Огниво

There was a soldier on road: time-two! Time-two! A satchel behind the back, a sabre on one side; it went home from war. On road there was to it an old witch - ugly, opposite: the lower lip hung at it to the breast.

- Fine, служивый! - she has told. - what at you a nice sabre! And a satchel what big! Here the gallant soldier! Well now you will receive money, how many it is necessary for your soul.

- Thanks, an old witch! - the soldier has told.

- You see that old tree? - The witch has told, showing on a tree which stood nearby. - it inside empty. Get upward, there there will be a hollow, you and go down in it, in the bottom! And before that I will tie you with a cord round a belt, you to me shout, and I will pull out you.

- What for to me there to climb? - Has asked soldiers.

- Behind money! - the witch has told. - know, that when you will reach the bottom you will see the big underground course; in it burns more hundreds lamps, and there it is absolutely light. You will see three doors; you can open them, keys stick out outside. Enter into the first room; in the middle of a room you will see the big chest, and on it a dog: eyes at it, as if tea cups! But you be not afraid! I will give you the dark blue checkered apron, spread it on a floor, and itself it is live approach and seize a dog, plant it on an apron, open a chest and take from it money in plenty. In this chest one copper coins; you will want some silver - go in other room; the dog with eyes, as mill wheels there sits! But you be not frightened: put it on an apron and take to itself money. And you will want, so you will get also gold, how many you can carry away; go only to the third room. But at a dog that sits there on a wooden chest, an eye - everyone about a round tower. Here it is a dog! Furious-very wicked! But you it be not afraid: Plant on my apron, and it will not touch you, and you take to itself of gold, how many you want!

- It is not bad! - the soldier has told. - but what you from me for it will take, an old witch? After all something yes from me is necessary for you?

- I will not take from you полушки! - the witch has told. - only bring to me old огниво, it was forgotten there by my grandmother when went down last time.

- Well, tie me with a cord! - the soldier has ordered.

- It is ready! - the witch has told. - here my dark blue checkered apron!

The soldier has got on a tree, has gone down in a hollow and has come to be, as the witch, in the big pass where hundreds lamps burnt has told.

Here it has opened the first door. Oh! The dog with eyes as tea cups, and stared at the soldier There sat.

- Here so well done - the soldier has told, has planted a dog on ведьмин an apron and has typed a full pocket of copper money, has then closed a chest, has again planted on it a dog and has gone to other room. Ah-ah! The dog with eyes, as mill wheels There sat.

- There is nothing you to stare at me, eyes заболят! - the soldier has told and has planted a dog on ведьмин an apron. Having seen in a chest a huge heap of silver, he has thrown out all copper coins and has filled both pockets and a satchel silver. Then the soldier has gone to the third room. Faugh you a precipice! This dog of an eye had exactly like two round towers and span, is exact wheels.

- My respect! - the soldier has told and took under a peak. Such dog it yet видывал.

Long to look at it it, however, did not become, and took and has planted on an apron and has opened a chest. Fathers! How many here was gold! He could buy on it all Copenhagen, all sugar pigs at торговки the sweets, all tin tell-tales, all wooden horsies and all кнутики on light! On all would suffice! The soldier повыбросил from pockets and a satchel silver money and so has filled pockets, a satchel, a cap and boots gold, that hardly could move. Well, at last it was with money! It has again planted a dog on a chest, has then slammed a door, has lifted a head and has cried:

- Drag me, an old witch!

- Огниво took? - The witch has asked.

- Ah lines, nearly has not forgotten! - the soldier has told, has gone and took огниво.

The witch has pulled out it upward, and it has again come to be on road, only now both its pockets, and boots, both a satchel, and a peak-cap have been filled by gold.

- What for to you it огниво? - Has asked soldiers.

- Not your business! - the witch has answered. - has received money, and will suffice from you! Well, give огниво!

- As though not so! - the soldier has told. - now speak, what for to you it, not that I will pull out a sabre yes I will chop off to you a head.

- I will not tell! - the witch has rested.

The soldier took and has chopped off to it a head. The witch was tumbled down dead, and it has fastened all money in its apron, has charged with knot a back, has put огниво in a pocket and has walked directly in a city.

The city was wonderful; the soldier has stopped on the most expensive inn, has occupied the best rooms and has demanded all favourite dishes - now after all it was the rich man!

The servant which cleaned the visitor footwear, was surprised, that at such rich mister such bad boots, but the soldier has not had time to get the new yet. But for other day he has bought both good boots and a rich dress. Now the soldier became the present barin, and to it have told about all miracles what were here, in a city, both about the king, and about its charming daughter, the princess.

- As though it увидать? - Has asked soldiers.

- It in any way it is impossible! - have told to it. - she lives in the huge copper lock, behind high walls with towers. Anybody, except the king, does not dare neither to enter there, nor to leave therefrom because to the king have predicted as if its daughter will marry the simple soldier, and kings of it do not love!

"Here at it to have a look!" - the soldier has thought.

Yes who would allow it?!

Now it has begun to live cheerfully: went to theatres, went to go for a drive in a royal garden and helped the poor much. And well did: he after all on itself(himself) knew, how it is bad to sit without a penny in a pocket! Now it was rich, perfectly put on and has got many friends; all of them named its good fellow, the present gentleman, and it very much was pleasant to it. So it spent all yes spent money, and again to take there was no place, and remains at it eventually only two money! It was necessary to get over from good rooms in a tiny closet under the roof, most to clean to itself boots and even to patch them; anybody from friends did not visit him, - was very high to it to rise!

Time somehow, in the evening, sat the soldier in the closet; absolutely has already darkened, and has recollected about small огарочек in огниве which took in a vault where its witch lowered. The soldier has got огниво and a candle end, but it was necessary to it to strike on кремню as the door has swung open, and before it the dog with eyes, precisely tea cups, that which he saw in a vault has come to be.

- Everything, the mister? - пролаяла it.

- Here so history! - the soldier has told. - «ú¡¿ó«, leaves, a curious bagatelle: I can receive everything, that I will want! Hey you, extract to me деньжонок! - he has told to a dog. Time - it and a trace has caught a cold, two - it again here as here, and in a teeth at it big кошель, filled by copper! Here the soldier has understood, that for wonderful at it огниво. You will strike on кремню time - the dog who sat on a chest with copper money is; you will strike two - that which sat on silver is; you will strike three - the dog that sat on gold resorts.

The soldier has again got over in good rooms, began to go in щегольском a dress, and all its friends have now learnt it and have awfully grown fond.

Here to it also come in a head: "As it is silly, that it is impossible to see the princess. Such beauty, speak, and what to sense? After all it sits the century in the copper lock, at high walls with towers. Really I and will not manage to have a look at it though with half an eye? Well, where mine огниво?" And it has struck on кремню time - at the very same time before it there was a dog with eyes, precisely tea cups.

- Now, the truth, already night, - the soldier has told. - but me to death it wanted to see the princess, though for one minute!

Dog now for a door, also the soldier as she was with the princess has not had time to come round. The princess sat at a dog on a back and slept. It was a miracle as is good; everyone would see at once, that it is the present princess, and the soldier has not restrained and has kissed her, - it after all was the gallant soldier, the present soldier.

The dog has carried the princess back, and behind morning tea the princess has told to the king with the queen whom she had this night a surprising dream about a dog and the soldier: as if it went astride a dog, and the soldier has kissed her.

- Here so history! - the queen has told.

And the next night to bed of the princess have put the old woman the maid of honour - it should find out, whether there was that really a dream or that another.

And again to death it wanted to soldier to see the charming princess. And here at night the dog again was, has seized the princess and has rushed off with it at full speed, but the old woman the maid of honour has put on waterproof boots and has run after. Увидав, that the dog has disappeared with the princess in one big house, the maid of honour has thought: "Now I know, where them to find!", took a chalk piece, has given house collars up as a bad job and has gone home to sleep. But the dog when has incurred the princess back, увидала this cross, too took a piece of a chalk and has set crosses on all collars in a city. It has been thought dexterously up: now the maid of honour could not find the necessary gate - crosses everywhere grew white.

Early in the morning the king with the queen, the old woman the maid of honour and all officers have gone to look, where it there went the princess at night.

- Here where! - the king has told, having seen the first gate with a cross.

- No, here where, the hubby! - the queen has objected, having noticed a cross on other collars.

- And here a cross here again! - others have rustled, having seen crosses on all collars. Here all have understood, that to sense it not to achieve.

But the queen was the woman clever, was able not only to drive about in carriages. Took it the big gold scissors, has cut up on rags a piece of a silk matter, has sewed a tiny pretty sack, filled in it of small buckwheat groats, has adhered it on a back to the princess and then cut in a sack a hole that groats could be strewed on road on which there went the princess.

At night the dog was again, has planted the princess on a back and has incurred to the soldier; the soldier so has grown fond of the princess that he has started to regret, paternal not the prince, - so it would be desirable it to marry it. The dog also has not noticed, that groats were strewed behind it on all road, from the palace to a window of the soldier where she has jumped with the princess. In the morning the king and the queen have learnt at once, where there went the princess, and the soldier was planted in prison.

As there it was dark and boring! Have set it there and have told: "Tomorrow morning you will hang up!" Was very gloomy to hear it, and огниво the he has forgotten houses, on an inn.

In the morning of soldiers has approached to a small window and began to look through an iron lattice at street: the people crowds brought down for a city to look, how will hang up the soldier; beat drums, there passed regiments. All hastened, hurried. The boy-shoemaker in a leather apron and shoes ran also. It rushed skipping, and one shoe has flied at it from a foot and has hit directly about a wall which had a soldier and looked in a window.

- Hey you, where hurry up! - has told to the boy of soldiers. - without me after all business will not manage! And here, if you will run there where I lived, for mine огнивом, you will receive four coins. Only it is live!

The boy had no objection to receive four coins, it was started up by an arrow for огнивом, has given to its soldier and... And here now we will listen!

Have in the country constructed the huge gallows, around there were soldiers and hundred thousand to people. The king and the queen sat on a magnificent throne directly against judges and all royal council.

The soldier already stood on a ladder, and to it were going to throw with a cord a neck, but he has told, that before to execute the criminal, always grant its any desire. And it very much would like to smoke a tubule, is after all there will be its last tubule in this world!

The king has not dared to give up in this request, and the soldier has pulled out the огниво. Has struck on кремню time, two, three - and before it have appeared all three dogs: a dog with eyes, as tea cups, a dog with eyes, as mill wheels, and a dog with eyes, as a round tower.

- And well help me to get rid of a loop! - the soldier has ordered.

And dogs have rushed on judges and on all royal council: that for feet, that for a nose yes up on some сажен, and all drop also were smashed!

- It is not necessary! - the king has cried, but the greatest dog has seized it together with the queen and has thrown them upwards after others. Then soldiers were frightened, and all people have cried:

- Служивый, be our king and take for itself the fine princess!

The soldier have planted in the royal carriage, and all three dogs danced before it and shouted "hurrah". Boys whistled, having thrust fingers in a mouth, soldiers saluted. The princess left the copper lock and has become the queen, than was very happy. The wedding feast proceeded the whole week; dogs too sat at a table and stared.