Once upon a time there lived a shepherd boy, Lasse. His father died, and he was left alone with his stepmother. The stepmother was an evil woman, she starved her stepson, dressed him in rags, and sometimes it happened that she beat the boy. Life was bad for poor Lasse. Day after day he wandered with the herd in the forest, and when he came home, his stepmother would scold him with a loaf of bread and drive him away to the barn.
And one morning she didn’t even give him bread, and Lasse had to go into the forest with the herd without eating. Here he is wandering through the forest and crying bitterly.
Suddenly he sees something glistening in the sun on a green hillock.
Lasse came closer and looked - under the tree there was a pair of crystal slippers, each the size of a thimble. The boy was delighted, forgot about hunger and his evil stepmother, and admired these shoes all day.
And as evening approached and the sun set behind the forest, Lasse called his cows and goats and went home. He is walking along a country road, and a boy meets him - very small, as tall as a blade of grass.
“Good evening,” says the boy.
“Good evening to you too,” Lasse replies.
“Have you come across my glass slippers, which I dropped on a green hill this morning?”
“We got it,” Lasse answers. “I just wanted to take them to my stepmother.” Maybe then she’ll stop scolding me and give me something to eat.
Then the boy began to beg him:
- Give me my shoes! Maybe someday I will serve you too.
Lasse took pity on the baby and gave him the glass slippers. The baby was delighted, nodded to Lasse friendly and ran away. And Lasse went further with his herd. He came home already after dark, and his stepmother attacked him with abuse because he was so late in the forest. His stepmother handed him a cauldron with the remains of porridge and told him to quickly eat and get out of the hayloft.
And in the morning, as soon as it’s dawn, Lasse hears his stepmother waking him up:
- Get up, you lazy bastard! It's already a white day outside.
Time to drive out the cattle!
The boy jumped up from his straw bed, ate a loaf of bread and drove the herd into the forest. Only towards noon did he become hungry again, and then the heat began to bother him so much that he had no urine. He walks through the forest and cries. Suddenly he sees a tiny red cap lying on a green hillock. The hat is about the size of a pea and so beautiful: with a tassel and gold bells around the edges. Lasse was happy and forgot about all his grief - both about his evil stepmother and about the heat. He played with this cap all day, and in the evening, when the sun set behind the forest, he called the herd and slowly wandered home.
Here he is walking along a country road, and he meets a girl, very small, no more tall than a flower stem.
“Good evening,” says the girl.
“Good evening to you too,” Lasse replies.
“Have you found my hat that I dropped on a green hill this morning?”
“I found it,” Lasse answers. “I was just going to give it to my evil stepmother, maybe then she’d stop scolding me and feed me better.”
The girl began to beg him:
- Give me my red riding hood! Maybe someday I will serve you too.
Lasse felt sorry for the baby and gave her the hat. The girl was delighted, bowed down, smiled at Lasse and ran away.
And Lasse went further with his herd. He reached the house already completely dark. The stepmother had been waiting for him for a long time and attacked her stepson with abuse:
- And where does he take you? Well, by your grace, should I milk the cows at midnight? Eat the rest of the porridge in the cauldron and go to the hayloft so that my eyes don’t look at you!
Lasse did not answer his stepmother to her evil speeches. He scraped out the dried porridge from the bottom of the cauldron, ate it, washed it down with spring water, and went to the hayloft to sleep.
And in the morning, before the light of day, Lasse again hears his stepmother’s cry:
- Get up, you lazy bastard! It's already a white day outside!
It's time to drive the cattle into the forest!
The boy jumped up from his straw bed, washed himself and asked his stepmother for a loaf of bread.
- What other bread! - the stepmother shouted. - Nothing will happen to you today, you such a slacker!
So Lasse went hungry into the forest. He walks through the forest and cries bitterly. Suddenly he sees something glistening in the grass on a green hillock. He came closer and picked up a tiny silver bell from the ground. Lasse was happy, wiped his eyes and began to play with this bell. So the whole day passed unnoticed, and in the evening Lasse’s bell rang, and instantly all the cows and goats came running to this ringing. He drove the herd along a country road, and suddenly he saw a little old man coming towards him, no taller than a blade of grass. The old man has a waist-length beard, a red cap with a tassel on his head, and morocco shoes on his feet.
“Good evening,” says the old man.
“Good evening to you too,” Lasse replies.
“Didn’t you find the bell that I dropped on the hill this morning?”
“I found it,” Lasse answers. “But I won’t give you this bell.” Just now I returned some boy’s glass slippers, and a little girl’s red cap with golden bells. And I need this bell myself; when it rings, cows and goats instantly come running.
Old man Lasse began to beg:
- Give me my bell, without it all my power will be lost. I myself am the king of the elves, and these boy and girl are my children. And don't think that we have forgotten about you. We elves always pay kindness for kindness and someday we will serve you. And I’ll give you another bell, and in addition I’ll fulfill three of your wishes.
Lasse agreed. He gave the bell and said:
- Here, take it, and don’t lose it again. And tell your children, son and daughter, to take better care of their glass slippers and little red riding hood. And my desires are this: I want to grow up quickly, become a king, I want to own a royal palace and I want to get the most beautiful princess in the world as my wife.
“Your desires are considerable,” the elf king answers, “but since I promised you, I will keep my word.” Tonight, when your stepmother is asleep, quietly get out of the house and go straight north until you reach the royal palace. Here's an ivory pipe for you. If you get into trouble, blow the pipe and the elves will come to your aid. And when you are in dire need, break the pipe in half and then I will come to you myself.
With these words, the elf king said goodbye to the boy and disappeared out of sight, and Lasse and his herd wandered on. Lasse returned home late in the evening, and his stepmother gave him cuffs instead of dinner. “Nothing,” thought Lasse, “now I won’t be able to endure it for long.” And he went to the hayloft to sleep.
And at midnight he slowly got out of the barn and went north. He walked tirelessly through forests, hills and valleys, the sun rose and set twice, and Lasse kept walking and walking.
On the third day, in the evening, a royal palace appeared in front of Lasse, so beautiful and rich that he had never seen in his life. Lasse came into the royal kitchen and asked if workers were needed here.
- What can you do? - the head cook asked him.
“I know how to herd goats and cows,” Lasse answers.
“We need a shepherd,” says the cook, “but if even one cow or goat gets lost in your forest, then you have yourself to blame.”
“Be calm,” Lasse replies, “such a dashing thing has never happened to me.”
So Lasse hired himself as a shepherd on the royal estate. Every morning he drove cows, goats and sheep into the nearby forest and grazed them there until sunset. And not a single animal ever disappeared from his herd.
One day Lasse drives the cattle out of the barn and sees: some golden-haired girl in a rich dress is coming towards him, and in her arms is a small white sheep. The girl hands the sheep to Lasse and says:
“I heard that there is no better shepherd than you in the whole kingdom.” Take my lamb, herd it and take good care of it.
And this girl was the royal daughter herself. From then on, the princess began to go into the forest every morning to visit her beloved sheep. The princess was a kind, friendly girl, and soon she and the shepherd Lasse became fast friends.
Time passed, and the shepherdess grew into a fine and tall fellow. And the little princess also grew up and became so beautiful that her fame spread all over the world. But just like in childhood, she went into the forest to visit her sheep.
Only one day the princess went into the forest and disappeared along the way. There was a rumor among the people that an evil giant had kidnapped the princess and taken her to his castle on a distant island. People grieved greatly for the kind and beautiful princess, and most of all the king and queen were killed for their daughter.
And the king ordered to announce throughout all countries and kingdoms: whoever rescues his daughter from captivity will receive her as a wife, and even a kingdom in addition. Princes and knights from all over the world flocked to the castle. They put on forged armor, took swords and spears, mounted horses and went to look for the princess. Some returned with nothing, others disappeared completely, and none of them had any luck.
Meanwhile, the shepherd Lasse still grazes his flock in the forest. Only the beautiful princess cannot be out of his head, day and night he grieves and grieves about her.
One day Lasse fell asleep in the shade under a tree and dreamed of the king of the elves. It’s as if he’s standing at his head whispering:
- Go north, go north! You will find the princess there.
Lasse woke up and went straight to the king. The guards do not allow him into the royal chambers. The chief cook came out to the no-no and said:
- What do you want here? If you want to ask for a reward for your faithful service, then we will sort it out ourselves. There is no need to bother the king.
“No,” Lasse answers. “That’s not what my conversation with the king will be about.”
They brought Lasse to the king, and he said to him:
“I served Your Majesty faithfully for many years.” Let me now go look for the princess.
The king got angry.
- Look, what are you up to! Therefore, you, a simple shepherd, want to do something that princes and knights cannot do!
And Lasse replied:
“Either I find the princess, or I lose my life.”
The king then remembered what the people say: “The body is soft, but the soul is courageous,” and he changed his anger to mercy.
And Lasse went north, as the king of the elves inspired him. He climbed the mountains, walked through the thorny bushes for so long that he almost climbed to the edge of the world. So suddenly the sea opened up in front of him, and in the middle of the sea the island lives, and on the island there is a castle, and near the castle in a tower, a curly-haired beauty sits and waves a handkerchief at him. And Leo realized that in front of him was a giant’s castle, and in the tower? languishes in captivity. He walks along the seashore, but he doesn’t think twice about crossing the island. And suddenly he remembered the bone pipe that the king of the elves gave him. He blew the pipe, and heard a thin voice behind him:
- Good evening!
- Good evening to you too! - Lasse replied. He turned around and saw: standing in front of him was a boy, the size of a blade of grass, the same one who had once dropped the crystal towers on a hillock.
- What do you want? - the baby elf asks him.
“Move to that island,” Lasse answers.
“Sit on my back,” said the boy.
Lasse sat on his back, and the elf turned him like a hawk, soared into the sky and instantly carried him to the island.
Lasse came to the giant's castle and asked for botniks there.
- What can you do? - the head cook asks him.
“I know how to herd sheep and cows,” Lasse answers.
“The giant needs a shepherd,” says the chief police officer, but our service is not easy. If even one cow or sheep disappears from the herd, the giant will immediately deprive you of it. We've had so many shepherds, not a single one survived. Well, do you agree?
“I agree,” Lasse answers.
The next morning Lasse drove the herd into the forest, and when he passed by the tower, the princess came to the window, waved her handkerchief and sang a song:
My faithful shepherd, now in the night
Save the king's daughter from Ilvn.
As a reward you will get her as your wife.
And with her the throne and crown.
Lasse listened and realized that the princess was giving him a sign and that that night he should come for her.
He herded the herd in the forest all day, and in the evening he drove it to the barnyard. And there the giant himself is waiting for him.
“You’re not my new shepherd,” says the giant. “Now I’ll count the herd, and if I don’t count even one cattle, you won’t live in the world.”
The giant counted the herd and saw that not a single cow or sheep was missing. The giant rejoiced and said:
- You are a good shepherd! You will serve me until the end of your days.
Lasse went to his closet and began to wait for darkness. And when night came and everyone in the castle fell fast asleep, he slowly crept up to the tower where the princess was languishing, and sang barely audibly:
Dark night fell on the island. The moon and stars disappeared behind the clouds. I’m standing and waiting under your window. Come down quickly and we’ll run away!
Then the princess leaned out of the tower window and whispered:
- I can’t go down! The giant chained me to the wall with golden chains!
"What to do?" - Lasse thinks.
And then he remembered about his bone pipe. He took it out, blew it and suddenly heard a thin, thin voice behind him:
- Good evening!
“Good evening to you too,” says Lasse.
He turned around and saw: standing in front of him was the same girl who had once dropped her little red riding hood on a hill.
- What do you need? - asks the girl.
“Take me and the princess away from here,” Lasse asks.
“Follow me,” said the little girl.
They climbed the tower, the forged door opened by itself, and then the little girl came up to the princess, touched the gold chains, and they immediately fell to pieces. The girl led them to the seashore, jumped into the water, turned into a pike and shouted:
- Sit on my back! Just, no matter what happens, don’t let the princess get scared, otherwise there will be trouble!
Lasse and the royal daughter sat on the back of a pike and swam across the sea. Meanwhile, the giant woke up, looked out the window and saw a shepherd with a princess far out to sea.
He turned into an eagle and flew in pursuit of them. The pike noticed the eagle and dived deep into the water. And the princess got scared and screamed loudly in fear. And because of this, the witchcraft of the elves lost its power. The eagle grabbed the fugitives with its claws and dragged them back to their castle. He threw the shepherd into a deep dungeon, and again imprisoned the princess in the tower and ordered him to guard her even more, not to take his eyes off her.
Here Lasse sits in the dungeon and grieves because he did not save the princess and ruined himself forever. Only suddenly he remembered how the king of the elves told him: “When there is extreme need, break the pipe in half, and I myself will appear to you.” The shepherd took the pipe, broke it in half, and suddenly heard a voice behind him:
- Good evening!
“Good evening to you too,” Lasse replies. He turned around and saw the elf king himself standing in front of him. He has a beard to his waist, a cap with a tassel on his head, and morocco shoes on his feet.
- Why did you call me? - asks the king of the elves
- Help me save the princess and take her home to her father.
“Follow me,” says the old man.
And he brought Lasse to the armory room. And there on the walls hang knightly armor, spears, swords, axes, shields. Some burn like gold, while others cast like steel. The elf king lit a fire in the hearth and said to the shepherd:
- Take off your clothes!
Lasse undressed, and the elf king burned his old clothes and ordered him to put on knightly armor. Lasse dressed himself in iron from head to toe, took a spear and a sword in his hands, and the old man said:
“Now no one can defeat you, because no steel can take your armor, and your sword cuts without a miss.”
Lasse thanked the elf king for his help, said goodbye to him and returned to his dungeon.
Meanwhile, the evil giant is preparing for his wedding with the princess. The princess is dressed in rich attire, a golden crown is put on her head, her fingers are decorated with rubies and emeralds, and jewelry is hung on her neck.
Only the princess is not happy about this, she cries, she is killed, so it’s a pity to look at her. So the guests gathered, and the giant ordered the shepherd to be brought from the dungeon to execute him right there, in front of everyone.
The servants entered the dungeon and saw: instead of a shepherd, a knight in gilded armor stood in front of them and waved his sword menacingly. The servants got scared and ran away in all directions. And the knight jumped out of the dungeon, ran into the hall where the guests had gathered, approached the giant and said:
- I challenge you to a fair fight. Whoever wins will get the bride.
The giant got scared and began to back away towards the door. And Lasse raised his sword, the tip flashed like lightning, and the giant’s head rolled off his shoulders. The guests all ran away in fear, and the knight took the princess by the hand and led her to the sea. They boarded the giant's ship and sailed to the king and queen, the parents of the princess. That was such a joy!
Lasse married a princess, and then became a king himself. They lived in happiness and contentment for many, many years. And they always kept the bell and the broken bone pipe with them and told their children to take care of them.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru