One prince had an only son, and the other had an only daughter. The boy's name was Kabardi Hasan, and the girl's name was Sauka. They lived - he in the west, she - in the east of the country. Kabardi Hasan heard about the beautiful Sauku and decided to marry her. He set off on his journey, taking with him his faithful foster brother. They rode for a long time and night found them on their way. They stopped in a field under three oak trees and decided to spend the night here. As soon as they dismounted, their horses disappeared somewhere.
-What is this? - the prince was surprised. -Where did they go? We haven’t even taken the khurjins off their saddles, but we’re hungry.
As soon as he said this, a tablecloth appeared in front of them, and on it were all kinds of dishes. They ate, drank, and just got up when the tablecloth was removed, and soft beds appeared in its place. They went to bed. The prince's son immediately fell asleep, but his foster brother did not sleep. Now he hears voices among the foliage of the oak tree, but whose voice is unknown.
“This is our guest,” said one voice. “He’s going to woo Sauku as his wife.” What happiness will we give him?
“But this is how it is,” answered another voice. - In the house where he comes to woo Sauku, he will go to bed. In the morning, when he gets up, let a red snake crawl out of his mane, enter his body through his foot and come out through his head, and let him die from this. Anyone who hears this and reveals the secret will be petrified.
“If he avoids this,” said the first voice, “then in the morning, when he, having washed himself, goes out, an iron rod from the door lintel will pierce him from head to heel and let him die from this.” Anyone who, having heard this secret, reveals it, will be petrified.
“And if he avoids this too,” said the second voice, “then let him die from his horse, which he has not ridden for twelve years.” Anyone who, having heard this secret, reveals it, will be petrified.
Kabardi Hassan’s foster brother heard all this and remembered it well.
In the morning, when they woke up, they saw their rested and fed horses. They ate from the self-assembled tablecloth, mounted their horses and rode off. When they arrived to the bride's parents, they greeted them with honor and respect. They fed and watered them and put them to bed.
In the morning, the foster brother woke up early. He took Kabardi Hassan’s soft manskins and shook them over the fire; A red snake fell out of them and burned.
When Kabardi Hasan washed himself and began to leave, an iron rod came out of the door, but his foster brother managed to fight it off with a saber and thereby saved the prince.
Having picked up the girl, they went home safely. The appointed time has arrived. We gathered the wedding groomsmen and sent them on their way to pick up the bride. The foster brother did not go with them, no matter how much he was persuaded. When, according to Kabardi Hassan’s calculations, the friends were supposed to return, he decided to go to meet them and for this he ordered to saddle a horse that he had not ridden for twelve years. But when they brought the spear, his foster brother jumped on him and galloped away.
Kabardi Hassan was very angry.
“Now I don’t consider him my foster brother,” he said. - Give me another horse.
And he galloped towards the bride on another horse. Then there was a big wedding and the young people lived happily.
For three years there was not a word about Kabardi's foster brother Hassan. He wandered through foreign countries. But finally he got tired of his wandering life and decided to return to his homeland. He arrived and called the people together. People gathered, and Kabardi Hassan’s foster brother addressed them with the following words:
- Good people, let me become your victim, but listen to me. When my foster brother got married, I should have been the most happy, but I mounted his best horse and rode off. I did this not because I had my eye on the horse, but for this reason.
– If Kabardi Hasan had put on his dudes in the morning, a red snake would have crawled out of them and killed him.
As soon as he said this, he immediately turned to stone up to his knees. “You see, because I discovered this secret, I was petrified up to my knees.” But listen further! “If I had not deflected the blow of the iron rod from the door crossbar, then Kabardi Khasan would have died,” continued the foster brother and turned petrified to the waist. “If Kabardi Hassan had sat on a horse that he had not used for twelve years, he would have died from it.
After these words, the foster brother became completely petrified. Kabardi Hasan, in great grief, wanted to commit suicide, but he was not allowed. For a long time he mourned his faithful foster brother, and then he decided to go to the three oak trees and try to find out how to help him out.
So he was left alone to spend the night under three oak trees and heard voices from the trees.
– One of our previous guests has arrived again. What can we do for him? - one asked.
“He came for the sake of his foster brother,” said another. “Let the young prince boil his son in a cauldron and pour the broth over his foster brother.” Only this can help him.
Kabardi Hasan arrived and told his wife about everything he had heard.
“He gave his life for us,” she said sadly. “Well, we must now sacrifice our child to save him.” This, apparently, is our bitter fate.
Kabardi Khasan cooked his son and poured the broth over his petrified foster brother. Suddenly the stone brother and the brew disappeared. Kabardi Hassan was even more upset. He came home in great grief and suddenly saw his foster brother alive and cheerful playing the apkhyarts, and his little son sitting on his lap.
There was great joy here. The feast was such that they could not finish the food in seven days. I barely escaped from that feast.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru