Goldilocks. Czech fairy tale

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grateful snake

Polish fairy tale

A long time ago, there lived in a village a poor peasant named Bartek. Everyone has horses and cows on the farm, and he has one gray duck, and even that one does not lay eggs, it just runs after Bartek and quacks merrily. Bartek loved the duck: either he would pick up an armful of fresh grass for her, or he would take it to the crystal stream in his arms.

Once he went with a sieve for juicy quinoa and green duckweed for his favorite. He walks, whistles - either an echo answers him, or someone mimics him - when he suddenly hears from under a juniper bush:

- Bartek, help!

He leaned lower and sees: a snake lies under a bush, and on her head a crown of dew drops, like a diamond, shines.

None other than the snake queen.

“Put me in a sieve,” the snake hissed, “and take me to that hill over there.” I will not be in debt.

“I’ll take it, lady queen,” Bartek bowed, “and no reward is needed.”

He brought the snake where it was ordered, and she said:

- Bend over, Bartek, lower! I wish you royal mercy.

Bartek obeyed. The snake hissed, and a warm breeze blew on him.

I gave you magical powers. Now you can call a thunderstorm with a whistle, move rocks. Take your sieve and go down to the valley. There you will see an army, at the head of which is a king on a brown horse. Yes, look, don't forget about magical power!

Bartek bowed to the earth to the snake and went his own way. Suddenly, horses stomping and neighing were heard behind - a king in a purple robe on a brown horse gallops, and his army follows him.

- Who are you? the king called to the peasant.

“Bartek, good king!”

- Bartek, I'm tired and I want to rest. Is there a tavern nearby to stay overnight?

“There is no inn near here, good king.

- And the estate?

“And there is no estate, good king.

- Where can we find accommodation? We definitely need to rest. It's no joke - we're going to war!

- Do not disdain then my hut.

Here the king enters Bartek's courtyard and sees a gray duck.

- Hey servants! I am hungry! Roast that duck!

Then Bartek fell on his knees before the king:

“Good king, don’t tell me to kill my duck!” There is milk, bread, cereals in the hut - eat to your health, just don’t touch my duck. I went out, darling, fed her, saved her from a hawk, sheltered her from the cold.

- How dare you, man, oppose my royal will! cried the king. - Hey, servants, catch a duck!

Then the peasant remembered the queen of snakes and how he whistled: the king rushes through the air, only the purple mantle flutters, the soldiers are circling in the wind with autumn leaves. The wind of the king was brought to the roof, the poor fellow seems to have grown to it and yells at the top of his voice:

- Guard! Help! Servants, come to me!

They just rush past, and you know Bartek amuses himself.

“Well, king,” he says, “have you lost your appetite?” Give me your royal word that you will not touch the duck, then I will blow a lot of wind and you will be able to go down.

“Your duck has surrendered to me,” the king groaned. - Please, stop the wind!

Bartek whistled - the wind and the trace caught a cold, and the king how to scream:

- Hey servants! Knit an impudent man, and fry a duck for dinner!

- So you keep the royal word! Wait for it! Bartek said and whistled again.

Lightning flashed. Thunder rumbled. The earth shook. A little more - and the sky will fall on the king and his servants.

Then the cowardly king asked for mercy, and again Bartek believed him, but not even a minute had passed before he again had to whistle.

At this point, the courtiers began to beg for mercy. Bartek took pity on them, and in gratitude they gave him the royal crown.

- Be our king! the soldiers said. - We are going to the capital, sit on the throne and rule us fairly.

How can I leave without my gray duck? he says to the squad. - She took a sip of grief with me, now let her taste happiness, she will live in the palace.

Bartek jumped into the saddle and kissed the duck right on the beak. Only in front of him is no longer a duck - the beautiful princess is sitting on a horse.

“The witch turned me into a duck, and you saved me from evil spells,” said the beauty.

They went to the royal palace and lived in clover, and the evil king in a poor hut remained to live and cut wood.

Gift of the Black Leshy

Polish fairy tale

There lived in one village a poor peasant nicknamed Goremyka. He got a piece of land from his father: on the left - a swamp, on the right - sand, only in the middle a narrow strip of earth, all in pits and pebbles. The peasant began to plow his strip for winter crops. Either the horse, or the skeleton is barely dragging along, sweat is rolling down the peasant. Woremyka is tired, his stomach is cramping. He would have to rest and eat some bread, which is hidden in his bosom. But to work like this, to work, and out of harm's way wrapped the crust with a linen rag and put it under a bush. He plows without raising his head: he does not look either to the left or to the right - neither at the barren sand, nor at the marshy swamp.

And behind the swamp is a bottomless quagmire, swarming with goblin. The most arrogant of them - the Black Leshy - in broad daylight got into the habit of getting out of the swamp and mischievous people. So he noticed the poor man's rag with bread - grab it and sniff into the bushes. He hid in anticipation: if a man discovers the loss, he will curse the thief and remember the devils.

Then the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, gilded the whole world, short shadows from trees and bushes lay on the wet ground.

At noon, Goremyk decided to kill the worm - but there was no bread!

- Who is it for the poor bread coveted? Apparently, a beggar even poorer than me was walking by. Then to health!

Here Goblin cackled, stamped his hooves, shook his horns and fell into the swamp.

And Vodyanoy was sitting there in a reed caftan, in a reed wreath, his face was green, his belly was huge. He redid all the affairs, sent the goblin and demons to harm good people and softened up in the sun, and take the Black Goblin and come back.

- Why did you complain? asks the Waterman.

“I stole a piece of bread from a poor man,” Leshy croaked. - I thought he would scold us, devils, remember, but he wished good health to those who ate his bread.

- So he probably has full barns. What is a piece of bread to him! Water shook his head.

- Yes, where is it! You won't find a poorer poorer in the whole district. Now he will not have poppy dew in his mouth until the evening.

Water eyebrow moved:

- Oh, you scoundrel! Or do the devils have no honor? Stole the last loaf of bread from a poor man? Shame! Put the bread back!

- How can I get it back? It crumbled completely, and the birds pecked the crumbs, - says Leshy.

The waterman thought.

- You can’t return the bread - you will go to work with him. Serve the peasant faithfully for three years, and until then, so that I don’t see you!

The sun was already buried behind the distant forest when the hungry man trudged home.

He barely drags his feet, and the nag stumbles every now and then, the plow rattles on the stones, and a stranger meets him: green eyes, like forest lakes, black hair, like a raven's wing, a ruddy face - blood and milk! The guy took the plow by the handles and said:

“Let me help you, master!”

The guy whistled, and the old horse started galloping like a young stallion! And when the stranger asked to be his worker, the peasant was completely amazed:

Why do you want to serve the poor? We ourselves live from hand to mouth, and then you pay ...

- I don't need a fee. Do not drive me away - you will be satisfied, - the green-eyed one answers.

- You live a week first - if you like it, stay forever.

Leshy settled at Goremyka and started from the horse: he cleans it, feeds it with selected oats, waters it with spring water.

A week has not passed - the horse seemed to have been replaced.

He plows tirelessly, and when you hitch a cart, you can’t hold the reins in your hands.

The laborer brought the horse into force and took care of the cow. From her milk, the peasant children turned white and got fat. "Ah yes, a laborer! Goremyka thinks. “He eats little bread, but works for seven people.”

- Stay with me. I need such a worker,” he says to Leshy.

Three years flew by unnoticed. The man's bins are full. What is he now Goremyka? His clothes are in good order, his face is smooth, ruddy, and the children and his wife are completely unrecognizable.

And the farmhand went out at dead midnight beyond the threshold, hit the ground, turned into Leshy and hurried to his native quagmire. And there are dancing, revelry - smoke with a yoke! Kikimors with mermaids, goblin with demons, ghouls with ghouls lead round dances. A merman on a rotten stump plays a pipe. The Black Leshy bowed down to him and said:

- Here I am! My service is over. Faithfully, I served the peasant for three years.

- Well, stay with us and dance until the morning.

And the Black Leshy does not move from his place, scratches in the back of his head, steps from hoof to hoof.

– What do you think? asks the Waterman.

- O lord of the unclean! I helped the peasant to overcome the need. He returned the stolen bread a hundredfold. Is it really possible to leave Goremyka in abundance?

- What did you think?

- Make fun of him a little goodbye.

“Look to me so that all your work is not lost,” said Vodyanoy, clapped his green hands and shouted in a thunderous voice: “Demons and goblin, get ready!”

All the unclean before him at once huddled together. So and so, he tells them.

- Let him play a trick on the man! - yelled, squealed, neighed demons, goblin, kikimors.

- Be your way! You can play a trick on your master. Only our demonic honor is not to be disgraced!

The Black Leshy's eyes flashed:

- Do not be afraid, I will not shame!

By morning the farmhand returned and said to Goremyka:

- I served you, master, faithfully - the hour has come for us to pay off and part.

– How much do you want?

- Just a measure of rye.

Why do you need grain? Not on yourself, will you drag him? - the man was surprised.

- Pour out the grain near the stove and give a bigger cauldron. I will cook the grain, - the laborer laughed.

Having received what was due, the laborer poured the grain with spring water from such a source over which the roosters had never sung. He boiled, sipped, topped up, poured - and at least let someone look over his shoulder. And then he calls the owner to the table.

- What is this? – asks the Wretched, pointing to a bottle with a clear, sharp-smelling liquid.

“That’s the drink, take a sip,” the farmhand grinned.

- Ugh, disgusting! Grimacing, Rogue spat.

Sad laborer: did the joke fail?

“Didn’t you like my meal?” Take another sip, take care!

The man drank a glass or two. It buzzed in my head. The hut shook. It seems to the peasant that the walls are about to collapse. He wants to jump to his feet - but where is it! The word wants to speak - the tongue is tangled. And the laborer burst out laughing and slashed the peasant with his eyes so that his hair stood on end. Goremyk realized who had served in his laborers for three years, but from grief the third glass - clap. And he lay under the bench until the evening.

Breadlessness, saltlessness settled again at Goremyka, a ruin in the house - that's what a cruel joke the Black Leshy played with the peasant.

magic apple tree

Polish fairy tale

Once, in ancient times, there lived a poor woman who had an only son named Vladislav. Once a woman went to the forest to pick raspberries for dinner.

On the way home, she met an old woman who told her:

“Dear woman, please give me berries and I will make your son happy.”

The woman gave her a basket of berries, and the old woman ate all the raspberries. Then she said:

– Remember one thing: when your son finds a craft to his liking, he will bring joy to you, benefit people and be happy himself.

And she disappeared, as if she had fallen through the ground. And the woman wandered home, puzzling over the words of the old woman and sorting out in her mind all the crafts that exist in the world. On the way, she met a tailor and asked:

“Tell me, what do you think is the most useful craft in the world?”

“Sewing, of course,” the tailor replied proudly.

And the mother sent Vladislav to the tailor as an apprentice. After working for a tailor for a month, Vladislav returned home.

“Mother,” he said, “there is nothing pleasant in sewing. The tailor sews expensive clothes for rich people, while the poor walk around in tatters.

“Very well,” said the mother, “stay at home.

After a while she met a shoemaker and asked him:

“Tell me, what is the best craft in the world?”

- Of course, shoes.

And the delighted mother sent Vladislav as an apprentice to the shoemaker.

Vladislav worked for him for a month and returned home.

“Mother,” he said, “there is nothing pleasant and useful in sewing shoes. The shoemaker makes shoes for the rich, while the poor go barefoot.

“Very well,” said the mother, “stay at home, if so.

After a while, she met a gunsmith and asked him what was the most useful craft in the world.

- Of course, the military, - confidently answered the gunsmith.

On the same day, his mother sent Vladislav to him.

After spending a month there, Vladislav returned home.

“Mother,” he said, “I don’t like this trade. The gunsmith makes weapons for friends and foes alike. He does not care.

Then his mother got angry and shouted:

“If you don’t like any trade, get out and tend the cows!”

And Vladislav went to the shepherds. He watched the cows, played the pipe and felt very bad. Sitting one day in a clearing, he saw smoke coming from a thicket of the forest. Running there, he found a huge white stone, engulfed in flames. A large lizard darted from side to side on the stone. Vladislav took a stick and helped the lizard out of the fire. As soon as he did this, the lizard instantly turned into a little old woman.

Hello, good young man! - she said. “You saved me and I promised your mother to make you happy. Come with me. Don't worry about the cows, my lizard servants will look after them.

The old woman led the young man into a deep cave. It grew a beautiful golden apple tree with golden apples. On either side of it rose heaps of rubies and sapphires. The old woman turned to Vladislav and said:

- Choose what you like. If you take rubies, you will be the most handsome young man in the world; if you want sapphires, you will be the richest, and if you like golden apples, then you will remain poor, but you will bring joy to your mother and benefit people.

Without a moment's hesitation, Vladislav chose apples.

“You did the right thing, son,” said the old woman. This is no ordinary apple tree. Every morning she shakes off her leaves, and every evening golden apples appear on her. They can cure any disease. But you should never treat people for money - only disinterestedly.

Vladislav planted an apple tree in his garden, and on the same evening all the patients in the village recovered. Soon, sick people from neighboring villages learned about the miracles and reached out to Vladislav by the river. The king also found out about him. And at that time he just caught a cold and lay sick in bed. The German doctor tried, but could not cure him, the French doctor also failed to alleviate his suffering, and the Turkish doctor, with his wisdom, nullified all the good that the first two had done. Therefore, the king ordered to find Vladislav and tell him to dig up his apple tree and deliver it to the palace, to the king. The servants obeyed.

What was Vladislav to do? He went to the forest to find a cave and ask an old lady for advice. She was already waiting for him, knowing what had happened.

The old lady said:

“I don’t have another apple tree, but I will give you these beans.” They will help you get the tree back. Remember: blue beans make noses grow, and yellow ones make them stay the same; with the help of green ones, horns grow, and red ones help them disappear without a trace.

Vladislav thanked her and went to the palace. He spread blue and green beans in front of the palace gates, and the royal cook bought them and boiled them for dinner. Oh my God, what started in the palace! The noses of all the courtiers stretched out so much that they constantly touched each other with them. And the king and queen simply could not leave their bedroom, because giant horns interfered with them. A cook was urgently called, who said that he had bought multi-colored beans from Vladislav. They called Vladislav, and he promised that he would save everyone from this misfortune if his apple tree was returned to him.

The king was furious. But what was to be done? Do not walk the rest of your life with horns on your head! In addition, the apple tree did not take root in the royal garden and did not give a single apple.

Vladislav dug up an apple tree, with the help of red and yellow beans he saved the royal subjects from horns and long noses and went home. As soon as he planted an apple tree in his garden, it blossomed, and by evening it was all covered with golden apples. So until the end of his life, Vladislav treated people. Despite poverty, he was happy, people loved him, and his fame spread all over the world.

golden bird

Polish fairy tale

Long, long ago there lived a king, near whose castle there was a beautiful garden.

A golden bird got into the habit of flying into that garden, and the king ordered his sons to catch it and settle it in a golden cage in the royal palace, because one feather of this bird was worth more than the whole kingdom.

The princes went to the garden at night. The bird landed on a tree, and then the youngest son shot an arrow at it. The bird flew away, but the arrow touched its feathers, and one of its golden feathers fell to the ground. The young man picked up the feather, brought it the next morning to the king and told him about everything.

The king gathered a council, and all his advisers unanimously decided that it was imperative to get this bird.

The princes set off on their way, each in his own way, relying on his own mind and ingenuity, and each thought that it was he who would find the golden bird.

Having gone some part of the way, the eldest son saw a fox at the edge of the forest and took aim at it from his gun.

Suddenly the fox cried out:

- Don't shoot me! I will give you good advice. You went out in search of a golden bird and tonight you will arrive in a village where you will see two hotels - one opposite the other. One of them is brightly lit, and the guests in it live happily; but you don’t go there, but rather stop at another, even if you don’t like it.

“How can such a stupid beast give me sound advice?” thought the prince and pulled the trigger. But he missed, and the fox, spreading its tail, darted into the forest.

And the prince continued on his way and in the evening arrived at the village, in which both hotels were located: in one of them they were having fun with might and main, they sang and danced, and the other looked miserable and sad.

“I would be a fool,” he thought, “if I stuck my head in this beggarly hotel and passed by one that is much better.”

So he turned into a cheerful one and lived happily ever after, forgot about the bird, and about his father, and about all good advice.

The second prince also had to meet with the fox, who gave him good advice, but he did not pay any attention to that advice.

He secretly arrived at two hotels and saw his older brother in one of them, standing at the window, from which came the noise of fun. The brother called him. Is it necessary to say that the average prince also stayed there?

And the youngest son of the king, at the edge of the forest, met a fox, who asked for mercy on her and gave him good advice.

The young man said:

“Be calm, little fox, I won’t do you any harm.

“And you won’t regret it,” the fox answered him. - And to speed up your journey, sit on my tail!

And as soon as he sat down, the fox rushed him through the forests and through the fields so quickly that his ears whistled.

When they approached the village, the young man said goodbye to the fox and followed her good advice: he stopped at a poor hotel, without even looking at another, and spent the night quietly there.

The next morning, when he left the village for the field, the fox was already waiting for him.

"I'll show you what to do next." Go all straight and straight and you will come to the castle, in front of which the guards will lie; but you do not pay attention to it, as all the guards will be fast asleep. Pass between their rows straight into the castle, and in the castle - through all the rooms until you come to the one in which the golden bird sits in a wooden cage. Nearby is an empty golden cage. Beware - do not transplant a bird from a simple cage to a golden one, otherwise a big misfortune may happen to you.

Having said all this, the fox again turned her tail to the young man and rushed him forward so quickly that only his hair fluttered in the wind.

When the young man arrived at the castle, he saw everything that the fox had predicted to him.

The prince came to the room where the golden bird was sitting in a wooden cage, and the golden cage stood nearby.

And the young man thought that it would be strange if he left such a wonderful bird in a simple cage, when there is a beautiful golden one nearby; so he opened the door of the wooden cage and transplanted the bird into the golden one. At the same moment, the bird let out a piercing cry. The guards woke up, rushed into the room, grabbed the young man and took him to prison.

The next morning there was a trial, and since the young man confessed everything, he was condemned to death. However, the king said that he was ready to give him life on one condition: if he undertakes to get for him a golden horse that rushes faster than the wind.

“If you get this horse,” said the king, “I will give you a golden bird as a reward.

The prince set off on his journey, grieving and sighing, because he did not know where to look for the golden horse.

And suddenly, on the edge of the road, he saw his old friend in front of him.

“You see,” said the fox, “what happened because of your disobedience. But do not lose heart, I will help you and tell you how to get to the golden horse. Follow the straight path and you will reach the castle, in which the golden horse stands in a stall. In front of the stable you will see grooms who will lie in rows and sleep soundly, so that you can calmly lead the golden horse out of the stable. But look, don't forget one thing: take a simple saddle, wooden, upholstered in leather, and not gold, which will hang right next to it. It won't be too bad for you.

Then the fox offered him her tail and rushed him forward faster than before.

Everything happened just as the fox predicted: the prince came to the stall where the golden horse stood, and a simple saddle was right there at hand. But when he was almost saddled, it occurred to him: "It would be a shame for such a wonderful horse if I did not use a golden saddle, which suits him much better." As soon as the horse sensed the golden saddle on itself, there was a loud neigh.

The grooms woke up, grabbed the young man and threw him into the dungeon. The next morning the court sentenced him to death. However, the king promised him a pardon, and even a golden horse in addition, if he could get him a beautiful princess from a golden castle.

With sadness in his soul, the young man set off on the road, but fortunately he soon met again with his faithful fox.

“I should have left the fool to his fate,” said the fox, “but I feel sorry for you. So be it, I'll help you out of trouble again. This path leads straight to the golden castle. You will arrive in the evening, and at night, when everything is quiet, the beautiful princess will come out of the castle to bathe.

And as soon as she steps into the pool, you jump up to her and kiss her. Then she will follow you and you can take her away with you. Just look, do not let the princess say goodbye to her parents, otherwise you will feel bad.

Then the fox stretched out her tail to him, the prince sat on him, and his fox rushed at full speed over the mountains, over the valleys.

He arrived at the golden castle at the predicted time. I waited until midnight, when everything fell asleep, and the beautiful princess went out of the castle to her bath. Then he jumped up to her and kissed her on the lips of sugar.

The beauty said that she would willingly follow him, but she begged and begged him to let her say goodbye to her parents. At first, the prince resisted her desire, but as she fell in prayer at his feet with bitter tears, he yielded to her requests.

As soon as the princess approached her father's bed, he woke up, and everyone who was in the castle jumped after him. The young man was captured and put in jail.

The next morning the king said to him:

“Your life is in my hands, and you can earn a pardon. Remove the mountain that stands in front of my windows and blocks my view. You must complete the work in eight days. If you do, you will be rewarded with my daughter's hand.

The king immediately set to work. He worked tirelessly on the mountain, but when after seven days he saw how little he had done, he fell into great despondency and lost all hope for a successful outcome.

On the evening of the seventh day, a fox came to him and said:

You don't deserve my help at all. Well, so be it, go to sleep, I'll do all the work for you.

When the next morning the prince woke up and looked out the window, the mountain was gone.

The young man, completely happy from unexpected luck, hurried to come to the king. He announced that the agreement had been fulfilled, and the king, whether you like it or not, had to keep his word and marry his daughter to him.

Here the young bride and groom left the castle and soon met a fox on the road.

“Well, now you have the best in your hands,” she said to the prince. “However, it would not hurt to have a golden horse for the beautiful princess from the golden castle.

- And how will you get it? the young man asked.

“Here’s how: first take the beauty to the king who sent you to the golden castle.” In the castle of that king, everyone will be very happy about the arrival of the princess and will willingly give you the golden horse. When they bring a horse to you, you immediately sit on it and extend your hand to everyone in parting. And lastly, stretch out your hand to the beautiful princess and, grabbing her tighter, throw her into your saddle at once and let the horse go at full speed! Then no one will catch up with you, because this horse rushes faster than the wind.

All this was successfully accomplished, and the prince managed to take away the beautiful princess on a golden horse.

And the fox was not far behind them.

- Well, now I will help you get the golden bird. When you get close to the castle where she is being held, leave the princess - I will take her under my protection. Then ride into the castle courtyard on your golden horse. As soon as they see him there, everyone will be delighted and they themselves will bring you a golden bird. As soon as you grab the cage with your hand, immediately drive towards us at full speed to continue the journey with your beloved queen.

Everything happened according to what was said, as if written, and the prince was about to return home with his treasures, but the fox said to him:

“Well, now you must reward me for my help.

- And what do you want to reward? the young man asked.

- When we meet with you in our forest, you will have to shoot me and cut off my head and paws.

“Great would be thanks for the services,” said the prince. - I can't do that.

The fox sighed heavily.

“Well, if you don’t want to do it for me, then I have to leave you. However, before I leave, I want to give you good advice: never sit on the edge of a well.

And with these words, she disappeared into the forest.

The young man thought: “What a tricky animal this fox is - what he just doesn’t come up with! Frankly, it never occurred to me to sit on the edge of the well ... "

So they arrived in the forest in which they once met a fox.

And since the heat was unbearable, and in the forest it was both cool and pleasant, the brothers said to the prince:

- Here, near the well, we will stop and rest, eat and drink.

He agreed and, while talking, sat down on the edge of the well, not thinking about anything bad.

The brothers suddenly rushed at him, pushed him into the well, took possession of his queen, his golden bird and golden horse, and went home to their father.

“Here, we brought you not only a golden bird,” they said, “but also a golden horse and a beautiful princess from a golden castle in addition.

Everyone was overjoyed. But the horse did not eat anything and stood with bowed head, and the bird did not sing, and the beautiful princess sat in the corner and cried.

Meanwhile, the younger brother did not die.

The well, fortunately for him, was dry, and the prince fell on the soft moss without hurting himself. However, he could not get out of the well.

And in this trouble, the faithful fox did not leave him. She jumped into the well and scolded him for forgetting her advice.

“However, I cannot leave you in this position,” said the fox. - Well, I will again get you out of trouble, get you into God's world.

She ordered him to grab onto her tail and hold on tight. Soon the fox pulled the prince out of the well.

“Don’t think that now all the dangers are over,” said the fox. - Your brothers were not sure of your death and the whole forest was cordoned off by guards, who were ordered to kill you immediately, as soon as you appeared from the forest.

At that time, a poor man was sitting at the edge of the forest. With this poor fellow, the prince exchanged his clothes and, disguised, made his way to the royal palace.

No one recognized him, but everyone noticed that the golden bird in its cage suddenly began to whistle, the golden horse began to make hay, and the beautiful princess stopped shedding tears.

The king asked her in amazement:

- What does it mean?

And the beauty said to him:

- I don’t know why myself, but I was just so sad, sad, and now it suddenly became fun. It seems to me that my real fiancé has arrived here.

And she told the king everything that had happened, although both brothers threatened her with death if she betrayed them. The king ordered to call to him all the people staying in the castle. Together with the others, a young prince appeared in beggarly rags, but the beautiful princess immediately recognized him and threw herself on his neck.

The insidious older brothers were immediately seized and executed, and the youngest was married to the beautiful queen, and the king appointed him his heir.

A long time later, the prince somehow wandered into that same forest. There he again met the fox, and she said to him:

“Now you have everything you could wish for, but I can’t get rid of my misfortune, and my salvation depends on you.

And again she began to ask him and pray that he would shoot her and cut off her head and paws.

The king fulfilled this request, and the fox turned into a good fellow. And this fellow turned out to be the brother of the beautiful princess, who managed to get rid of the evil spell that weighed on him.

And from that time on, their happiness was complete, and their whole life was like a holiday.

Stranger, we advise you to read the fairy tale "Goldilocks (Czech fairy tale)" to yourself and your children, this is a wonderful work created by our ancestors. Everyday problems are an incredibly successful way, with the help of simple, ordinary examples, to convey to the reader the most valuable centuries-old experience. Each time, reading this or that epic, one feels the incredible love with which the images of the environment are described. Loyalty, friendship and self-sacrifice and other positive feelings overcome everything that opposes them: malice, deceit, lies and hypocrisy. It is amazing that with sympathy, compassion, strong friendship and unshakable will, the hero always manages to resolve all troubles and misfortunes. Reading such creations in the evening, the pictures of what is happening become more vivid and rich, filled with a new range of colors and sounds. Probably due to the inviolability of human qualities in time, all morality, morality and issues remain relevant at all times and epochs. The fairy tale "Goldilocks (Czech Fairy Tale)" to read for free online will be fun for both children and their parents, the kids will be happy with a good ending, and moms and dads will be happy for the kids!

In one country - I forgot its name - there was a king, an evil and grumpy old man. Once a merchant came to his palace, brought fresh fish in a basket and said:
- Buy this fish from me, king. You won't regret. The king glanced at the fish.
- I have never seen such a fish in my kingdom. Poisonous, right?
- What you! - the merchant was frightened. - Order this fish to be fried, eat it - and you will immediately begin to understand the conversation of all animals, fish and birds. Even the smallest bug will squeak something, and you will already know what he wants. You will become the smartest king on earth.
The king liked it. He bought fish from a merchant and, although he was stingy and greedy, he did not even bargain and paid what she asked for. “Now,” the king thought and rubbed his bony hands, “I will be the smartest in the world and conquer the whole world. It's like drinking! Now my enemies will cry."
The king called his servant, young Irzhik, and ordered him to fry the fish for dinner.
- But only without cheating! - said the king to Irzhik. - If you eat at least one piece of this fish, I will cut off your head.
Irzhik brought the fish into the kitchen, looked at it and was even more surprised: he had never seen such a fish. Each fish scale glowed with multi-colored fire, like a rainbow. It was a pity to clean and fry such a fish. But you will not go against the royal order.
Irzhik is frying fish and cannot understand in any way whether it is ready or not. The fish does not blush, does not become covered with a crust, but becomes transparent.
“Who knows whether it is fried or not,” Irzhik thought. “We must try.”
He took a piece, chewed and swallowed - as if ready. Chews and hears thin squeaky voices:
- And we have a piece! And we have a piece! W-w-fried fish! Irzhik looked around. Nobody here. Only flies fly over
dish with fish.
- Aha! - said Irzhik. - Now I'm starting to understand something about this fish.
He took a dish with fish and put it on the window, in a through wind, so that the fish would cool down. And outside the window, geese go through the yard and quietly cackle. Irzhik listened and heard one goose ask:
- Where shall we go? Where shall we go? And the other answers:
- To the miller in the barley field! To the miller in the barley field!
- Yeah! - Irzhik said again and grinned: - Now I understand what kind of fish it is. Perhaps one piece is not enough for me.
Irzhik ate the second piece of fish, then beautifully arranged the fish on a silver platter, sprinkled with parsley and dill, and carried the dish to the king.
Since then, Irzhik began to understand everything that the animals were talking about with each other. He learned that the life of animals is not as easy as people think - animals have both grief and worries. Since that time, Irzhik began to feel sorry for the animals and tried to help every smallest animal if it got into trouble.
After dinner, the king ordered two saddle horses to be brought in and went for a walk with Irzhik.
The king rode ahead, and Irzhik followed him. The hot horse Irzhik kept rushing forward. Irzhik restrained him with difficulty. The horse neighed, and Irzhik immediately understood his words.
- Igo-go! - the horse neighed. - Come on, brother, let's jump and be transported in one fell swoop over this mountain.
- It would be nice, - the king's horse answered him, - but this old fool sits on me. He'll fall off and break his neck. It will not turn out well - after all, but still the king.
- Well, let him break his neck, - said Irzhik's horse. - Then you will carry the young king, and not this ruin.
Irzhik laughed softly. But the king also understood the conversation of the horses, looked back at Irzhik, poked his horse in the side with his boot and asked Irzhik:
- What are you laughing at, brat?
- I remembered, your royal grace, how today in the kitchen two cooks dragged each other by whirlwinds.
- You look at me! the king said threateningly.
Of course, he did not believe Irzhik, angrily turned his horse and galloped to his palace. In the palace, he ordered Irzhik to pour himself a glass of wine.
“But look, if you don’t fill it up or overfill it, I’ll order you to cut off your head!”
Irzhik took the jug of wine and began to carefully pour the wine into a heavy glass. At that moment, two sparrows flew in through the open window. They fly around the room and fight on the fly. One sparrow holds three golden hairs in its beak, and the other tries to take them away.
- Give it back! Give it back! They are mine! Thief!
- I'm not giving it! I picked them up when the beauty was combing her golden braids. No one else in the world has hair like this. I'm not giving it! Whom she marries will be the happiest.
- Give it back! Beat the thief!
The sparrows ruffled and, grabbing, flew out the window. But one golden hair fell out of its beak, fell on the stone floor and rang like a bell. Irzhik looked around and… spilled the wine.
- Yeah! - shouted the king. - Now say goodbye to life, Irzhik!
The king was glad that Irzhik had spilled the wine and that it would be possible to get rid of him. The king alone wanted to be the smartest in the world. Who knows, maybe this young and cheerful servant managed to taste fried fish. Then he will be a dangerous opponent for the king. But then the king came up with a good idea. He picked up a golden hair from the floor, handed it to Irzhik and said:
- So be it. Perhaps I will have mercy on you if you find the girl who lost this golden hair and bring her to me as a wife. Take this hair and go. Search!
What was Irzhik to do? He took the hair, equipped himself for the journey, and rode out of the city. And where to go, he does not know. He let go of the reins, and the horse trudged along the most deserted road. It's all overgrown with grass. It looks like it hasn't been driven in a long time. The road reached a high dark forest. Irzhik sees: a fire is burning at the edge, a dry bush is burning. The shepherds threw the fire, did not fill it, did not trample, and the bush caught fire from the fire. And under the bush - an anthill. Ants run, fuss, drag their good from the anthill - ant eggs, dry bugs, caterpillars and various tasty grains. Irzhik hears how the ants shout to him:
- Help, Irzhik! Save! We are burning!
Irzhik jumped off his horse, cut down a bush and put out the flames. The ants surrounded him in a ring, moving their antennae, bowing and thanking:
Thank you, Irik. We will never forget your kindness! And if you need help, rely on us - We will repay the good.
Irzhik drove into the dark forest. He hears: someone squeaks plaintively. He looked around and sees: under a tall spruce, two crows lie - they fell out of the nest - and squeak:
- Help, Irzhik! Feed us! We are dying of hunger! Mother and father flew away, but we still don’t know how to fly.
The king deliberately gave Irzhik an old, sick horse - a real horse. The horse is standing, the horse's legs are shaking, and it is clear that this trip for him is one torment.
Irzhik jumped off the horse, thought, stabbed him to death and left the horse carcass for the crows - let them feed.
- Kar-r, Ir-rzhik! Ka-r-r! - the crows shouted cheerfully. - We will help you for this!
Then Irzhik went on foot. For a long time I walked through a dense forest, then the forest began to make more and more noise, more and more loudly, the wind already bent the tops of the trees. And then the splash of waves was added to the noise of the peaks, and Irzhik went out to the sea. Two fishermen were arguing on the sandy shore. One caught a golden fish in the net, and the other demanded this fish for himself.
“My net,” one fisherman shouted, “my and the fish!”
- Whose boat is it? - answered another fisherman. - Without my boat you would not have thrown the net!
The fishermen shouted louder and louder, then rolled up their sleeves, and the matter would have ended in a fight if Irzhik had not intervened.
- Stop making noise! - he said to the fishermen. - Sell me this fish, and divide the money among yourselves. And deal with the end.
Irzhik gave the fishermen all the money that he received from the king for the journey, took the gold fish and threw it into the sea. The fish wagged its tail, stuck its head out of the water and said:
- One good turn deserves another. When you need my help, call me. I will sail.
Irzhik sat down on the shore to rest. The fishermen ask him:
Where are you going, good man?
- Yes, I'm looking for a bride for my old king. He ordered to get him a beautiful woman with golden hair as his wife. Where can you find her?
The fishermen looked at each other, sat down on the sand next to Irzhik.
- Well, - they say - you reconciled us, and we remember well. Let's help you. There is only one beauty with golden hair in the whole world. This is our king's daughter. You see an island in the sea, and on the island - a crystal palace? That's where she lives, in this palace. Every day at dawn she combs her hair. Then such a golden dawn breaks over the sea that we wake up from it in our hut and know that it's time for us to go fishing. We will take you to the island. Only to recognize the beauty is almost impossible.
- Why so? - asks Irzhik.
- But because the king has twelve daughters, and the golden-haired one. And all twelve princesses are dressed the same. And they all have the same veils on their heads. Hair under them is not visible. So your business, Irzhik, is difficult.
The fishermen of Irzhik were transported to the island. Irzhik went straight to the crystal palace to the king, bowed to him and told him why he had come to the island.
- OK! - said the king. - I am not a stubborn person. I will give my daughter in marriage to your king. But in return, you must complete my tasks for three days. Is it coming?
- It's coming! Irik agreed.
- Get some sleep out of the way. Have a rest. My tasks are intricate. You can't solve them right off the bat.
Irzhik slept well! The sea wind blew through the windows all night, the surf roared, and occasionally small splashes even flew onto the bed.
Irzhik got up in the morning and came to the king. The king thought and said:
- Here's your first task. My golden-haired daughter wore a pearl necklace around her neck. The thread broke, and all the pearls scattered in the thick grass. Collect them all to one.
Irzhik went to the lawn, where the princess scattered pearls. The grass is waist-deep, and so thick that you can't see the ground beneath it.
- Eh, - Irzhik sighed, - if there were friends-ants here, they would help me!
Suddenly he hears a squeak in the grass, as if hundreds of some tiny people are fussing around his feet:
- We are here! We are here! How can I help you, Irzhik? Collect pearls? Wait, we're in a moment!
Ants ran in, waved their antennae and began to drag pearl after pearl to Irzhik's feet. Irzhik barely had time to string them on a harsh thread.
He collected all the necklace and carried it to the king. The king counted the pearls for a long time, lost his way, counted again.
- That's right! Okay, I'll give you a harder task tomorrow. Irzhik comes to the king the next day. king slyly
looked at him and said:
- That's the trouble! My golden-haired daughter was bathing and dropped a golden ring into the sea. I'm giving you a day to get it.
Irzhik went to the sea, sat on the shore and almost cried. The sea in front of him lies warm, clear and so deep that it’s even scary to think.
- Eh, - says Irzhik, - if there was a golden fish here, it would help me out!
Suddenly, in the sea, something flashed on the dark water, and a golden fish emerged from the depths.
- Don't be sad! - she said to Irzhik. - I just saw a pike with a golden ring on its fin. - Be calm, I will get it.
Irzhik waited for a long time, until finally a golden fish with a golden ring on its fin emerged.
Irzhik carefully removed the ring from the fin so that the fish would not be hurt, thanked her and went to the palace.
- Well, - said the king, - you are a clever person, apparently. Come tomorrow for the last task.
And the last task was the most difficult: to bring the king living and dead water. Where can I get it? Irzhik went aimlessly, reached the great forest, stopped and thought:
“If my crows were here, they would…”
Before he had time to think, he hears: over his head the whistle of wings, croaking and sees: familiar crows are flying towards him.
Irzhik told them his grief.
The crows flew away, they were gone for a long time, and then they rustled their wings again and dragged two eggplants with living and dead water to Irzhik in their beaks.
- Carr, carr, berry and be happy! Carr!
Irzhik took the eggplants and went to the crystal palace. He went out to the edge and stopped: a black spider wove a web between two trees, caught a fly in it, killed it and sits sucking the fly's blood. Irzhik splashed dead water on the spider. The spider immediately died - folded its legs and fell to the ground. Then Irzhik sprinkled the fly with living water. She came to life, beat her wings, buzzed, broke the web and flew away. And flying away, she said to Irzhik:
Luckily for you, you revived me. I'll help you get to know Goldilocks.
Irzhik came to the king with living and dead water. The king even gasped, did not believe for a long time, but he tried the dead water on an old mouse that ran through the palace room, and the living water on a dried flower in the garden and was delighted. I believed. He took Irzhik by the hand and led him into a white hall with a golden ceiling. In the middle of the hall stood a round crystal table, and behind it on crystal chairs sat twelve beauties, so similar to each other that Irzhik only waved his hand and lowered his eyes - how can you tell which one of them is Goldilocks! They all have the same long dresses, and the same white veils on their heads. Not a hair is visible from under them.
- Well, choose, - says the king. - Guess - your happiness! But no - you will leave here alone, as you came.
Irzhik raised his eyes and suddenly heard something buzzing near his ear.
- J-i-i-i, go around the table. I'll give you a hint. Irzhik looked: a small fly was flying over him. Irzhik
slowly walked around the table, and the princesses sit, looking down. And everyone's cheeks flushed the same way. And the fly buzzes and buzzes:
- Not that one! Not the one! Not the one! And here she is, golden-haired! Irzhik stopped, pretended to be still in doubt, then said:
"Here's the golden-haired princess!"
- Your happiness! shouted the king.
The princess quickly left the table, threw off her white veil, and her golden hair spilled over her shoulders. And immediately the whole hall sparkled with such brilliance from this hair that it seemed that the sun gave all its light to the hair of the princess.
The princess looked straight at Irzhik and averted her eyes: she had never seen such a handsome and stately young man. The princess's heart was beating heavily, but her father's word is law. She will have to marry the old, evil king!
Irzhik took the bride to his master. He protected her all the way, making sure that her horse did not stumble, that a cold drop of rain did not fall on her shoulders. It was a sad return. Because Irzhik also fell in love with the golden-haired princess, but he could not tell her about it.
The old, grumpy king giggled with joy when he saw the beauty, and ordered to quickly prepare the wedding. And Irzhik said:
- I wanted to hang you on a dry bough for disobedience, so that crows would peck at your corpse. But for the fact that you found me a bride, I declare you a royal favor. I will not hang you, but I will order you to cut off your head and bury with honor.
The next morning they cut off Irzhik's head on the chopping block. The golden-haired beauty sobbed and asked the king to give her the headless body and head of Irzhik. The king frowned, but did not dare to refuse the bride.
Goldilocks put her head to the body, sprinkled living water - the head grew, not even a trace was left. She sprinkled Irzhik a second time - and he jumped up alive, young and even more beautiful than he was before the execution. And asked Goldilocks:
- Why did I fall asleep so soundly?
- You would have fallen asleep forever, - Goldilocks answered him, - if I had not saved you, dear.
The king saw Irzhik and was dumbfounded: how did he come to life, and even become so handsome! The king was a cunning old man and immediately decided to take advantage of this case. He called the executioner and ordered:
- Cut off my head! And then let Goldilocks sprinkle some wonderful water on me. And I will come alive young and beautiful.
The executioner willingly cut off the head of the old king. But it was not possible to resurrect him. In vain they just poured all the living water on him. There must have been so much anger in the king that no living water could help. They buried the king without tears, to the beat of drums. And since the country needed a smart and kind ruler, he chose the people as the ruler of Irzhik - it was not for nothing that he was the most wise man in the world. And Goldilocks became the wife of Irzhik, and they lived a long and happy life.
And so ended this tale of how the animals repaid kindness for kindness and how the king lost his head.

In one country - I forgot its name - there was a king, an angry and grumpy old man. Once a merchant came to his palace, brought fresh fish in a basket and said:

“Buy this fish from me, king, you won’t regret it.”

The king glanced at the fish.

“I have never seen such a fish in my kingdom. Poisonous, right?

- What you! - the merchant was frightened. - Order this fish to fry, eat it, and you will immediately begin to understand the conversation of all animals, fish and birds. Even the smallest bug will squeak something, and you will already know what he wants. You will become the smartest king on earth.

The king liked it. He bought fish from a merchant and, although he was stingy and greedy, he did not even bargain and paid what she asked for. Now, - thought the king and rubbed his bony hands, - I will be the smartest in the world and conquer the whole world. It's like drinking! Now my enemies will cry.

The king called his servant, young Irzhik, and ordered him to fry the fish for dinner.

- But only without cheating! - said the king to Irzhik. “If you eat even one piece of this fish, I will cut off your head.”

Irzhik brought the fish into the kitchen, looked at it and was even more surprised: he had never seen such a fish. Each fish scale glowed with multi-colored fire, like a rainbow. It was a pity to clean and fry such a fish. But you will not go against the royal order.

Irzhik is frying fish and cannot understand in any way whether it is ready or not. The fish does not blush, does not become covered with a crust, but becomes transparent.

Who knows if she's fried or not, Irzhik thought. - Need to try.

He took a piece, chewed it and swallowed it, as if ready. Chews and hears thin squeaky voices:

- And we have a piece! And we have a piece! W-w-fried fish!

Irzhik looked around. Nobody here. Only flies fly over a dish of fish.

– Aha! Irik said. Now I'm beginning to understand something about this fish.

He took a dish with fish and put it on the window, in a through wind, so that the fish would cool down. And outside the window, geese go through the yard and quietly cackle. Irzhik listened and heard one goose ask:

– Where shall we go? Where shall we go? And the other answers:

- To the miller in the barley field! To the miller in the barley field!

– Aha! - Irzhik said again and grinned. Now I understand what kind of fish it is. Perhaps one piece is not enough for me.

Irzhik ate the second piece of fish, then beautifully arranged the fish on a silver platter, sprinkled with parsley and dill, and carried the dish to the king.

Since then, Irzhik began to understand everything that the animals were talking about with each other. He learned that the life of animals is not as easy as people think - animals have both grief and worries. Since that time, Irzhik began to feel sorry for the animals and tried to help every smallest animal if it got into trouble.

After dinner, the king ordered two saddle horses to be brought in and went for a walk with Irzhik.

The king rode ahead, and Irzhik followed him. The hot horse Irzhik kept rushing forward. Irzhik restrained him with difficulty. The horse neighed, and Irzhik immediately understood his words.

- Igo-go! - the horse neighed. “Come on, brother, let’s ride and fly over this mountain in one fell swoop.”

- It would be nice, - the king's horse answered him, - but this old fool is sitting on me. He'll fall off and break his neck. It will not turn out well - after all, but still the king.

“Well, let him break his neck,” said Irzhik’s horse. - Then you will carry the young king, and not this ruin.

Irzhik laughed softly. But the king also understood the conversation of the horses, looked back at Irzhik, poked his horse in the side with his boot and asked Irzhik:

"What are you laughing at, you brat?"

- I remembered, your royal grace, how today in the kitchen two cooks dragged each other by the whirlwinds.

- You look at me! the king said threateningly.

Of course, he did not believe Irzhik, angrily turned his horse and galloped to his palace. In the palace, he ordered Irzhik to pour himself a glass of wine.

“But look, if you don’t fill it up or overfill it, I’ll order you to cut off your head!”

Irzhik took the jug of wine and began to carefully pour the wine into a heavy glass. At that moment, two sparrows flew in through the open window. One sparrow holds three golden hairs in its beak, and the other tries to take them away.

- Give it back! Give it back! They are mine! Thief!

- I'm not giving it! I picked them up when the beauty was combing her golden braids. No one else in the world has hair like this. I'm not giving it! Whom she marries will be the happiest.

- Give it back! Beat the thief!

The sparrows ruffled and, grabbing, flew out the window. But one golden hair fell out of its beak, fell on the stone floor and rang like a bell. Irzhik looked around and… spilled the wine.

– Aha! the king shouted. - Now say goodbye to life, Irzhik!

The king was glad that Irzhik had spilled the wine and that it would be possible to get rid of him. The king alone wanted to be the smartest in the world. Who knows, maybe this young and cheerful servant managed to taste fried fish. Then he will be a dangerous opponent for the king. But then the king came up with a good idea. He picked up a golden hair from the floor, handed it to Irzhik and said:

- So be it. I'll have mercy on you, if you find the girl who lost this golden hair, and bring her to me as a wife, Take this hair and go. Search!

What was Irzhik to do? He took the hair, equipped himself for the journey, and rode out of the city. And where to go, he does not know. He let go of the reins, and the horse trudged along the most deserted road. It's all overgrown with grass. It looks like it hasn't been driven in a long time. The road reached a high dark forest. Irzhik sees: a fire is burning at the edge, a dry bush is burning. The shepherds threw the fire, did not fill it, did not trample, and the bush caught fire from the fire. And under the bush - an anthill. Ants run, fuss, drag their good ant eggs, dry bugs, caterpillars and various tasty grains from the anthill. Irzhik hears how the ants shout to him:

- Help, Irzhik! Save! We are burning! Irzhik jumped off his horse, cut down a bush and put out the flames. The ants surrounded him in a ring, moving their antennae, bowing and thanking; - Thank you, Irzhik. We will never forget your kindness! And if you need help, rely on us. We will repay the good.

Irzhik drove into the dark forest. He hears: someone squeaks plaintively. He looked around and sees: under a tall spruce, two crows lie - they fell out of the nest - and squeak:

- Help, Irzhik! Feed us! We are dying of hunger! Mother and father flew away, but we still don’t know how to fly.

The king deliberately gave Irzhik an old, sick horse - a real horse. The horse is standing, the horse's legs are shaking, and it is clear that this trip for him is one torment. Irzhik jumped off the horse, thought, stabbed him to death and left the horse carcass for the crows - let them feed.

- Ksp-p, Ir-rzhik! Ka-r-r! - the crows shouted merrily. We will help you for this!

Then Irzhik went on foot. For a long time I walked through a dense forest, then the forest began to make more and more noise, more and more loudly, the wind already bent the tops of the trees. And then the splash of waves was added to the noise of the peaks, and Irzhik went out to the sea. Two fishermen were arguing on the sandy shore. One caught a golden fish in the net, and the other demanded this fish for himself.

“My net,” one fisherman shouted, “my and the fish!”

- Whose boat is it? replied another fisherman. “Without my boat, you wouldn’t have cast your net!”

The fishermen shouted louder and louder, then rolled up their sleeves, and the matter would have ended in a fight if Irzhik had not intervened.

- Stop making noise! he told the fishermen. “Sell me this fish, and divide the money among yourselves. And deal with the end.

Irzhik gave the fishermen all the money that he received from the king for the journey, took the gold fish and threw it into the sea. The fish wagged its tail, stuck its head out of the water and said:

- One good turn deserves another. When you need my help, call me. I will sail.

Irzhik sat down on the shore to rest. The fishermen ask him:

Where are you going, good man?

“Yes, I am looking for a bride for my old king. He ordered to get him a beautiful woman with golden hair as his wife. Where can you find her?

The fishermen looked at each other, sat down on the sand next to Irzhik.

- Well, - they say, - you reconciled us, but we remember well. Let's help you. There is only one beauty with golden hair in the whole world. This is our king's daughter. You see an island in the sea, and on the island - a crystal palace? That's where she lives, in this palace. Every day at dawn she combs her hair. Then such a golden dawn breaks over the sea that we wake up from it in our hut and know that it's time for us to go fishing. We will take you to the island. Only to recognize the beauty is almost impossible.

- Why so? – asks Irzhik.

“Because the king has twelve daughters, and the golden-haired one.” And all twelve princesses are dressed the same. And they all have the same veils on their heads. Hair under them is not visible. So your business, Irzhik, is difficult.

The fishermen of Irzhik were transported to the island. Irzhik went straight to the crystal palace to the king, bowed to him and told him why he got to the island, - Okay! the king said. “I am not a stubborn person. I will give my daughter in marriage to your king. But in return, you must complete my tasks for three days. Is it coming?

- It's coming! Irik agreed.

- Get some sleep out of the way. Have a rest. My tasks are intricate. You can't solve them right off the bat.

Irzhik slept well! The sea wind blew through the windows all night, the surf roared, and occasionally small splashes even flew onto the bed.

Irzhik got up in the morning and came to the king. The king thought and said:

Here's your first task. My golden-haired daughter wore a pearl necklace around her neck. The thread broke, and all the pearls scattered in the thick grass. Collect them all to one.

Irzhik went to the lawn, where the princess scattered pearls. The grass is waist-deep, and so thick that you can't see the ground beneath it.

- Eh, - Irzhik sighed, - if there were ants friends here, they would help me!

Suddenly he hears a squeak in the grass, as if hundreds of some tiny people are fussing around his feet.

- We are here! We are here! How can I help you, Irzhik? Collect pearls? Wait, we're in a moment!

Ants ran in, waved their antennae and began to drag pearl after pearl to Irzhik's feet. Irzhik barely had time to string them on a harsh thread. He collected all the necklace and carried it to the king. The king counted the pearls for a long time, lost his way, counted again.

- That's right! Okay, I'll give you a harder task tomorrow.

Irzhik comes to the king the next day. The king looked at him slyly and said:

- That's the trouble! My golden-haired daughter was bathing and dropped a golden ring into the sea. I'm giving you a day to get it.

Irzhik went to the sea, sat on the shore and almost cried. The sea in front of him lies warm, clear and so deep that it’s even scary to think.

- Eh, - says Irzhik, - if there was a golden fish here, it would help me out!

Suddenly, in the sea, something flashed on the dark water and a golden fish emerged from the depths.

- Don't be sad! she said to Irzhik. “I just saw a pike with a gold ring on its fin. "Don't worry, I'll get it."

Irzhik waited for a long time, until finally a golden fish with a golden ring on its fin emerged.

Irzhik carefully removed the ring from the fin so that the fish would not be hurt, thanked her and went to the palace.

- Well, - said the king, - you are a clever person, apparently. Come tomorrow for the last task.

And the last task was the most difficult: to bring the king living and dead water. Where can I get it? Irzhik went aimlessly, reached the great forest, stopped and thought: If my crows were here, they would ...

Before he had time to think it through, he hears: above his head the whistle of wings, croaking, and sees: familiar crows are flying towards him. Irzhik told them his grief.

The crows flew away, they were gone for a long time, and then they rustled their wings again and dragged two eggplants with living and dead water to Irzhik in their beaks.

“Carr, carr, berry and be happy!” Carr! Irzhik took the eggplants and went to the crystal palace. He went out to the edge and stopped: a black spider wove a web between two trees, caught a fly in it, killed it and sits sucking the fly's blood. Irzhik splashed dead water on the spider. The spider immediately died - folded its legs and fell to the ground. Then Irzhik sprinkled the fly with living water.

She came to life, beat her wings, buzzed, broke the web and flew away. And flying away, she said to Irzhik:

Luckily for you, you revived me. I'll help you get to know Goldilocks.

Irzhik came to the king with living and dead water. The king even gasped, did not believe for a long time, but he tried the dead water on an old mouse that ran through the palace room, and the living one on a withered flower in the garden and was delighted. I believed. He took Irzhik by the hand and led him into a white hall with a golden ceiling. In the middle of the hall stood a round crystal table, and behind it on crystal chairs sat twelve beauties, so similar to each other that Irzhik only waved his hand and lowered his eyes - how can you tell which one of them is Goldilocks! They all have the same long dresses, and the same white veils on their heads. Not a hair is visible from under them.

“Well, choose,” says the king. - Guess - your happiness! But no - you will leave here alone, as you came.

Irzhik raised his eyes and suddenly heard someone buzzing near his ear:

“J-i-i-i, go around the table. I'll give you a hint.

Irzhik looked: a small fly was flying over him. Irzhik walked slowly around the table, while the princesses sat downcast. And everyone's cheeks flushed the same way. And the fly buzzes and buzzes:

- Not that one! Not the one! But this one - she, golden-haired!

Irzhik stopped, pretended to be still in doubt, then said:

“Here is the golden-haired princess!”

- Your happiness! the king shouted. The princess quickly left the table, threw off her white veil, and her golden hair spilled over her shoulders. And immediately the whole hall sparkled with such a brilliance from this hair that it seemed that the sun gave all its light to the hair of the princess.

The princess looked straight at Irzhik and averted her eyes - she had never seen such a handsome and stately young man. The princess's heart was beating heavily, but her father's word is law. She will have to marry the old, evil king!

Irzhik took the bride to his master. He protected her all the way, making sure that her horse did not stumble, that a cold drop of rain did not fall on her shoulders. It was a sad return. Because Irzhik also fell in love with the golden-haired princess, but he could not tell her about it.

The old, grumpy king giggled with joy when he saw the beauty, and ordered to quickly prepare the wedding. And Irzhik said:

- I wanted to hang you on a dry bough for disobedience, so that crows would peck at your corpse! But for the fact that you found me a bride, I declare you a royal favor. I will not hang you, but I will order you to cut off your head and bury with honor.

The next morning they cut off Irzhik's head on the chopping block. The golden-haired beauty sobbed and asked the king to give her the headless body and head of Irzhik. The king frowned, but did not dare to refuse the bride.

Goldilocks put her head to the body, sprinkled living water - the head grew, not even a trace was left. She sprinkled Irzhik a second time - and he jumped up alive, young and even more handsome than he was before the execution, and asked Goldilocks:

- Why did I fall asleep so soundly?

“You would have fallen asleep forever,” Goldilocks answered him, “if I had not saved those darlings.

The king saw Irzhik and was dumbfounded: it was he who came to life, and even became so handsome, the King was a cunning old man and immediately decided to take advantage of this case. He called the executioner and ordered:

- Cut off my head! And then let Goldilocks sprinkle some wonderful water on me. And I will come alive young and beautiful.

The executioner willingly cut off the head of the old king. But it was not possible to resurrect him, in vain they only poured all the living water on him. There must have been so much anger in the king that no living water could help. They buried the king without tears, to the beat of drums. And since the country needed a smart and kind ruler, he chose the people as the ruler of Irzhik - it was not for nothing that he was the wisest man in the world. And Goldilocks became the wife of Irzhik, and they lived a long and happy life.

And so ended this tale of how the animals repaid kindness for kindness and how the king lost his head.

In one country - I forgot its name - there was a king, an evil and grumpy old man. Once a merchant came to his palace, brought fresh fish in a basket and said:

Buy this fish from me, king. You won't regret.

The king glanced at the fish.

I have never seen such a fish in my kingdom. Poisonous, right?

What you! - the merchant was frightened. - Order this fish to be fried, eat it - and you will immediately begin to understand the conversation of all animals, fish and birds. Even the smallest bug will squeak something, and you will already know what he wants. You will become the smartest king on earth.

The king liked it. He bought fish from a merchant and, although he was stingy and greedy, he did not even bargain and paid what she asked for. “Now,” thought the king, and rubbed his bony hands, “I will be the smartest in the world and conquer the whole world.

The king called his servant, young Irzhik, and ordered him to fry the fish for dinner.

But only without cheating! - the king said to Irzhik. - If you eat at least one piece of this fish, I will cut off your head. Irzhik brought the fish to the kitchen, looked at it and was even more surprised: he had never seen such a fish. Each fish scale glowed with multi-colored fire, like a rainbow. It was a pity to clean and fry such a fish. But you will not go against the royal order. Irzhik is frying fish and cannot understand in any way whether it is ready or not. The fish does not blush, does not become covered with a crust, but becomes transparent.

"Who knows whether it's fried or not," Irzhik thought. "We must try."

Took a piece, chewed and swallowed - as if ready. Chews and hears thin squeaky voices:

And we have a piece! And we have a piece! W-w-fried fish!

Irzhik looked around. Nobody here. Only flies fly over a dish of fish.

Aha! - said Irzhik. - Now I'm starting to understand something about this fish.

Where shall we go? Where shall we go?

And the other answers:

To the miller in the barley field! To the miller in the barley field!

Aha! - Irzhik said again and grinned: - Now I understand what kind of fish it is. Perhaps one piece is not enough for me.

Irzhik ate the second piece of fish, then beautifully arranged the fish on a silver platter, sprinkled with parsley and dill, and carried the dish to the king.

After dinner, the king ordered two saddle horses to be brought in and went for a walk with Irzhik. The king rode ahead, and Irzhik followed him. The hot horse Irzhik kept rushing forward. Irzhik restrained him with difficulty. The horse neighed, and Irzhik immediately understood his words.

Yoke! - the horse neighed. - Come on, brother, let's jump and be transported in one fell swoop over this mountain.

It would be nice, - the king's horse answered him, - but this old fool sits on me. He'll fall off and break his neck. It will not turn out well - after all, but still the king.

Well, let him break his neck, - said Irzhik's horse. - Then you will carry the young king, and not this ruin.

Irzhik laughed softly. But the king also understood the conversation of the horses, looked back at Irzhik, poked his horse in the side with his boot and asked Irzhik:

What are you laughing at, you bastard?

I remembered, your royal grace, how today in the kitchen two cooks dragged each other by the whirlwinds.

You look at me! the king said threateningly.

Of course, he did not believe Irzhik, angrily turned his horse and galloped to his palace. In the palace, he ordered Irzhik to pour himself a glass of wine.

But look, if you don’t fill it up or overfill it, I’ll order you to cut off your head!

Irzhik took the jug of wine and began to carefully pour the wine into a heavy glass. At that moment, two sparrows flew in through the open window. They fly around the room and fight on the fly. One sparrow holds three golden hairs in its beak, and the other tries to take them away.

Give it back! Give it back! They are mine! Thief!

I'm not giving it! I picked them up when the beauty was combing her golden braids. No one else in the world has hair like this. I'm not giving it! Whom she marries will be the happiest.

Give it back! Beat the thief!

The sparrows ruffled and, grabbing, flew out the window. But one golden hair fell out of its beak, fell on the stone floor and rang like a bell. Irzhik looked around and... spilled the wine.

Aha! - shouted the king. - Now say goodbye to life, Irzhik!

The king was glad that Irzhik had spilled the wine and that it would be possible to get rid of him. The king alone wanted to be the smartest in the world.

Once upon a time there was a blacksmith so poor, poorer than ever. Once upon a time, things were going well with him, but suddenly the blacksmith's craft stopped feeding him, and his wife and children, little by little less, ask for food. And it got to the point that our poor fellow had only seven pennies left in the house. And then the kids are whining, they want bread. What will you do here? So the blacksmith thought: "I'll hang myself! With the last money I bought a rope. I came into the forest, chose a taller tree and a stronger branch, began to adjust the rope. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a black woman! She is dressed in black and her face is black! And let's dissuade him. Sin, they say, it's an abomination!Our blacksmith was dumbfounded, stood, stood and leaned away.
Are you leaving yourself? Again he threw the rope over the branch. And the black woman is right there. And again for mine. The blacksmith is not breathing. But as soon as Chernyavka disappeared, the blacksmith decided to hang himself again.
And suddenly Chernyavka, as if from under the ground, grew up and said:
- Don't you dare, blacksmith, hang yourself! I will help you in your trouble, I will give you gold, as much as your heart desires. But you promise to give me what you have at home, and you still don’t know about it!
- What is it that I don’t know about in my house, except for grief and misfortune? Some kind of nonsense, - the blacksmith decided and agreed.
“Then get what you promised,” Chernyavka said, and poured him a sack full of money. - And I'll come for the promised exactly in seven years! - and then disappeared, as if she had never been.
The blacksmith ran home. A cheerful one comes running, puts gold on the table. That made everyone happy. Wife admiring shiny coins.
They bought food. Children jump and laugh. Finally got enough to eat! One boasts before the other, who stuffed his stomach tighter.
The blacksmith began to tell where such wealth came from:
- So, - he says, - some kind of nonsense, it’s not worth talking about - I had to promise that I would give something that I myself don’t know about, but there is it in the house!
The wife was almost scared to death. She had been expecting a baby for a long time, but she did not dare to speak, and then the child stirred under her heart!
- What have you done, hubby, - the poor thing cried, - you sold your own child, and besides, it was not born yet!
The blacksmith gasped, but there is nothing to do! Give your word, hold on.
OK. Soon a blacksmith's daughter was born. Such a beauty. The hair is golden, the star burns in the forehead. So they called her - Goldilocks. Her parents loved her, cherished and groomed her as best they could. But they will remember that she seems to be their daughter, but it seems to be not theirs - they will immediately feel homesick.
And then the girl was seven years old. Hour after hour, minute after minute, a black carriage thundered under the windows, Chernyavka got out of the carriage and took Goldilocks to her.
With weeping and lamentations, the whole family escorted the carriage to the outskirts. They would have run further, but Chernyavka strictly ordered. The family returned home in tears and sadness, as if they were never destined to see the sweet girl again.
Blackie and Goldilocks raced in a black carriage through impenetrable forests, bare fields, until they reached a beautiful, huge castle. Chernyavka showed Goldilocks the whole castle, led her through ninety-nine rooms and said:
“Here you, my child, will live from now on. Clean up ninety-nine rooms. Go where you want, live where you want. Only you can’t even look into the hundredth room with one eye, otherwise you’ll have to do it badly! See you in seven years, but for now, live, do not be bored!
She said and then disappeared. And for seven whole years there was no news about her! Our Goldilocks lived in the castle quietly and peacefully. She walked through ninety-nine rooms, sweeping, tidying, washing and cleaning, everything she had shone like gold. But I didn’t even look at the hundredth with one eye. Although, oh how I wish! It even made it hard to sleep.
Seven years passed and Chernyavka appeared.
- Well, how? Have you looked into the last room? she asked.
- No! Goldilocks replied.
Chernyavka was satisfied. She knew that the girl was telling the truth. Again punished the same as the first time, and disappeared for another seven years.
Our Goldilocks cleans up ninety-nine magnificent rooms, walks around, makes sure that everything shines like a mirror. Year after year flies like a dream. And then one day, when the seventh year was coming to an end, she walks through the castle and dreams: Chernyavka will praise her for her purity and brilliance. And he hears lovely music coming from the hundredth room. Like a chamois, Goldilocks rushed to the door. And the music is getting softer and sweeter. The girl pressed the handle and - bang! The doors opened and she entered the room. And there are twelve bewitched people sitting around the table. They froze in place, as they were overtaken by evil spells. Another one stands outside the door and says to Goldilocks:
- Goldilocks, don't betray us for anything in the world! No matter how much Chernyavka torments you, don't talk about what you saw in this room. If you say even a word, you will be damned for life, and we will remain forever cursed!
And again everything was silent, as if numb, and Goldilocks, beside herself with fear, jumped out of the hundredth room and rushed away. She did not notice how Chernyavka appeared in front of her. She already knew that the girl saw the last room. She shook her finger at her and said:
- Goldilocks, Goldilocks, what have you done! You've looked into the 100th room! Tell me, what did you see there?
But our Goldilocks is silent, as if she had swallowed her tongue. Chernyavka began to threaten her with terrible punishments, but Goldilocks was silent, not a sound. Here Chernyavka says:
“If you don’t answer right away what you saw in that room, I’ll throw you into a deep well and make you dumb forever!”
And it's true. The evil Chernyavka threw her into a deep well and put damage on her. Now, apart from Chernyavka, she could no longer talk to anyone.
Goldilocks woke up on a sandy embankment. And oh, marvelous, he sees - some kind of passage leads underground. She started running. Onward and onward, until she found herself in a beautiful clearing. Here she stayed. And she was alive with roots and berries. But Cherniavka came here too and kept demanding to know what she had seen in the hundredth room.
But Goldilocks didn't say anything.
Not far from the clearing in the woods, a young king once hunted. And came across a sleeping Goldilocks. He looks, he can’t see enough, where did such a beauty come from? And the longer he looked, the sweeter she became to him. I finally decided to wake him up, take him to his palace and marry him. Let people judge how they want.
Quietly woke up, began to ask who and where. And she is poor thing - mute - everything is silent and silent. The king decided that it was from fear or shame. He asks if he will go with him to the palace, and she only nods her head. The young king brought her to him, ordered her to be dressed in a luxurious dress and, without hesitation for a long time, married.
Goldilocks never spoke. But her husband loved her very much and they lived in perfect harmony. A year has passed. The queen is expecting a baby. And she is getting sadder and sadder. As if he is afraid of some trouble. The day came and the young queen brought a boy into the world. The hair is golden, the star burns in the forehead. There is no happier king in the whole world! Orders to convene all neighbors to a feast, so that his joy is shared.
But soon his joy turned into great sadness. Why so? But listen:
At night, Chernyavka appeared to Goldilocks and began to threaten, if she did not say what she had seen in the last room, then she would strangle her son with golden hair. Goldilocks trembled with horror, like a blade of grass in a thunderstorm, but said nothing.
- And you yourself famously have to! - Chernyavka threatens everything. But Goldilocks is silent, not a sound!
The evil Chernyavka strangled the dear boy, and Goldilocks smeared her lips with blood and immediately disappeared.
Neither in a fairy tale to say, nor to describe with a pen how frightened everyone was when they saw this picture in the morning. The king turned pale as death, but said nothing. The whole castle was searched, everyone was strictly questioned, but they did not find out who could have done this. They began to talk about whether it was Goldilocks herself, because she had blood on her lips. And she, innocent, cannot utter a word in her defense. Others called for her to be condemned to death. But the king did not want to see or hear anything, because he loved her. And they healed well, as before. A year passed and Goldilocks gave birth to a girl with golden hair and a golden star on her forehead. How happy was the king! So that no more trouble would happen, he ordered to put faithful guards in the room where Goldilocks slept with the child for the night.
Only in vain. Chernyavka bewitched the guards and they fell into a deep sleep. She stood before Goldilocks and threatened:
- I'll find out what you saw in that room! And you will be lost! I'll kill the baby, but the king orders you to be burned alive!
But Goldilocks is silent as a stone. Chernyavka strangled the girl, Goldilocks smeared her lips with blood. And it was like that.
In the morning the child was found dead. But the guards did not see anyone and did not hear any rustle or sound in the room.
The king was angry that such things were happening in his palace. Even more strictly ordered to look for the evil enemy. They searched and searched, but found no one.
At this point, everyone around openly started talking that, apart from the queen, there was no one to strangle the child. After all, only the guards in her room stood. And she has blood on her lips! And everything is silent, he won't say a word! These speeches reached the king, he hesitated, and he himself ordered that Goldilocks be condemned to death. To her fire! In front of all subjects!
They took Goldilocks out of town. Tied to a pole. They set fire under their feet. Suddenly, a carriage crashed right into the crowd and stopped in front of Goldilocks. Chernyavka gets out of the carriage and says:
- You see, my words have come true: now the end will come to you. Tell me, at least now, what did you see in the last room of my castle?
But Goldilocks remained silent. No matter how hard Chernyavka tried, she could not achieve anything.
Smoke and flames have already crept up to Goldilocks and suddenly, lo and behold! Chernyavka's face turned white and her whole body changed. She ordered the fire to be poured immediately, because Goldilocks is innocent! And said:
- Your happiness and mine that you did not answer me. With this you freed me and those twelve from evil spells. Otherwise, we would all be lost forever and ever, and you are with us!
And he gives her - where did they just come from - her two kids, lively ones! And in the blink of an eye she disappears with the carriage!
And at the same moment, Goldilocks spoke and told the king everything that had happened. The king does not believe his eyes or ears. Yes, if it is so, then it means not otherwise! To celebrate, the king does not know what to do: take the golden children in his arms or hug Goldilocks and beg for forgiveness. Then he brought his wife and children to the castle, they now healed quietly. And the blacksmith father was found and, together with the whole family, was transported to his castle.