Fairy tale on the shepherd and the royal daughter

There lived once the king asserting, that he never on the century lay; but he often had to hear, how court spoke each other: "It is a lie! You the liar!" - and he thus always very much became angry.

At last he has told the court:

- You surprise me and afflict. If you услыхал the stranger, he could think, that I reign over one liars. I wish, that it has stopped. You never will hear from me similar words, and I willingly will marry the daughter to any person who will convict me that I will tell to somebody: "It is a lie!" Or "you lie!"

One young shepherd also hearing this speech, has told to itself:

"All right! If the king - the person of a word, his daughter gets to me!"

The old king loved ancient songs, magic and amusing fairy tales. Often he after an evening meal took seat in kitchen beside the huge centre and with pleasure listened, as its servants talked, sang and told stuff. Each of them by turns sang something or told.

- And you, the little boy, are visible, know nothing, - the king once in the evening to the young shepherd about whom already there was a speech has told.

- How not to know, your majesty, - the shepherd has answered.

- Let's listen, that you know.

The shepherd has begun:

- Once, going on wood, I have seen a fat hare. He ran directly on me, as if not seeing anything. In a hand at me was катышек pitches. I have started it in a hare, катышек have pleased it directly in a forehead, yes there and have stuck. And the hare has rushed further and with dispersal has faced other hare rushing towards; here they also were pasted by foreheads to each other; by it not to be separated in any way was, and I without any work have caught both. How it is pleasant to you, your majesty?

- Something is not trusted, - the king has answered, - but eventually it is possible. What you to us still will tell?

- Before to be employed in shepherds at your court yard, I worked improvised on a fatherly mill. Once I so have loaded my donkey, that at it the back ridge has broken.

- The poor burro! - the king has exclaimed.

And the shepherd continued:

- I have approached to the nearest fence - and there was it from a hazel grove, - a pocket knife cut out therefrom a stick and has inserted to its donkey instead of a backbone. He has immediately jumped and has indifferently gone with the burden on a mill.

- Surprising piece, - the king has told. - well, and further that?

- For other morning I strongly was surprised (business was in December), увидя, that for a night on that end of a stick which stuck out outside, there were branches, leaves and even nutlets; I have deduced a donkey from a stable, and branches all grew and grew and have risen highly-highly, to the sky.

- Entertaining piece, - the king said. - and what further?

- Well, when I have seen it, I began to climb up on branches and clambered all above and above, have not reached yet the moon.

- Very amusing piece, - the king has told. - and what further?

- Having got on the moon, I have seen there old women who pressed oats, and long looked, how they worked. When I have decided to go down again on the earth, I any more have not found the stick, - the donkey somewhere has got lost. What was to do? I became свивать ears; at me the cord on which I have started to go down also has turned out.

- To difficultly it to believe, - the king has told. - and what further?

- Alas, the cord was insufficiently long, and when I have reached the end, I had to jump off on the earth. I have fallen headfirst to a rock and увяз in it on the shoulders.

- I do not know, to trust or not to trust, - the king has told. - and further that?

- I have spent so much forces to be liberated, that my trunk has come off a head which and remained in a rock; and I have run behind scrap iron to pull out the head.

- Well, how in it to believe? - The king said. - and further that?

- When I have returned with a breakage, I have seen a huge wolf who gnawed my head. I so have sufficed it on a back an iron stick, that it all was flattened, and any paper has dropped out of back at it.

- Miracles, and only! - the king has told. - and what in it has been told?

- There it has been told, that the father of your majesty was no time improvised at my grandfather, the miller.

- I swear honour, you lie, a nasty spawn! - the king has shouted, having jumped on feet.

- Hurrah, your majesty! I have won: your daughter will get to me! - the shepherd said.

- How so? What do you wish to tell it? - The king has asked.

- And unless you, your majesty, did not promise to give a hand of your daughter to any who will catch you that you to somebody will tell: "You lie"?

- Truly. The king should hold always a word and never it breaks. My daughter will be your wife. Tomorrow обрученье, and in a week wedding.

Here is how happens, that the shepherd for one word managed the royal daughter!