Once upon a time there lived three inseparable friends. Their friendship was strong: their three hearts, as the proverb says, beat at the same time. And in the same village lived a beauty who attracted all three friends. And she didn’t know: what to do? If you give one guy his word, the other two will be offended.
She thought and pondered, and finally decided:
“I will marry someone who will travel around the world and bring me some wonder.”
Three friends got ready for the journey. We went to look for a miracle. They traveled together for seven months, then decided to go their separate ways, and after another seven months to get back together.
So they set off to wander around the world... They wandered for seven months - they gathered at a suspended time,
- Who found what? - they ask each other.
“I found a magic mirror,” said one young man.
“I found a magic carpet,” said another fellow.
“And I’m a miracle apple,” said the third. The friends began to look in the magic mirror and saw that the beauty for whom they went on a journey had died,
“Oh, what grief!” exclaimed the owner of the magic mirror. “If only I could say goodbye.”
me and my beloved!
“Get on the magic carpet quickly,” suggested the owner of the magic carpet.
The flying carpet took three friends into the sky and in an instant flew the distance that they had covered in twice seven months.
The friends told the girl’s parents about their travels and asked permission to look at her face one last time.
“Look!” they said with tears and threw back the silk coverlet.
And as soon as the girl’s face was revealed, the owner of the miracle apple immediately brought it to the beauty’s lips, and the girl came to life.
- What a deep sleep I had! - She was surprised, got up and ate an apple.
Friends began to think and wonder: which of them should the beauty become his wife?
“If it weren’t for my magic mirror, we would not have known that the bride died, and she would have been buried long ago,” said the owner of the mirror. “She is mine by right.”
- What good was it for us to know about her?
death? “If it weren’t for my flying carpet,” said the owner of the carpet, “we would have gotten home only after seven months.” During this time, only ashes would remain of the bride. Don't argue! She's mine!
“And the magic mirror served us, and the magic carpet helped,” said the owner of the miracle apple in turn. “But if it weren’t for my miracle apple, she would not have come to life.. She should become my wife.” - And he added, turning to his friends:
- Do you have your magic mirror? - Yes.
- Do you have your magic carpet? - Eat.
“Then give me back my miracle apple and take yourself a bride.”
But, of course, no one could return the apple. After all, the beauty ate him.
So she went as a wife to the one of the three friends who got the miracle apple.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru