Ekva-pyris lives near God's city, near the royal city, together with her grandmother they live under the city. The man of song, the man of fairy tales has grown up. He says to his grandmother:
- I'm going to town.
- Son, don’t go too far.
- I won't go far. Equa-pyris got dressed. I went to the city. Came to the city. Walking along the city street.
Equa-pyris thought: “What should I do?”
Walking like this, he came to the church. He looks and there are church keys sticking out there.
Equa-pyris took the keys and opened the church. I went to church. I began to look around. I lit the candles. Putting on the priest's clothes, the priest looks at the street at night - all the church candles are lit. The priest says:
– Who lit the candles in church without me? I'll go and have a look. Who came?
The priest went out into the street and walked towards the church. Ekva-pyrys heard - the priest is coming. Equa-pyris put out the candles. The priest entered the church. The church is completely dark. The priest went outside, went home, and came. He says to his wife:
- It’s dark in the church. There is no one. Equa-pyris lit the candles again. He took the priest’s large cross, put on an iron hat, took a large candle in his hand and went to the priest. He goes like this and sings:
- This night the Mother of God will take the priest.
The pope told his wife:
- This night the Mother of God will take me. The priest began to get dressed. I was about to go outside. Wife says:
“Tell her to take me too.” I went outside. He looks: it turns out that God has come. Let's go to church with God. We came to church. We entered. God (Ekva-pyrys) says:
- Stay here. I'll go there.
Equa-pyris brought a rope. He tied the priest's legs and arms.
- Until God comes, don’t scream, don’t rush.
God will come and let you go.
Ekva-pyris took off his priest's clothes and went to the priest.
He came to the priest and said:
- Hurry up, get dressed, let's go. God is waiting for you.
Went. There is a sleigh drawn by two horses.
- Hurry up and sit down. God is waiting for you. Popadya got into the sled. Let's go. Ekva-pyrys came home, Grandmother says:
- What a friend you brought me!
How long did Equa-pyris live, or how short did he live? One day my grandmother ran into the house:
- Granddaughter, the priests are coming!
The equa-pyris hastily put on his priest's clothes. He took the big priest's cross. I went outside. The priest splashes water towards him. The priests stopped. Equa-pyrys will splash here, and will splash at the priests. Says:
“God won’t let you here.” The Mother of God and the Father of God live here.
The priests got scared and went home. We came home. Let's go to the king. We approached the man guarding the royal doors.
- We have something to do. The man guarding the doors says:
- What's the matter?
- God tied our main priest. When can I let him go?
The man guarding the royal doors went to the king. - The priests have arrived. They have business.
- What's the matter?
- God tied the main priest. The king thought and laughed:
- This is Equa-pyrys, he’s joking.
The man guarding the royal doors thought: Popov. no need to let in. He came to the priests and said:
- You can't enter.
The priests came home. They look - the main priest is walking around freely.
-Who let you go?
- God let me go.
-What type of god was he?
- He looked completely unfamiliar.
- Why didn’t you tell us?
- Do I know when God will come?
The priests went home.
The priest looks - his wife is not there. Whether he lived long or short, his wife came home at night. The priest asks his wife:
-Where were you?
– I was with the Mother of God. The Mother of God prayed all the time, and I prayed. The Mother of God sleeps very little, she prays all the time.
How long or short did Equa the Pyris live, but one day he says:
- Grandma, I’m going to town.
- Son, don't go. You can't walk around the city at night.
- No, I'm not afraid. The equa-pyris put on priestly clothes. I came to the priest's house. The priest is not at home. Ekva-pyrys says to the priest:
- Let's go and visit the king.
Popadya got dressed, equipped herself and went with Ekva-pyris. We came to the king's house. The man guarding the doors says:
-What kind of person are you?
- Why are you asking? You can't ask.
The man guarding the doors went to the king:
- The man has come. The king asks:
- What's his name?
– He says this: Why do you ask? You can't ask.
- Go, let him in, let him come in.
A stranger entered. The king prepared the table. While eating and drinking, the king asks him:
-What kind of person are you? ‘Why are you asking me? Look there. What is it worth, whose image is it? Do you ask them the same? And therefore I shouldn’t be interrogated either.
The king was afraid. I became afraid.
-What kind of person are you? I have a request for you.
- What's the matter?
– We have Equa-pyris in our city. How can you get your hands on it?
- I know how. Bring more money, bring more wine. He will then become drunk and you will be able to grab him. From tomorrow to the third day, go fishing. He will be home at that time.
Ekva-pyris said goodbye to the king. The king went out with him, and Ekva-pyrys went. He took the priest home and went home himself. When I was returning home, I met an old man.
- Old man, where are you going?
- I'm going to steal.
- Let's go to my house.
He dressed the old man in his clothes, and the old man began to look like Equa-pyris. Ekva-pyris himself became like that old man. The priests came to Ekva-pyris. They began to give the old man wine. They ask the old woman:
- Give us your granddaughter, how much money in gold do you ask?
-Give me money in gold, up to my height. Then I'll give it away. - We'll give it.
One priest went out into the street and brought gold money and silver money. He showered the woman with money all over her. The old man was carried away instead of Ekva-pyrysya. The priests say:
-Where will we take him? We’ll boil it in water or burn it in fire/One chief priest says:
“We’ll throw it into a cauldron of tar.” They lit a cauldron of resin with fire, and the cauldron began to boil. They threw the old man into the cauldron instead of Ekva-pyris. The chief priest says: “He won’t live again.” The priests went home.
How long did Equa-pyris live, or how short did he live? Grandma says:
- I'll go into town.
- Son, don’t go, the priests will kill you.
- No, they won’t kill you. ... Equa-pyris got dressed and equipped. I went to the city. Walks around the king's house. The king noticed him.
- Equa-pyrys, how did you come to life?
“I was boiled in a cauldron with resin, and therefore I felt good inside.”
- Equa-pyrys, is it really good?
- Is it true.
The king says:
- Wait for me. I'll go outside.
The king went out into the street. He approached Ekva-pyris:
- We'll go to the main priest.
Whether it was a long or short walk, we came to the main priest. Tsar. says:
– Equa-pyris was boiled in a cauldron with resin. Now he feels so good.
Pop looks:
- Equa-pyrys, is it really you?
- I.
- How did you come to life?
“You did this to me that now I won’t see death.”
The king says:
“Come on, cook me too.” He gathered all the priests, gathered all the main Cossacks. Tsar. began to talk to the priests and the main people:
– Equa-pyris was boiled in a cauldron with resin. Now Ekva-pyrysa will no longer see death. Today I will climb into the cauldron of resin.
Equa-pyris began to say:
– You shouldn’t think anything. If you think of anything... you won't come to life. Don't think anything.
The priests grabbed the king and threw him into a cauldron of tar. Whether they waited long or short, they removed the cauldron of resin. It turns out that only bones remained of the king. Ekva-pyrys began to say to the people:
- When they threw him into the cauldron, apparently, he somehow thought: Now my death has come! Because of this, he didn’t come to life... You three priests, immediately climb into the cauldron. Don't think anything. If you think about it, you won’t come to life either. And if you don’t climb, the king will not come to life.
The king's chief people say:
“Really, that’s what needs to be done.” The king's priests were killed. If the priests don’t help, they should be judged. The priests were scared. One says:
- I'll climb! Another says:
- I'll climb! The third says:
- I'll climb!
Three priests immediately jumped into the cauldron of resin. Whether they cooked for a long time or for a short time, the cauldron was removed from the fire. The main people are watching: only bones remain of the priests. Equa-pyris began to say:
– I heard one priest say: Lord! - and therefore they did not come to life and the king did not come to life.
Equa-pyris went home.
Whether he lived long or short, one day a sled pulled by three horses arrived. A man entered the house.
- Equa-pyrys, your name is.
- Who?
- Queen.
Equa-pyris got dressed and equipped. Came to the queen. The queen says:
- Let's go to my house.
We went to the queen's house. We entered. The queen says:
“If only you could somehow revive my husband.” Equa-pyris says to the queen:
- Let's live together.
The queen says:
- Why can’t you live in a place? And this thought came to me.
Equa-pyrys says:
“I’ll bring my grandmother here.”
Ekva-pyris went and brought his grandmother here. And now Equa-pyris, a man glorified in songs, a man glorified in fairy tales, lives in happiness and prosperity.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru