Long ago, there lived an old man and an old woman. There was no one to rest their old age - they had neither a son nor a daughter. Once an old man went into the woods to chop wood. And the old woman says:
You, old man, would carve out a doll for me from an alder chock. I would rock her instead of a child in the cradle, if I didn’t have to rock my children.
The old man went into the forest and spent the whole day hewing a doll out of an alder chock. The old man brought the doll home, made a cradle. The old woman swaddled the piece of wood like a child, laid it in a cradle, began to rock and sing lullaby songs to her.
For three years the old woman pumped an alder chock. One morning she started baking bread. He hears - the cradle itself swayed, pounded on the floorboards. She looked around: a three-year-old boy was sitting in the cradle and swaying. He jumped to the floor and said:
Bake me, mother, bread, I want to eat!
The old woman was so delighted that she did not know where to put her son and how to feed him.
The son asks:
Where is the father?
Father plows the field.
I'll go help him, - the boy says to his mother.
Came to the edge of the field, shouting:
Hello father, I've come to help you!
The old man stopped the horse, looked and said:
Who calls me father? We don't have a son.
And I, Alder Chock, which my mother rocked for three years. Now I am your son. Tell me what to do.
The old man looks: a fine fellow is standing in front of him, that he can neither sing in a song, nor say in a fairy tale!
Well, if you are my son, help me. We need to make a fence so that the bears do not poison our oats.
The old man went to have dinner, and Alder Chock remained to fence the field. He made such a fence of thick trees that a hare cannot crawl under it, a bird cannot fly over it. And I didn’t think to leave the passage on the field. The old man returned, saw this, just shook his head. And in the evening he said to the old woman:
The guy has a lot of strength, but what's the point: he made such a fence that now you won’t even get on the field.
Alder Churka willingly took up any work, but he did not know how to work half-heartedly. So it turned out that not so much the benefit of his help as trouble.
Alder Chock himself understood this. One morning he said to the old woman:
Bake, mother, plantains for me. I'll go wandering around the wide world, maybe where my strength will come in handy.
The old woman burst into tears, and Alder Chock took a red scarf from her shoulders, tied it to a pole under the ceiling and said:
When blood drips from this handkerchief, then look for me.
And went. Whether he walked close or far, he sees: a man sits on a cliff on the shore of the lake and fishes. The rod is a thick pine, the fishing line is an anchor chain, and instead of a hook, an anchor.
This is a strong man so a strong man! - said Alder Chock.
What are you, good man! Am I strong? They say that there is an Alder Chock in the world - so he is a strongman for all strong men! Angler says.
Alder Chock was silent, did not say who he was.
Let's go together to watch the white light, - he says to the Angler.
Let's go together. Whether they were walking close or far, they heard a roar. They look: a man is standing, he raised a rock high above his head. As he throws a rock on a rock, both of them shatter into pieces.
Hey good man, what are you doing? - Alder Chock and Angler are shouting to him.
And I don’t know where to put the power - I’m just amusing myself.
This is a strong man so a strong man! - says Alder Chock.
What are you, am I a strong man? Here, they say, there is an Alder Chock in the world - he is a strongman for all strong men! - answers the Rockbreaker.
Again Alder Churka said nothing about himself.
Let's go wandering around the wide world together, - he says to the Rockbreaker. "Maybe that's where our strength comes in handy."
They go together. Whether they were walking close or far, it suddenly began to get dark. And the further they go, the darker it gets. The travelers were surprised: after all, it had just been morning, why did night come in broad daylight? They go, they go - it became completely dark, like on an autumn night. They see something even ahead, like the sea, and on the shore it’s either a city or a fortress - it’s impossible to make out in the dark.
Near the fortress wall stood a poor hut in which an old widow lived. Travelers entered it and asked:
What kind of land is this, where night falls in broad daylight?
Oh sons! For three years now we have not seen the sun, the moon, or the dawn. One evil man cursed the sun, because it burned him strongly, so the nine-headed serpent stole the sun. Another villain cursed the month, because he prevented him from stealing and doing dark deeds. And the six-headed serpent stole the moon. And the third bad man cursed the morning dawn: he was a lazy person, so the dawn, you see, prevented him from sleeping in the morning. The three-headed serpent carried away the dawn.
Is it possible to help this grief? asked Alder Chock.
Oh, son, - says the old widow, - our king has a magical drink: the weak cannot even drink it - it burns like fire. Now, if anyone could drink three cups of this drink, he would free the dawn, whoever drank six cups would free the month, and whoever drained nine cups would free the sun ... But we don’t have such strong men.
Why don't we try? - says Alder Chock.
They went to the king.
And the king had his own great grief. The three-headed serpent, which carried away the morning dawn, demanded the eldest daughter of the king to be eaten.
They brought that magical fiery drink, poured the first cup. The angler took it and drank it to the bottom - he did not wince. They poured another cup, drank it, and drank the third. The rock-breaker drank six cups, and the Alder Chock drained all nine to the bottom. The news spread around the district: there were heroes who could free the dawn, the moon and the sun!
The Angler, Rockbreaker and Alder Chock were asked to forge swords for them: the first three-pound, the second six-pound, and the Alder Chock a nine-pound sword. They took their swords and went to the old widow.
That's the whole story.
ALDER CHOCK
Long ago, there lived an old man and an old woman. There was no one to rest their old age - they had neither a son nor a daughter. Once an old man went into the woods to chop wood. And the old woman says:
You, old man, would carve out a doll for me from an alder chock. I would rock her instead of a child in the cradle, if I didn’t have to rock my children.
The old man went into the forest and spent the whole day hewing a doll out of an alder chock. The old man brought the doll home, made a cradle. The old woman swaddled the piece of wood like a child, laid it in a cradle, began to rock and sing lullaby songs to her.
For three years the old woman pumped an alder chock. One morning she started baking bread. He hears - the cradle itself swayed, pounded on the floorboards. She looked around: a three-year-old boy was sitting in the cradle and swaying. He jumped to the floor and said:
Bake me, mother, bread, I want to eat!
The old woman was so delighted that she did not know where to put her son and how to feed him.
The son asks:
Where is the father?
Father plows the field.
I'll go help him, - the boy says to his mother.
Came to the edge of the field, shouting:
Hello father, I've come to help you!
The old man stopped the horse, looked and said:
Who calls me father? We don't have a son.
And I, Alder Chock, which my mother rocked for three years. Now I am your son. Tell me what to do.
The old man looks: a fine fellow is standing in front of him, that he can neither sing in a song, nor say in a fairy tale!
Well, if you are my son, help me. We need to make a fence so that the bears do not poison our oats.
The old man went to have dinner, and Alder Chock remained to fence the field. He made such a fence of thick trees that a hare cannot crawl under it, a bird cannot fly over it. And I didn’t think to leave the passage on the field. The old man returned, saw this, just shook his head. And in the evening he said to the old woman:
The guy has a lot of strength, but what's the point: he made such a fence that now you won’t even get on the field.
Alder Churka willingly took up any work, but he did not know how to work half-heartedly. So it turned out that not so much the benefit of his help as trouble.
Alder Chock himself understood this. One morning he said to the old woman:
Bake, mother, plantains for me. I'll go wandering around the wide world, maybe where my strength will come in handy.
The old woman burst into tears, and Alder Chock took a red scarf from her shoulders, tied it to a pole under the ceiling and said:
When blood drips from this handkerchief, then look for me.
And went. Whether he walked close or far, he sees: a man sits on a cliff on the shore of the lake and fishes. The rod is a thick pine, the fishing line is an anchor chain, and instead of a hook, an anchor.
This is a strong man so a strong man! - said Alder Chock.
What are you, good man! Am I strong? They say that there is an Alder Chock in the world - so he is a strongman for all strong men! Angler says.
Alder Chock was silent, did not say who he was.
Let's go together to watch the white light, - he says to the Angler.
Let's go together. Whether they were walking close or far, they heard a roar. They look: a man is standing, he raised a rock high above his head. As he throws a rock on a rock, both of them shatter into pieces.
Hey good man, what are you doing? - Alder Chock and Angler are shouting to him.
And I don’t know where to put the power - I’m just amusing myself.
This is a strong man so a strong man! - says Alder Chock.
What are you, am I a strong man? Here, they say, there is an Alder Chock in the world - he is a strongman for all strong men! - answers the Rockbreaker.
Again Alder Churka said nothing about himself.
Let's go wandering around the wide world together, - he says to the Rockbreaker. "Maybe that's where our strength comes in handy."
They go together. Whether they were walking close or far, it suddenly began to get dark. And the further they go, the darker it gets. The travelers were surprised: after all, it had just been morning, why did night come in broad daylight? They go, they go - it became completely dark, like on an autumn night. They see something even ahead, like the sea, and on the shore it’s either a city or a fortress - it’s impossible to make out in the dark.
Near the fortress wall stood a poor hut in which an old widow lived. Travelers entered it and asked:
What kind of land is this, where night falls in broad daylight?
Oh sons! For three years now we have not seen the sun, the moon, or the dawn. One evil man cursed the sun, because it burned him strongly, so the nine-headed serpent stole the sun. Another villain cursed the month, because he prevented him from stealing and doing dark deeds. And the six-headed serpent stole the moon. And the third bad man cursed the morning dawn: he was a lazy person, so the dawn, you see, prevented him from sleeping in the morning. The three-headed serpent carried away the dawn.
Is it possible to help this grief? asked Alder Chock.
Oh, son, - says the old widow, - our king has a magical drink: the weak cannot even drink it - it burns like fire. Now, if anyone could drink three cups of this drink, he would free the dawn, whoever drank six cups would free the month, and whoever drained nine cups would free the sun ... But we don’t have such strong men.
Why don't we try? - says Alder Chock.
They went to the king.
And the king had his own great grief. The three-headed serpent, which carried away the morning dawn, demanded the eldest daughter of the king to be eaten.
They brought that magical fiery drink, poured the first cup. The angler took it and drank it to the bottom - he did not wince. They poured another cup, drank it, and drank the third. The rock-breaker drank six cups, and the Alder Chock drained all nine to the bottom. The news spread around the district: there were heroes who could free the dawn, the moon and the sun!
The Angler, Rockbreaker and Alder Chock were asked to forge swords for them: the first three-pound, the second six-pound, and the Alder Chock a nine-pound sword. They took their swords and went to the old widow.
Evening came when the three-headed serpent was supposed to come out of the sea for the eldest daughter of the king. The servants brought the girl to the shore and sat her on a rock. Angler comes and says to her:
When the serpent comes out of the sea, wake me up.
He laid his head on the princess's knees and fell fast asleep. Some time passed, the sea stirred up once, twice, a third time. The princess began to shake the angler, but he did not wake up. Now the head of the snake appeared above the water. Then the princess's strength increased from fear, she shook the Angler with all her strength! He jumped up, grabbed his three-pound sword and went to the snake. I saw the snakes of the young man and said:
Hu-hu, smells like human spirit! I wanted to eat one, but two came.
Do not rejoice ahead of time! Let's fight first, says the Angler.
If you are so strong, then exhale, so that there is an iron field here, where we fight, - says the serpent.
Why do you, fat-bellied, iron field? I will cut off your heads in the sand.
And they began to fight. The Angler has taken off the head of the snake, the other, but he cannot cut off the third. He shouted:
Look, your house is on fire!
The snake looked back, then the Angler cut off the third head. The Tsar's daughter gave him her name ring, and the Angler went to the old widow, where his comrades were waiting for him.
And in the morning people woke up early - the morning dawn shines in the sky.
But soon it got dark again. Olkhovaya Churka went for a walk around the settlement with his comrades. They learned that the six-headed serpent was demanding the middle daughter of the king.
Evening has come. Now it's the turn of the Rockbreaker to go with the snake to fight. He comes to the seashore, and the middle daughter of the king is already sitting there on a stone, shedding tears. The Rockbreaker approaches her and says:
Do not worry, girl, maybe everything will work out. I'll sleep here for a while, and you wait for the kite to rise. Then wake me up. If I don't wake up, then prick me with a pin.
ALDER CHOCK
Long ago, there lived an old man and an old woman. There was no one to rest their old age
They had no son or daughter. Somehow the old man went into the forest to cut firewood
beat. And the old woman says:
- You should carve out a doll from an alder chock, old man. I would have her instead
rocked the child in the cradle, if I didn’t have to rock my children.
The old man went into the forest and spent the whole day hewing a doll out of an alder chock. Brought
old man doll home, made a cradle. The old woman swaddled a piece of wood,
the child, laid in the cradle, began to rock and sing lullaby songs to her.
For three years the old woman pumped an alder chock. One morning she became bread
bake. He hears - the cradle itself swayed - pounded on the floorboards. look-
woke up: a three-year-old boy was sitting in the cradle and swaying. He jumped off
on the floor and says:
- Bake me, mother, bread, I want to eat!
The old woman was so delighted that she did not know where to put her son and than his
feed. The son asks: - A. Where is the father? - Father plows the field. - I sing-
help him,” the boy says. Came to the edge of the field, shouting:
“Hello, father, I have come to help you!”
The old man stopped the horse, looked and said:
- Who calls me father? We don't have a son.
- And I'm Alder Chock, which my mother rocked for three years. Now I am your son.
Tell me what to do.
The old man looks: a fine fellow is standing in front of him, that he can neither sing in a song, nor in
tell a fairy tale!
- Well, if you are my son, help me. Gotta make a fence to keep the bears
oats were not poisoned.
The old man went to have dinner, and Alder Chock remained to fence the field. Such
made a hedge of thick trees so that a hare cannot crawl under it, bird
do not fly over it. And I didn’t think to leave the passage on the field. Ver-
the old man sprang up, saw this, only shook his head. And in the evening the old woman said
Hall:
- The guy has a lot of strength, but what's the point: he made such a fence that now
and you won't get on the field.
Alder Chock was willingly accepted for any work, but half-heartedly
didn't know how to bot. So it turned out that not so much benefit from his help,
how much trouble.
Alder Chock himself understood this. One morning he said to the old woman:
- Bake, mother, plantains for me. I'll go wandering around the wide world, maybe
where my strength will come in handy.
The old woman wept, and Alder Chock took a red handkerchief from her shoulders,
tied to a pole under the ceiling and said:
- When blood drips from this handkerchief, then look for me.
And went. Whether he walked close or far, he sees: he sits on a cliff, on the shore
lakes, man and fish. Rod - thick pine, fishing line - anchor chain,
and instead of a hook - an anchor.
- This is a strong man so strong man! - said Alder Chock.
- What are you, a good man! Am I strong? They say there is
Alder Chock - so he is a strongman for all strongmen! Angler says.
Alder Chock was silent, did not say who he was.
“Let’s go see the white light together,” he says to the Angler.
Let's go together. Whether they were walking close or far, they heard a roar. Watching: Worth it
a man raised a rock high above his head. As he throws rock upon rock, so
both are shattered into pieces.
“Hey, good man, what are you doing?” - the Alder Chock shouts to him and
angler.
- And I don’t know where to put the power - I’m just amusing myself.
- This is a strong man so strong man! - says Alder Chock.
- What are you, am I a strong man? They say there is an Alder Chock in the world -
he is a strong man to all strongmen! - answers the Rockbreaker.
Again Alder Churka said nothing about himself.
“Let’s go see the white light together,” they say to the Climber Alder Chur-
ka and Angler.
They go together. Whether they were walking close or far, it suddenly began to get dark. And than
The farther they go, the darker it gets. Travelers were surprised - after all, just
it was morning, why did night fall in broad daylight? They go, they go
it became quite dark, like an autumn night. They see something even ahead,
like the sea, and on the shore it’s either a city or a fortress - in the dark it’s not
disassemble.
Near the fortress wall stands a poor hut in which an old woman lived.
widow. Travelers entered it and asked:
- What kind of land is this, where night falls in broad daylight?
- Oh, sons! For three years now we have not seen the sun, the moon, or the
ri. One evil man cursed the sun, because it burned him badly, here
nine-headed serpent and stole the sun. Another villain cursed the month, because
that he prevented him from stealing and doing dark deeds. And the six-headed serpent
hit the month. And the third bad man cursed the morning dawn: he was lazy,
so the dawn, you see, disturbed his sleep in the morning. The three-headed serpent carried away
dawn.
“But can’t this grief be helped?” asked Alder Chock.
“Oh, son,” says the old widow, “for three years they have been looking for strong men who
they could have overcome these kites, but they can't find them anywhere. Our king has
such a magical drink: the weak cannot even drink it - it burns like
the fire. Now, if anyone could drink three cups of this drink, he would free
would be the dawn, who would drink six bowls - would free the month, and who would nine
drained the bowls - he would have freed the sun ... Only there are no such strongmen among
us.
- Why don't we try it? - says Alder Chock. They went to the
ryu.
And the king had his own great grief. The three-headed serpent, which is the dawn of the morning
he took the tsar to the bottom of the sea, demanded the eldest daughter of the king to be eaten.
They brought that magical fiery drink, poured the first cup. anglerfish
took it and drank it to the bottom - did not wince. They poured another cup - drank it, and
drank the third. Rockbreaker drank six cups, and Alder Chock - all nine before
the bottom drained as if it were water. The news spread around the district: there were
heroes who can free the dawn, the moon and the sun!
They asked the Angler, Rockbreaker and Alder Chock to forge their swords: first
mu three pounds, the second six pounds, and Alder Churka nine pounds
sword. They took swords and went to that old widow, asked her for lodging for the night.
The evening has come when the three-headed serpent must come out of the sea for the elder
the king's daughter. The servants brought the girl to the shore and sat her on a rock. Come-
dit angler and says to her:
“Look vigilantly at the sea and wait, and in the meantime I will sleep.” When the kite boo-
children come out of the sea, wake me up.
He laid his head on the princess's knees and fell fast asleep. Gone
for some time, the sea stirred up once, twice, a third time. Princess on-
shake the angler, but he does not wake up. Now the snake's head is shown
floated over the water. Then the princess's strength increased from fear, she shook
An angler that had strength! He jumped up, grabbed his three-pound sword and
went to the snake. I saw the snakes of the young man and said:
“Hu-hu, it smells like human spirit.” I wanted to eat one, but two came.
- Do not rejoice ahead of time! Let's fight first, says the Angler.
- If you are so strong, then exhale so that there is an iron field here,
where shall we fight, says the serpent.
- Why do you, fat-bellied, iron field? Me and your head on the sand
chop off.
And they began to fight. They fought, fought, the Angler blew the snake's head,
another, and the third cannot be cut off in any way. The young man shouted:
Look, your house is on fire!
The snake looked back, then the Angler cut off the third head. royal daughter
gave him her name ring and began to invite him to the royal palace,
but the fellow told her to go home alone, and he went to that old widow,
where his comrades were waiting for him.
And in the morning people woke up early: the morning dawn shines in the sky.
But soon it got dark again. Alder Chock went with his comrades in the city
to go for a walk, but the people are no longer happy, they are crying again! They found out that the
the tiger-headed serpent, which took the month to the bottom of the sea, demands the middle daughter
king.
Evening has come. Now it's the turn of the Rockbreaker to go with the snake to fight.
He comes to the seashore, and the middle daughter of the king is already sitting there on a stone,
filled with tears. The Rockbreaker approaches her and says:
“Don’t worry, girl, maybe everything will work out. I'll sleep here for a while, and you
keep your eyes on the sea, wait for the kite to rise. Then me
wake up. If I don't wake up, then prick me with a pin.
The Rockbreaker put his head on the princess's knees and fell into a sound sleep. BUT
The princess does not take her eyes off the sea. Here the sea stirred up once, twice,
third. The tsar's daughter began to disturb Rockbreaker, but he did not wake up in any way -
there is. Now the sea stirred for the fourth time and for the fifth, and the princess
everything cannot wake up its savior. I finally remembered the pin,
pricked Rockbreaker's hand. He instantly jumped to his feet and grabbed his six-
puddle sword.
The sea shook for the sixth time, and a six-headed serpent came out of the water.
I saw the serpent Cragbreaker and says:
- Hu-hu! Smells like human spirit. I wanted to eat one, but two came!
That would be a good dinner.
- Do not boast before the time! Let's measure our strength first, - go-
steals Rockbreaker.
- Well, if you are so strong, then exhale so that there is a copper field here
it became where we fight, - says the serpent.
- Why do you, fat-bellied, copper field? Me and your head on the sand
chop off.
And the Rockbreaker went to the snake. They fought, they fought, the fellow cut off the snake
head, second and third, but the snake does not give in. Already the fourth, fifth
the catch rolled down on the sand, and the snake seemed to have not diminished its strength. Not at all
Can Breaker the sixth, the last head to overcome. Went to the trick:
- Look, serpent, your children are amazed at you that you are headless
became! shouts the Rockbreaker.
The serpent looked back and the sixth head rolled onto the sand. And here from the sea
the moon came up, which the serpent hid in the bottom of the sea. And the princess is happy
gave her savior a name ring and began to call him with her to
the royal palace, but the Rockbreaker went to the old widow, where they were waiting for him
Angler and Alder Chock.
In the morning, three comrades went for a walk around the settlement and they see: the people rejoice,
like a big holiday.
But people didn’t have time to rejoice enough, as the rumor spread: he himself
the five-headed serpent demands the youngest daughter of the king to be eaten.
Evening came, the royal servants brought the younger princess to the seashore, to
the white stone was seated. She sits on a stone and weeps bitterly.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a fine fellow with a nine-pood
with a sword (it was Alder Chock) and says to the princess:
- Before the time, girl, do not worry! I'll sleep a little, but don't let me down
eyes from the sea and wait: when the snake starts to come out, wake me up. If you don't get
if you dare, then take my knife out of its sheath and poke me in the hand - then I will jump up.
He laid his head on the girl's lap and fell asleep. How little, how much time
passed, the sea stirred once, twice, third ... Princess, let's do well
wake up, wake up, and Alder Chock is still sleeping. The sea shook on Thursday
the fifth, fifth time, the waves surged up to the sky, but she still couldn’t
to wake. For the eighth time the sea reared up, the fiery streaks
sting on the crests of the waves. Then the princess remembered the knife, grabbed the hilt,
ku, took it out of its scabbard and poked the tip of the Alder Chock in the hand. When the sea is
reared up for the ninth time, he was already on his feet. The nine-headed came out of the water
snake, saw the Alder Chock and said:
- Hu-hu! Alder Chock himself came to me for dinner! It's just for
to me! I heard about the Alder Chock, but I did not hope that he himself would come to me in
the mouth will climb.
- Boastful speeches are only for the weak to speak, - Olkhovaya replies
Chock. “It’s better to get down to business without further ado!”
- Well, if you think yourself so strong, then blow out a silver field where
us to fight! the snake says.
“What do you need the silver tulle for?” Your heads and the sand will be soft
lie down, - says the good fellow.
And Alder Chock went straight to the snake with his nine-pood sword. Not
the serpent had time to come to his senses when three heads flew from his shoulders. Already th-
the twirling, and the fifth, and the sixth heads rolled down on the sand, but the snakes still did not
given. They fought for a long time, now Alder Chock cut off the seventh head,
and the last two can not be overcome. But here is the eighth head roll-
lass. At this point Alder Chock began to get tired. And not to cut off his post-
ice head, if he had not come up with a trick.
- Look, kite, the sun is coming out of the sea! shouted Alder Chock.
Indeed, it was already dawn over the sea. The snake looked back. Tut Alder
He cut off the chock and the ninth head of the snake.
The younger princess ran out from behind the stone, took the Alder Chock by the hand and
began to call to the palace: she wanted to show her father her savior. But he
ordered her to go to the palace alone, and hid her gift - a nominal ring - in
pocket.
Alder Chock went to the old widow's hut and went to bed. Quite dumb-
He managed to sleep a lot, he was awakened by joyful cries from the street.
- Why are they shouting, what are they rejoicing about? asks Alder Chock.
“Eh, dear,” the old widow answers, “you are still sleeping, and it’s not about
you know that the sun has risen brightly. For three years we have not seen the sun - how
don't rejoice here! Only Alder Chock in the world could kill de-
the five-headed serpent and release the sun. At least one eye on him
take a look!
Anglerfish and Rockbreaker look at their comrade: maybe he is
Alder Chock?
All three left the hut, went for a walk around the settlement. people say
three comrades:
“All over the kingdom they are looking for three strong men who freed the morning
ryu, the month and the clear sun, and even delivered the kingdom from terrible snakes.
The king promised each of these fellows to marry the princess whom he
saved. And the king also promised to divide between them half the kingdom and half the treasure.
vishch.
Three days have passed, and those fellows do not appear in any way. On the fourth day
The king's servants come to the old widow's hut and say:
“You have three foreigners living with you. Lead them by order of the king
come to the palace.
“Well, if it’s done, then you have to go,” says Alder Chock. -
We just need to dress up properly. Don't you, mistress, have
some torn clothes left from the husband of the deceased?
The widow brought torn clothes from the basement, the fellows pulled it over themselves
and became like poor vagabonds. So we went to the royal palace. Not allowed
their servants are no place for the poor in the king's chambers. Then Alder Chock and go-
says:
“Summon the youngest daughter of the king here.
The princess came, Alder Chock took out her name ring from his pocket and
He speaks:
“Do you recognize your ring, Princess?”
Here the princess cried out with joy and threw herself on the neck of the Alder Chock.
Servants are amazing! And the princess dismissed the servants and said:
“They defeated the kites!”
They came to the chamber where the king was with the queen and with his daughters.
The king was angry - why did they let the vagabonds in - but the youngest daughter came up
to the king and told everything. Here both the Angler and the Rockbreaker showed their rings,
and the elder daughters of the king recognized them as their saviors.
What was left to do - although the king did not like the suitors,
and the wedding must be celebrated: it is not befitting the king to change his word.
But then Alder Chock spoke:
“We don’t need a kingdom or your daughters, king. About just one
we ask: give us the king, good horses and some supplies to get to
native side.
The king was delighted and generously rewarded the fellows. Only the youngest daughter of the king
saddened: she liked the Alder Chock.
And the three comrades set out on their way back.
They go, they go, suddenly they see - it is standing in the forest, not far from the road, because
Bush. The hut is like a hut, but some strange voices are heard from there.
The Alder Chock dismounted from his horse and turned into an ermine. Climbed up on
firewood, under the very nest of the hut. Hears a voice:
“Here come the murderers of my sons!” Thinking to be home soon. Let them not leave
from me!
Alder Chock then guessed that this was the mother of those kites, Syuoyatar.
- What will you do to them? another voice asks.
“And I will make them so hungry that they will completely lose their strength.” And near
I will lay tables with all kinds of food on the road. But as soon as they sit down to those
tables, they will die immediately. How do they know that it is only worth hitting three times
chami on the tables, how these tables will disappear, and with them the hunger.
“What if they figure it out?” someone asks.
“If they escape this time,” says Syuoyatar, “then I will let loose on
they are so thirsty that they will fall off their horses from weakness. And near to-
I will conjure the horns of the lake, and there will be birch bark scoops - just drink!
The good fellows will drink - then they will die. And guess they swords three times
hit the water, the lake would disappear, and their thirst would be taken away as if by hand. well and
if they escape this time, that is, I have a third hit in reserve
growth: I will put such a dream on them that they fall from horses. And at the very
I will put three beds on the edge of the road. As the good fellows lie down on them, here and
will burn. This time, even the sword won't help them. The most cunning of all Alder Chock, but
if he speaks this secret aloud, then he will say goodbye to the white light forever.
Alder Chock listened to this, ran from the hut like an ermine, then
turned back into a human. He goes to his comrades, thought hard,
saddened. And Cragbreaker and Angler began to ask him about what
bushka said and what kind of people live there.
“Ah, empty business,” says Alder Chock. - There are some women from
there was nothing to do and chatted.
They went further. We drove a little, and such hunger attacked them -
lie down and die. And then, out of nowhere, appeared on the road
tables with food. Before Rockbreaker and Anglerfish had time to stretch out their hands, something
to take a piece, as Alder Chock struck his sword three times on
tables and they are gone. Comrades got angry:
"He didn't give us food!" And the food was so good.
Alder Chock did not say anything, but everyone suddenly noticed that they had
no longer want to.
They go further. They drove for some time, and such a thirst attacked them that
they are dying of weakness. And suddenly a lake appeared by the road itself, and
birch bark scoops are laid on the shore. The comrades of Olkhova Chur-
get down from the horses to get drunk, as he hit the water three times
chom, and the lake as if it had never happened. And the travelers were thirsty.
They go further. They were attacked by such a dream that they were about to fall off their horses. And
three beds with feather beds and down pillows appeared at the edge of the road -
just sleep, sleep. Rockbreaker and Angler jumped off their horses, they would like to-
lo throw yourself on the bed. Here Alder Chock, beside himself, shouted:
- Wait! If you lie on these beds, you will die!
The comrades were angry with Alder Chock, they were angry in earnest:
- What do you not give us to eat, drink, or sleep? they say. - You
as you wish, and we will lie down - there is no strength to go anymore.
The Alder Chock sees that they will not obey, but how to
the enchanted beds are gone, he doesn't know.
“Wait a minute, listen to what I tell you,” says Alder Chock. -
These beds were conjured by Syuoyatar. If you lie on them, you will burn. You
would have disappeared long ago if not for me. About this witchcraft I am from Syuoyatar herself
I heard when I went to that hut ...
As soon as I had time to say these words, I turned into an alder block,
which the old man once hewed out. The Angler and the Rock Breaker mourned here,
grieved, but what to do? They can't stay here forever. Go
they are on their way. And the dream flew off them.
At this very time in the house of the old man and the old woman from that red scarf,
which Alder Chock tied to the crow before leaving, the blood dripped.
The old woman was frightened, wailed:
- The trouble happened to my beloved son, whom I spent three years in
rocked the cradle!
The old woman gathered to look for her son, to help out of trouble. The old man says:
"Where are you going, old lady?" And where will you find it? Maybe he already
pecked out by the crows, the bones of the forest animals pulled apart? Only prop-
go.
But the old one did not obey, she collected food in a purse, a purse on her shoulders,
dry in your hands - and went out onto the road, even before the sun. The old woman asks
morning dawn:
- Golden dawn, tell me, have you seen my son, Alder Chock?
“No,” says the dawn, “I didn’t see it. Ask my brother of the month, he
rises high into the sky and looks everywhere, maybe he saw.
The old woman goes from day to night. The full moon has risen. The old woman asks
sews:
- The moon is clear, tell me, have you seen my son, Alder Chock?
“No,” says the moon, “I didn’t see it. I see badly in the dark thickets, and you
better ask your older brother the sun, it looks into all corners,
nothing is hidden from his eyes.
The old woman goes all night, morning, until noon, when the sun is high
rose. Asks the sun
- The sun is bright, tell me, have you seen my son, Alder Chur-
ku?
- I know where Alder Chock is. He freed me from the nine-headed serpent
dil, but I can’t help his trouble.
And the sun told where and how to find the Alder Chock. Comes a hundred
rushka to that forest edge, where Alder Chock had remained lying, saw
a wooden doll, I recognized right away - how not to find out if she rocked it for three years
- leaned over to her and wailed:
- My only son, beloved, what happened to you? On the
whom did you leave me, the old one?
The old woman is crying over the Alder Chock. A hot tear fell on a wooden
new doll - the Alder Chock came to life, jumped to his feet - well done well done, as
and was before!
- How long have I been sleeping? - says Alder Chock.
“A century would have slept, son, if it weren’t for me,” the mother replies.
The mother and son returned home. The old man was very happy with them. They became
to live, not to grieve. Maybe even now the Alder Chock with the old man and the old woman
who lives, or maybe he again went to look for business on his shoulder. How to know?
Long ago, there lived an old man and an old woman. There was no one to rest their old age - they had neither a son nor a daughter. Once an old man went into the woods to chop wood. And the old woman says:
You, old man, would carve out a doll for me from an alder chock. I would rock her instead of a child in the cradle, if I didn’t have to rock my children.
The old man went into the forest and spent the whole day hewing a doll out of an alder chock. The old man brought the doll home, made a cradle. The old woman swaddled the piece of wood like a child, laid it in a cradle, began to rock and sing lullaby songs to her.
For three years the old woman pumped an alder chock. One morning she started baking bread. He hears - the cradle itself swayed - pounded on the floorboards. She looked around: a three-year-old boy was sitting in the cradle and swaying. He jumped to the floor and said:
Bake me, mother, bread, I want to eat!
The old woman was so delighted that she did not know where to put her son and how to feed him. The son asks: - A. Where is the father? - Father plows the field. "I'll go help him," the boy says. Came to the edge of the field, shouting:
Hello father, I've come to help you!
The old man stopped the horse, looked and said:
Who calls me father? We don't have a son.
And I'm Alder Chock, which my mother rocked for three years. Now I am your son. Tell me what to do.
The old man looks: a fine fellow is standing in front of him, that he can neither sing in a song, nor say in a fairy tale!
Well, if you are my son, help me. We need to make a fence so that the bears do not poison the oats.
The old man went to have dinner, and Alder Chock remained to fence the field. He made such a fence of thick trees that a hare cannot crawl under it, a bird cannot fly over it. And I didn’t think to leave the passage on the field. The old man returned, saw this, just shook his head. And in the evening he said to the old woman:
The guy has a lot of strength, but what's the point: he made such a fence that now you won’t even get on the field.
Alder Churka willingly accepted for any work, but he did not know how to work at half strength. So it turned out that not so much the benefit of his help as trouble.
Alder Chock himself understood this. One morning he said to the old woman:
Bake, mother, plantains for me. I'll go wandering around the wide world, maybe where my strength will come in handy.
The old woman burst into tears, and Alder Chock took a red scarf from her shoulders, tied it to a pole under the ceiling and said:
When blood drips from this handkerchief, then look for me.
And went. He walked close, far, he sees: he sits on a cliff, on the shore of a lake, a man fishes. The rod is thick pine, the fishing line is an anchor chain, and for the place of the hook is an anchor.
This is a strong man so a strong man! - said Alder Chock.
What are you, good man! Am I strong? They say that there is an Alder Chock in the world - so he is a strongman for all strong men! Angler says.
Alder Chock was silent, did not say who he was.
Let's go together to watch the white light, - he says to the Angler.
Let's go together. Whether they were walking close or far, they heard a roar. They look: a man is standing, he raised a rock high above his head. As he throws a rock on a rock, both of them shatter into pieces.
Hey good man, what are you doing? - Alder Chock and Angler are shouting to him.
And I don’t know where to put the power - I’m just amusing myself.
This is a strong man so a strong man! - says Alder Chock.
What are you, am I a strong man? They say there is an Alder Chock in the world - he is a strongman for all strongmen! - answers the Rockbreaker.
Again Alder Churka said nothing about himself.
Let's go see the white light together, - the Alder Chock and the Angler say to the Climber.
They go together. Whether they were walking close or far, it suddenly began to get dark. And the further they go, the darker it gets. The travelers were surprised - after all, it had just been morning, why did night come in broad daylight? They go, they go - it became completely dark, like on an autumn night. They see something even ahead, like the sea, and on the shore it’s either a city or a fortress - it’s impossible to make out in the dark.
Near the fortress wall stands a poor hut in which an old widow lived. Travelers entered it and asked:
What kind of land is this, where night falls in broad daylight?
Oh sons! For three years now we have not seen the sun, the moon, or the dawn. One evil man cursed the sun, because it burned him strongly, so the nine-headed serpent stole the sun. Another villain cursed the month, because he prevented him from stealing and doing dark deeds. And the six-headed serpent stole the moon. And the third bad man cursed the morning dawn: he was a lazy person, so the dawn, you see, prevented him from sleeping in the morning. The three-headed serpent carried away the dawn.
Is it possible to help this grief? asked Alder Chock.
Oh, son, - says the old widow, - for three years they have been looking for strong men who could defeat these kites, but they can’t find them anywhere. Our king has such a magical drink: the weak cannot even drink it - it burns like fire. Now, if anyone could drink three cups of this drink, he would free the dawn, whoever drank six cups would free the month, and whoever drained nine cups would free the sun ... But we don’t have such strong men.
Why don't we try? - says Alder Chock. They went to the king.
And the king had his own great grief. The three-headed serpent, which took the morning dawn to the bottom of the sea, demanded the eldest daughter of the king to be eaten.
They brought that magical fiery drink, poured the first cup. The angler took it and drank it to the bottom - he did not wince. They poured another cup, drank it, and drank the third. The rock-breaker drank six bowls, and the Alder Chock drained all nine to the bottom, as if it were water. The news spread around the district: there were heroes who could free the dawn, the moon and the sun!
The Angler, Rockbreaker and Alder Chock were asked to forge swords for them: the first three-pound, the second six-pound, and the Alder Chock a nine-pound sword. They took swords and went to that old widow, asked her for lodging for the night.
Evening has come when the three-headed serpent must come out of the sea for the eldest daughter of the king. The servants brought the girl to the shore and sat her on a rock. Angler comes and says to her:
Keep your eyes on the sea and wait while I sleep. When the serpent comes out of the sea, wake me up.
He laid his head on the princess's knees and fell fast asleep. Some time passed, the sea stirred up once, twice, a third time. The princess began to shake the angler, but he did not wake up. Now the head of the snake appeared above the water. Then the princess's strength increased from fear, she shook the Angler with all her strength! He jumped up, grabbed his three-pound sword and went to the snake. I saw the snakes of the young man and said:
Hu-hu, smells like human spirit. I wanted to eat one, but two came.
Do not rejoice ahead of time! Let's fight first, says the Angler.
If you are so strong, then exhale, so that there is an iron field here, where we fight, - says the serpent.
Why do you, fat-bellied, iron field? I will cut off your heads in the sand.
And they began to fight. They fought and fought, the Angler cut off the snake's head, another, and the third one can't cut off in any way. The young man shouted:
Look, your house is on fire!
The snake looked back, then the Angler cut off the third head. The tsar's daughter gave him her name ring and began to invite him to the tsar's palace, but the young man ordered her to go home alone, and he went to the old widow where his comrades were waiting for him.
And in the morning people woke up early: the morning dawn shines in the sky.
But soon it got dark again. Alder Churka went for a walk with his comrades around the settlement, but the people are no longer happy, crying again! They learned that the six-headed serpent, which carried the month to the bottom of the sea, demands the middle daughter of the king.
Evening has come. Now it's the turn of the Rockbreaker to go with the snake to fight. He comes to the seashore, and the middle daughter of the king is already sitting there on a stone, shedding tears. The Rockbreaker approaches her and says:
Do not worry, girl, maybe everything will work out. I'll sleep here a bit, and you keep your eyes on the sea, wait for the kite to rise. Then wake me up. If I don't wake up, then prick me with a pin.
The Rockbreaker put his head on the princess's knees and fell into a sound sleep. And the princess does not take her eyes off the sea. Here the sea stirred up once, twice, a third time. The tsar's daughter began to disturb Rockbreaker, but he did not wake up. Now the sea has stirred for the fourth time and for the fifth time, but the princess still cannot wake her savior. She finally remembered the pin, pricked Rockbreaker's hand. He instantly jumped to his feet and grabbed his six-pound sword.
The sea shook for the sixth time, and a six-headed serpent came out of the water. I saw the serpent Cragbreaker and says:
Hu-hu! Smells like human spirit. I wanted to eat one, but two came! That would be a good dinner.
Don't brag before the time! Let's measure our strength first, - says Cragbreaker.
Well, if you are so strong, exhale so that here the copper field becomes where we fight, - says the serpent.
Why do you, fat-bellied, copper field? I'll cut off your heads in the sand.
And the Rockbreaker went to the snake. They fought, they fought, the fellow chopped off the head of the snake, the second and third, but the snake does not give in. Already the fourth, fifth head rolled onto the sand, and the snake seemed to have not diminished its strength. Can't Crackbreaker the sixth, the last head to overcome. Went to the trick:
Look, serpent, your children are amazed at you that you have become headless! - Cragbreaker shouts.
The serpent looked back - and the sixth head rolled onto the sand. And then the moon emerged from the sea, which the serpent hid in the bottom of the sea. And the princess, in joy, presented her savior with a nominal ring and began to call him with her to the royal palace, but the Rockbreaker went to the old widow, where the Angler and Alder Chock were waiting for him.
In the morning, three comrades went for a walk around the settlement and they saw: the people rejoiced, as on a great holiday.
But before people had time to rejoice enough, the rumor spread: the nine-headed serpent himself demands the youngest daughter of the king to be eaten.
Evening came, the royal servants brought the youngest princess to the seashore, and seated her on a white stone. She sits on a stone and weeps bitterly.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a fine fellow with a nine-pound sword (it was Alder Chock) appeared in front of her and said to the princess:
Before the time girl, do not worry! I'll sleep a little, but you keep your eyes on the sea and wait: when the kite starts to come out, wake me up. If you don't wake up, then take my knife out of its sheath and poke me in the arm - then I'll jump up.
He laid his head on the girl's lap and fell asleep. You never know, how much time has passed, the sea has stirred up once, twice, a third time... The princess, let's wake up the young man, wake him up, but the Alder Chock is still sleeping. The sea stirred for the fourth, fifth time, the waves shot up to the sky, but she still could not wake him up. For the eighth time the sea reared up, streaks of fire ran along the crests of the waves. Then the princess remembered the knife, grabbed the handle, pulled it out of the sheath and poked the tip of the Alder Chock in her hand. When the sea rose for the ninth time, he was already on his feet. A nine-headed serpent came out of the water, saw the Alder Chock and said:
Hu-hu! Alder Chock himself came to me for dinner! This is just for me! I heard about the Alder Chock, but I did not hope that he himself would climb into my mouth.
Boastful speeches are only for the weak to speak, - replies Alder Chock. - It's better to get down to business without further ado!
Well, if you think yourself so strong, then blow out a silver field where we can fight! - says the snake.
What do you want silver tulle for? It will lie softly on your heads and on the sand, - says the good fellow.
And Alder Chock went straight to the snake with his nine-pood sword. Before the serpent had time to come to his senses, three heads flew from his shoulders. Already the fourth, and the fifth, and the sixth heads have rolled down on the sand, but the snake still does not give in. They fought for a long time, now the Alder Chock has cut off the seventh head, and the last two cannot be overcome in any way. But now the eighth head rolled. At this point Alder Chock began to get tired. And he would not have cut off his last head if he had not come up with a trick.
Look, kite, the sun is coming out of the sea! shouted Alder Chock.
Indeed, it was already dawn over the sea. The snake looked back. Then Alder Chock cut off the ninth head of the snake.
The younger princess ran out from behind the stone, took Alder Chock by the hand and began to call to the palace: she wanted to show her father to her savior. But he ordered her to go to the palace alone, and hid her gift - a nominal ring - in his pocket.
Alder Chock went to the old widow's hut and went to bed. He managed to sleep quite a bit, he was awakened by joyful cries from the street.
Why are they shouting, what are they rejoicing about? - asks Alder Chock.
E, dear, - the old widow answers, - you are still sleeping, and you don’t know that the clear sun has risen. For three years we have not seen the sun - how can we not rejoice! Only Alder Chock in the world could kill the nine-headed serpent and free the sun. At least take a look at it!
Anglerfish and Rockbreaker look at their comrade: maybe he is Alder Chock?
All three left the hut, went for a walk around the settlement. People say to three comrades:
All over the kingdom they are looking for three strong men who freed the morning dawn, the moon and the clear sun, and even saved the kingdom from terrible snakes. The king promised each of these fellows to marry the princess he had saved. And the king also promised to divide between them half the kingdom and half the treasures.
Three days have passed, and those fellows do not appear in any way. On the fourth day, the royal servants come to the hut of the old widow and say:
You have some three strangers living. Tell them, by order of the king, to come to the palace.
Well, once it’s done, it’s the way to go,” says Alder Churka. We just need to dress up properly. Don't you, mistress, have some torn clothes left from the husband of the deceased?
The widow brought torn clothes from the basement, the fellows pulled it on themselves and became like beggarly tramps. So we went to the royal palace. Their servants do not let them in - there is no place for the poor in the royal chambers. Then Alder Chock says:
Call the youngest daughter of the king here.
The princess came, Alder Chock took out her name ring from his pocket and said:
Do you recognize your ring, princess?
Here the princess cried out with joy and threw herself on the neck of the Alder Chock. Servants are amazing! And the princess dismissed the servants and said:
They defeated the kites!
They came to the chamber where the king was with the queen and with his daughters. The king was angry - why did they let the vagabonds in - but the youngest daughter went up to the king and told everything. Here both the Angler and the Rockbreaker showed their rings, and the elder daughters of the king recognized them as their saviors.
What was left to do - although the tsar did not like the suitors, but the wedding had to be celebrated: it was not befitting the tsar to change his word.
But then Alder Chock spoke:
We do not need a kingdom, nor your daughters, king. We only ask for one thing: give us the king, good horses and some supplies to get to our native side.
The king was delighted and generously rewarded the fellows. Only the youngest daughter of the king was saddened: she fell in love with the Alder Chock.
And the three comrades set out on their way back.
They go, they go, suddenly they see - there is a hut in the forest, not far from the road. The hut is like a hut, but some strange voices are heard from there. The Alder Chock dismounted from his horse and turned into an ermine. He climbed onto the woodpile, under the very nest of the hut. Hears a voice:
Here come the murderers of my sons! Thinking to be home soon. Don't let them get away from me!
Alder Chock then guessed that this was the mother of those kites, Syuoyatar.
What will you do to them? asks another voice.
And I will let them go so hungry that they will completely lose their strength. And near the road I will lay tables with all kinds of food. But as soon as they sit down at those tables, they immediately die. How could they know that one has only to strike the tables three times with swords, as these tables disappear, and with them the hunger.
What if they figure it out? someone asks.
If this time they escape, - says Syuoyatar, - then I will let such thirst on them that they will fall off their horses from weakness. And near the road I will conjure a lake, and birch bark scoops will be here - just drink! The good fellows will drink - then they will die. And if they had guessed to hit the water with their swords three times, the lake would have disappeared, and their thirst would have been removed as if by hand. Well, if they escape this time as well, that is, I have a third trick in reserve: I will put such a dream on them that they fall from horses. And I will put three beds at the very edge of the road. As the good fellows lie down on them, they will burn here. This time, even the sword won't help them. The most cunning of all is the Alder Chock, but if he expresses this secret aloud, then he will forever say goodbye to the white light.
The Alder Chock listened to this, ran away from the hut like an ermine, then turned back into a man. He goes to his comrades, thought hard, saddened. And the Rockbreaker and the Angler began to ask him what they talked about in the hut and what kind of people live there.
Ah, an empty case, - says Alder Chock. - There some women from nothing to do chatted all sorts of things.
They went further. We drove a little, and such hunger attacked them - even lie down and die. And then, out of nowhere, tables appeared along the road with all sorts of food. Before Cragbreaker and Angler had reached out their hands to take a piece each, Alder Chock struck the tables three times with his sword, and they were gone. Comrades got angry:
Didn't let us eat! And the food was so good.
Alder Chock said nothing, but everyone suddenly noticed that they didn’t feel like eating at all.
They go further. They drove for some time, and such a thirst attacked them that they were dying from weakness. And suddenly a lake appeared near the road itself, and birch bark scoops were laid on the shore. Before the comrades of Alder Churka had time to get down from their horses to get drunk, he struck the water three times with his sword, and the lake was gone. And the travelers were thirsty.
They go further. They were attacked by such a dream that they were about to fall off their horses. And three beds with feather beds and down pillows appeared at the edge of the road - just sleep, sleep off. Cragbreaker and Angler jumped off their horses, they wanted to throw themselves on the bed. Here Alder Chock, beside himself, shouted:
Wait! If you lie on these beds, you will die!
The comrades were angry with Alder Chock, they were angry in earnest:
What do you not give us to eat, drink, or sleep? they say. - You do as you wish, and we will lie down - there is no strength to go anymore.
The Alder Chock sees that they will not obey, but does not know how to make the enchanted beds disappear.
Wait, listen to what I'm going to tell you, - says Alder Chock. - These beds Syuoyatar conjured. If you lie on them, you will burn. You would have disappeared long ago if not for me. I heard about this sorcery from Syuoyatar herself when I went to that hut ...
As soon as he had time to say these words, he turned into an alder block, which the old man once carved out. The Angler and the Crag Breaker mourned here, they mourned, but what to do? They can't stay here forever. They went on their way. And the dream flew off them.
At that very time, in the house of the old man and the old woman, blood began to drip from that red scarf that Alder Chock tied to the crow before leaving. The old woman was frightened, wailed:
The trouble happened to my beloved son, whom I rocked in the cradle for three years!
The old woman gathered to look for her son, to help out of trouble. The old man says:
Where are you going old? And where will you find it? Maybe the crows have already pecked out his eyes, the bones of the forest animals have pulled apart? You will only disappear.
But the old one did not obey, she collected food in a purse, a purse on her shoulders, a staff in her hands - and went out onto the road, even before the sun. The old woman asks at the dawn of the morning:
Golden dawn, tell me, have you seen my son, Alder Chock?
No, says the dawn, I haven't seen it. Ask my brother of the month, he rises high into the sky and looks everywhere, maybe he saw.
The old woman goes from day to night. The full moon has risen. The old lady asks:
Clear moon, tell me, have you seen my son, Alder Chock?
No, - says the moon, - I didn’t see it. I can’t see well in the dark thickets, but you’d better ask your older brother for the sun, it looks into all corners, nothing will hide from his eyes.
The old woman goes all night, morning, until noon, when the sun has risen high. Asks the sun
Bright sun, tell me, have you seen my son, Alder Chock?
I know where Alder Chock is. He freed me from the nine-headed serpent, but I can't help his misfortune.
And the sun told where and how to find the Alder Chock. An old woman comes to that forest edge where the Alder Chock remained lying, saw a wooden doll, recognized immediately - how not to find out, if she had been rocking it for three years - she clung to it and wailed:
My only, beloved son, what happened to you? For whom did you leave me, the old one?
The old woman is crying over the Alder Chock. A hot tear fell on a wooden doll - Alder Chock came to life, jumped to his feet - well done, well done, as before!
How long have I been sleeping! - says Alder Chock.
A century would have slept, son, if it were not for me, - the mother answers.
The mother and son returned home. The old man was very happy with them. They began to live, not to grieve. Maybe even now Alder Chock lives with the old man and the old woman, or maybe he again went to look for business on his shoulder. How to know?
Long ago, there lived an old man and an old woman. There was no one to rest their old age - they had neither a son nor a daughter. Once an old man went into the woods to chop wood. And the old woman says:
You, old man, would carve out a doll for me from an alder chock. I would rock her instead of a child in the cradle, if I didn’t have to rock my children.
The old man went into the forest and spent the whole day hewing a doll out of an alder chock. The old man brought the doll home, made a cradle. The old woman swaddled the piece of wood like a child, laid it in a cradle, began to rock and sing lullaby songs to her.
For three years the old woman pumped an alder chock. One morning she started baking bread. He hears - the cradle itself swayed - pounded on the floorboards. She looked around: a three-year-old boy was sitting in the cradle and swaying. He jumped to the floor and said:
Bake me, mother, bread, I want to eat!
The old woman was so delighted that she did not know where to put her son and how to feed him. The son asks: - And where is the father? - Father plows the field. “I’ll go help him,” the boy says. Came to the edge of the field, shouting:
Hello father, I've come to help you!
The old man stopped the horse, looked and said:
Who calls me father? We don't have a son.
And I'm Alder Chock, which my mother rocked for three years. Now I am your son. Tell me what to do.
The old man looks: a fine fellow is standing in front of him, that he can neither sing in a song, nor say in a fairy tale!
Well, if you are my son, help me. We need to make a fence so that the bears do not poison the oats.
The old man went to have dinner, and Alder Chock remained to fence the field. He made such a fence of thick trees that a hare cannot crawl under it, a bird cannot fly over it. And I didn’t think to leave the passage on the field. The old man returned, saw this, just shook his head. And in the evening he said to the old woman:
The guy has a lot of strength, but what's the point: he made such a fence that now you won’t even get on the field.
Alder Churka willingly accepted for any work, but he did not know how to work at half strength. So it turned out that not so much the benefit of his help as trouble. Alder Chock himself understood this. One morning he said to the old woman:
Bake, mother, plantains for me. I'll go wandering around the wide world, maybe where my strength will come in handy.
The old woman burst into tears, and Alder Chock took a red scarf from her shoulders, tied it to a pole under the ceiling and said:
When blood drips from this handkerchief, then look for me.
And went. He walked close, far, he sees: he sits on a cliff, on the shore of a lake, a man fishes. The rod is a thick pine, the fishing line is an anchor chain, and instead of a hook, an anchor.
This is a strong man, so strong man! - said Alder Chock.
What are you, good man! Am I strong? They say there is an Alder Chock in the world - so he is a strong man for all the strong men! - Says the Angler.
Alder Chock was silent, did not say who he was.
Let's go see the white light together, - he says to the Angler.
Let's go together. Whether they were walking close or far, they heard a roar. They look: a man is standing, he raised a rock high above his head. As he throws a rock on a rock, both of them shatter into pieces.
Hey, good man, what are you doing? - Alder Chock and Angler are shouting to him.
And I don’t know where to put the power - I’m just amusing myself.
This is a strong man so a strong man! - says Alder Chock.
What are you, am I a strong man? They say there is an Alder Chock in the world - he is a strong man for all the strong men! - answers the Rockbreaker.
Again Alder Churka said nothing about himself.
Let's go see the white light together, - the Alder Chock and the Angler say to the Climber.
Three of them go. Whether they were walking close or far, it suddenly began to get dark. And the further they go, the darker it gets. The travelers were surprised - after all, it had just been morning, why did night come in broad daylight? They go, they go - it became completely dark, like on an autumn night. They see something even ahead, like the sea, and on the shore it’s either a city or a fortress - it’s impossible to make out in the dark.
Near the fortress wall stands a poor hut in which an old widow lived.
Travelers entered it and asked:
What kind of land is this, where night falls in broad daylight?
Oh sons! For three years now we have not seen the sun, the moon, or the dawn. One evil man cursed the sun, because it burned him strongly, so the nine-headed serpent stole the sun. Another villain cursed the month because it prevented him from stealing and doing dark deeds. And the six-headed serpent stole the moon. And the third bad man cursed the morning dawn: he was a lazy person, the dawn, you see, disturbed his sleep in the morning. The three-headed serpent carried away the dawn.
Is it possible to help this grief? - asked Alder Chock.
Oh, son, - says the old widow, - for three years they have been looking for strongmen who could overcome these kites, but they can’t find them anywhere. Our king has such a magical drink: the weak cannot even drink it - it burns like fire. Now, if someone could drink three cups of this drink, he would free the dawn, whoever drank six cups would free the month, and whoever drained nine cups would free the sun ...
Only we do not have such strong men.
Why don't we try it? - says Alder Chock. They went to the king.
And the king had his own great grief. The three-headed serpent, which took the morning dawn to the bottom of the sea, demanded the eldest daughter of the king to be eaten.
They brought that magical fiery drink, poured the first cup. The angler took it and drank it to the bottom - he did not wince. They poured another cup, drank it, and drank the third.
The rock-breaker drank six bowls, and the Alder Chock drained all nine to the bottom, as if it were water. The news spread around the district: there were heroes who could free the dawn, the moon and the sun!
They asked the Angler, Rockbreaker and Alder Chock to forge swords for them: the first three-pound, the second six-pound, and the Alder Chock a nine-pound sword. They took swords and went to that old widow, asked her for lodging for the night.
The evening has come when the three-headed serpent must come out of the sea for the eldest daughter of the king. The servants brought the girl to the shore and sat her on a rock. Angler comes and says to her:
Keep your eyes on the sea and wait while I sleep. When the serpent comes out of the sea, wake me up.
He laid his head on the princess's knees and fell fast asleep. Some time passed, the sea stirred up once, twice, a third time. The princess began to shake the angler, but he did not wake up. Now the head of the snake appeared above the water. Then the princess's strength increased from fear, she shook the Angler with all her strength! He jumped up, grabbed his three-pound sword and went to the snake. I saw the snakes of the young man and said:
Wow, it smells like human spirit. I wanted to eat one, but two came.
Do not rejoice ahead of time! Let's fight first, says the Angler.
If you are so strong, then exhale so that there is an iron field here where we can fight, says the serpent.
Why do you, fat-bellied, iron field? I will cut off your heads in the sand.
And they began to fight. They fought and fought, the Angler cut off the head of the snake, the other, and the third one can not cut off in any way. The young man shouted:
Look, your house is on fire!
The snake looked back, then the Angler cut off the third head. The royal daughter gave him her name ring and began to invite him to the royal palace, but the young man ordered her to go home, and he went to the old woman where his comrades were waiting for him.
And in the morning people woke up early: the morning dawn shines in the sky.
But soon it got dark again. Olkhovaya Churka went for a walk with his comrades around the settlement, but the people are no longer happy, crying again! They learned that the six-headed serpent, which carried the month to the bottom of the sea, demands the middle daughter of the king.
Evening has come. Now it's the turn of the Rockbreaker to go with the snake to fight. He comes to the seashore, and the middle daughter of the king is already sitting there on a stone, shedding tears.
The Rockbreaker approaches her and says:
Do not worry, girl, maybe everything will work out. I'll sleep here a bit, and you keep your eyes on the sea, wait for the kite to rise. Then wake me up. If I don't wake up, then prick me with a pin.
The Rockbreaker put his head on the princess's knees and fell into a sound sleep. And the princess does not take her eyes off the sea. Here the sea stirred up once, twice, a third time. The tsar's daughter began to disturb Rockbreaker, but he did not wake up. Now the sea has stirred for the fourth time and for the fifth time, but the princess still cannot wake her savior.
She finally remembered the pin, pricked Rockbreaker's hand. He instantly jumped to his feet and grabbed his six-pound sword.
The sea shook for the sixth time, and a six-headed serpent came out of the water. I saw the serpent Cragbreaker and says:
Smells like human spirit. I wanted to eat one, but two came! That would be a good dinner.
Don't brag before the time! Let's measure our strength first, - says Skalolom.
Well, if you are so strong, exhale so that here the copper field becomes where we fight, - says the serpent.
Why do you, fat-bellied, copper field? I'll cut off your heads in the sand.
And the Rockbreaker went to the snake. They fought, they fought, the fellow cut off the head of the snake, the second and third, but the snake does not give in. Already the fourth, fifth head rolled onto the sand, and the snake seemed to have not diminished its strength. The Rockbreaker cannot defeat the last head in any way. Went to the trick:
Look, serpent, your children are amazed at you that you have become headless! - shouts Cragbreaker.
The serpent looked back - and the sixth head rolled onto the sand. And then the moon emerged from the sea, which the serpent hid in the bottom of the sea. And the princess, in joy, presented her savior with a nominal ring and began to call him to the palace with her, but the Rockbreaker went to the old widow, where the Angler and Alder Chock were waiting for him.
In the morning, three comrades went for a walk around the settlement and they saw: the people rejoiced, as on a great holiday.
But before people had time to rejoice, the rumor spread: the nine-headed serpent himself demands to be eaten by the youngest daughter of the king.
Evening came, the royal servants brought the youngest princess to the seashore, and seated her on a white stone. She sits on a stone and weeps bitterly.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a fine fellow with a nine-pood sword appeared in front of her and said to the princess:
Before the time girl, do not worry! I’ll sleep a little, but you don’t take your eyes off the sea and wait: when the snake starts to come out, wake me up. If you don't wake up, then take my knife out of its sheath and poke me in the arm - then I'll jump up.
He laid his head on the girl's lap and fell asleep. You never know, how much time has passed, the sea has stirred up once, twice, a third... Let's wake up the princess, but the Alder Chock is still sleeping. The sea stirred for the fourth, fifth time, the waves shot up to the sky, but she still cannot wake him up. This is the eighth time the sea has risen. Then the princess remembered the knife, grabbed the handle, pulled it out of the sheath and poked the tip of the Alder Chock in her hand. When the sea rose for the ninth time, he was already on his feet. A nine-headed serpent came out of the water, saw the Alder Chock and said:
Wow! Alder Chock himself came to me for dinner! This is just for me! I heard about the Alder Chock, but I did not hope that he himself would climb into my mouth.
Boastful speeches are only for the weak to speak, - replies Alder Chock. - It's better to get down to business without further ado!
Well, if you think yourself so strong, then blow out a silver field where we can fight! - says the snake.
Why do you need a silver field? It will lie softly on your heads and on the sand, - says the good fellow.
And Alder Chock went straight to the snake with his nine-pound sword. Before the serpent had time to come to his senses, three heads flew from his shoulders. Already the fourth, and the fifth, and the sixth heads have rolled down on the sand, but the snake still does not give in. They fought for a long time, now the Alder Chock has cut off the seventh head, and the last two cannot be overcome in any way. But now the eighth head rolled. At this point Alder Chock began to get tired. And he would not have cut off his last head if he had not come up with a trick.
Look, kite, the sun is coming out of the sea! shouted Alder Chock.
Indeed, it was already dawn over the sea. The snake looked back. Then Alder Chock cut off the ninth head of the snake.
The younger princess ran out from behind the stone, took Alder Chock by the hand and began to call to the palace: she wanted to show her father to her savior. But he ordered her to go to the palace alone, and hid her gift - a nominal ring - in his pocket.
Alder Chock went to the hut of the old widow and went to bed. He managed to sleep quite a bit, he was awakened by joyful cries from the street.
Why are they shouting, what are they rejoicing about? - asks Alder Chock.
E, dear, - the old widow answers, - you are still sleeping, and you don’t know that the clear sun has risen. For three years we have not seen the sun - how can we not rejoice! Only Alder Chock in the world could kill the nine-headed serpent and free the sun. At least take a look at it!
Anglerfish and Rockbreaker look at their comrade: maybe he is Alder Chock?
All three left the hut, went for a walk around the settlement. People say to three comrades:
All over the kingdom they are looking for three strong men who freed the morning dawn, the month and the clear sun, and even saved the kingdom from terrible snakes. The king promised each of these fellows to marry the princess he had saved. And the king also promised to divide between them half the kingdom and half the treasures.
Three days have passed, and those fellows do not appear in any way. On the fourth day, the royal servants come to the old widow's hut and say:
You have some three strangers living. Tell them, by order of the king, to come to the palace.
Well, once it’s done, it’s the way to go,” says Alder Chock. We just need to dress up properly. Don't you, mistress, have some torn clothes left from the husband of the deceased?
The widow brought torn clothes from the basement, the fellows pulled it on themselves and became like beggarly tramps. So we went to the royal palace. Their servants do not let them in - there is no place for the poor in the royal chambers. Then Alder Chock says:
Call the youngest daughter of the king here.
The princess came, Alder Chock took out her name ring from his pocket and said: - Do you recognize your ring, princess?
Here the princess cried out with joy and threw herself on the neck of the Alder Chock. Servants are amazing! And the princess dismissed the servants and said:
They defeated the kites!
They came to the chamber where the king was with the queen and with his daughters.
The king was angry - why did they let the vagabonds in - but the youngest daughter went up to the king and told everything. Here both the Angler and the Rockbreaker showed their rings, and the elder daughters of the king recognized them as their saviors.
What else was left to do - although the tsar did not like the grooms, but the wedding had to be celebrated: it was not befitting the tsar to change his word.
But then Alder Chock spoke:
We do not need a kingdom, nor your daughters, king. We only ask for one thing: give us the king, good horses and some supplies to get to our native side.
The king was delighted and generously rewarded the fellows. Only the youngest daughter of the king was saddened: she liked the Alder Chock.
And the three comrades set out on their way back.
They go, go, suddenly they see - there is a hut in the forest.
The hut is like a hut, but some strange voices are heard from there. Alder Chock got off his horse and turned into an ermine. He climbed onto the woodpile, under the very nest of the hut. Hears a voice:
Here come the murderers of my sons! Thinking to be home soon. Don't let them get away from me!
Alder Chock then guessed that this was the mother of those kites, Syuoyatar.
What are you going to do about it?" asks another voice.
And I will let them go so hungry that they will completely lose their strength. And near the road I will lay tables with all kinds of food. But as soon as they sit down at those tables, they immediately die. How could they know that one has only to strike the tables three times with swords, as these tables disappear, and with them the hunger.
What if they figure it out?” someone asks.
If this time they escape, - says Syuoyatar, - then I will unleash such thirst on them that they will fall off their horses from weakness. And near the road I will conjure a lake, and birch bark scoops will be here - just drink! The good fellows will drink - then they will die. And if they had guessed to hit the water with their swords three times, the lake would have disappeared, and their thirst would have been removed as if by hand. Well, if they escape this time as well, that is, I have a third trick in reserve: I will put such a dream on them that they fall from horses. And I will put three beds at the very edge of the road. As the good fellows lie down on them, they will burn here. This time, even the sword won't help them. The most cunning of all is the Alder Chock, but if he expresses this secret aloud, then he will forever say goodbye to the white light.
The Alder Chock listened to this, ran away from the hut like an ermine, then turned back into a man. He goes to his comrades, thinks and is sad. And the Rockbreaker and the Angler began to ask him what they were talking about in the hut and what kind of people live there.
Ah, empty business, - says Alder Chock. “There were some women talking all sorts of things.
They went further. We drove a little, and such hunger attacked them - even lie down and die. And immediately there were tables with all sorts of food by the road. Before Cragbreaker and Angler had reached out their hands to take a piece each, Alder Chock struck the tables three times with his sword, and they were gone.
Comrades got angry:
Didn't let us eat! And the food was so good.
Alder Chock said nothing, but everyone suddenly noticed that they didn’t feel like eating at all.
They go further. They drove for some time, and such a thirst attacked them that they were dying from weakness. And suddenly a lake appeared near the road itself, and birch bark scoops were laid on the shore. Before the comrades of Alder Churka had time to get down from their horses to get drunk, he struck the water three times with his sword, and the lake was gone. And the travelers were thirsty.
They go further. They were attacked by such a dream that they were about to fall off their horses. And three beds with feather beds and down pillows appeared at the edge of the road - just sleep, sleep off. Cragbreaker and Angler jumped off their horses, they wanted to throw themselves on the bed. Here Alder Chock, beside himself, shouted:
Wait! If you lie on these beds, you will die!
The comrades were angry with Alder Chock, they were angry in earnest:
Why don't you give us food, drink, or sleep? - they say. - You do as you wish, and we will lie down - there is no strength to go anymore.
The Alder Chock sees that they will not obey, but does not know how to make the enchanted beds disappear.
Wait, listen to what I'm going to tell you, - says Alder Chock. - These beds Syuoyatar conjured. If you lie on them, you will burn. You would have disappeared long ago if not for me. I heard about this sorcery from Syuoyatar herself when I went to that hut ...
As soon as he had time to say these words, he turned into an alder block, which the old man once carved out. The Angler and the Crag Breaker mourned here, they mourned, but what to do? They can't stay here forever. They went on their way. And the dream flew off them.
At that very time, in the house of the old man and the old woman, blood began to drip from that red scarf that Alder Chock tied to the crow before leaving. The old woman was frightened, wailed:
The trouble happened to my beloved son, whom I rocked in the cradle for three years!
The old woman gathered to look for her son, to help out of trouble. The old man says:
Where are you going old? And where will you find it? Maybe the crows have already pecked out his eyes, the bones of the forest animals have pulled apart? You will only lose yourself.
But the old one did not obey, she collected food in a purse, a purse on her shoulders, a staff in her hands - and went out onto the road, even before the sun. The old woman asks at the dawn of the morning:
Golden dawn, tell me, have you seen my son, Alder Chock?
No, says the dawn, I haven't seen it. Ask my brother of the month, he rises high into the sky, maybe he saw.
The old woman goes from day to night. The full moon has risen. The old lady asks:
Clear moon, tell me, have you seen my son, Alder Chock?
No, - says the month, - I didn’t see it. I can’t see well in the dark thickets, but you better ask your older brother for the sun, it looks into all corners, nothing will hide from his eyes.
The old woman goes all night, morning, until noon, when the sun has risen high.
Asks the sun
Bright sun, tell me, have you seen my son, Alder Chock?
I know where Alder Chock is. He freed me from the nine-headed serpent, but I can't help his misfortune.
And the sun told where and how to find the Alder Chock. An old woman comes to that forest edge where the Alder Chock remained lying, saw a wooden doll, found out right away - how not to find out if she had been rocking it for three years - clung to it and wailed:
My only, beloved son, what happened to you? For whom did you leave me, the old one?
The old woman is crying over the Alder Chock. A hot tear fell on a wooden doll - Alder Chock came to life, jumped to his feet - well done, well done, as before!
I slept for a long time! - says Alder Chock.
A century would have slept, son, if it weren’t for me, the mother replies.
The mother and son returned home. The old man was very happy with them. They began to live, not to grieve. Maybe even now Alder Chock lives with the old people, or maybe he again went to look for business on his shoulder. How to know?
