The Enchanted Tsarévich

Once upon a time, there was a merchant who had three daughters. One day, he had to travel to distant lands to buy goods, so he asked his daughters, "What shall I bring you from across the seas?"

The eldest asked for a new coat, and the second also asked for a new coat. But the youngest simply took a piece of paper and sketched a flower on it. "Bring me, dear father, a flower like this!"

So the merchant set off on a long journey through foreign kingdoms, but he could never find such a flower. As he was returning home, he noticed a magnificent palace with tall towers and turrets, surrounded by a beautiful garden. He decided to take a walk in the garden, and he could hardly believe his eyes: there were countless trees and flowers, each more lovely than the last. Then he spotted one flower that looked exactly like the one his daughter had drawn. "Oh," he said to himself, "I will pick this and bring it to my dear daughter. Surely no one is watching me here." So he ran up and broke off the flower. In that very instant, a fierce wind arose, thunder boomed, and a terrifying monster appeared before him—a formless, winged snake with three heads.

"How dare you act as master in my garden!" roared the snake. "Why have you broken off that blossom?"

The merchant was frightened out of his wits. He fell to his knees and begged for forgiveness.

"Very well," said the snake, "I will forgive you, but on one condition: you must give me the first person you meet when you reach home. You must give them to me for all eternity. And if you deceive me, remember: no one can hide from me. I will find you wherever you are."

The merchant, terrified, agreed to the condition and hurried home.

As he approached his house, his youngest daughter saw him from the window and ran out to meet him. The merchant hung his head, looked at his beloved daughter, and began to weep bitterly.

"What is the matter, dear father? Why are you crying?" she asked.

He gave her the flower and told her everything that had happened.

"Do not grieve, father," said the youngest daughter. "This is God's will. Perhaps I will be all right. Take me to the snake."

So the father took her to the palace, left her there, and sadly returned home.

The maiden, the merchant's daughter, explored the palace. She saw rooms filled with gold and velvet, but there was not a single soul in sight.

Time passed, and she began to feel hungry. She thought, "Oh, if only I had something to eat!" And before she had even finished the thought, a table appeared before her, laden with delicious dishes, drinks, and treats. The only thing missing was the milk of birds. She sat down, ate and drank her fill, and when she stood up, everything vanished.

As darkness fell, the maiden went into the bedroom, ready to sleep. Suddenly, a rushing wind whirled around her, and the three-headed snake appeared.

"Hail, fair maiden! Put my bed outside this door!"

So she put the bed outside the door and lay down on her own bed.

In the morning, she woke to find the house still empty. And so it continued: whatever she wished for appeared instantly, and all was well with her.

The next evening, the snake flew to her and said, "Now, fair maiden, put my bed next to your bedstead."

She did as he asked, and the night passed quietly.

On the third night, the snake came again and said, "Now, fair maiden, I am going to lie with you in the bedstead."

The maiden was terribly afraid to lie beside such a monstrous creature, but she knew she had no choice. She gathered her courage and lay down with him.

In the morning, the snake said, "If you miss your home, fair maiden, you may visit your father and sisters. Spend a day with them, but return to me by evening. And be careful not to be late. If you are even one minute late, I will die of grief."

"I will not be late," she promised. She went down the steps and found a carriage waiting for her. The moment she sat down, she was at her father's courtyard.

Her father saw her, welcomed her with open arms, kissed her, and asked, "My dear daughter, how have you been? Are you well?"

"Very well, father!" she said, and she told him about the riches of the palace, how the snake loved her, and how every wish was instantly fulfilled.

Her sisters listened, and they were green with envy.

The day was drawing to a close, and the maiden prepared to return. She said goodbye to her father and sisters, saying, "I must go back now, as I was told to be on time."

But her envious sisters rubbed onions on their eyes to make themselves appear tearful and said, "Please stay, sister, just one more day. Do not leave us so soon."

Feeling sorry for them, she stayed another day.

In the morning, she said farewell and hurried back to the palace. But when she arrived, it was as empty as before. She went into the garden, and there, in the pond, she saw the serpent lying dead. In his grief, he had thrown himself into the water.

"Oh, my God, what have I done!" cried the maiden. She wept bitter tears, ran to the pond, and hauled the snake out of the water. She embraced one of his heads and kissed it with all her might. The snake trembled, and in an instant, he turned into a handsome young man.

"Thank you, fair maiden," he said. "You have saved me from a terrible fate. I am not a snake, but an enchanted prince."

Then they went back to the merchant's house, were betrothed, and lived long and happy lives together.