White snake

The king is a lot of years ago veins on light and for wisdom своею in all kingdom was famous. Nothing remains to it to unknown persons, and it seemed that to conduct about the most secret affairs as though itself reached to it from everywhere.

But that king had a strange custom: behind each dinner when from a table already all has been cleaned also anybody, except him, behind a table did not remain, entrusted the servant should submit to it one more dish. But the dish it has been closed, and itself the servant this did not know, that was on a dish, and nobody knew, because the king did not open a dish and did not try it, yet there was no one-odineshenek in a room.

Long so there was a business, and happens once, that curiosity has suddenly overcome the servant when it carried away a dish from a royal table, yes so has overcome, that it against it could not resist and has taken down a dish to itself in a room.

Carefully притворив a door, it has raised a cover of a dish and has seen, that on a dish the white snake lays. He has hardly looked at it as could not refrain that it not to try; cut off a slice and has put in a mouth.

And as soon as it has concerned this food with language as has heard behind a window any strange насвистыванье many thin voices.

It has approached to a window and began to listen, and here has learnt, that it is sparrows who among themselves talked also the friend the friend told about everything, that they in the field and in wood saw.

Having tried meat of a white snake, the servant has received ability to understand language of animals.

Here also happens, that just this day at the queen its most expensive ring and suspicion in theft was gone has fallen on entrusted the servant which everywhere had access.

The king has called it for itself, began to scold him, and to shout at it, and has threatened it, that if it to tomorrow will not specify it the originator of loss itself it will be accused of it and is brought to court. In vain the servant assured that it is not guilty, - the king has not cancelled the decision.

In alarm and fear has descended the servant in a court yard of the lock and began to consider, as though to it to get out of the trouble. And here nearby тихохонько ducks about flowing water sat and had a rest, pluming, stroking feathers the wide beaks; thus they conducted between themselves a direct talk. The servant has stopped and has listened.

They retold the friend the friend where they have visited today and where what good forage found; and one of them also speaks with досадою: "At me something is heavy in a stomach, I have in a hurry swallowed a ring which laid under a window of the queen".

Then the servant has immediately seized it for a neck, has pulled down in kitchen and has told to the cook: "Kill here this, it enough отъелась". - "Yes, - the cook has told, weighing a duck on a hand, - this has not regretted work to be fattened: to it for a long time on a spit to be it is time". It cut to it to a drink and when began to clean also the ring of the queen was in its interiors.

After that it was easy to prove to the servant the innocence and as the king wished to smooth down the injustice it has permitted to it to ask to itself any award and promised to give at the court yard any, place of honour what he would wish itself(himself). The servant has refused all and asked to give only to it a horse yes a few money for road because he would like to look at a this world and постранствовать.

When its request has been executed, it has immediately gathered in a way and was started up on белу to light.

At this wandering it was possible to it to pass once by a pond, and he has seen in that pond of three fishes which have got confused in a reed and fought in it on безводье. Though speak about fishes as if they are mute, however the servant has clearly heard their complaints that they should so disastrously be lost.

Heart at the young man was compassionate - it has descended from a horse and has lowered all three fishes from a reed in water. Those it is cheerful заплескались, have exposed from water of a head and have shouted to it: "We will not forget it and we will thank you for the help rendered to us!"

It has gone further, and it is a little later to it it seemed, as if he hears at the feet, in sand, someone's voice. The young man began to listen and has caught, as ant царек complained: "Кабы to us somehow to get rid of these people and their clumsy animals! Here at least this silly horse - presses to itself my ants the heavy hoofs without any pity". The young man has immediately turned off the road on a lateral footpath, and ant царек has shouted to it following: "We will not forget it and in a debt with you we do not remain".

The road has led to its wood, and in that wood he has seen an old raven and ворониху which threw out from a nest of the baby birds, sentencing: "Away from here, unusable! To us you not to feed now to satiety. Enough you have grown up - tea, now can live". Poor chickabiddies laid лежмя on the earth, fluttered, patted the wings and shouted: "Poor we, helpless! How we can impregnate ourselves, if still to fly we are not able? One also remains to us - поколеть here from hunger". Then the kind young man has descended from a horse, has pinned up its sword and has thrown its hulk воронятам on livelihood. Those have flown on the hulk, were sated and have shouted to it following: "We will not forget it and in a debt with you we do not remain!"

The kind good fellow on foot has gone, went yes went and has come to the big city.

In that city in streets it was noisy, and the people everywhere were restricted by crowds, and someone drove about on streets on a game and called, that here supposedly the princess searches for the spouse and who wishes to ask in marriage it, that should carry out a sophisticated problem, and if it will not execute, should for it pay with a life. Many supposedly already tried to execute that problem, however only in vain the life have lost.

But the young man, having seen the princess, to such degree has been blinded by its beauty that has forgotten about all dangers, was to the king and has declared the desire - to ask in marriage the princess.

Here also have led it to the sea and have thrown at it a gold ring in waves. Then the king has ordered to it to get this ring from a bottom sea and to the order has added: "If you behind it dive and will come up without a ring you will dump again in water until you will not be lost in waves".

All regretted for the fine young man and have left it ashore the sea. And it there ashore stood and deliberated, as to it to be; suddenly sees - sea three fishes, and those fishes whom it has rescued a life emerge from a bottom. Average of them held a bowl which she and has put ashore at feet of the young man in a mouth; and when that has lifted a bowl and has opened, in it there was a gold ring.

The young man was delighted, has carried a ring to the king and expected, that that will give it the promised award. But the proud princess, having learnt, that it to it not ровня by origin, with contempt from it has turned away and has demanded, that it has carried out one more problem.

It has descended in a garden and itself scattered in it ten full bags of millet. "Tomorrow to sunrise, - she has told, - it should pick up all this millet, yes so that any kernel was not gone".

The young man has sat down in a garden under a tree and began to think, as though to it to carry out this problem; however could think up nothing both has grieved, and expected, that just about, with sunrise will lead it on execution.

But when the first beams of the sun have sunk down in a garden it увидал, that all ten bags face to it are full-polneshenki, to last kernel! Ant царек came at night with the thousand ants, and grateful insects with great diligence have worked at collecting of millet and poured it in bags.

The princess herself has descended in a garden and with surprise увидала, that the young man has carried out a difficult problem. But it still could not overcome the proud heart and has told: "Though it also has carried out both problems set to it, however not to happen to it my spouse before, rather than it will extract to me an apple from a life tree".

The young man and the nobility did not know, where this tree of a life grows, however has gathered in a way and has conceived to go on белу to light while it will be incurred by quick feet. But he did not hope this tree to find.

Here it has gone and has passed already through three kingdoms when once under вечерок has come to wood, villages under a tree and was going to take a nap; suddenly hears noise and a rustle in branches, and the gold apple directly falls to it in a hand. From a tree three ravens at the same time have flied, have sat down to it on a knee and have told: "We - those three вороненка which you have rescued from starvation. When we have grown yes услыхали, that you search for an apple from a life tree we have departed for the sea, on the very brink light where the life tree grows - and here have brought to you therefrom this apple".

The kind good fellow was delighted, has returned to the beauty to the princess and has brought to it a gold apple. Then that did not have more any excuses.

They have divided an apple from a tree of a life and have eaten it together; also its heart was filled with love to the young man, and they in indestructible happiness have lived to a ripe old age.