Once upon a time there lived a sorcerer king. He shouted a cry throughout the entire kingdom: “Whoever manages to hide from me, I will give half the kingdom to him.”
There was such a hunter - the Blue retinue is topsy-turvy. He comes to the sorcerer king.
“I,” he says, “can hide so that you won’t find me.”
“Okay,” says the king. - If you hide, half the kingdom is yours, but if you don’t, your head is off your shoulders. Sign it.
The Blue retinue signed up inside out and let's hide. He stood before the king as a good fellow, ran through the courtyard like a black sable, climbed under the gate like a white ermine, and flew across the field like a gray hare.
If you run, then run - you ran into the distant kingdom. And in that kingdom there was a big, big meadow. He ran to that meadow and turned into three flowers.
The next day the king stood up, looked at his magic book and said:
“He stood before me as a good fellow, ran across the yard like a black sable, climbed under the gate like a white ermine, flew across the field like a gray hare. He ran to a large meadow in the distant kingdom and turned into three multi-colored flowers.
The king called his servants and ordered them to go to that kingdom and bring three multi-colored flowers from the big meadow.
The servants have gone. Whether they walked long or short, they reached a large meadow, picked those flowers, wrapped them in a handkerchief and brought them to the king.
- Well. Blue retinue, are you hiding from me? The Blue Retinue became human and said:
- Allow me, king, to hide once again.
The king allowed it.
The blue retinue stood before the king like a good fellow, ran through the courtyard like a black sable, climbed under the gate like a white ermine, flew across the field like a gray hare. If you run, then run - you ran to distant lands, to the thirtieth kingdom. And in that kingdom there is a swamp with moss on top and a lake underneath. He went into the moss, turned into a perch fish, climbed to the very bottom of the lake and sat there.
In the morning the king got up, looked at his magic book and said:
“He stood before me as a good fellow, ran across the yard like a black sable, climbed under the gate like a white ermine, flew across the field like a gray hare. He ran beyond distant lands, into the thirtieth kingdom, turned into a perch fish and hid in a mossy swamp!
The king ordered his servants to go to the thirtieth kingdom, clear the mossy swamp and catch perch there.
This is what the servants did: they cleared the swamp, cast a net and caught a perch. They wrapped it in a handkerchief and brought it to the king.
- Well. The blue retinue is topsy-turvy, did you hide from me a second time? - the king laughs.
The blue retinue became human again and said:
- Allow me, king, to hide again.
The king allowed it.
The blue retinue stood before the king as a good fellow, ran through the courtyard like a black sable, climbed under the gate like a white ermine, and flew across the field like a gray hare. If you run, then run - you ran into the thirtieth kingdom, where such an oak tree grows that its roots are rooted in the ground, and its top is in the sky. He climbed an oak tree, turned himself into a needle, stuck it under the bark and sat there. The Nagai bird flew to the oak tree, smelled that a man was sitting under the bark, and asked:
- Who's here?
“I am,” says the Blue Retinue.
- Why did you come here?
“Yes, I decided to hide from the sorcerer king, but it just doesn’t work out.”
- Do you want me to hide you?
- Hide it, good bird. I will thank you forever.
The Nagai bird turned him into fluff, took him under her wing, carried him to the royal palace and put him in the sleeping king's bosom.
As soon as it was light the king got up, washed himself, looked into the magic book and said:
“He stood before me as a good fellow, ran across the yard like a black sable, climbed under the gate like a white ermine, flew across the field like a gray hare, ran into the thirtieth kingdom. There is an oak tree there with its roots rooted in the ground, and its top in the sky. He climbed under its bark and sits there, wrapped in a needle.
The king ordered the oak to be cut down, chopped into firewood and burned.
This is what the servants did, but Shinyuto’s retinue was not found. They come to the king and say:
- There is no Blue retinue.
- How come it’s not there? - the king was surprised. - This can’t be!
“No, that’s all,” say the servants. The king came out onto the porch and began calling:
- The blue retinue is topsy-turvy, show up!
“Gather your generals,” replies the Blue Retinue, “then I will appear.”
The king hears the voice of the Blue Retinue, but does not know where he is coming from. He spun and spun, looked everywhere, and the Blue Retinue seemed to be spilled over with water.
Well, there’s nothing to do, the king gathered his generals. He went out onto the porch and called again:
- Blue retinue, appear!
“No,” he hears the voice of the Blue Retinue, “first write half of the kingdom to me in front of the generals, then I will appear.” Otherwise you will deceive me - I know you!
The king really didn’t want to, but had to give up half his kingdom. And as soon as he put his royal signet on the decree of the generals, a light piece of fluff flew out of his bosom and turned into a good fellow.
- Here I am! - says the Blue Retinue. He grabbed that decree and put it in his pocket. From that time on, the king stopped playing hide and seek.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru