Once upon a time there lived a padishah and a wazir. Both of them did not have children until old age. Only when their heads became white as snow, and their beards long to the waist, did their wives get ready to give birth. The Shah and the Wazir were very happy about this and began to organize various entertainments more often. Every month they began to go hunting once or twice.
One day they were hunting in a flowering mountain gorge; the wazir saw the chamois and began to pursue it. The chamois ran away very slowly. As soon as the wazir took aim and was about to shoot the arrow, he saw that the chamois had a very large belly. The Wazir understood what was happening and, remembering his wife, felt sorry for the chamois and did not shoot.
The padishah was surprised and asked:
- Hey, Wazir, why did you refuse such game?
The Wazir told him about the condition of the chamois. The padishah agreed with him, and they decided to go hunting to another place.
Continuing the hunt in another place, the padishah and the wazir stuffed the game, plucked it, fried it and began to eat it. At this time, the padishah remembered the wazir’s act and said:
“Dear friend, for many years you have served me better than all the other courtiers.” With your high wisdom and unprecedented insight, you helped me in solving many difficult issues of my state, and I will never forget this. Now I have decided that if our wives have sons, I will make every effort to ensure that they, like us, are heartfelt friends. If your wife gives birth to a daughter, she will be my daughter-in-law. If my wife gives birth to a daughter, your son will be my son-in-law, and my daughter will be your daughter-in-law.
This proposal of the padishah corresponded to the secret dreams of the wazir. The padishah and the wazir promised each other not to violate this agreement.
The next day, messengers came to the wazir and asked for a gift for the news they brought: the padishah had a daughter, and the wazir a son. The Wazir hurried to his wife’s chambers, took his son in his arms, kissed him and said:
- What a blessing that I am destined to have a son!
He immediately took the wrapped son and went with him to the palace. There he put his son on one hand, and the padishah’s daughter, wrapped in gold-woven brocade, on the other, and carried them to the padishah.
At the sight of the wazir, the padishah rose from his throne, took the children from his hands, kissed them, then, on the advice of the eldest courtier, he gave the boy the name Tohir, and his daughter Zukhro.
At the request of the padishah, Tokhir and Zukhro began to be brought up in the palace. The most experienced nannies and educators were assigned to them.
The children were always together at meals, during walks in the wonderful padishah garden, and during games. When they grew up, they were sent to school together.
The hearts of his enemies were kindled with jealousy and hatred of the Wazir, Tohir's father. Their souls, black as the bottom of a cauldron, were filled with the poison of evil and insidious intentions. At every opportunity, the Wazir's enemies denounced him and his son in front of the padishah and praised Zukhro. They said:
- O great sovereign! Your daughter has no equal in intelligence or beauty and is worthy of the best padishah in the world! Such a padishah who will further expand the boundaries of your kingdom, increase your wealth and elevate your glory.
Such words left a mark in the heart of the weak-willed padishah. He began to think a lot about his daughter's engagement to the Wazir's son. The more the padishah thought about this, the more skillfully the web of intrigue was woven around the wazir. The slander against him became so frequent that gradually the padishah began to grow cold towards the wazir and finally even hated him and began to look for an opportunity to get rid of him.
Once, during a hunt, an arrow from one of the padishah’s close associates accidentally pierced the wazir’s back. At that same moment his eyes closed, and he no longer saw the face of his beloved son.
In front of everyone, the padishah pretended to be an innocent dove, buried his once beloved wazir with great honors and began to mourn for the deceased.
At this time, the delicate fuzz of his mustache turned black over Tohir’s upper lip. Tohir became a slender and handsome young man. The unexpected death of his father forced the light youthful dreams out of his head. Only love, true love for Zukhro, filled his heart.
The padishah noticed this. Therefore, citing the fact that it was indecent for an adult boy and girl to be together all the time, he forbade Tokhir and Zukhro to see each other.
The order of the padishah was carried out. But Tokhir, unable to endure separation from Zukhro, began to walk around the walls of the padishah’s palace. He cherished the hope of seeing Zukhro, telling her about his love and finding out how she felt about him.
But he did not see the face of his dear friend and did not hear her gentle voice. The burning fire of love burned more and more in his chest, and he, mentally turning to Zukhro, said that he was entirely in her power.
People passing by Tokhir saw his grief, pitied him and condemned the padishah, who treated the son of his former wazir so cruelly.
While Tokhir walked around the palace countless times, tormented by assumptions that, apparently, Zukhro herself did not want to see him, that she had fallen in love with another, the padishah sat on his golden throne and received envoys from the most powerful and cruel padishah of those times - Karabotur. The envoys handed the padishah a letter from their master and awaited an answer.
Karabotur wrote:
“For many years now, my envoys have been looking all over the world for a suitable bride for me. They searched and searched and found nowhere better than your daughter, the beautiful Zukhro. Therefore, I decide to take your daughter as my wife. If you agree, we’ll become related to you; if you don’t agree, get ready for war!”
The padishah read this letter and asked the messengers to wait two or three days for an answer. Karabotur's people left.
Father Zuhro called all the wazirs and informed them about the letter. All the wazirs unanimously said that Karabotur was a great and powerful padishah and a very suitable groom for the daughter of their padishah.
- This is just such a padishah who can expand your borders, increase your wealth and increase your fame! - they said.
Such advice corresponded to the cherished dream of Father Zukhro. He agreed with the opinion of the courtiers, released them and called his daughter.
“Dear Zukhro,” he began joyfully, “I want to congratulate you with all my heart.” The most powerful padishah of the world, Karabotur, sent matchmakers. You are lucky - you will be the wife of such a great Shah!
- No no! - exclaimed Zukhro. “I will not marry anyone except Tohir!” I loved him with all my heart!
The daughter's answer angered the padishah. Looking at her angrily, he said:
- What are you saying! Who is Thohir? Some rootless fool! He's not worth even Karabotur's toenail! Don't do anything stupid and get him out of your head!..
- Have pity on me, dear father! - Zukhro begged. - Only To-khir is to my liking! If you want your daughter to live happily, give up your intention.
The prayer of his only daughter made the padishah think, and he said:
- Well, okay, daughter, you go, and I’ll think about it.
Zukhro left him, and the padishah ordered to convene the wazirs. When all the Wazirs gathered, he told them about his daughter’s answer. One wazir said to this:
“It is necessary to denigrate Tokhir in the eyes of Zukhro and remove him from the city.” Then she will grow cold towards him and agree to become Karabotur’s bride.
Another wazir suggested:
“It’s better to call Tohir himself and convince him that he is not Zukhro’s match and he himself must refuse her.”
“Okay, your advice is not so difficult to follow,” said the padishah. He released the wazirs and ordered Tohir to be called to him.
Such unexpected favor inspired the young man, but upon hearing the first words of the padishah, he lost all hope. The padishah ordered him not to hope for Zukhro's love and to immediately leave his capital.
- No! - exclaimed Thohir. - As long as I have a soul in my body, I will fight for my happiness!
- But it's useless! - said the padishah. - Better take pity on your youth and do what I tell you.
Outraged by such cruelty, Thohir said:
- O evil man! You killed my father, made my mother a widow, and made me an orphan! Now you want me to listen to you and give up my love for Zukhro, which is as dear to me as life! No, that won't happen!
At Tohir’s words, the padishah became indescribably furious and ordered him to be tied hand and foot, blindfolded, taken to the farthest end of his kingdom and thrown there, and if he ever returned, not to be allowed into the city.
After this, the padishah assigned two old, cunning old women to Zukhro and told them:
“Go and tell my daughter that Tohir himself was the first to abandon Zuhro and speak obscenely about her and her father!”
The old women hurried to convey this to Zukhro. She was all the time impatiently waiting for some news about her beloved Tohir and at first she was very upset by the words of the old women. But remembering Tohir’s tender and affectionate treatment, their pure childhood friendship, she did not believe these words, did not lose faith in Tohir’s love and decided to wait for him.
After the removal of Tokhir, the padishah calmed down and wrote to Karabotur agreeing to give him his daughter as his wife.
Delighted by this news, Karabotur immediately went with his associates to father Zukhro and asked to show the bride.
Zukhro was brought to the reception hall. Seeing a girl slender as a cypress with large radiant eyes, with a dazzling beauty of a face shining like a moon, Karabotur lost consciousness for a moment and love for Zukhro built a nest in his black heart.
“I don’t hesitate to take this beauty as my wife!” Karabotur said to Father Zukhro. “In return, I will do whatever you want!”
The delighted father Zukhro said:
- O ruler of the world and respected Sultan! You made me happy!
Such father's words, like a poisonous arrow, wounded Zukhro's pure heart, and she shouted:
- No, this won’t happen! I love someone else - Tohir! He is more precious to me than life, and I wouldn’t trade him for anyone!
- Tohir doesn't love you! - the father said quickly. “He spoke unworthily about us and, indifferent to you, left far from here!”
- I don't believe this! Thohir couldn't do this! - Zukhro insisted. Karabotur did not know about Zuhro’s love for Tohir and said to this:
“If so, I’ll wait another forty days.” I hope that during this time Tohir, together with his love, will be forgotten by the beautiful princess and she will agree to become my bride.
Father Zukhro, cursing Tohir, was forced to agree with Karabotur's proposal.
The padishah's minions took Tohir to the farthest edge of their country, into a waterless and lifeless desert, and abandoned him there alone. But love for Zuhro gave Tohir great strength. He threw off the iron shackles from his hands and feet and, hungry and thirsty, began to look for a way out of this desert.
Poor Zukhro learned that Tohir was thrown to certain death in the distant desert. Through the maid, she began to send letters to the caravan drivers and asked them to find out about Tohir in different parts of their country and to convey everything they heard to her.
Longing for Tokhir, Zukhro cried all the time. Large pearls of her tears flowed from the long arrows of her eyelashes and fell on her cheeks, tender as rose petals. She lost sleep from longing for Tohir, deep sadness put her to bed, and not a single doctor could cure her of this illness.
The caravanners often asked about Thohir, but heard nothing about him. Finally, at the farthest end of the country, in the bare desert, they found a half-dead, thin young man, in tattered clothes, with a long beard and hair. The caravan workers picked up the exhausted Tohir and secretly brought him to the capital.
When Zuhro was informed about Tohir, she ordered him to be brought to the palace and began to look after him herself. Next to his beloved, Tohir quickly recovered, his beauty and cheerfulness returned to him. Zukhro went to her father and declared that she would marry only Tohir and no one else. The padishah hesitated.
But Karabotur was quickly informed about Tohir’s return and Zuhro’s decision. He gathered his entire army and went to war against the country of Zukhro.
Out of fear of Karabotur, Father Zuhro urgently assembled a council of wazirs.
- We need to get rid of Tohir forever! - said the vasirs. The senior wazir said:
“So that we are no longer in danger because of Tohir, we need to put him in a chest and throw him into the river.” Then he won't come back again!
The padishah liked the advice of the senior wazir, and he ordered the chest to be urgently prepared for Tohir. The next night, Thohir was secretly brought to the river bank, where the chest already stood. Having placed the young man in it, they slammed the lid and, in front of the padishah’s eyes, threw the chest into the river.
Messengers were immediately sent to Karabotur with the message that Tohir was not in the country of Zukhro, that the padishah was ready to begin preparations for the wedding of Karabotur and Zukhro. Then Karabotur relented and turned his army back.
The chest floated and floated along the river and then sailed to a peninsula, near the shore of which three daughters of another padishah were swimming.
“Whoever catches this chest and drags it to the shore will be the owner of its contents!” suggested the eldest of the sisters and rushed into the water. But no matter how much she caught the chest, she could not grab onto it, and the chest floated on.
The middle sister rushed into the water and began to catch the chest, but she, too, could not catch it and pull it ashore.
- Get out of the water! - the younger sister shouted and rushed into the water to try her luck.
She swam around the chest, examined it and finally grabbed its handle. Holding the chest tightly, she swam ashore with it.
The sisters began to examine the chest and did not find any constipation. They decided to break the lid, but at that time they heard the click of the lock, and then the lid of the chest opened on its own. The sisters were amazed to see a young man of rare beauty in the chest.
The girls informed their father, the padishah, about the chest with the young man. He ordered the chest to be brought to the palace and, seeing the lifeless young man, called the doctors.
After one or two days the young man came to his senses and became even more beautiful than before. The sisters informed their father about their agreement and said that the caught young man belonged to his younger sister. The padishah agreed to marry his daughter Gavkhar to the handsome Tokhir.
Everyone in the palace was preparing for the wedding, only Thohir knew nothing about it. Cursing his fate, tormented by separation from Zukhro, he began to ask the sisters, who took turns guarding him, to help him return to his homeland. When Gavhar was alone with Tohir, she said:
- Forget about Zukhro, I love you no less than she does!
- No, without Zukhro I have nothing to do in this world! - he answered. Gavhar was forced to tell Tohir about her agreement with her sisters and that now he belongs only to her and that they are already preparing for the wedding in the palace.
“You see, now you are forced to marry me and forget about Zukhro,” said Gavkhar.
- No, that won't happen! - Thohir said to her and began to think about escape.
At night, he changed into one of his sisters’ dresses and sneaked out of the city with great caution. From conversations with his sisters, he learned that the kingdom of his father Gavhar was located next to the kingdom of his father Zukhro, and he quickly went there.
He walked and walked and came to the capital of his country and there presented himself as Zukhro’s servant.
There was no limit to the joy of Tokhir and Zukhro when they both, exhausted and exhausted, found rest in each other’s arms.
But their happiness did not last long. The vengeful and cruel Karabotur learned of Tohir's return. As soon as he was informed about Zukhro's new maid, under whose guise Tohir was hiding, he and his retinue came to Zukhro's father and told him about it with gloating.
Hearing about the deception, the enraged padishah, Zukhro's father, ordered Tokhir to be immediately caught and hanged, and he ordered his daughter to prepare for the wedding.
The triumphant Karabotur, having gotten rid of his rival forever, arranged a feast for his army. When everyone was feasting and having fun with Zukhro’s father, the girl, having learned about the death of her beloved Tohir, put on mourning and, bursting into bitter tears, said:
- Tohir, I can’t live without you!
In the evening, Zukhro ordered a sleeping potion to be sprinkled in all her rooms. All her servants quickly fell into a deep sleep. Shedding tears, Zukhro sobbed bitterly until midnight. Then she took off her mourning, put on an elegant dress, adorned herself with jewelry, and secretly walked through the garden under a veil to the fresh grave of her beloved.
In the morning, Zukhro's father and Karabotur, who had been partying until dawn, were informed of Zukhro's disappearance.
The courtiers were knocked off their feet in search of Zukhro. But when someone thought to look into the cemetery, they found Zukhro there, hugging Tohir’s fresh grave with her hands.
And when the girl was raised, everyone saw the dagger in her chest.
Zuhro was buried next to Tohir. Soon loach flowers grew on their graves, reaching out to each other and intertwining.
And the old, decrepit father Zukhro, sitting all day at the grave and looking at the intertwined vines, thought:
“I am punished for breaking a promise to a friend-wazir. I am punished for resisting the love of Zuhro and Tohir!”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru