Earlier, we examined the social science space of Russian fairy tales using the example of the fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful". An article on this topic was presented on the Internet on the "Russian People's Line" under my name. As a feature of the presentation of the tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful", it can be noted that, to a greater extent than some other tales, it tells about the geopolitical circumstances of Russian history. The Russian fairy tale "The Copper, Silver and Gold Kingdom" [1] can be attributed to the same type of social science prediction - prophecy. Russian fairy tales are in many ways predictable, because they predict a lot. Perhaps some Russian fairy tales are better called not fairy tales, but predictions.

The Russian fairy tale is a prediction “Two Ivans” [1] of a slightly different type than those noted above, it is more concerned with the political issues and predictions of the life of modern Russia, and is filled for us with feelings of the near future.

The summary of the tale is as follows. Once upon a time there were two brothers: Ivan the richer and Ivan the poor. Their understanding of life was completely different, and moral values \u200b\u200bwere also very far from each other. Ivan the richer gave Ivan the poor man every thing only at high interest. Moreover, Ivan the richer even confiscated things belonging to Ivan the poor man by mean deception from his brother - the poor man. Ivan the richer lived only with his wife, their bins were full of abundance. They lived - did not grieve. Ivan, a poor man, had seven more children in addition to his wife. Ivan, a poor man, with all his social and political credulity and innocence, also possessed a number of strong qualities of his nature and soul. He possessed a strong belief in justice, an indestructible will to live, and a wonderful wit. This always gives the poor Ivan the opportunity to turn the unfavorably current course of our life into a fair channel and return to the original roots of our people's life.

We pass directly to the consideration of the text and content of the tale.

“Once upon a time there were two brothers, two Ivans: Ivan the richer and Ivan the poor.”

You don't need any special imagination and ingenuity to understand: if we are talking about Ivans, then we are talking about Russia. Ivan the richer and Ivan the poor are the symbols of divided Russia, rich and poor Russia. We know this from today's life. There is a rich Russia, there is a poor and very poor Russia. In the fairy tale, as in life, it is noted that the rich part of the country is very small (Ivan the rich lived only with his wife), and the poor part of the country is significant (Ivan the poor lived with his wife and 7 children). The poor part of the country lived in poverty. This is how our Russian fairy tale, in principle, outlines the general socio-political situation in the country.

Further, the tale introduces us, in general terms, into market relations. Ivan the richer gives Ivan the poor man a bowl of flour, but demands to give him a sack of flour. A very interesting and important detail of the storytelling: the relationship and collisions between Ivan the rich and Ivan the poor take place in an era of global instability and great changes, when geophysical phenomena and natural disasters strongly affect the living conditions of people. In the tale, these geo-stationarities are represented by wind, sun and cold. Today, we are all familiar with such phenomena firsthand, we are all witnesses to the unsteady behavior of the sun, atmosphere, magnetic field, winds, frost and heat. Geo-instability is a characteristic component of our life today.

The element of the wind flies in and takes away the last crumbs of flour from Ivan the poor man. Now we know the more serious consequences of the games of the elements, when people are deprived of not only food, but also shelter and loved ones. However, which is typical in these conditions for a real Ivan - a poor man, he does not lose heart, he rushes after the wind, enters into interaction with him, and converges with him to such an extent that something arises that allows solving the acute problem of providing people with the necessary sources nutrition. After Ivan the poor man entered into interaction with a powerful geophysical force and achieved significant results, the narration of a Russian folk tale becomes especially interesting and significant for us. We can note with satisfaction that the poor man's relationship with the wind was of a creative nature, Ivan mastered the wind energy at a qualitatively new level and turned the wind into his powerful assistant. So, folk prediction tells us a very important thing. In the near future, we will have a powerful new tool with the help of wind power to effectively solve food security problems, by refusing to supply food through merchants - speculators.

In the language of the Russian folk tale, the solution to this important problem of food security is called "self-assembled tablecloth". This achievement of Russian ingenuity and will caused envy and anger among the rich, and they conceived to steal the invention from Ivan the poor man. The tale "Two Ivans" once again reminds us that Russia's successes always cause an attack of envy, lies and deceit in its spiritual and physical enemies. They always try to deceive Russia and the Russian Ivanovs of their advantages, their scientific and technical developments and their ingenuity. This statement is not my guess. The tale directly says that Ivan the rich man deceived Ivan the poor man in a dirty way and took himself a self-assembled tablecloth.

What is important to note today? New hardships and hardships do not deprive the poor Ivan of his will. He interacts with the sun and turns the forces of the sun for the benefit of himself and all of Russia. Further, the tale "Two Ivans" tell us one more important predictive thing: in the near future, even more grandiose discoveries and inventions will be made in Russia, which will shock the market world. The tale informs that these discoveries and inventions will be made by Russian people not from among the rich, but by Russian nuggets from a disadvantaged part of Russian society.

“Nothing,” says the sun, “I hurt you, I’ll help you. I will give you a goat from my herd. You feed her with acorns, milk from her gold ”[1].

These lines concisely and symbolically set out the results of the interaction of the poor Ivan with the sun and the socio-economic situation in Russia, the peculiarities of the life of the poor Ivan, his family and his loved ones.

The expected achievements of Russia's interaction with our wonderful luminary will decisively transform the country's financial sphere, its gold reserves. The problem of monetary and financial support of the country will be reduced, according to the tale, not to printing on secret machines of unsecured colored papers, but to large-scale industrial and technological production of gold.

But the Russian people will again be saved by their natural resourcefulness, vitality, ingenuity and technical talent.

Justice is one of the main Orthodox and Russian spiritual values. Justice will be restored, and Russia will once again live its natural and harmonious life. It is characteristic that the fairy tale directly, bluntly, says: “Do not believe, poor man, a rich man! Do not believe, poor man, your rich brother, learn wits and wits! " Do not believe in ideological fantasies, but believe in truth and justice. The last word in our social life belongs to them. This is how the tale tells:

“As soon as evening came, Ivan came running.

Where was Ivan? What have you got, Ivan? (this is now called market thinking or business).

Was, brother, in the cold and took out a wonderful bag. Just say: "Two of the bag!" - two will jump out, what should be done.

Oh, brother, Ivan is a poor man, give me a purse for one day! My roof has collapsed, there is no one to fix it.

Take it, Ivan - grow rich! Ivan brought the richer bag to his home, locked the doors (behavior similar to that of Ivan the rich man is now often referred to as "the shadow economy and gray schemes").

- "Two from the bag!"

As soon as they jump out, as two pine clubs jump out of the bag, as soon as they start hitting Ivan, the rich man, they say: “Do not offend the poor man, rich man! Give, rich, Ivan the tablecloth and the goat.

Ivan ran - the rich man to the poor man, and the clubs followed him.

Save, brother! I’ll give you the tablecloth too - self-assembly and a goat ”[1].

Here it is appropriate to recall the well-known words of John the Theologian again, spoken by him in the 1st conciliar epistle: “He who says:“ I love God, ”but hates his brother, is a liar: he does not love his brother, whom he sees how he can love God, Whom does he not see? And we have from Him such a commandment that he who loves God would love his brother also ”[2].

Continuing the important thought of John the Theologian about love for a brother, it should be noted that whoever loves God must also love the entire totality of her brothers. And the largest aggregate of our brothers living together lives in our country, in our Fatherland and Motherland, which is the collector and keeper of our brothers. It follows from what has been said: whoever does not love his homeland does not love God either. But God, who loves, loves his Fatherland and his Motherland, and the brothers living in them.

Conclusion

Someone might say that the parallels found by the author between event situations in a fairy tale and events in Russian history are accidental. But this is not the case. In support of my position, I will cite the prophetic words of the outstanding saint of the Russian Orthodox Church Theophan of Poltava.

Saint Theophan departed to the Lord, leaving us a testimony about the fate of Russia foreordained by God. This testimony was recorded by Archbishop Averky (Taushev):

“I am not speaking from myself ... The Lord will have mercy on Russia by His ineffable mercy, the people of God will be healed and turn to repentance and faith. Something that no one expects will happen. Russia will rise from the dead, and the whole world will be surprised.

Orthodoxy will triumph in her. But that Orthodoxy that was before will no longer be. The people themselves will restore the Orthodox monarchy. God Himself will put a strong King on the throne. He will be a great reformer and he will have a strong Orthodox faith. He will be an outstanding personality, with a pure, bright soul and strong will. He will come from the Romanov dynasty through his mother. He will be God's chosen one, obedient to Him in everything. He will transform Siberia. But this Russia will not last long. Soon there will be what John the Theologian says in the Apocalypse. "

Russia and the Russian people have their own destiny. Neither Russia nor the Russian people can be understood only in terms of the market, profit and dislike. Russia and the Russian people do not live only in the material world. The Lord disposes of Russia. Russian fairy tales, with rare exceptions, are talking about this.

Literature

1.Russian fairy tales, St. Petersburg - Lenizdat, 1994

2. The first conciliar epistle to St. John the Theologian, ch. 4. Art. 20.21.

In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there was a man. The time has come - they signed him up as a soldier; He leaves his pregnant wife, began to say goodbye to her and says: “Look, wife, live well, don’t be ridiculous to good people, don’t ruin the house, be in charge and wait for me; maybe God willing - I will retire, I will come back. Here's fifty rubles for you; Whether you give birth to a daughter or a son, save money until old age: if you marry off your daughter, she will have

given; and if God gives a son and he enters into great years, he will be of great help in that money. " He said goodbye to his wife and went on a hike, where he was ordered. About three months later the woman gave birth to two twin boys and named them Ivan soldiers' sons.

The boys started to grow; like wheat dough on a dough, it stretches upward. The children turned ten years old, their mother gave them to science; soon they learned to read and write, and the boyar and merchant children were tucked into their belts - no one could better read them, write them, or give an answer. The boyar and merchant children were jealous and let those twins beat and pinch every day. One brother says to another: “How long will they beat us and pinch? Even then, Mother won't wear a dress on us, she won't buy hats; whatever we wear, all the comrades will tear to shreds! Let's deal with them in our own way. " And they agreed to stand for each other, not to betray each other. The next day, the boyar and merchant children began to bully them, and they endure it completely! - how they went to give change: that one eye out, that one hand out, that one's head to the side! Every one was killed. At once the sentries came running, tied them up, good fellows, and put them in prison. It came down to the king himself; he called those boys to him, asked about everything and ordered them to be released. "They," he says, "are not to blame: God is against the instigators!"

Two Ivan's children, the soldiers' children, grew up and asked their mother: “Mother, isn't there any money left from our parent? If you stayed, give us; we will go to the city fair, buy ourselves a good horse ”. The mother gave them fifty rubles - twenty-five for a brother, and orders: “Listen, kids! How will you go

to the city, bow to everyone you meet and cross. " - "Good, darling!" The brothers went to the city.

They came to the horse-drawn carriage, they look - there are a lot of horses, but there is nothing to choose from; everything does not match them, good fellows! One brother says to the other: “Let's go to the other end of the square; Lo and behold, the crowd is apparently crowding there! " We came there, crowded through - two stallions stand at the oak pillars,

chained with chains: one on six, the other on twelve; The horses are torn from their chains, bite the bit, dig the earth with their hooves. Nobody can get close to them "

"What will be the price of your stallions?" - Ivan asks the soldier's son from the owner. “Not with your nose, brother, to stick in here! There is a product, but not for you; there is nothing to ask. " - “How to know what you don’t know; maybe we will buy; you just have to look in the teeth. " The owner chuckled: "Look, if you don't mind your head!" Immediately one brother approached the stallion that was chained on six chains, and the other brother came up to the one that was held on twelve chains. They began to look in the teeth - where! The stallions reared up and snore ... The brothers hit them with their knees in the chest - the chains flew apart, the stallions bounced five fathoms, fell upside down. “Bona was bragging about something! We won’t take such nags for nothing ”. The people gasp, marvel: what powerful heroes have shown themselves! The owner almost cries: his stallions galloped out of the city and let's walk around the whole clear field; no one dares to start them, how to catch them - no one will think of. The soldiers' children took pity on the owner Ivana, went out into the open field, shouted in a loud voice, with a valiant whistle - the stallions came running and stood in place as if rooted to the spot; then the good fellows put on them iron chains, led them to oak pillars and chained them tightly. We finished this business and went home.

They are walking along the road, and towards them a gray-haired old man ; they forgot what their mother had been punishing them, and walked past without greeting, but after that one caught himself:

“Oh, brother, what have we done? The old man was not given a bow; let's catch up with him and bow down. " They caught up with the old man, took off their caps, bow to the belt and say: “Forgive us,

grandfather who passed without greeting. Mother punished us severely: whoever met on the way, give honor to everyone. " - “Thank you, good fellows! Where did God take you? " - “We went to the city fair; we wanted to buy ourselves a good horse, but there are none that would be useful to us. " - "How to be? Is there anything to give you a horse? " - “Oh, grandfather, if you donate, we will become forever for you God

pouring ". - "Well, let's go!" The old man led them to a great mountain, opened the cast-iron door and led out the heroic horses: “Here are the horses for you, good fellows! Go with God, have your health! " They thanked, got on horseback and rode home; arrived at the yard, tied the horses to a post and entered the hut. The mother began to ask: "What, kids, did you buy yourself a horse?" - "I didn't buy it, I got it for nothing." - "Where did you take them?" - "They put it near the hut." - "Oh, children, look - who would not have taken away." - "No, mother, these horses are not like that: let alone take them away, and you cannot approach them!" The mother came out, looked at the heroic horses and burst into tears: "Well, sons, surely you are not my breadwinners."

The next day, the sons ask their mother: "Let us go to the city, we will buy ourselves a saber." - "Go, dear ones!" They gathered, went to the forge; come to the master. "Do it," they say, "we use a saber." - “Why do it! There are ready-made; as much as you like - take it! " - "No, brother, we need such sabers to weigh three hundred poods." - “Oh, what have they invented! But who will move such a colossus? And you won't find such a forge in the whole world! " Nothing to do - good fellows went home and hung their heads;

they walk along the road, and again the same old man comes across to meet them. "Hello, young boys!" - "Hello, grandfather!" - "Where did you go?" - “To the city, to the smithy; we wanted to buy ourselves a saber, but there are no such people, so that we would fit in the hand ”. - “Bad business! Is there anything to give you a saber? " - "Oh, grandfather, if you give it, we will pray to God for you forever." The old man led them to a great mountain, opened the cast-iron door and brought out two heroic sabers. They took the sabers, thanked the old man, and they felt joyful, merry in their souls! They come home, the mother asks: "What, kids, did they buy themselves a saber?" - "I didn't buy it, I got it for nothing." - "Where

did you share them? " - "They put it near the hut." - "Look, no matter how someone took it!" - "No, mother, let alone take away, you cannot even take away." Mother went out into the courtyard, looked - two heavy sabers, heroic ones, were set against the wall, the hut was barely holding on! Filled up next

zami and says: "Well, sons, surely you are not my breadwinners."

In the morning Ivana, the soldiers' children saddled their good horses, took their heroic sabers, came to the hut. They pray to God, say goodbye to their own mother. "Bless us, mother, on a long journey." - “Be over you, kids, my indestructible parental blessing! Go with God, show yourself, see people; do not offend anyone in vain, and do not yield to evil enemies. " - “Don't be afraid, mother! We have this proverb: I’m driving - I don’t fist, but if I hit it, I won’t let it go! ” The good fellows got on their horses and drove off.

Whether it is close, far, how long, briefly, it quickly affects, not soon the work is done, they come at a crossroads, and there are two pillars. On one pillar it is written: "Whoever goes to the right will be the king"; on the other pillar, it is written: "Whoever goes to the left will be killed." The brothers stopped, read the inscriptions and thought: where to whom to go? If both of them take the right road, it is not an honor, not a praise for their God-Tyr strength, valiant prowess; go one left - no one wants to die! Yes, there is nothing to do - says one of the brothers to the other: “Well, brother, I am stronger than you; let me go to the left and see what death can happen to me? And you go to the right: maybe God willing - you will become a king! " They began to say goodbye, gave each other a handkerchief and made the following covenant: to go each his own way, put up poles along the way, write about himself on those poles for the nobility, for knowledge; every morning to wipe your face with a brother's handkerchief: if there is blood on the handkerchief, it means that death happened to the brother; with such a ride to look for the dead.

Good fellows dispersed in different directions. That he let the horse go to the right, he got to the glorious kingdom. In this kingdom lived a tsar with a tsarina, they had a daughter, princess Nastasya the Beautiful. Tsar Ivan saw the soldier's son, fell in love with him for his heroic prowess and, without hesitation, gave his daughter for marriage, named him Ivan Tsarevich and ordered him to rule the whole kingdom. Ivan Tsarevich lives in

joy, admires his wife, gives order to the kingdom and amuses himself with animal hunting.

At some time he began to pack for the hunt, put harness on the horse, and found in the saddle - two vials with a kissing and living water sewn up; looked at those bubbles and put them back in the saddle. “It is necessary,” he thinks, “to keep it for the time being; the hour is not even - they will be needed. "

And his brother Ivan, the soldier's son, who rode the left road, rode day and night without fatigue; a month passed, and another, and a third, and he arrived in an unfamiliar country - right in the capital city. There is great sorrow in that state; houses are covered with black cloth, people stagger as if sleepy. I rented myself the worst apartment from a poor old woman and began to ask her: "Tell me, grandmother, why did all the people in your country feel so sad and all houses are hung with black cloth?" - “Oh, good fellow! Great grief overtook us; every day a twelve-headed serpent emerges from the blue sea, from behind a gray stone, and eats one person at a time, now it's the king's turn ... He has three beautiful princesses; only now they took the eldest to the seaside - a snake to be devoured. "

Ivan the soldier's son mounted his horse and galloped to the blue sea, to the gray stone; a beautiful princess stands on the shore - chained to an iron chain. She saw the knight and said to him: “Get out of here, good fellow! The twelve-headed serpent will soon come here; I will be lost, and you cannot escape death either: the fierce snake will eat you! " - "Do not be afraid, red girl, maybe choke." Ivan the soldier's son came up to her, grabbed the chain with his heroic hand and tore it into small pieces, like a rotten string; after the red girl lay down on his knees: “Well look in my head! Look not so much in your head as look at the sea: as soon as the cloud rises, the wind will rustle, the sea will stir - immediately wake me up, fellow. " The red girl obeyed, not so much looking in his head as looking at the sea.

Suddenly a cloud moved, the wind rustled; the sea stirred - from the blue sea a serpent comes out, up the mountain

rises. The princess woke Ivan the soldier's son; he got up, only jumped on his horse, and the kite was already flying: “You, Ivanushka, why did you come? After all, this is my place! Now say goodbye to the white light and get yourself into my throat as soon as possible - it will be easier for you! " “You're lying, damn snake! If you do not swallow, you will choke! " - answered the hero, drew his sharp saber, swung, struck and cut off all twelve heads of the serpent; he raised a gray stone, laid his heads under the stone, threw his torso into the sea, and went back home to the old woman, ate and drank, went to bed and slept for three days.

At that time the king called the water carrier. "Go," he says, "to the seaside, collect at least the princess's bones." The water carrier came to the blue sea, sees - the princess is alive, unharmed in anything, put her on a cart and brought her into a dense, dense forest; brought it into the forest and let's sharpen the knife. "What are you going to do?" the princess asks. "I sharpen a knife, I want to cut you!" The princess wept: “Don't cut me; I didn’t do any harm to you ”. - "Tell your father that I delivered you from the snake, so have mercy!" Nothing to do, agreed. I arrived at the palace; The tsar was delighted and granted that water carrier a colonel.

This is how Ivan the soldier's son woke up, called the old woman, gives her money and asks: "Come on, grandmother, to the market, buy what you need, but listen to what people say: is there anything new?" The old woman ran into the market, bought various supplies, listened to the news of the people, turned back and said:

“There is such a rumor among the people: our tsar had a big dinner, sat at the table, princes and envoys, boyars and eminent people; at that time a red-hot arrow flew into the window and fell in the middle of the hall, to that arrow was a letter tied from another twelve-headed serpent. The serpent writes: if you don’t send the middle princess to me, I will burn your kingdom with fire, scatter ashes. Today, poor woman, they will take her to the blue sea, to the gray stone. "

Ivan the soldier's son has now saddled his good horse, sat down and galloped off to the seaside. The princess says to him: “Why are you, good

well done? Let it be my turn to accept death, to shed hot blood; and

why do you disappear for? " “Don't be afraid, red maiden! Perhaps God will save ”. He only managed to say that a fierce serpent was flying at him, firing fire, threatening him with death. The hero struck him with a sharp saber and cut off all twelve heads; He put his head under a stone, threw his torso into the sea, and returned home, ate and got drunk and went to bed again for three days, for three nights.

The water carrier came again, saw that the princess was alive, put her on a cart, took her to a dense forest and began to sharpen a knife. The princess asks: "Why are you sharpening a knife?" - “And I'm sharpening a knife, I want to cut you. Swear an oath that you tell your father as I need, so I will have mercy on you. " The princess gave him an oath; he brought her to the palace; the tsar rejoiced and granted the water carrier the rank of general.

Ivan the soldier's son woke up from sleep on the fourth day and told the old woman to go to the market and listen to the news. The old woman ran to the market, turned back and said: "The third serpent appeared, sent a letter to the tsar, and in the letter demands: take out the smaller princess to be devoured." Ivan the soldier's son saddled his good horse, sat down and galloped to the blue sea. On the shore is a beautiful princess, chained to a stone on an iron chain. The hero grabbed the chain, shook it and tore it like a rotten twine; after the red girl lay down on her knees: “Look in my head! Look not so much in your head as look at the sea: as soon as the cloud rises, the wind will rustle, the sea will stir - immediately wake me up, fellow. " The princess began to search in his head ...

Suddenly a cloud moved, the wind rustled, the sea stirred - a snake emerges from the blue sea, rises up the mountain. The princess began to wake Ivan the soldier's son, pushed, pushed, no - she did not wake up; she cried tearfully, and dropped a hot tear on his cheek; from that, the hero woke up, ran to his horse, and the good horse knocked out the earth with its hooves for half an arshin. A twelve-headed serpent flies, it bursts with fire; looked at the hero and exclaimed:

“You are good, you are good-looking, good fellow, but you won't be alive; I'll eat you with bones! " "You're lying, damn snake, choke." They began to beat

mortal combat; Ivan the soldier's son waved his saber so fast and forcefully that it got red-hot, you can't hold it in your hands! He prayed to the princess: “Save me, red maiden! Take off your expensive handkerchief, wet it in the blue sea and let me wrap your saber. " The princess immediately wetted her handkerchief and gave it to the good fellow. He wrapped his saber and let's chop the snake; I cut off all twelve heads for him, put those heads under a stone, threw the body into the sea, and he rode home, ate and got drunk and went to bed for three days.

The king again sends a water carrier to the seaside; a water carrier arrived, took the princess and took her to a dense forest; took out a knife and began to sharpen. "What are you doing?" the princess asks. “I'm sharpening the knife, I want to cut you! Tell your father that I have conquered the snake, so have mercy. " Frightened the red maiden, swore to speak according to his words. And the younger daughter was the king's favorite; when he saw her alive, in nothing unharmed, he rejoiced more than ever and wanted to give a favor to the water carrier - to marry him to the younger princess.

There was a rumor about that all over the state. Ivan, the soldier's son, learned that the tsar was planning a wedding, and went straight to the palace, and there the feast was going on, the guests were drinking and eating, they were playing with all sorts of games. The younger princess glanced at Ivan the soldier's son, saw her expensive handkerchief on his saber, jumped out from the table, took his hand and began to prove to her father: “Sovereign Father! This is the one who delivered us from the fierce serpent, from vain death; and the water carrier only knew how to sharpen a knife and say: I am sharpening a knife, I want to cut you! " The tsar got angry, immediately ordered the water carrier to be hanged, and the princess married Ivan the soldier's son, and they had great fun. The young began to live, live and make good.

While all this was going on, with the brother of Ivan the soldier's son - with Ivan Tsarevich, that's what happened. Once he went hunting, and he came across a swift deer. Ivan Tsarevich struck the horse and set off in pursuit of him; raced, raced and rode out into a wide meadow. Then the deer disappeared from my eyes. The prince looks and thinks where to direct the path now? Lo and behold, a brook flows in that meadow, two gray ducks are swimming on the water.

He took aim with a gun, shot and killed a couple of ducks; pulled them out of the water, put them in a bag and drove on. I rode, rode, saw the white-stone chambers, dismounted from the horse, tied it to a post and went into the rooms. Everywhere is empty - there is not a single person, only in one room the stove is heated, there is a frying pan on the pole, the appliance is ready on the table: a plate, a fork and a knife. Ivan Tsarevich took ducks out of his bag, plucked them, cleaned them, put them in the pan and put them in the stove; fried, put on the table, cuts and eats.

Suddenly, out of nowhere - a red maiden appears to him - such a beauty that you can neither say in a fairy tale nor write with a pen, and says to him: "Bread and salt, Ivan Tsarevich!" - “You are welcome, red maiden! Sit down to eat with me. " - "I would sit with you, yes, I'm afraid: you have a magic horse." - “No, red maiden, I didn’t know! My magic horse stayed at home, I arrived at a simple one. " As soon as the red girl heard this, she immediately began to sulk, pouted and became a terrible lioness, opened her mouth and swallowed the prince whole. She was not a simple girl, she was the sister of three serpents that Ivan was beaten by the soldier's son.

Ivan the soldier's son thought about his brother, took a handkerchief out of his pocket, wiped it off, looked - all the handkerchief was covered in blood. He was greatly saddened: “What a parable! My brother went in a good direction, wherever he could be a king, but he got death! " He asked for leave from his wife and father-in-law and rode on his heroic horse to look for his brother, Ivan Tsarevich. Whether close, far, or shortly, he comes to the very state where his brother lived; asked about everything and found out that the prince had gone hunting, but he disappeared — he had never been back. Ivan the soldier's son went hunting along the same road; and he comes across a swift deer. The hero set off in pursuit of him; drove out into a wide meadow - the deer was gone; looks - a stream flows in the meadow, two ducks swim on the water. Ivan the soldier's son shot the ducks, arrived at the white-stone chambers and entered the rooms. Everywhere is empty, only in one room the stove is heated, there is a frying pan on the pole

worth it. He roasted ducks, carried them out into the yard, sat on the porch, cut and eats.

Suddenly a red maiden appears to him: “Bread and salt, good fellow! Why do you eat in the yard? " Ivan the soldier's son answers: “Yes, it’s reluctant in the upper room; it will be more fun in the yard! Sit down with me, red maiden! " - "I would gladly sit down, but I'm afraid of your magic horse." - “Enough, beauty! I came on a simple horse. " She foolishly believed and began to sulk, pouted as a terrible lioness and just wanted to swallow the good fellow, when his magic horse came running and clasped her with heroic legs. Ivan the soldier's son drew his sharp saber and shouted in a loud voice: “Stop, damned! Did you swallow my brother Ivan Tsarevich? Throw it back, or I'll chop you into small pieces. " The lioness belched and threw out Ivan Tsarevich: he himself was dead, he went to rot, his head was shabby. Then Ivan the soldier's son took out of the saddle two vials of healing and living water; sprinkled his brother with kissing water - flesh-flesh grows together; sprinkled living water - the prince got up and said: "Oh, how long I slept!" Ivan the soldier's son answers: "You would sleep forever, if not for me!" Then he takes his saber and wants to chop off the lioness's head; she turned into a soul-girl, such a beauty that it was impossible to tell, she began to cry tearfully and ask for forgiveness. Looking at her indescribable beauty, Ivan the soldier's son took mercy and set her free. The brothers came to the palace, made a three-day feast; after we said goodbye; Ivan Tsarevich remained in his state, and Ivan the soldier's son went to his wife and began to live with her in love and harmony.

At some time, Ivan the soldier's son went out into the open field for a walk; he comes across a small child and asks for alms. I felt sorry for the good fellow; he took out a gold one from his pocket and gives it to the boy; the boy accepts alms, and sulks himself - he turned into a lion and tore the hero into small pieces. A few days later, the same thing happened to Ivan Tsarevich: he went out into the garden for a walk, and

an old man meets him, bows low and begs for alms; the prince gives him a gold piece. The old man accepts alms, and sulks himself - he turned into a lion, grabbed Ivan Tsarevich and tore him to pieces. So the powerful heroes perished, their snake sister wore out.

MARIA MOREVNA

In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there was Ivan Tsarevich; he had three sisters: one Marya the princess, the other Olga the princess, and the third Anna the princess. Their father and mother died; dying, they punished their son: "Whoever is the first to marry your sisters, for that and give - do not keep with you for a long time!" The tsarevich buried his parents and out of grief went for a walk with his sisters to the green garden. Suddenly a black cloud finds in the sky, a terrible thunderstorm rises. "Let's go home, sisters!" - says Ivan Tsarevich. As soon as they arrived at the palace, thunder struck, the ceiling split in two and a falcon flew into the upper room towards them, the falcon hit the floor, became a good fellow and says:

“Hello, Ivan Tsarevich! Before I went as a guest, but now I have come as a matchmaker; I want to marry your sister Marya the princess. " - "If you love your sister, I will not appease her - let him go with God!" Marya the princess agreed; the falcon married and took her to his kingdom.

Days pass after days, hours run after hours - the whole year is gone; Ivan Tsarevich and his two sisters went for a walk in the green garden. Again a cloud with a whirlwind, with lightning rises. "Let's go home, sisters!" - says the prince. As soon as they came to the palace, thunder struck, the roof split open, the ceiling split in two and an eagle flew in; hit the floor and became a good fellow: “Hello, Ivan Tsarevich! Before I was a guest, but now I came as a matchmaker. " And he wooed Olga the princess. Ivan Tsarevich answers: “If you love Princess Olga, then let him come for you; I don’t take her will off ”. Olga the princess agreed and married the eagle; the eagle caught her and carried her away to his kingdom.

Another year has passed; Ivan Tsarevich says to his younger sister: “Come on, take a walk in the green garden

eat!" We walked a little; again a cloud with a whirlwind, with lightning rises. "Let's go back home, sister!" We returned home, did not have time to sit down - as thunder struck, the ceiling split in two and a raven flew in; the raven hit the floor and became a good fellow: the former were good-looking, but this one is even better. “Well, Ivan Tsarevich, I used to be a guest, but now I’ve come as a matchmaker; give for me

Anna the princess ". - “I don’t take my will off my sister; if you fall in love with her, let him go for you. " Anna the princess married the crow, and he took her to his state.

Ivan Tsarevich was left alone; he lived for a whole year without his sisters, and he became bored. "I'll go," he says, "to look for the sisters." He got ready for the road, walked, walked and saw - the army was lying in the field - the beaten strength. Ivan Tsarevich asks: “If there is a man alive here, answer me! Who defeated this great army? " A man was alive to him: "All this great army was beaten by Marya Morevna, the beautiful princess." Ivan Tsarevich set off further, ran into the white tents, Marya Morevna, the beautiful princess, came out to meet him: "Hello, Tsarevich, where is God taking you - by the will of all of you?" | Ivan Tsarevich answered her: "Good fellows do not drive captively!" - "Well, if it's not in a hurry, stay in my tents." Ivan Tsarevich is glad for that, he spent two nights in tents, fell in love with Marya Morevna and married her.

Marya Morevna, the beautiful princess, took him with her to her state; they lived together for some time, and the princess took it into her head to get ready for the war; she leaves the whole household for Ivan Tsarevich and orders: “Go everywhere, look after everything; only I can't look into this closet! " He could not bear it, as soon as Marya Morevna left, he immediately rushed into the closet, opened the door, looked - and there was Koschey the Immortal hanging there, chained on twelve chains. Koschey asks Ivan Tsarevich: “Take pity on me, let me get drunk! For ten years I have been tormented here, I did not eat, I did not drink - my throat was completely dry! " The prince gave him a whole bucket of water; he drank it and asked again: “I can't fill my thirst with one bucket; Give more!" The prince brought in another bucket; Koschey drank and asked for a third, and when he drank the third bucket, he took his previous strength, shook his chains and immediately all twelve

tore up. “Thank you, Ivan Tsarevich! - said Koschey the Immortal. "Now you will never see Marya Morevna as your own ears!" - and in a terrible whirlwind he flew out the window, overtook Marya Morevna, the beautiful princess, on the road, picked her up and carried her away. And Ivan Tsarevich wept bitterly, bitterly; I got my gear and went on my way: "Whatever happens, I will find Marya Morevna!"

Day goes by, another goes, at dawn on the third he sees a wonderful palace, an oak stands by the palace, a falcon sits on an oak tree. A falcon flew off an oak tree, hit the ground, turned around like a kind young man and shouted: “Ah, my dear brother-in-law! How does the Lord have mercy on you? " Marya the princess ran out, Ivan Tsarevich was blowing joyfully, she began to ask about his health, talk about her life. The prince stayed with them for three days and said: “I cannot stay with you for a long time; I am going to look for my wife, Marya Morevna, the beautiful princess. " “It's hard for you to find her,” the falcon replies. "Leave your silver spoon here just in case: we will look at it, remember you." Ivan Tsarevich left his silver spoon with the falcon and went on the road.

He walked a day, walked another, at dawn on the third he sees the palace even better than the first, an oak stands near the palace, an eagle sits on an oak. The eagle flew off the tree, hit the ground, turned around a good fellow and shouted:

“Get up, Olga the princess! Our dear brother is coming. " Olga the princess immediately ran to meet him, began to kiss and hug him, ask about his health, talk about her life and life. Ivan Tsarevich stayed with them for three days and said: “I have no time to stay longer; I am going to look for my wife, Marya Morevna, the beautiful princess. " The eagle answers: “It is difficult for you to find her; leave with us a silver fork: we will look at it, remember you. " He left the silver fork and went on the road.

Day went on, another went on, at dawn on the third he sees the palace better than the first two, an oak stands near the palace, a raven sits on an oak tree. A raven flew from an oak tree, hit the ground, turned into a good fellow and shouted: “Anna the princess! Come out quickly, our brother is coming. " Anna the princess ran out, blew him joyfully,

lovat-hug, ask about health, talk about your life. Ivan Tsarevich stayed with them for three days and said: “Farewell! I'm going to look for my wife - Marya Morevna, the beautiful princess. " The raven answers: “It's hard for you to find her; Leave a silver snuff-box with us: we will look at it, remember you. " The prince gave him a silver snuff-box, said goodbye and went on the road.

The day went on, another went, and on the third I got to Marya Morevna. She saw her sweetheart, threw herself on his neck, burst into tears and said: “Oh, Ivan Tsarevich! Why didn't you obey me - you looked into the closet and released Koshchei the Immortal? " - “Fly by, Marya Morevna! Do not remember the old one, we'd better go with me until we see Koshchei the Immortal; maybe he won't catch up! " We packed up and left. And Koschey was on the hunt; towards evening he tosses and turns home, under him a good horse stumbles. “What are you, unsatisfied nag, stumbling? Ali, do you feel any misfortune? " The horse answers: "Ivan Tsarevich came and took Marya Morevna away." - "Is it possible to catch up with them?" - “You can sow wheat, wait until it grows, squeeze it, grind it, turn it into flour, cook five ovens of bread, eat that bread, but then we’ll drive in pursuit - and then we will be ripe!” Koschey galloped off, caught up with Ivan Tsarevich: “Well,” he says, “for the first time I forgive you for your kindness for giving me water; and another time I will forgive, but the third time beware - I will chop them into pieces! " Took away Marya Morevna from him and took her away; and Ivan Tsarevich sat down on a stone and wept. He wept, wept, and again turned back for Daria Morevna; Koschei the Immortal House did not happen. "Let's go, Marya Morevna!" - “Ah, Ivan Tsarevich! He will catch up with us. " - “Let him catch up; we’ll spend at least an hour or two together. ” We packed up and left. Koschey the Immortal returns home, under him a good horse stumbles. “What are you, unsatisfied nag, stumbling? Ali, do you feel any misfortune? " “Ivan Tsarevich came and took Marya Morevna with him.” - "Is it possible to catch up with them?" - "You can sow barley, wait until it grows, squeeze, grind, brew beer, get drunk, get enough sleep, and then go in pursuit - and then we will be ripe!" Koschey galloped, caught up with Ivan Tsarevich: “After all, I

i told you that you won't see Marya Morevna as your ears! " He took her away and took her home.

Ivan Tsarevich remained alone, wept and wept, and again went back for Marya Morevna; at that time Koschei did not come home. "Let's go, Marya More-vna!" - “Ah, Ivan Tsarevich! After all, he will catch up, he will chop you into pieces. - “Let him chop it! I can not live without you". We packed up and drove off. Koschey the Immortal returns home, under him a good horse stumbles. “Why are you stumbling? Ali, do you feel any misfortune? " “Ivan Tsarevich came and took Marya Morevna with him.” Koschey galloped, caught up with Ivan Tsarevich, chopped him into small pieces and laid him in a tar barrel; took this barrel, fastened it with iron hoops and threw it into the blue sea, and took Marya Morevna to his place.

At the same time, the silver of Ivan Tsarevich's sons-in-law turned black. "Ah," they say, "it seems that trouble has happened!" The eagle threw himself on the blue sea, grabbed and pulled the barrel to the shore, the falcon flew after the living water, and the raven after the dead. All three flew into one place, smashed the barrel, took out pieces of Ivan Tsarevich, washed them and put them together as needed. The raven sprayed with dead water - the body grew together, merged; the falcon splashed living water - Ivan Tsarevich shuddered, got up and said: "Oh, how long I slept!" - “I would have slept even longer if not for us! - the sons-in-law answered. - Come now to visit us. - “No, brothers! I'll go look for Marya Morevna. "

He comes to her and asks: "Find out from Koshchei the Immortal where he got himself such a good horse." Here Marya Morevna found a good moment and began to question Koshchei. Koschey said: “Beyond the distant lands, in the thirtieth kingdom, beyond the river of fire lives Baba Yaga; she has a mare on which she flies around the world every day. She also has many other glorious mares; I was her shepherd for three days, I didn’t miss a single mare, and for that Baba Yaga gave me one foal. ” - "How did you cross the fiery river?" - "And I have such a scarf - as I wave to the right three times, a high, high bridge will be made, and the fire will not reach it!" Marya Morevna listened, told everything to Ivan Tsarevich and took away the handkerchief and gave it to him.

Ivan Tsarevich crossed the river of fire and went to Baba Yaga. He walked for a long time without drinking or eating. He came across an overseas bird with small children. Ivan Tsarevich says: "I will shoot one chicken." - “Don't eat, Ivan Tsarevich! - asks the overseas bird. "I will be useful to you for a while." He went on; sees a hive of bees in the forest. "I'll take some honey," he says. The queen bee responds: “Don't touch my honey, Ivan Tsarevich! I'll be useful to you for a while. " He did not touch it and went on; a lioness with a lion cub meets him. “I'll eat even this lion cub; I want to eat so much, I feel sick! " “Don’t touch me, Ivan Tsarevich,” the lioness asks. "I'll be useful to you for a while." - "Well, let it be your way!" He walked hungry, walked, walked - there was the house of Baba Yaga, around the house there were twelve poles, on eleven poles on a human head, only one unoccupied.

"Hello, grandma?" - “Hello, Ivan Tsarevich. Why did you come - of your own free will, or out of need? " - "I came to earn your heroic horse." - “Please, prince! I don't have a year to serve, but only three days; if you save my mares, I will give you a heroic horse, and if not, then don’t be angry - stick your head on the last pole ”. Ivan Tsarevich agreed; Baba Yaga fed and watered him and ordered him to get down to business. He had just driven the mares out into the field, the mares lifted their tails and all scattered across the meadows; Before the prince had time to raise his eyes, they completely disappeared. Then he began to cry and grieve, sat down on a stone and fell asleep. The sun is already at sunset, an overseas bird has arrived and wakes him up: “Get up, Ivan Tsarevich! The mares are now at home. " The prince got up and went home; and Baba Yaga makes a noise and shouts at her mares: "Why did you come back home?" - “How could we not have returned? Birds flew in from all over the world, almost pecked out our eyes. " - "Well, tomorrow you do not run in the meadows, but scatter in the dense forests." Ivan Tsarevich slept the night; the next morning Baba Yaga says to him: "Look, Tsarevich, if you don’t save the mares, if you lose at least one - be your wild head on a pole!" He drove the mares into the field; they are that-

hour lifted up their tails and scattered through the dense forests. Again the prince sat down on the stone, cried, cried, and fell asleep. The sun went down behind the forest; the lioness came running:

“Get up, Ivan Tsarevich! The mares are all collected. " Ivan Tsarevich got up and went home; Baba Yaga, more than ever, makes a noise and shouts at her mares: "Why did you return home?" - “How could we not have returned? Fierce animals from all over the world came running up and almost tore us apart. " - "Well, tomorrow you will run into the blue sea."

Ivan Tsarevich slept again the night; the next morning Baba Yaga sends him to graze the mares: "If you don’t save yourself, be your wild head on a pole." He drove the mares into the field; they immediately lifted their tails, disappeared from sight and ran into the blue sea; stand in water up to their necks. Ivan Tsarevich sat down on a stone, wept and fell asleep. The sun went down behind the forest, a bee flew in and said:

“Get up, prince! The mares are all collected; but when you get home, don't show yourself to Baba Yaga, go to the stable and hide behind the manger. There is a lousy colt lying in the manure; you steal it and leave the house at dead midnight. "

Ivan Tsarevich got up, made his way into the stable and lay down behind the manger; Baba Yaga is making noise and shouting at her mares: "Why did you come back?" - “How could we not have returned? Bees have flown in, apparently invisibly from all over the world, and let them sting us from all sides to the point of blood! "

Baba Yaga fell asleep, and at midnight Ivan Tsarevich stole a lousy colt from her, saddled it, sat down and galloped to the river of fire. I drove to that river, waved my handkerchief three times to the right - and suddenly, out of nowhere, a high, glorious bridge hung over the river. The tsarevich crossed the bridge and waved his handkerchief to the left side only twice - there was a thin, thin bridge across the river! Baba Yaga woke up in the morning - you couldn't see a lousy foal! Has rushed in pursuit; galloping at full speed on an iron mortar, driving with a pestle, sweeping the trail with a broomstick. She galloped to the fiery river, looked and thought: "Nice bridge!" I went over the bridge, just got to the middle - the bridge broke off, and Baba Yaga chuburah into the river; then a fierce death happened to her! Ivan Tsarevich fed the foal in the green meadows; he became a wonderful horse.

The Tsarevich comes to Marya Morevna; she ran out, threw herself on his neck: "How did God resurrect you?" “So and so,” he says. "Come with me." “I'm afraid, Ivan Tsarevich! If Koschey catches up, I'll be hacked to pieces again. " - “No, he won't catch up! Now I have a glorious heroic horse, like a bird flies. " They got on their horse and rode off. Koschey the Immortal is tossing and turning home, under him the horse stumbles. “What are you, unsatisfied nag, stumbling? Ali, do you feel any misfortune? " “Ivan Tsarevich came and took Marya Morevna away.” - "Is it possible to catch up with them?"

- "God knows! Now Ivan Tsarevich has a heroic horse better than me. " - "No, I can't resist," says Koschey the Immortal, "I'll go in pursuit." Whether for a long time or a short time - he caught up with Ivan Tsarevich, jumped down and was about to whip him with a sharp saber; at that time, Ivan Tsarevich's horse struck with full swing the hoof of Koshchei the Immortal and smashed his head, and the Tsarevich finished him off with a club. After that, the prince laid a pile of firewood, lit a fire, burned Koshchei the Immortal at the stake and let his ashes fly into the wind.

Marya Morevna mounted Koscheev's horse, and Ivan Tsarevich on his own, and they went to visit first to the raven, then to the eagle, and then to the falcon. Wherever they come, they are greeted with joy everywhere: “Oh, Ivan Tsarevich, and we did not expect to see you. Well, it’s not for nothing that you were busy: to look for such a beauty as Marya Morevna in the whole world - you will not find another! ” They stayed, feasted, and went to their kingdom; came and began to live and live for themselves, make good money and drink honey.

In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there was a man. The time has come - they signed him up as a soldier; he leaves his wife, began to say goodbye to her and says:

- Look, wife, live well, don't be ridiculous to good people, don't ruin the house, be in charge and wait for me; maybe I'll come back. Here's fifty rubles for you. Whether you give birth to a daughter or a son - all the same, save money until old age: if you marry your daughter, she will have a dowry; and if God gives a son and he enters into great years, he will be of great help in that money.

He said goodbye to his wife and went on a hike, where he was ordered. About three months later, the wife of two twin boys gave birth and named them Ivan - soldiers' sons.

The boys started to grow; like wheat dough on a dough, it stretches upward. The children turned ten years old, their mother gave them to science; Soon they learned to read and write and the boyar and merchant children were tucked into their belts - no one could better read them, write them, or give an answer.

The boyar and merchant children were jealous and let those twins beat and pinch every day.

One brother says to another:

- How long will they beat us and pinch? Even then, Mother won't wear a dress on us, she won't buy hats; whatever we wear, all the comrades will tear to shreds! Let's deal with them in our own way.

And they agreed to stand for each other, not to betray each other. The next day, the boyar and merchant children began to bully them, and they endure it completely! - how we went to give change. Everyone got it! At once the sentries came running, tied them up, good fellows, and put them in prison.

It came down to the king himself; he called those boys to him, asked about everything and ordered them to be released.

“They,” he says, “are not to blame: not the instigators!

Two Ivan grew up - soldiers' children and ask their mother:

- Mother, isn't there any money left from our parent? If you have left, give us: we will go to the city fair, buy ourselves a good horse.

Mother gave them fifty rubles - twenty-five for a brother - and ordered:

- Listen, kids! As you go into the city, bow down to everyone you meet and cross.

- Good, darling!

So the brothers went to the city, they came to the horse, they look - there are many horses, but there is nothing to choose from; everything does not match them, good fellows!

One brother says to another:

- Let's go to the other end of the square; Lo and behold, there are crowds of people there - apparently invisible!

We came there, pushed forward — two stallions stood by the oak pillars, chained on iron chains: one on six, the other on twelve; The horses are torn from their chains, bite the bit, dig the earth with their hooves. No one dares to come close to them.

- What will your stallions be worth? - asks Ivan - a soldier's son from the owner.

- Not with yours, brother, to stick your nose here! There is a product, but not for you, there is nothing to ask.

- How do you know what you don't know; maybe we will, we just have to look in the teeth.

The owner chuckled:

- Look, if the head is not a pity!

Immediately one brother approached the stallion that was chained on six chains, and the other brother came up to the one that was held on twelve chains. They began to look in the teeth - where! The stallions reared up, snoring ...

The brothers hit them in the chest with their knees - the chains flew apart, the stallions bounced five fathoms, hitting the ground.

- That's what he bragged about! We won't take these nags for nothing.

The people gasp, marvel: what strong heroes have appeared! The owner almost cries: his stallions galloped out of the city and let's walk around the whole clear field; no one dares to start them, how to catch them, no one will think of.

Ivana, the soldiers' children, took pity on the owner, went out into the open field, shouted in a loud voice, with a valiant whistle - the stallions came running and stood in place as if rooted to the spot; then the good fellows put on them iron chains, led them to oak pillars and chained them tightly. We finished this business and went home.

They are walking along the road, and towards them a gray-haired old man; they forgot what their mother had been punishing them, and passed by, did not bow, but only after that one caught himself:

- Oh, brother, what have we done? The old man was not given a bow; let's catch up with him and bow down.

They caught up with the old man, took off their caps, bow to the belt and say:

- Forgive us, grandfather, for not saying hello. Mother punished us severely: whoever met on the way, give honor to everyone.

- Thank you, good fellows! Where did you go?

- To the city to the fair; we wanted to buy ourselves a good horse, but there are none that would be useful to us.

- How to be? Nothing to give you a horse?

- Oh, grandfather, if you give it, we will thank you forever!

- Well, let's go!

The old man led them to a great mountain, opens the cast-iron door and leads the heroic horses:

- Here are the horses, good fellows! Go with God, own your health!

They thanked them, got on horseback and rode home.

We arrived at the yard, tied the horses to a post and entered the hut. Mother began to ask:

- What, kids, have you bought yourself a horse?

- Where did you take them?

- They put it near the hut.

- Oh, children, look - who would not have taken away!

- No, mother, not such horses: let alone take them away - and you cannot approach them!

The mother went out, looked at the heroic horses and burst into tears:

The next day, the sons ask their mother:

- Let us go to the city, we will buy ourselves a saber.

- Go, darlings!

They gathered, went to the forge; come to the master.

- Do, - they say, - we have a saber.

- Why do it! There are ready-made, take as much as you like!

- No, brother, we need such sabers to weigh three hundred poods.

- Oh, what have you invented! But who will move such a colossus? And you will not find such a forge in the whole world!

There is nothing to do - good fellows went home and hung their heads.

They walk along the road, and again the same old man comes across to meet them.

- Hello, young boys!

- Hello, grandfather!

- Where did you go?

- To the city, to the smithy, they wanted to buy themselves a saber, but there are no such ones that we would have on hand.

- That's bad! Nothing to give you a saber?

- Oh, grandfather, if you give it, we will thank you forever!

The old man led them to a great mountain, opened the cast-iron door and brought out two heroic sabers. They took the sabers, thanked the old man, and they felt joyful, merry in their souls!

They come home, the mother asks:

- What, kids, did you buy yourself a saber?

- They didn't buy it, they got it for nothing.

- Where did you take them?

- They put it near the hut.

- Look, no matter how someone took it!

- No, mother, let alone take away, you can't even take away.

Mother went out into the courtyard, looked - two heavy sabers, heroic ones, were set against the wall, the hut was barely holding on! Burst into tears and says:

- Well, sons, it is true, you are not my breadwinner.

In the morning Ivans - the soldiers' children saddled their good horses, took their heroic sabers, came to the hut, said goodbye to their own mother:

- Bless us, mother, on a long journey.

- Be over you, children, my indestructible parental blessing! Go with God, show yourself, see people; do not offend anyone in vain, and do not yield to evil enemies.

- Don't be afraid, mother! We have such a proverb: I’m driving - I don’t fist, but I’ll hit it - I won’t let it go!

The good fellows got on their horses and drove off.

Whether it is close, far, long, short - soon the fairy tale tells itself, not soon the work is done - they come at the crossroads, and there are two pillars. On one pillar it is written: Whoever goes to the right will be the prince; on another pillar it is written: Whoever goes to the left will be killed.

The brothers stopped, read the inscriptions and thought: where to whom to go? If both of them set off on the right road - not honor, not praise for their heroic strength, valiant prowess; go one left - no one wants to die!

Yes, there is nothing to do - says one of the brothers to the other:

- Well, brother, I am stronger than you; let me go to the left and see what death can happen to me? And you go to the right: maybe God willing - you will become a king!

They began to say goodbye, gave each other a handkerchief and made the following covenant: to go each his own way, put up poles along the way, write about themselves on those poles for the nobility, for knowledge; every morning to wipe your face with a brother's handkerchief: if there is blood on the handkerchief, it means that death happened to the brother; in such trouble, go looking for the dead.

Good fellows dispersed in different directions.

The one who let the horse go to the right reached the glorious kingdom. In this kingdom lived a tsar with a tsarina, they had a daughter, princess Nastasya the Beautiful.

Tsar Ivan saw - a soldier's son, fell in love with him for his heroic prowess and, without hesitation for a long time, gave his daughter in marriage for him, named him Ivan Tsarevich and ordered him to rule the whole kingdom.

Ivan Tsarevich lives in joy, admires his wife, maintains order in the kingdom and amuses himself with animal hunting.

At some time he began to pack for the hunt, put harness on the horse and found in the saddle - two vials with healing and living water sewn up; looked at those bubbles and put them back in the saddle. It is necessary, - he thinks, - to save for the time being; not even an hour - they will be needed.

And his brother Ivan is a soldier's son, who rode the left road, rode day and night tirelessly.

A month passed, and another, and a third, and he arrived in an unfamiliar country - right in the capital city.

In that state, there is great sadness: houses are covered with black cloth, people stagger as if sleepy.

He hired himself the worst apartment from a poor old woman and began to ask her:

- Tell me, grandmother, why is all the people so sad in your country and all houses are hung with black cloth?

- Ah, good fellow! Great grief overwhelmed us: every day a twelve-headed serpent emerges from the blue sea, from behind a gray stone and eats a person at a time, now it's the king's turn ... He has three beautiful princesses; only now they took the eldest to the seaside - a snake to be eaten.

Ivan - the soldier's son got on his horse and galloped to the blue sea, to the gray stone; a beautiful princess stands on the shore - chained to an iron chain.

She saw the knight and said to him:

- Get out of here, good fellow! The twelve-headed serpent will soon come here; I will be lost, and you cannot avoid death: the fierce serpent will eat you!

- Do not be afraid, red girl, maybe choke.

Ivan, a soldier's son, came up to her, grabbed the chain with his heroic hand and tore it into small pieces, like a rotten string; after the red girl lay down on her knees.

The red girl obeyed and began to look at the sea.

The princess woke up Ivan, the soldier's son; he got up, only jumped on his horse, and the kite was already flying:

- You, Ivanushka, why did you come? After all, this is my place! Now say goodbye to the white light and get yourself into my throat as soon as possible - it will be easier for you!

“You're lying, you damned snake! If you do not swallow it, you will choke! - Ivan answered, bared his sharp saber, swung, hit and cut off all twelve heads of the snake; raised a gray stone, put their heads under the stone, threw the body into the sea, and went back home to the old woman, ate and got drunk, went to bed and slept for three days.

At that time the king called the water carrier.

- Go, - he says, - to the seaside, collect at least the princess's bones.

The water carrier came to the blue sea, sees - the princess is alive, unharmed in anything, put her on a cart and took her to a dense, dense forest; brought it into the forest and let's sharpen the knife.

- What are you going to do? The princess asks.

- I'm sharpening a knife, I want to cut you!

The princess wept:

- Do not cut me, I did not do any harm to you.

- Tell your father that I delivered you from the snake, so have mercy!

Nothing to do - agreed. I arrived at the palace; The tsar was delighted and granted that water carrier a colonel.

This is how Ivan, a soldier's son, woke up, called the old woman, gave her money and asked:

- Go, grandmother, to the market, buy what you need, but listen to what people say: is there anything new?

The old woman ran to the market, bought various supplies, listened to the people's news, turned back and said:

- There is such a rumor among the people: our tsar had a big dinner, sat at the table kings and envoys, boyars and eminent people; at that time a red-hot arrow flew into the window and fell in the middle of the hall, in that arrow was a letter tied from another twelve-headed serpent. The serpent writes: if you don’t send the middle princess to me, I will burn your kingdom with fire, scatter ashes. Today, poor woman, they will take her to the blue sea, to the gray stone.

Ivan, the soldier's son, has now saddled his good horse, sat down and galloped off to the seaside. The princess says to him:

- Why are you, good fellow? Let it be my turn to accept death, to shed hot blood; why should you be lost?

- Do not be afraid, red maiden!

He just managed to say that a fierce serpent was flying at him, scorching fire, threatening death.

The hero struck him with a sharp saber and cut off all twelve heads; He put his head under a stone, threw his torso into the sea, and returned home, ate and got drunk and went to bed again for three days, for three nights.

The water carrier came again, saw that the princess was alive, put her on a cart, took her to a dense forest and began to sharpen a knife. The princess asks:

- Why are you sharpening a knife?

- And I'm sharpening a knife, I want to cut you. Swear an oath that you tell your father as I need, so I will have mercy on you.

The princess swore an oath to him, he brought her to the palace; the tsar rejoiced and granted the water carrier the rank of general.

Ivan, the soldier's son, woke up from sleep on the fourth day and told the old woman to go to the market and listen to the news.

The old woman ran to the market, turned back and said:

- The third serpent appeared, sent a letter to the tsar, and in the letter demands: take out the smaller princess to be devoured.

Ivan - a soldier's son saddled his good horse, sat down and galloped to the blue sea.

On the shore is a beautiful princess, chained to a stone on an iron chain. The hero grabbed the chain, shook it and tore it like a rotten twine; after the red girl lay down on her knees:

- I will sleep, and you look at the sea: as soon as the cloud rises, the wind will rustle, the sea will stir - immediately wake me up, fellow.

The princess began to look at the sea ...

Suddenly a cloud moved, the wind rustled, the sea stirred - a snake emerges from the blue sea, rises up the mountain.

The princess began to wake Ivan - the soldier's son, pushed, pushed - no, she did not wake up; she cried tearfully, and dropped a hot tear on his cheek; from that, the hero woke up, ran to his horse, and the good horse knocked out the earth with its hooves for half an arshin.

A twelve-headed serpent flies, it bursts with fire; looked at the hero and exclaimed:

- You are good, you are good-looking, good fellow, but you will not be alive, I will eat you, and with bones!

“You’re lying, damn snake, you’ll choke.

They began to fight in mortal combat; Ivan, the soldier's son, waved his saber so fast and forcefully that it got red-hot, you can't hold it in your hands! He prayed to the princess:

- Save me, red maiden! Take off your expensive handkerchief, wet it in the blue sea and let the saber wrap.

The princess immediately wetted her handkerchief and gave it to the good fellow. He wrapped his saber and let's chop the snake; I cut off all twelve heads for him, put those heads under a stone, threw the body into the sea, and he rode home, ate and got drunk and went to bed for three days.

The king again sends a water carrier to the seaside. A water carrier arrived, took the princess and took her to a dense forest; took out a knife and began to sharpen.

- What are you doing? The princess asks.

- I sharpen the knife, I want to cut you! Tell your father that I won the snake, so have mercy.

Frightened the red maiden, swore to speak according to his words.

And the younger daughter was the king's favorite; when he saw her alive, in nothing unharmed, he rejoiced more than ever and wanted to give a favor to the water carrier - to marry him off to a lesser princess.

There was a rumor about that all over the state. Ivan, a soldier's son, learned that the tsar was planning a wedding, and he went straight to the palace, and there the feast was going on, the guests were drinking and eating, they were playing with all sorts of games.

The younger princess looked at Ivan, the soldier's son, saw her expensive handkerchief on his saber, jumped out from the table, took his hand and said to her father:

- Sovereign Father! This is the one who delivered us from the fierce serpent, from vain death; but the water carrier only knew how to sharpen a knife and say: I’m sharpening a knife, I want to cut you!

The tsar got angry, immediately ordered the water carrier to be hanged, and the princess married Ivan, a soldier's son, and they had great fun. The young began to live, live and make good.

While all this was happening with Ivan's brother, the soldier's son, with Ivan Tsarevich, this is what happened. Once he went hunting, and he came across a swift deer.

Ivan Tsarevich struck the horse and set off in pursuit of him; raced, raced and rode out into a wide meadow. Then the deer disappeared from my eyes. The prince looks and thinks where to direct the path now? Lo and behold, a stream flows in that meadow, two gray ducks are swimming on the water.

He took aim with a gun, shot and killed a couple of ducks; pulled them out of the water, put them in a bag and drove on.

I rode, rode, saw the white-stone chambers, dismounted from the horse, tied it to a post and went into the rooms. Everywhere is empty - there is not a single person, only in one room the stove is heated, there is a frying pan on the pole, the appliance is ready on the table: a plate, and a fork, and a knife. Ivan Tsarevich took ducks out of his bag, plucked them, cleaned them, put them in the pan and put them in the stove; fried, put on the table, cuts and eats.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a red maiden appears to him - such a beauty that you can neither say in a fairy tale nor write with a pen - and says to him:

- Bread and salt, Ivan Tsarevich!

- You are welcome, red maiden! Sit down to eat with me.

- I would sit with you, but I'm afraid: you have a magic horse.

- No, red maiden, did not recognize! My magic horse stayed at home, I arrived at a simple one.

As soon as the red girl heard this, she immediately began to sulk, pouted and became a terrible lioness, opened her mouth and swallowed the prince whole. She was not an ordinary girl, she was the sister of three serpents who were beaten by Ivan, the soldier's son.

Ivan, the soldier's son, thought about his brother; took a handkerchief out of his pocket, wiped it off, looked - the entire handkerchief was covered in blood. He was greatly saddened:

- What a parable! My brother went to the good side, wherever he could be a king, but he got death!

I asked for leave from my wife and father-in-law and rode on his heroic horse to look for his brother, Ivan Tsarevich.

Whether close, far, soon, short - he comes to the very state where his brother lived; I asked about everything and found out that the prince had gone hunting, but he disappeared - he had never been back.

Ivan, a soldier's son, went hunting along the same road; and he comes across a swift deer. The hero set off in pursuit of him. I drove out into a wide meadow - the deer disappeared from my eyes; looks - a stream flows in the meadow, two ducks swim on the water. Ivan, the soldier's son, shot the ducks, arrived at the white-stone chambers and entered the rooms. Everywhere is empty, only in one room the stove is heated, there is a frying pan on a pole. He roasted ducks, carried them out into the yard, sat on the porch, cut and eats.

Suddenly a red girl appears to him:

- Bread and salt, good fellow! Why are you eating in the yard?

- Yes in the upper room reluctantly, it will be more fun in the yard! Sit down with me, red maiden!

- I would gladly sit down, but I'm afraid of your magic horse.

- Enough, beauty! I arrived on a simple horse.

She believed and began to sulk, pouted as a terrible lioness and just wanted to swallow the good fellow, when his magic horse came running and grabbed her with heroic legs.

Ivan, the soldier's son, drew his sharp saber and shouted in a loud voice:

- Stop, damn it! Did you swallow my brother Ivan Tsarevich? Throw it back, or I'll chop you into small pieces.

The lioness threw out Ivan Tsarevich: he himself was dead.

Then Ivan, the soldier's son, took out of the saddle two vials of healing and living water; sprinkled his brother with healing water - flesh-flesh grows together; sprinkled living water - the prince got up and said:

- Oh, how long I slept!

Ivan, a soldier's son, answers:

- You would sleep forever if not for me!

Then he takes his saber and wants to chop off the lioness's head; she turned into a girl-soul, such a beauty that it was impossible to tell, she began to cry tearfully and ask for forgiveness. Looked at her indescribable beauty, Ivan, the soldier's son, took mercy and set her free.

The brothers came to the palace, made a three-day feast; after we said goodbye; Ivan Tsarevich remained in his state, and Ivan, a soldier's son, went to his wife and began to live with her in love and harmony.

In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there was a man. Time passed - they signed him up as a soldier; he leaves his wife, began to say goodbye to her and says:

Look, wife, live well, don't be ridiculous to good people, don't ruin the house, take care of me and wait for me; maybe I'll come back. Here's fifty rubles for you. Whether you give birth to a daughter or a son, save your money until age: if you marry your daughter off, she will have a dowry; and if God gives a son and he enters into great years, he will be of great help in that money.

He said goodbye to his wife and went on a hike, where he was ordered. About three months later, the wife of two twin boys gave birth and named them Ivan - soldiers' sons.

The boys started to grow; like wheat dough on a dough, it stretches upward. The children turned ten years old, their mother gave them to science; Soon they learned to read and write and the boyar and merchant children were tucked into their belts - no one could better read them, write them, or give an answer.

The boyar and merchant children were jealous and let those twins beat and pinch every day.

One brother says to another:

How long will they beat us and pinch? Mother, even then, no dresses will be sewn on us, no hats will be bought; whatever we wear, all the comrades will tear to shreds! Let's deal with them in our own way.

And they agreed to stand for each other, not to betray each other. The next day, the boyar and merchant children began to bully them, and they endure it completely! - how we went to give change. everyone got it! At once the guards came running, tied them up, good young men, and put them in prison.

It came down to the king himself; he called those boys to him, asked about everything and ordered them to be released.

They, - he says, - are not to blame: not the instigators!

Two Ivan grew up - soldiers' children and ask their mother:

Mother, isn't there any money left from our parent? If you stayed, give us: we will go to the city to the fair, we will buy ourselves a good horse.

Mother gave them fifty rubles - twenty-five for a brother - and ordered:

Listen, kids! As you go into the city, bow down to everyone you meet and cross.

Well, darling!

So the brothers went to the city, they came to the horse, they look - there are many horses, but there is nothing to choose from; everything does not match them, good young men!

One brother says to another:

Let's go to the other end of the square; Lo and behold, there are crowds of people there - apparently invisible!

They came there, pushed forward - two stallions were standing at oak pillars, chained on iron chains: one on six, the other on twelve; The horses are torn from their chains, bite the bit, dig the earth with their hooves. No one dares to come close to them.

What will your stallions be worth? - asks Ivan - a soldier's son from the owner.

Not with your nose, brother, to stick in here! There is a product, but not for you, there is nothing to ask.

How to know what you do not know; maybe we will, we just have to look in the teeth.

The owner chuckled:

Look, if the heads are not sorry!

Immediately one brother approached the stallion that was chained on six chains, and the other brother came up to the one that was held on twelve chains. They began to look in the teeth - where? The stallions reared up, snoring ...

The brothers hit them with their knees in the chest - the chains flew apart, the stallions bounced five fathoms, fell to the ground.

What was he bragging about? We won't take these nags for nothing.

The people gasp, wonder: what kind of strong heroes appeared? The owner almost cries: his stallions galloped out of the city and let's walk around the whole clear field; no one dares to start them, how to catch them, no one will think of.

Ivana, the soldiers' children, took pity on the owner, went out into the open field, shouted in a loud voice, with a valiant whistle - the stallions came running and stood still as if rooted to the spot; then the good young men put on them iron chains, led them to oak pillars and chained them tightly. We finished this business and went home.

They walk along the road, and towards them a gray-haired old man; they forgot what their mother had been punishing them, and passed by, did not bow, but only after that one caught himself:

Oh, brother, what have we done? The old man was not given a bow; let's catch up with him and bow down.

They caught up with the old man, took off their caps, bow to the belt and say:

Forgive us, grandfather, for not saying hello. Mother punished us severely: whoever met on the way, give honor to everyone.

Thank you, kind young people! Where did you go?

To the city to the fair; we wanted to buy ourselves a good horse, but there are none that would be useful to us.

How to be? Nothing to give you a horse?

Oh, grandfather, if you give it, we will thank you forever!

Well, let's go!

The old man led them to a great mountain, opens the cast-iron door and leads the heroic horses:

Here are the horses for you, good young men! Go with God, have your health!

They thanked them, got on horseback and rode home.

We arrived at the yard, tied the horses to a post and entered the hut. Mother began to ask:

What, kids, did they buy themselves a horse?

Where did you take them?

They put it near the hut.

Oh, kids, look - who would not have taken away!

No, mother, these horses are not like that: let alone take them away - and you cannot approach them!

The mother went out, looked at the heroic horses and burst into tears:

Well, sons, it is true that you are not my breadwinner.

The next day, the sons ask their mother:

Let us go to the city, we'll buy ourselves a saber.

Go, dear ones!

They gathered, went to the forge; come to the master.

Do, - they say, - we have a saber.

Why do it! There are ready-made, take as much as you like!

No, brother, we need such sabers to weigh three hundred poods.

Oh, what have they invented! But who will move such a colossus? And you will not find such a forge in the whole world!

There is nothing to do - the good young men went home and hung their heads. They walk along the road, and towards them again the same old man comes across.

Hello young boys!

Hello grandpa!

Where did you go?

To the city, to the smithy, they wanted to buy themselves a saber, but there are no such ones that we could fit in.

That's bad! Nothing to give you a saber?

Oh, grandfather, if you give it, we will thank you forever!

The old man led them to a great mountain, opened the cast-iron door and brought out two heroic sabers. They took the sabers, thanked the old man, and they felt joyful, merry in their souls!

They come home, the mother asks:

What, kids, did they buy themselves on a saber?

They didn't buy it, they got it for nothing.

Where did you take them?

They put it near the hut.

Look, no matter how someone took it away!

No, mother, let alone take away, you cannot even take away.

Mother went out into the yard, glanced - two heavy sabers, heroic sabers were set against the wall, the hut was barely holding on! Burst into tears and says:

Well, sons, it is true, you are not my breadwinner!

In the morning Ivans - the soldiers' children saddled their good horses, took their heroic sabers, came to the hut, said goodbye to their own mother:

Bless us, mother, on a long journey.

Be over you, children, my indestructible parental blessing! Go with God, show yourself, see people; do not offend anyone in vain, and do not yield to evil enemies.

Fear not, mother! We have such a proverb: I’m driving - I don’t fist, but I’ll hit it - I won’t let it go!

The good young men got on their horses and drove off. Whether it is close, far, long, short - soon the tale is told, not soon the work is done - they come at the crossroads, and there are two pillars. On one pillar it is written: "Whoever goes to the right will be king"; on another pillar it is written: "Whoever goes to the left will be killed."

The brothers stopped, read the inscriptions and thought: where to whom to go? If both of them take the same road, it is not honor, not praise for their heroic strength, valiant prowess; go one left - no one wants to die!

Yes, there is nothing to do - says one of the brothers to the other:

Well, brother, I am stronger than you; let me go to the left and see what death can happen to me? And you go to the right: maybe God willing - you will become a king!

They began to say goodbye, gave each other a handkerchief and made the following covenant: to go to each his own way, to put up poles along the way, to write about themselves on those poles for the nobility, for knowledge; every morning to wipe your face with a brother's handkerchief: if death happens; in such trouble, go to look for the dead. The good youngsters dispersed in different directions. The one who let the horse go to the right reached the glorious kingdom.

In this kingdom lived a tsar with a tsarina, they had a daughter, princess Nastasya the Beautiful.

Tsar Ivan saw - a soldier's son, fell in love with him for his heroic prowess and, without hesitation, gave his daughter for marriage, named him Ivan Tsarevich and ordered him to rule the entire kingdom. Ivan Tsarevich lives in joy, admires his wife, maintains order in the kingdom and amuses himself with animal hunting.

At some time he began to gather for the hunt, put harness on the horse and found in the saddle - two vials of healing and living water sewn up; looked at those bubbles and put them back in the saddle. “It is necessary,” he thinks, “to keep it for the time being; the hour is not even - they will be needed. "

And his brother Ivan is a soldier's son, who went on the left road, rode day and night tirelessly. A month passed, and another, and a third, and he arrived in an unfamiliar state - right in the capital city. In that state, there is great sadness: the houses are covered with black cloth, people stagger as if sleepy. He hired himself the worst apartment from a poor old woman and began to ask her:

Tell me, grandmother, why did all the people in your country feel so sad and all the houses are hung with black cloth?

Ah, good young man! Great grief overwhelmed us: every day a twelve-headed serpent emerges from the blue sea, from behind a gray stone and eats a person at a time, now it is the king's turn ... He has three beautiful princesses; just now they took the eldest to the seaside - a snake to be eaten.

Ivan - the soldier's son got on his horse and galloped to the blue sea, to the gray stone; a beautiful princess is standing on the shore - chained to an iron chain. She saw the knight and said to him:

Get out of here, good young man! The twelve-headed serpent will soon come here; I will be lost, and you cannot avoid death: the fierce serpent will eat you!

Do not be afraid - red girl, maybe she will choke.

Ivan, a soldier's son, came up to her, grabbed the chain with his heroic hand and tore it into small pieces, like a rotten string; after that he lay down on the knees of the red girl.

The red girl obeyed and began to look at the sea.

Suddenly a cloud moved, the wind rustled, the sea stirred - a snake emerges from the blue sea, rises up the mountain. The princess woke up Ivan, the soldier's son; he got up, only jumped on his horse, and the kite was already flying:

Why are you, Ivanushka? After all, this is my place! Now say goodbye to the white light and get yourself into my throat as soon as possible - it will be easier for you!

You're lying, damn snake! If you do not swallow it, you will choke! - Ivan answered, bared his sharp saber, swung, struck and cut off all twelve heads of the serpent; he raised a gray stone, put his head under the stone, threw his body into the sea, and went back home to the old woman, ate and got drunk, went to bed and slept for three days.

At that time the king called the water carrier.

Go, - he says, - to the seaside, collect at least the princess's bones.

The water carrier came to the blue sea, sees - the princess is alive, unharmed in nothing, put her on a cart and took her to a dense, dense forest; brought it into the forest and let's sharpen the knife.

What are you going to do? the princess asks.

I'm sharpening a knife, I want to cut you!

The princess wept:

Don't cut me, I haven't done any harm to you.

Tell your father that I delivered you from the serpent, so I will have mercy!

Nothing to do - agreed. Let's go to the palace; The tsar was delighted and granted that water carrier a colonel. This is how Ivan, a soldier's son, woke up, called the old woman, gave her money and asked:

Go, grandmother, to the market, buy what you need, but listen to what you say between people, is there anything new?

The old woman ran to the market, bought various supplies, listened to the news of the people, came back and said:

There is such a rumor among the people: our tsar had a big dinner, sat at the table, princes and envoys, boyars and famous people; at that time a red-hot arrow flew into the window and fell in the middle of the hall, to that arrow a letter was tied from another twelve-headed snake. The serpent writes: if you do not send the middle princess to me, I will burn your kingdom with fire, scatter ashes. Today, poor woman, they will take her to the blue sea, to the gray stone.

Ivan, the soldier's son, has now saddled his good horse, sat down and galloped off to the seaside. The princess says to him:

Why are you, good young man? Let it be my turn to accept death, shed hot blood; why should you be lost?

Do not be afraid, red girl!

He only had time to say that a fierce serpent was flying at him, scorching fire, threatening death.

The hero hit him with a sharp saber and cut off all twelve heads; He put his head under a stone, threw his body into the sea, and he returned home, ate and got drunk, and again lay down for three days, for three nights. The water carrier came again, saw that the princess was alive, put her on a cart, took her to a dense forest and began to sharpen a knife. The princess asks:

Why are you sharpening a knife?

And I'm sharpening a knife, I want to cut you. Swear an oath that you tell your father as I need, so I will have mercy on you.

The princess gave him an oath, he brought her to the palace; the tsar rejoiced and granted the water carrier the rank of general.

Ivan, the soldier's son, woke up from sleep on the fourth day and told the old woman to go to the market and listen to the news.

The old woman ran to the market, turned back and said:

The third serpent appeared, sent a letter to the tsar, and in the letter demands: take out the smaller princess to be devoured.

Ivan - a soldier's son saddled his good horse, sat down and galloped to the blue sea.

A beautiful princess is standing on the shore, chained to a stone on an iron chain. The hero grabbed the chain, shook it and tore it like a rotten twine; then he lay down on the knees of the red girl:

I will sleep, and you look at the sea: as soon as the cloud rises, the wind will rustle, the sea will stir - immediately wake me up, young man.

The princess began to look at the sea ... All of a sudden a cloud moved, the wind rustled, the sea stirred - a serpent emerges from the blue sea, rises up the mountain. The princess began to wake Ivan - the soldier's son, pushed, pushed - no, she did not wake up; She cried tearfully, and a hot tear dropped on his cheek: from that the hero woke up, ran to his horse, and the good horse knocked out the earth for half an arshin under him with his hooves. The twelve-headed serpent flies, it bursts with fire; looked at the hero and exclaimed:

You are good, you are good-looking, good young man, but you will not be alive, I will eat you, and with bones!

You're lying, damn snake, choke.

They began to fight in mortal combat; Ivan, the soldier's son, waved his saber so fast and forcefully that it got red-hot, you can't hold it in your hands! He prayed to the princess:

Save me, red girl! Take off your expensive handkerchief, wet it in the blue sea and let the saber wrap.

The princess immediately wetted her handkerchief and gave it to the good young man.

He wrapped his saber and let's chop the snake; I cut off all twelve heads for him, put their heads under a stone, threw the body into the sea, and he rode home, ate and got drunk and went to bed for three days.

The king again sends a water carrier to the seaside. A water carrier arrived, took the princess and took her to a dense forest; took out a knife and began to sharpen?

What are you doing? the princess asks.

I sharpen the knife, I want to cut you! Tell your father that I have conquered the snake, so have mercy.

Frightened the red girl, swore to speak in his words. And the younger daughter was the king's favorite; when he saw her alive, in nothing unharmed, he rejoiced more than ever and wanted to grant favor to the water carrier - to marry him to the younger princess.

There was a rumor about that throughout the state. Ivan, a soldier's son, learned that the tsar was planning a wedding, and went straight to the palace, and there the feast was going on, the guests were drinking and eating, they were playing with all sorts of games.

The younger princess looked at Ivan, the soldier's son, saw her expensive handkerchief on his saber, jumped up from the table, took him by the hand and said to her father:

Sovereign Father! This is the one who delivered us from the fierce serpent, from death in vain; but the water carrier only knew how to sharpen a knife and say: I’m sharpening a knife, I want to cut you!

The tsar got angry, immediately ordered the water carrier to be hanged, and the princess married Ivan, a soldier's son, and they had great fun. The young began to live, live and make good.

While all this was happening with Ivan's brother, a soldier's son, with Ivan Tsarevich, this is what happened. Once he went hunting, and he came across a swift deer. Ivan Tsarevich struck the horse and set off in pursuit of him; raced, raced and rode out into a wide meadow. Then the deer disappeared from my eyes. The prince looks and thinks where to direct the path now? Lo and behold - a stream flows in that meadow, two gray ducks are swimming on the water. He took aim with a gun, shot and killed a couple of ducks; pulled them out of the water, put them in a bag and drove on.

I rode, rode, saw the white-stone chambers, dismounted from the horse, tied it to a post and went into the rooms. Everywhere is empty - there is not a single person, only in one room the stove is heated, there is a frying pan on the pole, the appliance is ready on the table: a plate, and a fork, and a knife. Ivan Tsarevich took ducks out of his bag, plucked them, cleaned them, put them in the pan and put them in the stove; fried, put on the table, cuts and eats.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a red girl appears to him - such a beauty that you cannot say in a fairy tale or write with a pen - and says to him:

Bread and salt, Ivan Tsarevich!

You are welcome, red girl! Sit down to eat with me.

I would sit with you, but I'm afraid: you have a magic horse.

No, red girl, I did not recognize! My magic horse stayed at home, I arrived at a simple one.

As soon as the red girl heard this, she immediately began to sulk, pouted and became a terrible lioness, opened her mouth and swallowed the prince whole. She was not a simple girl, she was the sister of three serpents who were beaten by Ivan, a soldier's son.

Ivan, the soldier's son, thought about his brother; took out a handkerchief from his pocket, rubbed himself, looks - all the handkerchief is covered in blood. He was greatly saddened:

What a parable! My brother went in a good direction, where would he be a king, but he received death!

I asked for leave from my wife and father-in-law and rode on my heroic horse to look for my brother, Ivan Tsarevich. Whether close, far, soon, short - he comes to the very state where his brother lived; asked about everything and found out that the tsarevich had gone and the hunt, but he disappeared - he had never been back. Ivan, a soldier's son, went hunting along the same road; and he comes across a swift deer The bogatyr set off in pursuit of him. I drove out into a wide meadow - the deer disappeared from my eyes; looks - a stream flows in the meadow, two ducks swim on the water. Ivan - the soldier's son shot the ducks, arrived at the white-stone chambers and entered the rooms. Everywhere is empty, only in one room the stove is heated, there is a frying pan on a pole. He roasted ducks, carried them out into the yard, sat on the porch, cut and eats.

Suddenly a red girl appears to him:

Bread and salt, good young man! Why are you eating in the yard?

Yes, it will be reluctant in the upper room, it will be more fun in the yard! Sit with me, red girl!

I would gladly sit down, but I'm afraid of your magic horse.

Enough, beauty! I arrived on a simple horse.

She believed and began to sulk, pouted as a terrible lioness and just wanted to swallow the good young man, when a magic horse came running and grabbed her with heroic legs.

Ivan, the soldier's son, drew his sharp saber and shouted in a loud voice:

Stop damn! You swallowed my brother Ivan Tsarevich! Throw it back, or I'll chop you into small pieces.

The lioness threw out Ivan Tsarevich: he himself is dead.

Then Ivan, the soldier's son, took out of the saddle two vials of healing and living water; sprinkled his brother with healing water - flesh-flesh grows together; sprinkled living water - the prince got up and said:

Oh, how long I slept!

Ivan, a soldier's son, answers:

You would sleep forever if not for me!

Potom takes his saber and wants to chop off the lioness's head; she turned into a girl-soul, such a beauty that it was impossible to tell, she began to cry tearfully and ask for forgiveness. Looked at her indescribable beauty, Ivan, the soldier's son, took mercy and set her free.

The brothers came to the palace, made a three-day feast; after we said goodbye; Ivan Tsarevich remained in his state, and Ivan, a soldier's son, went to his wife and began to live with her in love and harmony.

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