Whether it happened or not, there lived in one village a very rich king. One day the king says to his hunters:
- Go hunting and kill the first animal you come across.
The hunters went, they walked, they saw a queen deer in the clearing. They just pointed the guns to kill her on the orders of the tsar, and they looked - and a boy was sucking her udder. The child saw the gun, threw the udder, grabbed the deer by the neck, hugged it, caressed it. The hunters were surprised.
They took the boy with them, brought him to the king, and told him everything.
And that king had a son, the same age as this boy.
The king baptized them both together, and named the child found in the forest Fawn.
The little deer grows up with the king’s son, they sleep in the same room, and the same nurse feeds them.
Who grows for years, and they for days. They became twelve years old.
The king rejoices that his two sons are growing up.
Once the boys went out into the field with arrows. The king's son shot an arrow, and then an old woman was carrying water in a jug, and that arrow knocked off the handle of the jug.
The old woman turned and said:
“I won’t curse you - you are the only son, but let love for Elena the Beautiful sink into your heart.”
The little deer was surprised:
-What is she saying?
And from that day on, the king’s son only thinks about this Elena the Beautiful. Love has sunk into his heart and does not give him peace.
What to do? Three weeks have passed. The young man walks around half-dead, his love for someone he has never seen is killing him.
The Little Deer told him:
“Let your brother-in-law die if he doesn’t bring you that Elena the Beautiful.”
He went to the king and said:
“Father, tell the blacksmith to forge me iron calamans and an iron bow and arrows.” I need to go in search of Elena the Beautiful.
The father agreed. They forged Olenenko an iron bow and arrows weighing five pounds, and iron calamans, and he and the king’s son set off on the road.
The Fawn said to his adoptive father goodbye:
- Don't be afraid, father. Where the Fawn is, you have nothing to fear. Wait for us for two years. We will return with glory, but if not, know that we are no longer alive.
They are coming, they are coming. We entered a dense, impenetrable forest. They see a high rock in the forest, and a huge house on the rock. There is a wonderful garden in front of the house. And in that house all the five-headed and nine-headed devas live.
The king's son said to Olenenok:
“I’m tired, brother, let’s rest here a little.”
“Okay,” says the Deer. The king's son lay down and dozed off. The Deer said:
“You lie down, rest, and I’ll go to the garden and bring you the best fruits.”
They are not like brothers, like father and son, this is how the Fawn takes care of his friend.
The Little Deer entered the garden, went up to the best apple tree, and picked the fruits.
A nine-headed deva suddenly jumped out and shouted:
- Who are you, how dare you enter my garden? Here, even a bird doesn’t fly in the sky and an ant doesn’t crawl on the ground, so everyone is afraid of me!
- I am the Deer! - the young man shouted. The dev backed away. He only growled out of anger. The devas knew that as soon as the deer’s son appeared in the world, that would be the end of them.
The devas got scared, ran away, hid in all directions.
The Fawn killed everyone, only one five-headed deva survived - he hid in the attic.
And the king's son sleeps in the shade.
Fawn cleared the house of devas and went to wake up his brother. And the deva's house remained to them, and all the deva's wealth.
The brothers are walking around the garden, having fun.
And the five-headed deva - Babakhanjomi - sits in the attic, trembling.
He finally made up his mind, crawled out of his corner, went downstairs and said to the Little Deer:
“Don’t kill me, I’ll be your brother.” Let all our wealth be yours. The Fawn smiled. Then this five-headed deva asked:
- What kind of need drives you, that you walk around the world, visiting villages and cities? The Deer replied:
- We have one thing to do. If we fail, I will destroy you, just like all these devas! - And he told him: - We are looking for Elena the Beautiful, and you must look for her with us.
Babakhanjomi had a house, he put it on his back and carried it wherever needed. Dev said:
“Sit down in this house and let’s go look for Elena the Beautiful, but this is not an easy task.” There are too many hunters for her.
We sat down and drove off. We drove like this for three months and reached one river.
“I’m tired,” says the king’s son to Olenenok, “let’s rest.”
And Babakhanjomi is even more tired. The brothers left the house, sat down by the river, and rested.
We wanted to drink, we drank water, but it was salty.
The little deer was surprised:
- Why is the water salty?
“And this is not water, but tears,” says Babakhanjomi. “There lives a five-headed deva up here, he also loves Elena the Beautiful, but he can’t get her.” He burns from this love, like on fire. And his tears flow like a river.
The Fawn was surprised and said:
“Then I wouldn’t be a Fawn if I didn’t get her for my brother and marry them!”
They went to that deva, and the Little Deer said:
- What, Dev, do you really love Elena the Beautiful?
The dev is crying, shedding tears. The Fawn promised:
“Well, we’ll show it to you when we take it home.”
Let's move on.
Several more months have passed. They are on their way, and all their food is gone. They reached a small forest. Everyone still doesn’t know anything about Elena the Beautiful.
The little deer says:
“I’ll go, I can see a village in the distance, I’ll ask around, maybe they know where to look for Elena the Beautiful.”
Babakhanjomi and his brother stayed in the house. The fawn went.
He sees an old woman in the shack and asks:
“Mother, for the love of all mothers, tell me, do you know where to look for Helen the Beautiful and in which castle she lives?”
The old lady was surprised. She knows how difficult it is to get to Elena the Beautiful, she is amazed at how simply the young man talks about it.
“This is a very difficult matter, son,” said the old woman, “you don’t know, apparently.” King Wind loves her, tracks her down, wants to kidnap her. So they keep this beauty behind nine locks, and she doesn’t see the ray of the sun, they are so afraid that they will kidnap her.
She still told where the castle of Helen the Beautiful was located. There is a large garden there and a high fence around it, and in the very depths of the garden there is a castle, where Elena the Beautiful and her relatives live.
- How to get to her? - asks the Deer. -My brother wants to take her as his wife.
“Oh, this is a difficult matter,” says the old woman. “She has many suitors; they won’t give her up for your brother.” She sets three tasks for the grooms; if they complete them, they will get married, but if they don’t, they will crush the young man into dust.
The Fawn smiled. What will she have in mind that we can’t do? And he went to where he left his brother and Babakhanjomi.
The dev took his house with the Fawn and the king's son on his back and went.
So we got to the castle.
The Fawn went forward.
And the mother of Elena the Beautiful is a sorceress, and she can both kill and revive a person.
She saw the Fawn, and he was such a fine fellow and so handsome, you could look at him.
- Who are you, what kind of person? And what brought you here?
The Deer said:
“I came as a friend, not an enemy.”
-What do you want?
-I want to take your Elena the Beautiful as my daughter-in-law.
And Elena has three brothers. All three were hunting in the forest at that time.
“Stay here,” says Elena the Beautiful’s mother. -Wait for the brothers, come to an agreement, everything will work out.
The Fawn is sitting in the garden, waiting for his brothers.
And the king’s son and Babakhanjomi are waiting for him, afraid that King Wind will grapple with the Fawn and destroy him. They decided to go explore.
As it got dark, the brothers of Helen the Beautiful appeared. One carries a whole deer, another a roe deer, the third a whole tree trunk for kindling.
They smelled something alien. Ask the mother:
-Who is it here?
“He came with good things, children, don’t touch him,” says the mother.
Meanwhile, Babakhanjomi brought the king's son. The king's son is standing, waiting for what will happen.
The brothers sat down to skin a deer. The Fawn came up. While they were skinning one leg, the Fawn skinned the whole deer once and again. The brothers of Helen the Beautiful were surprised.
We sat down to dinner. The Fawn grabs huge pieces of meat. The brothers marvel.
We had dinner and went to bed.
Morning has come, and Elena the Beautiful says:
“If he completes three tasks, I will become his wife, but if he doesn’t, it won’t happen.”
They took the king's son to the beauty. She speaks to him, but he stands silent and makes no sound. And it was the mother of Elena the Beautiful who spoke to him, stupefied him, the unfortunate man does not understand anything, he stands like a stone.
“Go away,” the beauty chased away the king’s son.
He came out as if drunk. The Fawn ran up and asked:
- Well, what was she talking about?
“I don’t know, brother, I didn’t understand anything.”
The Little Deer got angry. I went again to ask the beauty to receive the groom for the second time.
She agreed, but the groom remained silent the second time, and left her as if in a dream.
The Fawn told Babakhanjomi about everything. They came to an agreement, begged the beauty to call the groom a third time, and again he stood there, petrified, and the old woman spoke to him again. Babakhanjomi came up, took out the necessary letters that would save them from a conspiracy, and threw them into the room where Elena the Beautiful was talking to her groom.
The walls cracked, the king's son woke up. When he sobered up, he saw Elena the Beautiful, ran up, grabbed her hand and shouted:
- You are mine, mine!
The Fawn rejoiced, and Elena the Beautiful rejoiced. She knew that her mother was persuading the suitors not to give her away in marriage.
The bride and groom come out and are having fun.
The next morning, the bride and groom are walking in the garden, and the Fawn is nearby, looking at them, not being overjoyed.
King Wind saw the beauty, rushed like a whirlwind, flew at the groom, spun him around, spun him around and threw him to the ground. Then he grabbed the beauty and took her into the sky.
The Fawn saw his brother lifeless, almost died of grief, and forgot about Elena the Beautiful. Then I just remembered what that kind old woman told him about King Wind, but it was too late.
The Fawn sits and mourns his brother. ‘
The mother of Elena the Beautiful came up and said:
“Don’t cry, I’ll revive him, but Elena was kidnapped, and I don’t know how to help him.”
She brought out a handkerchief, passed it over the young man’s face, he came to life and stood up. He rubs his eyes and says:
- How long have I been sleeping?
He looked around - there was no Elena the Beautiful, he began to be killed, to cry: what to do now, what to do? The Fawn went to Babakhanjomi:
“Tsar Wind stole our bride, we must recapture her at all costs.”
“Die Babakhanjomi if he doesn’t help you,” says the dev. - Look in my right ear, you will find a saddle there, take it out, and in the left - a bridle and a whip, bridle me, and we’ll go.
The Fawn left the king's son in the house of Helen the Beautiful, bridled Babakhanjomi, tightened nine girths, and put nine bits in his mouth.
“Sit down now,” says Babakhanjomi. - Hit me with the whip three times, so as to rip off nine strips of skin, I’ll fly, just make sure you don’t be a coward!
The Little Deer said goodbye to the king’s son:
- Sit and wait, while we go in search of Elena the Beautiful.
He jumped on the deva and pulled him out with a whip three times, so much so that he actually tore off nine strips of skin. The deva groaned, whistled, hit the ground, rushed up, broke through the clouds and flew. They flew across the sky and flew to one field.
There is an old woman in the field. Little Deer asks her:
- Where does King Wind live here? The old woman wailed:
- Oh, son, what brings you here? If he feels the human spirit, he will destroy us all! How long ago did you dare to appear here? He recently brought a girl, a beauty unseen under the sun, such a whirlwind, such a groan and a whistle - everything was collapsing around him.
“It’s this beauty that I came for,” says the Deer, “take me to him.”
“Okay,” said the old woman. She herself is trembling, barely breathing from fear.
The Fawn got down from the deva, hid a saddle, a bridle and a whip in his ears, and went with the old woman.
The dev remained, walking around, looking around, taking charge, and he took all the chickens from King Wind.
The old woman brought the Little Deer to the castle of the Wind King and left.
The king went hunting that morning, and Helen the Beautiful was sitting alone in the castle. He sits crying.
The Little Deer came up, kicked the door, knocked it down, and entered.
- How did you get here? - says the beauty. - And what about that unfortunate man? - asks about
groom
The brother-in-law and daughter-in-law hugged and kissed. The Fawn told everything and said:
- So I came to take you away.
- Oh, you can’t take me away! Both will be destroyed by the cursed King Wind.
The Fawn went to the old woman and said:
“Teach me how to take the beauty away from here, how to destroy the King of the Wind.” The old woman said:
- Go and tell the beauty: when he leaves, let her decorate one corner of the house with flowers and greet him sadly, as if she misses him.
And so they did. As King Wind went hunting, Elena the Beautiful got up, picked flowers, fussed with them like a child, tidied up and decorated one corner of the house. The king returned in the evening, was surprised and asked:
- Why are you fiddling with flowers like a child?
- What should I do? - she says. “You’re not at home, so I’m having fun.” If only you would tell me where your soul is, things wouldn’t be so boring.
- Why do you need my soul, beauty?
- Why? I’ll know if I can even caress her while I’m waiting for you. Tell me, because I am your wife. King Wind said:
- Okay, I’ll say it, if so. He took her to the roof and said:
- Do you see a deer over there in the clearing? Three people mow his grass, but he alone eats all the grass, and the mowers cannot keep up with him. There are three boxes in the head of this deer, and in these boxes is my soul.
- And no one will kill that deer? - asks the beauty.
“But there’s no way to kill him if you don’t take my bow and arrows.” Each of those three boxes contains a bird. If I kill one bird I will be petrified up to my knees, another I will be petrified up to my waist, and the third I will die. Do you understand now where my soul is?
It's morning. King Wind left on his business, and the beauty took his bow and arrows and gave them to the Little Deer, telling him how to kill the king.
The Little Deer was delighted, took a bow and arrows, went, shot an arrow, killed a deer, ran, cut off its head, and took out the boxes.
As soon as the deer fell, the Wind sensed something unkind. He hurried home.
The Deer tore off the head of the first bird - the King of the Wind lost his legs.
He also tore off the head of the second bird - King Wind grew heavy and barely made it to the threshold. He reaches out and shouts to Elena the Beautiful:
- Betrayed me?!
He wants to climb the stairs, but the Fawn has already grabbed the third bird.
- Here's to you for your villainy! - he shouted to King Wind and tore off the head of the third bird.
King Wind fell down dead, and the Fawn approached Helen the Beautiful:
- Well, let's go.
“Go,” says Elena the Beautiful, “go through nine rooms, in the tenth the King Wind’s horse is tied up.” This is such a horse, not a horse - a storm, let's sit on it and fly.
The Fawn took that horse and called Babakhanjomi. He took out all the equipment from his ears, sat on the deva, and sat Elena the Beautiful on that storm horse. They flew off.
They brought Elena the Beautiful to the groom. We celebrated the wedding.
Everyone thanks Olenenok.
And the Tsar Father cried his eyes out and dressed his entire kingdom in black. He grieves and cries over the death of the fellows. I really don’t expect to see them alive.
The fellows in the bride's family had a feast, Babakhanjomi put his house on his back, and off we went.
They drive past that deva who cried a whole river of tears for Helen the Beautiful.
The little deer says:
- What, Dev, do you want to look at Elena the Beautiful?
- Eh, my lord Fawn, who will let me look at her?
“Look,” says the Deer. As the deva looked at the beauty, he became blind from her beauty, instantly melted away and gave up his spirit. Let's move on. Spent the night in the palace of those nine-headed
the devas that the Fawn destroyed, and then we went on. There are still five months of travel left. So they began to rest near a forest. Suddenly at night three pigeons flew in. They sat on a branch. The first one says:
- When the king finds out that his son is taking Elena the Beautiful, he will send him a gun as a gift. The gun will fire and kill him. And whoever overhears us and tells us about it will turn to stone and die.
“So be it,” confirmed the other two pigeons.
And the second dove says:
- When the king-father finds out that his son is riding, he will go out and bring him a horse, and the son will sit on the horse, fall and die.
“So be it,” the pigeons confirmed again and added: “And whoever overhears us say it will turn to stone and die.”
And the third says:
- And also: when they arrive, the gveleshapi will come at night and strangle both - the king’s son and Helen the Beautiful, and whoever overhears us and tells us will turn to stone and die.
They said and flew away.
Little Deer hears all this. Silent.
It's morning. Everyone entered the deva's house and drove off.
The king found out that his son was traveling safe and sound and carrying Elena the Beautiful. He sent him a gun, and the Fawn rushed forward, grabbed the gun and threw it far away, not giving it to the groom.
The king’s son was upset: “My father sent me a gun and showed me honor, but the Little Deer threw it far away.”
The father sent his horse to his son. He returned the Fawn and the horse.
The king's son was upset, but what should he do?
They arrived, their father met them and greeted them.
We celebrated the wedding.
The Fawn came out and released Babakhanjomi.
- Thank you for your service. Go now and live in freedom.
The dev left. And the Little Deer made his way into the young couple’s bedchamber, stood outside the door, and waited. They fell asleep, but the Fawn does not sleep. And how can he sleep? He stands on guard, holds his sword at the ready, because he knows what awaits his friend.
At midnight Gveleshapi appeared. It’s sneaking around, its mouth is already open, it’s about to rush at the young people and strangle them. The Deer swung his sword and killed the gveleshapi. He chopped it into pieces and threw it under the bed.
It's morning.
The young people got up and don’t know what happened at night.
They came to clean the bedchamber and saw pieces of carrion lying under the bed of the young people. The king became furious: who is laughing at us?
They began to judge and punish. They put all the blame on Olenenok. Even on the way, he showed disrespect to the king’s son: he didn’t give him a gun and sent away his horse. He probably laughed at him even now.
Deer says:
- I only wished the best for you. Don’t do it so that you can live and be happy, but I die.
No, they are angry with him, demanding to know what it is and where it comes from!
“Well,” says the Deer, “I’ll tell you, but don’t let it be a burden to you that I worked so hard for your happiness, but you are ruining me.” That night, as we were resting in the field,” the Fawn began, “three doves flew in, sat on a branch and started talking. One said: when they arrive, the Tsar-Father will send a gun to his son, shoot the gun and kill him. Whoever betrays us will be petrified.
The Little Deer said this and turned to stone up to his knees.
Everyone understood and asked him:
- Don't say more, don't! “No,” said the Deer, “talk about it until the end.” And the second dove said: the king-father will send a horse, the son will fall from the horse and be killed... He said and turned to stone from the waist down. “Don’t talk,” everyone asks, “don’t!” “No,” says the Deer, “you should have believed me, but now it’s too late.” And the third dove said: at night, when the young people enter the bedchamber, gveleshapi will come and eat them...
The Little Deer said this and became completely petrified. Father and son are crying, killing themselves, and what
am I burning to help?
And Elena the Beautiful walks too heavy. But it just doesn’t make the king’s son happy. “No,” he thinks, “I must return the life of a faithful friend, no matter what the cost.”
He got up, put on his iron calamans, took an iron staff in his hands and went.
He walks around and asks everyone:
— How to revive my petrified friend? He got tired and sat down near a forest to rest a little. Suddenly an old man comes out of the thicket. His son also asked the king how to save his friend. The old man said:
-Where are you going? His salvation is at your home. The king's son does not understand what salvation is. And the old man says:
“You don’t know that you have a son, a golden-haired boy.” This is the salvation of your friend. Kill him in the cradle, boil him, pour that water over his petrified friend - he will come back to life.
The king's son returns.
“Well,” he thinks, “there will still be children, but I won’t find a friend or brother.”
He came and saw his son lying in the cradle, like the moon was shining. The boy’s golden curls shine just like that.
Told his wife:
- Elena the Beautiful, they taught me this way. She also agreed:
- Just to revive our Fawn.
We did everything as the old man ordered.
The Fawn moved, opened his eyes, and came to life.
The next morning, Elena the Beautiful approached his cradle - she is a mother, after all, her heart aches for her son, even though she sacrificed him - she sees something moving in the cradle. I opened the curtain, and there was a living child.
Everyone was happy.
They slaughtered a cow and fifteen rams whole on spits and roasted them. They feasted for fourteen days without clearing the table.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru