Once upon a time there lived a king and a queen. The king went on a campaign, leaving the queen to give birth. The king's mother did not love her daughter-in-law and did not know what to do to harm her. While the king was away, the queen gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. The old queen immediately wrote to the king that his wife had given birth to a puppy and a kitten. He replied that both the puppy and the kitten should be put in a chest and thrown into the sea. That's what they did - they put both children in a casket and threw them into the waves.
A short time later, a merchant who traded in various goods was traveling with his wife around these parts and saw a casket floating on the water.
- Oh, what a beautiful casket! - said the merchant's wife. “I’d like to know what’s inside: probably something very valuable.”
The merchant pulled the casket out of the water and gave it to his wife. At first she did not even dare to touch it, but finally she opened it and found in it a very pretty boy and a pretty little girl. The merchant and his wife took them in and began to raise them with their two children. Every day fifty crowns appeared under the boy's pillow, and every day his sister had a shining golden star on her chest.
One day, when the boy was at school with the merchant’s own son, he told him.
“Brother, I forgot to take bread with me, break me a piece of yours.”
“You are not my brother,” the merchant’s son answered him, “you are just an adopted child: you were found in a chest in the sea, no one knows where you came from.”
The poor baby was very sad.
“Since I am not your brother,” he said, “I will go look for my father.”
He informed his adoptive parents of his intention. They loved him very much, perhaps partly because of those fifty crowns, and tried in every possible way to keep him, but all their persuasion was in vain. The boy took his sister's hand and said:
- Sister, let's go look for our father. And the two of them set off on their journey.
Soon they came across a large castle, entered and asked if a scullery maid and a groom were needed there. And the owner of this castle was their own father. The old queen did not recognize them, but still suspected something was wrong. She looked at them askance and said:
- Good servants! Let them be kicked out!
However, they were recruited. They did their job well, but the old queen kept saying:
“These guys are no good, we need to drive them away.” One day she said to the king:
— The boy boasted that he would get water that dances.
The king immediately demanded the boy to come to him.
“Listen,” he told him, “I need to talk to you.”
-What do you want, Your Majesty?
“You boasted that you could get water that dances.”
- Me, Your Majesty? How could I get such water? I don't even know where to look for her.
“It doesn’t matter whether you boasted or not, if you don’t get this water by tomorrow noon, you will be burned alive.”
“Come what may,” said the boy and set off.
On the way he met an old fairy, she asked him:
“Where are you going, king’s son?”
“I’m not a king’s son, I don’t know who I am.” The old queen only thinks about how to get rid of me; she demanded that I get water that dances, but I don’t even know what it is.
“What will you give me,” said the fairy, “if I help you out?”
- I have fifty crowns, I will gladly give them to you.
- OK. You will enter a green grove, there you will find water that dances and water that does not dance; fill the bottle with the one who is dancing and leave immediately.
The boy found the water he needed and brought it to the king.
- Does she really dance? - asked the king.
“I saw her dancing, but I don’t know if she will continue to dance.”
“If she danced, she will continue to dance.” Let it be removed for now.
The next day the old queen said to the king:
— The boy boasted that he would get a rose that sings. The king demanded the boy and said to him:
“You boasted that you would get a rose that sings.”
- Me, Your Majesty? How could I get such a rose? I've never heard of her.
“It doesn’t matter whether you were bragging or not, if you don’t get it by tomorrow noon, you will be burned alive.”
The boy set off and on the way he again met the old fairy.
“Where are you going, king’s son?”
“I’m not a king’s son, I don’t know who I am.” The king wants me to bring him a rose that sings, but I don’t know where to look for it.
- What will you give me if I help you out?
- The same as I gave you the first time - fifty crowns.
- OK! You will enter a beautiful garden; there you will see roses that sing and roses that do not sing; immediately pick off the one that sings, and immediately go back, but don’t hesitate on the way.
The boy followed the fairy's advice and brought the king a rose.
“This rose does not sing,” said the old queen.
- We'll see later! - answered the king.
A little while later the old queen said to the king:
— The girl boasted that she would get a bird that would tell the truth.
The king demanded the girl and said:
“You boasted that you would get a bird that spoke the truth.”
- No, Your Majesty, I did not boast about it. Can I get this bird?
“Whether you boasted or not, if you don’t deliver it by tomorrow noon, you will be burned alive.”
The girl had to hit the road. She also met a fairy.
-Where are you going, royal daughter?
“I’m not a king’s daughter—I’m a poor scullery maid.” The king's mother planned to destroy us, she sent me for a bird that speaks the truth, but I don’t know where to find it.
- What will you give if I help you out?
“I’ll give you a gold star, if that’s not enough, I’ll give you two.”
- OK! Do as I tell you. At midnight you will go to a green grove, there you will see many birds; they will all vying with each other to say: “It’s me!” Only one will say: “It’s not me!” Take it and leave as soon as possible, otherwise you will turn into a column of salt
When the girl entered the grove, all the birds began to shout:
- It's me! It's me! One only said:
- It's not me!
But the girl forgot the fairy's advice and turned into a column of salt.
The brother, seeing that she was not returning to the castle, asked to go look for her. He met the old fairy again.
“Where are you going, king’s son?”
“I’m not a king’s son, I don’t know who I am.” My sister went after the bird that tells the truth and did not return.
“You will find your sister and the bird,” said the fairy. - What will you give me if I help you out?
- Fifty crowns, as always.
- So. At midnight you will go to the green grove, but do not do like your sister: she did not listen to my advice and turned into a column of salt. You will see many birds, they will all vie with each other and say: “It’s me!” Grab instantly the one who says: “It’s not me!” Let her touch your sister's head with her beak, and she will come to life.
The boy did exactly as the fairy advised him: he took the bird and made it touch his sister's head with its beak. The sister immediately came to life, and they returned to the castle together. The bird that speaks the truth was put in a cage, and the water that dances and the rose that sings were placed on the table.
Many people came to look at these wonders. The king said:
“We must throw a big feast and invite all our friends to it.” Then we will see whether the children brought what I told them to.
Many noble nobles came to the king's call. The old queen grumbled:
- Just think what miracles - water, a rose and a bird that speaks the truth!
“Be patient a little,” said the king. we'll see what they're good for.
During the feast, the water began to dance, the rose began to sing, but the bird did not say a word.
“Well,” said the king, “show your skills.”
“If I speak,” said the bird, “some of those who feast here will feel ashamed.”
- Speak anyway! - said the king.
“Isn’t it true,” said the bird, “that once, when you were on a campaign, your mother wrote to you that the queen had given birth to a puppy and a kitten?” Is it not true that you ordered them to be thrown into the sea?
Seeing that the king was ready to get angry, the bird added:
- What I say is true, the absolute truth. This puppy and this kitten are here: these are your children, your son and your daughter.
The king was angry when he learned that he had been so deceived, and ordered the old queen to be thrown into boiling oil. From then on, he lived happily and was lucky in all his affairs thanks to the bird, which spoke the truth.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru