Koshenar and Tyurken

Once upon a time, there were two brothers. They were orphans and wandered from house to house in their region, begging for alms. The elder was named Koshenar, and the younger was called Tyrken. They were never apart, and wherever one went, the other followed. They had both reached the age of twelve, but they still did nothing but beg for charity. Eventually, people began to look at them less sympathetically, saying that it was time for them to start working and earn their own bread. Noticing this, the brothers left the village. One day, Koshenar, who was cleverer than Tyrken but had a mean streak, said to his brother:

— I know what we should do to be welcomed everywhere, to be given food and shelter on farms, and to receive many coins at fairs and monasteries.

— What exactly? — Tyrken asked curiously.

— If one of us were blind and the other acted as his guide, going from house to house and from one holy place to another, we would never be in need.

— That’s true, but we both have our sight.

— Of course, but there’s nothing easier than becoming blind.

— How so?

— How so? Simply by gouging out one of our eyes.

— That’s not good, Koshenar; God gave us good eyes, and we shouldn’t willingly deprive ourselves of sight. Besides, it must be very painful to have your eyes gouged out!

— Nonsense! It’s the work of a moment!... Just think how well off we’ll be! No one will pass us by without giving us at least a sou, and we’ll be able to buy nuts, pears, apples, knives, new boots... in short, everything we want.

Koshenar painted such an enticing picture of the happiness awaiting a blind man that poor Tyrken, who wasn’t very bright, agreed. The brothers decided to draw lots to determine who would have his eyes gouged out. Koshenar held straws in his fist and arranged it so that fate decreed Tyrken should be the blind one. Then the heartless brother pulled a thorn from a hedge and gouged out both of Tyrken’s eyes. The unfortunate Tyrken suffered greatly and screamed in pain. People pitied him wherever he appeared, and from that day on, the brothers received all sorts of gifts: clothing, white bread, meat, and money. Koshenar took everything for himself, eating the white bread and meat, while giving Tyrken black bread and potatoes.

They wandered from fair to fair, from holy place to holy place, and money rained into the wooden bowl of the unfortunate blind man. Koshenar took it all. When he had accumulated a lot of money, he decided to get rid of his brother. He led him into a dense forest and convinced him that they were lost. When night fell, he said:

— Let’s lie down here, on the moss under this oak tree, and wait for dawn.

Tyrken, suspecting nothing, stretched out at the foot of the tree and immediately fell asleep. As soon as he began to snore, Koshenar quietly left, mercilessly abandoning his brother to his fate, without bread or money. The unfortunate blind man woke up in the morning and called for Koshenar. But Koshenar did not answer, and Tyrken thought he was still asleep. Then he called louder and louder, shouting, feeling around the tree, but his brother was nowhere to be found.

“He couldn’t have just left me like this,” Tyrken thought. “He’ll surely come back; I’ll wait.”

He waited for a long time, until evening, and from time to time he called out loudly for Koshenar; but no one answered, and Koshenar did not return. Then Tyrken realized he had been abandoned and wept bitterly.

Night fell, and he was hungry, with no food. He fell into complete despair and thought: “Either I’ll die of hunger at the foot of this tree, or I’ll be eaten by the wild beasts that roam this forest! Oh, Koshenar, Koshenar, what have I done to you, why have you treated me like this?... There’s only one thing left for me: to climb this tree and throw myself down, breaking my neck so I won’t be eaten alive by the wolves howling around!...”

He climbed the tree, and just as he was about to throw himself down, he heard a lion’s roar beneath the tree. Soon a wild boar ran up and grunted: “Oink, oink!” Then Tyrken heard a howl, and after a while, a wolf appeared.

— Where have you been, wolf? You’re quite late, — the lion asked.

— I was in the city of Luxembourg, where both people and animals are dying of thirst, — the wolf replied. — And I feasted well there, you can be sure of that! Just look at my belly! That’s why I’m a bit late.

— I know how to get water in Luxembourg, — said the lion, — and I also know a remedy that cures all illnesses and injuries, no matter what they are.

— What needs to be done for that? — asked the wolf. Needless to say, Tyrken, sitting in the tree, listened carefully to the animals’ conversation.

— Well, listen, here’s what you need to do to get water in Luxembourg, — the lion replied. — Take a piece of the root of this very tree under which we’re standing, go to Luxembourg with this piece of root, and strike it three times against the rock in the middle of the city, saying: “Water! Water! Water!” Immediately, a spring of clean, fresh water will gush from the rock, so abundant that there will be enough for the entire city—both people and animals.

— And what’s the remedy that cures all ailments and injuries? — the wolf asked.

— I’ll tell you, — said the lion. — Take a piece of the bark from this tree, rub it on the wound or the affected part of the body, and it will heal instantly. For example, if a person or an animal can’t see, just apply the bark to their eyes, and they’ll see as well as we do. I’ve just returned from Spain. The king’s daughter there felt unwell after receiving communion, and on her way back, she vomited in the courtyard of the royal palace, so the holy wafer fell to the ground. Immediately, a toad jumped out of a hole, swallowed the wafer, and hid under a stone at the bottom of the pool in the far corner of the courtyard. The princess began to swell up, and now her skin is so stretched that it’s about to burst. Moreover, the princess is in great pain, and no doctor can diagnose her illness. The king himself, in despair, has promised to give his daughter in marriage to whoever cures her, no matter who they are.

— And you think the bark of this tree will heal her? — asked the wolf.
— The bark alone is not enough to heal her, — objected the lion. — Here is what must be done to achieve complete success: you must pull the toad out of the pool where it has hidden, and prepare a drink for the king's daughter from the toad's blood mixed with wine; then give her the toad's flesh, fried in oil. There is no other remedy in the world that could restore her health, but no doctor, no matter how learned, would dare to attempt the treatment I speak of.

After this, all three — the lion, the wolf, and the boar — departed. They were devils who had taken the form of animals to make it easier for them to carry out their schemes.

Of course, Türken did not miss a single word of what was said, for although he was blind, he was not deaf, and he exclaimed:

— Life isn’t so bad after all!

At that moment, the sun rose. Türken climbed down from the tree, cut a piece of bark from the oak with his knife, and rubbed it on his eyes. What joy! His sight returned to him instantly, as if the poor man had never been blind. He saw the shining sun, fell to his knees, and thanked God with all his heart. He cut a large piece of bark and put it in his pocket to heal the sick he might meet on his way; with the same knife, he loosened the soil and, finding a thin root of the tree, cut it off and took it with him to fetch water for the inhabitants of the city of Luxembourg. Then he set off on his journey.

His clothes were in tatters, and since he had no money, he had to beg for alms to survive. After many misadventures, he arrived in Luxembourg and went straight to the priest to ask for shelter for the night.

— Where are you from? — the priest asked him.
— From France, — was the reply.
— Well, then return to France — I have no bread for you.

And the priest slammed the door in his face.

Then he went to the mayor of the city, but he treated him no better than the priest. The prefect shoved him out just like the priest and the mayor.

"How strange," thought Türken, "I came here to save these people who are threatened with death from thirst, and they refuse to shelter me or give me a piece of bread, which even a beggar sent by God is not denied in my country! But perhaps the poor will treat me more kindly; so far, I have only approached the rich."

A poorly dressed girl, weeping bitterly, was walking down the street toward him. He approached her and asked:

— Why are you crying so, girl?
— Alas, there is good reason, — she replied. — My father, mother, and two brothers have died of thirst!
— Well, I will probably die not of thirst but of hunger, because no one in this city wants to give me a piece of bread.
— Come with me, I’ll break off a piece of the crust I have left, and I’ll try to make you more comfortable.
— May God bless you and grant you happiness.

He went with the girl to her home, and she gave Türken a piece of black, moldy bread, which he devoured with great eagerness.

— I cannot give you water, milk, wine, or cider, — she said. — I will probably soon die of thirst, like my father, mother, and brothers.
— Take a water jug and come with me, — Türken then said to her.

And they went together to the rock that stood in the middle of the city. Türken struck the rock three times with the root, saying, "Water! Water! Water!" And immediately a spring gushed from the rock. The water was plentiful, clear, and pure. The girl filled her jug and went home accompanied by Türken. Very soon, word spread that some foreign beggar, unknown to anyone, had drawn a spring of clear, pure water from the rock. People flocked from everywhere with jugs and vessels, and throughout the region, they drank the water with cries of joy.

When their thirst was quenched, they began to search for the stranger to whom the entire city owed its salvation.

Finally, they found him in the shack of the poor girl.

The priest, the prefect, the mayor, and all the city officials visited him and expressed their desire to lead him through the streets of the city in a grand procession, with music at the head. But he said to them:

— No, you refused me a piece of bread when I knocked on your doors, and if it weren’t for this poor girl who shared the little she had with me, I would surely have died of hunger. Therefore, I will stay with her, in gratitude for the kindness she showed me.
The officials and wealthy citizens of Luxembourg feared that Türken, who had so easily provided them with a miraculous spring, could just as easily take it away. They fell to their knees, begging for his forgiveness and piling bags of gold and silver at his feet. But he kicked away their gold and silver. They offered him a magnificent castle and begged him to stay in the city of Luxembourg forever, but he responded with these words:

"Now I cannot stay with you, for I must embark on a journey that cannot be delayed. On my way back, I will visit you, and perhaps then I will settle in your city for good. However, you have nothing to fear: the spring will not dry up in my absence."

They gifted him a splendid golden carriage drawn by beautiful horses, and he set off for Spain. Upon arriving in the capital of that country, he stayed at the finest inn, where he was treated like a prince. After dinner, he called the innkeeper to have a conversation and inquire about the news in the kingdom.

"What is new in your city?" he asked the innkeeper.

"Everyone is talking about the illness of the king's daughter, the beautiful princess, whom everyone loves dearly."

"What is she suffering from?"

"No one knows, and the best doctors cannot understand her ailment. The poor princess is burning with fever and so swollen that her skin is about to burst. She is in great pain. Some say she is possessed by a demon, and it seems that is indeed the case."

"How is it that no doctor can help her?"

"I already told you, they cannot understand her illness; doctors have come from all corners of the kingdom and even from foreign lands, but she grows worse with each passing day. It has been six months since she fell ill, and if the poor girl does not improve, she will undoubtedly die soon."

"Well, listen: I am a doctor from the kingdom of France, and I know a wonderful remedy for swelling, no matter its cause, and I confidently declare that I will cure your princess."

"Oh, if that is truly the case, your future is assured, for the king loves his daughter more than anything in the world; he is deeply grieved and is willing to give all his treasures for her recovery."

"Go and tell him that a doctor from France is passing through; he knows a sure remedy for swelling that always works."

The innkeeper ran to the palace to deliver this joyful news to the king.

"Let him come here at once!" exclaimed the distraught father. "He will lack for nothing if only he saves my dear daughter."

Türken immediately went to the palace and was led to the princess's room. She was in such a pitiful state that it was heartbreaking to look at her. Foam appeared on her lips, and she screamed and thrashed as if possessed.

"Well, doctor," the king addressed him, "what do you say about my daughter's condition?"

"The situation is grave, but I vouch for her, my lord; trust me and allow me to do what is necessary."

"If you cure her, I will reward you as no doctor has ever been rewarded before."

"Please, leave me alone for a few minutes: I need to gather herbs in your courtyard and garden that are necessary for preparing the medicine that will save your daughter."

Türken went to the castle courtyard and, pretending to collect herbs around the basin, caught a toad hiding under a stone. It was enormous, weighing eighteen and a half pounds. He wrapped it in the hem of his coat, went to the garden, and brought back an armful of various herbs and flowers. Then he asked to be left alone in the kitchen for a while, as he needed to prepare the medicine. First, he drained the toad's blood and collected it in a special vessel. He mixed the blood with a glass of old red wine, warmed the mixture, and offered it to the princess, saying:

"Drink, princess, here is your health!"

The princess took a sip, then pushed the vessel away and exclaimed:

"God, how vile it is!"

But a moment later, she felt better, and since the doctor insisted that she drink more, she did not object further and gulped down every last drop.

"Ah, how this drink helps me!" she said.
And indeed, she stopped screaming and writhing, completely calmed down, and quietly fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Türken went back to the kitchen to prepare another remedy, which was meant to complete the treatment. He chopped the toad into small pieces, made a paste out of them, and fried it. In the evening, when the princess woke up, he made her eat a third of the toad meat; another third she ate at noon the next day, and the last portion by sunset. After that, she fully recovered. Her happiness and joy knew no bounds: she sang, danced, embraced her savior, and did not want to part with him, and the old king was no less eager to keep him close.

Türken was showered with gifts, and they did not want to let him go. The princess fell in love with him, and the old king decided to abdicate the throne in favor of his future son-in-law. Türken was so persuaded that he eventually promised to marry the princess. However, he asked to be allowed to return to his homeland for a few days first: he said he needed to settle some matters and tell his father and mother about his good fortune, whom he would certainly bring back with him on his return. The king and princess feared he might not come back and wanted to accompany him. So, he escaped at night, disguised as a beggar, and headed to Luxembourg, where he had promised to return.

Now he had no shortage of money. Therefore, after crossing the border into Spain, in the first town he came across, he shed his beggar's clothes and transformed into a wealthy nobleman. He arrived in Luxembourg without hindrance and stayed at the best inn. After dinner, while chatting with the innkeeper, he inquired about the local news.

"In the city, everyone is talking about the castle of gold and silver built by the people of Luxembourg—and indeed, it is a marvel among marvels," replied the innkeeper.

"For whom was this castle built?" asked Türken.

"For the man whom the people of Luxembourg consider their savior, the one who provided us with abundant water at the very moment when we were all threatened with death from thirst."

"Really? And who is this man? Has he already settled in his castle?"

"No, he does not live there yet, because he went traveling, and no one knows where; but he is expected any day now. Oh, if only you could see this castle! I tell you, it is a marvel among marvels. The walls are made of silver, the windows and doors of pure gold, and in the garden, there is a fountain and a pond, the bottom of which is lined with silver tiles..."

"And you do not know the name of the man for whom such a magnificent castle is intended?"

"No, no one knows his name; he came to our city only to save us and then went to another country to do good deeds there, but he promised to return soon. We hope to keep him with us, and for this purpose, as soon as he returns, we will marry him to the daughter of our prefect. This young lady is undoubtedly the most charming creature under the starry sky."

"Really?" said Türken with a smile, and he went to bed, as it was late.

The next morning, he went for a walk around the city. He was delighted to see that the spring he had brought forth from the rock still flowed, clear and pure. Then he went to the poor orphan girl who had sheltered him when the officials and wealthy citizens had so rudely rejected him. In the finely dressed nobleman standing before her, she did not recognize the starving, ragged beggar with whom she had shared her black bread and humble dwelling. She lived with her sister; they lived poorly but honestly, earning their livelihood through sewing.

"Do you recognize me?" Türken asked her.

She looked up at him and replied, "No, sir, I do not have the honor of knowing you."

"Take a good look."

She looked again and said, "I don't think I've ever seen you before."

"Don't you remember that you once shared your bread and shelter with a poor beggar who would have died of hunger without your help?"

"Sir, I have often shared my bread with beggars."

"The one I am talking about brought forth a spring of clear, pure water from the rock in the middle of your city and thus saved the people of Luxembourg, who would otherwise have died of thirst!"

"Oh, my God, is it really you?"

She looked him straight in the face and added, "Yes, yes, now I recognize you! How glad I am to see you! And how glad the people of our city will be when they learn that you have returned!"

And she told him what he already knew from the innkeeper—about the beautiful castle and the proposed marriage to the prefect's daughter.

Soon, everyone learned of the arrival of Luxembourg's savior, and the whole city was in an uproar. The prefect, the mayor, the priest, and all the officials solemnly appeared at his inn, with musicians leading the way. The prefect delivered a splendid speech and, handing Türken the keys to the castle built for him by the grateful people of Luxembourg, invited him to take possession of the castle immediately. "My wife and daughter, as gracious as she is beautiful," he added, "are both waiting there to pay you the proper honors."
Turkén thanked the residents of Luxembourg for their warm welcome and replied to the prefect that, before taking possession of the castle, he would like to find a companion who would live there with him, and that he intended to choose one of the inhabitants of Luxembourg. Therefore, he asked to notify all young women of Luxembourg between the ages of fifteen and twenty to gather the next day in the main square of the city, near the spring by the rock, where he would choose his wife.

Since they believed that Turkén could only marry a girl from the best and wealthiest family and that he would undoubtedly choose the prefect's daughter, they only invited the daughters of the most important citizens of the city. The next day, at the appointed hour, all these girls appeared at the designated place, dressed to the nines, each more beautiful than the last, and each was quite confident in her victory.

The prefect's daughter walked at the front, adorned with jewels, dressed like a princess. They were all lined up around the square, and Turkén slowly walked past them, like a general inspecting his troops. He examined each one, one by one, and did not stop before anyone, which greatly displeased many parents, especially the prefect and his wife. Then he said to the prefect, who was following him:

"Not all the girls of your city are present here: let me see others tomorrow."

The next day, he was shown the daughters of wealthy citizens and merchants. He conducted the inspection again and, reaching the last one, once more said to the prefect:

"I do not see the one who should be my wife here; you must show me the rest."

On the third day, young working women of various professions, maids, and even beggars were summoned. He had not taken more than a few steps when he noticed the girl who had sheltered him; he approached her, took her hand, led her out of the line, and, presenting her to the residents of Luxembourg, said:

"This is the one I have chosen as my wife! She welcomed me kindly when everyone else turned me away; she showed me hospitality and shared her bread with me, and today I want to repay her for that."

The citizens were greatly astonished, as were some parents, who were equally disappointed.

The wedding was held immediately, a magnificent wedding, and Turkén settled in the castle with his wife and sister-in-law.

Six months passed, and Turkén organized a grand hunt, inviting many people. The hunt took place in the very forest where he had been abandoned by Koshenar. He immediately recognized the tree he had climbed with the intention of throwing himself down and breaking his neck. Under that tree, he now saw a poor wretch in rags, his body covered in sores. It was clear that he had not eaten for a long time and was on the brink of starvation. Turkén immediately dismounted to heal him, as the remedy was right there at hand.

"You look terrible, poor man," he said to him with compassion.

"You are right, sir, but I deserve it."

"How so?"

"Ah, it's all so sad!.. I had a brother, and when we were young, we both went from house to house begging for alms because we were orphaned early, and our parents left us nothing. So we lived on the charity of kind people until one day I had the thought that if one of us were blind, we would evoke more compassion and live much better. And I gouged out both eyes of my poor brother, and after that, we moved to other places. Indeed, from that time on, I lacked nothing—neither food, nor clothing, nor money. When I had thus accumulated a tidy sum, I came here with my brother, pretended to be lost, and told him we would have to spend the night in the forest. We lay down under this tree, and when my brother fell soundly asleep, I ran away, leaving him to his fate, alone, without bread or money. I do not know what became of my poor brother: he was probably torn apart by wild beasts. But for that, God has punished me. I squandered money recklessly, and moreover, I did not want to work, so I fell, as you see, into the most terrible need. I am severely punished, but I admit I deserved it. So I came to die under the very tree where I left Turkén."

Turkén, moved to tears, exclaimed, "I am your brother! Don't you recognize me, Koshenar?" And he embraced him with emotion. "Calm yourself, my poor brother; I forgive you with all my heart. First, I will heal you, and then we will go to my castle, and as long as you live, you will lack nothing, for I have been fortunate and am now rich."

He made a cut in the tree trunk with his dagger, removed a piece of bark, and put it in his pocket.

The hunt ended, and a horse was brought for Koshenar, but since he could not stay in the saddle, his brother seated him behind him on his own horse, and they rode together to the castle. Everyone was astonished and could not understand what it all meant. When they arrived at the castle, Turkén, despite Koshenar's terrible and repulsive appearance, brought him to his wife and sister-in-law and said:

"Here, I present to you my brother Koshenar."

They screamed in horror and turned away. Then, addressing his sister-in-law, he asked her:

"You would do me a great favor, sister-in-law, if you agreed to marry my brother Koshenar."

The sister-in-law made a face but nevertheless replied:

"I will gladly marry him, brother-in-law—both to please you and because he is your brother."

Then Turkén led Koshenar to the garden, to the edge of the pond, washed him, and rubbed him with the tree bark; the sores disappeared, and he became a handsome man. Then Turkén gave him his own clothes, which fit perfectly, and once again brought him to his sister-in-law, saying:

"Here is your groom!"

Seeing such a handsome man before her, she no longer made a face.
Grimas!

The wedding was held immediately, without delay. It was a lavish affair, with feasts and games, and both brothers lived with their wives in the castle in peace and harmony.

Only one thing tormented Koshenar and gave him no rest:

How had his brother regained his sight, and how had he become so wealthy?

One day, he approached him with a question:

"I would very much like to know how you regained your sight and how you became so rich!"

"Trifles, my brother, don't worry and don't think about it anymore."

Several times Koshenar asked him the same question, and each time Turken showed displeasure and gave the same answer. But one day, after particularly insistent requests, he said:

"Alright, if you insist so much, I will tell you... though I feel it would be better for you never to know this."

And he told him how, having decided to end his life, he climbed a tree under which three animals—a lion, a wolf, and a boar—had gathered, and from them he learned two secrets that became the foundation of his wealth. However, he did not reveal the secrets themselves.

Koshenar envied Turken. He lost sleep and, dreaming of having his own castle where he would be the sole master, decided to spend the night on that tree in the forest to also learn some secret. He said nothing to his wife or brother and left secretly in the evening.

Upon reaching the forest, he easily found the tree and climbed it. Around midnight, he heard a roar, and soon a lion appeared. A moment later, he heard a howl, and following the lion, a wolf appeared. Then he heard the footsteps of some animal making its way through the bushes, grunting all the while: "Oh, oh!" It was a boar. When all three animals—who were actually devils—gathered at the base of the tree, the lion said:

"Well, what's new, comrades? Did your day go well?"

"As for me, I can't complain," replied the wolf. "But we must be cautious and not speak so recklessly. You know well what happened to us with the people of Luxembourg, who were dying of thirst, and with the daughter of the Spanish king, and you probably haven't forgotten the great wrath of our master Beelzebub when he realized that the victims he already considered his had slipped away from us. We must first check if anyone is hiding in the bushes or nearby."

And they searched the bushes and found no one. But the wolf lifted his snout and saw Koshenar hiding among the leaves.

"Ah, there he is, the sly one!" he exclaimed. "This time he won't escape us!"

"But how do we get him?" asked the boar.

"We need to dig up the tree," said the lion.

And the three of them set to work. They dug the earth and threw it aside: the boar used his snout, and the other two used their claws, and thus they undermined the tree's roots, and it fell. Then all three pounced on the unfortunate Koshenar and tore him apart.

When he did not return to the castle by nightfall and had told no one where he had gone, they began to worry. They searched for him everywhere but could not find him.

Then Turken had a premonition that something terrible had happened to his brother. "The poor man probably went to the forest to spend the night in the tree," he thought.

He ran to the forest, and when he saw the fallen tree, the earth torn up by the animals' claws, and the scattered bones, he immediately understood what had happened. He had a kind heart and sincerely mourned his brother.

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Koshenar and Tyurken

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