Princess Markassa and the Bird Dredein
Once upon a time, there lived a king in France, and this king had three sons. The eldest and the middle sons were both handsome, strong, and healthy. But the youngest grew up frail and weak. He spent his days sitting by the hearth, covered in soot and ashes. He was called Ludouin, which in Breton means "Cinderlad."The old king was ill. All the doctors in the kingdom had come to see him, but none of them knew a cure for his sickness.
One healer, who was also summoned to the king, said that the only thing that could heal him was the touch of the bird Dredein, which sat in a golden cage.
"And where is this bird?" asked the king.
"In the castle of Princess Marcassa, far beyond the Red Sea. The castle stands behind three high walls, three courtyards, and the courtyards are guarded by giants seven feet tall and dragons. These dragons spew flames for seven miles around."
"Who will go and seek this miraculous bird in such a castle?" said the king with a sigh.
"I will go, Father," volunteered the eldest son.
He took with him plenty of gold and silver, chose the finest horse from the royal stables, and set off, saying to his father:
"If I do not return in a year and a day, know that I am no longer alive."
So the prince rode and rode until he finally arrived in the land of the Saxons. He asked where the castle with the bird Dredein was, but in response, everyone only laughed and mocked him.
The prince stopped at an inn where there were beautiful girls and merry drinking companions, and he began to squander his money with them.
A year and a day passed, and he did not return home. Then the middle son came to his father and said:
"Father, a year and a day have already passed, and my elder brother is still nowhere to be found. I will go and search for him and the bird Dredein, for only it can restore your health."
And the middle son set off, taking with him much gold and silver. He ended up at the same inn, met his brother, and began to live just as merrily as he had.
Another year and a day passed. The princes did not return, and the old king grew worse with each passing day. Then Ludouin told his father that he wanted to go in search of his brothers and the bird Dredein.
"You too, my son!" exclaimed the old king. "No, stay home, so there will be someone to close my eyes. If your brothers have failed, you certainly won't be able to get the bird Dredein."
But Ludouin insisted. And his father agreed to let him go. He gave him a little money—much less than he had given the older sons. Ludouin went to the stables, saddled a camel that could travel seven miles an hour, and set off.
He arrived in the very city where his brothers had gotten stuck and asked about the castle where the bird Dredein was kept. He was told that the locals had never heard of such a castle, and only two foreign princes who had arrived not long ago and were living a merry life knew of it. Ludouin wished to see them. He was taken to the inn, and upon recognizing his brothers, he was overjoyed to find them alive. But his brothers took his money and drove him away.
Poor Ludouin rode on, deeply saddened by how his brothers had treated him.
His camel moved swiftly, and in a short time, he was very far away.
Night fell upon Ludouin in a dense forest. From all sides in the darkness, the howls of wild beasts could be heard. The prince climbed a tree and spotted a light in the distance. He climbed down, headed toward the light, and soon saw a humble hut made of branches and dry grass. At his knock, a hunched old woman came out, and he asked if she would let him stay the night.
"I have no place for you to sleep, my boy," she replied. "I have no bed."
"It's all right, grandmother, I'll lie on the stone by the hearth."
"Well then, come in, my boy. It's a pity to leave you out in the open."
Ludouin tied his camel to a post and entered the hut.
"It smells terrible in here!" he said, pinching his nose.
"That's my poor old man. He's been dead for a week now, but his body is still lying here, that's why it smells."
"Why haven't you buried him?"
"Ah, my boy, I have no money, and our priest won't do anything for free."
"How much does he ask for the burial?"
"An écu. And I don't even have a sou."
"You know what, grandmother, I'm not rich, but tomorrow morning I will pay the priest, and we will bury your husband."
The next morning, he went to the priest and said:
"Here is the écu you demanded for the burial of the husband of that poor old woman who lives in the forest. Bury him immediately."
The deceased was buried. Only two people accompanied him to the cemetery: an old woman and Ludouin.
Immediately after the funeral, Ludouin set off again on an unknown path. As he rode across a wide, barren plain, he noticed that a white fox was persistently following him.
"Why is this fox following me all the time?" he wondered to himself.
When he reached the edge of the plain, the fox, to his great surprise, suddenly spoke in a human voice:
— Are you seeking the bird Dredein, prince?
— Yes, creature of God. Do you know anything about this bird?
— I do. You are not far from it. Do you see that castle high on the mountain? The bird Dredein is there. I will tell you what you must do to obtain it. The castle is surrounded by three courtyards, each enclosed by a high wall. You will have to pass through all three courtyards. The first is teeming with toads, snakes, and all sorts of venomous creatures. The second is filled with lions and tigers, and the third is guarded by fire-breathing dragons and giants who protect the entrance to the castle. From eleven o'clock until the last stroke of midnight, they all lie sprawled on the ground, tongues out, in a deep sleep. You can safely walk among them and even over their bodies—they will not wake until midnight. Once inside the castle, you will easily pass through three beautiful halls (I won't tell you what you'll see there) and in the fourth, you will find the bird Dredein in a golden cage, suspended from the ceiling by three golden chains. The bird also sleeps at this hour. Near the cage, on the wall, hangs a saber on a golden nail. You will take this saber, cut the three golden chains, and carry away the bird along with the cage. But remember, you must do all this before midnight. If you are late, the gates will slam shut, and you will never leave the castle.
Ludouin thanked the fox for the advice and, mustering his courage, headed toward the castle.
He arrived at the castle just as the clock struck eleven, and the gates of the first courtyard were open. Upon entering, he saw that the courtyard was swarming with enormous snakes and other repulsive creatures. Ludouin's heart sank as he had to navigate through the monsters in the second courtyard, which emitted a foul, suffocating stench. The same was true in the third courtyard. But despite all this, he eventually made it into the castle.
In the first hall, there was not a single living soul. Ludouin saw a large loaf of white bread on the table and, feeling hungry, cut off a generous slice and began to eat. To his surprise, the bread did not diminish at all when a piece was cut from it. Ludouin thought, "This bread will come in handy on the journey," and placed it in his bag.
Then he entered the second hall and saw a jug of wine on the table, with a glass beside it. "How wonderful!" he said to himself. He drank one glass, then another, and a third, but the wine in the jug did not decrease! He also placed the jug in his bag with the bread and entered the third hall. There, he gaped in admiration: on a purple bed lay a princess, beautiful as the clear day, fast asleep. The wine he had drunk went to his head; he removed his shoes, quietly approached, and embraced the princess, but she did not wake. Nevertheless, he did not forget what the fox had told him and proceeded to the fourth hall.
There, in a golden cage suspended from the ceiling by three golden chains, slept the bird Dredein. On the wall hung a saber, and on its blade was inscribed: "He who wields me can slay ten thousand men if he strikes with the sharp edge, and if he strikes with the blunt edge, he can cleave anything he wishes in two." "Not bad!" said Ludouin. He grabbed the saber and—one, two, three!—with three strong blows, he severed the golden chains. Then he took the cage with the bird, grabbed the saber, and dashed out of the castle. He ran over the bodies of the dragons and giants, who were still asleep with their tongues hanging out. The clock began to strike midnight as he crossed the threshold of the first hall. "So far, so good," Ludouin said to himself, leapt onto the camel waiting for him at the gates, and sped away like a whirlwind.
With the last stroke of the clock, the princess, followed by the giants, dragons, and other creatures, awoke and immediately realized that the bird had been stolen. The dragons began to spew flames, and the giants set off in pursuit of the thief. The fire from the dragons' mouths singed the camel's fur and Ludouin's hair. But the camel raced swiftly after the white fox, which ran ahead, showing them the way. Soon they reached the borders of the sorcerer's kingdom, who lived in the golden castle. Beyond that, he had no power. They were saved! Here, the white fox disappeared, and Ludouin calmly continued his journey.
At the edge of the wide, desolate plain he had been crossing, Ludouin saw an inn by the roadside and went in to eat and rest. He ordered the best they had. The bread did not please him. He called the innkeeper and said:
— Your bread is no good.
— There is no better bread in these parts, and even the king eats the same.
Ludouin took the loaf he had taken from the golden castle out of his bag and said:
— But I have better bread!
He cut a slice and offered it to the innkeeper.
— Here, try mine and tell me if you like it.
The innkeeper tasted it, and the bread pleased him so much that he asked for another piece. Ludouin cut him a second slice and showed that the bread did not diminish.
— If you had such bread, you'd soon grow rich, wouldn't you? he said.
— That's true. But where can one get such bread? asked the innkeeper.
— Nowhere. This loaf is the only one in the world.
— Would you sell it to me? I would pay well.
— How much would you give for it?
— A hundred écus.
— Very well, give me a hundred écus and take the bread, but on one condition: if the one to whom it belongs—the princess from the golden castle—ever comes here and demands the loaf back, you will return it to her.
The innkeeper agreed, confident that no princess would ever claim the bread.
Ludouin continued on his way. At sunset, he stopped to rest at another inn and sold the innkeeper the jug he had taken from the castle, which never ran out of wine, for two hundred écus.
Then he set off again. He rode and rode until he reached the land of the Saxons. There, he went to look for his brothers at the inn where he had left them. He received bad news about them. Having squandered all their money, both princes had turned to thievery. They were caught and now sat in prison, awaiting execution.
But at that time, the King of the Saxons was at war with a neighboring emperor, and he had no time to think about the prisoners.
Luduen decided to go to the king and offer his services.
The gatekeeper did not want to let him into the palace, but Luduen showed him his saber and entered. He reached the king's chambers and also showed him his saber, explaining its power. He promised to help the king defeat the enemy if the king would release his brothers from prison.
The king agreed, and the elder princes were released from prison. Luduen, leading the royal army, set out on a campaign and, thanks to his saber, the mere sight of which sent even the bravest soldiers fleeing, achieved a complete victory.
Since Luduen's brothers had accumulated a lot of debts and owed a great deal to the innkeeper, Luduen had to sell his saber to him, with the same condition: to return it to the princess if she demanded it.
And the three brothers set off on their way back to their native France, taking with them the bird Dredein in a golden cage. Luduen carried the bird and did not part with it for a moment.
But the brothers, envious of his success, conspired to get rid of him. They wanted to bring the bird to their father themselves and convince him that they had obtained it.
Passing by a deep well on the side of the road, they leaned over its opening and shouted:
"Oh, what a beautiful flower there is! Come quickly, Luduen, look, you've probably never seen anything like it!"
Luduen set the cage on the ground and also leaned over the well's opening. The brothers immediately grabbed him by the legs and threw him into the water. Then they rushed off, taking the bird in the cage and the camel with them.
When they returned home, the king was already very ill. Upon learning that his sons had brought the miraculous bird that was supposed to restore his health, he perked up, and feasts began at the court.
However, the bird was not cheerful, and every time it was brought into the king's room, it struggled, let out piercing cries, and did not allow the king to touch it. The old king grew weaker with each passing day, so it was pitiful to look at him.
But let us now return to Luduen and see what became of him after he was thrown into the water.
Fortunately, the well was not deep, and a white fox immediately came to his aid. It lowered its tail into the well, which grew longer and longer until it touched the water, and the fox, commanding Luduen to hold on tight, pulled the prince out. Then it said to him:
"Prince, return to your father, now you will reach home without any further adventures. Not far from here, you will meet an old beggar on the road. Give him all the money you have. Exchange clothes with him and, dressed in rags, appear before your father and ask for some work, the dirtiest kind. Do not worry about the rest; everything will end well, and the wicked will be punished as they deserve. Remember, Luduen, how you once spent the night in a poor woman's hut, where the body of her deceased husband lay because she had no money to bury him? You then paid the priest for the burial."
"Yes, I remember it very well."
"Well, I am the soul of that poor man to whom you paid the last debt, not sparing your meager coins. And I have come in the form of a fox to repay you. Now farewell, we shall not meet again in this world."
And the fox disappeared.
Luduen set off on his journey and soon met the old beggar the white fox had spoken of. He gave the old man all his money and clothes, taking his rags in exchange. After changing clothes, he continued on his way. He walked for a long time but did not lose courage and finally arrived at his father's palace. At that time, his eldest brother was standing at the gates and, hearing that he was asking for work, said:
"Send him to tend the pigs."
And Luduen became a swineherd. After some time, he was appointed a stableman, and he cared for the horses so diligently that they grew fat, their coats glossy, and they became much livelier. The king was very pleased with the new stableman and often praised him. But the brothers recognized Luduen and wanted to get rid of him at all costs. They advised their father to entrust the new worker with feeding the bird Dredein. The bird, since it had been brought to the palace, had become so vicious that it bit anyone who approached it. But upon seeing Luduen, it suddenly sang and flapped its wings with joy. Luduen placed it on his finger and went with it to the king's bedroom. As soon as the king heard the singing, he immediately felt better. But to fully recover, he needed to see Princess Marcassa.
Meanwhile, the princess, exactly nine months after Luduen visited her in the golden castle, gave birth to a son, a beautiful child. The child grew, and one day he asked his mother who his father was. The princess replied that she did not know.
"I will go and find my father," said her son, "and I will not return until I find him."
He set off on his journey, and his mother went with him.
On the way, they stopped to rest at the very inn where Luduen had left the bread that did not diminish no matter how much was cut from it. The guests were served this bread. The princess immediately realized that the person who had visited her castle had passed through here.
"Give me this bread," she said to the innkeeper.
"I will not give it up for anything in the world," he replied, "unless the princess of the golden castle demands it from me."
"I am the princess of the golden castle, this bread belongs to me, and I will take it from you."
And she placed the bread in her bag. However, the innkeeper had already amassed a fortune during the time the bread was in his possession.
The princess and her son set off again and arrived at the second inn where Luduen had once stayed. They also stopped there to rest, saw the jug of wine that did not diminish, and took it with them as well.
After some time, they arrived in the land of the Saxons and came to the innkeeper who had Luduen's magical saber. They took it with them too.
"Take heart, my child," the princess said to her son. "Now we will soon see your father."
They continued their journey and finally arrived in France, in Paris.
The princess stopped in front of the palace and ordered to announce her arrival to the king. The old king was overjoyed when he heard this news. Despite his illness, he went out into the courtyard to greet his guest and offered her his hand to help her out of the golden carriage.
"No," said Princess Marcassa, "I will not step out of the carriage until the one who stole the bird Dredein from my castle comes to meet me."
— It's me! — said the king's eldest son, stepping forward.
— In that case, tell me how my castle is guarded.
But the prince only said that the castle was surrounded by a high wall, and the princess retorted:
— It's not you. You haven't been there. Go away.
— It's me! — said the middle son, approaching the carriage.
— In that case, tell me how my castle is guarded.
But this prince could say no more than the first. The princess sent him away too.
— It's not you, go away. If the one who took the bird Dredein from my castle is not brought to me, I will leave immediately.
Then Ludouin, dressed as a stable boy, approached and said:
— Princess, it was I who took the bird.
— If that's the case, tell me how my castle is guarded.
— Your castle, princess, stands behind three high walls and three courtyards. The first courtyard is full of snakes and all kinds of other poisonous creatures. In the second, there are tigers and lions. In the third, there are terrible giants and dragons that spew flames for seven miles around.
— Ah, I see you know something,— said the princess.— Well, what else?
— All these beasts and monsters, stretched out on the stone slabs paving the courtyard, sleep deeply from eleven o'clock until midnight. I took advantage of this hour to pass safely among them. In the first hall of the palace, I saw a marvelous loaf of bread that does not diminish no matter how much is cut from it. In the second hall, I found a jug from which the wine does not decrease no matter how much is drunk from it. I drank a glass or two and took the jug. In the third hall, I saw the princess, fast asleep on a purple bed.
— And what did you do? — asked the princess.
— At first, I just stared at her, open-mouthed, then the wine went to my head, I grew bold, lay down beside her on the bed, and kissed her.
— Yes, that sounds like the truth,— said the princess.— And here is your son! — She pointed to her little boy.— But go on.
— Then I entered the fourth hall, where the bird Dredein was sleeping in a golden cage, suspended from the ceiling by three golden chains. On the wall, on a golden nail, hung a saber. I grabbed it, cut the chains, and ran as fast as I could, taking the bird, the saber, the jug, and the bread.
— And where are all these things now? — asked the princess.
— The bird is here. The bread, the jug, and the saber I left along the way, where I spent the night.
— I found them there and took them with me. But where is the bird? Bring me the bird!
Ludouin went to fetch the bird and brought it in the golden cage.
When the princess saw the bird Dredein, it began to flap its wings joyfully and sang so sweetly and clearly that the echo of the palace picked up the song, and everyone rejoiced—except for the elder brothers.
The princess took the bird out of the cage, placed it on her finger, and handed it to the king, instructing him to stroke the bird.
And the bird, which had been so wild and fierce until then, now allowed the old king to touch and stroke it, and he immediately recovered and grew younger.
Then the princess, in front of the entire court, told how Ludouin had fallen victim to the treachery of his brothers and demanded that they be dealt with as they deserved.
The old king flew into a terrible rage and shouted:
— Light a fire in the furnace and throw them in!
And so it was done.
And Ludouin married Princess Marcassa. The wedding was celebrated grandly, the feast was magnificent, and it is said that at this feast, the old king, in his joy, drank and ate too much and died of a stomach ailment.
After his death, Ludouin became the King of France.
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