Where it was - there it was - in the distant kingdom, in the thirtieth state, beyond the red sea, behind the glass mountain, behind the wooden rock, the city stood. In that city there lived a king and he had three sons. The two eldest are nice guys in appearance, and the third is a hot-headed guy, nicknamed Zamarashka. This little scruffy guy only knew what to do to sit behind the stove. One day the father put them in front of him and said:
- My sons, look how big you are! It's time to test whether you're any good. Go, walk around the world. Let the eldest get ready first.
The eldest did not linger, took more money from his father’s treasury, a good horse, sparkling armor - and rode off!
For a whole year he wandered through the mountains, through the valleys, through the deserts, until he reached the copper forest.
- Well, that's enough for me! - he said to himself. “It’s time to return home, I’ll just grab something from this forest as a souvenir.”
He looked around and broke off a copper twig. He returned home and shouted to his father from afar:
- Father, father! Oh, how far away I was! I reached the copper forest itself! Look, here's a twig!
But the father answers:
“And only then did you leave home and wander around for so long?” After all, your mother and I once walked into the copper forest in the morning. I see that you are of little use in the world. Go now, my middle son; What should I cook for you on the road?
And the middle one also took a good horse, shining armor, and more money. I said goodbye to my family and off I went! A year later he reached the copper forest and broke off a twig as a souvenir. I thought and thought and moved on. If he returns halfway, his father will begin to shame him, which, they say, he managed no more than his brother. He walked and wandered through the mountains, through the valleys, through the deserts, until he reached the silver forest.
“Hey,” he said, “my brother hasn’t been here yet.” Well, this silver forest is beautiful!
He admired and admired and broke off the silver twig. He began to drive up to the house and shouted from a distance:
- Father! Father! I was further than my brother. Look, here is a twig from a silver forest!
But the father answers:
“And you, son, have nothing to boast about.” After all, your mother and I once walked into the silver forest at noon. Both of you will be useless! Well, what about you, the third?!
“Well, father,” the youngest son answers. “Maybe something will come of me.” It was my turn to try my luck.
The older brothers almost burst out laughing: Zamarashka is going to travel around the world! I was sitting behind the stove, and right there! And his father, in his thoughts, did not stand up for him. Zamarashka got upset that he wasn’t worth a penny and left.
He walks sadly around the yard, walks, and doesn’t even notice how he comes out to a dung heap. He sees a skinny nag lying there. Suddenly the nag says the following words to Zamarashka:
- Don’t worry, Zamarashka! You and I will become friends. Go to your father and boldly ask him to give you me for the journey, and a rusty saber from the closet, he knows which one - and nothing more. Your father will try to dissuade you, but you stand firm and everything will be fine.
Zamarashka thanked the nag and went to his father:
- Well, Zamarashka? Have you ever thought about walking around the world?
- I haven’t changed my mind, father! - Zamarashka bravely answered him.
-What are you asking for on the road?
“Nothing, father, just a rusty saber from the closet and that skinny nag lying on a dung heap!”
The father shook his head, he didn’t want to respect his request, why, they say, do you need this! Yes, only Zamarashka stands firm on his position. The king had to agree.
Zamarashka attached a rusty saber to his belt, and tied the nag to a straw rope and led it. The brothers roll around laughing, people stare and stop, and the nag stumbles on all fours and gets stuck in the mud. The dirty little one almost drags her along, doesn’t pay attention to anyone, you know he’s helping his little horse.
At the very least, they finally got out of the city.
Zamarashka got off the nag and decided to walk. But then our nag shook itself and turned into a dashing, fast horse.
“You, Zamarashka, don’t think that I’m a simple nag, I’m your father’s horse-fire, and your rusty sword is not a simple sword, but a treasure sword.” You order him and he himself will begin to chop down the enemy. Feed me, give me a trough of oats and a trough of fire!
Zamarashka was delighted and immediately brought his horse both oats and fire! He ate, and all the veins in him began to play.
Zamarashka jumped on his horse, and now they were flying over the mountains, over the valleys, over the green forests.
Soon the winged horse stopped:
“Here,” says the horse, “that copper forest that your elder brother reached, I took your father and mother here for breakfast.” Dismount and give me a trough of oats and a trough of fire!
Zamarashka did not hesitate, fed the horse, and they rushed off again, only valleys and mountains flashing before their eyes. A minute later the winged horse neighed:
“Here we are in the silver forest, which your brother took two years to get to.” This is where I carried your father and mother at noon. Dismount and give me oats and fire!
The horse ate oats and fire, and they flew on. Soon the winged horse stopped again.
- Well, here we are in the golden forest. Your brothers have never been here. Feed me one more time, and we’ll spend the night with your father’s old friend.
Zamarashka fed the horse with oats and fire and before he had time to look back, they found themselves in a large castle. Zamarashka entered and politely bowed to the owner:
“Hey, son,” the old king was surprised, “have I really seen a living person in my old age?” Is this really my friend's son? You seem to be a capable guy, you walked through all three forests in one day, otherwise my friend is sending his son to me. There has never been and never will be such a friendship as your father and I have. After all, we fought with Baba Yaga when we were young. He probably told you!
“I didn’t tell you,” answers Zamarashka, “but I gave you a saber!”
- Yeah, this saber has beaten many witch soldiers! But the trouble is - the more of them fall, the more they rise from the ground. And now your father and I have become old, we had to give up Baba Yaga.
“Well, I’ll try to fight her,” said Zamarashka. – You don’t mind, do you?
- Against! I feel sorry for your youth. Better come back! Baba Yaga has gathered her entire army and will attack us in the morning. What am I? What will happen cannot be avoided, but you, a young man, must live. Go home and tell your father about me.
But Zamarashka did not back down from his words. Dawn had just broken, and he was already sitting on a winged horse and, together with the royal army, was galloping towards the enemies. The witch troops scattered throughout the field. In the middle of the army, on a high platform, Baba Yaga herself stands and gives orders.
- Boldly, forward! - Zamarashka cried and was the first to rush towards the enemy. He orders his sword to cut and it cuts the enemy left and right! But what’s the point if the witch’s army seems to appear from underground. As long as the sword is laid down, so many new soldiers will rise up! But Zamarashka made his way to the witch’s platform and ordered the sword to cut it down. The platform collapsed, Baba Yaga fell to the ground, and then her power came to an end!
And the army disappeared, every single soldier fell through the ground.
The king was glad that in his old age he got rid of Baba Yaga and asked Zamarashka to stay with him. But he doesn’t want to, he hurries to his father.
He got ready and flew on his winged horse. He didn’t stop anywhere, he just fed the horse near the gold, silver and copper forests with oats and fire, and in each forest he broke off a twig.
But when they reached their hometown, the winged horse again turned into a starved nag and trudged along, barely moving its legs. People stare and collapse with laughter. The brothers mock, and the father sternly asks:
- Well, my son, where have you been?
“Look, father,” Zamarashka answers him, “here’s a copper twig—that’s where I had breakfast, here’s a silver one—that’s where I was at noon, and spent the night behind the golden forest with your old friend.” Here's a golden branch for you. Your friend bows to you cordially.
– Thank you, son, you’re great! Is my old friend still alive? So the damned Baba Yaga didn’t ruin him?
“She would have ruined it, but her arms are short.” We defeated her, got rid of her forever, but her army disappeared into the ground!
My father was pleased with this news. He told his son about his friend’s three daughters. All three beauties are one more beautiful than the other, but the trouble is: the witch’s dragon sons carried them away. And there is no one brave enough to rescue them.
Zamarashka heard and decided to free those beauties. The father dissuades him: it’s a dangerous idea, they say, but Zamarashka insists and asks his father to give his consent.
King Zamarashka allowed him to try his luck.
He went straight to his horse and said:
- My hobby, my hobby, it’s time for you and me to get ready for the journey!
“I know,” the horse answers, “I know what you’re up to.” This is a dangerous business; no one has yet been able to defeat those dragons.
Zamarashka smiled:
- After all, no one could cope with Baba Yaga! Let's go!
“Well, if that’s what you want,” the winged horse agreed, “get ready, let’s go!”
In the morning at dawn they set off: the skinny nag barely trudged through the city, stumbled - well, just laughing, and that’s all!
And outside the city, the horse shook itself off, ate oats and fire, and now they were flying - breathtaking. They passed the copper, silver, and golden forest, and for the night they again stopped in a large castle with a friend’s father.
King Zamarashka is happy and persuades him to rest and have some fun.
“No, I have no time for rest, no time for entertainment,” answers Zamarashka. “I think you also want to see your daughters alive and well as soon as possible.”
“It’s better not to talk about them,” the king said sadly. “Now they won’t be able to escape from the dragon’s claws.” And you, son, won’t save them and you yourself will disappear!
“We’ll see if it’s lost or not.” Tell me better how to get to those dragons.
The king thought for a long time, doubted it, but in the end he promised to show it.
The next day they got together and drove, drove and drove until they reached the borders of the royal land. King Zamarashka shows a huge cave and says sadly:
“There, my eldest daughter is languishing near the dragon with three heads.” If you manage to defeat him, she will show you the way to the second sister. Well, go, I wish you good luck!
Zamarashka said goodbye to the king and his squad, and headed towards that cave. I wandered back and forth for a long time, searching and searching for the dragon, but could not find it. Suddenly he sees light. He went into the light and reached a beautiful castle. The dirty little one boldly goes to the castle, and a beautiful princess meets him. He says hello - but it’s not fun.
- Oh, dear man, where did you come from? I’ve lived here for so many years, but I haven’t seen a person! I just feel sorry for you, good fellow, very sorry! My husband will come and eat you!
– What happens cannot be avoided! - Zamarashka answers her. “I want to measure my strength with him and free you!”
Then a club rattled in the yard - and it weighed twenty-five pounds - and the ground began to tremble.
- Oh, my husband is back! Now no one can enter here, no one can leave,” exclaimed the frightened princess. “Here’s my ring for you, turn it and you’ll become strong like a hundred fellows.” In the meantime, hide!
As soon as I finished speaking, the dragon was already right there, sniffing the corners and shouting:
- Wife, it smells like a man in here! Who is he? Where is he? I'll eat it!
- Oh, dear hubby, why should a person be here? You know that even a sparrow cannot get here, let alone a man.
- No, wife! I can smell the human spirit! Give me a man here! “Or I’ll eat you,” the dragon roared even more fearfully.
Here Zamarashka could not stand it, he went out and blocked the princess with himself:
- Here I am! What do you want from me?
- And from me to you? Apparently, you are a brave guy if you answer like that!
- Let's fight! - Shouts Zamarashka.
– If that’s what you want, I’m not against it either. Let’s leave the cave, it will be freer there,” the dragon roars.
They left the cave. Zamarashka took off his sword, turned the ring on his finger and immediately felt stronger than a hundred fellows.
The dragon growled, grabbed Zamarashka and slammed him knee-deep into the ground. But Zamarashka freed himself and drove the dragon into the ground up to his waist. The dragon barely got out, lifted Zamarashka and also drove him into the ground up to his waist. Zamarashka got out, gathered his strength, and when he slammed the dragon to the ground, he was all buried in the ground, only his heads were sticking out. The dragon cannot move; it only licks its gaping mouths with its tongues and spews out flames. Then Zamarashka ordered his sword to completely demolish all the dragon heads!
Zamarashka goes to the princess, and she kisses him in joy and asks him to take her home immediately. But Zamarashka orders the way to the middle sister. The eldest dissuades him: his sister’s husband is a six-headed dragon, even fiercer and more terrible than the three-headed one! But Zamarashka does not listen, he is going to fight the dragon.
He came to the second castle. The middle princess saw him and was barely alive from fright:
- Oh, dear man, how did you get here? I’ve been languishing here for so many years, and I haven’t seen a person yet. Run, run away from here, good fellow! My husband will come and devour you now!
I didn’t even have time to finish, and a club of fifty pounds was already flying at the gate, and the earth was already shaking.
- Oh, it’s my husband who’s returned! Now no one can enter here, no one can get out of here,” exclaimed the frightened princess. “Here’s my ring for you, turn it on your finger, and you’ll become as strong as two hundred young men.”
Zamarashka hid just in time: the dragon had already arrived, sniffed all the corners and roared:
- Wife, we smell like a man! Who is he, where is he? I'll eat it!
- Dear hubby, where does a person come from here? After all, we don’t even see or hear a sparrow, let alone a person.
- No, wife, it smells like a man, bring it here! Otherwise I'll eat you! – the dragon roared even more terrifyingly.
Then Zamarashka stood in front of the princess so that the dragon would not inadvertently touch her and said: “Here I am!” What do you want?
- Oh, you worm of the earth! Or are you really so brave that you answer so boldly?
– If you don’t believe it, let’s fight! – Zamarashka does not give up.
The dragon grumbled and dragged Zamarashka out of the cave. The dragon grabbed Zamarashka and thrust him waist-deep into the ground, but he turned the magic ring and became strong, like two hundred fellows. Zamarashka jumped up, as if nothing had happened, and squeezed the dragon so hard that his bones cracked, and then threw him to the ground - only his heads were sticking out, flames were shooting out of all his throats, smoke was pouring out. The messy one gives the order to his sword and all six dragon heads fly off one after another!
Zamarashka sighed, wiped the sweat from his forehead and returned to the middle princess. She hugs him, kisses him, and gets ready to go home. But Zamarashka does not agree and tells him to show him the way to his younger sister.
“How will we appear before our father,” he says, “if I don’t bring you all?” With that I moved on.
For a long time he made his way through dense forests, along rocky paths, until he came to the third castle, where the younger sister of a twelve-headed dragon was languishing.
The princess was frightened and wrings her hands:
- Oh, good man, how did you get here? I've been living here for a long time - I don't see a human face! Run, good fellow, run! My husband will come back and tear you to pieces!
I didn’t have time to finish speaking when a hundred-pound baton flew into the yard. Everything around began to thunder, and now no one could enter or leave.
- Oh, what will happen now! Take this ring quickly, turn it and you will become strong, like three hundred fellows!
And the dragon had already opened the doors, sniffed all the corners and roared:
- Wife, it smells like a man in here! Where is he? Who is he? I'll tear him apart!
- Dear hubby, where does a person come from here? - the princess reassures him. “Not even a sparrow can get to us, let alone a person!”
- Don't be cunning, wife! It smells like a man here, bring it here! If you don’t give it back, I’ll eat you! - the dragon thunders.
Zamarashka jumped out, blocked the princess with himself and said:
- Here I am. What do you want?
- Oh, you little bug! Why did you come? Apparently, you really are brave for answering me so boldly!
“If you don’t believe it, let’s fight,” says Zamarashka.
The dragon began to grumble that some small fry was getting under his feet, but nevertheless he went with Zamarashka into a wide field.
“Well, come here, little insect,” the dragon shouts, “or I’ll grab you and get out of you!”
Zamarashka grabbed the dragon, squeezed it - its bones only cracked, and drove it into the ground up to its knees. Can you really cope with a dragon? He will jump out and drive Zamarashka into the ground up to his waist. Zamarashka got out, turned all three rings on his fingers at once and felt great strength within himself. He grabbed the dragon across the belly, its back began to crack, and drove it into the ground, only its heads sticking out. The dragon opened its mouth, stuck out its tongues, smoke and flames burst from its mouth! Zamarashka almost collapses from the heat. Then the magic sword jumped out of its sheath. Zamarashka shouts, encourages his sword:
- My sword, dear, cut until you chop it!
The end has come for the dragon.
Zamarashka sighed with relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead and went to the younger princess. She looks at him tenderly, and he doesn’t take his eyes off her, she’s too beautiful!
They collected what was best from the castle, loaded it onto a winged horse and set off. We stopped at the middle sister along the way, then the eldest, grabbed more goods from all the castles and safely reached the royal castle.
The old king became younger in joy. He started talking about the wedding. He will read his youngest daughter as a wife to Zamarashka. But Zamarashka did not even listen to this and flew on a winged horse to his father to boast about his victories and keep advice on how to continue to live.
On the way, he stopped at a golden forest, then at a silver and copper forest, fed the horse, and broke off a twig.
When they reached the city, the winged horse turned into a skinny nag and dragged itself to the royal castle. But the father leaned out of the window, saw his son and shouted:
- Thank God! Finally my beloved son is back! – and rushed towards him.
Zamarashka told how he killed the dragons and returned his daughters to their old father.
– You’re doing great, no matter what! – the king patted Zamarashka on the shoulder. - Now we can play weddings. I have three of you and three of those sisters too: one is more beautiful than the other!
The two elders, who were sitting on a bench at home, agreed without embarrassment, immediately got together, wooed each other and brought their wives to their palace.
And Zamarashka keeps sighing and walking around the house thoughtfully.
- What's wrong with you? - the brothers ask. - Why are you hanging your nose? Or who offended? Did the chickens eat all the bread?
Here the father intervened:
- What’s wrong with you, Zamarashka, that you’re not happy, if everyone is happy? After all, you are our hero - you get to have fun first!
“But I don’t enjoy joy, father,” Zamarashka answers him, “I can’t have fun until I find out if there is anyone in the world stronger than me?”
The father pretended not to hear, and again began to persuade his son to bring his bride into the house and live with her in love and harmony. But Zamarashka just shakes her head and asks again:
- Tell me, father, who in the world is stronger than me?
“The only one stronger than you, my son, is the Iron Monk,” the father answers sadly. “But no one can get along with him, because he knows everything, even someone else’s thoughts.” The Iron Monk will say a word and immediately his wish will come true. You can't even get close to him.
- Hey! No one has approached Baba Yaga and her dragon sons before me either! “I’ll go and consult with my faithful horse,” Zamarashka answers his father.
- My faithful horse, why are you standing sad? - asks Zamarashka. The faithful horse tells him:
- How can I not be sad if you are planning to go to the Iron Monk! We will only begin to approach, and he will already turn us into whatever he wants, and then our strength will come to an end. No, I won't go to the Iron Monk.
“Well, if you won’t go yourself, then at least take me,” Zamarashka answers the horse.
- Okay, but just don’t ask for anything else.
Zamarashka quickly ran to his father. And he again tried to dissuade him, and tried this way and that, but realized that he would not achieve his goal and let his beloved son go on a long journey.
As soon as Zamarashka left the gates, the king ordered the castle to be dressed in mourning:
- We will no longer be in the castle of joy, we will not see our Zamarashka!
Meanwhile, Zamarashka passed through the copper, silver and gold forest and landed in the castle of the old king. He sees that the whole castle is in mourning.
“What is this?” thought Zamarashka. “The wedding party has not yet ended, and mourning has already been declared.
And there is truly grief. While the wedding was being played, the youngest princess went out for a walk, and the Iron Monk suddenly attacked her and dragged her away.
Zamarashka was already impatient to fight the Iron Monk, but then he hurried even more, hurried, his horse rushed to the castle where the monk lives, and on the way he said:
– You see the castle that shakes on the chicken’s leg, that’s where the Iron Monk lives! It's not too late to return, because you can't deal with him. But do as you please, and I’ll wait for you here and see what happens to you!
“What will be will be, I’m going!” - replied Zamarashka and bravely moved towards the castle.
And the Iron Monk already knows about Zamarashka and is waiting for him with the princess in the courtyard. The princess looks at Zamarashka kindly, and the Iron Monk looks like a beast:
“Now you can’t get away from me.” Well, become a millet right away!
And at the same moment, Zamarashka scattered on the ground like millet grains. The monk shouted to the rooster that was digging in a pile of garbage:
- Rooster, peck the grain!
The rooster pecked all the grain without a trace, and here came the end of our Trash. He would have disappeared completely if not for the princess. She thought, thought, what to do, how to save Zamarashka? She went to the Iron Monk and said to him flatteringly and affectionately:
“Now you are dear to me, when I saw with my own eyes what miracles you work!” No one in the world can handle you! I just want to know if you can do everything the way it was again?
- Leave me alone! – the Iron Monk got angry and walked away from the princess, and the princess followed him. She pestered and pestered until she found out that in such and such a room there were two sabers hanging on the wall, and day and night they fought with each other. If you throw an enchanted thing between them, they will cut it into pieces and free it from the evil spell.
And that’s all the princess needs. She made her way into the yard and: “chick, chick, chick, chick, chick, chick, chick, chick, chick!” she called the rooster. She caught it, took the grains out of the crop and ran into the room, threw it between two sabers, the sabers cut them into small crumbs, and Zamarashka stood in front of her, safe and sound. She kept him quiet. He orders, he doesn’t even let him whisper a word, so that the thought of him doesn’t even cross his mind. Princess Zamarashka hides him and tells him to sit there and not breathe until she finds out something else from the Iron Monk.
The princess returned to the Iron Monk, fawned over him, trying to find out what his extraordinary power was. But that was not the case. The monk pushed her away and ordered her to leave the chambers.
And the princess again stood her ground and pestered him until he softened:
- Well, if this deprives you of sleep and peace, so be it, listen: every seven years a golden duck flies over the sea. Whoever catches her, and takes the golden egg out of her and eats it, will become omnipotent. Everything he thinks about or wants to know about, he finds out immediately. And his word is law for everyone! Today just seven years are coming to an end and that duck will fly in in the evening. Tomorrow I will again become the ruler of the world for seven years. And you will be mine forever!
- But of course, my dear, of course! - the princess flatteringly agrees with him, and she herself waits for the monk to fall asleep more soundly.
But then it began to get dark, and the princess hurried to the sea to meet the golden duck. He looks and the duck is already swimming on the waves. The princess hurried to share the news with Zamarashka and told him everything.
- Go, Zamarashka, quickly! - she urges him. - Get out through these doors and run to the sea - it’s soon midnight. Look, at dawn you must become an all-powerful master, otherwise neither you nor I will expect mercy from the Iron Monk!
Zamarashka got out of captivity and ran to the sea, began to lure the golden duck - “duck, duck, duck”, and the duck itself swam into his hands. No such luck! As soon as he caught the duck and put the golden egg in his mouth, the Iron Monk was standing over him and snatched the egg from him. But Zamarashka was a clever guy! He pushed him away and shouted: “Become a boar!” And at the same instant the Iron Monk turned into a boar and rushed into the forest. Zamarashka was now the strongest, the most powerful in the world!
Our Zamarashka hurries to his dear princess, and she is already running towards him. They got married and became husband and wife forever.
And the winged horse can’t wait for Zamarashka. The young people sat on his back and flew to the castle to the princess’s father. And there, as soon as they were seen, the mourning was broken, the castle was dressed in red, and let’s walk and have fun! We took a walk, took the old king with us and went to Zamarashkin’s father.
And in that city and in the castle they already know about Zamarashka’s victory, they rejoice and rejoice. They took off the mourning, decorated everything around in red and named the glorious winner the Great Zamarashka.
The old friends, the kings, hugged each other in joy. And they gave their crowns to Zamarashka.
Our Zamarashka became king over both kingdoms. Maybe he’s still sitting on the throne now, if he’s not dead.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru