In ancient times, there lived a knight in England. He had a terrible winged dragon on his shield, but, as you will now see for yourself, this did not help him.
One day a knight was hunting far from Gloucester and came into a forest where there were many boars, deer and other wild animals. In the middle of a clearing in the forest there was a very low mound, the height of a man. Knights and hunters always rested on it when they were tormented by heat or thirst.
But this place was not simple, but magical. It was possible to climb the hill only alone, without companions.
When the knight was riding through the forest and was already not far from the wonderful hill, he met a woodcutter. And the knight began to ask him about this hill.
“Climb the hill alone,” the woodcutter advised the knight, “and say as if you were telling someone:
“I’m thirsty!” And immediately a cupbearer with a bright face and in rich dark red clothes will appear before you. He will hand you a large horn, decorated with gold and gems, just as our ancestors decorated their horns in ancient times. The horn will be filled to the brim with an unknown fragrant drink. Sip it, and thirst and fatigue will immediately leave you, and if you are exhausted, your strength will return to you. And when you have drained the horn to the bottom, the cupbearer will hand you a towel to wipe your mouth and, without waiting for any questions or thanks, will disappear.
The knight with a winged dragon on his shield only laughed at the woodcutter’s story.
“Can there really be such a fool,” he thought, “that, once he saw such a beautiful horn, he would not try to take possession of it!”
That same day the knight returned from the hunt tired; He was tormented by heat and thirst, and he remembered the wonderful hill and the magic horn. He sent his companions away and, as the woodcutter had taught him, he went up the hill alone and said loudly:
- I’m thirsty!
And immediately - as the woodcutter had predicted - a cupbearer in dark red clothes appeared and handed him a large horn studded with precious stones.
The knight was overcome with greed when he saw this treasure. He grabbed the horn and just took a sip when the blood flared in his veins and he decided to steal the horn.
And so he drank every drop of the drink, but instead of returning the horn to the cupbearer, as befitted a noble knight, he rushed down the hill and began to run.
Now listen to what fate befell this knight who carried a winged dragon on his shield, but lost his knightly honor and stole the magic horn!
In those days, the Earl of Gloucester himself more than once climbed the wonderful hill to quench his thirst from a magic horn and relax. And so he learned that the dishonest knight had violated this good custom. The count attacked the kidnapper in his own castle and killed him in a fair fight, and took the magic horn. But - alas! - The count did not return the treasure to the cupbearer wizard, but gave it to his sovereign and ruler, King Henry the Elder.
And from then on, even if you stand on a magic hill all day and repeat: “I’m thirsty!”, you will never be lucky enough to drink from a magic horn.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru