Once upon a time there lived two brothers. One of them had three sons, and the other had a daughter.
Soon the first brother died. His sons came to their uncle and said:
- Give us your daughter, uncle. We want to marry her.
“But I have one daughter, and there are three of you,” says the uncle. - Which of you should I give my daughter to? Here's three hundred rupees, divide it among yourselves and start trading. I will give my daughter to the one of you who is luckier.
The brothers took the money and went to buy goods. One bought one hundred rupees worth of beads, another bought a flying carpet, and the third bought a mirror.
One day the brothers got together and began asking each other about their affairs. They ask the middle brother why he bought a flying carpet.
“But why,” he answers. “You sit on it, and it will take you wherever you want in an instant.”
The brothers of the eldest ask why he needed the beads.
“But why,” he explained. “You just need to take the beads, wash them in water and pour this water into the mouth of the deceased, and he will immediately come to life.”
Finally, the younger brother's brothers ask why he needed the mirror.
“But why,” he answers. “If you want to know what’s going on somewhere far, far away, look in the mirror and you’ll see everything right away.” And what is going on at home can be seen in this mirror. “With these words, he looked into the mirror and suddenly shouted: “While we were going for goods, my uncle’s daughter died.” Here she lies dead. But they had already taken her to bury her.
The brothers jumped up, sat on the magic carpet and at that very moment found themselves at home. They took the beads, washed them in water and poured this water into the mouth of the deceased. She immediately came to life. The brothers went to their uncle and said:
- Now give us your daughter.
“Go to the king, let him decide which of you to marry,” the uncle answers them.
The brothers went to the king.
- According to the law, the girl must belong to the one who saw her in the mirror. For he saw her at the last moment, when the women washed her body, the king decided.
So the girl went to the brother who saw her in the mirror.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru