here is legend of the Heren-Suge, the Seven-Headed Serpent.
LIKE many others around the world, there was a mother with her three sons. The eldest told her that he wanted to go from country to country, until he found a job as a servant, and she gave him a cake.
He sets off. While crossing a forest, he meets an old woman who asks him for a piece of her cake. He said to him: “No! » that he would rather throw it into the muddy clay. And the boy asks her if she knows a servant's house. She says “No”. He goes from forest to forest, until night catches up with him. A bear comes to him. He tells him,
“Earth ant! who gave you permission to come here?
“Who should give it to me? I took it myself.
And the bear devours him.
The second son asks his mother to give him a cake, because he wants to go as a servant, like his brother. She gives him one, and he leaves like his brother. He meets an old woman who tells him:
“Give me some of your cake. »
"I'd rather throw it in this muddy clay than give it to you." »
He asks her if she knows the place of a servant. She answers “No”. And he continues, continues, continues, continues, deeper into the forest. He meets a huge bear. He tells him,
“Earth ant! Who gave you permission to come here?
“Who should give it to me? I took it myself.
And the bear devours him.
The third son asks his mother to give him a cake, because he wants to leave like his brothers. It sets off and walks again and again. And he finds an old woman. She asks him,
" Where are you going? »
“I want a domestic position. »
“Give me some of your cake. »
" Here ! Take it too, if you want.
" No no ! A little is enough for me.
And he asks her if she knows of a servant's house. She tells him,
" Yes; you will find it far beyond the forest. But you will meet an enemy here; but I will give you a stick, with the touch of which you can kill him. » 1
It continues over and over again. A bear comes up to him and says:
“Earth ant!” Who gave you permission to come here?
“Who gave it to me?” I took it myself.
The boy gives it a little tap with his stick, and the bear lets out a howl...
“Oy, oy, oy!” – spare my life! Oy, oy, oy! – spare my life! »
But he told her,
“Tell me how many you are where you live?
" Seven. "
He gives him another blow and he falls completely dead.
He goes on and on until he finds a palace. He enters and asks:
“Do you want a servant? »
They tell him,
" Yes yes; our shepherd is gone, and we want one. »
They send him to bed; and the next day they gave him a fine flock of sheep, and told him not to go to the mountain, because it is full of big and wild animals, and to be very careful, because the sheep always want to go there. The next day he went with his sheep, and they all fled to this mountain, because the grass there was very good. Fortunately our shepherd had not forgotten his staff, because at that moment a terrible bear appeared before him.
Who gave you permission to come here? »
“I took it myself. »
“I have to eat you. »
He approaches, but our shepherd gives him a little blow with a stick, and he begins to shout:
“Oy, oy, oy!” – spare my life! »
“Tell me how many you are where you live?
“There were seven of us yesterday, but today there are only six of us, including me. »
He gives him another blow and he falls completely dead. And the shepherd hides it as best he can in a hedge, then he returns home with his sheep, well satisfied. That evening, the sheep gave him lots of milk and he made fine cheeses from it. The master and mistress were delighted to have such a servant. The next day, he leaves again.
As soon as he opened the stable door, the sheep started running towards the good pasture and the beautiful grass, and the same things (happened again). After a while a bear appears and asks him why he comes to this area. Our shepherd, with his staff, gives him a little tap on the neck, and the bear begins to cry,
“Ay, ay, ay! , spare my life!
He asked him,
“How many are you where you live? »
“We were seven, but currently we are five with me. »
And he kicks him, and he drops stiff and dead. And in five days he kills all the bears in the same way; and when he saw the last coming, he was afraid to see such an immense and frightful beast, which came dragging itself along, so old was he. He tells him,
“Why did you come here? »
And at the same time the shepherd gives him a little blow. He begins to shout at her to spare his life, and that he would give her great riches and beautiful apartments, and that they should live together. He spares his life and sends the flock home. They cross hedges and hedges, and “through the fairy holes” 1, and finally arrive at a beautiful palace.
There they find the table set with all kinds of food and drink. There were also servants to look after them, and there were also ready-made horses saddled, and with harnesses of gold and silver. There was nothing but riches there. After spending a few days there like this, our shepherd said to himself that it was better to be master and owner of all this fortune. Then he hits the bear and kills it completely.
After dressing magnificently, he mounts his horse, and goes from country to country, and comes to a town, and hears the bells ringing, dilin-don, dilin-don, and everyone is in an uproar. He asks, “What’s the problem?” » They tell him that there is a seven-headed serpent in the mountain, and that he must be given one person every day. This serpent has seven heads.
They draw lots to see who should be given to the serpent. The lot had fallen on the king's daughter, and everyone was in pain and distress, and all were going, with the king at their head, to accompany her to the mountain. They left her at the foot of the mountain, and she continued to climb to the top alone. This young man chases her and says:
" I will accompany you. »
The king's daughter said to him:
“Go back, I beg you. I don't want you to risk your life because of me. »
He tells him,
“Don’t be afraid for me. I have a power charm. »
At the same time they hear an extraordinary noise and hiss, and he sees the snake coming like lightning. As our man has his stick with him, he gives it a little tap on one of its heads, and one by one the seven heads fall, and our princess is saved.
To go to the mountains, she was dressed in her most beautiful dresses. She wore seven of them. He took a little piece from each of the seven robes, and he also took the tongue from each of the heads, and put them in these little pieces of silk. He then takes the king's daughter on his horse, and goes down the mountain. The girl returns to her father, and our gentleman to the bear.
News that the seven-headed serpent was killed spread quickly. The king had promised his daughter and half his kingdom to the man who should have killed him. The snake was killed, as we said. Three charcoal burners, passing over the mountain, saw the serpent, and took the seven heads, and went to the king, asking for a reward. But, as there were three of them, they were in difficulty; and they were sent away until the council was assembled, and to see if any one else would come.
As no one showed up, lots were going to be drawn to determine who would be the husband of the king's daughter. There was great excitement that day, and there was also great excitement when this young man arrived in the city. He asks what it is. They tell him what it is. He was beautifully dressed and had a magnificent horse. He asked to see the king, and, as he was elegantly dressed, he was received immediately.
He asks if the seven heads of the serpent had seven tongues in them; and they can't find them. Then he shows the seven languages. He also sends for the princess's seven dresses, and he shows the seven missing pieces, as well as the seven languages. When they see this, everyone exclaims...
“He is the true savior of the king’s daughter!” »
And they are married.
The three charcoal burners, after being covered in a cloak of sulfur, were burned alive in the middle of the public square.
Our gentleman and our lady lived very happily, sometimes with his father, sometimes with their own bear; and, as they had lived well, they died happy. So I was there, and now I'm here.
