Blue carpet. Georgian fairy tale
There lived a king. And he had an only son.
The prince grew up and became a grown-up young man. The king looks at him, admires him and thinks:
“I’m getting old. I should transfer the kingdom to my son. It would be good if his little heir grew up too. Then I could die in peace."
So one day he calls the prince to him and says:
“Isn’t it time for you, son, to look for a bride?” It’s time to start a family of your own.” And the king led him into the large hall. All the walls were hung with her portraits - and in all the portraits girls were drawn, one more beautiful than the other, one more lovely than the other.
“Here, son,” says the king, “choose for yourself.” wife.
The prince walked around the entire hall, looked at all the portraits and said to his father:
- No, father, I can’t choose one to my heart. They are all beautiful, there are no words. And I have no heart for any of them. Let me go around our entire kingdom myself. Maybe I will meet my betrothed.
The king agreed, and the prince set off on his journey.
He walks around his native land, walks through the mountains, through vineyards, enters ancient cities, and looks into villages. There are many girls in his native country, many beauties, both smart and kind, but the heart of the king’s son does not lie with them.
But then one day in the mountains, on the edge of a poor village, he met a girl - slender, like a cypress, with braids like brown silk. The prince saw the girl and realized that he would love her alone all his life.
He entered her hut and sat down next to her.
“Marry me, beauty,” he asks.
“Who are you?” the girl asks.
- I am the prince.
- What can you do? What craft do you know?
The young man was surprised:
- I don’t know the craft. I tell you that I am a prince.
The girl laughed:
- Being a prince is not yet an occupation. Today you are a prince, but tomorrow you are not. How will you feed your family then? Go learn some craft. If you learn, then I’ll marry you, but if you don’t, don’t show your face anymore.
The prince lowered his head and left the hut sad. He doesn’t know what craft to learn.
He returned to the palace and told his father about his grief. The king smiled:
- Don't be sad, son. This is a fixable issue.
And he ordered to call master craftsmen from all over the kingdom to his palace. Blacksmiths and stove makers, coopers and weavers and carpenters came to the royal call. They are standing in the golden hall, waiting for the king, whispering among themselves, not knowing why the king called them.
And then the king and the prince came out of his chambers.
The artisans bowed to them.
“Hello, masters,” says the king. “I have brought you here for this reason.” My son, the prince, wants to learn some craft. Which of you can take it into science?
The masters whispered and shook their heads. It is not an easy task to teach a king’s son a simple craft.
- Well, what, no one dares? - asks the king. And he calls to him the master locksmith who installed all the locks in the palace. - I know you good master. Are you going to teach the prince how to do plumbing?
The locksmith was confused.
- Why not teach, Your Majesty? - he answers. “I don’t know if I’ll please.”
— How long does it take to become a good mechanic? - asks the prince.
The locksmith thought:
- Yes, it takes three years...
“Well, this doesn’t suit me,” says the young man. “My bride won’t wait that long.”
The king called the cooper and asked:
- How long does it take to teach the prince your craft?
The cooper bowed to the king:
- Two years, Your Majesty.
“No, and it’s too long,” says the prince.
The king asked everyone, master after master. Finally reached the last one. It was an old weaver - a rare artist. He wove carpets of such beauty,
that people from other countries came to admire them.
- Well, and you, old man, won’t you help? - asks the king.
The old weaver thought and rubbed his forehead:
- Okay, Your Majesty. I will teach the prince my craft.
- What time? - asks the prince.
“At three days,” says the old man.
“I agree to this,” the prince rejoiced. “Three days is not a long time!”
The king's son went to fetch the old weaver and stayed with him for three days. And when he returned to the palace, he knew how to weave such carpets that they were no worse than the work of his teacher. The prince wove a wonderful carpet and took it to show it to his bride.
He arrives in the village, enters the hut, spreads the carpet before the beauty’s eyes:
- Look what I learned. Will you marry me now?
“Now I’ll go,” says the girl.
The prince brought her to the palace. The king and queen really liked the girl. They blessed their son, had a happy wedding, and the prince and his wife lived in peace and harmony.
Several years have passed. The old king died, and the prince became king. One day he says to his wife:
“I want to walk through my land to find out and see what my subjects are saying about me, and whether anyone is planning treason.” But I will do it quietly so that no one knows.
He dressed himself in the rags of a beggar, took a bag and a stick and set off to wander around the country. And he entrusted his wife to run the state.
The king walked around towns and villages for a long time. It's time for him to return home soon. Yes, one evening he got lost in the mountains and ended up in a wild gorge. It was called Snake, and bad things were said about it
glory. The king lost his way and fell into the hands of robbers.
The robbers dragged him into their cave. And the king shouts:
- Don't you dare touch me! I am a king. And the robbers laugh:
- I just made it up! Our king will wander around the mountains in such rags!
- If you are a king, then give me a ransom! - some shout.
- Let's finish him off. What to take from him? - others say.
And the king answers:
“I don’t have any money with me, but it’s still not profitable for you to kill me.” I can weave a carpet that no one has ever seen before. Sell it and you will get a lot of money.
The robbers thought:
- How long will you weave?
- No, not long. I'll finish all the work in three days.
“Okay,” say the robbers, “we can wait three days.” Get to work quickly.
They locked the king in a dungeon and gave him wool and silk.
The king began to weave a carpet.
The third day was not over before the carpet was ready.
It came out all blue, woven with golden flowers. Outlandish patterns run along all four edges; between the fabulous flowers, unprecedented birds spread their wings.
The robbers looked at the carpet and were stunned.
- Yes, such work is expensive. Let's take the carpet to the city to sell.
They took the carpet and went to the city. We spent the whole day visiting bazaars and merchants, offering to buy a wonderful carpet. They didn't find a buyer. Everyone is amazed at the masterful work, they value the carpet at thousands of rubles, but no one has enough money to buy it.
melts. So the robbers returned to the mountains in the evening. The evil ones have returned and visit the king in the dungeon.
- Nobody can buy your carpet. Even merchants don't have enough money. There's no use for your carpet. Tomorrow we will execute you.
And the king says:
- Wait a little longer. Go straight to the palace tomorrow and ask to be allowed to see the king’s wife. She'll buy my carpet.
The robbers thought, judged and agreed. In the morning two of them went to the royal palace. They come and ask to be allowed to see the queen. But the courtiers don’t let me in:
- The queen is busy, she has no time for you. Then the robbers unrolled the carpet.
- Look what we brought her to sell. The courtiers gasped, their eyes lit up.
- Well, for the sake of such a miracle, I’ll have to report you.
And they let the robbers through to the queen. And the queen sits sadly, crying all day. She misses and worries about her husband. All the deadlines have long passed, but the king is still gone.
The robbers entered and bowed.
- Look, queen, what kind of carpet we have. Won't you buy it?
The queen looked at the carpet and froze. This is not an outlandish pattern, these are fancy letters woven along the edge of the carpet, and from the letters the inscription comes out:
“I am captured by robbers in the Serpent Gorge. Send help, or I’ll be executed.”
And the clever queen did not show that she had read the inscription. She paid the robbers without haggling over how much they asked for the carpet. And as soon as they left the room, the queen demanded all her main commanders to come to her and ordered them to immediately go to the mountains to rescue the king.
In the evening the robbers sit in their cave, dividing the money they receive. And suddenly - a noise behind the doors,
screams, stomping: a whole detachment of military men is advancing on the gorge.
The commanders burst into the cave, began to feel the walls, and look for an underground passage. They went down into the dungeon - and the king came out: pale, ragged, in rags.
They captured the robbers here, tied everyone’s hands and took them to the city for trial.
And the queen meets her husband in the palace and says:
“I never thought I’d see you alive.” The king rested, ate, washed, and again
I put on the royal dress. In the evening he went out into the garden with the queen and sat down under the rose bushes. And the queen says to him:
- Well, what would you do if you didn’t know the craft? It wouldn't help you that you're a king! The robbers would have killed you.
There lived a king. And he had an only son.
The prince grew up and became a grown-up young man. The king looks at him, admires him and thinks:
“I’m getting old. I should transfer the kingdom to my son. It would be good if his little heir grew up too. Then I could die in peace."
So one day he calls the prince to him and says:
Isn’t it time for you, son, to look for a bride? It’s time to start your own family.” And the king led him into the large hall. All the walls were hung with her portraits - and in all the portraits girls were drawn, one more beautiful than the other, one more lovely than the other.
“Here, son,” says the king, “choose yourself a wife.”
The prince walked around the entire hall, looked at all the portraits and said to his father:
No, father, I can’t choose one to my heart’s content. They are all beautiful, there are no words. And I have no heart for any of them. Let me go around our entire kingdom myself. Maybe I will meet my betrothed.
The king agreed, and the prince set off on his journey.
He walks around his native land, walks through the mountains, through vineyards, enters ancient cities, and looks into villages. There are many girls in his native country, many beauties, both smart and kind, but the heart of the king’s son does not lie with them.
But then one day in the mountains, on the edge of a poor village, he met a girl - slender, like a cypress, with braids like brown silk. The prince saw the girl and realized that he would love her alone all his life.
He entered her hut and sat down next to her.
Marry me, beauty, he asks.
Who are you - the girl asks.
I am the prince.
What can you do? What craft do you know?
The young man was surprised:
I don't know the craft. I tell you that I am a prince.
The girl laughed:
Being a prince is not yet an occupation. Today you are a prince, but tomorrow you are not. How will you feed your family then? Go learn some craft. If you learn, then I’ll marry you, but if you don’t, don’t show your face anymore.
The prince lowered his head and left the hut sad. He doesn’t know what craft to learn.
He returned to the palace and told his father about his grief. The king smiled:
Don't be sad, son. This is a fixable issue.
And he ordered to call master craftsmen from all over the kingdom to his palace. Blacksmiths and stove makers, coopers and weavers and carpenters came to the royal call. They are standing in the golden hall, waiting for the king, whispering among themselves, not knowing why the king called them.
And then the king and the prince came out of his chambers.
The artisans bowed to them.
“Hello, masters,” says the king. “I have brought you here for this reason.” My son, the prince, wants to learn some craft. Which of you can take him into science?
The masters whispered and shook their heads. It is not an easy task to teach a king’s son a simple craft.
Well, no one dares, asks the king. And he calls to him the master locksmith who installed all the locks in the palace. - I know you are a good master. You undertake to teach the prince plumbing
The locksmith was confused.
“Why not teach, Your Majesty,” he replies. “I don’t know if I’ll please.”
How long does it take to become a good mechanic - asks the prince.
The locksmith thought:
Yes, it takes three years
Well, this doesn’t suit me,” says the young man. “My bride won’t wait that long.”
The king called the cooper and asked:
How long does it take to teach a prince your craft?
The cooper bowed to the king:
Two years, Your Majesty.
No, and this is too long, says the prince.
The king asked everyone, master after master. Finally reached the last one. It was an old weaver - a rare skill. He wove carpets of such beauty that people from other countries came to admire them.
Well, can’t you help, old man? - asks the king.
The old weaver thought and rubbed his forehead:
Okay, Your Majesty. I will teach the prince my craft.
What time is it, the prince asks.
“At three days,” says the old man.
“I agree to this,” the prince rejoiced. “Three days is not a long time!”
The king's son went to fetch the old weaver and stayed with him for three days. And when he returned to the palace, he knew how to weave such carpets that they were no worse than the work of his teacher. The prince wove a wonderful carpet and took it to show it to his bride.
He arrives in the village, enters the hut, spreads the carpet before the beauty’s eyes:
Look what I learned. Will you marry me now?
“I’ll go now,” says the girl.
The prince brought her to the palace. The king and queen really liked the girl. They blessed their son, had a happy wedding, and the prince and his wife lived in peace and harmony.
Several years have passed. The old king died, and the prince became king. One day he says to his wife:
I want to walk through my land to find out and see what my subjects say about me, whether anyone is planning treason. But I will do it quietly so that no one knows.
He dressed himself in the rags of a beggar, took a bag and a stick and set off to wander around the country. And he entrusted his wife to run the state.
The king walked around towns and villages for a long time. It's time for him to return home soon. Yes, one evening he got lost in the mountains and ended up in a wild gorge. It was called Snake, and there was a bad reputation about it. The king lost his way and fell into the hands of robbers.
The robbers dragged him into their cave. And the king shouts:
Don't you dare touch me! I am a king. And the robbers laugh:
Here's something else I came up with! Our king will wander around the mountains in such rags!
If you are a king, then give a ransom! - some shout.
Let's finish him off. What to take from him - others say.
And the king answers:
I don’t have any money with me, but it’s still not profitable for you to kill me. I can weave a carpet that no one has ever seen before. Sell it and you will get a lot of money.
The robbers thought:
How long will you weave?
No, not long. I'll finish all the work in three days.
Okay,” say the robbers, “you can wait three days.” Get to work quickly.
They locked the king in a dungeon and gave him wool and silk.
The king began to weave a carpet.
The third day was not over before the carpet was ready.
It came out all blue, woven with golden flowers. Outlandish patterns run along all four edges; between the fabulous flowers, unprecedented birds spread their wings.
The robbers looked at the carpet and were stunned.
Yes, such work is expensive. Let's take the carpet to the city to sell.
They took the carpet and went to the city. We spent the whole day visiting bazaars and merchants, offering to buy a wonderful carpet. They didn't find a buyer. Everyone is amazed at the masterful work, they value the carpet at thousands of rubles, but no one has enough money to buy it. So the robbers returned to the mountains in the evening. The evil ones have returned and visit the king in the dungeon.
No one can buy your carpet. Even merchants don't have enough money. There's no use for your carpet. Tomorrow we will execute you.
And the king says:
Wait a little longer. Go straight to the palace tomorrow and ask to be allowed to see the king’s wife. She'll buy my carpet.
The robbers thought, judged and agreed. In the morning two of them went to the royal palace. They come and ask to be allowed to see the queen. But the courtiers don’t let me in:
The queen is busy, she has no time for you. Then the robbers unrolled the carpet.
Look what we brought her to sell. The courtiers gasped, their eyes lit up.
Well, for the sake of such a miracle, I’ll have to report you.
And they let the robbers through to the queen. And the queen sits sadly, crying all day. She misses and worries about her husband. All the deadlines have long passed, but the king is still gone.
The robbers entered and bowed.
Look, queen, what kind of carpet we have. Won't you buy
The queen looked at the carpet and froze. This is not an outlandish pattern, these are fancy letters woven along the edge of the carpet, and from the letters the inscription comes out:
“I am captured by robbers in the Serpent Gorge. Send help, or I’ll be executed.”
And the clever queen did not show that she had read the inscription. She paid the robbers without haggling over how much they asked for the carpet. And as soon as they left the room, the queen demanded all her main commanders to come to her and ordered them to immediately go to the mountains to rescue the king.
In the evening the robbers sit in their cave, dividing the money they receive. And suddenly - noise outside the doors, screams, stomping: a whole detachment of military men is advancing on the gorge.
The commanders burst into the cave, began to feel the walls, and look for an underground passage. They went down into the dungeon - and the king came out: pale, ragged, in rags.
They captured the robbers here, tied everyone’s hands and took them to the city for trial.
And the queen meets her husband in the palace and says:
I never thought I’d see you alive. The king rested, ate, washed, and put on his royal dress again. In the evening he went out into the garden with the queen and sat down under the rose bushes. And the queen says to him:
Well, what would you do if you didn’t know the craft? It wouldn't help you that you're a king! The robbers would have killed you.
There lived a king. And he had an only son. The prince grew up and became a grown-up young man. The king looks at him, admires him and thinks:
“I’m getting old. I should transfer the kingdom to my son. It would be good if his little heir grew up too. Then I could die in peace."
- Isn’t it time for you, son, to look for a bride? It’s time to start a family of your own.” And the king led him into the large hall. All the walls were hung with her portraits - and in all the portraits girls were drawn, one more beautiful than the other, one more lovely than the other.
“Here, son,” says the king, “choose yourself a wife.”
- No, father, I can’t choose one to my heart. They are all beautiful, there are no words. And I have no heart for any of them. Let me go around our entire kingdom myself. Maybe I will meet my betrothed.
The king agreed, and the prince set off on his journey.
He walks around his native land, walks through the mountains, through vineyards, enters ancient cities, and looks into villages. There are many girls in his native country, many beauties, both smart and kind, but the heart of the king’s son does not lie with them. But then one day in the mountains, on the edge of a poor village, he met a girl - slender, like a cypress, with braids like brown silk. The prince saw the girl and realized that he would love her alone all his life. He entered her hut and sat down next to her.
“Marry me, beauty,” he asks.
“Who are you?” the girl asks.
- I am the prince.
- What can you do? What craft do you know?
The young man was surprised:
- I don’t know the craft. I tell you that I am a prince.
The girl laughed:
- Being a prince is not yet an occupation. Today you are a prince, but tomorrow you are not. How will you feed your family then? Go learn some craft. If you learn, then I’ll marry you, but if you don’t, don’t show your face anymore.
The prince lowered his head and left the hut sad. He doesn’t know what craft to learn. He returned to the palace and told his father about his grief. The king smiled:
- Don't be sad, son. This is a fixable issue.
And he ordered to call master craftsmen from all over the kingdom to his palace. Blacksmiths and stove makers, coopers and weavers and carpenters came to the royal call. They are standing in the golden hall, waiting for the king, whispering among themselves, not knowing why the king called them. And then the king and the prince came out of his chambers. The artisans bowed to them.
“Hello, masters,” says the king. “I brought you here for this reason.” My son, the prince, wants to learn some craft. Which of you can take it into science?
The masters whispered and shook their heads. It is not an easy task to teach a king’s son a simple craft.
Well, what, no one dares? - asks the king. And he calls to him the master locksmith who installed all the locks in the palace. - I know you are a good master. Are you going to teach the prince how to do plumbing?
The locksmith was confused.
- Why not teach, Your Majesty? - he answers. “I don’t know if I’ll please.”
- How long does it take to become a good mechanic? - asks the prince.
The locksmith thought:
- Yes, it takes three years...
“Well, this doesn’t suit me,” says the young man. “My bride won’t wait that long.”
The king called the cooper and asked:
- How long does it take to teach the prince your craft?
The cooper bowed to the king:
- Two years, Your Majesty.
“No, and it’s too long,” says the prince.
The king asked everyone, master after master. Finally reached the last one. It was an old weaver - a rare skill. He wove carpets of such beauty,
that people from other countries came to admire them.
- Well, can’t you help, old man? - asks the king.
The old weaver thought and rubbed his forehead:
- Okay, Your Majesty. I will teach the prince my craft.
- What time? - asks the prince.
“At three days,” says the old man.
“I agree to this,” the prince rejoiced. “Three days is not a long time!”
The king's son went to fetch the old weaver and stayed with him for three days. And when he returned to the palace, he knew how to weave such carpets that they were no worse than the work of his teacher. The prince wove a wonderful carpet and took it to show it to his bride. He arrives in the village, enters the hut, spreads the carpet before the beauty’s eyes:
- Look what I learned. Will you marry me now?
“Now I’ll go,” says the girl.
The prince brought her to the palace. The king and queen really liked the girl. They blessed their son, had a happy wedding, and the prince and his wife lived in peace and harmony.
Several years have passed. The old king died, and the prince became king. One day he says to his wife:
“I want to walk through my land to find out and see what my subjects are saying about me, and whether anyone is planning treason.” But I will do it quietly so that no one knows. He dressed himself in the rags of a beggar, took a bag and a stick and set off to wander around the country. And he entrusted his wife to run the state.
The king walked around towns and villages for a long time. It's time for him to return home soon. Yes, one evening he got lost in the mountains and ended up in a wild gorge. It was called Snake, and there was a bad reputation about it. The king lost his way and fell into the hands of robbers.
There lived a king. And he had an only son.
The prince grew up and became a grown-up young man. The king looks at him, admires him and thinks:
“I’m getting old. I should transfer the kingdom to my son. It would be good if his little heir grew up too. Then I could die in peace."
So one day he calls the prince to him and says:
“Isn’t it time for you, son, to look for a bride?” It’s time to start a family of your own.” And the king led him into the large hall. All the walls were hung with her portraits - and in all the portraits girls were drawn, one more beautiful than the other, one more lovely than the other.
“Here, son,” says the king, “choose yourself a wife.”
The prince walked around the entire hall, looked at all the portraits and said to his father:
- No, father, I can’t choose one to my heart. They are all beautiful, there are no words. And I have no heart for any of them. Let me go around our entire kingdom myself. Maybe I will meet my betrothed.
The king agreed, and the prince set off on his journey.
He walks around his native land, walks through the mountains, through vineyards, enters ancient cities, and looks into villages. There are many girls in his native country, many beauties, both smart and kind, but the heart of the king’s son does not lie with them.
But then one day in the mountains, on the edge of a poor village, he met a girl - slender, like a cypress, with braids like brown silk. The prince saw the girl and realized that he would love her alone all his life.
He entered her hut and sat down next to her.
“Marry me, beauty,” he asks.
- Who are you? - the girl asks.
- I am the prince.
-What can you do? What craft do you know?
The young man was surprised:
- I don’t know the craft. I tell you that I am a prince.
The girl laughed:
- Being a prince is not yet an occupation. Today you are a prince, but tomorrow you are not. How will you feed your family then? Go learn some craft. If you learn, then I’ll marry you, but if you don’t, don’t show your face anymore.
The prince lowered his head and left the hut sad. He doesn’t know what craft to learn.
He returned to the palace and told his father about his grief. The king smiled:
- Don't be sad, son. This is a fixable issue.
And he ordered to call master craftsmen from all over the kingdom to his palace. Blacksmiths and stove makers, coopers and weavers and carpenters came to the royal call. They are standing in the golden hall, waiting for the king, whispering among themselves, not knowing why the king called them.
And then the king and the prince came out of his chambers.
The artisans bowed to them.
“Hello, masters,” says the king. “I brought you here for this reason.” My son, the prince, wants to learn some craft. Which of you can take it into science?
The masters whispered and shook their heads. It is not an easy task to teach a king’s son a simple craft.
- Well, what, no one dares? - asks the king. And he calls to him the master locksmith who installed all the locks in the palace. - I know you are a good master. Are you going to teach the prince how to do plumbing?
The locksmith was confused.
- Why not teach, Your Majesty? – he answers. “I don’t know if I’ll please.”
– How long does it take to become a good mechanic? - asks the prince.
The locksmith thought:
- Yes, it takes three years...
“Well, this doesn’t suit me,” says the young man. “My bride won’t wait that long.”
The king called the cooper and asked:
- How long does it take to teach the prince your craft?
The cooper bowed to the king:
- Two years, Your Majesty.
“No, and it’s too long,” says the prince.
The king asked everyone, master after master. Finally reached the last one. It was an old weaver - a rare skill. He wove carpets of such beauty that people from other countries came to admire them.
- Well, can’t you help, old man? - asks the king.
The old weaver thought and rubbed his forehead:
- Okay, Your Majesty. I will teach the prince my craft.
- What time? - asks the prince.
“At three days,” says the old man.
“I agree to this,” the prince rejoiced. “Three days is not a long time!”
The king's son went to fetch the old weaver and stayed with him for three days. And when he returned to the palace, he knew how to weave such carpets that they were no worse than the work of his teacher. The prince wove a wonderful carpet and took it to show it to his bride.
He arrives in the village, enters the hut, spreads the carpet before the beauty’s eyes:
- Look what I learned. Will you marry me now?
“I’ll go now,” says the girl.
There lived a king. And he had an only son.
The prince grew up and became a grown-up young man. The king looks at him, admires him and thinks:
“I’m getting old. I should transfer the kingdom to my son. It would be good if his little heir grew up too. Then I could die in peace."
So one day he calls the prince to him and says:
“Isn’t it time for you, son, to look for a bride?” It’s time to start a family of your own.” And the king led him into the large hall. All the walls were hung with her portraits - and in all the portraits girls were drawn, one more beautiful than the other, one more lovely than the other.
“Here, son,” says the king, “choose yourself a wife.”
The prince walked around the entire hall, looked at all the portraits and said to his father:
- No, father, I can’t choose one to my heart. They are all beautiful, there are no words. And I have no heart for any of them. Let me go around our entire kingdom myself. Maybe I will meet my betrothed.
The king agreed, and the prince set off on his journey.
He walks around his native land, walks through the mountains, through vineyards, enters ancient cities, and looks into villages. There are many girls in his native country, many beauties, both smart and kind, but the heart of the king’s son does not lie with them.
But then one day in the mountains, on the edge of a poor village, he met a girl - slender, like a cypress, with braids like brown silk. The prince saw the girl and realized that he would love her alone all his life.
He entered her hut and sat down next to her.
“Marry me, beauty,” he asks.
- Who are you? - the girl asks.
- I am the prince.
-What can you do? What craft do you know?
The young man was surprised:
Show the whole tale
- I don’t know the craft. I tell you that I am a prince.
The girl laughed:
- Being a prince is not yet an occupation. Today you are a prince, but tomorrow you are not. How will you feed your family then? Go learn some craft. If you learn, then I’ll marry you, but if you don’t, don’t show your face anymore.
The prince lowered his head and left the hut sad. He doesn’t know what craft to learn.
He returned to the palace and told his father about his grief. The king smiled:
- Don't be sad, son. This is a fixable issue.
And he ordered to call master craftsmen from all over the kingdom to his palace. Blacksmiths and stove makers, coopers and weavers and carpenters came to the royal call. They are standing in the golden hall, waiting for the king, whispering among themselves, not knowing why the king called them.
And then the king and the prince came out of his chambers.
The artisans bowed to them.
“Hello, masters,” says the king. “I brought you here for this reason.” My son, the prince, wants to learn some craft. Which of you can take it into science?
The masters whispered and shook their heads. It is not an easy task to teach a king’s son a simple craft.
- Well, what, no one dares? - asks the king. And he calls to him the master locksmith who installed all the locks in the palace. - I know you are a good master. Are you going to teach the prince how to do plumbing?
The locksmith was confused.
- Why not teach, Your Majesty? – he answers. “I don’t know if I’ll please.”
– How long does it take to become a good mechanic? - asks the prince.
The locksmith thought:
- Yes, it takes three years...
“Well, this doesn’t suit me,” says the young man. “My bride won’t wait that long.”
The king called the cooper and asked:
- How long does it take to teach the prince your craft?
The cooper bowed to the king:
- Two years, Your Majesty.
“No, and it’s too long,” says the prince.
The king asked everyone, master after master. Finally reached the last one. It was an old weaver - a rare skill. He wove carpets of such beauty that people from other countries came to admire them.
- Well, can’t you help, old man? - asks the king.
The old weaver thought and rubbed his forehead:
- Okay, Your Majesty. I will teach the prince my craft.
- What time? - asks the prince.
“At three days,” says the old man.
“I agree to this,” the prince rejoiced. “Three days is not a long time!”
The king's son went to fetch the old weaver and stayed with him for three days. And when he returned to the palace, he knew how to weave such carpets that they were no worse than the work of his teacher. The prince wove a wonderful carpet and took it to show it to his bride.
He arrives in the village, enters the hut, spreads the carpet before the beauty’s eyes:
- Look what I learned. Will you marry me now?
“I’ll go now,” says the girl.
The prince brought her to the palace. The king and queen really liked the girl. They blessed their son, had a happy wedding, and the prince and his wife lived in peace and harmony.
Several years have passed. The old king died, and the prince became king. One day he says to his wife:
“I want to walk through my land to find out and see what my subjects say about me, and whether anyone is planning treason.” But I will do it quietly so that no one knows.
He dressed himself in the rags of a beggar, took a bag and a stick and set off to wander around the country. And he entrusted his wife to run the state.
The king walked around towns and villages for a long time. It's time for him to return home soon. Yes, one evening he got lost in the mountains and ended up in a wild gorge. It was called Snake, and there was a bad reputation about it. The king lost his way and fell into the hands of robbers.
The robbers dragged him into their cave. And the king shouts:
- Don't you dare touch me! I am a king. And the robbers laugh:
- I just made it up! Our king will wander around the mountains in such rags!
- If you are a king, then give me a ransom! - some shout.
- Let's finish him off. What to take from him? - others say.
And the king answers:
“I don’t have any money with me, but it’s still not profitable for you to kill me.” I can weave a carpet that no one has ever seen before. Sell it and you will get a lot of money.
The robbers thought:
- How long will you weave?
- No, not long. I'll finish all the work in three days.
“Okay,” say the robbers, “you can wait three days.” Get to work quickly.
They locked the king in a dungeon and gave him wool and silk.
The king began to weave a carpet.
The third day was not over before the carpet was ready.
It came out all blue, woven with golden flowers. Outlandish patterns run along all four edges; between the fabulous flowers, unprecedented birds spread their wings.
The robbers looked at the carpet and were stunned.
– Yes, such work is expensive. Let's take the carpet to the city to sell.
They took the carpet and went to the city. We spent the whole day visiting bazaars and merchants, offering to buy a wonderful carpet. They didn't find a buyer. Everyone marvels at the masterful work, values the carpet at thousands of rubles, but no one has enough money to buy it. So the robbers returned to the mountains in the evening. The evil ones have returned and visit the king in the dungeon.
- Nobody can buy your carpet. Even merchants don't have enough money. There's no use for your carpet. Tomorrow we will execute you.
And the king says:
- Wait a little longer. Go straight to the palace tomorrow and ask to be allowed to see the king’s wife. She'll buy my carpet.
The robbers thought, judged and agreed. In the morning two of them went to the royal palace. They come and ask to be allowed to see the queen. But the courtiers don’t let me in:
- The queen is busy, she has no time for you. Then the robbers unrolled the carpet.
- Look what we brought her to sell. The courtiers gasped, their eyes lit up.
“Well, for the sake of such a miracle, I’ll have to report you.”
And they let the robbers through to the queen. And the queen sits sadly, crying all day. She misses and worries about her husband. All the deadlines have long passed, but the king is still gone.
The robbers entered and bowed.
- Look, queen, what kind of carpet we have. Won't you buy it?
The queen looked at the carpet and froze. This is not an outlandish pattern, these are fancy letters woven along the edge of the carpet, and from the letters the inscription comes out:
“I am captured by robbers in the Serpent Gorge. Send help, or I’ll be executed.”
And the clever queen did not show that she had read the inscription. She paid the robbers without haggling over how much they asked for the carpet. And as soon as they left the room, the queen demanded all her main commanders to come to her and ordered them to immediately go to the mountains to rescue the king.
In the evening the robbers sit in their cave, dividing the money they receive. And suddenly there was noise outside the doors, screams, stomping: a whole detachment of military men was advancing on the gorge.
The commanders burst into the cave, began to feel the walls, and look for an underground passage. They went down into the dungeon - and the king came out: pale, ragged, in rags.
They captured the robbers here, tied everyone’s hands and took them to the city for trial.
And the queen meets her husband in the palace and says:
“I never thought I’d see you alive.” The king rested, ate, washed, and put on his royal dress again. In the evening he went out into the garden with the queen and sat down under the rose bushes. And the queen says to him:
- Well, what would you do if you didn’t know the craft? It wouldn't help you that you're a king! The robbers would have killed you.
