Three Heroes Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, there was a hero named Kurmergen who rode a gray horse. The hero's soul was in his sword. His father was a poor man, owning only a single mare. It seemed that this mare was the only livestock of the entire nation. Every year, a giant would come and take away the mare's newborn foal. No one but Kurmergen dared to seek it out. One day, he received his father's blessing and set out to search for the foals. He traveled day and night. On the way, he encountered a man lying with his ears to the ground.

 — Greetings!

— May the road be paved for you! – the man replied, and they exchanged introductions.

— I can hear everything that happens seven layers beneath the ground, – said the spy. Kurmergen responded:

— My soul is in my sword; I shall not die in this life. If you wish, travel with me, and let us be friends, – he said. The two became companions and set out together to search for the foals. After traveling for a while, they came across a man sitting between two rivers, observing what was inside and what was not. They asked him for directions and, after becoming friends, the three of them set off together. Thus, they arrived at the foot of a mountain. Before them, they saw twelve foals grazing and two houses set up. When they entered the house, they found a giant sleeping in one and three girls sleeping in the other. They entered the house with the girls and asked:

— Who's there?

The youngest girl woke up and said:

 — Where have you come from? You must leave here quickly. There is a giant sleeping in the next house. If he wakes up, he will kill you all, – she whispered in response. These girls, held captive by the giant, were the daughters of a merchant from a neighboring land. All three were beautiful and clever. The three heroes entered the first house and woke the giant themselves. They fought him for sixty days and finally killed him. Having defeated the giant, the three heroes took the girls and the foals and decided to return home. Along the way, Kurmergen's two companions bid farewell and returned to their own land. Kurmergen herded the foals, bringing the youngest girl along until he reached his village. His father and the villagers rejoiced upon seeing him and held a small celebration. The hero had a habit of sleeping for seven days and then staying awake for another seven. During the seven days he was asleep, the giant's mother, a wicked old woman, came to take revenge on Kurmergen for her son. Deceiving the hero's wife, she said:

 — Why don’t you ask where your husband’s soul is? Perhaps he does not trust you, – she tempted her and then hid in the house without being seen. After seven days, when the hero awoke from his slumber, his wife, in despair, asked:

— Where is your soul?

— My soul is in my sword, – he replied. Upon hearing this, the old woman stole the hero's sword and threw it into the river. The soulless hero was left with only his gray horse. The old woman took the foals and the girls to present to the king of the neighboring land. Meanwhile, Kurmergen lay in his village, with only his eyelashes moving. At that moment, his spy friend lay on the ground, listening. Realizing his friend was lifeless, he decided to rescue him. He went to the man by the river and brought him along. They arrived at Kurmergen's village. Just outside the village, they spotted something dark. Upon approaching, they found Kurmergen's horse, which was standing over its dead master’s remains. Just as the two friends reached their side, the horse died. Kurmergen still lay motionless, only his eyelashes flickering. Then, his friend who was watching the water began to see seven rivers in his mind’s eye. He kept watching and eventually found Kurmergen's sword. When he picked it up and handed it to Kurmergen, the hero sprang to his feet. His strength returned. Now, he began to search for his wife and foals. His companions followed Kurmergen. On their journey, they faced several difficulties. Finally, they arrived at a place where the hero saw his foals grazing. Now the three of them waited for the right moment to escape with Kurmergen’s wife and the foals that had turned into horses. In the middle of the night, Kurmergen stealthily took his wife and fled, while his friends drove off the horses. The king, awakened by the sound of the galloping horses, sent the old witch to catch them. The three fleeing friends came across seven rivers. At this moment, the witch wanted to take the girl again. This time, the girl refused her. The witch asked the girl:

— My daughter, how did you cross this river?

To which the girl replied:

— I tied stones to my skirts and put lead on top to cross. – The witch, trying to do as the girl said, drowned in the water and perished. Having achieved their goal, the heroes returned to their land. Kurmergen reunited with his parents and held a grand feast. He returned the horses to his homeland. His wife bore him children, and they lived a happy life. It is said that no enemy could ever conquer the land of these three heroes.