It was in those years
When chickens grew horns
Once upon a time there lived a noble young man; His parents died, and he was left in the care of his stepmother. As is usually the case, she did not love her stepson, and the boy had a hard time.
When he was fifteen years old, he left her and went to seek his fortune. His name was Fansh. “Whatever happens,” he thought, “it can’t be worse anywhere than with his stepmother.”
And he went, as they say, wherever his eyes look.
He walked straight and straight, stopped with peasants when night overtook him, sometimes even slept in the open air. But he didn’t regret his stepmother’s house at all.
One day at sunset he saw a beautiful castle in front of him. The gate to the courtyard was open and he entered. There wasn't a soul there. He saw another open door, entered and found himself in the kitchen. Again not a soul. But a minute later a goat looked into the kitchen. She motioned for Fanshu to follow her. He obeyed, and she led him to a beautiful garden. There the goat said to Fanshu.
“If you want to stay here, you will have everything you want, but you will have to spend three nights in the room I will show you.”
- What a strange castle, where goats talk like people! - the young man was surprised.
“I wasn’t always the way you see me now,” answered the goat. “I’m being held here by an evil spell.” All my relatives are also bewitched, but differently than me. If you exactly do everything I tell you, you will free us all and will not repent of it.
“Tell me what needs to be done to free you, and if I can, I will do it.”
“You will have to spend three nights in a row in one of the rooms and not utter a single word, not utter a single complaint, no matter what you see or hear and no matter what is done to you.
- Okay, I'll try.
When evening came, Fangshu was served dinner in a richly decorated room. But, to his great surprise, he saw only two hands that were placing dishes, and the man himself was not visible. When Fanche had eaten and drunk to his heart's content, one of the hands took a candlestick with a lit candle and beckoned him to follow her. He followed his hand, and she shined a light on him and led him to the room where there was a bed. The hand placed the candle on the table and immediately disappeared.
Fansch was not a coward, but all this seemed very strange to him.
He lay down and immediately fell asleep. Around midnight he was awakened by a loud noise in the room.
“Let’s play bowls,” someone’s voices said.
“No, we’d better come up with a new game,” others answered them.
Fansch looked with all his eyes, but saw no one.
“You know what,” said one voice, “let’s deal with the one who’s lying in bed first.”
- Is there anyone there?
- Well, yes, look.
They pulled poor Fanche out of bed and began tossing him around like a ball. But no matter how hard they tried, Fanche did not utter a word and pretended to be asleep all the time.
- Well, he won’t wake up? - someone asked.
“Wait a little,” answered the other, “I’ll wake him up.”
And he threw Fansch against the wall with such force that he was flattened like a baked apple. Then the invisible people laughed loudly and left.
Now a goat, which Fanche had already seen in the castle, entered the room. But this time it had the head of a beautiful girl.
“Poor thing,” she said, “how they tormented you!” She began to rub Fansha with some kind of ointment, and life
gradually returned to his body until he came to life completely and felt as healthy as ever.
“Everything went well this time,” said the goat girl, “but next night the test will be even more difficult.” Whatever happens to you, continue to remain completely silent and you will be rewarded.
“I’ll do everything I can,” answered Fanche. The goat left.
Fanche had a good breakfast and lunch, and as before he was served only by hands without a body. He walked around the castle and garden all day without meeting anyone, and after dinner the same hand took a candlestick and led him into the same room. This time Fansch hid under the mattress.
“Maybe they won’t find me here,” he thought.
Around midnight there was the same deafening noise as the day before.
“It smells like a man here,” said a voice.
- But where from? - answered the other. “You can see for yourself that there is no one on the bed.” Play and stop talking about the person!
And they started playing cards. Suddenly the first voice shouted again:
“I’m telling you, brothers, it smells like a man here!”
He lifted the mattress and found Fansch.
- What did I tell you? That means you're still alive, worm! Wait, we'll deal with you.
And they tore him to pieces; then they left with loud laughter.
Now the goat entered the room again, but this time she was a waist-high girl.
“Poor thing,” she said, “what form do I find you in!”
She placed the pieces one next to the other and began to rub them with ointment.
Little by little the pieces grew together, the body took on its previous appearance, and soon Fanche became alive and well again.
“The third night will be the most terrible,” the goat girl said then. “But arm yourself with patience, and if you carry it out as courageously as the first two, your torment will end, and with it the torment of everyone who is still languishing here will end.”
“I don’t think anything worse than death could happen to me, and I’ve already died twice,” answered Fanche.
And on the third night, after dinner, he again went to the same room, but this time he hid under the bed.
Around midnight the invisible men came and started playing cards.
- It smells like a man here again! - Someone’s voice suddenly said. - Is this worm still alive?
They dug up the bed, but found no one; then they looked under the bed.
- Here he is, here he is!
And they pulled him out from under the bed by his feet. Then they began to confer:
“This time we need to finish him off.” What should we do with it?
- Let's fry it and eat it.
- Come on, come on! - everyone shouted at once.
They lit a big fire in the fireplace, stripped poor Fanche naked, hung him over the fire, and when he was thoroughly roasted, they sat down and ate him.
Having finished the feast, they left, and immediately a beautiful princess in a rich outfit entered the room. This time there was no sign of the goat.
“Alas,” she said, “I’m afraid they didn’t leave a single piece of it.”
And she began to look everywhere, on the table and on the floor. Finally, after a long search, she managed to find a piece of the skull.
“Thank God,” she exclaimed, “all is not lost!”
She began to rub a piece of the skull with her ointment. She rubbed and rubbed, and the piece became larger and larger, covered with meat, then arms and legs grew in their places, and finally the whole body appeared, as alive and healthy as ever.
- I’m so glad! - exclaimed the princess. “Now the invisible giants no longer have power over me or my family, and everything that is here belongs to you, Fanche, even myself.”
Immediately people of all ranks and distinctions began to gather from everywhere - princes, princesses, dukes, barons, commoners, everyone who was kept in this castle by evil spells. They came out of all corners and thanked their liberator, and then dispersed in all directions, each to their homeland.
“Now it’s time for us,” Fanche said to the princess, “let’s go to your father.”
“No,” she answered, “we still need to live here for three days; Every morning you will have to fast: you will be able to eat and drink only after noon. If you eat or drink anything before this hour, you will immediately fall asleep and never see me again. Every afternoon I will come to you, and then you can eat and drink. Wait for me in the forest, on a stone by the spring, and as soon as noon strikes, I will be right there. But remember that until this hour you cannot eat or drink.
Having said this, she disappeared.
The next day, long before noon, Fanche and his servant were already waiting for the princess on a stone at the source. Fansch had not eaten or drunk anything yet and was terribly hungry. While he was sitting and waiting, a little old woman approached him with a basket of plums in her hands.
“Good afternoon, young knight,” she said to Fansh.
- Good afternoon to you too, grandma.
- Take the plum from me.
- Thank you, I don’t like them.
- Try at least one, it won’t cost you anything; look how good she is.
Fansch took the plum. But as soon as he bit into it, he immediately fell asleep. At that moment, noon struck and the princess appeared.
“Alas, he’s sleeping,” she said, seeing Fansch.
“Yes,” answered the servant. “Some old woman gave my master a plum, and before he could bring it to his mouth, he fell asleep.
“Well... give him this handkerchief when he wakes up so he won’t forget me.”
She gave the servant a white handkerchief and flew away. At that same moment Fanche woke up and caught a glimpse of her. She was all white, like an angel.
“I fell asleep,” he thought. “I’ll be more careful tomorrow.”
The next day, when he was again sitting with his servant on a stone by the spring, the same old woman approached him with a basket of wine berries in her hands.
- Take the wineberries from me, beautiful knight, look how good they are.
Fanche took the wineberry from the old woman this time too. He ate it and immediately fell asleep.
As soon as noon struck, the princess appeared at the source.
“Alas, he’s sleeping again,” she said sadly.
“Yes,” answered the servant, “the old woman came again, gave my master a wineberry, and as soon as he ate it, he immediately fell asleep.”
“Give him this gray handkerchief when he wakes up so that he doesn’t forget me.”
And, groaning, the princess flew away.
At that same moment Fanche woke up and managed to see the princess flying towards the sky. This time she was already in a gray dress.
“Oh my God,” he said, “I fell asleep again.” What is it that makes me so sleepy?
“I think, sir,” answered the servant, “that this is from the fruits that the old woman gives you.”
- Well, this can't be. I'll be more careful tomorrow and never fall asleep.
The servant gave Fangsh the second, gray, scarf, just as he had given the white one before.
The next morning, while they were again waiting at the spring, an old woman approached them, this time holding a basket of beautiful oranges in her hands.
“Take the orange from me, beautiful knight,” she said to Fansh. - Look how good they are.
The servant really wanted to advise Fangshu to refuse, but he did not dare. Fansch took the orange, ate it and fell asleep again.
When noon struck, the princess appeared. Seeing that Fanche was sleeping, she exclaimed sadly:
- Poor thing, he fell asleep again!
“It’s all the old lady’s fault,” the servant answered her. “She came again and gave my master an orange, he took the orange, ate it and immediately after that fell asleep.
- Give him the third handkerchief when he wakes up, and tell him that I said goodbye to him forever, because, alas, I will not see him again.
And with a pitiful groan the princess flew away.
At that same moment Fanche woke up and managed to notice the hem of her dress and the tip of her leg. But, to his horror, this time the princess was all in black. The third handkerchief she gave to the servant for Fanche was also black.
- Alas, I fell asleep again! - Fanche exclaimed in despair.
- Unfortunately for you, my poor sir. Before flying away, the princess gave me a third scarf for you and told me to tell you that she said goodbye to you forever and that you will not see her again.
Fansha's grief was great when he heard this. He tore out his hair and, sobbing, shouted:
- No, I will see her again, I will walk day and night and look for her until I find her!
And he immediately set off on the road, taking with him only one white loaf of bread.
When evening came, he sat down on the grass at the edge of the road to rest and eat for a while. Just at that moment some old woman passed by,
“Bon appetit, son,” she said to Fangshu.
- Thank you, grandma. Would you like to have a snack too? I will gladly share with you.
- God bless you, son. I have lived in these parts for many hundreds of years, and no one has ever offered me bread.
The old woman willingly shared his modest dinner with him, then told Fanshu
- To thank you, son, I will give you a tablecloth that will serve you well. When you want to eat or drink, spread it on the ground or on the table, and as much food as you want will immediately appear on it. Here’s another white stick as a gift for you: if you hit it on the ground, it will take you a hundred leagues from the place where you are.
“God bless you, grandmother,” Fanche answered her, taking a self-assembled tablecloth and a magic wand from the old woman’s hands.
After that, the old woman disappeared. Did she tell me the truth?” - thought Fanche. He hit the ground with his stick and immediately found himself a hundred leagues from the place where he was. In front of him was a small shack, covered with reeds and ferns. Not far away, a peasant was plowing the land, and Fanche invited him to exchange clothes with him. The peasant happily agreed, because he was wearing some rags, and Fanche was dressed like a prince. After changing his clothes, Fanche knocked on the door of the shack. The door was opened to him by an old woman with elbow-length teeth sticking out of her mouth.
- What do you need, son? she asked.
- Let me stay for the night, grandma.
- You chose a bad place. I have three sons who can’t stand people - as soon as they return, they will definitely eat you.
- Hide me somewhere, grandma. I will help you with the housework and try to come to an understanding with your sons.
She hid it in an old chest that was in her basement. Then the old woman began to cook dinner for her sons. Instead of pots, she cooked soup in three leaky barrels.
“I don’t know what to give them for the second course,” she said. “I only have three lambs, and that’s not enough.”
“Well, grandma, don’t worry about that,” Fanche answered her, getting out of the chest.
He spread his tablecloth on the table and said:
- Self-assembled tablecloth, good maid, give me three roasted bulls and three barrels of wine.
And now roasted bulls and barrels of wine appeared on the tablecloth.
A minute later, something hummed in the pipe, as if an owl was hooting when it was cold: oo-oo-oo!
“Here comes my youngest son,” said the old woman. - Hurry up and hide in the chest.
And immediately the old woman’s youngest son came down the pipe and shouted:
“I’m very hungry, mother, I’m very hungry!”
“Okay, sit close to the fire, wait for the brothers and don’t make so much noise.”
He sat down on a stool near the fire, but immediately shouted:
“It smells like a man here, mother, I want to eat him!”
“Well, maybe you can eat your cousin, who came to visit me and brought each of you a roast ox?” You don't see anything hot, do you?
Then the old woman told Fansh to get out of the chest, and he very soon became friends with his cousin.
After a little time, something hummed and howled in the pipe again. The old woman's second son, the second wind, came down the pipe and, seeing Fansha, shouted:
- Man! I'll eat it now!
“I’d like to see you eat it!” - said the old woman. “He is your cousin, he came to visit me and brought each of you a roasted bull.” Sit down by the fire and behave well, otherwise beware of my stick.
The wind sat down on a stool by the fireplace, opposite his brother, and did not say another word.
A minute later the deafening noise was heard again. All around the shack trees cracked and shattered into splinters. Fanshu became scared.
“Here comes my eldest son,” said the old woman. The third wind came down the pipe and swept away all
fire in the hearth. He shouted:
“I’m hungry, mother, I’m very hungry!”
- Calm down, shut up - dinner is ready.
Then he noticed Fansha and shouted: “Man!” - and he was about to rush at him and swallow him, but the old woman grabbed a young elm trunk, which she had previously brought from the garden, and began to beat her son with all her might.
“Do you really want to eat your cousin, my sister’s son, the dear boy who came to visit me and brought each of you an ox and a barrel of wine?” And you think I'll let you do that?
She, without sparing, beat him, and the wind shouted:
- Quiet, quiet, mother, don’t hit so hard, I won’t touch our cousin, since he brought each of us a bull and a barrel of wine.
Then the old woman stopped beating him, and everyone sat down at the table. But they were so voracious, especially the elder wind, that Fanshu had to call his tablecloth for help three times. Finally, when the winds had their fill - and this did not happen soon - they all sat down near the fire and began to talk like old friends.
-Where are you going, brother? - the younger wind asked Fansha.
- I'm looking for Princess Troyol. Do you know where she lives?
- No, I don’t know, I’ve never even heard of her.
- And you, brother? - Fansch asked the middle wind.
“I heard about her, but I don’t know where she lives.”
And you, big brother? - Fansh asked the elder wind.
- I know, because I just returned from there and tomorrow I will fly there again.
- Take me with you.
“I’ll take it, if only you can keep up with me.” Well, now it’s time to sleep, tomorrow we have a long journey ahead of us.
The next morning the winds rushed in all directions.
“Follow me if you can,” said the elder wind Fangshu.
And he flew. Woohoo! Pew-pew! And Fanche is after him. And well, hit the ground with a white stick, which with each blow carried him a hundred leagues. When the elder wind turned around to see where Fanche remained, he, to his great surprise, saw that he was following on his heels. They flew to the seashore.
“I won’t be able to fly further if you don’t put me on your back,” Fanche then said to the elder wind.
“I will gladly take you on my back if you will feed me every time I get hungry.”
- Okay, you'll eat to your heart's content.
Fansh sat on the back of the elder wind, and they flew away. Every minute the wind asked for food. But Fansch had a self-assembled tablecloth, and he did not skimp on the treat. They flew, flew, oo-oo-oo, phew-fuw! Finally the castle of Princess Troyol came into view. The wind brought Fansha down in the yard. Fanche took out three of the princess's scarves, white, gray and black, tied them to his stick, and then drove it into the very middle of the yard. Soon the princess walked past Fansha, arm in arm with the owner of the castle. They were going to church to get married. The princess saw Fansha, recognized the scarves and said to her maid:
- Go and ask that man how much he wants for one scarf.
The maid immediately approached Fangshu.
“My lady asks how much you want for one scarf.”
— Tell your mistress that she does not have enough money to buy this scarf.
The maid returned to her mistress.
- What did he tell you?
— He said that you don’t have enough money to buy this scarf.
Hearing this answer, the princess pretended to have a headache, and the wedding was postponed until the next day.
The next morning she sent a maid to Fansh to find out how much he wanted for two scarves.
“Tell your mistress,” answered Fanche again, “that she does not have enough money even for one scarf.”
The maid returned with this answer to her mistress.
“Then go to him and tell him to come talk to me.”
The maid went to Fangsh and said to him:
“My lady asks you to come to her, she needs to talk to you.”
“Tell your mistress that if she needs to talk to me, she should come to me herself.”
Then the princess went to Fangshu herself.
“Come with me to my room for a moment,” she said.
Fanche followed her into her room, and there they threw themselves into each other's arms, crying with joy.
The princess then told the maid to go to the owner of the castle and tell him that she was still unwell and asked that the wedding be postponed until the next day.
However, she added that since all the guests had arrived, the wedding feast could be arranged immediately.
And so it was done. The feast turned out to be a success. In the end, everyone was so happy that they started telling funny stories. They began to ask the princess to tell something. Then she stood up and said:
— I had a small box with a beautiful golden key. I lost it and ordered a new one to be made.
But then I found an old key. And now I don’t know what to do, and I ask you, which key should I prefer - the old one or the new one?
“I would prefer the old one,” answered the owner of the castle.
“That’s what I think,” said the princess. - Now I’ll show you my old key.
She got up from the table, went into the next room and immediately returned hand in hand with Fansch, who was dressed like a prince. Then she turned to the owner and all the guests:
“Here he is, I chose him from the very beginning, and he will be my husband, and no one else.”
The next day they celebrated their wedding, and such a feast was thrown in their honor as I had never seen in a dream, and they remained to live in this beautiful castle, because its owner immediately disappeared into thin air, and no one ever knew what became of him.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru