. You will receive a ring and begin to live well again.
The fellow came home and told everything to the cat and dog. He himself fell ill. They brought a shaman. That shaman ordered the deer to be slaughtered. They killed the deer, treated and treated the young man, but they couldn’t do anything. The shaman did not know what evil spirit had entered the soul of the young man.
Then the cat and dog went on their own. They walked and walked for seventy years. They came to the sea. The cat sat astride the dog, and so they swam across the sea. We went ashore and saw a large palace.
The dog remained on the shore, and the cat went to the house of King Arsalan. There are whole herds of horses, cows and deer all around. The cat found out everything and saw the ring.
At night, when the king’s daughter went to bed, the cat began to scratch her hand with its paw. She scratched and scratched and scratched for a long time. Then the king's wife took off the ring and put it on the table. The cat grabbed the ring and ran to the seashore where the dog was.
The cat sat astride the dog and swam away. They began to swim to the shore and argued which of them would give the ring to the young man. They argued and argued and dropped the ring to the bottom of the sea.
They began to cry and be sad. They walked for a long time along the seashore. Then we saw fishermen. After a successful catch, they sat near a large fire.
The cat and the dog hit the ground and turned into boys. They began to fish. We once caught a large taimen. They found his ring in his intestines.
They came to the young man in the yurt, and he became an old man, his beard turned grey. He took that ring and went outside. He tossed the ring up three times. Twelve heroes instantly appeared.
-What do you want? - They say.
“I ask you to return my wife from King Arsalan, and to bring the king to me.” Twelve heroes disappeared.
The next morning the young man got up, his wife was lying next to him, and the boys were in the yard. He had a lot of deer, and their former king Arsalan tended the deer.
The good fellow still hunted animals. He shot the bird in flight and caught up with the musk deer while running. If he gets the meat, he will share it with everyone. I just didn’t give that ring to anyone.
Many people came to the young man’s yurt to look at King Arsalan. The people did not like him, he was evil, he tormented poor people, there were people around him who were scolded by him. Now people came from all countries, looked at the shepherd Arsalan and said:
- There was an evil king, Arsalan was evil. Now let him suffer himself, let him graze deer, let him walk around in rags.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru