Once upon a time there lived a sovereign prince. And he had a son named Akhmat. And so, when Akhmat grew up and the prince grew old, the father decided to test his son and only heir. He called Akhmat to him and told him this:
- My son, tomorrow at dawn we will go to the mountains. Make sure that everything is ready for the long journey.
“Okay, father,” said Akhmat.
In the evening he ordered the servants to prepare bread, wine and cheese for the journey, and before dawn he himself saddled the two best horses and at the appointed hour led them to the porch.
The father examined the horses and was pleased. Then he looked at the bag of food and said:
- What do we need food for? Leave her, my son.
Akhmat did not argue with his father and obediently untied the bag from the saddle.
Then father and son jumped on their horses and set off.
They drove for a long time. The sun rose from behind the mountains - they were on the road. The sun hit their eyes - they were on the road. The sun was overhead - they were still on the road. And where this road leads and why they are traveling along it, Akhmat did not know. And he had never seen these mountains, and he had never heard of these gorges. Finally they reached a place where the road diverges to the right and left.
The prince stopped his horse here and said to his son:
- Akhmat, my son, we have been on the road for so many hours, but there is no end in sight. Hunger torments me and fatigue grips my body. Do you have anything to satisfy my hunger, and will you shorten our journey at least a little?
The son was very surprised when he heard such words.
- How can I satisfy your hunger? — he says to his father. “You yourself told me to leave a bag of food at home.” And how can I shorten our path? I don't even know where we're going. Let your anger not fall on my head, but you demand the impossible from me, father.
- My son, I am tired and hungry. I ask you, satisfy my hunger and shorten our journey.
Akhmat almost cried.
“How can I feed you, father,” he says, “if we didn’t take anything with us?” And how can I shorten the road when I don’t know where we’re going!
“Woe is me,” said the old prince sadly. “It would be better for me not to have a son at all than to see that my son is devoid of reason.”
And, turning his horse, he galloped home.
Akhmat set off after him.
“Woe is me,” he thought, reining in his horse. “Apparently, in his old age, my father has completely lost his mind. He doesn't know what he wants. I don’t have a magic carpet to make a long road short, and I don’t know a word to get food and drink out of the ground. This only happens in fairy tales."
Returning home, Akhmat unsaddled his horses, drank, ate and went to bed. But the prince can’t sleep.
“I’m already old,” the prince thinks. “It’s time for me to die soon.” Well, how will he reign alone, with his own mind? How will the people be governed? We need to get him married soon. If he gets a smart wife, maybe she’ll teach him sense.”
And as I decided, I did so.
The next day he sent matchmakers to all corners of the principality to look for a bride for his son. The matchmakers didn't search for long, but they found a bride - it couldn't have been better! And reasonable, and friendly, and good-looking. Without delay, they celebrated the wedding. There was no count of the guests at the feast, they ate and drank to their heart's content, and danced until they dropped. And a week later the prince called his son again and again ordered him to prepare for the journey.
Again, as the first time, Akhmat prepared a bag of food in the evening, saddled the horses at dawn and led them to the porch at the appointed hour. And again, as the first time, the prince ordered to leave the bag with food, jumped on his horse and rode the same way. And this time he didn’t say where.
The father and son reached the very place where the road diverges, and the father again turned to his son with the same words:
- My son, I am tired on the road and hunger torments me. Won't you satisfy my hunger and shorten our journey?
What can you come up with? Akhmat doesn’t know how to answer. Hanging his head, he is silent.
The father was angry.
- Oh, you donkey! - he exclaimed and rashly hit his son with a whip. Then he turned his horse and galloped back.
Akhmat returned home sadly. And it hurts him,” and he’s ashamed and offended.
And although he didn’t say a word to his wife, she immediately saw that something was wrong with her husband.
- Tell me, friend, what’s wrong with you? - she asks Akhmat. “What concern is on your soul?”
- Why talk? — Akhmat answers her. “You can’t help me anyway.”
“Who knows, maybe I’ll help,” says the wife. And Akhmat told her everything that happened to him: how he and his father went to the mountains, the first time and the second time, how his father did not allow him to take a bag of food with him, both the first time and the second time, where they were going - he didn’t say why they were going -
did not speak, and then he himself brought down his anger on him because Akhmat could not feed his father and find a shortcut.
- What, he’s lost his mind or something! - exclaimed the wife. - Where has it been seen that a person can be fed without food, and the road can be shortened without knowing the route!
And at this time the old prince stood near his son’s house and, putting his ear to the wall, listened to what the husband and wife were talking about.
He heard his daughter-in-law’s words, sighed sadly and walked away.
And the next morning he called his neighbors, in their presence he allocated his daughter-in-law her share of the property and sent her to her parents’ house.
“It’s enough,” he says, “and the fact that my son is stupid, I don’t want my daughter-in-law to be stupid either.”
A little more time passed, and the prince decided that he would go himself to look for a wife for his son. Without delaying the matter, he ordered a horse to be given to him and set off on his journey.
He rode and rode, and when the sun went behind the mountains, and the shadow from the mountains covered the ground, the prince decided to stop somewhere for the night. And just at that time a young shepherd was driving a flock of sheep along the road.
“Hello, shepherd,” said the prince, driving up to the herd. “Can you tell me how far it is to the nearest village?”
“Hello, sir,” answered the shepherd. “The village is very close.” Over that hill over there. You see, people are crowding there.
“I see, I see,” said the prince. “Do you know what these people are doing at such a late hour?”
“One man died in our village,” answered the shepherd. “So they are burying him.”
- Well, is this man completely dead or not completely? - the prince asked again.
The shepherd was surprised. I couldn’t even find what to answer right away. And then he says:
- Well, of course, he’s completely dead.
“Well, if at all,” said the prince, “then there’s no one to feel sorry for him.”
The shepherd was even more surprised, but this time he didn’t say anything. And I thought to myself: “Apparently, this old man is out of his mind.”
Finally they reached the village.
“Tell me, dear,” the prince asked here, “whose house can I enter as a guest to spend the night and rest after a long journey?”
“May your arrival be bright,” said the shepherd. “In our house you will find shelter, rest, and a good meeting.” This is our house, the first one we moved into.
And, having driven the herd into the yard, he helped the prince dismount and led him into the house.
The owner himself stood up to meet the prince, and his daughter Salymkhan took the whip from the prince’s hands and took off his cloak.
The prince was seated in the place of honor, near the fireplace, the owner’s daughter placed food and sweet drink in front of him, and the owner had a good conversation with him.
Then they prepared a bed for the prince on pillows and carpets, and when he lay down, Salymkhan carried him away
and scissors to clean and repair. The prince lies on a soft bed and hears everything that is happening -
is behind the wall. And behind the wall, brother and sister are talking.
“May these words be forgiven me,” says the brother, “but it seems to me that our guest is out of his mind.” I saw our neighbor being buried and asked: “What, is this man completely dead or not completely?” I almost laughed in his face. Does he really think that we are burying people alive?
“It’s immediately clear that you are small and have not yet gained intelligence,” Sister Salymkhan answers him. “If we’re going to laugh at anyone, it’s you.” And our guest is a man, wise over the years, he asked you something, but you did not understand his words.
- What do his words mean? - asks the brother.
- This means that our guest wanted to find out whether there were heirs left after the deceased or not? Because while the blood of the deceased flows in the veins of his children, he is not yet completely dead.
The prince heard the girl’s words and thought: “Thanks be to Allah that he brought me to this house! This is who I will marry my son to. This girl will be worthy of a princely family.”
And as I decided, I did so. The next day he returned home and sent matchmakers to Salymkhan.
Soon the wedding took place. It was a rich feast. The wine flowed like a river, the tables were laden with delicacies, the guests had fun until they were tired.
But a little time passed, and again the prince said to his son:
- My son, tomorrow morning you and I are going to the mountains. Make sure that everything is ready for the long journey.
What should Akhmat do here?
“Okay, father,” he said, “your will is law for me.”
At dawn, Akhmat saddled two horses and led them to the porch. This time he didn’t save any food, because his father wouldn’t allow him to take it anyway.
And they went again the same way.
And again the prince stopped his horse in the same place and said the same words to his son:
- My son, I am tired and hungry. I ask you, satisfy my hunger and shorten our journey.
Akhmat almost cried.
“How can I feed you, father,” he says, “if we didn’t take anything with us?” And how can I shorten the road when I don’t know where we’re going!
The prince could not stand it here:
- Oh, you brainless fool!
And he began to whip his son, so much so that the air around him whistled. Then he turned his horse and galloped home. Darker than the dark night, father and son returned. Akhmat quickly unsaddled his horses and went to his house. He sat down near the fireplace, didn’t eat, didn’t drink, didn’t speak to his wife.
- My friend, what concern is on your heart? - Salymkhan asks him.
“Oh, what’s the use of talking, just wasting words,” Akhmat answers her.
“No, tell me,” Salymkhan asks him. “Who knows, maybe I’ll help you.”
“No one will help me,” said Akhmat sadly. “This is the time my father takes me on a hike.” He doesn’t say where he’s going, he doesn’t tell him to take food. And in the middle of the day he gets hungry, gets off the road and starts scolding and beating me - why can’t I satisfy his hunger and why can’t I find a shortcut.
Salymkhan listened to him and laughed.
“Oh, you poor fellow,” he says. “Well, how come you didn’t understand your father’s words!”
“It’s easy to understand,” says Akhmat, “but difficult to implement.”
“Yes, if you understood,” says Salymkhan, “it would not be difficult to do so.” When he complained of hunger, you should have taken out a pipe, filled it with tobacco and let him smoke. He would light a cigarette and forget about hunger. After all, a warrior does not always have a bag of food with him, but a pipe and tobacco are always with him. And when the prince asked you to shorten the road, you had to tell a story about glorious deeds, about brave people, about what you yourself saw and what you know from others. The prince would have listened to you and not noticed how
time is passing. Smart conversation shortens the path.
And at this time the old prince stood at the wall of the house and listened to what the husband and wife were talking about. He heard Salymkhan’s words and sighed with relief. “I was not deceived in my daughter-in-law,” he thought. “Now, no matter what happens to me, I don’t have to fear for my home and my people.”
And they all lived in peace and quiet.
Yes, peace and quiet did not last long.
Robbers-foreigners attacked the prince's possessions, took the prince himself prisoner, destroyed the villages, and stole the cattle.
The prince languished in prison for a long time. And he began to ask his guards to allow him to see their leader, Dzhiatkiar. They brought the prince to Jiatkiar.
- Did you want to see me? What do you need? - asked Jiatkiar.
“I have a request for you,” said the prince.
- Speak! - ordered Jiatkiar.
“You are brave and powerful,” the prince began his speech. “You are the ruler of rich villages and glorious people.” But you're young. Listen to the old man. Little will be added to your wealth and glory if I sit in your prison. But if you release me, I will give you a rich ransom.
- How do you, unfortunate man, want to pay off? What do you have that I don't? - asked Jiatkiar.
“If you free me,” said the prince, “I will give you five hundred rams with crooked horns and five hundred with straight ones, five hundred bulls with straight horns and five hundred without horns.”
“Who will believe you,” laughed Jiatkiar, “that you will bring me such a herd?” I have never heard of rams with straight horns and bulls without horns. Although I am young, I am not stupid.
“If you don’t believe me,” the prince said calmly, “let’s do this: I’ll stay here, and you send your messengers to my son.” Let them tell him what ransom he should give for me.
“Okay,” agreed Jiatkiar, “I’ll send my messengers.” And you will remain my hostage.
“Just don’t forget to tell your messengers,” the prince suddenly remembered, “that when they come to my house, let them first take the ax that lies at the very entrance, sharpen it well on a whetstone and cut down the middle pillar - the one that supports the roof of the house.” So it was agreed with us: if I get into trouble and send for a ransom, only trust the one who cuts down the middle pillar in the middle of the house.
“Well, let it be your way,” Giatkiar laughed. “And if after that they don’t send a ransom for you, I will cut off your head.”
And having said this, he ordered his messengers to set off.
The messengers arrived at the prince's house and, without saying a word, took the ax, sharpened it well and began to chop down the middle pillar.
Akhmat saw this and almost rushed at the messengers. But Salymkhan stopped him in time. She waited patiently until the newcomers finished their work, and then invited them into the house and seated them at the table.
The guests ate, drank, and then only said why they had come.
Akhmat racked his brains all night, still thinking about how to save his father. Will you really save him? The messengers demand the impossible.
The next morning he decided to call all the people.
“If you don’t find,” he says, “five hundred rams with straight horns and five hundred rams with crooked horns, five hundred bulls with straight horns and five hundred bulls without horns, you will never see your prince again.”
People don't know what to do.
Bulls with straight horns and rams with crooked horns are not difficult to find. But where can you get rams with straight horns and bulls without horns? There are no such people in the world. Maybe Jiatkiar will agree to take cows instead - they are hornless, or goats - they have straight horns.
Akhmat went to the messengers. And they don’t want to listen to anything.
“Your prince,” they say, “promised such a ransom for himself.” He probably knew what he was saying.
Three days passed like this. But not a single ram with straight horns, not a single bull without horns, was found in the entire principality. And where do they come from? There are no such people in the whole world.
Then Salymkhan said to her husband:
- Let me speak to your people. Maybe I can help make the impossible possible.
Akhmat again gathered his subjects. Salymkhan came out to the people and said this:
- May your anger not fall on my head. May the words with which I address you, men, be forgiven to me, a weak woman. I want to help you make the difficult easy, the impossible possible. I see how you fight to help out the old prince. But you have no luck, because you cannot find either rams with straight horns or hornless bulls. But thanks be to Allah, our prince
this is not necessary. That's not what he's asking for. He asks that you gather a brave army and that five hundred warriors be armed with guns - here are rams with straight horns,
for five hundred warriors to be armed with sabers - here are rams with crooked horns, and for another five hundred warriors to be armed with spears - here for you are bulls with straight horns. And let this army attack Jiatkiar and free the prince by force. And when our enemies are defeated, another five hundred people should enter their village and take from them everything that they plundered from our houses. This weapon is not
necessary - that’s why the prince calls them hornless bulls. And so that you can attack the robbers unexpectedly, so that they do not escape from you, the prince orders to seize all the messengers. Then they will not be able to warn Jiatkiar and they will be as useless as the pillar they cut down is useless.
The people rejoiced when they heard Salymkhan’s words. An hour had not passed before the army had already gathered for a campaign.
Not a day had passed, but it returned with victory. The prince himself walked ahead of the army, and behind them were prisoners from
by its leader Jiatkiar.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru