Three Brave Men and Three Maidens

Once upon a time, there were three brave men. One day, they heard a rumor that three beautiful maidens lived in an old well, and the brave men decided they wanted to marry them. So, they agreed: the eldest brave man would marry the eldest maiden, the middle one would marry the middle maiden, and the youngest would marry the youngest maiden.

They reached the well, and the eldest brave man tied a rope around himself and descended into the well. First, he rescued the youngest maiden, then the middle one, and finally, he was about to rescue the eldest when she said:

"Climb up first, brave man, and I will follow you! Otherwise, your brothers will see that I am the most beautiful and will want to marry me, leaving you here."

The brave man did not listen and refused to climb up first. Then the maiden said:

"I know you will remain in the well. Take these two hazelnuts: in one is a celestial dress, with stars along the hem, and in the other is an earthly dress, with flowers along the hem. The dresses are sewn without needle or thread. Two sheep will run past—one black and one white. If you manage to jump on the white one, it will carry you to the Upper World, the world of people; if you jump on the black one, you will end up in the Lower World, the underground world of shadows."

Having said this, the maiden climbed out of the well. When the brave men saw her, they were blinded by her beauty, and each decided to marry her, refusing to throw the rope back to their brother in the well. The maiden sat in the palace, and the middle brave man came to her:

"Do you want silver, do you want gold, will you marry me?"
"No," she replied, "I do not need silver or gold, and I will not marry you!"

Another came and asked:

"Do you want crystal, do you want pearls, will you become my bride?"
"No," she replied, "I do not need crystal or pearls, but I want two dresses—two gowns sewn without needle or thread. One celestial dress with stars along the hem, and one earthly dress with flowers along the hem. Whoever brings them to me, I will marry!"

Meanwhile, the eldest brave man waited and waited for his brothers to throw him the rope, but they never did. He then hid the hazelnuts in his pocket and began to look around. Suddenly, two sheep ran by. The white sheep ran past, and the brave man tried to jump on it but missed. He then tried to catch the black sheep, managed to grab it, and was carried to the Lower World, near a lonely tree.

The brave man saw a nest in the tree with chicks chirping: a snake was approaching, about to swallow them! In those times, animals could still speak in human voices. The chicks cried out:

"Good man, save us from the snake, it wants to swallow us!"

The brave man did not hesitate and quickly killed the snake, throwing it to the top of the tree. Suddenly, everything shook—the mother of the chicks, a monstrous bird that blocked the sun with its wings, flew in. Seeing the man near the nest, she thought he meant to harm her chicks and fiercely attacked him. The chicks cried out:

"Do not harm him, mother, he is our savior! A huge snake came to swallow us, and he killed it and threw it to the top of the tree!"

The bird then said:

"Thank you, brave man! Every year I hatch eggs, but a snake comes and kills my chicks. How can I repay you for your kindness?"

"If you can, carry me to the Upper World!"
"So be it! But first, you must bring me forty sheep and forty waterskins: they will be useful for our journey."

The brave man gathered everything required. The bird spread its wings, and he placed the sheep and waterskins on them, then climbed on himself. The bird took flight.

When the bird cried "Kra!", the brave man gave it meat. When it cried "Kru!", he gave it water. Finally, the Upper World came into view. The bird cried "Kra!", but the meat was gone! What could the poor man do? He cut a piece of his own leg and threw it to the bird. The bird landed at the city gates, spat out the human flesh, and it reattached itself to the man's leg. The bird thanked the brave man once more, then flew up and disappeared. The brave man entered the city.

On the road, he met a merchant. The brave man asked:

"Take me as your assistant, master!"

The merchant, who was looking for an assistant, gladly agreed.

Days passed, and one day the young man noticed the merchant was sad and asked:

"What troubles you, master, why are you so downcast?"
"What can I say, lad? I have been asked to provide two dresses, sewn without needle or thread. One celestial dress with stars along the hem, and one earthly dress with flowers along the hem. Where can I find such things?!"
"Is that all? No need to despair! Bring me a glass of wine and a bag of sweets, and by morning you will have the dresses!"

The merchant did not believe his assistant but brought what was asked. The brave man locked himself in a room, ate the sweets, drank the wine, and cracked the first hazelnut: the celestial dress appeared, with stars along the hem—it lit up the room. He cracked the second hazelnut: the earthly dress appeared, with flowers along the hem—it filled the room with color.

In the morning, the merchant came, saw the dresses sewn without needle or thread, and was amazed. He ran to the palace to show the dresses to the maiden. When she saw them, she immediately realized the brave man had escaped the well. But she still agreed to marry the middle brave man.

Guests gathered, and the wedding festivities began—music, dancing, and merriment. The merchant and his assistant also attended. As the guests sat at the tables, eating and drinking, the bride and groom approached. The maiden saw the merchant's assistant and instantly recognized him as the eldest brave man!

In the midst of the feast and wedding celebration, the merchant said:

"Here, I will take a grapevine, place it on the table, and if it sprouts leaves, forms clusters, and ripens instantly so that the entire wedding party can eat and be satisfied, we will give the bride to another groom!"

The wedding guests laughed: who had ever seen a grapevine sprout leaves, form clusters, and ripen instantly so that everyone could eat? Nevertheless, they agreed to give the bride to another groom.

The merchant took the grapevine and placed it in the middle of the table. Suddenly, leaves began to grow, clusters formed, and ripe grapes hung in golden bunches. Everyone ate and marveled at the miracle, and the merchant then said:

"The bride will marry the brave man sitting next to me."

And they were wed immediately. There was a wedding, and I was there, feasting. I danced in a red fez.

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Three Brave Men and Three Maidens

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