The Firebird and the Grey Wolf

 


Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there was a powerful tsar who had a magnificent garden filled with rare and beautiful treasures. The greatest of these was a tree that bore golden apples, glowing like the sun.

One morning, the tsar discovered that someone had been stealing the apples. Every night, one golden apple vanished. Furious, he called his three sons—Dmitri, Ivan, and Vasily—and ordered them to guard the tree. Whoever caught the thief would be rewarded handsomely.

That night, the eldest son, Dmitri, stood watch. But the hour was late, and the night was dark and quiet. Sleep overtook him, and by morning, another golden apple was gone.

The next night, the middle son, Vasily, tried his luck. He, too, fell asleep under the tree, and another apple disappeared.

Finally, it was the youngest son Ivan’s turn. Though his brothers mocked him, calling him foolish and lazy, Ivan was determined to succeed. He kept himself awake, pacing back and forth beneath the tree.

At midnight, a bright light filled the garden. Ivan looked up and saw the Firebird, a magical creature with feathers of gold and eyes like blazing rubies. It was perched in the tree, plucking a golden apple. Ivan crept closer and leapt toward the bird. Though it escaped, he managed to grab one of its shining feathers.

The next morning, Ivan showed the feather to his father, who was both amazed and enraged. “The Firebird is the thief! Bring it to me, or I will disown you!”

Ivan set off on a journey to find the Firebird. He traveled through forests and fields, over rivers and mountains. One day, as he rested by the side of the road, a great Grey Wolf appeared.

“Why are you so sad, young prince?” asked the wolf.

Ivan explained his quest. The wolf nodded thoughtfully. “I can help you, but you must promise to follow my advice without question.”

Ivan agreed, and the wolf said, “Climb onto my back.”

The Grey Wolf ran faster than the wind, carrying Ivan to a distant kingdom where the Firebird was kept in a golden cage. “Do not touch the cage,” the wolf warned. “Take only the bird.”

Ivan crept into the palace and found the Firebird, as radiant as the sun. But as he held it in his hands, he couldn’t resist the beauty of the golden cage and reached out to take it. At that moment, an alarm sounded, and Ivan was captured.

The king of the palace agreed to spare Ivan’s life on one condition: “Bring me the Horse with the Golden Mane, and I will give you the Firebird.”

Ivan returned to the wolf and told him what had happened. The wolf sighed but agreed to help. “Climb onto my back again.”

They journeyed to another distant kingdom, where the Horse with the Golden Mane was kept. “Do not take the bridle,” the wolf warned. “Take only the horse.”

But again, Ivan couldn’t resist the dazzling golden bridle. The moment he touched it, he was caught. The second king demanded yet another trade: “Bring me the beautiful Princess Elena, and you may have the horse.”

The wolf sighed deeply. “You never listen,” he said, but he agreed to help Ivan one last time. Together, they traveled to the kingdom where Princess Elena lived. The wolf transformed himself into a magnificent horse to trick the princess into following Ivan.

When Ivan saw Elena, he immediately fell in love with her. She, too, was charmed by his kindness and bravery. They returned to the second king, but the wolf had another plan. Just before the king could take Elena, the wolf whisked her away, along with the Horse with the Golden Mane.

The wolf helped Ivan trade the horse for the Firebird and then carried them all back to Ivan’s homeland. Along the way, the wolf said, “I have done all I can for you, Ivan. Take care of your treasures.”

When Ivan returned to his father’s palace with the Firebird, the Horse with the Golden Mane, and Princess Elena, his brothers grew jealous. They ambushed Ivan, leaving him for dead, and claimed his treasures as their own.

But the Grey Wolf had been watching over Ivan. He revived the young prince and carried him back to the palace just in time to expose his brothers’ treachery. The tsar banished the wicked brothers, and Ivan married Princess Elena.

They lived happily ever after, and the Grey Wolf was never forgotten.

This tale is a beautiful blend of adventure, magic, and the importance of loyalty and wisdom. 

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