Crimson Fairy Book

Chapter 28 The Magician's Gift
Once upon a time there was an old man who lived in a hut in the middle of the forest.His wife passed away, leaving only his only son, whom he regarded as the apple of his eye.Next to their cottage was a birch grove where a flock of partridges had built their nests, and the boy often begged his father to let him shoot the birds, but the old man always forbade him to do so.

One day, however, the father went nearby to gather firewood, and the boy fetched a bow and arrow and shot a bird that was flying towards its nest.But he missed the aim, and just wounded the bird, which flapped its wings and ran on the ground.The boy ran to catch it, but although he ran very fast, and the flapping wings of the bird seemed to be slow, he could not catch it.

It's always just a little bit ahead.He was so engrossed in chasing the bird that he didn't notice that he was deep in the forest, a place he had never been before.At this moment he felt that it was foolish to go any further, so he turned and turned back.

He thought it would be very easy to go back the way he came, but for some reason, the road always forked in unexpected directions.He looked around, hoping to see a house where he could stop and ask for directions, but there was no sign of a house around.He didn't dare to stop because it was very cold and there were many stories of wolves in that forest.As night fell, every sound would startle him, when suddenly a magician ran towards him, and a pack of wolves came close behind him, tearing and biting.At this moment the boy regained all his courage.He took aim at the largest wolf with a bow and arrow, and shot it through the heart, and with several more arrows he shot the rest of the wolves into flight.The magician was very grateful to his rescuer, and promised to reward the boy for his help if he would go back to his house with him.

"Indeed, nothing would please me more than to stay overnight," answered the boy, "for I have wandered all day in this forest, and do not know how I shall get home."

"Come with me, you must be tired and hungry," the magician led him back home.Once at home, the guest lay on the bed and fell asleep.The master went back into the forest to find something to eat, because the pantry was gone.

While the magician was away, the housekeeper went into the room where the boy slept to try to wake him up.She stamped on the floor, shook him, called him, wanted to tell him that he was in great danger and must flee at once.But nothing woke him, and he opened his eyes for a moment and then closed them again.

Soon the magician came back from the forest, and asked the housekeeper to bring them something to eat.The supper was soon ready, and the magician sent the boy down to eat, but could not wake him, so they sat down to supper by themselves.

Not long after, the magician went to the forest to continue hunting. When he came back, he tried to wake the boy again, but found it impossible, so he went back to the forest for the third time.

The boy woke up while the magician was away, dressed, and went downstairs to talk to the housekeeper.When the housekeeper heard that he had saved her master's life, she said no more about telling him to flee, but told him that if the magician let him choose his reward, he would offer to be locked up in the third stall in the stable. the horse.

Soon the magician came back, and they sat down to eat together, and after the meal the magician said, "Now, boy, tell me what do you want for your brave deed?"

"Give me the horse that is locked in the third stall in your stable," answered the lad. "I have a long way to go home, and my feet can't go that far."

"Ah, boy," answered the Magician, "that horse you want is the best in my stable! Don't you have anything else in mind?"

The boy declared that it was the horse that he liked, and that he wanted nothing more than that horse.At last the magician gave in.Besides the horse, the magician gave him a zither, a violin and a flute, and told him: "If you are in danger, play this zither; if no one comes to help You, you play this violin; and if that fails, you play this flute."

The young man thanked the magician, tied the treasures firmly around his body, and rode away on his horse.When he had gone several miles, to his great surprise the horse spoke, and said, "It is no use for you to go home now, your father will only beat you. Let us first go and see A few cities, we're sure to have good luck."

The suggestion pleased the boy, for he felt almost manly now, and thought it a good time for him to see the world.They came to the capital of the country, and everyone stopped to praise the beautiful horse.Even the king heard about the horse and came to see the beautiful horse himself.He really wanted to buy it right away, and told the boy he would pay any price.The boy hesitated for a moment, and before he could speak, managed to whisper to him:
"Don't sell me, tell the king to take me to his stable and keep me there. Then. His horses will be as beautiful as mine."

The young man told the king what the horse had said, and the king was very pleased, and immediately took the horse into his stable and put him in his own stall.Sure enough, as soon as the horse took a mouthful of grain from the manger, the rest of the horses seemed to change.Some of the horses were old favorites of the King who had ridden in many wars, and they looked old and tired.But now they held their heads high, pawing the ground with their long thin legs, as they had done long ago.The king's heart was pounding with joy, but the groom who took care of the horse stood beside him angrily, looking at the master of the wonderful animal with hatred and envy.There was not a single day that he did not speak ill of the young man to his master, but the king knew the reasons for this well and did not take it to heart.In the end, the groom claimed that the young man boasted that he could find a war horse that the king lost in the forest a few years ago. After the horse was lost, it was lost. The king still misses it, so this time the king listened to the groom. Fabricated rumors, send someone to call the young man. "Get me that horse within three days," he said, "or you'll be in trouble."

Hearing this order, the young man was struck by thunder, but he just bowed and walked immediately to the stable.

"Don't worry," said his own horse, "ask the king to give you a hundred cows, kill them and chop them. A musical instrument played with fingertips or plucks.

into pieces.Then we set off immediately and rode to a certain river.There will be a horse coming towards you, but ignore it.Soon there will be another horse, and you must also leave him alone, and put my rein on the third horse when it appears. "

Everything happened just as the horse had said it would, and the third horse was securely brought in.Then his own horse spoke again: "As we ride away, the magician's big crow will try to eat us, throw some beef to him, and then I will gallop away like the wind, carrying and you escape safely from the dragon's claws."

The young man did as he was told, and brought the horse back to the king.

When the old groom heard of this, he was very jealous, and wondered how he could ruin the young man's image in the eyes of his noble master.At last he hit upon a solution.He told the king that the young man had boasted that he could bring home the king's wife who had disappeared without a trace months before.Then the king called the young man to come and see him, and bade him bring the queen home again.And said that since he boasted that he could do this, if he failed, he would be punished by beheading.

The poor boy's heart stopped beating at these words.Find the queen?Since no one in the palace could find her, where would he look for her!He walked listlessly into the stable, and leaning his head on the horse's shoulder, he said: "The King ordered me to bring home his wife, who disappeared so long ago, and no one can tell me anything about her." , how can I find her?"

"Cheer up!" replied the horse, "we'll try to find her. You just have to ride me back to the river we were on yesterday, and I'll jump in and get back on track. For I'm the king Wife, I was transformed into a horse by the magician, from whom you rescued me."

The young man jumped on the saddle and rode to the bank of the river in great surprise.Then jump off the horse and wait.The horse jumped into the river.The moment the horse's head is submerged, its black skin disappears and the most beautiful woman in the world emerges.Smiling, she swam up to the boy and held out her hand to him.He held her hand and led her back to the palace.The king was greatly surprised and delighted to see his missing wife standing before him.In order to thank the person who saved her, the king gave him many gifts.

You might have thought that after this the poor young man was at peace.But it was not so, and his enemy, the groom, still hated him, and secretly hatched a new plot to destroy him.This time, he came before the king and said that the boy was very proud of his achievements, and claimed to seize the throne.

The king was furious at this news, and ordered the gallows to be erected immediately, and the young man was to be hanged without a trial, and he was not even allowed to defend himself.On the steps of the gallows he sent a message to the King asking permission to play a tune on his zither, as a final franchise.With permission, he took the instrument from under his cloak and touched the strings.No sooner had the first notes sounded than the executioner and his assistants began to dance, the louder the music was played, the higher they danced, until at last they begged for mercy.The young man ignored it at all, and played the music more cheerfully than before.Both collapsed from exhaustion by sunset, and the hanging had to be postponed until tomorrow.

The story of the zither soon spread throughout the city.The next morning the king, all his court, and a great company of citizens assembled at the foot of the gallows to watch the lad hang.He again asked the king to grant himself a special right to play the violin.The king also readily agreed.As soon as the first note hits, everyone in the crowd kicks their legs high, and they dance to the music all day long until nightfall.It was too dark by then to hang the young man.

When the third day came, the boy asked the king to let him play on his flute. "No, no," said the King, "you made me dance all day yesterday, and if I danced another day I would die. You must not play any more tunes. Quick! Put the rope around his neck."

Hearing this, the young man looked very sad, and the courtiers said to the king, "He is about to be hanged at a young age; if playing on the flute pleases him, let him play it." Reluctantly agreed.But he was afraid that the sound of the music would make him dance again, so he tied himself to a big fir tree first.

After he had tied himself fast, the young man began to play softly on the flute.Although the king was bound, his body still moved with the sound of music.Climbing up and down that fir tree, he had worn his clothes to shreds, and the skin on his back was almost worn away.But the young man didn't feel sorry for him, and continued to play the flute. At last, the old magician suddenly appeared in front of him and asked, "Son, what danger did you encounter when you summoned me?"

"They want to hang me," answered the young man. "The gallows is ready, and the executioner just waits for me to stop playing."

The magician pulled up the gallows and tore it to pieces and threw it into the air.No one knows where the gallows will fall from.

"Who ordered you to be hanged?" he asked.

The young man pointed to the king, still bound to the fir tree.Without saying a word, the magician grabbed the tree with all his strength, then lifted the fir tree and the man tied to the tree and threw them into the sky.Trees and people whirled across the sky following the gallows and disappeared into the clouds.

Then the lad was acquitted, and the people elected him king.The groom was so jealous that he jumped into the water and committed suicide.In any case, if it were not for him, the young man might have lived poorly all his life.

(End of this chapter)