The Golden Bird
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away, there was a magnificent golden apple tree that grew in the king’s garden. This tree was the pride of the kingdom, and every year it bore the most beautiful golden apples. But one year, something strange happened. Each night, one of the golden apples would disappear, and no one could figure out who was stealing them.
The king had three sons: the eldest was proud and arrogant, the middle son was clever but lazy, and the youngest, named Ivan, was kind-hearted and brave. The king called his sons to him and said, “Whoever can catch the thief who is stealing my golden apples will inherit my kingdom.”
The eldest son volunteered to guard the tree first. He sat beneath it all night, but by morning, he was fast asleep, and another apple was gone. The middle son tried next, but the same thing happened. Finally, it was Ivan’s turn. Though his brothers laughed at him, Ivan was determined to succeed.
That night, Ivan hid behind the tree and waited. As the moon rose high in the sky, he saw a flash of golden light. A magnificent bird with shimmering golden feathers flew down from the sky and landed on the tree. Ivan watched in awe as the bird plucked a golden apple and flew away. Ivan tried to catch the bird, but it was too fast. However, he managed to pluck one of its golden feathers before it disappeared into the night.
The next morning, Ivan showed the feather to his father. The king was amazed and said, “This is no ordinary bird. It must be the legendary Golden Bird! Whoever captures it will bring great honor to our kingdom.”
The king’s sons set out on a quest to find the Golden Bird. The eldest son went first, riding his horse through the forest. He soon came to a crossroads where a fox sat. The fox said, “If you wish to find the Golden Bird, take the path to the right.”
But the eldest son, thinking himself too clever to listen to a fox, took the left path instead. He soon became lost and gave up his quest. The middle son followed and made the same mistake.
When it was Ivan’s turn, he listened to the fox. “Take the path to the right,” the fox said, “and when you come to a village, do not stop at the inn, no matter how tired you are.”
Ivan thanked the fox and followed its advice. He rode through the forest and came to the village, where he saw a cozy inn. Though he was tempted to rest, he remembered the fox’s warning and continued on his way.
The next day, the fox appeared again and said, “You have done well. Now, I will help you find the Golden Bird. Ride with me to the castle where the bird is kept, but beware: the castle is guarded by fierce dogs. Take this piece of meat and throw it to them.”
Ivan followed the fox to the castle, where he threw the meat to the dogs. They gobbled it up and let him pass. Inside the castle, Ivan found the Golden Bird in a golden cage. But as he reached for it, he noticed an old, rusty cage nearby. Remembering the fox’s advice to always choose the plain over the fancy, Ivan transferred the bird to the rusty cage.
As he left the castle, the dogs began to bark, and the guards woke up. Ivan ran as fast as he could, but the guards caught him and brought him before the castle’s king. The king was furious and said, “You have stolen my Golden Bird! To repay your crime, you must bring me the Golden Horse from the neighboring kingdom.”
Ivan set out on this new quest, and once again, the fox helped him. It led him to the stable where the Golden Horse was kept and warned him to use the old, worn saddle instead of the golden one. Ivan obeyed and successfully took the horse, but he was caught again and given another task: to bring back the princess from the Land of Dawn.
With the fox’s guidance, Ivan found the princess, who was as kind as she was beautiful. She agreed to come with him, and together they escaped. Along the way, Ivan’s brothers found him and, jealous of his success, pushed him into a well and took the Golden Bird, the Golden Horse, and the princess back to their father.
But Ivan was not dead. The fox rescued him and gave him a magical cloak that made him invisible. Ivan returned to the palace just as his brothers were about to claim the kingdom. He revealed the truth, and the king, seeing his youngest son’s bravery and honesty, declared Ivan the rightful heir.
The Golden Bird, the Golden Horse, and the princess stayed in the kingdom, bringing it great prosperity. Ivan married the princess, and they ruled wisely and justly. As for the fox, it revealed itself to be an enchanted prince, freed from a curse by Ivan’s kindness. And so, everyone lived happily ever after.
