Once upon a time there lived three brother hunters. One evening, as usual, the brothers went into the forest. As soon as they entered the thicket, they saw a light in the distance - they had never seen it before. The hunters were surprised, they wanted to find out who it was that appeared in the forest, and they followed this light. We came to a huge cave. They entered it and saw three girls sitting, of extraordinary beauty: if you look at them, you will rub your eyes for a long time, as if you were looking at the sun.
—Where are you beautiful girls from, and how did you get here? - the brothers asked, having come to their senses. “We have been hunting in this forest for many years, but we have never seen fire here.” What brought you to these parts?
“We are from a neighboring village,” the girls answered, “one day we came to the forest for flowers and nuts, and then a forest man grabbed us.” Have you ever seen such a monster? He is covered all over with hair, and has an ax stuck in his chest. So he kept us in a dark cave. Now the forest man has died, and we have opened the entrance, rolled away the heavy stone, maybe good people will save us and help us get out?
The brothers fell in love with the beautiful girls, and they decided to take them as wives. As expected, the elder brother spoke first.
“I beg you, beauty, be my wife!” - he turned to the eldest of the girls.
“I promise to be your faithful wife,” she answered, “and every year I will bring a boy and a girl.”
The middle girl promised her second brother that every year she would give birth to an extraordinary girl: half the hair on her head would be white gold, and half would be red gold. And the youngest told her younger brother that every year she would have a son - a real hero-nart.
The brothers married beautiful girls and lived happily.
Time passed, and it became clear that only the eldest of them kept her word. One day the brothers went hunting, and at that time the elder brother’s wife gave birth to a boy and a girl of extraordinary beauty. The envious sisters stole her children, put them in a reed chest and threw them into the river, and replaced them with puppies.
The brothers returned from hunting, and when the eldest saw that his wife had brought puppies, he became angry, locked his wife in the barn and ordered him never to let her out.
And the chest with the children floated along the river, and near a strange village a wave washed it ashore. An old man and an old woman lived in that village. They never had children. And then one day an old woman went to the river for water and saw: the waves had washed a reed chest to the shore. She opened the chest and saw a wonderful boy and girl there. The old lady was delighted and brought them home. They named the girl Babukh and the boy Cherim.
Many years passed, the boy became a handsome, slender young man, and the girl became the most beautiful among the beauties of the village.
One day the old man felt the approach of death and called Cherim to him:
“When you grow up and become a real horseman, you will need a horse: it stands in the stable, and your armor hangs there too.” With these words the old man died.
Soon the old woman felt the approach of death. She called Babukh, led her into a room where no one had entered before, and opened a huge chest bound in iron in front of her. The girl’s eyes widened, seeing what kind of outfits were there! The old woman bequeathed this chest to Babukh.
The old woman died, and the brother and sister were left completely alone. What to do? Cherim decided to go hunting. One day he brought out his Alp horse, put a golden saddle on it, put on armor, mounted the horse and went hunting.
I had just entered the forest when I saw three hunters. They drove the deer out of the forest, but could not shoot it - the deer kept running into the forest. Cherim chased after him, caught up with him, grabbed him by the horns and put his horse on the withers. Only the hunters saw him.
He did the same the next day.
The hunters were surprised; they didn’t know where the stately, dexterous horseman had come from, and decided to get to know him.
On the third day, when Cherim was already placing the deer on the horse’s withers, hunters surrounded him.
“Nice young man,” said the eldest of them, “we liked your appearance, your manners and courage.” I don't have a son, and I want you to become my son.
“If you do me such an honor, I will gladly become your son and will try my best to be worthy of you,” Cherim answered and went to the village with the hunters.
It turned out that the hunter who liked Cherim so much was his father, and his two companions were his father’s brothers.
The horsemen rode into the courtyard and dismounted. When they headed towards the house, Cherim’s mother, who had been languishing in the barn for many years, looked through the crack and recognized her son in the slender young man.
“Oh,” she shouted, “this is my son.” He must have a sister if she is alive.
Cherim was delighted, realizing that he had ended up with his parents. He ordered to bring his mother to the kunatskaya and immediately go for his sister.
Only now did Cherim’s father understand what evil his daughters-in-law had committed by replacing their children with puppies. He ordered the villainesses to be tied to unbroken horses and released into the field.
The younger hunter's wife had a sister - a sorceress. She decided to avenge her sister and kill Cherim. One day, when Cherim went hunting, the witch dressed up and went to visit Babukh. She comes and sees Babukh sitting and crying - she’s bored.
- Poor thing, why are you crying? — the sorceress asked insinuatingly. “You’re obviously bored.” If your brother loved you, his only sister, he would certainly bring you the golden accordion that is kept between two rocks. Of course, it is difficult to get that accordion - after all, the rocks every minute either diverge or converge with such force that they turn into powder everything that falls between them. But if you have an accordion, you will never be bored.
Soon Cherim returned, and Babukh told him about the wonderful accordion and asked her brother to get it.
Cherim sat on the faithful alp and set off on a long journey. Cherim's horse understood human speech and could speak himself. When they began to approach the rocks, the Alp said to his master:
“Soon we will reach the rocks.” The moment they disperse, give me one churek and hit me with the whip three times. I'll jump between the rocks, and you grab the accordion on the fly.
And so they did.
Like the wind, the Alp rushed between the rocks - Cherim barely had time to grab the accordion. As soon as the horse jumped out, the rocks moved with a grinding sound and almost tore off the alp’s tail.
Cherim brought an accordion to his beloved sister. She was all made of pure gold, and when she played, everyone who listened to her forgot about all worries and illnesses.
Babukh became cheerful and sat and played. And the sorceress thought that Cherim must have died between the rocks, but just in case she decided to check. She came to Babukh and saw a wonderful accordion in her hands. Even the witch turned green with anger and came up with a new crime.
“It’s a good harmonica,” she said, “but getting it is not the most difficult thing in the world.” I heard that behind those mountains there live seven brothers and they have one and only sister. A wonderful apple tree grows in her garden. Within one day, buds bloom on it, it blooms, fades, and by evening beautiful, tasty apples ripen on the branches. If Cherim loved you, he would plant that apple tree in your garden and make the girl your maid.
Cherim returned, and Babukh told him about the wonderful apple tree.
What to do? Cherim could not refuse his beloved sister, so he sat on his alp and set off on a long journey. He reached the mountains where the brothers lived, grabbed the girl, uprooted a wonderful apple tree and galloped back. The brothers set off in pursuit of him and quickly caught up with him. They took his sister and the apple tree away from him, and they threw him into prison. But they could not catch his alp, he escaped and ran home.
Babukh led the alpa into the stable, brought him fresh hay and fresh grass, but the horse did not even touch them. Babukh became alarmed and said:
“Tell me, faithful Alp, what happened to my only brother, where did you leave him?”
“If you want your only brother to return,” answered the Alp, “take your golden accordion and sit in my saddle.” I will take you to the brothers' domain and sit you by the path along which they usually carry water. When you start playing your harmonica, the brothers will come out to listen to music, and you will ask them to free Cherim.
And so they did. Babukh sat down by the path and began to play. At this time, the sister of those brothers went to fetch water. She heard Babukh playing and stopped. Babukh played so beautifully and sincerely that the girl did not move from her place, sat down by the path and forgot where and why she was going.
She sat there for a long time, and the brothers began to worry - what happened to their sister? The brother came out and said:
- Why are you stuck here, sister? “But then Babukh heard the game and, amazed, froze in place. The second brother followed him out, then the third, the fourth. All seven brothers sat down around Babukh and, without moving, listened to her play. Suddenly Babukh stopped playing. The brothers came to their senses.
“For the sake of Allah, play more, let us hear enough of the wonderful music,” they began to ask.
- I will play for you as much as you want, just free my only brother! - answered Babukh.
The brothers couldn't wait to hear the magical sounds again. They immediately freed Cherim, gave him their beautiful sister as a wife, and in addition a wonderful tree.
Babukh played for her brothers as much as they wanted, and then she became the wife of the most beautiful and brave of them.
Let the one who reads this fairy tale be lucky, like Babukh and Cherim.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru