The Flower of Ezvan

Once upon a time, there lived a mother and her son. They were very poor.

When the son grew up, he said:
"Mother, I want to get married."
"Very well," said the mother.

But none of the girls pleased him. His mother said:
"Go to the river and throw a piece of bread into it every day. On the twentieth day, you will find yourself a wife."

The son went to the river and threw a piece of bread into it each day.
On the twentieth day, his mother passed away. He buried her properly.

He went to the river, threw the twentieth piece of bread, and a girl emerged from the water.
He took her home, and they began to live as husband and wife.

One day, the husband said:
"I no longer wish to live here. Let us move to another kingdom."
His wife refused, but he eventually convinced her.

They moved to another kingdom and settled there.
One day, the wife was working in the yard when the king's advisor of that land saw her.
He was very taken with her beauty and went to the king, saying:
"I saw a beautiful woman, the wife of a poor man who recently settled here. She would make a fine wife for you."

The king replied, "What are you saying? I already have a wife and a daughter. And how can I take another man's wife?"
The advisor said, "Let us think of something he cannot do, and then we can take his wife."

"What shall we think of?"
"Let us demand that he bring eggs from which all the birds and beasts in the world will hatch."

The next day, they summoned the young man and said:
"If you can bring such eggs, we will let you keep your wife. If not, we will take her."

The young man was distressed. He went home and told his wife.
She said, "Why have you doomed me? I told you we should not have come here. What shall we do now?"

After thinking for a while, she said:
"Go to the river where you found me, call for my mother three times, and ask her for the eggs of the white hen."

The young man went to the river, approached it, and called out:
"Mother-in-law, mother-in-law!"
She emerged from the water. The son-in-law said:
"Your daughter asks for the eggs of the white hen."

The mother-in-law went and brought two eggs, handing them to him. He left.
Night fell on his way back. He climbed a tree but accidentally dropped one egg. It broke, and all the birds and beasts in the world flew and scattered into the forest. The young man was amazed. He climbed down and continued home, hardly believing what had happened.

He brought the remaining egg to the king. The king cracked it open, and birds and beasts poured out. They built a fence around them, and everyone marveled.

The wicked advisor said to the king:
"Let us think of something else he cannot do, and then we can take his wife."
"What shall we think of?" asked the king.
"Let us demand that he bring a cluster of grapes large enough to feed all our troops and have enough left to make wine."

They summoned the young man and said:
"Bring us such a cluster of grapes that it can feed all our troops and still have enough to make wine."

The young man was distressed. He went home and told his wife. She scolded him again:
"I told you not to come here, but what's done is done. Go to the river, call for my mother, and ask her for a cluster of their grapes."

He went to the river, stood by the bank, and called:
"Mother-in-law, mother-in-law!"
She emerged and asked:
"What do you need?"
"Your daughter asks for a cluster of your grapes."

The mother-in-law understood that something was wrong with her daughter and asked:
"Why does she need these grapes?"
"I don't know," said the son-in-law. "She asked for them but didn't say why."

The mother-in-law went and brought a cluster of grapes, handing it to him. He carried it back. On the way, he grew hungry and ate one grape. It filled him up completely! He was amazed and continued home, hardly believing what he carried.

He brought the grapes to the king. The king fed his troops with them, and there was still enough left to make wine.

The advisor said to the king:
"Let us take his wife."
"How can we take her?" asked the king.
"Let us demand that he bring a child who knows fourteen languages and can converse with all your advisors in those languages."

The king summoned the young man and said:
"If you bring such a child, we will let you keep your wife. If not, we will take her."

The young man was distressed. He went home and told his wife. She scolded him again for not listening to her but then instructed him:
"Go to the river, call for my mother, and ask her if our sister-in-law, who was pregnant, has given birth. If she has, ask her to send the child to us for a while."

He went to the river and called:
"Mother-in-law, mother-in-law!"
She emerged and asked what he needed.
"Your daughter asks if our sister-in-law has given birth. If so, please send the child to us for a while."

The mother-in-law said:
"Wait, my son. She is about to give birth."
She left, and he waited. After a while, she returned with the newborn.

As soon as the child saw the young man, it said:
"Hello, uncle! How are you?"
The young man was amazed that a newborn could speak so well. They walked together, and the child chatted like an adult.

They arrived home. The boy saw his aunt and said:
"Hello, aunt! How are you?"
They took him to the king. The fourteen royal advisors, each from a different country, were seated there. The child entered and spoke with each in their own language. Everyone was astonished.

After speaking with everyone, the child left with his uncle. He bid farewell to his aunt and uncle and returned home.

The advisors said:
"Let us think of something else."
They summoned the young man and said:
"If you bring the flower of Ezhavan, we will let you keep your wife. If not, we will take her."

He replied:
"Very well, but give me nine months. In the meantime, leave someone with my wife."
They gave him the king's daughter. He brought her to his wife and left her there.

His wife gave him her ring so he would not forget her and said:
"Take the king's horse."
He went and took the horse, then set off.

He traveled far and wide, asking everyone about the flower of Ezhavan. No one knew where it could be found.

After eight months of searching, he met an old woman. She said:
"This flower is kept by a beautiful maiden. To find her, ask the three brothers who live over there." She pointed and left.

He approached the youngest brother's house. The wife came out, and he explained why he had come. She went inside, shouting and scolding her husband. The husband, an old, hunched man, came out and asked:
"How can I find the maiden who keeps the flower of Ezhavan?"
The man replied:
"My middle brother will tell you."

He went to the middle brother's house. The wife came out, and he explained his quest. She went inside, shouting and scolding her husband. The husband, an old, hunched man, came out and asked:
"How can I find the maiden who keeps the flower of Ezhavan?"
The man replied:
"My eldest brother will tell you."

He went to the eldest brother's house. The wife came out and said:
"He is asleep. I will tell him when he wakes, but I won't wake him."
The young man was surprised: the other wives had shouted and scolded their husbands, but this one was careful not to wake hers. He sat and waited. Time was running out—only a week remained.

Finally, the eldest brother woke up. His wife told him, and he came out. The young man was amazed: the eldest brother was young and handsome, while the younger brothers were old men. His wife had taken such care of him that she wouldn't even wake him.

The eldest brother said:
"The maiden lives in a tower with no entrance. She will come to the roof and let down her hair to the ground. Wait below, grab her hair, and wind it tightly around your hand. She will pull you up, and you must seize her and swear to be her husband. Otherwise, she will destroy you and not let you go alive."

The young man went to the tower and waited below.
The maiden came out and let down her hair. He hesitated, afraid. She did it a second and third time. Finally, he grabbed her hair and wound it around his hand.

She pulled him up. He almost fell but held on tightly.
She welcomed him and treated him well. After feasting, he said:
"I swore to be your husband, but I already have a wife. I came to save her."

The maiden said:
"That's fine. I will still be your wife."
He told her how the king wanted to take his wife and why he needed the flower of Ezhavan. Time was running out.

The maiden had wind-horses. She plucked the flower of Ezhavan and gave it to him. They mounted the horses, and she commanded:
"Fly to that kingdom."
The horses flew like the wind. They arrived just as the nine-month deadline was about to expire. The king's men were about to take the young man's wife.

He approached the house and knocked. The king's daughter thought it was her father and said:
"Wait, Father. There are still a few minutes left. He might still come."
But the young man knocked again, unwilling to wait.

They wouldn't open the door. Angry, he broke a window and threw his wife's ring inside, shouting:
"It's me! I've returned!"
They were overjoyed and opened the door. He brought the flower of Ezhavan to the king.

The king and his advisors were amazed that he had obtained the flower and returned alive. They didn't know what to do next.

The young man returned home, but the maiden said:
"The king will never leave you in peace. Go and tell him: if I can build a bridge across the river by morning, large enough for you, your troops, advisors, and all your houses, shops, and gardens to fit on, then leave my wife with me. If not, take her."

He went and told the king as the maiden had instructed.
By morning, the maiden had stretched one of her hairs across the river. A bridge formed, complete with houses, shops, and gardens.

The king, his advisors, and troops crossed the bridge, celebrating and feasting.
After a while, the maiden pulled her hair back. The bridge collapsed, and everyone fell into the river and drowned.

The maiden, the young man, and his wife returned home.
Later, he married the maiden to someone else.

They celebrated her wedding, and the young man and his wife returned to their old home, where they lived happily ever after.

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The Flower of Ezvan

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