Princess Troyol

It was in those years
When hens grew horns,

There once lived a noble young man; his parents had passed away, and he was left in the care of his stepmother. As often happens, she did not love her stepson, and the boy had a hard time.

When he turned fifteen, he left her and set out to seek his fortune. His name was Fansh. "Whatever happens," he thought, "it can't be worse than with my stepmother."

And so he went, as they say, wherever his eyes led him.

He walked straight ahead, stopping at peasants' homes when night fell, sometimes even sleeping under the open sky. But he did not miss his stepmother's house at all.

One day at sunset, he saw a beautiful castle before him. The gates to the courtyard were open, and he entered. There was not a soul in sight. He saw another open door, went inside, and found himself in a kitchen. Again, no one was there. But a moment later, a goat peeked into the kitchen. It gestured for Fansh to follow it. He obeyed, and the goat led him to a magnificent garden. There, the goat spoke to Fansh.

"If you wish to stay here, you will have everything you desire, but you must spend three nights in a room I will show you."

"What a strange castle, where goats speak like people!" the young man exclaimed in surprise.

"I was not always as you see me now," the goat replied. "I am held here by an evil spell. All my relatives are also enchanted, but in different ways. If you do exactly as I say, you will free us all, and you will not regret it."

"Tell me what I must do to free you, and if I can, I will do it."

"You must spend three consecutive nights in one of the rooms and not utter a single word or complaint, no matter what you see, hear, or what is done to you."

"Very well, I will try."

When evening came, Fansh was served dinner in a richly decorated room. But to his great surprise, he saw only two hands setting the dishes, with no person in sight. After Fansh had eaten and drunk his fill, one of the hands took a candlestick with a lit candle and beckoned him to follow. He followed the hand, which led him to a room with a bed. The hand placed the candle on the table and then disappeared.

Fansh was not a coward, but all this seemed very strange to him.

He lay down and immediately fell asleep. Around midnight, he was awakened by a loud noise in the room.

"Let's play ball," some voices said.

"No, let's come up with a new game," others replied.

Fansh looked around but saw no one.

"You know what," one voice said, "let's start with the one lying in bed."

"Is there someone there?"

"Yes, look."

They pulled poor Fansh out of bed and began tossing him around like a ball. But no matter how hard they tried, Fansh did not utter a word and pretended to be asleep the whole time.

"What, he won't wake up?" someone asked.

"Wait a bit," another replied, "I'll wake him up."

And with such force, he threw Fansh against the wall that he flattened like a baked apple. Then the invisible beings laughed loudly and left.

Immediately, the goat Fansh had seen in the castle entered the room. But this time, it had the head of a beautiful girl.

"Poor thing," she said, "how they tormented you!" She began rubbing Fansh with some ointment, and life gradually returned to his body until he was fully revived and felt healthier than ever.

"This time everything turned out well," the girl-goat said, "but the next night's trial will be even harder. No matter what happens to you, remain completely silent, and you will be rewarded."

"I will do my best," Fansh replied. The goat left.

Fansh had a good breakfast and lunch, and as before, he was served by hands without bodies. He spent the whole day wandering the castle and garden, meeting no one, and after dinner, the same hand took the candlestick and led him to the same room. This time, Fansh hid under the mattress.

"Maybe they won't find me here," he thought.

Around midnight, the same deafening noise as the previous night erupted.

"It smells like a human here," a voice said.

"But where?" another replied. "You can see for yourself there's no one on the bed. Play and stop talking about a human!"

And they began playing cards. Suddenly, the first voice shouted again:

"I'm telling you, brothers, it smells like a human here!"

He lifted the mattress and found Fansh.

"What did I tell you? So you're still alive, worm! Just wait, we'll deal with you."

And they tore him to pieces; then, with loud laughter, they left.

Immediately, the goat entered the room again, but this time she was a girl from the waist up.

"Poor thing," she said, "in what state I find you!"

She pieced the fragments together and began rubbing them with ointment.

Gradually, the pieces fused, the body regained its former shape, and soon Fansh was alive and healthy again.

"The third night will be the most terrible," the girl-goat said. "But be patient, and if you endure it as bravely as the first two, your suffering will end, and with it, the suffering of all who are still trapped here."

"I don't think anything worse than death can happen to me, and I've already died twice," Fansh replied.

And so, on the third night, after dinner, he went to the same room again, but this time he hid under the bed.
Around midnight, the invisible ones came and started playing cards.

"Here again, it smells like a human!" a voice suddenly said. "Could it be that this worm is still alive?"

They tore apart the bed but found no one; then they looked under the bed.

"Here he is, here he is!"

And they dragged him out from under the bed by his feet. Then they began to deliberate:

"This time, we must finish him off. What should we do with him?"

"Let's roast him and eat him."

"Yes, let's do it!" they all shouted at once.

They built a large fire in the fireplace, stripped poor Fansh naked, hung him over the fire, and when he was nicely roasted, they sat down and ate him.

After finishing their feast, they left, and immediately a beautiful princess in rich attire entered the room. This time, there was no sign of the goat.

"Alas," she said, "I fear they haven't left a single piece of him."

She began searching everywhere—on the table, on the floor. Finally, after a long search, she managed to find a piece of his skull.

"Thank God," she exclaimed, "not all is lost!"

She began rubbing the piece of skull with her ointment. She rubbed and rubbed, and the piece grew larger and larger, covered with flesh, then arms and legs grew in their places, and finally, the whole body appeared, alive and healthy as never before.

"How glad I am!" the princess exclaimed. "Now the invisible giants have no power over me or my family, and everything here belongs to you, Fansh—even I myself."

Immediately, people of all ranks and distinctions began gathering from everywhere—princes, princesses, dukes, barons, commoners, all those whom the evil spells had kept in this castle. They emerged from every corner and thanked their liberator, then dispersed, each to their homeland.

"Now it's time for us," Fansh said to the princess, "let's go to your father."

"No," she replied, "we must stay here for three more days; every morning you will have to fast: you may eat and drink only after noon. If you eat or drink anything before that hour, you will immediately fall asleep and never see me again. Every noon I will come to you, and then you may eat and drink. Wait for me in the forest, by the stone at the spring, and as soon as noon strikes, I will be there. But remember, until that hour, you must not eat or drink."

Having said this, she disappeared.

The next day, long before noon, Fansh and his servant were already waiting for the princess by the stone at the spring. Fansh had not yet eaten or drunk anything and was terribly hungry. As he sat and waited, a little old woman approached him with a basket of plums in her hand.

"Good day, young knight," she said to Fansh.

"Good day to you too, grandmother."

"Take a plum from me."

"Thank you, I don't care for them."

"Try just one, it won't cost you anything; look how good it is."

Fansh took the plum. But as soon as he bit into it, he immediately fell asleep. At that moment, noon struck, and the princess appeared.

"Alas, he is asleep," she said upon seeing Fansh.

"Yes," the servant replied. "Some old woman gave my master a plum, and he hadn't even brought it to his mouth before he fell asleep."

"Well... give him this handkerchief when he wakes up, so he won't forget me."

She handed the servant a white handkerchief and flew away. At that same moment, Fansh woke up and caught a glimpse of her. She was all white, like an angel.

"I fell asleep," he thought. "Tomorrow I'll be more careful."

The next day, as he sat with his servant by the stone at the spring, the same old woman approached him with a basket of wineberries in her hand.

"Take a wineberry from me, noble knight; see how good they are."

Fansh took a wineberry from the old woman again. He ate it and immediately fell asleep.

As soon as noon struck, the princess appeared by the spring.

"Alas, he is asleep again," she said sadly.

"Yes," the servant replied, "the old woman came again, gave my master a wineberry, and as soon as he ate it, he fell asleep."

"Give him this gray handkerchief when he wakes up, so he won't forget me."

And, sighing, the princess flew away.

At that same moment, Fansh woke up and saw the princess flying toward the sky. This time, she was dressed in gray.

"My God," he said, "I fell asleep again. Why do I feel so drowsy?"

"I think, master," the servant replied, "it's because of the fruits the old woman gives you."

"Well, that can't be. Tomorrow I'll be more careful and won't fall asleep no matter what."

The servant gave Fansh the second, gray handkerchief, just as he had given him the white one before.

The next morning, as they waited by the spring again, the old woman approached them, this time with a basket of beautiful oranges in her hand.

"Take an orange from me, noble knight," she said to Fansh. "See how good they are."

The servant wanted to advise Fansh to refuse, but he didn't dare. Fansh took the orange, ate it, and fell asleep once more.

When noon struck, the princess appeared. Seeing Fansh asleep, she exclaimed sorrowfully:
— Unfortunate, he has fallen asleep again!
— It’s all the old woman’s fault, — the servant replied to her. — She came again and gave my master an orange. He took the orange, ate it, and immediately fell asleep.
— Give him the third handkerchief when he wakes up and tell him that I have bid him farewell forever, for, alas, I shall never see him again.

And with a mournful groan, the princess flew away.

At that very moment, Fansh woke up and managed to catch a glimpse of the hem of her dress and the tip of her foot. But, to his horror, this time the princess was dressed entirely in black. The third handkerchief she had given the servant for Fansh was also black.

— Alas, I fell asleep again! — Fansh exclaimed in despair.
— To your misfortune, my poor master. Before flying away, the princess gave me the third handkerchief for you and told me to say that she has bid you farewell forever and that you will never see her again.

Fansh’s grief was immense when he heard this. He tore at his hair and, sobbing, cried out:
— No, I will see her again! I will search for her day and night until I find her!

And he immediately set off on his journey, taking with him only a single loaf of white bread.

When evening came, he sat down on the grass by the roadside to rest and eat. Just at that moment, an old woman passed by.
— Enjoy your meal, my son, — she said to Fansh.
— Thank you, grandmother. Would you like to share some? I’d be happy to share with you.
— May the Lord bless you, my son. I have lived in these parts for many hundreds of years, and no one has ever offered me bread before.

The old woman gladly shared his modest supper with him, then said to Fansh:
— To repay you, my son, I will give you a tablecloth that will serve you well. Whenever you want to eat or drink, spread it on the ground or on a table, and as much food as you desire will appear on it. Here is also a white stick as a gift: strike it on the ground, and it will carry you a hundred leagues from where you are.

— May the Lord bless you, grandmother, — Fansh replied, accepting the magic tablecloth and the enchanted stick from the old woman.

After that, the old woman disappeared. “Did she tell me the truth?” Fansh wondered. He struck the stick on the ground and immediately found himself a hundred leagues away. Before him stood a small hut, roofed with reeds and ferns. Nearby, a peasant was plowing the field, and Fansh offered to exchange clothes with him. The peasant gladly agreed, as he was dressed in rags, while Fansh was dressed like a prince. After changing clothes, Fansh knocked on the door of the hut. An old woman with teeth as long as an elbow opened the door.

— What do you want, my son? — she asked.
— Let me stay the night, grandmother.
— You’ve chosen a bad place. I have three sons who can’t stand people—as soon as they return, they will surely eat you.
— Hide me somewhere, grandmother. I’ll help you with the household and try to get along with your sons.

She hid him in an old chest in her basement. Then the old woman began cooking dinner for her sons. She cooked soup in three leaky barrels instead of pots.
— I don’t know what to give them for the main course, — she said. — I only have three lambs, and that’s not enough.
— Don’t worry about that, grandmother, — Fansh replied, climbing out of the chest.

He spread his tablecloth on the table and said:
— Magic tablecloth, good servant, bring me three roasted bulls and three barrels of wine.

And immediately, roasted bulls and barrels of wine appeared on the tablecloth.

A moment later, something hooted in the chimney, like an owl in the cold: oo-oo-oo!
— Here comes my youngest son, — said the old woman. — Quickly, hide in the chest.

And immediately, the youngest son descended through the chimney and shouted:
— I’m very hungry, mother, I’m very hungry!
— Fine, sit by the hearth, wait for your brothers, and don’t make so much noise.

He sat on a stool by the hearth but immediately cried out:
— It smells like a human here, mother, I want to eat him!
— Well, maybe you’ll eat your cousin who came to visit me and brought each of you a roasted bull? Can’t you see the feast?

Then the old woman told Fansh to come out of the chest, and he quickly became friends with his “cousin.”

A short while later, the chimney rumbled and howled again. The second son, the second wind, descended through the chimney and, seeing Fansh, shouted:
— A human! I’ll eat him right now!
— I’d like to see you try! — said the old woman. — He’s your cousin, came to visit me, and brought each of you a roasted bull. Sit by the hearth and behave, or you’ll feel my stick.

The wind sat on a stool by the hearth, across from his brother, and said nothing more.

A minute later, a deafening noise was heard again. Trees around the hut cracked and splintered into pieces. Fansh grew frightened.
— Here comes my eldest son, — said the old woman.

The third wind descended through the chimney and scattered all the fire in the hearth. He shouted:
— I’m hungry, mother, I’m very hungry!
— Calm down, be quiet—dinner is ready.

Then he noticed Fansh, cried out, “A human!” — and was about to pounce on him and devour him, but the old woman grabbed a young elm trunk she had brought from the garden earlier and began beating her son with all her might.
— Do you really want to eat your cousin, the son of my sister, a sweet boy who came to visit me and brought each of you a bull and a barrel of wine? And you think I’ll allow that?
She, without sparing any effort, was beating him, and the wind cried out:

— "Take it easy, take it easy, mother, don't hit so hard, I won't touch our cousin, since he brought each of us a bull and a barrel of wine."

Then the old woman stopped beating him, and they all sat down at the table. But they were so voracious, especially the eldest wind, that Fanshu had to call upon his magic tablecloth for help three times. Finally, when the winds were satiated—and that didn't happen quickly—they all sat by the hearth and began talking like old friends.

— "Where are you headed, brother?" asked the youngest wind.

— "I am searching for Princess Troyol. Do you know where she lives?"

— "No, I don't, I've never even heard of her."

— "And you, brother?" Fanshu asked the middle wind.

— "I've heard of her, but I don't know where she lives."

— "And you, eldest brother?" Fanshu asked the eldest wind.

— "I know, because I just returned from there and will fly there again tomorrow."

— "Take me with you."

— "I will, if only you can keep up with me. But now it's time to sleep, tomorrow we have a long journey ahead."

The next morning, the winds rushed off in different directions.

— "Follow me if you can," said the eldest wind to Fanshu.

And he flew off. Whoosh! Whistle! And Fanshu chased after him, striking the ground with his white stick, which with each strike carried him a hundred leagues. When the eldest wind looked back to see where Fanshu was, he was greatly surprised to see that Fanshu was right on his heels. They reached the seashore.

— "I won't be able to fly further unless you carry me on your back," said Fanshu to the eldest wind.

— "I will gladly carry you on my back if you feed me every time I get hungry."

— "Fine, you'll eat until you're full."

Fanshu climbed onto the eldest wind's back, and they flew off. Every minute, the wind asked for food. But Fanshu had a magic tablecloth, and he didn't skimp on the feast. They flew and flew, whoosh, whistle! Finally, the castle of Princess Troyol came into view. The wind set Fanshu down in the courtyard. Fanshu took out three of the princess's handkerchiefs—white, gray, and black—tied them to his stick, and then planted it in the middle of the courtyard. Soon, the princess walked past Fanshu, arm in arm with the owner of the castle. They were on their way to the church to get married. The princess saw Fanshu, recognized the handkerchiefs, and said to her maid:

— "Go and ask that man how much he wants for one handkerchief."

The maid immediately approached Fanshu.

— "My lady asks how much you want for one handkerchief."

— "Tell your lady that she doesn't have enough money to buy this handkerchief."

The maid returned to her mistress.

— "What did he say?"

— "He said you don't have enough money to buy this handkerchief."

Hearing this, the princess pretended to have a headache, and the wedding was postponed until the next day.

The next morning, she sent the maid to Fanshu to ask how much he wanted for two handkerchiefs.

— "Tell your lady," Fanshu replied again, "that she doesn't have enough money even for one handkerchief."

The maid returned with this answer to her mistress.

— "Then go to him and tell him to come and speak with me."

The maid went to Fanshu and said:

— "My lady asks you to come and speak with her."

— "Tell your lady that if she wants to speak with me, she should come to me herself."

Then the princess went to Fanshu herself.

— "Come with me to my room for a moment," she said.

Fanshu followed her to her room, and there they embraced each other, crying with joy.

Then the princess ordered the maid to go to the owner of the castle and tell him that she was still unwell and asked to postpone the wedding until the next day.

However, she added that since all the guests had already arrived, the wedding feast could be held immediately.

And so it was done. The feast was magnificent. In the end, everyone became so merry that they started telling funny stories. They began asking the princess to tell something too. Then she rose and said:

— "I had a little box with a beautiful golden key. I lost it and ordered a new one to be made. But then I found the old key. And now I don't know what to do, and I ask you, which key should I prefer—the old or the new?"

— "I would prefer the old one," replied the owner of the castle.

— "That's what I thought," said the princess. "Now I'll show you my old key."

She rose from the table, went into the next room, and immediately returned arm in arm with Fanshu, who was dressed as a prince. Then she addressed the owner and all the guests:

— "Here he is, I chose him from the very beginning, and he will be my husband, and no one else."

The next day, they celebrated the wedding, and a feast was held in their honor, the likes of which I have never seen even in my dreams. And they remained to live in that beautiful castle, because the owner of it disappeared as if the earth had swallowed him, and no one ever found out what happened to him.

↑ To the top

Princess Troyol

More fairy tales