There lived in a village a poor shepherd. And he had a son. His name was Akhun. Akhun's parents died in one year, and he was left alone in the world. From then on, Akhun became sad, no one saw him cheerful anymore.
One day Akhun was tending sheep and wandered with them into a dense forest. He sat down under the mighty deodar, thought about his unhappy fate and did not notice how evening came. He woke up and looked - all his sheep had scattered and there was no way to find them in the dark. And without sheep he cannot return to the village. So Akhun remained sitting in the same place under the deodar.
Suddenly, somewhere behind the trees a light appeared. Akhun stood up and walked towards the light. He made his way through the dense thickets and saw: a lamp was burning on a stone near a source, and a beautiful girl was sitting next to him.
Akhun bowed to her and asked:
– What is your name, dear madam?
“My name is Lalmal,” she answers. “Why are you so sad?”
Akhun told her about his orphan’s lot and complained:
“No one needs me now and I don’t hear a kind word from anyone.” That's why I'm always sad.
“Don’t be sad,” Lalmal consoled him. - If you want, I will help you. Just remember the condition: never seek my love and don’t say that you want to marry me.
“I agree,” Akhun was delighted. “Do you really want to help me?”
- Yes. In the meantime, stay with me.
Akhun spent that night in the hut where Lalmal lived, not far from the source. The next morning, Lalmal ordered Akhun to wash himself thoroughly, dressed him in beautiful, expensive clothes and said:
“Now you must go to the royal court.” There you will meet a jewelry seller. He will have two pearls: one real, one fake. First he will show the king the real one, then the fake one. When the king wants to buy these pearls, you say: “Beware of deception, venerable king! The second pearl is fake, don't buy it. If you want to make sure that I’m telling the truth, split it!”
Akhun obediently went to the court, and everything happened as Lalmal said. The king saw that the young man knew about jewelry and appointed him keeper of his treasury. The former treasurer, whose place was taken by Akhun, harbored a grudge and began to think about how to take revenge on the young man.
One day the former treasurer came to the king’s daughter and said:
- Princess! Did you know that the new keeper of the royal treasury is a magician and wizard? Once you order it, he will get you anything you want. I heard that the daughter of a neighboring king acquired a strange heavenly necklace.
The princess really wanted to receive an unprecedented necklace. She went to her father, and the king ordered Akhun to fulfill her wish.
Akhun was saddened. “Now I’m dead,” the op. decided. Not knowing what to do, he came to Lalmali and cried bitterly. Lalmal asked him about everything and began to calm him down.
“Don’t worry about such a trifle,” she said. “Go to bed and sleep peacefully all night.” And early in the morning go to the source where you met me. The heavenly peri will come to bathe there. When she undresses and enters the water, slowly take her clothes and hide. After bathing, she will start looking for clothes. Then go out to her and tell her about your grief. Make her promise that she will give you a heavenly pearl necklace, and only then return her clothes.
Before dawn, Akhun was at the source. Everything turned out as Lalmal said. Akhun demanded a promise from the peri that she would give him the necklace and returned her clothes. Peri got dressed and started laughing merrily. And while she laughed, beautiful pearls fell from her lips. Akhun was delighted, picked up these pearls and, thanking the peri, returned to Lalmali. She strung the pearls on a golden thread, and Akhun came to the palace with the necklace. The princess received the necklace, laughed with joy, looked at it, couldn’t stop looking at it.
After this, Akhun had even more secret envious people. And they began to look for any way to destroy him. One day the chief adviser to the king, who also disliked Akhun, said to his sovereign:
- O great lord! The keeper of your treasury boasts that he is an all-powerful magician and wizard and can fulfill your every desire. You could easily check if he is telling the truth. Order him to go to heaven and bring news from your late father. And on the same day that Akhun appeared at the palace, the king addressed him with the words:
- Listen, Akhun! I have one thing for you. It's not easy, but I hope you can do it.
“I am ready to obey your majesty,” Akhun answered respectfully.
Then the king said:
- Order a funeral pyre to be built and climb onto it. When you are burned and you go to heaven, find my late father there and bring me news from him.
These words made Akhun’s blood freeze. But he managed to control himself, was silent for a while and said:
- This is a difficult matter. I need to think. Tomorrow I will give the answer.
The king agreed.
“If you refuse, I will have you hanged,” he added.
Poor Akhun, in anguish, went to Lalmali and told about his new misfortune.
“If you don’t save me, I’m dead!”
“Don’t worry,” Lalmal consoled him. “It’s a mere trifle.” Go to the king tomorrow and ask him for half of the treasury for expenses on the journey. Also say that you will be away for four months.
The next day Akhun conveyed to the king everything that Lalmal had ordered. The king believed Akhun and gave him half of his treasury. Then Akhun returned to Lalmali. She took out the carpet and said:
“Spread this carpet on the funeral pyre, calmly sit on it and order the wood to be set on fire.” When the fire burns, the carpet will rise into the air and carry you away. Nobody will notice this.
Akhun took the carpet and returned to the king's court. They made a funeral pyre out of wood. Akhun climbed onto it, spread out the carpet, sat down and pretended to read spells. When the fire flared up, the carpet rose into the air unnoticed by the spectators and carried Akhun to Lalmali's hut.
Four months later, Lalmal said to Akhun:
- Now it's time for you to return. Here is a letter and two apples: silver and gold. Give it all to the king.
When Akhun arrived at the palace, his main ill-wishers - the former treasurer and chief adviser - were scared. Akhun bowed to the king and gave him apples and a letter. The letter said: “My dear son! I live well and enjoy heavenly bliss. But I would really like to see my treasurer and chief adviser. Send them to me as quickly as possible in the same way as Akhuna sent. Thank God, I don’t need anything else. Make sure you fulfill my request quickly, otherwise I will be angry.”
The king listened to this and immediately gave the order:
- Build the funeral pyre immediately! We must immediately send our former treasurer and chief adviser to heaven, otherwise the priest will be angry.
The funeral pyre was quickly built. No matter how much the former treasurer and chief adviser wept, no matter how much they begged the king to take pity on them, they were nevertheless led to the stake, and both of them burned in the fire.
And the king, as a reward for his faithful service, appointed Akhun as his chief adviser.
Joyful Akhun came to Lalmali, and she said to him:
- Well, you passed all the tests. Now, if you want, you can ask me to marry you.
Akhun had long been secretly in love with Lalmal and therefore was now incredibly happy.
They got married and lived happily all their lives. Since then, no one has seen Akhun sad.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru