I can’t wait, I’m ready to hit the road right now.
– Ah, fidget, – the hostess patted him on the shoulder and seated him on a bench at the table. She poured jelly, cut off a piece of bread, sprinkled it with salt: – Eat and strength will come.
The prince obeyed, began to eat with pleasure, his appetite appeared, and the old women shook their heads, satisfied, and smacked their lips. They greeted him, because they already knew about everything in advance – how could they not help him?
Barely eating, the prince yawned and stretched. They escorted the sorcerer to the bed, put him there, and they themselves read prayers, walk around the room with smoking herbs, they lit a candle. And the prince dreamed that he was standing on a flowering meadow, dragonflies were flying around, butterflies were fluttering. His beloved appears before him, smiles affectionately and says in a low voice:
– Believe me, my love, I did not betray you. I love you like before, even more.
She said this and disappeared. The prince woke up, and the dawn was already dawning outside the window. He lay down again, and before his eyes stands the image of his beloved. And his soul is calm. He realized that in the palace his mother had deceived him, there was no betrayal, as he had thought before.
Everyone ate barley porridge with milk in the morning, the women gave the guest tea with herbs, and he felt cheerfulness in his whole body.
– Here, take the magic grid with you. When you come to the place where your wife is being kept in the swamps, throw it on yourself and become invisible, otherwise you won’t be able to overcome thirty warriors armed with an ax and get into the tower of that castle. And then, together under the net, go out unnoticed and come back to us here, – the healer handed him a light net, and her sister handed him a map of the forest:
– From my late husband, a forester left. This is where you’ll need it.
He did just that. He thanked them, bowed and galloped towards the swamps.
He rides through the forest, and the trees are getting thicker and thicker, the path is getting narrower and narrower. He sees a large stone standing in the middle of the path and the paths branched out. He looked at the map, but it was not indicated there. He scratched his head, and turned right, towards the swamps, as he reasoned that the frogs croak strongly on that side and it is also clear on the map where the swamps are drawn on the right side. So he let it go there, already feeling in his heart that he would soon meet his beloved. And the prince was not mistaken.
A putrid smell was already in the nose, the quagmire roared ahead, uttering an ominous groan. As soon as he drove closer, he heard a bewitching female voice:
– Boy, why are you so sad? Come to me, you see, I’m bored here alone.
The prince turned around and saw a beautiful girl. She sat waist-deep in the swamp and only slightly splashed the muddy water with her cassock with her hands.
– What do you doubt, prince? – Kikimora winked. – I’ve been waiting for you.
– Hmm, strange, – the prince thought:– people told me that kikimoras are terrible, these swamp residents are dangerous, but she seems beautiful.
He dismounted and tied his horse. He came closer to find out who she was.
– Do you swim here? – nodded inquiringly.
Kikimora laughed.
– Come on and swim with me.
The prince approached, looked at her beauty, but recoiled: instead of hair, brown algae moved on her head. The bright green eyes of the swamp beauty beckoned him to her.
– Yes, go away, – he waved. – Of course, you are beautiful, no doubt, but in my heart I have another.
– Oh, I understand, I loved the foolish forest owner Leshy, but he went to the witch Baba Yaga.
The prince only widened his eyes in surprise.
– Okay, I’ll help your grief. Over there, you see, behind those tall trees, the tower sticks out?
He stood up on tiptoe, screwed up his eyes, and through the thick haze of fog he could make out the outlines of the cone of the roof.
– Is that the peak over there? – he pointed with his hand.
Kikimora nodded and plunged into the bog with a splash and noise, leaving large bubbles behind her, and only the algae from her head still stuck out on the surface of the bog.
The prince found a strong stick and walked cautiously forward, feeling his way. The frogs croaked uncontrollably, straining and calling to each other:
– Here he is, he’s unskillful, -he’s staggering around, he’ll dive in and drown.
Having got out of the swamp, he stepped on solid ground, almost burying his nose in the walls of the old castle. Sneaking unnoticed along the wall to the gate, crouched in the reeds, hearing the laughter of the guards. Tipsy, four men in helmets sat on empty barrels and played dominoes.
The prince threw a net over his head and became invisible. Stepping slowly, he crept past them and slipped inside. He passed through the whole courtyard, along which other guards walked, sheep bleated in the barn and horses neighed. The prince almost stepped on a duck looking for a worm in the ground.
He went up the spiral staircase and opened the door to the room where his beauty was languishing. She sat hunched over the embroidery by the window. A white mouse ran nearby and, squeaking with joy, collected spilled beads. At the feet of the girl stood a chest with the jewels that she allegedly stole.
The prince stood and could not look away, full of tenderness. His wife did not notice. Only then did he remember that he was invisible and tore off the net. The girl screamed in surprise and almost fainted. The prince caught her in time and pressed her to his chest. When they were close, they hugged and she burst into tears with burning tears, and the tears began to fall and turn into beads. By the wall lay a pile of carpets embroidered with beads, and such beautiful patterns – there was nothing there: different flowers and birds, animals, and even a portrait of her beloved husband. And the big wooden chest was full of beads. When the recluse cried on Monday, white beads fell from her eyes, on Tuesday – red, on Wednesday green, and so on in different colors. The prince was surprised
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