Tales of North Africa
Wooden girl
Wild duck, fox and raven
The woodcutter, his friends and enemies
Hare and buffalo
Hare and tortoise
How the mice survived
How the jackal and the hyena visited
How a jackal and a hyena extracted honey
How a jackal and a hyena hunted a hippopotamus
How a jackal and a hyena caught fish
Crocodile and cormorant
Crocodile and white fish
Sesame seed
Partridge, hedgehog and camel
Lion and stupid Donkey
Lion and man
Lion, Fox and Wolf
Fox and Turtle Dove
Wise Crow
Wise Donkey
Ant and Cricket
About a smart mouse
Monkey and Turtle
The Silent Princess
Bird of Wisdom
Wooden girl
They say that in ancient times there lived a king, and he had a beautiful wife, whom he loved very much. And that king also had a magic ring that could fulfill any order of the owner, any mandate. And the king lived, knowing neither worries nor sorrows. However, his happiness did not last long - his beautiful wife died in childbirth, leaving behind a little daughter.
Many years passed, but the king was still inconsolable. Nothing made him happy - neither countless riches, nor beautiful slaves, nor a wonderful ring. Out of grief and melancholy, he even forgot about his little daughter. She grew up surrounded by the care of maids and slaves, almost never leaving the distant palace chambers. And the years went by and went by, and the tsar’s daughter imperceptibly turned into a beautiful girl, very similar to her mother.
One day, while walking through the palace garden, the king saw his daughter, and she reminded him of his late wife so much that he, having lost his mind, desired her and began to covet her love.
Fear took possession of the girl’s heart, and she realized that she could no longer stay in her father’s palace. One day in the dead of night she took a magic ring and a wallet with money and left the palace.
First of all, the girl found a carpenter in a nearby village and ordered him to make a wooden doll, the size of a living person and hollow inside. And as soon as the order was completed, the girl paid the carpenter, took the doll and wandered off wherever she looked. Every time she had to enter an unfamiliar city or village, she climbed inside a wooden doll, and everyone was amazed - what an unprecedented miracle was walking!
The girl knocked on many doors with a wooden hand. walked around the market squares and offered everywhere:
-Who needs a maid? Who needs a maid? But people looked at her in surprise and laughed:
- A maid made of wood? Who needs this! The princess despaired that no one wanted to take her into service. Once finding herself in a large capital city, she went straight to the royal palace and knocked on the gate. The guard opened the gate, but saw no one and closed it again. The girl knocked a second time, and again the guard saw no one. But the girl did not leave and knocked a third time. As soon as the guard opened the gate, she said:
- I want to serve in the palace.
The guard was surprised and hurried to tell the king that a wooden girl had arrived who spoke in a human voice and wanted to serve in the palace. The king laughed and ordered the girl to be brought into the palace and assigned to serve in the baths.
And then it was time for the wedding of the prince - the king's son. He was supposed to marry his uncle's daughter. Preparations for the wedding celebrations began in the palace. The queen entrusted each slave and maid with some task, only the wooden girl did not give any work.
Then the wooden girl herself asked the queen to allow her to serve in the kitchen. The queen was delighted at her request and instructed her to cook the meat. But the girl expressed a desire to prepare every single dish that would be served at the wedding. She said that she could do it before the queen counted to one hundred. If she breaks her promise, then let her head be cut off. The girl set only one condition: all servants and slaves must leave the kitchen, leaving her there alone. The queen was surprised, but agreed to fulfill the girl’s request.
As soon as the kitchen doors closed behind the last maid, the girl took out a magic ring and ordered to prepare a wide variety of dishes, put them on trays and decorate them.
And indeed, before the queen had time to count to one hundred, a girl came out and invited her to try the food. The queen was amazed by what she saw, and after tasting the dishes, she was even more amazed.
Celebrations began in the palace. Guests began to gather, bright lights came on, and loud music began to play. And then the wooden girl asked the queen to give her one of her dresses as a reward for the prepared dishes. The queen was surprised at this unusual request, but could not refuse the girl. And she chose a dress the color of the bright sun. She emerged from the wooden doll, skillfully decorated herself and appeared to the guests.
The guests were amazed at the extraordinary beauty of the girl - she was the most beautiful of all the girls at the holiday. The dress suited her so well and shone so much with the rays of the shining sun that the queen did not even recognize her dress or her maid. The girl stood behind the bride. The prince-groom approached the bride, holding in his hands a necklace of precious stones, a gold bracelet and an expensive ring. But, seeing the girl, he was fascinated by her beauty, his head began to spin, he forgot about the bride and, not realizing what he was doing, put a ring on the maid’s finger, a bracelet on her wrist and a necklace on her neck. The bride got angry and left the hall. At the same moment, the wooden girl disappeared.
The king, queen and guests were confused, and the whole palace was filled with excitement. Everything happened so quickly that most of the guests did not understand what happened. The bride declared that she would not stay a minute longer in the palace and would leave it immediately, and the prince responded by announcing that he did not want to marry her.
Less than a week had passed before the prince fell seriously ill. Doctors and sorcerers gathered at his bedside, but could not decide how to cure him. And then a wooden girl approaches the queen and says that she knows a way to heal the prince. The queen was delighted and asked the girl to quickly begin treatment. The girl took some flour, mixed it with water and gave it to the prince. He refused to drink. Then the girl quietly placed next to the bowl with the “potion” the same ring that the prince had put on her finger. She brought the prince a drink again and said:
- Look what lies next to the bowl. As soon as the prince saw the ring, he drank the drink in one gulp, smiled and asked:
- Tell me, where is the one from whom you took the ring now?
“She will come to you herself,” the girl answered, “but not before you drink this medicine three times - once a day.” There are only two days left, and your beloved will appear to you in a dress the color of the shining sun.
-Where is she? - exclaimed the prince.
The wooden girl remained silent in response.
And the prince began to recover. The next day, while giving the prince the medicine, the girl placed a bracelet next to the bowl, and on the third day, a necklace. The prince almost completely recovered from his illness. On the third day he asked the girl:
-Where is my beloved?
And then the princess came out of the wooden doll and told the prince her whole story, taking his word that for the time being he would keep it a secret.
The prince went to his father and asked permission to marry a wooden girl - a servant. The king became angry and answered:
“I wanted to marry you to my brother’s daughter, a rich and noble princess. So why did you behave so disgracefully, put the ring on the finger of some other girl and gave her the bracelet and necklace? You cruelly insulted the princess, she was offended and left our palace forever.
But the prince firmly stood his ground. When the queen found out about this, she was extremely upset. However, her great love for her son and fears for his health forced her to agree to the wedding. She tearfully begged the king to take pity on her son. And he finally gave in to her pleas.
Meanwhile, the wooden girl instructed the magic ring to build a large crystal palace for the wedding day, furnish it with beautiful, hitherto unprecedented furniture, cover it with lush carpets, pillows made of ostrich feathers, arrange golden bowls and the most expensive dishes with outlandish dishes. The palace must be larger and richer than the king's palace. And he should also have a beautiful garden that would please the eye and please the heart. And the princess also ordered to deliver her a silver moon-colored dress, earrings with precious stones in the frame of the eyes and a large diamond in the shape of the mouth.
And magnificent celebrations were held. But the king was angry, the queen was sad, and the guests did not smile or laugh. Just think, a prince marries a wooden maid!
But then the newlyweds entered the hall - a handsome prince, and next to him a beautiful houri, from one glance at which one could go blind. The silver dress she wore shone like rare pearls, long earrings hung in her ears, and a large diamond in the shape of a mouth sparkled on her forehead. But the beauty of the girl’s lips surpassed the beauty of this stone. The king immediately recognized this beauty as the same stranger with whom the prince had fallen madly in love and to whom he presented gifts instead of a bride. The king approached the girl and asked:
- Who are you and where are you from, beautiful guria?
And then the princess told about everything that had happened to her. The hearts of the king and his wife were filled with pity and great love for this girl.
Before the holiday had even ended, everyone saw that a new crystal palace had risen next to the royal palace, emitting a soft white light. No one had ever seen such beauty before. With a smile the princess then said to the king:
- This is my palace. Come to me. She led the king, queen, prince and all the guests into her crystal palace. Everyone was amazed by its splendor and the beauty of the garden, where many flowers emitted an intoxicating aroma. The princess expressed a desire for the festivities to continue in her palace. And they lasted forty days and forty nights. And when the festivities ended, the princess and the prince lived in contentment and happiness, and she bore him many sons and daughters.
Wild duck, fox and raven
A wild duck raised chicks on a high palm tree. The fox came with a spade, which she had molded from clay, stopped under a palm tree and loudly greeted the duck. When she answered the greeting, the fox said:
- Listen, duck, if you don’t throw me one of your chicks, I will knock down a palm tree with a spade and eat you along with the whole brood.
The duck dropped one chick. The fox grabbed it and ate it.
The next day the fox came again and said the same thing he said the day before. And the duck again dropped one of the chicks. The fox grabbed him again and ate him.
This happened on the third day. But when the fox left, a raven flew to visit the duck. He saw that the duck was crying and asked:
- Why are you crying?
“The fox came with a spade,” answered the duck, “and said that he would knock down the palm tree and eat me and my children if I did not throw one duckling to her.” I threw her a chick. The next day the fox came again, and I again gave her one of the chicks. And today she appeared again. I threw the chick to her for the third time. I'm crying with grief. After all, the fox has already eaten three of my children!
“We birds have wings to fly,” said the raven to the duck. “Tell this to the fox tomorrow when she comes.” If a fox knocks down a palm tree, fly away and sit on another one.
The raven said so and left.
The next morning the fox appeared again and demanded the fourth chick. But the duck answered her as the raven advised. She said:
- If you want to cut down this palm tree, cut it down. We'll fly to another one.
The fox hit the palm tree with a spade, but the spade was made of clay and immediately shattered. “The raven arranged all this for me, of course,” thought the fox.
And so the fox lay down in the hole on his back and pretended to be dead. A raven flew in and, seeing the fox, said:
- For a long time, dead foxes have had the habit of moving one ear.
And the fox immediately moved his ear.
- You're still alive, fox! - the raven exclaimed and flew away. The fox got up, lay down in another hole and again pretended to be dead. The raven flew up to her and said:
- For a long time, dead foxes have a habit of moving their tails!
And the fox immediately wagged its tail.
- You're still alive, fox! - the raven exclaimed and flew away.
The fox got up, walked a little and lay down in the hole again, closing his eyes. A raven flew in and said:
- For a long time, dead foxes have a habit of opening and closing their eyes.
But the fox remained motionless, did not even blink an eye. She lay there as if dead. The raven thought that the fox had died, flew down and sat on her. The fox immediately grabbed him.
“My father and my mother cursed me like this: “May the fox catch you, may he push you from the top of a high mountain and devour your crushed bones!” - said the raven.
The fox carried the crow to the top of a high mountain and pushed him down, while she ran as fast as she could to the foot. But, of course, the crow didn’t find it. The fox looked up and saw that a raven was flying high in the sky, describing circles in the air.
“Would you like to come down?” the fox shouted to the crow.
- You're stupid! - answered the raven. “Didn’t I tell the duck this so that she could tell you?” Didn't she tell you that we birds have wings to fly? Why didn't you eat me right away? Why did she take me to the top of the mountain and push me down - because I could fly away?
“Yes, it’s all my fault!” - thought the fox. And she ran away, hanging her head in shame.
The woodcutter, his friends and enemies
They say that one woodcutter’s wife died, leaving him with seven children. The woodcutter went to the forest every day and worked from morning to night, but lived in great poverty. After all, the forest, no matter how large it was, thinned out over time, and there were more and more loggers.
One day he was returning from the forest and leading a donkey loaded with firewood. He didn't manage to chop much wood that day. Suddenly he hears some voices that seem to be coming from underground. He was surprised and went towards these voices to see who was talking. And I came across an abandoned well. I looked into it and at the very bottom I saw a man, a snake, a mouse and a lion.
- Save me, oh brother! - the man begged. - Take pity on me and get me out of here, otherwise I’ll disappear. After all, I am your brother - a man. And I wish you only the best. Don't let me die.
Before the woodcutter had time to say a word, the snake said:
- Don’t even try to save a person! His poison stings more than mine. Save me, and only me! I'll be useful to you. If you are in danger of death, I will save you.
“But how is it,” the woodcutter answers, “how can I leave my brother in trouble and save you, the snake?” And what good are you?
“What is true is true, this man is the son of people, just like you,” answered the snake. “But know that if you save him, he will someday harm you.” Pull me out and I'll give you some of my scales as a token of gratitude. When you are in danger or death shows its claws, burn these scales, and I will instantly respond to your call and help you out.
The woodcutter laughed:
- Maybe all this is true, but why think too far. Who can know whether you will betray me or not? You know what I'm afraid of: I'll pull you out, and instead of thanking you, you'll sting me.
The snake swore and swore that it would never deceive the savior.
- How can I betray the one who saved me? - she urged. “People can do this, but we, snakes, never!”
- Do not leave me! - the man shouted again. “After all, man is like brother to man; helping each other is our duty.”
Here the lion intervened:
- Oh woodcutter! Beware of man. He will surely harm you if you save him. And don't even think about pulling it out. Better get me out, I'll be useful to you. After all, I am the king of the forest, no one can compare with me in strength. I never betray those who help me. I swear, not only will I not harm you, but I will repay you with good.
- How will you do this?
- I'll give you a few hairs from my mane. As soon as you are threatened with death or any danger, burn them, I will immediately appear and save you from trouble. But I warn you: don't trust the man.
- How can you listen to him! - the man cried. “He’s still lying.” O my brother, I pray you, save me. Then the voice of a mouse was heard:
- Be careful and don’t think about saving the person! It does you no good, only harm. Save me, and I will be useful to you.
- How can you, little mouse, help me? - The woodcutter laughed.
- I'll give you a piece of my fluff. If you suffer and suffer because of poverty, burn it. I will immediately appear to you and fill your house with money. You people love money, and it will certainly help you. Is not it? Save me and I will be useful to you.
“So be it, I’ll get you all out,” the woodcutter decided.
He threw a rope into a deep well and pulled out the man first. Then the lord of the forest, then the snake and finally the mouse. All those rescued thanked the woodcutter and left, giving him their gifts: a lion - hairs from the mane, a snake - a few scales, a mouse - a piece of fluff. Their savior also went on his way.
One day, after some time, a woodcutter went to collect firewood. He went deeper into the forest, chopped wood, loaded the donkey with it and hurried home. But it so happened that he got lost. The sun has already begun to set, but the woodcutter cannot find the way to his hut. And suddenly he heard a growl and looked: three lions surrounded him, about to attack. The woodcutter was frightened, trembling all over with fear, and did not know what to do. And then he remembered about the hairs from the mane of the rescued lion, took them out of the bag and set them on fire. Before they had time to burn to the ground, a menacing roar from the ruler of the forest was heard, and all three lions froze in place. A lion, whom the woodcutter had saved, appeared, roared something in his lion tongue, and the three lions, shaking their heads, silently left. Soon the rescued lion disappeared into the thicket of the forest, but after a few moments he returned and threw a gazelle at the woodcutter’s feet. The woodcutter lit a fire, roasted a gazelle and ate a hearty meal. The lion settled down nearby. Then the woodcutter went to bed and slept until the morning under the protection of the lion, and the next morning the lion led him to the road leading to the house.
Time passed. The woodcutter earned less and less, and could not even feed his children. The woodcutter's strength was exhausted from overwork and worries, and he fell seriously ill. Hunger and need reigned at home. Then the woodcutter remembered the fluff that the mouse gave him. The woodcutter burned the fluff, and at the same moment a mouse appeared in front of him. He complained to her about his failures and poverty. The mouse listened to him and made some strange sound. The woodcutter sees: his entire yard is instantly filled with a host of mice.
“My brothers,” the mouse addressed them. “This woodcutter saved me from inevitable death.” Shouldn't we thank him?
- We are ready to reward him a hundredfold! - the mice made noise. Then the mouse, which the woodcutter had saved, proposed to dig a long hole between the woodcutter’s house and the treasury in the king’s palace. Without hesitating for a minute, everyone got to work. The mouse asked the woodcutter to bring some honey. When the hole was ready, the mouse began to smear the backs of its comrades with honey. As soon as the mice entered the treasury, bags of money stuck to their backs, and they returned with the precious cargo to the woodcutter's house. They worked like this for several hours. During this time, the mice dragged many bags of coins into the woodcutter's house. The woodcutter thanked the mice and they left.
The next morning, the keeper of the treasury discovered the loss and reported to the king.
- How did thieves dare to break into my palace?! - the king shouted angrily.
And he ordered to find the thieves, and generously reward the one who reveals the secret and indicates where the thieves are hiding. The king's messengers dispersed to all corners of the country.
The woodcutter was careful not to appear at the market with gold coins. “After all, everyone knows that I am a poor man,” he thought, “they will also start asking where I got such coins, what should I answer then?” The woodcutter was very happy when he accidentally met the man whom he had once pulled out of the well. He told him about everything that happened in the palace and asked him not to tell anyone about it. Then he gave him several bags of coins so that he could buy for himself everything he wanted from food and things, and at the same time for him, the woodcutter. But, having heard about the generous reward promised by the king for the capture of the thief, this man hurried to the palace and denounced his savior.
They brought the woodcutter to the palace. He appeared before the king, bowed low and kissed the ground at his feet.
- How dare you, despicable one, steal my treasury? - the king shouted angrily.
- I swear by Allah, O lord! I have never stolen a crumb in my life. I am an honest person and I work from morning to night to feed myself and my children.
- You are lying! - the king gets even more angry. “This man reported on you.”
And the king pointed to the man whom the woodcutter had once saved.
- You gave him several bags of gold coins. Do you know, you scoundrel, that they were stolen from me!
- Cut off my head, lord, if I lied to you even a word. Or prove that I stole at least a little from your palace.
- Well, then tell me, how did you end up with these bags of gold?
- So listen, oh lord! I once saved a mouse from death, and it gave me a piece of its fluff so that I could burn it when I felt bad. When I became completely poor and I had nothing to eat and nothing to feed my children, I burned this fluff...
And the woodcutter told the king in detail the whole story with the mice. The king marveled at what he heard and ordered to check whether the woodcutter was telling the truth. They brought a heap of fresh grass to the treasury and set it on fire. The room was immediately filled with smoke, it penetrated into all the cracks, including the secret hole dug by the mice. Soon a stream of smoke appeared in the woodcutter's house. So the king became convinced that the woodcutter was telling the truth. He rose from his throne and said:
- Whatever it is, I don’t like the fact that the treasury was robbed in my palace. If the woodcutter had lied, I would have ordered his execution. And since he told the whole truth and we know how it all happened, put him in prison for three years.
In prison, the woodcutter was constantly tormented by the thought of the children: what was wrong with them, were they starving? Three days have passed. The woodcutter almost lost his mind from heavy thoughts and suffering. But then he remembered the snake, because she promised to help him in case of danger or trouble. “Such a misfortune has come, it can’t be worse: the children are starving, and there is no help for them from anyone.” The woodcutter pulled out the scales and burned them. Before they had time to burn out, a snake appeared.
“Didn’t I warn you against man, didn’t I say that his poison is more destructive than mine and that he will bring you harm?” But I didn’t come to reproach you, but to help.
- How can you help me?! - the woodcutter exclaimed in despair.
- The king has a daughter who is dearer to him than his own eyes. I will wrap myself around her stomach, chest and neck and will kill everyone who dares to approach me. I just won't touch you. And you tell your guard that you know how to talk to snakes and can save the princess from certain death. When they bring you to the king, you will tell him that this is not a simple snake, but a queen of snakes, and that she will not let the girl go until she kills the man who did not keep the secret and forgot about gratitude. Demand that the informer be executed. You will see, they will certainly bring him and cut off his head. As soon as the execution is completed, I will immediately release the girl, and you will be given so much money that it will last you a lifetime.
The woodcutter thanked the snake.
At night, when everyone was sleeping, the snake entered the princess's bedroom, crawled onto her bed and wrapped itself around her body. The slave saw this and was horrified, rushed to the king, woke him up and told him what had happened. The king, queen, servants and maidservants, male and female slaves, and guards ran into the room. One of the guards took a step towards the bed. The snake seemed to reluctantly spit at him, and he immediately fell dead. No one even moved or moved; everyone stood in horror and was afraid to approach the snake.
The palace was plunged into sadness and despondency. And the king announced throughout the country that he would give the one who saved the princess everything he wanted.
From all over came people who claimed to have power over snakes. Before the first one had time to approach, the snake spat and he fell dead. The others backed away in fear and left the princess's bedroom.
Meanwhile, the woodcutter called the guard and said:
_Go to the king and tell him that I can save his daughter.
The guard hastened to fulfill the prisoner's request. The king was delighted and ordered the woodcutter to be brought immediately.
-Can you really save our daughter? - asked the king when the woodcutter appeared before him and kissed the ground at his feet. - If you save me, I will return your freedom and give you everything you want.
The woodcutter asked to be taken to the princess's bedroom. They brought him, but they let him into the bedroom alone, no one came with him, and the king and queen, the entire retinue and guards remained standing at the door. The woodcutter boldly approached the snake, put his hand on it, held it for a while, and then turned to the king and said:
- This is not a simple snake, but the queen of snakes, she demands that they kill the vile traitor who did not keep the secret entrusted to him and forgot about gratitude. This traitor, O lord, is the same man who reported me to you.
The king, who saw with his own eyes how the snake killed everyone who approached it, was amazed beyond measure when the woodcutter fearlessly approached it. He no longer doubted the veracity of the prisoner’s words and immediately ordered the informer to be brought in and executed. As soon as the traitor's head rolled off his shoulders, the snake let go of the princess and left the room.
The king gave freedom to the woodcutter and rewarded him so generously that he, his children, and then his children’s children lived their whole lives in wealth and prosperity.
Hare and buffalo
One day the hare saw a buffalo breaking down a tree with its horns in order to stock up on firewood.
“What’s worse about me?” thought the hare. “I can do that too.”
He ran away until he hit his forehead on a tree trunk. he hit himself so hard that his head sank into his shoulders.
The hare screamed in a voice that was not his own. The buffalo heard him. He looks - what is it? A headless hare is jumping! He came closer and saw that the hare's head had sunk into his shoulders. He grabbed the hare by the ears and pulled. The hare's head is back in place, only the ears are now long.
The hare ran home. And he vowed not to imitate the buffalo again. What a horned man can do, a hornless man cannot do!
Hare and tortoise
One day a hare met a turtle by the river and said:
- Let's run a race! We will assign a reward to the winner - a basket of the ripest fruits. Let's put the basket on a distant hill. Whoever comes running first will eat the fruit.
The turtle thought and agreed.
They filled the basket with fruits, placed it on the top of a distant hill, and returned to the river.
- Let's run! - said the hare and roared with laughter. He knew that he ran much faster than a turtle. And the tortoise knew that it could not keep up with the hare. But still she hurried as hard as she could to the distant hill.
And the hare rolled on the grass laughing and couldn’t catch his breath. Finally, when the hare came to his senses, he saw that the tortoise was already climbing a distant hill. He ran after her as fast as he could. Yes, I'm just late. When the hare reached the top of the hill, the tortoise was already eating the juicy fruits.
Why did this happen?
The turtle walked towards the goal without stopping. And the hare was lying in the grass and bragging. But a braggart has no use for fast legs.
How the mice survived
In one house there lived many mice, and there also lived a cat, as menacing as a lion. The cat was not lazy to catch mice, and there were fewer and fewer of them. The survivors became sad. Once the mice gathered for a council, judged, decided what to do if the cat continued to deal with them just as deftly, and decided that the only way to survive was not to leave their holes. And so they did. At first the cat was only annoyed, but then, when he had nothing to eat and was completely emaciated, he decided to use a trick: he lay down near the entrance to the hole and pretended to be dead. The mice saw that the cat was dead and began to congratulate each other - they thought that now they could crawl out of their holes. But among them there was one smart mouse who said:
- Oh sisters! Be careful and don't rush to leave the holes. I'm afraid that this cat is fooling us, he's alive, he just pretended to be dead. Even if I see his skin, stuffed with straw and displayed like a stuffed animal, I still won’t believe it.
The mice listened to the advice, did not leave their holes, and therefore escaped from the cunning and treacherous cat.
It is truly true what they say: whoever is persistent and patient will achieve his goal.
How the jackal and the hyena visited
One day, on the road, the jackal Rill met the hyena Yaku. It was a hot afternoon. They sat down to rest. Yaku and asks:
-Where are you going, Rill?
“On a visit,” Rill answers. “My friends promised to feed me a delicious hot stew.” And this comes in handy for me: I haven’t eaten for two days.
“Me too,” says Yaku. “You see, I hurt my paw.” And with such a paw, what a hunt! Take me, Rill, with you.
Rill agreed, and they moved on together. They walked and walked, the hyena became more and more limping. Finally I sat down and said I couldn’t go any further. There was nothing to do, Rill tied her up to make it easier to carry her, put her on his shoulders and carried her. So he brought it to the house. The owners saw him and were surprised.
-Who did you bring? - they ask.
“Yes, this is the hyena Yaku,” answers Rill. “You see, she has become lame and is completely dying of hunger.” Give us two bowls of stew, but thicker!
They sat down to feast. But Rill ate very little due to fatigue, and the hyena Yaku rested on his shoulders and now attacked the stew so greedily that he swallowed the spoon. The owners grabbed: where is the spoon? Rill says:
- I don't know
. And the hyena Yaku: it was Rill who swallowed the spoon. You see, he choked and couldn’t eat anything.
The owners attacked Rill with sticks.
- Oh, you're greedy! Oh you thief!
Rill barely fought them off and ran away. But since then he has harbored a grudge against the hyena. He vowed to take revenge and not visit guests with the hyenas again.
How a jackal and a hyena extracted honey
Soon the jackal Rill and the hyena Yaku met again. They met under a tree with a hollow from which bees were flying.
- What are they doing there, in the hollow? - asked Yaku.
- Do not you know? - Rill was feignedly surprised. “Bees collect honey there.” And I’m waiting: as soon as they collect more, I’ll feast on honey.
- How will you get it?
- Do you want me to teach you? Just listen to me in everything! The greedy hyena agreed. Rill tied her to a tree, gave her a stick in her paws and said:
- Knock on the wood harder! The bees will get scared and fly away. Then I’ll climb up and start pouring honey straight into your mouth. Let's knock, and I'll run for the ladle.
And Rill ran away. And the hyena Yaku began to knock on the tree with a stick. The bees swooped down on her and stung her almost to death. The hyena started to run, but the ropes wouldn’t let him in. Yaku howled in pain and fell unconscious. So she hung on the ropes for three days. Only on the fourth day, when the hyena was completely emaciated from hunger, did the ropes fall off her. Muttering curses, Yaku hobbled home. And from then on, he and Rill began to have a feud not to the gut, but to the death.
How a jackal and a hyena hunted a hippopotamus
Once on the bank of the river Rill met an acquaintance, and he gave the jackal a large piece of hippopotamus meat. Rill runs home and rejoices. And suddenly, around a bend in the road, he comes face to face with a hyena. Yaku saw him and howled with rage:
- That's where I got you! Now I will tear you apart for what you did to me!
- What did I do to you? - Rill was feignedly surprised. “Apparently, you knocked on wood poorly and failed to scare the bees.” And while I was going to get the ladle, I forgot about everything...
- But I’ll eat you up so I don’t forget! - Yaku growled.
- Oh, don't eat me, wait! - Rill begged. - Taste better than this meat. If you don’t like it, then you can eat me - I won’t get away from you.
“Okay,” the hyena agreed. “Give me the meat!” They quickly built a fire and fried the hippopotamus meat.
The hyena liked it so much that she softened.
“I’ll forgive you,” he says, “if you tell me where you got such juicy, tasty, tender meat.”
“It’s a simple matter,” Rill answers. “In the morning I went to the river, found a young hippopotamus on the shallows and caught him.
- How did you catch it?
- It's even easier. He took a longer rope, tied one end around his belt to make it easier to drag, made a loop at the other end and threw the hippopotamus around his neck while he slept. Then he pulled the rope, strangled the hippopotamus and cut out the best, juiciest, most tender piece from its side. And he threw the rest into the river.
The hyena's eyes lit up with greed.
“Come,” he says, “to the shore with me!” Let's get a bigger hippopotamus, it'll be enough for both of us!
“No,” answered Rill. “Forgive me, but I can’t now.” My wife is about to give birth, I need to go home. However, I can lend you a rope.
“Okay,” says Yaku, “at least give me some rope!” And the hyena hobbled towards the river. And Rill ran home as fast as he could.
Yaku came to the river and chose a larger hippopotamus on the shallows. Then she tied herself with a rope, as Rill said, made a loop at the other end of the rope and threw it around the hippopotamus’s neck. The hyena pulled the rope and woke up the hippopotamus. from being half asleep - falling into the river! And he dragged the hyena along with him. She barely got out, but only while she was freeing herself from the rope did she drink enough water. And Yaku swore to execute Rill with an evil execution.
How a jackal and a hyena caught fish
The next day the jackal Rill went to the river and caught a big fat fish there. But just as he was about to bake it over the coals, the hyena Yaku jumped out of the bushes.
“Yeah,” he says, “now you won’t leave me.” Last time I let you go out of my kindness, but today I will deal with you!
“Well,” Rill thinks, “he’s gone!”
But then the delicious smell of baked fish tickled the hyena’s nostrils. And Yaku decided to eat some fish before dealing with Rill.
- Why don’t you kill me? - Rill asked with a tremble in his voice.
“Wait, he’ll have time,” answered the hyena, licking his lips with greed. “I’ll try this fish first.”
The hyena sat down by the fire and began to eat the fish. Until she ate everything clean, she didn’t say a word. Finally the hyena finished eating, turned to Rill and asked:
- How did you catch such a fish?
"Saved!" - thought Rill and rejoiced. But he answered out loud:
- It's very simple! Go to the river and look for mounds of freshly discarded sand in the shallows. You will find such a mound, dig it up and you will see a fish with its mouth open at the bottom. Then all you have to do is stick your tail into the hole: the fish will cling to it, and you will pull it out. This fish will not bite on any other bait. I would go with you myself, but I need to weed the field. Besides, there are not enough fish there - you only need one. But, however, if you want...
“Okay, okay,” the hyena grumbled. “I can manage without you!”
And, out of greed, forgetting about everything in the world, she ran to the river. And Rill is in the other direction, away from the river.
In the shallows, the hyena found a mound of still wet sand, dug it up - and indeed saw someone sitting at the bottom of the hole and staring at her. The greedy hyena did not notice that it was not a fish, but a huge crab, and stuck its tail into the hole. The crab grabbed the hyena's tail with all his might. Yaku howled in pain and horror in a voice that was not her own, pulled out her tail and ran.
Since then, hyenas, if they eat fish, only rotten ones. But they cannot see jackals calmly.
Crocodile and cormorant
One day, a hungry crocodile swam along the Nile, hoping to profit from something. Suddenly he sees a cormorant standing right next to the water. The crocodile wanted to grab him, but he became thoughtful: the cormorant’s beak is like the tip of a spear, its neck is like the shaft of a spear. This doesn't look like easy pickings.
The crocodile asked:
- My friend cormorant, why do you have such a sharp beak? After all, he can probably pierce through like a spear?
“You’re not mistaken,” answered the cormorant. “Do you want to try?”
- I would try, but I'm afraid.
- Don't be afraid, I'll hit you with a quarter force.
“Okay,” agreed the crocodile.
And I thought: “If this cormorant’s beak is not too sharp, and he himself is not too strong, I will eat him.”
The crocodile put his head up and closed his eyes. The cormorant, don’t be a fool, stood up and hit the crocodile in the eye with its sharp beak! He never saw the light.
- Oh oh! - he shouted. “No more, I see how strong you are!”
And the crocodile hurried to dive into the river.
Since then, all cormorants calmly cross the Nile and crocodiles never touch them.
Crocodile and white fish
It was a long time ago. In those days, the crocodile was very afraid of white fish. He tried to stay away from her, but one day they finally met.
The crocodile stepped aside.
The white fish told him:
- You are always afraid of me. Why? Swim closer, look into my mouth!
The crocodile became even more frightened.
- You are such a big fish! - he said. “Everyone tells me that you will eat me.” That's why I'm afraid of you.
- Don't be afraid, I don't have teeth!
“Open your mouth wider,” said the crocodile. “I’ll look from afar.”
The fish opened its mouth. The crocodile looked from a distance. Then he approached, looked into the fish’s mouth and saw that it really had no teeth.
“Now I won’t be afraid of you,” he said to the fish. And they swam further together. So they swam and swam, swam and swam, and then the crocodile ate the fish.
Sesame seed
One day the king and his wazir were walking around the city. They look and see a young woman coming towards them, like the moon on a full moon night. The king turned to the wazir and said:
- Give me advice, O Wazir!
- Everything is in the hands of Allah, O king of time!
- What are you saying, O Wazir? After all, a woman is beautiful and perfect.
- And what next? - said the Wazir.
“Go,” says the king, “and find out whether she is married or widowed and what her story is.”
The wazir asked the people and found out that this beauty was the wife of a fisherman. He went to the king and reported everything to him.
- What to do? - asked the king.
“I swear to Allah, King of Time, we will find a way to kill her husband.”
“Be it your way,” the king answered and sent for the fisherman.
A fisherman came to the king, and he said to him:
- I want to ask you for something. If you don't do it, your head won't be blown off.
“I listen and obey,” answered the fisherman.
“Tomorrow,” the king continued, “you will come to me on foot, but on horseback.”
The fisherman was sad, but there was nothing to do, he came home and told his wife everything.
“Don’t worry,” she said, and she went to her sister, who was married to a genie.
“I’ll give you a donkey,” said the sister. “Let your husband ride to the king on it.” He’s on horseback, but his feet will drag on the ground.
In the morning a fisherman came to the king riding a donkey.
- I swear to Allah, this time it was yours that took it. Tomorrow you will come to me dressed but undressed.
The fisherman became sad, came home, and told his wife everything.
“Don’t be sad,” said the wife, and she went to her sister for advice.
She tells her:
- Let your husband wrap himself in his net from head to toe.
The next morning a fisherman came to the king, entangled in a net over his naked body. The king became thoughtful and asked his wazir:
- Come up with such a task that the fisherman will never cope with it. And the Wazir said:
- Listen, fisherman, tomorrow you will bring a baby seven days old, let this baby tell us a story in which there will not be a word of truth. If you don't fulfill my will, you have yourself to blame.
The fisherman went to his wife and shared his grief with her. “Give me time,” said the wife, and she hurried to her sister.
“It’s not an easy matter,” said the sister. “But this time I will help you.” She said and took her son out of the cradle - exactly seven days old.
The wife returned home, gave the baby to her husband and said:
- Go to the king, this is what he needs.
- Farewell, wife, tomorrow my death will come.
- Go and don't argue.
The fisherman did not understand anything, but he went to the king. The vasirs and emirs were already assembled. Before the fisherman had time to enter, the baby screamed:
- Peace be with you, O king of time!
Here the fisherman rejoiced in his soul - the baby spoke.
- Is this the same baby? - asked the king mockingly. “Can he really tell us a story in which there will not be a word of truth?”
Instead of answering, the fisherman sat the baby on a bench, and he began his story:
- Fifty years ago I left the house and I wanted to eat dates. I looked around, there was nothing under the palm tree. I then picked up several lumps of clay and wanted to throw them into a palm tree to knock down dates. Suddenly these lumps stuck together in an instant and turned into a large field.
- But this is impossible! - exclaimed the king.
“I ran home for a plow, mules and twelve bags of sesame seeds,” the baby continued, “I plowed and sowed the field.” I’m going home, out of nowhere an old man meets me. “What are you planting this time of year?” - he asked me. - “Sesame!” - “But now is not the time for sesame seeds.” I came to my senses and started digging all the seeds back, but only collected eleven bags. And as for the twelfth, there was one seed missing. Judge for yourself, could I leave it in the ground, O king of time?
- So what's next? - asked the amazed king.
- So I’ve been looking for this seed for fifty years. I just can't come to terms with the loss.
- What nonsense! - the king cried. “Well, if you find it, let’s say this is the seed, what do you need it for?”
- What do you need a fisherman’s wife for? - said the baby. “Your harem is full of beauties, but you lack someone else’s wife!”
“Your truth,” answered the king and, turning to the fisherman, said: “Thank your fate, take your baby and go in peace.”
Partridge, hedgehog and camel
The partridge laid her eggs in the juniper and, since she had to fly away, asked the hedgehog:
- Take care of them so that no one breaks them. A camel passed by.
“Go away from here,” the hedgehog told him. “Here lie the eggs laid by the partridge.” Don't crush them.
But the camel went through the juniper.
Then the hedgehog cut his lip with a blow from a stick, and the camel, in turn, kicked him on the head.
That's why the camel has a split lip and the hedgehog has a scar on its head.
Lion and stupid Donkey
A donkey was grazing in the pasture, and chickens and a rooster were swarming nearby. Lev passed by. He saw the Donkey and prepared to attack him. But at that very moment the rooster crowed. And although Leo is the king of the forest and none of the animals is afraid of him, he got scared and ran away: he had never heard a rooster crow before. And the stupid Donkey decided that the Lion was afraid of him, and rushed after the king of the forest.
- The Lion turned around, saw the Donkey running after him, grabbed him and tore him to pieces.
That is why you need to be able to sensibly assess your own strengths and the enemy’s strengths.
Lion and man
A lion lived in the wilderness of the forest, he lived and did not know that, in addition to forest inhabitants, there were many different living creatures. And then one day he left his settled and familiar land and went to wander through distant lands. He walked and walked and came to a place from where it was half a day’s walk to human habitation. And suddenly an unknown animal came out to meet Lev - small itself, but similar in habit and appearance to him.
- Who are you? - Lev was surprised. - It seems like our lion clan, only very small in comparison with us.
- I really am related to you. “Lion,” answered the little animal. “But I don’t live in the forest, not in the wild, but with a person.” I'm a cat.
- Cat? - Lev was surprised. “I’ve never heard of you in my life.” Who did you say you live with? Repeat.
- In front of a person.
- Who else is this?
- My guardian and master. He is stronger than all the animals in the world.
- Show it to me.
- Well, let's go to the village.
They walked and walked and after a while they came across a camel grazing. The Lion looks: the beast is standing - its legs are strong, its fur is shaggy, its appearance is arrogant, and its back is hunchbacked.
- Is this a person? - he asked the Cat.
- What you! Man is much stronger. This is a Camel, it is in the service of a man, carrying him and his luggage.
They move on. The Lion looks: another animal is nibbling the grass - its neck is proud, its legs are playful, its mane and tail are silky.
- Is this a man? - he asked.
- No no! This is a Horse, he is also in the service of a person. A man puts a saddle on his back, sits astride and rides where he needs to go. And the horse obediently carries out any order of a person.
Leo became more curious than ever: what does he look like, this man who is served by such strong and beautiful animals? He and the Cat move on. Then they come across another animal - somewhat similar to the Horse, although shorter in stature, apparently hardy and patient. His skin is gray, his ears are long and erect.
- This is definitely a person! - Lev exclaimed.
- Ha ha! The person is completely different. And this is one of man’s most obedient servants. This is Donkey. The man is not very kind to him: he loads him excessively and beats him with a stick, almost hitting him.
- Well well! - Lev was surprised. - It turns out that man treats animals cruelly. I’ll take revenge on him as soon as I meet him! Let's move on, Cat.
The closer to human habitation, the more often our travelers came across a variety of animals - a Buffalo, a Cow, a Goat, and a Sheep. The cat patiently explained to Lev who they were and what benefit they had to humans.
“The man doesn’t look strong at all,” the Cat explained to her companion, “but one can cope with a whole herd of such animals.” And so that you can definitely distinguish a person from other creatures, remember: he is short in stature and walks on two legs.
Then a Chicken jumped out right in front of the Lion’s nose.
- Yeah! - he cried. - Here he is, a man - a torturer of animals! Now I'll get even with him!
- Stop, stop! - the Cat held him back. “It’s just a Chicken.” Humans eat eggs and meat. That's why he raises these stupid birds. If he wants, he can slaughter at least a hundred chickens.
- What a villain! - Lev flared up. - I won’t let him get away with this!
Just as they were approaching the village, they suddenly saw a man who was just cutting down a tree.
- It is he? - Lev asked the Cat.
- He, he is the one.
The king of beasts roared, his mane stood on end.
- Watch out, man! - he cried. “I’ll break you with one paw!” How dare you abuse animals! Don’t you know that they are all under my protection?! Come face to face with me, let's fight!
“I agree, Lev,” the man calmly answered. “But how can I fight you if I left my strength at home?” We, people, do not always carry it with us - so as not to be demolished ahead of time. Now, of course, you will defeat me, but what will the animals say about you! Why did you attack the powerless?
“Go home for your strength and come back quickly,” Leo agreed.
- And you’ll probably sneak away in the meantime!
- No no! What should I be afraid of?
- So that I don’t have any doubts, let me tie you to this tree. And as soon as I return with my strength, we will fight.
Lev agreed without further ado. The man took a strong rope and tied poor Leo to the tree so tightly that it took his breath away.
- Come on, now taste my power! - the man shouted and swung his stick.
The Leo man spent a long time beating him to death with a stick, but he didn’t beat him to death - let him continue walking around the forest.
Do you understand what this fairy tale is about? About the fact that a savvy and intelligent person is stronger than any strongman.
Lion, Fox and Wolf
Lion, Fox and Wolf once went hunting together. They got a donkey, a gazelle and a hare. When they sat down to divide the spoils, the Lion said to the Wolf:
- Take it and divide it between us. Then the Wolf says:
- Let's divide the spoils so that everyone gets a share equal in size to himself. The lion will get the donkey, the hare - the Fox, and the gazelle - me.
The Wolf said and placed the donkey carcass in front of the Lion. But the king of beasts did not like this division, he became furious, hit the Wolf with his paw and broke his back.
- Now share! - Lev turned to the Fox.
- I obey, my lord! - answered the cunning Fox and placed all the spoils in front of the Lion.
- You will eat a hare for breakfast, a gazelle for lunch, and a donkey for dinner.
Leo liked this division. He looked at Lisa and said:
-Who taught you to divide the spoils so wisely?
“A broken wolf spine,” answered the Fox.
Fox and Turtle Dove
One day the Fox went into the forest to look for something edible and, to her joy, saw a Turtle Dove on a tree. She sits on a branch and coos. And the Fox decided to catch the bird. She approached the tree and said:
- Praise be to Allah! How beautiful you are, and your voice is beautiful even from afar. I can imagine how beautiful it is when you hear it up close!
And the cunning Fox began to praise the Turtle Dove in every possible way. The bird believed the Fox and went down lower so that she could see her better and hear her voice up close. Then the Fox jumped and grabbed the Turtle Dove.
- Oh simple-minded bird! - the Fox exclaimed mockingly. “What do you think will benefit me more: hearing your voice, or eating you?”
And the Fox ate the bird.
But I tell you: never trust cunning and flatterers, no good will come from it.
Wise Crow
The crow did not hold a drop of water in its mouth for three whole days; it looked everywhere for somewhere to drink, but could not find it. Suddenly he sees a jug standing, and there is water in it at the very bottom. The crow tried to reach the water with its beak, but it didn’t work out that way. She thought and thought and came up with an idea. She began to throw pebbles into the jug one after another, and the water rose. The crow quenched its thirst and, satisfied, flew away
Wise Donkey
They say that an old wolf lived in the forest. And he was so old that he could no longer hunt and get food for himself. So he walked around hungry and angry. One day a wolf was wandering through the forest and met an old fox, skinny and hungry even hungrier than him. They greeted each other and walked on together, complaining to each other about life's hardships and sorrows and remembering the old times when they had plenty of food and easy prey. Each told the other what he usually hunted and what he ate. But it would be better if they didn’t do this - the memories only intensified the hunger pangs and made the mouth water more profusely.
- Oh sister fox! - exclaimed the wolf. “Everyone knows what a clever and trickster you are, how much you are capable of amazing tricks.” Can you think of something so that we can get food? Please!
The wolf's praise and flattery pleased the old fox. She sighed, smiled and said:
- These are difficult times. There is only one hope left - perhaps we will meet a sheep that has strayed from the herd. Believe me, there is no easier or more enjoyable prey. However, keep in mind, brother wolf, I dream of meeting a sheep just for your sake. A chicken or a small duck would be enough for me.
Talking about the sheep further whetted the ravenous appetite. He quickened his pace, looking around - what if they really got lucky and the fox’s words came true?
Suddenly the wolf stopped dead in his tracks and exclaimed with excitement, pointing at something in the distance:
- Look, look there!
But no matter how the fox peered, no matter how hard she strained her eyes, she did not see anything remarkable.
-Where are you pointing, brother wolf? I don't see any loot there.
- Yes, here she is, in front of you! Don't you see the donkey standing in the field? True, he is old. But it doesn’t matter, because meat is meat, and we want meat.
The fox was surprised and sadly shook her head.
-Ah, brother wolf, hunger seems to have completely deprived you of your sanity. Where have you seen wolves and foxes attack donkeys? Have you forgotten how donkeys can kick? The strength of donkeys, horses and mules is in their legs. I once met a horse myself...
But the wolf did not let the fox finish:
- That's not what we're talking about now. We need to divert the donkey’s attention, you go on one side, I’ll go on the other. And as soon as I’m close enough, I’ll contrive and jump.
- I wonder how you will succeed? - the fox asked mockingly. “Nothing will come of it, the donkey will kick you.”
- I will convince him that he is sick, and I am a doctor, I came to treat him. He will believe me, and that’s when I’ll jump on him and tear him to pieces.
No matter how much the fox tried to dissuade the wolf, he did not heed her advice - he really wanted fresh meat. And the wolf went towards the donkey. The fox slowly crept behind him.
The donkey saw a wolf, and behind him a sneaking fox, and became wary.
A few steps short, the wolf stopped and politely greeted the donkey. But he was old and wise, he knew well the value of wolf friendliness and therefore was in no hurry to answer. And the wolf continued:
- How are you, brother donkey? Well, it's hot today! How do you bear it?
Although the fox nodded her head approvingly, she continued to stay away. The wolf took a few more steps.
- This weather is harmful to health. Look how you, poor thing, are suffering, your complexion has even changed. Not other than because of the heat.
The wolf fell silent and drooped, as if lost in thought, then continued:
“Brother donkey, haven’t you drunk dirty water, have you been bitten by a fly?” This won't make you sick for long. However, consider yourself lucky - after all, I am a healer and I really love donkeys. I will be happy to begin your treatment.
- For the first time in my life I hear that a wolf is a doctor and a friend of donkeys. Why on earth do you care about my health anyway?
The wolf shook his head reproachfully.
- What's bad about that? All animals are brothers. I love donkeys because...
“Maybe that’s so,” the donkey interrupted him. “But this is what surprises me, brother wolf, - after all, you and I have never met before.” Do you even know my name?
The wolf exclaimed in bewilderment:
- How can I know your name?! Do donkeys have names?
The donkey laughed sarcastically:
- You are ignorant, brother wolf! You don’t even know that we donkeys, like people, have names. Each donkey has his name written on the hoof of his back right leg. - And the donkey raised his back right leg with importance and dignity.
The wolf approached and leaned down to get a better look at the hoof. And at that moment the donkey kicked the wolf with all his might, and the wolf’s fangs fell out of his mouth. The wolf somersaulted in the air and fell on his back. He stood up forcefully and, howling, hobbled towards the forest. The fox, looking at all this, trembled with fear.
- And you, sister fox, want to know my name? - she heard a mocking voice.
The fox began to back away, saying as she walked:
- No, no, no! I can’t... I don’t know how to read... The fox stammered and rushed headlong towards the forest.
Ant and Cricket
The cricket did nothing but chirp all day long. He missed hunting time and did not prepare anything for himself for the winter. And his neighbor Ant spared no effort and over the summer he stocked up on everything he needed for the winter.
Winter has come. Soon the Cricket had nothing to eat, and he went to the Ant to ask for food. The Ant got angry, frowned and began to mock the Cricket:
- Oh my neighbor! Your supplies quickly ran out! What important thing have you been doing all summer?
“In the summer I chirped and did nothing else,” answered the Cricket.
- Aren’t you ashamed to beg from your neighbors now? - Ant asked mockingly and slammed the door in front of Cricket.
It is not without reason that they say: those who do not do anything on time will face trouble.
About a smart mouse
One day, a small, simple-minded mouse, who had not yet learned that cats eat mice, met a kitten. The kitten was so small that it also did not know that cats eat mice. Since then, every day they played together from morning until sunset. As soon as the mouse crawled out of the hole, the kitten immediately came to him, and they began to run and frolic, enjoying life.
But one day a mouse and a kitten began to play and separated only at midnight. The kitten comes home and sees that its mother is worried and angry.
- Where have you been? - she asked sternly.
- Played with a friend.
- Who is your friend?
- Little mouse.
The cat calmed down and asked:
- Okay, what did you do with it before you ate it?
- We played together. How can I eat it if we are friends?! - the kitten exclaimed in surprise.
The cat got angry and let’s scold our son at all costs:
- Do you know, silly, that Allah created mice just so that we could eat them? They are a hundred times tastier than chicken or hare. You can't do without their meat. It helps us run fast and jump well, see everything in the dark, and in winter it warms us.
The kitten heard all this and began to ask his mother for forgiveness, and she, in response, strictly ordered to bring the mouse tomorrow and eat it in front of her eyes - only then would she forgive him. The kitten swore that he would do everything as his mother told him.
The mouse returned home to find his mother in tears. Oh, how worried she was, waiting for her son, but as soon as she saw him alive and unharmed, she spanked him and scolded him:
-Where have you been, you scoundrel?
And the mouse replied that he was playing with a friend.
- Who is he, this friend of yours, with whom you, forgetting about your mother, played until midnight?
“Kitten,” mumbled the mouse.
- Kitty? - exclaimed the mother. “How come he didn’t eat you?”
- I’ve been playing with him for a long time, not the first time. We are friends. How can he eat me? Do cats eat mice? The mother grabbed her son and pressed him to her chest:
- Glory to Allah that he saved your life! The kitten is cunning, he just lets you fatten up before he eats you. Know that cats are our worst enemies. We are the most delicious food for them. They know no mercy and are always ready to tear us to pieces. Don’t go to the kitten again and don’t get out of the hole when you see it up close.
The mouse promised that he would follow all his mother’s instructions. The next morning the kitten came to play with the mouse and was very surprised to not find him in his usual place. And then he started playing alone. An hour passed, then another, and the mouse still did not appear. But the foolish mouse still really wanted to play with the kitten, and he approached the very exit of the hole. The kitten noticed him and shouted:
- Come here, let's play!
- I won’t even think about it! Mother won't let me play with you. He says that you are my enemy and that cats eat poor mice. And your mother probably told you to catch me and eat me.
“What’s true is true,” answered the kitten. “We cats really do eat mice.” But I’m your friend, remember, we’ve been playing together for a long time. You're right, my mother really told me to eat you. But I will never do that, I love playing with you and I really want us to remain friends forever.
The mouse listened to all this, but did not dare to get out. Then the cunning kitten decided to cheer him up:
- Do you want me to swear that I won’t touch you?
- How will you do this?
- We will clasp our paws, and each of us will tell the other that he will forever remain his friend and will never betray him.
The little mouse really wanted to play, and he exclaimed:
- Well, okay, give me your paw, and we will swear allegiance to each other.
The kitten stuck its paw inside the hole, and the friends clasped their paws. Squeezing the mouse’s paw, the kitten pulled him out and mockingly asks:
“Didn’t your mother warn you never to trust cats?” Didn't she tell you about our trick?
And the mouse realized that he had been deceived, and begged for mercy. But the cruel kitten interrupted him:
- What's the point, buddy, in your prayer?! I promised my mother that I would bring you and eat you in front of her, and I would not break my oath. So don't get your hopes up, I won't let you go.
- Well, it’s all God’s will! - said the mouse sadly. - Now I see, my song is finished. And indeed, if I am destined to be eaten, then it would be better for a friend to eat me than for some other cat. I just ask you to show me mercy, especially since it doesn’t cost you anything. Let's go to your house and read the first surah of the Koran together. Let's ask Allah to give my parents the strength to come to terms with my death.
The kitten agreed and took the mouse to his home. They sat down and read the surah. When they finished reading, the mouse raised its paws and prayed:
- O Allah! Give my parents patience and comfort them!
- Amen! - the kitten exclaimed and also raised its paws. And that’s all the mouse needs, he quickly jumped up and snuck into his hole, and from there he asked with mockery:
“Didn’t your mother warn you not to read the Koran with little mice?”
The kitten got angry and began to rush back and forth, back and forth in front of the mouse’s hole. Then he again began to invite his friend to play together. But the little mouse, who had seen death with his own eyes, hid and was silent. The cat ran around a little more, and left with nothing. That's it.
Monkey and Turtle
The monkey jumped from place to place for a long time until he finally found a fig tree strewn with berries on the river bank. She climbed high up a tree to taste the fruit. She ate and ate, but then one berry rolled out of her paws and fell into the water. The Monkey heard the sound of a falling berry, and she really liked it. Then she began to throw every second berry into the water. And I must say that the Turtle lived in that river, and she got all the berries thrown by the Monkey. The Turtle thanked the Monkey for the delicious food, and complete agreement and love were established between them. Since then, the Turtle began to often visit the Monkey. But Turtle's husband didn't like it. He went to his neighbor, told him what was wrong and asked for advice.
-How unreasonable you are! - answered the neighbor. - Since your wife has become such friends with the Monkey that she no longer loves you as before, then you should call in sick and go to bed. When your unfaithful wife returns from the Monkey, then answer all her questions with one answer: that you feel, they say, severe pain in your chest. Then she will ask if you turned to your neighbors for help, answer that you did, and they said that there is an excellent cure for the disease, but it is very difficult to get. If she finally asks what medicine it is, you tell her that it is the heart of a Monkey.
The wife returned home and asked her husband what was wrong with him, he told her so, as his neighbor had taught him.
“Oh, it’s as easy as shelling pears,” answered the wife. “I’ll go to the Monkey and invite him to visit.” When she comes, we will kill her, take out her heart, and you will eat it.
And the Turtle immediately went to the Monkey. A friendly conversation began between them again, and at the end the Turtle Monkey thanked him for his attention and care and said:
- You have always been hospitable and kind to me, I beg you, do me the honor and finally visit my home.
The Monkey thanked her for the sincere invitation and promised that she would come soon, because return visits, in her opinion, are a manifestation of friendship and love. Then she asked where Turtle's house was.
“My house is across the river,” the Turtle answered and smiled.
- What should I do, because I don’t know how to swim?
“Don’t worry,” replied the Turtle. “I’ll carry you across the river on my back.”
So the Monkey succumbed to the deception. The Turtle put her on her back and swam across the river. In the very middle of the river, the Turtle suddenly began to gradually sink into the water. The Monkey saw this, got scared and asked what was the matter. Take the turtle here and tell her everything that she agreed on with her husband. Then the Monkey decided to outsmart the Turtle and said:
- Oh my sister! Oh my friend! Why didn't you tell me about this earlier? After all, everything could have been arranged so easily. Let's go back to my house and I'll give you my heart.
- Well, what are you saying?! Isn't your heart with you?
- That's the point, no. I left it at home. This is a habit we monkeys have: when we go somewhere, we make sure to leave our hearts at home. And now I did the same.
The Turtle believed the Monkey's words and said:
- Well, let's go back, we'll come to your house, and you'll give me your heart.
They swam back, and the Turtle landed the Monkey on land.
- Oh, you insidious traitor! - exclaimed the Monkey, as soon as she found herself on the shore. “Does it really happen that some animal, leaving the house, hides its heart there, and remains alive?”
She said this, spat in the Turtle's face and left. Since then, the Monkey and the Turtle have become sworn enemies.
The Silent Princess
There once lived a merchant, and he had his only son. Every day the merchant gave his son fifty dinars and said:
- Take it, my child, buy whatever your heart desires. And if you still need it, come.
So the young man lived, not knowing any worries. Drank, ate, had fun. But one day I thought deeply: “It’s not good for me to ask my father for money every day, I have to go to distant countries myself, to become a merchant.” He went to his father and said:
- Give me, father, one hundred dinars. I’ll go around the world, look at people, learn how to trade.
- What are you doing, son! - exclaimed the merchant. “Is life really bad for you in your father’s house?” But the young man insisted:
- I want to become a merchant.
There was nothing to do, the merchant gathered his son for the journey, and the mother brought out her necklace and said:
- And this is from me to you. If you need money, you can sell the necklace.
With that the young man left. He spent his father's money in one day - not on pampering and entertainment, but on helping poor people. He has one necklace left. He felt ashamed that he had spent everything without starting to trade, and he went wherever his eyes led him.
No matter how long or how short the young man walked, he sees: a fisherman is sitting, catching fish with a net. He approached him and said:
- Fisherman, cast your net, see what my happiness is?
The fisherman cast his net and pulled out a small box.
- Give me my happiness! - the young man asked the fisherman.
- I swear by Allah, I will give you this box, pay one hundred dinars first.
- One hundred dinars for one box?
- Yes, a hundred dinars!
- But I have nothing except the necklace.
- Then give me the necklace.
The young man handed the fisherman a necklace, and he went his way.
He walked and walked until he found himself in the desert. Thirst torments him, hunger torments him. “I’ll open the box and see what’s there,” the young man thought. He opened the box and before he could blink an eye, a little man jumped out.
- I listen and obey, oh young man! What do you need? Ask for whatever you want.
- I am hungry.
- Close your eyes, then open them.
The young man did as the little man told him, and lo and behold, in front of him was a tablecloth with various dishes. The young man ate, took the box and continued on his way. He walked and walked until he came to another country. He sees: there is a palace, all made of human skulls. And whoever the young man asked about that palace, no one answered him. Only one poor woman said:
- Our king has a daughter. She has everything her heart desires, but she never laughs, never smiles, and doesn’t want to say a word. “Let them,” says the king, “get my daughter talking in three days. Whoever succeeds, I will give her as a wife. And whoever fails, I will order him to be executed.”
“Now I understand whose heads these are,” said the young man.
He took out a box, opened it and said:
- Your time has come. Will you talk to the king's daughter?
“I listen and obey,” answered the little man. “When you come to the palace, hide me under the candlestick.”
A young man came to the king and said that he wanted to try his luck.
“My son, you are too young,” the king answers. “Traces of a good life still lie on you.” Look at these skulls.
- I am not afraid of such a fate.
- In this case, sign the terms in the presence of a qadi (Muslim judge) and witnesses.
The young man signed the condition, and the king sealed it and said:
- Take him to the princess.
They brought the young man to the princess's chambers and left him alone. It was then that he put the box under the candlestick. Sits, waits. Suddenly he sees the princess enter.
“Oh lady, daughter of the king, I greet you,” he said.
Not a word in response.
- Peace be with you, princess! Silence.
- Well, have it your way. If you don't want to talk to me, maybe the candlestick will agree? “The young man turned to the candlestick and said: “Peace be with you, royal candlestick!”
- And the peace and blessings of Allah be with you.
- Tell us a story to brighten up the sad times in which we live.
- So listen.
“In ancient times, there lived three brothers,” the candlestick began. “And they had a cousin.” Each of the brothers wanted to marry her. They argued and argued, but nothing was decided. Then the people of that country said: let everyone go on a journey, and whoever returns with the most valuable gift will take the girl as his wife.
The brothers were driving, driving, and lo and behold, there was a fork in three roads. They went in different directions, and everyone found what they wanted. The younger brother is the source of living water, the middle one is the flying carpet, and the older one is the all-seeing mirror. They gathered at a fork in the road, the elder brother looked in his mirror and said:
"Brothers, our sister is dying."
“We’re flying,” said the middle one.
They boarded the magic carpet and in the blink of an eye found themselves in their country. Their sister was already barely breathing. Then the younger brother took the living water and poured a few drops into her mouth, and the girl immediately came to life, as if nothing had happened to her.
The candlestick finished the story, and then asked:
- Which of the three brothers should marry the girl? If the elder had not had a mirror, they would not have known that she was dying. If the middle magic carpet hadn't been there, we wouldn't have made it on time. And if the younger one did not have living water, it would not have been possible to revive her.
“Of course, younger brother,” exclaimed the young man. “If he had not found living water, it would not have come to life.”
And suddenly the silent princess spoke, and her speech was distinguished by eloquence.
- I swear to Allah, young man, your reasoning is incomprehensible to me. If it weren't for the older brother who found the mirror, they would never have known that the girl was dying, they would never have gotten to her, they would never have revived her. No, it should only go to the older brother who found the mirror.
At that same moment the young man threw a blanket over the princess and said:
- Shut up, your breath smells bad. The qadi and the witnesses who secretly watched them were
very surprised: you see, the silent princess just spoke like a real chatterbox. “We'll see what happens tomorrow,” they said to themselves.
Everyone left, and the young man pretended to be asleep. The princess crept up to the candlestick and said:
- Peace be with you, O royal candlestick!
There was no answer. The princess became angry with great anger and broke it. The next morning the young man pulled out a box from under a broken candlestick and asked:
- Now where should I put you?
- Put me under the chair.
At night everything happened all over again. No matter how the young man tried to get the princess to talk, nothing came of it. Finally he said:
- If you don't want to talk, don't. Maybe the chair will talk to me. Peace be with you, O royal chair!
- Peace be with you! - the chair answered.
- Tell us a story, help pass the night.
- Okay, I'll tell you a story.
Three people were once traveling: a carpenter, a tailor and a sheikh. One night they found them in the desert. They decided to sleep in turns: the carpenter stayed awake for the first third of the night, the tailor for the second, and the sheikh for the last. And so, while the others were sleeping, the carpenter whittled a doll out of a log. A tailor replaced him and sewed a dress for the doll. The sheikh woke up and saw a doll in the image and likeness of a person, but without a soul. He turned his prayers to Allah, so that he would breathe a living soul into the doll. Allah heeded the sheikh's prayers - and the doll became a living girl. The next morning the travelers argued over who should own it. What do you think?
“Sheikh, of course,” answered the young man.
Suddenly, like last time, the princess spoke:
- I swear to Allah, it’s strange for me to listen to you. Who else but a carpenter should marry her? If he hadn't made the doll, there wouldn't have been a girl. The carpenter should marry her.
Then the young man turned to the princess and said:
- Shut up! Your breath smells bad! The qadis and witnesses came running to the king:
“Your daughter has been talking for two nights now, O king!”
- My daughter?
- Yes!
- Okay, go, let's see what happens on the third night.
Meanwhile, the young man pretended to be asleep. The princess came up to the chair and said:
- The royal chair! But the chair was silent.
- How dare you, our property, not answer me! - the princess got angry and broke the chair.
The next morning the young man took out a box from under the broken chair and asked:
- Now where should I hide you?
- Put it under your turban. The princess cannot harm her.
On the third night the young man turned to the princess with these words:
- Dear princess, you spoke for two nights. Say a word now. Silence.
“On the first night,” the young man continued, “you broke the candlestick, on the second night, the chair.” These things belonged to you, and you had the right to do with them as you pleased. Now I will talk to my turban. Peace be with you, oh turban,” he greeted the turban.
-Peace be with you, oh master! What do you need? Why don't you put on a fun show for us? We want songs and dances.
And immediately seven beautiful girls came out of the turban. One danced with a tambourine, five sang, the seventh beat a drum. The young man had fun all night. The princess became jealous, she rushed to him, and he said to her:
- Go away! Can't you see these girls are better than you. And the qadi and the witnesses went to the king and said:
- O king of time! Your daughter spoke for two nights, and now she loudly scolds the young man, as she was overcome by jealousy.
- This can’t be! - exclaimed the king. “I must see this with my own eyes.”
The king entered the women's quarters and saw: the princess was sitting offended, there was no face on her.
- What's wrong with you, my daughter? - he asked perplexedly.
“How unfair the world is, father,” answered the princess. “I fell in love with this young man, and he drives me away.”
“You really don’t like my daughter?” - the king asked the young man menacingly.
- O king of time! I fell in love with her at first sight! - he answered.
And the king ordered to prepare for the wedding. For many years, until old age, the couple lived in love and joy.
Bird of Wisdom
The woodcutter Muhammad has always been famous for his piety and piety. And after the death of his beloved wife, he began to pray even harder and praise Allah. Muhammad cut down the forest all day long, and spent his nights in vigil and prayer.
The woodcutter had two sons - the eldest Ahmad and the youngest Muhammad. Every day their father sent them to the mosque, where they studied the Koran and listened to the debates of theologians. Some time passed, and Muhammad realized that he needed to get married again. I wanted some zealous housewife to take the house into her own hands and look after the children. And he got married.
Muhammad's new wife turned out to be angry and did not like the children. But she was cunning and insidious, and therefore, hiding her hatred of her children from her husband, she lied to him all the time, made false accusations against them, accused them of the most disgusting acts.
Fate was unmerciful to Muhammad, he became poorer and poorer: there were fewer and fewer trees left in the forest suitable for felling. The family suffered from hunger, and by winter there were no food supplies in the woodcutter's hut.
One cloudy day, Muhammad went into the forest and was overtaken by a strong storm. He couldn't cut down a single tree. Sadness took possession of his heart: how could he return home empty-handed? Weeping bitterly, he cried out to the Lord. Suddenly a large bright bird landed on his shoulder. He took her in his hands, smiled and released her with the words:
- Fly wherever you want, you are free.
The bird fluttered, made a circle and once again landed on Muhammad's shoulder. He took her in his hands and let her go again. But this time the bird made a circle and landed on his shoulder. Then he put the bird in the bag and said:
- I will give you to the children. Let them play with you. At home, the woodcutter told his wife everything that had happened, and told the children that he had brought them a beautiful bird so that they could play with it. The children were very happy and began to play with the bird. Having played too much, they even forgot about hunger.
The next morning, Muhammad woke up the children to send them to the mosque as usual. Suddenly he looks: a large, brightly burning yacht is lying near Akhmad’s mattress.
-Where does this stone come from? - Muhammad asked his son. But Ahmad could not explain where this stone came from, and the stepmother said that she had only seen such stones from jewelers. She told her husband to go to the market and sell the yacht. Muhammad was afraid that he would be mistaken for a thief, but the woman was stubborn and insisted on her own.
Muhammad left the house and wandered to the bazaar, found a row where they sell and buy gold and expensive stones, but which shop should he go to? He would have remained indecisive for a long time if it had not been for one young jeweler who bought stolen stones for next to nothing.
- Would you like to sell something? - he called out to Muhammad.
The simple-minded woodcutter pulled a stone from his pocket and handed it to the jeweler. He took the stone, amazed by its purity and extraordinary size.
- I'll give you three hundred dinars for it.
- Three hundred dinars?! - Muhammad exclaimed in surprise.
- Okay, I'm ready to pay you five hundred. Muhammad could not recover from surprise and remained silent, thinking that the jeweler was mocking him.
- I'm no longer a young man. Are you laughing at me? - he asked.
- Okay, I’ll pay you a thousand dinars. Do you agree?
Muhammad, not believing his ears, hastened to agree:
- Yes.
He took a thousand dinars, ran home and told his wife about everything that had happened.
“This is a lot,” the wife said joyfully. “From now on we will have enough money for everything and you won’t have to go to the forest anymore.”
There was a lot of food in the lumberjack's house, and he bought new clothes for his children and wife. Ahmad and Muhammad fell asleep happy for the first time: they were fed tasty and satisfying food, and bought new clothes. That night the youngest son went to bed with the bird.
In the morning he woke up his father and showed him a large beautiful yacht, which he found near the bed - even better than the first. The father and stepmother could not understand where the stones came from. Had they really been taken down by a bird? Muhammad went to the market again. Less than an hour later he returned home with a thousand dinars in his pocket.
They put the bird in a large cage and began to look after it. The next morning, a similar stone was found under the bird. Muhammad ran to the market again - and this yacht was sold for a thousand dinars.
Muhammad brought another cage, even larger and more beautiful than the first, and put the bird in it.
Days passed. The former woodcutter bought a spacious house, furnished it with expensive furniture, and at the request of his wife, bought a slave. The children did not know how to refuse anything.
Every day Muhammad went to the market and sold one stone. The jeweler was burning with curiosity:
“What a strange thing? Where does the woodcutter get such large and clean stones every day? Maybe he found a treasure? Or robbed the treasury? But even if this is so, then it’s still time for his reserves to be depleted...” The jeweler tried to find out from Muhammad told him a secret, but he told him to remain silent, otherwise he would not bring a single stone again. The jeweler had no choice but to wait patiently; over time, perhaps, the secret would be revealed.
Muhammad thanked God day and night for responding to his prayers and sending him wealth. And when the mosque began to call the faithful to perform the Hajj, the woodcutter was the first to set off. Before leaving, he told his wife:
- The bird will stay with you. Every day she will bring a stone. I made an agreement with the jeweler. Send a slave to the market, and he will give her a thousand dinars for each stone. Yes, warn her not to talk in vain.
On the appointed day, Muhammad said goodbye to his wife and children, and they wished him a successful journey. After the owner left, the slave went to the market every day, carried one stone at a time and returned with a thousand dinars. Many times the jeweler tried to find out something from the slave, but she steadfastly remained silent. The cunning jeweler finally figured out how to find out the secret. One day, having given the slave, as usual, a thousand dinars, he stealthily followed her. So he found out where Muhammad's house was and who lived in it.
Several days passed. And the jeweler decided to visit the woodcutter’s wife, since her husband was away. When the slave opened the door for him, he asked to tell the mistress that the same jeweler who buys stones from them had come and asked to let him in because he wanted to tell him something important. Seeing the mistress of the house, the young jeweler was struck by her beauty, and she, in turn, fell in love with the handsome young man, and they soon became lovers.
Young people often met either in the woodcutter's house or in the jeweler's house. To remove the children from the house, the stepmother came up with various tricks. But the boys noticed that for some time now some stranger was often coming to their house, and they suspected something was wrong.
One day a jeweler said to a woodcutter's wife:
“It can’t go on like this... The woman immediately understood what her lover wanted to say and exclaimed:
- Yes! We must come up with something so that we will never be apart again. I can not live without you! The jeweler thought for a moment, and then said:
- I want to be with you all my life. But you're married. And then the woman replied that she was ready to secretly run away from home. They will go far, far away so that no one will know where they are. When the jeweler started talking about the children, the woman suggested killing them. After this, the jeweler asked where the stones came from, and the woman revealed everything to him without hiding.
Having learned that the bird carries one stone every day, the jeweler went to the old wizard and asked him about the strange bird. What the jeweler heard surprised him so much that he clutched his head in amazement. It turns out that this is a bird of wisdom and happiness; it flies to people once every thousand years. The one who eats her heart will know all the wisdom of the world; the one who eats the head will become the most illustrious king, to whom all the kings and kings on earth will submit.
“All this should be written under the wings of a bird,” added the wizard. “Open your wings and see for yourself.” If you find an inscription there, know that this is the same bird of wisdom.
The jeweler hurried to his beloved and asked her to bring him the bird. He opened her wings and saw an inscription written in gold letters on her body. Then he told the woman everything he had learned and offered to kill her.
bird.
“But don’t forget,” the woman objected to him, “that every day the bird brings yachts worth a thousand dinars.”
- This means nothing. Even if the stones cost ten thousand dinars.
And then the jeweler pulled out a dagger and killed the bird. The mistress of the house called the slave and ordered her to be roasted.
“I’ll go home and quickly bring my slave,” said the jeweler. “He will take the children, take them to the forest and kill them there.” And then we will sell the house and move away from here. And when your husband returns, he won't find anything that could lead to our trail.
The jeweler said and went to his home, and the woman went to the bathhouse to wash and restore her beauty. And at this time, the unsuspecting children came home. They had played enough, were tired and felt hungry, which intensified even more when the smell of frying poultry reached them. The children ran into the kitchen when the slave had already fried the bird. Ahmad went to the stove and saw a fried bird, and next to it were a separate heart, liver and kidneys. He was very fond of offal and ate them. And Muhammad ate the head and neck. The slave did not pay any attention to this - after all, the whole bird remained intact.
Soon the jeweler returned, accompanied by a slave. He whispered with the mistress of the house, she called the children and told them that their father was returning and they should go with the slave to meet him. The children were very happy and left with the slave. The jeweler hastily sat down at the table and demanded that he be served the bird immediately. They bring a bird, he looks, and the bird has neither a heart nor a head. He flew into an indescribable rage and began to interrogate the slave, and she admitted that the children had eaten the head and offal.
And at that time the slave came with the children into the thicket of the forest. There he tied them up. The boys began to cry and began to beg to let them go. The slave says that his master ordered them to be killed and that he does not dare disobey. But the boys so pitifully begged the slave for mercy that his heart softened and he spared them.
“So be it, I’ll let you go, but if my master ever finds out about this, then I’ll be in trouble.” Promise to leave these places far, far away and never return here.
The children swore that they would do so. The slave untied them and they walked away. And the slave killed a gazelle, filled a jug with its blood and returned to his master: here, they say, is the blood of the killed children. The woman soon sold the house and went to live with her lover.
Meanwhile, the children walked further and further, their path ran through forests, plains and deserts. On the third day, Muhammad stopped and cried: he was exhausted, thirst and hunger tormented him. But Ahmad reassured his younger brother and asked him to have a little more patience. A few hours later the boys approached the well, but the water was so deep that they could not get to it - they had neither a rope nor a bucket. And so they stand in deep sadness, languishing with thirst, at the edge of the well, when suddenly a man in a green robe with a long beard appears. And that person’s face radiates a bright light. In his right hand he holds a spear, in his left - a rosary.
- Greetings, Sayyid Ahmad! (Seyyid - master). Greetings, Sayyid Muhammad!
- Who are you? How do you know our names? - the children were surprised.
The man smiled and said:
- I am the sheikh, the patron of your father. Say what you want.
The children complained that they were hungry and very thirsty. Then the sheikh reached into his pocket and took out bread and all other food. Then the sheikh looked at the well, and the water began to rise until it reached the top. The brothers ate their fill and got drunk. Here the sheikh says to them:
- Your father is still in Hijaz, he is performing the Hajj. I know everything that his wife did. But be patient. I will give you advice and ask you to listen to it. “There lies a road in front of you,” the sheikh continued. “Walk along it.” In seven days the road will fork into two. There you will say goodbye to each other and go your separate ways. And it will be bad, very bad, if you don’t do as I told you...
And the sheikh disappeared.
Ahmad said to his younger brother:
“Our father’s patron himself gives us advice, and we cannot fail to follow it.
The brothers set off. And for seven whole days they walked without stopping. On the seventh day, as the sheikh said, the road forked. The brothers looked at each other and tears flowed from their eyes.
- Don't cry, my brother! - said Ahmad. - Life often tears a son from his father, a brother from his brother.
- Goodbye! - Muhammad answered. - See you on the Day of Judgment.
The brothers hugged each other one last time and went in different directions. The younger brother, Sayyid Muhammad, turned right. He walked and walked, no longer feeling tired, hungry, or thirsty. So he walked for many, many days until he reached the city. From a distance this city seemed large and crowded to him. But approaching the city wall, he saw that the gates were tightly closed. The sun had already set, and the inhabitants of the city, as usual, closed the gates. Muhammad settled down for the night near the wall, placing a stone under his head instead of a pillow, and immediately fell asleep.
Before the sun had risen, Muhammad was awakened by noise, shouts of people and the sounds of music. In front of him, greeting him respectfully, the city's inhabitants passed in rows. Wazirs, military leaders and other dignitaries walked in front of the procession.
“Our king died, and we chose you as our king,” they told Muhammad. “After the death of the king, we always close the gates of the city and wait for twenty days for some foreigner to come.” And we enthrone the first one who comes to us. This is our custom.
And when Muhammad told the residents of the city that he knew the Koran, the Sunnah by heart (the Sunnah is a set of stories about the deeds of the Prophet Muhammad) and hadiths, their joy knew no end.
Within a few years, the news of the wisdom and justice of the new king spread throughout the world. Everyone called him "Seyyid Muhammad - Sultan of Truth." Rulers from different countries came to him for advice and help, with requests to judge various complicated matters. Over time, Muhammad - the Sultan of Truth - became the most famous and powerful king of the world.
...And the elder brother, Seyid Ahmad, turned left. After many days he entered a large forest. It was the largest forest in the whole world. The one who entered the forest was lost, the one who left was born again. Ahmad walked and walked through the forest, through thickets and clearings, along animal paths where no man had ever set foot before. He ate the fruits of forest trees and grass. His journey continued for years and years - they say a good seven years. And then one day a huge mountain grew on his way. Having reached its slope, he suddenly saw a large dark cave, which seemed to have no end or edge. Ahmad was afraid to enter the cave and decided to go around the mountain, although this greatly lengthened the already long path. Before he had time to take even three steps, a very black slave came out of the cave - the color was darker than the belly of the cave itself. Tall, well built, with pleasant features. He smiled and, bowing respectfully before Ahmad, said several times:
- O Seyid Ahmad, son of the righteous Haji Muhammad! O Sayyid Ahmad, who was offended by fate! From now on you have nothing to fear, I will serve you and help you in everything. You will learn all the wisdom of the world, you will be known as a great sage, with whom no one can compare. But for this you must take possession of the queen of wisdom, and she is here, not far from you, in the depths of this cave. Oh son, I am your eternal slave! Listen to me carefully and do as I say.
Ahmad was delighted to hear such speeches and asked to tell him about the queen of wisdom and how to take possession of her.
“Go into the cave,” the slave answered. “It will be dark, dark there, but don’t be afraid of the darkness - I will light your way.” Walk a little and you will see a large palace surrounded by lush gardens. Go to the palace and knock on the door. A beautiful girl will open up to you, you won’t find anyone like her in the whole world, and she will ask you who you are and where you’re from. Answer her like this: “I am a person, one of those close to you and loved ones.” And tell her also that you were traveling on a mule and when you left it for a minute, going out to relieve yourself, and returned, the mule was not there. And then say, you followed the tracks of the animal, and the tracks led you to the doors of the palace. Say also that you are convinced that the mule entered the palace. Demand that the girl give you back the mule. She will probably refuse and say: “There is no mule here.” But insist, don’t give in. After that, she will offer you: “Come in and see for yourself.” She will show you all the rooms of the palace and the gardens. But you won't find a mule there. She will take you to her room and say: “This is my room. I told you, there is no mule here.” Indeed, there will be no mule there, but you will see a bridle hanging on the wall. And when you see it, immediately shout: “This is the bridle of my mule! You stole it! You stole it! Give it to me!” And the girl will answer: “Nothing of the kind, this is a completely different bridle. But I forgive you the mistake, because you are probably very hungry. So be it, I’ll go and cook you something to eat.”
She will leave and bring some land. He stirs it with his thin fingers. Then he will put a small, small plow on the ground, no larger than his little finger. With the help of this plow she will plow the land and plant a few grains of wheat. As soon as the girl pours water on the ground, the wheat will sprout in the blink of an eye and immediately ripen before your eyes. The ears will fill with grain, and the stems will dry out. Then you will see the girl harvest the crops using a small reaper and grind the grain on tiny millstones, and then bake the bread in a small oven. When the bread is ready, the girl will immediately serve it to you. But be careful - these are all tricks of sorcerers! Don't eat the bread, don't even touch it. Then the girl will offer you something to drink and give you a cup of fresh water. But don't drink! And shout at her: “Thief! You stole my mule! Give him back to me! Here is his bridle, I found it here, it was you who stole my mule.” At this very moment you will see a fire break out in the bread, and the girl will answer you: “My lord! This is the bridle of wisdom, and not the bridle of your mule.” Pretend not to understand, ask her to explain the meaning of the words. She will say that if a person puts this Bridle in his mouth, he will be able to see whatever he wants. But pretend you don't understand again and tell her she's lying. Then the girl will put a bridle on you, and you will see everything you want - China, India, any other countries.
You will see a book on the wall. Seize the moment, rip this book off the wall and hit the girl with it, while saying:
"Transform from a man to a mule!" And at that very moment the girl will turn into a mule, and there will be a bridle in her mouth. You immediately grab the reins and forcefully pull the mule towards you, he will resist, but don’t let him overpower you. Keep in mind: he will not be able to overpower you if you do not eat the bread that the girl offers you and drink her water. Remember firmly: a girl is your worst enemy! If you do everything as I told you, then the gates to the world of wisdom will open before you.
And so Seyid Ahmad entered the dark cave... Everything happened exactly as the slave said. And the beautiful girl put the bridle of wisdom on him, but the young man did not want to see China, India, or any other countries, he asked to be shown his brother and father, and when he saw his brother, the Sultan of Truth, sitting on the throne in a luxurious palace, and next to him his father, his surprise knew no bounds. Then Ahmad grabbed the book and hit the girl between the eyes with it. She immediately turned into a mule of a dark, dark color, a color he had never seen in his life. The mule's skin shone and shimmered, its eyes sparkled brightly, and its tail fluttered. The mule was wearing a rich saddle. Ahmad quickly jumped onto the mule. The mule suddenly laughed loudly and began to rise up. He broke through the roof and flew above the clouds. A mule flies high in the sky and suddenly asks mockingly:
- Don't you know that I am your worst enemy? Well, you overpowered me and turned me into a mule. But you made a fatal mistake by riding me. By doing so, you ruined yourself. Your time has come! Now I will throw you to the ground. May the winds tear you apart!
And the mule began to rise higher and higher into the sky. Ahmad looked around and saw a slave next to him.
“I warned you,” the slave whispered. “Why did you sit on a mule?” Take this hook. Now pretend that you are chewing something. The mule is very hungry and he will ask you for something to eat. You answer him like this: “You are my enemy, and that’s why I give you very little food, just to try.” When the mule turns his head towards you, immediately insert this hook into his mouth and pull. The mule will beg for mercy, and you say: “Get down to the ground immediately, or I will kill you!” The mule will go downstairs with you, and there I will wait for you.
And Ahmad did as the slave taught him. When he found himself on the ground and got off the mule, he saw a slave standing next to him.
- Oh princess! - exclaimed the slave. - The hour of your liberation has finally come! Soon you will be disenchanted. Your savior has appeared - Sayyid Ahmad. Why are you treating him so cruelly and treacherously?
“But he turned me into a mule,” the mule answered in a human voice. “And besides, he dared to sit astride me.”
“But this is your master,” the slave objected. “You will belong to him and obey him in everything, only he can remove the spell from you.” And the slave turned to Ahmad: “My master, order what you want.”
- I want to see my brother and father.
- My Lord! - said the slave. - This mule is an enchanted princess. Only you can save her and turn her back into a human. Now listen to me and I will tell you what happened to your father. He returned from a trip to holy places and learned that his wife had sold the house and disappeared. He did not find his children either - neither you nor your brother Muhammad. Then he submitted to the will of Allah, the great and almighty, built a hut on the edge of the forest, and settled there. He decided to devote himself to serving God. One day a rumor reached him about the great and just king Muhammad - the Sultan of Truth. And he went to him to ask for help. But he did not know that Muhammad was his son. Your brother saw his father, recognized him, was very happy and told him his whole story. And that was just three days ago. The king sent his people and ordered his father's wife and the jeweler - her lover - to be brought to him; he decided to punish them in the most severe way. Ride a mule and it will take you to the jeweler's house faster than a bird. You will fly there, grab the jeweler and stepmother and take your brother to the palace yourself, ahead of his people. Brother and father will be glad to see you back. Then take the bridle off the mule and keep it for yourself - this is the bridle of wisdom, and it will always help you reveal the past, predict the future, penetrate all mysteries. And when the first joy of the meeting has passed, order the mule to turn into a man. And a beautiful girl will appear before you - take her as your wife.
As soon as the slave uttered his last words, he immediately disappeared. Seyyid Ahmad mounted a mule. He flew and a few moments later landed with the young man in front of the jeweler’s house. Ahmad grabbed his stepmother and her lover, put them next to him on the back of a mule, and they flew to the palace. Seyyid Muhammad - Sultan of Truth and his father were amazed when they saw a mule, and on its back there was a young man who was tightly holding a woman and a man. Here Ahmad shouts:
- It’s me - Ahmad, oh father!
The father hurried to Ahmad, hugged him and cried with happiness. Muhammad ran up behind him and also warmly hugged his brother. All the people greeted Ahmad. And he says in response:
- Look, father! Here is your traitorous wife, and here is the treacherous jeweler! They wanted to get rid of us and kill me and my brother, but we ran away from them.
The king ordered to dig a large hole, fill it with wood and light a fire. The order was immediately carried out. And they threw the unfaithful wife and the scoundrel jeweler, her lover, into the blazing bright fire.
The father was delighted, sat Muhammad and Ahmad next to him and began to question them. Suddenly Ahmad jumped up and shouted:
- Oh, I completely forgot!
He ran up to the mule, took the bridle out of its mouth and said loudly:
- Quickly take on the appearance of a person!
At that same moment the mule turned into a young girl of dazzling beauty. She looked at the brothers and asked:
- Do you know, O Seyid Ahmad, who the black slave really is? Do you know, Sayyid Muhammad - Sultan of Truth, who is the man with a long gray beard and in a green robe who helped you?
“No, we don’t know,” the brothers answered in one voice.
“This is your father’s patron, Seyid Abdelkadir,” the girl said solemnly.
And Seyid Ahmad married a beautiful girl, and they lived happily for many, many years.
Young lover of literature, we are firmly convinced that you will enjoy reading the fairy tale “The Woodcutter, His Friends and Enemies (African Tale)” and you will be able to learn a lesson and benefit from it. It is very useful when the plot is simple and, so to speak, life-like, when similar situations arise in our everyday life, this contributes to better memorization. When faced with such strong, strong-willed and kind qualities of the hero, you involuntarily feel the desire to transform yourself for the better. The inspiration of everyday objects and nature creates colorful and bewitching pictures of the surrounding world, making them mysterious and enigmatic. Probably due to the inviolability of human qualities over time, all moral teachings, morals and issues remain relevant at all times and eras. The desire to convey a deep moral assessment of the actions of the main character, which encourages one to rethink oneself, was crowned with success. How charmingly and soulfully the description of nature, mythical creatures and the way of life of the people was conveyed from generation to generation. The fairy tale “The Woodcutter, His Friends and Enemies (African Fairytale)” can be read for free online countless times without losing your love and desire for this creation.
They say that one woodcutter’s wife died, leaving him with seven children. The woodcutter went to the forest every day and worked from morning to night, but lived in great poverty. After all, the forest, no matter how large it was, thinned out over time, and there were more and more loggers.
One day he was returning from the forest and leading a donkey loaded with firewood. He didn't manage to chop much wood that day. Suddenly he hears some voices that seem to be coming from underground. He was surprised and went towards these voices to see who was talking. And I came across an abandoned well. I looked into it and at the very bottom I saw a man, a snake, a mouse and a lion.
- Save me, oh brother! — the man begged. “Have mercy on me and get me out of here, otherwise I’ll disappear.” After all, I am your brother - a man. And I wish you only the best. Don't let me die.
Before the woodcutter had time to say a word, the snake said:
- Don’t even try to save a person! His poison stings more than mine. Save me, and only me! I'll be useful to you. If you are in danger of death, I will save you.
“But how is it,” the woodcutter answers, “how can I leave my brother in trouble and save you, the snake?” And what good are you?
“What is true is true, this man is the son of people, just like you,” answered the snake. “But know that if you save him, he will someday harm you.” Pull me out and I'll give you some of my scales as a token of gratitude. When you are in danger or death shows its claws, burn these scales, and I will instantly respond to your call and help you out.
The woodcutter laughed:
- Maybe all this is true, but why think too far. Who can know whether you will betray me or not? You know what I'm afraid of: I'll pull you out, and instead of thanking you, you'll sting me.
The snake swore and swore that it would never deceive the savior.
- How can I betray the one who saved me? - she urged. “People can do this, but we, snakes, never!”
- Do not leave me! - the man shouted again. “After all, man is like brother to man; helping each other is our duty.”
Here the lion intervened:
- Oh woodcutter! Beware of man. He will surely harm you if you save him. And don't even think about pulling it out. Better get me out, I'll be useful to you. After all, I am the king of the forest, no one can compare with me in strength. I never betray those who help me. I swear, not only will I not harm you, but I will repay you with good.
- How will you do this?
- I'll give you a few hairs from my mane. As soon as you are threatened with death or any danger, burn them, I will immediately appear and save you from trouble. But I warn you: don't trust the man.
- How can you listen to him! - the man cried. “He’s still lying.” O my brother, I pray you, save me. Then the voice of a mouse was heard:
- Be careful and don’t think about saving the person! It does you no good, only harm. Save me, and I will be useful to you.
- How can you, little mouse, help me? - The woodcutter laughed.
- I'll give you a piece of my fluff. If you suffer and suffer because of poverty, burn it. I will immediately appear to you and fill your house with money. You people love money, and it will certainly help you. Is not it? Save me and I will be useful to you.
“So be it, I’ll get you all out,” the woodcutter decided.
He threw a rope into a deep well and pulled out the man first. Then the lord of the forest, then the snake and finally the mouse. All those rescued thanked the woodcutter and left, giving him their gifts: the lion - hairs from the mane, the snake - a few scales, the mouse - a piece of fluff. Their savior also went on his way.
One day, after some time, a woodcutter went to collect firewood. He went deeper into the forest, chopped wood, loaded the donkey with it and hurried home. But it so happened that he got lost. The sun has already begun to set, but the woodcutter cannot find the way to his hut. And suddenly he heard a growl and looked: three lions surrounded him, about to attack. The woodcutter was frightened, trembling all over with fear, and did not know what to do. And then he remembered about the hairs from the mane of the rescued lion, took them out of the bag and set them on fire. Before they had time to burn to the ground, a menacing roar from the ruler of the forest was heard, and all three lions froze in place. A lion, whom the woodcutter had saved, appeared, roared something in his lion tongue, and the three lions, shaking their heads, silently left. Soon the rescued lion disappeared into the thicket of the forest, but after a few moments he returned and threw a gazelle at the woodcutter’s feet. The woodcutter lit a fire, roasted a gazelle and ate a hearty meal. The lion settled down nearby. Then the woodcutter went to bed and slept until the morning under the protection of the lion, and the next morning the lion led him to the road leading to the house.
Time passed. The woodcutter earned less and less, and could not even feed his children. The woodcutter's strength was exhausted from overwork and worries, and he fell seriously ill. Hunger and need reigned at home. Then the woodcutter remembered the fluff that the mouse gave him. The woodcutter burned the fluff, and at the same moment a mouse appeared in front of him. He complained to her about his failures and poverty. The mouse listened to him and made some strange sound. The woodcutter sees: his entire yard is instantly filled with a host of mice.
“My brothers,” the mouse turned to them. “This woodcutter saved me from inevitable death.” Shouldn't we thank him?
- We are ready to reward him a hundredfold! - the mice made noise. Then the mouse, which the woodcutter had saved, proposed to dig a long hole between the woodcutter’s house and the treasury in the king’s palace. Without hesitating for a minute, everyone got to work. The mouse asked the woodcutter to bring some honey. When the hole was ready, the mouse began to smear the backs of its comrades with honey. As soon as the mice entered the treasury, bags of money stuck to their backs, and they returned with the precious cargo to the woodcutter's house. They worked like this for several hours. During this time, the mice dragged many bags of coins into the woodcutter's house. The woodcutter thanked the mice and they left.
The next morning, the keeper of the treasury discovered the loss and reported to the king.
“How did the thieves dare to break into my palace?!” - the king shouted angrily.
And he ordered to find the thieves, and to generously reward the one who reveals the secret and indicates where the thieves are hiding. The king's messengers dispersed to all corners of the country.
The woodcutter was careful not to appear at the market with gold coins. “After all, everyone knows that I am a poor man,” he thought, “they will also start asking where I got such coins, what should I answer then?” The woodcutter was very happy when he accidentally met the man whom he had once pulled out of the well. He told him about everything that happened in the palace and asked him not to tell anyone about it. Then he gave him several bags of coins so that he could buy for himself everything he wanted from food and things, and at the same time for him, the woodcutter. But, having heard about the generous reward promised by the king for the capture of the thief, this man hurried to the palace and denounced his savior.
They brought the woodcutter to the palace. He appeared before the king, bowed low and kissed the ground at his feet.
“How dare you, despicable one, steal my treasury?” - the king shouted angrily.
- I swear by Allah, O lord! I have never stolen a crumb in my life. I am an honest person and I work from morning to night to feed myself and my children.
- You are lying! - the king gets even more angry. “This man reported on you.”
And the king pointed to the man whom the woodcutter had once saved.
“You gave him several bags of gold coins.” Do you know, you scoundrel, that they were stolen from me!
“Cut off my head, lord, if I lied to you even a word.” Or prove that I stole at least a little from your palace.
- Well, then tell me, how did you end up with these bags of gold?
- So listen, oh lord! I once saved a mouse from death, and it gave me a piece of its fluff so that I could burn it when I felt bad. When I became completely poor and I had nothing to eat and nothing to feed my children, I burned this fluff...
And the woodcutter told the king in detail the whole story with the mice. The king marveled at what he heard and ordered to check whether the woodcutter was telling the truth. They brought a heap of fresh grass to the treasury and set it on fire. The room was immediately filled with smoke, it penetrated into all the cracks, including the secret hole dug by the mice. Soon a stream of smoke appeared in the woodcutter's house. So the king became convinced that the woodcutter was telling the truth. He rose from his throne and said:
“Whatever it is, I don’t like the fact that the treasury was robbed in my palace.” If the woodcutter had lied, I would have ordered his execution. And since he told the whole truth and we know how it all happened, put him in prison for three years.
In prison, the woodcutter was constantly tormented by the thought of the children: what was wrong with them, were they starving? Three days have passed. The woodcutter almost lost his mind from heavy thoughts and suffering. But then he remembered the snake, because she promised to help him in case of danger or trouble. “Such a misfortune has come, it can’t be worse: the children are starving, and there is no help for them from anyone.” The woodcutter pulled out the scales and burned them. Before they had time to burn out, a snake appeared.
“Didn’t I warn you against man, didn’t I say that his poison is more destructive than mine and that he will bring you harm?” But I didn’t come to reproach you, but to help.
- How can you help me?! - the woodcutter exclaimed in despair.
“The king has a daughter who is dearer to him than his own eyes.” I will wrap myself around her stomach, chest and neck and will kill everyone who dares to approach me. I just won't touch you. And you tell your guard that you know how to talk to snakes and can save the princess from certain death. When they bring you to the king, you will tell him that this is not a simple snake, but a queen of snakes, and that she will not let the girl go until she kills the man who did not keep the secret and forgot about gratitude. Demand that the informer be executed. You will see, they will certainly bring him and cut off his head. As soon as the execution is completed, I will immediately release the girl, and you will be given so much money that it will last you a lifetime.
The woodcutter thanked the snake.
At night, when everyone was sleeping, the snake entered the princess's bedroom, crawled onto her bed and wrapped itself around her body. The slave saw this and was horrified, rushed to the king, woke him up and told him what had happened. The king, queen, servants and maidservants, male and female slaves, and guards ran into the room. One of the guards took a step towards the bed. The snake seemed to reluctantly spit at him, and he immediately fell dead. No one even moved or moved; everyone stood in horror and was afraid to approach the snake.
The palace was plunged into sadness and despondency. And the king announced throughout the country that he would give the one who saved the princess everything he wanted.
From all over came people who claimed to have power over snakes. Before the first one had time to approach, the snake spat and he fell dead. The others backed away in fear and left the princess's bedroom.
Meanwhile, the woodcutter called the guard and said:
_Go to the king and tell him that I can save his daughter.
The guard hastened to fulfill the prisoner's request. The king was delighted and ordered the woodcutter to be brought immediately.
“Can you really save our daughter?” - asked the king when the woodcutter appeared before him and kissed the ground at his feet. - If you save me, I will return your freedom and give you everything you want.
The woodcutter asked to be taken to the princess's bedroom. They brought him, but they let him into the bedroom alone, no one came with him, and the king and queen, the entire retinue and guards remained standing at the door. The woodcutter boldly approached the snake, put his hand on it, held it for a while, and then turned to the king and said:
“This is not a simple snake, but a queen of snakes, she demands that they kill the vile traitor who did not keep the secret entrusted to him and forgot about gratitude.” This traitor, O lord, is the same man who reported me to you.
The king, who saw with his own eyes how the snake killed everyone who approached it, was amazed beyond measure when the woodcutter fearlessly approached it. He no longer doubted the veracity of the prisoner’s words and immediately ordered the informer to be brought in and executed. As soon as the traitor's head rolled off his shoulders, the snake let go of the princess and left the room.
The king gave freedom to the woodcutter and rewarded him so generously that he, his children, and then his children’s children lived their whole lives in wealth and prosperity.
They say that one woodcutter’s wife died, leaving him with seven children. The woodcutter went to the forest every day and worked from morning to night, but lived in great poverty. After all, the forest, no matter how large it was, thinned out over time, and there were more and more loggers.
One day he was returning from the forest and leading a donkey loaded with firewood. He didn't manage to chop much wood that day. Suddenly he hears some voices that seem to be coming from underground. He was surprised and went towards these voices to see who was talking. And I came across an abandoned well. I looked into it and at the very bottom I saw a man, a snake, a mouse and a lion.
Save me, O brother! - the man begged. - Take pity on me and get me out of here, otherwise I’ll disappear. After all, I am your brother - a man. And I wish you only the best. Don't let me die.
Before the woodcutter had time to say a word, the snake said:
Don't you dare save a person! His poison stings more than mine. Save me, and only me! I'll be useful to you. If you are in danger of death, I will save you.
But how is it,” the woodcutter answers, “how can I leave my brother in trouble and save you, the snake?” And what good are you?
What is true is true, this man is a son of people, just like you,” answered the snake. “But know that if you save him, he will harm you someday.” Pull me out and I'll give you some of my scales as a token of gratitude. When you are in danger or death shows its claws, burn these scales, and I will instantly respond to your call and help you out.
The woodcutter laughed:
Maybe all this is true, but why think too far. Who can know whether you will betray me or not? You know what I'm afraid of: I'll pull you out, and instead of thanking you, you'll sting me.
The snake swore and swore that it would never deceive the savior.
How can I betray the one who saved me? - she urged. “People can do this, but we, snakes, never!”
Do not leave me! - the man shouted again. “After all, man is like brother to man; helping each other is our duty.”
Here the lion intervened:
O woodcutter! Beware of man. He will surely harm you if you save him. And don't even think about pulling it out. Better get me out, I'll be useful to you. After all, I am the king of the forest, no one can compare with me in strength. I never betray those who help me. I swear, not only will I not harm you, but I will repay you with good.
How will you do this?
I'll give you a few hairs from my mane. As soon as you are threatened with death or any danger, burn them, I will immediately appear and save you from trouble. But I warn you: don't trust the man.
How can you listen to him! - the man cried. “He’s still lying.” O my brother, I pray you, save me. Then the voice of a mouse was heard:
Be careful and don't think about saving the person! It does you no good, only harm. Save me, and I will be useful to you.
How can you, little mouse, help me? - The woodcutter laughed.
I'll give you a piece of my fluff. If you suffer and suffer because of poverty, burn it. I will immediately appear to you and fill your house with money. You people love money, and it will certainly help you. Is not it? Save me and I will be useful to you.
“So be it, I’ll get you all out,” the woodcutter decided.
He threw a rope into a deep well and pulled out the man first. Then the lord of the forest, then the snake and finally the mouse. All those rescued thanked the woodcutter and left, giving him their gifts: a lion - hairs from the mane, a snake - a few scales, a mouse - a piece of fluff. Their savior also went on his way.
One day, after some time, a woodcutter went to collect firewood. He went deeper into the forest, chopped wood, loaded the donkey with it and hurried home. But it so happened that he got lost. The sun has already begun to set, but the woodcutter cannot find the way to his hut. And suddenly he heard a growl and looked: three lions surrounded him, about to attack. The woodcutter was frightened, trembling all over with fear, and did not know what to do. And then he remembered about the hairs from the mane of the rescued lion, took them out of the bag and set them on fire. Before they had time to burn to the ground, a menacing roar from the ruler of the forest was heard, and all three lions froze in place. A lion, whom the woodcutter had saved, appeared, roared something in his lion tongue, and the three lions, shaking their heads, silently left. Soon the rescued lion disappeared into the thicket of the forest, but after a few moments he returned and threw a gazelle at the woodcutter’s feet. The woodcutter lit a fire, roasted a gazelle and ate a hearty meal. The lion settled down nearby. Then the woodcutter went to bed and slept until the morning under the protection of the lion, and the next morning the lion led him to the road leading to the house.
Time passed. The woodcutter earned less and less, and could not even feed his children. The woodcutter's strength was exhausted from overwork and worries, and he fell seriously ill. Hunger and need reigned at home. Then the woodcutter remembered the fluff that the mouse gave him. The woodcutter burned the fluff, and at the same moment a mouse appeared in front of him. He complained to her about his failures and poverty. The mouse listened to him and made some strange sound. The woodcutter sees: his entire yard is instantly filled with a host of mice.
“My brothers,” the mouse turned to them. “This woodcutter saved me from inevitable death.” Shouldn't we thank him?
We are ready to reward him a hundredfold! - the mice made noise. Then the mouse, which the woodcutter had saved, proposed to dig a long hole between the woodcutter’s house and the treasury in the king’s palace. Without hesitating for a minute, everyone got to work. The mouse asked the woodcutter to bring some honey. When the hole was ready, the mouse began to smear the backs of its comrades with honey. As soon as the mice entered the treasury, bags of money stuck to their backs, and they returned with the precious cargo to the woodcutter's house. They worked like this for several hours. During this time, the mice dragged many bags of coins into the woodcutter's house. The woodcutter thanked the mice and they left.
The next morning, the keeper of the treasury discovered the loss and reported to the king.
How did thieves dare to break into my palace?! - the king shouted angrily.
And he ordered to find the thieves, and to generously reward the one who reveals the secret and indicates where the thieves are hiding. The king's messengers dispersed to all corners of the country.
The woodcutter was careful not to appear at the market with gold coins. “After all, everyone knows that I am a poor man,” he thought, “they will also start asking where I got such coins, what should I answer then?” The woodcutter was very happy when he accidentally met the man whom he had once pulled out of the well. He told him about everything that happened in the palace and asked him not to tell anyone about it. Then he gave him several bags of coins so that he could buy for himself everything he wanted from food and things, and at the same time for him, the woodcutter. But, having heard about the generous reward promised by the king for the capture of the thief, this man hurried to the palace and denounced his savior.
They brought the woodcutter to the palace. He appeared before the king, bowed low and kissed the ground at his feet.
How dare you, despicable one, steal my treasury? - the king shouted angrily.
I swear by Allah, O lord! I have never stolen a crumb in my life. I am an honest person and I work from morning to night to feed myself and my children.
You are lying! - the king gets even more angry. “This man reported on you.”
And the king pointed to the man whom the woodcutter had once saved.
You gave him several bags of gold coins. Do you know, you scoundrel, that they were stolen from me!
Cut off my head, lord, if I lied to you even a word. Or prove that I stole at least a little from your palace.
Well, then tell me, how did you end up with these bags of gold?
So listen, O lord! I once saved a mouse from death, and it gave me a piece of its fluff so that I could burn it when I felt bad. When I became completely poor and I had nothing to eat and nothing to feed my children, I burned this fluff...
And the woodcutter told the king in detail the whole story with the mice. The king marveled at what he heard and ordered to check whether the woodcutter was telling the truth. They brought a heap of fresh grass to the treasury and set it on fire. The room was immediately filled with smoke, it penetrated into all the cracks, including the secret hole dug by the mice. Soon a stream of smoke appeared in the woodcutter's house. So the king became convinced that the woodcutter was telling the truth. He rose from his throne and said:
Whatever it is, I don’t like the fact that the treasury was robbed in my palace. If the woodcutter had lied, I would have ordered his execution. And since he told the whole truth and we know how it all happened, put him in prison for three years.
In prison, the woodcutter was constantly tormented by the thought of the children: what was wrong with them, were they starving? Three days have passed. The woodcutter almost lost his mind from heavy thoughts and suffering. But then he remembered the snake, because she promised to help him in case of danger or trouble. “Such a misfortune has come, it can’t be worse: the children are starving, and there is no help for them from anyone.” The woodcutter pulled out the scales and burned them. Before they had time to burn out, a snake appeared.
Didn’t I warn you against man, didn’t I say that his poison is more destructive than mine and that he will bring you harm? But I didn’t come to reproach you, but to help.
How can you help me?! - the woodcutter exclaimed in despair.
The king has a daughter who is dearer to him than his own eyes. I will wrap myself around her stomach, chest and neck and will kill everyone who dares to approach me. I just won't touch you. And you tell your guard that you know how to talk to snakes and can save the princess from certain death. When they bring you to the king, you will tell him that this is not a simple snake, but a queen of snakes, and that she will not let the girl go until she kills the man who did not keep the secret and forgot about gratitude. Demand that the informer be executed. You will see, they will certainly bring him and cut off his head. As soon as the execution is completed, I will immediately release the girl, and you will be given so much money that it will last you a lifetime.
The woodcutter thanked the snake.
At night, when everyone was sleeping, the snake entered the princess's bedroom, crawled onto her bed and wrapped itself around her body. The slave saw this and was horrified, rushed to the king, woke him up and told him what had happened. The king, queen, servants and maidservants, male and female slaves, and guards ran into the room. One of the guards took a step towards the bed. The snake seemed to reluctantly spit at him, and he immediately fell dead. No one even moved or moved; everyone stood in horror and was afraid to approach the snake.
The palace was plunged into sadness and despondency. And the king announced throughout the country that he would give the one who saved the princess everything he wanted.
From all over came people who claimed to have power over snakes. Before the first one had time to approach, the snake spat and he fell dead. The others backed away in fear and left the princess's bedroom.
Meanwhile, the woodcutter called the guard and said:
Go to the king and tell him that I can save his daughter.
The guard hastened to fulfill the prisoner's request. The king was delighted and ordered the woodcutter to be brought immediately.
Can you really save our daughter? - asked the king when the woodcutter appeared before him and kissed the ground at his feet. - If you save me, I will return your freedom and give you everything you want.
The woodcutter asked to be taken to the princess's bedroom. They brought him, but they let him into the bedroom alone, no one came with him, and the king and queen, the entire retinue and guards remained standing at the door. The woodcutter boldly approached the snake, put his hand on it, held it for a while, and then turned to the king and said:
This is not a simple snake, but a queen of snakes, she demands that they kill the vile traitor who did not keep the secret entrusted to him and forgot about gratitude. This traitor, O lord, is the same man who reported me to you.
The king, who saw with his own eyes how the snake killed everyone who approached it, was amazed beyond measure when the woodcutter fearlessly approached it. He no longer doubted the veracity of the prisoner’s words and immediately ordered the informer to be brought in and executed. As soon as the traitor's head rolled off his shoulders, the snake let go of the princess and left the room.
The king gave freedom to the woodcutter and rewarded him so generously that he, his children, and then his children’s children lived their whole lives in wealth and prosperity.
They say that one woodcutter’s wife died, leaving him with seven children. The woodcutter went to the forest every day and worked from morning to night, but lived in great poverty. After all, the forest, no matter how large it was, thinned out over time, and there were more and more loggers.
One day he was returning from the forest and leading a donkey loaded with firewood. He didn't manage to chop much wood that day. Suddenly he hears some voices that seem to be coming from underground. He was surprised and went towards these voices to see who was talking. And I came across an abandoned well. I looked into it and at the very bottom I saw a man, a snake, a mouse and a lion.
Save me, O brother! - the man begged. - Take pity on me and get me out of here, otherwise I’ll disappear. After all, I am your brother - a man. And I wish you only the best. Don't let me die.
Before the woodcutter had time to say a word, the snake said:
Don't you dare save a person! His poison stings more than mine. Save me, and only me! I'll be useful to you. If you are in danger of death, I will save you.
But how is it,” the woodcutter answers, “how can I leave my brother in trouble and save you, the snake?” And what good are you?
What is true is true, this man is a son of people, just like you,” answered the snake. “But know that if you save him, he will harm you someday.” Pull me out and I'll give you some of my scales as a token of gratitude. When you are in danger or death shows its claws, burn these scales, and I will instantly respond to your call and help you out.
The woodcutter laughed:
Maybe all this is true, but why think too far. Who can know whether you will betray me or not? You know what I'm afraid of: I'll pull you out, and instead of thanking you, you'll sting me.
The snake swore and swore that it would never deceive the savior.
How can I betray the one who saved me? - she urged. “People can do this, but we, snakes, never!”
Do not leave me! - the man shouted again. “After all, man is like brother to man; helping each other is our duty.”
Here the lion intervened:
O woodcutter! Beware of man. He will surely harm you if you save him. And don't even think about pulling it out. Better get me out, I'll be useful to you. After all, I am the king of the forest, no one can compare with me in strength. I never betray those who help me. I swear, not only will I not harm you, but I will repay you with good.
How will you do this?
I'll give you a few hairs from my mane. As soon as you are threatened with death or any danger, burn them, I will immediately appear and save you from trouble. But I warn you: don't trust the man.
How can you listen to him! - the man cried. “He’s still lying.” O my brother, I pray you, save me. Then the voice of a mouse was heard:
Be careful and don't think about saving the person! It does you no good, only harm. Save me, and I will be useful to you.
How can you, little mouse, help me? - The woodcutter laughed.
I'll give you a piece of my fluff. If you suffer and suffer because of poverty, burn it. I will immediately appear to you and fill your house with money. You people love money, and it will certainly help you. Is not it? Save me and I will be useful to you.
“So be it, I’ll get you all out,” the woodcutter decided.
He threw a rope into a deep well and pulled out the man first. Then the lord of the forest, then the snake and finally the mouse. All those rescued thanked the woodcutter and left, giving him their gifts: a lion - hairs from the mane, a snake - a few scales, a mouse - a piece of fluff. Their savior also went on his way.
One day, after some time, a woodcutter went to collect firewood. He went deeper into the forest, chopped wood, loaded the donkey with it and hurried home. But it so happened that he got lost. The sun has already begun to set, but the woodcutter cannot find the way to his hut. And suddenly he heard a growl and looked: three lions surrounded him, about to attack. The woodcutter was frightened, trembling all over with fear, and did not know what to do. And then he remembered about the hairs from the mane of the rescued lion, took them out of the bag and set them on fire. Before they had time to burn to the ground, a menacing roar from the ruler of the forest was heard, and all three lions froze in place. A lion, whom the woodcutter had saved, appeared, roared something in his lion tongue, and the three lions, shaking their heads, silently left. Soon the rescued lion disappeared into the thicket of the forest, but after a few moments he returned and threw a gazelle at the woodcutter’s feet. The woodcutter lit a fire, roasted a gazelle and ate a hearty meal. The lion settled down nearby. Then the woodcutter went to bed and slept until the morning under the protection of the lion, and the next morning the lion led him to the road leading to the house.
Time passed. The woodcutter earned less and less, and could not even feed his children. The woodcutter's strength was exhausted from overwork and worries, and he fell seriously ill. Hunger and need reigned at home. Then the woodcutter remembered the fluff that the mouse gave him. The woodcutter burned the fluff, and at the same moment a mouse appeared in front of him. He complained to her about his failures and poverty. The mouse listened to him and made some strange sound. The woodcutter sees: his entire yard is instantly filled with a host of mice.
“My brothers,” the mouse turned to them. “This woodcutter saved me from inevitable death.” Shouldn't we thank him?
We are ready to reward him a hundredfold! - the mice made noise. Then the mouse, which the woodcutter had saved, proposed to dig a long hole between the woodcutter’s house and the treasury in the king’s palace. Without hesitating for a minute, everyone got to work. The mouse asked the woodcutter to bring some honey. When the hole was ready, the mouse began to smear the backs of its comrades with honey. As soon as the mice entered the treasury, bags of money stuck to their backs, and they returned with the precious cargo to the woodcutter's house. They worked like this for several hours. During this time, the mice dragged many bags of coins into the woodcutter's house. The woodcutter thanked the mice and they left.
The next morning, the keeper of the treasury discovered the loss and reported to the king.
How did thieves dare to break into my palace?! - the king shouted angrily.
And he ordered to find the thieves, and to generously reward the one who reveals the secret and indicates where the thieves are hiding. The king's messengers dispersed to all corners of the country.
The woodcutter was careful not to appear at the market with gold coins. “After all, everyone knows that I am a poor man,” he thought, “they will also start asking where I got such coins, what should I answer then?” The woodcutter was very happy when he accidentally met the man whom he had once pulled out of the well. He told him about everything that happened in the palace and asked him not to tell anyone about it. Then he gave him several bags of coins so that he could buy for himself everything he wanted from food and things, and at the same time for him, the woodcutter. But, having heard about the generous reward promised by the king for the capture of the thief, this man hurried to the palace and denounced his savior.
They brought the woodcutter to the palace. He appeared before the king, bowed low and kissed the ground at his feet.
How dare you, despicable one, steal my treasury? - the king shouted angrily.
I swear by Allah, O lord! I have never stolen a crumb in my life. I am an honest person and I work from morning to night to feed myself and my children.
You are lying! - the king gets even more angry. “This man reported on you.”
And the king pointed to the man whom the woodcutter had once saved.
You gave him several bags of gold coins. Do you know, you scoundrel, that they were stolen from me!
Cut off my head, lord, if I lied to you even a word. Or prove that I stole at least a little from your palace.
Well, then tell me, how did you end up with these bags of gold?
So listen, O lord! I once saved a mouse from death, and it gave me a piece of its fluff so that I could burn it when I felt bad. When I became completely poor and I had nothing to eat and nothing to feed my children, I burned this fluff...
And the woodcutter told the king in detail the whole story with the mice. The king marveled at what he heard and ordered to check whether the woodcutter was telling the truth. They brought a heap of fresh grass to the treasury and set it on fire. The room was immediately filled with smoke, it penetrated into all the cracks, including the secret hole dug by the mice. Soon a stream of smoke appeared in the woodcutter's house. So the king became convinced that the woodcutter was telling the truth. He rose from his throne and said:
Whatever it is, I don’t like the fact that the treasury was robbed in my palace. If the woodcutter had lied, I would have ordered his execution. And since he told the whole truth and we know how it all happened, put him in prison for three years.
In prison, the woodcutter was constantly tormented by the thought of the children: what was wrong with them, were they starving? Three days have passed. The woodcutter almost lost his mind from heavy thoughts and suffering. But then he remembered the snake, because she promised to help him in case of danger or trouble. “Such a misfortune has come, it can’t be worse: the children are starving, and there is no help for them from anyone.” The woodcutter pulled out the scales and burned them. Before they had time to burn out, a snake appeared.
Didn’t I warn you against man, didn’t I say that his poison is more destructive than mine and that he will bring you harm? But I didn’t come to reproach you, but to help.
How can you help me?! - the woodcutter exclaimed in despair.
The king has a daughter who is dearer to him than his own eyes. I will wrap myself around her stomach, chest and neck and will kill everyone who dares to approach me. I just won't touch you. And you tell your guard that you know how to talk to snakes and can save the princess from certain death. When they bring you to the king, you will tell him that this is not a simple snake, but a queen of snakes, and that she will not let the girl go until she kills the man who did not keep the secret and forgot about gratitude. Demand that the informer be executed. You will see, they will certainly bring him and cut off his head. As soon as the execution is completed, I will immediately release the girl, and you will be given so much money that it will last you a lifetime.
The woodcutter thanked the snake.
At night, when everyone was sleeping, the snake entered the princess's bedroom, crawled onto her bed and wrapped itself around her body. The slave saw this and was horrified, rushed to the king, woke him up and told him what had happened. The king, queen, servants and maidservants, male and female slaves, and guards ran into the room. One of the guards took a step towards the bed. The snake seemed to reluctantly spit at him, and he immediately fell dead. No one even moved or moved; everyone stood in horror and was afraid to approach the snake.
The palace was plunged into sadness and despondency. And the king announced throughout the country that he would give the one who saved the princess everything he wanted.
From all over came people who claimed to have power over snakes. Before the first one had time to approach, the snake spat and he fell dead. The others backed away in fear and left the princess's bedroom.
Meanwhile, the woodcutter called the guard and said:
Go to the king and tell him that I can save his daughter.
The guard hastened to fulfill the prisoner's request. The king was delighted and ordered the woodcutter to be brought immediately.
Can you really save our daughter? - asked the king when the woodcutter appeared before him and kissed the ground at his feet. - If you save me, I will return your freedom and give you everything you want.
The woodcutter asked to be taken to the princess's bedroom. They brought him, but they let him into the bedroom alone, no one came with him, and the king and queen, the entire retinue and guards remained standing at the door. The woodcutter boldly approached the snake, put his hand on it, held it for a while, and then turned to the king and said:
This is not a simple snake, but a queen of snakes, she demands that they kill the vile traitor who did not keep the secret entrusted to him and forgot about gratitude. This traitor, O lord, is the same man who reported me to you.
The king, who saw with his own eyes how the snake killed everyone who approached it, was amazed beyond measure when the woodcutter fearlessly approached it. He no longer doubted the veracity of the prisoner’s words and immediately ordered the informer to be brought in and executed. As soon as the traitor's head rolled off his shoulders, the snake let go of the princess and left the room.
The king gave freedom to the woodcutter and rewarded him so generously that he, his children, and then his children’s children lived their whole lives in wealth and prosperity.
They say that one woodcutter’s wife died, leaving him with seven children. The woodcutter went to the forest every day and worked from morning to night, but lived in great poverty. After all, the forest, no matter how large it was, thinned out over time, and there were more and more loggers.
One day he was returning from the forest and leading a donkey loaded with firewood. He didn't manage to chop much wood that day. Suddenly he hears some voices that seem to be coming from underground. He was surprised and went towards these voices to see who was talking. And I came across an abandoned well. I looked into it and at the very bottom I saw a man, a snake, a mouse and a lion.
- Save me, oh brother! - the man begged. - Take pity on me and get me out of here, otherwise I’ll disappear. After all, I am your brother - a man. And I wish you only the best. Don't let me die.
Before the woodcutter had time to say a word, the snake said:
- Don’t even try to save a person! His poison stings more than mine. Save me, and only me! I'll be useful to you. If you are in danger of death, I will save you.
“But how is it,” the woodcutter answers, “how can I leave my brother in trouble and save you, the snake?” And what good are you?
“What is true is true, this man is the son of people, just like you,” answered the snake. “But know that if you save him, he will someday harm you.” Pull me out and I'll give you some of my scales as a token of gratitude. When you are in danger or death shows its claws, burn these scales, and I will instantly respond to your call and help you out.
The woodcutter laughed:
- Maybe all this is true, but why think too far. Who can know whether you will betray me or not? You know what I'm afraid of: I'll pull you out, and instead of thanking you, you'll sting me.
The snake swore and swore that it would never deceive the savior.
- How can I betray the one who saved me? - she urged. “People can do this, but we, snakes, never!”
- Do not leave me! - the man shouted again. “After all, man is like brother to man; helping each other is our duty.”
Here the lion intervened:
- Oh woodcutter! Beware of man. He will surely harm you if you save him. And don't even think about pulling it out. Better get me out, I'll be useful to you. After all, I am the king of the forest, no one can compare with me in strength. I never betray those who help me. I swear, not only will I not harm you, but I will repay you with good.
- How will you do this?
- I'll give you a few hairs from my mane. As soon as you are threatened with death or any danger, burn them, I will immediately appear and save you from trouble. But I warn you: don't trust the man.
- How can you listen to him! - the man cried. “He’s still lying.” O my brother, I pray you, save me. Then the voice of a mouse was heard:
- Be careful and don’t think about saving the person! It does you no good, only harm. Save me, and I will be useful to you.
- How can you, little mouse, help me? - The woodcutter laughed.
- I'll give you a piece of my fluff. If you suffer and suffer because of poverty, burn it. I will immediately appear to you and fill your house with money. You people love money, and it will certainly help you. Is not it? Save me and I will be useful to you.
“So be it, I’ll get you all out,” the woodcutter decided.
He threw a rope into a deep well and pulled out the man first. Then the lord of the forest, then the snake and finally the mouse. All those rescued thanked the woodcutter and left, giving him their gifts: the lion - hairs from the mane, the snake - a few scales, the mouse - a piece of fluff. Their savior also went on his way.
One day, after some time, a woodcutter went to collect firewood. He went deeper into the forest, chopped wood, loaded the donkey with it and hurried home. But it so happened that he got lost. The sun has already begun to set, but the woodcutter cannot find the way to his hut. And suddenly he heard a growl and looked: three lions surrounded him, about to attack. The woodcutter was frightened, trembling all over with fear, and did not know what to do. And then he remembered about the hairs from the mane of the rescued lion, took them out of the bag and set them on fire. Before they had time to burn to the ground, a menacing roar from the ruler of the forest was heard, and all three lions froze in place. A lion, whom the woodcutter had saved, appeared, roared something in his lion tongue, and the three lions, shaking their heads, silently left. Soon the rescued lion disappeared into the thicket of the forest, but after a few moments he returned and threw a gazelle at the woodcutter’s feet. The woodcutter lit a fire, roasted a gazelle and ate a hearty meal. The lion settled down nearby. Then the woodcutter went to bed and slept until the morning under the protection of the lion, and the next morning the lion led him to the road leading to the house.
Time passed. The woodcutter earned less and less, and could not even feed his children. The woodcutter's strength was exhausted from overwork and worries, and he fell seriously ill. Hunger and need reigned at home. Then the woodcutter remembered the fluff that the mouse gave him. The woodcutter burned the fluff, and at the same moment a mouse appeared in front of him. He complained to her about his failures and poverty. The mouse listened to him and made some strange sound. The woodcutter sees: his entire yard is instantly filled with a host of mice.
“My brothers,” the mouse turned to them. “This woodcutter saved me from inevitable death.” Shouldn't we thank him?
- We are ready to reward him a hundredfold! - the mice made noise. Then the mouse, which the woodcutter had saved, proposed to dig a long hole between the woodcutter’s house and the treasury in the king’s palace. Without hesitating for a minute, everyone got to work. The mouse asked the woodcutter to bring some honey. When the hole was ready, the mouse began to smear the backs of its comrades with honey. As soon as the mice entered the treasury, bags of money stuck to their backs, and they returned with the precious cargo to the woodcutter's house. They worked like this for several hours. During this time, the mice dragged many bags of coins into the woodcutter's house. The woodcutter thanked the mice and they left.
The next morning, the keeper of the treasury discovered the loss and reported to the king.
“How did the thieves dare to break into my palace?!” - the king shouted angrily.
And he ordered to find the thieves, and to generously reward the one who reveals the secret and indicates where the thieves are hiding. The king's messengers dispersed to all corners of the country.
The woodcutter was careful not to appear at the market with gold coins. “After all, everyone knows that I am a poor man,” he thought, “they will also start asking where I got such coins, what should I answer then?” The woodcutter was very happy when he accidentally met the man whom he had once pulled out of the well. He told him about everything that happened in the palace and asked him not to tell anyone about it. Then he gave him several bags of coins so that he could buy for himself everything he wanted from food and things, and at the same time for him, the woodcutter. But, having heard about the generous reward promised by the king for the capture of the thief, this man hurried to the palace and denounced his savior.
They brought the woodcutter to the palace. He appeared before the king, bowed low and kissed the ground at his feet.
“How dare you, despicable one, steal my treasury?” - the king shouted angrily.
- I swear by Allah, O lord! I have never stolen a crumb in my life. I am an honest person and I work from morning to night to feed myself and my children.
- You are lying! — the king gets even more angry. “This man reported on you.”
And the king pointed to the man whom the woodcutter had once saved.
“You gave him several bags of gold coins.” Do you know, you scoundrel, that they were stolen from me!
“Cut off my head, lord, if I lied to you even a word.” Or prove that I stole at least a little from your palace.
- Well, then tell me, how did you end up with these bags of gold?
- So listen, oh lord! I once saved a mouse from death, and it gave me a piece of its fluff so that I could burn it when I felt bad. When I became completely poor and I had nothing to eat and nothing to feed my children, I burned this fluff...
And the woodcutter told the king in detail the whole story with the mice. The king marveled at what he heard and ordered to check whether the woodcutter was telling the truth. They brought a heap of fresh grass to the treasury and set it on fire. The room was immediately filled with smoke, it penetrated into all the cracks, including the secret hole dug by the mice. Soon a stream of smoke appeared in the woodcutter's house. So the king became convinced that the woodcutter was telling the truth. He rose from his throne and said:
“Whatever it is, I don’t like the fact that the treasury was robbed in my palace.” If the woodcutter had lied, I would have ordered his execution. And since he told the whole truth and we know how it all happened, put him in prison for three years.
In prison, the woodcutter was constantly tormented by the thought of the children: what was wrong with them, were they starving? Three days have passed. The woodcutter almost lost his mind from heavy thoughts and suffering. But then he remembered the snake, because she promised to help him in case of danger or trouble. “Such a misfortune has come, it can’t be worse: the children are starving, and there is no help for them from anyone.” The woodcutter pulled out the scales and burned them. Before they had time to burn out, a snake appeared.
“Didn’t I warn you against man, didn’t I say that his poison is more destructive than mine and that he will bring you harm?” But I didn’t come to reproach you, but to help.
- How can you help me?! - the woodcutter exclaimed in despair.
“The king has a daughter who is dearer to him than his own eyes.” I will wrap myself around her stomach, chest and neck and will kill everyone who dares to approach me. I just won't touch you. And you tell your guard that you know how to talk to snakes and can save the princess from certain death. When they bring you to the king, you will tell him that this is not a simple snake, but a queen of snakes, and that she will not let the girl go until she kills the man who did not keep the secret and forgot about gratitude. Demand that the informer be executed. You will see, they will certainly bring him and cut off his head. As soon as the execution is completed, I will immediately release the girl, and you will be given so much money that it will last you a lifetime.
The woodcutter thanked the snake.
At night, when everyone was sleeping, the snake entered the princess's bedroom, crawled onto her bed and wrapped itself around her body. The slave saw this and was horrified, rushed to the king, woke him up and told him what had happened. The king, queen, servants and maidservants, male and female slaves, and guards ran into the room. One of the guards took a step towards the bed. The snake seemed to reluctantly spit at him, and he immediately fell dead. No one even moved or moved; everyone stood in horror and was afraid to approach the snake.
The palace was plunged into sadness and despondency. And the king announced throughout the country that he would give the one who saved the princess everything he wanted.
From all over came people who claimed to have power over snakes. Before the first one had time to approach, the snake spat and he fell dead. The others backed away in fear and left the princess's bedroom.
Meanwhile, the woodcutter called the guard and said:
Go to the king and tell him that I can save his daughter.
The guard hastened to fulfill the prisoner's request. The king was delighted and ordered the woodcutter to be brought immediately.
“Can you really save our daughter?” - asked the king when the woodcutter appeared before him and kissed the ground at his feet. - If you save me, I will return your freedom and give you everything you want.
The woodcutter asked to be taken to the princess's bedroom. They brought him, but they let him into the bedroom alone, no one came with him, and the king and queen, the entire retinue and guards remained standing at the door. The woodcutter boldly approached the snake, put his hand on it, held it for a while, and then turned to the king and said:
“This is not a simple snake, but a queen of snakes, she demands that they kill the vile traitor who did not keep the secret entrusted to him and forgot about gratitude.” This traitor, O lord, is the same man who reported me to you.
The king, who saw with his own eyes how the snake killed everyone who approached it, was amazed beyond measure when the woodcutter fearlessly approached it. He no longer doubted the veracity of the prisoner’s words and immediately ordered the informer to be brought in and executed. As soon as the traitor's head rolled off his shoulders, the snake let go of the princess and left the room.
The king gave freedom to the woodcutter and rewarded him so generously that he, his children, and then his children’s children lived their whole lives in wealth and prosperity.