Three Brothers and the Dove

Whether it happened or not, there lived three brothers. The two older brothers decided to get rid of the youngest. They didn’t want to kill him, so they said to him:

"Let’s see who among us is the strongest: we’ll shoot arrows, and whoever brings theirs back first will prove himself a fine fellow."

They shot their arrows so far that they couldn’t even see them. They went to search for them. The youngest brother walked and searched, but the arrows were nowhere to be found.

Whether he walked for a long time or not, he eventually arrived in a kingdom. There, he saw an old woman living alone. The youngest brother approached her and said:

"Let me spend the night at your place."

The old woman was very happy to see him, welcomed him in, and asked:

"What brings you here, my son?"

The youngest brother told her everything and then said: "I want to get married."

The old woman said:

"Not far from here, there’s a lake where three doves come to bathe. Go to that lake, hide, and steal the youngest dove’s wing. Don’t give it back until she agrees to become your wife."

The young man went and hid by the lake.

The doves flew in, shed their feathers, and entered the water to bathe. He crept up, grabbed the youngest dove’s wing, and hid it.

After bathing, the doves came out. The two older ones dressed in their feathers and flew away, but the youngest remained.

She cried out:

"Who are you? Speak up!"

The young man didn’t respond.

The dove cried out again:

"Speak, and I’ll be your sister!"

Still, the young man didn’t respond.

"What do you want?" the dove asked.

"Be my wife," the young man replied.

The dove agreed. The young man came out, led her to his hut, and began living there with his young wife.

He went to work for the king, and that’s how they made their living.

One day, the young man said to the king:

"Give me a room."

"Here," said the king, "there are nine rooms. Choose any and live there."

The young man took his wife and settled with her in the ninth room. The king’s advisors saw the dove and marveled at her beauty.

They came to the king and said:

"What kind of wife do you have? This young man’s wife is a true beauty!"

"How can his wife be more beautiful than mine?" the king grew angry.

"She is more beautiful," the advisors insisted.

"What should we do to him?" the king asked.

The courtiers advised:

"There’s a forest on the mountain—order him to cut down all the trees and bring them to the palace in one day. If he fails, take his wife."

The king summoned the young man and said:

"Go and cut down all the trees and bring them to the palace in one day. If you fail, I’ll take your wife!"

The young man grew sad and went to his wife. She asked:

"Why are you so downcast?"

He told her everything. His wife said:

"Go to sleep. Leave it to me."

She went outside, turned a ring on her hand, and all the warriors of her older sisters appeared before her.

The dove said:

"Go and cut down all the trees in that forest in one day and bring them to the king’s courtyard."

The warriors rushed off, cut down the trees, and brought them to the king’s courtyard. In the evening, the young man carried a bundle of branches on his back, went to the king, dropped it, and said:

"Give me new clothes—I’ve worn out the old ones."

"Bring him some," the king said.

They ran and brought him new clothes.

The advisors came to the king again and said:

"What kind of wife do you have? This young man’s wife is a true beauty. Your wife could only serve her and wash her hands, and even that would be an honor."

The king was furious:

"How can his wife be better than mine!"

They decided:

"Take him hunting, send him ahead, and kill him."

They told the young man:

"You’ll go hunting with the king!"

He came home and told his wife:

"I’m going hunting with the king."

"Oh, woe is me! They’ll send your horse ahead and kill you. Bridle your horse with nine bridles and nine reins, hang stirrups weighing a pood each, and ride."

His wife also gave him a ring and said:

"When they aim their arrows at you, throw the ring into the air. It will turn into a golden ball. Catch it, give it to the king, and ride beside him."

The young man did exactly that.

When they aimed their arrows at him, he threw the ring, and it turned into a golden ball. He caught it in the air, rode up to the king, and handed it to him. Then he rode beside the king.

What could the king do? He summoned the young man again and said:

"See that field? Plow it, harrow it, sow it, weed it, harvest it, thresh the grain, grind it, bring the flour, and stack it in my courtyard. Do it all in one day—good. If not, I’ll kill you."

"Very well," said the young man, "it’s your will."

He came home.

"Why are you so downcast?" his wife asked.

"How can I not be? The king ordered me to plow that field, harrow it, sow it, weed it, harvest it, thresh the grain, grind it, bring the flour, and stack it in his courtyard—all in one day. If I don’t, he’ll kill me."

His wife went outside, turned her ring, and all the warriors of her sisters flew in. The dove ordered them:

"Plow, harrow, weed that field, harvest it, thresh the grain, grind it, and bring the flour to the king’s courtyard."

The warriors did everything and brought the flour to the king’s courtyard. The young man carried the last sack on his back, went to the king’s courtyard, and dropped it by the door.

The king was amazed and didn’t know what to do. The advisors came again and said:

"What kind of wife do you have? This young man’s wife is a true beauty!"

The king grew angry and shouted:

"How can his wife be better than mine! What should we do to him? How can we destroy him?"

The advisors said:

"Order him to bring ‘something neither you nor I know.’ If he doesn’t bring it, order him killed!"

The king summoned the young man and said:

"Bring me ‘something neither you nor I know.’ If you don’t, I’ll order you killed!"

The young man came home, more downcast than ever.

"What’s wrong?" the dove asked. "Why are you so sad? What did the king say?"

"He ordered me to bring ‘something neither you nor I know,’ or he’ll kill me. But what is it, and where can I find it?"

The dove went outside, turned her ring, and all the warriors of her older sisters flew in.

The dove asked:

"Find out what ‘something neither you nor I know’ is and where it can be found."

No one knew what it was or where to find it.

Suddenly, a little lame frog came hopping, lagging behind the others.

The dove stretched out her hand, and the frog jumped onto it. The dove asked:

"Little frog, can you tell me where to find ‘something neither you nor I know’?"

The frog said:

"An old woman knows—go to her, and she’ll tell you."

The young man went to the old woman and asked:

"Can you tell me what ‘something neither you nor I know’ is and where to find it?"

The old woman gave him a wheel, pointed to a temple in the forest, and said:

"Go to that temple. On your way, you’ll come across a sea. Roll this wheel across the sea, and it will form a bridge. Cross the bridge, approach the temple, kneel, and say: ‘Trust me, sister! Trust me, sister!’ The doors will open."

The young man went, reached the sea, threw the wheel, and it formed a bridge. He crossed the bridge, knelt by the temple, and cried out:

"Trust me, sister! Trust me, sister!"

He stood there for a whole month, calling:

"Trust me, sister! Trust me, sister!"

Finally, the doors opened, and an old man came out and led the young man inside. The young man entered the temple. He was terrified.

The old man said:

"Don’t be afraid, my son." He fed him, let him rest, and then gave him Tarumbala, saying:

"Take care of Tarumbala. If you lose him, woe to you!"

Tarumbala was invisible, but he could do anything commanded.

The young man walked, carrying Tarumbala, and headed home.

On the way, he met a merchant who had an organ.

This organ was special—when you turned the handle, armies would appear.

"Let’s sit and have breakfast together," the merchant said to the young man.

They sat down. The young man called out:

"Tarumbala, bring water!"

Water appeared, pouring over their hands to wash them, but no one saw where it came from or who brought it.

"Tarumbala, bring roasted meat!"

Everything appeared ready, but no one saw where it came from. The merchant was amazed and said:

"Let’s trade: I’ll give you my organ, and you give me Tarumbala."

"What’s in your organ?" the young man asked.

"This!" the merchant said, turning the handle. Armies poured out of it, countless in number.

"Shall we trade?" the merchant asked.

"Let’s trade!" the young man said.

He took the organ and walked on.

The merchant thought Tarumbala was now his and would serve him.

He walked and walked, grew tired, sat under a tree, and said:

"Tarumbala, bring water!"

But no water came.

The merchant thought, "Why isn’t he obeying me?"

But Tarumbala had long since gone after the young man and was serving him.

The young man grew hungry on the road:

"Tarumbala, bring a boiled chicken!"

A boiled chicken appeared at once. The young man ate well, rested, and continued on his way.

Meanwhile, the king was already taking the dove to himself, thinking the young man wouldn’t return and would perish.

They brought the dove, and just as the king was about to marry her, her husband entered the courtyard. Seeing what was happening, he cried out:

"Tarumbala, bring rain—heavy rain!"

Suddenly, rain poured from the sky—a downpour so strong it washed everything away.

The young man turned the organ’s handle, and armies appeared. He sent them against the king and his courtiers, killing them all.

And so, the kingdom became his, and his wife, the dove, stayed with him.

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Three Brothers and the Dove

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