Once upon a time there lived a king. This king had three sons: one smart, the other even smarter, and the third the smartest. One day the king said to his sons:
- It's time to get you married. The youngest son answered for everyone: “Okay, just try, father, so that all three girls are from the same house.” “Okay,” says the king, “we’ll have to look.” Many parents have three daughters, but I must choose the most worthy for you. “It’s your business, father,” the youngest son answers, “choose!”
The king called the vizier.
“Long live to you for many years, king,” said the vizier. “What do you order?” “I decided to marry my sons,” says the king. — We need to find three brides from the same house. Get ready, let's go find three girls and woo my sons. - Long live you, king. Let's go look.
They mounted their horses and set off. No matter how much they searched, no matter how many houses they went into, they could not find girls to their liking.
The king says:
- Listen, vizier, we have visited many cities. Let's go to Baghdad and look. If we don’t find it there, we’ll return home.
They went to Baghdad, walked, searched, circled around the city, but again did not find brides for the king’s sons.
“Vizir,” says the king, “since we are here, let’s go to the king of Baghdad, pay him our respects and head back.”
They went to visit the king of Baghdad. He arranged a feast for them, and at this feast three girls brought food to the guests. The king of Baghdad asks the travelers:
- Why did you come to our region, for business or for your own pleasure?
The king answers him:
- I decided to marry my sons to three girls from the same house. And who are these beauties who brought us food? - These are my daughters. - What luck! - says the king. - I like them all. Give them in marriage to my sons.” “Consider that I am bringing them to you as a gift,” answered the ruler of Baghdad. “Thank you,” the visiting king bowed, “call your daughters.” I will put a gold ring on each of their fingers.
Three girls entered: and the eldest of them was beautiful, the middle one was even more beautiful, and the youngest was the most beautiful. Their father, the ruler of Baghdad, congratulated them on their engagement and again arranged a wonderful feast.
The next morning the visiting king thanked the owner and said:
“I’m going home now, and in a month I’ll be back with my sons and we’ll have a wedding.”
The king went back to his country. All three sons rode out to meet him.
“Light to your eyes,” says the king. “I betrothed all three to the daughters of the ruler of Baghdad.” — I asked for a month to prepare for the wedding.
The king ordered three luxurious outfits for girls and three outfits for boys. A month later everything was ready.
“Vizir,” says the king, “let’s take my sons, five hundred horsemen with us and go to Baghdad, bring my daughters-in-law, and have a wedding.” The youngest son objected to him: “If we all leave, who will remain in our palace?” Enemies may attack in our absence. You go, and I'll stay at home. You will bring my bride with you.” “What you say is correct,” the king agreed. The youngest son said goodbye to his father and brothers: “When you return from Baghdad and reach the spring under the red hill, do not get off your horses, do not drink water there and do not set up camp.” There will be danger for you there. “Okay,” they promised, “we will remember.”
Early in the morning everyone, except the youngest son, set off. With music, zurna and dool, they entered the city of Baghdad, arrived at the royal court and dismounted.
The Lord of Baghdad received them as befits: with honors, cordially. They brought the girls and dressed them up in new dresses. The two eldest sons approached their brides, took them by the hands and went with them into the garden, but the younger sister was left alone and burst into tears. The ruler of Baghdad became angry and said to the king:
“Since you only have two sons, why did you marry three girls?” “I swear to you on my head and I swear on your head that I have three sons,” answered the king. “The third one remained in the palace so that the enemies would not take us by surprise.” I will take your third daughter with me and we will have a wedding with my son.
The eldest sons were married, a great feast was given, and the next morning they began to prepare for the return journey. The ruler of Baghdad says to the king:
“Let your retinue go, and you sit with me, we’ll have a cup of coffee, and then you’ll catch up with them.”
The king agreed. Meanwhile, the royal retinue and sons with their young wives arrived at the red hill. Vizier says:
- Our king is late for some reason. Let's pitch our tents and wait for him here.
They pitched the tents and began to prepare food. Finally the king arrived. Tells them:
“Get ready now, we’ll leave here.” And the vizier objects to him: “It’s already dark, where are we going now?” When it dawns, we’ll go.” “Vizir,” says the king, “didn’t you hear how the youngest son warned us that this was a dangerous place?” “What are you afraid of?” - The vizier laughed. “We have five hundred horsemen with us, a whole army, and we should still be afraid?” “Indeed,” says the king, “you’re probably right, we’ll stay.”
And when dawn broke and the king woke up in his tent, he saw that his camp was surrounded on all sides by a huge vishap.
- Let me through! - all five hundred horsemen shouted to the vishapu at once.
But Vishap laughed as if thunder had thundered,
- Ha, ha, ha! Yes, if I want, I’ll move my tail, and there will be no trace of you left.
The king himself began to ask for vishap:
“Let us through, we need to hurry to the palace.” “I will,” says the vishap, “but just promise that you will give me your youngest son.” “Nothing can be done,” says the king. - We need to get out of here. I promise. “Come in,” says vishap. “I’m leaving only my youngest son’s fiancée as collateral.” I'll let her go when the prince arrives.
The messengers galloped to the palace. They say to the younger prince:
- Light to your eyes. The king is returning!
The youngest son took one hundred horsemen and galloped towards the king. The king saw his son and wept bitterly.
“Long live to you for many years, king,” says the son. “Why are you crying on such a joyful day?” “Because I’m crying,” says the king, “because I didn’t listen to your advice, made a halt at the red hill, and at night we were surrounded by a formidable vishap.” He wanted to destroy us and did not let us go until I promised him you, my son. He kept your fiancée as a hostage. Now you know why I’m crying. “And you’re crying in vain,” says the younger prince. “If I die, then you’ll cry, but for now all is not lost.” I’ll get ready to set off. “Don’t go,” the king began to beg him. - Don't go, stay. Whatever is going to happen cannot be avoided... “No, no,” the son answers. “We will be ashamed before the ruler of Baghdad if we leave his daughter to be eaten by the vishap.” Goodbye everyone!
With these words, the younger prince mounted his horse and set off. He reached the vishap. Vishap says:
- Welcome. I saved your bride unharmed. If you serve me faithfully, I will give you your bride, take her away from me and get married. “Order, I am at your service,” the prince answers. “Sit on my head,” says the vishap. - Grab your ears tightly and don’t let go. And don't be afraid of anything. You and I will fly into the sky.
He raised the prince’s vishap higher than the seventh heaven and said:
- Look to the right. The prince looked. “What do you see there?” “I see the city.” “This is the capital of King Chinmachin,” says the vishap. - Do you see the palace? - I see. - And the huge plane tree in front of the palace? - I see. - Now look closely and tell me: do you see a girl on the branches? Look carefully.
At first, the prince could not see anything, but then he looked closer and saw the girl.
“I see, I see,” he says. — She is dressed in a red dress and sits almost at the very top.
Vishap lowered the young man to the ground and said:
- Go and get me this girl. Then I will give you your bride.
Vishap gave him a tablecloth,
“This,” he says, “is for you.” Whenever you get hungry, unfold the tablecloth and find in it everything you want.
The prince took the tablecloth and went. Whether he walked for a long time or for a short time, he knew better, he reached a dense forest. And two huge devas jumped out of the forest onto the road and blocked his path.
“Stop,” they say, “we are very hungry, even if we eat you!” “Don’t touch me,” says the young man. - I'll feed you. What would you like to eat? “Seven buffalos would be enough for us,” say the devas. The prince spread the tablecloth and said: “Tablecloth, give me seven buffaloes!”
And then exactly seven buffalos stepped off the tablecloth onto the grass. The devas attacked them, ate everything, gnawed all the bones and asked the young man:
“Where are you going?” “I’m going,” he says, “to the capital of Chinmachin.” “Well,” say the devas, “you fed us, we will repay you for this with goodness.”
One deva put him on his back and instantly carried him to the borders of his deva kingdom.
“Here,” he says, “for you to say goodbye, my hair.” If bad things happen to you, burn it.
The prince thanked the deva and moved on. He walks and sees: a countless army is moving towards him, These are horse ants returning from the war against monkeys. The ants surrounded the prince and led him to the ant king. The king looked at him and said:
“I don’t need it, take it and eat it.” Just enough for you. “Long live to you for many years, Tsar,” says the Tsarevich. “Allow me to feed your subjects something tastier, but let them not touch me.” “I allow it,” says the king. “What do you like to eat?” - the young man asks the horse ants. - Wheat, barley and millet. - How much do you need? - A hundred bags would satisfy us completely.
The prince laid out a tablecloth, and immediately there were a hundred bags of grain on it. The ants ate their fill. And the king of ants took out a thread and handed it to the prince,
“You fed my subjects enough.” I will repay you kindly for this. When things get tight for you, wrap the thread around your finger, and then we will come to your aid.
The prince went further. He walked and walked and saw: an army was coming towards him. There is no end to it, no edge. I came closer and saw that they were monkeys fighting with horse ants. Monkeys surrounded him and took him to their king.
“Long live to you for many years, king,” he addresses the king. “Tell your subjects to let me go, and I will feed them enough.” What should I feed you? - he asked the monkeys. - We eat almonds, bananas and walnuts. - How much will you eat? - We will eat sixty bags.
The young man laid out a tablecloth and asked her for sixty bags of walnuts, bananas and almonds. The monkeys ate their fill, and the monkey king handed the young man two rings and said:
“You fed my subjects enough, I will repay you for this with kindness.” Put one ring on your right hand, one on your left. If you put one hand in the water, the water will freeze. If you lower the other one, the ice will melt.
The young man moved on. And finally I reached the city of Chinmachina. And this city was surrounded by a deep ditch, and there was no bridge across this ditch. He put his left hand into the water - the water froze. He crossed the ditch. I touched the ice in the ditch with the ring on my right hand - the ice melted. In the city the prince met an old woman. He asked her what kind of king was in the city and whether people were living well in Chinmachina.
“Life is good,” the old woman answers. “The only problem is: the king’s son has disappeared.” And one more problem: whoever woos the king’s daughter, he offers a test, and if he does not stand the test, the king cuts off his head.
“Well,” says the young man, “now it’s my turn.” I’ll go to woo the king’s daughter. “Don’t go, son,” says the old woman. “You’ll lose your head, I feel sorry for you.” “No, I’ll go,” says the prince. “If you allow me, I’ll spend the night with you, and in the morning wake me up early and take me to the palace.”
In the morning he went to the palace, approached the guards and said:
- Let me in, I have business with your king. The servants went and reported to the king. “So and so,” they say. “Some young man has come and wants to talk to you.” “Bring in!” the king orders.
The young man entered the royal chambers. He bowed seven times, and on the eighth he put his hand to his heart.
- What do you say? - says the king, - I’ll say that I came to woo your daughter, - the prince answers, - Leave the same way you came, - says the king. - I feel sorry for you. After all, if you don’t pass my tests, I’ll cut off your head.” “I agree,” says the young man.
Here the Chinmachi king convenes his Nazir-viziers and says:
— Place silver trays under this plane tree, and place a glass of water on the golden tray. If the guy climbs the plane tree without spilling a drop, I’ll give him my daughter. If he spills even a drop, I'll cut off his head.
The young man approached the tree, lowered the ring into the water and climbed onto the plane tree. He climbed to the very top and sat on a branch. And then he began to go down and thaw the water with the second ring along the way.
“Well,” says the Tsar, “today you are lucky.” You'll come again tomorrow.
The prince went to spend the night with the old woman, and she felt sorry for him: “My eyes would go blind and not see what they are doing to you.” Go to bed and rest.
The next morning the prince went to the palace again. The king forced him to stand at the gate all day, and in the evening he ordered two thirty-pound vats to be filled with oil and ordered him to eat them until the morning. The young man ate a tiny piece of butter and was already full. “Oh,” he thinks, “they’ll cut off my head tomorrow.” And suddenly he remembered about the devas. He brought the hair to the fire - and the devas immediately entered his room.
- What's happened? - they ask. “Do you see the vats of oil?” I called you to treat you
Devas say:
“We haven’t tried butter for forty years.”
They put their muzzles into the vats and ate everything, even licked the walls. At dawn the king stood up and called his Nazir-viziers:
- Bring the guy, we'll cut off his head. A thousand people can't eat that much oil.
The Nazir-viziers entered the prince’s room, and he was sleeping. They woke him up and brought him to the king.
- Well, what do you say? - says the king. “I ate all the butter,” the prince answers.
The king sent servants, they began to check - to search, to rummage everywhere, but they did not find anything. They came to the king and said:
“He really ate everything.”
Then the maids informed the princess that one guy was wooing her and had already passed two tests.
“Well,” says the king. - Not everything yet. Now go and rest, and come to the palace in the evening.
The prince went to the old woman, rested with her, and in the evening he again appeared to the Chinmachi king. The king calls his nazi viziers and says:
- Measure out ten measures of barley, ten measures of millet and the same amount of millet. Mix everything and tell the guy to sort it by grade by morning.
The young man began to sort out the cereal and saw that he couldn’t handle even one handful until the morning. And suddenly he remembered about the ants. He wound the thread around his finger - and immediately his whole room was filled with ants. The young man tells them:
“I’ll ask you to divide the millet, millet and barley into three piles, all by variety.” Just don’t eat yet, I’ll feed you later.
And so the ants gathered, and there were so many of them that if they were lined up one by one, the last one would be on top of Masis. They sorted out all the grain, and then the prince spread a tablecloth in front of them and fed them to their fill. At dawn the king woke up and began to convene his Nazir-viziers.
“Bring me,” he says, “the guy, I’ll cut off his head.” The prince came, and the Chinmachi king ordered his head to be cut off. “For what?” - says the young man. - I did everything right. Let's go and check, measure all the grain. They see: the work is really done. The king says: “Go, you will come again the next morning.” The servants informed the princess about all this. “I wonder where this guy lives?” - asks the princess.
They tell her:
- One old lady.
The princess gave a whole handful of gold to her maid and said:
- So that no unnecessary words escape your lips. Let the old lady dress the guy in a girl’s outfit and bring him to me in the evening.
In the evening, the old woman dressed the young man in women's clothing and brought him to the palace. The guard did not want to open the gate for her.
Old lady says:
“I brought my daughter to study with the king’s daughter.” “Okay, if so, lead.”
The old woman took the young man to the princess, bowed to her and said:
“What can you teach my daughter, teach it now, but she can’t stay here at night.”
The princess sent the maids away and, when they were left alone, turned to the prince:
“You passed all the tests well, but tomorrow you will be offered new ones.” Listen carefully and remember. Tomorrow my father will bring forty girls dressed in black dresses, put them on black horses, throw a black veil over their heads, line them up and ask you which one is his daughter. Count nineteen from the beginning, and I will be the twentieth. Make sure you don't get confused.
At dawn the prince comes to the king. The king calls the Nazir-viziers and says:
- Go bring forty girls. Dress them in black dresses. Place him on forty black horses. Throw black veils over their heads. - And he says to the prince: - Come on, which one is my daughter?
The prince counts to nineteen, approaches the twentieth girl, takes the horse by the bridle and says: “Here is your daughter.”
“Well, that’s right,” says the king. - Go home, you will come again in the morning.
The prince left, but immediately returned, dressed in a woman’s outfit. The princess again sent the servants away and taught him:
- Listen, young man. Tomorrow we will sit on red horses, dress in red dresses, cover our heads with a red veil. I'll be the last one up. You will come up to my horse and take him by the bridle.
In the morning the prince goes to the palace again. The king orders his nazir viziers:
- Bring forty girls, put them on red horses and line them up.
The Chinmachi king asks the prince:
- Which one is my daughter?
The prince went up to the last horse and took it by the bridle.
“Your daughter is on this horse,” he says. “And today you are lucky,” says the king. - Go home, you’ll come back tomorrow morning.
Again the young man comes to the princess in a girl’s dress. The princess tells him:
“Tomorrow we will mount white horses, dress in a white dress, and cover our heads with a white veil.” I'll get up first. You will come up, take my horse by the bridle, and lead me to the king.
Early in the morning the young man went to the palace. The king comes out and orders:
- Go bring forty girls, dress them in white clothes, put them on white horses, cover their heads with a white veil and line them up.
The king asks the young man:
-Which one is my daughter? Find her and bring her.
The young man approached the first horsewoman, took the white horse by the bridle, led it to the king and said:
- Long live you, king. You've been tormenting me for six days now. Here's your daughter. Will you finally give it to me?
The king ordered all the horsewomen to dismount and invited everyone to the royal chambers.
-Who are you? - he asked the young man, - Until now, no one has been able to pass through my trials. The young man answers him with a bow:
“I am the king’s son, I came here to woo your daughter.” And the fact that I passed all your tests is just my luck.
The Chinmachi king tells him:
“I didn’t want to give her away in marriage.” My son is missing. How can I part with my only daughter? Marry her and stay here. “No,” the young man answers. “Get us ready for the journey, and we’ll have a wedding at my father’s.” “Nothing can be done,” the king replies.
In parting, the Chinmachi king tells him:
- Listen, young man, what I tell you. My twenty-five year old son has disappeared. You are so wise. Maybe you will find my son. If you return my son to me, I will give you half of my kingdom. And now have a good trip.
The young man and the princess reached the land of monkeys. The monkeys took him to their king. The Monkey King says: Welcome. Feed us, then we'll see you off.
The young man laid out a tablecloth and fed the monkeys to their fill. And they took him along a short road to the country of horse ants.
“Welcome,” the ant king told them. “Feed us, and then we’ll see you off.”
And the young man spread a tablecloth in front of the ants and fed them to their fill. And the ants took him on a short route to the land of the devas. The devas approach the young man and say:
- Feed us, and have a good trip.
The devas ate their fill and quickly carried the young man and the princess to Vishap’s house. Vishap asks him: “Why are you taking so long?”
“It was not easy to pass all the tests,” the prince answers. “Leave this girl with me,” says the vishap. “And go to the garden for your bride.” — Vishap says to the girl: “Hurry up and wrap your hair around my neck.”
The girl got scared and recoiled from him, but he asked her so tenderly, begged her. She wrapped her hair around his neck. And at that very second the vishap screamed, his skin tore, and he turned into a beautiful twenty-five-year-old youth. The daughter of the Chinmachi king saw that it was her brother.
At that moment the prince returned from the garden with his bride. Seeing an unfamiliar young man, he immediately pulled out a saber, and the Chinmachi prince said to him:
“Wait, don’t kill me, listen first.” This princess is my sister. She alone could break the spell. I sent many people for it, and only you alone managed to bring it.
And such joy came here, as if they had been given the whole world. All four mounted horses, rode to the royal palace and celebrated the wedding of the prince and his bride.
After some time the prince says:
“I must take the son and daughter of the Chinmachi king to their father.
And the messengers gallop forward.
- Light to your eyes! - they say to the Chinmachi king. Your son and daughter are back.
The Chinmachi king convenes all the courtiers, all the servants, all the people, and sets an unprecedented feast.
Three apples fell from the sky: one to the one who told the story, another to the one who listened, and the third to the one who wound it up.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru