About the Stone Youth
Once upon a time, there lived a king. For a long time, he was childless, and only in his old age was a son born to him. The king doted on his son, fearing that someone might curse or harm him. He hid his son in a tall tower, where he was fed and cared for, never allowed to leave.And so, the prince grew up in confinement.
The prince caught the sun's favor. Every morning, as the sun rose, it would immediately illuminate the prince's tower, sending its first ray directly into his eyes to wake him. The young man would rise, dress, wash, approach the window, gaze at the sun, and yawn. This offended the sun, but it loved the young man and endured it.
For a long time, the sun endured this offense from its beloved, but finally, it grew angry, struck the prince, and turned him to stone. By day, the prince turned to stone, but by night, he came back to life.
The king grieved deeply. He built a beautiful temple in a dense forest and laid his son there. One night, a young woman came to the temple and stayed with the prince. That very night, she conceived, and when the time came to give birth, the prince told her:
"Go to my father and ask for a place to stay, even if it’s in a henhouse."
She went to the king and asked. They gave her a place in an empty goose shed, and there she gave birth to a son. At night, the prince came, pressed himself to a crack, and asked:
"Iasaman-gulisaman, how are you and how is my son?"
"Your son lies in straw, and so do I," replied his wife.
With a heavy heart, the prince left.
When the king learned that his son had come at night, he ordered his daughter-in-law to be moved to better quarters and laid on soft down and silk. On the second night, the prince came again and pressed himself to the door.
"Iasaman-gulisaman, how are you and how is my son?"
"Your son lies in down, and I in silk," replied his wife.
Overjoyed, the prince left.
The king wished to see his son and ordered his daughter-in-law: "When your husband comes, ask him to enter and bring you water."
On the third night, the prince came and pressed himself to the door.
"Iasaman-gulisaman, how are you and how is my son?"
"Your son lies in down, and I in silk," said his wife. "Come in and bring us water."
The prince entered, and his family surrounded him, showering him with affection and kisses.
Morning came, and the prince turned to stone. He turned to stone and no longer came to life, neither by day nor by night—he should not have waited for dawn. His wife and family grieved, but what could they do?
Meanwhile, the king's grandson grew by leaps and bounds. One day, while playing by the riverbank, he threw a stone and broke an old woman's jug. The old woman turned to him.
"I won’t curse you, for your grandfather is already so unfortunate, but it would be better if you went and sought a way to help your father."
The boy grew thoughtful. He went to his mother.
"Why so gloomy, my dear?" asked his mother.
"Where is my father?" asked the son.
His mother grew sad.
"You see that stone? That is your father," she said, and she told him everything.
The son said, "I will go and find the mother of the sun and beg her for help," and he set off.
He walked and walked until he saw plowmen in a field. Their plows, harnesses, yokes, and all their gear were made of iron. They had harnessed nine pairs of oxen, beating and driving them, killing the animals, and sweating themselves, but to no avail.
"Greetings!"
"Greetings to you! Where are you headed?"
"I seek the mother of the sun."
"Why?"
The youth told them everything. The plowmen pleaded:
"Be a friend and find out what curse has befallen us. We cannot plow the land, no matter how hard we try."
"Very well, I will find out," said the youth, and he continued on his way.
He walked and walked until he saw shepherds tending sheep. The sheep could barely move, their wool dragging on the ground, and they were dying from the heat.
"Greetings!"
"Greetings to you! Where are you headed?"
"I seek the mother of the sun."
The shepherds pleaded:
"Be a friend and find out what we must do. As you can see, we are perishing, enslaved by the devil."
"Very well, I will find out."
The youth spent the night with the shepherds and set off again in the morning.
He walked and walked until he saw a stag. Its muzzle was pressed to the ground, and its antlers had grown so large they reached the sky. The stag stood, unable to move.
The youth asked:
"Let me climb your antlers to reach the sky."
"Very well," said the stag, "but find out what I must do to rid myself of these antlers—I am perishing."
"Very well, I will find out."
The boy climbed the antlers and reached the mother of the sun.
"What brings you here, my son?" she asked.
He told her:
"The sun turned my father to stone. I wish to know how to help him. Teach me!"
"That is not difficult, my son," said the mother of the sun. "Wait, my son will return, and I will ask him."
She blew on the boy, turning him into an onion, and tossed him under a couch.
The sun returned. His mother said:
"My son, you roam the world all day, yet you never tell me what happens there."
"Very well, I will tell you, mother. There was a king who had an only son. I grew fond of him, and every morning, as I rose, I sent my first rays to him. He would rise, dress, and yawn in my face. I endured it for a long time, but finally, I struck him and turned him to stone. If someone were to bring him water from my bath and sprinkle it on him, he would come back to life at once."
"There are also plowmen on earth. All their gear is made of iron, and they harness nine pairs of oxen. They beat the animals and drive them, but the oxen can barely pull one plow. How can they plow the land? If someone were to tell them to make everything from wood, with only the plowshares made of iron, and to use leather or rope for the harness, they would plow the land wonderfully."
"There are also shepherds on earth. Their sheep can barely drag their wool and are dying from the heat. If someone were to tell them to make iron shears and shear the sheep twice a year, the wool would be useful, and the sheep would thrive and multiply."
"There is also a stag on earth. Since it was born, its antlers have grown and grown, reaching the sky. If someone were to tell it to drink May water and shake its head, all the old antlers would fall off..."
Morning came, the sun rose, washed, and left. The mother of the sun collected water in a jug and gave it to the boy.
He climbed down the stag's antlers and instructed it:
"Drink May water and shake your head—all the old antlers will fall off."
The stag did so and was freed from its antlers.
Then the youth went to the shepherds and taught them what to do. The shepherds made iron shears, sheared the sheep—the wool was useful, and the sheep grew healthy.
The youth went to the plowmen and taught them as the sun had instructed. They made wooden plows, wooden yokes, and rope harnesses, leaving only the plowshares made of iron. The oxen pulled, and the earth was turned over. The plowmen were satisfied, and the animals recovered.
The youth brought the sun's water home, sprinkled it on his father, and brought him back to life.
And there was a great celebration throughout the kingdom.
More fairy tales
- Dauta and Petrikela
- How the Servant Comforted the Master
- Three Brothers and the Bald Trickster
- Yelovik
- About Two Brothers Who Had Unfaithful Wives
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