Alder Chock. Karelian folk tale. Karelian fairy tales The tale of the alder chock
Alder Chock
Karelian fairy tale
ALDER CHOOK
A long time 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. One day an old man went into the forest to chop wood. And the old woman says:
You, old man, would carve out a doll for me from an alder block. I would rock her instead of a child in the cradle, if I didn’t get to rock my own children.
The old man went into the forest and spent the whole day carving a doll from an alder block. The old man brought the doll home and made a cradle. The old woman swaddled the piece of wood like a child, put it in the cradle, began rocking it and singing lullabies to it.
For three years the old woman rocked an alder block. One morning she began to bake bread. He heard - the cradle itself rocked - knocking on the floorboards. I looked around: a three-year-old boy was sitting in the cradle and rocking. He jumped onto the floor and said:
Bake me some bread, mother, I’m hungry!
The old woman was so happy that she didn’t know where to put her son or what to feed him. The son asks: - A. Where is father? - Father is plowing the field. “I’ll go help him,” says the boy. He came to the edge of the field and shouted:
Hello, father, I have come to help you!
The old man stopped his horse, looked and said:
Who calls me father? We don't have a son.
And I am Alder Chock, whom my mother rocked for three years. Now I am your son. Tell me what to do.
The old man looks: standing in front of him is a fine fellow, who 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 to prevent bears from poisoning the oats.
The old man went to dinner, and Alder Chock remained to fence the field. He made such a fence of thick trees that a hare could not crawl under it, and a bird could not fly over it. But I didn’t think to leave a passage on the field. The old man returned, saw this, and 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 use: he made such a fence that now you won’t even get into the field.
Alder Chock willingly took on any work, but he could not work half-heartedly. So it turned out that his help was not so much of a benefit as it was a hassle.
Alder Chock understood this himself. One morning he says to the old woman:
Bake me some plantains, mother. I’ll go wander around the world, maybe where my strength will be useful.
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 scarf, then look for me.
And went. Whether he was walking close or far, he saw a man sitting on a cliff, on the shore of a lake, fishing. The rod is thick pine, the fishing line is an anchor chain, and instead of a hook there is an anchor.
What a strong man! - said Alder Wood.
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 strongmen! - says the Angler.
Alder Chock remained silent and did not say who he was.
Let’s go watch 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, raising a rock high above his head. As he throws rock against rock, both of them fly to pieces.
Hey good man, what are you doing? - Alder Chock and Anglerman shout to him.
But I don’t know what to do with the power - I’m just amusing myself.
What a strong man! - says Alder Chock.
What are you saying, am I a strong man? They say there is an Alder Chock in the world who is a strongman for all strong men! - Climber answers.
Again Alder Chock said nothing about himself.
“Let’s go watch the white light together,” Alder Chock and Anglerman say to the Climber.
The three of them go. Whether they were walking close or far, it suddenly became dark. And the further they go, the darker it becomes. The travelers were surprised - it had just been morning, why did night come in broad daylight? They walk, they walk, it became completely dark, as if in autumn night. They see something flat ahead, like the sea, and on the shore it’s either a city or a fortress - they can’t make it out in the dark.
Right next to the fortress wall there is 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 month, or the dawn. One evil person He cursed the sun because it burned him so much, so the nine-headed snake stole the sun. Another villain cursed the month because it prevented him from stealing and doing dark things. And the six-headed serpent stole the month. And the third bad man cursed the dawn: he was lazy, 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, “they have been looking for strong men who could defeat these snakes for three years, 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... But we don’t have such strong men.
Shouldn't we try it? - says Alder Chock. They went to the king.
But the king had his own great grief. The three-headed serpent, which carried the morning dawn to the bottom of the sea, demanded the king’s eldest daughter to be devoured.
They brought that magical fiery drink and poured the first cup. The angler took it and drank it to the bottom - without wincing. They poured another cup, drank it, and drank a third. Climber drank six cups, and Alder Chock drained all nine to the bottom, as if it were water. The news spread throughout the area: there were heroes who could free the dawn, the month and the sun!
They asked Angler, Climber and Alder Chock to forge swords for them: the first had a three-pound sword, the second had a six-pound sword, and Alder Chock had a nine-pound sword. They took their swords and went to that old widow and asked her for a place to stay for the night.
Evening has come when the three-headed serpent must emerge from the sea for the king's eldest daughter. The servants brought the girl to the shore and sat her down on a stone. The Angler comes and tells her:
Look vigilantly at the sea and wait, and in the meantime I’ll sleep. When the serpent emerges from the sea, wake me up.
He laid his head on the princess's lap and fell fast asleep. Some time passed, the sea stirred once, twice, three times. The princess began to shake the Anglerfish, but he did not wake up. Now the snake’s head appeared above the water. Here the princess gained more strength from fear, she shook the Angler as hard as she could! He jumped up, grabbed his three-pound sword and went at the snake. He saw the young snake and said:
Hoo-hoo, it smells like human spirit. I wanted to eat one, but two came.
Don't 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 for us to fight,” says the snake.
Why do you, fat-bellied, need an iron field? I'll cut off your heads in the sand too.
And they began to fight. They fought and fought, and the Angler took off the snake's head, then another, but could not cut off the third. The fellow shouted:
Look, your house is on fire!
The snake looked around, and then the Anglerman cut off the third head. The royal daughter gave him her personalized ring and began to invite him to the royal palace with her, but the young man told her to go home alone, and he himself went to that old widow where his comrades were waiting for him.
And early in the morning people woke up: the morning dawn was shining in the sky.
But soon it got dark again. Alder Chock and his comrades went for a walk in the settlement, but the people were no longer happy, they were crying again! They learned that the six-headed serpent, which had been carried to the bottom of the sea for a month, was demanding the king’s middle daughter.
Evening has come. Now it was the turn of the Cliffbreaker to go fight with the snake. He comes to the seashore, and the king’s middle daughter is already sitting there on a stone, bursting into tears. Cliffbreaker approaches her and says:
Don't worry, girl, maybe everything will work out. I’ll sleep here a little, and you don’t take your eyes off the sea, wait for the serpent to rise. Then wake me up. If I don’t wake up, then prick me with a pin.
Cliffbreaker laid his head on the princess's lap and fell into a deep sleep. And the princess does not take her eyes off the sea. The sea shook once, twice, three times. The royal daughter began to bother Cliffbreaker, but he did not wake up. The sea has already stirred for the fourth time and the fifth, and the princess still cannot wake up her savior. She finally remembered the pin and pricked Cliffbreaker’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 emerged from the water. He saw the snake Cragbreaker and said:
Hoo-hoo! It smells like the human spirit. I wanted to eat one, but two came! It will be a good dinner.
Don't boast before your time! Let’s measure our strength first,” says Climber.
Well, if you are so strong, then exhale, so that here is a copper field where we can fight,” says the serpent.
Why do you, fat-bellied, need a copper field? I’ll chop your heads off in the sand too.
A long time 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. One day an old man went into the forest to chop wood. And the old woman says:
You, old man, would carve out a doll for me from an alder block. I would rock her instead of a child in the cradle, if I didn’t get to rock my own children.
The old man went into the forest and spent the whole day carving a doll from an alder block. The old man brought the doll home and made a cradle. The old woman swaddled the piece of wood like a child, put it in the cradle, began rocking it and singing lullabies to it.
For three years the old woman rocked an alder block. One morning she began to bake bread. He heard - the cradle itself rocked - knocking on the floorboards. I looked around: a three-year-old boy was sitting in the cradle and rocking. He jumped onto the floor and said:
Bake me some bread, mother, I’m hungry!
The old woman was so happy that she didn’t know where to put her son or what to feed him. The son asks: - A. Where is father? - Father is plowing the field. “I’ll go help him,” says the boy. He came to the edge of the field and shouted:
Hello, father, I have come to help you!
The old man stopped his horse, looked and said:
Who calls me father? We don't have a son.
And I am Alder Chock, whom my mother rocked for three years. Now I am your son. Tell me what to do.
The old man looks: standing in front of him is a fine fellow, who 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 to prevent bears from poisoning the oats.
The old man went to dinner, and Alder Chock remained to fence the field. He made such a fence of thick trees that a hare could not crawl under it, and a bird could not fly over it. But I didn’t think to leave a passage on the field. The old man returned, saw this, and 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 use: he made such a fence that now you won’t even get into the field.
Alder Chock willingly took on any work, but he could not work half-heartedly. So it turned out that his help was not so much of a benefit as it was a hassle.
Alder Chock understood this himself. One morning he says to the old woman:
Bake me some plantains, mother. I’ll go wander around the world, maybe where my strength will be useful.
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 scarf, then look for me.
And went. Whether he was walking close or far, he saw a man sitting on a cliff, on the shore of a lake, fishing. The rod is thick pine, the fishing line is an anchor chain, and instead of a hook there is an anchor.
What a strong man! - said Alder Wood.
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 strongmen! - says the Angler.
Alder Chock remained silent and did not say who he was.
Let’s go watch 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, raising a rock high above his head. As he throws rock against rock, both of them fly to pieces.
Hey good man, what are you doing? - Alder Chock and Anglerman shout to him.
But I don’t know what to do with the power - I’m just amusing myself.
What a strong man! - says Alder Chock.
What are you saying, am I a strong man? They say there is an Alder Chock in the world - he is a strongman for all strong men! - Climber answers.
Again Alder Chock said nothing about himself.
“Let’s go watch the white light together,” Alder Chock and Anglerman say to the Climber.
The three of them go. Whether they were walking close or far, it suddenly became dark. And the further they go, the darker it becomes. The travelers were surprised - it had just been morning, why did night come in broad daylight? They walked and walked - it became completely dark, like an autumn night. They see something flat ahead, like the sea, and on the shore it’s either a city or a fortress - they can’t make it out in the dark.
Right next to the fortress wall there is 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 month, or the dawn. One evil man cursed the sun because it burned him so much, so a nine-headed snake stole the sun. Another villain cursed the month because it prevented him from stealing and doing dark things. And the six-headed serpent stole the month. And the third bad man cursed the dawn: he was lazy, 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, “they have been looking for strong men who could defeat these snakes for three years, but they can’t find them anywhere.” Our king has such a magical drink: the weak cannot even drink it -
Alder Chock
Karelian fairy tale
ALDER CHOOK
A long time 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. One day an old man went into the forest to chop wood. And the old woman says:
You, old man, would carve out a doll for me from an alder block. I would rock her instead of a child in the cradle, if I didn’t get to rock my own children.
The old man went into the forest and spent the whole day carving a doll from an alder block. The old man brought the doll home and made a cradle. The old woman swaddled the piece of wood like a child, put it in the cradle, began rocking it and singing lullabies to it.
For three years the old woman rocked an alder block. One morning she began to bake bread. He heard - the cradle itself rocked - knocking on the floorboards. I looked around: a three-year-old boy was sitting in the cradle and rocking. He jumped onto the floor and said:
Bake me some bread, mother, I’m hungry!
The old woman was so happy that she didn’t know where to put her son or what to feed him. The son asks: - A. Where is father? - Father is plowing the field. “I’ll go help him,” says the boy. He came to the edge of the field and shouted:
Hello, father, I have come to help you!
The old man stopped his horse, looked and said:
Who calls me father? We don't have a son.
And I am Alder Chock, whom my mother rocked for three years. Now I am your son. Tell me what to do.
The old man looks: standing in front of him is a fine fellow, who 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 to prevent bears from poisoning the oats.
The old man went to dinner, and Alder Chock remained to fence the field. He made such a fence of thick trees that a hare could not crawl under it, and a bird could not fly over it. But I didn’t think to leave a passage on the field. The old man returned, saw this, and 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 use: he made such a fence that now you won’t even get into the field.
Alder Chock willingly took on any work, but he could not work half-heartedly. So it turned out that his help was not so much of a benefit as it was a hassle.
Alder Chock understood this himself. One morning he says to the old woman:
Bake me some plantains, mother. I’ll go wander around the world, maybe where my strength will be useful.
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 scarf, then look for me.
And went. Whether he was walking close or far, he saw a man sitting on a cliff, on the shore of a lake, fishing. The rod is thick pine, the fishing line is an anchor chain, and instead of a hook there is an anchor.
What a strong man! - said Alder Wood.
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 strongmen! - says the Angler.
Alder Chock remained silent and did not say who he was.
Let’s go watch 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, raising a rock high above his head. As he throws rock against rock, both of them fly to pieces.
Hey good man, what are you doing? - Alder Chock and Anglerman shout to him.
But I don’t know what to do with the power - I’m just amusing myself.
What a strong man! - says Alder Chock.
What are you saying, am I a strong man? They say there is an Alder Chock in the world who is a strongman for all strong men! - Climber answers.
Again Alder Chock said nothing about himself.
“Let’s go watch the white light together,” Alder Chock and Anglerman say to the Climber.
The three of them go. Whether they were walking close or far, it suddenly became dark. And the further they go, the darker it becomes. The travelers were surprised - it had just been morning, why did night come in broad daylight? They walked, walked, it became completely dark, like an autumn night. They see something flat ahead, like the sea, and on the shore it’s either a city or a fortress - they can’t make it out in the dark.
Right next to the fortress wall there is 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 month, or the dawn. One evil man cursed the sun because it burned him so much, so a nine-headed snake stole the sun. Another villain cursed the month because it prevented him from stealing and doing dark things. And the six-headed serpent stole the month. And the third bad man cursed the dawn: he was lazy, 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, “they have been looking for strong men who could defeat these snakes for three years, 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... But we don’t have such strong men.
Shouldn't we try it? - says Alder Chock. They went to the king.
But the king had his own great grief. The three-headed serpent, which carried the morning dawn to the bottom of the sea, demanded the king’s eldest daughter to be devoured.
They brought that magical fiery drink and poured the first cup. The angler took it and drank it to the bottom - without wincing. They poured another cup, drank it, and drank a third. Climber drank six cups, and Alder Chock drained all nine to the bottom, as if it were water. The news spread throughout the area: there were heroes who could free the dawn, the month and the sun!
They asked Angler, Climber and Alder Chock to forge swords for them: the first had a three-pound sword, the second had a six-pound sword, and Alder Chock had a nine-pound sword. They took their swords and went to that old widow and asked her for a place to stay for the night.
Evening has come when the three-headed serpent must emerge from the sea for the king's eldest daughter. The servants brought the girl to the shore and sat her down on a stone. The Angler comes and tells her:
Look vigilantly at the sea and wait, and in the meantime I’ll sleep. When the serpent emerges from the sea, wake me up.
Among the many fairy tales, it is especially fascinating to read the fairy tale “The Alder Chock (Karelian Fairy Tale)”; you can feel the love and wisdom of our people in it. Devotion, friendship and self-sacrifice and other positive feelings overcome all that oppose them: anger, deceit, lies and hypocrisy. The dialogues of the characters are often touching; they are full of kindness, kindness, directness, and with their help a different picture of reality emerges. Rivers, trees, animals, birds - everything comes to life, is filled with living colors, helps the heroes of the work in gratitude for their kindness and affection. An important role for children’s perception is played by visual images, of which this work abounds, quite successfully. Main character always wins not through deceit and cunning, but through kindness, kindness and love - this is the most important quality of children's characters. Tens, hundreds of years separate us from the time of creation of the work, but the problems and morals of people remain the same, practically unchanged. The fairy tale “The Alder Chock (Karelian Fairy Tale)” is certainly necessary to read for free online, not by children alone, but in the presence or under the guidance of their parents.
Once upon a time, 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. One day an old man went into the forest to chop wood. And the old woman says:
“Old man, you should carve out a doll for me from an alder block.” I would rock her instead of a child in the cradle, if I didn’t get to rock my own children.
The old man went into the forest and spent the whole day carving a doll from an alder block. The old man brought the doll home and made a cradle. The old woman swaddled the piece of wood like a child, put it in the cradle, began rocking it and singing lullabies to it.
For three years the old woman rocked an alder block. One morning she began to bake bread. He heard the cradle itself rock and clatter on the floorboards. I looked around: a three-year-old boy was sitting in the cradle and rocking. He jumped onto the floor and said:
- Bake me some bread, mother, I’m hungry!
The old woman was so happy that she didn’t know where to put her son or what to feed him. The son asks: “Ah, where is father?” — Father is plowing the field. “I’ll go help him,” says the boy. He came to the edge of the field and shouted:
- Hello, father, I came to help you!
The old man stopped his horse, looked and said:
- Who calls me father? We don't have a son.
“And I am Alder Chock, whom my mother rocked for three years.” Now I am your son. Tell me what to do.
The old man looks: standing in front of him is a fine fellow, who 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 to prevent bears from poisoning the oats.
The old man went to dinner, and Alder Chock remained to fence the field. He made such a fence of thick trees that a hare could not crawl under it, and a bird could not fly over it. But I didn’t think to leave a passage on the field. The old man returned, saw this, and 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 use: he made such a fence that now you won’t even get into the field.”
Alder Chock willingly took on any work, but he could not work half-heartedly. So it turned out that his help was not so much of a benefit as it was a hassle.
Alder Chock understood this himself. One morning he says to the old woman:
- Bake plantains for me, mother. I’ll go wander around the world, maybe where my strength will be useful.
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 was walking close or far, he saw a man sitting on a cliff, on the shore of a lake, fishing. The rod is thick pine, the line is an anchor chain, and instead of a hook there is an anchor.
- What a strong man! - said Alder Wood.
- What are you doing, 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! - says the Angler.
Alder Chock remained silent and did not say who he was.
“Let’s go watch 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, raising a rock high above his head. As he throws rock against rock, both of them fly to pieces.
- Hey, good man, what are you doing? - Alder Chock and Anglerman shout to him.
“But I don’t know what to do with my strength—I’m just amusing myself.”
- What a strong man! - says Alder Chock.
- What are you saying, am I a strong man? They say there is an Alder Chock in the world - he is a strongman for all strong men! — Cliffbreaker answers.
Again Alder Chock said nothing about himself.
“Let’s go watch the white light together,” Alder Chock and Anglerman say to the Climber.
The three of them go. Whether they were walking close or far, it suddenly became dark. And the further they go, the darker it becomes. The travelers were surprised - after all, it had just been morning, why did night come in broad daylight? They walked and walked - it became completely dark, like an autumn night. They see something flat ahead, like the sea, and on the shore it’s either a city or a fortress - they can’t make it out in the dark.
Right next to the fortress wall there is 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 month, or the dawn. One evil man cursed the sun because it burned him so much, so a nine-headed snake stole the sun. Another villain cursed the month because it prevented him from stealing and doing dark things. And the six-headed serpent stole the month. And the third bad man cursed the dawn: he was lazy, 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, “they’ve been looking for strong men who could defeat these snakes for three years, 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... But we don’t have such strong men.
- Shouldn't we try? - says Alder Chock. They went to the king.
But the king had his own great grief. The three-headed serpent, which carried the morning dawn to the bottom of the sea, demanded the king’s eldest daughter to be devoured.
They brought that magical fiery drink and poured the first cup. The angler took it and drank it to the bottom without wincing. They poured another cup, drank it, and drank a third. Climber drank six cups, and Alder Chock drained all nine to the bottom, as if it were water. The news spread throughout the area: there were heroes who could free the dawn, the month and the sun!
They asked Angler, Climber and Alder Chock to forge swords for them: the first had a three-pound sword, the second had a six-pound sword, and Alder Chock had a nine-pound sword. They took their swords and went to that old widow and asked her for a place to stay for the night.
Evening has come when the three-headed serpent must emerge from the sea for the king's eldest daughter. The servants brought the girl to the shore and sat her down on a stone. The Angler comes and tells her:
“Look vigilantly at the sea and wait, and in the meantime I’ll sleep.” When the serpent emerges from the sea, wake me up.
He laid his head on the princess's lap and fell fast asleep. Some time passed, the sea stirred once, twice, three times. The princess began to shake the Anglerfish, but he did not wake up. Now the snake’s head appeared above the water. Here the princess gained more strength from fear, she shook the Angler as hard as she could! He jumped up, grabbed his three-pound sword and went at the snake. He saw the young snake and said:
- Hoo-hoo, it smells like human spirit. I wanted to eat one, but two came.
- Don’t 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 for us to fight,” says the snake.
- Why do you, fat-bellied, need an iron field? I'll cut off your heads in the sand too.
And they began to fight. They fought and fought, and the Angler took off the snake's head, then another, but could not cut off the third. The fellow shouted:
- Look, your house is on fire!
The snake looked around, and then the Anglerman cut off the third head. The royal daughter gave him her personalized ring and began to invite him to the royal palace with her, but the young man told her to go home alone, and he himself went to that old widow where his comrades were waiting for him.
And early in the morning people woke up: the morning dawn was shining in the sky.
But soon it got dark again. Alder Chock and his comrades went for a walk in the settlement, but the people were no longer happy, they were crying again! They learned that the six-headed serpent, which had been carried to the bottom of the sea for a month, was demanding the king’s middle daughter.
Evening has come. Now it was the turn of the Cliffbreaker to go fight with the snake. He comes to the seashore, and the king’s middle daughter is already sitting there on a stone, bursting into tears. Cliffbreaker approaches her and says:
“Don’t worry, girl, maybe everything will work out.” I’ll sleep here a little, and you don’t take your eyes off the sea, wait for the serpent to rise. Then wake me up. If I don’t wake up, then prick me with a pin.
Cliffbreaker laid his head on the princess's lap and fell into a deep sleep. And the princess does not take her eyes off the sea. The sea shook once, twice, three times. The royal daughter began to bother Cliffbreaker, but he did not wake up. The sea has already stirred for the fourth time and the fifth, and the princess still cannot wake up her savior. She finally remembered the pin and pricked Cliffbreaker’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 emerged from the water. He saw the snake Cragbreaker and said:
- Hoo-hoo! It smells like the human spirit. I wanted to eat one, but two came! It will be a good dinner.
- Don’t boast before your time! Let’s measure our strength first,” says Climber.
“Well, if you are so strong, then exhale so that here there is a copper field where we can fight,” says the snake.
- Why do you, fat-bellied, need a copper field? I’ll chop your heads off in the sand too.
And the Cliffbreaker went to attack the snake. They fought and fought, and the fellow cut off the snake's head, the second and the third, but the snake did not give in. Already the fourth, fifth head rolled onto the sand, and the snake’s strength did not seem to have diminished. The Cliffbreaker just can’t overcome the sixth and final head. I used a trick:
- Look, snake, your children are amazed at you that you have become headless! - Climber shouts.
The snake looked back - and the sixth head rolled onto the sand. And then the moon emerged from the sea, which the serpent hid to the bottom of the sea. And the princess, to celebrate, gave her savior a personalized ring and began to call him with her to the royal palace, but Climber went to the old widow, where the Angler and Alder Chock were waiting for him.
In the morning, three comrades went for a walk in the settlement and saw: the people rejoiced, as if on a great holiday.
But before people had time to rejoice enough, word spread: the nine-headed serpent himself was demanding the king’s youngest daughter to be eaten.
Evening came, the royal servants brought the youngest princess to the seashore and sat her down on a white stone. She sits on a stone and cries bitterly.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a young man with a nine-pound sword appeared in front of her (it was Alder Chock) and said to the princess:
- Before your time, girl, don’t worry! I’ll sleep a little, and 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 me up, then take my knife out of its sheath and poke me in the hand - 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 stirred once, twice, three times... Princess, let’s wake up the young man, stir him up, but Alder Chock is still sleeping. The sea shook 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 rose, streaks of fire ran along the crests of the waves. Then the princess remembered the knife, grabbed the handle, took it out of the sheath and poked Alder Chock in the hand with the tip. 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:
- Hoo-hoo! Alder Chock himself came to dinner with me! This is just right for me! I heard about the Alder Chock, but I didn’t expect that he would climb into my mouth.
“Only the weak can speak boastfully,” answers Alder Chock. - It’s better to get down to business without further ado!
- Well, if you think you are so strong, then blow out a silver field where we can fight! - says the snake.
-What do you need silver tulle for? It will be soft on the sand for your heads,” says the fellow.
And Alder Chock went straight at the snake with his nine-pound sword. Before the snake had time to come to his senses, three heads flew off his shoulders. Already the fourth, and fifth, and sixth heads have rolled onto the sand, but the snake still refuses to budge. They fought for a long time, and Alder Chock has already chopped off the seventh head, but he still cannot overcome the last two. But then the eighth head rolled. At this point Alder Chock began to get tired. And they would not have cut off his last head if he had not come up with a trick.
- Look, snake, the sun is coming out of the sea! - Alder Chock shouted.
Indeed, dawn had already broken over the sea. The snake looked back. Here Alder Chock cut off the ninth head of the snake.
The youngest princess ran out from behind the stone, took Alder Chock by the hand and began calling her into 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 personalized ring - in his pocket.
Alder Wood went to the old widow's hut and went to bed. He managed to sleep just a little, but was awakened by joyful cries from the street.
- Why are they shouting there, why are they happy? - asks Alder Chock.
“Eh, darling,” answers the old widow, “you’re still sleeping, and you don’t know that the sun has risen brightly.” We haven’t seen the sun for three years - how can we not be happy! Only the Alder Chock in the world could kill the nine-headed serpent and free the sun. If only you could take a look at it!
Angler and Cliffbreaker glance at their comrade: maybe he is Alder Chock?
All three left the hut and went for a walk around the settlement. People say to three comrades:
“Throughout the entire kingdom they are looking for three strong men who freed the morning dawn, the moon and the clear sun, and also delivered the kingdom from terrible snakes. The king promised each of these young men as a wife the princess whom he had saved. The king also promised to divide half the kingdom and half the treasures between them.
Three days have passed, and those fellows still haven’t shown up. On the fourth day, the king’s servants come to the old widow’s hut and say:
- Some three strangers live with you. Order them to appear at the palace by order of the king.
“Well, since it’s been given, we must go,” says Alder Chock. “We just need to dress up properly.” Do you, mistress, have any torn clothes left over from your late husband?
The widow brought torn clothes from the basement, the fellows pulled them on and began to look like beggars. So they went to the royal palace. The servants do not allow them in - there is no place for beggars in the royal chambers. Then Alder Chock says:
“Call the king’s youngest daughter here.”
The princess arrived, Alder Wood took her name ring out of his pocket and said:
“Will you recognize your ring, princess?”
Then the princess screamed with joy and threw herself on Alder Wood's neck. The servants are amazed! And the princess dismissed the servants and said:
- They defeated the snakes!
They came to the chamber where the king was with the queen and with their daughters. The king was angry - why did they let the tramps in - but the youngest daughter approached the king and told everything. Here both the Angler and the Cliffbreaker showed their rings, and the king’s eldest daughters recognized them as their saviors.
What else could be done - even though the suitors were not to the tsar’s taste, the wedding had to be celebrated: it would not suit the tsar to change his word.
But then Alder Chock spoke:
“We don’t need either the kingdom or your daughters, king.” We only ask for one thing: give us the king, good horses and some supplies to get to our native land.
The king was delighted and generously rewarded the young men. Only the king’s youngest daughter was saddened: she liked the Alder Chock.
And the three comrades set off on their way back.
They drive and drive, and suddenly they see a hut standing in the forest, not far from the road. 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, right under the nest of the hut. Hears a voice:
“Here come the murderers of my sons!” They think they'll be home soon. Let them not leave me!
Alder Chock then guessed that this was the mother of those snakes, Suoyatar.
- What will you do to them? - asks another voice.
“And I will unleash such hunger on them that they will lose all their strength.” And near the road I will set tables with all kinds of food. But as soon as they sit down at those tables, they will immediately die. How do they know that if they just hit the tables with their swords three times, these tables will disappear, and with them the hunger.
- What if they guess? - someone asks.
“If they are saved this time,” says Suoyatar, “then I will unleash such thirst on them that they will fall from their horses from weakness.” And near the road I will conjure a lake, and there will be birch bark scoops here - just drink! If the fellows start drinking, then they will die. And if they had guessed to strike the water three times with their swords, the lake would have disappeared, and their thirst would have vanished as if by hand. Well, if they escape this time too, then I have a third trick in store: I’ll put such a dream on them that they’ll fall off their horses. And I’ll put three beds at the very edge of the road. As soon as the fellows lay down on them, they will burn. This time even the sword will not help them. Alder Chock is the most cunning of all, but if he expresses this secret out loud, he will say goodbye to the white light forever.
Alder Chock listened to this, ran away from the hut like an ermine, then turned into a man again. He goes to his comrades, thinks deeply, and is saddened. And the Cliffbreaker and the Angler began to ask him what they were talking about in the hut and what kind of people lived there.
“Ah, it’s a waste,” says Alder Wood. “There were some women there who had nothing better to do and were chattering all sorts of things.”
They drove on. They drove a little, and such hunger attacked them - even lie down and die. And then, out of nowhere, tables with all kinds of food appeared along the road. Before the Cliffbreaker and the Angler had time to stretch out their hands to take a piece, Alder Chock struck the tables three times with his sword, and they disappeared. Comrades got angry:
- He didn’t let us eat! And the food was so good.
Alder Chock didn’t say anything, but everyone suddenly noticed that they didn’t feel like eating at all.
They move on. They drove for some time, and such thirst attacked them that they simply died from weakness. And suddenly a lake appeared right next to the road, and birch bark scoops were placed on the shore. Before Alder Chock’s comrades had time to dismount from their horses to get a drink, he struck the water three times with his sword, and the lake was no longer there. And the travelers’ thirst disappeared.
They move on. They were overcome by such a dream that they were about to fall off their horses. And three beds with feather beds and feather pillows appeared at the edge of the road - just sleep, get some sleep. Cliffbreaker and Anglerman jumped off their horses and were about to throw themselves on the bed. Then Alder Chock, not remembering himself, shouted:
- Wait! If you lie on these beds, you will die!
The comrades became angry with Alder Chock, they were seriously angry:
- Why don’t you let us eat, drink, or sleep? - they say. “As you wish, we’ll go to bed—we don’t have the strength to go any further.”
Alder Chock sees that they will not listen, but she doesn’t know how to make the enchanted beds disappear.
“Wait, listen to what I tell you,” says Alder Chock. “Syuoyatar conjured these beds.” If you lie on them, you will burn. You would have disappeared long ago if it weren't for me. I heard about this witchcraft from Suoyatar herself when I went to that hut...
As soon as he had time to say these words, he turned into an alder block that the old man had once hewed. Angler and Cliffbreaker grieved here, grieved, but what to do? They can’t stay here forever. They went on their way. And the dream just flew away from them.
At this very time, in the house of the old man and the old woman, blood dripped from the red scarf that Alder Chock tied to the Crow before leaving. The old woman got scared and started crying:
- Trouble happened to my beloved son, whom I rocked in the cradle for three years!
The old woman gathered to look for her son and help him out of trouble. The old man persuades:
-Where are you going, old man? And where will you find it? Maybe the crows have already pecked out his eyes, the forest animals have stolen his bones? You'll just disappear yourself.
But the old woman did not listen, she collected food in a pouch, a pouch on her shoulders, a staff in her hands - and went out onto the road, even before the sun. The old woman asks at 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 it.
The old woman walks from day to night. Rose full moon. The old lady asks:
- It’s a clear month, tell me, have you seen my son, Alder Chock?
“No,” says the month, “I haven’t seen it.” I can’t see well in the dark thickets, but you’d better ask your older brother the sun, he looks into every corner, nothing can hide from his eyes.
The old woman walks 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 cannot help his trouble.
And the sun told where and how to find Alder Chock. An old woman comes to the edge of the forest where Alder Chock remained lying, saw a wooden doll, recognized it immediately - how could she not recognize it if she had been rocking it for three years - fell down to it and wailed:
- My only son, beloved, what happened to you? To whom did you leave me, the old one?
The old woman is crying over Alder Wood. A hot tear fell on the 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.
“The century would have slept, son, if it weren’t for me,” the mother answers.
Mother and son returned home. The old man was very happy with them. They began to live without bothering. Maybe even today Alder Chock still lives with the old man and the old woman, or maybe he’s gone back to looking for something he can handle. Who knows?
A long time 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. One day an old man went into the forest to chop wood. And the old woman says:
You, old man, would carve out a doll for me from an alder block. I would rock her instead of a child in the cradle, if I didn’t get to rock my own children.
The old man went into the forest and spent the whole day carving a doll from an alder block. The old man brought the doll home and made a cradle. The old woman swaddled the piece of wood like a child, put it in the cradle, began rocking it and singing lullabies to it.
For three years the old woman rocked an alder block. One morning she began to bake bread. He hears - the cradle itself rocked, knocking on the floorboards. I looked around: a three-year-old boy was sitting in the cradle and rocking. He jumped onto the floor and said:
Bake me some bread, mother, I’m hungry!
The old woman was so happy that she didn’t know where to put her son or what to feed him.
The son asks:
Where is father?
Father is plowing the field.
“I’ll go help him,” the boy says to his mother.
He came to the edge of the field and shouted:
Hello, father, I have come to help you!
The old man stopped his horse, looked and said:
Who calls me father? We don't have a son.
And I, Alder Chock, whom my mother rocked for three years. Now I am your son. Tell me what to do.
The old man looks: standing in front of him is a fine fellow, who 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 to prevent bears from poisoning our oats.
The old man went to dinner, and Alder Chock remained to fence the field. He made such a fence of thick trees that a hare could not crawl under it, and a bird could not fly over it. But I didn’t think to leave a passage on the field. The old man returned, saw this, and 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 use: he made such a fence that now you won’t even get into the field.
Alder Chock willingly took on any work, but he did not know how to work half-heartedly. So it turned out that his help was not so much of a benefit as it was a hassle.
Alder Chock understood this himself. One morning he says to the old woman:
Bake me some plantains, mother. I’ll go wander around the world, maybe where my strength will be useful.
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 scarf, then look for me.
And went. Whether he was walking close or far, he saw a man sitting on a cliff on the shore of a lake, fishing. The rod is thick pine, the fishing line is an anchor chain, and instead of a hook there is an anchor.
What a strong man! - said Alder Wood.
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 strongmen! - says the Angler.
Alder Chock remained silent and did not say who he was.
Let’s go watch 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, raising a rock high above his head. As he throws rock against rock, both of them fly to pieces.
Hey good man, what are you doing? - Alder Chock and Anglerman shout to him.
But I don’t know what to do with the power - I’m just amusing myself.
What a strong man! - says Alder Chock.
What are you saying, am I really a strong man? Here, they say, there is an Alder Chock in the world - he is a strongman for all strong men! - Climber answers.
Again Alder Chock said nothing about himself.
Let’s go wander around the world together,” he says to Cliffbreaker. - Maybe where our strength will come in handy.
The three of them go. Whether they were walking close or far, it suddenly became dark. And the further they go, the darker it becomes. The travelers were surprised: it had just been morning, why did night come in broad daylight? They walked and walked - it became completely dark, like an autumn night. They see something flat ahead, like the sea, and on the shore it’s either a city or a fortress - they can’t make it out in the dark.
Right next to the fortress wall there was 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 month, or the dawn. One evil man cursed the sun because it burned him so much, so a nine-headed snake stole the sun. Another villain cursed the month because it prevented him from stealing and doing dark things. And the six-headed serpent stole the month. And the third bad man cursed the dawn: he was lazy, 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 magic 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... But we don’t have such strong men.
Shouldn't we try it? - says Alder Chock.
They went to the king.
But the king had his own great grief. The three-headed serpent, which carried away the morning dawn, demanded the king's eldest daughter to be devoured.
They brought that magical fiery drink and poured the first cup. The angler took it and drank it to the bottom - without wincing. They poured another cup, drank it, and drank a third. Climber drank six cups, and Alder Chock drained all nine to the dregs. The news spread throughout the area: there were heroes who could free the dawn, the month and the sun!
They asked Angler, Climber and Alder Chock to forge swords for them: the first had a three-pound sword, the second had a six-pound sword, and Alder Chock had a nine-pound sword. They took their swords and went to the old widow.
