What happened happened, but I don’t know when.
The old Klutz knew about it, but she was silent, and when I asked, she said that she had forgotten, she herself became as skinny as a piece of wood, but she did not reveal the secret, and then she gave up the ghost.
There was a hut in a green grove, and in that hut lived a poor widow with her little son. While her forester husband was alive, she did not know what poverty was. And when he died, it was hard for her.
The poor woman began to go into the forest to pick berries, raspberries, mushrooms, and hazelnuts. Good people gave her some grains for them, some flour, some a piece of lard, some a glass of milk.
The mother walked through the forest, and the boy played at home or went out into the yard to have fun.
One day, while leaving, his mother ordered him to chop dry brushwood for kindling, which was lying in a heap in the yard. The boy began to chop brushwood, and suddenly a huge snake crawls out from under him and quickly hides among the stones. The boy liked the snake and wanted to play with it. He sat down near the stones, waiting to see if he would come out. I waited for a long time, but the snake never showed up.
Since then, every day the boy went to these stones and left some food there to lure out the snake.
One day a mother left a plate of sweet milk for her son. The boy was not too lazy, took the plate of milk to the hole, and stood aside, waiting. The snake smelled milk, got out and carefully crawled towards the plate. The boy saw the snake, he was not himself with joy, he kept looking at him and looking at him until the plate was empty and the snake disappeared into his hole.
The boy was happy, now he knew how to lure out the snake. His mother leaves him milk, but he runs to the hole, brings treats to the snake, and remains hungry.
Time passed and the snake got used to the boy and began to take food from his hands.
Their friendship lasted for many years. Over the years, the boy grew up, turned into a handsome young man, and the snake grew old and soon his last hour struck.
One morning a young man went to visit the snake, and he struggled out of the hole and sadly said to him:
- Ah, Yanko, Yanko! The time has come to say goodbye forever, my hour of death has come. You have been a faithful friend to me and I want to repay you for your kindness with kindness: here is your hat, pipe and hatchet. As soon as you put on a hat, your hair will turn silver, as soon as you play the pipe, everyone around will start dancing and will not stop until you take the pipe from your lips! And you tell the hatchet: “Chop, hatchet, chop!” - he will tirelessly chop until you say: - Enough!
The snake said and gave up the ghost.
Yanko barely held back his tears, but realized that nothing could be done about it, so he took the snake into a hole and walled it up with stones.
But trouble does not come alone. Soon his kind mother died and Yanko was left completely alone in the world. He was fed up with everything. He took the gifts that the snake had left for him and went around the world to look for service.
I walked for a long time, passed more than one village, more than one city. Finally, I came out onto a steep bank. He sees the silver domes of a huge castle shining in front of him. Yanko was delighted and sighed with relief: “Maybe I’ll live in peace here!
But the castle was enchanted, and many people died in it: whoever entered there did not return alive.
But Yanko did not know this and cheerfully went down the mountain straight to the castle. He approached the gate, told the king to report himself, and began to ask for his service. The king was delighted and said:
- Okay, my son, okay! There will be a service for you. You will herd sheep. But I'll tell you in advance, the work is not easy. If you are timid and awkward, and even one sheep will be lost, it is better to refuse right away!
-Why should the sheep disappear? - answered Yanko. - I'll look after them! The king answers:
- And that’s true! It’s good if a person relies on himself! Then don’t hesitate - kick him out in the morning! Each sheep has a silver bell tied around its neck; they will find their own way to the pasture. And you go after them. If you save every single one, I won’t stand for the reward, I’ll pay generously!
Yanko was glad that he had found such a service. After a good dinner, tired from the long journey, he went to bed and immediately fell asleep. As soon as he closed his eyes, a terrible dream woke him up. The poor guy was jumping up all night! As soon as it was light he was already on his feet, put on his magic hat and went to see what the places were like.
Everyone was still sleeping in the castle, only the king's daughter was awake and looking out the window. She saw Yanko, and Yanko was handsome, built like a poplar, his silver hair was shining! The girl doesn’t believe her eyes, she keeps looking, she can’t get enough of it until the guy disappears around the corner. She lowered her eyes and took a deep breath:
I feel sorry for you, dear young man, oh, how sorry! “Did you really end up here to die ingloriously?” the princess began to cry, turned away from the window and wiped away her tears with a white handkerchief.
Yanko returned to the castle, hid his hat, put on a shepherd's dress and drove the sheep into the field.
The sheep are running, their silver bells are ringing, and he is following them little by little, carrying out the royal will.
Before he had walked a hundred steps, he saw a wide plain from afar. The whole plain seems to be covered with copper paint. It was the Copper Field.
The sheep turned there themselves, came, and nibbled the copper grass.
And Yanko, leaning on his hatchet, keeps an eye on them.
But then suddenly a whirlwind hit! It's getting stronger and more furious. The sheep are huddled together, screaming, and the field is shaking from the whirlwind. Yanko himself can barely stand on his feet; he won’t understand what’s going on. From the east he sees a huge black cloud approaching.
“Storm!” he decided. “Where can I hide from it, poor thing?
But it was not a cloud or a storm. And a dragon with six heads flew at Yanko and roared terribly:
-Who gave you permission to drive sheep into my field? Don't you know that I'm the boss here? Whoever dared to go against my will will die on the spot!
He let out his claws, and Yanko is about to be torn apart.
- Don't rush! - Yanko answers him. - Take your time! Listen first to how I play the flute!
“Okay, play,” the dragon grumbled and Yanko began to play.
The first time he whistled, the dragon took off from its place, waddled from side to side, and the faster Yanko played, the faster the dragon danced. I’m no longer happy with myself, but I can’t stop. And Yanko went into a rage, you know he’s playing up. The dragon is already losing all his strength, he began to ask Yanko:
- Enough, enough! I can't do it anymore! I won’t touch you, just teach me how to play your pipe!
“I’ll learn it,” Yanko smiled, “but your claws are not suitable for this.” Just trim them a little.
“Do whatever you want, just learn,” the dragon agreed.
- Welcome! – Yanko laughs.
There was a tree stump nearby. Yanko stuck his hatchet into it and split the stump.
“Put your claws in here,” he ordered the dragon.
The dragon obeyed, stuck his claws into the crack, and Yanko grabbed the hatchet, paws with claws, and pinched them!
- Hey! What are you doing to me? - the dragon roared. And Yanko answers him:
- Calm down a little, I’ll let you go now. Just tell me, what will you give me if I teach you to play the pipe?
- Why did your pipe give up to me! - the dragon roars. - Let go of your paws! And Yanko answered him:
- Well, no! You will also sing with me! The dragon writhes in pain and begs:
“Let me go,” he shouts. “I’ll give you a copper apple and a magic wand.” If you hit an apple with a stick, it will turn into a copper castle, take whatever you want from there!
-Where is this apple? – Yanko asks him.
“There’s a stick in the bushes nearby.”
Yanko rushed into the bushes, hit the apple with a stick and a copper castle stood in front of him. Yanko entered the gate, servants were running towards him from all sides:
- What do you order, sir? - they ask.
Yanko did not order anything, he just went up the stairs, walked through all the chambers, looked at what was lying where, but did not touch anything, only took a feather that was on the table in a copper glass. He went out, hit the castle with a stick, and the castle turned into an apple again.
“Not a bad gift,” he said to the dragon, “but you still owe something!” Come on, hatchet, chop!
Let's chop the hatchet! He cut off one head and set to work on the other. The dragon has the last one left. The dragon shouted in a terrible voice:
- Take the Copper Field, just leave this head!
But Yanko didn’t believe this head either, and didn’t stop the hatchet. The end of the dragon came, and Yanko returned to his sheep. They grazed calmly, and in the evening they turned towards home. Yanko stuck a feather from a copper castle into his hat and from its bright shine everything around became cheerful. The herd has already approached the castle. Yanko thought and thought and hid the hat with the feather.
Meanwhile, in the castle they are worried why the sheep are taking so long to go home, because they used to come running before noon.
They see a shepherd walking with his flock, everyone gasps and wonders how he survived. And the king rejoices that the good shepherd did not lose a single sheep!
Yanko had driven the sheep and was getting ready to go to bed, when suddenly the princess came running to him and started the following conversation:
- Hey, shepherd, where is the feather from which such light comes? Give it to me!
“I don’t have any pen, because I was in the field, and even flowers don’t grow there!” - Yanko opens up.
But the princess clung on and did not lag behind:
“Well, no,” he says, “I saw everything from the window, why hide now, please give it!”
And she kept asking until Yanko gave her the pen. What a joy it was!
Yanko had dinner and went to bed. Just what a vacation this is! The guy can’t sleep, a six-headed dragon is standing before his eyes.
As soon as dawn broke, Yanko jumped to his feet, put his hat on his head and went out into the yard. The princess is watching in the window, she saw a guy with silver hair, she is glad that he is alive and well. But when I thought about what awaited him ahead, I became sad.
For the second time Yanko drove the sheep. But now he was no longer afraid of anything, because the pipe and hatchet served him faithfully! He walked and walked and suddenly he closed his eyes, such light hit his eyes. It was the Silver Field that was shining. This is where the sheep are supposed to graze today.
As soon as the sheep began to nibble the silver grass, a whirlwind suddenly appeared. The sheep, poor things, scream and huddle together. A black cloud is crawling across the sky - this is a dragon flying with a menacing roar. And that dragon has nine heads! He swooped in and growled in a terrible voice:
- Why are you bothering me, grazing sheep in my field? Know that you won’t leave here alive!
He’s about to launch his claws into Yanko, he’s about to tear him to shreds!
“Wait, don’t rush, maybe we can come to an agreement,” Yanko answers and brings the pipe to his lips.
Just started playing, and the dragon is already dancing. Yanko plays more cheerfully, the dragon jumps faster, rolls from side to side, dances and dances, completely exhausted.
The dragon began to pray to the shepherd:
- Wait, guy, drop the pipe! I won’t touch you, just teach me how to play it!
Yanko promised, he forced the dragon to put his claws into the crack by cunning, the dragon roared in pain, he promised Yanko a silver apple and a magic wand, just to free himself.
Yanko took the gifts, hit the apple with his wand, and at the same moment a beautiful silver castle stood in front of him. Yanko examined him, did not take anything, only the feather that was standing on the table in a silver glass. He turned the castle into an apple, removed the apple, and said this to the dragon:
- Thank you for the gift, but you still owe me a debt. Come on, hatchet, chop!
The hatchet got to work, and now all nine heads flew off the shoulders.
The sheep calmly ate their fill and in the evening they turned home, Yanko followed them. As soon as he tucked the feather into his hat, everything around began to sparkle and sparkle. He walked up to the house and put his hat and feather in his pocket.
The king was glad that all the sheep were safe and began to praise Yanko. And the princess runs to the guy, just like that time, begging for a feather. What's hiding here? He gave Yanko the feather and made the beauty happy.
After dinner, Yanko went to bed, but spent the whole night fighting dragons in his sleep and could hardly wait for the morning.
At dawn, Yanko put on his hat and went out into the yard. The princess looks out the window and laments. He feels sorry for the young man, because this time inevitable death awaits him.
Yanko drove the sheep out, and they quickly and cheerfully ran forward. They have a good shepherd now. And Yanko is driving the sheep, and he himself is thinking that something will happen to him today. And suddenly everything began to sparkle in front of him. These sheep came to the Golden Field, walk around, nibble the golden grass.
Then, out of nowhere, a wind blew in, black clouds rushed across the sky, and a twelve-headed dragon crashed onto the field. On the fly, the oak tree was uprooted and rushed straight towards Yanko.
- How dare you graze sheep in my field? – he roared and swung his oak at Yanko.
But at that very moment the pipe began to play! The dragon backed away, trembled and began to stomp on the spot along with the oak tree, sinking knee-deep into the ground, but could not stop. He danced until he fell over. Lying down, unable to move:
- Enough, enough! – the dragon shouts, panting heavily. - I won’t touch you! Just teach me to play your pipe!
“Okay,” Yanko answers. “But here’s the problem: your claws are crooked, they need to be straightened.”
And he pinched the dragon's paws. The dragon yells in a bad voice, and Yanko grins:
“Be patient,” he says, “it will pass soon!” What will you give me if I teach you to play?
- Don’t teach, don’t! Just let go! - the dragon shouts. - Take the golden apple and the stick. When you hit an apple with a stick, it immediately turns into a golden castle. Look for him in the bushes!
Yanko found an apple and turned it into a golden castle. He walked around the castle, looked at everything, took nothing, just a feather from a golden glass that stood on the table. He turned the castle into an apple, and said to the dragon:
- Thank you for the gift, but you still owe me a debt. Come on, hatchet, chop! The hatchet didn’t hesitate and got to work. Nine heads are already lying on the ground. The dragon began to ask to leave at least three heads.
“I,” he shouts, “will refuse you the Golden Field!”
But Yanko did not listen to him, he ordered the hatchet to cut off all the dragon heads.
He himself returned to the sheep, and they were grazing on the golden grass.
Evening came, the sheep turned home on their own, and Yanko decorated his hat with a golden feather. The whole valley lit up, as if the red sun had risen. As they began to approach the castle, Yanko hid his hat with the feather. No one knows about it, only the princess, who again sat at the window and saw everything.
The king counted the sheep, ordered Yanko to call him and said:
- Thank you, brave fellow! We are happy with you! Fifty guys didn't make it, you were the only one who made it. Stay with me. I will not offend you, I will pay the camp as much as no shepherd ever received.
The princess heard about this and was glad that the good young man would stay in the castle. As soon as Yanko left the king, she was already right there and said:
“Give me a golden feather that illuminates the whole valley, like a red sun!”
She tried to persuade her until Yanko gave her the pen.
Yanko was no longer afraid of anyone and grazed sheep first on the Medny, then on the Serebryany, then on the Golden Field. And he didn’t say a word to anyone about what happened to him in those three days.
The time has come for the princess to get married. The king ordered to build a high tower and cut windows in it, one higher than the other. The princess ordered a copper feather to be placed in the first window; whoever jumped up to it on a horse and grabbed the feather, the princess would take him as her husband.
As soon as this news spread, princes, knights and eminent gentlemen came from all countries. Everyone is flattered to marry a beautiful princess!
The copper feather stands in the window, and the king and his daughter look out from their castle.
The king gave a sign and the competition began. Princes, knights and gentlemen began to spur their zealous horses and, one after another, take off to the window. Yes where there! They can’t reach the pen, only their arms and legs are crippled.
At that hour Yanko was tending sheep as usual. He met a woman in the field and she told him about the royal undertaking. The woman left.
Here Yanko, without thinking twice, took out a copper apple, tapped it with his wand, and at the same moment a copper castle appeared in front of him. He entered the castle and ordered the horse to be saddled and the knight's clothes to be served. And now the copper winged horse is beating his hoof, and copper clothes are ready for Yanko. Yanko changed clothes, jumped on his horse and flew to the castle.
Everyone admires the stately knight and bows low to him. And how he spurs his horse, how he flies up to the very window! And now the copper pen is already in his hands. Everyone claps their hands, and he goes straight to the princess.
He bowed to her and handed her the pen.
But the princess did not like his copper suit. The proud woman did not take the pen from his hands. The knight turned around, jumped on his horse and said his name.
The king began to scold his daughter, but it was too late, the copper knight flew away, there was no turning back.
Several months have passed and the princess again asks her father to announce throughout the country: whoever takes the silver feather from the window will become the princess’s husband. This feather was placed even higher.
Knights, princes, and rich gentlemen have gathered again; everyone wants to marry a beauty. But in vain they boasted, in vain they spurred the prancing horses, no one could jump to the silver feather.
Yanko was tending sheep as usual. He heard what was going on in the castle, hit the silver apple and a silver castle appeared in front of him. Yanko ordered the horse to be saddled and a knight's dress to be served. And now the winged silver horse is beating its hoof, and Yanko is wearing a silver dress. The young man took off on his horse and rushed to the castle faster than the wind.
People cannot take their eyes off the beautiful knight, everyone makes way for him! And Yanko spurred his horse and now the silver feather is already in his hands!
The king saw it, the princess saw it. Yanko handed her a feather, but she did not want to take the feather from the knight’s hands, the silver knight was not nice to the proud girl. This is not enough for her. But Yanko doesn’t even give a damn, he jumped on his horse and was off.
The king was completely angry with his arrogant daughter and could not forgive her for a long time. And she kept begging him, well, persuading him, until she persuaded him: they put a golden feather in the highest window and spread the word all over the world - they say, well done, whoever jumps to the window on a horse and gets the feather, this time he will certainly take the princess as his wife.
Many brave men came to torture their happiness; Yes, when they saw that the window was almost under the clouds, they turned and went home - God be with her, with the princess!
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Yanko flies in golden armor on a winged golden horse! People almost go blind from the brilliance, everyone gasps and marvels at the unprecedented beauty of the golden knight! But Yanko didn’t show off in vain, he flew up like a bird to the very window and grabbed the golden feather. The king and his daughter saw everything. The daughter is all beaming, she can’t find any place for joy: what a handsome man she will get as her husband!
But the proud girl was happy early. Wait, something else will happen!
A knight approaches her with a golden feather in his hand, and the impatient princess herself reaches out to him. But Yanko is up to something, doesn’t give up his pen, bows politely and says:
- Let me, madam, keep this pen. If you give your word to marry me, I will return it to you in two months, and I will take you with me!
The king rejoices and agrees. And the princess smiles and extends her hand in agreement.
Yanko jumped on his horse and flew to the golden castle.
They began to prepare for the wedding in the royal castle. They can't wait for the appointed day. The princess is languishing, counting on her fingers when the golden knight will appear. The long-awaited day has come. The proud woman cannot feel her feet under her with joy.
The sun has already risen high, but the golden knight is still not in sight. Father and daughter are waiting, all eyes are on. It’s already close to noon, but he’s still not there. Just before noon, a beggar knocks on the gate. They let him in, and he, still in his patched zip-shirt, snuck straight into the princess’s chambers. He approached her and offered his hand:
- Good afternoon, beautiful princess, I came for you. The princess got scared, got angry, stamped her feet and shouted:
- Get out of my sight! I don't know you!
- How come you don’t know? - the beggar grins, - take a better look at me! After all, I am the same knight from whose hands you, out of pride, did not want to take either a copper or a silver feather from his hands! I am the same golden knight whom you promised to marry two months ago! As proof, here you go!
And he puts all three feathers on the table - copper, silver and gold.
- Now don’t say a word, follow me! The crew is in the yard!
The princess is in tears. Hearing her cry, the father came running, found out what was the matter, was saddened, but did not show it, he only said to his daughter:
- Serves you right, proud girl! Don't be picky. Get what you deserve!
There is nothing to do. The princess put on an old dress, sobbed bitterly, said goodbye to her father and climbed onto the cart.
Yanko whipped his horse and they set off. They drove on and on until they reached a high mountain.
“We’ll live in this place,” Yanko says to his wife, “this is my master’s castle.” I’ll run and say that I’ve brought a bride, and ask if he’ll take you into his service too. Just wait, I'll be back soon!
And he hit the copper apple with his wand and immediately grew up in the Copper Field, the Copper Castle. Yanko ordered the servants to dress in master's dress, as if they were guests, and said that he and the bride would serve them.
Yanko returned to his proud woman and said:
- My master is not at home; yesterday he left for another castle. And the darkness has come in large numbers of guests, I can’t go to the owner, I have to serve the guests. Follow me! Yes quickly!
The proud princess, with her head down, followed her husband. They came to the castle, changed clothes in the closet and went into the hall to look after the guests.
The guests began to give orders: they told them to bring it to the table and pour wine.
Oh, and the proud princess didn’t like it! What can you do? We must obey. The guests got drunk, ate and left. And the newlyweds began to eat up what was left on the table. Here Yanko says to his young wife:
- And now, my dear, let’s go to another castle to the owner!
He put her on the cart and drove off wherever his eyes led her. Finally, they reached a small valley. On the hill the forest curls up. Yanko unharnessed his horse and explained to his wife:
“Behind this forest, my master has another castle. I’ll run and find out if he’s at home, and you wait for me here, I’ll be right back!
He climbed the hill, hit the silver apple with a twig, and right there in the Silver Field the Silver Castle grew up. Yanko there. He orders the servant to dress as a master, says that he and his wife will come now and ask to serve him, but he refuses them and orders them to go to the neighboring castle.
He ordered, and he himself went down into the valley, calling his wife from afar:
- Come quickly, my dear, master of the house!
They came to the Silver Castle, the proud woman looked at the beauty, at the wealth, and couldn’t get enough of it. The disguised servant received them kindly, but did not take them into his service. He sent her to the neighboring castle, saying they needed a servant there, and he would send her husband there too.
The proud princess began to cry and climbed onto her cart:
“In this beautiful castle,” she laments, “they don’t even hire me as a servant!”
Yanko consoles her.
“Maybe,” he says, “you’ll be lucky in the third castle!”
And she keeps crying and shedding tears. It was a long drive, several hours. We finally arrived at a high mountain.
“We’ll stop here,” said Yanko. “Behind this mountain my master has a third castle. I’ll go ahead and see what’s going on, and you wait for me here, I’ll be right back!
He crossed the mountain, hit the golden apple with a twig, and a Golden Castle arose in the Golden Field. The servants came running. Yanko explained to everyone who should do what and returned back for his wife.
He brings her to the golden castle, and she dies from unprecedented beauty! Yanko says:
“This is where, my dear, we will serve.” Come with me.
The princess did not say anything, she just sighed heavily that she was not the owner of this splendor. They went up the stairs, Yanko led her into the room and quickly slammed the door behind her.
Then four maids came to her with beautiful outfits, decorated with gold and precious stones, and began to change her clothes. The princess will not understand whether this is reality, or whether she is dreaming? But the maids don’t pay attention; you know, they’re trying hard, dressing her up from head to toe.
Suddenly the doors fly apart into both halves, a golden knight enters and takes her hand:
“Well, my dear wife, you are no longer a servant, but the mistress of all my three castles.” I just wanted to teach you a lesson and bring down your arrogance. So that you don’t be proud!
The golden knight turned away, put a cap with three feathers on his head, and then it was as if the scales fell from the princess’s eyes: she recognized the same Yanko who had once given her feathers. By the hat and by the silver hair.
Yanko told her everything, about the dragons, and how he got these castles, and how he became a knight. The princess cries with joy, asks for forgiveness, and kisses her brave Yanko!
They live happily, but they don’t have enough bird’s milk. Then we went for the old king. He, poor fellow, missed his daughter very much. And then Yanko disappeared somewhere! The king shed tears of joy and hugged Yanko-pas-tukh when he came to him as his son-in-law. And together with their satisfied daughter they began to live in one, then another, then a third castle. And the proud princess was now quiet, sweet and kind.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru