The Golden Bird

Once upon a time, a man had three sons: two were clever, and the third was a fool.

The eldest son, Stepan, could play the violin; the middle son, Filip, could play the flute; and the youngest, Ivan, was good for nothing: he just sat on the stove, whittling sticks.

In the man’s garden grew an apple tree with golden apples. The father admired the apples, and his sons were delighted with them. Every morning, they would go to the garden to check if the apples were still there.

One day, they checked and found that one apple was missing! The next morning, another apple was gone...

The father grew sad and thought, “It seems a thief has taken a liking to my garden.” He said to his eldest son:

“Go, my son, and guard the apples.”

That evening, Stepan placed a ladder against the apple tree, climbed up, and sat there playing his violin. He played all night, but as dawn approached, he grew so sleepy that he dozed off. Suddenly, through his sleep, he heard a loud rustling and flapping above him. He woke up, rubbed his eyes, and saw no one around, but one apple was missing...

He returned to his father, downcast.

“I didn’t catch the thief,” he said. “Another apple is gone...”

The next night, the middle son, Filip, said:

“I’ll go and guard the apples. There’s no way I’ll let the thief get away!”

He went, settled on the ladder, and played his flute. He played all night, but as dawn approached, he grew so sleepy that he dozed off. Suddenly, through his sleep, he heard a loud rustling and flapping. By the time he woke up, another apple was missing!

He was ashamed to return home, but what could he do? He hadn’t caught the thief.

On the third day, the youngest son, Ivan, said:

“You’re both terrible guards. I’ll go, and I’ll definitely catch the thief.”

Everyone just laughed at his words—after all, he was a fool!

Ivan gathered a bundle of sticks and went to guard the apples. He sat on the ladder, whittling sticks and humming songs to himself.

As dawn approached, Ivan heard a noise in the distance. He hid and peered around. Suddenly, he saw a large golden bird flying toward the apple tree. It swooped down to grab an apple, but Ivan quickly grabbed its long tail.

The bird struggled free and flew away without the apple. Ivan looked and saw that he was holding three golden feathers.

He ran back home and woke everyone up:

“Look,” he said, “I caught the thief and pulled three golden feathers from its tail.” His brothers looked and blushed with shame, for it was the fool who had won the glory. Envy consumed them.

“Fine,” said the eldest brother, “I’ll go out into the world to find the golden bird.”

He took one feather as a clue, packed some food and money for the journey, and set off.

Half a year passed, and there was no sign of Stepan or the bird. Then the middle brother said to his father:

“Perhaps I should go and search for the golden bird. I’ll find my brother along the way.”

He packed some provisions and set off.

A whole year passed, but there was no news of either brother or the bird.

The father grieved, while Ivan sat on the stove, whittling sticks and muttering to himself:

“It seems I’ll have to go on this journey myself.”

The father thought, “Well, my clever sons are lost—let this foolish one go too.” And he didn’t stop him.

Ivan took nothing with him: no money, no bread. He only took the third feather, a walking stick, and the knife he used to whittle sticks. And he set off on foot to find the golden bird.

He walked and walked, and as evening fell, he heard a wolf’s howl nearby. He followed the sound and found an old she-wolf trapped in a deep pit.

“Why are you howling?” Ivan asked the wolf.

“I’m in trouble,” replied the wolf. “I was out hunting for food and fell into this pit... Help me, kind man, and I’ll repay you however you wish.”

Ivan said:

“You’re an old wolf, you’ve been everywhere. Can you tell me where the golden bird lives? If you do, I’ll help you out of the pit.”

“I’ll tell you, and I’ll even take you there,” promised the wolf.

“You won’t deceive me?”

“No.”

“Well, we’ll see!”

Ivan brought two forked sticks and lowered them into the pit. The wolf climbed out and said to Ivan:

“Thank you for saving me. Now, climb onto my back, and I’ll take you there faster than you could walk.”

Ivan climbed onto the wolf, and she raced across fields, forests, and swamps. Ivan held on tight to her ears to keep from falling.

The wolf brought him to the sea. She stopped and said to Ivan:

“Wait here a while. I’ll go find a goose for you to eat. You’ll need your strength for the task ahead.”

Ivan sat on the shore, watching the waves. They roared and swayed. It was fascinating! He watched and watched until he fell asleep. He didn’t know how long he slept, but soon the wolf returned with a goose. She woke him, they lit a fire, roasted the goose, and Ivan ate his fill.

“Good,” said the wolf. “Now climb onto my back again. We’ll cross the sea.”

They swam across the sea, and Ivan saw a golden palace on the shore.

The wolf said:

“Go into this palace. But be very quiet and careful. It’s an enchanted palace: everyone inside is asleep. If you accidentally touch anything, they’ll wake up, and you’ll never escape alive. When you enter the gates, you’ll see two dogs chained to pillars. Don’t wake them, or their barking will rouse the whole palace. Pass through the gates and enter the first room. There, you’ll see a ringing sword, golden and studded with jewels. Don’t touch it, or it will ring and wake everyone. Go into the second room, where you’ll find singing clocks. Don’t touch them either. Go straight into the third room: there, you’ll see a golden cage with the golden bird inside. Carefully take the bird and return to me.”

Ivan entered the enchanted palace. He passed the gates with the dogs, went through the first room, and then the second. He saw countless craftsmen—carpenters, blacksmiths, masons—and guards with sabers and guns. Everyone was asleep, frozen in their tasks. Ivan looked at them and moved on to the third room.

There, in front of him, hung a golden cage, and inside it sat a golden bird. As soon as Ivan saw the thieving bird, he forgot all caution. He grabbed the cage and tore it from the wall. And suddenly, such a ringing began!.. Ivan got scared and stepped back. In another room, he accidentally bumped into a golden clock. And those clocks began to chime and tick in all sorts of ways. Ivan ran further. He rushed into the first room, grabbed a sword—it was so beautiful!—and as soon as the sword rang out... everything in the enchanted castle woke up. Everyone rushed after Ivan in pursuit. But Ivan wasn’t idle either—he flew like an arrow past the dogs and dashed out of the palace.

The she-wolf saw trouble: Ivan was sprinting at full speed, with a whole chase behind him. The she-wolf ran up to him.

"Get on," she said, "quickly, on my back!" Ivan climbed on, and the she-wolf plunged into the sea and swam. Ivan crossed the sea and asked the she-wolf:

"Tell me, where are my brothers? I can’t return home without them."

"Ah," sighed the she-wolf, "you’d better not look for your brothers, or they’ll be the death of you."

"It’s alright, they won’t kill me," said Ivan.

"Well, if you’re so brave, then go to the royal court—your brothers are sitting in the dungeon there. But beware of them. Don’t expect any good from them."

Ivan bid farewell to the she-wolf, thanked her, and headed to the royal court.

He came to the king and greeted him.

"What do you want?" asked the king.

"Release my brothers," said Ivan. "Why are you keeping them in the dungeon?"

The king replied:

"I won’t release them. Your brothers tried to steal my best horses."

Ivan pleaded this way and that, but the king wouldn’t agree.

"Then I’ll ransom them."

"What ransom will you give?" Ivan pulled out the Golden Sword from under his coat:

"Here’s your ransom."

The king looked at the sword—he liked it: he didn’t have one like it!

"Alright," agreed the king, "take your brothers. But don’t let them into my kingdom again."

Ivan took his brothers, told them how he had obtained the golden bird, and they all set off home together.

They came to a dense forest, and the brothers killed Ivan, took the golden bird, and ran back to their father and mother.

Much time passed, but it so happened that the she-wolf wandered into that forest. She sensed: a human was nearby. She ran in that direction and saw the slain Ivan.

"See," lamented the she-wolf, "this is what happens when you don’t listen to me! I warned you, I taught you—beware of your evil brothers!"

The she-wolf ran to a high mountain, fetched a flask of living water, returned, and revived Ivan. He got up and stretched.

"Oh, how long I’ve been sleeping!"

"You’d have slept here forever if not for me," said the she-wolf.

"And where are my brothers?" asked Ivan.

"At home. Hurry back home too. Your father is so overjoyed that your brothers have returned with the golden bird that he’s already preparing a feast. Lords and kings are even coming to marvel at it. But your father won’t recognize you now, for the living water has changed you. When you get home, ask to be the cook’s helper. And when the food is cooked, add a drop of living water to it."

The she-wolf instructed Ivan on what to do and ran off.

Ivan returned home. Indeed, guests were already gathering. The cook was overwhelmed—there were so many dishes to prepare for the guests. Ivan approached the cook:

"Let me help you."

"Alright," agreed the cook, "help me, I can’t manage alone."

Ivan began to help. Then he said to the cook:

"You’re old, uncle, I see you’re tired. Rest, and I’ll finish everything myself!"

The cook saw that his helper was doing well and lay down to rest.

Ivan prepared the meal, added a drop of living water to each dish, and woke the cook. The cook carried the food to the tables.

And the guests at the feast ate and praised the dishes—everything was so delicious!

After the meal, the master called the cook, gave him a gift, and thanked him for the tasty dishes. But the cook said:

"There was a lad here helping me, and he’s the one who cooked these delicious dishes. I can’t cook like that myself."

The master said:

"Then call him here. I must reward him too."

They called Ivan. The master asked:

"Where did you learn to cook such delicious food?"

"Trouble teaches everything," replied Ivan.

"And what trouble have you had, lad?"

So Ivan told him how he had obtained the golden bird, how he had ransomed his brothers from the king, and how they had killed him, and how the kind she-wolf had revived him...

The brothers stood there, silent and pale as sheets, and the father asked:

"So you’re my youngest son, Ivan?"

"Yes," said Ivan. "I got the bird and kept my word, but they—my wise brothers—are thieves!"

The father drove his elder sons from the house, and now he lives with Ivan.

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The Golden Bird

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