The Great Eagle and the Hunter

There was, or perhaps there wasn’t, a poor hunter. One day, he was walking through a field and saw an eagle sitting on an oak tree, its wings covering two neighboring oaks—it was so large. The hunter drew his bowstring, aimed his arrow, and suddenly the eagle spoke:

"Do not kill me, hunter. My wing is broken. Take me with you, heal me, feed me. I will repay you with kindness."

The hunter brought the bird home. His wife cried out—they had nothing to eat themselves, and now they had to feed an eagle!

Indeed, they were very poor—they lived in hunger, with nothing to stick between their teeth.

Three weeks passed. The eagle recovered, grew stronger, and said:

"Let me try to fly to the oaks."

The eagle flapped its wings and barely made it across the yard, landing on the ground.

"Take me back, human," the bird pleaded. "I don’t have my former strength yet."

Two weeks passed. The eagle tried again to test its strength. It soared toward the three oaks and landed on them. It wanted to fly further but couldn’t. It returned to the hunter once more.

The hunter’s wife scolded him, but he didn’t listen—he nursed the eagle, fed it, gave it water, and treated its broken wing.

Another week passed, and the eagle fully recovered.

It soared into the sky, flew over the three oaks, circled above the distant forest, and landed again in front of the hunter’s house.

"Thank you, kind man. I have recovered," the eagle said. "Climb onto my back, and I will take you to my kin. They will offer you gifts, but take nothing. Ask for the rusty box."

The eagle soared into the clouds, flew toward the high cliffs beyond the forest, and landed at its nest. It told its kin how the hunter had saved it from death.

Then the eagle’s mate laid out gold, silver, precious stones, and various treasures before the hunter.

"Take whatever you desire."

The hunter looked at nothing and refused everything.

"What do you want, human?"

"Give me the rusty box."

The eagle’s mate pretended not to hear. She showed the hunter wondrous things—each more beautiful than the last. The hunter stood up as if to leave.

"Fine, don’t go. I’ll give you the box!" said the eagle’s mate, though she continued to pour gold and silver before him.

The hunter grew angry. So did the eagle’s son:

"I’ll fly away from you! This man saved my life, and you begrudge him a rusty box!"

Fearing that her son might leave with the hunter, the eagle’s mate gave him the rusty box and warned:

"Do not open it until you return home!"

The hunter walked home, but doubt crept into his mind: why had he taken the rusty box? "Maybe I’ve been tricked? Let me see what’s inside," he thought.

He opened the box, and houses, shops, and people poured out! In an instant, a bustling city appeared—residents bustling about, merchants trading, noise and cheerful chatter everywhere. And from the box, more houses and people kept emerging.

The hunter was stunned, bewildered, and didn’t know how to close the box. The city kept growing and growing.

Suddenly, a Black Demon appeared—as if he had risen from the ground.

"Why are you despairing, human?" the demon asked.

The hunter told him of his trouble. The demon said:

"Give me what you do not know you have, and I will put the city back into the box."

"I will," the hunter promised.

He didn’t know that while he was with the eagle, his wife had given birth to a golden-haired boy, and the demon had heard of it.

The demon packed the entire city back into the box and slammed the lid shut. Everything around became empty again.

"Do not forget our agreement," the demon said. "In fifteen years, you will send me what you promised."

The hunter returned home and found he had a golden-haired son! The poor man realized he would have to give the boy to the demon. He grieved and grieved but eventually calmed down—he had fifteen years ahead, and who knew what might happen? Maybe the demon would die by then.

But fifteen years passed. The hunter’s son grew into a handsome and brave young man.

The hunter told his son about the promise he had made to the Black Demon.

"Do not grieve, father. I am not afraid of the Black Demon. I will go to him. If I do not return, consider that you never had a son."

The young man’s mother prepared him for the journey, giving him a leather bag with bread and sheep’s cheese. He kissed his parents and set off to find the Black Demon.

He walked and walked, and by evening he met an ancient old woman.

"Where are you headed, son?" she asked.

"I am going to the Black Demon."

"Do not go to him, son. The demon will eat you."

"I am not afraid of him!"

"If that is so, heed my advice. When you reach the Black Demon’s domain, you will see a river. Every morning, the demon’s daughter bathes there. Hide her dress and do not return it until she promises to help you."

The young man did everything as the old woman instructed. He hid in the bushes by the riverbank and waited. At dawn, the girl descended to the river. She bathed and splashed in the water, and the young man ran out of the bushes, grabbed her dress, and hid it. The girl swam to the shore, ready to step out, but saw the young man standing there, her dress gone.

"Put my dress back, or I’ll call my father!" she said. The young man remained silent.

"Put it back, I said! My father will eat you anyway—you’re not the first!"

"Help me, and he won’t eat me."

"Return my dress, and I’ll help you escape," the girl promised.

The young man gave her the dress and told her why he had come to her father’s domain.

"As soon as my father sets you a task, come to me," the girl instructed and left.

The young man stood before the demon and said:

"My father sent me to you, as he promised. What do you want from me, Black Demon?"

"It is good that he sent you. I did not have to come for you. Now you are my prisoner. Rest today, and tomorrow you will go to fetch the water of life. You have three days. If you do not bring it, blame yourself."

Morning came. The young man went to the demon’s daughter to ask what to do.

— The spring of living water lies beyond nine mountains, in a narrow gorge, and the entrance to the gorge is guarded by lions. You must take two sheep with you and give one to each lion. The journey to this spring takes a year, and without a winged horse, you won’t make it back in three days. Rashy is chained to a tall poplar tree in the forest beyond the river. If you can bridle him, you’ll obtain the living water; if not, my father will devour you.

The young man set off for the forest beyond the river.

In the dense thicket, he heard a soft whinny. He saw a scrawny Rashy tied to a poplar tree with a bridle adorned with diamond bits. The ground around him was barren—not a blade of grass or a single stem in sight.

— Save me, human, don’t let me starve to death. I will serve you faithfully,— pleaded Rashy.

The young man untied the winged horse and led him by the reins to a clearing where tall, lush grass grew. Then he went and procured two sheep. For two days, Rashy regained his strength, and on the third day, he carried the young man and his sheep on his back. He soared into the sky, flew over nine mountains, and landed the rider at the entrance to the gorge. The young man threw a sheep to each lion and slipped past them to the spring of living water.

The young man looked: the spring gushed from the ground, and beside it sat an old man—his beard reaching his knees, his face overgrown with moss.

— Leave this place, son! The hundred-headed dev will return from the hunt any moment now, and he’ll swallow you alive!

The young man only laughed in response. He filled a jug and handed it to the old man:

— Drink the living water, don’t fear the hundred-headed dev.

The moss-covered old man drank the water and turned into a slender youth.

He thanked the brave traveler, and together they left the gorge.

Rashy carried the hunter’s son back to the dev’s domain. He flew faster than the wind, hurrying, for the sun was about to set, and the young man wouldn’t make it in time to bring the dev the living water.

Just as Rashy touched the ground, the sun dipped below the horizon.

The young man brought the living water to the Black Dev, but the dev was not pleased.

— Fine, let’s see,— he said,— how skilled you really are! I have an untamable horse. If you can ride him, you’ll live; if not, you’ll lose your head.

The young man went to the dev’s daughter and told her about the new task her father had set for him.

— This is no easy task. My father will transform himself into the horse you must ride. I’ll give you an iron hammer and a bridle. When the horse soars into the sky and tries to crush you, move under its belly. If it starts tossing you over the mountains, strike its head with the hammer and turn back home.

Morning came.

The young man took the bridle, the hammer, and jumped onto the dev-horse.

The horse soared into the sky, trying to crush the rider against the heavens, but the young man grabbed its mane and slipped under its belly. Then the horse plummeted like a stone toward the earth, but the young man managed to swing back onto its back. Three times the dev-horse soared into the sky and three times it plummeted, but each time the young man escaped death. The dev saw that he couldn’t outwit the young man and, like a whirlwind, carried him to the high mountains—tossing him over peaks and slopes. The young man took out the hammer and began striking the dev on the head. Unable to endure it, the dev turned back home. The young man jumped to the ground, grabbed the horse by the bridle, and lashed it once more with a whip. The dev-horse, in pain, jerked free, tore off its bridle, and fled to the stable. There, it resumed its true form and came out into the yard.

— What’s wrong, Black Dev? Your head is covered in bumps, and you’re bruised all over,— the young man feigned surprise.

— It was you who beat me. You weren’t riding a horse—you were riding me!— admitted the dev.— I see you’re brave and clever. Bring me Rashy Tvalchytu from the herd of my sworn enemy, the nine-headed dev. Then I’ll let you go free.

Once again, the young man went to the dev’s daughter.

— My father has given you a difficult task, but don’t despair. Ask him for nine bridles, nine diamond bits, a diamond chain, and a saddle. Tvalchytu is the fastest of all winged horses—no one can catch him—but we’ll try.

In the morning, the young man asked the dev for nine bridles, nine diamond bits, a diamond chain, and a saddle. He set out with the girl to the mountain pasture where the nine-headed dev’s herd grazed.

The girl took a red apple from her pocket and said:

— In my hour of need, I call upon you, appear, red giants!

Instantly, nine tall red giants stood before her. She pointed to Rashy Tvalchytu, gave them the bridles and bits, and ordered them to catch him.

Tvalchytu nibbled on grass, glancing around to see if anyone was sneaking up on him.

As soon as the red giants approached, Tvalchytu reared up and scattered them with his hooves.

The girl was saddened and began to cry. If the red giants couldn’t catch Tvalchytu, how could a human boy manage? She felt sorry for the brave young man. She took out a sharp knife and said to him:

— If you perish, I won’t live either!

They embraced, said their goodbyes, and the young man set off to catch Rashy.

Tvalchytu had heard and seen everything.

— I don’t wish for your deaths,— he said.— Come, mount me, and I’ll carry you wherever you wish.

The girl and the young man ran to Rashy, hugged his neck, and kissed both his eyes.

— Take us to my homeland,— said the young man.

Like a whirlwind, Tvalchytu soared into the sky, racing like a torrent through a gorge, like the wind over mountains. Meanwhile, the Black Dev waited for the young man, growing impatient. He called for his daughter, wanting to send her to check on the captive. But the girl didn’t respond—she was nowhere to be found. The dev realized his daughter had gone to help the young man. He rushed to the mountain slope where Rashy grazed, but the horse was gone! The dev climbed to the summit and scanned the surroundings. In the distance, he saw a horse with two riders and gave chase.

Tvalchytu heard the dev’s thundering footsteps and turned the girl into a ripe field, the young man into an oak tree, and himself into a reaper.

The dev ran up and saw a reaper standing under an oak tree, wiping sweat from his brow.

— Listen, man, have you seen a young man and a girl riding a horse?— asked the dev.

— I’ve been reaping here since morning, dying from the heat. I haven’t seen anyone passing by!

The Black Dev turned back. After a short while, he slapped his forehead—realizing Tvalchytu had tricked him. He set off in pursuit again.

The fugitives had raced far ahead, barely visible to the dev. He ran after them, nearly catching up, when suddenly they disappeared near a dense forest.

At the forest’s edge, an old man wandered, gathering firewood. This was Tvalchytu, transformed into an old man. He had turned the young man into grass and the girl into flowers.

— Listen, old man, have you seen a young man and a girl riding a horse?— asked the dev.

— I’ve been here since morning, exhausted, barely dragging my feet. I haven’t seen anyone passing by!

The foolish dev turned back. After a short distance, he realized Tvalchytu had tricked him again.

— Fool, fool, I’ve been outwitted again,— the dev cursed himself.

For the third time, he set off after the fugitives. Tvalchytu had carried them far away.

The Black Dev ran and nearly caught up with the cunning Tvalchytu, but Rashy turned himself into a bottomless lake, and the young man and the girl into ducks. The water shimmered, ripples spread across the surface, and the ducks floated peacefully.

The Black Dev saw: Tvalchytu had vanished, and in his place was a lake. He guessed where the fugitives had gone.

— You won’t trick me this time!— shouted the dev.

He ran to the lake and began drinking the water. He drank and drank without pause, determined to drain the lake and catch the ducks. The dev swelled from the water, swelling so much that he collapsed and burst.

Tvalchytu turned back into a winged horse, restored his friends to their true forms, and carried them onward to the young man’s homeland.

There, they have lived happily ever since.

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