They say that one woodcutter’s wife died, leaving him with seven children. The woodcutter went to the forest every day and worked from morning to night, but lived in great poverty. After all, the forest, no matter how large it was, thinned out over time, and there were more and more loggers.
One day he was returning from the forest and leading a donkey loaded with firewood. He didn't manage to chop much wood that day. Suddenly he hears some voices that seem to be coming from underground. He was surprised and went towards these voices to see who was talking. And I came across an abandoned well. I looked into it and at the very bottom I saw a man, a snake, a mouse and a lion.
- Save me, oh brother! — the man begged. “Have mercy on me and get me out of here, otherwise I’ll disappear.” After all, I am your brother - a man. And I wish you only the best. Don't let me die.
Before the woodcutter had time to say a word, the snake said:
- Don’t even try to save a person! His poison stings more than mine. Save me, and only me! I'll be useful to you. If you are in danger of death, I will save you.
“But how is it,” the woodcutter answers, “how can I leave my brother in trouble and save you, the snake?” And what good are you?
“What is true is true, this man is the son of people, just like you,” answered the snake. “But know that if you save him, he will someday harm you.” Pull me out and I'll give you some of my scales as a token of gratitude. When you are in danger or death shows its claws, burn these scales, and I will instantly respond to your call and help you out.
The woodcutter laughed:
- Maybe all this is true, but why think too far. Who can know whether you will betray me or not? You know what I'm afraid of: I'll pull you out, and instead of thanking you, you'll sting me.
The snake swore and swore that it would never deceive the savior.
- How can I betray the one who saved me? - she urged. “People can do this, but we, snakes, never!”
- Don't leave me! - the man shouted again. “After all, man is like brother to man; helping each other is our duty.”
Here the lion intervened:
- Oh woodcutter! Beware of man. He will surely harm you if you save him. And don't even think about pulling it out. Better get me out, I'll be useful to you. After all, I am the king of the forest, no one can compare with me in strength. I never betray those who help me. I swear, not only will I not harm you, but I will repay you with good.
- How will you do this?
- I'll give you a few hairs from my mane. As soon as you are threatened with death or any danger, burn them, I will immediately appear and save you from trouble. But I warn you: don't trust the man.
- How can you listen to him! - the man cried. “He’s still lying.” O my brother, I pray you, save me. Then the voice of a mouse was heard:
- Be careful and don’t think about saving the person! It does you no good, only harm. Save me, and I will be useful to you.
- How can you, little mouse, help me? - The woodcutter laughed.
- I'll give you a piece of my fluff. If you suffer and suffer because of poverty, burn it. I will immediately appear to you and fill your house with money. You people love money, and it will certainly help you. Isn't that right? Save me and I will be useful to you.
“So be it, I’ll get you all out,” the woodcutter decided.
He threw a rope into a deep well and pulled out the man first. Then the lord of the forest, then the snake and finally the mouse. All those rescued thanked the woodcutter and left, giving him their gifts: the lion - hairs from the mane, the snake - a few scales, the mouse - a piece of fluff. Their savior also went on his way.
One day, after some time, a woodcutter went to collect firewood. He went deeper into the forest, chopped wood, loaded the donkey with it and hurried home. But it so happened that he got lost. The sun has already begun to set, but the woodcutter cannot find the way to his hut. And suddenly he heard a growl and looked: three lions surrounded him, about to attack. The woodcutter was frightened, trembling all over with fear, and did not know what to do. And then he remembered about the hairs from the mane of the rescued lion, took them out of the bag and set them on fire. Before they had time to burn to the ground, a menacing roar from the ruler of the forest was heard, and all three lions froze in place. A lion, whom the woodcutter had saved, appeared, roared something in his lion tongue, and the three lions, shaking their heads, silently left. Soon the rescued lion disappeared into the thicket of the forest, but a few moments later he returned and threw a gazelle at the woodcutter’s feet. The woodcutter lit a fire, roasted a gazelle and ate a hearty meal. The lion settled down nearby. Then the woodcutter went to bed and slept until the morning under the protection of the lion, and the next morning the lion led him to the road leading to the house.
Time passed. The woodcutter earned less and less, and could not even feed his children. The woodcutter's strength was exhausted from overwork and worries, and he fell seriously ill. Hunger and need reigned at home. Then the woodcutter remembered the fluff that the mouse gave him. The woodcutter burned the fluff, and at the same moment a mouse appeared in front of him. He complained to her about his failures and poverty. The mouse listened to him and made some strange sound. The woodcutter sees: his entire yard is instantly filled with a host of mice.
“My brothers,” the mouse addressed them. “This woodcutter saved me from inevitable death.” Shouldn't we thank him?
- We are ready to reward him a hundredfold! - the mice made noise. Then the mouse, which the woodcutter had saved, proposed to dig a long hole between the woodcutter’s house and the treasury in the king’s palace. Without hesitating for a minute, everyone got to work. The mouse asked the woodcutter to bring some honey. When the hole was ready, the mouse began to smear the backs of its comrades with honey. As soon as the mice entered the treasury, bags of money stuck to their backs, and they returned with the precious cargo to the woodcutter's house. They worked like this for several hours. During this time, the mice dragged many bags of coins into the woodcutter's house. The woodcutter thanked the mice and they left.
The next morning, the keeper of the treasury discovered the loss and reported to the king.
“How did the thieves dare to break into my palace?!” - the king shouted angrily.
And he ordered to find the thieves, and to generously reward the one who reveals the secret and indicates where the thieves are hiding. The king's messengers dispersed to all corners of the country.
The woodcutter was careful not to appear at the market with gold coins. “After all, everyone knows that I am a poor man,” he thought, “they will also start asking where I got such coins, what should I answer then?” The woodcutter was very happy when he accidentally met the man whom he had once pulled out of the well. He told him about everything that happened in the palace and asked him not to tell anyone about it. Then he gave him several bags of coins so that he could buy for himself everything he wanted from food and things, and at the same time for him, the woodcutter. But, having heard about the generous reward promised by the king for the capture of the thief, this man hurried to the palace and denounced his savior.
They brought the woodcutter to the palace. He appeared before the king, bowed low and kissed the ground at his feet.
“How dare you, despicable one, steal my treasury?” - the king shouted angrily.
- I swear by Allah, O lord! I have never stolen a crumb in my life. I am an honest person and I work from morning to night to feed myself and my children.
- You're lying! — the king gets even more angry. “This man reported on you.”
And the king pointed to the man whom the woodcutter had once saved.
“You gave him several bags of gold coins.” Do you know, you scoundrel, that they were stolen from me!
“Cut off my head, lord, if I lied to you even a word.” Or prove that I stole at least a little from your palace.
- Well, then tell me, how did you end up with these bags of gold?
- So listen, oh lord! I once saved a mouse from death, and it gave me a piece of its fluff so that I could burn it when I felt bad. When I became completely poor and I had nothing to eat and nothing to feed my children, I burned this fluff...
And the woodcutter told the king in detail the whole story with the mice. The king marveled at what he heard and ordered to check whether the woodcutter was telling the truth. They brought a heap of fresh grass to the treasury and set it on fire. The room was immediately filled with smoke, it penetrated into all the cracks, including the secret hole dug by the mice. Soon a stream of smoke appeared in the woodcutter's house. So the king became convinced that the woodcutter was telling the truth. He rose from his throne and said:
“Whatever it is, I don’t like the fact that the treasury was robbed in my palace.” If the woodcutter had lied, I would have ordered his execution. And since he told the whole truth and we know how it all happened, put him in prison for three years.
In prison, the woodcutter was constantly tormented by the thought of the children: what was wrong with them, were they starving? Three days have passed. The woodcutter almost lost his mind from heavy thoughts and suffering. But then he remembered the snake, because she promised to help him in case of danger or trouble. “Such a misfortune has come, you can’t imagine anything worse: the children are starving, and there is no help for them from anyone.” The woodcutter pulled out the scales and burned them. Before they had time to burn out, a snake appeared.
“Didn’t I warn you against man, didn’t I say that his poison is more destructive than mine and that he will bring you harm?” But I didn’t come to reproach you, but to help.
- How can you help me?! - the woodcutter exclaimed in despair.
“The king has a daughter who is dearer to him than his own eyes.” I will wrap myself around her stomach, chest and neck and will kill everyone who dares to approach me. I just won't touch you. And you tell your guard that you know how to talk to snakes and can save the princess from certain death. When they bring you to the king, you will tell him that this is not a simple snake, but a queen of snakes, and that she will not let the girl go until she kills the man who did not keep the secret and forgot about gratitude. Demand that the informer be executed. You will see, they will certainly bring him and cut off his head. As soon as the execution is completed, I will immediately release the girl, and you will be given so much money that it will last you a lifetime.
The woodcutter thanked the snake.
At night, when everyone was sleeping, the snake entered the princess's bedroom, crawled onto her bed and wrapped itself around her body. The slave saw this and was horrified, rushed to the king, woke him up and told him what had happened. The king, queen, servants and maidservants, male and female slaves, and guards ran into the room. One of the guards took a step towards the bed. The snake seemed to reluctantly spit at him, and he immediately fell dead. No one even moved or moved; everyone stood in horror and was afraid to approach the snake.
The palace was plunged into sadness and despondency. And the king announced throughout the country that he would give the one who saved the princess everything he wanted.
From all over came people who claimed to have power over snakes. Before the first one had time to approach, the snake spat and he fell dead. The others backed away in fear and left the princess's bedroom.
Meanwhile, the woodcutter called the guard and said:
_Go to the king and tell him that I can save his daughter.
The guard hastened to fulfill the prisoner's request. The king was delighted and ordered the woodcutter to be brought immediately.
“Can you really save our daughter?” - asked the king when the woodcutter appeared before him and kissed the ground at his feet. - If you save me, I will return your freedom and give you everything you want.
The woodcutter asked to be taken to the princess's bedroom. They brought him, but they let him into the bedroom alone, no one came with him, and the king and queen, the entire retinue and guards remained standing at the door. The woodcutter boldly approached the snake, put his hand on it, held it for a while, and then turned to the king and said:
“This is not a simple snake, but a queen of snakes, she demands that they kill the vile traitor who did not keep the secret entrusted to him and forgot about gratitude.” This traitor, O lord, is the same man who reported me to you.
The king, who saw with his own eyes how the snake killed everyone who approached it, was amazed beyond measure when the woodcutter fearlessly approached it. He no longer doubted the veracity of the prisoner’s words and immediately ordered the informer to be brought in and executed. As soon as the traitor's head rolled off his shoulders, the snake let go of the princess and left the room.
The king gave freedom to the woodcutter and rewarded him so generously that he, his children, and then his children’s children lived their whole lives in wealth and prosperity.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru