There once lived in England a king who was passionate about hunting. There was not enough game for him in his lands, and he went to France, where it was found in abundance.
One day he saw a beautiful bird of an unknown breed on a branch and slowly crept up to it. But at that moment, when he was about to grab it, the bird took off and, flying from tree to tree, sat on the branch of an apple tree in the garden of the inn. The king wanted to catch the bird at all costs and entered the garden, but his efforts were in vain - the bird again eluded him and disappeared.
After wandering all day through forests and valleys, the king in the evening came to a village where he had to spend the night. He knocked on the hut of a poor man, who received him as well as he could. The poor man said that his wife had just given birth to a boy, but they had not found a godfather for him because they were poor. At their request, the king agreed to be the child's godfather and named him Eugene. Before leaving, the king took a sealed paper from his wallet, which he handed to his parents, telling them to give it to their son as soon as he turned seventeen.
When the child was six years old, he said to his father: “You often tell me about my godmother, why don’t you ever talk about my godfather?”
“My child,” said the father, “your godfather is the most noble man, he is the king of England.” He left a sealed paper that I must give to you when you turn seventeen.
The boy began to go to school, and the teacher was sent money from nowhere for his education.
Finally the day came when Eugene turned seventeen. He got up early in the morning and said to his father:
- I need to go to my godfather.
His father gave him a horse and thirty-six liars, and the young man said goodbye to his parents; but before setting out, he visited his godmother, who understood witchcraft.
“My friend,” she told him, “if you meet a lame-legged or hunchbacked man, turn back.”
The young man promised his godmother to follow her advice and set off on his journey. Not far from the village he met a lanky one. He turned his horse. The next day he met a hunchback. He's back again.
“Tomorrow,” he said to himself, “perhaps I will be lucky.”
On the third day, he came across another hunchback. It was his school friend named Adolf. “This time,” Eugene said to himself, “I will not return.”
-Where are you going? - the hunchback asked him.
“I am going to my godfather, the King of England.”
- Do you want me to go with you?
- OK.
They continued their journey together and, when it got dark, they turned into an inn. Eugene told the groom that he would move on at four o'clock in the morning. And a little later the hunchback ordered the horse to be saddled at three o’clock and, as soon as three o’clock struck, he sat on it and rode off.
Eugene was greatly surprised when he woke up and did not find his horse.
- Where is my horse? - he asked the servant.
“Your comrade,” answered the servant, “came from you and said that the horse should be saddled by three o’clock.” It's been an hour since he galloped away.
Eugene immediately set off in pursuit of the hunchback and overtook him in the forest, near the cross. The hunchback stopped and said threateningly:
“If you value your life, swear before this cross not to tell anyone that you are the royal godson, unless three days after your death.”
Eugene swore, they continued their journey and arrived at the palace of the English king.
The king, who mistook the hunchback for his godson, welcomed him with open arms. He also greeted his companion very kindly.
-Who is this young man? - he asked the hunchback.
“This, godfather,” said the hunchback, “is my school friend whom I took with me.”
“You did well, son,” said the king. “But I won’t be able to keep my word.” You know, I promised to give you my daughter as a wife when you grow up, but she was kidnapped from me. For eleven years now, on my orders, they have been looking for her everywhere, on land and at sea, and still they cannot find her.
Both young men were settled in the palace, and everyone began to call Eugene Adolphe. The nobles and court ladies loved him because he was handsome and smart, but everyone hated the hunchback. Only one king, who still considered him his godson, treated him kindly. But he also showed kindness towards his companion, and this angered the hunchback.
One day the hunchback came to the king and told him
- Godfather, Adolf boasts that he will get his mule from the giant.
The king demanded Adolf to come to him:
“Eugene told me that you boasted that you could get his mule from the giant.”
- Me, Your Majesty? How could I boast about this? I don’t even know where to look for this mule.
- Doesn't matter! If you don't bring it to me, you will be burned alive at the stake.
Taking some food with him, Adolf, sad, set off. After walking some distance, he met an old woman who asked him for a piece of bread.
“Take everything if you want,” said Adolf, “I have no time for food.”
“You are sad, my friend,” the old woman told him, “I know the reason for your sadness: you were ordered to get a mule from the giant.” So, the giant lives on the other side of the sea; he has a thrush that sings so loudly that it can be heard from one bank to the other. As soon as you hear him singing—but be careful not before—cross the sea. And when you see a giant, speak to him boldly.
The young man soon reached the seashore, but the thrush’s singing could not be heard. He waited until the bird began to sing and crossed the sea. The giant immediately appeared and said to him:
- What do you want here, the shadow of my mustache, the dust from my palms?
- I came for your mule.
- What do you need it for?
- It's none of your business. Give it to me.
- So be it, I will give it to you, but on the condition that someday you will return it to me.
Adolf took the mule, which ran a hundred miles in an instant, and returned to the palace.
The king was very pleased to see Adolf again and gave him his word not to offend him in the future. But soon the hunchback, having heard about the blackbird, came to the king and said:
- Godfather, Adolf boasted that he could take away from the giant his thrush, which sings so well and whose singing carries so far.
The king demanded Adolf to come to him:
“Eugene told me that you boasted that you could get the giant’s thrush.”
- Me, Your Majesty? I didn’t boast about it, and how could I catch him?
- Doesn't matter! If you don't bring it to me, you will be burned alive at the stake.
Adolf went to the seashore again. Hearing the thrush singing, he immediately crossed the sea and caught the bird.
“What do you want here,” the giant asked him, “the shadow of my mustache, the dust from my palms?”
- I came for your blackbird.
- What do you need it for?
- It's none of your business. Give it to me.
“So be it, I’ll give it to you, but on the condition that you return it to me someday.”
When Adolf returned to the palace, all the court ladies were delighted with the thrush’s singing, and the king gave the young man his word not to offend him in the future.
A little later the hunchback said to the king:
- The giant has a large lantern that illuminates the earth for a hundred leagues around. Adolf boasted that he would get this lantern and bring it here.
The king demanded Adolf to come to him:
“Eugene told me that you boasted that you could get the giant’s lantern.”
- Me, Your Majesty? How could I do this?
- Doesn't matter! If you don't bring me a lantern, you will be burned alive at the stake.
Adolf set off and soon reached the seashore. The blackbird, who told him when he could cross to the other side, was no longer there; however, he dared to cross and, having reached the other bank, went straight to the giant.
“What do you want here,” the giant asked him, “the shadow of my mustache, the dust from my palms?”
- I came for your lantern.
- What do you need it for?
- It's none of your business. Give it to me.
“So be it, I’ll give it to you, but on the condition that someday you will return it to me.”
The young man thanked the giant and went back. Not far from the royal palace, he stopped, waited until night fell and then continued on his way, holding high a lantern that illuminated everything around him.
The delighted king once again gave Adolf his word not to offend him in the future.
For some time Adolf was left alone, but suddenly the hunchback said to the king:
“Adolf boasted that he knew where your daughter was and that he could find her and bring her home.”
The king demanded Adolf to come to him:
“Eugene told me that you boasted that you knew where my daughter was and could deliver her to me.”
“Ah, Your Majesty, after all, on your order, they looked for her everywhere, on land and at sea, and could not find her anywhere.” How do you want me, an unknown stranger, to cope with such a matter?
- Doesn't matter! If you don't bring her, you will be burned alive at the stake.
Adolf, very saddened, set off on his journey. He met you, the oldest woman he had already seen. She told him:
“The king wants you to find his daughter?” Go to the giant again.
Adolf crossed the sea and, coming to the giant, asked him if he knew where the king's daughter was.
“I know,” answered the giant. “She is in the castle of the queen with silver legs, but it will take a lot of work to free her.” First of all, ask the king to return to me the mule, the blackbird and the lantern. Then you need to build a ship three hundred fathoms long, the same width and one hundred and fifty fathoms high, on that ship you need to make a room, and in that room a weaving mill. And most importantly, the entire ship must be built without iron and copper; let the king do as he knows.
Adolf told the king what the giant had said. They immediately called the craftsmen and ordered them to build a ship three hundred fathoms long, the same width and one hundred and fifty fathoms high, to make a room on this ship, and in that room a weaving mill, and not a piece of iron or copper anywhere. The ship was built in two days. But the hunchback bribed one of the craftsmen, and he inserted an iron clamp into the ship.
Adolf came with a ship to the giant. He said:
— The ship was secured with iron.
“No,” answered Adolf, “there is no iron here.”
“There is iron in this place,” said the giant. - Return the ship to the king, let him call a master with a hammer and chisel, and you will see that I am right.
As soon as the master put the chisel to the indicated place and hit it with a hammer, the chisel broke. The iron fastener was immediately taken out, and when Adolf appeared again with the ship, the giant had nothing to complain about.
“Now,” said the giant, “we need to load three hundred loaves of bread, three hundred pounds of beef, three hundred bags of millet, three hundred pounds of flax onto this ship, and also place three hundred virgins there.”
The king ordered to find them in the city of London and surrounding areas. When three hundred virgins were found, they were put on a ship, bread, beef and everything else were also loaded, and then Adolf again appeared to the giant. He pushed the ship away from the shore, and the ship immediately washed out more than two hundred leagues into the sea. Adolf stood at the helm, three hundred maidens were spinning below deck, and the giant was weaving.
Suddenly a mountain appeared in the distance - very black.
“Ah,” said Adolf, “here we are!”
“No,” said the giant, “this is the kingdom of fish.” Tell them that you are a French prince and are on your way to distant lands, otherwise they will not let you through.
-Why did you come here? - the fish asked the young man
“I am a French prince and am on my way to distant lands.
“We don’t care that you’re a prince, we won’t let you through.”
Then Adolf began to crumble bread into the water for them, the fish all attacked the food at once, and in the meantime the ship passed.
Before he had time to sail far, the fish king said to his subjects:
“We acted very discourteously - we did not thank the prince for helping us in our great need.” Catch up with him and bring him back! — The fish brought the ship back, and the king said to the young man:
- I give you my bone. Whenever you need help, I and my kingdom will be at your service.
- Well, how? - the giant asked Adolf. - What did the fish king give you?
- He gave me his bone. What do I need a fish bone for?
- Put it in your pocket, you will need it. After a short time, a second mountain stood in front of them, even blacker than the first.
“Isn’t this where we should land?” - asked Adolf.
“No,” answered the giant, “this is the ant kingdom.”
Ants with backpacks on their backs, in full ammunition, were engaged in military exercises. They asked Adolf in unison:
-Why did you come here?
“I am a French prince and am on my way to distant lands.
“We don’t care that you’re a prince, we won’t let you through.”
Adolf threw them a handful of millet. The ants all attacked the food at once, and meanwhile the ship passed.
“We acted very discourteously,” the ant king said a little later, “that we did not thank the prince.” Catch up with him and bring him back!
When Adolf was returned, the king told him.
“Prince, it’s been seven whole years since we endured severe poverty, and you have freed us from it for a while.” I give you my paw, when you need help, I and my kingdom will be at your service.
-What did the ant king give you? - asked the giant.
- He gave me his paw. What do I need an ant's foot for?
- Put it in your pocket, you will need it. After some time, a third mountain stood in front of them, even higher than those two and even blacker.
“We’re probably at our goal now?” - asked Adolf.
“No,” answered the giant, “this is a kingdom of rats.”
-Why did you come here? - asked the rats.
“I am a French prince and am on my way to distant lands.
“We don’t care that you’re a prince, we won’t let you through.”
Adolf threw bread to them, and the rats allowed the ship to pass.
“We were very discourteous,” said the rat king, “by not thanking the prince.” Catch up with him and bring him back!
When the young man returned, the rat king said!
“We are very grateful to you for helping us in our great need.” I give you a hair from my mustache; Whenever you need help, I and my kingdom will be at your service.
- Well, how? - asked the giant. -What did the rat king give you?
— He gave me a hair from his mustache. What do I need a rat's hair for?
- Put it in your pocket, you will need it.
The ship continued on its way and soon approached the third high mountain.
“Isn’t this where we should land?” asked the young man.
“No,” answered the giant, “this is the kingdom of the ravens.”
-Why did you come here? - asked the crows.
“I am a French prince and am on my way to distant lands.
“We don’t care that you’re a prince, we won’t let you through.”
Adolf threw meat to them, and the crows missed the ship.
“We acted very discourteously,” said the king of ravens a little later, “we did not thank the good prince.” Catch up with him and bring him back!
The young man was brought to the king, and he said to him:
“You did a good deed for us, we are very grateful to you for that.” I give you my feather; Whenever you need help, I and my kingdom will be at your service.
“What did the Raven King give you?” - asked the giant.
- He gave me his feather. What do I need a crow feather for?
- Put it in your pocket, you will need it. After a little time, Adolf saw a mountain, much higher and blacker than those that he had previously encountered.
“This time,” he said, “we are probably at the goal?”
“No,” answered the giant, “this is the kingdom of giants.”
-Why did you come here? - the giants shouted.
“I am a French prince and am on my way to distant lands.
“We don’t care that you’re a prince, we won’t let you through.”
Adolf began to throw large pieces of bread at them. The giants picked them up and devoured them greedily. Meanwhile the ship passed.
“We were very discourteous,” said the king of the giants, “by not thanking the prince.” Catch up with him and bring him back.
When the young man returned, the king said to him:
— We are very grateful to you for helping us; we were ready to eat each other up. I give you a hair from my beard; Whenever you need help, I and my kingdom will be at your service.
“They will be of more use to me,” Adolf said to himself, “than all the others, because they are big and strong.”
- Well, how? - asked the giant. “What did the king of the giants give you?”
— He gave me a hair from his beard. What should I do with it?
- Put it in your pocket, you will need it.
“Now,” the giant continued, “we will find ourselves in the country of the queen with silver legs.” You will go straight to the castle; the entrance to it is guarded by a princess, the daughter of the English king - she is turned into a lioness, her eyes, nostrils and mouth spew fire. The castle has thirty-six rooms; first enter the one on the left, then the one on the right, and so go through all the rooms.
Arriving in the country of the queen with silver legs, Adolf went to the castle. When he crossed the threshold, the lioness not only did not rush at him, but even began to lick his hands - she sensed that this was her savior.
On the advice of the giant, the young man moved from room to room until he finally found himself in the last one, where the queen with silver legs sat.
-Why did you come here? - the old queen asked him.
- I came for the princess.
“You truly deserve that I, as punishment for your insolence, also turn you into an animal.” Know that in order to free the princess, you need to work hard. First of all, bring me three hundred pounds of flax, which was spun by three hundred virgins.
Adolf brought her three hundred pounds of yarn and brought three hundred virgins to spin it.
“Okay,” said the queen. - Do you see that high mountain now? It must be razed to the ground and a beautiful garden, decorated with flowers and planted with trees, should be laid out in that place; Those trees should have fruits, large and ripe, and you have two days to do all this.
Adolf went to the giant for advice. He called for help from all the inhabitants of the giant kingdom, the ant kingdom, the rat kingdom, and even the crow kingdom. The giants in the blink of an eye razed the mountain to the ground and threw the debris into the sea. Then the rats and ants began to dig and loosen the earth, the crows flew to the gardens of distant countries for flowers and trees, and everything was ready before the deadline specified by the queen. Adolf went to the old queen and told her to look at the garden. She had nothing to complain about, but she still grumbled through her teeth.
“That’s not all,” she finally said to the young man, “I also need living and dead water.”
Adolf again turned to the giant. But this time the giant could not give him good advice: he was not such a scientist as the old queen.
“Perhaps,” he said, “the crows will tell us something useful.”
The muster sounded. The crows gathered, but none of them knew how to get down to business. A little later they noticed that two old warriors - La Chic and La Rame - did not show up for the gathering. They were sent for. La Rame was drunk, he said that he did not know where to find living and dead water, and that he did not care about it. He was sent to prison.
A little later La Chic appeared - he was even drunker. He was asked where to find living and dead water, he replied that he knew this, but that first let his friend be freed. Adolphe ordered La Ramée to be released, then gave five hundred francs to his friend so that he would drink to his health, and La Chic led him into the cellar, at one end of which living water flowed, and at the other - dead water.
La Chic advised that sentries be posted at the entrance to the basement, because the old queen intended to send pigeons to break the bottles into which water could be filled. And indeed, the doves flew in, but the crows were stronger than them and did not let them get closer. Then the giant said to the young man:
- First, you will give the queen living water and demand that she return the princess to her natural appearance. And then you will sprinkle dead water in the old woman’s face, and she will die.
When Adolf appeared, the queen asked him:
- Well, how? Have you brought living and dead water? “Yes,” answered Adolf, “here is living water.”
- OK. Where is the dead one?
“First, return the princess to her natural appearance, then I will give her dead water.”
The queen did as he wanted, and the lioness turned into a beautiful girl. She threw herself on Adolf's neck and began to thank him for deliverance.
“Now,” said the old queen, “give me the dead water.”
Adolf splashed this water on her face and she fell dead.
Then the young man set off with the princess on his way back to England, and sent a messenger to the king to notify him of their arrival.
There was great joy in the palace. All the ladies of the court came out to greet the princess; she kissed them all. The hunchback who was among them also came up and wanted to kiss her, but the princess said:
- Go away, you are very ugly!
That same evening at dinner the king said to the princess:
“My daughter, I promised my godson to give you to him as his wife; I think you won't make me break my word.
“Dear father,” said the princess, give me a week so that I can pray properly.
The king agreed.
A week later, the princess told the king that she had dropped the ring that the queen with silver feet had given her into the sea, and that the first thing she needed to do was get it from the bottom of the sea.
The hunchback, jealous of the preference that the princess showed to Adolf, went to the king and said:
- Godfather, Adolf boasted that he could get the princess’s ring from the bottom of the sea.
The king immediately demanded Adolf to come to him:
“Eugene told me that you boasted that you could get the princess’s ring from the bottom of the sea.”
- No, Your Majesty; Yes, I wouldn’t be able to get it.
- Doesn't matter! If you don't bring this ring, you will be burned alive at the stake.
Adolf left greatly saddened and went to the giant, to whom he told about his grief.
“I had already vowed to help you,” said the giant. “But I still don’t want to leave you in trouble.” Now I'll call the fish.
The muster sounded. A great multitude of fish appeared, but none of them knew where the ring was.
A little later they noticed that two old warriors - La Chic and La Rame - did not show up for the gathering. They were sent for. La Rame was drunk; he said that he did not know where the ring was, and that he had nothing to do with it; he was sent to prison. A little later La Chic appeared - he was even drunker. He said that the ring was in his knapsack, but that first they should free his friend. When La Rame was released, La Chic presented the young man with a ring. Adolf gave him a hundred francs to drink to his health, and he ran with the ring to the king.
“I think, my daughter,” said the king, “you should be pleased: tomorrow you will be married.”
“I haven’t decided yet what to do, I would like the queen’s castle with silver legs to be moved here first.”
The king immediately ordered the foundation to be laid, and the hunchback, more and more jealous of Adolf, said to the king:
- Godfather, Adolf boasted that he knew a way to move the queen’s castle with silver legs here, and without a single crack, even the size of a pin.
The king demanded Adolf to come to him.
“Eugene said that you boasted that you could move the queen’s castle with silver legs here, and without a single crack, even the size of a pin.”
- No, Your Majesty, I did not boast about it; and how could I do this?
- Doesn't matter! If you don't do this, you will be burned alive at the stake.
Adolf, greatly upset, went again to the giant, who said to him:
- First of all, ask the king to build a large ship for you.
When the ship was ready, Adolf set off on it with the giant. He called all the inhabitants of the giant kingdom, the ant kingdom and the rat kingdom. The ants and rats removed the castle from the foundation, four giants lifted it and carried it to the ship; then they called together every single inhabitant of the fish kingdom to support the ship.
When Adolf returned, everyone at the court of the English king rejoiced. The castle was placed on the foundation that was laid opposite the royal palace. Then the king said to his daughter:
“Now I hope that you will marry Eugene.”
“My father,” said the princess, “wait at least a little; I haven't decided yet what to do.
Since the princess did not hide from the hunchback that she was disgusted to look at him, he became more and more envious of Adolf. One day he said to the young man:
- Let's go hunting in the deer grove.
“With pleasure,” answered Adolf.
When they entered the grove, the hunchback shot Adolf in the back with a gun and killed him on the spot, then dug a hole and buried the body. The king, seeing that Adolf was not returning, asked the hunchback where he had gone.
“I don’t know,” answered the hunchback. - He must have gone to wander around the world - he was probably tired of living here in contentment and peace.
The princess was in despair, but did not show it, but only asked her father for permission to go hunting in the deer grove.
The king, fearing that some misfortune would befall her, wanted forty huntsmen to accompany her, but the princess begged him to let her go alone.
Entering the grove, she saw crows circling around the pit. She came closer and, recognizing poor Adolf, already half eaten by the crows, began to moan and cry. Finally she remembered that she had a bottle of living water with her; She rubbed the corpse with this water, and the young man rose again, full of strength and health. And this was just on the third day after his death.
The princess returned to the palace with Adolf. She hid it in one of the rooms and went to the king.
“My father,” she said, “would you be glad to see Adolf?”
“My daughter,” answered the king, “what are you saying?” Adolf went to the ends of the world; he cannot return so soon.
“Okay,” the princess continued, “order all the doors in the palace to be locked, post a guard and follow me.”
When the king entered the princess's chambers, she brought the young man to him, and he said:
- Your Majesty, Adolphe is not my real name, I am Eugene, your godson!
Then he took out from his bosom the letter which the king had given to his parents, and handed it to the king with the words:
- Do you recognize this letter?
When the king found out everything that had happened, he ordered the hunchback to be burned at the stake, and Eugene married the princess. I stood guard at the princess’s door, got bored and left.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru