King Drozdoborod

One king had a daughter who has become famous for the beauty on all light. And the truth, was good it above any measure, but and is haughty, as anybody. Anybody from grooms she did not consider a worthy hand. Who asked in marriage to it, all were refused moreover any malicious word or a derisive nickname in addition. The old king forgave all to the unique daughter, but in the end even it was bothered with its whims and whim.

He ordered to arrange magnificent festival and to call from far-away countries and the next cities of all young men who have not lost hope yet to like to the princess and to achieve its favour.

Many grooms have gathered. Them have constructed abreast, one behind another, on a seniority of a sort and income size. At first there were kings and crown princes, then - dukes, then - princes, columns, barons and, at last, simple noblemen.

After that the princess have led along a number. That she could have a look at grooms and choose to herself in husbands of the one who is necessary on heart most.

On and this time nobody has attracted to the princess.

One groom has seemed to it too thick.

- Beer a flank! - she has told. Another - lanky and долгоносым, as a crane on a bog.

- Журавлины debts of a foot will not find a way-road. The third growth did not leave.

- From the earth not to see - I am afraid to crush! Fourth it has found too pale.

- White, as death, lean, as a pole! The fifth - too ruddy.

- Red-skinned, on a cancer the similar!. The sixth - insufficiently harmonous.

- Fresh tree - behind an oven сушено. Was crude, became dry, was direct, became curve!

In a word, to all has got on nuts.

But for some reason is most worse it was necessary to the young king who occupied among grooms almost the place of honour.

In it, apparently, there was nothing ridiculous. Any girl it would suit to taste, only to not our princess. It, whether see, the small beard at it has made out, that more sharply, than follows, and too stands out forward. And it was enough to laugh at it with might and main.

- Ah! - she has exclaimed and has laughed: - Look! Look! At it a beard, as if a beak at an ouzel! King Drozdoborod! King Drozdoborod!

And as on light it is a lot of hunters to laugh over the neighbour a mot it have there and then picked up, and anybody since then did not name differently the young king, as king Drozdoborod.

But any fun the end comes.

When the old king, the father of the fine princess, has seen, that its daughter at all and does not think to choose to itself the groom but only in vain laughs at the people who have was under its invitation, it strongly was angry and has sworn the head and a crown that will marry her to the first beggar who will be knocked at gate.

Has passed two days. And here under palace windows задребезжали strings, and any vagrant musician has tightened the song. Singing costed music, and the song was that are sung not for the sake of fun but only to move to pity listeners and to elicit at them some pennies or a bread piece.

But the king has listened and has sent for the musician of the servants.

- Let in it. Let will enter here! - he has told.

The dirty, torn off beggar has shy entered into a palace and has sung everything before the king and the princess, that knew and remembered. And then has low bowed and has asked to award graciously it not so much for ability, how many for diligence.

The king has told:

- What work, is that also a payment. I so liked your singing, the brother, that I have decided to marry to you the native daughter.

Having heard these words, the princess in horror has fallen before the father to knees, but the king has not had a look at all at it.

- There's nothing to be done! - he has told. - I have sworn the head and a crown that I will give you for the first beggar, and I will constrain the oath!

How many the princess, how many cried asked - all was vain. Her have there and then married to the poor musician.

And after wedding the king has told:

- Has not stuck to the wife of the beggar to live in a royal palace. You can go with the husband wherever one wishes.

The poor musician, without a word, took the young wife for a hand and has deduced for gate. First time in a life the princess on foot left a fatherly palace.

Having hung a head, not looking around, there was it after the husband on stony dusty road.

Long they went so on plains and hills, on roads, paths and footpaths. And at last the footpath has deduced them in a shade of dense wood.

They have sat down to have a rest under an old oak, and the princess has asked, involuntarily having admired shady trees:

- Whose is wood has closed the heavenly arch?

- King Drozdoborod owns it. And if you is his wife - That would be yours.

The princess has reflected, and has then sighed and has whispered:

- Ah, кабы freedom has been given me,

I would become wife Drozdoboroda!

The musician has askance had a look at it, but has told nothing. They have gone further.

And here before them - the deep river, and along coast стелется a fresh, juicy meadow.

The princess has again asked:

- Whose this meadow over a smooth surface of dark blue waters?

- King Drozdoborod owns it. And if you is his wife - That would be yours.

- Ah, - the princess has told, swallowing of tears. -

To me be returned my freedom,

I would become wife Drozdoboroda!

The musician has frowned, has shaken a head, but also here has told nothing to it. And they again have gone further.

When the sun began to fall behind hills, the princess and the poor musician have approached to walls of the big rich city. Over gold heavy collars the round tower towered.

The princess has asked:

- Whose is a city with a tower at gate?

- King Drozdoborod owns it. And if you is his wife - That would be yours!

Here the princess has not sustained. She has bitterly begun to cry and has exclaimed, breaking hands:

- Return to me again my freedom - I would become wife Drozdoboroda!. The Musician has become angry.

- Listen, my dear! - he has told. - it is not sick to me to taste, that you on each word remember another and regret, that have not followed it in marriage. And I, what, am insufficiently good for you?

The princess has become silent. Not having exchanged any word, they have passed through all city and have stopped on the suburb, about the small small house which has grown into the earth. Heart has trembled in a breast at the princess. She has had a look at a small house, on the husband and has shy asked:

- Whose is a small house, old and curve?

- It my and your! - the musician has answered with pride and has opened the lop-sided door. - Here we with you will live. Enter!

It had to bend, that, crossing through a threshold not to hit a head about a low lintel.

- And where servants? - The princess has asked, having had a look on the parties.

- What there servants! - the beggar has answered. - that is required, will make itself. Here dissolve et a spark, put water yes prepare for me to eat something. I am fairly tired.

But the princess had no the slightest concept how make fire and cook, and the musician had most to put to all hands that has put somehow tritely on a harmony.

At last the poor supper has kept up. They have eaten and have laid down to have a rest.

And for other day the beggar has roused very early the poor princess:

- Rise, хозяюшка, there is no time to luxuriate! Anybody for you to work not begins!

So they have lived of day two, so-so, and little by little all supplies of the poor musician have come to an end.

- Well, the wife, - he has told, - enough is as good as a feast. This idleness will not finish us to good. We with you only are eaten, and to earn we earn nothing. Begin in you though baskets to spin, whether that... Profit on it small, yes but and work is not great.

It has gone to wood, cut to an osier-bed and has brought home the whole bundle.

The princess has begun to spin baskets, but rigid rods did not obey her. They did not wish neither to be bent, nor to intertwine and only have scratched yes have pricked its white handles.

- So! - the husband has told, having had a look on its work. - I see, that this business not for such shirkers, as you. Sit down better to spin. Perhaps though on it you will have enough mind yes уменья.

It has sat down for a distaff, but the rough thread ran into gentle fingers, and blood dripped from them as often, as tears from her eyes.

- Pure punishment with you! - the husband has told. - well посуди itself - on what you suit! To try, whether that, to trade in pots yes clay cups-flat dishes everyone there? You will sit in the market, to blink eyes and to receive money.

“Ah, - the princess, - that if somebody from our kingdom arrives to this city has thought, will come on the area and will see, that I sit in the market and I trade in pots! As they will laugh over me!”

But there was nothing to do. Or die with hunger, or agree on all. And the princess has agreed.

At first trade has gone nicely. People in great demand took pots at fine торговки and paid to it, not bargaining, everything, that it requested. Besides, others gave it money moreover in addition just bought pots.

So they lived until all cups and flat dishes to last have not been sold. And then the husband has again bought the whole cart of pottery. The princess has taken seat on the market area, are near expensive, has placed around the goods and was going to trade.

As suddenly, from nowhere, any drunk hussar on a hot game a whirlwind has taken off because of a corner and was carried by directly on pots, having left for itself a dust cloud yes a heap of beaten crocks.

The princess has broken into tears.

- Ah, as to me will get! - in fear it sentenced, touching the rests of the crushed ware. - ah, that my husband now will tell!

She has run home and, crying, has told to it about the misfortune.

- Yes who sits down with pottery in the market with edge, at проезжей roads! - the husband has told. - well it is fine! Full to roar! I perfectly see, that you do not suit any decent work. Now I was in a royal castle and have asked there on kitchen, whether the dishwasher is necessary to them. Speak - it is necessary. Gather! I will take away you in the lock and I will attach to a place., At least, will be full.

So the fine princess became the dishwasher. She ran errands now for the cook and did the manual labour. In deep pockets of the big apron it has thrust on a pot and put there the rests of foods getting on its share. And carried away these pots home in the evening to have supper after work.

In that time when the princess-dishwasher cleaned the smoked coppers on kitchen and removed from the centre ashes, in a palace were going to celebrate the big event - wedding of the young king.

Has come at last and a gala day.

Having ended work, the princess has quietly made the way from kitchen upward and has hidden behind a door of a smart hall that though from afar to admire a royal holiday.

And here thousand candles were lighted. Fires have played on gold, silver and jewels, and visitors - one нарядней another - began to enter into royal rooms.

The princess looked at them from the corner, and the longer she looked, the it became heavier at it on heart.

“I considered once, that I am the best on light, that I the first of the first, - thought it. - and here now I - last from the last...”

By it a chain there passed servants, bearing on the extended hands huge dishes with expensive foods. And coming back back, one another threw to it any remained piece - a crust from a pie, a wing of a bird or the fish tail, and it caught all these tails, wings and crusts to put by them in the pots, and then to carry away home.

Suddenly the hall left the young king - all in silk and a velvet, with a gold chain on a neck.

Having seen behind a door the young, beautiful woman, it has seized it by a hand and has dragged to dance. But it beat off from it very much, turning on a head and hiding eyes. The princess so was afraid, that he learns it! After all it was king Drozdoborod - that king Drozdoborod, which else more recently it has derided it is not known for as has banished with a shame.

But not so it was easy to be pulled out from its strong hands. King Drozdoborod has deduced the princess-dishwasher on the middle of a hall and was started up with it in пляс.

And here the outset of its apron has burst. Pots have fallen out of pockets, have hit about a floor and have scattered on small crocks. Soup and roast, and stones and crusts have scattered extensively both the first and the second, both.

It seemed, royal castle walls will fail from laughter. The notable visitors who have arrived for a holiday laughed, court ladies and gentlemen laughed, young pages and grey-haired advisers laughed, servants laughed loudly also, bending double and splitting the sides.

To one princess had no time for laughter. With shame and humiliation she was ready to vanish into thin air.

Having shut the face with the hands, it from a hall has run out and has headlong rushed downwards on a ladder.

But someone has caught up with it, has seized by shoulders and has turned to itself.

The princess has lifted a head, has looked and has seen, that it again was he is a king Drozdoborod!

He has tenderly told to it:

- Be not afraid! Unless you do not learn me? After all I that poor musician who was with you in the small lop-sided small house on city suburb. And I that hussar who has crushed your pots on a market. And that mocked groom whom you have offended for no reason at all. From love to you I have replaced a cloak with a beggarly tatter and have spent you road of humiliations that you have understood how bitterly person to be offended and mocked that your heart was softened and there was as perfectly, as well as a person.

The princess has bitterly begun to cry.

- Ah, I so am guilty, so is guilty, that is unworthy to be your wife... - she has whispered. But the king has not allowed to it to finish speaking.

- Full! All bad remains behind, - he has told. - allow to celebrate our wedding!

Court ladies have dressed up the young princess in a dress embroidered by diamonds and pearls, and have led in the greatest and magnificent hall of a palace where it was waited by notable visitors and among them - the old king, her father.

All congratulated young and endlessly wished their of good luck and the consent.

Here the present fun also has begun. It is a pity only, we with you there were not...