One Shah had a wife and son. One day the Shah took his son, viziers and vekils with him and went hunting. After they had killed a lot of game, the Shah ordered a tent to be pitched on a picturesque lawn and arranged a camp here. Ashamed of his father, Shahzade ordered to pitch his tent away from his father’s tent.
The Shah loved his son very much and visited him often. And so, once he went to visit him, he entered the tent and saw that some kind of Gizil-Ilan snake had crawled out from under the tent and was about to bite the young man. The Shah quickly filled one of his shoes with water and placed it in front of the snake. The snake drank water and crawled back. The Shah woke up his son and told him:
- My beloved son. For some of my good deeds, God honored me with his mercy. Get up! I don't advise you to stay here.
And he told his son about what had happened, then returned with him to his tent.
After living here for a while, they returned back to the city. A few days later, the Shah's wife became very ill. Calling her son to her, she made him the following will:
- My beloved son. I will never recover and I will die. After my death, your father will marry someone else. This woman will not get along with you. She will turn your father against you and ensure that he, having gone bankrupt, kills you. But try to prevent your father from reaching such a state. If you don’t get along, leave your father’s country for a while, and if on the way someone becomes your companion, then put your bread in the middle while eating; if your friend cuts off and places most of the bread in front of you, then continue to be a friend with him, otherwise stay away from him. In addition, if you and a friend reach the bank of a river, invite him to sit on your back so that you carry him across the river. If he takes you on his back and carries you across the river, be a comrade with him, but if he sits on your back, then he is not your comrade - stay away from him.
The young man began to cry, kissed his mother’s hand and left the room.
A few days later, the Shah's wife died. Some time later, the Shah married another woman.
She did not get along with the shahzade and began with all her might to turn the father against the son. Following his mother's will, Shahzadeh left his father's country.
On the way, in the very place where the tents had previously stood, he met a young man. When the young man asked him where he was going, Shahzadeh replied:
— I'm heading to another country.
The young man began to ask for Shahzade:
- Take me with you. My name is Takhta-Klyj.
And so they became comrades. After walking some distance, they stopped to rest and eat. Shahzadeh took out the bread and put it in the middle. The young man cut the bread and placed most of it in front of the shahzade, and the smaller part in front of himself. Shahzade saw that, according to his mother’s will, this young man was worthy of being his comrade. Having finished their meal, they continued on their way.
On the way they reached a river. Shahzade invited his comrade to sit on his back to carry him across the river, but the young man did not agree and, taking Shahzade on his back, he himself carried him across the river, and they continued on their way.
After some time, they reached a city, rented a room and settled there together. In the morning the young man said to Shahzade:
“Brother, you stay at home, and I’ll go earn something, bring it home, and we’ll feed together.”
And every day he went out to earn something, brought it home, and together they ate and lived. This is how day after day passed. Finally, Shahzade thought:
- How long will this young man continue to earn money, while I eat and sit idly at home? After all, I also have to do something.
With this thought, he got dressed and left the house. While wandering along the street, he suddenly saw that a beautiful girl was looking at him from the window of some tall building. Seeing her, Shahzadeh immediately fell in love with her.
This house belonged to the Shah, and the girl was his daughter.
Shahzade returned home thoughtfully. A little later, his friend came. Noticing that Shahzade was upset about something, his comrade asked him about the reason for his sadness. Shahzadeh told him what happened to him.
“Is that the only reason you’re so sad?” - asked the young man, laughing. After all, this is a very easy matter. Soon I will marry you to her.
In this way he calmed down the Shahzadeh. The next day the young man went to the city and sat on the Elchi-Dashi stone. The Shah was informed that an ambassador had arrived. A man was immediately sent to find out what he wanted to tell the Shah. The young man said that he wanted to marry the Shah's daughter to his brother. Then the Shah ordered to answer that he would marry his daughter to his brother if he built himself the same palace as his. The young man agreed. The next day, the people woke up and saw that a new house had been built in front of the Shah’s house, which was a hundred times larger and more beautiful than the Shah’s.
The young man informed the Shah that the house was ready. The Shah had no choice but to marry his daughter to Shahzade. We arranged a wedding.
When Shahzade wanted to go to the girl, the young man told him:
- Brother, don’t go yet; wait, first I'll go to the girl, and then you.
Shahzadeh agreed. Appearing to the girl, the young man blew into her mouth. Immediately, eleven snakes crawled out of her mouth one after another, and each of them tried to bite the young man. But the young man showed dexterity and killed all the snakes.
Then he put his ear to the girl’s mouth and realized that there was another snake left there, but so far harmless. The young man returned and sent Shahzade to the girl.
It turned out that before, no matter who the Shah’s daughter was married to, snakes crawling out of her mouth one after another would sting and kill the suitors. And no matter how many people tried to marry this girl, they were all bitten by snakes. Therefore, the Shah believed that this young man would not survive.
The next morning the Shah sent to find out about the fate of the young man. When they came to him, they saw that he was safe and... unharmed and talking with the bride. When the Shah was informed about this, he ordered that the people indulge in fun for three days.
After living here for some time, Shahzade decided to return to his homeland. He asked the Shah for permission and, after much insistence, received it. The Shah presented his son-in-law and his comrade with rich gifts, gold and silver and, sending them on their way, ordered them to be accompanied at a distance of three stages.
When the shahzadeh and the young man arrived at the very place where they met for the first time, the young man said to him:
“My brother, now we must part.” We acquired this wealth and this girl together, and we must divide everything in half.
Shahzadeh agreed. We divided everything. Only a camel, a mule and the Shah's daughter remained. The young man said that they should be divided in half too. Drawing his saber, he cut first the camel, then the mule, into two equal parts. When it was the girl’s turn, the shahzadeh began to beg the young man not to divide her in half. But no matter how much he asked, he did not agree. Finally, Shahzadeh suggested that he take all the wealth for himself and leave the girl to him. But the young man did not agree to this either. Then Shahzadeh invited him to take the girl entirely for himself. Not agreeing to this either, the young man tied the Shah’s daughter to a tree and, drawing his sword, was about to lower it on the girl’s head, when suddenly she vomited out of fright and the very last snake that had not crawled out jumped out of her mouth. After this, the young man sheathed his sword and said to his friend:
- My brother, I don’t need either wealth or a girl. I needed to remove this very snake from the girl’s mouth. If this snake had not crawled out now, it would have jumped out someday and destroyed you. Now take all this wealth and the girl and go to your father. Let it be known to you that I am not a man, but the same snake that your father gave to drink from his shoes. I have already returned kindness for kindness. And now goodbye!
With these words, the young man turned into a snake and disappeared.
Shahzadeh arrived in his father's country.
Having received news of his son's arrival, the Shah rode out to meet him and solemnly brought him to the city. Here Shahzade celebrated the wedding for the second time.
The Shah and all the others, having eaten and drunk, have already gone into the ground, we will eat, drink and indulge in life.
Three apples fell from the sky. One is for me, another is for the storyteller, and the third is for the one who listened...
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru