The Little Humpbacked Horse Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, there lived three brothers. The two older ones were clever but lazy, and the youngest, Ivan, was simple-minded yet kind and honest. His brothers thought him a fool, and he kept mostly to himself, quietly doing whatever was asked of him. One night, their father asked them to guard the hayfield — something had been trampling the crops. The older brothers took turns but fell asleep each time. When it was Ivan’s turn, he stayed awake and watchful. Suddenly, the field lit up as a magical mare with a fiery mane galloped through. Ivan caught her. She spoke in a human voice:

 — Let me go, Ivan, — she pleaded, — and I’ll give you a gift: three foals. Two will be beautiful and strong, the third small and hunchbacked — but magical. He’ll help you in times of need. Ivan released the mare, received the foals, and told no one. By day he hid them, by night he fed and cared for them. Later, his brothers decided to go to the city to trade goods. They saw Ivan’s foals and persuaded him to join them. On the way, they tricked him and took the two beautiful horses, leaving him only the little humpbacked one. At the market, the brothers were caught for cheating. But Ivan, helped by the little horse — the Humpbacked Horse — became a successful merchant. He was honest, fair, and soon became well-loved. News of Ivan reached the Tsar. Curious, the Tsar summoned him.

— I hear you’re clever. Bring me the Firebird, whose feathers light up the night and disturb my sleep. Ivan was distressed. But the little horse reassured him:

— Don’t worry. I know where she nests. We’ll catch her tonight. And so they did. They waited in the forest, caught the Firebird, and brought her to the Tsar. The Tsar was thrilled, but soon grew greedy.

— Now bring me a foreign princess — the most beautiful in the world. Again, the little horse helped. At the end of the earth, in an icy palace, they found the princess. Through magic and kind words, they convinced her to come, though she agreed only on one condition:

— I will marry only the one who bathes in boiling water, boiling milk, and then icy water. The Tsar agreed, planning to test Ivan first. But the little horse protected Ivan — wrapped him in enchanted herbs and sprinkled him with wonder-water. Ivan jumped in and emerged handsome and strong. Seeing this, the Tsar jumped in — and perished. The people gasped, but the princess smiled:

— Now let Ivan be the Tsar. And so he became ruler. The little humpbacked horse stayed by his side, offering wisdom, singing songs, and chasing away sorrow. A fairy tale it may be — but its truth is clear: kindness and honesty are the real magic in life.