Once upon a time there lived a king who had a son. One day the king said to the prince: “My son, I will be away for two weeks.” I leave you all the keys to the castle, but I forbid you to enter this room.
“Okay, father,” answered the prince. As soon as the father set off, the prince immediately ran into this room and saw a beautiful golden pool. He dipped his finger into it, and at the same moment his finger became covered with gold. The prince tried to remove the gilding, but no matter how much he rubbed, nothing helped; he tied his finger with a cloth.
That same evening the king returned. - Well, my son, did you enter that room?
- No, father.
- What's wrong with your finger?
- Nothing, father.
- My son, something is wrong with you!
“And it was I who injured my finger when I was cutting bread for the stew for our servants.”
- Show me your finger.
Willy-nilly, the prince had to listen.
“Who should I trust,” said the king, “if I cannot trust my own son?”
Then he said to the prince:
“I’ll be gone again for two weeks.” Here are all my keys, but do not enter the room where I forbade you to go.
- Okay, father. Be calm.
As soon as his father left, the prince rushed to the golden fountain, he soaked his dress and head in it: at the same moment his dress was completely covered with gold and his hair too. Then he went to the stable, where there were two horses, Moreau and Bayard.
“Moro,” said the prince, “how many leagues do you travel in one step?”
- Eighteen.
- And you, Bayar?
“And I’m fifteen, but I’m smarter than Moreau.” You won't go wrong if you take me.
The prince jumped on Bayar and rushed at full speed. That same evening the king returned to the castle. Not seeing his son, he ran to the stable.
-Where is Bayar? - he asked Moreau.
- Bayar rushed off with your son.
The king mounted Moreau and rushed in pursuit of the prince. After some time, Bayar said to the young man:
- Oh, prince, we are lost! I can smell Moreau's breath behind us. Here's a sponge, throw it over your shoulder as high and far as possible.
The prince did as the horse told him, and in the place where the sponge fell, a dense forest immediately grew. The king rode through the forest on Moreau.
“Ah, prince,” said Bayard, “we are lost!” I can smell Moreau's breath behind us. Here's a comb, throw it over your shoulder as high and far as possible.
The prince threw the comb, and immediately a wide river lay between them and the king. The king rode Moro across the river.
“Ah, prince,” said Bayard, “we are lost!” I can smell Moreau's breath behind us. Here's a stone, throw it over your shoulder as high and far as possible.
The prince threw a stone, and behind them stood a high mountain, all covered with razors. The king wanted to drive along it, but Moreau injured his legs; having reached half the mountain, they had to turn back.
A little later, the prince met a young farmhand who had just taken payment from his master and was walking home.
“Listen, buddy,” the prince told him, “do you want to change clothes with me?”
“Oh,” the guy answered, “you want to laugh at me!”
Still, he gave him his dress. The prince put it on, then bought a bull bladder and put it on his head. In this form, he went to the castle of the king who ruled this country and asked if a cook was needed there. They told him that he needed it. Since he never took off the bubble from his head and was careful not to show his hair, everyone in the castle called him mangy.
The king had three daughters: he was going to marry them off. Each princess was ordered to throw a golden apple to her chosen one. Therefore, all the nobles who were at court began to walk in single file in front of them, and both elders threw golden apples: one to the hunchbacked one, the other to the lame-legged one. Mangy intervened in the crowd of nobles, and the youngest of the king's daughters threw him her apple: she saw him furtively combing his golden hair, and knew who he was.
The King was greatly angered by the choice of His daughters.
“Long-legged, hunchbacked, mangy,” he exclaimed. - Good sons-in-law!
After some time, the king fell ill. To heal him, it was necessary to get three jugs of water from the Hungarian queen. The lank-legged one and the hunchbacked one set off on the road to get this water. The prince said to his wife:
“Go ask your father if I can go on a search too.”
- Hello, dear father,
- Hello, Mrs. Scabby.
— Mangy asks if he can go on a search.
- As he pleases! Let him take a horse with three legs, let him ride and let him not return.
She went back to her husband.
- Well, how? What did your father say?
“My friend, he told you to take a horse with three legs and ride.” “She did not add that the king wished him not to return.”
The prince mounted an old horse and rode into the forest where he had left Bayar. Near Bayard he found three jugs of water from the Hungarian queen; he took them and mounted his three-legged horse again. Driving past the inn, he saw both of his brothers-in-law - they were laughing and drinking wine there.
- What is this! - he told them. - So you didn’t go to fetch water from the Hungarian queen?
“We really need this,” they answered. - Did you find her?
- Yes.
—Will you sell us all three jugs?
“You will get them if each of you allows me to prick him in the ass with an awl a hundred times.”
- OK.
The lank-legged one and the hunchbacked one brought the king three jugs of water from the Hungarian queen.
—Have you ever met Mangy? - the king asked them.
- The truth is, I haven’t met, Your Majesty! - they answered.
- Your Mangy one is good, nothing to say!
A short time later, war broke out. Mangy said to his wife:
“Go ask your father if I can go on a hike too.”
- Hello, dear father.
- Hello, Mrs. Scabby.
— Mangy asks if he can go on a hike.
- As he pleases! Let him take a horse with three legs, let him ride and let him not return.
She went back to her husband.
- Well, how? What did your father say?
“My friend, he told you to take a horse with three legs and ride.” “She did not add that the king wished him not to return.”
The prince rode into the forest on a horse with three legs. Having reached there, he put on his gilded dress, mounted Bayar and fought with the enemies. He defeated them all. And he fought with the troops of the king who was his father.
The lame-legged and hunchbacked man, who had been watching the battle from afar, went to the king and said to him:
- Wow, Your Majesty, if only you saw the brave man who won the battle!
“What a shame,” said the king, “that my youngest daughter is married!” I would willingly give her to him as a wife. Have you ever met Mangy?
- The truth is, I haven’t met, Your Majesty!
- Your Mangy one is good, nothing to say!
War broke out again. The prince sent his wife to ask the king for permission to go on a campaign. Then, riding a horse with three legs to the forest, he put on his gilded dress, sat on Bayard and, becoming even more beautiful than before, entered the battle. He won the battle, and the lame-legged and hunchbacked man, watching from afar, repeated:
- What a handsome man! What a brave man!
“Oh, your Majesty,” they said to the king, “if only you had seen the brave man who won the battle!”
“What a shame,” said the king, “that my youngest daughter is already married!” I would willingly give her to him as a wife. Have you ever met Mangy?
- The truth is, I haven’t met, Your Majesty!
- Your Mangy one is good, nothing to say!
It was necessary to get two more jugs of the Hungarian queen’s water so that the king would be completely healed. The prince told his wife to ask the king for permission to go fetch water and rode into the forest on a horse with three legs. Near Bayard he found two jugs, took them and turned back. Driving past the inn, he saw his brothers-in-law - they were laughing and drinking wine.
- What is this! - he told them. “Didn’t you go to fetch water from the Hungarian queen?”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru