Vishap, the Son of King Chinmachin

Long, long ago, there lived a king. This king had three sons: one was smart, another even smarter, and the third was the smartest of all. One day, the king said to his sons:

"It's time for you to get married." The youngest son replied on behalf of all:
"Very well, but do your best, father, to find all three brides from the same household."
"Alright," said the king, "we'll have to look. Many parents have three daughters, but I must choose the most worthy ones for you."
"That's your task, father," answered the youngest son, "choose as you see fit!"

The king summoned his vizier.

"May you live many long years, my king," said the vizier. "What is your command?"
"I have decided to marry off my sons," said the king. "We need to find three brides from the same household. Prepare yourself, and let us go and find three maidens to betroth to my sons."
"May you live many long years, my king. Let us go and search."

They mounted their horses and set off on their journey. No matter how much they searched or which households they visited, they could not find maidens to their liking.

The king said:

"Listen, vizier, we have traveled through many cities. Let us go to Baghdad and search there. If we don't find them there, we will return home."

They rode to Baghdad, wandered, searched, and circled the city, but again they found no brides for the king's sons.

"Vizier," said the king, "since we are here, let us pay our respects to the king of Baghdad and then begin our journey home."

They went to visit the king of Baghdad. He hosted a feast for them, and at this feast, three maidens served the guests. The king of Baghdad asked the travelers:

"What brings you to our lands—business or pleasure?"

The king replied:

"I have decided to marry my sons to three maidens from the same household. Who are these beauties who served us?"
"They are my daughters."
"What luck!" said the king. "I like them all. Marry them to my sons."
"Consider them my gift to you," replied the ruler of Baghdad.
"Thank you," bowed the visiting king. "Call your daughters. I will place a golden ring on each of their fingers."

The three maidens entered: the eldest was beautiful, the middle one even more beautiful, and the youngest was the most beautiful of all. Their father, the ruler of Baghdad, congratulated them on their betrothal and hosted another magnificent feast.

The next morning, the visiting king thanked the host and said:

"Now I will return home, and in a month, I will come back with my sons, and we will celebrate the wedding."

The king returned to his country. All three sons rode out to meet him.

"Light to your eyes," said the king. "I have betrothed all three of you to the daughters of the ruler of Baghdad. I asked for a month's time to prepare for the wedding."

The king ordered three luxurious dresses for the maidens and three outfits for the young men. A month later, everything was ready.

"Vizier," said the king, "let us take my sons, five hundred horsemen, and go to Baghdad to bring back my daughters-in-law and celebrate the wedding." The youngest son objected:
"If we all leave, who will remain in our palace? Enemies may attack in our absence. You go, and I will stay home. You can bring my bride back with you."
"You speak wisely," agreed the king. The youngest son bid farewell to his father and brothers, saying:
"When you return from Baghdad and reach the spring beneath the red hill, do not dismount, do not drink the water there, and do not set up camp. Danger awaits you there."
"Very well," they promised, "we will remember."

Early in the morning, everyone except the youngest son set off on their journey. With music, drums, and zurnas, they entered the city of Baghdad, arrived at the royal court, and dismounted.

The ruler of Baghdad received them with honor and hospitality. The maidens were brought out and dressed in their new gowns. The two elder sons approached their brides, took their hands, and went with them to the garden, while the youngest sister remained alone and burst into tears. The ruler of Baghdad grew angry and said to the king:

"If you have only two sons, why did you betroth three maidens?"
"I swear by my head and yours that I have three sons," replied the king. "The third remained at the palace to ensure enemies do not catch us off guard. I will take your youngest daughter with me, and we will celebrate her wedding to my son in our land."

The elder sons were married, and a grand feast was held. The next morning, they prepared to return home. The ruler of Baghdad said to the king:

"Let your entourage go ahead, and you stay with me a while longer. We will have a cup of coffee, and you can catch up with them later."

The king agreed. Meanwhile, the royal entourage and the sons with their young wives reached the red hill. The vizier said:

"Our king is running late. Let us set up tents and wait for him here."

They set up tents and began preparing food. Finally, the king arrived and said:

"Pack up immediately, and let us leave this place." But the vizier objected:
"It's already dark; where will we go now? Let's wait until dawn, and then we'll set off."
"Vizier," said the king, "did you not hear my youngest son warn us that this is a dangerous place?"
"What are you afraid of?" laughed the vizier. "We have five hundred horsemen, an entire army. Should we still be afraid?"
"Indeed," said the king, "perhaps you are right. We will stay."

When dawn broke and the king awoke in his tent, he saw that their camp was surrounded by a massive dragon.

"Let us pass!" shouted all five hundred horsemen at once.

But the dragon laughed so loudly it was as if thunder had struck.

"Ha, ha, ha! If I so desire, I can flick my tail and wipe you all out."

The king himself pleaded with the dragon:

"Let us pass; we must hurry back to the palace."
"I will let you pass," said the dragon, "but only if you promise to give me your youngest son."
"There's no other way," said the king. "We must escape. I promise."
"Go ahead," said the dragon. "But I will keep the youngest son's bride as collateral. I will release her when the prince arrives."

Messengers raced to the palace. They said to the youngest prince:
— Light to your eyes. The king is returning!

The youngest son took a hundred horsemen and rode out to meet the king. When the king saw his son, he wept bitterly.

— Long life and health to you, my king, — said the son. — Why do you weep on such a joyful day?
— I weep, — said the king, — because I did not heed your advice. I made camp by the red hill, and at night a fearsome vishap surrounded us. He sought to destroy us and would not let us go until I promised him you, my son. He has taken your bride as a hostage. Now you know why I weep.
— You weep in vain, — said the youngest prince. — If I die, then you may weep, but for now, not all is lost. I will prepare for the journey.
— Do not go, — the king pleaded. — Do not leave, stay. What is destined to happen cannot be avoided...
— No, no, — replied the son. — It would be a disgrace before the ruler of Baghdad if we left his daughter to be devoured by the vishap. Farewell to all!

With these words, the youngest prince mounted his horse and set off on his journey. He reached the vishap, who said:

— Welcome. I have kept your bride unharmed. If you serve me faithfully, I will return your bride to you, and you may take her away and marry her.
— Command me, I am at your service, — replied the prince.
— Sit on my head, — said the vishap. — Hold tightly to my ears and do not let go. And fear nothing. We will fly into the sky.

The vishap lifted the prince above the seventh heaven and said:

— Look to the right. The prince looked.
— What do you see there?
— I see a city.
— That is the capital of King Chinmachin, — said the vishap. — Do you see the palace?
— I see it.
— And the great plane tree in front of the palace?
— I see it.
— Now look closely and tell me: do you see a girl in the branches? Look carefully.

At first, the prince could see nothing, but then he looked closer and saw a girl.

— I see her, I see her, — he said. — She is dressed in a red dress and is sitting near the very top.

The vishap lowered the young man to the ground and said:

— Go and bring me that girl. Then I will return your bride to you.

The vishap gave him a tablecloth.

— Take this, — he said, — for your journey. When you are hungry, unfold the tablecloth, and you will find everything you desire within it.

The prince took the tablecloth and set off. Whether he walked for a long time or a short time, only he knows, but eventually, he reached a dense forest. From the forest, two enormous devs leaped onto the road and blocked his path.

— Stop, — they said, — we are very hungry, and we shall feast on you!
— Do not touch me, — said the young man. — I will feed you. What would you like to eat?
— Seven buffaloes would suffice, — said the devs. The prince spread out the tablecloth and said:
— Tablecloth, give me seven buffaloes!

And immediately, exactly seven buffaloes appeared on the grass from the tablecloth. The devs pounced on them, devoured everything, gnawed all the bones, and then asked the young man:

— Where are you headed?
— I am going, — he said, — to the capital of Chinmachin.
— Well then, — said the devs, — you have fed us, and we shall repay you with kindness.

One dev placed him on his back and in an instant carried him to the borders of their dev kingdom.

— Here, — he said, — take this hair as a parting gift. If you find yourself in trouble, burn it.

The prince thanked the dev and continued on his way. As he walked, he saw an immense army approaching him. It was the cavalry of ants returning from their war against the monkeys. The ants surrounded the prince and led him to their king. The king looked at him and said:

— I have no need of him. Take him and eat him. He will suffice for you.
— Long life and health to you, king, — said the prince. — Allow me to feed your subjects something delicious, and let them not harm me.
— I permit it, — said the king.
— What do you like to eat? — asked the young man of the cavalry ants.
— Wheat, barley, and millet.
— And how much do you need?
— A hundred sacks would satisfy us fully.

The prince spread out the tablecloth, and immediately a hundred sacks of grain appeared on it. The ants ate their fill. The ant king took out a thread and handed it to the prince, saying:

— You have fed my subjects to their satisfaction. I shall repay you with kindness. If you find yourself in trouble, wrap this thread around your finger, and we will come to your aid.

The prince continued on his way. He walked and walked until he saw another army approaching. It was endless, with no beginning or end in sight. As he drew closer, he saw that it was the monkeys who had fought against the cavalry ants. The monkeys surrounded him and led him to their king.

— Long life and health to you, king, — he addressed the king. — Command your subjects to release me, and I will feed them to their satisfaction. What would you like to eat? — he asked the monkeys.
— We eat almonds, bananas, and walnuts.
— And how much do you need?
— We would eat sixty sacks.

The young man spread out the tablecloth and asked it for sixty sacks of walnuts, bananas, and almonds. The monkeys ate their fill, and the monkey king handed the young man two rings, saying:

— You have fed my subjects to their satisfaction. I shall repay you with kindness. Wear one ring on your right hand and one on your left. Dip one hand into water, and the water will freeze. Dip the other, and the ice will melt.

The young man continued on his journey. At last, he reached the city of Chinmachin. The city was surrounded by a deep moat, and there was no bridge across it. He dipped his left hand into the water, and the water froze. He crossed the moat. Then he touched the ice with the ring on his right hand, and the ice melted. In the city, the prince met an old woman. He asked her about the king of the city and how the people of Chinmachin lived.

— Life is not bad, — replied the old woman. — But there is one trouble: the king’s son has disappeared. And there is another trouble: to anyone who seeks to marry the king’s daughter, he offers a trial, and if they fail, the king cuts off their head.

— Well, — said the young man, — now it is my turn. I will go to seek the king’s daughter in marriage.
— Do not go, my son, — said the old woman. — You will lose your head, and I pity you.
— No, I will go, — said the prince. — If you allow me, I will spend the night with you, and in the morning, wake me early and take me to the palace.

In the morning, he went to the palace, approached the guards, and said:
— Let me in, I have business with your king. The servants went and reported to the king.
— So and so,— they said.— Some young man has come, he wants to speak with you.
— Bring him in!— ordered the king.

The young man entered the royal chambers. He bowed seven times, and on the eighth, he placed his hand over his heart.

— What do you have to say?— asked the king.
— I’ve come to ask for your daughter’s hand,— replied the prince.
— Leave by the same road you came,— said the king.— I pity you. If you fail my trials, I’ll have your head cut off.
— I agree,— said the young man.

Then the King of Chinmachin summoned his viziers and said:

— Place silver trays under this plane tree, and on a golden tray, place a glass of water. If the young man climbs the tree without spilling a single drop, I’ll give him my daughter. If he spills even a drop, I’ll have his head cut off.

The young man approached the tree, dipped a ring into the water, and climbed the plane tree. He reached the very top and sat on a branch. Then he began to descend, using a second ring to carefully collect the water on the way down.

— Well,— said the king,— you’ve been lucky today. Come back tomorrow.

The prince went to spend the night with an old woman, and she pitied him:— May my eyes go blind so I don’t have to see what they’re doing to you. Lie down and rest.

The next morning, the prince returned to the palace. The king made him stand at the gates all day, and by evening, he ordered two thirty-pood cauldrons to be filled with oil and told the prince to eat them by morning. The young man ate a tiny piece of oil and was already full.
“Ah,” he thought, “they’ll cut off my head tomorrow.”
Suddenly, he remembered the devs. He held a hair to the fire—and the devs immediately entered his room.

— What’s wrong?— they asked.
— Do you see the cauldrons of oil? I called you to feast on them.

The devs said:

— We haven’t tasted oil in forty years.

They dipped their snouts into the cauldrons and ate everything, even licking the walls clean. At dawn, the king rose and called his viziers:

— Bring the young man, we’ll cut off his head. Not even a thousand men could eat that much oil.

The viziers entered the prince’s room, but he was asleep. They woke him and brought him to the king.

— Well, what do you have to say?— asked the king.
— I ate all the oil,— replied the prince.

The king sent servants to check—they searched everywhere but found nothing. They returned to the king and said:

— He truly ate it all.

Then the maids informed the princess that a young man was courting her and had already passed two trials.

— Well,— said the king,— it’s not over yet. Go rest now, and come back to the palace this evening.

The prince went to the old woman, rested with her, and in the evening returned to the King of Chinmachin. The king called his viziers and said:

— Measure out ten measures of barley, ten measures of millet, and the same amount of wheat. Mix it all and order the young man to sort it by morning.

The young man began sorting the grain and realized he couldn’t even handle a handful by morning. Suddenly, he remembered the ants. He wound a thread around his finger—and instantly, his room filled with ants. The young man said to them:

— I ask you to separate the millet, wheat, and barley into three piles, each by type. Just don’t eat it yet; I’ll feed you afterward.

The ants gathered, and there were so many that if lined up, the last one would reach the peak of Masis. They sorted all the grain, and then the prince spread a cloth before them and fed them to their fill. At dawn, the king woke up and summoned his viziers.

— Bring the young man,— he said,— I’ll cut off his head. The prince came, and the King of Chinmachin ordered his head to be cut off.
— Why?— said the young man.— I did everything as required. They went to check and measured all the grain. They saw the task was truly completed. The king said:
— Go, and come back the next morning.

The maids reported all this to the princess.
— I wonder where this young man is staying?— asked the princess.

They told her:

— With an old woman.

The princess gave a handful of gold to her maid and said:

— Not a single extra word must leave your lips. Tell the old woman to dress the young man in women’s clothing and bring him to me this evening.

In the evening, the old woman dressed the young man in women’s clothes and brought him to the palace. The guard didn’t want to open the gates.

The old woman said:

— I’ve brought my daughter to be taught by the princess.
— Alright, if that’s the case, go ahead.

The old woman led the young man to the princess, bowed, and said:

— Teach my daughter what you can, but she cannot stay here overnight.

The princess dismissed her maids, and when they were alone, she turned to the prince:

— You’ve passed all the trials well, but tomorrow you’ll face new ones. Listen carefully and remember. Tomorrow my father will bring forty girls dressed in black, seated on black horses, with black veils over their heads. He’ll line them up and ask you which one is his daughter. Count nineteen from the start, and the twentieth will be me. Don’t get confused.

At dawn, the prince came to the king. The king called his viziers and said:

— Go and bring forty girls. Dress them in black, seat them on forty black horses, and place black veils over their heads.— Then he said to the prince:— Now, which one is my daughter?

The prince counted to nineteen, approached the twentieth girl, took the horse by the reins, and said:— Here is your daughter.
— Very well, it’s true, — says the king. — Go home, come back in the morning.

The prince left, but immediately returned, dressed in women’s attire. The princess sent the servants away again and instructed him:

— Listen, young man. Tomorrow we will mount red horses, dress in red robes, and cover our heads with red veils. I will stand last. Approach my horse and take it by the bridle.

In the morning, the prince went to the palace again. The king ordered his viziers:

— Bring forty maidens, seat them on red horses, and line them up in a row.

The king of Chinmachin asked the prince:

— Which one here is my daughter?

The prince approached the last horse and took it by the bridle.

— Your daughter is on this horse, — he said.
— You’ve been lucky today, — said the king. — Go home, come back tomorrow morning.

Again, the young man came to the princess in women’s attire. The princess told him:

— Tomorrow we will mount white horses, dress in white robes, and cover our heads with white veils. I will stand first. Approach, take my horse by the bridle, and lead it to the king.

Early in the morning, the young man went to the palace. The king came out and ordered:

— Go, bring forty maidens, dress them in white attire, seat them on white horses, cover their heads with white veils, and line them up in a row.

The king asked the young man:

— Which one is my daughter? Find her and bring her to me.

The young man approached the first rider, took the white horse by the bridle, led it to the king, and said:

— Long life to you, king. For six days now, you have been tormenting me. Here is your daughter. Will you finally give her to me?

The king ordered all the riders to dismount and invited everyone into the royal chambers.

— Who are you? — he asked the young man. — Until now, no one has been able to pass my trials. The young man bowed and replied:

— I am a king’s son, and I have come here to woo your daughter. As for passing all your trials, I was simply lucky.

The king of Chinmachin said to him:

— I did not want to give her away in marriage. My son is lost. How can I part with my only daughter? Marry her and stay here.
— No, — replied the young man. — Prepare us for the journey, and we will have the wedding at my father’s place.
— There’s nothing to be done, — replied the king.

At their parting, the king of Chinmachin said to him:

— Listen, young man, to what I tell you. My twenty-five-year-old son is lost. You are so wise. Perhaps you will find my son. If you return my son to me, I will give you half of my kingdom. And now, may you have a safe journey.

The young man and the princess traveled to the land of the monkeys. The monkeys took him to their king. The monkey king said: Welcome. Feed us, and then we will guide you.

The young man spread out a tablecloth and fed the monkeys to their fill. Then they guided him along a short path to the land of the horse ants.

— Welcome, — said the ant king. — Feed us, and then we will guide you.

The young man spread out the tablecloth before the ants and fed them to their fill. The ants then guided him along a short path to the land of the devs. The devs approached the young man and said:

— Feed us, and may you have a good journey.

The devs ate their fill and quickly carried the young man and the princess to the house of the vishap.

The vishap asked him: — Why did you take so long?
— It wasn’t easy to pass all the trials, — replied the prince.
— Leave this girl with me, — said the vishap. — And go to the garden for your bride. — The vishap said to the girl: — Quickly wrap your hair around my neck.

The girl was frightened and shied away from him, but he pleaded with her so gently, begging her. She wrapped her hair around his neck. And in that very moment, the vishap cried out, his skin split, and he transformed into a handsome twenty-five-year-old youth. The daughter of the king of Chinmachin saw that this was her brother.

At that moment, the prince returned from the garden with his bride. Seeing the unfamiliar youth, he immediately drew his saber, but the prince of Chinmachin said to him:

— Wait, don’t kill me, listen first. This princess is my sister. Only she could break the spell. I sent many for her, and you alone were able to bring her.

And such joy filled them, as if the whole world had been given to them. All four mounted their horses, rode to the royal palace, and celebrated the wedding of the prince and his bride.

After some time, the prince said:

— I must take the son and daughter of the king of Chinmachin back to their father.

And ahead raced the messengers.

— Light to your eyes! — they said to the king of Chinmachin. Your son and daughter have returned.

The king of Chinmachin summoned all his courtiers, all his servants, and the entire people, and held an unprecedented feast.

From the sky fell three apples: one for the one who told the tale, one for the one who listened, and one for the one who took it to heart.

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Vishap, the Son of King Chinmachin

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