The Magic Rose

Once upon a time, there lived a king. In the palace, he had a rose garden. In the garden grew a bush of a magical rose. No matter how hard the king tried, no matter how diligently his royal gardeners guarded the rose, they could not protect it. As soon as it began to bloom, a destructive worm would attack it. And so, year after year, the same thing happened. The king could never get his magical rose. One day, a young gardener came to the king and said:

"Hire me, and I will protect your rose from the worm. As soon as it blooms, I will pick it and bring it to you."

"Young man," said the king, "how many gardeners have I had, and not one of them could protect it. How will you manage?"

"I will manage, and if I don't, you may have me executed."

"Very well, do as you know best. If you can, guard it."

Spring arrived, and the new gardener took a bow and arrow, climbed under the bush, and began to watch over the rose. He watched for a day, two days, three days, a week. Finally, the rose began to bloom, but then the gardener was overcome by sleep... Meanwhile, the worm crawled out, attacked the rose, devoured it, and crawled away. The gardener woke up, saw that the rose was gone from the bush, and went to the king, saying:

"For a whole week, day and night, I guarded the rose bush, but when the rose began to bloom, I dozed off... I opened my eyes, and the worm had already devoured the rose. This time, spare me, and next year I will deal with the worm."

"Very well," said the king, "this will not go unpunished for the worm..."

A year passed. Spring came, and the royal gardener went to guard the bush again. As soon as the rose began to bloom, the worm crawled toward it. Just as the gardener was about to shoot an arrow at it, suddenly, out of nowhere, a nightingale flew in, pecked the worm, and flew away. The rose remained unharmed. The gardener was delighted, picked the rose, and brought it to the king.

"Your Majesty," he said, "I have brought you the rose. This year, the worm tried to devour it, but out of nowhere, a nightingale flew in, pecked the worm, and flew away."

"Very well," said the king, "this will not go unpunished for the nightingale."

Another year passed. In the spring, the gardener again went to guard the rose bush, sitting under it day and night. As soon as the rose began to bloom, the worm crawled toward it, wanting to devour the flower. Again, out of nowhere, the nightingale from the previous year flew in, intending to peck the worm, but at that moment, a dragon leaped out from under the bushes and swallowed both the nightingale and the worm in one go. Once again, the rose remained unharmed.

The gardener was delighted, picked the rose, and brought it to the king.

"Your Majesty," he said, "this year, as in the past, the worm crawled toward the rose, wanting to devour it. Out of nowhere, the nightingale flew in, and just as it was about to peck the worm, a dragon leaped out from under the bushes, attacked the nightingale and the worm, and swallowed them both. Here is your rose—safe and sound."

"Very well," said the king, "this will not go unpunished for the dragon."

Another year passed. Spring arrived, and once again the gardener went to guard the rose. It was time for it to bloom. The worm appeared again and crawled toward the rose. Out of nowhere, the nightingale flew in, intending to peck the worm, but the dragon leaped out from under the bushes and swallowed both the nightingale and the worm. The gardener drew his bowstring and shot an arrow at the dragon. The dragon writhed, bled out, and died. The gardener picked the rose and brought it to the king.

"Your Majesty," he said, "the worm appeared again, wanting to devour the rose. The nightingale flew in, intending to peck the worm, but the dragon leaped out from under the bushes, attacked the nightingale and the worm, and swallowed them both. When I saw this, I drew my bowstring and killed the dragon on the spot."

"Well and good," said the king, "but this will not go unpunished for you either."

The gardener was puzzled and thought: What is this riddle? Why does the king always say this?

The gardener thought and thought but could not figure it out. He was afraid to ask the king, fearing that the king might get angry. The gardener decided to wait and see what would happen next. In the king's rose garden, there was a marble pool where the king and queen sometimes bathed. One day, the gardener climbed a tree that grew near the pool, intending to trim the dead branches. Suddenly, he saw the queen and her maids approaching the pool to bathe. The gardener was frightened and stayed in the tree. "I'll wait," he thought, "until the queen finishes bathing and leaves, then I'll climb down." The queen undressed, entered the pool, bathed, came out, and began to dress. She looked up and saw the gardener. Without saying a word, she went to the palace and told the king everything.

"You know, I went to the pool to bathe, bathed, dressed, and was about to leave when I suddenly saw the gardener in the tree. He must have climbed up there earlier to spy on me."

When the king heard this, he flew into a rage like a lion. He immediately shouted:

"Executioner, executioner, executioner!"

The executioners appeared and bowed to the king.

"Your Majesty, what are your orders?" they asked.

"Bring the gardener here at once and cut off his head!"

The executioners brought the gardener. The gardener realized what awaited him.

"Your Majesty, allow me to say two words, and then do with me as you wish."

"Very well, speak."

"Do you remember when you hired me in the first year, I came to you and told you how the worm devoured the rose, and you said to me: 'Very well, this will not go unpunished for him.' I went to guard the rose again the next year. I came to you and said: 'A nightingale flew in and pecked the worm.' You replied: 'Very well, this will not go unpunished for him.' In the third year, when I came to you and said that a dragon leaped out from under the bushes and swallowed the nightingale and the worm, you again said: 'Very well, this will not go unpunished for him.' In the fourth year, I came and told you: 'I killed the dragon.' And you said to me: 'Very well, this will not go unpunished for you either.' And indeed, it did not go unpunished for me, as your words came true, for you now wish to take my head for no reason. Today, I say to you: this will not go unpunished for the king either."

Upon hearing the gardener's wise answer, the king pardoned him.

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The Magic Rose

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