Once upon a time there lived a poor, very poor man, good people, and he had six children, because a poor man always has many children. So, these six children grew up with him, and everyone shouted vying with each other: “Father, give me some hominy! Father, give me some hominy!” And from such a misfortune sometimes the poor fellow wanted to run away wherever he could.
Our poor fellow struggled mightily until the children fledged, until they gained some sense, and then he asked the headman for permission to fence off a piece of the common land. He wanted to plant a little corn, potatoes, onions, a bed or two, and maybe something else to feed himself. And his sons worked until they sweat, because the land was noble and yielded a fabulous harvest. The poor man rejoiced at the hard work of his sons - they were dexterous, agile, like ants; only the youngest, Petru, was so careless and lazy that it was simply a disaster. Day after day he sat in the bakery corner near a pile of ashes, still chewing coals.
For the first three years, corn, pumpkin, hemp, onions, lettuce and potatoes grew in their garden, and in the fourth year they sowed clover, because they had a cow with two heifers and needed green food.
And that clover grew marvelously - it was a delight to look at: it spread out like a green carpet, and when the wind blew, waves ran across it, as if across the surface of a lake.
Every day, the owner came to admire his clover and lie in wait for it - after all, there was no such beauty in the entire area.
One day he sees his clover trampled, as if a horse had galloped over it.
Then the poor man decided to send his eldest son into the field and strictly ordered him not to sleep all night, to guard the clover and be sure to catch the enemy and the villain.
The son listened to his parent’s order, went into the field and decided, as his father had ordered, not to close his eyes all night; but only at dawn he began to feel sleepy, his languor took over, and he did not notice how he fell asleep.
The sun had already risen high, and he was still sleeping; His father was tired of waiting and worried that something had happened. Went to have a look; comes to the field and sees: his son is sleeping soundly, and the clover is all trampled down. No less than a whole herd of horses frolicking on it.
The father became sad, became agitated, became angry with his son, began to scold him and beat him, saying:
- Oh, you sleepy aunt, oh you klutz! So this is what it feels like to rely on you! Just look at the clover, you slacker! That's how you protect him! Woe is mine with you! While I was raising you, I was hanging around, so now I thought you were my helpers, but look what help you are: you can’t even stay awake through the night, your mouth open, you unfortunate lazybones!
The next night this man sent his second son, then his third, and so he sent all his children in turn; only here, apparently, there was some magic involved: not one of the sons could guard the field - everyone fell asleep by morning, and then the evil one brought the very one who trampled the clover.
The father was angry, scolding his sons, but to no avail: they themselves would have been glad not to fall asleep, but sleep crept up like a fierce robber and overcame them - there was no mercy with it.
It was Peter's turn to guard the clover. He got out of his baked corner, went up to his mother and said:
- Do you hear, mother? Knead me a cake from the ashes, and you will see how I will laugh at my brothers, even though they are arrogant and learned.
- Shut up, fool! - the father became angry. “What unclean one would eat your ashes at night?” Or do you think you are better than your brothers?
“I promise you, father, to take care of the clover, just let me watch over you for at least one night.”
Have it your way! - said the father. “Just know: if you don’t find the villain who tramples the clover, you won’t have to hang around in the baked corner anymore.”
The mother kneaded a cake from the ashes, put Petra-Ashes (as the people called him) in his knapsack and, when the sun set, went to the field.
The clover kept watch over Peter all night; As soon as the dawn began to break, a warm, intoxicating wind blew, it touched the eyelids of Peter-Ashes, and his eyes began to close by themselves. But Petru did not give up; when he realized that sleep was about to overwhelm him, he reached the thorny bushes that grew along the edge of the field, plucked several thorns and put them near him; As soon as he begins to fall asleep, he pricks himself with a thorn, and then he wakes up.
In the morning, when it was approaching dawn, three horses, like three mountains, descended onto the field and began to frolic on the clover. Peter-Ashes contrived here and caught all three. And these horses were not simple, but witchcraft, and they breathed a warm, sleepy wind; however, as soon as you looked at them, they became meek, like sheep, and then take them even with your bare hands. When Peter caught them, he set out to take them to their father, and the horses said:
“Have mercy on us, Petru, let us go as soon as possible, we’re already late; and even then, what use are we to you, because we are not ordinary horses, but magical ones, and if you let us go free, you’ll see that we will be useful to you.
Peter did not argue with them, he promised to let them go as quickly as possible, and then the first horse gave him a copper bridle, the second a silver one, and the third a gold one, and they said the following words:
“If you have need or grief, you just have to shake your bridle, and we will instantly appear before you and help you.” Just make sure you don’t tell anyone about us.
And the horses disappeared, as if they had never existed at all, and Petru hid the bridles in his bosom and returned home.
He told his father not to worry anymore, now the clover will be safe and sound.
And again Peter sat down in his oven corner, and the brothers continued to work; and since they worked tirelessly, things went well for them and they made some money.
At that time, news spread throughout the country that the king, sensing the approach of his death, was looking for a groom for his daughter and that he would refuse him the throne and the entire kingdom. And the order was given for all the young men to gather in the capital city, and the princess herself would choose a groom from among them. And it was also said that the princess would sit in the square with a crown in her hand, and all the young men should gallop past, and the one who could knock her crown out of her hands with a saber three times in a row would be the king’s son-in-law.
In those days, husbands were taken not according to rank; every poor man could become the king’s son-in-law, if he and his exploits were to the taste of the king’s daughter. Because they valued a person for his ingenuity, dexterity and courage, and not for his wealth and possessions. That is why the king called not only the kings and princes, but also the peasant sons, so that they would all come to the competition and his daughter could choose the most worthy of them.
And they came there - dear mother! - as if at a big fair, the people, apparently or invisibly, flocked to young men from all over the world: princes, princes, princes, masters' and peasants' children, and they were dressed up one more beautifully than the other, and the horses under them were each faster than the other and seemed to breathe fire-flame. It’s no wonder that all the young men were looking for the hand of the king’s daughter: she was so beautiful that you couldn’t imagine it, you couldn’t guess it, you could only say it in a fairy tale, and she inherited a huge kingdom and countless riches, because she was the only daughter of her parents.
Petru-Ashes heard about this, and go there too. He crawled out of his baked corner and, dear man, also decided to go show his valor in front of the king’s daughter and win her heart. What the hell is not joking! You never know where you will find it or where you will lose it; The dirtiest pig will sometimes devour the best pear.
He sees that the brothers themselves went to look for the hand of the king’s daughter, but they didn’t call him, and without hesitation, he went out of the outskirts, took out a copper bridle, shook it three times, and a horse appeared to him, red as fiery copper, as frisky as an Arabian horse, and that horse asked Peter-Ashes:
- What do you order, lord?
“Take me to the king’s daughter, so that I can flash in front of her like lightning, knock her crown out of her hands and win her heart.”
“Okay, lord,” said the horse, “but first put on these ceremonial clothes and gird yourself with a saber, and the rest is my concern.”
Peter the Ashes dressed himself in ceremonial clothes, which the horse had brought him, girded himself with a saber and became completely unrecognizable - now even his own brother would not recognize him. Those clothes, the saber and the spurs sparkled with crimson copper, blazed like tongues of flame, and his face shone with the rays of the setting sun. This is what Petru-Ashes became, and a zealous horse brought him to the city where other young men had gathered. Yes, I forgot to tell you that as Petru-Ashes was rushing into the city on his horse, he met his brothers: their cart got stuck in the mud and their horses could not pull it out. Petru-Ashes saw them and immediately recognized them, but they didn’t recognize him, they took off their hats, they must have thought what prince was galloping - he was too prominent and dressed up.
- What, Pavel, Ioan, Gitse, Danile and Eremie, can’t Lila and Fane pull you out of the mud? - he asked the brothers.
“No, Your Majesty,” the brothers answered, wondering how he knew their names, “the horses are not strong enough to carry us out: they are frail, how could they?”
- Why didn’t you take brother Petra with you? He would push the cart and pull you out of the mud.
- Well, to God, Your Majesty, he is not worthy of having his name remembered.
- Do you think so? So know that none other than Petru-Ashes will pull you out of the mud.
Just as the horse blew to Peter-Ashes, he pushed the brothers’ cart along with their horses far forward.
The brothers marveled at the stranger’s words. In his speeches he looked like Petra-Ashes, but how could such a thing happen? They knew that Peter the Ashes was sitting in his baked corner, where could he get such clothes and such a horse? It couldn’t be their brother Petru, it couldn’t be, and that’s all.
This is what the brothers said on the way among themselves, and meanwhile Peter had already arrived in the royal capital city.
A great many people from different directions came to the city. And everyone was amazed, looking at Petra: what kind of king is this son?! Some said that the king was Red, others that he was Green, others that he was Yellow; and the king’s sons looked at him like a wolf, because he was stronger and more beautiful than all of them and was coveted for their happiness. But suddenly the trumpets sounded and the fun began.
The princess climbed onto the red marble platform; she was dressed in golden clothes, precious stones shone on her like the sun; The princess sat on a golden throne and held the royal crown in her hand: those who fought for this crown rushed past the throne like swallows and tried to knock it out of the princess’s hands with a saber. As soon as someone hits the crown with a saber, the saber breaks, but the crown does not move.
After several hours, a whole mountain of sabers lay at the princess’s feet.
And everyone who was there wondered why this young man in copper-red robes did not try his luck.
Finally the turn came for Peter-Ashes; He spurred his horse and rushed past the princess like lightning, just under the hand in which she was holding the crown, and struck the crown with his saber with such force that the crown almost flew into the baked corner. Then everyone clapped with joy, and the king threw a great feast and ordered everyone to come together in three days and try their luck again to find such a knight who would knock the crown out of the princess’s hands three times in a row. At the feast the only talk was about the young man in copper armor. Then those who lived closer returned home, and those further away stayed there. Our Petru also returned to his home, or rather, to his baked corner.
And when his brothers returned home, they began to tell what they had seen. Petru listened to everything and kept quiet. Only when they started talking about how they got stuck in the swamp and how some dressed-up gentleman appeared and pulled them out of the mud, Peter laughed in his baked corner and said:
“I saw how that gentleman’s horse just blew and pushed you and your cart far forward.”
- How do you know, you slacker? - his brothers asked. - How do you know?
- Where? And I climbed onto the chicken coop and saw everything better than you.
The brothers also told how the princes and princes competed, how they tried to knock the crown out of the hands of the golden-haired princess, but whoever hit the crown with a saber, his saber broke, but the crown did not move. And finally the gentleman appeared - the same one who pulled them out of the mud - and when he hit the crown with his saber, it flew over everyone’s heads, God knows where.
“And I saw that gentleman,” said Peter-Ashes, “his clothes were copper-red, and on his horse his armor was copper, it burned like fire; You could see everything from our chicken coop!
The brothers, as usual, scolded him and broke the chicken coop out of anger, so that Peter would not make fun of them, saying that he saw everything better than them from the chicken coop.
On the third day, as was appointed, the brothers again harnessed the horses to the cart and set off: don’t spare the horses, if only the whip were heavier.
As soon as they left, Petru-Ash came out of his baked corner and also set off on his way. He reached the outskirts, took out a silver bridle from his bosom, shook it three times - instantly a powerful, handsome silver horse appeared to him; He brought Peter clothes, a saber and silver chain mail; Before Peter had time to put them on, the horse, like a whirlwind, carried him to the royal capital city. A huge crowd of people gathered there - more than before. Kings and princes, all in silk and gold, and their horses beat their hooves and bit the bits out of impatience.
But then Petra galloped up, and he was the most beautiful of all. The princes and princes envied him, they knew that he would still emerge victorious.
Then the competition began. Petrou was the last one left again. And like the last time, whoever hits the crown with a saber, his saber shatters into pieces, but the crown does not move. But when Peter’s turn came, he struck with his saber so hard that sparks fell and the crown flew far, far away.
All the people marveled at his beauty and valor, and he was immediately nicknamed the Red King.
And the king granted him a letter, just like the last time, and ordered everyone to appear in three days to measure their strength again, and then the winner would be declared.
All the people left, and Petru-Ashes, the Red King, returned to his baked corner and began to wait for there to be a holiday on his street. When his brothers returned home, they began to tell what they had seen, and Petru-Ashes announced that he knew everything better than them; and when he began to speak to them, the brothers just opened their mouths: he spoke as if it were written.
Then his brothers asked him: how does he know everything? And he told them:
- We know where! I climbed into the pigsty and saw everything, and if I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have said anything.
The brothers were angry that he knew everything better than them, even though he had never been to the games, and they broke down the pigsty from which Peter supposedly saw everything.
Finally, on the third day, the brothers set off for the royal capital city, and as they left, Peter climbed out of his corner, shook his golden bridle, and a wonderful golden horse appeared, his reins and saddle were made of pure gold, his clothes, saber, chain mail and spurs were also gold. And when he put them on Peter and sat on his horse, you could have thought that he was nothing other than the son of the sun - he himself, the horse, and his armor sparkled so much.
This time even more people gathered, and everyone was looking for the Red King, who the first time was in copper armor, and the second time - in silver; because the people knew: he alone could knock the crown out of the hands of the king’s daughter. There was only talk about the Red King, and people saw him from afar, because his armor shone like a red sun.
Before we had time to look back, he was already in the square. Everyone began to clap for him and shout: “Long live the Red King!” Only the son of the Black Tsar was angry with him: he loved the princess very much and, as they say, swore that he would give up his entire father’s state for the hand of this beauty.
But the princess did not even look in his direction, because she was looking for a handsome and brave groom; but the son of the Black Tsar did not take anything; There was no beauty in him, no courage - no wonder he was angry. And when the games began, Petru was again the last to remain, so that people would not say that he was wondering; he would not have tried his luck at all, but the people found out that no one was nice to the princess, people began to shout:
- Call the Red King! Let the Red King show his strength! We won't leave until he comes here!
At this point, Peter, willy-nilly, had to try his luck.
And as soon as the princess looked at him, she fell in love; and he fell in love with her; he approached her, she put the crown on his head, bowed to him, took his hand and said that she loved him and that he was her betrothed. Then the king-father gave them his blessing, and they arranged a royal feast, and the king invited everyone who was there to visit him.
And Petru called his brothers and father, took them to separate chambers and said to them:
- I, Petru-Ash, your brother and your, father, son. I was lucky then that I went to guard the clover: the horses that trampled our field brought happiness to both me and you.
And then the brothers fell to their knees in front of him, began to beg for his forgiveness, and he kissed them all and brought them with him to the palace.
And all the people feasted for a whole week, everyone was happy, and the princess was especially happy that she got such a handsome man as her husband. The king, since he was old, placed his son-in-law, the Red King, on the throne, and he ruled graciously and wisely for many years, and if he did not die, he still lives.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru