In ancient times, in a powerful kingdom, there lived a king and a queen. They had two sons, whose names were Bogos and Bedros. The king had a faithful friend and adviser, a black Arab. He was a court groom.
Misfortune happened - the queen died. The king grieved for five years, observing mourning. So, one day, he called the groom and told him:
- Saddle two horses. We need to unwind. A little fresh air wouldn't hurt me.
They went on a horseback ride around the capital. Suddenly they look: three beautiful sisters are filling jugs with water near a public fountain. Their cheerful laughter and beauty attracted the king’s attention and, hiding behind a column, he decided to listen to what the girls would talk about.
“If I were a queen, I would weave such a carpet that half of it would be enough to accommodate the entire royal army,” said the elder sister. “If I were the queen, I would sew such a tent that half of it would be enough to shelter the entire royal army,” said the middle sister. “And if I were the queen, I would give birth to our king golden-haired sons and daughters,” said the younger sister.
The king returned to the palace and called his adviser. The equerry was tasked with bringing the sisters to the king. He found them there, near the fountain. After the groom said that they were wanted at the palace, the girls began to say goodbye to their lives, thinking that they must have said something offensive about the king. When the adviser brought the sisters to the king, he said that he knew what each of them promised if she became queen. He turned to his older sister:
“You promised to weave a carpet so large that half of it would be enough to accommodate my entire army.” Did I understand you correctly? - Oh, my king, of course correctly. Give me enough wool to do this kind of work, and I’ll get down to business,” answered the elder sister.
The king realized that the promise made by the girl was empty. Just bragging. Then he turned to his middle sister:
“Did you speak the truth when you said that you would make a tent so large that half of it would be enough to shelter my entire army in it?” “Oh yes, my king!” Just give me as much fabric as I need for such work and you will see for yourself that this is so,” answered the middle sister.
The king again realized that these were empty words. Just bragging. Then he turned to his younger sister:
- Do you really want to give me golden-haired sons and daughters? - Oh, my king! You haggle like in a paint shop. Time will show.
The king thought and thought and married his younger sister. After the wedding celebrations took place, her older sisters were left to live in the palace. When the time came, the queen gave birth to a son. The boy had shining golden hair. The queen's sisters were furious. They ordered the groom, who was afraid of them, to put a puppy in the cradle instead of a baby. And throw the child into the sea. For performing this service they paid the stableman five hundred silver coins. The midwife who delivered the baby was also given five hundred silver coins to keep her silence.
The stablemaster, instead of drowning the child, hid him in the stable, in the manger. And at midnight, having saddled his horse, he took the baby to the mountains, where he decided to hide him in a cave. And that cave was in Monastyrskaya Mountain. The groom returned to the palace that night. He quietly went to his chambers and went to bed. In the morning many townspeople came to the palace to congratulate the king on the birth of his child.
- What is there to congratulate? – the queen’s older sisters hissed. - She gave birth to a puppy.
The king was shocked. In anger he said to the groom:
- Throw this unworthy one into the sea.
The stablemaster disobeyed the order this time too. He hid the queen in the stable and returned to the palace a few hours later.
- Did you follow my order? - Yes, my king. I threw it into the sea. - Great.
At night, the groom took the queen to the same cave where he hid her child. The poor queen thought that she was about to be killed.
“Don’t be afraid, my queen, I won’t harm you,” said the groom. – You can trust me. Consider me your brother from this day forward. You were not born a puppy, as your sisters told the king. You gave birth to a handsome, golden-haired son.
The young queen found her son in the cave. From then on, the groom took care of both of them. During the day he served the king, and at night he served the queen and prince. He brought them food and clothes. He brought them everything they needed to live.
When the prince turned ten years old, the groom gave him a bow and arrows. The boy began to go hunting every day. He hunted in the mountains, forests and valleys. He grew up as a very smart boy, developed beyond his years.
So fifteen years passed. Let us return to the capital and see what the king was doing. One day he said to his friend the groom:
- Saddle your horses. Let's go and hunt.
They armed themselves with swords and clubs, took bows and arrows and mounted horses.
-Where are we going? – asked the king. “Wherever you want, you’re the king,” answered the groom. “I’m the king.” But you choose a place for hunting,” said the king.
They went to Monastery Mountain. On the same day, the golden-haired prince was hunting in the same places. He was dressed in clothes made of deerskin, and his curls were hidden by a hat. As soon as the young man raised his bow to shoot an arrow at the deer, two horsemen appeared out of nowhere and began to pursue his prey. The young man decided to wait and see what happens next. The king shot the deer with a well-aimed shot. Before he had time to dismount to approach the prey, suddenly a young man appeared in front of him, grabbed the deer, threw it on his shoulders and was gone.
“Come on, shoot an arrow after him,” the king shouted to his friend in anger.
The groom deliberately shot over the head of the young man, who was safely hidden in the cave.
- What's wrong with you, son? You're so scared, what happened? – the queen asked the young man. “Two horsemen are chasing me.” I took from them the deer they prevented me from hunting.
Meanwhile, the horsemen dismounted and entered the cave. Mother and son met them at the entrance.
-Where is the deer I shot? - asked the king. “And who gave you the right to steal my hunting trophy?” “Long live you for many years, king,” answered the young man, “the game goes not to the one who shoots, but to the one who takes it into his own hands.” “And how do you know that I am a king?” “Rumor about you is spreading throughout the world.” So I know.
The king felt affection for the young man. He and his friend entered the depths of the cave. At the same time, the groom behaved as if he did not know the owners of the home. The king was very surprised to see that inside the cave it was very cozy, neat and everything was neatly tidied up. There were also numerous hunting trophies. Yes, such that the king himself envied them. The guests were offered a dish of selected venison. After the meal, the groom went to saddle the horses, and the young man turned to the king:
“Take your deer, my king,” with these words he handed over the prey to him.
The deer carcass was tied to the saddle. But the king was in no hurry to leave. Some vague feelings did not allow him to rush.
- What should we do with this young man? – the king asked his friend. - Shall we leave it here or take it with us? - Live long, sir. I have something to confess to you. Do you remember the three sisters you met at the fountain and the promises they made? You married the youngest of them. So, she kept her promise: you have a son - a golden-haired prince
The equerry took the cap off the young man’s head, and golden curls scattered over the prince’s shoulders. The king was barely alive from shock. He did not believe either his eyes or his ears. He threw himself on his knees in front of the queen and began to beg to forgive him.
“I don’t even know how to thank you for your kindness,” said the king, turning to his friend. - Bring two more horses from the city: my wife, son and I are leaving here.
The groom, arriving at the palace, said to Bogos and Bedros:
- I have very good news for you! Your golden-haired brother-prince was found, and his mother, our queen, was found. They are alive and well. Soon they will be home with our king.
The queen's elder sisters opened their mouths in surprise when they heard such news. The groom returned to the cave with two horses - for the prince and the queen, and they, all four, arrived safely at the palace. Joyful townspeople came out to meet them. And in the festively decorated palace, the king, queen and golden-haired prince were greeted by advisers and nobles. When the golden-haired prince left the cave, he took the Bird of Truth with him. This Bird was the only living soul who remained with his mother when he went hunting.
Seven days later, the queen’s elder sisters decided to show themselves to the king, the queen, and the golden-haired prince. They hoped that they could convince them to forgive the harm done to them, since they supposedly repented. When the sisters entered the hall, the Bird of Truth broke its crystal cage, flew out the window and flew away.
- Oh, my Bird! My Bird of Truth, she has flown away! - the prince became sad.
And the king, to console his son, said:
- Don't be upset, son. Your Bird will be caught and returned to the palace.
And then, turning to the queen’s elder sisters, he said:
— The Bird of Truth flew away because of you. Get out of my sight so that your spirit is no longer here.
And the evil sisters were driven out of the palace. Bogos and Bedros volunteered:
- Let us catch the Bird of Truth. we will return her to her brother.
Bogos was the first to go in search. He took with him a detachment of forty horsemen. When night overtook them on the way, Bogos ordered the detachment to make a halt. They set up camp, had dinner and went to bed. Exactly at midnight, a deafening, heartbreaking scream was heard in the forest darkness. People jumped to their feet. They thought that robbers were robbing someone not far from the camp. Jumping onto their horses, the detachment rushed in the direction from which the scream was heard. They again heard this terrible scream, reminiscent of the cry of a mortally wounded partridge. And suddenly, all forty warriors and Prince Bogos turned into stones. When a week had passed, Bedros said:
— My brother did not return. Now I'll go. I'll find out what happened to him.
The king allowed him to go in search of his brother.
Bedros, like Bogos, took with him a detachment of forty horsemen. On the way, they had to stop at the same place where Bogos and his detachment had stopped before them. At exactly midnight, a heartbreaking scream was heard. The armed people went towards the scream to find out what was going on there. And then they turned into stones. The golden-haired prince, meanwhile, began to insist that his father let him go in search of his brothers. The king did not want to let him go:
“What if something happens to you too?” Who will replace me on the throne then? “I must find my brothers,” the prince insisted. “Then take with you a squad of a thousand horsemen,” said the king. “Father, I’m not going to war.” One person will be enough - our friend the equerry. “I am always at your service, prince,” said the equerry, bowing. “Let’s take twenty pounds of fried wheat with us on the road,” the prince told him.
They said goodbye to the king, saddled their horses and set off. Night found them in the same place where Bogos and Bedros and their people had stopped before them. The prince, before going to bed, ordered the stableman to scatter roasted wheat around their camp. The stableman slept uneasily. He raised his head and looked: a fox had crept up to the camp and began to eat the grain. He raised his bow and said to the prince:
— The fox eats fried wheat. Maybe shoot her? - No need to shoot a hungry fox. Let him eat to his heart's content.
Two hours later the groom woke up the prince again:
- Look, this fox has sat on your cloak. Shoot her? - What are you talking about? The poor thing found a soft, warm place to sleep for the night. And you were about to shoot...
Just before dawn, the groom looks: the fox got up from his cloak and began to walk away.
- Tsarevich, the fox is leaving. Maybe he should still shoot her? - No, let him go with God.
Hearing these words, the fox turned around and said in a human voice:
- Oh, golden-haired prince! Tell me your most cherished desire. “My most cherished desire is to find my brothers alive and healthy and return them home,” said the amazed prince.
And then he added:
“And my Bird of Truth too.” “Leave the weapon with your friend and follow me,” said the fox.
She took the young man to Bird City.
- You will find your Bird of Truth there, in the barn, which stands on the outskirts of the city. Just watch, be careful. Take only your Bird, and don’t even touch the others.
The prince entered the barn and saw a whole flock of birds. There were so many of them that he decided that it would not be a great sin if he took with him another bird besides his own. As soon as he took the second bird, a terrible hubbub was heard. The prince was captured and taken to the bird king.
“Why did you take something that doesn’t belong to you?” – the bird king asked him. “I don’t know... Probably ordinary human greed.” “I’ll tell you what.” I will give you a second bird if you bring me a black horse. This horse is owned by the chieftain of a gang of forty robbers. They rob people near Monastyrskaya Hill.
The bird king ordered the young man to be released. As soon as he left the gates of Bird City, a fox approached him.
“Didn’t I tell you to take only your Bird?” Why are you jumping from the frying pan straight into the fire? Come on, follow me.
The fox took the prince to that area of the Monastery Mountain, where there was a robber's lair.
- Just take the horse. “Don’t touch the saddle,” she warned him.
Having made his way into the camp of the robbers, the golden-haired prince saw a horse. He stood under the saddle. And what a saddle it was! It was worth two such horses.
- Why, in fact, can’t you take the saddle? - thought the prince.
He jumped on his horse, intending to ride away from these places, when robbers attacked him from all sides, pulled him off his horse and took him to their chieftain.
- So, so, lad... So you wanted to steal my saddle too? - asked the chieftain.
And, after thinking a little, he added:
- Well, if you are such a dashing daredevil, then I instruct you to find for me the beautiful Guri-Peri who lives on Mount Aragats. Then I will personally saddle my black horse and give it to you as a reward for your bravery.
When the prince left the bandit camp, he was met by a fox:
- What are you, a Turk, or what? I told you in Armenian: just take the horse. Why didn’t you listen to me? - It’s hard for people to resist temptation. What could I do? - Okay, then. Follow me.
The prince listened carefully to all the instructions that the fox gave him. The road to Mount Aragats was very dangerous and difficult to overcome. The fox advised the young man to climb the mountain very carefully.
- When you meet guri-peri there, don’t greet her. Don't talk to her in general - not a single word should come out of your mouth. Cut off her lock of hair and run away. You will hear shouts of “Stop the thief! Don't let him get away! – don’t pay any attention to it
The prince began to climb the rocks. This was very difficult to do, so he had to take off his shoes and climb up barefoot. When Guri-Peri noticed him, she rose to meet him and exclaimed:
- Oh, golden-haired prince! I looked for you everywhere, but you found me and came to me.
The prince did not answer. He cut off her lock of hair and ran away. Immediately all the stones and trees began shouting after him:
- Stop the thief! Don't let him leave...
At the foot of the mountain the young man was met by a fox.
- Here is a lock of guri-peri. - Give it to me.
The prince gave the lock of hair to the fox and oh, miracle! The fox turned into a beautiful Guri-Peri girl. Yes, I’m a fox, a fox,” the girl assured him. - Now take me to the chieftain. Leave me there, and take your horse and ride away. I'll join you later. The chieftain almost died of joy when he saw the beauty delivered to him from Mount Aragats. He ordered the robbers to saddle the black horse and give it to the young man. The prince jumped on his horse and was gone. The chieftain went to the girl to hug and kiss. She pushed him away:
- Well, what kind of person are you? – she said, freeing herself from his embrace. “As soon as he saw me,” he immediately went for a hug. Aren't there other women here? I want to meet them.
The chieftain called the robbers' wives. It was then that everyone saw that the Guri-Peri girl was the most beautiful among them.
“Take her with you to the garden,” the chieftain said to the women.
In the garden, Guri-Peri approached the wall, climbed over it and ran away. Turning into a fox again, she caught up with the prince.
“Come on, I’ll take you to Bird City.” Now we will do this: you will leave the horse tied in the stable, and you will take me to the bird king,” said the fox, turning into a horse, like two peas in a pod similar to the horse presented by the chieftain of the robbers.
The bird king was simply happy when the young man brought him a horse.
“Give him two birds and let him go wherever he wants,” he said.
The young man took two birds, mounted his horse, which he left in the stable and left the city. And the horse that remained with the bird king kicked his master, jumped over the wall and was gone. Having transformed into herself, the fox caught up with the golden-haired prince, who was waiting for her in the camp, along with his friend, the groom. She took the young man to the place where Bogos, Bedros and their warriors were petrified.
- Oh, golden-haired prince, look at these stones! Do you recognize them? – asked the fox. “Honestly, no.” Actually, I’m puzzled, they look more like human sculptures than just stones. “Look, prince, these are your brothers.” They have become stones, but they see us! And all around are their warriors.
Then a cry was heard, similar to the cry of a wounded partridge, and all the people turned to stone came to life in the place with the horses that were with them. The fox led everyone back to camp.
- Oh, golden-haired prince! If you had not treated me to fried wheat, you would now be the same stone as your brothers were. And now it’s time for us to part, because I have fulfilled your innermost desires,” the fox said and went into the forest.
Three brothers, a groom and eighty horsemen returned safely to the capital. With them were two Birds of Truth and a black horse - a gift from the chieftain of the robbers. The king's heart overflowed with happiness when he saw his sons and his friend, the groom, alive and healthy. A feast was held in honor of their return. A few days after this, Bogos and Bedros said to the king:
- Father, let's convene the State Council.
The king thought that they wanted to say good words about their brother in front of all the nobles and dignitaries and agreed to convene the State Council next week. When everyone had gathered, Bogos and Bedros, standing in front of the king and pressing their hands to their hearts, said:
- May your years last, king. You are no longer so young and it is difficult for you to bear such a burden as caring for the state. Let our brother, our savior, ascend the throne in your place.” “I thought about it myself,” the king answered. “And I am very glad that such harmony and mutual understanding reigns between my sons.”
It was the turn of the golden-haired prince to speak:
“Don’t ask me about this, king.” After all, you are alive, my father, and you are in good health. “And my brothers are older than me,” the young man said excitedly.
And he added:
“And I never wanted to be a king.” “We only see you as a king and we can’t imagine that it could be otherwise,” Bogos and Bedros answered. “Well, I accept the high honor given to me, but my heart is not calm,” said the golden-haired prince. “Let our father continue to reign, and I will only rule on his behalf.” “Excellent, we agree,” the brothers answered.
After some time, the golden-haired prince convened the State Council, invited his father, his brothers, the groom, advisers and nobles, and said to them:
- How do you see me and my brothers eventually settling down, getting married and starting a family life? Father, maybe you have some good brides in mind? “I give you my consent and blessing for marriage,” said the king. “Father, we want twin sisters to become our wives.” Then there will be no basis for envious conversations about who has beautiful wives and who doesn’t. “Well, my children, let it be your way,” said the king. “Tomorrow I and my equerry friend will dress up as dervishes and set off to wander around our kingdom.” God willing, we will find you good brides.
The next day, as promised, the king put on the dervish's rags. The stable boy did the same. And they set off. Whether their journey lasted long or short, they know better. They stopped once on the outskirts of a small town, near a mill. Nearby stood a shepherd's house. Travelers sit and watch how the shepherd let the sheep and goats into the corral, how a beautiful girl with woolen yarn in her hands comes out of the house and then comes back into the house. They had no idea that this was not the same girl, but three different girls - twin sisters. The shepherd entered the house and began to shame his wife and daughters:
- Shame on you! Two hungry dervishes are sitting next to the house, and you haven’t even brought them a crust of bread.
He went out into the courtyard and called to the travelers:
- Come into the house, dervishes. Be my guests.
The shepherd set a nice table for the guests and invited them to a meal.
- Do you see? These three twin girls are his daughters, the king and the equerry whispered.
After spending the night in the shepherd's house, the travelers set off on their way back. Returning to the palace, the king said:
- I found brides for you - three twin sisters. They are beauties, although they are not of noble birth: their father is a shepherd. But, apparently, this is God’s will.
The groom returned to the shepherd's house and gave him the royal gift - a thousand silver coins. The shepherd opened his own business with this money and within three months became a successful merchant. After that, the groom came to him once again:
— The king wants his sons and your daughters to get married. How do you like this proposal?
The merchant, thinking that this must be a joke, smiled.
“I’m not joking,” said the groom. “I came here to arrange a wedding.” “If the king’s children want to take my children as wives, then I will be only happy,” said the merchant.
The groom took out three wedding rings and placed them on the mantelpiece. The girls came out, went to the fireplace, took rings from the shelf and put them on their fingers. It turned out like this: the eldest sister put on the eldest prince’s ring, the middle sister put on the middle prince’s ring, and the youngest sister put on the golden-haired prince’s ring.
“This event should be properly celebrated,” said the merchant.
They had a feast. And the next day the groom left for the palace, telling the merchant that on the first of May he would return here with a wedding procession led by the king to pick up the brides and take them to the grooms. When the time came, the king gathered nobles, musicians, took a squad of a thousand horsemen and got ready to go for the brides. The golden-haired prince’s soul was troubled. He warned his father not to set up camp or stop overnight in the vicinity of the Forbidden Brook, which crossed their path. The king promised to fulfill this order. But on the way back to the capital, after the brides were taken, many wedding participants were drunk from wine and, despite the king’s order, they still settled down for the night near the Forbidden Stream.
Waking up at dawn, the king saw that his entire camp was surrounded by a vishap, a huge dragon. The people drew their swords and sabers and began to wait for the king's order to attack. And the dragon suddenly said in a human voice:
- Calm down, people. You will not frighten me with your swords and sabers. They are useless in a fight with me.
The king bowed his head and said:
- My dear dragon, please let us go in peace. I promise to fulfill any of your requests. “Send me your golden-haired son here,” the dragon answered him.
The king was in mourning. All his men were scared. But the king could no longer take back his word. He ordered everyone who was with him not to tell the golden-haired prince about what had happened yet. Until the wedding itself.
Arriving at the palace, everyone began the wedding ceremony. Bogos came forward and took the elder sister’s hand. Then Bedros came out and took the middle sister by the hand. The golden-haired prince did not come forward, did not take a step towards the bride, and she remained standing unclaimed by the groom.
“I’d rather she be my sister than my widow.” Since I am no longer the king’s son, but a sacrifice that you made to the dragon,” the golden-haired prince said bitterly. “If our brother says so, then let our brides be like sisters to us.” It’s not right for us to have a wedding at a time when we are losing our brother,” Bogos and Bedros said.
A week after this conversation, the prince said goodbye to everyone he knew and said goodbye:
“When I go to the dragon, let people, in memory of me, mourn for forty days and pray for the repose of my soul.”
When the prince went to the stream, all the people cried, and the merchant’s youngest daughter, who never became the prince’s wife, also cried. What about the king? He kept his word to the dragon, since breaking it would expose his country to great misfortune. Having reached the place where the king stopped for the night, the young man swam in the stream and lay down to take a nap on its bank. When he woke up, he saw a dragon standing in front of him.
- Well, well... So you came here after all, golden-haired prince. Well, get ready to fly.
The dragon approached the young man:
- Close your eyes.
The prince closed his eyes. And when he opened them, he saw that the dragon was soaring in the sky, and he was sitting on his back.
- Look down at the ground. Tell me what do you see there? – asked the dragon. “I see mountains.” “They are all covered in snow, it’s as if they were sprinkled with flour,” the prince responded.
The dragon rose even higher into the sky.
- Listen, have a heart, after all. “You will fry me alive in the sun,” the prince shouted. “Tell me what you see now?” - the dragon asked him again. “I can’t distinguish anything below,” the young man answered. “We are now flying over the country of Chin-ma-Chin.” Can You bring me the daughter of King Chin-ma-Chin? - I'll try. - Yes, try. Otherwise I’ll take it and throw you down from this height. Then you won't be able to collect the bones.
The dragon landed on the other side of the sea, in the land of Chin-ma-Chin. With his tail he took the young man off his back and put him on the ground. Well, now, as they say, good luck,” he said to the prince. - May good luck accompany you. The prince went to the capital of the country, Chin-ma-Chin. He felt sad in his soul. Suddenly he looks - what's going on? At the top of the mountain, three Howts fight each other.
“This mortal will prevent us from clarifying our relationship,” the Khovts said to each other when they saw the approaching young man.
The golden-haired prince approached them and said:
- What's going on here? Why are you fighting?
The Khovts replied that they were three brothers and shared an inheritance among themselves: a hat, a key and a tablecloth.
- And you fight over such trifles? – the young man was surprised. “This is not a trifle at all,” the Khovts were offended. – If you put this hat on your head, you will become invisible. You can walk past a hundred thousand people and no one will see you. And with this key you can open and close any door, no matter what locks and bolts there are. N
The golden-haired prince took three stones, threw them into the abyss and said to the Khovts:
- Now you too will go down to the bottom of the gorge. When I give you a sign, come up here as quickly as possible. The one who comes first will receive a hat. The person who comes second gets a tablecloth. Well, the key will go to the one who comes last.
The Khovts rushed to the bottom of the gorge.
- Get up! - the prince shouted to them.
The Khovts began to climb the mountain, and the young man, meanwhile, put a hat on his head and became invisible. The Khovts spread their paws wide, catching and catching the prince, but where there... The prince, who had taken the key and the tablecloth with him, was already far away.
“He deceived us,” the Khovts were offended. “But we have no one to blame for our own stupidity but ourselves.” After all, only those who allow themselves to be deceived can be deceived.
And the young man, meanwhile, went to the capital of the country, Chin-ma-Chin. Only God knows how long he walked until he came to a place where seven devas blocked his way. It was a narrow passage between a high cliff and a wild sea, and it was impossible to bypass the devas. The monsters noticed the young man:
“It’s been a while since we’ve had to feast on human flesh,” growled the devas, impatiently swallowing their saliva.
The prince began to think feverishly: what to do? And he decided to try a self-assembled tablecloth in action. The young man prayed to God and spread the tablecloth. The devas had such a feast that they could not have imagined in their best dreams:
“We haven’t eaten anything like this for seven whole years,” the devas said and asked the young man how they could thank him for the treat. “Just let me go further,” said the prince, folding the tablecloth. “I’m going to the capital, to the king of Chin-ma-Chin.”
The devas not only let the young man through, they gave him a piece of wool as a farewell, saying:
“As soon as you need our help, throw this piece of wool into the fire.”
The prince set off on his journey. Whether he walked for a long time or for a short time, he knows better. Finally, he reached a place where there were a lot of ants. They were already ready to pounce on him and eat him, but the prince was not taken aback. He spread a self-assembled tablecloth in front of them and prayed to God: the ants ate to their heart’s content.
- Thank you, you can move on. Just take this little claw with you when you say goodbye. As soon as you need our help, throw it into the fire,” said the ants.
The young man went further. He walked and walked and finally reached a place where the entire sky was covered with huge flocks of white birds. These birds were about to tear the prince to shreds, but he managed to spread a self-assembled tablecloth and pray to God. The birds were very grateful to the young man for the treat. Saying goodbye to him, they gave him a feather and said:
“As soon as you need our help, throw this feather into the fire.”
The prince set off on his further journey. Whether he walked for a long time or for a short time, he knows better. Finally, he reached the capital of the kingdom of Chin-ma-Chin. In the city, having rested in the shade of plane trees, the young man began to look for housing. He rented a room in the house of an old woman and lived there, doing nothing, for a whole week. And so, one morning, he says to his landlady:
- Mother, go and go to your king, tell him that I want to marry his daughter. - Son, forget about it. The king will never give his daughter for you. If you don’t want to lose your head, then don’t get involved in this matter,” answered the old woman. “Don’t worry about me.” Just do as I ask you. I want to marry the princess.
There is nothing to do. The old woman went to the palace, sat on a bench at the gate and began to wait. The royal adviser came out and asked:
“What do you want here, old lady?” “My son wants to marry the king’s daughter.”
The adviser went to the king and reported:
“The widow of some shepherd came there.” she's marrying her son to your daughter. - Really? Well, let him come in.
The old woman was brought to the king.
“So, so... Tell me what you want,” the king asked her. “My son wants to marry your daughter.” So I came to ask for her hand in marriage for him. “If your son wants to become my son-in-law, then he will have to go through trials.” If he fails to cope with at least one of them, don’t blow his head off. So warn him.
The old woman went home and soon returned to the palace with the young man, who tied a scarf around his head so that his golden hair was not visible.
“Before I give you my daughter, you must pass the tests.” “You must prove that you are worthy of her,” the king announced.
In the evening, the royal guards locked the young man in the room. On seven large copper trays they left there seven lamb carcasses roasted on a spit:
“If you eat all seven carcasses in one night, then the king’s daughter is yours.” “If not, then in the morning we will cut off your head,” the guards said.
How can one man eat seven sheep? The prince realized that this task was impossible and immediately remembered the seven devas. The young man took a tuft of wool from his pocket and burned it. Then, using the magic key he had obtained from the Khovts, he opened the door: seven devas stood on the threshold. The prince invited them into the room, treated them to lamb, and then escorted them back and locked the door behind them. Having finished, the young man went to bed. In the morning the king called the executioner and said:
- Go, cut off the guy's head and bring it here.
The executioner, seeing that the young man was sleeping soundly, and there were no fried lamb carcasses nearby, rushed back to the king and exclaimed:
- Yes, he ate everything! Maybe this young man's luck will soften your heart?
The king jumped up, put on his shoes and rushed to the room in which the young man was locked. He looks and all the food is really gone.
“It’s a pity they didn’t give me bread,” the young man grinned, looking at the king. – Or do you eat bread only on holidays?
The king seemed to swallow his tongue in surprise. He sent the prince home, accompanied by guards. As the young man was being led through the palace, the princess saw him. She liked the handsome prince so much that she immediately fell in love with him. The next day, the king invited the young man to the palace for lunch. After it was finished, the prince was taken to a large room where a whole mountain of grain was scattered: rye, wheat and millet, and they locked him there.
“I want you to divide all the grain by grade, boy,” said the king. “If you don’t succeed, then don’t blow your head off.”
The prince became sad here. And suddenly his gaze became clear - he remembered the ants. He burned a small claw - their gift. And immediately, from everywhere: from under the door, from the ceiling, through the windows, ants began to enter the room.
- What can we do for you, golden-haired prince? - Arrange this pile of grain by variety: rye, wheat and millet separately.
The ants completed the job in two hours. The young man laid out a self-assembled tablecloth and fed the ants heartily. After they ate and left, the prince went to bed. Early in the morning the king, together with the executioner, went to chop off the young man's head. Seeing them, the prince did not want to let them inside, saying:
- I don't trust you. Bring here honest people who fear God's wrath, let them come in first and see my work. Otherwise, people like you don’t have to take anything and mix a handful of grain as soon as you walk in.
The king summoned honest people who feared the wrath of God. They entered the room and saw that the grain was sorted by grade:
“He won, he should get your daughter,” they said.
And again the king invited the prince to his place for dinner. And the next morning he said:
“I want you to bring your white birds so they can fight my black birds.” If my birds win, you will lose your head. If my birds lose, I will give my daughter for you.
The king's black birds flew out to battle and the sun darkened - there were so many of them. The prince was at a dead end. He didn't know what to do. And then, like a lightning strike, a thought flashed: feather! He took out a bird feather given to him by the birds from his pocket and burned it. Cutting through the air with the flapping of powerful wings, countless flocks of white birds appeared. And they came together in battle, white birds and black birds. And black birds fell from the sky and littered the earth with their lifeless bodies. Not a single black bird remained in the sky, all of them were thrown out of there by white birds. This time the young man did not take out the self-assembled tablecloth. He did not want to do this in the presence of the king:
“I’ll treat you later,” the prince promised the white birds. - Now fly to your nests.
Then, approaching the king, the young man said:
- May your years be long, king, don’t you think that I have passed the test?
And the king answered:
- You're right. You won. My daughter is yours.
The wedding feast lasted for seven days and seven nights. The prince and princess became husband and wife. But, having arrived in the bedroom, the prince took out his sword and put it on the bed between himself and his wife.
- What are you doing? - the princess cried. “If you only knew how many glorious young men who asked for my hand lost their heads!” “Forgive me, princess, but for forty days we will live with you as brother and sister.”
Once, when the young man was alone in his chambers, without a scarf on his head, the princess, unexpectedly entering the rooms, saw that they were filled with a golden radiance. She rushed to her father:
- Let's go quickly! Look at your son-in-law...
The king, queen and princess rushed to the prince's chambers. And by this time he had already tied a scarf around his head. The princess approached him and pulled the scarf from the young man’s head. The chambers were again filled with a wonderful golden light emitted by golden curls. Only then did the king realize that this young man was none other than the son of the king to whom he was paying tribute.
“Forgive me, prince, for all the dangers to which I exposed you,” the king began to ask. “What happened, happened.” I have forgiven you, so let me return to my country with your daughter.
The joyful king immediately agreed and released the young people, presenting them with rich gifts and providing them with a huge dowry. On the way home, the newlyweds met flocks of white birds, so many of them that it seemed as if winter had come. The prince laid out a self-assembled tablecloth and fed them. The birds let them pass further. Then they came to the land of ants. The young man also fed them. The satisfied ants allowed him to continue on his way.
Then it was the turn to spread the self-assembled tablecloth in front of the seven devas. Having had their fill, the devas gladly let them pass further. Finally, they came to the place where the dragon was waiting for them. The prince raised his head and began to look for the dragon in the sky. He hoped that his bride would tell the dragon the truth that they had lived together all this time as brother and sister, and not as husband and wife.
- Why are you looking restlessly at the sky? – asked the princess. “Look!” You see - a dragon. “I must hand you over to him,” answered the prince.
The girl turned pale and trembled. As soon as the dragon landed on the ground, he immediately threw off his dragon skin and turned into a young man, very similar in appearance to the wife of the golden-haired prince. As it turned out, it was none other than the princess’s brother. Brother and sister hugged and kissed with tears in their eyes and joy in their hearts. Then they rushed to hug the prince. The girl told her brother about how the golden-haired prince passed all the tests and won her hand.
“My father was very cruel to everyone who wooed my sister. “He built a seven-story house from their skulls,” his wife’s brother began to tell the golden-haired prince. “I could not bear the cruelty of this tyrant. I prayed to God, I asked to turn me into a friend
The princess's brother put on dragon skin and turned into a dragon. He put the young ones on his back and carried them to the other side of the sea.
“Farewell, my friends,” the princess’s brother began to say goodbye. “Wait, wait.” So what, are you going to be a dragon? Now everything has changed. Maybe you can start a new life? – the golden-haired prince asked him. “Actually, I liked one girl,” the princess’s brother answered him. “I saw her on the day when I surrounded your father’s army at the Forbidden Brook.” This is the merchant's youngest daughter. I thought that if she liked me, then I... “That’s great,” the prince rejoiced. - Come with us.
All three of them safely reached the capital of the kingdom. In the city, the first person they met came at them with their fists. He shouted angrily:
- How dare you enter our city with a bride in a snow-white dress, when we are in mourning and everyone wears black clothes? Don't you know that our entire kingdom is mourning the loss of our golden-haired prince?
The prince gave him a gold coin and said:
“Run quickly to the king and tell him that his missing son has returned.”
The king rewarded the messenger and went out with the musicians to the palace to meet his son. The merchant's youngest daughter sadly watched the welcoming ceremony from the window. The golden-haired prince rose to her and said:
- Come with me, beauty. If your destiny is to marry a prince, then do not turn away from it.
They had a great feast. Bogos married the eldest daughter of a merchant. Bedros – on average. The brother of Princess Chin-ma-Chin married the merchant's youngest daughter. Well, the golden-haired prince and princess Chin-ma-China celebrated their wedding within the walls of their home. The feast lasted seven days and seven nights. Anyone who wanted could come to it and congratulate the newlyweds. Their dreams came true, so let yours come true too.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru