The Swineherd

Whether it truly happened or not, they say that there once lived a king. This king was a powerful ruler, and he also loved to hunt. One day, while hunting in the forest, he saw an unusual Beast that emitted light like the sun. Amazed, the king said to his advisor:
- Such a beauty must not be killed. Let us try to capture the Beast alive.
They set a trap, caught the Beast, and brought it to the royal castle.
- Make a glass cage so that people can come and admire the Beast, - ordered the king.

Everyone who had the chance to see the Beast was stunned and amazed, for there was no other wonder like it in the entire kingdom.

The king had only one son, who had just turned thirteen. One day, while practicing archery, the young prince accidentally shot an arrow that broke the wall of the glass cage. The prince asked the Beast to return his arrow, but it refused:
- I will not give you the arrow until you set me free, - said the Beast. - Bring the key that your father keeps under his pillow and open the cage. If you release me, I will never forget your kindness.

The young prince felt sorry for the Beast, which shone like the sun. He brought the key and opened the glass cage.
- If you ever find yourself in trouble, you can always turn to me for help. Look for me in the forest, near the large spring, - said the Beast, and it ran away.
The king was furious when he learned that his own son had set the wondrous Beast free with his own hands. In a fit of rage, he ordered the executioners to behead the prince.
The advisor cried out in fear:
- He is your only son! How can you execute him over such a trifle? Simply banish him from the kingdom; that punishment will be more than enough.

The king summoned the advisor's son, gave him money for travel expenses, and said:
- Take my son away from my country. I don’t care what happens to him afterward. He is no longer my son, and I do not want his feet to ever tread the soil of my kingdom again.
And so, the two young men set off on their journey. When they entered a dense forest, the advisor's son said to the prince:
- Give me your royal regalia, or I will kill you!
- Take them; I don’t need them, - replied the prince, handing over the royal regalia.
The advisor's son took them and said:
- From now on, I am the king’s son, and you are my servant. Don’t you dare tell anyone otherwise.

After this, the advisor's son lay down on the soft grass under a shady tree and dozed off, while the prince decided to wander around. As he made his way through the forest, he saw a glow. He looked and realized it was the very Beast he had freed, standing and drinking water from a large spring. Overwhelmed with joy, the prince wept and told the Beast about all the misfortunes that had befallen him.
- It’s no trouble, - replied the Beast. - Drink some water from this spring. It will make you feel better.
The young man drank the water, and the Beast said:
- Now shake this tree.
The prince shook the tree and uprooted it.
- Drink more!
The young man drank more water.
- Now shake this tree.
The prince shook it and also uprooted it.
- Are you strong enough now, or do you want to become even stronger?
- I would like to become even stronger, - replied the young man.
- Then drink more water.
The prince drank more water from the large spring and, as if it were grass, uprooted several enormous trees.
- Are you satisfied now?
- Oh, yes! Thank you.

The prince returned to the advisor's son, who had woken up by then, and they continued their journey. It’s hard to say how long they traveled before they arrived in the capital of another kingdom. The advisor's son sent a messenger to the king to inform him that the son of a neighboring king had arrived in the city with his servant.

The king welcomed the guests in his castle with the appropriate ceremonies. Both young men made a favorable impression on him, and he said to the advisor's son:
- I will give you my eldest daughter in marriage. From now on, you will be my son-in-law. As for your servant, he may continue his service. What work would you like to assign him?
- I don’t care. Assign him wherever you see fit.
- Would you like to become my swineherd? - the king asked the prince.
- I don’t mind, - he replied.

And so, the prince became the royal swineherd. Every morning, he had to take the pigs out to pasture, tend to them, and return them to the pen at sunset. He was given a tiny hut next to the pigsty as his living quarters.
Time passed. One day, waking up early in the morning, the prince picked up a log lying nearby and headed toward the royal palace, swinging the log like a staff. The noise woke everyone in the city.
- What do you want? - asked the king’s servants.
"Give me a copper coin, I want to go buy myself some nuts," he replied.
The king stepped out onto the balcony and said:
"Hey, lad, here's a silver coin for you. Go buy as many nuts as you wish."
"But I don't need a silver coin. Where would I exchange it? Give me a copper coin instead."

Having received the copper coin, the prince went to the market and started picking out nuts at a shop. After buying as many nuts as the copper coin could afford, he went to herd the pigs on the royal meadows. In the evening, after driving the pigs back to the pen, he went to the king again:
"Listen, king, order a steel staff for me!"
"What, is this log not enough for you?"
"No, this twig is only good for shooing flies. Order me a staff made of good steel, weighing a thousand poods."
The king promised to order such a staff for him.

The next morning, the prince woke up the entire town again. He approached the royal palace, loudly banging the log, and struck it against the balcony. Once again receiving a coin, the young man went to the market, visited ten shops, and picked out the best nuts for himself. After that, he returned to his duties as a swineherd and went to herd the pigs.

The next day, the steel staff for the prince was ready. The young man weighed it in his hand, swung it around, and said:
"Excellent! Just the right size! This is exactly what I needed."
After that, he slung the staff over his shoulder and drove the pigs straight into the lands of the Black Demon.

The gates of the Demon's estate were locked. But was that an obstacle? With a couple of strikes from his steel staff, the prince split the lock in half. One half flew west, and the other flew east. The young man let the pigs into the estate, and they scattered around the mansion, roaming the garden and orchard. The prince himself ate a melon and lay down under a shady fruit tree to take a nap.

The Black Demon came home for lunch, and what did he see? Someone's pigs were running around his garden and orchard, grunting! The Black Demon's blood boiled with rage:
"Who dares?" he roared and rushed into the garden to find the intruder.
He found the prince sleeping under the tree.
"Hey, you, swineherd, wake up!"
The young man didn't stir. He decided to pretend he hadn't heard anything.
"Neither a snake on its belly nor a bird on its wings has ever entered here, and now some swineherd with his pigs barges into my garden and orchard. Who are you?" the Black Demon continued to shout.

The prince muttered politely, as if half-asleep:
"Could you keep it down a bit? Let me sleep, and then we'll fight."
"Ha, you're a brave one! I'll turn you into mincemeat. The biggest pieces left of you will be your ears."
The prince jumped to his feet:
"Alright, stand ready and prepare for a duel!"
"Who will strike first?" asked the Demon.
"You will. I'm your guest."

The Black Demon grabbed his mace and started swinging it around, raising a huge cloud of dust.
"May my arm break," said the Demon, "but I'll get my way. Though, I guess not—there won't even be ears left of you, lad!"
"Hey, wait, now it's my turn," replied the prince.
When the dust cloud cleared, he stood there, unharmed.
"I'm not dead yet," shouted the young man and struck the Black Demon on the neck with his staff.
He struck so hard that the Demon's head is still flying through the sky to this day.

After that, the prince decided to explore the Black Demon's estate. In the stable, he saw ten armed knights dressed in black armor on black horses.
"Who are you?" the young man asked them.
"We are the Black Demon's captives," came the reply. "If you free us, we swear to come to your aid whenever you call."
"Deal. But I have one condition: the Black Demon's warhorse is mine," said the prince.

He tied a sack with black armor, clothing, and weapons to the horse's saddle, thinking that the day would come when he would need all of it. Then he pulled a hair from each horse's mane and told the knights they were free to go wherever they wished. The knights thanked the young man and rode away, taking the Black Demon's black horse with them.

By evening, the prince returned home and drove the pigs back to the pen. He heard orchestras playing in the city, music coming from everywhere—a celebration was underway.
"What's going on here?" the young man started asking the townspeople.
"The eldest daughter of our king is marrying a prince who recently arrived from another land," they replied.

After finding out the reason for the celebration, the young man went to his hut. No sooner had he arrived home than there was a knock at the door. Standing on the threshold was the king's youngest daughter.
- What do you need here? – the prince inquired.
- Nothing special, I just came to talk to you.
- I’m just a swineherd. Why would a princess want to talk to a swineherd? Maybe you wanted to see the piglets? What a sight. Go away.
Crying, the princess left. But soon she returned with a tray filled to the brim with fruits and knocked on the door again. The young man opened it:
- Well, what now?
- I brought you fruits and nuts. Let’s have a snack together.
- I asked you not to bother me anymore, – said the prince, but he took the tray from the princess and closed the door in her face.
Weeping, the girl walked away.

The next morning, the prince took his steel staff and went to the balcony of the royal palace.
- Do you need something again, swineherd?
- King, give me another copper coin. I’ll go buy myself some nuts.
After receiving the coin, the young man went to the market and, having made his purchase, headed to the pasture. There he spent the whole day tending the pigs and cracking nuts. When he returned home, he saw that the whole city was in a panic.
- What, what happened? – he began asking the townspeople.
- An army of devs is approaching the city. They demand that the king hand over his eldest daughter. We’re gathering a militia to repel the devs’ army.
Someone knocked on the swineherd’s hut again. On the doorstep stood the younger princess, weeping bitterly.
- Why so many tears? – asked the prince.
- The devs want to take my sister.
- Well, go on, how can I help?
- You can save her.
- Look at me. I’m just a swineherd, working from dawn till dusk, chasing the king’s pigs. Why don’t you ask her husband to save your sister? After all, he’s the king’s son.
- He doesn’t know how to fight.
- Well, that’s not my concern. Go away, don’t bother me with this anymore. The devs came to you, so deal with them yourselves.
Crying even harder, the princess trudged away.

In the morning, the prince came again to the balcony of the royal palace. He looked around and saw everyone weeping and wailing:
- The devs are already near the city, what should we do?!
- I’m in a hurry right now, – the young man said to the royal servants, – give me a copper coin quickly, and I’ll be on my way.
After receiving the coin and buying nuts with it, the prince drove the pigs to the pasture, pulled a clump of hair from the manes of black horses out of his pocket, and burned it.
Ten armed knights, clad in black armor and riding black horses, immediately appeared before him. With them was the horse of the Black Dev. Black armor and weapons were in a bag tied to the horse’s saddle.

The prince took off his shepherd’s rags and put on the black armor and a black cloak. He now looked just like the ten black knights. Then the young man mounted the black horse and led his squad into battle. Meanwhile, the king’s army lined up against the devs’ army. There were so many enemies that the outcome of the battle seemed certain. But then the prince’s squad struck the monsters like a black lightning bolt. After a fierce battle, only one dev remained alive. The young man cut off his ears and said:
- Now get out of here and tell all your monsters how hospitably you were received here.

The king wanted to thank the brave warriors, but they had already turned their horses and disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. Meanwhile, the prince changed back into his clothes and dismissed the knights. He then gathered the pigs and drove them back to the pigsty.

The whole city celebrated the glorious victory, with cheerful music and singing heard everywhere. People rejoiced and danced right in the streets. The prince decided to stay in his hut near the pigsty. There was a knock at the door. It was the younger princess again. She brought a tray laden with various dishes and drinks.
- My God, you again? – the young man sighed.
- I missed you. See? I brought you dinner. Let’s have it together.
- Princess, didn’t I tell you not to bother me with such things anymore? So, goodbye.
And he took the tray and closed the door in the girl’s face. Crying from hurt, the princess returned to the palace in tears.

In the morning, after receiving another copper coin and buying a whole sack of nuts with it, the young man drove the pigs to the pasture. This time, he decided to graze them not on the king’s meadows but on the lands of the Red Dev.
To open the gate of the estate where the monster lived, the prince had to strike the lock a couple of times with his steel staff. He struck it so hard that one piece of the broken lock flew to Aleppo, and the other had to be looked for in Chin-ma-Chin.

Once inside, he let the pigs graze in the Red Dev’s garden, while he found a shady spot and lay down to take a nap. Meanwhile, the Red Dev himself came home for lunch. He saw the piglets frolicking in his garden, and his blood boiled. He rushed to find the culprit and saw the swineherd sleeping peacefully under an apple tree.
- Hey, mortal, get up!
The young man opened his eyes and saw the Red Dev towering over him.
- You’re so big and so stupid. What’s all the noise about? Can’t you see a man resting here? And you’re shouting like a herd of bulls.
- How dare you be rude to me after what you’ve done here? – the enraged Red Dev exclaimed. – It’s been a while since I’ve feasted on human flesh. Well, today I won’t be short of it.
The young man jumped to his feet. In his hands, he gripped his steel staff:
- What are you staring at? Let's fight! – he said.
The Red Devil drew his mace and began to swing it like a windmill in a fierce storm. The prince was engulfed in a cloud of dust.
- Damn it! – growled the Red Devil. – It seems fate has denied me a taste of meat; it looks like only the boy's ears are left.
When the dust cloud settled, the Red Devil saw that the swineherd stood there, alive and unharmed.
- If it's not meant to be, then it's not meant to be, – agreed the prince. – Now it's my turn!
He swung his steel staff and brought it down on the Red Devil's neck. He struck so hard that the head flew all the way to Mount Ararat with such speed that the crash shook the entire area.

The prince went to inspect the Red Devil's domain and in the stable found twenty armed knights clad in red armor and mounted on red horses.
- Who are you?
- We are the Red Devil's prisoners. Free us. If you do, we will always be ready to serve you whenever you wish.

This time, the prince declared that he would keep the Red Devil's warhorse for himself. The young man tied a bag containing red armor, a cloak, and weapons to its saddle. Then he plucked a hair from each horse's mane and released the knights. By sunset, the prince had already driven the pigs back to the pigsty. He looked around: the entire city was celebrating the wedding of the king's middle daughter.

Meanwhile, the youngest princess came to the swineherd's hut and said:
- Come with me to the palace. Today, everyone is feasting, dancing, and having fun. Why sit here alone?
- Go away. What do you want from me, anyway? I'm just a swineherd. I don't belong in the royal family, not even as a guest.
- To me, you are a king! I love you.
- No. I've said all I need to say. I'm staying home, – the young man replied, pushing the princess out of the hut and closing the door.
- After some time, the princess, without even knocking, entered with a tray full of food and drink.
- Come on, get up. We can celebrate just fine together!
The young man took the tray and once again pushed the girl out the door:
- Go away! This is no place for a princess!

In the morning, the prince returned to the palace balcony and began tapping his steel staff, demanding a copper coin. After buying nuts with it, he drove the pigs out to pasture. In the evening, after herding his charges back to the pigsty, the prince saw that the city was in panic again.
- What's happening?
- Tomorrow morning, an army of devils will come here. They will take the king's middle daughter away, – the townsfolk replied.

The youngest princess ran to the swineherd's hut with tears in her eyes:
- I rely only on God in heaven and on you on earth, – she said. – I know it was you who saved my eldest sister from the devils. Now you must save my middle sister too!
- Go back to where you came from! Doesn't the king have sons-in-law? I'm just a swineherd. Leave me alone.
- The king's sons-in-law?! They're useless. You're the only one who can save my sister.
The prince pushed the girl out the door, and she ran home, crying harder than before.

The next morning, after leaving the pigs to graze in the meadow, the young man took out the clump of hair he had earlier plucked from the red horses' manes and burned it. Twenty armed knights clad in red armor and mounted on red horses immediately appeared before him. With them was the Red Devil's warhorse.

After changing into red attire, the prince mounted the horse and led his troop into battle. The king, who was waiting with his army for the devil army's attack, exclaimed when he saw the troop of knights approaching like a red lightning bolt:
- Hold your heads high, men, we are saved! God himself has sent these brave warriors to us!
Whirling past the king's army, showering them with sparks struck by the horses' hooves, the knights charged into the ranks of the devils. Unable to withstand the onslaught, the enemies faltered and fled.
When it was all over, the prince cut off the ears of the last surviving monster and said:
- Take these to your king and tell him what happens to uninvited guests who come to wage war.

The troop of red knights raced past the king's army in the direction from which they had come. The king could only open his mouth:
- I wish I knew who these heroes are... – he murmured.
That evening, when the young man had already driven the pigs back to the pigsty, a feast began in the city. They were celebrating the victory over the devil army. The youngest princess appeared again in the swineherd's hut and said:
- Listen, stop being stubborn. Come with me to the palace, there's a feast there now. And we'll eat, drink, and have fun together. The whole city is celebrating, and what about you?
- No, no, I know my place. I'm just a swineherd. Don't even try to take me to the palace; I won't go anywhere. I'll stay here.
- I love you with all my heart, so why are you so determined to stay in this wretched hut?
- Leave me alone. I told you: a swineherd is no match for you.

The princess left for the palace alone, weeping bitterly. But after some time, she returned with a tray in her hands. The tray was full of food.

- If you don’t want to come visit me, then I’ll come visit you. We’ll celebrate the holiday even in a shack.
- Get out, I’m telling you. How are you going to eat here? It reeks of pigs!
- I don’t care, as long as I’m near you.

Without hesitation, the prince pushed the girl outside and closed the door. The princess left in tears.

The next day, the young man drove the pigs to graze in the lands of the White Div. With two strikes of his thousand-pound staff, the prince broke the lock on the gates of the estate and let the pigs graze in the White Div’s garden. Meanwhile, the young man lay down by the spring, quenched his thirst, and rested under a shady fruit tree.

In the meantime, the White Div himself came home for lunch. He saw the piglets frolicking in his garden, and his mind boiled with rage. He rushed to find the culprit and discovered him sleeping under the apple tree:
- Hey, swineherd, wake up! Get up! – The ground shook as the monster stomped its foot.
- Listen, could you be a bit more polite and not make so much noise? You’ve completely ruined my nap, – replied the prince. – And why are you so worked up? Did a piglet bite you?
- I haven’t eaten human flesh for seven years. Until today. Get up, – roared the White Div.
The prince jumped to his feet. In his hands, he gripped his steel staff:
- Stand your ground, let’s fight, – he said.

The White Div stepped back a few paces and drew his mace. Then the monster charged forward, swinging it left and right, up and down. A cloud of dust rose and engulfed the prince.
- Ha-ha-ha! – the White Div cheered. – Now it’ll take a long time to scrape this poor fellow off the ground. Too bad there won’t be any human flesh for lunch.
- That’s for sure, there won’t be. And stop boasting, – said the prince.
The dust settled – the young man stood opposite the White Div, unharmed.
- Now it’s my turn, – exclaimed the prince, swinging his staff.

He brought it down on the White Div’s neck with such force that the monster’s head instantly flew off its shoulders and rolled away. It’s probably still rolling to this day. The prince went to inspect the White Div’s domain. In the stable, he saw thirty armed knights clad in white armor, mounted on white horses. White cloaks hung from their shoulders.
- Who are you? – asked the prince.
- We are the White Div’s prisoners. Free us. In return, we will always come to your aid whenever you call.

The prince tied a sack to the saddle of the White Div’s warhorse, filled with white armor, a white cloak, and weapons. Then he plucked a hair from each horse’s mane and released the white knights. By evening, everything was back to normal: the swineherd was in his shack, and the pigs were in the pigsty.

The youngest princess ran into the swineherd’s hut and, in tears, said:
- Please, come with me to the palace!
- How many times do I have to tell you the same thing? I said: a swineherd is no match for a princess!
- Oh, my beloved, you are dearer to me than my father and mother. I would give my life for you. I love you as if you were my whole world.
- Go, go home. You’re giving me a headache.
The prince pushed the girl out the door, and she ran away in tears.

Soon she returned with a large tray laden with various dishes.
- Leave the tray with food, but go yourself, – said the prince.
- I’m not going anywhere. Kill me if you must, but I won’t go!
The prince thought words wouldn’t help, so he simply pushed the girl out the door.

When he returned from the pasture the next day, he saw that the entire city was in a panic again. The youngest princess, in tears, appeared on his doorstep once more. Seeing the prince, she threw herself at his feet:
- You saved my two sisters, save me from the divs! – the girl cried.
- What’s it to me? The divs are back, so what? They’re not here for me.
- Only you can save me!
- Why me? Why do you keep demanding things from me? You have brothers, let them protect you.
- Those princes are useless. But you have a thousand-pound steel staff. I know you can fight. My brothers can’t. Relying on them as protectors is like wasting time and then being bitterly disappointed.

The prince once again pushed the girl out the door. Soon, the princess appeared with a tray in her hands, overflowing with various delicacies.
- Listen, you have no more pride than a gypsy, – said the young man.
- Eat, eat. I’ll keep you company.
In the end, the prince relented and let the girl stay in his shack. The princess, swallowing her pride, ate with tears in her eyes.
- Why are you crying now?
- I’ve already told you! Tomorrow the divs will come for me. They came for my sisters before. And you don’t even think about saving me.
- Of course, I’ll save you, but this must remain a secret. Only you and I will know about it.

The princess returned to her palace. The queen, her mother, was surprised to see her daughter in such a joyful and cheerful mood.
- What is it? – she asked. – Tomorrow the devas will come for you, and yet you seem to be overjoyed.
- Mother, I’m no longer worried about that. I am saved! He promised to save me!
- He? Who is he? Who promised?
- The one who already saved my sisters!
- Who is it?
- You won’t tell anyone, will you?
- I won’t tell anyone.
- Our swineherd.
- What? What are you saying, my dear?
- God is my witness, mother. I’m telling the truth. It was our swineherd who saved them.
- I’ll go to the pigsty right now and talk to him.
- No, no! Don’t! If he finds out I told you, he’ll kill me. And probably you too. Let this remain a secret.

At dawn, the king led his army to battle the devas. As the troops faced each other, the king anxiously scanned the mountains: would the knights come to his aid this time as well? There was no time to wait—the battle was about to begin, and the devas had the upper hand.
Suddenly, a white knight appeared on the hilltop, followed by a detachment of thirty knights.
- Men, raise your heads and banners! Make way for these brave knights! – the king joyfully shouted.

Like a bolt of white lightning, the knights’ cavalry surged through the king’s army and charged at the enemy.
What a battle it was! Only one deva survived. The white knight, who commanded the detachment, cut off the monster’s ears and said:
- Tell all the devas to forget the way here forever!

The knights turned and galloped back the way they had come before the king could stop them. Only the commander of the detachment rode slowly, and the king managed to catch up to him.
Overjoyed, the king affectionately patted the white horse’s muzzle, then pulled the knight close, kissed his helmet, and then his forehead.
- My kingdom is yours! – the king exclaimed.
Then he noticed the knight’s wounded arm, blood flowing. The king took his handkerchief and bandaged the wound.
The prince spurred his horse and was gone. The king never recognized him.
After releasing the white knights and the White Deva’s horse, the young man gathered the pigs and herded them into the pen. Meanwhile, a grand celebration was underway in the city: orchestras played, and when darkness fell, the sky above the city lit up with colorful fireworks. People sang and danced in the streets and squares.

The youngest princess came to the prince’s hut with a tray filled with exquisite delicacies. They began to feast together, enjoying each other’s company, and joy filled their hearts. Meanwhile, the king told the queen about the brave knight who, along with his comrades, had defeated entire hordes of devas. He also told her how he had bandaged the knight’s wounded arm. The king regretted not learning the hero’s name.
The queen smiled and laughed.
- Why are you laughing?
- I’m laughing because your brave knight is our swineherd.
- It can’t be! Really?!
- Of course! Go to him tomorrow morning and ask.

The king immediately sent for the swineherd. When the young man was brought in, the king saw that the wound on his arm was bandaged with the king’s handkerchief.
- What is this? I don’t understand, – the king was bewildered.
- When the king’s son is made a swineherd, and the advisor’s son is elevated to become a prince, it angers the true prince. That’s why I acted as you saw. If you still doubt that I am the true prince, then call your son-in-law—the husband of your eldest daughter, who came to your country with me. See if he is wearing my regalia.

The king summoned his son-in-law, the husband of his eldest daughter. He looked and saw that the regalia indeed belonged not to him but to the swineherd. The king raised his hand:
- Executioner!
The executioners entered and bowed. The king removed the regalia from his son-in-law and handed them to the swineherd:
- My youngest daughter is also yours, – he said. – As far as I know, she is quite fond of you.
The wedding feast lasted seven days and seven nights. Five days after the wedding celebrations ended, the prince took his wife and rode with her to his own country. By then, his father had already passed away, so the prince ascended the throne as the new king, the heir to the previous king.
Their dreams came true, and may yours come true as well.

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