The Paradise Flower
Long ago, in our country, there lived a merchant. This merchant had a daughter, whom everyone called "Flower" for her beauty. She truly was like a flower: delicate and beautiful. Her father was very proud of her.One day, as he was preparing to travel to distant lands for his merchant business, he asked her:
- My daughter, what would you like me to bring back for you?
- Father, please bring me a heavenly flower.
- Very well, I will bring it, - replied the father.
He set off for distant lands, completed his business there, and began searching for the heavenly flower. He asked everyone about it, but no one knew where it grew or how to find it. Finally, he met an old man who pointed him in the direction where he could find the heavenly flower.
- But be careful! - warned the old man, - The White Div guards it.
But could this stop a father's loving heart? He followed the path the old man had shown him. Whether he walked for a long time or a short time, only he could tell. Finally, he arrived at the place where the heavenly flower grew. The merchant saw the flower, bent down, and plucked it. Suddenly, a terrible storm erupted, the light dimmed, and a monstrous creature appeared before him. It was like a man, but not a man; it was like a beast, but not a beast. The creature roared wildly:
- Why have you plucked my flower? You will now die.
"You will now die…" echoed from all sides. The poor, half-dead merchant bowed before the creature:
- Spare me, oh mighty being… my daughter asked me to bring this flower.
- I will spare you, - roared the creature, - but only on one condition: in exchange for your life, you must give me your daughter.
- I agree.
- Very well, then I grant you your life. Return home and remember: when the mountain opposite your house turns white, that is my sign. It will mean that I have come for your daughter. As it turned out, the creature was none other than the White Div himself.
Meanwhile, the merchant returned home. His daughter rushed to meet him, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him. The father embraced his daughter and handed her the heavenly flower. But he could not bring himself to tell her what had happened. He decided to keep the secret to himself and grew increasingly despondent over what was to come. Thinking about it day and night, he became gloomier and sadder.
One morning, he woke up and saw that the mountain opposite his house was covered in white snow. The merchant wept. People gathered and asked why he was crying. He could no longer hide his promise to give his daughter to the monster. He said that the White Div had come for Flower.
- Do not cry, father, - said Flower, - I will go with the White Div. What must be, will be.
At that moment, a loud crash was heard - the White Div burst into the house, roaring:
- Where is Flower? Where is she? Give her to me.
From his roar and icy breath, the trees around trembled and froze. What could the poor people do? Dressed in her finest clothes, holding the heavenly flower in her hands, Flower stepped out to meet the White Div. The monster laughed triumphantly, grabbed the beautiful girl, and carried her away. With the flapping of its wings, the White Div stirred up a storm that hissed and whistled, swallowing the light. Everything froze where the White Div flew.
The monster carried Flower to the deepest gorge that could be found near Mount Ararat. It was an inaccessible and gloomy place, covered in ice. There stood the crystal castle of the White Div, which he occasionally left. When he did, cold and fear followed him, seeking to destroy all life around. The White Div imprisoned Flower in this castle. Several months passed.
One day, at the very beginning of spring, when the White Div was not in the castle, Flower managed to escape. The monster returned and, seeing that the girl was gone, flew into a rage. The White Div gathered all his evil powers and set off in pursuit. Transforming into a storm, he raced after Flower, hissing and whistling like a giant serpent.
Meanwhile, the girl had already reached the foot of Mount Aragats. She looked back and saw that the White Div was catching up to her. He was terrifying and dreadful. The poor girl screamed for help. As if by divine will, a magical door opened before her. Passing through it, she entered the mountain. The door closed just as the White Div reached it. The monster's fury reached its peak: he struck the summit of Mount Aragats with his wings and roared:
- Where is Flower? Where is she? Give her to me…
Let us leave him roaring there and follow Flower. Let us see what became of her after she passed through the magical door.
Meanwhile, Flower found herself at the gate of a garden that resembled paradise. From the myriad of sounds that filled the garden, a song emerged:
In the emerald palace, in the golden coffin,
Enchanted by dark, evil forces,
Neither dead nor alive lies our Arin,
And the whole world mourns for him.
He will lie there until
She comes for him, like a dove,
Full of new life, joy, and happiness.
She will gently stroke him and lovingly kiss him.
Flower entered the garden. It filled even more with jubilant sounds and joyful songs:
Here she comes – our princess!
Here, here, he is here – your beloved.
Now he will rise from oblivion,
Our brave Arin, enchanted by evil.
Now he will rise, our glorious prince,
Our mighty prince Arin-Armanelin.
His clear eyes will smile radiantly,
And the flowers and trees of the world,
Enchanted by the White Div,
Will soon awaken – the dark spells will fall.
Joyful life will be reborn,
Full of sunlight and the fragrance of flowers!
Flower walked through the garden to the emerald palace. In the very center of the palace stood a golden coffin, in which lay a handsome young prince. He was neither alive nor dead. He barely breathed. As soon as Flower saw him, her heart ached with sorrow: she wept, leaned over the prince, and kissed him. Her tears fell on his youthful face. Slowly, the prince opened his eyes and rose. He was like a birch tree growing in paradise. You, of course, have guessed who he was. Yes, it was Arin-Armanelin.
- Who are you, beautiful maiden? - asked Arin-Armanelin. - How did you come here?
Flower told him everything - how she had been a prisoner of the White Div. She added that he was now chasing her.
- I hear his hellish roar, - she said.
- He enchanted me several months ago, casting a death-like sleep upon me. He does this every year. And I remain here until someone comes and breaks the evil spell. You, Flower, are one of those who have done this. Now I will go and fight the White Div. With these words, Arin took his fiery sword and went outside.
And so, the two forces clashed in a battle to the death. They fought so fiercely that it was impossible to tell where the sky ended and the earth began. The White Div roared like a dark cloud. Arin-Armanelin swung his sword left and right, and the world trembled. The battle ended with the defeat of the White Div. Howling, hissing, and whistling, he crawled back to his gloomy lair at the bottom of the deepest gorge near Mount Ararat. And there he locked himself in his crystal castle. The world belonged to the beautiful victor. Joyful days came to the valley of the Araks.
Arin-Armanelin married Flower. Nature spread a beautiful carpet of roses and other flowers beneath their feet. People and animals, birds, and even ants sang joyful songs and hymns in unison. And above it all, a bright, wondrous rainbow stretched across the sky, and the fresh, spring sun smiled upon the world.
This will repeat every year. Every year, the White Div will be able to enchant Arin-Armanelin, and every year, the evil spells will be powerless against Flower.
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