That ancient time, when the world of God was filled with goblins, witches and mermaids, when the rivers flowed milky, the banks were jelly, and fried partridges flew across the fields, at that time there lived a king named Pea with the queen Anastasia the Beautiful; they had three prince sons.
A great misfortune struck - the queen was dragged away by an unclean spirit. The big son says to the king:
Father, bless me, I’ll go find my mother.
He went and disappeared; for three years there was no word or word about him.
The second son began to ask:
Father, bless me on my journey, maybe I’ll be lucky enough to find both my brother and my mother.
The king blessed; he went and also disappeared without a trace - as if he had sunk into the water.
The youngest son Ivan Tsarevich comes to the king:
Dear father, bless me on my journey; Maybe I’ll find my brothers and mother.
Go, son!
Ivan Tsarevich set off in a foreign direction; I drove and drove and came to the blue sea, stopped on the shore and thought: “Where should I go now?”
Suddenly thirty-three spoonbills flew to the sea, hit the ground and became red maidens - all were good, but one was better than all of them; undressed and jumped into the water.
Whether they bathed a lot or a little, Ivan Tsarevich crept up, took the sash from the girl who was the most beautiful of all, and hid it in his bosom.
The girls swam, went ashore, began to dress - one sash was missing.
“Oh, Ivan Tsarevich,” says the beauty, “give me my sash.”
Tell me first, where is my mother?
Your mother lives with my father - with Voron Voronovich. Go up the sea, you will come across a silver bird, a golden crest: where it flies, there you go too.
Ivan Tsarevich gave her the sash and walked up the sea; here he met his brothers, greeted them and took them with him.
They were walking along the shore together, they saw a silver bird with a golden crest, and they ran after it. The bird flew and flew and threw itself under an iron slab into an underground pit.
Well, brothers, says Ivan Tsarevich, bless me instead of your father, instead of your mother; I will descend into this pit and find out what the land of other faiths is like, whether our mother is there.
His brothers blessed him, he sat down on the rail, climbed into that deep hole and went down neither more nor less - exactly three years; went down and went along the road.
He walked and walked, walked and walked, and saw the kingdom of copper; Thirty-three spoonbill girls are sitting in the palace, embroidering towels with cunning patterns - towns and suburbs.
Hello, Ivan Tsarevich! - says the princess of the copper kingdom. -Where are you going, where are you heading?
I'm going to look for my mother.
Your mother is with my father, with Voron Voronovich; he is cunning and wise, he flew over the mountains, over the valleys, over dens, over the clouds! He'll kill you, good fellow! Here's a ball for you, go to my middle sister - what will she tell you. And when you go back, don’t forget me. Ivan Tsarevich rolled the ball and followed him. Comes to the silver kingdom; thirty-three spoonbill maidens are sitting there. The princess of the silver kingdom says:
Until now, the Russian spirit was unseen and unheard of, but now the Russian spirit is manifesting itself with your own eyes! What, Ivan Tsarevich, are you torturing the department or are you torturing the case?
Ah, beautiful maiden, I’m going to look for my mother.
Your mother is with my father, with Voron Voronovich; and he is cunning and wise, he flew over the mountains, over the valleys, through dens, and rushed through the clouds! Eh, prince, he will kill you! Here's a ball for you, go to my little sister - what will she tell you: should you go forward, should you go back?
Ivan Tsarevich comes to the golden kingdom; Thirty-three spoonbill girls are sitting there, embroidering towels. Above all, better than all, the princess of the golden kingdom is such a beauty that you can’t even say it in a fairy tale or write it with a pen. She says:
Hello, Ivan Tsarevich! Where are you going, where are you heading?
I'm going to look for my mother.
Your mother is with my father, with Voron Voronovich; He was both cunning and wise, he flew over the mountains, over the valleys, through dens, and rushed through the clouds. Eh, prince, he will kill you! You are wearing a ball, go to the kingdom of pearls: your mother lives there. Seeing you, she will rejoice and immediately order: nannies, mothers, give my son green wine. Don't take it; ask her to give you the three-year-old wine that’s in the cupboard, and a burnt rind for a snack. Don’t forget: my father has two vats of water in the yard - one is strong water, and the other is weak; rearrange them from place to place and drink strong water.
The prince and the princess talked for a long time and fell in love with each other so much that they did not want to part; but there was nothing to do - Ivan Tsarevich said goodbye and set off on his way.
He walked and walked and came to the pearl kingdom. His mother saw him, was delighted and shouted:
Babysitters! Give my son some green wine.
I don’t drink plain wine, give me a three-year-old wine, and a burnt rind for a snack.
He drank three-year-old wine, ate the burnt rind, went out into the wide courtyard, moved the vats from place to place and began to drink strong water.
Suddenly Voron Voronovich flies in; he was as bright as a clear day, but when he saw Ivan Tsarevich, he became darker than the dark night; he sank down to the vat and began to draw powerless water.
Meanwhile, Ivan Tsarevich fell on his wings; Raven Voronovich soared high, high, carried him through the valleys, and over the mountains, and over dens, and clouds, and began to ask:
What do you need, Ivan Tsarevich? Do you want me to give you the treasury?
I don’t need anything, just give me a feather staff.
No, Ivan Tsarevich! It hurts to sit in the wide sleigh. And again the Raven carried him over the mountains and through the valleys, over dens and clouds. Ivan Tsarevich holds on tightly; leaned on him with all his weight and almost broke off his wings. Then Voron Voronovich cried out:
Don't break my wings, take the feather staff!
He gave the prince a feather staff; He himself became a simple raven and flew to the steep mountains.
And Ivan Tsarevich came to the pearl kingdom, took his mother and went back; looks - the pearl kingdom curled up into a ball and rolled after him.
He came to the golden kingdom, then to the silver one, and then to the copper one, took three beautiful princesses with him, and those kingdoms curled up into balls and rolled after them. He walked up to the relays and blew the golden trumpet.
Dear brothers! If you're alive, don't give me away.
The brothers heard the trumpet, grabbed the relays and pulled out into the white world the soul of the red maiden, the princess of the copper kingdom; They saw her and began to quarrel among themselves: one did not want to give her up to the other.
Why are you fighting, good fellows! There is a red maiden there even better than me.
The princes lowered the reels and pulled out the princess of the silver kingdom. They started arguing and fighting again; he says:
Let me have it! And the other:
Don't want! Let it be mine!
Don't quarrel, good fellows, there is a more beautiful girl out there than me.
The princes stopped fighting, lowered the reels and pulled out the princess of the golden kingdom. They started to quarrel again, but the beautiful princess immediately stopped them:
Your mother is waiting there!
They pulled out their mother and lowered the reels behind Ivan Tsarevich;
They raised it halfway and cut the ropes. Ivan Tsarevich flew into the abyss, was badly hurt and lay unconscious for six months; Having woken up, he looked around, remembered everything that had happened to him, took a feather staff out of his pocket and hit it on the ground. At that very moment twelve young men appeared.
What do you order, Ivan Tsarevich?
Take me out into the open world.
The fellows grabbed him by the arms and carried him out into the open world. Ivan Tsarevich began to investigate about his brothers and learned that they had been married a long time ago: the princess from the copper kingdom married her middle brother, the princess from the silver kingdom married her elder brother, and his intended bride was not marrying anyone. And the old father himself decided to marry her; convened a council, accused his wife of consulting with evil spirits and ordered her head to be cut off; After the execution, he asks the princess from the golden kingdom:
Are you going to marry me?
Then I will marry you when you make me shoes without measurements. The king ordered the cry to be called, to ask each and every one: he won’t sew
Does anyone give the princess shoes without measurements?
At that time, Ivan Tsarevich came to his state and hired
one old man as a worker and sends him to the king:
Go ahead, grandfather, take over this matter. I'll sew you shoes, but don't tell on me. The old man went to the king:
I am ready to take on this work.
The king gave him enough goods for a pair of shoes and asked:
Will you please, old man?
Don't be afraid, sir, I have a son, a Chebotar.
Returning home, the old man gave the goods to Ivan Tsarevich; he cut the goods into pieces, threw them out the window, then dissolved the golden kingdom and took out the finished shoes:
Here, grandfather, take it and take it to the king. The king was delighted and pestered the bride:
Is it time to go to the crown? She answers:
Then I’ll marry you when you make me a dress without measurements. The king is busy again, gathering all the artisans to his place, giving them a lot of money, just so that they can sew a dress without measurements. Ivan Tsarevich says to the old man:
Grandfather, go to the king, take the cloth, I’ll sew you a dress, just don’t tell on me.
The old man trudged to the palace, took the atlases and velvets, returned home and gave them to the prince. Ivan Tsarevich immediately grabbed the scissors, cut all the satins and velvets into shreds and threw them out the window; dissolved the golden kingdom, took from there the best dress and gave it to the old man:
Bring it to the palace! Tsar Radekhonek:
Well, my beloved bride, isn’t it time for us to go to the crown? The princess answers:
Then I will marry you when you take the old man’s son and tell him to boil it in milk.
The king did not hesitate, gave the order - and that same day they collected a bucket of milk from every yard, poured it into a large vat and boiled it over high heat.
They brought Ivan Tsarevich; He began to say goodbye to everyone and bow to the ground; They threw him into the vat: he dived once, dived again, jumped out - and became so handsome that he could neither be told in a fairy tale nor written with a pen. The princess says:
Look, king! Who should I marry: you, the old man, or him, the good fellow?
The king thought: “If I bathe in milk, I will become just as handsome!”
He threw himself into the vat and boiled in milk.
And Ivan Tsarevich went with the princess from the golden kingdom to get married; got married and began to live and live well, making good things.
Three kingdoms - copper, silver and gold (tale option 1)
Once upon a time there lived - there lived an old man and an old woman; they had three sons: the first - Egorushko Zalyot, the second - Misha Kosolapy, the third - Ivashko Zapechnik. So their father and mother decided to marry them; They sent their big son to look after the bride, and he walked and walked - a lot of time; no matter where he looks at the girls, he can’t get his brides, they won’t look at all 1. Then he met a snake with three heads on the road and got scared, and the snake said to him: “Where, good man, are you going?” Yegorushko says: “I went to get married, but I can’t find a bride.” The serpent says: “Come with me; I’ll take you, can you get the bride?”
So they walked and walked and reached a large stone. The serpent says: “Turn away the stone; there, whatever you want, you will get.” Yegorushko tried to turn away, but could not do anything. The snake told him: “You don’t have a bride!” And Yegorushko returned home and told his father and mother about everything. Father and mother again thought and thought about how to live and be, they sent their middle son, Misha Clubfoot. The same thing happened with that one. So the old man and the old woman thought and thought, they don’t know what to do: if Ivashka Zapechny is sent, he won’t be able to do anything!
And Ivashko Zapechny himself began to ask to see the snake; His father and mother didn’t let him in at first, but later they let him in. And Ivashko also walked and walked, and met a snake with three heads. The snake asked him: “Where are you going, good man?” He said: “The brothers wanted to get married, but they could not get a bride; and now it’s my turn.” - “Come on, let’s go, I’ll show you; can you get the bride?”
So the snake and Ivashk went, they reached the same stone, and the snake ordered the stone to be turned away from its place. Ivashko grabbed him, and the stone flew away from its place as if it had never happened; there was a hole in the ground, and belts were installed near it. So the snake says: “Ivashko, sit on the belts; I will let you down, and you will go there and reach three kingdoms, and in each kingdom you will see a girl.”
Ivashko went down and walked; He walked and walked and came to the kingdom of copper; Then he came in and saw a beautiful girl. The girl says: “Welcome, unprecedented guest! Come and sit down, where the place is just 2 you see; Yes, tell me where you are coming from and where?” - “Oh, the red girl! - said Ivashko. “She didn’t feed me, didn’t give her anything to drink, but she started asking questions.” So the girl gathered all kinds of food and drinks on the table; Ivashko drank and ate and began to tell me that I was going to look for a bride: “If you have your mercy, I ask you to marry me.” “No, good man,” said the girl, “go forward, you will reach the silver kingdom: there is a girl even more beautiful than me!” - and gave him a silver ring.
So the good fellow thanked the girl for the bread and the salt, said goodbye and left; He walked and walked and came to the silver kingdom; I came here and saw: a girl sitting more beautiful than the first. He prayed to God and hit his forehead: “Great, red maiden!” She answered: “Welcome, well done passerby! Sit down and brag: whose, where, and what business did you come here for?” - “Oh, beautiful maiden! - said Ivashko. “She didn’t give me anything to drink or feed, but she started asking questions.” So the girl gathered the table, brought all kinds of food and drinks; then Ivashko drank, ate as much as he wanted, and began to tell him that he had gone to look for a bride and asked her to marry him. She told him: “Go ahead, there is still a golden kingdom, and in that kingdom there is a maiden even more beautiful than me,” and she gave him a golden ring.
Ivashko said goodbye and went forward, walked and walked, and reached the golden kingdom, entered and saw the most beautiful maiden of all. So he prayed to God and properly greeted the girl. The girl began to ask him: where is he coming from and where is he going? “Ah, red maiden! - he said. “She didn’t give me anything to drink or feed, but she started asking questions.” So she gathered all sorts of food and drinks for the table, which could not have been better asked for. Ivashko Zapechnik treated everyone well and began to tell: “I’m going, looking for a bride for myself; if you want to marry me, then come with me.” The girl agreed and gave him a golden ball, and they went together.
They walked and walked, and reached the silver kingdom - then they took the maiden with them; again they walked and walked, and reached the copper kingdom - and then they took the maiden, and everyone went to the hole from which they had to crawl out, and the belts were hanging here; and the older brothers are already standing at the hole, wanting to climb there to look for Ivashka.
So Ivashko put the girl from the copper kingdom on the belts and shook her by the belt; the brothers dragged and pulled out the girl, and lowered the belts again. Ivashko put the girl from the silver kingdom in jail, and she was pulled out, and the belts were lowered again; then he put the girl from the golden kingdom in jail, and she was pulled out and the straps were lowered. Then Ivashko himself sat down: the brothers dragged him too, dragged and dragged, but when they saw that it was Ivashko, they thought: “Perhaps we’ll get him out, so he won’t give a single girl!” - and cut the belts; Ivashko fell down. Now, there’s nothing to do, he cried, cried and went forward; He walked and walked, and saw an old man sitting on a tree stump - he was about a quarter old, and had a beard as long as his elbow - and he told him everything, how and what happened to him. The old man taught him to move on: “You will reach a hut, and in the hut there lies a long man from corner to corner, and you ask him how to get to Rus'.”
Once upon a time there lived - there lived an old man and an old woman; they had three sons: the first - Egorushko Zalyot, the second - Misha Kosolapy, the third - Ivashko Zapechnik. So their father and mother decided to marry them; They sent their big son to look after the bride, and he walked and walked for a long time; no matter where he looks at the girls, he can’t get his brides, they won’t even look at him. Then he met a snake with three heads on the road and was afraid, and the snake said to him:
Where are you going, good man?
Egorushko says:
I went to get married, but I can’t find a bride.
Snake says:
Come with me; I'll take you, can you get the bride?
So they walked and walked and reached a large stone. Snake says:
Turn away the stone; there, whatever you want, you will get.
Yegorushko tried to turn away, but could not do anything. The serpent told him:
You don't have a bride!
And Yegorushko returned home and told his father and mother about everything. Father and mother again thought and thought about how to live and be, they sent their middle son, Misha Clubfoot. The same thing happened with that one. So the old man and the old woman thought and thought, they don’t know what to do: if Ivashka Zapechny is sent, he won’t be able to do anything!
And Ivashko Zapechny began to ask to see the snake himself; His father and mother didn’t let him in at first, but later they let him in. And Ivashko also walked and walked, and met a snake with three heads. The snake asked him:
Where are you going, good man?
He said:
The brothers wanted to get married, but could not get a bride; and now it’s my turn.
Come on, let's go, I'll show you; can you get the bride?
So the snake and Ivashk went, they reached the same stone, and the snake ordered the stone to be turned away from its place. Ivashko grabbed him, and the stone flew away from its place as if it had never happened; there was a hole in the ground, and belts were installed near it. So the snake says:
Ivashko sit on the belts; I will let you down, and you will go there and reach three kingdoms, and in each kingdom you will see a girl.
Ivashko came down and walked; he walked and walked, and reached the kingdom of copper; Then I walked in and saw a beautiful girl. The girl says:
Welcome, unprecedented guest! Come and sit where you can just see the place; Yes, tell me where you are coming from and where?
Ah, the red girl! - said Ivashko. - She didn’t feed me, didn’t give her anything to drink, but she started asking questions.
So the girl gathered all kinds of food and drinks on the table; Ivashko drank and ate and began to tell me that I was going to look for a bride: - if you have your mercy, I ask you to marry me.
No, good man,” said the maiden, “go forward, you will reach the silver kingdom: there is a maiden there even more beautiful than me!” - and gave him a silver ring.
So the good fellow thanked the girl for the bread and the salt, said goodbye and left; he walked and walked, and reached the silver kingdom; I came here and saw: a girl sitting more beautiful than the first. He prayed to God and beat his forehead:
Hello, red girl!
She answered:
Welcome, well done passerby! Sit down and brag: whose, where, and what business did you come here for?
Ah, beautiful maiden! - said Ivashko. - She didn’t give me anything to drink or feed, but she started asking questions.
So the girl gathered the table, brought all kinds of food and drinks; then Ivashko drank, ate as much as he wanted, and began to tell him that he had gone to look for a bride and asked her to marry him. She told him:
Go forward, there is still a golden kingdom, and in that kingdom there is a maiden even more beautiful than me, - and she gave him a golden ring.
Ivashko said goodbye and went forward, walked and walked, and reached the golden kingdom, went in and saw the most beautiful maiden of all. So he prayed to God and properly greeted the girl. The girl began to ask him: where is he coming from and where is he going?
Ah, red maiden! - he said. - She didn’t give me anything to drink or feed, but she started asking questions.
So she gathered all sorts of food and drinks for the table, which could not have been better asked for. Ivashko Zapechnik treated everyone well and began to tell:
I’m going, looking for a bride for myself; if you want to marry me, then come with me.
The girl agreed and gave him a golden ball, and they went together.
They walked and walked, and reached the silver kingdom - then they took the maiden with them; again they walked and walked, and reached the copper kingdom - and then they took the maiden, and everyone went to the hole from which they had to crawl out, and the belts were hanging here; and the older brothers are already standing at the hole, wanting to climb there to look for Ivashka.
So Ivashko put the girl from the copper kingdom on the belts and shook her by the belt; the brothers dragged and pulled out the girl, and lowered the belts again. Ivashko put the girl from the silver kingdom in jail, and she was pulled out, and the belts were lowered again; then he put the girl from the golden kingdom in jail, and she was pulled out and the straps were lowered. Then Ivashko himself sat down: the brothers dragged him too, dragged and dragged, and when they saw that it was Ivashko, they thought:
Perhaps we’ll get him out, because he won’t give up a single girl! - and cut the belts; Ivashko fell down.
There’s nothing to do, he cried, cried and went forward; He walked and walked, and saw an old man sitting on a stump - he was about a quarter old, and his beard was as long as his elbow - and he told him everything, how and what happened to him. The old man taught him to move on:
You will reach a hut, and in the hut a long man lies from corner to corner, and you ask him how to get to Rus'.
So Ivashko walked and walked, and came to the hut, went in there and said:
Strong Idolishche! Don’t destroy me: tell me how to get to Rus'?
Fu-fu! - said Idolishche. - Nobody called the Russian braid, she came on her own. Well, go beyond thirty lakes; there is a hut on a chicken leg, and Baba Yaga lives in the hut; she has an eagle bird and she will carry you through.
So the good fellow walked and walked, and reached the hut; went into the hut, Baba Yaga shouted:
Fu, fu, fu! Russian braid, why did you come here?
Then Ivashko said:
But, grandmother, I came by order of the strong Idol to ask you for the mighty eagle bird, so that she would pull me to Rus'.
“Go,” said Baba Yaga, “to the fishpond; there is a guard at the door, and you take the keys from him and go through the seven doors; as you unlock the last doors, then the eagle will flutter its wings, and if you are not afraid of it, then sit on it and fly; just take some beef with you, and when he starts looking around, give him a piece of meat.
Ivashko did everything according to the orders of the yaga-grandmother, sat on the eagle and flew; flew and flew, the eagle looked back - Ivashko gave him a piece of meat; He flew and flew and often gave the eagle meat, he had already fed it all, and it wasn’t even close to fly. The eagle looked back, but there was no meat; So the eagle snatched a piece of meat from Ivashka’s withers, ate it and dragged it into the same hole in Rus'. When Ivashko got off the eagle, the eagle coughed up a piece of meat and ordered him to put it on his withers. Ivashko applied it, and the withers became overgrown. Ivashko came home, took a maiden from the golden kingdom from his brothers, and they began to live and be, and now they live. I was there, drank beer; the beer flowed down my mustache, but didn’t get into my mouth.
- That is, they don’t like it.
- Empty, unoccupied.
- Bone, bone.
In that ancient time, when the world of God was filled with goblins, witches and mermaids, when the rivers flowed milky, the banks were jelly, and fried partridges flew across the fields, at that time there lived a king named Pea with the queen Anastasia the Beautiful; they had three prince sons. A great misfortune struck - the queen was dragged away by an unclean spirit. The big son says to the king:
Father, bless me, I’ll go find my mother.
He went and disappeared; for three years there was no word or word about him. The second son began to ask:
Father, bless me on my journey; Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to find both my brother and mother.
Please, brothers!
The robbers agreed, went and brought Alyonushka to their place, drank and drank, walked and walked; then they say:
Well, now it's time to say it!
And the fool:
I would like to spend one night with her.
Well, you fool, she’ll probably still leave!
Please, brothers!
The robbers agreed to his request and left them in a special cage.
So Alyonushka says to her husband:
Let me go outside - I'll catch a cold
How will our people hear?
I'm going quietly; just let him in the window.
I would let you in, but how are you going to leave?
Yes, tie me up; I have a nice canvas, I got it from my mother; tie me with canvas and let me out, and when you pull, I’ll climb through the window again.
The fool tied it with canvas. So she came down, quickly untangled herself, and instead of herself tied a goat by the horns and a little later said:
Drag me! - and she ran away. The fool dragged, and the goat - mekeke-mekeke! No matter what he pulls, the goat is all mekeke and mekeke!
What are you kidding? - says the young man. - Our people will hear, and they will ruin you right now.
He pulled it in - grabbed it - and there was a goat tied to the canvas. The fool got scared and doesn’t know what to do:
Oh, she's damned! After all, she deceived me.
In the morning, robbers come to him.
Where is your girlfriend? - they ask him.
Oh, you fool, you fool. After all, we told you, so no!
They sat down on horseback and galloped off to catch up with Alyonushka; they ride with dogs, clap and whistle - such passion! Alyonushka heard the chase and climbed into the hollow of a dry oak tree and sat there neither alive nor dead, and the dogs hovered around this oak tree.
Isn't she there? - says one robber to another. - Poke it there with a knife, brother.
He poked the knife into the hollow and hit Alyonushka in the knee. Only Alyonushka was quick-witted, grabbed a handkerchief and wiped off the knife. The robber looked at his knife and said:
No, you can't see anything!
And again they galloped in different directions, whistled and clapped.
When everything calmed down, Alyonushka climbed out of the hollow and ran; she ran and ran, and heard the chase again. And along the road, she sees, a man is driving with troughs and trays.
Uncle, hide me under the trough! - she asks.
Wow, you are so elegant! You'll get all dirty.
Please hide it! The robbers are chasing me.
The man spread out the trough, put it under the bottom one and folded it again. I had just finished finishing when the robbers arrived.
I haven’t seen it, my dears!
You're lying! Dump the trough.
So he began to throw away the troughs and threw away all but the last one.
There is nothing to look for here, brothers; let's move on! - said the robbers and galloped off with a din, whistling and clapping.
When everything calmed down, Alyonushka asked:
Uncle, let me go!
The man released her, and she ran again; she ran and ran, and heard the chase again. And along the road, she sees a man driving, carrying leather.
Uncle,” she prays, “hide me under your skin!” The robbers are chasing me!
Eka, look how smart you are! Under the skins you will get all dirty.
Nothing, just hide it!
The man spread out the leather, put it under the lowest one and again folded everything as before. I had just finished finishing when the robbers arrived.
What, man, has so-and-so seen a woman?
I haven’t seen it, my dears!
You're lying! Get rid of your skin.
But why, my dears, will I throw away my goods?
The robbers rushed to shed their skins themselves and almost threw off all the skins; only two or three remained.
There is nothing to look for here, brothers; let's move on! - they said and galloped off with a din, whistling and clapping.
When neither the knock nor the thunder could be heard, she asked:
Uncle, let me go!
The man released her, and she ran again; she ran and ran, and came home at midnight, and lay down in a haystack, buried herself all in there and fell asleep. It's dawn. The priest went to give the cows some hay, and as soon as he stuck the pitchfork into the haystack, Alyonushka grabbed the pitchfork with her hands. The priest became shy, crossed himself and spoke.
In that ancient time, when the world of God was filled with goblins, witches and mermaids, when the rivers flowed milky, the banks were jelly, and fried partridges flew across the fields, at that time there lived a king named Pea with the queen Anastasia the Beautiful; they had three prince sons. A great misfortune struck - the queen was dragged away by an unclean spirit. The big son says to the king: “Father, bless me, I’ll go find my mother.” He went and disappeared; for three years there was no word or word about him. The second son began to ask: “Father, bless me on my journey; Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to find both my brother and my mother.” The king blessed; he went and also disappeared without a trace - as if he had sunk into the water.
The youngest son, Ivan Tsarevich, comes to the king: “Dear father, bless me on my journey; Maybe I’ll find my brothers and mother.” “Go, son!” Ivan Tsarevich set off in a foreign direction; I drove and drove and came to the blue sea, stopped on the shore and thought: “Where should I go now?” Suddenly thirty-three spoonbills flew to the sea, hit the ground and became red maidens - all were good, but one was better than all of them; undressed and jumped into the water.
Whether they bathed a lot or a little, Ivan Tsarevich crept up, took the sash from the girl who was the most beautiful of all, and hid it in his bosom. The girls swam, went ashore, began to dress - one sash was missing. “Oh, Ivan Tsarevich,” says the beauty, “give me my sash.” “Tell me first, where is my mother?” - “Your mother lives with my father - with Voron Voronovich. Go up the sea, you will come across a silver bird with a golden crest: where it flies, there you go too.” Ivan Tsarevich gave her the sash and walked up the sea; here he met his brothers, greeted them and took them with him.
They were walking along the shore together, they saw a silver bird with a golden crest and ran after it. The bird flew and flew and threw itself under an iron slab into an underground pit. “Well, brothers,” says Ivan Tsarevich, “bless me instead of your father, instead of your mother; I will descend into this pit and find out what the land of other faiths is like, whether our mother is there.” His brothers blessed him, he sat down on the rail, climbed into that deep hole and went down neither more nor less - exactly three years; went down and went along the road.
He walked and walked, walked and walked, and saw the kingdom of copper; Thirty-three spoonbill girls are sitting in the palace, embroidering towels with cunning patterns - towns with suburbs. “Hello, Ivan Tsarevich! - says the princess of the copper kingdom. “Where are you going, where are you going?” - “I’m going to look for my mother.” - “Your mother is with my father, with Voron Voronovich; he is cunning and wise, he flew over the mountains, over the valleys, over dens, over the clouds! He'll kill you, good fellow! Here's a ball for you, take it to my middle sister and see what she tells you. And when you go back, don’t forget me.” Ivan Tsarevich rolled the ball and followed him.
Comes to the silver kingdom; thirty-three spoonbill maidens are sitting there. Says the princess of the silver kingdom: “Before now, the Russian spirit was unseen and unheard of, but now the Russian spirit is manifesting itself with your own eyes! What, Ivan Tsarevich, are you trying to get away with business or are you torturing things?” - “Oh, red maiden, I’m going to look for my mother.” - “Your mother is with my father, with Voron Voronovich; and he is cunning and wise, he flew over the mountains, over the valleys, through dens, and rushed through the clouds! Eh, prince, he will kill you! Here’s a ball for you, go to my little sister - what will she tell you: should you go forward, or should you go back?”
