There lived a grandfather and a woman. They had a son. The grandfather went to the priest to baptize his son and give him a name, but he didn’t want to talk; Grandfather has no money, so what kind of conversation can there be?
So the grandfather’s son remained without a name.
The boy grew up and began to go outside. He walks with the children, but they don’t know what to call him. And then they themselves came up with a name for him: Nameless. Everyone has names like names, but his grandfather’s son is Nameless!
One day he comes from the street and asks his mother:
- Why is it, mom, that everyone has names, but I don’t?
His mother told him why he was left without a name.
“If so,” says the son, “then I can’t live in my village: I’ll go around the world to seek happiness.” Mother in tears:
- Oh, son, my little falcon, who will you leave us old people for?
“As soon as I find my happiness, I will return to you,” says the son.
The father and mother collected what they had for their son on the road, and little by little he went on his way.
He walked and walked and came to a large, dense forest. He walked through the forest all day, and in the evening he saw a hut standing. I went into a hut, and three gray-haired grandfathers lived there. The boy bowed to his grandfathers:
- Allow me, good people, to spend the night with you. The grandfathers looked at him and asked:
- Where are you from, boy, and what trouble brought you here?
He told them about himself. The grandfathers listened, shook their heads and said:
- If so, live with us. And your name will be Trem-son, which means you will be a son to all three of us.
The boy agreed and began to live with his grandfathers. His grandfathers fed him, gave him water, and taught him all sorts of sciences.
He lived like this for ten years. He grew up quite big, he wanted to go around the world - after all, living in the forest for a long time is not interesting. So he says to the grandfathers:
- My named fathers, let me walk around the world.
“Okay,” the grandfathers agreed, “go.” They gave him a dun horse and said:
“You will travel through this forest for three days, and on the fourth you will come to a large mountain.” The Firebird lives on that mountain. If you speed up on a horse once, you won’t catch it. The second time you accelerate, you won’t catch it either. And the third time you jump, you grab her by the tail and tear out her feather. Put it in your pocket, let the horse go into the reserved meadows, on the green grass-ants, and go to the capital city to the king. That king has scabs all over his horses, and no healer can remove this scab. And you undertake to cure the royal horses: twice - at sunset and before sunrise - brush them with a firebird feather, and they will become so beautiful to look at. And if some misfortune happens to you, go out into an open field and call your dun horse: he will instantly come running to you and serve you faithfully.
Three-son thanked his grandfathers and rode on a dun horse to travel around the world. He traveled for three days, and on the fourth he arrived at a high, steep mountain. She looks and the Firebird flies above her. Everything shines and burns like the sun. It even blinds the eyes. Three-son accelerated once, but didn’t catch it. The second time I accelerated, I didn’t catch it. The third time he accelerated - he tore out a feather from his tail. He let the dun horse go into the reserved meadows, onto the green grass-ants, and he himself put the firebird feather in his pocket and went to the king.
They reported to the king that, they say, a man had been found who would undertake to cure the king’s horses.
The king calls him to himself.
“Are you telling the truth, Trem-son, or are you deceiving?” - asks the king.
“The truth,” answers Trem-son.
- So go to the stables. If you cure me, I’ll reward you, but if you don’t cure me, don’t expect affection from me.
Three-son went to the stables. And there are countless horses there. And everyone is so tired that it’s sickening to look at them.
The Three-Son waited for the evening, escorted the royal grooms out of the stable, and got to work. I cleaned one horse with a firebird feather, cleaned another, and cleaned the third - half of the horses were cleaned. And in the morning, before sunrise, I cleaned them again.
The grooms come the next morning and see that half of the horses are truly a sight to behold! Where did this scab go!
The grooms ran to the king and reported:
- Your Royal Majesty, now you won’t even recognize your horses!
The king could not sit on the throne; he went to look at the horses himself. And it’s true: cured horses really shine! He calls his Three-Son to him:
- How can I reward you for this? Trem-son answers:
“I don’t need anything, just leave me as a groom, king.” I will cure all your horses. The king did not contradict:
- Okay. You will not only be my groom, but also the senior groom over all the grooms.
And then the grooms were overcome by envy: they had been serving in the stables for twenty or thirty years, and this guy had just appeared and was already the eldest over them. They began to consult among themselves: what could they come up with to drive the new elder out of the world? And they decided to spy on how he treated the horses. Three-son escorted them out of the stable before sunset, and they remained at the gate, peeking through the cracks.
Three-son took a pen out of his pocket, and suddenly the whole stable lit up as if on fire...
The grooms waited until morning and ran to the king.
“So, they say, and so, your royal majesty,” they report. “Threm-son doesn’t heal the horses with his own strength: he took some kind of feather out of his pocket, so we thought that the whole stable would catch fire.”
The king calls the Three-son:
- How do you treat my horses? There is no need for the Three Son to hide, he says;
“I have a feather from the Firebird, and I use it to fly.”
“Well,” says the king, “whatever you treated, so heal, as long as it cures you.” Just be careful not to burn down my stable.
Once again the grooms began to think about how they could get the Three Sons out of the world.
“Come on,” says one, “let’s go and tell the king this: our new chief drunkenly boasted that he could get the Firebird for you.”
So they did.
“Wow!” the king thinks. “No one has such a bird: all kings and kings will envy me!” So he calls Three-Son to him.
- Is it true that you can get the Firebird for me?
Three-son shrugged his shoulders:
- No, I can’t.
—— How is it that you can’t! - the king got angry. “Yesterday you drunkenly boasted that you would get her!” Look, if you don’t get it, my sword is your head off your shoulders!
Three-son, saddened, went into the open field and called his dun horse:
- My good horse, my dear horse! Wherever you are, come to me.
And instantly his dun horse comes running to him:
- Why did you call me, master?
“I’m in trouble,” answers Trem-son. - Advise what to do. The king set such a problem that I don’t know how to solve it: you see, he wants me to get him the Firebird.
The horse says:
- Don’t worry, master: this trouble is not great. Tell the king to give you three cups of sweet and drunken drinks and the tablecloth with which the table was covered when the king got married. And let them harness the best horses to the carriage. When all this is done, sit down and go to that mountain. There is a big oak tree growing there. The Firebird spends the night on that oak tree. When you arrive, spread out a royal tablecloth under the oak tree and place sweet and drunken drinks on it. And hide yourself and lie down. As soon as the Firebird wakes up, it immediately flies to the ground. She will see the drinks and start drinking them. He gets drunk and turns upside down. And don’t hesitate: wrap her in a tablecloth and drag her straight into the carriage. And get out of there quickly. The Firebird will turn into a snake, then a frog, then a lizard, but you never let go of her.
The dun horse told him how and what to do, and he rushed off into the reserved meadows, onto the green grass-ants.
The Three Son came to the king and said that he needed to go on the road. And the king has plenty of drinks. He mixed three cups of sweet wine with the drunk, gave him a tablecloth, harnessed the best horses to the carriage, and so Trem-son rode off. He arrived at the oak tree in the evening, spread out a tablecloth, placed three goblets of wine on it, and hid behind a bush.
As the dun horse said, that’s how it all happened.
Trem-son wrapped the drunken Firebird in a tablecloth, got into the carriage and rushed off at full speed.
The Firebird sobered up along the way, turned into a snake, then a frog, then a lizard, but nothing: it went wild and became the Firebird again.
Three-son brought her to the royal palace. He unrolled the tablecloth and the whole palace shone like the sun.
“Well,” says the king, rubbing his hands, “you have pleased me, Trem-son!” How can I reward you for this?
“I don’t need anything, king,” answers Trem-son. - Send me back to the stables.
- Okay, go to the stables.
The grooms began to think about how they could bring the Three Sons away from the world. They thought and thought, but they couldn’t come up with anything. And then suddenly one incident helped. An eclipse occurred in that kingdom. The Sun did not shine for three whole days, and no one - neither the king himself nor his sages - could figure out why the Sun did not shine for three days. The grooms came to the king and said:
“Your Tsar's Majesty, yesterday the son of Three drunkenly boasted to us: so, he says, both the king and all his wise men could not figure out why there was an eclipse, but I can.”
The king calls the Three-Son to him:
“What did you say to the grooms when you were drunk yesterday?”
“I didn’t say anything,” answers Trem-son, “and I wasn’t drunk.” They, the unscrupulous ones, made this up!
The king got angry:
“After all, you said that you could find out why the Sun did not shine for three days in my kingdom!”
- How can you find out about this? Am I friends with the Sun, or what?
- Yes, you are laughing at me! - the king shouted. - Look, if you don’t recognize it, then my sword is your head off your shoulders!
Three-son went into the open field, sad. He whistled and shouted to his dun:
- My good horse, my dear horse! Wherever you are, come to me!
And instantly the horse runs, hitting the ground with its hooves.
- What, is there trouble again? - asks.
- Trouble, my horse, oh, trouble!.. The horse listened to him and said:
- Don’t worry, master, it’s not a problem yet. Tell the king - let him twist you a ball of three threads: a gold thread, a silver thread and a silk thread. Take that ball and throw it in front of you: wherever it rolls, go there too. And that ball will roll straight to the mother of the Sun. There you will find out why the eclipse lasted for three days.
The king, without thinking for a long time, twisted a ball into three threads, as Trem-son told him.
The Three Son came out of the royal capital and threw a ball in front of him. The ball reached the forest. Three-son sees an otter and a raven fighting by the road. And they fight so hard that they are covered in blood. The raven pecks the otter with its beak, and the otter gnaws the crow with its teeth. They saw Trem-son.
- Where are you, Trem-son, going, where are you going? - they ask.
— I’m going to the mother of the Sun.
- For what?
— Find out why there was an eclipse in our kingdom for three days.
- Remember, Trem-son, it’s about us: how long should we fight? We fight until we die and we don’t even know why.
- Okay, I'll remember.
The ball rolled further. Rolled towards the sea. There is a whale-fish lying on the sea, and people are driving along it: even the ruts have been knocked out from driving.
- Hello, whale fish! - Trem-son greeted.
- Hello, Trem-son! Where are you going, where are you going?
— I’m going to the mother of the Sun.
- For what?
- Find out why there was an eclipse in our kingdom for three days.
- Please remember there, Trem-son, about me: how long should I lie here in one place? I can't even turn to the other side.
- Okay, I'll remember.
The ball rolled further and ended up in a dense oak forest. And there, in the oak grove, the hut stands, all charred and scorched...
The ball rolls straight into the hut, and Trem-son follows after it. He was met on the threshold by an old, gray-haired granny, the mother of the Sun.
“Three-son,” granny asks him, “did you come here of your own free will or involuntarily?”
Three-son bowed to the old granny:
- Involuntarily, mother. My king told me to find out why there was an eclipse in our kingdom for three days. But I don’t recognize it - the royal sword, and my head is off my shoulders...
The granny talked to the boy, and he told her who he had met on the road: he told her about an otter and a raven, about a whale.
“Okay,” says grandma, “I’ll help you.” When my son returns, I will ask him about everything, and you take note.
Granny took a cowhide, wrapped Three-Son in it and put him in a large chest, and she made a bed for herself and her son on the chest.
It's starting to get dark. And suddenly the Sun itself rolled into the hut.
- Good evening, mother! - the son greeted.
- Good evening, son. Where do you go, where do you keep wandering? I miss you alone.
- Oh, mother, don’t ask! I have a big concern.
His mother gave him a pot of potatoes and a bowl of sour milk for dinner. The son ate his fill and went to sleep on the chest.
The mother lay there for a while, then she seized up, as if she was waking up.
Son asks:
- Why are you afraid, mother?
- Oh, son, I dreamed that there was an eclipse of light in a certain kingdom. Why is this so?
“Yes,” says the son, “it’s true.” And the reason for this is this. Nastasya the Beauty lives in the Okiyan Sea. I wanted to burn the Okiyan-Sea and take her as my wife. I burned it for three days, but didn’t burn it. That's the problem I have!
The mother again lay there for a while and grabbed again.
Son asks:
- Why are you afraid, mother?
- Oh, son, I had a dream that there was a whale-fish lying on the sea. And people drive along it in carts; they even knocked out the ruts on the sides. And he, poor fellow, lies there and cannot move. It's hard for him. Why is this so, son?
“That’s because,” the son answers, “he swallowed ships with people.” He will spit them out - then he will be able to turn on the other side.
The mother lay there for a while and grabbed again.
- Mother, why are you so scared these days?
- Oh, son, I saw in a dream: an otter and a raven are fighting, and blood is flowing. Why would this be?
“Because,” the son answers, “the otter took the raven as her godfather, and he carried the child to baptize and lost him.” Then she began to beat him, and then they forgot what they were fighting about. And the otter's child lives on the lake near three willows. Let the raven find it there and give it to her, then they will stop fighting.
They talked and fell asleep.
In the morning, when the Sun left the house, Trem-son got up, thanked the kind granny and went home. On the way he went to a whale-fish and an otter with a raven, and told them what he had heard from the Sun. The whale-fish spat out all the ships with people and immediately easily turned over on the other side. The raven found the otter's child that he had lost, and they stopped fighting.
Three-son came to the king.
- Well, Trem-son, did you find out why the Sun didn’t shine for three days?
“I found out,” answers Trem-son. - Nastasya the Beauty lives in the Okiyan-Sea, and the Sun wanted to burn the Okiyan-Sea and take her as his wife. It burned for three days, but it didn’t burn. That is why it did not shine at that time.
The king was delighted that he had finally learned about the cause of the eclipse of light, and said:
- How can I reward you for this, Trem-son?
“I don’t need anything, Tsar, I just want to remain in my service.”
- Okay, stay.
Three-son went to the stable and let’s scold the grooms there for their slander against him. And the grooms are shaking with anger. They gathered and again began to think about how they could get rid of the Three-son. One says:
- Let's go, brothers, to the Tsar and tell him that the Three Son boasted that he could get Nastasya the Beauty from the bottom of the Ocean Sea...
They went to the king, and so they told him.
The king calls the Three-Son to him:
- What, Trem-son, were you talking drunk yesterday?
“I didn’t say anything,” answers Trem-son. “And I wasn’t drunk.”
- You're lying! You told the grooms that you could get Nastasya the Beauty from the bottom of the Ocean Sea and bring it to me.
Three-son began to argue:
- How is this possible? And the Sun itself could not burn it out from there, but what will I do?
- You will! - the king shouted. - Look: you won’t get it, my sword is your head off your shoulders!
Three-son went, tear-stained, from the palace straight into the open field. He shouted and whistled for his good horse. The horse runs, digs the ground with its hooves:
- Why, master, are you bothering me?
- Trouble, my strong point! The damned king ordered Nastasya the Beauty to become him from the bottom of the Ocean Sea. Please advise how to do this?
“It’s not a problem,” the horse answers. - Tell the king to sew a silk tent and collect tempting goods: flowery scarves, ribbons and ribbons...
Take all this and go to the Ocean Sea. When you arrive, pitch a tent and place tempting goods in it. Nastasya the Beauty will take a boat ride on the sea. The first time he drives by he won’t say anything, but when he comes back he’ll ask you:
“Mr. merchant, what goods do you trade?” And you tell her: “If you like, Nastasya-Beauty, swim to the shore, I’ll show you all my goods.” She will swim up, and you grab her by the braids, put her in a carriage and take her to the royal palace. “And now goodbye, Trem-son,” says the horse. - If you need anything else, call me.
As the good horse said, that’s how it all happened. Three-son brought Nastasya the Beauty to the royal palace. The king liked her.
“Well, Trem-son,” says the king, “now ask me for whatever reward you want.”
“I don’t need anything, king; I’ll go back to the stables to serve.
And he went.
The Tsar fell in love with Nastasya the Beauty. His old wife died, and now he wanted to marry the young one. Nastasya tells him:
“If I had known that I would have to marry the Tsar himself, I would have taken all my beauty from the Okiyan-Sea, otherwise I don’t have half of it with me.”
The king became agitated and called on the Three-Son:
- Get all the beauty of Nastasya the Beauty from the bottom of the ocean-sea!
Three-son frowned:
- And what did you think, king? Is it possible to get beauty?
The king stamped his feet and tapped his staff on the floor:
- Be silent! Do what you're told! But no, my sword is your head off your shoulders!
Three-son went out of the city, into an open field. He shouted and whistled his dun horse there:
- My good horse, my dear horse! Wherever you are, come to me!
His dun horse comes running to him:
- Why did you call me, master?
“The king doesn’t give me peace again,” says Trem-son. “He wants me to get Nastasya the Beauty’s beauty.” Where can I get it?
The dun horse answers:
- Go to the Okiyan Sea, there you will see a whale fish. Tell him to throw the golden casket from the bottom of the sea. In that casket there is a duck, in the duck there is a golden egg. This is her beauty.
- Fuck her! - Trem-son frowned and headed towards the Okiyan-sea.
He walked for a long time or briefly, and finally came to the whale-fish. He now lies on the other side and knows no trouble.
- Hello, whale fish! - Trem-son bowed.
“Hello, Trem-son,” the whale-fish answers. - Where are you wandering, what are you looking for?
“Well,” says Trem-son, “I came to you for help.” Throw me the golden casket of Nastasya the Beauty from the bottom of the ocean sea.
- It's possible. Just stand, brother, seven miles from the shore: if I dive to the bottom, I’ll make a big surf.
Trem-son moved seven miles from the shore. The whale dived to the bottom and immediately flooded the entire shore.
The whale wandered along the bottom for a long time, finally brought out a golden casket and gave it to the Three Son.
Three-son of the whale thanked him for the service, opened the casket, and the duck - furr! - and flew to the sea...
Trem-son almost cried out of frustration. “If only that raven were here now, he would help me in trouble!” - thought Trem-son.
And as soon as he thought this, he saw a raven flying. A raven chased a duck, caught it over the sea and tore it into pieces. A golden egg fell out of the duck and fell to the very bottom of the sea.
Trem-son became sad again. “Here,” he thinks, “if that otter were here, it would help me in trouble!”
And just as he thought so, suddenly an otter stood in front of him.
- What do you want, Trem-son, from me?
- Do me a favor and get a golden egg from the bottom of the Ocean Sea.
The otter rushed to the bottom of the Okiyan Sea. Trem-son waited for her for three days.
On the fourth, an otter swam out and gave him a golden egg directly into his hands.
The Three Son took the golden egg, thanked the kind otter and returned back.
Nastasya the Beauty broke a golden egg and what a beauty she was, but then she immediately became twice as beautiful!
The king stroked his beard and laughed.
“Well,” he says, “now we’ll get married!”
“No,” Nastasya-Beauty answers, “I’m not a couple with you yet.”
- Why? - the king was excited.
“I don’t have my cheerfulness yet.”
- Hey, call Trem-son here! - the king ordered. Three-son comes to the palace. Nastasya the Beauty tells him:
- If you managed, glorious fellow, to get me and my beauty, then also get my gaiety.
- Where can I get it? - asks Trem-son.
- Take your grooms with you and go to the overseas forest. There you will see a hut. And my brother Volk Volkovich lives in it. He will make you a samogud harp: this is my joy. And also take my handkerchief: if you really want to sleep, you can wipe your eyes with it...
Three-son took the grooms and set off on his way.
Whether they walked for a long time or for a short time, they finally came in the evening to the forest where Volk Volkovich lived.
- Why, Trem-son, did you come to me? - asks Volk Volkovich.
- Make me, be kind, a samogud harp.
- Is there anyone to shine a torch on? You see, it’s already dark, and without light I won’t make them.
- Eat.
Three-son sent one of the grooms to shine. He shone and shone, and dozed off. Wolf Volkovich swallowed it. He licked his lips and asked for a second worker. Three-son sent him a second one. He, too, shone and shone, and dozed off. The wolf swallowed him too. He asks for a third one. And he swallowed the third. And so everyone in turn.
“And now,” says Trem-son, “shine.” Three-son began to shine. It shone and shone, and suddenly he wanted to sleep so badly that it was a real disaster. He took out Nastasya’s handkerchief and began to wipe his eyes. Volk Volkovich looked at the handkerchief and said:
- Oh, Trem-son, why didn’t you tell me anything before? After all, this is the scarf of my dear sister Nastasya the Beauty! Well, for her I won’t spare even the ready-made harp!
He brought out the finished harp-samogudas:
- Here, take them to your sister.
Three-son took the gusli, thanked Volk Volkovich and went back.
He walks and plays the harp quietly. On the way he meets a robber with a club in his hands. The robber heard the playing of the samogud harp, stopped and started dancing. He jumps, and the club jumps. And they can’t stop.
“Give me,” the robber asks the Three-Son, “this harp: I really liked it!”
- What will you give me for them?
- I'll give you my baton.
- What should I do with her?
“I have such a personality that she can overcome any force on her own.” Put at least twenty regiments of troops, and my club will smash them to dust.
Three-son gave the harp to the robber, and took the club for himself. He walked a little and remembered the harp.
“Oh,” he says, “what have I done?” What will I tell Nastasya-Beauty now? Hey, club, run and take the harp from the robber.
Club - jump, jump! — I caught up with the robber and let’s bludgeon him.
“Give it back,” he shouts, “to the three sons, the Samoguda harp, otherwise I’ll kill you!”
The robber threw down his harp and quickly ran away from trouble. The baton picked up the harp and brought it to Three Son.
He went further. He plays the harp himself, and the baton jumps.
A sorcerer came across. He heard the music and also started dancing.
He danced and danced until his black beard got wet.
“Give me this harp,” the sorcerer asks Trem-son.
- What will you give me for them?
The sorcerer took out a golden box from his pocket.
- I’ll give you this box.
- What should I do with her?
The sorcerer opened the box, and an army poured out of it! Entire shelves lined up. Three-son was surprised: this is a thing!
Then the sorcerer shouted to the army:
- March to your places!
And the army again fell into the box. Three-son agreed and gave the harp to the sorcerer, and took the magic box for himself. He went further with the club and the box. Who knows, how much time has passed, the Three-Son again remembered the harp:
“Now I have my own army, but who will play marches for them?” Hey, bludgeon, run and take away our samogud harp!
Club - jump, jump! — she ran and took the harp from the sorcerer. Let's move on with the music. A rich merchant is coming towards you. He heard the music and let's dance. He himself dances, the coachman dances, the horses dance. The merchant danced and danced, got tired, took off his boots, threw off his shirt, and still danced.
He danced enough and said:
- Hey, boy, give me your harp!
- What will you give me for them?
The merchant rummaged in the cart and took out a tablecloth:
- You are wearing this tablecloth.
- Why do I need her?
- Why? All you have to do is spread it out somewhere and say: “Fried and boiled, come to me!” - and everything will be for you.
And Three-Son had been hungry for a long time.
“Come on,” he says, “let’s see what she’ll treat you to.”
The merchant spread a tablecloth in the middle of the road, said what was needed, and then suddenly such dishes and drinks appeared that you couldn’t imagine anything better. Trem-son ate his fill and exchanged the harp for a tablecloth.
He went further. On the way I remembered the harp.
“Eh,” he says, “but it was more fun to go with the harp!” Baton, give me back my harp!
Club - jump, jump! — ran up to the merchant and began to bludgeon him:
- Give me the harp!
The merchant threw away the harp, and he snatched the whip from the coachman and let’s drive the horses as fast as possible - to quickly escape from trouble.
Three-son went further. He sees carpenters building a house in the master’s yard. Three-son began to play the harp. Suddenly all the carpenters threw down their axes and began to dance. They dance and laugh. They were having fun. They danced a lot, and then one of the carpenters said to Three Son:
- You amused us, lad! Otherwise, we work for our master all our lives and never have fun. You have a gift from us for this.
And the carpenter gave the Three Son a hatchet.
- Why do I need him? - asks Trem-son.
“This hatchet is not simple,” the carpenter answers. “You just order him, and he’ll build any palace overnight.” We hid him, brother, from the master, otherwise when he finds out, he’ll take him away. So it’s better to let a good person use it.
Trem-son thanked him for the gift and went to the capital. He approached the river, and beyond it the royal palace itself was visible. Three-son stopped on the river bank and ordered the hatchet to build a palace overnight - no worse than the royal one. L went to bed himself. When he got up at first light, he saw that there was a new palace, and so beautiful that it was, perhaps, better than the royal one. He opened the box and the army was pouring in. The army stood at the palace, waiting for orders. Meanwhile, the Three Son spread out the tablecloth, ate and drank himself, fed the army and began to play the harp. And the army marches to the music: one, two! one-two!
The king woke up, looked out the window - holy lights! There is a new palace across the river, and an army is marching to the music... Where does all this come from?
He called Nastasya the Beauty:
- Look, my soul, what is happening in our kingdom...
She looked and said:
- This is the work of Three-son. The king sent a servant across the river:
- Call me Trem-son!
The servant crossed the river in a canoe and conveyed the Tsar's order. Trem-son says:
“Your king is not a great master: if he wants, let him come to me himself.”
Although it is not proper for a king to go to his groom himself, there is nothing to do. The Tsar got into the shuttle with Nastasya the Beauty and rode to the other side to the new palace.
Trem-son met them as befits: with a bow and music. And he took me to show him his palace. They walked around and looked - everything here suits Nastasya the Beauty’s heart, but the Tsar walks around like a dark cloud: he doesn’t like the fact that the groom has such a palace and such an army... The Tsar is thinking how he can inform the Three Sons so that he can take the palace and the army for himself.
We came to the kitchen. Three-son wanted to treat the guests. But as soon as he took out his magic tablecloth, Nastasya the Beauty snatched the king’s sword - and grabbed the Three Son with it. So Three-Son’s head rolled into the corner. Then she chopped him into small pieces with a sword and ordered the cooks to heat a full cauldron of milk. The cooks have heated it up. Nastasya threw the chopped Three-Son into boiling milk, then took it out, cooled it and sprinkled it with living water. And instantly all the chopped parts grew together! Once again she sprinkled living water - and Trem-son jumped to his feet. And he became such a handsome and slender hero that it’s a pleasure to look at! The king's eyes widened: if only he had such beauty and strength now! And he pestered Nastasya the Beauty:
- Make me the same!
“Okay,” she says, “I’ll do it.”
She grabbed the sword, chopped the king into pieces and threw him over the fence to the dogs. And she took the hand of Three-Son and led him to the palace, to the chambers.
Three-son called guests from all the volosts, called fathers - relatives and named - and played a cheerful wedding.
And I was at that wedding, I drank honey and wine, it flowed down my beard, but it didn’t get into my mouth. They gave me a pitch horse, a saddle made of wicker, and a pea whip. I’m riding back on my horse, and I see that the barn is on fire. I stopped the horse and began to extinguish it. And while I was extinguishing, my horse melted from the fire, the goats ate the saddle, and the crows pecked at the whip... From there I continued on foot and came to you and told this tale.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru