A long time ago, there lived an old man and an old woman in a small village. They had no children for a long time, only in their declining years the old woman gave birth to a son. The parents were happy that they had an heir and gave him the good peasant name Ivan.
Ivan grew by leaps and bounds, and by the age of eighteen he had grown into a real hero.
At that time, Ekhrem Patsha reigned in the local kingdom-state. He loved to sleep, and often saw all sorts of wonders in his dreams. Once he dreamed: a twelve-headed snake on a horse with seven legs was riding across a bridge over a river; A dog sits in front of a snake on a horse's mane.
Ekhrem Patsha woke up and, without thinking twice, decided: if I saw something in a dream, it must be somewhere in reality!
And the king ordered to build a high tower. So high that you can see other countries from it. And when the tower was ready, Ekhrem Patsha ordered to erect a huge mirror on its top. Anyone was allowed to climb the tower and look in the mirror, and Ekhrem promised the one who saw the seven-legged horse in the mirror and brought him to the king half the kingdom.
Many people of all ranks visited the tower and looked in the mirror, but no one saw anything. The mirror was heavy, weighing no less than nine pounds, and it took six, or even seven, to twist and turn it. But no matter how much they turned and twisted that mirror, no one saw the seven-legged horse in it.
The rumor about the royal tower with a mirror reached the village in which Ivan Batyr lived with his parents.
“Let’s go and have a look,” Ivan said to his father. “What if we see something.”
The father was sure in advance that he and Ivan would not see anything in the mirror, but in order not to upset his son, he agreed.
They arrived at the tower in the evening, people - both those who climbed the tower and those who came here out of curiosity - had already begun to disperse.
“Come on, father, let’s get up,” says Ivan.
“Is it worth it?” the father tried to dissuade his son. “We’ll just suffer in vain - the tower is so tall!” By the time we go up, there won’t be a single person left there; there will be no one to help turn the mirror.
“Perhaps we can handle it ourselves,” Ivan insists. “An attempt is not torture.”
They began to rise. And when they got up, Ivan took the mirror in his hands and alone began to turn it back and forth.
The father marveled at his son’s heroic strength, and the people standing below the tower marveled.
And Ivan turned the mirror to the north - he didn’t see anything, he turned it to the east, to the south - the same thing, turned to the west - and he didn’t immediately believe his eyes: a twelve-headed snake on a seven-legged horse was riding across the bridge; in front, on the horse's mane, the dog rides.
The delighted Ivan told his father about what he had seen, and he was not only delighted, but also warned his son:
“If you saw it, don’t tell Patsha, tell him, he’ll send you after that seven-legged horse, and who knows whether you’ll come back or perish in a foreign land.”
They went down from the tower, the patsha asked:
- Well, what did you see?
“We didn’t see anything,” Ivan answered.
And they went home with their father. As they walked and walked, Ivan couldn’t stand it and paused:
“No, father, I can’t help but tell Patsha what I saw in the mirror.” It doesn't work out well somehow.
The father understands: it’s still impossible to keep his son-batyr near him and agrees:
“You’re too big, do as you please.” They return to the city, Ivan says to the king:
“I didn’t dare tell you just now, but now I’ll tell you: I saw in the mirror how a twelve-headed snake on a seven-legged horse rode across a large bridge across the river.”
The Tsar immediately calls Ivan and his father to his palace, seats them in a place of honor and begins to treat them like the most dear guests. And so that the old mother would not languish alone without them, he sent servants for her with instructions to bring her to the palace.
“Eat, drink, be merry for three weeks, Ivan!” said the Tsar. “It will be boring to walk in my capital - there is no road to any other city.” And wherever you go, nowhere and nothing will be prohibited for you,” and he gave Ivan his written royal command to do so.
Ivan has been walking and having fun for three weeks. And when they had passed, he came to the king and said:
“Give me three of your soldiers to help me and tell them to obey me in everything, as the elder.”
Patsha gives Ivan three soldiers and repeats his promise:
“If you bring a seven-legged horse to my royal court, you will immediately receive half the kingdom.”
Ivan and the soldiers are getting ready for the road, the four of them ride out on four horses.
Whether it was a long or short journey, they arrived in a dense dense forest. In the middle of the forest there is a large clearing, a river flows through the clearing, and on the bank of the river there is a hut.
They rested in this hut for three days and three nights. Meanwhile, the horses were also gaining strength for the new road, fortunately there was lush grass in the clearing and there was plenty of clean water in the river.
Three days later they moved on. We drove and drove, and came to a wide river. There is a large bridge across the river, on the bank, near the bridge, there is a large house, and that house is full of people.
Ivan asks:
- Why are there so many of you here?
“Don’t you see what a big snake lies on the bridge and doesn’t allow anyone to move?”
Ivan came closer to the bridge. Across it was indeed a huge snake—seven fathoms long—laying. Seeing Ivan, the snake hissed and extended its long tongue.
“Don’t frighten me, I’m not timid,” said Ivan, pulled out his heroic sword and cut off the snake’s head in one fell swoop.
Ivan chopped the body of the snake into small pieces, placed it under the bridge and crushed it with a stone.
“The path is clear,” he said to the people gathered in the house. “Everyone can go where they need to go.”
People thank Ivan and rush to the bridge. Ivan and his soldiers remain in an empty house.
“We’ll guard the bridge,” Ivan says to the soldiers. “And we’ll draw lots for who will hold guard on what night.”
The soldiers looked at each other and - in one voice:
- If you want, the guard itself, but we won’t. You and I didn’t go of our own free will, and if you and that seven-legged horse started a mess, you can sort it out yourself.
Ivan Batyr could have forced the soldiers to obey his order: the Patsha gave him power over them, and he also had plenty of strength. But what is the use of such guards who need to be driven to the post with a stick? And Ivan didn’t like to quarrel with anyone. Kind by nature, he wanted to live in kindness and peace with others.
“Okay,” he told the soldiers, “I’ll stand guard myself.” But you don’t sleep here either, be on your guard, you never know how things might turn out.
With these words, he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, hung it on a nail in the wall, and placed a plate under the handkerchief.
“If the handkerchief gets wet with blood and it starts dripping into the plate, immediately, without hesitation, run out to help me.”
Ivan left the house, sat under the bridge, waiting to see what would happen next.
Exactly at midnight, a horse's tramp was heard: a three-headed snake on a horse with four legs was approaching the bridge. A little short of reaching the bridge, the horse suddenly stumbled.
“What, you wolf, are you tripping?” the snake angrily shouted at the horse.
“The strength of Ivan the Batyr makes you stumble,” the horse answers.
“Where does Ivan come from here?!” the snake became even more angry. “He’s probably walking around Ekhrem Patsha’s garden with the girls, choosing a bride for himself.”
Here Ivan Batyr comes out from under the bridge and takes his sword out of its sheath.
The snake saw Ivan and asked:
- Peacefully, will we come to an agreement or will we fight?
“We won’t be able to have a peaceful conversation,” Ivan answers, “we’ll fight.”
“If so,” says the snake, “begin.” Otherwise I’ll hit you and all that’s left of you is a wet spot.
“Whoever brags, let me start, and we’ll see what kind of place is left of him.”
The snake gathered his strength and hit Ivan with his mighty tail. He drove the warrior into the ground up to his ankles. But Ivan did not flinch, swung his heroic sword and cut off all three heads of the snake at once. He chopped the snake's body into small pieces, crushed it with a stone, and led the horse to the house.
He enters the house - the soldiers are sleeping like the dead.
“Ay-ay-ay, no shame, no conscience,” Ivan began to shame them. “I asked you to be on guard, and you are sleeping as if you hadn’t slept a year before.”
“Yes, we just dozed off,” the soldiers make excuses.
And in order to somehow make amends for their offense to Ivan, they quickly jumped up from their seats and immediately got down to business: one carries firewood, another builds a fireplace, a third cooks food.
Ivan ate, lay down to rest, and accumulated strength for the new duty.
The next evening, Ivan again hangs his handkerchief on a nail, puts a plate under it and punishes the soldiers:
- Watch the handkerchief: as soon as blood drips from it, it means I’m in trouble, run out immediately to help.
“We’ll keep an eye,” the soldiers answer.
And as soon as the door closed behind Ivan, they sat down to play checkers.
Ivan leaves the house and stands guard under the bridge.
Exactly at midnight, a six-headed snake on a horse approaches the bridge. A little before reaching the bridge, the horse suddenly stumbles.
“Why are you tripping out of the blue?” the snake asks displeasedly.
“The strength of Ivan the Batyr makes you stumble,” the horse answers.
“Where do you see Ivan the Batyr?” the snake wonders. “He’s playing hide and seek with the girls in the garden of Ekhrem Patsha now.”
Here Ivan comes out from under the bridge and places his heroic right hand on the hilt of his sword.
Now the snake sees Ivan and asks:
- Well, shall we disperse peacefully or shall we fight?
“We can’t part ways peacefully,” Ivan answers. “We’ll fight.”
“Then strike first,” the snake suggests.
“You hit me, and I’ll see how you do it,” says Ivan.
As soon as the snake hit Ivan with its tail, he sank knee-deep into the ground. It was Ivanov’s turn. The batyr swung his sharp sword and in one blow took off all six heads of the snake. He chopped the snake's body into small pieces, crushed it with a heavy stone, and took the horse with him.
Ivan comes into the house, and the soldiers have played enough of checkers and gone to bed - only snoring can be heard.
“I rely on you,” says Ivan, “and you, slackers, sleep like the dead.”
“We’re not sleeping at all, we just dozed off a little,” the soldiers again make excuses.
And again they quickly jump up and get down to business: some go to fetch water, some to give the horses food, some begin to prepare food.
Ivan ate and lay down to rest: after all, he still had to guard the bridge tomorrow.
A new night has come, Ivan again hangs the scarf on a nail, puts a plate under it and strictly punishes the soldiers:
- Be on your guard! As soon as blood starts dripping from the handkerchief into the plate, immediately come to my aid.
Exactly at midnight, a nine-headed serpent appeared on a horse. The horse reached the bridge and suddenly stumbled.
“Why are you stumbling out of the blue?” asked the snake.
“The strength of Ivan the Batyr breaks his legs,” the horse answers.
“Where does Ivan the Batyr come from here?!” the snake laughed. “He’s probably now walking in Ekhrem Patsha’s garden with the girls.”
Ivan comes out from under the bridge and pulls his sword out of its sheath. “I see you don’t want to disperse peacefully,” says the snake. “You’re going to fight.”
“Of course, fight,” Ivan answers.
“Well, strike first,” the snake suggests. “You start,” Ivan answers.
The snake drove Ivan almost waist-deep into the ground, hitting him with its tail. Ivan, in turn, swung his damask sword once - he cut off six heads from the snake, swung it again - the remaining three rolled to the ground. Ivan crushed the torso, chopped into pieces, with a large stone, and took the horse with him.
He enters the house and sees a familiar picture.
“I’m exhausted, I barely made it home, and here you are snoring as if nothing had happened,” he reproaches the soldier.
“We didn’t sleep all night, we just dozed off just before you arrived,” the soldiers justify themselves, clearing their sleepy eyes.
Ivan ate and lay down to rest, gathering strength for a new battle.
The next evening, Ivan again hung his handkerchief on a nail, placed a plate under it and strictly punished the soldiers:
- Be especially careful this night. Who knows, maybe the twelve-headed serpent himself on a seven-legged horse will come - then it will be very difficult for me. Watch the scarf: as soon as even one drop falls from it, immediately run out to me. If I find anyone sleeping, let him blame himself.
Ivan stood guard and waited.
At midnight, a dog barked, and soon the twelve-headed serpent himself appeared on a seven-legged horse. At the bridge the horse, although it had seven legs, still stumbled.
“Why are you stumbling, you wolf?” the snake asks menacingly.
“I feel the strength of Ivan the Batyr,” the horse answers.
- How can you smell it if Ivan is now, probably, dancing in round dances with the girls in the garden of Ekh-rema-patsha? - the snake doesn’t believe.
Here Ivan comes out of hiding and, as if out of the ground, appears in front of the snake.
- A-ah, are you really here?! — the snake was either surprised or delighted. “Well, it’s worse for you.” Do you want to surrender to my mercy or will we fight?
“Your mercy is known to everyone,” Ivan answers. “We will fight and fight not to the stomach, but to the death.”
“Well, if that’s the case, while you’re alive and well, strike first,” says the snake. “Otherwise I’ll hit you and there won’t be a wet spot left of you.”
“Whoever brags, let him start,” answers Ivan. “And then we’ll see who has what place left.”
“Then hold on!” said the snake and hit Ivan with its tail so hard that it drove him into the ground above the waist.
It was hard for Ivan, but still he contrived, swung his heroic sword once - six heads of the snake rolled to the ground, swung the second - he cut down the other six. There’s just one problem: the snake’s body can’t be thrown off the horse. And this way and that Ivan approached, finally moved from his place, knocked him down - a new disaster: before Ivan had time to dodge, the snake’s carcass fell right on him and crushed him so much that he could not move his arm or leg. It’s hard to say how all this would have ended if the smart seven-legged horse had not come to Ivan’s aid. He hollowed out the ground around Ivan with his hoof and freed him.
With the last of his strength, Ivan chopped the snake into pieces, crushed it with a stone and, accompanied by a seven-legged horse, went into the house.
Meanwhile, one soldier, either from the noise of the battle, or from the fact that he had a bad dream, woke up. I looked at the plate, and it was filled to the brim with blood. The soldier rushed to wake up his comrades, but did not have time - Ivan had already entered the house.
“I almost gave my soul to God, but not a single sleepyhead came to my aid,” Ivan reproached the soldiers rubbing their eyes.
“As you can see, I didn’t sleep; they also recently dozed off.” Just as you were about to wake them up so that you could go out together to help everyone - you are going yourself - the awake soldier justified himself and his comrades.
Ivan did not have the strength to argue with the soldiers. He didn't even have the strength to eat. He fell onto the bed like a mown sheaf and immediately fell into a deathly sleep.
Ivan the Batyr sleeps for a day, and sleeps for the second. The soldiers even began to be afraid: maybe their eldest had died. And Ivan got up three days later and only then asked for food.
We cooked lunch, ate a hearty meal and began to pack for the return journey.
Ivan led the seven-legged horse out of the yard, and he said to him:
“We won’t rush home.” The wives of those snakes whom you hacked to pieces here, at the bridge, want to take revenge on you and for this purpose tomorrow they are meeting in a house on the shore of a bloody lake for their snake council. It would be nice for you to listen to what they have to say.
“How can I listen to them?” asked Ivan Batyr.
“And I’ll make you a fly, you’ll hide in the crack and you’ll hear everything you need,” the wise horse answers.
He turned Ivan into a fly, he flew to the house on the shore of the bloody lake, hid in a crevice and began to wait.
A little time passed, all the snake wives gathered and began their meeting.
The wife of the three-headed serpent spoke first.
“We must definitely take revenge on those who killed our husbands,” she began. “I will become a green clearing on their road, they will let their horses graze, and they themselves will fall into my mouth.”
The wife of the six-headed serpent went even further:
“You’re unlikely to finish them off that way.” I will spread out on their road like a green meadow and a bright river. They will water the horses and drink water from the river themselves. This is where I'll deal with them.
“It may turn out that they will remain safe and sound,” said the wife of the nine-headed serpent. “On their way I will become a garden with ruddy apples on the branches.” They definitely won’t pass by such a garden, they’ll start picking apples, eating them, and they’ll land right on my teeth.
The wife of the twelve-headed serpent spoke last:
“The garden is good, but it’s also not very reliable: either they’ll pick those apples, or they won’t... I’ll do this: I’ll open my mouth so that one lip will rest on the ground and the other on the sky, try, walk and don’t get into my mouth.”
So the snake wives, or rather widows, spoke, and separated, went home. Ivan Batyr also returned to his soldiers.
Ivan gave his comrades two horses each, he himself mounted the seven-legged one, and they set off on their journey.
They drive and drive, they are tired. And then I came across a green clearing on the way. The soldiers were delighted: we would graze the horses in this clearing, and we ourselves would have a little refreshment. And Ivan Batyr says:
“Don’t rush to that clearing, you can’t graze horses there.”
With these words, he himself was the first to drive up to the clearing, waved his sword crosswise, and the clearing from green turned red and bloody.
“Have you seen it?” Ivan said to the soldiers. “Be careful, there may be something else on the way ahead.”
They drove further - a large meadow appeared, through that meadow a river, as bright as a tear, flows. The soldiers rejoice again:
“Well, in this meadow we’ll definitely feed the horses and drink clean water ourselves.”
“Don’t rush,” Ivan Batyr tells them again. “Don’t get ahead of me.”
Ivan waved his sword crosswise, first over the meadow, and then over the river, and at the same moment the meadow turned red and the river began to flow with blood.
“Did you see?” Ivan asked his comrades again.
“You can’t help but see,” the soldiers answered. “We’ll be smarter moving forward.”
Whether they drove long or short, they saw: not far from the road there was a lush garden. On the branches of apple trees there are such plump, ruddy apples hanging that you wouldn’t even want them, but once you pick them, you can’t stand them.
The tired soldiers perked up and became emboldened. One view of the garden pleases both the eyes and the heart.
“Well, let’s taste the apples of paradise, let’s relieve our souls,” they say among themselves and direct their horses to the garden.
And again Ivan Batyr stops his impatient comrades:
- We agreed not to rush.
He drives up to the garden, chops down one apple tree with his sword, then another, and before the eyes of the soldiers, the whole garden is covered in blood, and then disappears, as if it had never existed.
They move on. How much or how little have we traveled? The seven-legged horse says to Ivan:
- Well, Ivan, hold on, we’re approaching the wife of the main twelve-headed snake. And as soon as we arrive, say these words to her: “You, mistress, let my comrades through, since there is no guilt on them. I’m the only one to blame, you swallow me.” Meanwhile, hit me in the right shoulder blade - I’ll jump back a hundred yards, hit me on the back again - I’ll fly under the clouds. Then, without wasting any time, raise your sword and cut off the head of the main snake.
As soon as the horse said these words, they rode up to the wife of the twelve-headed serpent. She put one lip on the ground, and lifted the other into the very sky - she couldn’t walk or drive through.
Ivan Batyr says:
- You, hostess, let my comrades through - they are not guilty of anything. I'm the only one to blame, swallow me if you don't choke.
The main snake didn’t like Ivan’s last words, but she still raised her lower lip from the ground to the horse’s height and let the soldiers through. Meanwhile, Ivan hit the seven-legged horse in the right shoulder blade - the horse jumped back a hundred yards. He hit him on the back again - the horse flew up into the clouds. Ivan swung his heroic sword and cut off the head of the main snake - as if thunder thundered when the snake's head rolled to the ground. He chopped the body into pieces, buried it in the ground and drove on.
Out of nowhere, Chige-Khursuhal, an old man with elbow length, with a fathom-long beard, jumped out onto the road and jumped in front of the horse, teasing Ivan. Ivan the Batyr got angry and got off his horse to reach the evil old man with his sword. However, he hit once - he missed, he hit again - the old man dodged his elbow. Ivan swung his sword a third time, and meanwhile the old man jumped onto a seven-legged horse and galloped away from Ivan.
Ivan Batyr remained on foot. He walks, barely keeping pace, behind Chige-khursukhal. He walks like this, walks, reaches the old man’s house and asks:
“Give me my seven-legged horse, without it I’d better not come to Ekhrem Patsha.”
“No, now you won’t get your horse so easily,” Chige-khursukhal answers him. “Behind the seventy-seven kingdoms-states lives, they say, Maxim Patsha.” They say he has a beautiful daughter, Marye. So, when you bring her to me, then you will receive a seven-legged horse.
Ivan the Batyr grieved and grieved, there was nothing to do, he went to look for Maxim Patsha.
He walked and walked - there was a cup of water on the road.
“Where are you going, Ivan Batyr?” the cup asks him.
“For the daughter of Maxim Patsha,” Ivan answers.
“Take me with you,” a cup of water asked.
“If you want to go, go,” Ivan allowed, “it’s more fun together.” They went along with the cup. As they walked and walked, they met Frost.
“How far are you going?” Moroz asks Ivan.
“We’re going for Maxim Patsha’s daughter,” Ivan answered.
“Take me with you,” Frost asked,
“If you want to go, go,” Ivan allowed, “the three of us will be more fun.”
They walked and walked towards Apshur the glutton.
“Where are you going?” asks.
“For the daughter of Maxim Patsha,” Ivan answers him.
“Is it possible for me to go with you?” asks Apshur. Ivan thought to himself that they didn’t seem to need Glutton at all, just unnecessary trouble, but still he allowed him to go along. Maybe he won’t eat it.
Whether they walked long or short, they came to the kingdom-state of Maxim Patsha.
Maxim Patsha greeted them cordially, seated them at the table as the most dear guests, and treated them to all sorts of dishes.
“What business are you on and where are you going?” asks Maxim Patsha.
“If we speak directly, without tricks and without roundaboutness,” Ivan Batyr answers him, “we have come to woo your daughter.”
“Good job!” Maxim Patsha was even more delighted. “Now we’ll call her too, let her know.”
The servants brought the king's daughter, the beautiful Marya. She also shows her cordiality in front of the guests, showering them all with mash and mead.
“Good job!” repeated Maxim Patsha. “But before I give you my daughter, I’ll ask you two tasks.” If you cope with them, take your daughter; if you don’t cope, blame yourself.
Ivan said he agreed.
“Here is your first task,” the king spoke again. “By tomorrow morning, I will order a loaf of bread to be baked from sixteen pounds of flour, and a roast to be prepared from sixty oxen.” If you eat all this in 24 hours, your daughter will be yours.
Ivan has already begun to regret that he agreed to the condition of the patsha, and at this time Glutton quietly pushes him in the side:
- Don’t refuse, we’ll eat for your dear soul.
Ivan agrees. And the next day they ate everything that was prepared for them.
Maxim the Patsha thought and thought and sets a new task.
“I’ll order the bathhouse to be heated,” he says. “I’ll order the bathhouse to be heated for seven days in a row and eight carts of wood to be burned.” And then you have to wash in this bathhouse for the whole day without getting out. And when you wash yourself, I will give my daughter to you, clean ones.
Hearing the words of Maxim Patsha, Moroz pushes Ivan in the side:
- Don’t be shy, agree! Ivan agrees.
The next morning they begin to heat the bathhouse. In the meantime, she is drowning - seven days - not a short period of time! - Maxim Patsha still treats guests, entertains them with songs and music.
Seven days passed, the servants reported to the king: the bathhouse was ready.
Then Ivan says to Moroz:
“You go first, and we’ll come a little later.”
Frost came into the bathhouse, blew in one corner, in another - blew out all the warmth. Ivan had to pull back the overzealous Moroz.
“Blow more quietly,” he said, “otherwise you will completely cool the bathhouse, and it will be cold to wash.”
Frost moderated his efforts and made the bath neither cold nor hot. Except that the pebbles on the heater were still hot. The royal servants won’t stop and splash a bucket of water on them to keep the steam in the bathhouse. And as soon as they catch up a little too much, the cup collects water into itself, and it’s neither hot nor cold in the bathhouse - you can wash for at least an hour, at least for a day.
Exactly 24 hours later, as agreed, the royal daughter came to visit the guests. She was sure that they had been dead for a long time, and opened the bathhouse door without knocking. Ivan the Batyr, don’t be bad, grabbed the beautiful Marya’s hand and never let go. They ran away from Maxim Patsha straight from the bathhouse. The frost remained in the bathhouse for some time and completely chilled it out.
The Patsha waited and waited for his daughter and became worried: “Didn’t she suffocate in that bathhouse from the heat?” And when he himself came to the bathhouse, he saw that there was no one there, and icicles were hanging from the ceiling.
The Patsha understood what had happened and sent an infantry regiment after Ivan.
No matter how fast the soldiers walked, they did not overtake Ivan and his companions and returned back.
Then Maxim Patsha sends a regiment of cavalry. The cavalry began to overtake the fugitives. Then Apshur went ahead and vomited what he had eaten a week ago. The cavalry stopped, the horses' legs began to get stuck and slip. And then the cup poured out all its water - a completely impassable swamp formed behind the fugitives.
They walked and walked to the place where... Apshur met Ivan with his companions and arrived. Apshur said goodbye to everyone and turned towards home.
Then Frost remained in his place, and the cup of water. Ivan Batyr and the beautiful Marye were left alone.
The path was not close, and while they walked, they managed to fall in love with each other. And the more Ivan liked Princess Marya, the more sad he became. And when she asked him what he was sad about, Ivan said:
“Soon we will reach the house of Chige-hursuhal, and I will have to leave you with this evil old man.”
Beauty Marya says to him:
“When you give me to the old man, give me not with my head, but with my feet first.” Then I will be able to get rid of him, and then I will become a needle and stick to you.
Ivan does just that: he gives Marya Chige-Khursukhalu feet first. The old man, in turn, leads the seven-legged horse out of the stall and hands the reins to Ivan. Ivan gets on his horse and rides out onto the road.
Meanwhile, Ekhrem Patsha interrogates the three soldiers who returned before Ivan:
- Why did you leave Ivan the Batyr alone? Didn't you kill him, swindlers? Confess, otherwise I’ll hang you,” and he orders the gallows to be prepared.
One of the soldiers asks the king for permission to climb the tower and see if Ivan the Batyr is coming. The king allows it. The soldier looks in the mirror and sees Ivan the Batyr on a seven-legged horse.
“Okay, let’s wait,” says the king and pauses the execution.
And Ivan Batyr, having driven a little away from Chige-Khursukhal’s house, stops in a meadow to feed his horse and rest himself. He gets off his horse, and he says to him:
“I seemed to be carrying you alone, but it still seemed to me like there were two.”
Then he shook himself, a needle fell out of the saddle and immediately turned into the beautiful Marya. Ivan and Marya were happy to be together again. They gave the horse some grass to nibble, and then they sat on him and rode on. And when the capital city appeared, where Ekhrem Patsha reigned, Marya said to Ivan:
“When we come to Ekhrem Patsha, he will first treat us for three days, and then he will want to marry me.” Then you tell him: “Shouldn’t we go to the garden before the wedding, shoot a gun and see who can do it?” Patsha will agree to go out into the garden and shoot with a gun. Then his own bullet will hit him and kill him.
Ivan and Marye are riding on a seven-legged horse, and from the tower they can be seen without any mirror. And those who see say among themselves:
“Ivan Batyr is not traveling alone; he has seated a beautiful girl in front of him.”
When entering the city they are greeted with music. Ekhrem Patsha leads them to his palace and feasts with them for three days.
Ivan Batyr learns from the king that his soldiers are languishing in captivity, and asks them to immediately release them and bring them to the festive table. The soldiers drank and ate at the royal table!
Three days passed, the invited guests left. Ekhrem Patsha says to Ivan:
- Well done for getting a seven-legged horse! But give me the beautiful Marya too. You yourself say that she is the king’s daughter, which means she is not a match for you.
“Okay, I’ll give it to you,” agrees, as Marya taught him, Ivan the Batyr. “Just let’s go for a walk with you in the garden before the wedding.”
They go out into the garden with their patsha and take a walk.
“Shouldn’t we shoot with a gun,” Ivan suggests. “Let’s find out who has the sharpest eye and the most accurate hand.”
“Let’s shoot,” Ekhrem-patsha agrees.
He takes a gun and shoots. The barrel of the gun explodes and the bullet hits him right in the forehead.
After Ekhrem Patsha was buried, Ivan Batyr began to rule the kingdom. She and Marye got married and still, they say, live in love, peace and harmony.
The fairy tale is over, although the words still remain...
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru