The Youth with a Star on His Forehead

Long ago, in ancient times, there lived a man who was kind and hardworking. He had everything—a house full of all sorts of goods, horses, sheep, and cattle. The only thing he lacked was children, and this grieved him deeply. Every day, travelers from distant lands would stop by his home. The hospitable host would greet them warmly, invite them inside, and his wife would bustle by the hearth, preparing a meal.

Then came a day when no one visited the welcoming home until evening. The host stepped outside to see if any traveler was approaching, hoping to invite them in. He waited and waited, but as night fell, no travelers appeared. He grew melancholy. Just as he was about to return home, he noticed an old man with a white beard reaching down to his waist walking down the dark street. The old man approached and said:

- Good evening, my son!

- Welcome, old man! Why are you out so late? Would you like to come to my house and spend the night?

- Thank you.

The old man was pleased and followed the kind man inside. The hostess was delighted to have a guest and rolled up her sleeves to prepare a hearty supper. After the meal, the old man began asking the couple how they lived and if they had everything they needed.

- We live well enough, - the hostess replied, - our home is full of abundance! The only thing missing is a child, someone to cradle and sing lullabies to.

- Do not grieve, - said the old man, - you will have a child. But now it is time to sleep—it is already past midnight.

In the morning, the white-bearded old man rose early and prepared to leave. The host walked him to the edge of the village. Before parting, the old man rummaged in his pocket, pulled out a rosy apple, and handed it to the hospitable host.

- Take this apple! When you return home, cut it in half. Eat one half with your wife. In nine months, she will give birth to a wondrous boy. He will bear a mark—a star on his forehead. When he grows up, he will become a hero like no other the world has ever seen. - Then the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a folding saber. - Here is a saber, - he said. - Keep it safe. When your son turns twenty, give him the saber and tell him that if he is ever in need, the saber will leap from its scabbard on its own. But if someone other than your son draws it, the youth with the star on his forehead will perish that very instant... Cut the other half of the apple into twelve slices. You have twelve unbroken mares. Give each mare a slice. One of them will bear you a foal with a horn on its forehead. Guard it as the apple of your eye—your son will ride it. Now, farewell, and be well!

The hospitable host returned home and followed the old man's instructions to the letter. In time, a boy with a star on his forehead and a foal with a horn on its forehead were born.

The boy grew and matured, and when he turned twenty, he began hunting in the mountains, bringing home deer and chamois, and once even a fierce bear.

One day, word spread through the village that a fearsome youth had appeared in the city—a man of Herculean strength, capable of breaking two horseshoes with his bare hands. The bold son told his father he wished to go to the city and see this strongman for himself.

- Go, my son, but first choose a horse from the stable.

The young man went to the stable, grabbed one horse by the tail, spun it above his head, and flung it out the gate. He did the same with a second, third, fourth, and fifth horse—until he had tried them all.

- Don’t we have a better horse? - the youth asked the stable hands.

- We do, of course! But it has a horn on its forehead. It’s a spirited beast—it kicks and bites. No one can tame it; it’s no good for riding.

The youth approached the unicorn horse, grabbed it by the tail, and tried to lift it, but the horse didn’t budge—it stood as if rooted to the ground.

- Now this is the horse for me! - said the youth.

He mounted the horse and rode to his parents to bid them farewell.

When the father saw that his son had chosen the unicorn horse, he rejoiced greatly and went to fetch the saber. He brought it out, handed it to his son, and relayed the white-bearded old man’s instructions.

The youth kissed his parents’ hands and set off on his journey. He rode and rode until he reached the city where the famous strongman lived—the one who could break horseshoes. The youth found him in a blacksmith’s shop and said:

- Let’s test our strength against each other.

- Very well, - agreed the strongman.

The strongman took two new horseshoes in his hands and broke them as easily as a loaf of bread.

Then the youth dismounted and took three horseshoes. He stacked them one on top of the other and crushed them as if it were child’s play.

The famous strongman bowed at his feet.

- I admit, you are stronger than I! - he said.

The youth with the star on his forehead mounted his unicorn horse and set off to find other heroes to test his strength against. He traveled far and wide, asking everyone he met where famous youths lived. He was told that somewhere far away, on a mountain, lived a hero whom no one could defeat. The rider headed in that direction. When he reached the mountain, he saw a white house behind a fence. The unicorn horse leaped over the fence. Immediately, a man ran out of the house, jumped onto a black horse, and charged at the newcomer.
- "What are you looking for in my house?" he shouts.

The youth with a star on his forehead drew his saber from its sheath and slashed through the air—a whistle echoed through the air. His opponent suddenly retreated—he saw the saber, saw the horn on the horse's forehead, and couldn't take his eyes off them. He leapt off his black horse and fell to his knees before the youth.

- "I acknowledge you, stranger, as a youth without equal! From now until eternity, I am ready to serve you faithfully and truly."

The youth with the star on his forehead sheathed his saber, dismounted, and entered the white house. The maids bustled about, preparing a lavish feast. The host and the guest sat down at the table. They ate, drank, made merry, and finally became sworn brothers. The host began to tell the guest about the wonders he could perform.

- "I," he said, "can transform into a bear, a goat, or a donkey; I can walk on my hands with my head down and use my feet like hands."

- "These are all tricks—nothing more! What else can you do?"

- "If I press my ear to the ground, I can hear what people are saying all over the world."

- "Now that's good!" said the youth with the star on his forehead. "And now, farewell, brother!"

- "Farewell, brother! May your hour be a good one! But when will we see each other again, and how will I know if you are alive or if something has happened to you?"

- "I will tell you this," replied the guest. "Take this flower. It grew in my mother's garden: she planted it on the day I was born. A stem grew from the seed, and two flowers appeared on it. They bloomed and have not withered to this day. They will wither when I die. Take one, and I will keep the other. Look at yours every day. As long as it blooms—know that I am alive; if it withers—it means I am no longer among the living."

Having said these words, the youth with the star on his forehead leapt onto his unicorn horse, spurred it, and flew out of the yard like a falcon. He raced for a long time across green meadows and forests, crossing nine rivers. At every crossroads, he asked passersby if they had encountered a hero stronger than all others. He wanted to test his strength against such a hero. But no one could point him to such a warrior.

And so the youth with the star on his forehead arrived at a deep lake. In the middle of the lake stood a hut. The youth urged his horse forward—he wanted to give it water, but suddenly a man with a huge belly burst out of the hut and shouted:

- "Hey, don't drink my water! I'm dying of thirst—I ate too much salted fish. I've been waiting for a whole week for the rivers to fill the lake and quench my thirst."

Then the big-bellied man bent over the water and drank the entire lake in one gulp.

The youth with the star on his forehead was amazed. He dismounted from his unicorn horse and struck up a friendly conversation with the water-drinking big-bellied man. They chatted amiably and became sworn brothers. At parting, the youth with the star on his forehead gave the big-bellied man his other flower and explained its significance; then he shook his brother's hand and rode off.

After some time, the unicorn horse descended into a deep valley. In the valley stood a tall tower covered with golden tiles.

"Surely, some great man lives here," thought the youth with the star on his forehead, and he knocked on the locked gates. He knocked once, twice, thrice, then peered over the fence. He saw a young woman, a written beauty, dressed in silk and gold, with precious stones sparkling on her fingers, descending the stone stairs. She approached the gates, unlocked them, and as soon as she raised her eyes to the dashing young man, she burst into tears.

- "Why are you crying, beauty?" asked the guest.

- "How can I not cry, unknown youth? I have become the wife of a robber. Yet I am a king's daughter. A year has passed since I was betrothed to a fine young man, a handsome man no less than you, but on the very day of the wedding, robbers attacked my father's palace and took me from my groom. They brought me here. And now I spend my days in tears. My life is black. But it is not so much for myself that I grieve, as for you—for you too will perish in your youth. The robber can destroy a thousand like you."

- "Do not fear, beauty," said the youth with the star on his forehead. "I will defeat him and send him to the next world."

The robber was out hunting at the time. From afar, he saw a rider talking to his captive. He flared up like ignited gunpowder—sparks flew from his eyes—and he spurred his horse toward the tower. But before he could reach it, the youth with the star on his forehead drew his saber from its sheath and cut the robber's horse in half. The robber tumbled to the ground. The youth swung his saber once more and struck—killing the robber outright. The beauty stood in the hallway with a knife in her hand: she had decided to take her own life if the robber overcame the youth. But now she saw that the robber was dead, and she ran to open the gates for the victor. Bursting into tears, she threw herself into his arms. The youth with the star on his forehead rode into the courtyard, led his unicorn horse to the stable, and entered the tower, where he remained to live, marrying the beautiful king's daughter.

After some time, the king, the beauty's father, learned that the robber was no longer alive. He sent word to his daughter, telling her to return home—he wanted to marry her off to a prince. But the beauty refused to return and said to the messengers:

- "Tell my father that I am already married and have no need for any prince."

The king was a wicked man. He began searching for someone to kill the youth with the star on his forehead, but no one could be found. Then a witch, cunning as a fox, came to the palace and said:

- "King and sovereign, I will destroy this youth and bring your daughter back to you. How richly will you reward me?"

- "I will give you a sack of gold coins," replied the king.

The witch disguised herself as a beggar and went to the tower where the youth with the star on his forehead lived. He was out hunting at the time. The witch knocked on the gates, and the beauty approached. The witch said to her:

- "Dear child, have pity on me! There is not a crumb of bread in my house. Give me alms!"
The beauty was compassionate. She carried a whole basket of bread, roasted meat, and fruits outside the gates, handed it to the witch, and said:

"If you're ever in need, grandmother, come again. I'm always sitting at home alone. Come, we'll chat, and I'll give you something else."

The next day, the witch waited for the hour when the young man with the star on his forehead went hunting and hobbled back again. Today she came, tomorrow she came—and so she befriended the princess. The cunning fox began to question the beauty about how she lived with her husband.

"We live in harmony," replied the beauty. "My husband hides nothing from me."

"Don't trust your husband too much," said the witch. "It can't be that he doesn't hide something from you. For example, ask him what the secret of his life is—he'll never tell you."

"He will!"

"Try it! You'll see he won't."

The witch left. In the evening, the beauty set the table and sat at the edge, hanging her head.

"Why so gloomy?" asked the young man.

"Tell me, are you hiding something from me?"

"You know I'm not."

"Then why haven't you told me the secret of your life?"

"If I tell you, there will be trouble."

"Please, tell me!" begged the wife, tears streaming down her face.

The young man grew alarmed and embraced his wife.

"Don't cry," he said. "I'll tell you. The secret of my life lies in the saber that hangs on my belt. As long as I draw the saber myself, nothing bad happens to me. But if someone else unsheathes it—I'll die that very moment. That is the secret of my life. But don't tell anyone, or it will be my doom."

The very next day, the witch learned the secret—the beauty couldn't keep it. In the evening, the witch prepared to leave, but as soon as she stepped out of the yard, she turned into a cat, slipped under the locked gates, crept into the tower, and hid under the young man's bed. Before bed, the young man removed the saber from his belt, lay down, and fell asleep. Then the witch crawled out from under the bed, turned back into a woman, grabbed the scabbard, drew the saber, and threw it out the window. The saber fell into the lake. At that very moment, the young man with the star on his forehead stopped breathing.

In the morning, the beauty woke up, wept, and screamed, while the witch went to inform the king. The evil king learned that his son-in-law had died, armed an entire regiment, and sent them to forcibly take the beauty. But as soon as the regiment approached the gates, a unicorn horse leaped out, and a fierce battle began. The unicorn fought alone against the entire regiment, allowing no one near the tower.

That same day, the young man's sworn brothers noticed that their flowers had withered.

"Our sworn brother is no longer alive!" they cried, throwing up their hands.

The sworn brothers gathered and rode to find out what had happened. The one who could hear all conversations in the world pressed his ear to the ground and heard the witch telling the king:

"I had barely drawn the saber from its scabbard when he stopped breathing."

"Where is the saber?"

"I threw it into the lake in front of the tower."

"Aha!" said the first sworn brother. "So that's who killed the noblest of young men! The old witch. Let's hurry and bring him back to life."

The sworn brothers mounted two giant mountain eagles, flew to the tower, and landed on the shore of the lake. The big-bellied water-drinker bent down and drank all the water in one gulp. At the bottom of the lake, the bare saber gleamed. The first sworn brother took it, climbed the stone staircase, and entered the bedroom where the lifeless young man lay. He grabbed the scabbard, and as soon as he sheathed the saber, the young man with the star on his forehead rubbed his eyes and sat up.

Meanwhile, the unicorn horse bravely fought the king's regiment, allowing no one near the tower. The young man with the star on his forehead jumped to his feet, took the scabbard with the saber, and ran out into the yard. He drew his sharp saber, and as soon as it whistled over the enemies' heads, they scattered in all directions like chickens. The young man didn't chase them, capturing only the king and the witch.

The evil king was thrown into a dungeon, and the witch got what she deserved—she was thrown into the lake.

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The Youth with a Star on His Forehead

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