The khan had a daughter, a beloved daughter, the smart, beautiful princess Bergiz. She knew how to weave patterned shawls that no one else could do. At the age of eight, the princess began weaving shawls for herself. For this shawl they prepared silk from five thousand silkworm cocoons and a shuttle made by five thousand carpenters.
When the princess was sixteen years old, the shawl was ready. Khan decided that the time had come to look for a groom for his daughter. They went through all the viziers and bais, but the princess did not like any of them. Khan became worried:
- Oh, my beloved daughter, what kind of groom do you want?
“I’ll marry someone who understands the pattern of the nasha and guesses my desire.”
Then the khan issued an order: “Any person who understands the design on the shawl and guesses the princess’s desire will receive her as a wife.”
The order was posted at the palace gates, and a shawl was hung next to it. People became agitated; a crowd stood at the gate day and night. But no one could understand what was depicted on the shawl.
Six months have passed. Khan endured, endured, but could not bear it. He called his daughter and said:
My beloved daughter! Your conditions are impossible. Even I, your own father, cannot understand anything on the shawl. But I was taught by the best sages in the country.
Dear father! - the princess answered respectfully. “People only see the shawl, but there is a drawing on it, and in the drawing is my desire.” Let them think and figure it out.
Another ten days passed. And then a young man from the eastern mountains came to the city. He read the order, looked at the shawl and took it off the wall.
He was immediately brought to the khan.
- Do you understand what is woven on the shawl? - the khan asked him. - Have you guessed what the princess wants? If you tore off your shawl in vain, I’ll throw you in prison!
The young man bowed to the khan:
- My great khan! I understood everything! Khan immediately sent for his daughter."
Tell me, what did you see on my shawl? - Princess Bergiz asked the young man.
I saw a high mountain on the shawl, a cave in the mountain, and a firebird in the cave! The cave is guarded by a monster. You, princess, want to marry the one who will get you the firebird.
Right! You guessed it right. Can you get this firebird? - asked Bergiz.
If I had not had the courage, I would not have taken off the shawl.
Young man! - said the khan. - Are you ready to follow the firebird? What do you need for this? Ask - I will give
“I don’t need anything, O Great Khan, except the ruby that the princess wears in her hair at her left temple!”
Bergiz took off the ruby and gave it to the young man. He bowed to the khan, then to the princess and left.
The young man walked for three days and three nights and finally came to a high mountain. He took out a ruby, brought it to his mouth and whispered:
- Ruby, ruby! Everything depends on you! If you are real, shine!
The young man clutched the ruby in his fist and began to climb the mountain. From a distance he saw a monster dozing near the cave. The young man approached him and raised the ruby high in his hand. The monster, awakened by the steps, jumped up and rushed at the daredevil. But the ruby glowed with red fire and blinded the monster. The young man entered the cave, grabbed the desired firebird and... ran down the mountain. Tears flowed from the eyes of the blinded monster; it hid in a cave.
The young man came to the palace, bowed to the khan and gave him the firebird:
- O great khan! I brought the firebird for Princess Bergiz. I ask you, O Great Khan, to allow me and your daughter to get married.
But the khan did not want to take this young man as his son-in-law, no one knows him in the capital, he came from somewhere in the mountains and was poorly dressed.
- You are a capable young man! - answered the khan. “But this firebird came to you too easily.” Do one more task! If you do, so be it, I will allow you to marry my daughter.
I am listening, O Great Khan! - said the young man.
I have fifty pools in my palace, but the water in them has become cloudy. So, tomorrow before morning prayer, clean the water in all the pools.
“I understood your order, O Great Khan,” the young man said and left.
He came to the palace garden and examined the pools: the water was muddy everywhere. The young man sat down by the pool and thought. Suddenly Bergiz appeared in front of him.
- Don't worry! - she said and took the emerald out of her hair. - Place this stone in the water. If you lower it fifty times, there will be clean water in every pool!
The young man took the emerald and did as Bergiz ordered.
Before dawn, those close to him reported to the khan: the water in all the pools had become clean! Khan got angry. And after the prayer the young man came to the khan.
- O great khan! I carried out your order. When will you set your wedding day?
The Khan thought and thought and finally said:
— The grapes in my garden are not yet ripe, but I need grapes for the wedding. I have a lot of silks, for the wedding I need to sew clothes from them, but without threads. I have a hundred servant girls in the palace, why do I need them if Bergiz gets married? Turn them all into. men. I'm already old, but I want to become as young as you! I give you three days to fulfill all my wishes! If you don't do it, I'll cut off your head!
The young man did not answer, bowed and left the khan. Princess Bergiz, meeting him, said:
- Now it's time!
She threw a shawl over herself, he took the firebird under his arm, they chose the best horses from the khan’s stable and rode off. Before they had even passed, the Khan with a large army overtook them.
- My beloved daughter! - the khan shouted. - How dare you leave your father? Come back! I will find you a rich and noble groom!
But Bergiz stopped the soldiers and said to her father:
“The greatest dishonor is not that I am marrying a poor and ignorant man, but your dishonest act - you did not keep your word!”
Bergiz and the young man boarded the firebird and rose into the sky. The Khan ordered the soldiers to hit them with arrows, but Bergiz opened her shawl and the soldiers stopped seeing them.
They say that the young man and Bergiz lived their lives happily and joyfully.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru