What did the Russian princes, tsars, emperors say before their death?
Of course, many people are interested. What were the last words of the great and the mighty of the world this.
As for the Russian autocrats, they are all, first of all, people. I. like any man, each of them in last minute talked about what worried him most at that moment. But, reading these words, you are convinced that even at the edge of the worlds, the strong and great remain strong and great. Most of them cared about the state, which they left to their heirs.

Alexander I (1777-1825) - Emperor, ruled from 1801
The day of his death was very sunny, ion exclaimed: “How beautiful it is!”

Alexander II (1818-1881) - Emperor, ruled from 1855
After the bomb thrown by the terrorist Grinevitsky reached its target, the emperor said in a barely audible voice: “To the palace ... to die there ...”

Alexander III (1845-1894) - peacemaker Russian emperor since 1881
With last words he turned to his wife Maria Fedorovna (nee Danish princess Dagmar): “I feel the end ... be calm ... I am completely calm ...”

Alexandra Feodorovna (nee Alisa Gessendarstadskaya) 1872-1918 - the last Russian empress wife of Nicholas II
Before the execution, she wrote to her friend: “I feel old, oh, how old, but I am still the mother of this country, and her pain for me is the same as the pain of my child, I love her, despite her sins and horrors. .

Alexander Nevsky (1220-1263) - Grand Duke Vladimirsky, ruled from 1252
He expressed a desire to be tonsured as a monk: “Father, behold, I am very sick… very sick… His wish was fulfilled - he was tonsured under the name of Alexy, after which he asked for forgiveness from the boyars and servants, took communion and died.

Alexei (1690-1718) - Tsarevich, son of Peter I
He cursed his father and his descendants, predicting that God would punish Russia for all the crimes of the tsar, and the entire Romanov family would die in blood.

Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov (1629-1676) - Tsar, ruled from 1645
He blessed his son Fyodor to reign, entrusted Tsarevich Peter to his uncle Kirill Naryshkin. He ordered the release of all prisoners from prisons, the return of all those exiled from exile, and also the forgiveness of all debts to the treasury and pay for those who were in prison for private debts.

Andrei Bogolyubsky (about 1111-1174) - Grand Duke of Vladimir, ruled from 1157.
He was killed by conspirators. Before his death, he said: "If, God, this is my end, I accept it."

Anna Ioannovna (1693-740) - Empress, ruled from 1730
Called the courtiers and asked their forgiveness
: "I'm sorry, sorry..."

Boris Vladimirovich (? -1015) - prince, son of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich
Russia at that time was torn apart by princely civil strife. For a while, Vladimir the Holy managed to stop this. Unwilling to resume internecine wars after the death of his father, Boris supreme power his brother Svyatopolk: “I will not raise my hand against my elder brother: if my father also died, then let this one be my father instead.” But he was treacherously killed by Svyatopolk's mercenaries. Behind martyrdom was canonized as a saint, and the fratricide Svyatopolk received the nickname Cursed.

Boris Godunov (circa 1552-1605) - Tsar, ruled from 1598
He blessed his son to govern the Russian state.

Vasily III (1479-1533) - Grand Duke of Moscow, ruled from 1505.
Before his death, he decided to take the veil as a monk. He called the supreme clergymen to him and said, “You see for yourself, I have become exhausted and have approached the end, and my desire has long been - to get a haircut, tonsure me.” As soon as the rite of tonsure was completed, the prince died.

Prophetic Oleg (? -912) - prince, ruled in 879-912.
The Magi predicted his death from his own horse. Oleg did not believe. A few years later the horse died, but the prince was still alive. He laughed at the prediction and drove to the place where the bones of the horse lay. He stepped on his skull and said: "Is this the skull to die from?" A snake crawled out of the skull. Her bite became fatal for Oleg.

Vladimir Monomakh (1053-1125) - Grand Duke of Kyiv, ruled from 1113.
Before his death, he bequeathed: “Let no one be crowned king after my death! Our fatherland is divided into many regions; if there is a king appanage princes out of envy, they will start to fight with him and the state will perish.

Vladimir Svyatoslavovich (960-1015) - Grand Duke of Kyiv, ruled from 980.
Shortly before his death, he was going to go to war against his son Yaroslav. He showed him his disrespect. His last words were: "Pull the way, bridge the bridges."

Gleb Vladimirovich (? -1015) - prince, son of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich
Like brother Boris, he did not want civil strife and recognized the supreme power of his brother Svyatopolk, but just like his brother, he was stabbed to death by his mercenaries. His last words were: "Since you have begun, having begun, do what you were sent to." He was numbered among the saints.

Dmitry Donskoy (1350-1389) - Grand Duke of Moscow (from 1359) and Vladimir, ruled from 1363.
He called his wife, sons and boyars and turned to the boyars: “Serve faithfully to my wife and young sons, share joy and misfortune with them. May the God of peace be with you!”

Catherine I (1684-1727) - Empress, ruled from 1725
She ordered to send the ex-favorite Divyer under investigation to Siberia and Tolstoy (an associate of Menshikov who acted against Catherine) to the Solovetsky Monastery.

Catherine II the Great (1729-1796) - Empress, ruled from 1762
On the day of her death, in the morning, leaving the bedroom, when asked how she spent the night, she answered: “I never spent the night so pleasantly.” I went to the dressing room, fell unconscious and never came back again.

Elizaveta Petrovna (1709-1761) - Empress, ruled from 1741
“Call the chancellor… why doesn’t he come to me?”

Zagryazhskaya Natalya Kirillovna (1747-1837) - Russian princess
Shortly before her death, she told Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich: “I don’t want to die suddenly. You will come to heaven mad and in a hurry, and I need to ask the Lord God three questions: who was False Dmitry, who - iron mask and Chevalier d'Eon: man or woman. It is also said that Louis XVII was taken away from the Temple and rescued; I need to ask about it." When asked by Mikhail Pavlovich if she was sure that she would go to heaven, Natalya Kirillovna answered with offense: “Do you think that you were born to hang around in the hallway of Purgatory?”

Ivan IV the Terrible (1530-1584) - the first Russian tsar, ruled from 1547.
He turned to his son with a request to reduce state taxes, as well as to help those offended and deprived of shelter through his fault.

False Dmitry (Grigory Borisovich Otrepyev)? -1606 - Russian impostor tsar
He was killed by boyars led by Vasily Shuisky. Before his death, he stubbornly repeated that he was a crowned king, the rightful heir to the throne.

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov (1596-1645) - Tsar, ruled from 1613
“I’m leaving, I want to confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries…”

Nicholas I (1796-1855) - Emperor, ruled from 1825
With the last words he addressed the heir to Alexander II: "Keep everything, keep everything."

Nicholas II (1868-1918) - emperor, ruled in 1894-1917.
When the verdict was read to him, at first he did not understand: “What? .. What? ..” And then: “Forgive them, Lord, for they do not know what they are doing ...”

Olga (?-?) - princess, ruled in 945-969.
She bequeathed to bury herself according to the Christian rite, since she was baptized, although at that time Russia was not yet Christian.

Olga Nikolaevna Romanova (1895-1918) - Grand Duchess, daughter of Emperor Nicholas II
Shortly before the execution, as if anticipating imminent death, wrote a poem, rather reminiscent of a prayer:
Send us, Lord, patience,
In a time of stormy, gloomy days
endure the persecution of the people
And the torture of our executioners.
Give us strength, oh right God,
To forgive the crimes of the neighbor
And the cross, heavy and bloody,
To meet with your meekness.
And in the days of rebellious excitement,
When enemies rob us,
To endure shame and humiliation
Christ the Savior help.
Lord of the world, God of the universe,
Bless us with prayer
And give rest to the humble soul
In an unbearable terrible hour.
And at the threshold of the grave
Breathe into the mouth of your servants
Inhuman forces
Pray humbly for your enemies.
Christ the Savior, help ...

Paul I (1754-1801) - Emperor, ruled from 1796
He was killed as a result of a conspiracy, of which his eldest son, heir to the throne, Alexander I, was also a member. But he mistook one of the killers for another son, Konstantin, and shouted: “Your Highness, are you here? Have mercy! Air, air! What have I done wrong to you?"

Peter I the Great (1672-1725) - tsar from 1682, in 1721 proclaimed himself emperor
There are two versions.
Version one. He demanded a pen and paper and wrote: “Give everything ...”
Version two. “There is one thing that quenches my thirst, one thing that delights me.”

Peter II (1715-730) - emperor since 1727, son of Tsarevich Alexei
"Harness the sleigh. I'm going to my sister!"

Peter III (1728-1762) - Emperor, ruled from 1761
While under arrest, in his last note to his wife Catherine II, he asked: “Your Majesty, I still ask me, who is in your will and wholly in everything, to let me go to foreign lands with those that I asked Your Majesty before. And I hope for your generosity that you will not leave me without food. Peter, your devoted serf."

Rurik (about 830-897) - the first Russian prince, ruled in 862-879.
Before his death, he turned to his son: “Don’t cut off your head anymore! I'm talking about Vadim (Vadim the Brave - the leader of the Novgorodians who rebelled against the rule of Rurik, and who was killed by Rurik himself - author) don't shed blood in vain ... Take care of people's lives ... "

Fedor Ioannovich (1557-1598) - Tsar, son of Ivan the Terrible, ruled from 1584.
His last conversation took place with his wife, alone, without witnesses, so what the king said before his death remained unknown.

Yaroslav I the Wise (about 978-1054) - Grand Duke of Kyiv, ruled from 1019.
“Here I am leaving this world, my sons, have love among yourselves, because you are all brothers ... And if you live in love with each other, God will be with you and subdue your enemies ... If you live in hatred, in strife and quarrels, you will perish yourselves and destroy the land of your fathers, who obtained it with their great labor.

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Riding the Blade: A Hero's Story 13

Jen - in the center of the story is action or plot, without emphasis on a romantic line

Fandom: Originals Rating: PG-13 are fanfictions that may include kissing-level romance and/or hints of violence and other difficult moments."> PG-13 Genres: Drama- conflict relations of characters with society or with each other, intense and active experiences of various internal or external collisions. Both a happy and a sad resolution of the conflict are possible."> Drama, Romance- a fic about tender and romantic relationships. Usually has a happy ending." > Romance Warnings: Violence- description of acts of a violent nature (usually not sexual)."> Violence, Non-chronological narration- fanfiction, full of action, battles, chases. Emphasis on action, not dialogue and relationships." > Action Warnings: Death of the main character is a fanfic in which one or more of the main characters die."> Violence- description of acts of a violent nature (usually not sexual)."> Violence, Guro- Descriptions of scenes with dismembered or disemboweled bodies, bloodshed, cutting off limbs, sophisticated murders, etc. "> Guro, a fanfic in which one or more minor characters die."> geta elements- romantic and/or sexual relationship between a man and a woman."> Geta Elements Size: Midi- average fanfiction. Approximate size: 20 to 70 typewritten pages. "> Midi, 54 pages, 9 parts Status: completed Warnings: Death of the main character- a fanfic in which one or more of the main characters die."> Death of the main character, Violence- description of acts of a violent nature (usually not sexual)."> Violence, Guro- Descriptions of scenes with dismembered or disemboweled bodies, bloodshed, cutting off limbs, sophisticated murders, etc. "> Guro, Death of a minor character- a fanfic in which one or more minor characters die."> Death of a minor character, geta elements- romantic and/or sexual relationship between a man and a woman."> Geta Elements Size: Midi- average fanfiction. Approximate size: 20 to 70 typewritten pages. "> Midi, 48 pages, 9 parts Status: completed

The story of the hero continues, we return to Calradia, a world that was able to rise from its knees and regain its greatness. A world where everyone can find a home. A world where people go who have nowhere else to go.

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Tales of Andersen

Andersen's fairy tale "Flint" - fairy tale about a soldier who was returning from service and met an old witch. She asked a soldier to get her a tinder box, which her grandmother had forgotten in the hollow of a tree a long time ago. The flint was guarded by three angry dogs that sat on chests with copper, silver and gold coins. But the witch had a magic apron against them. The soldier did everything as the old woman asked, but then he hacked her to death and kept all the coins and the steel, which, as it turned out, was magical and called on evil dogs that fulfilled any desires of the soldier. So the soldier became rich. A beautiful princess lived in the kingdom, whom the soldier really wanted to look at, and he struck a flint a couple of times and called his dogs to bring him a princess. But after the second time, the king and queen found out who was doing it, the soldier was put in prison and were about to be hanged. But he was able to ask the boy to bring him a magic flint. The next morning, in front of the gallows, the soldier asked for a smoke before his death, struck a flint, 3 evil dogs appeared and punished everyone to death, and the people immediately elected the soldier as their king so that the dogs would not punish them either.

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A soldier was walking along the road: one-two! one-two! Knapsack on the back, saber on the side; he was walking home from the war. On the road he met an old witch - ugly, disgusting: her lower lip hung down to her chest.

- Hello, officer! - she said. - What a glorious sword you have! And what a big bag! Here good soldier! Well, now you'll get all the money you want.

Thank you, old witch! - said the soldier.

See that old tree over there? - said the witch, pointing to a tree that stood nearby. - It's empty inside. Climb up, there will be a hollow, you go down into it, to the very bottom! And before that, I will tie a rope around your waist, you shout to me, and I will pull you out.

Why should I go there? - asked the soldier.

For money! - said the witch. - Know that when you get to the very bottom, you will see a large underground passage; more than a hundred lamps burn in it, and it is quite light there. You will see three doors; you can open them, the keys are sticking out. Enter the first room; in the middle of the room you will see a large chest, and on it is a dog: her eyes are like tea cups! But don't be afraid! I'll give you my blue checkered apron, spread it on the floor, and you yourself come quickly and grab the dog, put it on the apron, open the chest and take plenty of money from it. There are only coppers in this chest; if you want silver, go to another room; there sits a dog with eyes like mill wheels! But don't be afraid: put her on your apron and take your money. If you want, you can get as much gold as you can carry; just go to the third room. But the dog that sits there on the wooden chest has eyes, each the size of a round tower. Here is a dog! Furious-presluzhaya! But don't be afraid of her: put her on my apron, and she won't touch you, and you take as much gold as you want!

It would be foolish! - said the soldier. “But what will you take from me for this, old witch?” Is there anything you need from me?

I won't take a dime from you! - said the witch. “Just bring me an old tinderbox, my grandmother forgot it there when she went down for the last time.

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

- Ready! - said the witch. "Here's my blue checkered apron!" The soldier climbed a tree, descended into a hollow, and found himself, as she said.witch, in a large passage where hundreds of lamps burned.

Here he opened the first door. Oh! There sat a dog with eyes like teacups, staring at the soldier.

That's so well done! - said the soldier, put the dog on the witch's apron and took a pocket full of copper money, then closed the chest, put the dog on it again and went into another room. Ay-ay! There sat a dog with eyes like mill wheels.

- Don't stare at me, your eyes will hurt! - said the soldier and put the dog on the witch's apron. Seeing a huge pile of silver in the chest, he threw away all the coppers and stuffed both pockets and satchel with silver. Then the soldier went to the third room. Fu you abyss! This dog had two round towers with eyes that turned like wheels.

My regards! - said the soldier and took it under his visor. He had never seen such a dog before.

However, he did not look at her for a long time, but took it and put it on his apron and opened the chest. Fathers! How much gold was there! He could buy all of Copenhagen with it, all the sugar pigs from the candy vendor, all tin soldiers, all the wooden horses and all the whips in the world! There would be enough for everything! The soldier threw silver money out of his pockets and knapsack and filled his pockets, knapsack, hat and boots with gold so much that he could hardly move. Well, he finally had money! He again put the dog on the chest, then slammed the door, raised his head and shouted:

Drag me, old witch!

Did you take the flint? the witch asked.

Oh shit, I almost forgot! - said the soldier, went and took the steel.

The witch dragged him upstairs, and he again found himself on the road, only now his pockets, and boots, and satchel, and cap were stuffed with gold.

- Why do you need this flint? - asked the soldier.

None of your business! the witch replied. - Got the money, and enough with you! Well, give me the flint!

No matter how! - said the soldier. “Now tell me why you need it, or I’ll draw a saber and cut off your head.”

I will not say! - rested the witch.

The soldier took and cut off her head. The witch fell dead, and he tied all the money in her apron, put the bundle on her back, put the tinderbox in his pocket, and walked straight into the city.

The city was wonderful; the soldier stopped at the most expensive inn, took the best rooms and demanded all his favorite dishes - now he was a rich man!

The servant who was cleaning the visitors' shoes was surprised that such a rich gentleman had such bad boots, but the soldier had not yet had time to get new ones. But the next day he bought himself both good boots and a rich dress. Now the soldier became a real gentleman, and he was told about all the miracles that were here in the city, and about the king, and about his lovely daughter, the princess.

How would you see her? - asked the soldier.

This is impossible! they told him. - She lives in a huge copper castle, behind high walls with towers. No one, except the king himself, dares to enter or leave there, because it was predicted to the king that his daughter would marry a simple soldier, and kings do not like this!

"I wish I could look at her!" thought the soldier.

Who would let him?

Now he lived happily: he went to theaters, went for a ride in the royal garden and helped the poor a lot. And he did well: after all, he knew from his own experience how bad it was to sit without a penny in his pocket! Now he was rich, well dressed, and made very many friends; they all called him a nice fellow, a real gentleman, and he really liked it. So he spent everything and spent money, but again there was nowhere to take it from, and in the end he had only two money left! I had to move from good rooms to a tiny closet under the very roof, clean my own boots and even patch them; none of his friends visited him - it was very high to climb to him!

Once, in the evening, a soldier was sitting in his closet; it was already completely dark, and he remembered a small candle in a flint and steel, which he took in the dungeon, where the witch lowered him. The soldier took out a flint and a stub, but as soon as he hit the flint, the door flew open and in front of him was a dog with eyes like teacups, the same one that he had seen in the dungeon.

Whatever, sir? she barked.

That's the story! - said the soldier. - A flint, it turns out, a curious little thing: I can get everything I want! Hey you, get me some money! he said to the dog. Once - she's already gone, two - she's right there again, and in her teeth she has a big purse full of copper! Then the soldier realized what a wonderful tinderbox he had. If you hit the flint once, a dog appears that was sitting on a chest with copper money; hit two - the one who sat on the silver appears; hit three - the dog that sat on the gold comes running.

The soldier again moved into good rooms, began to walk around in smart clothes, and all his friends immediately recognized him and fell terribly fond of him.

So come to his mind: “How stupid it is that you can’t see the princess. Such a beauty, they say, but what’s the point? at least with one eye? Well, where is my flint and flint? And he hit the flint once - at the same moment a dog with eyes like teacups stood in front of him.

Now, however, it is already night, - said the soldier. “But I was dying to see the princess, even for one minute!”

The dog was immediately outside the door, and before the soldier had time to come to his senses, she appeared with the princess. The princess sat on the back of the dog and slept. She was a miracle how good; everyone would immediately see that this is a real princess, and the soldier could not resist and kissed her - after all, he was a brave warrior, a real soldier.

The dog carried the princess back, and over morning tea the princess told the king and queen what an amazing dream she had had that night about a dog and a soldier: that she was riding a dog, and the soldier kissed her.

That's the story! said the queen.

And the next night, an old maid of honor was assigned to the bed of the princess - she had to find out if it was really a dream or something else.

And the soldier again wanted to see the lovely princess to death. And at night the dog again appeared, seized the princess and rushed off with her at full speed, but the old maid of honor put on waterproof boots and set off in pursuit. Seeing that the dog disappeared with the princess in one big house, the maid of honor thought: "Now I know where to find them!" She took a piece of chalk, put a cross on the gate of the house and went home to sleep. But the dog, when he carried the princess back, saw this cross, also took a piece of chalk and put crosses on all the gates in the city. This was cleverly thought up: now the maid of honor could not find the right gate - crosses were white everywhere.

Early in the morning, the king and queen, the old lady-in-waiting, and all the officers went to see where the princess had gone at night.

That's where! - said the king, seeing the first gate with a cross.

No, that's where, hubby! the queen objected, noticing the cross on the other gate.

- Yes, and here the cross and here! - the others rustled, seeing the crosses on all the gates. It was then that everyone realized that they were not going to make any sense.

But the queen was a smart woman, she knew how not only to drive around in carriages. She took large golden scissors, cut a piece of silk fabric into shreds, sewed a tiny pretty bag, poured fine buckwheat into it, tied it on the princess’s back and then cut a hole in the bag so that the cereal could fall onto the road along which the princess rode.

At night, the dog appeared again, put the princess on her back and carried her to the soldier; the soldier fell in love with the princess so much that he began to regret why he was not a prince - he so wanted to marry her. The dog did not even notice that the grain was falling behind her all along the road, from the palace itself to the soldier's window, where she jumped with the princess. In the morning, the king and queen immediately knew where the princess had gone, and the soldier was put in jail.

How dark and boring it was! They put him there and said: "Tomorrow morning you will be hanged!" It was very sad to hear this, and he forgot his flint at home, in the inn.

In the morning the soldier went up to a small window and began to look through the iron bars into the street: crowds of people poured out of the city to watch how the soldier would be hanged; drums beat, shelves passed. Everyone was in a hurry, running. A shoemaker boy in a leather apron and shoes also ran. He ran skipping, and one shoe flew off his foot and hit right against the wall, where the soldier was standing and looking out the window.

Hey you, where are you in a hurry! the soldier said to the boy. “It won’t work without me!” But if you run to where I lived, for my steel, you will get four coins. Only alive!

The boy was not averse to receiving four coins, he set off with an arrow for a steel, gave it to a soldier and ... Now let's listen!

A huge gallows was built outside the city, soldiers and hundreds of thousands of people stood around. The king and queen sat on a luxurious throne directly opposite the judges and the entire royal council.

The soldier was already standing on the stairs, and they were going to throw a rope around his neck, but he said that before executing a criminal, they always fulfill some of his desires. And he would really like to smoke a pipe - it will be his last pipe in this world!

The king did not dare to refuse this request, and the soldier pulled out his steel. He struck the flint once, twice, three times, and all three dogs appeared before him: a dog with eyes like teacups, a dog with eyes like mill wheels, and a dog with eyes like a round tower.

- Well, help me get rid of the loop! - ordered the soldier.

And the dogs rushed at the judges and at the whole royal council: that one by the legs, that one by the nose, and a few fathoms up, and everyone fell and shattered to smithereens!

- No need! - shouted the king, but the biggest dog grabbed him and the queen and threw them up after the others. Then the soldiers were frightened, and all the people shouted:

Servant, be our king and take the beautiful princess for you!

The soldier was put into the royal carriage, and all three dogs danced in front of her and shouted "Hurrah." The boys whistled with their fingers in their mouths, the soldiers saluted. The princess came out of her copper castle and became a queen, which she was very pleased with. The wedding feast lasted a whole week; the dogs also sat at the table and goggled.

A soldier was walking along the road: one-two! one-two! Knapsack on the back, saber on the side. He was walking home from the war. And suddenly on the road he met a witch. The witch was old and terrible. Underlip it hung down to her chest.

- Hello, officer! the witch said. - What a glorious saber and a big satchel you have! Here is a brave soldier! And now you will have plenty of money.

“Thank you, old witch,” said the soldier.

- You see that a big tree? the witch said. - It's empty inside. Climb up the tree, there's a hollow up there. Climb into this hollow and go down to the very bottom. And I will tie a rope around your waist and pull you back as soon as you scream.

“Why should I climb into this hollow?” the soldier asked.

- For money, - said the witch, - this tree is not simple. As you go down to the very bottom, you will see a long underground passage. It is quite light there - hundreds of lamps burn day and night. Go, without turning, along the underground passage. And when you reach the end, there will be three doors right in front of you. There is a key in every door. Turn it and the door will open. There is a large chest in the first room. A dog sits on a chest. The eyes of this dog are like two tea saucers. But don't be afraid. I'll give you my blue checkered apron, spread it on the floor and boldly grab the dog. And if you grab it, put it on my apron as soon as possible. Well, then open the chest and take as much money from it as you want. Yes, only in this chest there is only copper money. And if you want silver, go to the second room. And there is a chest. And on that chest sits a dog. Her eyes are like your mill wheels. Just don't be scared - grab her and put her on your apron, and then take your silver money. Well, if you want gold, go to the third room. In the middle of the third room is a chest full of gold. This chest is guarded by the biggest dog. Each eye is the size of a tower. If you manage to put her on my apron - your happiness: the dog will not touch you. Then take as much gold as you like!

"That's all very well," said the soldier. “But what will you take from me for this, old witch?” Is there anything you need from me.

"I won't take a penny from you!" the witch said. “Just bring me the old tinderbox that my grandmother forgot down there when she climbed there for the last time.

“Okay, tie me with a rope!” said the soldier.

- Ready! the witch said. "Here's my checkered apron."

And the soldier climbed the tree. He found a hollow and went down it to the very bottom. As the witch said, that's how it all happened: the soldier is looking - there is an underground passage in front of him. And it is light there as in the daytime - hundreds of lamps are burning. A soldier went through this dungeon. Walked and walked and reached the very end. There is nowhere else to go. He sees a soldier - there are three doors in front of him. And the keys are in the door.

The soldier opened the first door and entered the room. There is a chest in the middle of the room, a dog is sitting on the chest. Her eyes are like two tea saucers. The dog looks at the soldier and rolls his eyes in different directions.

- Well, a monster! - said the soldier, grabbed the dog and immediately put it on the witch's apron.

Then the dog calmed down, and the soldier opened the chest and let's carry money from there. He collected pockets full of copper money, closed the chest and put the dog on it again, and he himself went into another room.

The witch told the truth - and in this room a dog was sitting on a chest. Her eyes were like mill wheels.

“Well, what are you staring at me for? No matter how your eyes pop out! - said the soldier, grabbed the dog and put him on the witch's apron, and he quickly went to the chest.

The chest is full of silver. The soldier threw copper money out of his pockets, stuffed both pockets and the knapsack with silver. Then a soldier entered the third room.

He entered and his mouth was open. Well, miracles! There was a golden chest in the middle of the room, and a real monster was sitting on the chest. Eyes - neither give nor take two towers. They spun like the wheels of the fastest carriage.

- Hello! - said the soldier and took it under his visor. He had never seen such a dog before.

However, he did not look long. He grabbed the dog in an armful, put it on the witch's apron, and opened the chest himself. Father, how much gold was there! This gold could buy a whole metropolitan city, all toys, all tin soldiers, all wooden horses and all gingerbread in the world. Everything would be enough.

Here the soldier threw silver money out of his pockets and knapsack and with both hands began to scoop out the gold from the chest. He stuffed his pockets with gold, filled his knapsack, hat, boots. He scored so much gold that he barely moved!

Now he was rich!

He put the dog on the chest, slammed the door and shouted:

“Hey, bring it upstairs, you old witch!”

“Did you take my flint?” the witch asked.

“Oh, damn it, you completely forgot about your flint and flint! said the soldier.

He went back, found the witch's flint and put it in his pocket.

- Well, get it! Found your flame! he called to the witch.

The witch pulled the rope and pulled the soldier up. And the soldier found himself again on the high road.

“Well, give me a tinderbox,” said the witch.

- What do you need, witch, this flint? the soldier asked.

- None of your business! the witch said. - Did you get the money? Give me the fire!

- Well no! said the soldier. “Tell me right now why you need a flint and steel, otherwise I will draw a saber and cut off your head.”

- I will not say! the witch replied.

Then the soldier grabbed his saber and cut off the witch's head. The witch fell to the ground - Yes, she died here. And the soldier tied all his money in a witch's checkered apron, put the bundle on his back, and went straight to the city.

The city was big and rich. The soldier went to the largest hotel, rented the best rooms for himself and ordered all his favorite foods to be served - after all, he was now a rich man.

The servant who was cleaning his boots was surprised that such a rich gentleman had such bad boots, because the soldier had not yet had time to buy new ones. But the next day he bought himself the most nice clothes, a hat with a feather and boots with spurs.

Now the soldier has become a real gentleman. He was told about all the miracles that were in this city. They also told about the king, who had a beautiful daughter, the princess.

How can I see this princess? the soldier asked.

"Well, it's not that easy," he was told. — The princess lives in a big copper castle, and around the castle there are high walls and stone towers. No one, except the king himself, dares to enter or exit there, because the king was predicted that his daughter was destined to become the wife of a simple soldier. And the king to be related to simple soldier, of course, do not really want to. So he keeps the princess locked up.

The soldier regretted that it was impossible to look at the princess, but, however, he did not grieve for a long time. And without a princess, he lived happily: he went to the theater, walked in the royal garden and distributed money to the poor. After all, he himself experienced how bad it is to sit without a penny in his pocket.

Well, since the soldier was rich, lived cheerfully and dressed beautifully, then he had many friends. Everyone called him a nice fellow, a real gentleman, and he really liked it.

Here a soldier spends and spends money and sees one day - he has only two money left in his pocket. And the soldier had to move from good places into a cramped closet under the roof. He remembered old times: he himself began to clean his boots and sew up holes on them. None of his friends visited him again - it was too high now to climb to him.

One evening a soldier was sitting in his closet. It was already completely dark, and he had no money even for a candle. Then he remembered the witch's flint. The soldier took out a flint and began to make fire. As soon as he struck the flint, the door flew open and a dog ran in with eyes like tea saucers.

It was the same dog that the soldier saw in the first room of the dungeon.

- What do you want, soldier? the dog asked.

- That's the thing! said the soldier. - Flint, it turns out, not simple. Will it help me out of trouble?.. Get me some money! he ordered the dog.

And as soon as he said it, the dogs and the trace caught a cold. But before the soldier had time to count to two, the dog was already right there, and in her teeth she had a big bag full of copper money.

Now the soldier understood what a wonderful flint he had. It was worth hitting the flint once - a dog with eyes like tea saucers appeared, and if a soldier hits twice - a dog with eyes like mill wheels runs towards him. He strikes him three times, and the dog, with each eye the size of a tower, stands in front of him and waits for orders. The first dog drags him copper money, the second - silver, and the third - pure gold.

And so the soldier got rich again, moved to the best rooms, again began to flaunt in smart clothes.

Then all his friends again got into the habit of going to him and fell in love with him very much.

Once it occurred to a soldier;

"Why shouldn't I see the princess? Everyone says she is so beautiful. What's the use if she sits her life in a copper castle, behind high walls and towers? Well, where is my flint and flint?

And he struck the flint once. At the same moment, a dog appeared with eyes like a saucer.

"That's it, my dear!" said the soldier. “Now, it’s true, it’s already night, but I want to look at the princess. Get her here for a minute. Well, march on!

The dog immediately ran away, and before the soldier had time to come to his senses, she appeared again, and on her back lay the sleeping princess.

The princess was wonderfully beautiful. At first glance, it was clear that this is a real princess. Our soldier could not resist kissing her—that was why he was a soldier, a real gentleman, from head to toe. Then the dog carried the princess back in the same way as she had brought it.

Over morning tea, the princess told the king and queen that she had a wonderful dream at night: that she was riding a dog and some soldier kissed her.

- That's the story! the queen said.

Apparently, she did not like this dream very much.

The next night, an old lady-in-waiting was assigned to the bed of the princess and ordered to find out whether it was really a dream or something else.

And the soldier again wanted to see the beautiful princess to death.

And at night, just like yesterday, a dog appeared in the copper castle, grabbed the princess and rushed with her at full speed. Then the old lady-in-waiting put on her waterproof boots and set off in pursuit. Seeing that the dog had disappeared with the princess in one large house, the maid of honor thought: “Now we will find the youngster!” And she drew a large cross with chalk on the gate of the house, and she calmly went home to sleep.

But in vain she calmed down: when the time came to carry the princess back, the dog saw a cross on the gate and immediately guessed what was the matter. She took a piece of chalk and put crosses on all the gates of the city. This was cleverly thought up: now the maid of honor could not find the right gate in any way - after all, the same white crosses stood everywhere.

Early in the morning, the king and queen, the old lady-in-waiting, and all the royal officers went to see where the princess went on a dog at night.

- That's where! - said the king, seeing a white cross on the first gate.

- No, that's where! said the queen, seeing the cross on the other gate.

- And there is a cross there, and here! the officers said.

And no matter what gate they looked at, there were white crosses everywhere. So they didn't make any sense.

But the queen was a smart woman, a master of all trades, and not just driving around in carriages. She ordered the servants to bring in her golden scissors and a piece of silk and sewed a beautiful little pouch. She poured buckwheat into this bag and discreetly tied it to the back of the princess. Then she pierced a hole in the pouch so that the cereal would gradually fall onto the road when the princess went to her soldier.

And then at night a dog appeared, put the princess on her back and carried her to the soldier. And the soldier had already managed to fall in love with the princess so much that with all his heart he wanted to marry her. Yes, it would be nice to be a prince.

The dog ran fast, and the grits fell from the bag all the way from the copper castle to the soldier's house. But the dog didn't notice.

In the morning, the king and queen came out of the palace, looked at the road and immediately recognized where the princess had gone. The soldier was captured and put in jail.

The soldier sat behind bars for a long time. The prison was dark and boring. And then one day the guard said to the soldier:

“Tomorrow you will be hanged!”

The soldier became sad. He thought, thought how to save himself from death, but he could think of nothing. After all, the soldier forgot his wonderful flint at home.

The next day, in the morning, a soldier went up to a small window and began to look through the iron grate into the street. Crowds of people poured out of town to see how a soldier would be hanged. Drums beat, troops marched. And then a shoemaker boy in a leather apron and shoes on his bare feet ran past the prison itself. He was skipping along, and suddenly one shoe flew off his foot and hit right on the wall of the prison, near that lattice window where the soldier was standing.

- Hey, young man, do not rush! shouted the soldier. “I’m still here, and without me it won’t work there!” But if you run to my house and bring me a steel, I will give you four silver coins. Well, live!

The boy was not averse to receiving four silver coins and set off with an arrow for a flint and flint, instantly brought it, gave it to the soldier and ...

Listen to what came out of it.

A large gallows was built outside the city. Around her were troops and crowds of people. The king and queen sat on a magnificent throne. Opposite sat the judges and all state council. And so the soldier was led onto the stairs, and the executioner was about to throw a noose around his neck. But then the soldier asked me to wait a minute.

“I would very much like,” he said, “to smoke a pipe of tobacco—it will be the very last pipe of my life.

And in this country there was such a custom: last wish sentenced to death must be executed. Of course, if it was a completely trifling desire.

Therefore, the king could not refuse the soldier. And the soldier put his pipe in his mouth, pulled out his flint and began to make fire. He struck the flint once, struck twice, struck three, and three dogs appeared in front of him. One had eyes like tea saucers, another like mill wheels, and a third like towers.

“Come on, help me get rid of the noose!” the soldier told them.

Then all three dogs rushed at the judges and at the state council: they would grab one by the legs, this one by the nose, and let's throw it up, so high that, falling to the ground, they all shattered.

- I don't need it! I don't want! the king shouted.

But the biggest dog grabbed him along with the queen and threw them both up. Then the army was frightened, and the people began to shout:

Long live the soldier! Be a soldier, our king and marry a beautiful princess!

The soldier was put into the royal carriage and taken to the palace. Three dogs danced in front of the carriage and cheered. The boys whistled and the troops saluted. The princess came out of the copper castle and became a queen. Clearly, she was very pleased.

The wedding feast lasted for a whole week. Three dogs were also sitting at the table, eating and drinking and turning their huge eyes.