Once upon a time there lived three daredevils. Somehow a rumor reached them that three beautiful girls lived in an old well, and the daredevils wanted to take them as wives. So they decided: the bigger one would marry the older girl, the middle one - the middle one, and the smaller one - the younger one.
So they got to the well, the eldest daredevil tied himself with a rope and went down into the well. He first rescued the smaller girl, then the middle one, and was about to take on the older one, but she said:
“Get up first yourself, daredevil, and I’ll follow you!” Otherwise, your brothers will see that I am more beautiful than everyone else, they will want me as a wife, and they will abandon you here.
The daredevil did not listen, did not want to be the first to climb, and then the girl said:
“I know that you should stay in the well.” Take these two hazelnuts: in one there is a heavenly dress, with stars at the hem, in the other there is an earthly dress, with flowers at the hem. And the dresses are sewn without a needle or thread. Two sheep will run past - one black and one white. If you manage to jump on the white one, it will take you to the Upper World, the world of people; If you jump on the black one, you will find yourself in the Lower World, the underground, the world of shadows.
Having said this, the girl rose from the well. The daredevils saw her - they were blinded by her beauty, and everyone decided to take her as a wife, and not to throw the rope into the well for her brother. Here is a girl sitting in a palace, and an average daredevil comes to her:
- Do you want silver, do you want gold, will you marry me? “No,” he answers, “I don’t need either silver or gold, I won’t marry you!”
Another comes and asks:
- Do you want crystal, girl, do you want pearls, will you become my bride? “No,” he answers, “I don’t need either crystal or pearls, but I want two outfits - two dresses, sewn without a needle or thread.” One heavenly dress has a star at the hem, the other earthly dress has flowers at the hem. Whoever gets them, I’ll marry him!
Meanwhile, the older daredevil waited and waited for the brothers to throw him a rope, but it never came. He then hid the nuts in his bosom and began to look around. Look, two sheep are running. Here is a white sheep running past, a daredevil rushed at it, missed. Then he rushed to catch the black one, contrived and grabbed it. A black sheep carried him to the Lower World, to a lonely tree.
A daredevil sees a nest in a tree, and in the nest the chicks squeak: a snake is approaching them and is about to swallow them! And those were the times when animals still spoke with human voices. And the chicks said:
- Good man, save us from the snake, it wants to swallow us!
The daredevil didn’t force himself to ask twice; he instantly killed the snake and threw it onto the top of a tree. Suddenly everything around began to tremble - the mother of the chicks, a monstrous bird, was flying, covering the sun with her wings. She saw a man next to the nest, it seemed to her that he was going to destroy her chicks, the bird became furious and rushed with a squeal at the daredevil. Here the chicks squealed and screamed:
“Don’t destroy a man, mother, he is our savior!” A huge snake crawled up and wanted to swallow us, but he killed it and threw it onto the top of a tree!
Then the bird says:
- Thank you, daredevil! Every year I hatch eggs, but a snake crawls in and kills the chicks. How can I repay you for your kindness?
- If you can, take me to the Upper World! -Have it your way! But just get forty sheep and forty wineskins of water: they will come in handy when we fly.
The daredevil got everything he needed. The bird opened its wings, he put the sheep on its wings, put waterskins with water, sat down himself, and the bird took off.
The bird will say “Kra!” — the daredevil gives her meat. He will say “Kru!” - water. Now the Upper World has appeared. The bird said “Kra!”, but the meat ran out! What should the poor guy do? He cut off a piece from his leg and threw it to the bird. A bird sat down at the city gate, spat human flesh out of its mouth, and it immediately grew back to its original place. The bird thanked the daredevil once again, then rose into the air and instantly disappeared. And the daredevil went to the city.
He meets a merchant on the road. The guy asks him:
- Take me, master, as your assistant!
And the merchant was just looking for an assistant and took him with joy.
The day passes, the week passes, one day the young man sees that the merchant is sad, and asks:
- What’s wrong with you, master, why are you so confused? - What should I tell you, guy? They ordered me two outfits, two dresses, sewn without a needle, without a thread. One dress is heavenly, with stars at the hem, the other is earthly, with flowers at the hem. Where can I find these?! - Is this sadness? There will be tears shed! Bring me a glass of wine and a bag of sweets, you’ll get your dresses by morning!
The merchant did not believe his assistant, but brought everything that was required. The daredevil locked himself in the closet, ate candy, drank wine and cracked the first nut: a heavenly dress appeared, along the hem of a star - it shone in the closet. He cracked the second nut: an earthly dress appeared, with flowers along the hem - all over the closet.
A merchant came in the morning, saw the dresses, sewn without a needle, without a thread, and was embarrassed. He ran to the palace and began to show off his outfits to the girl. The girl saw those dresses and instantly realized that the daredevil had gotten out of the well. But she still agreed to become the wife of an average daredevil.
The guests arrived, the wedding and fun, music and dancing began. The merchant and his assistant also came. The guests sat down at the tables, drinking, eating, and being treated. The bride and groom are walking to the table. The girl saw the merchant’s assistant and instantly recognized him as the older daredevil!
And in the midst of the feast and wedding feast the merchant said:
“Here, I’ll take a grape shoot, put it on the table, and if it drives out the leaves, produces an ovary and the grapes ripen in an instant, so that the whole wedding party can eat and be full, we’ll give the bride to another groom!”
The wedding laughed: where has it been seen that a grape shoot immediately drives out the foliage, produces ovaries and ripe grapes for everyone to eat. Well, they then agreed to give the bride to another groom.
So the merchant takes a grape shoot and places it in the middle of the table. And suddenly leaves began to grow, an ovary appeared, and lo and behold, ripe grapes hung in golden clusters. Everyone ate and marveled at such a miracle, and then the merchant said:
— The daredevil who sits next to me will take the girl as his wife.
And they were immediately married. There was a wedding and I had a feast there. He danced in a red fez.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru