Once upon a time there lived a Shah. And he was over forty years old, and he was still not married. He wanted to marry a girl who would be stronger, braver and smarter than him. But no matter how much he searched, he could not find such a girl anywhere.
Everyone knew what the Shah was looking for. One fine day a wise old man came to the Shah and said:
- Oh Shah, the girl you are looking for is the daughter of the Isfahan Shah. Go and marry her.
He said and disappeared.
The Shah called his vizier and advisers, told them about the old man and asked for advice on what to do.
The vizier says:
- May my Shah be in good health! There is nothing difficult here. Let's send matchmakers and let them bring the girl.
“What if they don’t give her up for me, then what?” — the Shah was frightened. But the vizier hastened to calm him down:
- My Shah, you are famous in all lands. At the mere mention of your name, kings and shahs lose sleep. Who dares to disobey you? Who will refuse to satisfy your desire? If he does not give up his daughter for you, we will destroy his domain.
Everyone liked the vizier's advice. On the same day, the vizier and his retinue went to Isfahan. They walked a long way, safely got where they needed to go, and, as usual, sat down in front of the palace on a stone for matchmakers.
On the same day and hour they reported to the Shah of Isfahan that some matchmakers had come and were sitting on a stone. The Shah ordered to bring them. They brought matchmakers, they told about the desire of their sovereign, and asked for the hand of the Shah’s daughter.
The Shah did not answer, but ordered to call his daughter. When the princess arrived, he conveyed to her the ambassadors’ request and asked:
- What do you think, my daughter? The girl replied:
- Dear father, no matter who you give me for, I will thank you. But if you allow it, I will set three conditions for the matchmakers. The vizier became interested:
- What are the conditions, oh beautiful princess? The girl replied:
- The first condition is that we must compete, fight with your check in horse racing and archery. The second condition is that we must fight and fight with sabers. My third condition is that the Shah must answer my question.
The matchmakers agreed and set off on their way back. They came to their Shah and conveyed the conditions of the bride. The Shah heard this and became terribly angry. How, he, the sovereign and ruler of an entire people, will compete and fight with a girl! What will people say? No, he doesn't agree to this. And for his insolence he will go to war against the Isfahans.
But the vizier objected to him:
- Oh my Shah, what is the point of starting a war and shedding blood? Let's accept the girl's conditions, and if we can't fulfill them, then we'll start a war.
But the Shah became stubborn:
“It’s not proper for me to go to a girl.” Then the vizier suggested:
- Oh my Shah, change clothes and go to the girl under the guise of a simple warrior. Tell her that the Shah sent you, so that first she will compete with you, if she wins, then the Shah himself will come.
The Shah liked this advice, and on the same day, having changed clothes, he and a small detachment set off for Isfahan. He stopped in front of the palace and sent a messenger for the princess.
She dressed herself in armor, took a bow, shield and arrows in her hands and went out with her retinue to the square:
- Was it you who called me, O glorious Shah? she asked. The disguised Shah replied: “No, sister, I’m not a Shah.” My Shah sent me first. And if you win, then he himself will appear. Because because of all sorts of trifles, he cannot leave the country.
The girl was offended and wanted to return, but then she thought: “People don’t know what’s going on. They’ll also say that I was scared of the competition.” In addition, so many people gathered in the square that there was no room for an apple to fall. Everyone knew that the princess and the shah, who was wooing her, must compete.
No one suspected that the Shah himself had arrived. Therefore, she agreed to compete with the Shah's envoy. They both went out to the square, jumped on their horses and rushed off, but neither managed to overtake the other. Then they shot arrows, both equally accurate, fought with sabers, and wrestled. And only in the struggle, after great effort, did the Shah manage to put the girl on both shoulder blades.
- Well, what do you say now?
“Nothing,” answered the princess. - Just tell me, please, who are you?
And then the Shah frankly confessed everything to her.
- If so, you must fulfill my third condition. Only after this will I agree to marry you. Shah asked her to ask a question.
-What do you consider the most beautiful thing in the world? Shah replied:
“The most beautiful thing in the world is what your soul loves.”
The girl really liked these words. She went to her father and said that the groom had passed the test. The Shah of Isfahan arranged the wedding according to all the rules. They played it for seven days and seven nights. And nine months and nine days later the young son was born. They called him Iskender. This was an unusual child. He grew by leaps and bounds. No one could compare with him in strength and intelligence. And Iskender had only one drawback. Since childhood, he had a horn growing on the top of his head. Therefore, he wore a high hat so that no one could see his horn. The nannies raised Iskender healthy, the teachers taught him all the sciences. He was a brave and learned man.
It so happened that Iskender’s father died. They decided to place Iskender on his father’s throne, but one envious vizier said:
“Our people have a wise law: you need to fly a bird into the air, on whose head it lands, he will be the checker.”
And so they did. They released the bird from the cage, it flew and landed on Iskender’s head. He began to rule the country. And Iskender was such a good Shah that his fame spread throughout the world. There was only one thing that people were dissatisfied with. From the day Iskendsr sat on his father’s throne and began to rule the country, a barber died in his city every week. No one could solve that mystery.
But the fact was that Iskender invited the barber to cut his hair every day, and then killed him. Finally, there was not a single barber left in the city. One day the Shah called the vizier to him and said: “Vizir, I’m all overgrown, find a barber.”
“Long live the great sovereign,” answered the vizier, “you have not left a single barber in the city.” Who should I invite?
- I don’t know, find it wherever you want.
And the vizier went to the village. There, with half-hearted grief, I found a barber. The barber found out why he was being called and began to spin. He knew that not a single barber returned from the Shah alive, but he did not know why.
The barber lived alone with his old mother. He said goodbye to her and, together with the vizier, went to the Shah. Somehow, with trembling hands, he cut it and saw a horn on the top of his head. As soon as he finished cutting the Shah’s hair, the guards ran up and wanted to cut off his head, but he fell at the Shah’s feet and began to beg: “Oh Shah, great Shah, don’t kill me.” I have a sick old mother. If I die, there will be no one to care for her. For my mother's sake, spare me. I'll do whatever you want.
Iskender took pity:
- Okay, I won’t kill you if you promise never to tell anyone my secret. But if even one person finds out about it, I will order you to be beheaded immediately.
The barber swore and was released.
He went to cut the Shah’s hair five more times and sacredly kept the secret. He became pale and emaciated from worries and thoughts. No matter how much the mother asked him to say what he was grieving about, the son answered:
- Mother, I cannot reveal my secret to anyone.
But in the sixth week the barber saw that the secret was tormenting him; he could no longer remain silent. He went into the forest, dug a hole, put his mouth to it and quietly repeated three times: “Iskender has a horn.”
Several months passed, and reeds grew over the pit. One day a shepherd passed by, saw a reed, cut it, because he liked the reed, made a pipe and began to play. But no matter what melody he played, the result was always the same: “Iskender has a horn.” The shepherd was surprised, but did not understand what this could mean.
But then the Shah was informed that a rumor had spread throughout the land that Iskender had a horn. Even the shepherd's pipes sing about it. Hearing this, Iskender ordered the barber to be seized and brought to him. The executioners immediately found the young man and dragged him to the palace. The Shah was angry.
“Listen,” he cried, “didn’t I ask you not to reveal my secret to anyone?” How did it happen that everyone knows about this?
But the young man swore that he did not say a word to anyone, not even his mother. The Shah continued to insist: “Admit it, tell the truth.” It will be better this way. Finally the barber said:
- May my Shah be in good health! I saw that the mystery was gnawing at me. And I went into the forest, dug a hole, bent over it and said these words. Then I filled the hole. But he didn’t say a word to a single person.
The Shah understood what was happening and did not execute the barber. Since then they nicknamed him “Iskender the Rogach”. This made him very angry, and one day, calling the vizier, the Shah said:
“Tell me to prepare the army, I’m going on a long journey.” I heard that somewhere in the world of darkness there is living water. Whoever drinks it will never die.
The vizier knew Iskender’s character and therefore did not object, but began preparing for the campaign. Iskender called all the scientists and sages, but none of them could tell him how to get to the living water. Each one spoke differently.
Then Iskender asked:
- Which of the wise old men did not come here?
They told him that somewhere there was an old man of about three hundred years old, but he could not move because they kept him in cotton wool. Only he didn’t come, the rest are all here.
Iskender, without hesitation, made a decision:
- Vizier, let's go to this old man.
They went and found the old man and told him everything. And the old man said:
- Son, not everyone can get to the world of darkness.
“And I,” Iskender asked excitedly, “can I get there?”
The old man replied:
“Son, you will get there, but when you return, you will die from your own sword.”
Iskender thought. He really didn’t want to die, but in his mind he decided to go there at all costs. He asked the old man the way to the world of darkness.
- Son, it takes seven years and seven months to go there, day and night. Along the way you will meet snakes and dragons. You will reach such a place that your horses will not be able to go further. You dismount and unshackle your horses. Then you will reach the dark mountain. There is a spring there. When you go on your journey, take a sleeping fish with you. You throw it into the spring. If she resurrects, know that this is living water.
Returning from the old man, Iskender gathered his entire army and set off on a campaign. We walked a lot, we walked little by little, a day - a road, an hour - a halt. Finally we found ourselves in the desert. Everything here was swarming with snakes, dragons, there was nowhere to step. The warriors cut them down with swords and stabbed them with spears. But snakes and dragons also killed many warriors. Somehow they got out of this damned place. But before they even had time to catch their breath, they found themselves in a dense forest. They wanted to get off their horses to rest a little, but then lions and tigers, bears and wolves, eagles and kites swooped in from all sides. The warriors fought back as best they could, but most of them died. Iskender saw that if they did not get out of these places in time, everyone would die. That same night he gave the order to move on. They walked for a long time and finally climbed to the top of the mountain. And then the horses stood up. No matter how hard the riders spurred them, the horseshoes seemed to be rooted to the ground. Iskender remembered the old man’s words. And he ordered the soldiers to dismount and unchain their horses. After that, they mounted their horses again and continued on their way. Suddenly everything around was shrouded in darkness, even if you gouge out your eyes. With difficulty, by touch, Iskender found a spring and threw fish into it. The fish immediately came to life. I swam. Iskender realized that this was the world of darkness, and living water flowed in the spring. He scooped up a handful and drank. His companions mounted their horses and headed back.
They came out of the world of darkness and saw that Iskender had again become a fifteen-year-old youth and understood the language of all birds, animals and plants. This made the Shah very happy. He had only one sadness: the old man said that all the same, even after drinking the living water, he, like others, would die. Because this is not the main spring. There is still living water of eternity, but you cannot reach the place where it flows.
Iskender and his warriors rode for a long time. There were steep cliffs all around. The travelers decided to rest. Iskender lay down in the shadow of a huge rock. But after an hour or two the sun came up there. The warriors saw that bright rays were shining right in the face of the Shah, they stuck all their swords and spears into the ground, and covered them with shawls. The Shah woke up from the noise and saw what a tent they had built for him out of spears and swords. He bit his finger and thought: “The old man’s words are coming true. My death is near.” Just as he wanted to get out of the tent, thunder roared, lightning flashed, and a rock crashed down on Iskender’s tent. The soldiers came running and barely found the half-dead Shah. Iskender took a deep breath and bequeathed:
“When I die, let scientists and doctors walk in the first row in front of my coffin, followed by my warriors, and then servants with trays on which precious stones, pearls and gold will be poured.”
I want all people and my mother to understand that I had many scientists, doctors and warriors, I had as much wealth as my heart desired. And nothing could save me from death.
He said and died. And the vizier, advisers and soldiers took his body to his homeland, because Iskender had previously asked, no matter where he died, to bury him in his native land.
The whole city dressed in mourning when the soldiers and advisers returned with the dead Shah. The funeral was magnificent, the funeral procession lined up as he asked. But then the unexpected happened. No matter how much they put the dead man’s hand in the coffin, it still stuck out, palm up, as if the dead Shah wanted to grab something.
Everyone looked at this hand in bewilderment, but no one could understand what it meant. Then they decided to go to the same old man who showed Iskender the path to the world of darkness. He said:
- Put a handful of earth in his hand. He was not satisfied with the earth.
They did as the old man ordered. Indeed, the hand no longer protruded from the coffin.
Many days passed after the Shah's funeral, but the mother could not calm down. Every day she came to her son’s grave and shed bitter tears. One day, when she was crying at the grave, a voice was heard from the depths of the earth:
- Oh woman, you are tired of us with your crying, we are tired of you. Tell us, which Iskender are you mourning? She replied:
- Iskender Shah. My son.
This time the voice of the deceased Shah was heard:
“Mother, I thought I was the only Iskender Shah in this world.” But know, besides me, there are so many Iskenders here under seven layers of earth that it is impossible to count. They were all Shahs, braver than me and smarter than me. And no one cries for them. Go home too. Tears won't help your grief. “From that day on, my mother stopped mourning the Shah.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru