Captain La Rame was returning. He walked along the road cheerfully, cheerfully and was still happy that he would soon see his father’s house and his dear mother. On his way, he had to make his way through a dense forest, and here, in the forest, he met a wolf, an eagle and an ant. All three sat on the ground near the killed lamb and argued about how to fairly divide the spoils. They argued for a long time, but nothing was decided. In fact, if you divide the prey equally, it is not enough for a wolf, just right for an eagle, and too much for an ant.
La Rame heard their argument, came out from behind the trees and said:
- Well, friends, can’t you solve this simple problem?
- Don’t talk, soldier! “We can’t figure out how we can part ways fairly,” all three answered him. “You’re coming back from the war, you’ve seen a lot in your life.” Maybe you can help us divide our spoils?
Captain La Rame thought for a moment, then pulled out a broadsword from its sheath, waved it and said:
- Get four legs, wolf! After all, your teeth are sharp, you can grind all the bones in no time.
- That's right, that's right! - the debaters made noise.
- And you, eagle, have a backbone! No wonder your beak is strong and curved!
- That's right, that's right! - the disputing friends picked up again.
- Well, you, ant, get your head. You are small, agile and can easily penetrate everywhere.
- He judged correctly! In fairness!
La Rame laughed:
- Well, if you are satisfied, be healthy, otherwise I’m in a hurry to go home.
La Rame wanted to set out on his way, but new friends blocked his way and said:
- No, soldier, we won’t let you go empty-handed! After all, unlike some people, we want to repay your service with kindness. Tell me, what should I reward you with?
- Your friendship! And I don’t need anything more from you. What are you really saying! - La Rame laughed.
“Friendship is friendship,” the wolf, eagle and ant rejoiced. “Anything can happen in life.” What if you ever need our help? Then know: all you have to do is wish, and then you will turn into a wolf, or an eagle, or an ant - whatever you want. To do this, you just need to shout: “Wolf, take me as your brother!” Or:
- “Eagle, take me as your brothers!” Or: “Ant, take me as your brother!” And in that very moment you will turn into either a wolf, an eagle, or an ant.
La Rame thanked them and moved on. He walked and walked and finally came to a city. I wanted to relax and have fun there, but I see: everyone is walking around sadly, dejected, talking and whispering about something, with tears in everyone’s eyes. La Rame was surprised and asked one ancient old woman:
-What do you have here? Has some misfortune happened?
And the old woman explains to him:
“You guessed right, soldier, we really are in trouble.” Exactly a year ago, an evil monster kidnapped the cheerful Jeannette, the king’s daughter, from us. No one managed to save her, and tomorrow the monster will devour our beauty, and then come for another.
“There’s still time until tomorrow...” La Rame said thoughtfully. -Why didn’t anyone want to save the beautiful Jeannette from the clutches of the monster?
“Eh, soldier, soldier...,” the old woman sighed. “Many brave men tried, but they paid for it with their lives, because the princess was locked in an impregnable castle and it was not easy to get to it: the castle stood on a steep cliff and was surrounded on all sides by strong walls.” And the monster itself guards the castle. But no one succeeded in killing the monster, because his life was hidden in a magic egg.
- What kind of egg is this? - asked La Rame.
- Oh, soldier, this egg is not a simple one, but an enchanted one. It contains all the power of the monster. Neither sword, nor arrow, nor fire, nor water are afraid of him. But if you break the egg, the monster will die. Many heroes tried to get to him, but no one came back.
“However, you can try,” said La Rame. “Just help me with advice.”
The old woman told him how and where to find this castle and everything else, and La Rame walked with a quick soldier’s step in order to be on time.
But no matter how he hurried, time flew by faster. La Rame soon realized that he would not have time to get to the castle at the right time. It was then that he remembered his new friends. “Since the very morning, all the miracles have happened to me,” he thought. “Maybe a new miracle cannot be avoided?”
And then he shouted:
- Eagle, I want to become your brother!
And in one moment his wings grew. He waved them once, twice, and soared upward. La Rame is flying, looking ahead. He sees a castle standing in the distance, supporting the clouds with its towers.
La Rame flew closer. The walls around the castle are high and impregnable. But it’s not an eagle’s job to ask that the suspension bridges be lowered. He flew over thick walls. And in front of the entrance to the castle, two terrible dogs are sitting, fire escaping from their mouths.
- Wolf, take me as your brother! - La Rame cried out here, and in an instant he turned into a wolf.
The wolf dealt with the evil guards and rushed to the castle doors. But how can you get through closed doors? La Rama had to call a third friend for help:
- Ant, ant, take me as your brother!
Before he had time to say anything, he immediately turned into a black ant and crawled through the keyhole. And then he crawled and ran through the cracks and cracks straight into the treasured hiding place. The walls in the hiding place were thicker than a fortress rampart, and the bars on the windows were thick, so you couldn’t even see clear light, although dawn was already breaking and a clear day was approaching. But for some it is clear, and for others it is the last... And therefore the ant hurried. What does bars and walls matter to him? If only the slit was narrow.
And then the ant entered the treasured hiding place. In the middle of the large hall there was a high table, and on the table there was a golden casket.
The time has come for La Rama to get down to business himself. He turned into a man again, grabbed his trusty broadsword, knocked the lock off the golden casket, and there was an egg - strong, stronger than stone, and black, blacker than iron.
La Rame broke an egg and black blood flowed out of it. And as the last black drop flowed out, he heard the death cry of the evil monster.
That's the whole feat of the glorious La Rame. He walked around the entire castle and in the last tower at the very top he found poor Jeannette. She sat and cried and listened to every rustle, waiting for a terrible monster. When La Rame came to her, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
- Who are you? - Jeannette asked, barely breathing.
- I am Captain La Rame. And I came here to free you from the monster. He's gone and you're free!
Well, of course, the girl fell madly in love with the brave La Rame. And soon they got married. And when La Rame became king, he ordered an ant, a wolf and an eagle to be drawn in the coat of arms of his city - in memory of his true friends.
Since then, the city of Bourget has had such a beautiful coat of arms.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru