An orphan named Jean lived in a village. His life was bad, he was hungry. And one day he decided to go to the city. Maybe happiness will smile on him there?
At first he hired himself as a servant to one master. And that gentleman was none other than the devil himself. How could such a simple village guy like Jean know about this?
He performed his duties regularly, cleaned the gentleman’s clothes, and cleaned the house. And most importantly, I followed his horses. The owner had two horses: a black stallion and a white mare.
One day a gentleman was getting ready to go to a neighboring town on business and said to his servant Jean:
“I’m leaving, maybe for a day, maybe for two, or maybe for a week, or even a month.” I order you to strictly follow my order all this time: feed the black horse oats; and while he eats the oats, you can whip the white mare with a whip. But don’t you dare disobey me, otherwise you won’t leave alive!
Jean was surprised at such an order, but still was afraid of angering the evil owner, and when he left and the time had come to give the horses food, Jean poured oats into the black horse’s feeder, and he himself took the whip and swung at the white mare! And suddenly she says to him in a human voice:
- Don't hit me, Jean! Better run away from your owner quickly. Do you know who he is? The devil himself!
Jean was very surprised, but did not touch the mare, but poured oats into her too. After eating, the mare said:
- You took pity on me, Jean! And I will never forget this to you. And now we need to escape from here. Don't believe that the owner won't be back for a long time. He will come today to check how you are carrying out his orders, and then you will feel bad.
Get on top of me and grab a bag of oats, a comb and a wet washcloth for the road.
Jean jumped up astride a white mare and was off. So they gallop for a day or two, or maybe a week, or even a month and a little more, and the mare says:
- Look around, Jean, is there anything wonderful behind you?
Jean looked around and saw black smoke crawling behind them and spreading along the ground.
“The smoke is black, but nothing else,” he says to the mare.
- Trouble! - says the mare. “That means the devil has set off in pursuit of us and will catch up with us now.” Throw the comb to the ground quickly!
Jean threw the comb to the ground, and immediately behind them a dense forest and thorny bushes grew. They gallop further. They gallop for a day and gallop for two, or maybe a week, or even a month and a little more, and the white mare says to Jean:
- Look around, Jean, is there anything wonderful behind you?
Jean looked around and saw that it was no longer black smoke creeping behind them, but a red flame running.
- The fire is following us! - says Jean.
- Oh, the trouble, the devil has not given up, he wants to catch up with us and destroy us! Throw the wet washcloth on the ground quickly!
Jean threw a wet washcloth onto the ground, and immediately a wide river overflowed behind them. The wind rose here, waves roared across the water, the river boiled and burst from its banks. And the white mare gallops forward. And a day jumps, and two, and a week, and maybe a month and a little more. Jean turned around and there was nothing behind him.
“So the devil has disappeared,” says the mare. “Now you and I are free, Jean, and we can part here.”
Jean was saddened: he didn’t want to part with the white mare, and where would he go in unfamiliar lands?
“Don’t worry, Jean,” says the mare. - You left me
I saved misfortunes, and I will give you happiness. Now go alone along this road, and when you reach the count's castle, ask to serve as an assistant to the gardener. And then you will see everything for yourself. But remember: if you feel bad and need my help, just call: “Come to me, white mare!”
And I will come to your aid right away.
They parted, and Jean walked along the road alone. He came to the count's castle and hired himself, as the white mare said, as an assistant to the count's gardener. And the count’s daughter was very pretty. She often went for a walk in the garden and one day she met Jean there, and, of course, she fell in love with him, and Jean with her. This always happens in fairy tales, like it or not, but what is a fairy tale without a maiden and a kind fellow?
But the count himself did not like this love. This was not the kind of groom the illustrious count dreamed of for his daughter. And he thought to get rid of Jean. He gave him the order to weed the entire garden in one day and clear all the dry branches from the trees. If it doesn’t clean it up, it can be cleaned as quickly as possible. And the garden was large, there was no end in sight. And there are countless trees, and all the apples, pears and plums.
Jean went to the far end of the garden, where the bushes and trees were thicker, and shouted loudly:
- Come to me, white mare!
And immediately a white mare appeared in front of him, hitting the ground with her hoof, steam escaping from her nostrils. Poor Jean told her his misfortune: they say, so and so, it’s a pity for him to part with the count’s daughter.
“There are even more difficult tasks,” the white mare told him and ordered him to mount quickly. “You and I will ride around the garden three times, and then boldly go to the count - not a twig or blade of grass will be left in the garden.”
That's what Jean did. The count marveled at his dexterity, did not send him away, and decided to give him a new task, more difficult than the previous one.
“If you’re so clever,” he said to Jean, “make sure that all my trees bloom again by tomorrow morning.” If you fail, it means you are a bad gardener and then you can go wherever you want.
Jean was afraid that even a white mare would not be able to complete such a task: after all, it was already deep autumn, even the first snow had fallen. And yet Jean went to the far end of the garden and called quietly:
- Come to me, white mare!
And immediately the white mare appeared before him. Jean complained about what task the count had given him, but this time the white mare helped him. They drove around the garden three times, and Jean returned home to his closet. And the next morning he looked out the window - what a miracle! The whole garden is blooming again, and the birds are fluttering along the branches and singing as if spring has come. Everyone was happy about the new spring. Everyone, except the count himself: it’s a well-known fact that in spring not only flowers bloom, but love also blooms. And he decided to quickly find a groom for his daughter, so that she would forget the gardener Jean.
And so the count announced to all neighboring counties that he was going to marry off his daughter. And whoever wants to win her hand must take part in the tournament. It will go to the one who wounds the count himself in the right leg.
A wonderful condition, you say? So, demanding that the apple tree bloom when the apples are already ripe is even more wonderful! But, apparently, this count was such a person, he did everything in a wonderful way.
And on the appointed day, noble nobles, counts and viscounts, princes and barons, gathered at the count's castle. Everyone wanted such a beauty as a wife, and a rich heiress at that.
Only the bride herself was unhappy. The poor girl knew that a simple gardener would not be allowed to fight at the tournament.
And even if they allowed it, where would he get a horse and armor? Will she really have to part with dear Jean forever?
And then the trumpets sounded, and all the tournament participants rode out onto the lists to show off their horses and show off their expensive armor. All of them had good horses, and even better armor, but not one was able to get closer than a sword's length to the count in order to wound him in the right leg.
“Is there really no worthy warrior to deserve my daughter?” — the count was beginning to get angry. Suddenly a new rider appeared on the lists, only he was poorly dressed and the horse under him was limping on one leg. The count peered at him and recognized his gardener Jean.
- Get out! Out! - the count shouted. “A commoner shouldn’t dare fight in a noble tournament!”
And all the other suitors and spectators shouted at him and waved their hands. Poor Jean had to leave the lists on his nag.
However, not even a moment passed before a new opponent appeared in front of the count. The horse under him is black, the horse’s eyes are burning with fire, his mane is fluttering in the wind. The harness and bridle on the horse are made of pure silver, and the armor on the beautiful knight is made of pure gold. Before the count had time to recover from amazement, a new knight rode up to him on a black horse and stabbed the count right in the right leg.
With that the tournament ended. And the winner immediately disappeared, no one saw him again.
The next day the count invited all the tournament participants to a rich feast. He really wanted to find out which of the noble nobles had wounded him, who had the good fortune to marry his beautiful daughter? And he showed his guests the tip of the sword that had been taken out of his leg. Whoever has a broken sword and this tip is missing is the winner! However, there was no such lucky person among the nobles.
Then suddenly the trumpets began to play in the castle courtyard, and after that someone entered the banquet hall - well, who do you think? - gardener Jean. He handed the tip of the sword to the count and said:
- Do you recognize me as your daughter’s fiancé?
- Get out! Out! - the count shouted. But Jean quietly called:
- Come to me, white mare!
And immediately a white mare appeared before him. Jean picked up the count's daughter and rode off with her on a white mare.
They traveled around the county three times, and when they returned, they played a merry wedding.
Is that all? - you ask.
All! The more I tell, the more I lie. Nobody gave me money so I could tell you the truth.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru