About the Hunter and His Son
There once lived a hunter. The hunter had no children yet, but his wife was pregnant. One day, he went out hunting and stayed in the forest for three days. On the fourth day, the hunter killed a chamois and was carrying it home. On the way, he met a man. But this was no ordinary man—it was a *kadzhi* (a mythical creature). The *kadzhi* took the chamois from the hunter. The hunter pleaded:"Don't take it from me!"
"Fine," said the *kadzhi*, "if you give me something you've never seen, I won't take the chamois. But if you refuse, I will take it!"
The hunter was delighted—what did he care about something he'd never seen? He agreed and went home.
When he arrived, he found that his wife had given birth to a son. A year passed, and the *kadzhi* appeared before the hunter. The hunter greeted him.
The *kadzhi* asked, "What about your promise? Will you fulfill it or not?"
"Whatever you ask, I will give!" said the hunter.
"Then give me your only son."
The hunter was heartbroken, but what could he do? He begged the *kadzhi* to leave his son with him for another year. The *kadzhi* agreed and left.
Another year passed, and the *kadzhi* returned, demanding the promise be fulfilled. The hunter had no choice and handed over his son.
They walked together for a while, and the *kadzhi* said to the hunter's son, "You won't be able to keep up with me. Follow the tracks of the mule I ride, and this path will lead you where you need to go."
With that, he rode away. The boy followed the path. He walked and walked until he came to a river. He saw that he couldn't cross it, but he had to keep going. He sat by the river and waited.
Three doves flew to the river and began to bathe. The hunter's son watched them, marveling at how easily they swam back and forth. He thought to himself that he could never swim across so effortlessly. He watched them for a while, then crept up, took one dove's dress, and hid it.
The doves finished bathing and began to dress. Two of them dressed and flew away, but the third couldn't find her dress. She searched and searched, then said to the hunter's son:
"I know you have my dress. Return it to me, and I will grant you happiness."
The hunter's son replied, "Take me across this river, and I will give you the dress."
He gave the dress back to the dove. She dressed and carried the boy across the river. Once across, she said:
"I am the daughter of the one you seek. Trust me, and do not betray me—I will help you and bring you happiness. Go forward without fear. True, my father will give you tasks you cannot complete, but come to me, and I will help you with everything."
The dove flew away, and the boy continued on his way. By evening, he reached a house. The entrance was at the back. The boy circled the house, went inside, and saw the *kadzhi*, his daughter, and her two sisters who had been bathing.
"Ah, come in," said the *kadzhi*. "I will give you a task: here flows a river. Build a bridge of pure gold across it, one that cannot be found anywhere else in our kingdom. And it must be ready by morning."
The hunter's son agreed, though he knew he could never accomplish such a task. He went to the dove who had helped him cross the river. When he arrived, he saw that she was no longer a dove but a girl.
"Come here, adopted son of the *kadzhi*," said the girl. "Tell me what task he has given you."
The hunter's son told her everything. The girl said:
"Not far from here stands the palace of the *devas* (demons). Go to them and order them to build a golden bridge across the river by morning."
The *devas* set to work. In the morning, the *kadzhi* looked out and saw the bridge shining so brightly it hurt his eyes. He was astonished but had no choice. He called the hunter's son and gave him another task:
"Do you see that black horse grazing in the yard? Catch it and tame it!"
The hunter's son went back to the dove-girl. She said:
"That black horse is my mother. Taming it is very dangerous. If you can do this, nothing will frighten you."
She gave him a whip with steel teeth and said, "Just try to mount it, then whip it as hard as you can."
The hunter's son went out and approached the horse. The horse tried to bite him, but the boy managed to jump onto its back. The horse bolted, flying into the sky, trying to throw the boy off. But the boy ducked under its belly. The horse crashed to the ground, and the boy emerged, still on its back. The horse flew and flew but couldn't harm the boy. Thus, the boy completed all the *kadzhi*'s tasks.
The *kadzhi* was amazed. "How does he do it all? Is someone helping him? Surely, my daughter is teaching him!" he thought and went to his daughter to find out the truth. He approached her room and heard, "I am ill and cannot speak to anyone."
The *kadzhi* left. The dove-girl called the boy to her and said:
"My father has figured it out. We are in danger. We must flee and save ourselves. Go, sit on my flying carpet, and we will escape."
They flew away, leaving behind a machine in the room that repeated, "I am ill, I am ill!" No matter how many times the *kadzhi* came to the door, he heard only that his daughter was ill. After three days, he broke down the door and entered her room. She was gone. He immediately went out and asked his wife what to do. She said:
"Mount the boar we have and chase them."
The *kadzhi* mounted the boar and raced after the fugitives. He chased them all day and by evening saw them flying on the carpet. The girl noticed her father and said to the boy:
"Our situation is bad! But don't worry, let's land and turn the carpet into a garden. I will become an old woman, and you will become an old man. He won't recognize us."
The *kadzhi* arrived and saw only a garden with an old man and woman working in it. He asked them, "Did anything fly past here?"
"No," they replied.
The *kadzhi* returned home, and his wife said, "That garden is our carpet, the old man is the boy, and the old woman is our daughter. Go after them now!"
The *kadzhi* chased them again. Meanwhile, the girl and the boy were already flying on the carpet. The girl saw her father coming and turned the carpet into a temple, the boy into a monk, and herself into a nun. The *kadzhi* arrived and asked, "Did anything fly past here?"
"No," they replied.
The *kadzhi* returned home once more, and his wife said, "That nun is our daughter, and the monk is the boy!"
She mounted the boar herself and chased after the fugitives. The girl saw her mother coming and said to the boy:
"My mother is chasing us. Now we cannot escape! I will turn you into a fish, and I will become sea foam. She won't be able to gather all the foam and destroy us. But she will curse me, and you must not forget me or abandon me."
And so it happened. The boy became a fish, and the girl became sea foam. The mother arrived and shouted:
"You cannot hide from me! You are this sea foam, and your beloved is hiding as a fish in the sand. Be sea foam for three years, three months, three weeks, and three days. Only then will you become a girl again."
With that, she left. The hunter's son was heartbroken when he heard this. He emerged from the sea, set up a tent, and began to plow and sow. He lived there, waiting for his bride.
He waited for three years, three months, and three weeks. Only three days remained when three girls came to him and said:
"Choose any of us to be your wife."
The hunter's son thought deeply. He hadn't forgotten his vow, but he chose one of the girls.
She took him to her home, and they began to celebrate their wedding.
Meanwhile, the curse's time had passed. The girl who had been sea foam emerged from the sea. She looked around but saw no sign of her beloved. She caught two birds, gave them to some children, and said:
"Take these birds and release them on the table of the bride and groom."
The children took the birds and did as she asked. The birds began to chirp and argue. One of them said:
"Leave me alone, I don't trust men!"
"Why?" asked the other.
"Because this man," the bird pointed at the groom, "waited for his bride for three years, three months, and three weeks, but couldn't wait three more days and forgot her."
When the hunter's son heard this, he jumped up and ran to where he had left his bride. She was already waiting for him at the gate. They rejoiced and celebrated their wedding.
They held a grand feast and lived happily ever after. Yesterday they were there, and today they are here, in our village council.
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