Somewhere, once upon a time, there lived an old king and he had only one son, and he had long fought on the wrong side.
One day the prince received news from home that his father was seriously ill and if he wanted to find him alive, he should return home as soon as possible.
Without hesitating for a moment, the prince mounted his horse and rushed at full speed to his castle. Fortunately, the king was still alive, but only very ill. He knew that he would not last long, day by day he was becoming weaker, he could barely breathe.
One morning the king calls his son and says in a barely audible voice:
- My dear son! Apparently my last hour has come. There's nothing to be done, let's say goodbye. Thank God, you are already a reasonable person, I hope you will live without me according to honor and conscience. Rule wisely, it will be good for you and your subjects. I also leave you a treasure that is more valuable than the kingdom itself! Look for it in the yard under the well, if you find it, take it, but use it wisely! - he said and gave up the ghost.
The young king loved his father and decided to bury him with great honors. He summoned his subjects and neighboring kings and, without stinting, arranged a rich funeral, did not regret anything and did not lose face!
When the wake ended and the neighbors went home, the young king saw that his treasury was empty. What was left to do? Just look for the treasure. The young king ordered to call twelve young men and ordered them to dig under the well. Together they set to work. They pumped out the water, started digging the ground, and there was no earth - but solid stone! The spade bounces off the stone, sparks fly in different directions.
- Push up, good fellows, push up! - the king shouts.
The workers are trying their best, but they cannot move forward an inch.
- Don’t spare your efforts, guys, it won’t be about money! - repeats the king.
- But it’s not so easy to deal with a stone!
The king got tired of looking at the stupid work, he turned and went to his chambers. I began to think what to do if there is no treasure under the well? He was in great doubt: where had he heard this, so that under a well - and suddenly there was a treasure! And the longer he wondered, the more his anger became clear: he was angry with his father, and with himself, and with the whole world. The king is completely exhausted, he runs back and forth through the chambers, and is about to commit suicide.
Suddenly the doors opened - workers were coming, carrying a small casket.
“Here,” they say, “look, king, what we found under the stone!”
The king took the casket in his hands, turned it from side to side, looked at it - there was nothing special in it, it was a so-so casket - made of rotten boards.
- This is truly a treasure! - he exclaimed with his heart, and how he would crash to the floor! The casket fell apart - on the floor there was a box, a pipe, a belt, and another letter. The king grabbed the letter and reads:
“Whoever shakes the bag will shake out as many golden ducats as his heart desires.”
He didn’t read any further, grabbed the little box and started shaking it over the table. The entire table was strewn with gold coins. Turned to the workers:
“Well,” he says, “you guys did a great job, I need to thank you justly.” Put your hats on!
And honor - according to honor, he poured everyone a whole hat of ducats. The workers bowed low and went home.
The king was left alone and began to look at what else was written in the letter: “Whoever plays this pipe will summon countless troops, and whoever girds himself with this belt will immediately find himself wherever he wants!”
The king hid his father's three gifts and his soul brightened!
Several years passed and the king decided that it was time for him to get married. He dressed up in his best dress and played the pipe. At that very moment a huge army appeared in front of him and he went at the head of the army to the neighboring king for the bride.
The neighboring king heard that a foreign army was moving towards his city, and he was scared to death, because he was not ready for war and did not intend to fight.
- What to do? “I can’t cope with such an army,” he said, “I’ll have to bow at my feet!”
And the king rushed to meet our king and began to humbly ask what he wanted.
“I don’t want anything, my sir,” the young king answers him, “but I came to you for the bride!”
An unheard of rejoicing arose here in the city. A foreign king invited ours to his castle and ordered a feast to be held in his honor.
Everyone began to eat, drink, and have fun. The young king really liked the princess! And now things seem to be going smoothly. The young king is glad that the princess loves him too! Lost his head with happiness, let's show off to the princess what kind of bag he has. And showed her this magic bag! But the girl was no slouch!
Night has fallen. Everyone went to bed. Our king fell asleep soundly to rejoice. And the cunning princess crept up to his dress, pulled out a magic bag, and slipped a simple one in its place.
In the morning, the groom woke up and hurriedly went home to prepare the wedding. He needed money for expenses. He took out his bag, shook it - there was nothing - empty. He shook it again - again nothing, the third time he shook it as hard as he could - but the ducats still did not fall, but did not fall. He looks, and this is not his bag at all! The king got angry and took out his pipe. He blew, and a countless army appeared in front of him. The soldiers ask him:
- What do you want, sir?
- Follow me! - he orders.
He jumped on his horse and rushed to the neighboring kingdom. And there they won’t understand why the king came back. They run towards him, but he waves away their bows and shouts at full gallop:
- Someone stole my bag! Who has it? Return it immediately, otherwise it will be bad!
“What are you doing, what are you doing, dear, you just forgot about it,” the princess chirps, “come and look, I buried it in a golden box.” Should you be so sad about her? Does it really matter what I have and what you have? There will be goals!
And so she fell apart in front of the king, courted him so much that he calmed down. Where has the anger gone! And again they feasted, had fun, and then started dancing.
In the middle of the dance, someone pulled a pipe from the king’s pocket and let’s make fun of him, wondering if he was engaged in petty trade.
- She’s a pipe, but not an easy one! I want to crush all of you and your city into powder. Just blow once and immediately a soldier will appear, apparently or invisibly. And I also have a belt! What a belt! I’ll gird myself and say: “I want to be there and there!” and I’ll immediately find myself wherever I want.
That's all the treacherous princess needs! The king fell asleep, and she crept up to his dress, pulled out the pipe and took it to his father.
The old king realized that the power was now in his hands, and immediately ordered the young king to be tied to his bed, and at dawn to be pushed out of the castle in disgrace and driven out of the city.
The young king almost disappeared from shame!
He wandered for a long time, not making out the paths from one end to another, until he finally returned to his home. Yes, he was ashamed to appear to his people in a torn dress, stealthily made his way into the castle, threw off his rags and dressed himself as befits a king.
Only from then on did the king lose sleep and peace. He still can’t calm down because of the bag and the pipe, but when he remembers his shame, the blood in him just boils! Day and night he puzzled over how to take revenge on the treacherous princess and her father. And then one evening he girded himself with a magic belt and wished:
“I want to immediately be near the daughter of such and such a king. Let her return my things!”
Before I had time to think, I found myself next to the princess. She had just gone to bed and hadn’t even blown out the candles. There is a guard standing in front of the door. The princess screamed, jumped out of bed and tore the magic belt off the king. The soldiers came running, grabbed him and dragged him to the old king. When he found out where he was caught, he ordered that our king be thrown into the darkest dungeon, and the next day his head be cut off!
- Oh, what I have lived to see! It would be better if I never knew you, vile robbers, never saw you! - our king shouted as he was taken away.
They locked him in a dungeon and put a soldier at the door. And the old king sent messengers in all directions to summon the masters to execution. He, they say, tomorrow is going to cut off the head of such and such a king for such and such a thing.
Oh, and the bird in the cage sings sadly! Our king is grieving, banging his head against the door: “I’d rather break my head than give my enemies the joy of watching my execution,” he decided.
The guard heard a noise:
“Eh, prince, come on,” he tells him, “maybe you can get out of trouble somehow!” I once served your father. He did not offend me, and I will repay you kindly. Go right along the wall. You will see a stone protruding outwards. Roll it back and a hole will open.
The king did as the soldier ordered, rolled away the stone and found himself free.
In the morning the gentlemen began to gather for execution. They opened the dungeon, and it was empty; there was already no trace of our king.
The old king is tearing his hair out of anger, but the gentlemen left with what they came with.
Having freed himself, the young king wandered into a dense forest. Exhausted, he fell to the ground and fell into a deep sleep. I woke up hungry and began to look around, what could I eat, what could I fortify myself with? Yes, I didn’t find anything except hazelnuts. He made his way through the thickets for a long time until he came to a clearing where sheep were grazing. He sees a shepherd's hut nearby. He's there! He entered, bowed and immediately asked if there was anything to eat.
“If you can’t find it, you will find it, my darling,” the old shepherdess answered him, “sit down!”
She turned around, and now there was a treat in front of him: a piece of cheese, a small piece of bread and a ladle of curdled milk. He did not take long to ask, sat down at the table and ate to his fill. I rested a little, thanked the kind people and moved on.
He walks, wanders, and he keeps thinking about his offense, and the more he thinks, the stronger his annoyance takes over, clouding his eyes with fog. Without making out the road, he climbed to the top of a high rock, and below it was a deep abyss. He stopped and stood thinking:
“Eh, it’s better for me to die than to live without my father’s gifts and endure such a shame!” - wrapped himself in a cloak and threw himself into the abyss.
While he was flying, take the cloak and open it, and the wind carried the king far, far into the forest. The king got caught on a tree, and it was full of ripe figs. Without thinking twice, he picked the fruits and began to eat. Suddenly he feels his nose stretch out, grow, grow, the pipe is blowing like a pipe!
- No luck! - the prince began to sunbathe. - Troubles are still falling on me! What will I do now?
He wants to come down from the tree, but his nose won’t let him. He had to lift his nose up and, with great difficulty, somehow get from branch to branch to the ground.
Then he was so thirsty for the sweet figs that he almost disappeared! Fortunately, he heard a stream babbling nearby, so he ran to the stream. So what? His carrier does not allow him near the water. Somehow I got the hang of it and took a sip.
- Oh, how good it is! - he praised the water. - Fathers, my nose seems to have become smaller!
I took another sip, and my nose became like an ordinary nose.
- What joy! - exclaimed the prince. - Now I will settle accounts with the offenders! Well, wait, you’ll dance with me some more!
He picked figs from the tree, scooped up water from the stream and returned to the shepherd’s hut. He asked for some old clothes there and went to the castle to see the king. He approached the very doors.
-What do you want, old man? - the maid asks him.
“Yes, I’m selling figs,” he answers.
The maid ran to report to the queen, who ordered to find out how much the old man wanted for her.
“Twelve ducats,” the merchant answers. And the maid immediately brought him the money.
The prince put the ducats in his pocket and rushed away, only his heels sparkled.
And in the castle, mother and daughter are enjoying figs. Suddenly the princess looked at the queen and froze!
“Ah-ah,” he shouts, “how your nose has grown, mom!”
- And you, daughter, have such a big head too! What is going on? Isn't it from figs?
“Oh, mummy,” the princess wrung her hands, “what will happen to us now, my nose has already hit the floor!”
And the maid’s nose has grown too! I couldn’t resist while I was carrying the fig to the royal chambers and devoured one of the berries.
Mother and daughter are screaming and wailing. Hearing this roar, the king himself came to them. He ordered to call doctors from all over the world. They called, but in vain. No one can help. The more of those noses they cut off, the longer they grow. What to do? I had to endure ridicule, but didn’t stick my long noses out into the street.
Six months passed, and suddenly, out of nowhere, some unfamiliar doctor appeared. In a black dress, with a stick in his hand, he walks around the city.
- God help you! - he shouted to the woman who was weeding in the garden. - What news do you have here?
“Oh, what news can we have,” the woman answers. “Everything is only bad, but it can’t get any worse.” They're not even allowed to laugh anymore.
- Why is that? - asks the doctor.
“Yes,” the woman replied, “because the royal ladies grew terrible noses for themselves.” Now if anyone laughs, they drag him to prison. They think they are making fun of their noses.
- Why won’t anyone help them? - the doctor is curious.
- May they disappear along with their noses! There were tons of doctors here anyway, and they were all in quadruples’ carriages! And not a single one was cured.
“I won’t,” says the doctor, “if I don’t cure them!” Go and report to the king. Here's a ducat for you.
And he gives her a ducat.
The woman was delighted and ran to tell the king that she had a doctor who promised to help the queen and princess.
“But he’s not in a carriage, but on foot with a staff,” she added.
“That’s not the point,” says the king, “as long as he frees my ladies from their noses.”
And he orders the doctor to be brought to the castle.
They brought our doctor. The king asks him if he is going to help the trouble. The doctor answers:
“I’ll take it, but only so that I’ll give it to you at my complete disposal!”
And to prove that he is an expert in his field, he orders that one of the servants be given one fig to eat.
They brought a servant, gave him a fig, and as soon as he swallowed it, his nose became very long!
“This servant,” said the doctor, “has little blood, and even that is thin and weak, it does not need to be cooled!”
Gave him a sip of water. The nose immediately fell off. Everyone was happy, and most of all the princess, because now she will again be as beautiful as before!
The doctor calls the maid.
“This one,” he says, “has thicker blood, and for my medicine to help, it must be diluted!” Bring the whip here!
He ordered the maid to take off everything down to her shirt and let her treat her with a whip, then he gave her a sip of magic water - no more than a thimble. And the nose immediately disappeared.
The princess can't wait for her turn to become beautiful again.
And the doctor says:
- Wait a little. Wait! - and takes the queen to work. He whipped the queen for three days. On the fourth, he wet her tongue with magic water and the queen’s long nose immediately fell off.
Now it was the princess's turn. To cool the young hot blood, a whip was passed along the princess's back for six days. The princess is already falling unconscious, and the doctor is not even paying attention. The princess did not want to endure the pain, and on the seventh day she refused to be treated. Her mother runs around her, calms her down, and persuades her this way and that to be patient for another day. Everything, they say, will heal, just to get rid of the ugly nose.
The last day has arrived. The princess began to beg the doctor to give up the whip, began to promise him that she would marry him, and even give him great wealth.
- What wealth? — the doctor asked.
“And something like no one in the whole world has,” the princess answers, and takes out a golden box and takes out a small box from it.
“You shake this little box,” she explains, “and you will get as many ducats as you want.” But the pipe - as soon as you blow it, a countless army will immediately appear. Here’s a belt—as soon as you put it on, you’ll immediately get where you’re going. And gives him a pipe and a belt. The doctor put his belt around his belt, tucked his bag and pipe behind him, put his hands on his hips and made the following speech:
“Know, princess, I am the same king whom you ordered to be driven out of the city in disgrace.” I am the very king you were planning to execute. I am the same seller from whom you bought the fig. I could have healed you without any pain, but you deserved a good spanking. And these three things were mine and will be mine. You, princess, for your cunning and treachery, will forever remain with a long nose! - He said and wished to be transported to his castle.
Our king lived happily ever after and forgot about everything evil and bad.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru