There lived in a village a girl named Ok Nan. And she was so pretty that the guys said: “If only I could marry such a beauty, then death wouldn’t be scary.” Everyone loved her, and most of all the three young men. They were beautiful, strong, hard-working, and Ok Nan really liked them. One day they came to the girl and said:
- We all love you, Ok Nan. Each of us dreams of marrying you. Choose the one who is after your heart, and let others be your comrades.
Ok Nan thought: what should I do? Which young man should I choose?
She decided to go to the mountains, where the wise old man lived, and ask him for advice.
Ok Nan put on her best outfit, took the bundle with the gift and hit the road. She climbed the mountains all day, and in the evening she saw a hut on a high peak where an old man lived.
She entered the hut, bowed low to the old man and told him everything.
The wise old man smiled, thought a little and said:
- That's what I advise you, girl. Ask the grooms to bring you gifts. Whose gift is better, marry him.
Ok Nan thanked the old man and ran home. The next day the suitors came to her for an answer, and Ok Nan said:
— Bring me a gift each. Whose gift is better, I will marry him.
The young men mounted fast horses, agreed to meet at a treasured place and set off. One went to China, another to Mongolia, and the third to Seoul. “Let me,” he thinks, “let me try my luck in my homeland.”
How long or short, the first groom found an amazing mirror. Even if you go around the whole earth, you won’t find another like it. You look into it - and the whole earth is in front of you, whatever you want to see - you will see.
The groom goes home and rejoices: “There is nothing in the world better than this mirror. Ok Nan will now become my wife.”
The young man arrived at the cherished place, and there his second groom was waiting, and not alone: a horse stood nearby, fast as the wind. The young man traveled all over Mongolia to find such a horse. If you sit on it, it will instantly rush you wherever you want. On such a horse, Ok Nan will be able to travel around the world.
They began to wait for the third young man. And he keeps walking around Seoul and can’t find a gift. The day that Ok Nan has appointed is approaching, and he still walks and searches.
Suddenly a young man sees: a merchant is selling an apple, so ruddy and beautiful that it just begs to be put into his mouth. “If I buy this apple,” the young man thought, “if my beloved gets sick, then she will taste the apple and she will feel better.”
He bought an apple and ran to where the young men had agreed to meet: there was very little time left. He came running, and his rivals had been waiting for him for a long time. The grooms showed each other gifts and decided to look at the bride: where is she, what is she doing without them.
They looked into the magic mirror and saw: Ok Nan was lying in her room, her eyes were closed, she was pale and breathing heavily. Then the young men jumped onto the magic horse and at that very moment found themselves at Ok Nan’s house. They ran into the room, and there were a lot of people gathered there, everyone felt sorry for the girl, but they didn’t know how to help her.
Then the third groom took out the apple that he had bought in Seoul, and served it to Ok Nan. Ok Nan took a bite, and at the same moment her cheeks turned pink and her eyes opened. She sighed deeply and got out of bed.
The grooms began to show their gifts. The beauty looked at the horse, looked in the mirror, thought and said:
“All three of you saved me.” And I liked your gifts. I don’t even know: which one of you should I marry? Decide for yourself.
The young men thought: which of them saved Ok Nan? The apple cured her, but if not for the mirror, how would they know that their loved one was sick? And without the magic horse they would not have been able to come to Ok Nan so quickly.
They argued, argued, thought, thought, but came up with nothing. Then the girl approached the one who brought her the apple, took him by the hand and said:
- This young man will be my husband. You still have the horse and the mirror - after all, they can be useful to everyone - but I already ate the apple. So, I accepted his gift.
Ok Nan and the young man got married and lived their whole lives in peace and happiness.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru