Fairy tale: Wooden eagle. Russian folktale

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Which child doesn't love fairy tales? Fairy tales are an integral part of childhood at all times. , this is an immersion in the world of magic, where goodness and justice triumph and where everyone is sure to be happy. “The Wooden Eagle” is a not very well-known fairy tale, but very kind and bright, like everyone else.

A little about the fairy tale

The fairy tale “The Wooden Eagle” is a magical tale glorifying the skill and talent of Russian craftsmen. There are all the traditional elements of a fairy tale: wonderful events unfolding in a certain kingdom, a brave prince who conquers a beautiful princess and saves her from captivity, and of course a happy ending with a miraculous return.

Almost nothing is known about the history of the fairy tale: its plot was popular in many Russian cities and was passed down from generation to generation until it was included in the now known version.

The plot of the tale

The action of the fairy tale “The Wooden Eagle” takes place, of course, in a certain kingdom. One day a jeweler and a carpenter, whose skill knows no equal, were arguing. The king heard their argument, laughed and said that the best master the one who will make an unprecedented wonder and surprise everyone will be named royal family. And he gave me one night to work.

The next morning the whole yard gathered to look at the wonderful crafts. The jeweler showed a golden duck that was as if alive, could swim, turn its head in different directions, and flap its wings. The king was pleased.

The carpenter brought a wooden eagle, which was difficult to distinguish from a real one. O. The eagle had a cog that controlled its flight. While everyone was surprised and praised the eagle, the young prince sat astride it, turned the screw - and there he was, flying high. The king was angry with the carpenter and said that if the prince did not return in two weeks, he should not cut off the master’s head.

The prince flew to an unknown town and asked to spend the night with an old woman. She told him about a high tower in which the beautiful princess, whose beauty knows no equal, is languishing. The next morning the prince sat on the eagle and flew into the window of that tower, began to talk with the beauty, and put the eagle in a bag.

The king was informed about the appearance of a young man in the tower, he ordered him to be captured and executed. Tsarevich voiced last request: to bring him his bag before his death. He took out the eagle, sat astride it, took the princess with him and flew back to his kingdom, only he was seen.

The prince and his beautiful bride flew home, to the delight of his parents and the entire kingdom. On this occasion they threw a feast for the whole world. The carpenter was released, and from that time on, the work and skill of all carpenters began to be respected in Rus'.

The fairy tale “Wooden Eagle” in modern times

And this wonderful book has survived to this day in collections, which teaches us to overcome difficulties and believe in the best. She may be less famous than others, but for sure will be interesting to children with its intricate, vivid plot and at the same time laconic narration. Children will definitely remember the fairy tale “The Wooden Eagle”; you can now read it in colorful collections of Russian folk tales on our website.

In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived a king. And the king had many servants. Yes, not ordinary servants, but different masters: and carpenters, and potters, and tailors. The king loved his dress to be better sewn than others, his dishes to be more intricately painted, and his palace to be decorated with carvings.

There were no shortage of craftsmen in the royal palace.

In the morning, they all gathered at the royal exit and waited to see who the king would assign what task for the day.

And then one day it happened that a goldsmith and a carpenter collided at the royal threshold. They clashed and argued about which of them knew their craft better, and whose work was more difficult.

The goldsmith says:

- Your skill is not great, you sit above a tree, cutting wooden things. Either way it's my job. I make everything from pure gold: it’s nice to look at.

And the carpenter answers:

- Not clever expensive thing do it if gold itself is valuable. You're from simple tree do something that will make everyone around you amazed. Then I will believe that you are a master.

They argued and argued, almost came to a fight, but at that time the king entered. He heard this conversation, grinned and ordered:

- Make me both of them, one of gold, the other of wood. I’ll look at them and decide which of you is the best master.

You can’t argue with the king if life is precious. The masters each went from the palace to their own place: both of them were thinking hard about how to surpass each other in skill.

The king gave them a week's time.

A week later, both masters come to the palace, stand in a row with the others, and wait for the royal exit. And everyone has a package in their hands.

The king came out and said:

“Well, well done, show off your art,” and he grins into his beard. He ordered that both the queen and the prince’s young son be summoned to the chamber.

“Let them also look at your miracles.”

The king and queen sat down on a bench, and the prince stood next to them. The goldsmith stepped forward.

- Order, Father Tsar, to bring me a large vat of water.

They brought a large vat and filled it with water.

The master untied his knot, took out the golden duck and launched it into the water. The duck swam as if it were alive: it turns its head, quacks, and cleans its feathers with its nose.

The king opened his mouth in surprise, and the queen shouted:

- Yes, this is a live duck, not a golden one! He apparently covered a live duck with gold!

The master was offended:

- How alive is she? Order me to take it apart piece by piece and put it back together again.

He took the duck out of the vat, first unscrewed its wings, then its head, and then took it all apart into pieces. I laid it out on the table and let’s screw it together again. He screwed it on and put it on the water. And the duck swam better than before.

All the courtiers clapped their hands.

- What a master! Well, he did a miracle! We haven't seen anything like this in ages.

The king turned to the carpenter:

- Now show your art.

The carpenter bowed:

- Order, Your Royal Majesty, to open the window in this room.

They opened the window. The carpenter unwrapped his bundle and took out a wooden eagle. Yes, this eagle was so well made that it could not be distinguished from a living one. And the carpenter says:

“The golden duck only swims on the water, but my eagle rises into the clouds.”

The carpenter sat astride the eagle and turned the screw. The eagle picked him up and carried him through the air from the royal chamber. Everyone rushed to the windows, looking with their mouths open, and the carpenter made different circles in the air above the royal court. Turn the cog to the left - the eagle flies downwards, to the right - it rises. In surprise, the king’s crown slipped onto the back of his head, he looked out the window, and couldn’t tear himself away. Everyone around seemed to freeze. No one has seen such skill.

The carpenter circled through the air and flew back into the room. He put the eagle aside and approached the king.

- Well, Father Tsar, are you satisfied with my art?

“I can’t find words, I’m so pleased,” the king answers. - How did you manage to do this? How did you attach this screw to him?

The carpenter began to explain all this to the king, and at this time the queen gasped and screamed:

- Where are you going? Where? Oh, catch it, stop it!

- Come back quickly! Where are you going? You'll kill yourself! - the king and queen shout to him. And the prince waved his hand and flew over the silver fence with which the palace was enclosed. He turned the screw to the right - the eagle rose behind the clouds and disappeared from sight.

The queen lies unconscious, and the king is angry with the carpenter.

“You deliberately came up with such a thing in order to destroy our only son.” Hey guards, grab him and throw him in the dungeon. And if the prince does not return in two weeks, hang the carpenter to the gallows.

The guards grabbed the carpenter and threw him into a dark dungeon. And the prince flies further and further on a wooden eagle.

In the evening he flew to an unknown kingdom and landed on the edge of the city. He sees a small hut standing there.

The prince knocked on the door.

The old lady looked out.

- Let me go, grandma, to spend the night. I’m a stranger here, I don’t know anyone, there’s no one to stay with.

- Why not let me in, son? Come in, there's plenty of room. I live alone.

The prince unscrewed the eagle, tied it in a bundle, and entered the old woman’s house.

She began to feed him dinner, and the prince asked: what kind of city is it, who lives in it, and what wonders are there in the city.

This is what the old lady says:

- We have, son, one miracle in the state. There is a royal palace in the middle of the city, and near the palace there is a high tower. That tower is locked with thirty locks, and its gates are guarded by thirty guards. No one is allowed into the tower. And the king's daughter lives there. When she was born, she and her nanny were locked in that tower so that no one could see. The king and queen are afraid that the princess will fall in love with someone and will have to marry her to someone else. And they feel sorry to part with her: she is the only one they have. So the girl lives in the tower, as if in a dungeon.

- Is it true that the princess is good? - asks the guest.

“I don’t know, son, I haven’t seen it myself, but people say that such beauty cannot be found in the whole world.”

The prince wanted to get into the forbidden tower. He went to bed, and he kept thinking about how he could see the princess.

The next day, when it got dark, he sat on his wooden eagle, soared into the clouds and flew to the tower from the side where the window in the mansion was.

He flew up and knocked on the glass.

The princess was surprised. He sees a fellow of indescribable beauty.

- Who are you, good fellow? - asks.

- Open the window. Now I’ll tell you everything.

The girl opened the frame and a wooden eagle flew into the room. The prince got off him, said hello, and told the girl everything that had happened to him.

They sit, look at each other - they can’t stop looking at each other.

The prince asks if she agrees to become his wife.

“I agree,” says the princess, “but I’m afraid my father and mother won’t let me go.”

And the evil mother, who was guarding the princess, tracked everything down. She ran to the palace and reported that, just like that, someone had flown to the princess, and now this fellow was hiding in the old woman’s house.

The guards came running, grabbed the prince and dragged him to the palace. And there the angry king sits on the throne, banging his club on the table.

- How did you, so-and-so, robber, dare to violate my royal ban? Tomorrow I will execute you!

They took the prince to prison, threw him alone and locked him up with strong locks.

The next morning the whole city was herded to the square. It was announced that the daring young man who had entered the princess’s tower would be executed.

So the executioner came, and the gallows were erected, and the Tsar and Tsarina themselves came to watch the execution.

They took the prince out to the square. And he turned to the king and said:

- Your Majesty, allow me to make one last request.

The king frowned, but he couldn’t refuse.

- Well, speak up.

- Order the messenger to run to the old woman’s house where I lived and bring my bundle from under the pillow.

The king could not refuse, so he sent a messenger. They brought a bundle.

And at that time the prince was already brought to the gallows and placed on a ladder. The messenger handed him a bundle.

The prince turned it around, jumped on the wooden eagle - and there he was. He soared above the gallows, above the king, above the entire crowd.

The king gasped:

- Catch him! Hold it! It will fly away!

And the prince directed the eagle to the tower, flew up to the familiar window, picked up the princess and placed him on the eagle in front of him.

“Well,” he says, “now you and I are not afraid of any pursuit.”

And the eagle rushed them to their native state.

And there, from the dungeon, the poor carpenter looks through the telescope, does not take his eyes off the sky - is the prince flying back? Tomorrow the two weeks end, the carpenter will have to hang on a rope if the king’s son does not return.

And suddenly the poor master sees: a wooden eagle is flying across the sky, and on it is a prince, and not alone, but with a beautiful bride.

An eagle landed in the middle of the royal court. The prince took his bride from him and took him to his father and mother. He told them where he had been for two weeks. And they, out of joy and anxiety, forgave him.

The king arranged a great feast. The wedding was celebrated for three months.

And from that time on, all carpenters in that state began to be especially respected

The fairy tale Wooden Eagle is about the fact that it is impossible to outwit fate. Both children and parents will enjoy reading it online.

Fairy tale Wooden eagle read

The Wooden Eagle is an interesting fairy tale with a dynamic plot. The goldsmith and the carpenter argued over who would surprise the king more with his skill. The king ordered that they bring him each of the wonders so that he could determine the winner. The first brought the king a golden duck, which, as if alive, swam on the water. The king's associates admired the master's skillful creation. The carpenter showed his product - a wooden eagle. The work is remarkable: it is indistinguishable from a living eagle. The carpenter saddled the eagle, turned some screw inside, the eagle flew up into the clouds, circled and came back. While the king thanked the master, the prince jumped on an eagle and flew away to distant overseas lands. The king accused the carpenter of the disappearance of his beloved son and ordered the master to be imprisoned. And the prince traveled around the world for two weeks. He learned about the beautiful royal daughter, whom her father kept in a high tower so that no one would get her as a wife. The young man flew up on his wooden horse to the window of the tower and spoke to the princess. They fell in love with each other at first sight. But the king ordered the execution of the daredevil. Before the execution, the prince jumped on his eagle and flew away with the princess to his kingdom. To celebrate, a magnificent wedding was celebrated, and the skilled carpenter was released from prison. You can read the fairy tale online on our website.

Analysis of the fairy tale Wooden Eagle

There are several thematic lines in the tale. At the beginning of the tale, the skill of self-taught craftsmen and their wonders are shown. The theme of man and his fate further develops. The fairy tale shows that everyone is destined to go through certain trials in life. What does the fairy tale Wooden Eagle teach? She teaches not to make hasty decisions.

Moral of the story Wooden eagle

You can’t escape fate - that’s the moral of the fairy tale The Wooden Eagle. At least three episodes of the tale confirm this truth. The talented craftsman received recognition from the king for the wonderful wooden eagle, but immediately ended up in prison. Since childhood, the king hides the beautiful princess behind seven locks in a high tower, so as not to give his daughter away in marriage to a distant country, but the stranger, having placed her on a wooden eagle, kidnaps and marries her. The king ordered the young man to be executed, but with the help of a wooden eagle he saves his life.

(24 pages)
The book is adapted for smartphones and tablets!

Text only:

In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived a king. And the king had many servants. Yes, not ordinary servants, but various craftsmen: carpenters, potters, and tailors. The king loved his dress to be better sewn than others, his dishes to be more intricately painted, and his palace to be decorated with carvings.
There were no shortage of craftsmen in the royal palace. In the morning, they all gathered at the royal exit and waited to see who the king would assign what task for the day.
And then one day it happened that a goldsmith and a carpenter collided at the royal threshold. They clashed and argued about which of them knew their craft better and whose work was more difficult.
The goldsmith says:
- Your skill is not great, you sit above a tree, cutting wooden things. It’s just my job: I make everything from pure gold - it’s nice to look at.
And the carpenter answers:
- It’s not smart to make an expensive thing if gold itself has a price. Make something out of simple wood that will make everyone around you amazed. Then I will believe that you are a master.
They argued and argued, almost came to a fight, but at that moment the king entered. He heard this conversation, grinned and ordered:
- Make me both of them, something out of the ordinary: one from gold, the other from wood. I’ll look at them and decide which of you is the best master.
You can’t argue with the king if life is precious. The masters each went home from the palace; Both are thinking hard about how to surpass each other in skill.
The king gave them a week's time.
A week later, both masters come to the palace, stand in a row with the others, and wait for the royal entrance. And everyone has a package in their hands.
The king came out and said:
-Well, well done, show your art.-
And he grins into his beard. He ordered to call both the queen and the prince’s young son into the chamber. “Let them also look at your work.”
The king and queen sat down on a bench, and the prince stood next to them. The goldsmith stepped forward.
- Order, Father Tsar, to bring a large vat of water.
They brought a large vat and poured water.
The master untied his knot, took out the golden duck and launched it into the water. The duck swam as if it were alive: it turns its head, quacks, and cleans its feathers with its nose.
The king opened his mouth in surprise, and the queen shouted:
- Yes, this is a live duck, not a golden one! He apparently covered a live duck with gold!
The master was offended:
- How alive is she? Order me to take it apart piece by piece and put it back together again.
He took the duck out of the vat, first unscrewed its wings, then its head, and then took it all apart into pieces. I laid it out on the table and let’s screw it together again. He screwed it on and put it on the water. And the duck swam better than before.
All the courtiers clapped their hands:
- What a master! Well, he did a miracle! We haven't seen anything like this in ages!
The king turned to the carpenter:
- Now show your art.
The carpenter bowed:
- Order, Your Royal Majesty, to open the window in this room.
They opened the window. The carpenter unwrapped his bundle and took out a wooden eagle from it. Yes, this eagle was so well made that it could not be distinguished from a living one. And the carpenter says:
- The golden duck only swims on the water, but my eagle rises into the clouds.
The carpenter sat on the eagle and turned the screw. The eagle picked him up and instantly flew through the air from the royal chamber. Everyone rushed to the windows, looking, mouths agape, and the carpenter made different circles in the air over the royal court
does. If the cog turns to the left, the eagle flies down; if it turns to the right, it rises. In surprise, the king's crown slipped onto the back of his head, he looked out the window, and couldn't tear himself away. And everyone around seemed to freeze. No one has seen such skill.
The carpenter circled through the air and flew back into the room. He put the eagle aside and approached the king.
- Well, Father Tsar, are you satisfied with my art?
“I can’t find words, I’m so pleased,” the king replies. “How did you manage to do that?” How did you attach this screw to him?
The carpenter began to explain to the king, and at this time the queen gasped and screamed:
- Where are you going? Where? Oh, catch it, stop it!
Everyone turned around at her voice - and saw: while the king
When he questioned the carpenter, the young prince jumped on the eagle, turned the screw, and flew out of the window into the yard.
- Come back quickly! Where are you going? You'll kill yourself! - the king and queen shout to him. And the prince waved his hand and flew through the silver fence with which the palace was fenced. He turned the screw to the right, and the eagle rose behind the clouds and disappeared from sight.
The queen lies unconscious, and the king is angry with the carpenter.
“This,” he says, “you deliberately came up with such a thing in order to destroy our only son.” Hey guards! Seize him and throw him into prison. And if the prince does not return in two weeks, hang the carpenter to the gallows.
The guards grabbed the carpenter and threw him into a dark dungeon.
And the prince flies further and further on a wooden eagle.
Love the prince. Spacious, free all around. The wind whistles in my ears, my curls flutter, under my feet
the clouds are flying by, and the prince himself is like a winged bird. Wherever he wants, he turns there in the sky.
In the evening he flew to an unknown kingdom and landed on the edge of the city. He sees a small hut standing there.
The prince knocked on the door. The old lady looked out.
- Let me go, grandma, to spend the night. I’m a stranger here, I don’t know anyone, there’s no one to stay with.
- Why not let me in, son? Come in, there's plenty of room. I live alone.
The prince unscrewed the eagle, tied it into a bundle, and entered the old woman’s hut.
The old woman began to feed him dinner, and the prince asked: what kind of city is it, who lives in it, and what wonders are there in the city.
This is what the old lady says:
- We, son, have one miracle in the state. There is a royal palace in the middle of the city, and near the palace there is a high tower. That tower is locked with thirty locks, and its gates are guarded by thirty guards. No one is allowed into that tower. And the king's daughter lives there. When she was born, she and her nanny were locked in that tower so that no one could see. The king and queen are afraid that the princess will fall in love with someone, and they will have to marry her to someone else. And they feel sorry to part with her: she is the only one they have. So the girl lives in the tower, as if in a dungeon.
- Is the princess really good? - asks the prince.
“I don’t know, son, I haven’t seen it myself, but people said that such beauty cannot be found in the whole world.”
The prince wanted to get into the forbidden tower. He went to bed, and he kept thinking about how he could see the princess.
The next day, when it got dark, he sat on his wooden eagle, soared into the clouds and flew
to the tower from the side where the window in the mansion was. He flew up and knocked on the glass.
The princess was surprised. He sees a fellow of indescribable beauty.
- Who are you, good fellow? - asks.
- Open the window. Now I'll tell you everything. The girl opened the window and a wooden eagle flew into
room. The prince got off him, said hello, and told the girl who he was and how he got here.
They sit, look at each other - they can’t stop looking at each other.
The prince asks if she agrees to become his wife.
“I agree,” says the princess, “but I’m afraid my father and mother won’t let me go.”
And the evil nanny, who was guarding the princess, tracked everything down. She ran to the palace and reported that just like that, someone had flown to the princess, and now this fellow was hiding in the old woman’s house.
The guards came running, grabbed the prince and dragged him to the palace. And there the king sits on the throne, gets angry, bangs his club on the floor.
- How did you, so-and-so, robber, dare to violate my royal prohibition? Tomorrow I will order your execution!
They took the prince to prison, threw him alone and locked him up with strong locks.
The next morning, all the people were herded to the square. It was announced that the daring young man who had entered the princess’s tower would be executed.
So the executioner came, and the gallows were erected, and the Tsar and Tsarina themselves came to watch the execution.
They took the prince out to the square. And he turned to the king and said:
- Your Majesty, allow me to make one last request.
The king frowned, but he couldn’t refuse.
- Well, speak up.
- Order the messenger to run to the old woman’s house where I lived and bring my bundle.
The king could not refuse, so he sent a messenger. They brought a package.
And at that time the prince was already brought to the gallows and placed on a ladder. The messenger gave him a package.
The prince turned it around, jumped on the wooden eagle - and there he was. He soared above the gallows, above the king, above the entire crowd.
The king gasped:
- Catch him! Hold it! It will fly away!
And the prince directed the eagle to the tower, flew to the familiar window, picked up the princess and placed him on the eagle in front of him.
“Well,” he says, “now you and I are not afraid of any pursuit.”
And the eagle rushed them to the state of the prince.
And there the poor carpenter sits in the dungeon, not taking his eyes off the sky - is the prince flying back? Tomorrow the two weeks end, the carpenter will have to hang on a rope if the king’s son does not return.
And suddenly he sees a wooden eagle flying across the sky, and on it is the prince, and not alone, but with a beautiful girl.
An eagle landed in the middle of the royal court. The prince took his bride from him and took him to his father and mother. He told them where he had been for two weeks. Out of joy, they forgave him for their worries and released the carpenter from the dungeon.
The king arranged a great feast. The wedding was celebrated for three months.

The goldsmith says:

Your skill is not great, you sit above a tree, cutting wooden things. It’s just my job: I make everything out of pure gold - it’s nice to look at.

And the carpenter answers:

It’s not clever to make an expensive thing if gold itself has a price. Make something out of a simple tree that will make everyone around you amazed. Then I will believe that you are a master.

They argued and argued, almost came to a fight, but at that time the king came out. He heard this conversation, grinned and ordered:

Make me both something unusual: one from gold, the other from wood. I’ll look at them and decide which of you is the best master.

You can’t argue with the king if life is precious. The masters each went from the palace to their own place, both of them thinking hard about how to surpass each other in skill. The king gave them a week's time. A week later, both masters come to the palace, stand in a row with the others, and wait for the royal entrance. And everyone has a package in their hands.

The king came out and said:

Well, well done, show off your art, - and he grins into his beard.

He ordered that both the queen and the prince’s young son be summoned to the chamber.

Let them look at your work. The king and queen sat down on a bench, and the prince stood next to them. The goldsmith came forward:

Order, Father Tsar, to bring a large vat of water.

They brought a large vat and poured water. The master untied his knot, took out the golden duck and launched it into the water. The duck swam as if it were alive: it turns its head, quacks, and cleans its feathers with its nose.

The king opened his mouth in surprise, and the queen shouted:

Yes, this is a live duck, not a golden one! He apparently covered a live duck with gold!

The master was offended:

How alive is she? Order me to take it apart piece by piece and put it back together again.

All the courtiers clapped their hands:

What a master! Well, he did a miracle! We haven't seen anything like this in ages!

The king turned to the carpenter:

Now show your art.

The carpenter bowed:

Order, Your Royal Majesty, to open a window in this upper room.

They opened the window. The carpenter unwrapped his bundle and took out a wooden eagle from it. Yes, this eagle was so well made that it could not be distinguished from a living one. And the carpenter says:

The golden duck only swims on the water, but my eagle rises into the clouds.

The carpenter sat on the eagle and turned the screw. The eagle lifted him up and instantly flew through the air from the royal chamber. Everyone rushed to the windows, looking, mouths open, and the carpenter made different circles in the air above the royal court. If the cog turns to the left, the eagle flies down; if it turns to the right, it rises. In surprise, the king’s crown slipped onto the back of his head, he looked out the window, and couldn’t tear himself away. And everyone around seemed to freeze. No one has seen such skill.

The carpenter circled through the air and flew back into the room. He put the eagle aside and approached the king:

Well, Father Tsar, are you satisfied with my art?

I can’t find words, I’m so pleased,” the king replies. - How did you manage to do that? How did you attach this screw to him?

The carpenter began to explain to the king, and at this time the queen gasped and screamed:

Where are you going? Where? Oh, catch it, stop it!

Come back soon! Where are you going? You'll kill yourself! - the king and queen shout to him.

And the prince waved his hand and flew through the silver fence with which the palace was fenced. He turned the screw to the right - the eagle rose behind the clouds and disappeared from sight.

The queen lies unconscious, and the king is angry with the carpenter.

“This,” he says, “you deliberately came up with such a joke in order to ruin our only son.” Hey guards! Seize him and throw him into prison. And if the prince does not return in two weeks, hang the carpenter to the gallows.

The guards grabbed the carpenter and threw him into a dark dungeon.

Love the prince. Spacious, free all around. The wind whistles in your ears, your curls flutter, clouds fly under your feet, and the prince himself is like a winged bird. Wherever he wants, he turns there in the sky. In the evening he flew to an unknown kingdom and landed on the edge of the city. He sees a small hut standing there.

The prince knocked on the door. The old lady looked out.

Let me spend the night, grandma. I’m a stranger here, I don’t know anyone, there’s no one to stay with.

Why not let me in, son? Come in, there's plenty of room. I live alone.

The prince unscrewed the eagle, tied it into a bundle, and entered the old woman’s hut.

The old woman began to feed him dinner, and the prince asked: what kind of city is it, who lives in it, and what wonders are there in the city.

This is what the old lady says:

We, son, have one miracle in the state. There is a royal palace in the middle of the city, and near the palace there is a high tower. That tower is locked with thirty locks, and its gates are guarded by thirty guards. No one is allowed into that tower. And the king's daughter lives there. When she was born, she and her nanny were locked in that tower so that no one could see. The king and queen are afraid that the princess will fall in love with someone and will have to marry her to someone else. And they feel sorry to part with her: she is the only one they have. So the girl lives in a tower, as if in a dungeon.

And is the princess really good? - asks the prince.

I don’t know, son, I haven’t seen it myself, but people said that such beauty cannot be found in the whole world. The prince wanted to get into the forbidden tower.

He went to bed, and he kept thinking about how he could see the princess.

The next day, when it got dark, he sat on his wooden eagle, soared into the clouds and flew to the tower from the side where the window in the mansion was. He flew up and knocked on the glass. The princess was surprised. He sees a fellow of indescribable beauty.

Who are you, good fellow? - asks.

Open the window. Now I’ll tell you everything.

The girl opened the window and a wooden eagle flew into the room. The prince got off him, said hello, and told the girl who he was and how he got here.

They sit, look at each other - they can’t stop looking at each other.

The prince asks if she agrees to become his wife.

“I agree,” says the princess, “but I’m afraid that my father and mother won’t let me go.”

And the evil nanny, who was guarding the princess, tracked everything down. She ran to the palace and reported that, just like that, someone had flown to the princess, and now this fellow was hiding in the old woman’s house.

The guards came running, grabbed the prince and dragged him to the palace.

And there the king sits on the throne, gets angry, bangs his club on the floor.

How did you, robber so-and-so, dare to violate my royal ban? Tomorrow I will order your execution!

They took the prince to prison, threw him alone and locked him up with strong locks.

The next morning, all the people were herded to the square. It was announced that the daring young man who had entered the princess’s tower would be executed.

So the executioner came, and the gallows were erected, and the Tsar and Tsarina themselves came to watch the execution. They took the prince out to the square. And he turned to the king and said:

Your Majesty, allow me to make one last request.

The king frowned, but he couldn’t refuse.

Well, speak up.

Order the messenger to run to the old woman’s house where I lived and bring my bundle.

The king could not refuse, so he sent a messenger. They brought a package.

And at that time the prince was already brought to the gallows and placed on a ladder. The messenger gave him a package. The prince turned it around, jumped on the wooden eagle - and there he was. He soared above the gallows, above the king, above the entire crowd.

The king gasped:

Catch him! Hold it! It will fly away!

And the prince directed the eagle to the tower, flew to the familiar window, picked up the princess and placed him on the eagle in front of him.

Well,” he says, “now you and I are not afraid of any pursuit.”

And the eagle rushed them to the state of the prince. And there the poor carpenter sits in the dungeon, not taking his eyes off the sky - is the prince flying back? Tomorrow the two weeks end, the carpenter will have to hang on a rope if the king’s son does not return.

And suddenly he sees a wooden eagle flying across the sky, and on it is a prince, and not alone, but with a beautiful girl. An eagle landed in the middle of the royal court. The prince took his bride from him and took him to his father and mother. He told them where he had been for two weeks. Out of joy, they forgave him for their worries and released the carpenter from the dungeon.

The king arranged a great feast. The wedding was celebrated for three months.

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